Michael William Deasy (born February 4, 1941) is an American rock and jazz guitarist. As a session musician, he played on numerous hit singles and albums recorded in Los Angeles in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He is sometimes credited as Mike Deasy Sr.
Mike Deasy | |
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![]() Mike Deasy in Pärnu, Estonia 1992 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Michael William Deasy |
Born | (1941-02-04) February 4, 1941 (age 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, sitar, vocals |
Years active | 1958–present |
Labels | Capitol, Sparrow, Saltmine |
Website | www |
He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he learned to play guitar as a child.[1] While still at high school, he played in bands backing visiting musicians such as Ricky Nelson and The Everly Brothers, and also played in Ritchie Valens' touring band with Bruce Johnston, Larry Knechtel, Sandy Nelson, and Jim Horn. After graduating in 1959, he joined Eddie Cochran's band, the Kelly Four, where he played both guitar and baritone sax and made his first recordings.[2][3][4] He also played with The Coasters and Duane Eddy.[1]
Following Cochran's death in 1960, he became an active session musician in Los Angeles[5] after winning a Down Beat magazine collegiate jazz music scholarship in 1961.[6] Deasy married Jim Horn's sister Kathie in 1961, and the couple later set up their own recording studio and production company, Saltmine Recording. He worked as a member of "The Wrecking Crew", with Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel and others, on sessions for Phil Spector, and contributed guitar parts to The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds.[1][5] In the 1960s and later years he also worked on records by the Monkees, the Association, Scott McKenzie, Johnny Rivers, the Fifth Dimension, Rick Nelson, Randy Newman, Spanky & Our Gang, Tommy Roe, Fats Domino, The Byrds, Michael Jackson, Helen Reddy, Frank Zappa, and others.[1][2]
In 1967, he contributed to albums coordinated by record producer Curt Boettcher, including Friar Tuck and His Psychedelic Guitar, effectively a Deasy solo album with wordless vocals by Boettcher.[7] Under the pseudonym Lybuk Hyd, Deasy also played guitar and sitar on the psychedelic concept album Tanyet, credited to The Ceyleib People, which also featured Ry Cooder.[5]
Deasy played guitar (with Tommy Tedesco and Al Casey) on Elvis Presley's 1968 TV special, Elvis. He also performed live with musicians including Cannonball Adderley and Little Richard. In 1969, he was invited by record producer Terry Melcher to work with a newly discovered singer-songwriter, Charles Manson.[8] Deasy left Manson's home after three days, "in a state of drug-fueled paranoia".[5]
Deasy continued to record with leading musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Chet Baker, and Mel Tormé.[1] His guitar playing has appeared on the soundtrack of many films including The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Duel, Bullitt, and Dirty Harry, as well as on many commercials.[1][9]
From the early 1970s onwards after becoming a born again Christian at the 1969 Billy Graham crusade in Anaheim, California, Deasy became increasingly involved with Contemporary Christian music, producing and writing songs for several successful albums, often in conjunction with his wife. In later years, he has had a parallel career as a motivational speaker, and since 1988 has run a "Yes To Life" educational and inspirational program in schools and colleges in the US, Canada and Europe.[3] The Deasys also co-pastored Rock Church Southeast in Port Arthur, Texas, until it eventually shut its doors when Hurricane Harvey flooded the building.
Title | Composer, Conductor or Artist | Year of Release |
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Go, Johnny, Go! | Eddie Cochran | 1959 |
Stagecoach | Jerry Goldsmith | 1966 |
Spinout | George Stoll | 1966 |
Grand Prix | Maurice Jarre | 1966 |
Murderer's Row | Lalo Schifrin | 1966 |
The Monkees | The Monkees | 1966 |
Double Trouble | Jeff Alexander | 1967 |
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | Frank De Vol | 1967 |
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | Nelson Riddle | 1967 |
Bullitt | Lalo Schifrin | 1968 |
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | Dave Grusin | 1968 |
Skidoo | Harry Nilsson | 1968 |
Yours, Mine and Ours | Fred Karlin | 1968 |
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas | Elmer Bernstein | 1968 |
The Sweet Ride | Pete Rugolo | 1968 |
Lady in Cement | Hugo Montenegro | 1968 |
Elvis | Bones Howe | 1968 |
The Graduate | Dave Grusin | 1968 |
Monterey Pop | various | 1968 |
Get Smart | Irving Szathmary | 1968 |
What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Frank De Vol | 1968 |
Coogan's Bluff | Lalo Schifrin | 1968 |
The Summer Brothers Smothers Show | Nelson Riddle | 1968 |
Hang 'Em High | Dominic Frontiere | 1968 |
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour | Ted Nichols | 1968 |
Last Summer | John Simon | 1969 |
Change of Habit | Billy Goldenberg | 1969 |
The Andy Williams Show | Nick Perito | 1969 |
33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee | The Monkees | 1969 |
Sweet Charity | Cy Coleman | 1969 |
Watermelon Man | Melvin Van Peebles | 1970 |
WUSA | Lalo Schifrin | 1970 |
Josie and the Pussycats | Ted Nichols | 1970 |
Sometimes a Great Notion | Henry Mancini | 1970 |
Adam at 6 A.M. | Dave Grusin | 1970 |
The Phynx | Mike Stoller | 1970 |
The Partridge Family | Wes Farrell | 1970 |
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls | Stu Phillips | 1970 |
Star Spangled Girl | Charles Fox | 1971 |
Flip | George Wyle | 1970 |
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | Marty Paich | 1971 |
Play Misty for Me | Dee Barton | 1971 |
Alias Smith and Jones | Billy Goldenberg | 1971 |
Plaza Suite (film) | Maurice Jarre | 1971 |
Duel | Billy Goldenberg | 1971 |
Dirty Harry | Lalo Schifrin | 1971 |
The New Bill Cosby Show | Quincy Jones | 1972 |
Butterflies Are Free | Bob Alcivar | 1972 |
The Getaway | Quincy Jones | 1972 |
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid | Dave Grusin | 1972 |
Play It Again Sam | Billy Goldenberg | 1972 |
Portnoy's Complaint | Michel Legrand | 1972 |
Magnum Force | Lalo Schifrin | 1973 |
High Plains Drifter | Dee Barton | 1973 |
The Outlaw Josey Wales | Jerry Fielding | 1976 |
Sudden Impact | Lalo Schifrin | 1983 |
The Wrecking Crew | various | 2008 |
Sample This - The Birth of Hip Hop | Perry Botkin, Jr. | 2012 |
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Guitars |
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Upright bass |
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Percussion |
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Keyboards | |||
Saxophone |
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Trombone |
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Trumpet |
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