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From The Tribune, Scranton, PA - Friday, June 26, 1998 |
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Dakota Gets Another Bite At The Apple by John Boyanoski Jerry Hludzik doesn’t like to dwell on the past. In the early ‘70s and early ‘80s, his group Dakota toured with Chicago and Queen, and played venues like Madison Square Garden. However, Dakota disbanded in 1984 and his next few projects never captured his old success. “It was always fun,” he said. “I don’t lose any sleep over it.” Still, Mr. Hludzik remained positive, and kept working for the future. In 1996, the future arrived. He re-formed Dakota, released a new album called, “The Last Standing Man,” and is now preparing for a new record. “Failure is just a word,” he said. “I just want to keep on moving.” Dakota’s rebirth started when a label in Sweden expressed interest in a 1985 album, Mr. Hludzik said. The album, called, “Lost Tracks,” consisted of Dakota relics and demos. “I couldn’t figure out why they wanted an old demo album or ours,” he said. “I figured I would go along with it to see what happens.” “Lost Tracks” eventually made it to Escape Records, in England, Mr. Hludzik said. He liked the idea of remastering the album because it would be the first Dakota album released on compact disk. Mr. Hludzik assumed he would receive several of the CDs and that would be the end of the deal. However, Escape changed the album title to “Mr. Lucky,” and it quickly rose the charts in England and Japan. According to Mr. Hludzik, hard rock music is making a comeback overseas. This is the same style that the original Dakota performed. By late 1996, Escape decided to offer Dakota a recording contract to work on a new album. There was one problem: Dakota hadn’t played together since 1984. “I hadn’t told anybody about ‘Mr. Lucky’ until that point,’ he said. “ After a day of thinking, I decided I wanted to take that challenge.” He began to assemble a new Dakota and quickly contacted former Dakota keyboard player Rick Manwiller for the new album, he said. The pair had worked on several projects since Dakota, and were close friends. “Rick and I have been through a lot,” he said. “I knew his songwriting style and his playing. It was pure Dakota.” Next, he brought in guitarist Jon Lorance for the project. Mr. Lorance had played with Mr. Hludzik for almost a decade in various acts as well. The guitarist excels at the hard-rock style of guitar. Mr. Hludzik didn’t need to look for a drummer. He brought in his son, Eli, to round out the current Dakota lineup. Right from the beginning, the new band clicked together. “The first writing session we wrote a song called, ‘The Last Standing Man.,’” he said. “Right there, I knew we had the title track.” “The Last Standing Man” indeed became the title track for the 13-song album. However, Mr. Hludzik admitted to worrying if fans would accept the new Dakota lineup. Dakota had a distinctive sound, and he was worried fans might not adjust. However, the album received stronger reviews than “Mr. Lucky,” and it appeared the new Dakota had out-shone the older version. However, Mr. Hludzik still called the album, “safe.” “We wanted to make an album that sounded like a Dakota album,” he said. “We didn’t take too many gambles.” This album’s success has carried them to some far-flung places. “I received fan mail from a high school student 200 miles north of Tokyo, saying how much he loved Dakota, and couldn’t wait for a new album,” Mr. Hludzik said. “I never thought we would get something like that.” The young fan will not have to wait much longer. Dakota has recently begun work on the next project for Escape. This album will follow the same basic formula, but will add more variety than their last outing. Mr. Manwiller will sing leads on several songs, and the album may be more edgy. Though the album is not titled at this point, they recently completed writing a song called, “Little Victories.” “Little Victories” is about overcoming obstacles to get to your goals,” he said. “A lot of people are waiting for their big break, and don’t want to work for it. People need to know that when that break comes, it’s because of hard work.” The key to the new Dakota is teamwork, he said. All the members contribute to songs and recording. “A fist is stronger than five fingers,” he said. “By working together, we are stronger.” Despite Dakota’s rebirth abroad, they are staying realistic about a U.S. comeback, Mr. Hludzik said. They are feeling out offers from several record companies who are showing interest in European ‘80s revival in case the same phenomenon happens here. After a 14-year layoff, Dakota may finally cash in on the “little victories.”
John Boyanoski is a student at
Syracuse University. |
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