Who Are It's Only Roy?

RICK BELL


At the age of 13, Rick got an old & beat up 6-string guitar. With the action set way too high, he spent all of his spare time building callouses and teaching himself the chords to as many hits of the time as he could - Beatles, Beach Boys, 4 Seasons, etc. Forming his first band with some friends, they became known for their harmony, a la Beach Boys, where he learned all the ins & outs of 4 & 5 part vocals. That’s when he started to write songs, utilizing his friends talents to sing & play them. He, later, rolled an upright piano down the driveway from a neighbor’s house and transferred all of his guitar knowledge to the keys, expanding his writing abilities.

The year was 1968, when the band met Billy Carl, a producer working in NYC, who liked a couple of songs and invited them to come up and record them in a pro studio. Packed in Dad’s station wagon, they drove through the Lincoln Tunnel for the first time in their lives and spent the day taping for the first time, 2 songs Rick wrote ‘Summer Girl’ & ‘Little Mustang’. Though nothing came of the songs, Billy Carl was impressed and began bringing Rick to NYC on a weekly basis to write for his projects, which was just the taste of the real music scene Rick was looking for!

During that time Rick met F. C. Collins, a poet & songwriter totally different from what he was used to. ‘Fritter’, as he was known, was into Dylan. Rick drank it in, learned a finger picking style guitar and formed a duo with Fritter called “Tracks’. They wrote and performed their songs and gained recognition from their audiences and peers. This led to a meeting with another local band around 1971, and eventually they teamed up as one unit called ‘Wire & Wood’.

Craig Bickhardt was one of writers that joined Rick & Fritter in the creation of some of the best music on the Philly scene in the early 70’s, opening concerts for artists, such as Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Stills. Some of Wire & Wood's songs now reside on one lone vinyl song demo. Lo-tech, back in the day!

Wire & Wood eventually packed it up in Philly and Rick & the band went their separate ways, though that didn’t last long. In Feb., 1975, Rick got a call that his recently transplanted mates had their house burn to the ground, losing all of their instruments, but were alive and well. Rick decided it was time to head west to LA to re-join the band for a new beginning. As regulars at the Topanga Canyon Corral, Wire and Wood worked on their sound and experimented with song writing until they finally caught the ears of J. C. Phillips and Albert Grossman, who were forming a new partnership called October Records.

This was also the same period where Rick first met Michael Lanning, who was in the band ‘Jiva’, the first signed to George Harrison’s new label, Dark Horse Records. As we know, Rick & Mike Lanning have developed into a great musical team.

At the same time, Craig hooked up with his old schoolmate, Michael Sembello, and soon Rick, Craig, & Mike were writing songs together that would eventually be recorded by Art Garfunkel and others.
October Records then set up a weeks worth of recording sessions for the band in Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, NY. Although the recordings went well, the Lp was never completed. The new label folded after one unsuccessful release by a talented young keyboard player named Jonathan Cain (Journey). A few months later Albert Grossman was dead. Lacking the money to return to LA and frankly, lost and disenchanted, the group finally hit a dead end and disbanded in 1978.

Rick worked around the Philly area for few years, and then decided it was time to move he and his wife to LA, after re-establshing his relationship with Michael Sembello.

In 1987, the Bells were residents of Tarzana, CA! He worked with Sembello on HBO’s 'Dead Solid Perfect' (Randy Quaid), the score for ‘Dance ‘Til Dawn’ (Alyssa Milano) NBC Movie of the Week., ‘Salsa’, and others.

Finally Mike Lanning & he decided to go for it and started writing..... a lot. That was the beginning of ‘Grown Men’,now known as 'Its' Only Roy'.

Michael had a relationship with Dave Edmunds (Rockpile) and Dave was recording a new record ‘Closer To The Flame’. Well, Rick & Mike got to work and wrote a tune ‘Everytime I See Her’ and Dave loved it and recorded it for that record. His next project was producing the Stray Cats ‘Choo Choo Hot Fish’ CD and he was looking for a song. It just so happened that Rick & Mike were working on an Elvis type rockabilly thing for the movie ‘Cry Baby’ (Johnny Depp). They recorded it, but decided to give it Dave, who played it for The Cats and they wanted it!

During this same time, Rick teamed with other writers, one being Lenny Macaluso. They went on to write for Kathy Sledge (Reason For This), Denise Lopez (Everlasting Love) SaFire (I Wasn’t Born Yesterday) and for movies Fast Food (Jim Varney), Phantom of the Mall, Rich Girl, and others.

In 1994, Rick & his wife, Lisa, experienced the Northridge earthquake, and suffered damages enough to make them decide to leave LA. They returned to Phila., PA. It wasn't long before he found his old musician friends, especially Fred DiTomasso, Wire & Wood's bass player, which led him to join Fred in Robert ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun") Hazard's "The Hombres". There's a recording from those sessions somewhere out there!

It was a little after that, when Rick FINALLY met Brian Setzer at an outdoor concert he was doing with his Orchestra. Eventually, he called Rick for the CD ‘Vavoom’. Brian played a track over the phone and asked if he could do something like that! A week and a half later, Rick called and played what he’d some up with. Brian really dug it, finished up the lyrics, and recorded ‘From Here To Eternity’. Cool!

Following "The Hombres", and for the past 9 years, Rick has also been the bass player & backing vocalist with the 'The Soul Survivors', a sixties group with a nationwide #1 hit, 'Expressway To Your Heart'. He's also written many songs with the Ingui Brothers, Richie & Charlie, over the past 25 years.

Rick has come full circle and is once again writing with Craig Bickhardt on 3 new songs, as well as his newest collaborator, Kyf Brewer on ‘Wonderful Day’, and few more, and with Rich Grasso (Sweet Cherry Wine – Tommy James). And his new Christmas song, 'SANTA"S BAG' was released as the opener for the film, 'A Halfway House Christmas' in 2005, featuring a friend and honorary member of "Its' Only Roy', Chuck Kirkpatrick, who sang backup, played, & mixed the song!


MICHAEL LANNING
Michael was part of the original broadway cast of The Civil War. He began performing in theater at the age of 9. With an extensive background and education in music and theater, Michael has been a featured performer in many theater companies, including Civic Light Opera in So. California, the legendary Junior University in the Inland Empire under one of his most beloved mentors, composer, arranger and pianist, William R. Dixon. From the time Michael was 9 to 17, he cut his theatrical teeth working with the likes of Darren McGavin, Milo O' Shea, Ruta Lee, Billy Barty, renowned Stage directors Laurence Kasha, Jack Bunch, Michael Dixon, and lead understudies for the hit Broadway musicals, The Sound Of Music and The Music Man.

Michael has recorded and/or toured with many greats, including Fleetwood Mac, Donovan, Rockpile, Larry Gatlin of Gatlin Bros. fame and George Harrison. His band, Jiva, was the first American act to be signed by the Harrison label, Dark Horse Records, where Harrison served as their executive producer. Jiva was also signed with Polydor records and released their second major label debut within 3 years, "Still Life". A songwriter and a music publisher, "Lanningsongs" have been recorded by producer/guitar legend Dave Edmunds, The Stray Cats, French recording star Sylvie Vartan and many others.

Michael's distinctive yet versatile style has made him a top session vocalist for national television and radio commercials for over a decade. Commercial jingles include the national spots "Heartbeat Of America, Chevy truck"," Snickers, There's A Hunger Inside You", "We Build Excitement, Pontiac", "Honda, Come Ride", just to name a few.

As an actor and singer his credits include Steven Bochco's "Coprock", "ER", "Thunder in Paradise", and "Baywatch" and many independent films, some we just won't mention here.

From 2000 to 2005, Michael was a premier featured vocalist for The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, singing "Christmas Dreams" on the 2004 release of the third album in the Christmas trilogy, "The Lost Christmas Eve".

Rick & Michael have collaborated on material for the movies "Cocktail" (Tom Cruise), "Child's Play", and T.V.'s "Baywatch", as well as recordings by The Stray Cats "Cry Baby", Dave Edmunds "Everytime I See Her", & Sylvia Vartin "Qui Tu Es / I'm Not You".