Haras Fyre
Encyclopedia
In 1971, Haras joined a local band called the Matchmakers, where he met vocalist and pianist
Gwen Guthrie
. The two became romantically involved, moved in together and, with The Matchmakers' saxophonist James Wheeler & trumpeter Jerome McCoggle, they joined the New York City based band "East Coast," which was the brainchild of future Cameo
founder Larry Blackmon
.
When producer Bert DeCouteaux heard the song demos (on which Haras played all the instruments and both Haras and Gwen sang), he said, "You two simply must get out of my office now - - because I want to immediately start writing charts
for these songs. Come back tomorrow and don't forget to bring your bass!" With that request, Haras' life as a trombonist ended, and his life as a bass player in New York City's music scene began. The following day, Haras was sitting in the recording studio playing bass with Carlos Alomar
(guitarist for "The Main Ingredient," and for David Bowie
) together with Bowie's drummer Dennis Davis
while Bert DeCoteaux played piano. Gwen sang.
Within one month after their having left the "East Coast" band, Haras and Gwen started harvesting the rewards of promoting their music outside of the band: the very first of their 'unsellable' songs sold internationally. "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" brought newcomers "Sister Sledge
" into the national spotlight, placing them on:
Of the nine songs on that Sister Sledge
"Circle Of Love" album, seven were those same 'unsellable' songs composed by Haras and Gwen. Two more of those songs entered the US Dance Chart's top 10, with one of those songs, "Pain Reliever" taking the Silver Award at the 1975 Tokyo Music Festival. Subsequently Haras and Gwen penned Ben E. King
's comeback single, "Supernatural Thing," which was immediately followed by "This Time I'll Be Sweeter
" (which has been covered by Martha Reeves
, Angela Bofill
, Roberta Flack
, Deniece Williams
, Linda Lewis
, Sharon Cuneta
, Isaac Hayes
, Rachel Ann Go and more than 100 additional artists between 1974 and 2011).
On that very first album, Patrick Grant is credited as a bass player amongst New York City's top studio musicians - alongside the name of his ultimate bassist role model of Motown's "Funk Brothers" notoriety.
Haras explains: "I was highly influenced by Dee Murray
, James Jamerson
and Bob Babbitt
. Before I learned how to musically express my own personality on the bass, I mostly used Bob Babbitt's musical 'vocabulary.' After all, Babbitt seemingly played on every fourth song on the radio - not exactly a bad role model! Therefore I didn't care about other bassists ridiculing me: I was always hired and they were not! Before playing, I would ritually mumble 'I now Babbittize you in the name of the Fender, the Song and the Holy Groove.' Surprisingly, on my very first Sister Sledge recordings, there was an additional bassist playing on the sessions who could actually 'Babbittize' considerably better than I could. I cannot describe my shock upon having discovered that 'the big guy wearing the apple hat' was none other than Mr. Bob Babbitt in person! I said nothing but watched everything, then played bass as sensitively as I knew how, struggling not to feel intimidated in the presence of a Musical Giant such as Bob Babbitt. Sometimes I unjustly got accolades for having played on some songs where actually Babbitt played, especially the big hits. There's good, there's better, and then there's Babbitt, who, after more than half of a century of making hits, practically still defines the way a bass feels on the radio. Babbitt was making several hit records daily when I was only 8 years old and, even in 2011, it's impossible to hear the radio longer than 15 minutes before hearing 'Funk Brother' Bob Babbitt's Fender Flair.'"
Haras and Gwen penned the "It's Happening at the Phone Company" jingle for AT&T
, which they also played live at a few international trade fairs with top studio drummer Jimmie Young (Frank Sinatra
's "Trilogy" version of the Theme from New York New York, Barry Manilow
's "Mandy", Engelbert Humperdink
's "After the Lovin'
"), Rudy Stevenson (guitarist, songwriter for Nina Simone, "5th [Aquarius] Dimension"
) and Bert DeCoteaux on piano. Playing bass with this power quartet helped morph Haras into "Dr. Bass" as he played regularly in a band with Weather Report
studio drummer Herschel Dwelllingham
, pianist Nat Adderley, Jr.
, and singer Bobby Hill (Your Arm's Too Short to Box With God).
Artists and producers who came to Haras and Gwen seeking songs often turned away, lamenting, "Gwen, Haras, we love your music and we love Bert but, sorry; please contact us the minute your situation changes..." Gwen and Haras were so frustrated at being 'bound & gagged' that Gwen quit writing within the organization, going on her individual way as a session singer. One week later, Haras, without Gwen, penned a final parting song for the company, "Satan's Daughter" which actually was Haras' expression of anger about the company associate Haras & Gwen felt had killed the partnership (albeit written about the associate in the 'she' form and recorded by British artist Garry Glitter). Any further works Haras had in development with Fleming Williams (who sang the 1974 hit
, "Rock the Boat
"), with Police Academy
actress Marion Ramsey
, and the works in progress with film composer & friend Michael R. Colicchio had to be abandoned.
Haras once lived his dream and then everything he truly & most deeply wanted was, at least temporarily, out of reach. His life frustratingly lacked the fruitfulness of "Sarah and Songwriting."
," Haras had inroads to Ben E. King's past associates. Yes, Haras' songwriting efforts had been internally sabotaged - - but Haras found shelter "Under The Boardwalk
;" he packed up his bass and headed for London to join the backup band of The Drifters, who had a singing lineup of Johnny Moore
, Billy Lewis, Joe Blunt and Clyde Brown, managed by the late Faye Treadwell.
After two years of touring, Haras returned to the USA, residing four years in Connecticut until permanently leaving for Europe where he suffered a stroke in 2001.
and for Formula 1 automobile races, where he often appears in televised segments with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport-boss Nobert Haug
during the motorsport season. The non-athletic but "sportfriendly" Haras appeared on European television as the first "Werbeträger" (media spokesman) for the internationally German-based auto/technical giant DEKRA
(Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungsverein) despite his not ever having been a race driver during his twenty-year association with DEKRA. He was regularly featured together with 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist Magdalena Brzeska for whom he composed a song.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Gwen Guthrie
Gwen Guthrie
Gwen Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter, who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Madonna, among others, and who wrote songs made famous by Ben E. King, and Roberta Flack....
. The two became romantically involved, moved in together and, with The Matchmakers' saxophonist James Wheeler & trumpeter Jerome McCoggle, they joined the New York City based band "East Coast," which was the brainchild of future Cameo
Cameo (band)
Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
founder Larry Blackmon
Larry Blackmon
Larry Ernest Blackmon is the lead singer and frontman for the funk and R&B band, Cameo. He came to Cameo from the band, Black Ivory....
.
Transition into songwriting
The freelance producer for East Coast's second album told Haras and Gwen that their songs were of no commercial value; that the songs were 'unsellable.' Gwen and Haras were convinced of the opposite. The Commodores late manager Benny "The Ash" Ashburn, who had been 'keeping a protective eye' on Gwen and Haras, agreed with the songwriters. "The Ash" supported Haras and Gwen in taking their songs elsewhere.When producer Bert DeCouteaux heard the song demos (on which Haras played all the instruments and both Haras and Gwen sang), he said, "You two simply must get out of my office now - - because I want to immediately start writing charts
Chord chart
A chord chart is a form of musical notation that in addition to writing out non-embellished melody, describes harmonic and rhythmic information. It is the most common form of notation used by professional session musicians playing jazz or popular music. It is intended primarily for a rhythm section...
for these songs. Come back tomorrow and don't forget to bring your bass!" With that request, Haras' life as a trombonist ended, and his life as a bass player in New York City's music scene began. The following day, Haras was sitting in the recording studio playing bass with Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
(guitarist for "The Main Ingredient," and for David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
) together with Bowie's drummer Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis is an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie.He was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City and studied with the late drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones. He met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers...
while Bert DeCoteaux played piano. Gwen sang.
Within one month after their having left the "East Coast" band, Haras and Gwen started harvesting the rewards of promoting their music outside of the band: the very first of their 'unsellable' songs sold internationally. "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" brought newcomers "Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
" into the national spotlight, placing them on:
- Billboard Magazine's national chart position #5 measured by audience response for the year 1974 in the Disco category
- Billboard Magazine's national chart position #7 measured by FM radio audience response
- Billboard Magazine's national "Hot 100"
Of the nine songs on that Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
"Circle Of Love" album, seven were those same 'unsellable' songs composed by Haras and Gwen. Two more of those songs entered the US Dance Chart's top 10, with one of those songs, "Pain Reliever" taking the Silver Award at the 1975 Tokyo Music Festival. Subsequently Haras and Gwen penned Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
's comeback single, "Supernatural Thing," which was immediately followed by "This Time I'll Be Sweeter
This Time I'll Be Sweeter
This Time I'll Be Sweeter is a soul ballad written by Haras Fyre and Gwen Guthrie.In her autobiography Dancing in the Street Martha Reeves states she made the first recording of the song but the first evident release was a version by Linda Lewis which appeared on the 1975 album Not a Little Girl...
" (which has been covered by Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves
Martha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
, Angela Bofill
Angela Bofill
Angela Bofill is an American R&B vocalist and songwriter.Bofill was born to a Cuban father and a Puerto Rican mother; one of the first Latina singers to find success in the R&B market.She performed with Ricardo Marrero & the Group and Dance Theater of Harlem chorus prior to her 1978 debut album,...
, Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Linda Lewis
Linda Lewis
Linda Lewis is an English vocalist, songwriter and Guitarist. Lewis is the oldest of six children two of whom also had singing careers...
, Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, better known as Sharon Cuneta, is a popular and multi-awarded Filipino singer, actress and TV host dubbed as Megastar of Philippine Entertainment, fondly called Mega by fans and people from the entertainment industry....
, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, Rachel Ann Go and more than 100 additional artists between 1974 and 2011).
On that very first album, Patrick Grant is credited as a bass player amongst New York City's top studio musicians - alongside the name of his ultimate bassist role model of Motown's "Funk Brothers" notoriety.
Haras explains: "I was highly influenced by Dee Murray
Dee Murray
Dee Murray was an English bassist, best known as a member of Elton John's original rock band.-Biography:Murray was born David Murray Oates in Southgate, London in 1946...
, James Jamerson
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
and Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt is an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966–1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968-1970, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith...
. Before I learned how to musically express my own personality on the bass, I mostly used Bob Babbitt's musical 'vocabulary.' After all, Babbitt seemingly played on every fourth song on the radio - not exactly a bad role model! Therefore I didn't care about other bassists ridiculing me: I was always hired and they were not! Before playing, I would ritually mumble 'I now Babbittize you in the name of the Fender, the Song and the Holy Groove.' Surprisingly, on my very first Sister Sledge recordings, there was an additional bassist playing on the sessions who could actually 'Babbittize' considerably better than I could. I cannot describe my shock upon having discovered that 'the big guy wearing the apple hat' was none other than Mr. Bob Babbitt in person! I said nothing but watched everything, then played bass as sensitively as I knew how, struggling not to feel intimidated in the presence of a Musical Giant such as Bob Babbitt. Sometimes I unjustly got accolades for having played on some songs where actually Babbitt played, especially the big hits. There's good, there's better, and then there's Babbitt, who, after more than half of a century of making hits, practically still defines the way a bass feels on the radio. Babbitt was making several hit records daily when I was only 8 years old and, even in 2011, it's impossible to hear the radio longer than 15 minutes before hearing 'Funk Brother' Bob Babbitt's Fender Flair.'"
Haras and Gwen penned the "It's Happening at the Phone Company" jingle for AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, which they also played live at a few international trade fairs with top studio drummer Jimmie Young (Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's "Trilogy" version of the Theme from New York New York, Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
's "Mandy", Engelbert Humperdink
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
's "After the Lovin'
After the Lovin'
"After the Lovin" is a successful song from 1976, performed by singer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was written by Ritchie Adams with lyrics by Alan Bernstein. The single was a top-ten hit in late 1976/early 1977 in the U.S., reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number forty on the...
"), Rudy Stevenson (guitarist, songwriter for Nina Simone, "5th [Aquarius] Dimension"
The Age of Aquarius (album)
The Age of Aquarius is the fourth album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1969 .- Track listing :# "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In [The Flesh Failures]" – 4:51...
) and Bert DeCoteaux on piano. Playing bass with this power quartet helped morph Haras into "Dr. Bass" as he played regularly in a band with Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
studio drummer Herschel Dwelllingham
Sweetnighter
Sweetnighter is Weather Report's third studio album, released on Columbia Records in 1973. The group had recorded the songs in a five day stretch during February of the same year. It was to be the last album to feature founding member Miroslav Vitous as the primary bassist.-Track listing:#"Boogie...
, pianist Nat Adderley, Jr.
Nat Adderley, Jr.
Nat Adderley, Jr. is an American pop and rhythm and blues music arranger and pianist who spent much of his music career arranging for Luther Vandross. The scion of a famed jazz family, his father Nat Adderley was a composer and jazz cornet and trumpet player, while his uncle Cannonball Adderley ...
, and singer Bobby Hill (Your Arm's Too Short to Box With God).
Songwriting "Pause"
The partnership didn't last long at all. Within two months of having made their songwriting debut, Haras' and Gwen's Music Machine had delivered several songs to the Billboard charts and the machine was still accelerating - but then sand was thrown into the gears, causing the machine to stop running. Gwen and Haras enjoyed a warm familial relationship with publisher Bert DeCoteaux, but one of the company associates was a total distraction for both Gwen and Haras, killing their creativity and rendering them jointly and individually useless in that constellation.Artists and producers who came to Haras and Gwen seeking songs often turned away, lamenting, "Gwen, Haras, we love your music and we love Bert but, sorry; please contact us the minute your situation changes..." Gwen and Haras were so frustrated at being 'bound & gagged' that Gwen quit writing within the organization, going on her individual way as a session singer. One week later, Haras, without Gwen, penned a final parting song for the company, "Satan's Daughter" which actually was Haras' expression of anger about the company associate Haras & Gwen felt had killed the partnership (albeit written about the associate in the 'she' form and recorded by British artist Garry Glitter). Any further works Haras had in development with Fleming Williams (who sang the 1974 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Rock the Boat
Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation song)
"Rock the Boat" is a disco song by the group Hues Corporation in 1974. "Rock the Boat" was written by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula songs....
"), with Police Academy
Police Academy (film)
Police Academy is a 1984 comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, and starring Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall and G.W. Bailey. It grossed approximately $146 million worldwide and spawned six more films in the Police Academy series.-Plot:...
actress Marion Ramsey
Marion Ramsey
Marion Ramsey in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an American actress. She was a regular on the series Cos but is best known for her role as the timid Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy movies...
, and the works in progress with film composer & friend Michael R. Colicchio had to be abandoned.
Haras once lived his dream and then everything he truly & most deeply wanted was, at least temporarily, out of reach. His life frustratingly lacked the fruitfulness of "Sarah and Songwriting."
Under the Boardwalk
Haras' composition "Supernatural Thing" did more than provide songwriting success relative to Ben E. King. As Ben E. King had been a vocalist with the perennially popular group known as "The DriftersThe Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
," Haras had inroads to Ben E. King's past associates. Yes, Haras' songwriting efforts had been internally sabotaged - - but Haras found shelter "Under The Boardwalk
Under the Boardwalk
"Under the Boardwalk" is a hit pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964.-Premise:The lyric describes a tryst between a man and his beloved in a seaside town, who plan to privately meet "out of the sun" and out of sight from everyone else under a...
;" he packed up his bass and headed for London to join the backup band of The Drifters, who had a singing lineup of Johnny Moore
Johnny Moore (musician)
Johnny Moore was an American rhythm and blues singer with The Drifters.Born John Alfred Moore in Selma, Alabama, United States, he began as lead of the Cleveland based group, The Hornets, before being discovered by The Drifters. He joined the group as lead vocalist, in New York in 1955, at age 21...
, Billy Lewis, Joe Blunt and Clyde Brown, managed by the late Faye Treadwell.
After two years of touring, Haras returned to the USA, residing four years in Connecticut until permanently leaving for Europe where he suffered a stroke in 2001.
Haras Fyre 2011
Haras, having miraculously recovered 75% from his stroke, composes & presents music for televised sporting events, corporate events and private affairs, speaking fluent German. He is frequently seen as a musical proponent for Germany's Allianz Insurance GroupAllianz
SE is a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.Its Allianz Global Investors...
and for Formula 1 automobile races, where he often appears in televised segments with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport-boss Nobert Haug
Norbert Haug
Norbert Haug is a German journalist, and the President in charge of all Mercedes-Benz motorsport activity, including Formula One, Formula 3 and DTM...
during the motorsport season. The non-athletic but "sportfriendly" Haras appeared on European television as the first "Werbeträger" (media spokesman) for the internationally German-based auto/technical giant DEKRA
Dekra
DEKRA is a German organization working with vehicle inspections, expert appraisals, international claims management, consulting, industrial testing, product testing, certification, environmental protection, qualification, temporary work, outplacement and recruitment. DEKRA has approximately 25,000...
(Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungsverein) despite his not ever having been a race driver during his twenty-year association with DEKRA. He was regularly featured together with 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist Magdalena Brzeska for whom he composed a song.