Guitar Alley

Rick Santers – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards
Mark Santers – drums and percussion
Rick Lazaroff – bass and bass pedals

Additional musicians: Lou Pomanti – keyboards on tracks 1, 3, 10
Shawne Jackson – background vocals on tracks 3, 8

Produced by Rik Emmett
Engineered by Ed Stone
Assistant Engineering by Noel Golden and Hugh Cooper

Recorded and Mixed at Metalworks, Mississauga, ON

Original Mastering by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk, New York, NY
Remastered by Edward Tobin at ECV Mastering Studio, Toronto ON

Photography by Patrick Harbron
Cover Art by Heather Brown/Diagram

Words and Music by Rick Santers
All songs © 1984 Santoonz Music (SOCAN)
Except “All Right Now” written by Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers © Blue Mountain Music PRS/Island Music (BMI)

Lyrics Reprinted by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

Original sound recording ℗  © 1984, 2019 Dandelion Records 

Can’t Shake You
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I can’t seem to get through to you, you love to waste my time. I tried my best to forget you, but you’re always on my mind. Many times I weep, many times I will confess. I don’t wanna end up like all the rest. I can’t shake you. I can’t shake you. You’re just a memory, you’re haunting me. I got it bad baby, can’t you see. I can’t shake you, no! I can’t shake you. You can do anything you want, but just come on home to me. I don’t wanna surrender, never give up without a fight. I wanna be a contender in your search for Mister Right. I can’t sleep at night. I got you on my mind, baby. I can’t take the pressure I’m feeling inside. I can’t shake you. I can’t shake you! I can’t hold it back it’s like a heart attack. I got it bad, baby can’t you see? I can’t shake you, no! no! no! Can’t shake you. Do anything you want babe just come on home to me. Oh! Whoa! You’re still a part of me. I just can’t seem to forget you. Deep in the heart of me. No matter what I do, whoa! I can’t shake you. I can’t shake you. You’re just a memory, you’re haunting me. I got it bad, can’t you see. I can’t shake you, no! no! no! Can’t shake you. I can’t get you outta my mind. Never gonna surrender, woman listen to me. All that I want is that you give me a chance. I’m in love baby, can’t you see, no!

Hotline
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I’m in a state of emergency and I feel as though I could die. Girl, you gotta come through for me if you want our love to survive. Can’t you hear me calling you? Why are you busy all the time? I gotta hear your voice again so don’t hang me up and say goodbye. I need assistance and you give me resistance. Give me a hotline to your heart. Connections are falling apart. I need a hotline to your heart. I hear the ringing now. If you don’t answer then I’ll try you again, and again. Such a smooth operator, you cut me off again and again. But I’m a long distance lover. I’m gonna reach you any way that I can. I need assistance, Oh baby! And you, you’re giving me resistance. chorus  I need assistance, Oh baby! And you, you’re giving me resistance.  chorus

High Risk
Words and Music by Rick Santers

Hey buddy, believe me I got no money to my name. My boss wouldn’t pay me, I tell you he’s to blame. They cut me down in my prime, then through me out in the streets. They got me all wrong for God’s sake. Won’t you give me a break, this is all a mistake. It’s a high risk situation going outta control, out of my mind. It’s a high risk situation and I’m growing old before my time. Won’t somebody help me and please bail me out. They say I’m guilty, what’s this all about? They’re putting a number on my picture. They took my fingerprints. I’m locked up in a cell, it’s as cold as Hell. And these guys ain’t my friends. chorus

Hate To Love You
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I remember how we used to be you were easy to please. Never a worry never a doubt, we were sailing in the breeze. Then something came over you, and it made me wonder. I made up my mind and I knew what I had to do. I warned you not to come around anymore, ’cause I hate to love you. I don’t care if the whole world disagrees. I said, “Beat it!”, but you pleaded for more. It’s too late to love you. Release me from these chains and set me free. Let me be ’cause I hate to love you. I was sure I’d never see you again. I thought we had made it to the end. But you returned to the scene of the crime. You began to conjure up old times. Then something came over me, and it made me wonder. It was killing me, murder in the first degree.  chorus  And I don’t care if the whole world disagrees. Your head is telling you that I’m right, but your heart keeps saying I’m wrong. Then you learn that it’s all a game. Love can trick your mind to think you need some more. But it can never be like before.  chorus  Can’t you see you’re killing me. I hate to love you! Ooh, it’s too late to love you.

Too Young To Die
Words and Music by Rick Santers

He used to fight eyes open wide, but fear was there like a knife in his side. Battle came but he refused to hide. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You’ll never win until you play that game. That’s what he said as he lay dying in pain. Too young to die. Never knew the reasons why. If you could turn back the hands of time. He’d still be too young to die. Why did he go? He could not resist. The price was high, it was death he kissed. We hoped and prayed it wouldn’t come to this. Oh no! Everything ventured, nothing gained. He was a pawn in a political game. Now he’s gone and still the question remains.  chorus  When can we make it end? When will we fly the wind?  chorus  

Black Magic
Words and Music by Rick Santers

LOA – Black Magic, Black Magic, Magic! Loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, loa, Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Loa! Loa, Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!! Loa!

Time to cast the spells that weaken the strongest of hearts. You can hear them sing a serenade whispering lies in the dark. Ooh, in a trance you follow command. Such a tragic toll when you’re unaware, so beware! When the evil eyes observe you it will be the end. The supernatural disguises itself as your friend. Ooh, in a trance you follow command. Such a tragic toll, so beware! Black magic, voodoo in your soul. Black magic, takes your heart of gold and leaves you so stone cold. The cries of the whispering wind. Fear of things unknown. The future is holding the secrets. The passing of time will unfold. They’re stealing away with your heart.  chorus

All Right Now
Words and Music by P. Rogers and A. Fraser

There she stood in the street smiling from her head to her feet. I said, “Hey, what is this?” Now baby, maybe she’s in need of a kiss. I said, “Hey, what’s your name baby? Maybe we can see things the same. Now don’t you wait or hesitate, let’s move before they raise the parking rates!” All right now, baby it’s all right now. All right now, baby it’s all right now. I took her home to my place watching every move on her face. She said, “Look, what’s your game, baby? Are you trying to put me in shame?” I said, “Slow! Don’t go so fast, don’t you think that love can last?” She said, “Love! Lord above! Now you’re trying to trick me in love!”  chorus

Baby Blue
Words and Music by Rick Santers

She waits for me to try and save her. She’s all alone in her dark lonely room. Her fantasy becomes the moment. She hopes the ending is just what she needs to make it through. Baby blue. Her diamond eyes invite me over. The situation is all her control. She makes me feel as if I owe her. But something tells me there’s more than meets the eye. Oh, when she holds me. I feel her fire destroy me. Baby blue, I leave you in the morning, but I’ll stay with you this evening, Baby blue. I wait for her to try and save me. I’m all alone in my dark lonely room. My fantasy becomes the moment. Oh, I hope the ending is just what I need. Oh, when you hold me. Hold me till your fire destroys me.  chorus

Dreaming
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I am the captain on a ship of no return. Sailing unknown waters for the secrets I must learn. Guided by the heavens through the calm, the rain and storm. No thoughts of stopping ‘till I reach that distant shore. I’m dreaming, of the man I used to be. Dreaming, it’s the only way I’m free. I’m dreaming, of the days when we were young, and it seems like my tomorrow never comes. Far in the distance a sight has caught my eyes; a strange horizon under gray and threatening skies. Now the vision’s fading, it’s turning into haze. All so confusing, it keeps changing from day to day.  chorus  I’m dreaming of the man I used to be. Dreaming, it’s the only way I’m free. I’m dreaming and when all is said and done. I wonder who tomorrow I’ll become – seems like my tomorrow never comes. Where will I be when dreams are done?

Direction: Alex D. Andronache for Double A Entertainment Inc.
Tour Coordination: Andy Holland

Road Crew: Al “Julio” Robb – Concert Sound Engineer, Kelly “K-Rock” Jones – Lighting
Director, Jeff “Whiffer” Harris – Stage and Monitors

Thanks to: Toronto Percussion Centre, Music City, Ed and Mike at KOSS, Ken Thompson and
T&L, Blue and Steve at the Agency, Maria Berman, Gerry Rosa, Dave Dickson, Joe Owens,
Mike Primeau, Aly Mundinger, David Partridge, Peter Parker, Joe Barnes and the Argos and
everyone at Ready Records.

In England, Magnum and crew, Tony Henderson, Rob Sawyer, Richard Liteman, Paul Suter,
Howard Johnson, Dave Roberts, Neil Warnock and “Stu-baby” Hopkins.

In U.S.A., Joe Anthony, Les Norton, Joe Miller, Steve Driscoll, Jesse Ryan, Troy Blakely,
Tony Ferrentino, Mike Faley and Tom Barone.

Special thanks to Gottlieb and Linda, Axel, Donna and Leta, Debbi Ferrentino,
Gary “Bahahahaha” Rowe and Atomic Sound, the Whale and the Buburban, Rockit,
the Bird, the Rem, Sandee Bathgate and the “Primal Shrieks”, Charles Hunfeld and …You!

“The process for preparing for the recording of Guitar Alley was very different to that of our first two studio albums”, recalls Rick. “First off, all of a sudden we were getting offers from international producers who had taken notice of the band’s popularity and growing success. This meant that for the first time we had to decide on what production direction the new album was going to take. To keep ourselves challenged and growing artistically we wanted to keep what had worked for us in the past, and at the same time open up to some areas creatively allowing for a new producer’s input and inspiration”.

The music producer’s initial role is to act as a sounding board for the songwriter and then work through the material with the musicians. It’s the producer’s job to mirror, suggest ideas and encourage the musicians to guide them through the creative processes. A shortlist of producers was compiled and the decision process began. After the band had met with prospective producers the decision was finally made and Rik Emmett was chosen to lead SANTERS into the studio for their third album.

The project began with Rick Santers bringing his new songs to Emmett to work on. Once the songs were prepped the band and producer met for pre-production work. At this stage of the music’s development, the band rehearsed the material along with the producer, bar by bar, instrument by instrument, until a solid basic musical structure was realized. The difference with the “Guitar Alley” experience was that now the band had another set of ears listening and reflecting on the developmental process from beginning to end.

MetalWorks Studios in Mississauga became the band’s recording home for three weeks in the summer of 1983. The studio was outfitted with and MCI mixing console and an MCI 48 track capabilities running 2” tape.

The choice of the album name “Guitar Alley” came indirectly from a conversation Rick Santers had with the band’s live sound engineer at the time. Rick recalls, “We were playing in an odd-shaped venue and the sound console was situated on one side of the room instead of in the middle. After our soundcheck, I asked our sound engineer how everything was sounding. He said “Well, it’s hard to tell. All I’m hearing is the guitar. That’s all I’m hearing because I’m standing in guitar alley”. That name stuck in my head, and even though I never wrote a song with that title it seemed all too appropriate for the album’s title considering all the new guitar textures that were becoming the basis of the new album”.

For the “Guitar Alley” sessions Rick played his 1964 Stratocaster into Mesa Boogie amps running 4×12” Celestian speaker cabinets. Again, Mark played a double-headed Sonar drum kit along with Zildjian cymbals. Rick Lazaroff played his Fender Jazz bass through a modular amplifier set up of Ashly pre-amp and compressor running into a BGW power amp with custom-designed speaker cabinets.

The release of SANTERS “Guitar Alley” was groundbreaking for the band in many ways. Along with the album being recognized and released in Europe and Canada, it was also released for the first time in the United States and Japan expanding on SANTERS international popularity. Offers to tour into the midwestern and southern United States increased the band’s already extensive touring schedule and the video for the song “Can’t Shake You” found a home in regular rotation on MTV. Also, SANTERS version of FREE’s classic “All Right Now” became a serious contender in many top 40 charts.

With the release of “The Definitive Remasters Collection” SANTERS fans can finally listen to the band’s vast catalogue of rock classics mastered to the level of sound quality that was originally intended. So, sit back, crank it up and listen to SANTERS the way they were meant to be heard. Enjoy!