We're Still Rockin' in the Valley
by Steve Acker
I left a Youngstown band called LAW in December of 1977 and moved to Jackson, Mississippi. My father was with Packard Electric in Warren (Now Delphi-Packard) and had been transferred to Mississippi in early 1972 to build and run two Packard plants there.
For 32 years I worked and lived in Jackson and Nashville, Tennessee in the advertising business as a copywriter, jingle producer, and creative director. I did not return to Youngstown until June 29, 2009 when I flew in to the Pittsburgh Airport on a one-way ticket. Why I came back I really can’t say. I had already made solid plans to move back to Nashville. On the surface of it, my former girlfriend Kathy Sullivan invited me up to take the extra bedroom in her Canfield condo and that is one of several reasons I didn't move to Nashville. But it goes deeper than that; it was a God thing, that’s the only way I can really explain it.
It soon became apparent to me that if all the dire, negative reports on my hometown area had once been true they were true no longer. THIS VALLEY IS STILL ROCKIN' and that was obvious to me from day one. This was a fantastic area to grow up in and it’s still an exciting place to live. I am so happy to be home again!
I intended to write a letter to the editors of the area newspapers to offer my perspective on The Valley; to articulate what I see as a renaissance in the making and to remind those who have been hurt by the area's economy that this is still the greatest place in America in which to grow up and raise children. Instead, I wrote a song: "We're Still Rockin' in the Valley."
Rock and Roll. If the Valley has made a genuine mark in this world it is through its music. Somehow in the 60s and 70s Valley musicians synthesized the influences of rock and soul and polka and and jazz and country and everything else into a unique and powerful sound. The steel mills and auto plants were flourishing. There was money to spend and we spent it...every night in a hundred different teen clubs, bars, and concert venues. We musicians had the opportunity to work steadily (and for good money too!) at a very young age, and so we were able to hone our craft. That, I think, is why so many of my Youngstown/Warren area and Northeast Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia friends, colleagues and acquaintances from the early days went on to national and international prominence in the business. Check them out. It's amazing!:
Roger Hatfield ● Jim Gustafson and Poobah ● Jerry Douglas ● Phil Keaggy ● The Glass Harp ● The Human Beinz ●Joe Pizzulo ● Bob DiPiero ● Maureen McGovern ● Joe Walsh ● Dave Grohl (he came later, but boy has he made a mark!) ● Tommy McCoy ● Rob Parissi and Wild Cherry ● B.E. Taylor ● Donnie Iris ● Frank Secich with Blue Ash and the Deadbeat Poets ● John Hanti ● Myron Grombacher and Neil Giraldo ● Bill Bodine ● Billy Beck and the Ohio Players….and on and on and on.
THE CAUSE
Two of the Valley's finest are Bill Bodine and Danny Marshall. They played in great bands like the New Hudson Exit, Roadshow, the Citations, and Brainchild. Bill left the area in the mid-70s to have an illustrious career in L.A. Now both gentlemen have created a charitable foundation called "The CreativeBridge Coalition," which raises money to provide musical instruments and instruction to underprivileged children.
Our hope--in fact our mission--is to secure sufficient radio airplay and media coverage of this record to publicize the project and sell it online throughout the Valley and throughout the world. Every penny will go to Creative Bridge, which will in turn distribute the funds to needy Mahoning Valley students. Think of it--a whole new generation of Mahoning Valley Rockers with instruments in hand!
In addition, we hope that this record will provide a morale boost to the citizens of Mahoning Valley and give everyone something positive to sing about and be proud of.
ABOUT THE RECORD
Few area musicians epitomize the Valley sound and spirit more than John Sferra. As the drummer for Glass Harp with Phil Keaggy on guitar, he has entertained at one time or another virtually every music lover from Cleveland and Pittsburgh since the late sixties. He has remained in this area and operates a fine recording studio in the basement of his home. When I approached him a couple of weeks ago with the idea for this song he got it right away. He agreed to co-produce the record with me.
We recorded the basic track on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at his studio with John on drums, former Joe Walsh band member Bill Lohr on bass, and myself on guitar and lead vocal.
Our intention is to invite all the people on the list above (and then some) to record a vocal line, a harmony part, a little percussion, a guitar line, a sax, a dobro, a keyboard, and maybe even an accordion (Grammy winner, Del Sinchak). The Internet and modern recording technology will allow these musicians to record their parts in their own studios and email the files to John and me to mix with the track.
Nothing like this has ever been done before. No one has ever collected all these great Mahoning Valley talents and recorded them together. We hope to do that now. In addition, there are some very fine young talents in the area now like the Kellys and Ryan Ross who are continuing the Valley tradition of great, cutting edge, original music, and we'd like to add them to the record, as well.
A history of Mahoning Valley Rock and Roll in four minutes and fifty seconds.
If you are a Valley musician, especially if your name is on this list, please consider this a formal invitation to participate.
TO AREA MUSICIANS, THE MEDIA, CIVIC LEADERS, AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES:
If you would like to contribute your talents, your contacts, your reading/viewing/listening audience, and/or your influence to this record and this worthy cause, please email me or call me immediately.
My phone number is 601-667-7627 and my email address is steve@steveacker.com
I look forward to hearing from you!
AND NOW....THE SONG!
At four minutes and 50 seconds this basic track (a rough mix) is a little long for radio. John and I intend to edit the record to less than three minutes and thirty seconds when it is complete. However, to accommodate all the friends we hope to include on it, the full recording may remain roughly this length. We will replace most my own demo vocals with our friends' far more adequate (and familiar) vocals. The lyrics are still a work in progress, as well, with the newest version reprinted below.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
THE BASIC TRACK (it's 11 MB, so it may take a few minutes)
(Left click to listen, right click and select 'save target as' to save)
WE’RE STILL ROCKIN’ IN THE
VALLEY
(Steve Acker-Doug Thomas)
Chorus 1
We’re still rockin’ in the Valley
We’re still rockin’ every night
We’re still rockin’ in the Valley
We’re still standing in the light
From Cleveland to Pittsburgh
And all points in between
When times get tough, so do we
When things get rough, the world will see
We’re still made of steel
So we’re still rockin’
We’re still rockin’
And this rock is real
V1
We rock in Youngstown, Ohio
We rock in Sharon, Pa
We rock in Weirton, W. Virginia
We rock around the world
The world will see the light
Chorus
2
We’re still rockin’ in The
Valley
And our anthem rings as true
As when they forged it in the furnace
When our factories were new
It’s a new age in The Valley
With new hands on the wheel
First a whisper - now a shout
We’ve been down but we’re never out
We’re still made of steel
So we’re still rockin’
We’re still rockin’
And this rock is real
V2
We
rock the Scrappers and the Phantoms
We rock the Penguins at YSU
We rock the Thunder and is it any wonder
While our Valley rearranges
We rock with the changes
BRIDGE
Listen now, the Valley is comin’ back around
A Mahoning Miracle is goin’ down
Come on everybody, sing it loud!
THANK YOU YOUNGSTOWN!
THANK YOU MAHONING VALLEY!