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About the Song Samples...

Danger Zone
 Written by Austin Dallas, Linda Perry, Gwen Stefani
 Harajuku Lovers Music
 Variation Recorded at The Den Recording Studios, Gladstone, NJ
 Produced and Engineered by Jimmy Wilgus and Leo McKlusky
 Vocals: Artie Hasegawa, Jimmy Wilgus
 Drums: Artie Hasegawa
 Keys: Jimmy Wilgus
 Guitars: Cory Pensa
 Bass: Rich Haddad
 
Come Undone
 Written by George Hamilton, Kristian Ottestad, Daniel Pierre, Robbie Williams
 EMI Music Publishing
 Variation Recorded at The Den Recording Studios, Gladstone, NJ
 Produced and Engineered by Jimmy Wilgus and Leo McKlusky
 Vocals: Artie Hasegawa, Jimmy Wilgus
 Drums: Artie Hasegawa
 Keys: Jimmy Wilgus
 Guitars: Cory Pensa
 Bass: Rich Haddad

Miami 2037
 Written by Billy Joel
 JOELSONGS Publishing
 Variation Recorded at The Den Recording Studios, East Hanover, NJ
 Produced and Engineered by Jimmy Wilgus and Leo McKlusky
 Vocals: Artie Hasegawa, Jimmy Wilgus
 Drums: Artie Hasegawa
 Keys: Jimmy Wilgus
 Guitars: Cory Pensa
 Bass: Rich Haddad
 
Bobby Jean
 Written by Bruce Springsteen
 Jon Landau Management
 Variation Recorded at The Den Recording Studios, East Hanover, NJ
 Produced and Engineered by Jimmy Wilgus and Leo McKlusky
 Vocals: Artie Hasegawa, Jimmy Wilgus
 Drums: Artie Hasegawa
 Keys: Jimmy Wilgus
 Guitars: Cory Pensa, Leo McKlusky
 Bass: Rich Haddad

Dreaming
 Written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein
 Chrysalis Music
 Variation Recorded at The Den Recording Studios, East Hanover, NJ
 Produced and Engineered by Jimmy Wilgus
 Vocals: Artie Hasegawa, Jimmy Wilgus
 Drums: Artie Hasegawa
 Keys: Jimmy Wilgus
 Guitars: Zak Rizvi

Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello
 Written by David Byrne, Patrick Dunne, Anthony Harman, Martin Ryan
 Variation Recorded at The Den Recording Studios, East Hanover, NJ
 Produced and Engineered by Jimmy Wilgus
 Vocals: Artie Hasegawa
 Drums: Artie Hasegawa
 Keys: Jimmy Wilgus
 Guitars: Zak Rizvi
 

Background...

Hey!  I moved from Japan at the age of 1 to Berkeley, California, and then moved again to New Providence, New Jersey. I moved frequently to temporary places around the US, including a year in Nagoya, Japan, a summer in Lausanne Switzerland, and shorter periods in other places in California, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, Osaka, and Tottori.  Simultaneously, I began playing the piano, trumpet, trombone, baritone, bass, guitar, saxophone, started several bands, joined school stage bands, musicals, marching bands, and choirs and orchestras.  By the age of 14, I decided permanently on playing drums and percussion.  I was self taught, and my experience living around the world influenced my taste in pop music tremendously, especially by unique drummers of Stewart Copeland (The Police), Terry Bozzio (Missing Persons, Frank Zappa), Omar Hakim (David Bowie, Sting), Liberty De Vitto (Billy Joel), Clem Burke (Blondie), Bruce Gary (The Knack), and Adrian Young (No Doubt).  I started my first band Sphinx, playing at high school dances.  In 1983, I joined Infinity, a Christian based cover band that played a lot of not-so-Christian music.

In 1984, I attended college studying business and music at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.  I paid for school by working as a hired musician in several wedding bands, and by performing in a college band called Topaz, where I played at several small venues, and opened up for the Ramones.  I expanded my career at 18 by signing up with an original / cover band called Split Image, performing live around New York, New Jersey, and in colleges along the east coast.  I recorded my first series of really crappy originals in this band including Wind Tunnel City, Sad Tears, Another Guy, and Dreams.  I also freelanced playing in off-broadway show orchestra pits including Godspell and West Side Story.  In 1989, I joined an additional cover band, “Mixed Media”, where I played approximately 250 nights out of the year, including the Stone Pony, Live Tonight, CBGBs, Kenny’s Castaways, the Ketch, Hurricaine Alley, Bar Casablanca, and the Tiki Bar.   Notable venues included opening up for Glen Burtnick (Styx, A&M Records).  A short original demo was also recorded, which included songs such as “One World” and “Nicolina’s Smile.”   In 1990, I signed up with In Blu, an alternative band signed with SSR Records.  This following 2 years gave me a taste of living life on the road.  After In Blu’s first record release promotion of the “The Surreal Cleft”, I was recruited to be part of Jimmy Wilgus and the People, where I worked supported Jimmy’s music as a performing artist at live shows.  I also helped in recording the “Rock and Roll People” album as well as a series of additional songs that never were compiled into album format.  After signing up with a series of producers, Jimmy Wilgus disbanded in 1996 with their final performance at the Bitter End in New York City.  I continued to perform independently during the next 10 years.  I also formed Brandywine Records to finance and promote a Christmas Album produced by Jimmy Wilgus and Zak Rizvi.  Thereafter, I focused on voice training and followed through by releasing an unpublished first cover EP “BYOB - Bring Your Own Bongos” containing 6 cover tunes by Blondie, Something Happens, Pete Droge, Robbie Williams, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Gwen Stefani.  In recent months, I’ve been influenced by Japanese acts such as X Japan, L’arc En Ciel, B’z, and Glay.