Sal Maida

Sal Maida joined Roxy Music as bass player for the 'Stranded' tour October 1973 - June 1974. He is credited with playing bass on the Viva! Roxy Music album. Sal can also be seen on the Roxy Music footage from Muskladen recorded during the 'Standed' tour. Sal was the bass player on Roxy's performance of Street Life on Top Of The Pops, unfortunately this footage does not exist anymore.

From Sal's website:

I was born and raised in Manhattan's infamous Little Italy where I heard a multitude of sounds emanating from the jukebox below my window, from Sinatra to the Stones, Motown, Ray Charles, The Beatles and Dinah Washington. I started collecting records at a young age and have amassed some 3,000 L.P.s and hundreds of 45's. Now that I've added an additional 1,500 cd's to the mix, I've developed an encyclopedic knowledge of music from the 50's to the present.

I graduated from Fordham University with a BS in Economics but could often be found seated in the back of my class with The Melody Maker tucked safely inside my textbook.

A dedicated Anglophile, my trips to England led to an audition with Family, a jam with David O'List and an early session with the pre-Roxy Music, Paul Thompson.

I worked in a record store in London and Paul came in looking for a Family lp called "Old Songs New Songs." I hid that record under the counter so he had to return. When he came back, he brought Eddie Jobson along with him. Eventually, I landed an audition with the legendary Roxy Music. Well, it took three visits to the studio where they were mixing "Stranded" before they actually heard me play bass. In the meantime however, I got to know them, their wit and particular brand of humor.

Some of the more memorable gigs would have to be my first, an outdoor festival playing to some 5,000 people, The Rainbow Theatre in London,The Academy of Music in New York, and performing on Top of the Pops (which I've never seen).

What can I say...how does one go from playing with one of the premier bands in Europe to joining a young pop band from The Five Towns in Long Island? John Hewlett (previously of John's Children with Marc Bolan) managed Sparks at the time and convinced me to check out his latest discovery, Milk n Cookies, in the basement of the lead singer's home.

I thought they were great but wasn't convinced I was right for the band. Hewlet guaranteed a deal with Island Records so I joined up and Muff Winwood flew to New York to hear us. He said "Yes" on the spot and shortly after, we were in London recording at Island Studios.

Sparks and M n C shared the same manager in Hewlet and Ron and Russel Mael came to New York with the intention of recording a harder rock record. The band lineup originally included Mick Ronson, Hilly Michaels and myself. When Ronson dropped out, I brought in Jeff Salen to play guitar on what became the "Big Beat" lp on Columbia Records in the U.S. While they were touring I received a call to replace the bassist and I joined them in L.A. for the remainder of the tour.

A couple of funnier moments with the brothers Mael included, filming the movie "Roller Coaster" at Magic Mountain and a Bottom Line show where Ron put the piano bench to his chest and slide across the front table knocking over Columbia Record executives food and drink! Nice touch.

Staying on in L.A. at the infamous Tropicana Motel, I began working with Hollywood Svengali, Kim Fowley. Always entertaining, Fowley, had a nightmare that bassist, Vicki Blue's arms were wrapped in snakes, thus I was brought in to ghost on The Runaways "Waiting for the Night." (See discography for others)

As I write, M n C has just been re-released on RPM in England. I'm actively playing and producing, and always, collecting.

Sal has played bass on:

1976
Viva - Roxy Music
Big Beat - Sparks
Rupert Holmes
Milk n Cookies
Muff Winwood
Waiting for the Night - The Runaways
Kim Fowley
1978
Sunset Blvd - Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley
PVC
1977
Beauty's Only Skin Deep - Cherie Currie
Kim Fowley
1975
Lucky Leif and The Longships - Robert Calvert
Brian Eno
1983
Secret Love - Gary Private
Fred Munao
1977
Songs From The Sunshine Jungle - Venus and the Razorblades
Kim Fowley
1980
Orchids
Kim Fowley
1980
Going Up - Joey Wilson
Jimmy Destri
1983
After Hours - Velveteen
**Sal Maida/Lisa Burns
1999
Playing God - Bob Hillman
Tommy West
Sliced Bread
2001
Welcome to My Century - Bob Hillman
Tommy West
Brave New World
1993
Toxic Emotion - Golden Carillo
Frank Carillo
Silenz
1994
Back for More - Golden Carillo
Frank Carillo
Citadel
1998
Along the Way - The Lovin' Kind
**Sal Maida w Frank Carillo
2005
Unadorned - Lisa B. Burns
**Sal Maida w Arthur Lamonica
Honey Records
2004
Idiot Optimism - Van Duren
Doc Cavelier
Lucky 7
** PRODUCER
AS A SONGWRITER
1990
As I Came of Age - Sarah Brightman
cuts - "Some Girls" and "As I Came of Age"
co written with Lisa Burns
Val Garay (released in Europe only)
rereleased 2002
MOVIES
Rollercoaster (performing w Sparks)
VIDEO
1990
Roxy Music-Total Recall
A History 1972-1982

DVD
2004
Roxy Music-Inside Roxy Music
A Critical Review 72-74

Sal Maida is credited on the following Roxy Music and Solo Albums