STRANGE

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Pursuing The Dream

There once was a big dream to start a label called Cleveland Unlimited whose owner Greg Beasley dreamed would be a new generation music version of Motown. Recording original music from creative people right out of the community and having a major label distribute our music to the world. Back then, that was considered bold,crazy ambitious. Now, with a bevy of boutique P&D labels like "Badboy","Aftermath",and "Doghouse", I'ts now the norm.as the major labels scramble for a piece of the oversaturated rap/hip hop youth music market.
This CD project was a total labor of love and a lot of hope, orginally recorded with the involvement of a lot of like dreamers-very young & talented people at the beginning of their careers, looking for an opportunity to make something out of nothing.

Christopher Spraggins, an immensely talented aspiring songwriter/preformer at the time, believed in my dream and was one of my first signed artists. Since then Christopher has performed and worked with such major artists as Herbie Hancock, The Ohio Players,and the Commodores, amoung many others.
Chris is now an in demand Las Vegas style master showman & entertainer with his own original shows, well known in sold out venues around the country as Christopher Jay
Guest musicians that helped out on the lp included keyboardist

John Siroky, who now resides in Cali and has gone on to release 5 jazz/blues CDs under his moniker "The John Siroky Project"

Mike Fisher, the consumate trumpet player now preforms with the acclaimed "Jerry Bruno Orchestra". Saxophonist Ricky Bell subsequently worked with the Micheal Stanley Band of EMI America Records and with well known rocker Lou Reed.

Engineer Kirk Yano, who recorded & mixed this album while just starting out in his first small converted 8 Track garage studio, is now owner of 48 track Planet 2 Planet Studios in New York City. Kirk has worked with such well known artists as TLC, Flavor Flav & Public Enemy, Mariah Carey,and Chris Rock. His studio has produced 12 Platinum / Gold records.
In between a long stint in the U.S Army by the executive producer, The well traveled Strange master tapes received some additional postproduction help from Engineer R.Jose Williams who owned a recording studio near the U.S. Army post Ft. Belvoir, Va. and helped me mix the special dance club version of "You" that is featured on the CD., and by Robin Jenney who subsequently engineered a Christmas album by Teddy Pendergrass and platinum releases by R&b funkmasters Roger Troutman & Zapp. Due to the age of the original tapes, they had to be baked for over 8 hours in a special restorative procedure in order to even begin the mastering process.
This CD release is dedicated to those with true & enduring entreprenurial spirit and to my dear mother Grace Beasley, who always believed in all of my dreams and who departed this life this past February. It is being officially released to the world on her birthday, April 15th.

Sometimes dreams take a while.
Never give up.

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