Les Fradkin is one of the guitar legends of the 1970's. As well as being an original member of hit Broadway show "Beatlemania", he has found success as a recording artist, composer and producer with MGM Sunflower, ESP-Disk', Bell, Arista, RCA, and Laurie Records. Les has written the well known French hit "La Chansons Des Souvenirs" ("Song Of A Thousand Voices") for the famous Mireille Mathieu. He has played 12 and 6-string Guitar, Bass, Mellotron, and Piano on dozens of Top 40 hit records throughout the early 1970's , scoring many US and UK chart placings throughout his career.
His 12-string guitar, vocals and production with legendary underground psychedelic folk- rock group,The Godz, resulted in several albums for ESP Disk among which "Pass On This Side" (featuring Les' song "God Bless California"), continues to influence and mentor generations of new musicians to this day.
In 1976, Les was selected over thousands of other auditioning guitarists to appear in the original cast of the smash hit Broadway musical "Beatlemania" playing lead guitar and the part of "George Harrison" in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Running for two and a half years from May 1977 thru October 1979, every show (including over 1200 in New York alone) was sold out and the musicians quickly became celebrities with magazine cover stories ("Newsweek","Time", "People", "Rolling Stone") and many major television show appearances. With his guitar-playing in the international spotlight from the show, Fradkin developed a cult following that has avidly followed his career and made him a celebrity among guitar fans.
He has enjoyed chart success on the net as well with his songs reaching mp3.com's 1 position 16 times! New Gandy Dancer Rock Magazine named Les' CD "A Day At The Beach" it's 2004 Album Of The Year. In addition, Les has performed with The Ventures as 2nd Lead Guitarist. Nokie Edwards of The Ventures has performed with Les on several occasions and is a featured guest on his "While My Guitar Only Plays" CD. In fact, Les has been acknowledged as a guitar virtuoso for over 30 years and he has been featured in issues of 20th Century Guitar Magazine, Pipeline and New Gandy Dancer Magazines.
Today, Les has released 15 solo CD's on his RRO Entertainment Indie label and has had over 300,000 downloads bringing him several substantial hits on Apple iTunes and other download sites across the Internet.
Les Fradkin - and the Ztar
p style="visibility:visible;">
Les Fradkin has been on the cutting edge of Guitar Synthesis since the dawn of MIDI back in 1983. But his experience with synthesis and sampling stretches even further back to 1970 when he began a long and distinguished career as an Artist, Composer, Producer and session Guitarist and Mellotron player in New York City and London.
He's a Guitar Virtuoso and now, a 21st Century music innovator on the Starr Labs Ztar.
In the early 80's, he pioneered the introduction of tapeless MIDI recording with the SynthAxe, Roland Guitar Synthesizer and Yamaha DX7 and TX816 synthesizers recorded with the Yamaha QX1 sequencer and Synclavier 3200 in soap opera music. He also composed and programmed numerous successful jingles and movie soundtracks as well as many game show themes. He worked for Score Productions and ABC TV in New York City, wrote many national jingles (for such products as Cheerios, Campbel's Soup, Nestle's, Crisco,, American Express), 4 movie soundtracks and co wrote, programmed and played on all the music for the soap Opera "One Life To Live" for ABC-TV from 1984 thru 1988. He was the first composer to record entirely "Direct-To-Disk" in New York City. His sonic innovations at that time with the SynthAxe, Synclavier, Yamaha DX7, TX816 Digital Synthesizers and the Yamaha QX1 Sequencer earned him great accolades in the TV industry and established him as "Dr. MIDI." His dramatic ability with Scoring Cues as well as full blown themes blazed a trail that he continues today.
After recording and releasing several successful Guitar Synthesizer Instrumental CD's since 2005, featuring Guitar Pitch to MIDI Technology, Les felt the need to break through existing barriers he had experienced since the dawn of MIDI. Although he once owned and used a SynthAxe MIDI Controller, the company had long ceased doing business and there seemed to be very little to choose from in the way of advanced MIDI control that a virtuso guitarist could play in real time with reliable and predictable results with modern music technology. Always on the lookout for a MIDI Guitar that could track as fast as he could play, he discovered the Starr Labs Ztar in the Summer of 2007 which, unexpectedly, opened up a whole new Universe of performance and expressive possibilities for him as a composer, musician and guitar synthesist.
As a result of acquiring this new instrument, Les has some current work which involves the music and dynamic of Electronic sound as realized from the performance control of the Ztar. Searching for a means that could transport the listener to new realms of experience, he found himself now able to single-handedly orchestrate entire new worlds of sonic tapestry in real time with perfect tracking which were never before possible from previous MIDI Guitar technology. An entirely new merging of mind, heart, and computer technology resulting in new music was now posssible. Using a blend of Space Rock, Progressive Electronic and Neo Classical signposts, Les' new CD "One Link Between Them" opens up a new door to a sound which has thrilled music fans the world over.
Les Fradkin - Discography-Albums
FEARLESS FRADKIN - MGM/Sunflower SNF-5003 (unreleased LP)
Prologue, God Bless California, Black Gypsy, I Challenge You, Christopher's Sorrow, Sometimes A Girl Must Carry On, You Can Cry If You Want To, Song Of A Thousand Voices, Days Of Sunshine, That's When The Good Feeling Starts
SPLASH (2004) RRO-1002 - re-issue of Trackbytrack 7000
Bombara, Surfin' the classics Part 1 & 2, Apache, Body surfin', White sands, Walk don't run 2000, The cruel sea, Sandblaster, Walk the nose, Reverbia
2004 bonus tracks : Phil Dirt introduction, Body surfin', White sands, Surfin the classics Part 1 & 2 (all live)
A DAY AT THE BEACH (2004) RRO-1003 re-issue of Trackbytrack 7001 (2000)
2004 bonus tracks : Bombora, Reverbia (both live)
A day at the beach, Kick sand, Pintor, Key West sunset, Nature calls, Good vibrations, The dirt surfers get wet, Wave rider, Beck's bolero, Hurricane warning, Joy of man's desiring, The bridge across forever
GODZOLOGY (2000) Renaissance RMED00132 (as by PAUL THORNTON & LES FRADKIN)
I know you rider, Just like yesterday, The ballad of Belle Star, I'll be around, Down on my luck, I will, Give a damn, Lonely together, God bless California, Black gypsy, Good ol' rock 'n roll, Broadway is blue, Follow the leader,Universal soldier, A hard rain's a-gonna fall, Lay down your arms, The Thornton report, I can never say goodbye, Safe in space
Outtake : Hungry for love (With Silver Apples)
REALITY - THE ROCK OPERA (2003) Reality Rock Org. RRO-1001
Reality 1 : Overture, Reality, Magic attic, You can't change me, 25 woman so little time, Reality idol, It's plastic, Here today gone tomorrow, Reality 2 : Everything is wrong, Obsolete, Rehearsals for retirement, Reality check, System crash, The rebirth of hope, Together, Alternate reality : Rehearsals for retirement, Here today gone tomorrow
PERFECT WORLD (2004) RRO-1004
Beach baby, God bless California, Funny how love can be, I can never say goodbye, Smile a little smile for me, I will, You belong to me, My baby loves lovin', Love grows (where my Rosemary goes), Perfect world
WHILE MY GUITAR ONLY PLAYS (2005) RRO-1005
Here comes the sun, And your bird can sing, If I needed someone, I feel fine, I saw her standing there, I need you, Taxman, Paperback writer, I want to tell you, Strawberry fields forever, While my guitar gently weeps, Golden slumbers, Carry that weight, The end
SOMETHING FOR GEORGE (2005) RRO-1007
My sweet lord, Awaiting on you all, This is love, You, Here comes the sun (version 2), While my guitar gently weeps (version 2), Something, Isn't it a pity
LOVE YOU 2 (2006) RRO-1008
Taxman, If I needed someone, You know what to do, You like me too much, I'm happy just to dance with you, I need you, Don't bother me, Do you want to know a secret, Think for yourself, I want to tell you, Love you to
GOIN' BACK (2006) RRO-1009
Goin' back, So you want to be a rock and roll star, Have I the right, I can't let go, When you walk into the room, Only to you, Walk away Renee, I could make it last forever, Spare change, I'm gonna love you, I don't want to do it, Fellow travelers
JANGLEHOLIC (2006) RRO-1010 (Song info)
Jangleholic, I want you, You were on my mind, I'll never find another you, Arrow through your heart, Hazy shade of winter, The dangling conversation, Why is this man smiling ?, Sometimes a girl must carry on, Still on my way, Everything is gonna be all right
UNDER THE COVERS (2006) RRO-1011
Under the covers, Through the looking glass, Take a chance, Song of a thousand voices, You can cry if you want to, I cry, Reflections of my life, Here comes that rainy day feeling again, Montego Bay, I'd love you to want me, La chanson des souvenirs (Song of a thousand voices)
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS (2006) RRO-1012
I wish it could be Christmas everyday, Say you love me for Christmas, My baby loves Christmas, Ding dong ding dong, Christmas vacation, Jangle bells, Happy Xmas (war is over), Christmas sleeps tonight, Hello Christmas (goodbye year), There won't be Christmas this year (cause I won't be with you), A Christmas gone too soon, The spirit of Christmas
IF YOUR MEMORY SERVES YOU WELL (2006) RRO-1013
This wheel's on fire, Knockin' on heaven's door, The times they are a-changin', Like a rolling stone, Just like a woman, Love minus zero / No limit, The mighty quinn, Can you please crawl out your window ?, Absolutely sweet Marie, One of us must know (sooner or later)
PEPPER FRONT TO BACK (2007) RRO-1018
Sgt Pepper's lonely hearts club band, With a little help from my friends, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Getting better, Fixing a hole, She's leaving home, Being for the benefit of Mr Kite, Within you without you, When I'm 64, Lovely Rita, Good morning good morning, Sgt Pepper's lonely hearts club band (reprise), A day on the life, All you need is love
12 (2007) RRO
I know you rider, The ballad of Belle star, Eight miles high, Alone again or, Down on my luck, Four strong winds, Mr tambourine man, A hard rain's a gonna fall, Lay down your arms
GUITAR REVOLUTION (2007) RRO-1024
Revolution, Jet, Live And Let Die, Within You Without You (Version 2), I'll Be Back, Free As A Bird, Ever Present Past, Dance Tonight, I Am The Walrus, Imagine, Rockestra Theme
Les Fradkin - Discography-Singles
FEARLESS FRADKIN
Song of a thousand voices / You can cry if you want to - MGM/Sunflower SUN-101
THE YUMMIES
Patty Cake / Hippie Lady - MGM/Sunflower SUN-103
LES FRADKIN
Spare change, Perfect world - digital singles
LES FRADKIN
Telstar
Bohemian Rhapsody
A Dim Twilight
Digital Single (RRO-1028) (2008)
Les Fradkin - Sessions
Recent:
NAPOLEON'S GHOST
They're coming to take me away Ha! Haa! /
!!Aah !Ah yawa em ekat ot gnimoc er'yeht
(2006) RRO-1014 (digital single)
Foreign Cover:
MIREILLE MATHIEU - La chanson des souvenir (Song of a thousand voices) - Philips 3210.020
Les Fradkin - Beatlemania!
Beatlemania !!
BEATLEMANIA - THE ORIGINAL CAST
LIVE FROM THE WINTERGARDEN THEATER (1978) Arista 8501
Act 1
The Coming : I Want To Hold Your Hand, She Loves You
Making It : Help!, Can't Buy Me Love, Day Tripper
Listening : Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Nowhere Man
Tripping : Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, Magical Mystery Tour
Act 2
Dropping Out : Lady Madonna, The Fool On The Hill, Got To Get You Into My Life, Michelle, Get Back
Flower Power : All You Need Is Love
Bottoming Out : Revolution, Hey Jude
Moving On : I Am The Walrus, The Long And Winding Road, Let It Be
Les Fradkin-Lead Guitar, Vocals
Les Fradkin - The Godz Sessions
THE GODZ
GODZUNDHEIT (1973) ESP 2017
Take the time, Give a damn
Les Fradkin-Bass, 12-String Guitar, Background Vocals
JIM McCARTHY
ALIEN (1973) ESP 3008
Guide me to your love, In the search of an audience, Word of honour, We love you, Song for all seasons, Sickness or cure, So beautiful, Girly pearl, Seething with tears
Les Fradkin-Bass
THORNTON, FRADKIN & UNGER
PASS ON THIS SIDE (1974) ESP-3019 (re-issued as by The Godz)
God bless California, M'Lady, Jimi, Christopher's sorrow, Walkin' guitar blues, Oh woman, To err is human, Sometimes
Outtake : Eight miles high (unreleased)
God bless California / Sometimes - ESP-63019
God bless California / M'Lady - ESP/Pink Elephant 22860 (Holland)
Les Fradkin-12-String Guitar, Mellotron, Bass, Vocals, Mandolin, Drums
Les Fradkin - The David Peel Sessions
DAVID PEEL & THE APPLE BAND
Bring back The Beatles / Imagine - Orange 1001
Junk rock / I hate you - Auravox
BRING BACK THE BEATLES - Orange 004
The Beatles pledge of allegiance, Bring back The Beatles, Coconut grove, Imagine, Turn me on, Lollipop fish, The wonderful world of Abbey Road, Apple Beatle foursome, The ballad of James Paul McCartney, With a little help from my friends, My fat budgie, Keep John Lennon in America, (The John Lennon interview), B-E-A-T-L-E-S
CD bonus track : I like marijuana
SANTA CLAUS - ROOFTOP JUNKIE - RLF 001
Cockeroach, Smack freek blues, Rock'n'roll rip-off, The narco is a pusher, The schools of corruption, Santa Claus - rooftop junkie, Who stole John F Kennedy's brain, I'm going insane, The ballad of AJ Weberman, Benedict McCartney/Judas @ Ringo/BS Harrison, Watergate ("I didn't do it"), Jingle bells war
DEATH TO DISCO - Orange 666
I hate disco, Junk rock, I hate you, Disco sucks, Up against the wall - DF, Rock'n'roll forever, Death to disco, Baby - I can't take it, Blood murder, Disco taps
AN EVENING WITH DAVID PEEL - Orange 713
Song on the spot (Who stole John F Kennedy's brain), The pope smokes dope, Balling in the bathroom, Up against the wall, Cocoanut grove, Rock and roll rip-off, Santa Claus rooftop junkie, Bring back The Beatles, Have a marijuana, Hippie from New York City, Auld lang Syne
Les Fradkin - The Left Banke Connection
STEVE MARTIN
Two by two (I'm losing you) / Love songs in the night (1970) Buddah BDA 219
Also included on the Soundtrack LP Hot Parts (Kama Sutra 2054)
STORIES
Hello people (1972 - unreleased)
LEFT BANKE
I could make it last forever, Goodbye, Lori's song (1972/1973 - unreleased)
Only my opinion, You say, Lorraine, Right by my side (1973 - unreleased)
And one day, Lorraine, Only my opinion, You say (1978 - unreleased)
Left Banke - I could make it last forever (2006 video)
LES FRADKIN / IAN LLOYD PROJECT
It's gonna be hard, Never been a man (unreleased - 1975)
Les Fradkin - The LAURIE Records Sessions
CALIFORNIA
See you in September / Ivy Ivy (1976) Laurie 3612
Song of a thousand voices / Abraham Martin & John (1976) Laurie 3639
Jeans on / Doo-wop music - Laurie 3647 (1976)
I'm just thinking of you / Doo-wop music - Laurie 3649
Summer fun medley / Paris (1945) (1981) Laurie 3695
Brown eyed girl / Thank you for lovin' me - Laurie 3701
He's almost you / Three time loser (1982) Laurie 3706
Black gypsy / The land of fun & love (1983) Laurie 3710
He's almost you / Three time loser - RCA 306
Little brown jug / String of pearls - 3C-114
ELECTRIC SWING - 3C-6000 (LP)
COLLECTOR'S RECORDS OF THE 50's and 60's Vol 14 - (1982)
Feat. See you in September
JERRY BOCCINO / BO KENO
Produced by Les after her Phil Spector period
MARTY BRILL
THE MISSING TAPES (1974) Laurie LCS 5002 (LP)
Spaced out, Plugging the leaks, The godfather, Zeigler, Camp David and Goliath, Zeigler #2, Smut !, Zeigler #3, Confidentially speaking, Zeigler #4, Showdown at credibility gap, Hot line #1, The spirit of '76, Hot line #2, Psalm of these days, Doctor Quackenbusch, From soup top nuts, Spaced way-out
NEW HOPE
Green green grass / Oh my lady - Laurie 3608
TOM SELDEN
Where have all the heroes gone / Willin' - Laurie 3609
MARA LYNN BROWN
God bless California / He's gone - Laurie 3611
ROYAL GUARDSMEN
Snoopy for president / Sweetmeats slide - Laurie 3646
GENE KING
Bag O' Tricks / Uncle Funk - Laurie Records-LR3699
DON LOMBARDI
Sunny afternoons / The roadie's dream - Laurie 3709
NELL CARTER
Must Be With You Tonight - Laurie Records
THE HITS
Count On You / All The Girls (Wanna Be In Gangs) - (1981) Nobell Records
BARBARA M
HIGH STEPPIN' - 3C 6001
Hi Steppin' / Sweet Talkin' Guy - 3C Records- 7C-119
Judgement day / I don't want to set the world on fire / I'm not your girl anymore (1987) 3C 7C-121
Got You Where I Want You / Turn Up The Night - 3C Records- 7C-123
Lonely Town / If I Had A Time Machine - 3C Records- 7C-125
VALERIE TYLER
Rock 'n roll high school / Catherine street - 3C-101
Indian woman / Don't cry for me - 3C-106
I'm dancin' / I'm dancin' (Instrumental) - 3C-110
BARRY WINSLOW
I love a good mystery /
Only love has the right - 3C-116
Les Fradkin - Odds & Ends
LES FRADKIN, MICK RONSON, HILLY MICHAELS Sessions
Spare Change, Sailing, I'm Gonna Love You, I Can Never Say Goodbye, Calling All Girls (all unreleased, except for 'Spare change' which is on the Goin' Back CD)
JUNE RECORD
Destiny (2000) digital single
VARIOUS ARTISTS
THE PALER'S PROJECT : FROM SHADOW TO SHADOW
Les' track : Fellow travelers
KATIE
ANGEL EYES
You're the one for me (2002) digital single
1000 GUITARS (feat. Les Fradkin)
Louie Louie (recorded live at Louiefest 2004) (2005)
The RRO years
VENUS IN BLUEJEANS
VENUS IN BLUEJEANS (6-track EP) (2000)
VENUS IN BLUEJEANS (2005) RRO-1006
He's almost you, Miss Perfect, You can't control me, Sealed with a kiss, Dangerous, Dream away, Wild thing, Gone
LIKE AN ANGEL (2006) RRO-1017
Like an angel, Sailing, Across the universe, I cry, You showed me, Another brick in the wall, You really got me, Stairway to heaven
THE HONEYCOMBS
Jangle Bells / Hello Christmas (Goodbye Year) (2007) RRO download only single
Les Fradkin - Endorsements
Les Fradkin plays and endorses:
Starr Labs Ztar Model Z7S MIDI Guitar
w/Air Power Wireless System
Wilson Bros Ventures Model Guitars
Les Fradkin's Gear - Equipment for Stage & Studio
For stage:
Starr Labs Ztar Z7s with Air Power Wireless
Apple MacBook Laptop with 4 Gb RAM 2.2Ghz
Ableton Live 7.0.7
Arturia Moog Modular V
Arturia Jupiter 8V
GForce M-Tron (Virtual Mellotron)
MOTU Ultra Lite Firewire Audio
4 Glyph 500 Gb External Hard Drives
Roland XV-5080 Synthesizer
Updates on what what gear I'm using on my recordings:
6 STRING ELECTRIC GUITARS:
Wilson Bros VM-65 Ventures Model
Epiphone John Lennon "1965" Casino
Epiphone John Lennon "Revolution" Casino
Epiphone G-1275 6/12 Doubleneck
Epiphone "Dot"
