When Robert Ellis Orrall’s music career caught fire in the early 1980s, the 1973 Lynnfield High grad and his bandmates often rehearsed in the basement of his parents’ 7 Wing Road home. His dad, Roy, would occasionally weigh in with his opinion.
One day, Roy yelled down from his upstairs office. “Gee, I don’t know about that one, Bobby.”
Orrall and his bandmates – Kook Lawry (guitars) and Don Walden (bass), both 1972 Lynnfield High grads, and David Stefanelli (drums) – roar with laughter at the memory.
We are chatting in the basement studio in Lawry’s Driftwood Lane home. One wall in the cramped space is decorated with dozens of Fender guitars. These four expert musicians and lifetime friends had just completed a rehearsal of new songs and a run-through of “How Can She (Even Like That Guy?),” a fan favorite from their 1980 RCA debut “Fixation.”
Rehearsal? New music? You bet! The band has a new album on the way and a few live dates planned, including a July 5 headlining show for the Marblehead Festival of the Arts at Crocker Park and an Aug. 22 return to The Cut in Gloucester, which hosted a sold-out REO show last October. Fun Bucket – Lawry and Walden’s “other” band – will again perform at the after-party.
Reunited and it feels so good.
But first, let’s look back.
Robert Ellis Orrall – that’s the name of both the band and the frontman – recorded three records for RCA in the 1980s.
In 1980, two songs were recorded for a “Big 12-inch single”: “White Noise”/“How Can She (Even Like That Guy.” WBCN and WCOZ started playing it. Listeners loved it.
“The positive reaction made me start believing in myself.”
Robert Ellis Orrall
“The positive reaction made me start believing in myself,” said Robert, who guesses he’d written 100 songs by the time he entered 10th grade.
“Charlie Ryan, a LHS teacher, encouraged me to write. He told me, ‘writers write’ and gave me extra credit when I submitted my song lyrics. That probably helped me graduate on time.”
They opened for U2, The Kinks, Robert Palmer, the Go-Gos and other chart-toppers. Lynn’s Brian Maes played keyboards at those shows. Roger Bechirian, who produced such luminaries as Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds and Squeeze, was in the studio for REO’s EP and third album. The EP included “I Couldn’t Say No,” a top 40 hit duo with Johnny Cash’s daughter Carleen Carter.
“When we started out, my wife (Christine) and I were living in Manchester-by-the-Sea and the band rehearsed in Lynnfield. Here it is, all these years later and we still live in Manchester-by-the-Sea and rehearse in Lynnfield,” Orrall said.
Kook said he knew early on that Robert had a natural gift for songwriting: “I’d hear Robert in the high-school auditorium practicing with classmate Doug Millett. I’d be walking down the corridors trying to figure out a way to stop going to school entirely, and here was Robert with these amazing songs looking toward the future.”
Millett was an original member of the band, then a 5-piece. When REO landed a contract with RCA Records and the “Fixation” album was climbing the charts, Millett decided life on the road wasn’t that appealing after all, thanks to difficult label executives. (Millett has had a successful music career in his own right, as a songwriter working in Nashville with Ronnie Milsap and other country music stars.)
Orrall also ended up in Nashville for about 30 years, writing songs and producing records for other people including Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire, Michael McDonald and Lindsay Lohan. He arranged a Swift showcase in Nashville that resulted in Taylor landing her first record deal.
Don and Kook, both 1973 LHS grads, were in the band from the start. “Don’s joining us was a turning point. I remember those early sessions in the old barn at Doug’s house, at the corner of Essex and Main,” said Kook.
“Kook was THE guitar god of Lynnfield,” Orrall said. He remembers walking to Kook’s house, 123 Main Street, and knocking on the door. His knees were knocking, too. “Hi, I’m R-R-Robert. Will you be the guitarist in my band?”
A short while later, Kook ran into Robert at the 99 (Lynnfield restaurant). “We talked about his plans and he said he was looking for a guitarist,” He said.
With Kook and Don onboard – and Millett still involved – the search for a drummer was a top priority.
We’ll let David Stefanelli tell the story: “When I was 19 years old, growing up in Somerville, I played drums in a local band. There was this club, Jasper’s … I was underage, but they let me in to hear music. One night, I was really, really, really impressed with the band. It was Robert Ellis Orrall.”
Shortly thereafter, Orrall was talking with an associate of Boston band Luna: “Do you know of any good drummers looking for a band?” David was recommended.
“Can you believe it? It was the band I just saw and absolutely loved. Robert called me and set up an audition.”
David’s audition was at the historic Rockmarge estate in Prides Crossing.
“I lived in Somerville and took the train from North Station to Prides Crossing. The road to the mansion was directly across the street from the station,” He said. David remembers seeing Don’s blue Chevy Vega – aka “The Jellybean” – parked outside the monstrous house. The band played a few tunes and David fit right in. “It was instant. I liked them and they liked me.”
The four have great affection for the “Fixation” tour, even the grueling miles they traveled in a red Chevy van getting to gig after gig. “The road manager and the sound guy … seven of us and all the equipment, in this van,” recalled David. “And we all got along. There was never a time when we didn’t get along.”
A new live album will be released June 27. The new songs were recorded by the four band members during a recent working vacation in Florida.
Here’s a sneak preview of new Robert Ellis Orrall music:
