Be Your Own Parade cassette page

Because too many people thought Creole Liberation Front was some kind of political organization - when really it was just for fun - Armand eventually changed his band's name to the Bayou Bohemians, named after Patty Lee and Armand St. Martin's analog recording studio in Hollywood which is named, Bayou Bohemia.

This exciting "new" New Orleans sound was created by Armand St. Martin in the early 80's.

He arranged all the music for this EP Cassette, as well as wrote the songs and performed on keyboards, among other instruments, and sang lead vocals. Musically, it truly was Armand's vision from starat to finish.

These 5 "New Orleans Rock and Roll" songs - a term coined by St. Martin and Lee - were graced by many well-known players who are all friends and who were gracious to add their expertise and perform their talents on this recording.

It's a real treasure!

The 5 original tunes on this recording written by Armand St. Martin for Patty Lee Records are:

Must Be The Mardi Gras

Other Girls Don't

Saint Expedite

Down to the Bridge

Stand on the Side of Love

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for "BE YOUR OWN PARADE" (EP), by Armand St. Martin:

I would like to acknowledge the musicians, singers, and engineers on this EP which was originally released as “BE YOUR OWN PARADE”; recorded in 1987 at Southcombe Studios in Burbank, California; and re-released as these same Bonus Tracks on ALLIGATOR BALL in 1994 and remastered in 2003:

Kenny Gradney of Little Feat fame played the fine bass on these tracks in his famous "Little Feat style".

Dony Wynn brought considerable force in his drumming, and he can be heard on many of Robert Palmer’s recordings.

Steve Allen on saxophone is also a regular with Rita Coolidge. His sax on "Down To The Bridge" is hauntingly memorable.

Jake Fitzgerald’s harmonicas are always a welcomed plus.

Kirk Bruner appeared in these sessions on trombone and trumpet, and as a background vocalist. (See his drumming credits below under Acknowledgements for "Alligator Ball".)

Singers Nancy Williams and Margie Nelson sound like an entire choir on back-up vocals, with Kirk Bruner. "Stand On The Side of Love" is a stand-out.

Lois Oki, hailing from Canada, engineered and mixed the project at North Hollywood's Southecombe Studios. She also co-produced this project.

Paul Devilliers, also Canadian, who had just produced Mr. Mister and YES at the time of our recording of "Be Your Own Parade", also mixed the project with Lois Oki. Paul made a cameo appearance on electric guitar.

Patty Lee co-produced this EP. Her background as a radio D.J. and her work at I.C.M.-L.A. in the Rock Deparment gave her the advantage of recognizing what would sound good on the air-waves.

I wrote and arranged all the songs.

I performed lead vocals, piano, organ, synthesizers, and accordion.

I also co-produced this EP with Lois Oki and Patty Lee.

Rich Lee, an award-winning sign-designer and logo expert, did the black and white cover art. (See cover art credits under "Arwork notes" from the original home page.)

Certainly, I have been fortunate to have such talented and noted people contribute to my "St. Martin Sound". Without the professional music contributions of each of you I've mentioned here, as well our friends who lent tremendous moral support, I couldn't have accomplished this first recording-effort. Thanks to you all!

Most of all, it wouldn’t have happened without Patty Lee, a brilliant, truly modest, producer and visionary.

-Armand St. Martin, June 1997, Hollywood, Ca., updated February 2003, 2005

More about some of the Featured Special Guest Recording Artists on "Be Your Own Parade" :

Kenny Gradney on bass is the bassist for Little Feat. Armand played with Kenny when they were on-the-road together promoting an Epic Records act. For this act, they also filmed an MTV-rock video, performed for Soundstage in Chicago and for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in NY, besides many other venues nationally, and they performed at The Bottom Line in NYC as well, when Andy Warhol was a special guest in the audience. Kenny was extremely helpful with his contributions to "Be Your Own Parade."

Dony Wynn on drums, who at the time was drummer for Robert Palmer, is also a Louisiana man. Armand played with Dony when they were on the road, along with Kenny Gradney, promoting the Epic Records release of an Epic artist. (See Kenny's above-mention regarding some of the many venues that Dony also played with Armand on that national tour.)

Steve Allen on sax who plays regularly with Rita Coolidge is another Louisiana player Armand met while performing in the Los Angeles music scene. Steve also played many live concerts with Armand St. Martin and his Bayou Bohemians in Los Angeles. (See reviews of these concerts under "Reviews".)

Jake Fitzgerald on harmonica, who more currently plays with Dwight Yoakum's band called The Blue Monkeys when Dwight is not on the road, is another player Armand nationally toured with while promotiong an Epic Records act. (See Kenny Gradney's above-mention for a list of those venues.) Until he moved from L.A.., Jake also performed regularly with Armand St. Martin and his Bayou Bohemians. (See reviews of these concerts under "Reviews".)

Kirk Bruner who did Armand a tremendous favor by doing back-up vocals, trombone, and trumpet, actually is the drummer for all the Armand St. Martin and his Bayou Bohemians live-concerts. Kirk played many years with both Mac Davis (in Las Vegas) and Melissa Manchester. He recorded on many of Melissa's albums as well as being her drummer. His solid drumming for nearly two decades for Armand's L.A. live-shows has been unmatchable. (See reviews of these concerts under "Reviews".)

Paul DeVilliers, producer of YES and Mr. Mister who sat in on a great cameo guitar part for this EP, is a Canadian producer Armand met through Marc Jordan who is a top Canadian Recording artist. Paul also owned Southcombe Recording Studios in North Hollywood, Ca., where this EP was recorded and produced. (Prior to becoming Southcombe Recording Stuidos, this studio belonged to the super-group Supertramp. Armand helped re-vamp this studio with Paul DeVilliers and Lois Oki.)

What The Critics Say:

When performing the songs from "Be Your Own Parade", as well as other St. Martin originals, The Los Angeles Weekly wrote the following exerpt as the "Critics Choice":

"Native New Orleanian singer/songwriter 'keyboard wizard' Armand St. Martin has been packin' em in for over a decade of Fat Tuesdays with his rock-solid, sizzling showmanship! Backed by his nine-piece hard-hitting band of pros with big reputations, his ultra-cool, spicy, upbeat, foot-stomping, all-original piano-pumping party of 'New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll' oozes that rumba-tinged New Orleans rhythm vibration with vigorous good cheer and skill." - The L.A. Weekly

Note-Worthy:

"BE YOUR OWN PARADE" IS SOLD OUT AND CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT. If you have a copy, you might even have a collectible worth something someday!

Just Remember:

THESE SONGS ON THIS EP CASSETTE "BE YOUR OWN PARADE" ARE STILL AVAILABLE AS THE BONUS TRACKS ON "ALLIGATOR BALL".

A special thank you goes to Vincent Robert, a Canadian screenwriter friend, whose sole idea it was to place these Bonus Tracks on "Alligator Ball"; otherwise these great songs would have remained on our now-out-of-print "Be Your Own Parade" EP! Good call, Vincent.

c 2005 Patty Lee Records

HOME