TOM PERONA - multidimensional music man

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IMAGINATION FACTORY

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The original title for this project was "Various Artist’s Greatest Hits: Collection of tunes featuring Wheaton's finest rock n' roll collaborations." That seemed a little long. But it sums up the album pretty well.

Even though the recording sessions took place over the course of two years, Imagination Factory took shape over a three-week span, beginning December 29, 1998 at the infamous Fish Club in downtown Wheaton and ending on January 17, 1999 at the White Street Laboratories in Champaign. All the lyrics were written and recorded from January 12-13, 1999. Eleven different musicians contributed to the effort. Below is a track-by-track listing of personnel and recording dates for Imagination Factory, as well as a few listening samples.

Album Tracks

Track 1:
If Nothing Were Something: (Perona, Harper) Recorded 10.16.98 with overdubs 1.3.98 at Joe Perona's house in Lombard and 1.13.99 at the White Street Laboratories in Champaign. Joe was 28 at the time. Harper and Tom had set out to record a blues album with Manny Sanchez on lead vocals. On 10.16.98, a session was held where four rhythm tracks were recorded for the blues effort. This was the first of them.
Rhythm guitar: Jon Harper
Lead guitar: Joe Perona
Drums, bass, vocal: TP

If Nothing Were Something

Track 2:
Tale From the Pighouse: (Perona, Harper) Recorded 10.16.98 with vocal and guitar overdubs 1.12.99. The rhythm track (along with the rhythm tracks for "If Nothing Were Something" and "Miss Mary") was recorded during the afternoon that lead to the night of the first mushroom jam. This song is about the Manny Sanchez Experience performance from 12.12.98 where SUNGIE WITDREADS tried to steal the mike. The Manny Sanchez Experience later became Wayside School.
Guitars: Jon Harper
Drums, Bass, Percussion, Vocals: TP

Tale from the Pighouse

Track 3:
Everybody Nose: (Perona) Rhythm track recorded 12.4.98 at White St. Lab. Vocals were overdubbed on 1.13.99 at 5 am or so. A 1/13 ditty. Just some common sense (at the time). Right after this session, we walked down to the campus theatre, met up with Rita, Jill and Kathy, and watched the Wall. Tom was wearing shorts because it was 54 degrees. Ever since then, he has noticed that December has some warm days. But every year, people are surprised when a warm December day arrives. Such short memories….
Drums: Tim Rimbos
Guitar: Jon Harper
Bass, Vocals: TP

Everybody Nose

Track 4:
All Fasctosities Aside: (Stoneprona) Recorded 1.7.97 with guitar overdubs 1.13.97 in the Perona basement. Known as the intro to See Tea Bee Too later in it’s existence.
Drums: TP
Bass: Bob
Guitar: Mike Sapiro
Guitar: Greg Dressel

All Fasctosities Aside

Track 5:
In Memory of Ross: (Perona) The rhythm track (Bass, Acoustic, and Pedal Steel) was recorded in the backroom at Mike's place on December 29, 1998. It was a late night session following a jam session at Fish Club that produced Opum 1 and 2. Like the October 98 blues sessions with Harper, this night turned out four instrumental rhythm tracks, each conceived and recorded on the spot. The overdubs were completed on 1.13.99 at White Street Laboratory. You’ll like to hear this song when you are moving your family across the country in a covered wagon.
Pedal Steel: RM Racky
Bass: Bob Ston
Acoustic Guitar, additional sounds: TP

In Memory of Ross

Track 6:
Near the 4th St. Beach: (public domain) Recorded on or around 2.27.97 in Lawrence Kansas. One weird weekend indeed. The voices were captures from the air sometime during the spring of 98.
Keys: Matt Cullen
Sleepy Bass: Bob Ston
Drums and Percussion: Tim Rimbos, TP

Near the 4th St. Beach

Track 7:
Grilled Cheese and Butt Steak: (Perona) Recorded in the Casa Solana basement on December 29 & 30, 1998. A 14 year old Jim Perona plays most of the solos. It was the first time Tom used a drum machine.
Drum machine, octave bass, rhythm guitar, octave vocal: TP
Lead guitar: Jim Perona

Grilled Cheese and Buttsteak

Track 8:
Santa Clause Lives in Danville Pts. 1, 2, 3: (Perona, Sanchez, Harper, Maslin, Racky, Rimbos, Ston) Part 1 is taken from a live Admiral Freebee concert at Mable’s in Champaign (10.8.98). The rhythm track for Part 2 comes from the 12.29.98 backroom jams at Mike Racky’s house. Vocals were overdubbed on December 30, 1998 in my basement. Part 3 is a piece from Wayside School's second show at the Pighouse in Urbana (12.12.98) - the night some guy with dreads tried to steal the mic.
Guitar: Brian Sanchez (1), Jon Harper (3)
Piano: Tom Maslin (1)
Pedal Steel: RM Racky (2)
Drums: Tim Rimbos
Bass: Bob Ston (2)
Acoustic Guitar, Drum Machine, Synth, Vocals, Bass: TP

Santa Clause Lives in Danville, IL

Track 9:
Opum 1, 2: (Perona, Barker, Phipps, Racky) The rhythm track was recorded live 12.29.98 at Fish Club in Wheaton. This is one of the finer examples of improvised music on the record. Lyrical and other overdubs took place on 1.13.99. I wrote these words right after getting out of bed following the night that Nose was completed. It was a beautiful, sunny, snowy morning in Champaign and I was in a trance.
Guitar: Gregg Barker
Guitar: Dave Phipps
Bass: RM Racky
Drums, Vocal: TP

Opum