Paul Althouse

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Main Instrument: Electric guitar - 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a Strat (of course)
Background: Began playing guitar at age 14.
Styles: Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Soul, "Beach music", Classical, "New Age"

QUESTION: How did you get your start in the music business?

PAUL: Since I was 14 years old I have enjoyed playing the electric guitar. I was fortunate to have been able to learn in a performance setting right from the start. In 1964, some friends and I learned a few songs and got a job playing the local Exchange Club teen dance on Saturday nights. We each made $8 and thought we were really on our way. Our name was "The Chapparelles"

QUESTION: Where was this?

PAUL: Isle of Palms, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston. On the beach of course. A very middle class residential beach community at that time. Since (hurricane) Hugo, it has really developed into a tourist and resort area. Sad, in some ways. It was a great place to grow up musically.

QUESTION: What musical influences were you exposed to?

PAUL: Quite unique influences, really. The deep South was a conservative place to grow up in during the 60's. "Beach Music" ruled.

QUESTION: Like the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean?

PAUL: Oh no, although that kind of music was available on the radio, the "Beach Music" I am referring to were the sounds of black artists like "The Drifters", "Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs", and "Willie Tee". They would all tour throughout the South playing at clubs on the beach, like Art's Seaside on the Isle of Palms. The place would be jammed with conservative white kids digging these R&B sounds and dancing the "Shag". The shag was like a slow R&B paced jitterbug (same moves but at a "My Girl" tempo).
On Saturday nights my friend, Marcus, and I would walk down the beach to the Seaside and watch these great bands from outside the back of the club. (You had to be 18 to get in). Summer evenings on a South Carolina beach were always warm and these clubs were built with entirely open side walls facing the ocean. These open walls were covered with chicken wire to keep people from entering without paying admission. That really wasn't a problem anyway with the conservative white kids that made up the audience. We would just walk up and take in all the sounds. Think that's where I got hooked on wanting to play music. Within a few years, my skills and experience led me to the other side of that chicken wire, playing for the same audiences with local bands.

QUESTION: So these early experiences had quite an influence on you. Did you continue playing "Beach Music"?

PAUL: Well, it was now the late 60's and the Beatles were in full swing. In 1968 I began attending the College of Charleston in Charleston South Carolina. Suddenly, my generation was becoming the "flower folks", the hippie generation and I was no exception. I found myself musically absorbing all the music of the day. I found myself particularly influenced by Eric Clapton. I'm talking the "Cream" era Clapton, I consider this period of his music to be his most free form and creative and it had a tremendous influence on my playing style.

QUESTION: What kind of music were you playing during this time?

PAUL: Whatever we wanted. This was the golden age of improvisational rock. 20, 30, 40 minute songs. We did Allman Brothers, Cream, and tons of British stuff like Procol Harum, and Spooky Tooth. A great training ground for improvisation. Ever since that time, I have been pretty much able to play with anyone and follow what's going on musically even if I hadn't rehearsed the song or even played it at all before.

QUESTION: So these experiences honed the skills you needed to produce and perform your own music?

PAUL: Exactly, I'm a listener as well as a player. I had the pleasure of playing music at some pretty great gigs. On many occasions, our group would find itself the opening act for groups like the The Allman Brothers, Cactus, Delaney and Bonnie, The Marshall Tucker Band, and The Dixie Dregs.

QUESTION: And them came computers?

PAUL: YES!!! Finally the tools were available to compose AND perform the music the way "we" wanted to hear it; from the drums to the keyboards, to the complete orchestra, any way we want it. Computer software allowed us to build musical parts in numerous ways and with the adding of synthesizers, it allowed us to play any sounds we needed to make the song work. No more endless searching for just the right musicians to comlement our music. We just bring the sidemen with us in a PC.


QUESTION: All of Steel Pearl's music is produced in the studio?

PAUL: That's right, all the parts except those we perform live. By adding our live guitar and vocals to the pre-recorded backing tracks, we have been able to keep the spark of live performing while making
the band any size we want based on the sounds we are looking for. It's a real dream come true.

QUESTION: What do you see in the future for your music?

PAUL: Well, to tell you the truth, we are just getting started. We have gotten used to our studio environment and now just want to continue creating music for others to enjoy. With "Steel Pearl" we can take our music to another level, the public. We still love the "live" venues. "The roar of the crowd", ya know.

QUESTION: Thanks for spending this time sharing your musical viewpoint with our readers.

PAUL: Thank you for the opportunity to talk about what we are doing!