The five members of BAD DADDY, formed in 2005, have always loved rock & roll. From the early roots to the latest craze, a special place is reserved in BAD DADDY’s collective heart for this iconic music. Band members Mark Lightcap, Bruce Marelich, Cole Spohr, Vinnie Carini, and Scott Hilke have come together to create their own vision of rock and roll and have included 13 of their favorite BAD DADDY songs on their latest album, “Still Rockin’ the World”.
Rhythm guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist/songwriter Mark Lightcap remembers his first introduction to rock music. He was in Junior High in the San Francisco Bay Area and had been given a transistor radio for his birthday. Tuning it to the local rock and roll radio station, KFRC or KYA, he would lay in bed at night listening to such greats as The Coasters, The Bryds, and Chuck Berry. Of course, if his mother caught him he would hear her yell, “turn off that damn radio and go to sleep!” Mark would “hear” songs in his head that he had never heard before. Some would call it gifted, others might call is schizophrenic. Regardless, he would hear songs never before written, complete with a melody, vocals, and instrumentation. In the beginning, Mark couldn’t figure out how this happened and didn’t realize until later that he was destined to be a songwriter. It wasn’t until he met BAD DADDY’s lead guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bruce Marelich at San Carlos High School that his passion for music became a tangible thing. Bruce taught Mark how to play guitar. Mark later joined a band that Bruce was in. They played together all over the San Francisco Bay Area in the band “Uther Pendragon” for over 10 years back in the 60’s/70’s. Lightcap’s songs have been on TV and film, been featured in a Nickelodeon movie of the week, and taken first place in the Great American Song Contest.
Lead guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bruce Marelich learned how to play guitar at an early age and continues to perfect his craft. His first songs, penned during his teenage years were featured on Uther Pendragon’s album “San Francisco Earthquake”. He, together with Mark Lightcap and Cole Spohr, wrote the songs on BAD DADDY’s “Still Rockin’ the World”. Bruce isn’t sure where the inspiration for his incredible songwriting talents comes from, he’s just happy it comes. He opens up and out pour these amazing songs like “Red Eye”, “Little Ida Lee”, and “Hurricane”. His creative juices don’t stop with his songwriting prowess. Marelich’s guitar instrumentals are so unique they defy fitting them into any particular box. He pulls out all the stops on BAD DADDY’s latest album, “Still Rockin’ the World”. You will hear solos that range from blistering riffs complete with controlled feedback on the rocker “Rifle Range Song”, to a tender, tasty solo on the positive, inspirational song “Good As It Gets”. His solo on “Red Eye” defies description. You have to hear it to believe it. Although he has been compared to the greats such as Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana, he maintains a sound all his own. Bruce’s use of sustain and controlled feedback is incredible. Back in the early days he had been experimenting and using a ‘fuzz box’ (like the one used in Heart Full of Soul by the Yardbirds) and, along with that, a small pre-amp plugged directly into the guitar used to ‘overdrive’ the signal. This gave a distinct sustain when used correctly. Marelich says, “I guess you could say that I was influenced by the great Carlos Santana’s guitar work.” Coincidentally Lightcap and Marelich were recording a 4-song demo at Pacific Recording Studio in the San Francisco Bay Area at the same time Santana was recording their Abraxas album. While they were there to mix down their demo, the engineer played them the bass and percussion tracks off Santana’s album.
Multitalented Cole Spohr has been with BAD DADDY since its inception in 2005. He plays a multitude of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and banjo. His harmonica expertise is highlighted in BAD DADDY’s song, “Hurricane”, on their album “Still Rockin’ the World”. With an incredible baritone voice, he brings a refreshing versatility to the band. Cole loves Americana music as much as he loves rock and roll. BAD DADDY’s first album, VINTAGE, released in 2012, features several Americana songs. Cole is the lead vocalist and co-writer on VINTAGE’s “Life of Sorrow”, a soulful song that highlights the plight of the American slaves. He also penned the song, “The Devil’s in the Details”, also on VINTAGE.
Vinnie Carini is much more than Bad Daddy’s drummer; Vinnie has an extraordinary vocal range. In addition to playing the drums, he loves to sing harmonies, which is what enticed him to join the band. Vinnie says, “When I listened to the harmonies on “Stingy”, on BAD DADDY’s first album, VINTAGE, I was hooked.” On the “Still Rockin’ the World” album you can hear Vinnie hit a high G note on “I Can’t Dance”, and a low, low E on “Gotta Be a Woman”. This range showcases his vocal talent and passion for singing harmonies. Vinnie is an incredible drummer who has been in many Northern California bands throughout the years. He has learned to play exactly what the song needs, no more, no less. It’s easy for a drummer to play a cover song exactly like the drummer who played the original track, it’s quite a different story to find someone with Vinnie’s unique talent, who can figure out what a brand new song needs.
When bass player extraordinaire Scott Hilke joined the band, he brought the group an unparalleled excellence on that instrument. Scott has been in several Northern California bands throughout the years and when he decided to join BAD DADDY the band members were ecstatic. Scott knows what bass line a song needs to give it the “thump”. He is creative, talented, yet humble. He plays to make the song better.
