Player

Player was an American adult-oriented rock band from Los Angeles that released the 1977/78 RSO albums Player and Danger Zone and charted with “Baby Come Back,” “This Time I’m in It for Love,” and “Prisoner of Your Love.” They followed with the 1980/81 albums Room with a View and Spies of Life

Members: John Friesen (drums, 1977-83), Ronn Moss (bass, vocals, 1977-81, 1995-present), J.C. Crowley (guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1977-80, Peter Beckett (vocals, guitar, 1977-79, 1980-83, 1995-present), Miles Joseph (guitar, vocals, 1980-83), Gabriel Katona (keyboards, 1980-83), Rusty Buchanan (vocals, bass, 1981-83)

Background

Player formed in Los Angeles circa 1977 when singer-guitarists Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley expanded their Bandana partnership with bassist Ronn Moss and drummer John Friesen.

Beckett grew up in Liverpool, where his early bands included Winston G and the Wicked, the Thoughts, and Whip. In 1970, he joined Paladin, a jazz-rock quintet with keyboardists Peter Solley and Lou Stonebridge. Beckett played bass and sang on their 1971/72 Bronze albums Paladin and Charge! He moved to Los Angeles in 1974 and formed Skyband with Australian singer-keyboardist Steve Kipner and American singer-guitarist Lane Caudell. The trio made a 1975 self-titled RCA album and toured Europe with concerts supporting the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

Crowley came from Houston, Texas, where he played in local rock groups. He moved to Los Angeles in 1972 after guitarist Jesse Ed Davis heard a tape of his original songs and invited him west.

After Skyband folded, Beckett and Kipner teamed with former Grass Roots guitarist Reed Kailing in Riff Raff. The trio rehearsed at the Whisky a Go Go and held acoustic auditions for producers, including Bill Halverson and Phil Ramone. Kipner departed, and Crowley joined the lineup, which adopted the Bandana name. Kailing linked the musicians with attorney Bruce Grakel, who arranged an audition with producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. Bandana signed to their Haven label and issued the 1976 single “Jukebox Saturday Night” (b/w “Love Is Where You Find It”). The musicians also developed “Movin’ Up” and “Cancellation,” two Beckett–Kipner–Kailing songs carried into the Player repertoire.

Kailing departed as Beckett and Crowley developed “Baby Come Back.” Manager Paul Palmer introduced the pair to Moss, a Hollywood native who played in the local bands Count Zeppelin and the Fabled Airship, and Punk Rock. Moss recruited Friesen, a former high-school bandmate who earned a music degree from California State University, Los Angeles. Friesen spent six years as drummer and musical director for the touring Ice Follies.

The quartet played Los Angeles clubs and auditioned live at record-company offices. Lambert and Potter completed the debut album for Haven, which ceased operations ahead of its release. The producers secured a new deal with Robert Stigwood at RSO Records. Player also enlisted keyboardist Wayne Cook, formerly of GoodThunder and Steppenwolf, for sessions at Western Recorders and Sound Labs in Hollywood. Lambert and Potter produced the 1977 RSO debut Player.

Discography:

• Player (1977)
• Danger Zone (1978)
• Room With a View (1980)
• Spies of Life (1981)
• Electric Shadow (1995)

References and notes

• JazzRockSoul — Paladin. Documents the early Beckett groups, Paladin personnel, and 1971/72 Bronze albums. (Artist history)
• JazzRockSoul — Steve Kipner. Establishes the Skyband partnership, 1975 RCA album, and transition through Riff Raff and Bandana. (Artist history)
• Reed Kailing — Reed and the Prelude to Player. Firsthand account of Riff Raff, Crowley recruitment, Bandana, producer auditions, Haven negotiations, and Kailing departure. (Memoir, sections 37–42)
• Haven Records Discography. Confirms the 1976 Bandana single, catalog number 807, and both song titles. (Label discography)
• Donald Clarke — The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Establishes the Houston origins of J.C. Crowley and his 1972 introduction to Los Angeles through Jesse Ed Davis. (Crowley biography)
• Peter Beckett’s Player — Original Members. Details the backgrounds of Moss and Friesen, their school-band partnership, and the Ice Follies connection. (Member biographies)
• Peter Beckett — Player 1977–1983. Recounts the Palmer introduction, live auditions, Lambert–Potter sessions, RSO agreement, and Wayne Cook involvement. (Band history)
• Fred Bronson — The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (1988). Documents the original Haven contract, completed album, transfer to RSO, and formation circumstances. (Archive, pp. 477–478)
• Sessiondays — Player (1977). Original LP credits confirm Kailing and Kipner songwriting, Wayne Cook, studio locations, and Lambert–Potter production. (Album credits)
• Steppenwolf — Official family tree. Confirms Wayne Cook on the 1976 Epic album Skullduggery. (Discography)