Biography

The Change is a personal project that started in January of 2005 and the idea to start recording my music. After seeing a TV special on David Karns I decided to get in touch with him and send him a demo of some songs I had. He said come on over and we knocked out my first CD "When I Think About You". We had Moises Padilla on drums, David on bass, Billy Barnett on lead and effects and I played guitar and sang. It is a great CD and we will offer it up on this website along with "the mloopguy". That first effort only whetted my appetite to do another CD. And here it is.

WHAT A BLAST!!! Making this album is the most fun I have had in my musical life. So, take a ride with me and the mloopguy as we ride the el in Chicago. Each stop along the way captures thoughts, memories and emotions that take the mloopguy on the ride of his life. The emotional rollercoaster of life: Love, anger, sadness, happiness and down right silliness (which I like best). ALL ABOARD!!!!!

I owe a great debt to Tony Esterly who took these songs and helped me turn them into what I think is one of the best rock albums to come along in a while. Sometimes you just get lucky. I flew Moises Padilla in from Seattle to lay down the fabulous drum tracks for the album... couldn't have done it without him. Thanks to my great friend Billy Barnett for his great advice and ultimately his idea to call Shock City Studios. That's where I met Tony and that's when this album went into high gear. It was meant to be. And ultimately Matt Murdick who put the polish on with his great work on keyboards. Everyone was AWESOME ... and Jimi Gunn! DUDE! Thank you for your great studio and making this all work for us... you're awesome! Chris and Doug at Shock City Studios... thank you for your help here and use of the studio to mix down the album... a dream come true for me.

This album is for Amanda and Brian... I am sure they are in disbelief at this point... hehehe. Probably disown me... LOL. Dad is mad as a hatter! This is also for my brothers and sisters Tony, Debbie, Patty and Jeff and my stepmother Theresa... enjoy!

This album is dedicated to the memory of Lee Griffin (All Her Letters) who tragically left us during our first year of college. I wrote "All Her Letters" upon hearing of her passing. She was a very dear friend in high school... I kept this song all these years and reworked it just before recording it. She was really cool.

And so the mloopguy finds himself alone yet again as he waits for the el to take him off to work so he doesn't have to drive the freeway. But today will different from any other ... each stop along the way seems to bring back memories recent and past of people who have touched his life in very personal and intimate ways. He's the mloopguy and he is living in Chi.

And at the end of the day he is lost in his thoughts, the mloopguy finds he is back where he started. Work will have to wait for another day. Some days are meant to reminisce.

The Playahs

All songs Written and Produced by James Hettler

Recorded at Skoolhouse Studios St. Louis

Engineered by Jimi Gunn and Tony Esterly, St. Louis

Mixed by Tony Esterly at Shock City, St. Louis

Mastered by Jack Petrucek, St. Louis

Cover Artwork by Brian Hettler: heartmindproductions

Photos by: Erin Whitson

Influences

Too many to reference. But let's give it a try: The Chipmunks, Elvis, The Platters, Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, The Drifters, Wynonie Harris, Roy Brown, RAY CHARLES, The Four Seasons, Lou Christie, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Ojays, The Stylistics, The Righteous Brothers, The BEATLES, The Rolling Stones, The Troggs, the Moody Blues, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, The Turtles, The Monkees, The Lovin Spoonful, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, JONI MITCHELL, Bob Dylan, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Earth Wind and Fire, The Jackson Five, Santana, Steve Miller, Boz Scaggs, The Doobie Brothers, Pink Floyd, Heart, Traffic, Robert Johnson, BB King, Hell there are too many to name to tell you the truth... the fact is I was born with music in my head and could always come up with a song from very early... but I have probably been influenced by everything I ever heard one way or the other. I quit playing cover songs when I was in college... didn't see the point... I had music in my head so why not play that. Anyway I wasn't going to be a rock star as I was off exploring the world which was just as much my life's dream as playing music... .so now that the travel is out of the way... ..on with the music and what damn fine music it is! I am not biased at all. But what is shows is that if you work it right, you can keep doing the things you love in life as long as you keep the timing right... I have traveled all over this planet and seen sights and places few have gotten to see so I am blessed that I was able to fulfill my childhood dream of visiting all those far off places... and in the process I raised two beautiful children who were able to travel the world with me on many occasions and they are the jog of my life... and when it comes to priorities, your children come first and everything else takes a back seat... because you will have time to carry on when they leave home but every day with them is precious and shouldn't be wasted on self indulgences. If you are doing any other way... you may not be doing it right but we all have our way of doing things... So, I have two great children and I have the time to make this music in the best way that I can. And doing that takes finding the best musicians you can find and taking some decent songs and making the best record you can and we did. You can't beat the musicianship and innovation on this album... I have over four thousand albums and CDs and I think I know a thing or two about good records... this isn't brag... it is fact. So whether I sell ten or ten thousand... that doesn't matter... I am pleased as punch with this effort and I hope that you enjoy it. The key is this: GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME... and that's what I did.

THE PURPOSE OF THS ALBUM

The primary purpose for this album was to get the music out of my system... I have a lot more where that came from and the next CD is already written... but the goal for this CD is to use proceeds to help my children pay off student loans from their educations. We have a ways to go yet but once the production costs are covered, monies will go to pay off their loans. In addition to supporting my kids educations, I am picking five charities from which you can donate. For each hardcopy CD that is sold, I will give two dollars to the charity you choose. Internet sales will generate one dollar as there is considerable profit sharing with the distributors. Here is the list of Charities I have chosen:

  1. USO: for all the great work the do for our servicemen and women all over the world. It is my way of saying thank you for providing their selfless and tireless efforts on behalf of troops.
  2. The American Red Cross: Their great humanitarian work in times of crisis has been superlative. Just think back to 911 and Katrina... .nuff said.
  3. Brain's Flight: My cousin Brian Kissinger had brain cancer and was able to over come it and make a wonderful recovery. His work to collect money for this charity is awe inspiring. He rebuilt and old plane and flew it across the United States and raise over $50,000.00. The goal is the get 100k and anything you can do the help here will be appreciated
  4. Doorways: This charity in Saint Louis Missouri is dedicated to providing shelter and assistance to those men, women and children who are living with HIV and AIDS. This is a wonderful humanitarian charity.
  5. Kids Helping Kids: With the help of fellow classmates for high school. We are exploring creating a scholarship fund to help children of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to further their education. We were children of Vietnam War Veterans and we know first hand what it is like to have fathers and mothers go off to war. We also know that going off to college under those circumstances isn't easy. And so we will be making this effort to see what we can do. Should that not be viable, monies will go to Operation Warrior.

SONGS

  1. mloopguy: James Hettler, guitar and vocals; Tony Esterly, guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards.
  2. I Know That I Am Falling: James Hettler, vocals; Tony Esterly, acoustic and electric guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums
  3. I'm Reeling: James Hettler vocals; Tony Esterly, acoustic and electric guitar, bass and lead guitar and slide guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  4. I Found Out (All About You): James Hettler, vocals; Tony Esterly, acoustic and electric guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  5. Everrett Dean: James Hettler, vocals; Tony Esterly, electric guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums
  6. I Never Will Forget About You: James Hettler, guitar and vocals; Tony Esterly, acoustic and electric guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  7. Smooth Cool and Easy: James Hettler, vocals; Tony Esterly, guitar, bass; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  8. En Route: James Hettler, guitar and vocals; Tony Esterly, guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  9. All Her Letters: James Hettler, vocals; Tony Esterly, acoustic and electric guitar, bass and lead guitar, slide guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  10. I Think I'm In Love: James Hettler, vocals; Tony Esterly, acoustic and electric guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  11. Tonight: James Hettler, guitar and vocals; Tony Esterly, guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
  12. mloopguy (reprise): James Hettler, guitar and vocals; Tony Esterly, guitar, bass and lead guitar; Moises Padilla, drums; Matt Murdick, keyboards
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