Gary Del Vecchio | Interview | Dig the ‘Buzzin’!

Gary Del Vecchio is an incredible guitar player that played with many underground hard rock groups of the time, including Wizard, Max, Bullit and Scareb.

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His name was recently brought back to the scene thanks to ‘Brown Acid’ compilation that featured one of the only released single with his band Max (‘Brown Acid: The Thirteenth Trip’).

‘Buzzin’ / ‘Dream Woman’ is one killer single that’s now available to the wide audience thanks to ‘Brown Acid’. How do you feel about the fact that after so many years people still listen to your music?

Gary Del Vecchio: It’s great! I can’t thank RidingEasy Records and Permanent Records enough (Dan and Lance). They do a great job. I see there is a whole new generation that has an interest in the late sixties and seventies music which is awesome.

Was there ever a plan to record a whole album? Are there any unreleased tracks?

I’ve already made a CD titled ‘G.L.D. 1970—1975’, which is a compilation of recordings done from the east coast to the west coast which contains master recordings from 1970 to 1975. It was put out on my own label, Earth Records. I have a home studio and I have many unreleased tracks. And I am still working on new ones.

Okay, your guitar playing is killer. What are some of the most important guitar players that influenced your style and in what way?

I’m very lucky that I’m from a very rich musical area. My main influences for my guitar playing would be Joe Walsh of James Gang (later The Eagles), Phil Keaggy of Glass Harp, also Jeff Beck, David Gilmore, and a lot of old blues players like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker et cetera.

The single was self-released under the publishing name of A.R.A.. How many copies were pressed and did you send them to the radio stations?

I believe there were 200 copies pressed. A.R.A. was my first record label. The single was played on a few radio stations in the surrounding area. We also sold them at gigs that we played.

What do you recall from recording it? And where did you record it?

The songs ‘Buzzin’ and ‘Dream Woman’ were recorded at Peppermint Studios Youngstown in 1971 with the great Gary Rhamy at the control desk. I recall we brought in a lot of our friends to the studio and we sat on the floor and partied and he recorded us laughing and having a great time, which can be heard at the beginning and end of ‘Buzzin’.

Tell us about all the bands you were part of and are there any recordings out there?

My CD compilation consists of several bands in that five year spread from 1970 to 1975. As far as bands I played in. These are the more notable; Wizard, Max, Bullit and ending with a great band called Scareb.

“Those years were revolutionary”

You were a bit younger than most of the hippie folk in the sixties. How would you describe the sixties and all that was happening in counterculture?

Those years were revolutionary because young people started questioning authority and began to rebel against the establishment. The music was fresh and totally expressive…

Can you elaborate on Max and how that evolved…

Max evolved through a few different lineups. But the thread running through all of them was my friend, brother, bass player Gary Mills. We played lots of clubs throughout the area. And always were in the studio. And then Max morphed into the band Bullit. We flew to NYC to try and get a record deal. Two labels were interested; Mercury Records and London Records. But at that time we had really poor management and the deals fell through.

It’s such a shame that you never released an album. Did you try to get some label behind you? Do you still own the tapes? It would be amazing to hear your music.

I released my CD ‘G.L.D. 1970—1975’ on Earth Records, my own record label about 20 years ago. Only 50 copies were made for family, friends and other musicians. The tracks are fully mastered and the CD is complete. I am interested in re-releasing this CD, on a label with great distribution.

Were you inspired by psychoactive substances like LSD?

I was more of an organic type of guy. And sometimes this seems to inspire and try things maybe you wouldn’t think of.

Looking back, what was the highlight of your time in the band? Which songs are you most proud of? Where and when was your most memorable gig?

Scareb was the last band I was part of. The songs I’m most proud of are too difficult to answer, but probably the closest to my soul would be ‘Wasted King’, ‘Starman’, ‘Redbird Fly’ and ‘Troubles’ from my CD. The largest gig Scareb ever played was when we played on the same night as Bo Diddley and one of my biggest influences Mike Bloomfield. This gig was done in 1975 at the Santa Clara University. There were many other great acts also, including The Family Jewels.

What currently occupies your life?

I enjoy spending my time in my home studio. Writing and playing. It seems the older I’ve gotten, the more fresh ideas come out in laying tracks. I also hope to release new material soon.

Thank you for taking your time. Last word is yours.

Thank you so much for your interest in my music, Klemen. It’s truly much appreciated.

Klemen Breznikar

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