The Bomp Zone
I spent the early- to mid-1980s investing my songwriting and performing skills in one of the more unique musical groups of that era’s thriving Philadelphia music scene: The Bomp Zone. Founded with friend and collaborator John Roberts (bass), the trio at different times included drummers Marvin Farmer, Mike Rudolph and Steve Parsons.
The active club scene at that time included numerous original music venues*, giving bands the opportunity to play out regularly and refine their sound in front of live audiences---a dual sound in the case of The Bomp Zone. While I was switching between electronic keyboards and my Stratocaster guitar on stage, the band presented crowds with two distinct styles within every live set: an 80’s synth beat, so popular at that time, in addition to a guitar-driven, straight-ahead pop sound that remains timeless even today. Enjoy (re)discovering The Bomp Zone. *Ripley's (checkout The Ripely Report from 1984), Dobbs, Grendel's Lair, Bigelow's, Hockster's, and the legendary Joe's Sportsman's Lounge, to name a few. |
Read The Bomp Zone review from their 1984 debut at Philadelphia's famous venue, Grendel's Lair.
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The Bomp Zone, along with many other Philadelphia original music bands of the time, performed regularly at the infamous "Joe's Sportsman's Lounge" in West Chester, PA. This recording was captured live off the soundboard in December of 1984. "Necessity" was an expression of the raw sexuality of the time and a nod to the evolving punk rock scene.
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Credits:
The Bomp Zone Necessity (Copyright 1980 Mark Minassian) Mark Minassian: electric guitar and lead vocals John Roberts: bass and background vocals Steve Parsons: drums Leo Valentino: soundman Kenny Homer: Joe's Sportsman's Lounge manager and emcee Leo Valentino and Mark Minassian: recording production |
On a frantic weekend in January of 1985, John Roberts, Steve Parsons, Leo Valentino, and I recorded five songs in just two-plus days, using a rented four-track Tascam analog tape recorder, in an effort to capture our sound for potential booking agents and club owners. We recorded in the basement of the Chester Heights, PA house in which I was living (which also served as our rehearsal space). Cables running upstairs to the sound board competed for space with the drum kit, sound baffles, microphones and amps. Few takes were needed (frequent shows had tightened the band’s performance), or even desired, as a “live” sound was the goal of the weekend.
Those five songs---three guitar cuts bookended by two keyboard-oriented tracks---collectively became The Bomp Zone EP, Entry No Exit and were mixed in 1985 by me and soundman Leo Valentino, who also engineered the session. Thirty-one years later, the two of us dusted off the aging cassette tapes and imported the stereo tracks into my home studio digital audio workstation. With minor clean-up and very minimal processing, in order to maintain the authenticity and feel of the original release, we digitally remastered each of the five songs.
Those five songs---three guitar cuts bookended by two keyboard-oriented tracks---collectively became The Bomp Zone EP, Entry No Exit and were mixed in 1985 by me and soundman Leo Valentino, who also engineered the session. Thirty-one years later, the two of us dusted off the aging cassette tapes and imported the stereo tracks into my home studio digital audio workstation. With minor clean-up and very minimal processing, in order to maintain the authenticity and feel of the original release, we digitally remastered each of the five songs.
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Entry No Exit (EP) by the Bomp Zone (℗ 1985 Mark Minassian)
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Credits:
The Bomp Zone EP: Entry No Exit Produced by: Leo Valentino and Mark Minassian Mark Minassian: electric guitar and lead vocals John Roberts: bass and background vocals Steve Parsons: drums Leo Valentino: recording engineer |
In 1983, The Bomp Zone entered the studio for the first time to lay down three tracks, Mysterious Rover, Impulse, and Break Free that would later be used in a cable TV show show called Visionworks on American Cablevision. Check out the the "Video" tab to see the performances of these songs.
