Steel Mill
Encyclopedia
Steel Mill was an early Bruce Springsteen
band. Other members of the band included three future members of the E Street Band
- Vini Lopez
, Danny Federici
and Steve Van Zandt. As well as playing on the Jersey Shore
, Steel Mill also played regularly in Richmond, Virginia
and played gigs in California
and a festival in Nashville, Tennessee
. They opened for acts such as Chicago
, Boz Scaggs
, Grand Funk Railroad
, Roy Orbison
, Ike & Tina Turner
and Black Sabbath
. Since 2004 Vini Lopez has led Steel Mill Retro which has performed and recorded original Springsteen songs from the Steel Mill era.
, Vini Lopez
and Vinnie Roslin
met for the first time on April 22, 1966 at a battle of the bands
competition at the Matawan-Keyport Roller Drome in Matawan, New Jersey
. Roslin was one of the judges while Springsteen and Lopez competed in the competition with their respective bands, The Castiles and Sonny & The Starfires. However before coming together to form Steel Mill, both Springsteen and Lopez went on to play in other bands. Springsteen formed Earth with fellow Ocean County College
students, John Graham (bass) and Michael Burke (drums). They would later be joined by another former Castile, Bob Alfano (organ). Lopez, meanwhile, played with the Downtown Tangiers Band, with also included Bill Chinnock
, Danny Federici
and Garry Tallent
, and then in Moment of Truth with Tallent, Federici and Ricky DeSarno (guitars).
. The club would subsequently play a central role in the history of both Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band
and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
. On February 14, 1969, Lopez, looking to recruit a guitarist for a new band, saw Springsteen play with Earth at the Italian American Mens Association Clubhouse in Long Branch, New Jersey
. Then on February 21, Lopez, Springsteen, Federici and Roslin got together at the Upstage and formed a new band called Child. Shortly afterwards Carl "Tinker" West, a surfboard designer and concert promoter who originally came from California
, became the bands manager. From March 1969 on, Child played regularly at the Pandemonium in Wanamassa, New Jersey
. On May 28 they opened for James Cotton
at this venue. Child also played there on July 20, 1969, the night of the Apollo 11
first manned moon landing. The club installed several TV monitors especially for the occasion. During the show the audience stopped watching the band and turned their attention to Neil Armstrong
. As a result the band fell out with the club management and never played there again. On November 1, 1969, the band played their last show using the name Child at Virginia Commonwealth University
in Richmond, Virginia
. Shortly afterwards they discovered that another band from Long Island, New York was also using the name and had just released an album under that name on Roulette Records
. Roslin has stated that they were actually mistaken for the other Child during shows in Richmond, Virginia
.
in Ashland, Virginia
, the band opened for Chicago
and the following night they opened for Iron Butterfly
at same venue. In early 1970 Steel Mill visited San Francisco and performed at The Matrix
and Fillmore West
, and played on the same bill as Elvin Bishop
, Boz Scaggs
and Grin. On February 22, they also recorded three songs - "Goin’ Back To Georgia", "The Train Song" and "He’s Guilty (Send That Boy To Jail)" - at the Pacific Recording Studio in San Mateo, California
for Bill Graham
. Graham had just formed Fillmore Records and actually offered Steel Mill a contract. However the band rejected it. Shortly after returning from San Francisco, Roslin left Steel Mill. He played his last gig with the band at Virginia Commonwealth University
on February 28, 1970, He was subsequently replaced by Steve Van Zandt. Exactly why Roslin left the band remains unclear, but it has been speculated that it was because he was in favor of accepting Graham’s offer of a contract.
On their return from California, Steel Mill continued to play regularly on the Jersey Shore
and in Richmond, Virginia
. On June 13, 1970 they opened for Grand Funk Railroad
at the Ocean Ice Palace in Bricktown, New Jersey. On June 21 they played at the Clearwater Swim Club in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
when their opening act was Glory Road, a band whose line up included Garry Tallent
and Bill Chinnock
. In August the band added Robbin Thompson
as lead vocalist. Thompson had been the lead singer with Mercy Flight, a Richmond-based band that had regularly opened for Steel Mill. He made his debut with Steel Mill on August 29 at the 3rd Annual Nashville Music Festival, sponsored by WMAC. Steel Mill was one of about twenty different acts to take part. Headliners included Roy Orbison
, Brian Hyland
, Ronnie Milsap
, Bobby Bloom
, Ballin' Jack
, Ten Wheel Drive
and The Illusion
. Steel Mill was one of only a handful of acts on the bill without a record contract - some college students with connections on the festival’s organizing committee had seen Steel Mill perform previously in Richmond and helped the band gain a slot on the bill. On September 11 they played another show at the Clearwater Swim Club which entered into Steel Mill folklore. Among the opening acts was a local folk singer, Jeannie Clark whose backing band consisted of Steve Van Zandt, Garry Tallent and Southside Johnny
. Steel Mill's lineup for this show included guest drummer Dave Hazlett of Mercy Flight. Lopez had earlier been in detained in Richmond after getting caught up in a police raid. Steel Mill caused a near riot when they exceeded a curfew and Federici earned his nickname "The Phantom" by disappearing from the melee with lightning speed. On October 11 they opened for Ike & Tina Turner
at The Mosque in Richmond and on November 27 they played on a triple bill with Cactus
and Black Sabbath
at the Sunshine Inn in Asbury Park. Steel Mill played their final show on January 23, 1971 at The Upstage. However during the early 1970s Springsteen, Lopez, Federici and Van Zandt would go onto play together in several short lived bands based out of the Upstage. These included Bruce Springsteen & The Friendly Enemies, The Sundance Blues Band, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom Band and The Bruce Springsteen Band. These bands would eventually evolve into the E Street Band
.
songs from the Steel Mill era. Lopez was a veteran of numerous Jersey Shore
bands, several of which had featured Steel Mill songs in their set lists. In
1989 Lopez was playing with Live Bait, a band led by singer/songwriter Laura Crisci. As well as playing original Crisci songs, this band also included two early Springsteen songs in its setlist, "Goin' Back To Georgia" and "Cowboys of the Sea" which had been performed by The Bruce Springsteen Band. Its setlists included an original song written by Steve Clark, "Whatever Happened to Asbury Park?" Lopez also took lead vocals on both songs. During the 1990s Lopez led his own bar band, Maddog & The Disco Rejects. Members of the band included John Luraschi (bass) and Ricky DeSarno (guitars). This band also performed early Springsteen songs in its setlist. By 2002 Lopez was playing with Cold Blast and Steel which also included John Luraschi and Rick DeSarno. This band would eventually develop into Steel Mill Retro which would also feature Ricky DeSarno. In 2007 they released "The Dead Sea Chronicles", an album that featured Steel Mill era songs. In September 2008 Steel Mill Retro also played at a Springsteen fan convention in Rotterdam
, organised by the Dutch fan club Roulette. They were accompanied to the convention by Carl "Tinker" West, the original manger of Steel Mill.
The current line-up of the band features Lopez, Steve Lusardi and Adam Glenn (keyboards), Ed Piersanti (bass) and John Galella (guitar).
and Vini Lopez
, as part of Steel Mill Retro, have both recorded songs originally performed by the band.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
band. Other members of the band included three future members of the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
- Vini Lopez
Vini Lopez
Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez is an American drummer. Between 1968 and 1974 Lopez backed Bruce Springsteen in several bands, including Steel Mill and the E Street Band. He also played on Springsteen’s first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle...
, Danny Federici
Danny Federici
Daniel Paul "Danny" Federici was an American musician, best known as the longtime organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.- Career :...
and Steve Van Zandt. As well as playing on the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore sound
The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists...
, Steel Mill also played regularly in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and played gigs in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and a festival in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. They opened for acts such as Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
, Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...
and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
. Since 2004 Vini Lopez has led Steel Mill Retro which has performed and recorded original Springsteen songs from the Steel Mill era.
Early bands
Three of the bands founding members, Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Vini Lopez
Vini Lopez
Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez is an American drummer. Between 1968 and 1974 Lopez backed Bruce Springsteen in several bands, including Steel Mill and the E Street Band. He also played on Springsteen’s first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle...
and Vinnie Roslin
Vinnie Roslin
Vinnie Roslin is an American bass guitarist. He was an original member of Steel Mill, an early Bruce Springsteen band. Other members of band included three future members the E Street Band - Vini Lopez, Danny Federici and Steve Van Zandt....
met for the first time on April 22, 1966 at a battle of the bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
competition at the Matawan-Keyport Roller Drome in Matawan, New Jersey
Matawan, New Jersey
Matawan is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,810. The name "Matawan" comes from a Native American Lenape word....
. Roslin was one of the judges while Springsteen and Lopez competed in the competition with their respective bands, The Castiles and Sonny & The Starfires. However before coming together to form Steel Mill, both Springsteen and Lopez went on to play in other bands. Springsteen formed Earth with fellow Ocean County College
Ocean County College
Ocean County College is an accredited, coeducational, two-year, public, community college located in Ocean County, New Jersey. Its main campus is in Toms River...
students, John Graham (bass) and Michael Burke (drums). They would later be joined by another former Castile, Bob Alfano (organ). Lopez, meanwhile, played with the Downtown Tangiers Band, with also included Bill Chinnock
Bill Chinnock
Bill Chinnock , also referred to as Billy Chinnock, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, he was a prominent member of the Jersey Shore music scene during the late 1960s, leading bands that included future members of the E Street Band...
, Danny Federici
Danny Federici
Daniel Paul "Danny" Federici was an American musician, best known as the longtime organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.- Career :...
and Garry Tallent
Garry Tallent
Garry Wayne Tallent , sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being the longtime bass player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
, and then in Moment of Truth with Tallent, Federici and Ricky DeSarno (guitars).
Child
In 1968 the Upstage Club was opened at 702 Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park, New JerseyAsbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
. The club would subsequently play a central role in the history of both Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are a Jersey Shore musical group led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They have recorded and/or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" and...
. On February 14, 1969, Lopez, looking to recruit a guitarist for a new band, saw Springsteen play with Earth at the Italian American Mens Association Clubhouse in Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
. Then on February 21, Lopez, Springsteen, Federici and Roslin got together at the Upstage and formed a new band called Child. Shortly afterwards Carl "Tinker" West, a surfboard designer and concert promoter who originally came from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, became the bands manager. From March 1969 on, Child played regularly at the Pandemonium in Wanamassa, New Jersey
Wanamassa, New Jersey
Wanamassa is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Ocean Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 4,532...
. On May 28 they opened for James Cotton
James Cotton
James Cotton is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who has performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time as well as with his own band.-Career:...
at this venue. Child also played there on July 20, 1969, the night of the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
first manned moon landing. The club installed several TV monitors especially for the occasion. During the show the audience stopped watching the band and turned their attention to Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
. As a result the band fell out with the club management and never played there again. On November 1, 1969, the band played their last show using the name Child at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Shortly afterwards they discovered that another band from Long Island, New York was also using the name and had just released an album under that name on Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
. Roslin has stated that they were actually mistaken for the other Child during shows in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Steel Mill
To avoid confusion with the other Child, the band changed their name to Steel Mill, a name suggested by Chuck Dillon, a friend of Lopez. On November 21, 1969 at Randolph-Macon CollegeRandolph-Macon College
Randolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
in Ashland, Virginia
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
, the band opened for Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
and the following night they opened for Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.-History:The...
at same venue. In early 1970 Steel Mill visited San Francisco and performed at The Matrix
The Matrix (club)
The Matrix, a renovated former pizza shop, was a nightclub in San Francisco from 1965 to 1972 and was one of the keys to what eventually became known as the "San Francisco Sound" in rock music...
and Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
, and played on the same bill as Elvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop is an American blues and rock and roll musician and guitarist.-Career:Bishop was born in Glendale, California, and grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was ten years old...
, Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
and Grin. On February 22, they also recorded three songs - "Goin’ Back To Georgia", "The Train Song" and "He’s Guilty (Send That Boy To Jail)" - at the Pacific Recording Studio in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
for Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
. Graham had just formed Fillmore Records and actually offered Steel Mill a contract. However the band rejected it. Shortly after returning from San Francisco, Roslin left Steel Mill. He played his last gig with the band at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
on February 28, 1970, He was subsequently replaced by Steve Van Zandt. Exactly why Roslin left the band remains unclear, but it has been speculated that it was because he was in favor of accepting Graham’s offer of a contract.
On their return from California, Steel Mill continued to play regularly on the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
and in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. On June 13, 1970 they opened for Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
at the Ocean Ice Palace in Bricktown, New Jersey. On June 21 they played at the Clearwater Swim Club in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
Atlantic Highlands is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey in the Bayshore Region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,385...
when their opening act was Glory Road, a band whose line up included Garry Tallent
Garry Tallent
Garry Wayne Tallent , sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being the longtime bass player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
and Bill Chinnock
Bill Chinnock
Bill Chinnock , also referred to as Billy Chinnock, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, he was a prominent member of the Jersey Shore music scene during the late 1960s, leading bands that included future members of the E Street Band...
. In August the band added Robbin Thompson
Robbin Thompson
Robbin Thompson is an American singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia. Since 1976 he has recorded several albums which have featured guest appearances by, among others, Melissa Manchester, Steve Cropper, Waddy Wachtel, Bruce Hornsby and Ellen McIlwaine...
as lead vocalist. Thompson had been the lead singer with Mercy Flight, a Richmond-based band that had regularly opened for Steel Mill. He made his debut with Steel Mill on August 29 at the 3rd Annual Nashville Music Festival, sponsored by WMAC. Steel Mill was one of about twenty different acts to take part. Headliners included Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Brian Hyland
Brian Hyland
Brian Hyland is an American pop recording artist who was particularly successful during the early 1960s. He continued recording into the 1970s...
, Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
, Bobby Bloom
Bobby Bloom
Robert "Bobby" Bloom was an American singer-songwriter. He is known best for being a one-hit wonder with the 1970 song, "Montego Bay," which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.-Biography:...
, Ballin' Jack
Ballin' Jack
Ballin' Jack was an American horn rock group formed in Seattle, Washington in 1969 by Luther Rabb and Ronnie Hammon . They had a minor hit in 1970 with "Super Highway", which hit #90 on the Billboard Top 100.-Career:...
, Ten Wheel Drive
Ten Wheel Drive
Ten Wheel Drive were an American Jazz fusion band that existed from 1968 to 1974.-History:In 1968, after the final break-up of the all-female rock band Goldie & The Gingerbreads, Genya Ravan was looking for a new band, as were two New Jersey musicians and songwriters, Michael Zager and Aram Schefrin...
and The Illusion
The Illusion (band)
The Illusion were an American hard rock band from Long Island, New York. They released three full-length albums in the U.S., the first of which was also issued in the United Kingdom. All three albums were produced by the famous Jeff Barry. The group had one major hit in the U.S...
. Steel Mill was one of only a handful of acts on the bill without a record contract - some college students with connections on the festival’s organizing committee had seen Steel Mill perform previously in Richmond and helped the band gain a slot on the bill. On September 11 they played another show at the Clearwater Swim Club which entered into Steel Mill folklore. Among the opening acts was a local folk singer, Jeannie Clark whose backing band consisted of Steve Van Zandt, Garry Tallent and Southside Johnny
Southside Johnny
Southside Johnny is an American singer-songwriter, who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.-Early days:...
. Steel Mill's lineup for this show included guest drummer Dave Hazlett of Mercy Flight. Lopez had earlier been in detained in Richmond after getting caught up in a police raid. Steel Mill caused a near riot when they exceeded a curfew and Federici earned his nickname "The Phantom" by disappearing from the melee with lightning speed. On October 11 they opened for Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...
at The Mosque in Richmond and on November 27 they played on a triple bill with Cactus
Cactus (band)
Cactus is an American hard rock supergroup, formed in 1970.-Biography:Cactus was initially conceived as early as late 1969 by the Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck and Xylophone player Adele Smitchell acted as the counterpart and...
and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
at the Sunshine Inn in Asbury Park. Steel Mill played their final show on January 23, 1971 at The Upstage. However during the early 1970s Springsteen, Lopez, Federici and Van Zandt would go onto play together in several short lived bands based out of the Upstage. These included Bruce Springsteen & The Friendly Enemies, The Sundance Blues Band, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom Band and The Bruce Springsteen Band. These bands would eventually evolve into the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
.
Steel Mill Retro
Since 2004 Vini Lopez has led Steel Mill Retro, a band which has played and recorded Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
songs from the Steel Mill era. Lopez was a veteran of numerous Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore sound
The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists...
bands, several of which had featured Steel Mill songs in their set lists. In
1989 Lopez was playing with Live Bait, a band led by singer/songwriter Laura Crisci. As well as playing original Crisci songs, this band also included two early Springsteen songs in its setlist, "Goin' Back To Georgia" and "Cowboys of the Sea" which had been performed by The Bruce Springsteen Band. Its setlists included an original song written by Steve Clark, "Whatever Happened to Asbury Park?" Lopez also took lead vocals on both songs. During the 1990s Lopez led his own bar band, Maddog & The Disco Rejects. Members of the band included John Luraschi (bass) and Ricky DeSarno (guitars). This band also performed early Springsteen songs in its setlist. By 2002 Lopez was playing with Cold Blast and Steel which also included John Luraschi and Rick DeSarno. This band would eventually develop into Steel Mill Retro which would also feature Ricky DeSarno. In 2007 they released "The Dead Sea Chronicles", an album that featured Steel Mill era songs. In September 2008 Steel Mill Retro also played at a Springsteen fan convention in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, organised by the Dutch fan club Roulette. They were accompanied to the convention by Carl "Tinker" West, the original manger of Steel Mill.
The current line-up of the band features Lopez, Steve Lusardi and Adam Glenn (keyboards), Ed Piersanti (bass) and John Galella (guitar).
Discography
Steel Mill never released any official recordings. However both Robbin ThompsonRobbin Thompson
Robbin Thompson is an American singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia. Since 1976 he has recorded several albums which have featured guest appearances by, among others, Melissa Manchester, Steve Cropper, Waddy Wachtel, Bruce Hornsby and Ellen McIlwaine...
and Vini Lopez
Vini Lopez
Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez is an American drummer. Between 1968 and 1974 Lopez backed Bruce Springsteen in several bands, including Steel Mill and the E Street Band. He also played on Springsteen’s first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle...
, as part of Steel Mill Retro, have both recorded songs originally performed by the band.
- Robbin Thompson
- "He’s Guilty (Send That Boy To Jail)" : Recorded as "Guilty" for the 1985 album Better Late Than Never. Also included on the 2002 Thompson collection The Vinyl Years. In 1997 it was also included on One Step Up/Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen.
- "The Train Song" : featured on 2007 album One Step Ahead of the Blues
- Steel Mill Retro
- The Dead Sea Chronicles (2007)
- All Man the Guns for America (2009) ?