John Jones Music

“I think we should do this every night. What do you think?”

This was an f’ing awesome concert! It happened at the most un-appropriate time in my life.
My brother Paul Olejniczak was dying of AIDS.
Duran Duran were rejected by US television for the concert.
DD’s Spike Edney asked me to help with the finale.
I spent the rehearsal day with Nick Faldo and the concert with Mick Ronson.
I performed my single note for the intro of We are the Champions.
What an experience!

Growing up in Toronto, Canada had it’s perks: Edward Bear and Lighthouse were two of them! They played at our Junior High School Friday night dances!

I was almost 16 when these songs came along. In those days we believed what the singer was saying. The emotion meant something.

Edward Bear – Last Song

Lighthouse – Pretty Lady

Things that remind me of great people.

I have been visiting the LA84 Foundation library for the past five years, researching Southern California history. And I’ve been driving past Marvin Gaye’s house on half of those visits without knowing it. I found out when I stopped to look at a beautiful old 1908 house on Gramercy Place that was for sale cheap, a few months ago. It had belonged to Marvin’s sister. She rented rooms to teachers who worked at Widney High school, across the street.

A neighbor told me the story.

This is his house down the street, that was built in 1905, where his father shot him.

Marvin Gaye's home on Gramercy Place.

The link to SYCO’s Fairlight demonstration from the early 1980’s was so wonderful.

These machines were really awesome! We got ours at ESP in 1981.

The Control Room v3 with Fairlight CMI IIX at ESP Studios Buttonville

Dee Long had to cut his hair and shave his beard to get it!

A new man - Dee Long (1981)

It was a Series II. Later we upgraded to the IIX and then the Series III. And interest rates were 20 percent!

Fairlight CMI

Look what the future hath wrought! How cool is this?

The 2011 Fairlight CMI replica