Long Ago & Far Away

One more pull to the top of the mountain

One long pull, and we're into the sky

So many miles, I can't count 'em now.....

- Paul Kantner, Freedom at Point Zero

Long Ago in a Galaxy Far Away....

Then you hear the music, and it all comes crystal clear....

Music does the talking, says the things you want to hear

- Rik Emmett, Triumph, Magic Power

the Collateral Damage / EMS archives

The tunes listed below for download are representative of material we wrote and performed when much younger <whew!>. Back then we had an establishment named EMS where we had some of the first eight track recording available in Richmond and were all playing night and day... the principal offenders were Albie McCue, Herb Curlee, Casey McCue, and Cindy Perfater.

Today, we've all grown up (well, at least mostly), but we're all still working musicians, albeit with jobs and titles, families and homes, and so forth. We've posted a number of old pictures at the bottom of this page (ouch!). In the meantime, whatever happened to:

Albie McCue: senior IT exec at national manufacturing firm, still playing hot guitar in the Richmond showband Premier - check their website at www.premiereband.com

Herb Curlee: director of regional insurance firm in Jacksonville, still rocking with Collateral Damage (mostly on the bass)

Casey McCue: marketing exec at Richmond area telecom firm, switched from drums to guitar and vocals for Collateral Damage

Cindy Perfater: runs EmCee Entertainment in Charlottesville and fronts the Houserockers (still got the pipes!). Check their website at www.houserockersband.com !

Other players of note:

Jim Rowe - Yamaha 12-string guitar

Chris Stewart - drums

Vann Barden - vocals

Pat Barden - guitars

Hugh 'Rambler' Luck - flute, sax

Bill Weaver - soprano and alto sax

The tunes below were all recorded from 1976-1987. We just salvaged the master analog tapes over to Yamaha 2816 digital. These are rough <very> mixes as I haven't figured out how to do internal effects (reverb, etc.) yet on the digital workstation. Other notes:

Links are below for each individual song along with notes on the players for each, and there are various pictures at the bottom of the page. Songs include:

Thanking You - Bill Smith/Herb Curlee

A Voice and Her Star - Bill Smith/Herb Curlee

Lately - Bill Smith/Herb Curlee

Suffragette City - David Bowie

Guilty - Bonnie Raitt

Don't Apologize - Chris Stewart

Pass the Chapstick - Herb Curlee

Nature's Way - Randy California

Crossroads - Cream

Badge - Cream

Little Wing - Hendrix

Take Me, Embrace Me - Vann & Pat Barden

Skid Marks - Bo Abbott/John Hitchcock/Herb Curlee/Murray Hardiman

Country Medley - various

How Can I Tell You - Cat Stevens

The Clock - Jim Rowe

Landslide - Stevie Nicks

Six Days on the Road - Flying Burrito Brothers

Norwegian Wood - George Harrison

You Aint Going Nowhere - Gram Parsons

Theories Behind Good Bars - Bill Smith/Herb Curlee

Hurricane Susie - Bo Abbott/John Hitchcock/Herb Curlee/Murray Hardiman

I Give You My Love - Vann & Pat Barden

Additional Blasts from the Past

Jeff Fink Band

Bayou - Jeff Fink

Sandia - Jeff Fink

St. John - Jeff Fink

Wasted Space Patrol

Skid Marks - Bo Abbott, John Hitchcock, Herb Curlee, Murray Hardiman

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed - Dicky Betts

Big Boss Man - traditional

Who Do You Love - Quicksilver Messenger Service

Just a Season - Roger McGuinn

Mama Tried - Merle Haggard

CLICK ON THE HIGHLIGHTED SONG LINKS BELOW TO DOWNLOAD AND PLAY THE SONG CLIP

http://www.collateraldamage.org/thanking you.mp3

Thanking You - 1978

Lyrics Bill Smith, music Herb Curlee

Herb Curlee - guitars and bass

Casey McCue- drums

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Bill Weaver - sax

Nice jazzy little pop tune, one of the best collaborations w/ Smitty.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/avoiceandherstar.mp3

A Voice and Her Star - 1983

Lyrics Bill Smith, music Herb Curlee

Herb Curlee - guitars and bass

Chris Stewart - drums

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Bill Weaver - sax

A real pop tune, put two hopeless romantics together writing songs and look what you get. Great vocals by Supergirl as usual, and killer guitar work from Fast Eddie.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/lately.mp3

Lately - 1976

Lyrics - Bill Smith , Music - Herb Curlee

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Herb Curlee - bass, electric guitar, vocals

Jim Rowe - 12 string Yamaha

Hugh 'Rambler' Luck - flute

In many ways the best Smitty collaboration. This one is really hopelessly romantic. Whew! 'Lately' got some favorable airplay on WTJU in Charlottesville (91.3 FM). This version is the long-lost original four track master, which was recently rediscovered by accident after the Jacksonville move .... an exceptionally powerful song, this was actually the first multitrack recording we ever did and holds a special place in our hearts. Written when the world was fresh and new and all things were possible ....

http://www.collateraldamage.org/suffragettecity.mp3

Suffragette City - 1978

Lyrics & music - David Bowie

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass, vocals

Casey McCue - drums

An old favorite, a kicking tune. Early days, though. Part of our repertoire before Cindy came on the scene. David Findlay used to sing this when we played it live, but he wasn't around when we recorded this honker, so .....

http://www.collateraldamage.org/guilty.mp3

Guilty - 1978

Lyrics & music - Bonnie Raitt

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass

Casey McCue - drums

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Bonnie Raitt wishes she could sing like this - classic blues a la Albie McCue!

http://www.collateraldamage.org/dontapologize.mp3

Don't Apologize - 1983

Lyrics & music - Chris Stewart

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass, vocals

Chris Stewart - drums, lead vocals

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Chris kicks it out, and the rest of us fall on the melody like a pack of baying hounds and chase it over the cliff. Otherwise known as "Fix bayonets! We're going over the hill"! Albie went crazy on the guitar. There's an extended version of this song that sounds just like the Jefferson Airplane that we may post later, but this one was the AM radio hit <right>.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/pass the chapstick.mp3

Pass the Chapstick - 1987

Lyrics & music - Herb Curlee

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass, vocals

Casey McCue - drums

A little higher energy than usual, Albie can play some killer guitar, for sure. Written for a cool blonde who liked Irish Mist and could rationalize almost anything. This one was meant to be played loud.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/naturesway.mp3

Nature's Way - 1978

Lyrics & music - Randy California

Herb Curlee - guitars and bass

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Dick Ewart - drums

A great arrangement of a classic tune off Spirit's Twelve Dreams album. Unfortunately the track with the sax solo did not make it through the conversion process so this version is sololess, but boy, Cindy has the pipes! Dick Ewart from the Lexington in Boston sat in on drums during a visit.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/crossroads.mp3

Crossroads - 1978

Music & lyrics - Willie Dixon, arrangement by Cream

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass

Casey McCue - drums

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Straight ahead, and powerful. One of our favorites. Pump up the volume, and shades of the sixties!

http://www.collateraldamage.org/badge.mp3

Badge - 1978

Cream

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass

Marc Johansen - drums

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Move over Eric Clapton. An old favorite of ours.... great vocals from Cindy as usual and percussion courtesy of Marc Johansen from Colorado when he and Sherri were in town for a visit.... shades of St. Stephens high school bands!

http://www.collateraldamage.org/littlewing.mp3

Little Wing - 1978

Lyrics & music - Jimi Hendrix

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - bass

Casey McCue - drums

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Hugh 'Rambler' Luck - sax

This was done several years before Sting covered it, we always liked this tune a lot.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/take me embrace me.mp3

Take Me, Embrace Me - 1983

lyrics & music - Vann & Pat Barden

Albie McCue - guitar

Pat Barden - guitar

Herb Curlee - bass

Chris Stewart - drums

Vann Barden - vocal

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Nice original, Pat played a hot Les Paul for a girl <grin>. Albie charges into the two bridges like a herd of charging buffalo, and backs up Pat while she solos.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/skidmarks.mp3

Skid Marks - 1983

Music - Bo Abbott, John Hitchcock, Herb Curlee, & Murray Hardiman

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - guitars, bass

Chris Stewart - drums

A kicking instrumental reminiscent of the sixties and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Written by the Charlottesville band Wasted Space Patrol at a time when Albie and Herb were seriously into Wishbone Ash and early Allman Brothers. Albie establishes new meaning to the phrase "blowing the roof off" in this remake of the original 1973 tune! The original WSP version version of this tune recorded live is farther down this page.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/countrymedley.mp3

Country Medley - 1978

Go & Say Goodbye (Buffalo Springfield)/ Rocky Top (traditional) / Georgia Rose (traditional)

Albie McCue - guitars

Herb Curlee - guitars, bass, vocals

Casey McCue - drums, vocals

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Kicking country rock, really - a neat original arrangement. Needs a couple of fiddle solos still, though.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/howcanitellyou.mp3

How Can I Tell You - 1977

Lyrics & Music - Cat Stevens

Jim Rowe - guitars

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Herb Curlee - vocals

A wonderful tune, we grabbed the arrangement off Lani Hall's Sundown Lady LP. More or less what Jim/Cindy/Herb sounded like live.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/theclock.mp3

The Clock - 1977

Music - Jim Rowe

Jim Rowe - Yamaha 12-string guitar

A great original by The Mighty Rowe - Jim was doing Leo Kottke-style stuff before Kottke!

http://www.collateraldamage.org/landslide.mp3

Landslide - 1977

Lyrics & Music - Stevie Nicks

Jim Rowe - guitar

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Hugh 'Rambler' Luck - flute

Cindy nailed this one.... this is one of the first ones we recorded! This was one of Cindy's signature tunes (who needs Stevie Nicks, anyway).

http://www.collateraldamage.org/sixdaysontheroad.mp3

Six Days on the Road - 1977

Lyrics & Music - Flying Burrito Brothers

Albie McCue - guitar

Herb Curlee - guitars, bass, vocals

Casey McCue - drums

I forget who sat in on the pedal steel on this one (the guy was great, though)

One of the first ones we recorded.... this one is pre-Cindy. Sounds a lot like what we sounded like live in those days.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/norwegianwood.mp3

Norwegian Wood - 1977

Lyrics & Music - George Harrison

Albie McCue - guitars

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Hugh 'Rambler' Luck - flute

Herb Curlee - bass

Casey McCue - drums

One of the first songs we did with Cindy..... originally with Jim Rowe. Albie did the guitars for this electrified version, and the Rambler played a wonderful flute arrangement!

http://www.collateraldamage.org/youaintgoingnowhere.mp3

You Aint Going Nowhere - 1977

Lyrics & Music - Gram Parsons

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Herb Curlee - bass, guitar, vocals

Casey McCue - drums

A remake of an arrangement done by the Charlottesville band Krypton (but that's another story). Probably a bit more pop than Gram intended, and he'd roll over in his grave if he heard the Carpenters-style ending. But interesting, nonetheless.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/theoriesbehindgoodbars.mp3

Theories Behind Good Bars - 1977

Lyrics - Bill Smith , Music - Herb Curlee

Cindy Perfater - vocals ('thank you babe')

Herb Curlee - bass, guitar, vocals

Hugh 'Rambler' Luck - sax

Written for the Hawk and Dove, a great Washington hangout in the 70's. The fact is, the bathroom was 'just far enough'. Some great times were had there, as long as people didn't pass notes while you were away from the table <grin>.

http://www.collateraldamage.org/hurricanesusie.mp3

Hurricane Susie - 1983

Lyrics & Music - Bo Abbott/John Hitchcock/Herb Curlee/Murray Hardiman

Cindy Perfater - vocals

Herb Curlee - bass, guitar, vocals

Chris Stewart - drums

A great original from the old Wasted Space Patrol in Charlottesville (it was a patrol that patrolled for wasted space, we swear <grin>). Currently needs a couple of extended sax and trumpet solos at the end which we'll record shortly with Michael James' Horndogs. A great tune even without them, though..... see if you can spot the bass lick tribute to Mel Schacher of Grand Funk Railroad...

http://www.collateraldamage.org/igiveyoumylove.mp3

I Give You My Love - 1983

Lyrics & Music - Vann & Pat Barden

Vann Barden - vocals

Pat Barden - guitar

Herb Curlee - bass

Chris Stewart - drums

Bill Weaver - sax

A timeless and beautiful song with just the right understatement by Vann. Elegant in its simplicity. One of the best. Bill Weaver's sax solos are gorgeous. Whew!

Jeff Fink Band - 1978

http://www.collateraldamage.org/sandia.mp3

Sandia

Lyrics & Music - Jeff Fink

http://www.collateraldamage.org/bayou.mp3

Bayou

Lyrics & Music - Jeff Fink

http://www.collateraldamage.org/stjohn.mp3

St. John

Lyrics & Music - Jeff Fink

Three great jazzy tunes by the Jeffmeister, now a vintner in California, on guitar and vocals. The JFB arose out of the ashes of Krypton, a Charlottesville band with Jeff, Rob Brown, Herb Curlee, Mike Boyle, and Micki Maslyk. Albie and Herb recorded these sessions at the original EMS eight track setup and the master tapes held up pretty well for 25 years. Mike Boyle provided killer percussion for the JFB sessions and Cindy sang backup on a couple of the recordings. Great stuff, all in all.

Wasted Space Patrol - 1973

http://www.collateraldamage.org/skidmarkswsplive.mp3

Skid Marks

Lyrics & Music - Bo Abbott, John Hitchcock, Herb Curlee, Murray Hardiman

http://www.collateraldamage.org/elizabethreed.mp3

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

Lyrics & Music - Dicky Betts

http://www.collateraldamage.org/whodoyoulove.mp3

Who Do You Love

Lyrics & Music - Quicksilver Messenger Service / Ellis McDaniel

http://www.collateraldamage.org/bigbossman.mp3

Big Boss Man

Lyrics & Music - traditional

http://www.collateraldamage.org/justaseason.mp3

Just a Season

Lyrics & Music - Roger McGuinn

http://www.collateraldamage.org/mamatried.mp3

Mama Tried

Lyrics & Music - Merle Haggard

The Wasted Space Patrol was a 'patrol that patrolled for wasted space' (we swear). Basically a hot guitar jam band that got together to produce a multimedia project for a UVA music course, the band hung out for a year or more. Bo Abbott and John Hitchcock handled guitar chores, Herb played bass, and Murray "Hambone" Hardiman presided over percussion, while Thorny and Johnny U. ran the bus service to Cosmic Corners. . All this stuff is two track recording from 1973 but sounds great today nonetheless - the tapes held up remarkably well for thirty years. The WSP did a lot of Quicksilver, Allmans, Dead, and Wishbone Ash, with a healthy dose of Merle Haggard and New Riders thrown in. The band broke up in 1974 when Murray went off to tour with the Brit-rock band Scandal, where he was joined by Herb later.

The WSP tapes show one thing - a hot band for sure, but at the time none of us could sing a lick. Whew! By the way, 'Skid Marks' is the original multimedia UVA music class project, recorded live by the WSP and later in the studio by EMS. The cuts are recorded live, except for "Just a Season' and 'Mama Tried', which were recorded in the Sound Box two track studio in Charlottesville in April 1973.

Pictures of the Main Offenders (more to come)

The original 'brains' of the whole deal (never mind how old these are):