I saw The Heaters at the Viper Room this last Wednesday. WOW! It’s been twenty seven years since their first LP. The Heaters were the hottest band in L. A. (hence, the United States) in 1979-1980. They were as good as ever, if not better. The three women’s three-part harmonies soared, Phil’s drumming kicked serious percussive butt and Jamie’s guitar work was crisp yet emotional. There was a terrific article on the band in the July 18 Los Angeles Times Calendar section.
If you want to hear some great music, go to www.theheatersonline.com
Also on that site is my bio of the group. It delineates my involvement with the band as well. I just designed and illustrated the packaging (and wrote the liner notes) to their first CD release. It should be out this week. You can order it in advance, I believe, from The Heaters’ website listed above or, as soon as it comes out, from my website.
Put On The Heat!
I’m so mad /sad I forgot to keep an eye out for this show. I still remember them and you palying at my 21st birthday party and the back window shaking so much I thought it would break! I think I saw them at least 10 times and they were always great.
I just read your Heaters history, Sorry you feel that way, but I don’t remember the exact circumstances about the cover. I just remember being very young, in love with the band and happy anyone wanted my work. I don’t remember you objecting to me doing the cover. I agree I wasn’t ready to do it and you would have done a far better job. I just did what I was told by the label. I didn’t want to do chrome lettering, I didn’t have the moxie to do it the right way, they knew I wasn’t a photographer. Hell, I barrowed my Dad’s camera. Just try and consider that I wasn’t raised well and took a lot longer to mature. I didn’t understand you should have done the cover. Nobody in the band demanded it. Looking back and reading between the lines, I think it was as simple as the manager was paying me back for doing free flyers for the band and was threatened by you. Anyway, in the end you get to do the right cover, the right way and as you wished for– for free. 😉
For the record, I never objected to you doing the cover because it was a fait accompli; I never knew what was being done for the Heaters LP cover until it was printed and I held it in my hands. I was surprised to see that you had done the cover and that they hadn’t even asked me. If art and/or lettering was going to be used for the cover the Heaters expected me to do it. Their management lied to them and told the band they had asked me to do the cover (as I said, they never did) and that I said I was too busy and that I was also too expensive (I heard both versions of the story). I think you’re probably correct that payback for the flyers may have had some play into their decision to use you.
But enough of this bitchfest over spilt milk…
Sorry you missed the show; I expected to see you there. The place was packed and the band was absolutely astounding. The group was totally shocked by the turnout.
I had dinner with Phil, Missy & Maggie last night. It was Phil’s birthday. I gave him the original art for the "trading card" portrait I did of him that appears in the new Heaters CD booklet. There was so much love and sharing at the dinner last night — it was one of the best evenings of my life.
I proposed a number of ways to keep The Heaters alive. The music of those three profound musical talents should be heard everyday, by everone, around the world.
I paid dearly with time I couldn’t spare for that "free" cover but I’m sure I’ll soon forget about the long hours, extreme stress to both me and my family, as well as the lack of sleep; the end result should be well worth any hassles I had with the CD production company’s design/production person. With absolute certainty this great band deserves to be seen and heard properly at last.