The Paul Pope Band! By Helen Marketti (Remember Molkie Cole?) On Saturday, April 21, The Paul Pope Band will be doing a reunion show at The Winchester in Lakewood. Rock to the great memories of songs such as Midnight Moses, Broken Hearts and many, many more…

Paul Pope’s music history with Cleve- (laughs) out and they were more Beatle-ish than I was,” land, Buffalo, and beyond, spans several de- Molkie Cole was a band that was said Paul. “I think The Paul Pope Band’s cades with Molkie Cole and various incarna- together for seven years. They opened for music is a clash of Joe Walsh, The Beatles, tions of The Paul Pope Band. He has been in national acts such as Kansas, , Tom Petty and a little of Alex Harvey mixed the Cleveland music scene since 1979 and has Cheap Trick, , Dr. Hook and more. in there, too. I think if I had to pick an all time kept rockin’ for more The group disbanded hero it would probably be Joe Walsh. He was than thirty years. when Paul became ill even with the James Gang when their fi rst album “I always knew though he wishes they had came out. I used to go see them all the time. I wanted to be a kept going. “We had a big I was very captivated by what was going on. musician by the time show scheduled at Navy Ironically, as I was watching them, Tom Kriss I was eight years Pier in Chicago. We were was the bass player and he ended up playing old,” said Paul. “It to open for ELO, Seals & with me for four years.” seems as early as I can Crofts and a few other big “I have had several different versions of remember my parents names. We could have had The Paul Pope Band. It has been ongoing had bought me a toy the Chicago market which since 1979 or so. It’s nice when Billy Sullivan guitar of some sort would have launched is able to play with us. He had been with me at Christmas. I had things for us,” said Paul. for years. He is now with Peter Noone and an uncle who played “At the time I had a hernia Herman’s Hermits. It’s nice that he and I can guitar in the Marine and mono. I still wanted get together every couple of years and play Corps Band. I think to play but it didn’t work together. Billy had some dates open and sug- with others, you can get a song idea and take it seeing my uncle play out.” gested we do some reunion gigs so I made a in so many different directions. I like to do the made me want to “Molkie Cole was few calls and everyone seemed receptive.” music before the lyrics.” learn to play. I never geared more towards being Paul continues, “What I had wanted to do “I’m fi nally fi nishing up the studio in my thought about playing a stage show,” explains for the reunion gig was to remix my fi rst solo house,” said Paul. “You know, it’s funny be- another instrument. Paul. “I wore the makeup. album because it was pretty much both Billy cause I have had several public studios. I had I kept focused on the guitar and have been Molkie Cole was more like a rock and roll cir- and I on that album. I’ve got most of the old a studio when I was out in Los Angeles and playing since second grade.” cus, which is kind of portrayed on the album mastered tapes for it but it’s in a weird format produced many bands. I have produced about “I remember listening to Hank Williams cover. Many people do not know that a guy and the machines I had ordered from e-bay 60 albums for other people. None of which re- and Elvis Presley as a kid. I used to think I named Neon Park did our album cover. He were destroyed when they were delivered to ally made it big but never the less it was a lot was Elvis Presley (laughs). I also thought did album covers for Frank me so there went that idea for of fun. I still have my ole 16-track machine. Les Paul, Chet Atkins and BB King were Zappa, too.” now,” explains Paul. “I still I have since updated to the 32-track. I have spectacular. I would listen to their records Turning his focus on The intend on getting that done done a great deal of engineering and produc- and play along with them as much as I could. Paul Pope Band, Paul has at some point. We also plan ing for other people.” While my brothers were playing board games kept moving forward with to cover material that people For the April 21 reunion show at The and playing outside, I was playing my guitar his band, projects and now haven’t heard in years as well. Winchester, the lineup will be Paul Pope, Billy instead. I remember playing guitar at least the reunion show. “We will We will also be covering Billy’s Sullivan, Don Krueger and Bill March. fi ve hours a day.” pretty much be covering original material.” “Our rehearsals are going great,” said Paul. Paul continues, “Back then, I could only the history of all the years I Paul still keeps working on “I’m really looking forward to this. For our play the fi rst three strings because my hands have been doing this. It will new material when time allows. fans that have followed us and stayed with were too small to reach the bottom strings. incorporate Molkie Cole “I do plan on putting out at least us all these years, we are not going to let The fi rst song I learned to play was Red River favorites and The Paul Pope one more CD or two. I have got them down. It’s going to make for quite an Valley. In grade school, I had a three-piece Band.” notepads fi lled with song ideas. expanded night. It’s going to be a full evening, band and we played House of the Rising “I was actually shunned It’s just a matter of following just like the old days.” Sun at a talent show. I also played in folk by major record labels through with it. It’s always been masses every Sunday at church. I even taught because they said I sounded fun writing with Billy Sullivan. For more information: a couple of nuns how to play guitar. I was “too Beatle-ish”. Funny too, Actually, I enjoy writing with www.paulpopeonline.com also an altar boy. I guess you could say I was that was around the same other people more than being www.billysullivan.com a goody-two-shoes…boy did that change!” time The Rembrandts came by myself. When you work www.thewinchester.net March 28 - April 11, 2012 www.northcoastvoice.com • (440) 415-0999 11