Legs Diamond | Interview | Roger Romeo
Legs Diamond is an American hard rock band named after a notorious gangster. The band formed in 1975 and released their debut album in 1977.
The original band broke up in 1980 after releasing three albums, but reformed in 1984 after their original albums had begun to acquire a cult following and released two more albums. Original members of the band are Michael “Diamond” Gargano (bass), Jeff Poole (drums), Roger Romeo (guitar), Rick Sanford (vocals) and Michael Prince (keyboards and guitar). Guitarist Roger Romeo is active in several bands including a band with Jeff Poole called the Riff Rockers.
“We always had everything down from tones to musical parts. Just stick a mike in front of it and away we go!”
Where and when did you grow up? Was music a big part of your family life? Did the local music scene influence you or inspire you to play music?
Roger Romeo: My childhood was pretty broken up and I moved around between a foster family and different sets of parents. When I was about three, the foster family I lived with had an older daughter and one of her boyfriends brought over a pedal steel guitar. I was fascinated by all of the sounds and I was already a music buff. The first singer I remember watching on TV was Mahalia Jackson and Les Paul and Mary Ford when I was 3 or 4. My second music epiphany was seeing Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show for his first show. I was six. I was watching with a couple of female cousins and the 15 year old’s eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she passed out right on the floor. Now that is powerful!
When did you begin playing music? What was your first instrument? Who were your major influences?
When I was 14 me and two of my best friends were at a girls house with four other girls watching The Beatles on TV for the first time. They all started screaming at the TV and me and my two buds looked at each and knew what our calling was! We got guitars and a bass for Christmas and I started my journey! My major influences are Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. I’ve always been a blues-rock kind of guy and they were perfect for the style I wanted to create.
Was there a certain moment when you knew you wanted to play guitar for the rest of your life?
As soon as I played my first notes on a guitar I knew that was going to be my life’s calling. I started playing when I was 15 and haven’t stopped since. I even had a band when I was in the Air Force for two years! So I’ve been playing non-stop for 58 years!!!
Tell us about some of the early bands you formed. I believe the very first was The Outcry. Did you record anything?
My first band was with the two fellas I mentioned earlier and we were called the Third Trinity +1. I had to go away for a month in the summer and they replaced me.
No problem as I moved on and started a new band called The Outcry. Our drummer mom was our manager and she booked us as well as sewing all of our outfits!
She even got us an indie record deal and we were on local TV! One of the songs is on YouTube. I moved on after high school and started another band called Moka.
Moka even opened for the SRC. What kind of music did you play with Moka? Would you like to remember some of the songs?
Moka was a cool mix of jazz and rock. We were hipsters! The band was short lived, but we managed to get an article in the second ever Creem Magazine!
Where was the band based? How would you describe the scene there?
All my bands were from the Detroit area. There was tons of music in the late 60’s. A fav was the MC5 and Moka opened a show for them in 1969! They were the most powerful band I have ever seen live.
What occupied your life after Moka until you formed Legs Diamond?
After Moka I had a 3-piece with the bass player from The Outcry, John Mayes. I played with them till I had to go in the service in 1970-72. The band members in the Air Force band were servicemen too and we had a blast for a couple years.
From 1972 till 1975 I played in cover bands. My last Detroit band was called Spunk. We had just recorded a demo we were heading to California. Unfortunately or fortunately we got into a big argument and I was the only one who moved out here. I brought out my roadie too.
How did you originally meet other members of Legs Diamond in LA?
There was a music contact service in Hollywood and I found Legs Diamond within the first week of moving out to LA. The guitar player they were using was sick. Originally I only signed up to record as I was also a lead singer. Everything sounded so good, especially Rick Sanford’s voice, I decided to take up their offer to be in the band.
Tell us about some of the very early gigs you did. How did you get signed to Mercury Records?
We had demos circulating and lots of friends were trying to help us. A local radio station KWEST, put one of our songs on a local compilation LP and started the ball rolling. Next we secured a management company, Toby-Entner who also managed Angel and the original Quiet Riot. They brought out execs from Mercury/Polygram records out from Chicago to our rehearsal room. We had our stage show down and they signed us up immediately! We played our first concerts ever opening up for Kiss. Gene Simmons wanted to manage us, but that’s another story!
Do you remember how you chose your band name?
Michael Diamond and Jeff were using the name in the Bay area before they moved to LA. It was named after a famous gangster who was also a dancer.
What’s the story behind your debut album? Where did you record it? What kind of equipment did you use and who was the producer? How many hours did you spend in the studio?
Mercury Records wanted us to use Derek Lawrence, who had also produced Deep Purple albums early on. We recorded at Wally Heider studios in Hollywood. A lot of famous people also recorded there so it was top notch. He turned out to be a real character and drank a lot. I would say we made a good album in spite of him! We rehearsed six days a week so we had everything down before recording and didn’t waste any studio time messing around.
“I’ve always been a tube amp purist”
What kind of gear did you have in the band? Tell us about the pedals, effects, amplifiers et cetera in Legs Diamond.
I’ve always been a tube amp “purist.” I get my tone from the amp and not pedals. I’ve used Marshall amps almost exclusively since 1972. I used two Marshall 100 watt stacks in Legs Diamond with Celestion speakers. I bought the first Boss CE-1 chorus pedal in 1977 but used it sparingly.
Would you share your insight on the albums’ tracks?
Legs Diamond was an easy band to record. We always had everything down from tones to musical parts. Just stick a mike in front of it and away we go!
What was the creative process for you like? Did you just jam together or did everybody bring their own ideas to the rehearsing space?
We had three principal writers in the band, so there was always an abundance of material to choose from. The songs were combos of a single writer or combination of two or all of the writers collaborating. It was always very competitive. The writers always had a pretty good idea of all of the parts needed prior to bringing it to the band. We always had the songs worked out well before going to the studio to record.
What do you recall from working on ‘A Diamond Is a Hard Rock’?
Two big changes from the first to the second album. We had a new producer, Eddy Leonetti and he was very hands-on. He would come to rehearsals and really help with the production. He bought a genius engineer, Lee DiCarlo, who was a huge help getting our creations to sound fabulous!
The second big change was my songwriting was well represented. I was the last to join so the first album didn’t have any of my songs. I sure made up for it on the second LP (‘Woman,’ et cetera).
Why do you think ‘Fire Power’ was your last album back then and how do you like it?
We were very happy with ‘Fire Power’. The problem was we couldn’t find management. Actually, ‘Uncut Diamonds’ was going to be our 4th LP and it was all recorded and ready to go.
At that time I was getting itchy to sing and told the boys I was putting another band together with me as the lead singer. Those days bands were very much like a marriage and no side things were allowed. So I left for a while.
How did the reunion in 1984 come about?
I have no idea. I was busy with my own band. I came back in 1990 and got us a record deal with Metal Blade Records through a friend of mine Allan Jones. The result was the ‘Town Bad Girl’ LP which I am very proud of. Michael Prince and I produced that one.
The band continued with a somewhat different lineup through the 90s.
I left again in 1992 so you will have to ask the other fellas.
You are still a very active guitarist playing with Riff Rockers. Tell us about it.
The Riff Rockers was a blues-based 3 piece band with Jeff Poole and a friend of mine Teddy Kaye on bass. We made a few CDs and had a lot of fun.
After the Riff Rockers, I put a band together with Jon Hyde and Bobby Pickett from the band Detective called The Funkin Maniacs! We also recorded a CD that came out great!
My current band is the Blueprint. We are playing around LA and putting a new CD together. I can keep you posted!
How did you get the new lead singer Keith England in the Legs Diamond? How is working with him?
Keith and I met at Chuck Wright’s Ultimate Jam Night at the Whiskey where we both sang and jammed occasionally. When Legs Diamond decided to start playing again I asked Keith to join us and it’s been fantastic! Keith has that grit and growl our original singer Rick had and added some southern flavor. He’s also a great showman!
How far are you with the upcoming album? Can you reveal something to our readers?
I would say we are about 2/3 on our way. We have quite a few really great songs and just need to add a few more.
One of the songs Jeff Poole and I wrote is about his late daughter, Keri, who was killed in that mass shooting in Vegas a few years back. It was sad and very tragic. It will be a nice way to remember her.
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?
The highlights for me are always the live shows. My favs are opening for Kiss as they were our first ever shows to over 20,000 people at each show.
The songs I am most proud of as a song writer are ‘Woman’ and ‘Remember My Name’. I love all of our songs though.
Most memorable gig was headlining the La Semana show in San Antonio for 18,000 people. It was amazing to have that many people singing out loud the songs we wrote!
What would be the craziest story that happened to the band?
I had a “Spinal Tap” moment when we played with the Baby’s in Royal Oak Michigan. It was an old school theater and I got lost backstage!!! Luckily I found my way out just in time for the first song to start.
What are some of the bands you shared stages with?
Here’s a list but it’s not complete; Ted Nugent, Kiss, The Golden Earring, Styx, Sammy Hagar, Triumph, Rush, Montrose, Alice Cooper, Y&T, Reo Speedwagon, Nazareth, Bob Seger, Riot, Moxy, Ten Years After, Mountain, The J. Geils Band, Glenn Hughes, Michael Schenker Group, Ufo, Soul SirkUS, The Babys, Angel, Uli Jon Roth, Budgie, Dio, Starz.
Is there any unreleased material by Legs Diamond?
Michael Prince usually re-masters whatever we release or re-release. He always finds old demos to include.
Would you like to comment on your guitar technique? Give us some insights on developing your guitar technique.
One comment would be to make every note important. Too many “riffers” think speed makes them a better player. The best solos are ones people can sing or hum to. No one wants to hear you play “scales,” so make it melodic!!!
I’m tuned down a half step and use “heavy bottom” strings (52-10). I like big fat guitar tones and you can’t get it with little spider web strings. It also requires very strong fingers.
What are some of the most important players that influenced your own style and what in particular did they employ in their playing that you liked?
My style was formed by the end of the 60’s. My early influences were Eric Clapton in his John Mayall days and Cream. Jeff Beck’s first two solo albums were also a blueprint for where I wanted to go. I never wanted to play like Hendrix as his playing was very recognizable, Stevie Ray Vaughan did a job of representing him though.
What other musical activities have you undertaken lately?
I am a big supporter of live music. I try to play as often as I can. I even have a solo acoustic gig! I got out to clubs and concerts constantly and supported all of my musician friends!
I have a recording/rehearsal room in my house and I’m currently working on Legs Diamond songs as well as an LP from the Blueprint.
Thank you for taking your time. Last word is yours.
I just want to say I am thankful for every day I have on this earth. I am so blessed that my job in life is to play music and make people smile. If I can make people forget their troubles for a little while I am more than happy!
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Legs Diamond live at Earth Day 1977 (1977) | Rick Sanford (vocals) and Roger Romero (guitar) | Credit: www.jdthedj.com
All photo materials are copyrighted by their respective copyright owners, and are subject to use for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!
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