What was it like for YOU 10 years ago? A lot happens over a decade, but the only thing certain is that everyone reading this is 10 years older now than at the beginning of 2000! 

We’re not only older but hopefully wiser, too. Here’s what the last decade looks like to me from here and now - a recap of what was, the way one path to grow and pursue happiness unfolded - and how that journey might continue: 

2000: I was still living in Woodstock NY, Orleans hadn’t played at all since late 1997, both Hoppen parents were still living and Rock & Pop Masters didn’t exist.

Looking for a big change, my family and I decided to move to Central Florida, where my father was dying. Having other family and friends there, a warmer climate, new surroundings and no State income tax all seemed very appealing. 

Alas, Dad passed two weeks before we were able to relocate to our “new” 1892 Victorian house. We arrived November 30 to see CNN just packing in coverage of the election shenanigans in our town of Sanford. We were also greeting what became the coldest winter on record there. Immediately, I had to leave my family in a strange new house in a strange new neighborhood to tour Mexico, Central and South America with Voices of Classic Rock, predecessor to Rock & Pop Masters, for 10 days. Not an auspicious beginning to our new life, not what we’d had in mind at all!

2001: The Voices (hereafter called VCR) went to Maui for a cool gig and shortly after returning, I got set up with my brand new Larry Hoppen Band at Universal’s City Jazz night club - a weekly Monday night gig! My mission was to invite notable Orlando-area musical artists into our show each week, which served to hone the band, allow me to meet many of the area’s finest players/singers and get paid to do it, all without infringing on weekends! Pretty sweet all the way around; we took advantage of it further by recording pretty much every show.

It was July? when John Hall called to ask if I’d be up for an Orleans gig at Opus 40 near Woodstock – a unique, most favorite show we’d done most Labor Day Weekends since the mid-1980s. At that time, after an almost 4-year Orleans break, it sounded GREAT to me AND to Lance, living in Nashville TN since 1989. 

Meanwhile, back at City Jazz, some featured artists on those Mondays: world-renowned drummer Danny Gottlieb; Charlie Dechant, the great sax with Hall & Oates for well over 30 years; guitar hero Pat Travers… and one night, our drummer Fred Domulot brought his friend Charlie Morgan along. I’d never heard of him, but Fred said he’d drummed with Elton John’s band for 13 years until 1998, when he’d moved to Florida. 

When Charlie sat in, he instantly enhanced the music’s feel. He came by to play a bit for several weeks after that; soon I asked if he’d be interested to do some Orleans gigs. To my very pleasant surprise, he said he’d played Orleans’ tunes in bands in England during the 1970s and would love to do some gigs.

That August, VCR went back to South America – Colombia, Peru, Brazil – re-entering the USA in Orlando, playing a huge 12-Singer show at the same City Jazz club then continuing on to Canadian racetracks and casinos. A productive, satisfying year so far. Plus, my family was settling into our new home with our twin 5-year olds attending kindergarten by walking across the street. Good stuff!

When Labor Day Weekend’s Saturday came, it was perfect Woodstock weather and the largest crowd we’d ever had at Opus 40! It felt terrific, and Orleans became an instant priority for all three of us, once again. 

The LH Band continued at City Jazz through September 10. The next morning, I awoke to noisy chaos. Barry Dunaway, our bassist who’d stayed over the late night before, was glued to the TV with my wife Patty, watching CNN live coverage of a plane crash at one of the Twin Towers in Manhattan. When a second plane struck, as Barry and I stood speechless, Patty blurted out: “This is war!”

I don’t remember much detail about 2001 after that. Following 9/11, VCR cut an EP disc of  ‘patriotic’ songs at the request of a Wash., DC radio station (vocals done via Internet, as nobody could fly to Orlando where the studio was). I coordinated that, producing the tracks with Charlie Morgan, whom I’d asked to help. Orleans began to gig again. VCR played South America again in October, but with Charlie on drums now. Air travel was changing quickly and radically - way more security, new rules. Also, headlines notably began shifting from Afghanistan and Osama Bin Laden to Iraq and Saddam Hussein. 

2002:  With new Management, new energy, a new century and 30th anniversary, Orleans decided to release a “30 year retrospective” CD. The result was “Still The One LIVE”. The band had been John / Lance / myself with Peter O’Brien (drums) and Bob Leinbach (keys) since the early 1990s, but it was easier now to play outside of the Northeast with brother Lane (keys) and Charlie (drums). So we now had two different line-ups at shows! 

VCR played numerous gigs over the year, but U.S. economics began declining when the Tech Bubble burst in March. Many companies VCR played for – Lucent in particular – imploded.  Orleans, looking to reestablish ourselves on the concert circuit, took on a new Manager in L.A. By year’s end I decided to try a “real job” in hopes of some stability to balance the uncertainty.

2003:  On top of Orleans and VCR gigs plus a dayjob as a Northwestern Mutual agent, I began writing a book based on my music career; I hoped it might help out kids and others who yearned to be ‘in the music business’, but had no clue how or where to begin. It was also a distraction from news, mostly focused on starting and advancing the Iraq Invasion.

I was making a living but nothing was vibrant. Our new Orleans Manager was doing OK, but nothing special was happening. VCR was fun onstage, but many of us perceived a lack of leadership – and honesty - in “Management” there. Full potential was not being realized in either project. Time marched forward, Iraq was a mess, I worked on my book. 

In September, my head-butting with VCR’s founder ended that relationship. VCR’s Band and most Singers agreed: re-form under a new name and work hard to make this winning, fun concept the success we all knew it could be.

2005:  I quit my brief career as a Financial Agent. Orleans decided to pare down to one constant live band, as two versions wasn’t going to work long-term. Charlie had become integral plus he, Lane and I all lived in Central Florida. That worked! Frustrated with our Manager not finding label interest for our new CD or better (and enough) gigs, a phone call with a longtime fan became much more. Andy Broady, successful Financial Advisor in New Hampshire, was up for managing Orleans’ business. The “ex-VCR” situation still worked some, but was not focused. So, everything was in flux. We asked Andy to plan on Managing Orleans beginning in 2006. To top it off, in November John Hall told Lance and me of his plans to run for Congress. Well then, 2006 looked to be REALLY interesting!

2006: Orleans planned to re-work ‘Fly’ Amero into Orleans’ lineup as John’s Campaign ramped up. John played gigs when possible. We organized a special gig in August with BOTH Fly and John, to film our first DVD - which also might be our last gig with John. The “We’re Still Havin’ Fun” DVD was released before 2006’s end, but after John won his Congressional seat (D-NY, 19^th) in early November. Lance had already begun doing ALL Orleans’ website construction and maintenance work. With Andy now seriously helping the cause, we began to focus on turning ‘ex-VCR’ into Rock & Pop Masters.

2008: Rock & Pop Masters continued growing, concurrently going through webmasters and sites that did not work well for various reasons. But both RPM and Orleans continued with some great events – Orleans did a memorable cruise on Lake Cayuga after a show in Ithaca, where our roots were deep. RPM’s gigs included returns for all of Labor Day Weekend in Madison, WI and in December, Chicago’s House of Blues. Orleans compiled and self-released “Obscurities”, a CD of previously unreleased studio cuts. Notably, Charlie and I played a Florida fundraiser for Sen. Obama, meeting him. More notably, he won!

2009: The financial collapse of late’08 loomed large (and still does). Andy, Lance and I were determined to move forward, regardless. We hired cutting-edge web designers for RPM, left our “booking agency” and hired our own in-house Agent to concentrate solely on Orleans and RPM. Proactive decisions are helpful. We also began an annual Holiday fundraising drive for Feeding America at www.LessHungerMoreMusic.com. Other associations with broad ramifications are in the works as I write this. Some ‘repeat” gigs didn’t happen in ’09 due to the economic climate, but considering the big picture, we did well - as we are still in business, and one that we love!

So, here we are in 2010. I hadn’t thought “in order” about those years until I needed to recreate the timeline (more or less ;-). So now, we both know more about how all that stuff happened – and why.  As we can’t see the future, I say that what got us – and kept us – going was doing what we love, learning to find others who can do what we can’t do well, and trying hard to always do the right thing. By that I mean being at least fair if not generous in business, exceeding expectations by delivering more than promised, and never forgetting that we are only able to have a career if we have YOU – our fans. So, we try to treat our fans well at every turn.

Thanks for stopping by; we’ll see you out there at a gig near you!   Al the best, Larry H

As Lance and I walked to the interview room, we agreed it would need to be short, but also that we really should muster our energy, since these people had come a long way and they waited ALL DAY and EVENING!

Tired and not knowing what to expect, we gladly sat down.

We didn’t get up for maybe an hour and a half, because Greg was TOTALLY engaging! Fun to talk to/with and clearly someone who “gets it” even on first impression, Greg has since become an important part of Orleans’ and Rock & Pop Masters’ Teams. BONUS: Living nearby to me in Florida, I get to work with him on projects small and large, and we have become very good friends personally.

Regarding the “History of Orleans” DVD: I will just say that there are very few people I’ve known over 40 years of this music game to whom I’d entrust A LOT of irreplaceable, original memorabilia as ‘research’ and content material. What’s more, to let that person tell a story that involves not only my life and passion but those of my family and many very dear friends. Greg is on that short list, and he’s earned even more respect from me for the job he’s done with this DVD. So, repeat with me: “Greg is GOOD… Greg is GOOD…”

Lance and I only have one regret - if we’d known the results would turn out so well, we would’ve dressed better for the taping.

We all look forward to Volume 2, which will get done… in another 37 years!

Greg Rike, Nick Miller and the people at Living Legends Music have done a PHENOMENAL job of capturing our story — ALL 37 YEARS of it — in this feature length DVD.

Full of interview footage with those of us who have been there on the front lines of this journey and performance videos from ALL time periods dating back as far as 1973 (before the Midnight Special, but that’s in here, too :-), this is the definitive, authorized, 100% accurate and official history of Orleans! … and something every Orleans fan have in his or her collection.

“Already got my official copy of the real thing yesterday and stayed up half the night repeating it. VERY NICE !!!! it’s so good to finally have a piece like this which seems to capture the “work in progress” as chronologically accurately as possible and is both exciting and sentimental with the inclusion of the archival footage and the “round table” memories. Altogether a wonderful addition to my growing Orleans library, which will soon require it’s own room and qualify as a “vault”. My Orleans Christmas appetite has been satiated. Thanks boys … and thanks Greg Rike … and thanks everyone who participated. Merry Christmas to all.
Best, Sky Schrode”

Here’s the thing … the first mass printing of this DVD will not be ready until AFTER Christmas, but we brow-beat Greg Rike into doing a limited number run of pre-Christmas advance copies just for YOU!

So, while we can’t absolutely guarantee delivery by Christmas, when you order TODAY, you will have the very best shot at claiming your copy(s) and receiving this in time for Christmas Day giving and/or viewing.

All orders will be filled witihin 24 hours of receipt and shipping begins on Wednesday, Dec. 16th. And, just to top it off, all orders placed by Dec. 24th will have FREE SHIPPING! (US lower 48 states only)

Merry Christmas … or whatever Holiday you are celebrating this season
… and a very blessed New Year to all !!!

http://www.OrleansOnline.com/HistoryDVD.html

Some different and SPECIAL gigs happening this month. And even if you’re not local to ANYwhere (other than planet Earth), you’ll be able to catch at least one of them! Check it out —

First up is the coming Labor Day Weekend (here in the states).
On Friday, we’re VERY much looking forward to being on the bill with Little River Band!

Friday, September 4th - 8 PM
Virginia Beach, VA
American Music Festival, 31st St. Stage
with Little River Band

Then it’s off to the birthplace of Orleans, Woodstock, NY!
This is our “Homecoming” gig, in the long-standing tradition of the many years we performed on Labor Day Weekend at the unbelievably awesome Opus 40. This year, for the first time since we played there in 1974, we return to the Woodstock Playhouse!

Saturday/Sunday, September 5th & 6th
Woodstock, NY
Woodstock Playhouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following weekend finds Rock & Pop Masters near Buffalo, NY.

Saturday, September 12th
Silver Creek, NY (Buffalo area)
Willow Creek Winery
“Jammin’ at the Creek” Concert Series
Rock and Pop Masters featuring Alex Ligertwood (Santana),
Jeff Scott Soto (Journey), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad)

Next up is a SPECIAL WORLD-WIDE EVENT!
This is the first of its kind for us … a web-simulcast performance, live in-studio. If you are in the Orlando, FL area, you can be in the house at the time of the show. If you’re not, you can still get to experience it LIVE from ANYwhere in the world! Check out the Video Promo below.

Wednesday, September 23rd
RPM Web simulcast featuring Jimi Jamison (formerly of Survivor®),
John Caffery (Beaver Brown Band) and Larry Hoppen (Orleans)
From Greg Rike’s Studio in Orlando, FL
See the Video Trailer

On Thursday, the 24th, we have a private corporate gig at the Hard Rock in Orlando, but then we head to …

Friday, September 25th
Nashville, TN
Orleans & Friends 2nd Annual Fundraiser for YHTP
with special guests Jimi Jamison (Survivor®), John Cafferty
(Beaver Brown Band), Joe Bouchard (Blue Oyster Cult)
and Wayne Nelson (Little River Band)
TPAC’s War Memorial Auditorium

I can’t say enough about this Nashville show, which is a repeat of a similar show we did last October. Your best bet is to visit the webpage at www.OrleansOnline.com/Nashville.html where you can see pics, hear audio, watch video … even see a couple of complete tunes from last year’s show.

Now you’re armed with all the info you need to tap into some FUN in September. Hope to see as many of as can make it in VA Beach, Woodstock and Silver Creek. I’ll REMIND you about the webcast … so EVERYone can catch that!

PARTY ON!

Lance Hoppen
for the entire

Orleans Ground Crew

 

 

Don’t mean to offend or leave out any of our International friends, but the 4th of July … Independence Day … is a uniquely American holiday. Still, I’m sure many other nations around the globe have their equivalents. So, what the hey … Happy 4th of July, EVERYONE! 

Let’s not forget that the freedom and independence we celebrate on this day was hard-won with the blood of our forefathers … and that the battles to maintain those freedoms are, unfortunately, still not over. Whether or not we choose to support or protest a given conflict, let’s never fail to support the service men and women who, through their committments and sacrifices, allow us the freedom to make such a choice.

With that awareness, we dedicate the following offering to them …

Orleans at Tropicana Field

 On Friday, April 17th of 2009, Orleans had the great privilege and honor of performing our National Anthem at Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay, FL. The Rays took on the Chicago White Sox in what was to become one of the most thrilling ball games any of us had ever seen. Punctuated by a grand slam home run that took the Rays from behind to one run ahead, the ultimate outcome was not to be decided until the final out … with the home team victorious. Now THAT’s a ball game!

To view the video, click here
 

Hi everyone - thanks SO much for your messages about the song ‘For Fathers Everywhere’ !!!

Too many for me to answer individually, so i will share a few things with you in response to your various (but ultimately, similar - and I believe, universal) thoughts and feelings.

The Hoppen parents (of Lance, Lane and myself) are gone … Lance and I have children (as does our sister Lynda,  who even has a GRANDchild!) … it’s the cycle of life, or as Elton put it “The Circle of Life” (in The Lion King).

We all know, as fathers - and mothers, too - that as we go forward with our own children, we come to appreciate our own parents so much more… and, myself at 58, I don’t ever expect that to stop

I think we appreciate that largely because we have similar - a bit different in each ‘modern’ timeframe -  responsibilities, problems and joys they had when they were raising us.  Our revisits to these situations NOW paints a very different picture than it did when we were kids ourselves, doesn’t it?

As Obama said the other day, there’s nothing more fun than being a Dad. To paraphrase him further, he also said basically to check back with him after his girls are teenagers - and that’s exactly where I am

My (our) Dad passed in November 2000. He always referred to death (whenever the subject came up, which wasn’t all that often) as ‘a part of life’. Mom passed less than a year later, in Sept 2001. I am grateful that both their passings were not sudden and that we had time to say goodbye, as it were. I think they felt good about their lives.

I certainly hope so, because they were terrific parents and did wonderful things. More wonderful as I get older, actually !!!

They are part of the big Master plan now, whatever that may be. We miss them, I miss them, I wish they could see my kids, come to a show, visit for the holidays etc like old times.

But for the rest of our lives, our parents live on through us. We (hopefully) will live on through our own children.

That circle thing….

Larry Hoppen

PS  For those of you who asked for the lyrics, here they are —

For Fathers Everywhere

What wouldn’t I do to keep ‘em safe and warm
Provide a shelter from any storm
Give them the tools to be secure
Even if I have to bleed … I‘ll do that and more

Here in this world there can be no doubt
What else matters? Nothing can compare
If a man has a child, he knows what I’m on about
I believe this rings true For Fathers Everywhere

With dark days before us, I will seek the light
So I can look em in the eye and say “Its gonna be alright”
There’s no manual … no guarantee
That’s the way it’s always been, my mission, my reason to be…..

For me, in this world there can be no doubt
Nothin’ else matters, nothin’ can compare
When a man has a child, he knows what I’m on about
I believe this rings true For Fathers Everywhere

Wives and mothers, sometime lovers
May think that we don’t get it.
That’s just disheartening talk for Dads who walk the walk
With or without marriage, love’s never to disparage
And if there must be damage, let it be to me….

I’ll give them the tools to be secure
Even if I have to bleed … I‘ll do that and more

Here in this world there can be no doubt
What else matters? Nothing can compare
If a man has a child, he knows what I’m on about
I believe this rings true For Fathers Everywhere

C 2009   Larry L Hoppen    Spirit Music One (BMI)

###

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2008 has been a busy building year for us. In December, we found a way to get a few of our “Cracked Country Christmas” songs (yes, Donna is a co-writer) onto a number of radio playlists around the country!

As a gift to you, here is a link for free downloads:
http://www.flyamero.com/ccc3_downloads_index

It’s temporary — we’ll have to take it down after the 1st of the year. But it’s just been so great to have you all as friends, Donna and I thought you might enjoy listening to a few of the songs we’ve been so proud of throughout ‘08.

About the songs …

“Santa Smells Like Daddy’s Glass of Beer” is sung by Sophie Taylor, a dazzling 8 year old Nashville hopeful. Sophie’s performance is outstanding!

“Frank Jones” is performed by Ray Walker of the legendary Jordanaires. This song’s hilarious animated video can be downloaded at the link above, or seen at: http://www.crackedcountrychristmas.com - as well as on YouTube.

“WANTED: Kris Kringle, Deadbeat Dad” is performed by yours truly.

 
Drink up, you gorgeous people!