Rory Mack Recalls The Unrelated Segments
Everybody who played knew a lot of people who also played in bands so there was this huge clique among band members. John Torok, who I knew from his neighbor that I played in a band with, lived in Allen Park and knew me from some of the bands I was in, out of Allen Park. He stood in for one of The Tidal Waves players who was injured, playing rhythm guitar. After he left that gig he wanted to get a new band together.
The Tidal Waves were enjoying some local success with a cover of 'Farmer John.' One of the members of The Tidal Waves had an uncle who just happened to be in the recording business. He heard his nephew's band and recorded them. It just so happened that both Ron and I were in between bands when Torok gave me a call. I invited Ron to come along to a jam session that we were planning, to see if there would be any chemistry. Torok also invited Barry VanEngland (bass player) and Andy Angelotti (drums). We all got together in Torok's basement. We covered some of current stuff everybody was playing and did alright.
I was always tinkering with new licks, new chord patterns to get away from the rut of doing everybody else's stuff. I would play the new chord patterns for Ron and he would apply his magic with words that fit like a glove. 'Story of My Life' was the first song that we co-wrote together. It was catchy, shuffle, upbeat and had lyrics everyone could relate to (about being used by a woman). When Barry added his unique bass licks, John added the Farfisa (he also played organ); when Andy then did his little drum solo during the bridge of the song...it all fell together. John Torok's dad like what he heard, and was inclined to contact Jack Checkoway to hear the group's original songs.
We were only together for two weeks when we got the band together and played our songs in Chekoway's basement. Jack really liked our unique sound and our songs and invited us to record them at United Sound in Detroit. We recorded 'Story of My Life' and the flip 'It's Not Fair' (which I elaborated bits from the Zombies 'She's Not There' and I added different chord changes, with a simple guitar lick in the middle, etc.) with Ron's hurt lover lyrics and it all came together for our first local hit. It made it to #9 in Detroit on WKNR.
Our second hit, 'Where You Gonna Go,' I thought was a cool song with a cool jammin' guitar riff with the wham bar to start things off, and Barry's very cool "perculator" bass licks backin' things up. It got your attention when you first heard it. With Vietnam on everybody's mind, it really influenced the lyrics that Ron once again fit like a glove. Nothing was certain as a teenager, with every guy wondering if he was going to have to go to 'Nam and get his head blown off, so your future did not look too promising at that time. The angst of the song fit right in with the times and people could relate. I really liked the chord changes in the song and the different moods of the song. It was frustration with an upbeat vengenge--perfect! The flip side, 'It's Gonna Rain,' was kinda bleak, depressing, but once again the chord patterns I put together were different, as they carried the lyrics perfectly. Ron was a master lyric guy.
Our third record, 'Cry, Cry, Cry' once again was a blast. It started out with a teasing, repetitive chord, then went into another unique chord pattern that was catchy. I liked my guitar solo with the fuzztone. I always thought that something was missing to carry the song, like it needed strings or horns to drive the melody better. But, it turned out ok. For some reason it didn't get the airplay it needed to be a hit and it crashed and burned.
As a group, we had a very unique sound for the time--our own signature if you will. I still take pride in the fact that all of the chord patterns of our songs were very unique. As you know, there are so many songs that have the same basic chords with a few variations. We did a lot of original material, and the songs really reflected what was happening in society at the time. Many of the songs were a little "controversial" for the times and did not have the Top 40 appeal, so they didn't get recorded. But, we still played them at our gigs.
Most bands were heavily influenced by the "British Invasion" sound and were covering a lot of them. I really loved Motown as well as the older rock, so my likes kind of blended my style of playing. I really wasn't into the "psychedelic" drug stuff that was dominating the airwaves, but I was fascinated with what Hendrix and a lot of other psych bands could do with the different sounds, etc. The "tune-in, drop-out" influence pissed me off and I thought it was very bad influence on our generation. I mean, all you need is a good song to help you escape the blues--not drugs. Drugs scared me, and I did not like that people were getting in to them. Barry and Ron felt the same way. Our drummer, Andy was influenced by his older sister who was hanging with a guy who was into drugs. Andy bought into the myth that drugs expanded your mind and made you more creative. As a group we were really tight, and we were on our way to success. Andy became moody, argumentative, and a know it all. Despite his talent, he had to go. We got another guy that I knew named Ron Fuller who played with some local groups. He was a very good drummer, had double-bass drums and had it together. John tossed the Farfisa for a good old Hammond B3. John was putzin' around on keyboards, while still playing rhythm guitar. Barry did not like the drug bullshit that was going on with some of our members (John Torok and Ron Fuller were smokin') and he let it be known. They didn't care, so Barry left the group. There went one element of our unique sound.
Ron Stults and I were the straight guys and the other guys got caught up in the hip/psychedelic bullshit. They thought the material that Ron and I wrote was too "bubble-gum" and felt we needed to get with it. They even wanted to change the name of the group from the "corney" Unrelated Segments, which I thought was totally crazy as the name fit us so well and we worked so hard to establish it.
It was decided that Torok would play bass full-time along with some Hammond, and we needed a new rhythm guitar player. We then got Darryl Gore who had a good history of playing with some good local bands. He also played lead so we switched back and forth on some tunes. I also dabbed in some keyboard as I had a baby grand at home and would tinker on it. Darryl didn't last long and bailed. We then got Craig Webb who played guitar in some good local groups. The competition began between Craig and me. He thought my style was bubble-gum and his was the best. All of the other guys except my buddy Ron Stults sided with Craig who was also a "get-high." So, it was the "get-highs" against Ron and I, who ended up staying in separate rooms when we had gigs so that we didn't have to put up with the drugs. Being late for practice, the moods, the bullshit, the super-star status they thought they were was really wearing on me. Although they were "expanding their minds for more creativity," they didn't come up with a single song; it was all Ron and me.
I loved the sound of the B3 and I come up with a continuous chord pattern that had a nice driving pulse to it, and Ron once again came up with some lyrics and we came up with "Hey Love." I played the B3 in this tune and Craig played the lead guitar, Torok the bass and Fuller the drums. The versatility was nice and had potential for us, but it went to waste. The other guys were getting pretty fed up with me being critical of their smoking dope, etc. I gave them an ultimatum: Do the drugs on your own time but NOT why we were together playing, practicing, etc. They laughed me off. So, I quit the band.
After I left they became like every other band back then, nothing unique, just hard-edged, grating, drug-influenced rock. It was the final blow for the unique Segments sound that I created with Ron Stults. Ron was an easy-going guy, so he put up with the bullshit, because he was so driven to make it big time. I went on to do a solo thing around the downriver area, sitting on a bar stool, with an electronic drummer, having fun. I was so excited with what we created together and the direction we were going. Then the drug influence took its toll. The new guys ruined our unique sound. They went from the Unrelated Segments to The U.S. like everybody would know what the hell that stood for. I was out-numbered, out-voted, out-dated, and shunned. It was like starting all over with the new name. It was insane! Marketing 101: Be consistent, repeat and repeat, to brand your name with a consistent message. I didn't fit in with their thinking. My ideas for the group were cast aside for the "new" sound of the group that they all were buying in to. It's really sad, because we were very close to being up there with the other guys that stayed with it, like Seger, Nugent, etc. They even called our producer, Jack Chekoway a loser! That's the guy who gave us success! They had no gratitude! They got way too big-headed and really thought they they were all that. I of course disagreed with their thinking and thought we should stay with Jack, the guy who was so excited about our sound, and who had the fire and desire to see us to the end. Then, he saw it too. Guys that thought they knew it all, etc. Arrogant idiots. Now that would have been the best new name of the group!
It's been great to see such a following of the group 35/40+ years later with the recent compilations that have come out and bought all over the world! Sadly for me, I am not getting any royalties from the songs that Ron and I created and are selling well around the world. We lost my buddy Ron last October when he passed from cancer. I vistited with Ron a few times recently and he still had the passion we had in the '60s, as he wanted to get together and write some new songs. I would have loved to do it for old times and just for the enjoyment of it, but he never felt good enough to get together. One thing they cannot take away from me is the great memories I have of seeing it all gel together with our unique sound. The gigs, TV, playing with the stars, etc. was a blast! If only...ha ha!
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