Japanese Label Re-issues Albums By German Band “Wallenstein”
Japanese label, Belle Antique, has re-issued the first 4 albums by symphonic rock band Wallenstein: Blitzkreig, Mother Universe, Stories Songs & Symphonies, and Cosmic Century.
“The actual release date was 2 months ago, but I just found out about it,” says Bill Barone, Wallenstein’s guitarist from 1971-1974. “After never seeing a cent (or should I say ‘pfennig’) from all the touring and record sales that happened back then, it’s some kind of poetic justice to hear ‘the check’s in the mail’.”
Barone joined Wallenstein at the age of 19 after impulsively re-locating to the UK following only one semester at Penn State. Serendipitously, Barone met Wallenstein’s road manager on the streets of London and within days was whisked away to Germany. Four years of extensive European touring and recording ensued. Barone lived the rockstar lifestyle in every way except money. “I was literally starving,” says Barone of those years. “I’m 6’3” and I weighed 145 lbs.” The band disintegrated in 1974, and Barone, the only non-German in the group, returned to America and the Philadelphia area where he grew up. Wallenstein continued in various configurations into the 1980’s even garnering a hit single, “Charline”. Released on RCA in 1978, the song was a bit of synthesizer fluff, far from the progressive sound driven by Barone’s rock-and-roll guitar work in the ‘71-’74 line-up.
“After I came home, I chased around a bunch of situations and opportunities in different parts of the US and Canada. Probably the biggest highlight of my post-Germany period was a one-off gig playing lead guitar alongside Chuck Berry at Great Adventure. Berry used to assemble his backing band from available musicians in whatever town his tour stopped at. He said I played pretty good for a white guy.”
Following a long hiatus, Barone started making a cautious comeback around four years ago. He joined cover band Classic Jurassic in 2008 and last year became lead guitarist for psycho-celtic glam-blues outfit Sylvia Platypus.
“Music is a gift,” says Barone, “And I have no intention of stopping ever again.” Barone, who has been employed as a heavy equipment mechanic at RansomeCAT since 1985, still sports the long hair and ‘stache of his younger days. There’s a sticker on his toolbox at work that reads, “I refuse to grow up.” http://www.haraldgrosskopf.de/wallenstein.html
http://www.marquee.co.jp/world_disque/archives_germany_U-Z.htm
