Playmation worked together in 1987-88 in the San Francisco Bay Area. For Beginners was the first collection of songs from the group. Originally 8 tunes as a shopping demo. Three more were finished by Rick and the band and added to the collection upon the untimely death of Robert Puopolo in London in Jan 1989. 
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

Playmation - For Beginners

Why Wait For Someday - Testmix1 - 051921

Stop Holding On - Original Demo

1977 Xanadu Studios SF
Halcyon was:
Rich Nebel - guitars and guitar synth
Vid Englert - bass and bass pedals
Pete Adams - drums and percussion

Ef - Sharpe

I played everything here, even relatively decent drum programming. Particularly happy with the wah-wah guitar parts, although nobody else seemed to be impressed.

Vision of the Past

These two tracks are live and were likely recorded (probably on a boom box) during a party at the band's rehearsal studio in the late 70's.  It begins with City Maker and segues into Tender Dreams Collide at about the 2:45 mark.

City Maker - Tender Dreams Collide

©1987 Eagle/Puopolo
See live performance video at Santa Monica Civic Center from October 1987:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91watESpCsU
Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Robert Puopolo and Playmation. 
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

The Reason Why

©1987 Eagle/Puopolo
Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Robert Puopolo and Playmation. 
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

Someone's Watching Me

Walking Inside You

©1987 Eagle/Pellicer
See live performance video at Santa Monica Civic Center from October 1987:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAyNUUdKEg4

Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Robert Puopolo and Playmation. 
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

Nothing Lasts Forever

©1987 Robert Puopolo
Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Robert Puopolo and Playmation. 
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

World of Fear

Field of Vision

Sending My Love

©1985 Eagle/Pellicer
Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Robert Puopolo and Playmation. 
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

Heaven Knows

©1987 Eagle/Puopolo
Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Robert Puopolo and Playmation.
The members were:
Robert Puopolo - guitar
Dolores Duran - Keyboards
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices

One More Day

©1987 Eagle/Puopolo
Recorded by Playmation. Following the shock of Robert's passing in Jan. 1989 this song was completed with a little help from our friends James Lewis and Oliver Harris. It was mixed by Rick, Nate and TJ at Homestead Road.
The players were:
Dolores Duran - Yamaha Electric Grand Piano
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices + Guitar + Samplers
James Lewis - Guitar
Oliver Harris - Lead Guitar

Let the Rain Fall

©1987 Eagle/Puopolo
Recorded by Playmation. Produced by Rick Eagle and Playmation. Following the shock of Robert's passing in Jan. 1989 this last song was completed and mixed by Rick.
The players were:
Dolores Duran - Yamaha Electric Grand Piano
Nate Pitts - Bass
T. J. Pellicer - Drums
Rick Eagle - Voices + Guitars + Samplers


Wish

Written and originally recorded by Led Zeppelin for Led Zeppelin III. Re-recorded by me as an exercise to learn my way around Logic. I purposely used the same arrangement and tried to get the same sounds. The tempo is a wee bit slower (as they did it live) and I did have to substitute my Les Paul for the pedal steel used on the original. Of course it's heavily a digital thing whereas the original was analog all the way.

Jimmy uses an "Open G" tuning on his Martin D-28 (low to high: D-G-D-G-B-D). Interestingly, on the studio version they tuned down a half-step to G flat. In keeping with trying to replicate this great recording, I did the same thing.

Recorded using this gear: Macintosh G5 1.8GHz dual Processor - Logic 8 - Universal Audio UAD-1 card - MOTU Ultralite Firewire - Ovation Legend - Gibson Les Paul Standard - Line 6 Flextone III XL - Kentucky KM350S Mandolin - Fender Jazz Bass - AKG 414B-ULS - Tambourine

Vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin and tambourine were recorded with the AKG 414. The Les Paul was recorded using the Line 6 XLR direct into the MOTU Ultralite.

That's The Way

This track is from 1981 just after bass player, Steve Mason had left the band and they were a 3-piece for a time. Rick plays bass here but just played it exactly as Steve use to play it. This was a return to the more "jangly" sound of early Rendezvous with the Ricky 12 highlighted. Some nice "If I fell" vocal harmonies worked out by Rick and Ron. 

Personnel in the band and for track:
Ron Sodano - guitar, vocal
Rick Eagle - Rickenbacker 360-12, bass, vocal
Mike Lugin - drums

©1979 R. Sodano

Dear Girl

Fafner's Lair was a progressive rock band originating in Marin, CA. in the late 1970s, later relocating to Los Angeles, CA.

Onward Motion

Well of Souls
Music: Rowland McDaniel  |  Lyrics: Meghan
Introduction Pour Puits Des Ames: Jacques Moriarty
Players on this recording:
Vocals: Megan (Sherri McMullin-Druit)
Guitars: Rowland McDaniel
Bass Guitar: Rick Eagle
Drums: Scott Sherman

Introduction Pour Puits Des Ames: Jacques Moriarty
Guitars: Jacques Moriarty
Childrens Choir voices: Raine and Jenny Wallace

Well Of Souls

Radio Man
Music: Rowland McDaniel  |  Lyrics: Meghan
Players on this recording:
Vocals: Meghan (Sherri McMullin-Druitt)
Guitars: Rowland McDaniel
Bass Guitar: Rick Eagle
Drums: Scott Sherman

Radio Man

I Don't Want to Know
Music & Lyrics: Meghan

Players on this recording:
Vocals: Meghan (Sherri McMullin-Druitt)
Guitars: Jacques Moriarty
Bass Guitar: Rick Eagle
Drums: Scott Sherman

I Don't Want To Know

Head Over Heels
Lyrics: Megan  |  Music: Ernie Parashis
Players on this recording:
Vocals: Meghan (Sherri McMullin-Druitt)
Guitars: Rowland McDaniel
Bass Guitar: Rick Eagle
Drums: Scott Sherman

Head Over Heels

Don't Think Twice
Music & Lyrics: Meghan
Additional Music: Jacques Moriarty
Additional Lyrics: Craig Druitt
Players:
Vocals: Meghan (Sherri McMullin-Druitt)
Guitars: Jacques Moriarty
Bass Guitar: Rick Eagle
Drums: Scott Sherman

Don't Think Twice

Things You Are, designated as the 1980 version since once again in these 1980 sessions, Rendezvous updated one of their previous recordings from the Easter 1979 sessions. This time the tempo is sped up considerably, we get a lead from Ron's Les Paul and there is Rick's Ricky 12 is applied to reach back for a bit of Rickenbacker jangle. Whereas the 1979 version was slow and dreamy, this version is straight-up Power-Pop.

From the second incarnation of the band. Circa 1980.
Drummer Dale Lewis had left. The band underwent a significant change in sound going from jangly hollow body guitars (Ron's Gibson ES-335 and Rick's Gibson Barney Kessel) to solid body guitars (Ron's Gibson Les Paul Custom and Rick's Fender Telecaster). Also you will find no keyboards here. Things were harder and rockier.
The band was ready to record and enlisted Pete Adams on drums for the sessions but as a session player, Pete was not to join Rendezvous as a member for another year. These sessions were again done at AYRE Studios where the band were the first to record on the studio's new MCI 24 Track board and Tape machine. 
Although ten basic tracks were recorded, things got just a bit out of control and only four were completed. These four tracks were issued as an EP (Extended Play) vinyl pressing, very cool and fashionable at the time.
Lots of heavy compression here.

Personnel in the band and for this set of recording was:
Ron Sodano - guitars, lead vocal
Steve Mason - bass
Rick Eagle - Rickenbacker 12 String, back vocals
Pete Adams - drums and good vibe

©1980 R. Sodano

Things You Are 1980

You Told Me.  Power-pop built on Les Paul and Rickenbacker 12-string guitar harmony lines. 

From the second incarnation of the band. Circa 1980.
Drummer Dale Lewis had left. The band underwent a significant change in sound going from jangly hollow body guitars (Ron's Gibson ES-335 and Rick's Gibson Barney Kessel) to solid body guitars (Ron's Gibson Les Paul Custom and Rick's Fender Telecaster). Also you will find no keyboards here. Things were harder and rockier.
The band was ready to record and enlisted Pete Adams on drums for the sessions but as a session player, Pete was not to join Rendezvous as a member for another year. These sessions were again done at AYRE Studios where the band were the first to record on the studio's new MCI 24 Track board and Tape machine. 
Although ten basic tracks were recorded, things got just a bit out of control and only four were completed. These four tracks were issued as an EP (Extended Play) vinyl pressing, very cool and fashionable at the time.
Lots of heavy compression here.

Personnel in the band and for this set of recording was:
Ron Sodano - guitars, lead vocal
Steve Mason - bass
Rick Eagle - Rickenbacker 12 String, back vocals
Pete Adams - drums and good vibe

©1980 R. Sodano

You Told Me

It's Just Me

Not technically a Rendezvous song, just something I wrote and recorded on my 2-track at home in the early hours following six weeks of pretty much living in the studio during Rendezvous sessions in the summer of 1980. Written and recorded "In the Dead of Night".

©1980 J.R. Eagle

In The Dead Of Night

This is a working demo track from the last set of Rendezvous sessions in 1982. The band was experimenting, searching for a way to evolve and make the best use of the skills that Guitarist/Vocalist Phil Sullivan brought to the group.
This is a Ron Sodano song that has Phil on lead vocal. No backing vocals yet and other parts not yet recorded. Just Phil taking a stab at the lead vocal in the wee hours with only Rich Nebel and Rick Eagle in the Control Room. One of two songs attempted that night.

Out In Time

She's Lyin'

Before there was Playmation, there was Rick Eagle and T.J. Pellicer writing and recording for a new as yet un-named project. This "first version" of Heaven Knows is one of two demos recorded by Eagle-Pellicer at AYRE Studios in July 1985. This version is missing the "springboard" section later added to the Playmation version.


Rick Eagle - Guitars, Bass, Voices
T.J. Pellicer - Acoustic drums, Linn9000

Co-Produced with Rich Nebel
Engineered by Rich Nebel, James Lewis

Heaven Knows Ayrestudios

Before there was Playmation, there was Rick Eagle and T.J. Pellicer writing and recording for a new as yet un-named project. Original demo recorded in the living room at Homestead Road and we had quite a time in the studio recreating the great sound on the 12-string guitar from the raw demo. With all the vintage gear we ended up putting the double-neck through a RockMan as the raw original had been done, and ta-da, there was that sound.

Rick Eagle - Guitars, Bass, Voices
T.J. Pellicer - Acoustic drums, Linn9000

Co-Produced with Rich Nebel
Engineered by Rich Nebel, James Lewis

Rick Eagle

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