Birth of A Band, The Record Deal and The Making of 'Present Tense' (ePub)

Formed through a common musical bond by high school friends John Murphy, Gary Klebe and Jeff Murphy, SHOES was a musical pipe-dream: to form a band and land a major-label record deal, so they could record and release their music as a profession. But, coming from Zion, Illinois, a small mid-western town with no clubs or venues to see live music, the likelihood of achieving that goal seemed extremely remote. Originally founded at the turn of the century as a religious community, Zion was a 'dry' town, where alcohol, tobacco, movie theaters, gaming rooms and even dancing were illegal. Even though by the 1960's Zion had progressed to allow dancing, had a movie theater and permitted the sale and use of tobacco, alcohol was still not allowed for sale in the city limits. So, there was no live music or club scene. However, the town was within range of Chicago's AM radio transmissions and as the British Invasion dominated the airwaves, it brought rock music to Zion. Through period photos, notes and remembrances, this book details the genesis of the band SHOES and follows them through their early years, as they chase their dream, through their shared love of music, and achieve their goal of signing with a major record label and recording music for a living. The book culminates with the documentation of recording that first professional album, 'Present Tense' in England. This 40th Anniversary edition includes a new 2020 Epilogue, updating events and high-points of SHOES' career.