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Date: 3/8/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — It took 45 years, but two former students and bandmates at West Springfield High School recently landed a record deal for an album originally recorded in 1978.
Wes Talbot, a 1973 graduate, and Gary Stevens, who graduated in 1974, were bandmates both at WSHS and as struggling musicians. Back in the 1970s, they were “slugging it out” playing a variety of gigs in numerous nightclubs, colleges and other venues around the Pioneer Valley.
“Just about every motel, restaurant, or lodge used to have some form of live entertainment. West Springfield was a terrific place to hone your craft on stage,” recalled Stevens (then known as Gary Steven Kozlowski), who also had a side business teaching drum lessons in his parents’ Piper Road house.
In early 1974, Talbot joined a Chicopee-based group called Forest, putting aside his tuba in favor of the Fender Rhodes piano, a mainstay of the 1970s sound. Wanting to add some percussive color to Forest’s sound, Talbot reached out to Stevens and asked him to audition for the band.
Forest went on for several years, with various members playing local colleges and universities and local “rock clubs” in the Pioneer Valley and throughout Connecticut. In 1978, in an effort to break out as recording artists, Forest raised money to record an album of original songs. It sold “dozens” of copies — mostly to family and friends.
The band had received cursory attention from a few national labels, and the LP was aimed at showcasing the band’s writing and performance talents in the frenzied music era of the late 1970s.
Fast forward to 2023. The eclectic blues-rock-jazz band that broke up in 1979 has now signed a distribution deal with BBE Records of London, England, which recently rereleased Forest’s eponymous and only LP on vinyl.
Talbot, who now splits his time between Miami Beach and Long Island, said that over the years record collectors from all over the world would occasionally contact him looking for a copy of the album.
“Apparently, the album has been a considered a collectors’ item by various record collectors around the world, particularly, for some reason, in Japan,” he said.
When Paul Hillary from BBE Records emailed Talbot for information in 2021, he thought it was another collector looking for a copy of the album.
“It quickly became apparent he was a fan and was serious about rereleasing the record,” Talbot said. “I contacted the other guys — we’ve always stayed in contact over the years — and they said ‘Sure, go ahead and make the deal.’”
After discussions with Hillary, BBE completely remastered the tracks, releasing the album as an LP and a CD in early February.
“Our American distributor has already sold out of stock, and after just one week on Spotify we’ve garnered more than 10,000 plays,” said Talbot.
Stevens said when he and Talbot were kids growing up in West Springfield, both their families were supportive of them playing music.
“Before I turned 16, I remember my dad driving me to gigs at the Dante Club or one of the fraternal lodges in town,” Stevens said. “Wes’s parents’ house on Ohio Avenue was where we rehearsed — and we were there a lot.”
Although both their parents are deceased, many friends still remember Forest.
“They haven’t heard the tunes in several decades, so it’s been nice to hear compliments from them via social media. Our mutual friend, Mike Scully, was one of the first to buy the double album on vinyl — such a nice thing to do” said Stevens, who now lives in Cleveland.
BBE is also releasing a Talbot- and Stevens-penned single from the LP, “Crazy Days,” a track that has been widely sampled at dance clubs, primarily in Japan. “Crazy Days” is part of a BBE compilation album, a follow-up to its successful “We Are the Children of the Sun,” to be titled “Once Again We Are the Children of the Sun.”
Stevens and Talbot met in 1970 when both of them attended Cowing School. They formed a lifelong friendship filled with music, both under the baton of former WSHS Band Director Donald Abbe and also as rock musicians in the progressive 1970s.
Stevens said he and Talbot, along with other members of Forest, all wanted to be “stars” back then, “but, like pro sports, once you are past 25 or so, you are no longer a ‘young’ talent.”
Added Talbot, “Better late than never. We’re so excited that our music, recorded over four decades ago, will reach a new audience.”
The LP contains eight tracks, all original to Forest, which were recorded at a studio Talbot owned in Wilbraham, as well as 16 tracks recorded at a Hartford studio during late 1977 and early 1978.
“Music is a bit cyclical and what we did in the late 1970s, especially the creative, decidedly noncommercial music, is enjoyed by both younger listeners and members of our generation,” said Stevens.
He added that the effort BBE put into the re-mastering brought the tracks back to life.
“It feels good to hear our voices — and our skills — from almost a half century ago,” Stevens said. “Plus, the songwriting really stood the test of time.”
Talbot said BBE, with a substantial roster of eclectic artists, is the type of label they would have wished for in their day.
“In keeping with the times and the exploratory vibe of the era, it would have allowed us to experiment a little and not try to force us into some niche to satisfy the marketing department,” Talbot explained. “We’re grateful our desire to be a little different, a little varied, has at long last been accepted.”
For more information about the album, visit BBEmusic.com.