Kelly Deco and Val Garay: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
By Greg Prato
Do you long for the grand, sweeping, cinematic sound of ’70s rock? If so, then the latest release by the Kelly Deco Band, Constellation, may serve as a much-welcomed musical time machine.
In addition to Deco’s songwriting skills and musicianship, the album was produced by Val Garay – a gentleman who has worked with some of rock’s biggest names (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Santana, etc.) – which certainly adds another sonic element to such tunes as “Automat Girl,” “David Bowie’s Brain,” and “Destination Fascination.”
Both artist and producer discussed the album with ClassicRockHistory.com, as well as other topics pertaining to their individual careers, and if there will be further Deco/Garay collaborations in the future.
Kelly, how did you first cross paths with Val Garay?
Kelly Deco: Although I had heard about Val Garay in the early 1980’s – while I was recording and staying with Laurel Canyon rock scene cronies who were close friends to him – it wasn’t until 40 years later after a lot of living, recording records, and personal growth, that during Covid-19, I had what I thought was a great record. So, I got a hold of producer Nic Tenbroek who I had been working with since 1983.
I knew the sound I wanted – I had written the songs on acoustic guitar with classical piano accompaniment. The sound was the sound of the 1970’s analog rock – like Andrew Gold’s “Lonely Boy” and Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Be Loved” – where everything is clear, with a musical melody, yet tough and sonically balanced. This is where Nic Tenbroek says to me, “You should see if Val Garay would do it. I am working with him and he practically invented that sound.” I finally got to meet Val Garay at the recording studio when we started the recording session.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Kelly Deco: I have always been interested in dramatic singing styles, classical piano, and rock guitar. I played guitar in jazz band in high school and college. Singers like Frank Sinatra, Anthony Newley, and Elvis Presley really stuck with me. The hippie movement songs about love and peace resonated, and in the 1970’s it was David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, and Elton John. When I heard Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell, it all made sense to me.
Please discuss a bit of your musical history up to Constellation.
Kelly Deco: I started pretending to be in a band when I was about 5 or 6 – I built a bandstand in the backyard, and forced a group of kids to play with me in the Snoopy Gang. I started writing descriptive poetry at around 8, and my school teachers loved it. At about 15, I got a cheap guitar and put together some songs. I joined the school band, got pretty good and bought a Gibson. I went straight to recording and playing local clubs as the Kelly Deco Still Anxious Band. One night we went down to Los Angeles in the late 1970’s as kind of a dare, and stayed.
We recorded a demo at United Studios – rumored to be for Robert Stigwood. Mentored by Three Dog Night affiliates, I met with music attorney Bill Jacobsen in Century City. I played all the local LA clubs including the Troubadour, and continued recording, made a record, and eventually connected with producer Nic Tenbroek. I made 3 to 5 records with Nic as Kelly Deco over the years, including Big Fish – from which the video for the song, “No Reality’ directed by Wayne White (Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time”) was a national video hit. Time sure went by fast.
What are some memories of writing and recording of Constellation?
Kelly Deco: When I wrote the songs for Kelly Deco Constellation, I had had a lot of life behind me, including marriage, divorce, death of close friends and family, and, most of the rock singers I idolized were gone. Coincidentally, I had been working as a lead scenic artist in the motion picture industry since I was introduced to the biz by a close friend of Val Garay, Richard Davis, long ago.
Having a steady creative career gave me a great lifestyle, and allowed me to easily pursue my new records. Since I was really ready and anxious to make Kelly Deco Constellation, I wrote the music for the songs in rapid-fire succession, then, I filled my mind with ideas of outward celestial travel, love, art, and discovery, waited for the words to come, and they did. I am very happy with the songs, and really amazed at how Val Got exactly the sound I was looking for.
Which tracks are your favorite from the album and why?
Kelly Deco: All the songs are very personal and strangely painful for me, though you might not think so. The one thing I learned over the years is great music has to come from real experience.
Before writing Kelly Deco Constellation, I had reconnected with my high school girlfriend and soulmate, Tracy. Her being here filled in a lot of the personal gaps that might have been, and made it easy to sing about love and life experiences. Romance is a constellation…all right now!
What was the lyrical inspiration behind “Automat Girl”?
Kelly Deco: Back in the 1990s, I designed a stage play based on Edward Hopper’s paintings, and it won a Drama-Logue Magazine Award for Stage Design. Edward Hopper’s Automat is a painting from the 1920s and shows a woman in the rapidly approaching modern world. I found this very inspiring and imagined how a 1970s Bruce Springsteen would approach it. I also added 4 other Edward Hopper painting titles in the lyrical mix.
“David Bowie’s Brain”?
Kelly Deco: Ever Since David Bowie left us, I had wondered how – and do we really understand – another artist’s way of thinking? Even ones we think we know about. After seeing the film Being John Malkovich years ago, I liked the idea and I gathered all the vague bits and pieces. I felt I could make a loose roadmap, and take an insider’s trip beyond this living world.
“Destination Fascination”?
Kelly Deco: This song was written with the 1960’s hippie counterculture generation in front of mind. Back when “scene clubs” like Los Angeles’s Pandora’s Box on the Sunset Strip and the like existed. The idea is of going on an adventure “inside to get outside” and beyond normal social limits to another world somewhere.
Do you plan on playing shows in support of the album?
Kelly Deco: The Kelly Deco Band has been rehearsing the Constellation record and sound good. Planning to bring the live theatrical show everywhere. Destination fascination.
Future plans?
Kelly Deco: I have About 5 more records worth of finished songs, and that same number I would like to rerelease from past recordings. If I am lucky, they will sound as good as this one.
Val, what were your initial impressions of Kelly as an artist, and what drew you into his music?
Val Garay: I never really got to hear Kelly before I went into the studio with him. But when I heard the songs and the way he sang them, I felt that he was extremely talented and very unusual, which is great. And as far as being drawn into the music, I really never heard anything until I went to the studio.
Do you see or hear any similarities between Kelly and any of the artists you’ve previously worked with?
Val Garay: Well, yes, in terms of originality he’s right there with everybody that I’ve worked with in the past.
Which tracks are your favorite from the album and why?
Val Garay: My favorite track is “Automat Girl” and I think it’s just a very cleverly written song. I also like “David Bowie’s Brain” because I love the lyrical content of it.
Do you prefer the recording process now or from back in the day – with all the new technological advances of recent times?
Val Garay: I much prefer the recording process today than I did 25 years ago in the analog world, because it’s so much easier to do things. And if you use the proper front-end stuff, to me it sounds as good as or better.
Of all the artists you worked with in the past, who were some of your favorite or most memorable?
Val Garay: I would say James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Kim Carnes, and Martha Davis in the Motels, are some of my favorites.
Do you hope to work with Kelly on future projects?
Val Garay: Yes, if he decides to do another record I think it would be a lot of fun.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Deco
Kelly Deco and Val Garay: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
