Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Speerhead Productions, Inc

Stephen Conrad had incorporated Speerhead Productions, Inc. prior to the concert at the LA Memorial Sports Arena, but died prior to its renewal.
It was many years after his death that I realized the significance of the name and spelling of Speerhead, Conrad's birth name was Carl Winfield Speer.


https://businessfilings.sos.ca.gov/frmDetail.asp?CorpID=00741099

Monday, September 22, 2014

L.A. Memorial Sports Arena - Steve Conrad - Speerhead Productions 27 Nov 1974

Here is a concert ticket from the Thanksgiving Country Rock Concert Nov 27, 1974

Concert Stub LA Memorial Sports Arena

L. A Memorial Sports Arena
Figueroa St. & Santa Barbara Ave.
Stephen Conrad - Speerhead Productions presents
Thanksgiving Country Rock Concert


Stephen Conrad - L.A. Memorial Sports Arena Concert Ticket

Sunday, September 21, 2014

The Good Life - Speerhead Productions - Stephen Conrad

Ralph Nichols ‎– The Good Life

Label:
Format:
Vinyl, LP 
Country:
Released:
Genre:
Style:

Notes

Tracklist
Side A
A1     Tomorrow Will Be No Longer     4:13
A2     Mom And Dad                              3:00
A3     You Know How I Am                  2:31
A4     Find Me                                        4:35
Side B
B1     Your Wondering Heart                 3:17
B2     How Can I Believe You               2:10
B3     Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey                     1:46
B4     Do You Want Me?                       2:28
B5     Love's Been Good To Me            2:58
B6     I'm The One                                  2:25


"The Good Life Country-Rock Winston-Salem Sound -- Ralph Nichols In Concert."

Monday, September 15, 2014

Saturday, September 13, 2014

The Bridgeport Post from Bridgeport, Connecticut · Page 52

www.newspapers.com/newspage/60640536/

Mar 18, 1973 - ... a coin show, now's the right !ime CRISWELL PREDICTS Aa Accurst ...for the music of Stephen Conrad, the new "Winston-Salem Sound"!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Selling a Sound in the Hometown - Stephen Conrad visits Winston-Salem

Aug 19, 1974 article in the Winston-Salem Sentinel

Selling a Sound in the Hometown
             By BILL EAST              
Sentinel Staff Reporter
Twin City Sentinel
Aug 19, 1974


Musician Returns


     Stephen Conrad,  the West  Coast musician who was born in Winston-Salem, is in town for a vacation and to try to sell his “Winston-Salem Sound” to the home folks.
     Conrad said that “selling your hometown is one of the toughest jobs you can have because the people there always remember you …”
     Some 200 relatives and friends greeted Conrad when he flew into the regional airport Thursday night.  “I guess I can claim kin some way to just about every Conrad there is,” he said.
      He said he hoped while he was here to get invitations to appear on radio record shows to talk and play his music.  He is staying at the Howard Johnson Motor Inn.
      

Conrad left the Winston-Salem area some 30 years ago (he won’t tell his age) because he felt the Far West offered the best opportunities for musicians to move ahead rapidly.
      In the years since, he has had eight bands. They played hotels, cocktail lounges and one-nighters for special occasions.
     Last year Conrad organized a new 10-piece musical group and labeled their musical group and labeled their music  “The Winston-Salem Sound.”    

     “There are a heck of a lot of people on the West Coast who have never heard of the city of Winston-Salem and they associate the name of the group instead with the two cigarettes,” he said.
     Conrad, who looks and talks somewhat like Johnny Cash, said there is no generation gap between him (whatever his age is) and his musicians, all under 23 years of age.
        “We communicate greatly,” he said.
        Conrad writes most of the music, arranges it and rehearses the band. His own company, Speerhead Productions, Inc., of Hollywood, records the music and distributes it in albums and single records.
        Currently he has a new stereo album, “The Good Life- Winston-Salem Sound,” on the market with 10 songs, all of which he wrote. One of them is called “Mom and Dad” and the album cover includes his parents’ picture.
        Conrad said he can’t always keep his 10 musicians together for engagements.
        “Then I split them into groups and get engagements at motels,” he said.
        Conrad at first envisioned making up the “Winston-Salem Sound” entirely of musicians from the Winston-Salem area.
         I made nine trips to Winston-Salem to try to get enough people to do it,” he said. “But they couldn’t cut it. Out there you just can’t get good. You must be great. But even now half of the musicians are Southerners.”
        Conrad said he originally went west to play music and to try to be another John Wayne in the movies. “I didn’t know John Wayne was going to live forever,” he said.
        He said he’s still trying to break into the big-time. “I’ll never give up,” he said.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Stephen Conrad

Stephen Conrad was a songwriter and composer best known for his Winston-Salem Sound.
He only had produced one album, "the Good Life" at the time of his untimely death in 1977.