Denny's new CD-DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY page.

Don't Need No Reason To Party is now available in San Felipe at Pavilions Pro Shop at La Ventana Del Mar, from Linda at The San Felipe Newsletter, Tavo's Pharmacia, the Net (ask for Kat), Chuey's Photographia Alvarez and Arturo's Lumberyard. It will also be available at the JollyMon Bar.

To order the collectors edition of 'Don't Need No Reason To Party' plus a FREE 'DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY' bumper sticker by mail, simply send a check or money order for $15.00 American plus $3.50 for shipping & handling to:

FLANNIGAN PARTY CD

PO Box 9011 #393

Calexico, CA 92232

Click here-Our 1st 'official' review 'Mexico Living Magazine'

Click here to see the youtube performance of the title track Don't Need No Reason To Party

Click here to see pics of our Signing & Autograph Party

Click here to see Words To Songs on Flannigan Party CD

The Suns of the Beaches Philosophy...The 'Weekend' ought not to have a monopoly on fun...This is the spirit and essence of how we live our lives in Baja.

DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY has been a 3 year project by Denny Flannigan and Arturo Yee. The entire CD has been mixed and mastered & pampered by Billye E. Rock at Down Under Studios in Englewood Colorado.

Cover art by Jesus 'Chuey' Alvarez. Cover photo of Denny Flannigan by R.J. Whetstone. Snarlin Cholla Sandrail courtesy of George Jackson. All other photos are by Denny Flannigan. Material contributor and Moonrakers website by Les Peterson. Name That Tune website and Denny Flannigan website by Joe Pierce.

Every song that appears on the CD has a unique story about when, why, how and who is playing plus a brief history and some fun stories about the players and the studios.

Early Moonrakers

Cut #1 Bumble Boogie is Denny Flannigan's signature opening song and was the cornerstone opener of every Moonraker performance in the mid 60's in Colorado and the left half of the country as you look at a map of the US. The Moonrakers were the number 1 band in Colorado from 1964-1966 releasing a number of hits on the Tower/Capitol label. Although 'You'll Come Back' reached #1 on 950 KIMN radio for 5 consecutive weeks in Colorado, somehow Bumble Boogie, the bands signature opener, was never recorded. After 40 some years it seemed appropriate that this party CD opened with one of the most recognizable songs performed by the band that later morphed into Sugarloaf and a number of other groups. The song was recorded at Song Garden Studios in Granada Hills, CA and was engineered by Wayne Ahlberg who also played bass and other early vintage guitars to recapture the excitement of the tune. Add the guitar touches of Arturo Esquivias Yee and you have a rocking opener to the collection!

#2 Don't Need No Reason To Party! The title track is great fun with a cast of hundreds!

Here is a link to the youtube performance of that show Don't Need No Reason To Party

#3 San Felipe Salsa is reflective of the mood and Denny's first Spanish musical inspirations. The song features Arturo on lead Guitar, Jim Manning on Bass, and Denny on keyboards and drums. Arturo's talents are captured with the opening classical flamenco touch of the acoustic guitar going into the Salsa! Great fun and even a mention of Al's Backstreet Bar that is a local icon on the club scene...(and if you are Harrison Ford, you just might end up on the cover of the Enquirer enjoying a quiet night out on the town.) It's hard to leave the peaceful paparazzi of LA behind.

#4 'Gata Loca'...Wow! If you remember the legendary San Felipe band 'Tres Generations' you will more than likely remember Arturo's searing guitar. If you are an Arturo fan, this is the fix you have been waiting for... it doesn't get much better than this. The music to Gata Loca was written by Denny & Arturo; the lyrics were written by Denny and our very own local 'Enquiresa' of San Felipe, Katherine 'Kat' Hammontre. Jim Manning former member of the 'Suns of the Beaches' and the 'Diamonds' played bass on this tune, Denny laid down the keyboards. The song was then taken to Song Garden Studios and Raffi Montoya redid the drums and added more cowbell. Vocals for Gata Loca were recorded at Song Garden Studio and the tracks were uploaded to Down Under Studios where Bob Yeazel, formerly of Sugarloaf, added a great gritty organ guitar. A few growls later, Gata Loca sprang to life for nearly 6 minutes of energy. We're not even sure if Santana can play for 6 minutes anymore. (Of course he can ,but then...he's Santana)

#5 Love Sick Blues When you write a song for 3 female vocalists, you should be sure that you have 3 or you could end up with as stupid hat on and your hair up in trailer trash curlers. Lovesick Blues was cut at TK Studios in Miami, FL. and produced by Denny and Steve Alaimo. The song was cut at the same studio where KC and the Sunshine Band cut all their hits and received multiple Grammy's. There are some of Miami's best players on this one who did a lot of work at the Bee Gee's studio as well. George 'Chocolate' Perry played guitar and a host of great studio players joined in.

#6. Sleepwalk was one of the first songs that Denny can remember being played live at the National Guard Armory in Newcastle, Wyoming where he grew up. This updated version of the Santo & Johnny classic is unique in that the lead jazz guitar is played by Denny on his custom FireBlazed shoulder keyboard airbrushed and featured in Keyboard Magazine. Arturo added the background guitars. Drums were mixed and the song has taken on a new Latin romantic flair.

#7 Bye Bye Banana. This song was written when Denny was on the road with his partner at the time, Gary Muledeer. The Muledeer and Moondogg Medicine Show were performing in Detroit at the Raven Night Club. No alcohol but lots of sugar and caffeine gave the audiences lots of energy for the two comics on the road. After a week and a half in a Holiday Inn, you can't help what you write. Bye Bye Banana was recorded in LA a number of years later and is the most star studded of any of the tracks. At the time, Minnie Ripperton's band with lead guitar, Cash McCall, one of the baddest blues players to pick up a guitar, gave Denny a hand with a few tracks. Having the same management, Cash and his band, friends Don Myrick & the legendary horn section from Earth, Wind and Fire, joined Zach and Vino (Vino's last name is not available because he didn't like white people and left the studio. Zach who played guitar switched to drums and calls were made to friends Ronnie Law(flute), legendary Brazilian percussionist, Ayerto Moreira and Larry Knechtel (additional keyboards) who became part of this great session. Famed Brazilian jazz vocalist, Flora Purim, Aver Cherry, and Cash McCall added background vocals. Original tracks were laid down at A&M Studios and later moved to the valley where they were completed. It was the 70's and the session was wired for sound and ready to record. A few of the musicians names who are on this track may be unavailable due to obvious reasons. This track has some of the best musicians assembled that Denny can remember seeing at one session. Jim Stafford added additional lyrics. To the best of recall, Jim had a TV show that Denny and Gary were on or going to be on. Anyway, Spiders & Snakes aside, Bye Bye Bye Bye, now Honey,... we're goin' to Havana!

#8. Mexicoma...If you have ever been to San Felipe, you know it is a sleepy little town that nearly everyone visited and slept on the beach about '30 years ago'...Even with growth, it is still a sleepy little drinking village with a fishing problem and much safer than most Americans are currently led to believe. There is far less crime in San Felipe than Phoenix and guns, drugs, and ammo are highly frowned upon by the Mexican government. Abide by these rules, keep your passport up to date and you have no problems entering or leaving the Baja. There is one principle drug store in the center of the village and the local druggist's name is Octavio Garcia or as everyone calls him 'TAVO'. Tavo is not only the best source of what ails your aside from the family doctor but he was the drummer in '3rd Generation' for years. Tavo always has a joke for you and laughter is the best medicine. Especially for the Gringos on spring break who think Percodan, Oxycontin, and all other forms of illegal and unavailable drugs run rampant, Tavo can set you straight on all of it. 'Mexicoma' addresses the issue of the current economy in the US as well as the effect it has had on the local economy in San Felipe. The tracks for this song were recorded by Jim Ratts at Raven Recording in Englewood Colorado and are played by some of Denver's best musicians. Along with Denny on Keyboards is John Magnie who plays keys with a dynamite local Denver group called the 'Sub Dudes.' He's a great player and is a pleasure to have join us on the track. Scott Bennett played lead guitar, Chris Stongle played drums and Butch Hause played bass. The tracks were then taken to San Felipe where the vocals were added at Arturo's Blues Factory and then sent back to Englewood to Billye E. Rock at 'Down Under Studios'. Tavo adds a true touch of San Felipe to this political observation and everyone who has ever been to Botica 'Sagrado Corazon' will instantly recognize this local celebrity. Meanwhile, we remain in Mexicoma while on the 'road to recovery'...

#9. Cause For Concern...Long time friend and former Denver Bronco currently announcing for ESPN sports, Tom Jackson kicks this song with a bang. Recorded at Free Reelin' Studio's by engineer Jeff Franek, the song features the lead guitar of the one and only elusive guitar genius of Bob Webber of the Moonrakers. When you have Bob on guitar, you don't need much more. He is currently unavailable for comment but will be remembered by many young fans and guitar students with their mouths and eyes wide open at Webber's skills. Myron Pollock played drums on this and vocals are by Patty McMullen. This one goes on the collection because of its build and stature regarding burning love... We all know when love starts to burn there is Cause for Concern...

#10 Don't Need No Reason To Party (Reprise) sounds like the party just goes on and on and on...

#11. BE MY BABY...Here we go...This is a bonus track because it is extremely rare and it is a special occurrence to recover a gem like this. The Moonrakers recorded the song in 1966 while they were signed with Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol. The Byrds had just released Tambourine Man and the 12 string 'Rick' was just starting to send chills up the spines of lots of folks enjoying the pleasures of the 60's. This song, produced by Roger Christian & Brian Wilson (who together co-wrote 'Little Deuce Coup') along with music arranger and producer Richard Russell was recorded by the Moonrakers at Western Studios and engineered by 'Bones' Howe. Carl Wilson added his 12 string Rickenbacker and some vocals along with the Moonrakers and the studio was filled with the magic that only happens when you have a Beach Boy or two. Ready for the release of their new single, the Moonrakers learned that Tower had fallen and the masters were lost. Over the years the tracks were searched for in the archives of Capitol and were never found. This is a real life 'Eddie and the Cruisers' story. After 40+ years an acetate (which was a vinyl 'one off' of the song for the bands to listen to, turned up at an LA swap meet and was listed on eBay. Everyone was extremely exited that this might in fact be the lost version! It was bought in auction for $139.00 by a fan. The Acetate Disc was cleaned, repaired and restored. It was then remixed and re-mastered and is the most novel song to appear in this collection.

We hope you enjoy the collective talent, local flavor and fun of this CD.

We remain renewed and rejuvenated in the fact that here in Baja, WE DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY!!