Shot Down in Flames

Rick Santers – lead vocals, electric guitars, and keyboards
Mark Santers – drums, percussion, and background vocals
Rick Lazaroff – bass

Produced by Bob Connolly
Engineered by Paul Massey 

Recorded and Mixed at Masters Workshop, Toronto ON
Remastered by Edward Tobin at ECV Mastering Studio, Toronto ON

Cover Photography: Phillip Kamin
Original Art Direction and Design: Dean Motter
Design and Layout: Terry Welch 

Words and Music by Rick Santers
All songs © 1980 Santoonz Music (SOCAN)
except “The Rapper” written by Dominic lerace © Don Iris Music (BMI), EMI Unart Catalog Inc. (BMI), Souler Two Music (BMI)

Lyrics used by permission. All rights reserved. 

The Rapper
Words and Music by Dominc Ierace

Hey girl I bet you, there’s someone out to get you. You’ll find him anywhere – on a bus, in a bar, in a grocery store. And he’ll say, “Excuse me, haven’t I seen you somewhere before? Rap, rap, rap, they call him the rapper. Rap, rap, rap, you know what he’s after. So, he starts his rappin’, hoping something will happen. He’ll say he needs you, a companion, a girl he can talk to. He’s made up his mind. He needs someone to sock it to. chorus He’s made an impression, so he makes a suggestion. Come up to my place, for some coffee, or tea, or me. Well he’s got you where he wants you. Girl you’ve gotta face reality.  chorus

Crazy Ladies
Words and Music by Rick Santers

Sometimes I think I’m a pretty lucky guy. I walk around the streets at night and there’s the reason why. Standing on the corner I see those big brown eyes. The movement and the glances just take me to the skies. It’s getting late, is it worth the time to try? I wonder why they lie. Walking down the road I see some more sweet scenery. It seems to me the ones I see wanna come to me. Using all my money and they’re taking all my time. Tell me girl, can you give to me more than just a rhyme? It’s getting late, is it worth the time to try? I wonder why they lie. Crazy ladies you’re driving me wild. Take me to the stars. Crazy ladies you’re driving me wild. Take me oh so far, away.  chorus  Understand the reasons why they want to act this way. If I had a wish I wish that I would see them change. Never hesitate to say that they’re crazy in their ways. Crazy ladies are all around and I know that they’re here to stay. Getting late, is it worth the time to try? I wonder why they lie.  chorus

You Turn Me On
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I’m trying, I’m trying but I just can’t find a way to escape. Relying, relying on you to make the first mistake. I’m dying, I’m dying ’cause I see what you got in store. I’m trying, I’m trying its so hard you know I can’t take no more. You turn me, you turn me on, ooh! all night long. You turn me, you turn me on, ooh! all night long. I’m burning, I’m burning oh, I’m getting so close to your fire. Learning, and learning to control my aching heart. You’re teasing, you’re teasing don’t you know you’re gonna drive me insane. You’re pleasing, you’re pleasing ’cause you know my pleasure is your pain.  chorus  I’m trying, I’m trying but I just can’t find a way to escape. Relying, relying on you to make the first mistake. I’m dying, I’m dying ’cause I see what you got in store. In trying, I’m trying it’s so hard you know I can’t take no more.  chorus

Time After Time
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I just can’t help but think there’s got to be a way. Since I met you girt I can’t get through the day. The way you left me with my life on the line, just ain’t fair to call when you got the time. Time after time, you got me wanting you. Time after time, after time, girl you got me on the line. You can change yourself from black into white. You kept me hanging on, all through the night. You think you’re smart the way you fool around with me. I tell you now I know how it’s gonna be.  chorus  I just can’t help but think there’s got to be a way. Since I met you girl, I can’t get through the day. The way you left me with my life on the line, just ain’t fair to call, when you got the time.  chorus

Lost And Found
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I’m on a rolling tide, rolling away. I know the pleasure’s mine hope that it can stay. And I can’t hold nothing on you. It’s my fault I know it’s true. I let you get the better of me, can’t you see? I’m lost and found. Looking for a clue, with nowhere to start. The distance seen between us tears me apart. I’m on the road to reason forever and a day. My sentence is my prison here I’ve got to stay.  chorus

Shot Down In Flames
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I drive so fast at night never do look back. Always run the red lights off the beaten track. Living one for all and breathing all for one. Forever on the run always jump the starting gun. Shot down in flames, only just begun. Shot down in flames, under the gun. Shot down in flames, now my song is sung. Shot down in flames. Naked in the light through the fire line. I’m taking hold tonight ignoring all the signs. My lady luck is coming I feel her by my side. I’ll never let the straight life take me for a long lost ride.  chorus

Caught In The Wind
Words and Music by Rick Santers

I’m weary! Oh days turn to nights without end. And always to feel just a spiral descend. I’m leaving those bright city lights behind. To follow the beckoning voice I must find. I’m caught in the wind. I’m taking my chances with you. I’m caught in the wind. Maybe some day we’ll get through. I’m turning through pages of my life and times. And meeting the few that tell me they are mine. And never to recapture those moments again. To follow the onward and up warding trend.  chorus  I’m weary! Oh days turn to nights without end. And always to feel just a spiral descend. I’m leaving those bright city lights behind. To follow the beckoning voice I must find.  chorus

Paths Of Heart
Words and Music by Rick Santers

Leave the highland to wander through endless streams, through the valleys of sights too real to be seen. Songs of life they echo on through the trees. I’m homeward bound the sun is reaching out to me. The water flows and the shadows grow inside us. The window pain and it sees the strain on you. Never-ending, fast sequences of life, they heed to borrow from paths of life’s delight. Silent wonder, to whom to give a sigh. An aging singer who song throws judgment nigh.  chorus  Leave the highland to wander through endless streams, through the valleys of sights too real to be seen. Songs of life they echo on through the trees. I’m homeward bound the sun is reaching out to me.  chorus

Points Of Resistance
Words and Music by Rick Santers

When temperance ceases from conflict and lesions, time’s cynical teacher revolves in confusion. Friction increases as two worlds collide. The sensible virtues from chaos subside. Occurring in cycles, life’s aesthetic preacher survives in the riddles provided by seekers.  chorus  Maybe I’m a rich man and don’t know what I like. Maybe I’m a poor man with everything in life. Some say there’s a reason hidden in the rhyme. So I’ll take my chances and I will take my time. From now he is sleeping protected by ego. But time may arouse him and he must let his shields go.  chorus

Management: Tube Productions

Thanks to Gottlieb, Linda and Axel, Doug McKenzie, Ray van Doorn, Dave Dickson,Gary Slaight,
Keith Elshaw, Ralph Jolivet, Andy Holland, Gil Moore, Fox Fluid Power, and Nick Poliwko

Road Crew: Dave Kitley, Frank Clarke, Al Wolskie and Kevin Brown

Concert Sound and staging by Kroth

It was during one of their first tours outside of Ontario, in “la belle province”, when they finally got the call from their manager. One week of studio time was arranged to record their first album, or at least that’s what they expected it to be. Rick recalls, “Now the pressure was on to write more songs and put the finishing touches on others. During the daytime, while the club was closed for business we got together and rehearsed every original SANTERS song we had, in spite of putting in three, sometimes four sets a night performing until the early morning hours”.

In December of that year, the band returned home and settled in at Masters Workshop recording studio in Rexdale Ontario for its first sessions. Before digital recording, analogue tape recording was king. The sessions were recorded onto a 24 track Studer A80 machine running 2” tape. The recording console was a 1960’s Neve, and it came with the standard assortment of vintage microphones, compressors, limiters, delays along with some very nice plate reverbs.

The band had only one week to record and mix twelve songs. They began by recording the bed tracks (guitar, bass and drums) which were cut in the first couple of days. The lead and background vocal tracks along with solo guitar tracks and keyboard tracks were recorded over the following sessions. That left only three days to mix all the songs.

The instrument line-up read like a rock and roll textbook. Rick Santers had his 1964 Fender Stratocaster and his 1969 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe pumping through a 50-watt Marshall and 4×12 cabinet. Rick Lazaroff had a 1971 Fender Precision Bass driving an Ampeg SVT while Mark Santers commanded his vintage Ludwig kit.

With the album being almost complete producer Bob Connolly suggested that they record a cover tune. That evening Rick was listening to albums (the vinyl kind). He tripped across an old K-Tel record, “24 Electrifying Hits”, and heard a song he remembered from when he was eight years old. The song was called “The Rapper” by The Jaggerz. After hearing it, Rick knew right away that the band could boot the song into high gear. So, he quickly wrote out an arrangement for the guys to learn for the next day’s recording session. The song was cut in only two takes and became the first track on side one.

Songs written on the road, last-minute daytime rehearsals in the clubs, and five days of recording with three days of mixing. The result: SANTERS debut album. Shot Down in Flames was released in 1981 in Canada and Europe and spawned classics like “Time After Time”, “You Turn Me On” and the title track “Shot Down in Flames”. 

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!