SYMPHONIC SLAM Members Thru The Years
Blue indicates change from previous line-up...
LINE UP #1: Spring 1974
TIMO LAINE: Lead vocals, Lead guitar
BOB SILVERT: Keyboards (& Chamberlin)
NOE CRUZ: Bass guitar
Unknown Drummer
BOB SILVERT quit
LINE UP #2: Summer 1974
TIMO LAINE: Lead & backup vocals, Lead guitar
DAN BATES: Lead & backup vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer, Chamberlin
NOE CRUZ: Bass guitar
Unknown Drummer
LINE UP #3: Summer 1974
TIMO LAINE: Lead & backup vocals, Lead guitar
DAN BATES: Lead & backup vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer, Chamberlin
DENNIS O'LONE: Chamberlin
NOE CRUZ: Bass guitar
Unknown Drummer
DENNIS O'LONE quit
Unknown Drummer quit
LINE UP #4: Summer 1974
TIMO LAINE: Lead & backup vocals, Lead guitar
DAN BATES: Lead & backup vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer, Chamberlin
NOE CRUZ: Bass guitar
JEFF BRYON: Lead & backup vocals, Drums
NOE CRUZ quit
The next line-up moved from Southern California to London, Ontario, Canada
LINE UP #5: Fall 1974 – Dec. 1975
TIMO LAINE: Lead & backup vocals, Lead guitar, Guitorgan
DAN BATES: Lead & backup vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer, Chamberlin
MARK BLYTHE: Bass guitar
JEFF BRYON: Lead & backup vocals, Drums
DAN BATES, MARK BLYTHE, and JEFF BRYON quit and returned to California
Timo then moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The next line-up recorded the first "Symphonic Slam" self-titled debut album on A&M Records
LINE UP #6: Spring 1976 - Fall 1976
TIMO LAINE: Lead vocals, Lead guitar,360 Systems Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer
DAVID STONE: Synthesizers: (Poly-Moog, 2 Mini-Moogs, Arp Omni, Arp String Ensemble, Univox Mini-Korg, Moog/Taurus Bass Pedals), Univox Organ-izer, Piano, Mellotrons, Backup vocals
JOHN (JJ) LOWERY: Drums, Backup vocals
JOHN LOWERY forced to quit
The line-up above never performed live.
The following line-up performed all the live Canadian dates
LINE UP #7: Fall 1976 – Summer 1977
TIMO LAINE: Lead vocals, Lead guitar, 360 Systems Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer
DAVID STONE: Synthesizers: (Poly-Moog, 2 Mini-Moogs, Arp Omni, Arp String Ensemble, Univox Mini-Korg, Moog/Taurus Bass Pedals), Univox Organ-izer, Piano, Mellotrons, Backup vocals
JAN UVENA: Drums, Backup vocals, Arp String Ensemble
DAVID STONE quit (joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow)
The next line-up(s) recorded "Timo SSll", the second Symphonic Slam album
LINE UP #8 & 9: Summer 1977 – Summer 1978
TIMO LAINE: Lead vocals, Lead guitar, 360 Systems Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer
NOE CRUZ returned on Bass guitar (formerly with Zebra & original Symphonic Slam)
NOE quit and JIMMY HASLIP was added on Bass guitar
JIMMY HASLIP quit to form “Yellowjackets”
NOE CRUZ recorded Side Two & JIMMY HASLIP recorded Side One
JOHN (JJ) LOWERY returned on Drums; Lead & Backup vocals (he recorded first SS album)
1/2 way through sessions JJ quit and JAN UVENA returned on drums (he was drummer for all live Canadian dates)
JOHN LOWERY recorded Side Two and JAN UVENA recorded Side One
LINDA NARDINI was added for Side One on Keyboards, Backup vocals
SIDE ONE: Timo Laine, Linda Nardini, Jimmy Haslip, & Jan Uvena
SIDE TWO: Timo Laine, Noe Cruz, & John Lowery
After the 9th line-up Timo semi-retired and started other endeavours. After a lengthy hiatus he started working with different musicians depending on the project. He also retired the '360 Systems Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer' as analog synths were replaced/updated to digital synths. He then started using two Roland GR-33 synthesizers hooked up in tandem.
With interest resurging again in Timo's music because of the re-issues of the first two LP's on CD, Timo returned.
He then recorded, and released the third Symphonic Slam album titled “Her Fire” and released on CD in 2005.
This line up featured:
TIMO LAINE: Lead & Backup vocals, Lead guitar, Roland GR-33 Polyphonic Guitar synthesizers, Acoustic guitar
NOE CRUZ: Bass guitar
BOB WINN: Drums, Backup vocals (tracks 2, 4-11)
with guests:
MARK VAUGHN: Drums (track 3)
DENNIS BROWN: Drums (track 1)
LARRY CLASS: Keyboards (tracks 2 & 4)
LES CARLSEN: Lead vocals (tracks 1,3,4,6,7)
MIKE MEUCCI: Lead vocals (track 5)
Timo stopped recording using the Symphonic Slam name using his own instead.
Also in 2005 Timo released what's considered his first solo album, it was all instrumental titled “Monotrim Project” and featured:
TIMO LAINE: Lead guitar, Roland GR-33 Guitar synthesizers, Acoustic guitar, Bass guitar
NOE CRUZ: Bass guitar
BOB WINN: Drums
Next album was also an instrumental, titled “Guitar Works Special Edition” and released in 2008.
It featured:
TIMO LAINE: Lead guitar, Roland GR-33 Guitar synthesizers, Boss drum machine
JEFF HULL: Bass guitar
BOB CACCIATORE: Keyboards (on track 9)
In 2012 Timo released a 15 song “Best of Symphonic Slam” album with songs from the three Slam albums and Timo's two instrumental solo albums.
He released two more singles:
In 2013 “Paul and John” featured Timo along with STEVE EDDY on Keyboards, and MARK STEVENS on Drums.
In 2014 he released “Save Your Soul” instrumenta/re-arranged song from the “Her Fire” album.
Timo semi-retired again to spend more time creating art work and traveling the world collecting insects and building a museum class collection.
Some of Timo's artwork and displays of his bug collection are featured elsewhere on this website.
