Page Created and Maintained by: Kev Summitt.
Page Last Updated: January 19, 2000
Copyright ©2000 Kev Summitt, All Rights Reserved
Well, just when things seem as if they can't possible get any stranger, they do.
Danny is one of the guys I work with. He moved here about the same time I did. Before that, he had lived in Florida, where he was technical support for Sony. He also sang and played bass in a band. That band was pretty good - good enough to attract major record label attention. They were to be signed by MCA records.
So there they were, getting signed ready to live the Rock 'n' Roll dream, when their lead guitarist pulled a really stupid move. He was the one who got them signed with MCA, and he did some talking to the label behind the backs of the other members of the band. He had more to gain if he was signed as a solo artist instead of one member of a three person band. He said that Danny and Reuben were expendable and he was the one that wrote all the music and lyrics. MCA then kicked Danny and Reuben out of the band.
Deciding not to take this kind of abuse, Danny and Reuben said that if MCA wanted them gone, that was fine, but the lone guitarist couldn't use any of the songs that they had written, or had any part in writing. Problem is the guitarist didn't write any of the sonds by himself. Danny and Reuben had creative input on every song. So MCA had signed a guitarist that couldn't write music and had no songs.
Meanwhile, Danny and Reuben moved to Nashville, Music City USA. Here they continued to write and record music, using a very sophisticated system in their house. Now MCA wants them back, realizing that THEY were the ones with the talent. They had been recording all parts themselves. Reuben did drums and guitar, Danny did bass and vocals. They found a guy named Ron to play guitar, and need someone who can play bass and sing harmony. While joking around at work one day, Danny asked me if I would do it. Joking as well, I said I would. Then we got to talking. Now I'm on the verge of becoming the bassist for a band getting ready to have a major label record deal.
The songs are pretty top-notch, too. They have the modern rock / alternative sound that is very popular today. Three of the four have strong potential to be big hits. And I can play the bass lines on all of them, as well as back up Danny on vocals. This would be the first time I was in a band without singing lead vocals, but also the first time I would be the primary bass player, although I regularly played bass with my last band when our bassist didn't show up for practice.
Then we needed a name. Danny thought of it. See, where we work, the calls that come into the call center are routed through the system to different departments. Each department has its own phone queue, or "split". Technical support is Split 11. So that's what Danny came up with. Split 11.
So naturally, we had to have a website, since all four of us are tech heads. Danny and Reuben started the site using various web editor programs. I made my page using HTML and posted it on my new tripod site. It looks OK, but we'll have to register a domain name if we post the site for real. Tripod has this annoying new habbit of putting banner ads on the TOP of each page, instead of their all-too-familiar pop-up ads. At least with the pop-ups you could close the window or bring your browser to the front so you didn't have to look at it.
Anyway, the site is available at http://summittweb.tripod.com/split11. Check it out and browse through our little personal pages if you like. To hear the tunes, you can click on the MP3.com link to download the music and play it on your computer's MP3 player. Feel free to let me know what you think of the music by dropping me an e-mail using the link at the bottom of this page or on the navigation bar at the left.
So now I have a decision to make. It's two weeks before I have to be out of my apartment, or sign a new lease. I have to either move to Knoxville or commit staying in Nashville. I have to find a job in Knoxville, or stay here. If I join this band, it could be some time before I see any money from it. Then again, the first song could go platnum. Either way, the record probably won't be out for a year. That means another year in Nashville - another year at this job.
Another year away from Knoxville.
Decisions, decisions.
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Page Created and Maintained by: Kev Summitt. |