Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Jun 21 2010 03:26 PM
This is a live performance of Mustang Lightning playing Guitaro, originally released on the Mustang Lightning album Texas Voodoo Surf (20 years old and out of print, but still available fairly readily used).
Guitaro
I don't know that much about these guys, but I liked this and their other instrumentals a lot. The show was mostly vocals, and I liked those, too.
What I think I know: The fixed element in Mustang Lightning is Phil Deville (guitar), center, and various good folks have gone through the band over the years, though I don't really know the details of that. The other guys here are Lance Bakemeyer (bass) and Tim Thies (drums) (Hillbilly Hellcats, especially when Head Cat Chuck Hughes plays near home) and Aaron Swilley (guitar), who seems to have been recording Deville's albums lately. "Lance Romance" (Hillbilly Hellcats, Calf Branders) is a fixture in Denver and was an original Mustang. I believe he is listed as Johnny Stang on Texas Voodoo Surf, etc.
Some additional examples of Mustang Lightning instrumentals are available on the band's MySpace site.
Last edited: Jun 28, 2010 09:54:45
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Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Jun 28 2010 09:50 AM
I have put up most of the rest of what I recorded. Except for Hasil Adkins' Chicken Walk, all are instrumental or medleys with an instrumental component.
Hank's Last Ride and Pipeline
Green Onions, , That Same Thing
Ace of Spades
Heartbreak Hotel
I think there's a bit of Jack the Ripper in Swilley's solo in Pipeline near the end. There was another guy videoing this, too, and with better equipment, so there might eventually be some more of this around.
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lancebakemeyer
Joined: Jul 13, 2010
Posts: 2
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Posted on Aug 03 2010 12:01 PM
Mustang Lightning existed in Denver between say 1987 and 1993. They did 2 CD's in Denver before moving to New Orleans in 1993/1994. In 1990 they released the first CD - "Texas Voodoo Surf" to a packed house at Herman's Hideaway. In 1990 Mustang Lightning was one of the most popular "roots" bands in Denver. (Big Head Todd at one time opened up for them). In 1991 the band released an all instrumental CD called Guitaro Loco. This CD had a mix of originals and cover instrumentals.
The Denver lineup was Phil Deville - guitars, Lance Bakemeyer on electric and standup bass and Mike Voelker on drums (standing up)
The band moved to New Orleans (1993)as they were signed with New Rose Records (among others). They did 3 more CD's, but the record company went out of business shortly after their arrival. Both Phil and Mike moved to New Orleans, but Lance stayed behind to form the Hillbilly Hellcats.
In 2010 both Lance and Phil decided to have a "reunion" and play at the Skylark Lounge. The videos posted here and on youtube were of the 20 year reunion. Aaron (the other guitar player in the videos) was the record producer/mixer of the original Texas Voodoo Surf CD/cassette project in 1990.
Mustang Lightning has a website on myspace that has over 30,000 fans and in 2008 released a re-make CD of all their most popular songs. This can be found on itunes and other sites. Phil and Lance have also recorded some new material in 2010 that they hope to release soon.
Thanks for your interest! - Lance
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brandonio
Joined: Jan 23, 2007
Posts: 885
Indianapolis, In
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Posted on Aug 03 2010 01:23 PM
I've been a fan of this band since '98 or so when I first found their S/T CD in Shake It! Records in Cincinnati Ohio.I've since found "Guitaro Loco","Texas Voodoo Surf",and " Horsehead".The band is just as awesome as a vocal band as they are a instro group if not even better as a vocal act.Lance thanks for giving me insight on the bands history because they really have been a obsession of mine since I first heard them.I noticed that you were in fact in the band at one time.What I found to be very funny is how you talked about yourself as a third person. 
Looking forward to hearing more music from whatever Phil DeVille oozes out!
— Reverb, It's A Way Of Life!
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lancebakemeyer
Joined: Jul 13, 2010
Posts: 2
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Posted on Aug 03 2010 05:48 PM
You are right - I write as a 3rd person, because 9 times out of 10, some writer from somewhere, will just cut and past the info onto their column, and 9 times out of 10 my name will not be mentioned......or if it is they don't even bother to change the me or I etc.......I guess that is why I do it, (having been on the internet for so long) and seeing how long everything seems to nest there forever.....
Yes, I was the bass player (on and off) from 1989 to when they left to go to New Orleans. One of the reasons they decided to leave Denver was because Mustang Lightning got a bad review in the local music mag when we released Guitaro Loco. The writer (Michael Roberts - Westword) in effect said that they had little to say on the first CD, and nothing to say on the second. He didn't understand - (Michael Roberts) - that bands sometimes did instrumental albums, as his musical knowledge of musical history started in about 1985, and it was very un-cool to do "just instrumentals" in 1985-1995 say. (I guess he never heard of Link Wray or the Ventures etc.). At the time, Mustang Lightning considered Denver very un-hip because of this, and that review was one of the reasons they left.
It is funny to me in hindsight, that the same reviewer (Michael Roberts) later reviewed the Hillbilly Hellcats and hated our first CD as well. To date we have sold 50,000 CD's on our own label, had over 500,000 downloads, and won the Westword "Best Band" contest for 5 years, but never got another review in the same paper even up to 2010.....
Phil and I have recorded a (2010) new CD and it is in the mastering process with the same Aaron mentioned in my original post, this date. It has a few original instrumentals, but mostly it is new vocal songs written by Phil or I (Lance Bakemeyer). Send me your email address if you are interested. I can be reached at lancebakemeyer@wildblue.net
Thanks for your interest - Lance Bakemeyer
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Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Aug 23 2010 01:47 PM
Mustang Lightning and the Hillbilly Hellcats are both awesome. The Hellcats are based in the Denver area and you can catch them there when the rest of the world can spare them, but Mustang Lightning, as Lance indicates, are not easy to find there these days. It was amazing being there in the Skylark the two times the 20 year reunion played. I felt like I was at some sort of a sacrament.
Reviewers are a mixed experience. Even a good one can have incredible blind spots. I'm still trying to figure out where the AllMusic Guide is coming from on Davie Allan. Fortunately I can rely on word of mouth from friends instead of reviews! I count myself lucky to have the kind of friends who get in touch and insist that I go to shows like that one.
I did video one more ML song myself at the second show. It had to wait posting until it was in the ASCAP database. It is now.
Your Eyes Tonight
Comes with pretty good vocals, but I think it would make a decent instrumental, too. And yes, there will be instrumentals on the CD. At least one, anyway, called the Surfin' Cowboy.
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Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Jan 03 2011 03:58 PM
This New Year's Eve at a great Hillbilly Hellcat show, Lance Bakemeyer told me that the new Mustang Lightning CD is due out about the middle of this month. I think it is called Texas Radio. He is working on a Denver area release party at the Skylark Lounge - the mecca for musical "Americana" on South Broadway. The date was January 28th. You'd be well advised to check band and Skylark web sources for confirmation, I think, but if you're in Denver that weekend I recommend this. They say "Texas" for all this because these days Phil Deville lives and works in Texas, but really the sound is about as Colorado as it gets. If for some reason you don't like it when you get there, you can always meander a block or two either direction (mainly north) and find three or four alternative shows, places to eat, etc., all without changing your parking.
Confirm the date and time with band and venue web sites, please. This is what they call a rumor in progress at this stage! I did see a draft poster.
http://www.skylarklounge.com/cal.cfm
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Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Feb 15 2011 05:43 PM
From the CD Release party for Texas Radio.
Held at the Skylark Lounge in Denver on January 28, 2011.
These are from earlier CDs:
Barbed Wire and Speed Crazy
Guitaro
I'm working on video from this show, which was a killer, including my first exposure to Voodoo Stingray live, but I am seriously behind.
I'm not sure where you get the new CD other than writing Lance Bakemeyer or Aaron Swilley on Facebook. I think they'll sell you a cassette copy of Texas Voodoo Surf, if you like, too. And I think that may be the easiest way to get that now.
There is an instrumental on Texas Radio, called Surfin' Cowboy. The contents of the CD are quite varied and I think the title is meant to suggest that. Everything from that instrumental through rock & roll (with organ) and country to cowboy ballads. In the latter case, Western, as in Country and Western, which is only an oxymoron in modern usage.
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Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Feb 15 2011 05:56 PM
Incidentally, if you want to be stung by a Voodoo Stingray in a studio setting, see
http://voodoostingray.com/
Two CDs, Front Range and Victoria, both produced by Kenny Vaughn in Nashville I think, which they have just put out there for download. Don't listen to Janet on Front Range without a handkerchief handy. It has a kind of a Deadbolt vibe occasionally in the guitar. They call it Western Roll, and I definitely hear the Western in it.
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