After the tragic loss of the old News Page, that slipped into data oblivion... here comes the "Y2K News" Page to keep the readers of the unofficial (european) Captain Beyond website updated.
Welcome
Hartmut Kreckel

Captain Beyond pictured @ the F.B.I. Club in Orlando, Dec. 18th 1999, left to right:
Dan Frye, Larry "Ryno" Reinhardt, Bobby Caldwell, Jimi Interval & Jeff "Count" Artabasy.

(24.11.07)
"The unofficial (european) CAPTAIN BEYOND website!" is on MySpace now.

(27.12.06)
The Captain Beyond "Dawn Explosion" Special. Researched by Hartmut Kreckel.

As previously reported, I have interviewed former Captain Beyond singer Willy Daffern earlier this year over the phone from Germany to Portland, Oregon and a little later I also interviewed former Captain Beyond manager Derek Sutton via e-mail.
The output was very interesting, as for me Dawn Explosion is one of the most underrated albums in the history of rock. I always could imagine this album to have become huge, the pretty girls of Malibu Beach dancing to the groove of Icarus, Breath Of Fire, If You Please et alea. However, several factors worked against Dawn Explosion. It should be mentioned that Warner Records did their job, without doing "a little more" to promote the album. It should also be mentioned that Dawn Explosion was released in 1977, a time when Hard Rock had already been pushed into the back seat by the a new ola of punk and new wave bands. There was a time in 1976, when Hard Rock bands went over the top, destroying their lives and careers with illegal substances, that made their audience alienate gradually. At the same time a new generation of punk rock bands was waiting in the wings. Despite of the fact, that most of these punk bands could not sing or play, they gained more credo from the public than the bands that by then had already become "hard rock dinosaurs", at least for a couple of years. Not a good year for a Hard Rock band named Captain Beyond, that once had been described as a Black Sabbath sounding band with odd time signatures, to have a comeback album with a new singer, who took Rod Evans place and a new album named Dawn Explosion. Had it happened two years earlier, things might have been quite different. In addition to all this, the narrow mindedness of the Captain Beyond fanbase worked against Dawn Explosion too. Generally regarded as the wayward child of all three Captain Beyond albums by fans and critics, Dawn Explosion was often criticized as being a bland rerun of the first album, a desperate attempt at commerciality and poor lyrics and that Willy Daffern is not Rod Evans. But there is a another side of the coin. Since I found this magnificent album in a record shop in Dusseldorf in fall 1979, I never stopped playing it, and over the years I played it to over 100 people. Two of them said, that it is pretty good, while 98% said, that this is fantastic, phenomenal, superb, great, unbelievable. And adding "which band is this?" When I replied "Captain Beyond", they would go "hm.. never heard of that band, great, I will have to get this album". Well, to this day, it was not released outside the U.S. And last not least, new singer Willy Daffern left the band after just one tour through the midwest.
So here it comes, the long awaited interview with Willy Daffern. Thanks for joining in.



Captain Beyond Dawn Explosion Promo Poster 1977
L to R: Willy Daffern, Bobby Caldwell, Rhino & Lee Dorman.

THE WORLD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with WILLY DAFFERN for the unofficial European Captain Beyond website!

Hartmut (H): Hello Willy.
Willy (W): Hello Hartmut. Are you ready?

H: I'm ready. I put some questions in chronological order. OK?
W: Yes, sure.

H: Which was your first band?
W: This was Jacky Lee and the Kingsmen. I was with them, until I got drafted. I was only three months in the military. I was nightblind, I couldn't see. The drill sergeant said, "I'm gonna get you out of the military or you are going to die." We played with the Yardbirds and toured with all these old bands. I was born in 1947 and I was 15 years old then, played drums and sang background.

H: Were there any recordings released?
W: I never recorded with Jack, we just toured.

H: The next question goes to the band Hunger. There is one album called "Strictly From Hunger".
W: The keyboard player got me into the band. He was with me in the Kingsmen and asked me to come to L.A. I just was out of the military. So I stayed with that band and was living on Sunset around the Whisky Club with the manager. I found out he was a homosexual, he made advances toward me and attacked me. So I hit him with my palms and knocked him out and I left the band. Before I left Hunger, I recorded a single with them, called "Mind Machine": I wrote that song, sang and played drums on it.

H: And after Hunger?
W:. Then I found out about the Standells, who were looking for a drummer and I did a try out.

H: There is an album by the Electric Prunes, the fifth album.
W: I used to jam with those guys and I got involved with them when I was with the Standells. And I co-wrote a couple of songs, that's why I'm credited on this album. The songs were not very good.

H: And than came the Band Truk.
W: I tried out with them for a couple of days and it worked out well. They were on Columbia Records. Our manager Michael Graceman, he managed the Spiral Starecase, they were a big band. And Truk, they were all from Oklahoma and were really nice people. Columbia were behind us and the Truk album was released together with Elton John's first album. I sang on the song "Winter Is Coming Along". What broke up this band was, that the manager began to sell stolen cars and eventually ran away with our money and Spiral Starecase's money. Eventually he was caught and went to prison. But the band already ran out of cash.

H: Next band could be Tallwater with the Palmer Brothers, who were later in Steppenwolf.
W: That was a good band. Steve Palmer said to me: "Why don't you sell your drumkit and sing? You are such a great singer". We worked heavily for a while and when their mother died, the band broke up. We were a heavy band, similar to Led Zeppelin. We made a couple of recordings in John Kay's home studio. Unfortunately John Kay's studio only had 16 tracks and the recording was not very good, sounded pretty flat.

H: A while ago, you told me, that after Tallwater you formed a band with Carmine Appice, Marc Stein, Jimmy Haslip and Phil Brown in 1976.
W: This band was pretty good, we were rehearsing and one day Rod Stewart came into the room, opened his suitcase, taking out a pile of cash and threw it towards Carmine's drums, saying: "You want a job?" So, next thing what happened, Carmine left to play with Rod Stewart and that was the end of that band. Around that time, I was working in a liquor store and one day Rhino and Bobby Caldwell came in. Eventually we got together rehearsing and went to Sausalito with producer John Stronach. I loved Sausalito and it was great to work in the Record Plant. The recording was good, but the mixing was not and I didn't know, that John Stronach had a problem at that time.

H: Could you please elaborate on the rehearsing and writing sessions with Captain Beyond?
W: We had two months of rehearsals. I wrote most of my vocal lines and lyrics seperately and once in a while I got together with Lee Dorman and Rhino in Redondo Beach. Bobby had also a couple of things written. A great song was "Sweet Dreams". I don't think, we did it very well, I think, we did it better with Zoomlenz. Eventually we got our deal with Warner Brothers and went to Sausalito. We were there for something like five weeks and we had a nice house to stay and eat.

H: Tell me, from the songs who turned up on the Album "Dawn Explosion", were there other songs, that didn't make the album, that you had rehearsed and written?
W: I can't remember, as I have stacks of tapes, that I did with Carmine Appice, Captain Beyond and all other bands, from songs, that I had written.

H: Then Captain Beyond did a tour through the midwest in Spring 1977. Do you remember which songs were played live? Was "Icarus" played live?
W: We did that live.

H: And what about "Do Or Die"?
W: Yes, we did that one. I think, this was one of the songs, that I didn't like.

H: What about "If You Please" and "Midnight Memories"?
W: Yes, I think we did those too.
(Ed.: I really do not think so! AFAIK, these two songs were not performed live.)

H: So it was pretty much the whole album.
W: Yes, we did pretty much the whole album "Dawn Explosion" live.

H: Do you remember a song named "Dawn Explosion", which did not make the album, but was played as an encore?
W: Not really. I did not write it. It was something, the band had written before, when Rod Evans was in the band.

H: Did you play "Starglow Energy"?
W: I think we did.

H: How was the situation in the band when you hit the road and why did it only last for one tour?
W: I told the guys in advance that I don't want to see anybody around me doing drugs, and if I find out, I'll be out of the band. One night somewhere in Texas I knocked at Bobby Caldwell's hotelroom door and he didn't recognize me. I saw, uff, there is a big problem. I could have left then, but finished the tour. Plus their lifestyle on tour was: arrive at the hotel - drink, go to the soundcheck - drink, go back to the hotel - drink, finish the show - drink, go back to the tourbus - drink, drinking on the plane - drink - drink - drink - drink. It wasn't meant for me. After the last show in Detroit, which we didn't play, we got on the plane back to L.A. and found out, that Warner Brothers had pulled the plug, because the record wasn't selling enough. The other guys in the band said to me: "lets get another record deal and continue." But I didn't want to be part of it anymore. It was a nightmare for me. I didn't want to go and say: Bobby and Rhino, you have heavy drug problems, that I don't wanna be around. So I just said, I don't wanna be in the band anymore. And Derek Sutton hated me for that. And the guys in the band hated me too. They didn't realize, they had a severe problem. I didn't want to live that lifestyle. It was dark and that's why I quit. You can't keep a business together, and a band is a business. You got to have your head screwed on. I also found out, that our record was on triple rotation all over Canada and nobody filed for airplay money. Nobody took care of business, it had just worned out. Plus I wasn't really happy how the album "Dawn Explosion" sounded. I liked Lee and Rhino, the only one that I did not particularly care for was Bobby Caldwell.

H: It comes to my mind that Bobby Caldwell and you are both drummers and singers. Was that an issue?
W: Not really, I mean in the beginning Bobby came up and said that he wanted to sing some parts on the album and I went, no way. You hired me to sing and I am going to sing all the songs on the album.

Willy Daffern in his Captain Beyond days.

H: What about Pipedream?
W: That album was really badly treated by producer John Stronach. Wrong voices, wrong guitar parts. I didn't wanna use John in the first place, as I wasn't happy with the "Dawn Explosion" album, but got outvoted by the other bandmembers.

H: Did Pipedream play live?
W: Yes, we did a few shows, before the record company went bankrupt. I remember a show at the Roxy, this was a good show. We played with Stephen Stills. Stephen Stills loved my voice and the place was packed. Their management company wanted to sign me, but I wouldn't, because they were a bunch of drug addicts. I tried to stay out of these problems. Anyway, that show was great. I remember Peter Fonda was standing on the table and enjoying the show. We did a few shows after that and then the band broke up. It was a shock to me.

H: Next band would be G-Force, I believe?
W: I got a call and rehearsed with them for two days and Sharon Arden came in and she said: "You got great shapes", because I could do like a five point spin, kick the mikestand in the air, fall down on my knees and all that stuff, and hired me. I used to do all that mikestand work like David Coverdale does. Previously they had Glenn Hughes in the band but he had a drug problem. So I went through all this fiasco with Sharon and G-Force. That lasted for ten months. It was a real nightmare, because Sharon wanted to do really pop stuff. And I really didn't want to do pop stuff. Sharon would call me in the middle of the night and asked me to go out to watch a porn movie. And I said: "What? I have to get up in the morning and sing this album". And I really didn't want to do that. And she said: "What do you think I pay you for?" And I said: "If you are paying me to escort you to the porn movies, than you got the wrong man." After that we started not becoming friends. I liked to work in the studio with Dennis Mackay. We had Jimi Hendrix' producer Eddie Kramer but we threw him out after two days. Dennis Mackay was a great guy. A lot of songs were not used for the album, because Sharon wanted more the pop orientated stuff. She really messed it up.

H: And then with G-Force you did one tour in England with Whitesnake in 1980, right?
W: Yeah, with Whitesnake. After that I was so stressed out. The band was really good, but we didn't really gel as a band, and me and Gary hated each other.

H: What about Mark Nauseef?
W: He was a good friend of mine. I think, he is living in Hamburg these days, he is very clever. In 1996 I was trying to get my royalties from G-Force and I think, that Mark sold me out to Sharon. I think, I didn't get all the money I should have got from that album. But I can't proof that. And I kind of wrote it off. After this band was over, I had to recover at my dad's ranch for months. I had a nervious breakdown.

H: Next comes your Solo Album "Abrupt edge", released in 1983.
W: That was with Rockshire Records. They had also Alcatraz with Graham Bonnet and Yngwie Malmsteen. They signed me a three album contract. They got busted after the first album. I had great musicians on the album and the recording was great and it was destroyed in the mix. First they approached me for some demos and I said: "What demos? I want 10.000 $, a suite at the beach and a limousine". Which I got, eventually.

H: After a break you did these two Zoomlenz albums.
W: Yes, they really sounded great.

H: What are you up to these days?
W: I am working with a genius keyboarder named Earnie Leslie from Portland. He is a paramedic and likes Captain Beyond. The song "If You Please" got him the idea to become a paramedic. More news will be coming. I have had so many things in my carreer and I haven't scratched the surface yet!

H: That really leaves us hoping for more. Thanks very much for this interesting interview.
W: Yeah. We stay in contact. CU

This phone interview with Willy Daffern was done on January 16th 2006, (c) 2006 by Hartmut Kreckel.

Next to be interviewed was Derek Sutton, the manager from Captain Beyond during the Dawn Explosion era in 1976 and 1977. Today, Derek Sutton is managing Robin Trower.

Hartmut (H): How came that you took management duties in Captain Beyond (CB)? Was Willy already in the band or was it still Jason Cahune in 1976?
Derek (D): I really enjoyed the music, thought it was commercial and liked the people involved, Those were my criteria for taking on management clients. I helped the band set up auditions for a new singer. Willy Daffern was the result.

H: I understand that CB only played live in the midwest, no east or west coast. Is this true? If yes, why so?
D: We could only play where people would pay us. Nobody on the East Coast wanted the show enough to cover our expenses.

H: CB live dates in 1977. Here is a (incomplete) list of shows that were played. Do any shows ring a bell? Any additions? Dates in european notation, i.e. date.month.year:
Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Midnight Sun 77 -> Madison, Wisc. 19.05.77 -> Oshkosh, Wisc., Buster's 22.05.77 -> Chicago (Waukegan), Night Gallery Club 26.05.77 -> Chicago (Schaumberg), Beginnings 77 -> Oaklahoma City, ?-Bar 06.77 -> Tulsa (Oaklahoma), Cain's Ballroom 77 -> Lawrence (Kansas), Lawrence Opera House 77 -> White Bear Lake (Minnesota), Sunset Bar 77 -> Dallas (Texas), Electric Ballroom 77 -> Austin (Texas) 77 -> Houston (Texas), Liberty Hall 10+11.06.77 -> Detroit 77 (this was supposed to be the last gig of the tour, but the show was cancelled!)
D: I did not keep notes on dates and shows played. Sorry.

H: Set list during live shows at Dawn Explosion tour dates was more or less: Taped Intro (Voyages of past travellers) - Distant Sun - Dancing > Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air) / Armworth / Myopic Void - Breath Of Fire (Part I and II) - Sweet Dreams - Fantasy - Thousand Days Of Yesterdays / Frozen Over - Guitar Solo / Oblivion / Instrumental Jam - Mesmerization Eclipse / Drum Solo / Mesmerization Eclipse -- Dawn Explosion. Do you remember any more songs? Maybe Do or Die, Starglow Energy or Icarus that might have been performed?
D: The set list changed often. To my knowledge, nobody kept a list of what songs were played where or when.

H: Any more info to the album Dawn Explosion? How do you rate the album? Why didn't it go much further than it did?
D: Time, money and creative differences.

H: Are you surprised that CB never made it really big? What do you think are the reasons for this?
D: No. The creative side of the band, and the music were wonderful, but they lacked understanding about the business. I did not get that until they had been out on the road for a month or so. Unfortunately the music business is much more than the music and there are very few artists who understand that. I used to tell them that it was not important how many people came to the shows -- how many people heard them on the radio or read about them in the newspaper BECAUSE of the show was the important thing. I don't believe they understood that.

H: How was the situation within the band, when you managed them?
D: Stormy, to say the least

H: Were they easy to manage?
D: NO! they each had different viewpoints. Sometimes mutually exclusive viewpoints. Getting compromises was always difficult.

H: I understand they were on triple rotation in Canada, however they never played there. Why?
D: People with drug histories are not welcome to cross the Canadian border. Nor are musicians on Methadone. Americans need working papers to play Canada -- if you had a drug conviction in those days, you could not get a work visa.

H: Why was there no follow up to Dawn Explosion? Was the Warner deal only for one LP with option?
D: Dawn explosion did not sell. Why would Warners make another expensive record to not sell?

H: Anything else that you may add.
D: This was a band that was magic on those few special nights when everything went right. I am only sad that we did not have the technology then to record every show -- so we could have captured one of those magic performances.

This interview with Derek Sutton was done via email on July 7th, 2006, (c) 2006 by Hartmut Kreckel.

(18.03.06)
New MESSAGE BOARD!!

(16.03.06)
News on Willy Daffern!

(02.01.06)
Captain Beyond Demo CD out of stock!

(28.08.05)
Lee Dorman & Iron Butterfly tour Europe!

The proposed special event of Deep Purple...

(01.09.04)
A message from Willy Daffern!

Willy Daffern says hello to all the readers of the European Captain Beyond website and would like to get his most important message out to everbody:
"Hello and make sure to vote for John Kerry"!!!
Asked about his favourite Captain Beyond songs (or tunes) Willy mentioned "Icarus", "Dancing Madly Backwards" and "Oblivion".
Willy Daffern agreed to be interviewed in the near future exclusively for the European Captain Beyond website. Reader's questions to be included can also be sent to: mrhk@gmx.de

Willy Daffern and Hartmut Kreckel in Carlsbad, Ca. 11.08.2004!

(18.08.04)
Lee Dorman encore!

Lee Dorman and Hartmut Kreckel on Catalina Island 28.07.2004!

(18.04.04)
Lee Dorman...

says to all the readers of the European Captain Beyond website "Hello and thanx for listening".

Lee Dorman and Hartmut Kreckel on Catalina Island 10.04.2004!

(28.12.02)
NEWS ON RHINO, ROD EVANS, LEE DORMAN & BOBBY CALDWELL!

Larry "Ryno" Rhino Reinhard informed me, that he is planning a comeback for Captain Beyond in 2003. Reportedly he contacted Rod Evans "to work on a musical project".

Rod Evans is expected to participate in a one-off special event, that includes all living members of Deep Purple, as Jon Lord recently commented.

Lee Dorman is on tour with Iron Butterfly. They just played in Chile.

Bobby Caldwell has joined the Southern Rock Rebellion. More info @ http://siogo.com/srr.htm .

(Hartmut Kreckel)

(23.04.02)
THE WORLD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with JIMI INTERVAL for the unofficial European Captain Beyond website! April 2002

Dear readers of the unofficial European Captain Beyond website: at last comes the promised exclusive interview that I did with Jimi Interval. It will also mark the last major update for this site, as there seems no point in doing it any longer. The reasons for this are numerous, one of these surely being that the unofficial European Captain Beyond website has been boycotted almost from day one (see this interview) by the current Captain Beyond and their representatives, another reason, is that there doesn't seem to be much to report, so it just leaves the nostalgia scope. And last, not least my time is too scarse! To me this interview gives a interesting insight into a band that never was properly managed. So thanks for joining in.

JIMI (I): Since I was 16 years old, I loved the band. Everybody in highschool used to call me "The Captain" as I was trying to turn people into Captain Beyond (CB). And I always said "man if I could be in a band that good..." When I moved down to Florida, I was also a big fan of Iron Butterfly and I had got to know Scott Gould, the sound manager for Iron Butterfly for a couple of gigs; he knew Ryno very well. I forwarded a demo tape to Ryno through Scott. Ryno got in touch with me three weeks later and he said "I like what I hear, let's try to put something together". So for 5 years Ryno and myself tried to get Captain Beyond together, we tried different musicians, we couldn't find the right members, bass players, keyboard-players, drummers... So finally Ryno said "lets get some other of the original members, it would be much more merit... and we would be taken more seriously. So Ryno called Bobby Caldwell up, and with a friend of mine, bassist Bruce Waibel, we got to Orlando to meet and gave it a go... But Bruce needed some money right away, and got a better offer with Wang Chang to be sound manager and road manager. We got together the second time, that was when we had Dan Frye with us and a bass player that didn't work out, then the next day Sunday we got together we had myself, Ryno, Bobby, Dan and the Count, who got contacted by Ryno. The rest is history...

H: Do you remember your first audition?

J: I remember, got up there, was very nervous. I had lyric sheets worked out. It was a little strange, it was stuff that I hadn't been used to, with all these time changes, but it went pretty good.

H: How did the first rehearsals go? How did you learn the lyrics to the songs. Were Bobby and Ryno a help with that?

J: Ryno and Bobby didn't know the words, as Rod took care of them and I used to listen over and over again to the songs and eventually made them up.

H: How were the other players found? Jeff and eventually Dan?

J: Through Iron Butterfly 1989 drummer Kenny Suarez, Count was recommended to Ryno. Dan was also recomended to Ryno and he fit in very well.

H: Any idea why Lee Dorman did not rejoin?

J: I really didn't want to get into the business. It was mainly Bobby and Ryno's decision...

H: And Rod Evans?

J: I know that Rod was asked to come back, but it didn't work out. I just left it at that. I was happy to be the singer. I was happy to be a small part in their history. I have greatest respect for Rod and Willy Dee. I wasn't trying to walk in their shoes, I was happy to make my own steps. I'm still very proud to have been in that band. I hope that people enjoy what I did, and I had many people tell me all the time, that they did. Til the day I die I will have all respect to all CB players, on all three albums.

H: Were you confronted by the audience with "Where is Rod?" questions etc.?

J: People were coming to me asking, "where is Rod...?" I told people, that Rod did what he had to do, and should be respected for that and Willy had to do what he had to do, and should be respected for that, now let me do what I have to do and respect me for that.

H: Then you eventually debuted @ SwedenRock? Why was this chosen and no warm-up gigs before such a big event?

J: It just happened so quickly. Ray said that here is the chance, go for it. One minute we were rehearsing and Don Barnard; our manager comes in and said, that he had booked us to perform at Swedenrock with "Deep Purple", "Dio", "Scorpions". I loved Sweden, people were great, sincere, they treated us like kings. It was the biggest crowd, that I played for.

H: How many rehearsals did you have before SwedenRock?

J: Well, we tried to rehearse as many weekends in Orlando, where Bobby Caldwell lived. Ryno had the furthest drive, he lived near Miami. We started rehearsal all saturday up to dinner and sunday at 11.30, 12.00 till 6p.m.

H: Would you think in retrospective, that some warm up gigs prior to SwedenRock would have been suitable?

J: Yes definetely, I wish for me at least, it would have made me a bit tighter. Just to get me used to the band.

H: Was there a lot of pressure on the band, to get the SwedenRock performance underway?

J: I wouldn't say pressure, but it was thrown together so quickly and we got down to do it.

H: There were Management hazzles, Don Barnard pulled out, and Deanne Frye stepped in... was this a problem?

J: No, I'm not to big on the biz centers, it was down to Bobby and Ryno. I don't know why Don pulled out, I guess things were not run propperly. Deanne did a very good job in Sweden, she kept us in line, got a place to rehearse before the festival. Ray was just a roadie for the band and road manager in Sweden, he didn't become a full fledged manager until Deanne stepped down.

H: How do you see now the bands perfomance at SwedenRock?

J: I listen to later gigs, House Of Blues, FBI Club, I'm more proud of that! I wish I had a bit more time, to prepare myself, but that's rock and roll.

H: Did drugs made the round in the CB camp? Was this a handycap to the bands performance?

J: Personally, I don't wanna sound square here, I have been clean since 7 to 8 years. I don't know about any other CB formations, but not in this band. And Bobby is a health fanatic, he is very clean too, exercising all the time and a trainer.

H: Why were "I Can't Feel Nothing" and "Breath Of Fire (Part 2)" not rehearsed or played?

J: "I Can't Feel Nothing" was rehearsed in Sweden, but it did not come together as we wished to, so it was ditched at the last minute. Ryno and Bobby thought that "Breath Of Fire (Part 2)" would send the audience to sleep, so we did not rehearse it.

H: Was some other song rehearsed that was left out in the set?

J: No, not really, except "I Can't Feel Nothing".

H: I understand that "Oblivion" was left out after SwedenRock... why?

J: I really don't know.

H: Do you think it was appropiate to encore with a instrumental ("Oblivion") at that festival?

J: Yeah, it was rehearsed one day and it rocked and Bobby and Ryno loved it. I think it was pretty cool.

H: Then you did a further 5 gigs in 1999 in Florida? How are your memories of those?

I: It was fun, I had a good time. I was more relaxed with the songs. The three gigs: FBI Club, House Of Blues and the DJB Benefit stuck out more, the band was really hot.

H: Why was "Fantasy" put as the opener? Do think that was a good decision?

J: They always used to have "Distant Sun", so we thought that Fantasy rocked more, and I think it was a good decision. (Ed.: Hm, I do not agree, Fantasy is not a suitable opener, the song is too big!)

H: Then you recorded that Demo with four songs...! Can you tell us about the recording/writing process?

J: It was done very fast, Ryno wanted me to sing on "Don't Cry Over Me", because he wrote it. Bobby wanted to try and sing, it wasn't some kind of jealousy really. I think he really did a good job.

H: It makes me wonder that you only sing on "Don't Cry Over Me", while Bobby sang on the three remaining songs? Any reasons for this?

J: Bobby and Ryno did most of the recording and Bobby wanted to give it a try.

H: Did Bobby always want to be the lead singer?

J: He fronted his own band in Los Angeles in 1985, called "Tight Grip".Yes, Bobby wanted to come out front, and have another drummer and me and him as singers.

H: That demo failed even at Record Heaven to get the band a record deal, what do you think?

J: This business is so fickle. If you're not the Backstreet Boys, NSync or Britney, Record Company Executives think that you're a dinousaur, a "has been", that never comes back.

H: After this ... sometime in 2000 Dan Frye left the band or was fired? Why?

J: Dan was a good guy and had a lot of health problems and couldn't deal with the road situation. There was no big cover up, no big firing. But we had to look elsewhere.

H: And Ryno was indisposed for six months, what happened?

J: Ryno had hurt his hand, his wrist pretty bad, it swole up, so he couldn't play, so we had to wait for him to recover.

H: So there was only one gig in Lakeland, Music Ranch in december 2000, which turned out to be your last gig as well! What happened behind the scenes?

J: After this one we were to get together to rehearse more and do a live recording... and I was at home waiting for a phone call. One day I went to the (official) CB website, and I read a interview with Ryno. In one section it made clear that that band is not definite in this format and it didn't mention me. I called Ryno up and said, what's up, it sounds like wanna get rid of me. He said that he wished to have talked to me, before I read it. He said, that it was nothing personal, but promotors said, we want you (CB) to sound like you used to do, with a singer to sound like Rod Evans, more than I did and that I sound more like Willy Daffern, and then maybe we have a chance to make it again. I was devastated and felt betrayed. It really upset me, just finding out by a click on the website... that wasn't cool. I just wished the guys would have had the balls to tell me face to face.

H: And was this recorded for a prospected live album?

J: It never materialized, they got Kyle and did one gig. I wish I could do it, as I only have one recorded song to my credit with CB ("Don't Cry Over Me").

H: Did the band (begin to) fall apart already during this year 2000?

J: No, not really, Bobby did a lot of work talking to promotors, but they had a attitude, that we were over the hill, didn't have any hits...

H: In April 2001 you got fired? What led to this? Please comment!

J: There's not to much left to say.

H: Was CB in your time ever a 5 piece band, or rather a Ryno/Caldwell Band with three hired guns?

J: Not really, I mean Bobby and Ryno were the senior members, they had more clout off course. But I never felt as a hired gun. We always had a good time, had some little arguments like every band, but basically it was a band. As I said, I was proud to be a part of the band, as it was my idol band for years.

H: Where you all on wages then in CB?

J: No, we split everything even.

H: Why was the Euro CB site boycotted from the CB management almost from day one?

J: When the official CB site came, they thought that there were to many CB sites out there, there was yours, the japanese and Ryan's (Ed.: Hm, three... really a lot!), so they wanted info coming only from the official CB website.

H: What are your future plans?

J: Trying to keep in music biz, I have a new band, named "Access Denied". I get calls and e-mails all the time from people, who want me to sing with them, do projects etc.

H: What would have come out of CB, if you had stayed?

J: That's hard to say, I don't know how far we could go, I'd like to think that we could have gone as far as they did the first time around with Rod. I like to add that I enjoyed to work with Dave Muse, a excellent musician and was in the seventies band "Firefall". During Ryno's injury and time of recovering, he, Count and I tried to play a few gigs as "Firefall". But we couldn't go out as "Firefall", because the original singer of "Firefall" owns the name, and he already had his own "Firefall" out and playing.

H: Anything else, we might have not talked about... you may like to add?

J: It's my thank you to some truely "unsung heros" and they are: Ray Ehmen for always being there for us, always doing way above and beyond the call of duty, but mainly always keeping us in stitches. He was a very funny guy, I'll always love him for that. Randy, our roadie and Ryno's guitar tech, just a all around great guy. Sparky for just being himself. Sam Lacey for our web site. Gary Graber a great guy, who I only had a very short time to know, but was blessed to know him at all. Mike for our first web site. Rick Trainer for all his help. all the guys at Rock & Roll Heaven. Kurosuke for the Japanese website. Ryan for his web site. Hartmut for his web site. Janne Stark for all his help and kind words. Simon for everything he's done. Rick Gagnon for always believing in me. And most importantly the unsung heros of all times are the fans.
And... a very special thank you to my wife Pat, and my grandmother for telling me to keep going and never giving up on this crazy business they call "Rock & Roll".

(This Interview conducted by Hartmut Kreckel in Berlin, Germany with Jimi Interval in Florida. (c) April 2002)

(03.10.01)
Jimi Interval in concert, Oct 14th!

Jimi Interval performs in his hometown Port Chalotte, Sunday October 14th, with his new band ACCESS DENIED at a club called CHUBBY'S. It will be the bands debut show and a special event as it will be for a benefit for the RED CROSS to raise money for those poor victims in NEW YORK.

(18.07.01)
Lee Dorman benefit concert, July 29th!

The Benefit Concert For Lee Dorman will be next Sunday, July 29th at the Fabulous Firwood, 8014 Valley Avenue East, Fife WA. 7-11pm. Proceeds to Benefit the Lee Dorman Heart Fund. Tickets Available at All Fred Meyer Stores. For more info check out www.ironbutterfly.com .

The official flyer for the Lee Dorman Heart Fund Benefit Show!

(13.07.01)
Jimi Interval in concert, July 21st!

Jimi Interval performs in SARASOTA, SATURDAY July 21st, at a small little club called THE ENTER SECTION with the CHRIS WALKER BAND
from 9:00 pm to 1:30 am. The club is located on the corner of BENEVA & WEBBER. in SARASOTA, FLORIDA.

(12.07.01)
A message from Jimi Interval : The Sky Is Crying

(10.07.01)
Gary Graber R.I.P.

The report from Sam Lacey (official Capatin Beyond site webmaster) just coming in:

ONE OF THE GREATEST FRIENDS OF CAPTAIN BEYOND, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE BAND, GARY GRABER, PASSED AWAY SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2001. ONE OF THE LAST THINGS GARY DID WAS PUTTING EQUIPMENT IN BOBBY'S HANDS (PORK PIE SNARE) AND PERSONALLY WORKED ON THE MIX OF THE LOST SESSIONS TAPES. GARY PLAYED IN MAD DANCER WITH RHINO AND ROD EVANS (actually Rod only was going to write some lyrics-Ed.), AND HAS BEEN A FRIEND OF RHINO'S FOR TWO DECADES. GARY WAS MY WORKING PARTNER IN CAPTAIN BEYOND, MY FRIEND, MY RIGHT ARM. GARY SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN VIETNAM, AND SUFFERED QUIETLY WITH WAR WOUNDS. GARY WAS A TALENTED GUITARIST, VERY TALENTED AND CITES RHINO AS HIS NUMBER ONE INFLUENCE. THERE IS A HOLE IN MY HEART, AND IN THE HEART OF CAPTAIN BEYOND AND IT'S MEMBERS. WE MISS YOU GARY...

There's nothing left to say, it saddens me. Though I never met him personally, Gary always came like a great person to me in the numerous mails and emails that we exchanged. Like very few in musicbiz, he was a devoted professional, great guitar player and songwriter. Beside his work for Captain Beyond, Gary was about to reform MAD DANCER.
Gary Graber R.I.P. (Rock In Peace)

(Hartmut Kreckel)

Gary Graber in his homestudio with his VOX AC-50 and GEORGE HARRISON RICK 12 STRING April 23rd, 2000.

(07.07.01)
Captain Beyond: New singer & upcoming gig, July 28th.

(Hartmut Kreckel)

(15.06.01)
Jimi Interval speaks!!!"To all my fans..."

Jimi Interval: "I want to say to all my fans around the globe: thank you for all the support you have
given to me while being in CAPTAIN BEYOND and I hope you will still continue to give me that same support with my new band.

I am very greatful for being with the band, but now it is time for my career to move on... and I wish the best to CAPTAIN BEYOND in their careers.
There are no hard feelings between me and CAPTAIN BEYOND.

In the meantime I joined THE CHRIS WALKER BAND, featuring JIMI INTERVAL and sang two songs featured on the CD by the band MAD DANCER.

If you want to personally E-MAIL me (shiane420@webtv.net), I'll E-MAIL you back."

(12.06.01)
Jimi Interval out of Captain Beyond!!!

Jimi Interval is longer with Captain Beyond!!! To me, it doesn't come as a surprise, really; the silence in the Captain Beyond camp was ongoing, and the silence was loud! And still no official statements, but that always seems to be the case. Unconfirmed info states that in the meantime, Captain Beyond seem to have hired a more Rod Evans soundalike singer. I would like to add, that I always regarded Jimi Interval, although he wasn't a original member, as an integral part of the reformed Captain Beyond, and that he will not be easy to replace.

(Hartmut Kreckel)

(21.04.01)
Lee Dorman out of hospital!!!

"I thought everyone would like to know that Lee is out of the hospital. Although he is feeling better and stronger everyday, he still has a long way to go in his recovery. He'd also like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and concern about his health and his heart."
Linda

(10.04.01)
Lee Dorman Photo for AUCTION on ebay.com!!!

This is the huge 17 X 11 inch autographed photo on glossy poster stock. The autograph doesn't show on the photo because it is not signed yet. It will be signed by Lee and made out to you personally. Lee will sign the photo from his hospital bed where he awaits a heart transplant. All proceeds from this auction will go toward that cause.
To place your bid click here.
Thank you
Rick Noyce

(09.04.2001)
Lee Dorman in hospital!!!
Lee Dorman has been taken to hospital and is in urgent need of funding for a much needed Heart Transplant.
There is a trust account set up by Lee's girlfriend, Linda. The address is as follows: Lee Dorman Heart fund, 3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., # 288, Studio City, CA 91604.
Time is the essence here and yes, this is a private mailbox maintained by Lee and his girlfriend, Linda. That's very common in the US. Linda has opened the account for this fund with their bank. Checks and money orders are exactly what is needed. They have already started to come in locally.
"...EVERY DIME counts and will be gratefully applied toward helping this really wonderful man. We are also seeking bands that would be willing to donate their time doing a LEE DORMAN charity concert. Interested parties may contact Rick Noyce at waterfix@earthlink.net or call toll free (877) 456-6133. No donation too small, this is a BIG number that needs to be met. Hopefully, you people who have enjoyed the music of Iron Butterfly over the years will reach into your hearts and your wallets."
Thank You
Richard Noyce
(thanks to Rick Noyce).

(03.04.01)
"Lee is in CRITICAL condition... and still in intensive care. And has gotten worst. Doctors have said he will not pull out of this without a heart transplant. If there is anyone out there that can help... please contact A.S.A.P.!And please keep Lee in your prayers.
Thank you
Larry Rust, Ron Bushy and Eric Barnett (Iron Butterfly)

(14.03.2001)
Dan Frye out of Captain Beyond?
Nothing was officially informed, but Dan Frye seems out of your favourite band. The new keyboard player is Dave Muse, formerly of Firefall. He had his debut gig with Captain Beyond at the gig in Lakeland on 09.12.2000.

(16.01.2001)
New Captain Beyond Foto!

Captain Beyond before the concert in Lakeland 09.12.2000! Foto by Dan Shepard

(28.12.2000)
Lee Dorman in need of Heart Transplant!!!
Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond bassist Lee Dorman is in need of funding for a much needed Heart Transplant. Being that Lee used to ride motorcycles back in the '60's with his friend Jimi Hendrix, a private collector has put an authenticated Jimi Hendrix Jacket up for auction on Ebay.com to help raise money for Lee Dormans Heart Transplant. This auction will be run until 9:45 PST on December, 29th.
To find this auction, log onto Ebay.com and search for item # 1400096577
(from the official Iron Butterfly message board)

(20.12.2000)
Ryno's gear on the first Captain Beyond album!!!
On August 30th, Ryno talked about his gear on the first Captain Beyond album: "I used 2 200 watt Marshall stack 4x12,with 2 200 watt modified Marshall major watt heads. My guitar rig was a 57 maple neck Strat with a modified Vox wah-wah, and a green Arbiter fuzz face that Hendrix gave me at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa in his dressing room when I was with The Second Comming with Dicky Betts and Berry Oakley. I was curious about how he achieved the sustain on his guitar, so he had an extra in his bag. The original was made with germanium crystals transistors which was later changed to silicon and changed the sound. I also employed a Univibe pedal. The engineer recorded the entire album out of phase which created a high low pass filter effect."
(from the official Captain Beyond message board)

(28.11.2000)
Captain Beyond - Live!!!
Captain Beyond will be performing at a private party in Lakeland, Fl. on Dec 9th, 2000 @ The Music Ranch. Location: 1920 Banana Road, Lakeland Fl. 33810. Phone (863)815-2293.
Remember that it's a private party, so if you haven't got an invitation, sneak in through the roof top... avoid to be seen by the staff and enjoy the gig. Have fun!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(27.11.2000)
News on the Captain Beyond Competition (Part 2)!
Several people wrote in the correct answers to the question:
Name at least 2 bands that Jimi Interval was in, before he joined Captain Beyond.
The lucky winners were picked by the astral lady:
1st prize: a official program booklet for SwedenRock Festival 1999, that of course includes a foto and article of Captain Beyond!
Hansj??Noll (Heidelberg, Germany)
2nd prize: nothing!
Jim Booth (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
3rd prize: nothing!
Ryan Partick Meehan (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(04.11.2000)
Captain Beyond on www.soundclick.com!
CAPTAIN BEYOND is finaly on the MP3 web site "www.soundclick.com". Go there and choose your category: click on "ROCK", then thenext page will give a list of artists and what number their song is. Jimi Interval: "...there's about 200 artists on this list and we are number 12. It keeps moving up all the time. The song is DON'T CRY OVER ME. Also they have a little history story about us too. So have everyone click on to thissite and make our song number ONE!!!"
(Thanks to Jimi Interval)

(17.09.2000)
New Live CD and Video to be recorded!
Captain Beyond is working on the logistics in order to record a live CD and Video, probably in Orlando (Florida) in November this year.
More info a.s.a.p.
(Thanks to Gary Graber)

(16.09.2000)
Competition (Part 2): win a official program booklet for SwedenRock 1999!
It's competition time again: as nobody managed to be the 10.000th visitor of this site (as the counter indicated) and win a copy of japanese first album CD, genuinely autographed by Lee Dorman and Rhino, we have another competition this time!
All you need to is answer one question:
Name at least 2 bands that Jimi Interval was in, before he joined Captain Beyond.
Send answers with a mailing address to me: hartmutk@metronet.de
Please note that this competition expires Oct. 31st 2000. If there will be more than 3 correct answers, the winners will be drawn by the astral lady.
Now the prizes:
1st prize: a official program booklet for SwedenRock Festival 1999, that of course includes a foto and article of Captain Beyond!
2nd prize: nothing!
3rd prize: nothing!
Good luck!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

The 1st prize: a official program booklet for SwedenRock 1999!

(09.06.2000)
Review on Captain Beyond Promo CD from Dinosaur Days (Radio 5fm) in South Africa
"Captain Beyond - (No name nor album label as yet!). A bit of a sneaky one, this, but, judging by the amount of listeners who seem to love the band as much as we do, we just HAD to feature something from this fantastic unnamed four track EP, which, we think, was released sometime late last year. Captain Beyond, you will recall, was that great US hard rock outfit formed in the early seventies by guitarist Larry "Rhino" Rheinhardt and drummer Bobby Caldwell. They released three albums and split in the late seventies. They're back with a bang, and the line-up now consists of Ryno (as he's now known), Caldwell and new members, Dan Frye on keyboards, Jimi Interval, who sounds a bit like original vocalist Rod Evans meets April Wine's Miles Goodwyn, and bassist Jeff "Count" Artabasy. The four tracks are "Gotta Move", "Be as you Were", "Don't cry over me" and "Night Train Calling (Crystal Clear)". Die hard CB fans might be a bit disappointed not to hear "Fantasy" or "Dancing madly Backwards" era Captain Beyond, but don't let that deter you - they're still a serious force to be reckoned with and Ryno hasn't lost an iota of his skill and Caldwell is as good as he always was. They've chosen a great bunch of guys to complete the band, and the album, when it's ready, is going to please all the old stalwarts, this one included! As the EP is obviously not available in your friendly music store, you can contact the band directly, via their website, for this CD, as well as all the others, plus T-shirts and other memorabilia. The address to contact is http://www.captainbeyondofficial.com"

(07.06.2000)
News on Captain Beyond NEWS site-saved from data oblivion!
The old Captain Beyond NEWS site had been saved from data oblivion. Thanks to all of you, who made a effort to help out and to the one person, who managed to-you know who you are!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(06.06.2000)
Bobby Caldwell recently commented on the first Captain Beyond album!
"Rod Evans wrote the lyrics to "Armworth","Astral Lady","As The Moon Speaks (To The Waves Of The Sea)", and the very excellent "Mesmerization Eclipse". Piano was employed throughout the recording, unfortunately it became somewhat lost in the final mixing. 24 tracks were used during the recording with a wall of marshall amplifiers. Every song was carefully planned and segued according to sequence."
(from the Official Captain Beyond Message Board)

(24.05.2000)
Captain Beyond : Night Train Calling (the promo EP):
The promo copy of Captain Beyond's new 4-track promo EP finally arrived. This is the first venture of the band in the studio, that produced this EP with the purpose of getting a record deal. And FYI... this is the new Captain Beyond in the Y2K! Captain Beyond? Yes indeed.
DON'T CRY OVER ME: The opening track of this EP, Ryno wrote this one. Lead Vocals by Jimi Interval. A song with lots of hit potential, and the new voice of Captain Beyond takes the cake with his performance: fabulous lead vocals, welcome to the new Captain Beyond. The song starts with a very nice rynoish guitar intro. The lyrics seem to me as having a intrinsic message as well, like "...dear CB afficionados: it's been long time since our first album and we have moved on, so don't you cry over our past... we also are pround of our past, but we have moved on - and here we are..."
GOTTA MOVE: Written by Ryno & Bobby Caldwell. Lead vocals by Bobby Caldwell, backing vocals by Jimi Interval. Cool intro from Dan. And Jeff drives with no mercy. And what a guitar, tubes and wah! Interesting time changes. Reminds a bit of Ryno's song "Game Of Love" from Iron Butterfly 1989 and early Blackfoot: Bobby's vocals sound a bit like Rick Medlocke's. At the december gigs, Jimi did lead vocals on this song.
BE AS YOU WERE: Written by Ryno & Bobby Caldwell. Lead vocals by Bobby Caldwell, backing vocals by Jimi Interval. Great solo by Dan Frye. A jazz type chord structure in the chorus with some fusion fills in nouveau Ryno tradition. A song that could have been sung by Rod Evans as well.
NIGHT TRAIN CALLING (CRYSTAL CLEAR): Written by Ryno & Bobby Caldwell. Lead vocals by Bobby Caldwell, backing vocals by Jimi Interval. A shuffle beat, Ryno's guitar solos with a renewed approach, that is a extension of "Oblivion" and sometimes, to a certain extent, reminiscent of perhaps Tommy Bolin and John Tropea.
So far there is no artwork for the new EP. when people buy it, it's just a clear plastic cover with the CD in it.
It can be ordered through the Captain Beyond Official Web Site.

The Captain Beyond Promo CD

This CD had been presented to various mayor labels in the meantime. I have to warn the respective A&R managers, that if you're looking for a band to sign, where the guitar player plays three not out of tune amateurish solos and the singer sucks, vocals out tune... then do not sign Captain Beyond, for the problem would simply be, that Captain Beyond are not able to suck. Being perfectly aware that quality doesn't mean to much these days, you might rather sign a band that sucks. But there are still some exceptions to this norm...?
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(25.04.2000)
Captain Beyond : A message from Jimi Interval...
"...I just want to say to all your european readers on your website, that I hope everybody had a great EASTER and we hope to beplaying for all you wonderful people again real soon. And this time not only will we be playing our old material, but this time we'll be playing new material from our new CD as well. Take care and hope to see everyone soon".
(Thanks to Jimi Interval - the voice of Captain Beyond!)

(23.04.2000)
Competition: win a genuinely autographed Captain Beyond CD!!!
It's competition time: be the 10.000th visitor of this site (as the counter indicates) and win a copy of japanese first album CD, genuinely autographed by Lee Dorman and Rhino! Good luck!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

back to the unofficial (european) Captain Beyond website

(p) & (C) by Hartmut Kreckel 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.

After the tragic loss of the old News Page, that slipped into data oblivion... here comes the "Y2K News" Page to keep the readers of the unofficial (european) Captain Beyond website updated.
Welcome
Hartmut Kreckel

Captain Beyond pictured @ the F.B.I. Club in Orlando, Dec. 18th 1999, left to right:
Dan Frye, Larry "Ryno" Reinhardt, Bobby Caldwell, Jimi Interval & Jeff "Count" Artabasy.

(27.12.06)
The Dawn Explosion Special by Hartmut Kreckel.

As previously reported, I have interviewed former Captain Beyond singer Willy Daffern earlier this year over the phone from Germany to Portland, Oregon and a little later I also interviewed former Captain Beyond manager Derek Sutton via e-mail.
The output was very interesting, as for me Dawn Explosion is one of the most underrated albums in the history of rock. I always could imagine this album to have become huge, the pretty girls of Malibu Beach dancing to the groove of Icarus, Breath Of Fire, If You Please et alea. However, several factors worked against Dawn Explosion. It should be mentioned that Warner Records did their job, without doing "a little more" to promote the album. It should also be mentioned that Dawn Explosion was released in 1977, a time when Hard Rock had already been pushed into the back seat by the a new ola of punk and new wave bands. There was a time in 1976, when Hard Rock bands went over the top, destroying their lives and careers with illegal substances, that made their audience alienate gradually. At the same time a new generation of punk rock bands was waiting in the wings. Despite of the fact, that most of these punk bands could not sing or play, they gained more credo from the public than the bands that by then had already become "hard rock dinosaurs", at least for a couple of years. Not a good year for a Hard Rock band named Captain Beyond, that once had been described as a Black Sabbath sounding band with odd time signatures, to have a comeback album with a new singer, who took Rod Evans place and a new album named Dawn Explosion. Had it happened two years earlier, things might have been quite different. In addition to all this, the narrow mindedness of the Captain Beyond fanbase worked against Dawn Explosion too. Generally regarded as the wayward child of all three Captain Beyond albums by fans and critics, Dawn Explosion was often criticized as being a bland rerun of the first album, a desperate attempt at commerciality and poor lyrics and that Willy Daffern is not Rod Evans. But there is a another side of the coin. Since I found this magnificent album in a record shop in Dusseldorf in fall 1979, I never stopped playing it, and over the years I played it to over 100 people. Two of them said, that it is pretty good, while 98% said, that this is fantastic, phenomenal, superb, great, unbelievable. And adding "which band is this?" When I replied "Captain Beyond", they would go "hm.. never heard of that band, great, I will have to get this album". Well, to this day, it was not released outside the U.S. And last not least, new singer Willy Daffern left the band after just one tour through the midwest.
So here it comes, the long awaited interview with Willy Daffern. Thanks for joining in.



Captain Beyond Dawn Explosion Promo Poster 1977
L to R: Willy Daffern, Bobby Caldwell, Rhino & Lee Dorman.

THE WORLD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with WILLY DAFFERN for the unofficial European Captain Beyond website!

Hartmut (H): Hello Willy.
Willy (W): Hello Hartmut. Are you ready?

H: I'm ready. I put some questions in chronological order. OK?
W: Yes, sure.

H: Which was your first band?
W: This was Jacky Lee and the Kingsmen. I was with them, until I got drafted. I was only three months in the military. I was nightblind, I couldn't see. The drill sergeant said, "I'm gonna get you out of the military or you are going to die." We played with the Yardbirds and toured with all these old bands. I was born in 1947 and I was 15 years old then, played drums and sang background.

H: Were there any recordings released?
W: I never recorded with Jack, we just toured.

H: The next question goes to the band Hunger. There is one album called "Strictly From Hunger".
W: The keyboard player got me into the band. He was with me in the Kingsmen and asked me to come to L.A. I just was out of the military. So I stayed with that band and was living on Sunset around the Whisky Club with the manager. I found out he was a homosexual, he made advances toward me and attacked me. So I hit him with my palms and knocked him out and I left the band. Before I left Hunger, I recorded a single with them, called "Mind Machine": I wrote that song, sang and played drums on it.

H: And after Hunger?
W:. Then I found out about the Standells, who were looking for a drummer and I did a try out.

H: There is an album by the Electric Prunes, the fifth album.
W: I used to jam with those guys and I got involved with them when I was with the Standells. And I co-wrote a couple of songs, that's why I'm credited on this album. The songs were not very good.

H: And than came the Band Truk.
W: I tried out with them for a couple of days and it worked out well. They were on Columbia Records. Our manager Michael Graceman, he managed the Spiral Starecase, they were a big band. And Truk, they were all from Oklahoma and were really nice people. Columbia were behind us and the Truk album was released together with Elton John's first album. I sang on the song "Winter Is Coming Along". What broke up this band was, that the manager began to sell stolen cars and eventually ran away with our money and Spiral Starecase's money. Eventually he was caught and went to prison. But the band already ran out of cash.

H: Next band could be Tallwater with the Palmer Brothers, who were later in Steppenwolf.
W: That was a good band. Steve Palmer said to me: "Why don't you sell your drumkit and sing? You are such a great singer". We worked heavily for a while and when their mother died, the band broke up. We were a heavy band, similar to Led Zeppelin. We made a couple of recordings in John Kay's home studio. Unfortunately John Kay's studio only had 16 tracks and the recording was not very good, sounded pretty flat.

H: A while ago, you told me, that after Tallwater you formed a band with Carmine Appice, Marc Stein, Jimmy Haslip and Phil Brown in 1976.
W: This band was pretty good, we were rehearsing and one day Rod Stewart came into the room, opened his suitcase, taking out a pile of cash and threw it towards Carmine's drums, saying: "You want a job?" So, next thing what happened, Carmine left to play with Rod Stewart and that was the end of that band. Around that time, I was working in a liquor store and one day Rhino and Bobby Caldwell came in. Eventually we got together rehearsing and went to Sausalito with producer John Stronach. I loved Sausalito and it was great to work in the Record Plant. The recording was good, but the mixing was not and I didn't know, that John Stronach had a problem at that time.

H: Could you please elaborate on the rehearsing and writing sessions with Captain Beyond?
W: We had two months of rehearsals. I wrote most of my vocal lines and lyrics seperately and once in a while I got together with Lee Dorman and Rhino in Redondo Beach. Bobby had also a couple of things written. A great song was "Sweet Dreams". I don't think, we did it very well, I think, we did it better with Zoomlenz. Eventually we got our deal with Warner Brothers and went to Sausalito. We were there for something like five weeks and we had a nice house to stay and eat.

H: Tell me, from the songs who turned up on the Album "Dawn Explosion", were there other songs, that didn't make the album, that you had rehearsed and written?
W: I can't remember, as I have stacks of tapes, that I did with Carmine Appice, Captain Beyond and all other bands, from songs, that I had written.

H: Then Captain Beyond did a tour through the midwest in Spring 1977. Do you remember which songs were played live? Was "Icarus" played live?
W: We did that live.

H: And what about "Do Or Die"?
W: Yes, we did that one. I think, this was one of the songs, that I didn't like.

H: What about "If You Please" and "Midnight Memories"?
W: Yes, I think we did those too.
(Ed.: I really do not think so! AFAIK, these two songs were not performed live.)

H: So it was pretty much the whole album.
W: Yes, we did pretty much the whole album "Dawn Explosion" live.

H: Do you remember a song named "Dawn Explosion", which did not make the album, but was played as an encore?
W: Not really. I did not write it. It was something, the band had written before, when Rod Evans was in the band.

H: Did you play "Starglow Energy"?
W: I think we did.

H: How was the situation in the band when you hit the road and why did it only last for one tour?
W: I told the guys in advance that I don't want to see anybody around me doing drugs, and if I find out, I'll be out of the band. One night somewhere in Texas I knocked at Bobby Caldwell's hotelroom door and he didn't recognize me. I saw, uff, there is a big problem. I could have left then, but finished the tour. Plus their lifestyle on tour was: arrive at the hotel - drink, go to the soundcheck - drink, go back to the hotel - drink, finish the show - drink, go back to the tourbus - drink, drinking on the plane - drink - drink - drink - drink. It wasn't meant for me. After the last show in Detroit, which we didn't play, we got on the plane back to L.A. and found out, that Warner Brothers had pulled the plug, because the record wasn't selling enough. The other guys in the band said to me: "lets get another record deal and continue." But I didn't want to be part of it anymore. It was a nightmare for me. I didn't want to go and say: Bobby and Rhino, you have heavy drug problems, that I don't wanna be around. So I just said, I don't wanna be in the band anymore. And Derek Sutton hated me for that. And the guys in the band hated me too. They didn't realize, they had a severe problem. I didn't want to live that lifestyle. It was dark and that's why I quit. You can't keep a business together, and a band is a business. You got to have your head screwed on. I also found out, that our record was on triple rotation all over Canada and nobody filed for airplay money. Nobody took care of business, it had just worned out. Plus I wasn't really happy how the album "Dawn Explosion" sounded. I liked Lee and Rhino, the only one that I did not particularly care for was Bobby Caldwell.

H: It comes to my mind that Bobby Caldwell and you are both drummers and singers. Was that an issue?
W: Not really, I mean in the beginning Bobby came up and said that he wanted to sing some parts on the album and I went, no way. You hired me to sing and I am going to sing all the songs on the album.

Willy Daffern in his Captain Beyond days.

H: What about Pipedream?
W: That album was really badly treated by producer John Stronach. Wrong voices, wrong guitar parts. I didn't wanna use John in the first place, as I wasn't happy with the "Dawn Explosion" album, but got outvoted by the other bandmembers.

H: Did Pipedream play live?
W: Yes, we did a few shows, before the record company went bankrupt. I remember a show at the Roxy, this was a good show. We played with Stephen Stills. Stephen Stills loved my voice and the place was packed. Their management company wanted to sign me, but I wouldn't, because they were a bunch of drug addicts. I tried to stay out of these problems. Anyway, that show was great. I remember Peter Fonda was standing on the table and enjoying the show. We did a few shows after that and then the band broke up. It was a shock to me.

H: Next band would be G-Force, I believe?
W: I got a call and rehearsed with them for two days and Sharon Arden came in and she said: "You got great shapes", because I could do like a five point spin, kick the mikestand in the air, fall down on my knees and all that stuff, and hired me. I used to do all that mikestand work like David Coverdale does. Previously they had Glenn Hughes in the band but he had a drug problem. So I went through all this fiasco with Sharon and G-Force. That lasted for ten months. It was a real nightmare, because Sharon wanted to do really pop stuff. And I really didn't want to do pop stuff. Sharon would call me in the middle of the night and asked me to go out to watch a porn movie. And I said: "What? I have to get up in the morning and sing this album". And I really didn't want to do that. And she said: "What do you think I pay you for?" And I said: "If you are paying me to escort you to the porn movies, than you got the wrong man." After that we started not becoming friends. I liked to work in the studio with Dennis Mackay. We had Jimi Hendrix' producer Eddie Kramer but we threw him out after two days. Dennis Mackay was a great guy. A lot of songs were not used for the album, because Sharon wanted more the pop orientated stuff. She really messed it up.

H: And then with G-Force you did one tour in England with Whitesnake in 1980, right?
W: Yeah, with Whitesnake. After that I was so stressed out. The band was really good, but we didn't really gel as a band, and me and Gary hated each other.

H: What about Mark Nauseef?
W: He was a good friend of mine. I think, he is living in Hamburg these days, he is very clever. In 1996 I was trying to get my royalties from G-Force and I think, that Mark sold me out to Sharon. I think, I didn't get all the money I should have got from that album. But I can't proof that. And I kind of wrote it off. After this band was over, I had to recover at my dad's ranch for months. I had a nervious breakdown.

H: Next comes your Solo Album "Abrupt edge", released in 1983.
W: That was with Rockshire Records. They had also Alcatraz with Graham Bonnet and Yngwie Malmsteen. They signed me a three album contract. They got busted after the first album. I had great musicians on the album and the recording was great and it was destroyed in the mix. First they approached me for some demos and I said: "What demos? I want 10.000 $, a suite at the beach and a limousine". Which I got, eventually.

H: After a break you did these two Zoomlenz albums.
W: Yes, they really sounded great.

H: What are you up to these days?
W: I am working with a genius keyboarder named Earnie Leslie from Portland. He is a paramedic and likes Captain Beyond. The song "If You Please" got him the idea to become a paramedic. More news will be coming. I have had so many things in my carreer and I haven't scratched the surface yet!

H: That really leaves us hoping for more. Thanks very much for this interesting interview.
W: Yeah. We stay in contact. CU

This phone interview with Willy Daffern was done on January 16th 2006, (c) 2006 by Hartmut Kreckel.

Next to be interviewed was Derek Sutton, the manager from Captain Beyond during the Dawn Explosion era in 1976 and 1977. Today, Derek Sutton is managing Robin Trower.

Hartmut (H): How came that you took management duties in Captain Beyond (CB)? Was Willy already in the band or was it still Jason Cahune in 1976?
Derek (D): I really enjoyed the music, thought it was commercial and liked the people involved, Those were my criteria for taking on management clients. I helped the band set up auditions for a new singer. Willy Daffern was the result.

H: I understand that CB only played live in the midwest, no east or west coast. Is this true? If yes, why so?
D: We could only play where people would pay us. Nobody on the East Coast wanted the show enough to cover our expenses.

H: CB live dates in 1977. Here is a (incomplete) list of shows that were played. Do any shows ring a bell? Any additions? Dates in european notation, i.e. date.month.year:
Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Midnight Sun 77 -> Madison, Wisc. 19.05.77 -> Oshkosh, Wisc., Buster's 22.05.77 -> Chicago (Waukegan), Night Gallery Club 26.05.77 -> Chicago (Schaumberg), Beginnings 77 -> Oaklahoma City, ?-Bar 06.77 -> Tulsa (Oaklahoma), Cain's Ballroom 77 -> Lawrence (Kansas), Lawrence Opera House 77 -> White Bear Lake (Minnesota), Sunset Bar 77 -> Dallas (Texas), Electric Ballroom 77 -> Austin (Texas) 77 -> Houston (Texas), Liberty Hall 10+11.06.77 -> Detroit 77 (this was supposed to be the last gig of the tour, but the show was cancelled!)
D: I did not keep notes on dates and shows played. Sorry.

H: Set list during live shows at Dawn Explosion tour dates was more or less: Taped Intro (Voyages of past travellers) - Distant Sun - Dancing > Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air) / Armworth / Myopic Void - Breath Of Fire (Part I and II) - Sweet Dreams - Fantasy - Thousand Days Of Yesterdays / Frozen Over - Guitar Solo / Oblivion / Instrumental Jam - Mesmerization Eclipse / Drum Solo / Mesmerization Eclipse -- Dawn Explosion. Do you remember any more songs? Maybe Do or Die, Starglow Energy or Icarus that might have been performed?
D: The set list changed often. To my knowledge, nobody kept a list of what songs were played where or when.

H: Any more info to the album Dawn Explosion? How do you rate the album? Why didn't it go much further than it did?
D: Time, money and creative differences.

H: Are you surprised that CB never made it really big? What do you think are the reasons for this?
D: No. The creative side of the band, and the music were wonderful, but they lacked understanding about the business. I did not get that until they had been out on the road for a month or so. Unfortunately the music business is much more than the music and there are very few artists who understand that. I used to tell them that it was not important how many people came to the shows -- how many people heard them on the radio or read about them in the newspaper BECAUSE of the show was the important thing. I don't believe they understood that.

H: How was the situation within the band, when you managed them?
D: Stormy, to say the least

H: Were they easy to manage?
D: NO! they each had different viewpoints. Sometimes mutually exclusive viewpoints. Getting compromises was always difficult.

H: I understand they were on triple rotation in Canada, however they never played there. Why?
D: People with drug histories are not welcome to cross the Canadian border. Nor are musicians on Methadone. Americans need working papers to play Canada -- if you had a drug conviction in those days, you could not get a work visa.

H: Why was there no follow up to Dawn Explosion? Was the Warner deal only for one LP with option?
D: Dawn explosion did not sell. Why would Warners make another expensive record to not sell?

H: Anything else that you may add.
D: This was a band that was magic on those few special nights when everything went right. I am only sad that we did not have the technology then to record every show -- so we could have captured one of those magic performances.

This interview with Derek Sutton was done via email on July 7th, 2006, (c) 2006 by Hartmut Kreckel.

(18.03.06)
New MESSAGE BOARD!!

(16.03.06)
News on Willy Daffern!

(02.01.06)
Captain Beyond Demo CD out of stock!

(28.08.05)
Lee Dorman & Iron Butterfly tour Europe!

The proposed special event of Deep Purple...

(01.09.04)
A message from Willy Daffern!

Willy Daffern says hello to all the readers of the European Captain Beyond website and would like to get his most important message out to everbody:
"Hello and make sure to vote for John Kerry"!!!
Asked about his favourite Captain Beyond songs (or tunes) Willy mentioned "Icarus", "Dancing Madly Backwards" and "Oblivion".
Willy Daffern agreed to be interviewed in the near future exclusively for the European Captain Beyond website. Reader's questions to be included can also be sent to: mrhk@gmx.de

Willy Daffern and Hartmut Kreckel in Carlsbad, Ca. 11.08.2004!

(18.08.04)
Lee Dorman encore!

Lee Dorman and Hartmut Kreckel on Catalina Island 28.07.2004!

(18.04.04)
Lee Dorman...

says to all the readers of the European Captain Beyond website "Hello and thanx for listening".

Lee Dorman and Hartmut Kreckel on Catalina Island 10.04.2004!

(28.12.02)
NEWS ON RHINO, ROD EVANS, LEE DORMAN & BOBBY CALDWELL!

Larry "Ryno" Rhino Reinhard informed me, that he is planning a comeback for Captain Beyond in 2003. Reportedly he contacted Rod Evans "to work on a musical project".

Rod Evans is expected to participate in a one-off special event, that includes all living members of Deep Purple, as Jon Lord recently commented.

Lee Dorman is on tour with Iron Butterfly. They just played in Chile.

Bobby Caldwell has joined the Southern Rock Rebellion. More info @ http://siogo.com/srr.htm .

(Hartmut Kreckel)

(23.04.02)
THE WORLD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with JIMI INTERVAL for the unofficial European Captain Beyond website! April 2002

Dear readers of the unofficial European Captain Beyond website: at last comes the promised exclusive interview that I did with Jimi Interval. It will also mark the last major update for this site, as there seems no point in doing it any longer. The reasons for this are numerous, one of these surely being that the unofficial European Captain Beyond website has been boycotted almost from day one (see this interview) by the current Captain Beyond and their representatives, another reason, is that there doesn't seem to be much to report, so it just leaves the nostalgia scope. And last, not least my time is too scarse! To me this interview gives a interesting insight into a band that never was properly managed. So thanks for joining in.

JIMI (I): Since I was 16 years old, I loved the band. Everybody in highschool used to call me "The Captain" as I was trying to turn people into Captain Beyond (CB). And I always said "man if I could be in a band that good..." When I moved down to Florida, I was also a big fan of Iron Butterfly and I had got to know Scott Gould, the sound manager for Iron Butterfly for a couple of gigs; he knew Ryno very well. I forwarded a demo tape to Ryno through Scott. Ryno got in touch with me three weeks later and he said "I like what I hear, let's try to put something together". So for 5 years Ryno and myself tried to get Captain Beyond together, we tried different musicians, we couldn't find the right members, bass players, keyboard-players, drummers... So finally Ryno said "lets get some other of the original members, it would be much more merit... and we would be taken more seriously. So Ryno called Bobby Caldwell up, and with a friend of mine, bassist Bruce Waibel, we got to Orlando to meet and gave it a go... But Bruce needed some money right away, and got a better offer with Wang Chang to be sound manager and road manager. We got together the second time, that was when we had Dan Frye with us and a bass player that didn't work out, then the next day Sunday we got together we had myself, Ryno, Bobby, Dan and the Count, who got contacted by Ryno. The rest is history...

H: Do you remember your first audition?

J: I remember, got up there, was very nervous. I had lyric sheets worked out. It was a little strange, it was stuff that I hadn't been used to, with all these time changes, but it went pretty good.

H: How did the first rehearsals go? How did you learn the lyrics to the songs. Were Bobby and Ryno a help with that?

J: Ryno and Bobby didn't know the words, as Rod took care of them and I used to listen over and over again to the songs and eventually made them up.

H: How were the other players found? Jeff and eventually Dan?

J: Through Iron Butterfly 1989 drummer Kenny Suarez, Count was recommended to Ryno. Dan was also recomended to Ryno and he fit in very well.

H: Any idea why Lee Dorman did not rejoin?

J: I really didn't want to get into the business. It was mainly Bobby and Ryno's decision...

H: And Rod Evans?

J: I know that Rod was asked to come back, but it didn't work out. I just left it at that. I was happy to be the singer. I was happy to be a small part in their history. I have greatest respect for Rod and Willy Dee. I wasn't trying to walk in their shoes, I was happy to make my own steps. I'm still very proud to have been in that band. I hope that people enjoy what I did, and I had many people tell me all the time, that they did. Til the day I die I will have all respect to all CB players, on all three albums.

H: Were you confronted by the audience with "Where is Rod?" questions etc.?

J: People were coming to me asking, "where is Rod...?" I told people, that Rod did what he had to do, and should be respected for that and Willy had to do what he had to do, and should be respected for that, now let me do what I have to do and respect me for that.

H: Then you eventually debuted @ SwedenRock? Why was this chosen and no warm-up gigs before such a big event?

J: It just happened so quickly. Ray said that here is the chance, go for it. One minute we were rehearsing and Don Barnard; our manager comes in and said, that he had booked us to perform at Swedenrock with "Deep Purple", "Dio", "Scorpions". I loved Sweden, people were great, sincere, they treated us like kings. It was the biggest crowd, that I played for.

H: How many rehearsals did you have before SwedenRock?

J: Well, we tried to rehearse as many weekends in Orlando, where Bobby Caldwell lived. Ryno had the furthest drive, he lived near Miami. We started rehearsal all saturday up to dinner and sunday at 11.30, 12.00 till 6p.m.

H: Would you think in retrospective, that some warm up gigs prior to SwedenRock would have been suitable?

J: Yes definetely, I wish for me at least, it would have made me a bit tighter. Just to get me used to the band.

H: Was there a lot of pressure on the band, to get the SwedenRock performance underway?

J: I wouldn't say pressure, but it was thrown together so quickly and we got down to do it.

H: There were Management hazzles, Don Barnard pulled out, and Deanne Frye stepped in... was this a problem?

J: No, I'm not to big on the biz centers, it was down to Bobby and Ryno. I don't know why Don pulled out, I guess things were not run propperly. Deanne did a very good job in Sweden, she kept us in line, got a place to rehearse before the festival. Ray was just a roadie for the band and road manager in Sweden, he didn't become a full fledged manager until Deanne stepped down.

H: How do you see now the bands perfomance at SwedenRock?

J: I listen to later gigs, House Of Blues, FBI Club, I'm more proud of that! I wish I had a bit more time, to prepare myself, but that's rock and roll.

H: Did drugs made the round in the CB camp? Was this a handycap to the bands performance?

J: Personally, I don't wanna sound square here, I have been clean since 7 to 8 years. I don't know about any other CB formations, but not in this band. And Bobby is a health fanatic, he is very clean too, exercising all the time and a trainer.

H: Why were "I Can't Feel Nothing" and "Breath Of Fire (Part 2)" not rehearsed or played?

J: "I Can't Feel Nothing" was rehearsed in Sweden, but it did not come together as we wished to, so it was ditched at the last minute. Ryno and Bobby thought that "Breath Of Fire (Part 2)" would send the audience to sleep, so we did not rehearse it.

H: Was some other song rehearsed that was left out in the set?

J: No, not really, except "I Can't Feel Nothing".

H: I understand that "Oblivion" was left out after SwedenRock... why?

J: I really don't know.

H: Do you think it was appropiate to encore with a instrumental ("Oblivion") at that festival?

J: Yeah, it was rehearsed one day and it rocked and Bobby and Ryno loved it. I think it was pretty cool.

H: Then you did a further 5 gigs in 1999 in Florida? How are your memories of those?

I: It was fun, I had a good time. I was more relaxed with the songs. The three gigs: FBI Club, House Of Blues and the DJB Benefit stuck out more, the band was really hot.

H: Why was "Fantasy" put as the opener? Do think that was a good decision?

J: They always used to have "Distant Sun", so we thought that Fantasy rocked more, and I think it was a good decision. (Ed.: Hm, I do not agree, Fantasy is not a suitable opener, the song is too big!)

H: Then you recorded that Demo with four songs...! Can you tell us about the recording/writing process?

J: It was done very fast, Ryno wanted me to sing on "Don't Cry Over Me", because he wrote it. Bobby wanted to try and sing, it wasn't some kind of jealousy really. I think he really did a good job.

H: It makes me wonder that you only sing on "Don't Cry Over Me", while Bobby sang on the three remaining songs? Any reasons for this?

J: Bobby and Ryno did most of the recording and Bobby wanted to give it a try.

H: Did Bobby always want to be the lead singer?

J: He fronted his own band in Los Angeles in 1985, called "Tight Grip".Yes, Bobby wanted to come out front, and have another drummer and me and him as singers.

H: That demo failed even at Record Heaven to get the band a record deal, what do you think?

J: This business is so fickle. If you're not the Backstreet Boys, NSync or Britney, Record Company Executives think that you're a dinousaur, a "has been", that never comes back.

H: After this ... sometime in 2000 Dan Frye left the band or was fired? Why?

J: Dan was a good guy and had a lot of health problems and couldn't deal with the road situation. There was no big cover up, no big firing. But we had to look elsewhere.

H: And Ryno was indisposed for six months, what happened?

J: Ryno had hurt his hand, his wrist pretty bad, it swole up, so he couldn't play, so we had to wait for him to recover.

H: So there was only one gig in Lakeland, Music Ranch in december 2000, which turned out to be your last gig as well! What happened behind the scenes?

J: After this one we were to get together to rehearse more and do a live recording... and I was at home waiting for a phone call. One day I went to the (official) CB website, and I read a interview with Ryno. In one section it made clear that that band is not definite in this format and it didn't mention me. I called Ryno up and said, what's up, it sounds like wanna get rid of me. He said that he wished to have talked to me, before I read it. He said, that it was nothing personal, but promotors said, we want you (CB) to sound like you used to do, with a singer to sound like Rod Evans, more than I did and that I sound more like Willy Daffern, and then maybe we have a chance to make it again. I was devastated and felt betrayed. It really upset me, just finding out by a click on the website... that wasn't cool. I just wished the guys would have had the balls to tell me face to face.

H: And was this recorded for a prospected live album?

J: It never materialized, they got Kyle and did one gig. I wish I could do it, as I only have one recorded song to my credit with CB ("Don't Cry Over Me").

H: Did the band (begin to) fall apart already during this year 2000?

J: No, not really, Bobby did a lot of work talking to promotors, but they had a attitude, that we were over the hill, didn't have any hits...

H: In April 2001 you got fired? What led to this? Please comment!

J: There's not to much left to say.

H: Was CB in your time ever a 5 piece band, or rather a Ryno/Caldwell Band with three hired guns?

J: Not really, I mean Bobby and Ryno were the senior members, they had more clout off course. But I never felt as a hired gun. We always had a good time, had some little arguments like every band, but basically it was a band. As I said, I was proud to be a part of the band, as it was my idol band for years.

H: Where you all on wages then in CB?

J: No, we split everything even.

H: Why was the Euro CB site boycotted from the CB management almost from day one?

J: When the official CB site came, they thought that there were to many CB sites out there, there was yours, the japanese and Ryan's (Ed.: Hm, three... really a lot!), so they wanted info coming only from the official CB website.

H: What are your future plans?

J: Trying to keep in music biz, I have a new band, named "Access Denied". I get calls and e-mails all the time from people, who want me to sing with them, do projects etc.

H: What would have come out of CB, if you had stayed?

J: That's hard to say, I don't know how far we could go, I 'd like to think that we could have gone as far as they did the first time around with Rod. I like to add that I enjoyed to work with Dave Muse, a excellent musician and was in the seventies band "Firefall". During Ryno's injury and time of recovering, he, Count and I tried to play a few gigs as "Firefall". But we couldn't go out as "Firefall", because the original singer of "Firefall" owns the name, and he already had his own "Firefall" out and playing.

H: Anything else, we might have not talked about... you may like to add?

J: It's my thank you to some truely "unsung heros" and they are: Ray Ehmen for always being there for us, always doing way above and beyond the call of duty, but mainly always keeping us in stitches. He was a very funny guy, I'll always love him for that. Randy, our roadie and Ryno's guitar tech, just a all around great guy. Sparky for just being himself. Sam Lacey for our web site. Gary Graber a great guy, who I only had a very short time to know, but was blessed to know him at all. Mike for our first web site. Rick Trainer for all his help. all the guys at Rock & Roll Heaven. Kurosuke for the Japanese website. Ryan for his web site. Hartmut for his web site. Janne Stark for all his help and kind words. Simon for everything he's done. Rick Gagnon for always believing in me. And most importantly the unsung heros of all times are the fans.
And... a very special thank you to my wife Pat, and my grandmother for telling me to keep going and never giving up on this crazy business they call "Rock & Roll".

(This Interview conducted by Hartmut Kreckel in Berlin, Germany with Jimi Interval in Florida. (c) April 2002)

(03.10.01)
Jimi Interval in concert, Oct 14th!

Jimi Interval performs in his hometown Port Chalotte, Sunday October 14th, with his new band ACCESS DENIED at a club called CHUBBY'S. It will be the bands debut show and a special event as it will be for a benefit for the RED CROSS to raise money for those poor victims in NEW YORK.

(18.07.01)
Lee Dorman benefit concert, July 29th!

The Benefit Concert For Lee Dorman will be next Sunday, July 29th at the Fabulous Firwood, 8014 Valley Avenue East, Fife WA. 7-11pm. Proceeds to Benefit the Lee Dorman Heart Fund. Tickets Available at All Fred Meyer Stores. For more info check out www.ironbutterfly.com .

The official flyer for the Lee Dorman Heart Fund Benefit Show!

(13.07.01)
Jimi Interval in concert, July 21st!

Jimi Interval performs in SARASOTA, SATURDAY July 21st, at a small little club called THE ENTER SECTION with the CHRIS WALKER BAND
from 9:00 pm to 1:30 am. The club is located on the corner of BENEVA & WEBBER. in SARASOTA, FLORIDA.

(12.07.01)
A message from Jimi Interval : The Sky Is Crying

(10.07.01)
Gary Graber R.I.P.

The report from Sam Lacey (official Capatin Beyond site webmaster) just coming in:

ONE OF THE GREATEST FRIENDS OF CAPTAIN BEYOND, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE BAND, GARY GRABER, PASSED AWAY SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2001. ONE OF THE LAST THINGS GARY DID WAS PUTTING EQUIPMENT IN BOBBY'S HANDS (PORK PIE SNARE) AND PERSONALLY WORKED ON THE MIX OF THE LOST SESSIONS TAPES. GARY PLAYED IN MAD DANCER WITH RHINO AND ROD EVANS (actually Rod only was going to write some lyrics-Ed.), AND HAS BEEN A FRIEND OF RHINO'S FOR TWO DECADES. GARY WAS MY WORKING PARTNER IN CAPTAIN BEYOND, MY FRIEND, MY RIGHT ARM. GARY SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN VIETNAM, AND SUFFERED QUIETLY WITH WAR WOUNDS. GARY WAS A TALENTED GUITARIST, VERY TALENTED AND CITES RHINO AS HIS NUMBER ONE INFLUENCE. THERE IS A HOLE IN MY HEART, AND IN THE HEART OF CAPTAIN BEYOND AND IT'S MEMBERS. WE MISS YOU GARY...

There's nothing left to say, it saddens me. Though I never met him personally, Gary always came like a great person to me in the numerous mails and emails that we exchanged. Like very few in musicbiz, he was a devoted professional, great guitar player and songwriter. Beside his work for Captain Beyond, Gary was about to reform MAD DANCER.
Gary Graber R.I.P. (Rock In Peace)

(Hartmut Kreckel)

Gary Graber in his homestudio with his VOX AC-50 and GEORGE HARRISON RICK 12 STRING April 23rd, 2000.

(07.07.01)
Captain Beyond: New singer & upcoming gig, July 28th.

(Hartmut Kreckel)

(15.06.01)
Jimi Interval speaks!!!"To all my fans..."

Jimi Interval: "I want to say to all my fans around the globe: thank you for all the support you have
given to me while being in CAPTAIN BEYOND and I hope you will still continue to give me that same support with my new band.

I am very greatful for being with the band, but now it is time for my career to move on... and I wish the best to CAPTAIN BEYOND in their careers.
There are no hard feelings between me and CAPTAIN BEYOND.

In the meantime I joined THE CHRIS WALKER BAND, featuring JIMI INTERVAL and sang two songs featured on the CD by the band MAD DANCER.

If you want to personally E-MAIL me (shiane420@webtv.net), I'll E-MAIL you back."

(12.06.01)
Jimi Interval out of Captain Beyond!!!

Jimi Interval is longer with Captain Beyond!!! To me, it doesn't come as a surprise, really; the silence in the Captain Beyond camp was ongoing, and the silence was loud! And still no official statements, but that always seems to be the case. Unconfirmed info states that in the meantime, Captain Beyond seem to have hired a more Rod Evans soundalike singer. I would like to add, that I always regarded Jimi Interval, although he wasn't a original member, as an integral part of the reformed Captain Beyond, and that he will not be easy to replace.

(Hartmut Kreckel)

(21.04.01)
Lee Dorman out of hospital!!!

"I thought everyone would like to know that Lee is out of the hospital. Although he is feeling better and stronger everyday, he still has a long way to go in his recovery. He'd also like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and concern about his health and his heart."
Linda

(10.04.01)
Lee Dorman Photo for AUCTION on ebay.com!!!

This is the huge 17 X 11 inch autographed photo on glossy poster stock. The autograph doesn't show on the photo because it is not signed yet. It will be signed by Lee and made out to you personally. Lee will sign the photo from his hospital bed where he awaits a heart transplant. All proceeds from this auction will go toward that cause.
To place your bid click here.
Thank you
Rick Noyce

(09.04.2001)
Lee Dorman in hospital!!!
Lee Dorman has been taken to hospital and is in urgent need of funding for a much needed Heart Transplant.
There is a trust account set up by Lee's girlfriend, Linda. The address is as follows: Lee Dorman Heart fund, 3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., # 288, Studio City, CA 91604.
Time is the essence here and yes, this is a private mailbox maintained by Lee and his girlfriend, Linda. That's very common in the US. Linda has opened the account for this fund with their bank. Checks and money orders are exactly what is needed. They have already started to come in locally.
"...EVERY DIME counts and will be gratefully applied toward helping this really wonderful man. We are also seeking bands that would be willing to donate their time doing a LEE DORMAN charity concert. Interested parties may contact Rick Noyce at waterfix@earthlink.net or call toll free (877) 456-6133. No donation too small, this is a BIG number that needs to be met. Hopefully, you people who have enjoyed the music of Iron Butterfly over the years will reach into your hearts and your wallets."
Thank You
Richard Noyce
(thanks to Rick Noyce).

(03.04.01)
"Lee is in CRITICAL condition... and still in intensive care. And has gotten worst. Doctors have said he will not pull out of this without a heart transplant. If there is anyone out there that can help... please contact A.S.A.P.!And please keep Lee in your prayers.
Thank you
Larry Rust, Ron Bushy and Eric Barnett (Iron Butterfly)

(14.03.2001)
Dan Frye out of Captain Beyond?
Nothing was officially informed, but Dan Frye seems out of your favourite band. The new keyboard player is Dave Muse, formerly of Firefall. He had his debut gig with Captain Beyond at the gig in Lakeland on 09.12.2000.

(16.01.2001)
New Captain Beyond Foto!

Captain Beyond before the concert in Lakeland 09.12.2000! Foto by Dan Shepard

(28.12.2000)
Lee Dorman in need of Heart Transplant!!!
Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond bassist Lee Dorman is in need of funding for a much needed Heart Transplant. Being that Lee used to ride motorcycles back in the '60's with his friend Jimi Hendrix, a private collector has put an authenticated Jimi Hendrix Jacket up for auction on Ebay.com to help raise money for Lee Dormans Heart Transplant. This auction will be run until 9:45 PST on December, 29th.
To find this auction, log onto Ebay.com and search for item # 1400096577
(from the official Iron Butterfly message board)

(20.12.2000)
Ryno's gear on the first Captain Beyond album!!!
On August 30th, Ryno talked about his gear on the first Captain Beyond album: "I used 2 200 watt Marshall stack 4x12,with 2 200 watt modified Marshall major watt heads. My guitar rig was a 57 maple neck Strat with a modified Vox wah-wah, and a green Arbiter fuzz face that Hendrix gave me at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa in his dressing room when I was with The Second Comming with Dicky Betts and Berry Oakley. I was curious about how he achieved the sustain on his guitar, so he had an extra in his bag. The original was made with germanium crystals transistors which was later changed to silicon and changed the sound. I also employed a Univibe pedal. The engineer recorded the entire album out of phase which created a high low pass filter effect."
(from the official Captain Beyond message board)

(28.11.2000)
Captain Beyond - Live!!!
Captain Beyond will be performing at a private party in Lakeland, Fl. on Dec 9th, 2000 @ The Music Ranch. Location: 1920 Banana Road, Lakeland Fl. 33810. Phone (863)815-2293.
Remember that it's a private party, so if you haven't got an invitation, sneak in through the roof top... avoid to be seen by the staff and enjoy the gig. Have fun!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(27.11.2000)
News on the Captain Beyond Competition (Part 2)!
Several people wrote in the correct answers to the question:
Name at least 2 bands that Jimi Interval was in, before he joined Captain Beyond.
The lucky winners were picked by the astral lady:
1st prize: a official program booklet for SwedenRock Festival 1999, that of course includes a foto and article of Captain Beyond!
Hansjörg Noll (Heidelberg, Germany)
2nd prize: nothing!
Jim Booth (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
3rd prize: nothing!
Ryan Partick Meehan (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(04.11.2000)
Captain Beyond on www.soundclick.com!
CAPTAIN BEYOND is finaly on the MP3 web site "www.soundclick.com". Go there and choose your category: click on "ROCK", then thenext page will give a list of artists and what number their song is. Jimi Interval: "...there's about 200 artists on this list and we are number 12. It keeps moving up all the time. The song is DON'T CRY OVER ME. Also they have a little history story about us too. So have everyone click on to thissite and make our song number ONE!!!"
(Thanks to Jimi Interval)

(17.09.2000)
New Live CD and Video to be recorded!
Captain Beyond is working on the logistics in order to record a live CD and Video, probably in Orlando (Florida) in November this year.
More info a.s.a.p.
(Thanks to Gary Graber)

(16.09.2000)
Competition (Part 2): win a official program booklet for SwedenRock 1999!
It's competition time again: as nobody managed to be the 10.000th visitor of this site (as the counter indicated) and win a copy of japanese first album CD, genuinely autographed by Lee Dorman and Rhino, we have another competition this time!
All you need to is answer one question:
Name at least 2 bands that Jimi Interval was in, before he joined Captain Beyond.
Send answers with a mailing address to me: hartmutk@metronet.de
Please note that this competition expires Oct. 31st 2000. If there will be more than 3 correct answers, the winners will be drawn by the astral lady.
Now the prizes:
1st prize: a official program booklet for SwedenRock Festival 1999, that of course includes a foto and article of Captain Beyond!
2nd prize: nothing!
3rd prize: nothing!
Good luck!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

The 1st prize: a official program booklet for SwedenRock 1999!

(09.06.2000)
Review on Captain Beyond Promo CD from Dinosaur Days (Radio 5fm) in South Africa
"Captain Beyond - (No name nor album label as yet!). A bit of a sneaky one, this, but, judging by the amount of listeners who seem to love the band as much as we do, we just HAD to feature something from this fantastic unnamed four track EP, which, we think, was released sometime late last year. Captain Beyond, you will recall, was that great US hard rock outfit formed in the early seventies by guitarist Larry "Rhino" Rheinhardt and drummer Bobby Caldwell. They released three albums and split in the late seventies. They're back with a bang, and the line-up now consists of Ryno (as he's now known), Caldwell and new members, Dan Frye on keyboards, Jimi Interval, who sounds a bit like original vocalist Rod Evans meets April Wine's Miles Goodwyn, and bassist Jeff "Count" Artabasy. The four tracks are "Gotta Move", "Be as you Were", "Don't cry over me" and "Night Train Calling (Crystal Clear)". Die hard CB fans might be a bit disappointed not to hear "Fantasy" or "Dancing madly Backwards" era Captain Beyond, but don't let that deter you - they're still a serious force to be reckoned with and Ryno hasn't lost an iota of his skill and Caldwell is as good as he always was. They've chosen a great bunch of guys to complete the band, and the album, when it's ready, is going to please all the old stalwarts, this one included! As the EP is obviously not available in your friendly music store, you can contact the band directly, via their website, for this CD, as well as all the others, plus T-shirts and other memorabilia. The address to contact is http://www.captainbeyondofficial.com"

(07.06.2000)
News on Captain Beyond NEWS site-saved from data oblivion!
The old Captain Beyond NEWS site had been saved from data oblivion. Thanks to all of you, who made a effort to help out and to the one person, who managed to-you know who you are!
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(06.06.2000)
Bobby Caldwell recently commented on the first Captain Beyond album!
"Rod Evans wrote the lyrics to "Armworth","Astral Lady","As The Moon Speaks (To The Waves Of The Sea)", and the very excellent "Mesmerization Eclipse". Piano was employed throughout the recording, unfortunately it became somewhat lost in the final mixing. 24 tracks were used during the recording with a wall of marshall amplifiers. Every song was carefully planned and segued according to sequence."
(from the Official Captain Beyond Message Board)

(24.05.2000)
Captain Beyond : Night Train Calling (the promo EP):
The promo copy of Captain Beyond's new 4-track promo EP finally arrived. This is the first venture of the band in the studio, that produced this EP with the purpose of getting a record deal. And FYI... this is the new Captain Beyond in the Y2K! Captain Beyond? Yes indeed.
DON'T CRY OVER ME: The opening track of this EP, Ryno wrote this one. Lead Vocals by Jimi Interval. A song with lots of hit potential, and the new voice of Captain Beyond takes the cake with his performance: fabulous lead vocals, welcome to the new Captain Beyond. The song starts with a very nice rynoish guitar intro. The lyrics seem to me as having a intrinsic message as well, like "...dear CB afficionados: it's been long time since our first album and we have moved on, so don't you cry over our past... we also are pround of our past, but we have moved on - and here we are..."
GOTTA MOVE: Written by Ryno & Bobby Caldwell. Lead vocals by Bobby Caldwell, backing vocals by Jimi Interval. Cool intro from Dan. And Jeff drives with no mercy. And what a guitar, tubes and wah! Interesting time changes. Reminds a bit of Ryno's song "Game Of Love" from Iron Butterfly 1989 and early Blackfoot: Bobby's vocals sound a bit like Rick Medlocke's. At the december gigs, Jimi did lead vocals on this song.
BE AS YOU WERE: Written by Ryno & Bobby Caldwell. Lead vocals by Bobby Caldwell, backing vocals by Jimi Interval. Great solo by Dan Frye. A jazz type chord structure in the chorus with some fusion fills in nouveau Ryno tradition. A song that could have been sung by Rod Evans as well.
NIGHT TRAIN CALLING (CRYSTAL CLEAR): Written by Ryno & Bobby Caldwell. Lead vocals by Bobby Caldwell, backing vocals by Jimi Interval. A shuffle beat, Ryno's guitar solos with a renewed approach, that is a extension of "Oblivion" and sometimes, to a certain extent, reminiscent of perhaps Tommy Bolin and John Tropea.
So far there is no artwork for the new EP. when people buy it, it's just a clear plastic cover with the CD in it.
It can be ordered through the Captain Beyond Official Web Site.

The Captain Beyond Promo CD

This CD had been presented to various mayor labels in the meantime. I have to warn the respective A&R managers, that if you're looking for a band to sign, where the guitar player plays three not out of tune amateurish solos and the singer sucks, vocals out tune... then do not sign Captain Beyond, for the problem would simply be, that Captain Beyond are not able to suck. Being perfectly aware that quality doesn't mean to much these days, you might rather sign a band that sucks. But there are still some exceptions to this norm...?
(Hartmut Kreckel)

(25.04.2000)
Captain Beyond : A message from Jimi Interval...
"...I just want to say to all your european readers on your website, that I hope everybody had a great EASTER and we hope to beplaying for all you wonderful people again real soon. And this time not only will we be playing our old material, but this time we'll be playing new material from our new CD as well. Take care and hope to see everyone soon".
(Thanks to Jimi Interval - the voice of Captain Beyond!)<