Coventry Bands 1960's to Now: SASP'RILLA

SASP'RILLA

Duo - Mark Rider Ray Barrie (Borkowski) - Multi-instrumentalists.

Mark Rider is now with Skawaddy

Ray Borkowski played in Memories who performed for the Hobo Workshop Coventry precinct in Coventry 1974.

Both played in Reflex in the late 70's and were involved with Horizon Studios in Coventry.

Trev Teasdel - editor of Hobo magazine interviewed Sasp'rilla for the magazine c 1973, at Ray's house, in Earnsford Grange where they were rehearsing and the above photo appeared on the front cover of Hobo along with the article on them. The duo had their own recording set up there and were very into Steely Dan at the time. They even recorded one of Trev's songs at the session although the tape hasn't survived.

SASP'RILLA from Hobo Magazine 1974 - from an interview by Trev Teasdel.

A creative twosome, exerting a lot of energy, fired by ambition, brewing in the back scene of Coventry. By name they are Mark Rider (multi-instrumentalist) who has guitared his way through many bands in various styles of music. And Ray Barrie, who also being a man of many instruments, is similarly qualified group wise, and has much to say about the local and national music scene.

Own Songs
Ray started writing his own songs and looking for musicians to do sessions. He met mark and slowly they discovered their creative compatibility. Mark being a technical wizard as well as a good musician, was able to supply the attributes needed to make a two-man team. Mark also writes but is more adept at spontaneous stage writing. - get-it-on-music- creating atmosphere.

After making a demo recording at a well known Midland recording studio, they were offered free recording time to produce a hit single, but after much thought and work on the product, they refused the offer as the sound quality was not to their satisfaction. They did not feel that the studio catered to the needs of the artist.

Mini - Home Studio
After months of hard work, they acquired their own equipment and converted ray’s boxroom bedroom into a mini-home studio containing a multi-track 4000 D.S. AKIA recorder with Beyer and Shure mikes. Orange and HH amplification, Fender guitars and Precision bass; piano; banjos and an assortment of good American acoustic guitars.

Recently they have been preparing tapes, with a commercial appeal, in the hope of attaining management / agency / recording contract. (and news has just reached me that several companies are very interested in their music - but I can’t elaborate on that at present.).

The tapes that I heard contained songs with a soft, yet catchy country rock feel, but the tapes are intended as more of an indication of their potential than to display individual songs.

Although they love music in all its aspects and enjoy making it, they are not afraid to admit that they are interested in making money also. They said the music business is just that, a business, and you have to come to terms with it, at least in the initial stages. Despite the music revolution of the late 60’s, the ugly-mongory of capitalist society still holds the reigns of Tin pan Alley.