Dan Reed Network FAQ

Info provided by Dan Pred (DRN's drummer)

How & When did the band form?
Dan Reed & I played together in a band in the Midwest. I was about 15 when we met. DRN as you know it was formed in 1983/84. I was the drummer. Dan saw Brion playing covers in Seattle. We had a different bass player, and Melvin bugged us so much to try out, that we finally let him..had to fire the other guy.

Why did Blake replace Rick? (Rick was the keyboard player on the "Breathless" EP that precluded the 1988 debut album.)
Rick was a great player...personality problems. Blake fit in better.

How did you cross into "Success" (Being signed, Radio airplay, Major label)
We played around for years before being signed. We had a manager that solicited labels. They came and saw us...finally, Mercury stepped up.

Did you all have similar music tastes? Did you all want to be going in pretty much the same direction?
Our tastes were actually quite varied. Dan and I were Van Halen freaks...Rush, Ted Nugent etc..Brion was like into Miles, Mahavishnue, Jimi, and Mel was a real R&B guy.

Who writes the major parts of the songs? Did everyone have a lot of input?
Dan was the major writer. We all arranged the tunes in practice. Brion co wrote quite a bit also.

What are the Network's favorite songs & albums?
I can only speak for myself. My favorite over-all CD was The Heat. I would have to name at least 5 fave tunes though. Naming just one is not fair. Baby Don't Fade, Resurrect, Make It E-Z, Salt of Joy, Wake up.

Did the group get along for the most part?
Yes.

Why did such a FANTASTIC group get so little airplay?
Why do you think that? (he asks me.. We didn't get much airplay here in Seattle 'cause by the late 1980's & early 90's, Grunge & alternative were creeping up.)
Many reasons..timing, song selection...so much goes into it.

Why was DRN was so underrated? (I asked Dan Reed this before a concert here in Seattle (Parker's) & he seemed to agree that the band was under-promoted & indicated that DRN was going to sign with a new label. This was during "The Heat" tour.)
I think underrated is the wrong term. Under promoted yes. If you don't have major success right away with a single, record companies get cold feet & don't want to sink any more money into you.

Why did DRN break up?
We never officially broke up. Unofficially, Dan wanted to move into other areas. Film, acting, business etc...

Do you still keep in touch? Are you on mostly good terms?
Yes...often. I play in the same band as Blake. I talk to Dan every other week or so. Just saw Mel, and talked to Brion last month.


Thanks to Dan Pred for answering my FAQ's!

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