The History Of Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is originally from Detroit, Michigan (born June 8, 1959) and has been living on the beaches of Tampa Bay since 1978. He has played flute and saxophone and fronted many original bands including The Charlie Harwood Band (’82-’83), Louder Than Lions (’87-’88), A Sordid People (’89-’90), Group Therapy (’90-’91), The Pundits (’92-’99), Flash Gordon’s Adventures In Music (’00-’05) and Chill Pop (2007), as well as sitting in every so often with ‘The Shakes Society’, ‘Natural Blend’, and ‘The Fanatics’.
2009 saw Flash back together with ‘The Pundits’ for three reunion shows. A documentary movie was made that was entered in the Sarasota Film Festival 2011 and can be seen on YouTube.
2010-11 Flash (& Jo) were working with ‘Smokin’ Connie’ for two gigs and a 5 song recording.
In 2012, Jo and Flash worked with ‘Raise The Baby’, playing a couple significant gigs and recording an eleven song collection, including the song ‘Is Man Kind’, that was a hit for a short time on WMNF.
Through 2013 and into 2014, Flash and Jo worked with a group of talented musicians including Tom Storms, Kevin Karch and Nick Weber called Swim In Salt. Their first songs, ‘Daredevil Days’ and ‘Fancy Wood Doors’ were released and received a few spins on WMNF.
A newly reformed ‘Swim In Salt’ recorded an album called ‘What’s Not To Like (About That) in the summer of 2017 with Ed Woltil, Dan DeGregory, Christian Walker and Steve Connelly. Released August 1st, this is the first album of original music featuring Flash’s wife Jo as the primary vocalist. Again, some of the songs have received airplay on WMNF and other similar radio stations across the nation.
Besides writing, recording and performing, Flash Gordon has a long history of promoting original music here in Tampa Bay. In 1984 Flash decided his woodworking shop was a great spot to have a party featuring the band ‘Empty Sky’. Over the next twelve years all sorts of great original bands played Flash’s Warehouse Parties including, A New Personality, Dialogue, The Fanatics, Imani, Mighty Pat & The Culture Roots, Grassy Knoll Gunman, Tommy Tie Dye, Monday Mornings, Magadog and many, many others. This history of promoting original bands was the catalyst for Flash and partner Ted Henderson (who played drums in a band that opened for ‘Empty Sky’ back in 1984 at the first warehouse party) eventually opening Club More in September of 1997. Club More brought a vast array of original music to the old warehouse on Franklin Street in Clearwater including Dave Mason, Robbie Krieger, Savoy Brown, Buddy Miles, Levon Helm, Donna The Buffalo, Jimmy LaFave, Derek Trucks, Deborah Coleman, The Iguanas and many others. Club More closed in September 2001 because the cult of scientology got the city to remove the parking privileges for Club More, upsetting business and essentially putting us out of business. Flash continues to write and record songs and dreams of re-opening Club More someday. Of course, to contradict Kai Winding, Irma Thomas & The Rolling Stones, time is not on Flash’s side.
In June of 2019 Flash contacted The Pundits (Rockabilly Wally Estrada – guitar & vocals, Captain Pundit Jerry Gabardi – bass & Greg “The Hammer” Turman -drums, to see if there was any interest in recording some Pundits’ songs that had never been recorded in the studio and work commenced soon after. Between a fire in the wood shop and a plaque across the land, ten new recordings by The Pundits are “in the can” as of December 2020 at Zen Recording with Steve Connelly once again engineering and producing.
In September 2022, Flash put an ad on the Indeed website and it read “Carpenter, Woodworker, Musician wanted”. Flash had a couple good conversations with folks that sounded interesting but none showed up for a single interview. Then Flash got a call from a guy that said he had just moved from Homestead to Holiday a day or so ago and he needed a job. He said he was not only a piano player but played guitar, violin, viola, cello, etc. He also said he was willing to unload trucks and build door jambs and hang doors. Flash tried Leo out on a Friday and then he was full time the following week. He was at the shop for six weeks and things were good. The first week he was at the shop, one afternoon after work was concluded for him, he started playing the piano and Flash ran to the next room to grab lyrics he had just written since he thought they would work and play well together. ‘That Isn’t Me’ is what was created. Leo is Cuban and his favorite piano players are folks Flash hasn’t even heard of. He said he loves Ska and his favorite band is Sublime. Anyway, after two good rehearsals with Gonzalo Ovelar on drums and Wayne Robinson on bass, Leo had to move to his mom’s in Lake Wales. He made the trip for a week and then came in the following Monday which was November 28. He was very emotional and basically said he couldn’t make the trip everyday any longer. But he suggested he work one or two days a week and one of them could be the music day – Saturday. That is the last Flash ever heard from him. Flash called a few times and then at the end of the year, when he created his W-2, Flash tried to reach him to get an address to mail that to and, nothing. No call back no email nothing Every time Flash would play the song for someone he’d call him and no call back. Not only is it heartbreaking because Flash thought they had potential as a group, he is worried about him. It just ain’t easy finding help or putting a band together! Flash hired Matt Burke (who played for a while with Rocket 88) to learn the song and record it which Swim In Salt did with Steve Connelly at Zen Recording. Steve liked the song so much he added the guitar part but everything else was recorded in one take. Flash sang a double to the original vocal (first take) and the flute was recorded on the first take with the vocal. ‘That Isn’t Me’ by Flash Gordon & Leo Garcia – recorded by Swim In Salt (Wayne Robinson – Bass, Gonzalo Ovelar – Drums, Matt Burke – Piano, Steve Connelly – Guitar, Jo Karen – Backing Vocals). Live for your streaming please on all streaming sites!