Then
Then

Mike Matos

1981-1984 (Recording) 1981-1982 (Live)
Drums, Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
Now
Now

Multi-Instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, producer, engineer and software/website designer.

His first studio recording experience was at age eleven. Self-taught on all instruments, he started on drums and quickly added guitar, piano and bass to his repertoire. During his career from 1965 to 1985 he wrote and recorded more than 60 songs and played all or most all of the instruments on the majority of his recordings. From his earliest days in the studio he learned how to engineer and would spend endless hours alone in the studio working on songs.

He never used a click track or metronome. Mike would usually play the guitar or piano track first and then add all of the other instruments, although sometimes he would play the drum track first like on the Come Dancing song.

He was the founding member of The Wild City Dogs and High Roller Bands and arranged for The Mortals to start recording at The Music Place in 1981. Mike produced and engineered all of The Mortals recordings until they disbanded 1984. Early on he also took over drumming duties for The Mortals after Marcel left the band. (He later shifted to guitar, keyboards and vocals for live shows after Bryan joined).

He has played in clubs and events throughout the south and prestigious venues from NY (Max’s Kansas City) to LA (The Roxy). In the 70’s he also managed the Executive Limousine Service company (partial clients list: Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Frank Zappa and Glen Campbell).

Some of the artists he recorded with engineered or performed with (Eddie Kendrick, Sam Dees, Fredrick Knight, Randall Richards, Chuck Level, Delbert & Glen, Marcia Waldorf, Backwater, George Law and Maxayn). He also wrote and recorded numerous radio commercials / jingles in the mid 70’s with Dees.

Most of his recordings took place at New London Recording Studios from 1968 – 1978, The Music Place 1978 – 1985 (New London remodeled and changed its name). Along with their demanding Mortals schedule Rick, Bird and Bryan played on most all of Mike’s recordings from 80 to 84.

Was known for wild antics on and off stage especially with Kurtz and High Roller band mates. Retired from the music industry at age 32, returned for one last performance at The Mortals reunion in 1990.

Current age (somewhere between 0 and 200).

Recording Credits – Instruments played:
Accordion, Banjo, Bass, Bell Tree, Cabasa, Claves, Clavinet, Congas, Drums, Finger Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Guitar Acoustic, Guitar Electric, Guitar Electric Lead, Guitar Electric Sitar, Harmonica, Jaw Harp, Kazoo, Maracas, Mellotron, Organ Hammond B-3, Piano, Piano Electric Fender Rhodes, Piano Electric RMI, Sitar, Slide Whistle, Synthesizer Arp String Ensemble, Synthesizer Moog Bass, Synthesizer Moog, Tambourine, Theremin, Triangle, Ukulele, Vibraphone

These are a few of his recordings. The complete catalog is under review for a potential release.

Got To Have Your Love  – 1980 (with Kurtz & Bryan)

Squirmy – 1980 (with Kurtz, Bird & Bryan) – unfinished demo

B4LT – 1978 (first recording with Bryan) – one take – unfinished demo

Put Something In – 1974 (with Libba on flute)