Mike Deasy

Mike Deasy
Mike Deasy in Pärnu, Estonia 1992
Background information
Birth name	Michael William Deasy
Born	(1941-02-04) February 4, 1941 (age 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Guitar, sitar, vocals
Years active	1958–present
Labels	Capitol, Sparrow, Saltmine
Associated acts	Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Phil Spector, Ricky Nelson, Everly Brothers, Dick Dale, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, The Ventures, Frank Sinatra, The Monkees, The Beach Boys, Bobbie Gentry, Billy Joel, Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Cannonball Adderley, Little Richard
Website	www.mikedeasy.com

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.

Biography[]

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] 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.^[6] 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] He 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, and won the Down Beat magazine jazz music readers' poll in 1968.^[3] In 1969, he was invited by record producer Terry Melcher to work with a newly discovered singer-songwriter, Charles Manson.^[7] 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][8]

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.

Discography[]

• Your Gang (Mercury, 1966)
• Tanyet (Vault, 1967)
• Friar Tuck and His Psychedelic Guitar (Mercury, 1967)
• Gator Creek (Mercury, 1970)
• Letters To My Head (Capitol, 1973)
• Wings Of An Eagle (Sparrow, 1976)
• Wings Of Praise (Saltmine, 1987)
• Holy Smoke (Saltmine, 1991)
• Tru Love (Saltmine, 1994)
• Guitar Gold (Saltmine, 1995)
• Signs and Wonders (Saltmine, 1999)
• Paper Airplane (Saltmine, 2000)
• Path of Peace Vol. 1 (Saltmine, 2003)
• Path of Peace Vol. 2 (Saltmine, 2003)
• Endtimes Weather Band (Saltmine, 2011)
• Driftin' (Saltmine, 2013)
• The Road Home Vol. 1 (Saltmine)
• The Road Home Vol. 2 (Saltmine)

Partial credits as a sideman[]

Year	Artist	Album Title	Allmusic[9] Pro Rating	Allmusic User Rating
1960	Eddie Cochran	"12 Of His Biggest Hits"
1962	Aki Aleong and His Licorice Twisters	"Twistin' The Hits"
1964	The Road Runners	"The New Mustang and Other Hot Rod Hits"
1965	Gary Lewis & The Playboys	"This Diamond Ring"
1965	Dennis Budimir	"The Creeper"
1965	Irene Kral	"Wonderful Life"
1966	Petula Clark	"My Love"
1966	Pete Candoli	"Moscow Mule and Many More Kicks"
1966	Tommy Roe	"Sweet Pea"
1966	The Deep Six	"The Deep Six"
1966	Nancy Sinatra	"Boots"
1966	The Monkees	"The Monkees"
1966	Bobby Darin	"If I Were a Carpenter"
1966	The Beach Boys	"Pet Sounds"
1966	Ben Benay	"The Big Blues Harmonica of Ben Benay"
1966	Your Gang	"If You Want To Buy 'Em"
1966	Jerry Goldsmith	"Stagecoach O.S.T."
1966	The Association	"And Then... Along Comes the Association"
1966	Lalo Schifrin	"Murderer's Row"
1967	Dean Martin	"Happiness Is Dean Martin"
1967	Paul Revere & the Raiders	"Revolution!"
1967	Nilsson	"Pandemonium Shadow Show"
1967	Scott McKenzie	"The Voice of Scott McKenzie"
1967	Elvis Presley	"Double Trouble"
1967	The Ventures	"Super Psychedelics"
1967	Bobbie Gentry	"Ode to Billie Joe"
1967	The First Edition	"The First Edition"
1967	The Parade	"The Parade"
1967	The 5th Dimension	"The Magic Garden"
1967	The Association	"Insight Out"
1967	Gary Lewis & The Playboys	"Listen!"
1967	Jan and Dean	"Carnival of Sound"
1967	Tommy Roe	"Phantasy"
1967	The Yellow Balloon	"The Yellow Balloon"
1967	The Monkees	"More of the Monkees"
1967	The Robbs	"The Robbs"
1967	Harpers Bizarre	"Feelin' Groovy"
1967	Gale Garnett	"Sings About Flying & Rainbows & Love & Other Groovy Things"
1967	The Cake	"The Cake"
1967	Sagittarius	"Present Tense"
1967	The Ceyleib People	"Tanyet"
1967	The Beach Boys	"Smiley Smile"
1967	Johnny Rivers	"Rewind"
1967	Lesley Gore	"Magic Colors"
1967	Bobby Darin	"Inside Out"
1967	Tommy Roe	"It's Now Winter's Day"
1967	Harpers Bizarre	"Anything Goes"
1967	Rick Nelson	"Another Side Of Rick"
1967	Dean Martin	"Welcome to My World"
1968	Honey Ltd.	"Honey Ltd."
1968	Frank De Vol	"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner O.S.T."
1968	Spanky & Our Gang	"Like to Get to Know You"
1968	The Lettermen	"Put Your Head On My Shoulder"
1968	The Sugar Shoppe	"The Sugar Shoppe"
1968	Richard Harris	"A Tramp Shining"
1968	Randy Newman	"Randy Newman"
1968	Elvis Presley	"Elvis"
1968	The Millennium	"Begin"
1968	Lalo Schifrin	"Bullitt"
1968	The Monkees	"The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees"
1968	Carmen McRae	"The Sound of Silence"
1968	The Gosdin Brothers	"Sounds of Goodbye"
1968	Fats Domino	"Fats Is Back"
1968	Tiny Tim	"God Bless Tiny Tim"
1968	The Gentle Soul	"The Gentle Soul"
1968	Rick Nelson	"Perspective"
1968	Richard Harris	"The Yard Went On Forever"
1968	The Association	"Birthday"
1968	Mason Williams	"The Mason Williams Phonograph Record"
1968	Mel Tormé	"A Day in the Life of Bonnie and Clyde"
1968	The Grass Roots	"Golden Grass"
1968	The Beau Brummels	"Bradley's Barn"
1968	Peggy Lipton	"Peggy Lipton"
1968	The 5th Dimension	"Stoned Soul Picnic"
1969	The Monkees	"The Monkees Present"
1969	Jimmie Rodgers	"Windmills of Your Mind"
1969	Larry Norman	"Upon This Rock"
1969	Elvis Presley	"Elvis Sings Flaming Star"
1969	Laura Nyro	"New York Tendaberry"
1969	Mark Spoelstra	"Mark Spoelstra"
1969	Michele O'Malley	"Saturn Rings"
1969	Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart	"It's All Happening On The Inside"
1969	Tommy Roe	"Dizzy"
1969	Jackie Gleason	"The Now Sound ... For Today's Lovers"
1969	John Simon	"Last Summer" O.S.T.
1969	Townes Van Zandt	"Our Mother the Mountain"
1969	Thelma Houston	"Sunshower"
1969	The Grass Roots	"Lovin' Things"
1969	The Mystic Moods Orchestra	"Extensions"
1969	Cass Elliot	"Bubblegum, Lemonade, and... Something for Mama"
1969	Stan Kenton	"Hair"
1969	The 5th Dimension	"The Age of Aquarius"
1969	The Monkees	"Instant Replay"
1969	Peggy Lee	"A Natural Woman"
1970	Jackie DeShannon	"To Be Free"
1970	The 5th Dimension	"The July 5th Album"
1970	Paul Williams	"Someday Man"
1970	Bobby Scott	"Robert William Scott - In Memory of the Race"
1970	Elvis Presley	"Let's Be Friends"
1970	The Jackson 5	"ABC"
1970	Claudine Longet	"Run Wild, Run Free"
1970	Tommy Roe	"We Can Make Music"
1970	Chet Baker	"Blood, Chet and Tears"
1970	The 5th Dimension	"Portrait"
1971	Jack Daugherty	"Class Of Nineteen Hundred and Seventy One"
1971	Howard Roberts	"Antelope Freeway"
1971	David Axelrod	"Rock Interpretation of Handel's Messiah"
1971	Cannonball Adderley	"The Black Messiah"
1971	Elvis Presley	"You'll Never Walk Alone"
1971	The Flying Burrito Brothers	"The Flying Burrito Bros."
1971	Kim Carnes	"Rest on Me"
1971	The Sandpipers	"A Gift of Song"
1971	Solomon Burke	"Electronic Magnetism"
1971	Johnny Rivers	"Home Grown"
1970	Jackie DeShannon	"Songs"
1971	The 5th Dimension	"Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes"
1971	Barbra Streisand	"Barbra Joan Streisand"
1971	Nilsson	"Aerial Pandemonium Ballet"
1972	David Clayton-Thomas	"David Clayton-Thomas"
1972	Dean Martin	"Dino"
1972	John Stewart	"Sunstorm"
1972	Helen Reddy	"I Am Woman"
1972	Little Richard	”” released 2005
1972	Cannonball Adderley / Nat Adderley	"Soul Zodiac"
1972	Kenny Rankin	"Like a Seed"
1973	Incredible Bongo Band	"Bongo Rock"
1973	Barry McGuire	"Seeds"
1973	Della Reese	"Let Me In Your Life"
1973	Andy Williams	"Solitaire"
1973	Frank Sinatra	"Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back"
1973	Helen Reddy	"Long Hard Climb"
1974	2nd Chapter of Acts	"With Footnotes"
1974	Terry Melcher	"Terry Melcher"
1974	Billy Joel	"Streetlife Serenade"
1974	Incredible Bongo Band	"Return of the Incredible Bongo Band"
1975	Barry McGuire	"Lighten Up"
1975	Jackie DeShannon	"New Arrangement"
1975	Frankie Valli	"Closeup"
1975	Kenny Rankin	"Inside"
1976	Annie Herring	"Through a Child's Eyes"
1976	Cannonball Adderley	"Music You All"
1976	Janny Grein	"Covenant Woman"
1977	Keith Green	"For Him Who Has Ears to Hear"
1978	Candle	"Bullfrogs and Butterflies"
1979	Barry McGuire	"Cosmic Cowboy"
1979	Scott Wesley Brown	"One Step Closer"
1983	Phil Driscoll	"I Exalt Thee"
1983	Phil Spector	"Back to Mono (1958–1969)"

^[10][11][12]

Film and Television[]

^[13]

References[]

External links[]

• Discography at mikedeasysdiscography.blogspot.com