Sunday, July 21, 2024

Hot Hero Sandwich — On the Flip Side with Drummer Mike Ratti, Part II

by G. Jack Urso
Originally published July 2, 2024, on www.Aeolus13umbra.com.

Mike Ratti, drummer for the Hot Hero Band, has been instrumental in helping me navigate the complicated and complex nature of the music business. Whenever I have a question about the music for the series, people in the industry, how things got done, and how they’ve change, Mike has been my go-to man. A master raconteur, Mike always has a story or two to illustrate his point, and he paints those stories with details that make a writer’s job much easier.

After having focused on other aspects of the series in the past year, the Hot Hero Sandwich Project returns its attention back on the music with interviews with Music Coordinator Jimmy Biondolillo and Sound Engineer Ed Stasium, and an upcoming feature highlighting Hot Hero Sandwich’s Music Director, the legendary Felix Pappalardi of the band Mountain and producer of some of the era’s top Rock acts, including Creem, The Youngbloods, and Hot Tuna, among many others.

In this interview, Mike gives us some background on the industry of the era leading up to the Seventies and reveals how Hot Hero Sandwich producers Bruce and Carole Hart inadvertently got Mike Ratti fired and along the way we’ll encounter Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, and find out how Stephen Stills came to perform on the show.
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The Way We Were

Hot Hero Sandwich Project: Mike, can you give me some background on what the recording session was like leading up to the Seventies. From my limited understanding, the musicians seemed to have had less input than the executives in the past than by the late 70s when the bands, at least the big ones, began to exert more control.

Mike Ratti: It was set up that you go into a studio. You had to have somebody engineer it. You had to have somebody produce it, meaning you had to have somebody representing the record label and all the powers to be, why you were in that room, and then you had to have somebody document that — a contractor.

Caricature of Mike Ratti by Hot Hero Sandwich writer Sherry Coben (1979).
Every session was like that in the music business, no matter who you were. As the business became as popular as it did in the late 50s, now 60s, where now you're having bands and musicians, it wasn't a free-for-all. They didn't allow musicians, managers, agents, to be a part of it. It was like when you come into the room — look at all those old pictures of The Beatles [in a studio], what’s everyone wearing?

HHSP: Suits and ties.

Mike Ratti: Because it was, you know, even across the pond, it was the same way.

HHSP: Right.

Mike Ratti: More and more of the business became more and more of, I mean the big money, the big concerts, the big bands, and then I'd say some probably somewhere in the 70s it started to change over where you know we're not going in with the producer, the contractor, we're bringing in our own bands . . . with the Byrds, with the Mamas and the Papas, with Led Zeppelin. . . . You did not need a contractor or a producer hired from the label.

HHSP: So, by 1979, during the production of Hot Hero Sandwich, that was the waning days of the old model, or maybe it was surpassed by then?

Mike Ratti: Yeah, it could be a window of years, but yes, that’s exactly as you say Jack.

HHSP: By now I've got nearly every scene of Hot Hero memorized, including the music and the bumpers.

On most series, the soundtrack music would be played by contracting musicians, but during my research the only actual music I hear on the series, besides the guest performances and some music videos [like Donovan’s “I Love My Shirt], is music the Hot Hero Band itself performs, the songs, bumpers, and instrumentals — no one else, correct?

Mike Ratti: Right. I was there every recording session. I was there every meeting — and “I” meaning “we” [referring to the Hot Hero Band] . . . We’re not here to discredit anyone, just set the record straight.

HHSP: Having a house band for the show really changed the old way of doing things, particularly with Felix on board.
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Come Together . . .

HHSP: Alright, let's pick up the story when the Hot Hero Band was brought together. This somehow involved the Rex Smith Band, right?

Rex, 1977: Lars Hanson, Lou Vandora, Rex Smith, Orville David, and Mike Ratti.
Mike Ratti: The Rex Band with Rex Smith and myself, we were disbanded by the management company Leber and Krebs [Note: founded by legendary managers Stan Leber and David Krebs] for Rex to go on to do Sooner or Later [1979 TV movie] with the Harts. I think I might have told you this story, but we got fired because we played Madison Square Garden. That's where, that's where Bruce and Carol [Hart] in the audience saw Rex.

HHSP: Fired? I didn’t hear that story before!

Mike Ratti: Oh, what? You've never heard that story?

HHSP: I never heard that story!

Mike Ratti:  Oh, alright. Sit back . . . so, the band Rex [fronted by Rex Smith] was on tour, right? First of all, let me back up. We were managed by Leber-Krebs. Leber-Krebs were a big management company, which back in the 70s and 80s had to have. You couldn't play the game, be a part of this, unless you had a manager or management company. They were the ones that had the contacts with everybody.

HHSP: Right.

Mike Ratti: They managed . . . Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, AC/DC . . . Humble Pie when they [both] were in the states. So, they acted as the management company when the band was here. When they were overseas, they had their own management company and that's how the business was.

So, they [Leber-Krebs] had signed Rex a deal with CBS Records for five albums. In other words, they said the CBS records we have this artist, we have this band, we're going to put them out there, our responsibility, we take all the financial end, whatever . . . Well, we did one album and went on tour for a year. Did another album and went on tour for a year . . . and we were on tour with Ted Nugent and the co-headliners were Ted Nugent and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

HHSP: Oh, man, what a ticket!

Mike Ratti: So, we were on tour. We were the opening act for those two bands each night since they were co-headliners. One band would end the night, then, the next night, the other band would close. We played with them into October of 1977 and we were hanging out with Lynyrd Skynyrd that night, they said, yeah, “We'll see you up in New York at Madison Square Garden.” November 10th was the date. Same building, three bands. “We'll [Lynyrd Skynyrd] see you up at the Garden because we're heading to whichever gigs you guys are heading.”


Back up north two days later, we're on the road, it was October 20th and we got word the plane went down and there was the accident [which killed three members of the band and serious hurt the others]. So, my first thought is. “Uh oh, there goes the gig in Madison Square Garden. My family's not going to be able to come and see me.”

HHSP: What happened afterwards?

Mike Ratti: We're still playing, working our way up because we're getting closer to the city.

That was brought up at some point. I couldn't tell you exactly when and it was. It was that the show was going on. Ron Delsener, the Big New York promoter, said, “The show will go on with Ted Nugent and Rex, and that's what I said to everybody, “We're going to get the shit kicked out of us. They’re gonna boo us. They’re gonna boo us!”

HHSP: Replacing Lynyrd Skynyrd under those circumstances, not a good position.

Mike Ratti: We were like, “Oh, man! Oh, man!” So, we finally we did that date. We did, it went over.  I mean, people were still talking. WNEW and Allison Steele [legendary NY DJ] raved about it the next day on the radio. She said that opening act . . . I've never seen a band like that . . . we got RAVE reviews.

It was in November, November 10th, We played couple of shows after that and then came the holidays . . .

HHSP: November 10th, what year would that be?

Mike Ratti:  1977. November 10 is the same day as the first episode of Hot Hero Sandwich [Nov. 10, 1979]. That's why this day means a lot to me — same day.

A ticket for the Nov. 10, 1977 show Lynyrd Sknyrd never made.
(Uncle G's Classic Rock Concert Memories).
HHSPSo [after the holidays] in 78, we go into practice for a third album. They decide to send us up to Woodstock [NY] and rehearse and record what we're doing with Eddie Offord, a big producer, he produced Yes.  So, he had a studio, I believe it was at Levon Helm’s barn, the one that burnt down.

So, we're recording and we're doing the songs that we're preparing for the third album live to see how it sounds. Eddie is just recording us and its big barn, and we're up there for a couple of weeks and around February we take some time off — and this is as early spring — I get a phone call from Leber-Krebs management at my parents’ house, which I don't live there, I just happen to be there raking the leaves, and I'm thinking it is an emergency or something's wrong, right? I didn't even know they had my parents’ number.

And I was told, “Hi Mike . . . We're having a meeting. We need everybody there. You have to come in.” I said, “OK, when?” She said “Tomorrow! But I need to get in touch with Lou [Lou Van Dora, guitar] and Lars Hanson [guitar and keyboards].” Well, Lou is on vacation in Brunswick, Georgia, where he’s from, and Lars, I think is in the city somewhere. I could track them down. I asked what about Rex? She said, don't worry about Rex.

So, I call up Lou and he jumps on the plate and we went back in that office for meeting the very next day . . . and it's the band minus Rex Smith, and we're having a meeting with David Craft at his office. He says, “Guys I know we're preparing for third album, you’re working hard, you know, we gave it a good shot . . .” I’m biting my lip because I don't like the way that sounds.

So, we're sitting there and he says, “What we decided to do was disband the group . . . we're going to go a different route with Rex . . . we have an opportunity for him to be in a made-for-TV movie special and we're going to go that route.”

So, of course, we say, what about the band? Basically, then he thought we didn't want to accept what he was saying. He said, “Look, the band is over. I'm putting him into a major TV movie.”

And we asked how did this come about? He said, “He [Rex Smith] was discovered one at one of the shows when you played Madison Square Garden [Nov. 10, 1977]. There were writers and producers out there that like what they saw and approached us. They tracked us down and gave us a pitch of what they would like to do.”

We were asking the questions and then at that point he said, “Look, the meeting is over. We’ll settle up everything.” I asked, I said “David when can we expect our last paycheck?” And he looked at his wrist — he did not have a watch on —and said “Last week.”

HHSP: Ouch! “It’s a Long Way to the Top If You Want to Rock and Roll,” huh? Were Robert Brissette and Mark Cunningham [bassist and guitarist, respectively, for the Hot Hero Band] in on this?

Mike Ratti: No. This is leading up to that. This is how it led to Hot Hero. Robert played with Rex in the band Tricks. He was asked to be in this band, but he went back to college and he said no, I'm not quitting school again, so he passed on it to be the bass player. We got Orville Davis to be the bass player. Mark Cunningham was the guitar player when Rex did the demos in a band called The Flying Tigers, which was right before this deal, he [Smith] brought tapes up to New York and got the deal, got people interested. Mark was the guitar player. It didn't work out. Mark went his way . . . with Rick Derringer, we continued as Rex.

HHSP: OK, got it.

Rex Smith, including the Hot Hero Band’s Mark Cunningham, Robert Brissette, and Mike Ratti, burn up the air waves in this promotional music video for the track “Superhero” from the album Forever.

Mike Ratti:  So we were told that these people in the audience said that's the guy [Rex Smith] we want for our movie and they tracked him down.

HHSP: Let me get this straight. They saw the band Rex perform at MSG on Nov. 10, 1977. Thought Rex Smith would be perfect for their movie, reached out to the Leber-Krebs management company, who, based on that offer, decided they were going to disband the Rex band, correct?

Mike Ratti: Yes, based on he was going to make a movie, they were going to pay for everything. Now, could they have kept the band? Probably. Was that important to them, though? No, the band was still then trying to do something, but they're saying we want to do this. We're going to put him in the studio. We have the songs written to the movie. [Note: By Stephen Lawrence and Bruce Hart who also wrote the Hot Hero Sandwich theme song.]

All of a sudden it was like a “win” situation for that office based on business. They got somebody here jumping in on their bandwagon and all of a sudden they don't have to pay any money for this — and now they did not need us. We didn't need mean anything to them.

HHSP: “Welcome to the Rock and Roll business boys. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Check out a segment of music from the Rex performance on Nov. 10, 1977!

Mike Ratti: So Rex was brought into Carole and Bruce’s stable because they saw us play November 10th, 1977, at Madison Square Garden. With that, they then did the Sooner or Later movie with all of those hits and that album went gold, and who produced it? Charlie Calello.

HHSP: Jimmy Biondolillo’s mentor! Now it all comes together. Jimmy sat in on those sessions and that’s how Bruce and Carole met Jimmy. [Note: Jimmy Biondolillo became the music coordinator for Hot Hero Sandwich. See his interview with the Project for more information.]

Mike Ratti: Right. Now fast-forward less than a year and now the Harts have the Hot Hero thing that they're working on and they decide they need a band. Wouldn't it be great to have a band? The kids would love that.

They didn’t want to get studio musicians — old guys — so the Harts said, not putting words into their mouths, but what about the band and the musicians we used in the movie [Sooner or Later]?

Mike Ratti during the Rex Era.
HHSP: Although there was a band with Rex in the movie, they decided not to use anyone from the Rex band itself? Seems kind of pointless.

Mike Ratti: Well . . . I had the part but I blew it Jack. I had to do a reading with Rex and Bruce. They [his agency] sent me. The agent said, “This is his drummer. This is his look. He can talk. He's not an actor . . . I just hung out with him for an hour, just observing him. He's the perfect guy for you. He's the perfect drummer.”

Well, he came and walked into the room with the first. Bruce says, “OK, here's the line Mikey. Just go off and do it.” And I go, “Uh . . . Uh.”

“NEXT!”

HHSP: [Laughter]. Ah, the limelight . . .

Mike Ratti: Everybody that was in the band [in Sooner or Later] were actors, except for Mark [Cunningham]. Rex brought Mark in because, he said, “Look, I want something legit and he does play and I've worked with him.”

I think I think he felt bad that it didn't work out with Mark with the right band and Rex just reached out and said, “Hey, I got this little bit for you. You'll be on screen, you know, you get paid. You know how to play the guitar. It’ll be the real deal.”

And that's how Mark was brought in. They reached out to Mark based on that and said we need some musicians, do you know anybody? It’s going to be kind of like Sooner or Later, except it's going to be a TV show for kids. Mark reached out to some people and they all said, “What?”

Don't forget this is 1979, right?

HHSP: Right.

Mike Ratti:  All the musicians are, “I'm gonna make it. I'm gonna be Led Zeppelin. Don't tell me what to do. I'm not going to do a TV show!” So, TV and music were separate in those days, there was no marriage like it is today. It was totally separate.

There were a couple of people that turned it down. He reached out to myself, to Robert [Brissette] and Ritchie [Annunizato], his childhood friend, and that’s how the Hot Hero Band became. Again, based on November 10th, 1977, when we played Madison Square Garden.

Ae13U: Fantastic!

Mike Ratti: If the Harts didn’t see that performance, there would be no Sooner or Later, there would be no Hot Hero.

HHSP: The two are really intertwined. It was about that time when Felix Pappalardi was tapped for Hot Hero Sandwich. According to a Nov. 24, 1979, Record World article, Carole Hart said she was with a psychic friend, along with Bruce and their film editor [presumably Hot Hero editor Patrick McMahon] who said she saw the name “Felix,” and they all immediately knew that must be Felix Pappalardi!

Mike Ratti: I could see how that definitely happened. Felix Pappalardi was now with Leber-Krebs [who managed Rex Smith] and David Krebs was dealing with Carole.

HHSP: Ok, so things are coming full circle. Regarding the details going on in the recording sessions for the show, there was the band, Felix, the engineer Ed Stasium. Jimmy Biondolillo was there at times as well, right?

Mike Ratti: Jimmy did come in a few times and I remember him sitting in the control room sitting next to Felix. He [Jimmy] had to document that [the session work] to NBC, the Harts, their people, Local 802, AFTRA — they all had to have, “What the hell did you do?” Felix didn’t do that. We didn’t do that. Did Jimmy do that? I’m going to say yes. Musical directors [like Felix] had nothing to do with it.

HHSP: I know that the musical guests were the Harts picks, but did Felix have any input there?

Mike Ratti: Stephen Stills [Episode 4] was a favor for Felix.

HHSP: Really? That’s news!

Mike Ratti: They were best friends in Greenwich Village back in the early 60s. He came in to do that as a favor. How do I know that? My path crossed with Stephen Stills when I was in LA with Rex doing what his one of his final albums in the early/late 80s, that was right after Hot Hero, and I was in an all-night supermarket, they called it the supermarket of the stars, and who was in line in front of me, Stephen Stills! I tapped him on the shoulder and I told him who I was, and he said, “Yeah, I remember that show. I did that for my buddy Felix Pappalardi. That was a favor.” So yeah, he did that as a favor for Felix.

Stephen Stills performing “Sugar Babe” on episode 4 of Hot Hero Sandwich.

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Concluding Thoughts

As Mike Ratti details above, the Rock and Roll road is a rough one. Success can lead to failure, tragedy to opportunity, and along the way are the suits who will sell you out for the next big thing. So, why would anyone willingly go through this?

Well, for over 40 years the memory of Hot Hero Sandwich has been sustained by the performances of the band. No records, cassettes, or singles. No VHS, CDs, or DVDs, just music that was played over tiny TV speakers and then forgotten — except that it wasn’t. Probably every Hot Hero fan could recall the theme song, or the other songs, long before the internet. It's a credit to the songwriters, the band, and Felix Pappalardi.

That’s not just music. That, true believers, is magic — and it doesn’t come in a suit. 

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Hot Hero Sandwich — On the Flip Side with Drummer Mike Ratti, Part I

 by G. Jack Urso

Originally published March 25, 2023, on www.Aeolus13umbra.com. 

Hot Hero band drummer Mike Ratti at work on Studio 8H.

Mike Ratti is the Hot Hero Band’s heartbeat. His sound is the very first sound we hear in the series — that steady, thumping pulse in the first few bars of the theme song. Indeed, bassist Robert Brissette points out in his interview, when they were given the demo tape of the theme song, it was Ratti who first set the pace and got the groove going.

Ratti has been playing the drums professionally since the days of psychedelic rock, and a lot of rock musicians would have killed for the career he had before the Hot Hero Band, not to mention in the four decades afterwards as a hard-working, and in his own words, “journeyman drummer.” So, let’s get caught up with the long and winding Ratti road to Studio 8H.

Strange Days Indeed

Morgen’s 1969 classic self-titled psychedelic album hosted on Hot Hero Sandwich Central. 
Scream if you recognize the cover art!

The psychedelic band Morgen was Ratti's introduction to the music industry. He was a student in Bayside High School, Queens, when he was asked to join Steve Morgen’s band as a replacement for the first drummer. Morgen’s 1969 self-titled debut, and only, album, is regarded as one of the better examples of “heavy psychedelic rock” and a classic of the genre. I had the chance to check it out on YouTube and it not only hits every mark representing the era but also showcases Ratti’s talent as a drummer at a young age with challenging material — these are not simple 3-chord songs in a 4/4 beat.

Morgen was recorded in Jazz/Classical conductor and composer Skitch Henderson’s old studio, Studio 3, in New York City — a pretty legendary place to record a psychedelic rock album — and all on only a 4-track, an effort that took some considerable engineering, according to Ratti. It was during this time that Ratti was approached to work with Jay and the Americans, doing two albums, including the songs “This Magic Moment” and “Walking in the Rain.” Ratti then returned to play with Morgen for one last show at the Fillmore, January 10, 1970 — quite a shift in genres.

Ratti also toured with Steam (“Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”), for about a year. Then, before Hot Hero Sandwich, he toured with Rex Smith (who Brissette and Mark Cunningham had also worked with). Then in the 1980s, Ratti worked with the New Wave band, The Nails. From Psychedelic to Doo-Wop, to Classic Rock, to teen idol Rex Smith, to New Wave, Mike Ratti has been there, done that, and played it all.

Caricature of Ratti by Hot Hero Sandwich writer Sherry Coben that hung on the halls backstage at Studio 8-H along with those of other band members in the Summer of 1979.

Paying Union Dues

For Hot Hero Sandwich, Ratti wanted to use the drum set he used from the Rex Smith Tour (which could constitute another article all in itself). It was a big kit that was purchased by CBS for the band. NBC, however, would not let it in. Between the suits and the unions, the red tape and paperwork required to bring instruments in was predictably a nightmare. As was the practice, the instruments on set had to be rentals. The source for these rentals was Studio Instrument Rentals (S.I.R.].

“I asked for a standard five-piece set . . . symbols and high hats . . . and I think I asked if I could bring in my snare drum . . . and they probably said no, because you don’t walk into that building with anything.”

“So it came that day and . . . I was escorted to the loading dock at the side door at NBC, 30 Rock. I went down to the side door, the S.I.R. truck pulled up . . . I went to put my hand on it and I heard, “WHOA!” I turned around and three guys said, ‘Get your hands off that!’”

“Excuse me? I said.” They go, ‘What are you doing?’”

“I’m getting my drum set.”

“They said, ‘I don't care. Those are not your drum set.’”

Mike had played enough shows to know union rules. “I knew what it was about, but I just reacted.”

“The guy says, ‘It's not your drum set until it's brought to where you're gonna use it.’ Then I realized . . . I'm talking to three Teamsters. This wasn’t my first rodeo, I knew all about it, but I just reacted. I was doing a TV show!”

Then Ratti and the Teamsters go up to Studio 8H with the equipment for probably what was a long, awkward elevator ride.

“They wheeled it to the stage. They walked away. I went over. I put my hands out to open up the top and I heard, ‘What are you doing?’”

It was yet another set of Teamsters.

“’Excuse me,’” they said, ’No, no, no, no, no, no.’ It was the stage hands’ union.”

It was beginning to sound like a Saturday Night Live sketch, apropos since it was at Studio 8H. Again, Ratti knew the stage union rules. He was young, but he had been kicking around the scene for a decade at that point. Nevertheless, the SNL stage was a big deal, so you can’t blame him for his excitement.

I wonder. Did David Bowie ever have the same problem with these guys when he did SNL a few months later in December 1979?

Ratti continued, “’You cannot touch this,’ the stage hands said, ‘Period.’ I backed away . . . they took everything out and they looked at it as if it was, you know, a dragon. They have to set them up and then I could arrange them. So they put them on the riser, they set them up upside down, inside out, left to right. Walked off the stage, gave me the nod to say, ‘Now you can do it.’ I set up the drum kit and they stayed there for the duration of all the tapings, which is the whole summer.”

Nice work if you can get it, but the lesson learned for performers and producers alike is that everything coming and going goes through the unions — particularly at 30 Rock.

It's Been Only One Lifetime
Walter Becker of Steely Dan, 1977 (Chris Walter/Wire Image).
Mike Ratti ran into Walter Becker of Steely Dan on a few occasions throughout his career. First, when he and Donald Fagin needed some drum tracks for a demo they were recording at Advantage Sound Studios in Manhattan (no longer there) which they wanted to shop around in L.A. Ratti laid down his tracks and was invited to join, but he declined. They answered simple questions like, “How’s it going guys?” with philosophical responses like, “Define how?” So, the vibes were a bit off for Ratti. This project later evolved into Steely Dan.

Of course, Mike didn’t know at the time they were going to become Steely Dan, but he waxed philosophical about it. Even if he did head out to L.A., he would have been back in New York in short order, noting Becker’s and Fagin’s ability to burn through band members.

“They used every musician and the best drummers basically out there at the time in the world and they didn't last one or three songs.”

Ratti would encounter Becker one more time.

“Now fast-forward . . . years later, and I'm rehearsing at — and I'm going to say It would have to have been either [with] Hot Hero or 212 [circa mid-late 1979] . . .  it was at S.I.R. [Studio Instrument Rentals] on 54th Street . . . it was a rainy night in Manhattan and I’m ringing the buzzer, and I see this light in the doorway right next to where I'm standing, and it's pitch black and the light from somebody taking the drag of a cigarette and I see this face and I back up and go, ‘Walter?’ It was Walter Becker [of Steely Dan], and he says, ‘Yeah?’ Now, at the time . . . and everyone knows this, he was in very bad shape with the substance abuse.”

“And he was soaking wet, hair matted down, smoking a cigarette . . . I mean, just like in some black and white Alfred Hitchcock movie . . . and I said, “It's me, Mike, Mike Ratti.” 

“He says, ‘I know. It's been only one lifetime.’”

“I went back the way I was supposed to and said, ‘Take it easy,’ and that was it.”

Becker later emerged from this dark period and went on to sobriety and a long life, passing away in 2017, but as the AC/DC song goes, “It’s a Long Way to the Top If You Want to Rock and Roll.”

And some ways are longer than others.

A more recent picture of Mike Ratti . . . still playing hard!
(photo courtesy Mike Ratti)

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The Hot Hero Band — On the Flip Side with Bassist Robert Brissette

 by G. Jack Urso
Originally published February 28, 2, 2024, on www.Aeolus13umbra.com.

Robert Brissette center stage at Studio 8H with the Hot Hero Band (Summer 1979).
Hey, Mr. Bass Man!
       Photo courtesy R. Brissette.
Robert Brissette (left) was the bassist for the Hot Hero Band and is the lead vocalist on the theme song. I reached out to him and, much to my delight, he agreed to an interview! While I’m not sure Brissette would consider himself a celebrity, the Hot Hero Band has been living rent-free in my head with that theme song for 43 years, so I admit to having some nerves. Not only had Brissette been in the HHB, he also toured and recorded with Columbia Records’ artist Rex Smith and has performed with artists such as Ronnie Spector, hit songwriter Martin Briley, as well as members of Aerosmith, Foreigner, and the Rolling Stones. 

Well, I shouldn’t have been anxious. When we spoke on the phone, Brissette’s friendly, funny, and relaxed style immediately put me at ease. Having worked in radio, I interviewed my share of TV, film, and music personalities, so I tried not to act like a fan, but probably did, and Brissette was gracious throughout it all. He later followed up with written responses to my many questions about the band, the show, the music, and his career before, during, and after Hot Hero Sandwich.

Here, Brissette gives us insight into how the band was formed, the theme song arranged, and various production details the band was involved in, as well aa sharing some photos from his career.  Brissette continued his career in the music industry after Hot Hero Sandwich, segueing into a long career in entertainment marketing. More recently, Brissette has used his marketing savvy in real estate for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, where he was one of the company’s top 16 percent salespeople for 2022. We also get to hear about the Hot Hero Band’s post-HHS incarnation as the NYC-area band 212 and what else Brissette is up to today.

Not that I am any qualified music critic, but I did play bass back in my younger days — and admittedly more for the social opportunities than for any inherent musical talent. While digging through the various music clips, I can’t help but be amazed with Brissette’s fret work. His fingers dance effortlessly through the scales, though anyone who’s ever played knows it takes a combination of strength, dexterity, some pretty calloused fingertips, and countless hours of practice, to lay down those tracks and stay solid on every beat. After listening to Brissette, one can hear his influences from such Classic Rock bassists like Chris Squire and John Entwistle, which he discusses in the interview below.

Well, Hot Hero Band fans, this has been a long time coming, so let’s check in with Robert Brissette — the bass man of the Hot Hero Band!

Note: Information provided in brackets are editorial notes included to provide context for some of the references.

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Pre-Production

Hot Hero Sandwich Project: When did you start playing the bass? Was that your first instrument? What other instruments do you play (in addition to singing)? Which bassists would you consider most influential on your playing?

Robert Brissette: My first instrument was the ukelele, from there I transitioned to the six-string guitar and took up playing bass following that. Early influences were Paul McCartney and Motown bassist James Jamerson; they still are. Later on, I took to listening to John Paul Jones, Greg Lake, Chris Squire, John Entwistle and whoever played with James Brown.

HHSP: What sort of work had you done before Hot Hero Sandwich? In a post online, you noted your second job after college was “producing country music talent contests and concerts out of NYC.” Was that where you saw your career going at the time, into producing, promotion, and the marketing side of the industry?

Robert Brissette: I played music professionally for many years, and moved from Atlanta to New York City to do just that. I have a bachelor's degree in marketing and transitioned to that side of the music/entertainment industry. It was the most logical choice for putting my experience as a musician together with my training in marketing.

HHSPHow did you get hooked up with the Hot Hero Band?  Did you audition individually or with the other guys as a group? What was the selection process like? Did Felix Pappalardi have a hand in it?

Robert Brissette: The HHS band came together following the movie Sooner or Later, [aired March 25, 1979 on NBC] which Bruce and Carol Hart played a major role in producing/directing. Rex Smith was the star of the movie. NBC subsequently asked Bruce/Carol to develop a show for 'tweens, and an in-house band was needed. Mark Cunningham played guitar in the movie and was tapped to put a band together. I met Mark through Rex. He had a really good guitar player Richie Annunziato [ed. note: a.k.a. also professionally credited as Rich Steele] and I knew renowned drummer Mike Ratti from my days with Rex. It jelled quickly without too much fanfare; Felix had no involvement.

"Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in trees” (Hair): Rex Smith and Robert Brissette (right to left) in the 1970s Atlanta-Area band Mandala (photo courtesy Robert Brissette).
HHSPWhile Felix Pappalardi’s role with Hot Hero is noted in various sources, as a band member I’d like to get your thoughts about this influential classic rock musician and producer. For people who are not quite familiar with what a music producer does, what was Pappalardi’s role in this capacity with the band?

Robert Brissette: A producer's role is to manage the creative process, studio recording, song selection, arrangements, mixing process and bring in outside players as the song/session dictates. Felix was a seminal producer from his innovative work with Cream and The Youngbloods (Get Together). For HHS, he directed us in the studio and wrote/co-wrote some of the 'bumpers' and interstitial pieces/underscoring that you hear throughout the show.

HHSPConsidering Felix’s work in classic rock, a children’s television series seem like an unusual choice. Did he share with you his thoughts about doing the show?

Robert Brissette: Felix was a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who understood music outside of the traditional rock genre. He had the perspective and musical maturity, if you will, to handle something like HHS. A bit of an unorthodox choice, but he had earned our respect, and the chemistry was really great, which counted for a lot.

HHSPDid you hear or see much of Felix after the HHS ended and prior to his unfortunate early passing?

Robert Brissette: I saw Felix intermittently following HHS. He produced a band I put together in NYC and was working with us at the time of his demise.

In Production

HHSP: How did the soundtrack theme come about?

Robert Brissette: The HHS theme song was given to us on a cassette. It was nothing more than a middle-age guy (not Bruce Hart) at a piano singing the melody and lyrics with a discernible New York accent, at least to my ears. Very bare bones recording by any standard measure, but we knew what to do with it. We went to the rehearsal studio to begin fleshing it out. Mike started the drum figure - ideal for a television theme - then I added the bass line; Mark and Richie came in with the guitar parts. We added the vocal harmonies and Felix brought it all to life when we recorded it.

HHSP: What were the weekly musical duties for the band on the show? In addition to the theme song, you did the bumpers and cues, and a weekly song, correct? Could you tell us a little bit more about these, especially the bumpers and cues?

Robert Brissette: The FCC mandated that shows pitched to young children/'tweens needed 'bumpers' before and after commercial breaks to let them know the program content was stopping and the commercial content was beginning. There was a voiceover the drive the point home. “...Hot Hero Sandwich will be right back following these commercial messages...”. On the return, “Now, back to Hot Hero Sandwich.” The bumpers and other pieces had to be exactly in sync with the video it supported. If we needed a 3.7 second music figure, for example, Felix would often write it, time it and emphatically direct us when to start/stop. They were thematically/melodically linked to the show or a particular episode. It was quite an education to record with such precision.

Bumpers for Hot Hero Sandwich. Voiceovers by actress Barbara Feldon.

HHSP: In regards to composing and arranging the music for the bumpers, cues, and other music, who was responsible, Felix, Bruce Hart, the Hot Hero Band, a combination of all three?

Robert Brissette: Felix had the lion's share of composing the pieces, but I'm sure Bruce Hart contributed as well. There was often a spontaneity to them, done on the spot at the studio.

A classic rock photo of two Classic Rockers, Robert Brissette (left) and Felix Pappalardi (right)
(courtesy of Robert Brissette).
HHSP: You mentioned in our phone interview the band recorded on a Thursday. Did you rehearse in Rockefeller Center or elsewhere? When did the work week begin for you guys and what kind of hours did you work?

Robert Brissette: We did the bulk of the recording at RPM Studio in Greenwich Village. We generally got there at 4:00 pm in the afternoon and left at 6:00 am in the morning. We recorded all music and whatever song was to be featured on that week's episode. Shows were taped at Rockefeller Center in Studio 8-H, where SNL is still taped. We might record on a Tuesday and tape the show on a Thursday.

HHSP: The band was tight and there seems like great energy between you guys. Did you know each other at all before the show?

Robert Brissette: We were a very tight, very close foursome. I did not know Mark Cunningham too well or Richie Annunziata at all prior to the show. Mike and I were very close pals. We often said our jokes, routines, one-liners and ongoing repartee was much more entertaining than anything on TV at the time.

HHSP: Sherry Coben and Pat McMahon noted the band really didn’t get a lot of takes when recording, maybe one or two, yet, from the clips I have seen, there seems to be great coordination between the band and the cameras. I’m guessing the NBC crew probably had a lot of experience shooting live music, but was there a lot of staging that went on before each take?

Robert Brissette: At Rockefeller Center, we got two, maybe three takes, all in front of an audience of young kids assembled for the taping. We went to the makeup room, as does anyone who appears on TV, to get the proper skin tone for the cameras. Between takes, one of the women would come out and touch up spots she felt needed freshening. The camera crew were all veteran guys with years of experience and great stories of their own.

HHSP: What was your instrument set-up for Hot Hero? What kind of bass did you use, effects pedals, speakers, etc., did you prefer?

Robert Brissette: I played a Rickenbacker 4001 bass for most of the shows, along with candy-apple red Fender Precision bass. No effects or enhancements. We played to the track we had recorded two days earlier. Amps were really just visual props for effect.
Caricature of Brissette by Hot Hero Sandwich writer Sherry Coben that hung on the halls backstage at Studio 8H along with those of other band members in the Summer of 1979.

HHSP: Based on the clips available online, you take center stage and took the lead on many of the vocals. Were say you were the Hot Hero Band “front man,” so to speak? Did Felix decide that or did it more naturally evolve?

Robert Brissette: I never considered myself the front man; it simply evolved that I sang a lot of the songs.

HHSP: For a little historical perspective for audiophiles, what kind of multi-track recording equipment did the studio use? At the time, as far as I understand, up to 32-track recording equipment was available using 2-inch tape. What was used at the studio you recorded at?

Robert Brissette: I'm not an audiophile, so I cannot accurately weigh in on that. Our engineer was a very accomplished guy in his own right, Ed Stasium, who was a magician at the board [ed. note: see edstasium.com for more information]. Richie could probably speak to this much more than I can. It was two-inch tape.

HHSP: Did any of the musical quests perform “live” or was that just too complicated and time consuming for the show’s production constraints?

Robert Brissette: All musical guests played to track, i.e., lip synced. A live-music production would have been nearly impossible, and the best way to ensure a quality sound was to have the song in the can and have performers go through the motions.

Keith Richards, Robert Brissette, and Ron Wood during Brissette’s post-Hot Hero career.


Post-Production Notes

HHSP: After Hot Hero, the band stuck together as 212 [ed. note: pronounced “two-one-two”] and performed in the NYC/New Jersey area. How long did you perform together? Where there any other band members besides the original four during this time? Did you keep the same sound as 212 as you did as the HHB, or freed from network constraints, how did your music evolve? Did you perform covers or originals and any recordings as 212?

Robert Brissette: The 212 band played shows in the greater New York area. A lot of people knew us from HHS; there were no other players than us. We played original tunes and maybe performed “Get Together,” the well-known Youngblood's song that Felix actually produced, every now and then. Our original stuff came from the various influences we all had. The song “Promises,” which we performed on Show #6 if I recall, was written by Mark Cunningham and a singer he worked with prior to HHS. Not sure whether I could get my hands on any of our recordings.

The Hot Hero Band performing “Get Together.”

HHSP: Did Felix Pappalardi have any involvement with 212, or was his involvement just with the show?

Robert Brissette: Felix's involvement was confined to the show. I believe he came to see us from time to time in NYC.

HHSP: NYC in the late 70s and early 80s was an exciting time to be young and in a band. Can you give us a peek behind the curtain and discuss some of the band and venues 212 ran across at that time?

Robert Brissette: We played a number of the big rock clubs in the area - Tramps, Gildersleeves, The Ritz and various outdoor venues as well. We ran into bands like Foreigner, Aerosmith, Eddie Money, Joe Jackson, Little River Band, Joan Jett and others [ed. note: Eddie Money, Joe Jackson, and the Little River Band, also played on HHS].

HHSP: Any idea who might still have the rights or the master tapes to all those Hot Hero Band recordings? I know there is a company [Retro Video Inc.] that sells footage from Hot Hero Sandwich (and many other series) including the musical performances, but I’m guessing NBC still owns all those rights. Can you give any insight into all this?

Robert Brissette: With respect to the rights to the shows, NBC would own the exclusive rights to the video content. Any music performed on the show would be part of a separate copyright/licensing arrangement as dictated by the label that owns the master recording.

Robert Brissette (center) also played in a band that featured model and 1979 Penthouse Pet of the Year Cheryl Rixon (left) (photo courtesy Brissette).

HHSP: In an article you posted online, you noted you worked in the entertainment marketing for many years. Can you tell us a little bit about what you did, who you worked for, and who you worked with?

Robert Brissette: EMCI/Rockbill was the premier entertainment market company in the US, and we worked with Fortune 500 clients and top-name artists putting strategic alliances together, including Sprint/Rolling Stones; Discover Card/Ringo Starr; Honda Scooters/Sting; Sears/Phil Collins; Gitano/Shania Twain; Pepsi/Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie and many others. I was VP Event Marketing and helped sell-in and activate the deals we negotiated. I traveled on most of the tours and met artists and clients alike on a regular basis.

HHSP: You’re still active in the music scene in the New York City area with the band, Twist Of Fate. Can you tell us a little about that? How long have you been involved and how would you describe the band’s sound?

Robert Brissette: I have played in a very popular band, Twist Of Fate, for nearly sixteen years. We have a big following in Westchester County, our home base, and pride ourselves on our repertoire and lively presentation. We rehearse weekly, play often and have over 150 songs on our list. Band has guitar, bass, drums, steel drums, fiddle/violin and sax. By virtue of that atypical configuration, we have a sound that no other band has. Twist Of Fate has a Facebook page and a website: www.twistoffatemusic.com.
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A very special thanks to Robert Brissette on behalf of all Hot Hero Sandwich fans for his gracious participation in this effort to document the series and give us a backstage pass look for the Hot Hero Band. There will be more interviews with other Hot Hero Band members, so stay tuned!

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