The 80s came in with a bang, and another bang, and another bang. That was me smacking my forehead against the wall wondering why it had been ten years since I’d gotten out of the army and hadn’t put the old band back together. As soon as I got home from overseas in 1970, I joined the “Music Company,” a seven piece bar band. When they disbanded in 1978, some of us regrouped with a couple new members and formed “Holiday.” I stayed with them until late 1979 when I got an offer I couldn’t refuse from “Rocket 88.” As much as I enjoyed playing 50s music, I really wanted to be able to play my original tunes I had been writing.

           Finally, late in 1981 I decided it was time to put my own group back together, so I called all the old Ricochette members, but they were either in other groups or had retired from performing. So, I put a new group together. My nephew Mike Sommers (Drapela) had just graduated from college. He was a music major with trumpet and piano as his main instruments, plus he sang like a bird. I had auditioned drummers for a week straight, and after the twenty fourth one left my house, I was ready to put a gun to my head and end the misery. Thank God I answered the door when the doorbell rang for the twenty fifth time. In stepped Benny Zimmerman (Craig Gallas). We played one song together, and I knew I had found my Ringo. The group was complete when Bob Lutske (rhythm guitar / singer) and J. J. Brooks (bass / singer) were hired. Now all we needed was a name.

           After coming up with a million band names and just as many reasons why each named sucked, I thought about bringing back “The Ricochettes.” I called Herb, Jerry and Jon-Jon (the original Ric’s) and asked permission to reuse the name. I still had legal rights to the name (I think), but I could tell they didn’t want anything or anyone to stain the good name the Ricochettes had worked so hard to get. So on January 1, 1982 we agreed on “Ar & the Rockin’ Ricochettes” (which within six months had been changed to “Ar Stevens & the Ricochettes”) and we were on our way.

           Our first gig was the Buddy Holly tribute concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 3rd in front of 2,600 screaming rock & roll fans. The “Surf” was the last place Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper performed before perishing in a plane crash back in 1959. I had forced the band to rehearse five days a week for a solid month before the gig since I knew none of them had ever played in front of so many people and the pressure would be on. We must have played well because a week later I got a call from Bobby Vee asking us to back him, Tommy Roe and Johnny Tillotson on a small tour in the midwest. (Bob had been the headliner at the “Surf”). Things were moving now.

           For the balance of 1982 we backed up Bobby Vee intermittently while still performing quite a few gigs by ourselves, but by early 1983 we were strictly backing Bob. So, we quit our day jobs and moved our families to Minneapolis, which was close to where Vee lived. Twelve years as an accountant at the Milwaukee School of Engineering was enough for me. Bob Lutske decided not to make the move, so we became a four piece group, and about six months later J. J. quit and moved back to Milwaukee. Steve Carlisle (Kenet) took over the bass duties without us missing a beat, and the fun was about to begin.

           Ar Stevens & the Ricochettes became one of two premier 50s / 60s back up bands in the country. For those of you who don’t know what a back up band is, it’s a band that plays and sings all the parts for an artist except for the lead vocal. For the artist it’s like having a live karaoke cd, only better. We backed up almost every artist who didn’t carry his or her own band. I think the artists enjoyed working with us because they knew we’d make it sound exactly like their records. Here’s the list of artists we proudly worked with: 1) Lee Andrews & the Hearts 2) Angels 3) Len Barry 4) Gary “U.S.” Bonds 5) Ace Cannon 6) Freddy Cannon 7) Gene Chandler 8) Chiffons 9) Lou Christie 10) Dee Clark 11) Coasters 12) Contours 13) Crystals 14) Danny & the Juniors 15) Bobby Day 16) Joey Dee & the Starliters 17) Dell-Vikings 18) Diamonds 19) Dick & Dee Dee 20) Bo Diddley 21) Dixie Cups 22) Ronnie Dove 23) Drifters 24) Duprees 25) Earls 26) Fabian 27) Fleetwoods 28) Frankie Ford 29) Sonny Geraci (Outsiders & Climax) 30) Lesley Gore 31) Harptones 32) Brian Hyland 33) Buddy Knox 34) Billy J. Kramer 35) Dickey Lee 36) Barbara Lewis 37) Bobby Lewis 38) Gary Lewis 39) Little Anthony 40) Little Eva 41) Peggy March 42) Martha & the Vandellas 43) Marvelettes 44) Chris Montez 45) Sam Moore (Sam & Dave) 46) Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermits) 47) Orlons 48) Paul & Paula 49) Ray Peterson 50) Platters 51) Johnny Preston 52) Rivingtons 53) Tommy Roe 54) Rosie & the Originals 55) Merrilee Rush 56) Mitch Ryder 57) Tommy Sands 58) Sha Na Na’s “Bowzer” (John Baumann) 59) Shangri-Las 60) Del Shannon 61) Dee Dee Sharp 62) Shirelles 63) Skyliners 64) Spaniels 65) Dodie Stevens 66) Johnny Tillotson 67) Tokens 68) Tymes 69) Bobby Vee 70) Vogues 71) Mary Wells & 72) Al Wilson.

           Besides performing at concerts the Ricochettes were also involved in a few TV projects. In 1985 Tommy Roe invited us and Bobby Vee to be on a PBS special called “Back To The Roots.” We also taped two music videos (without Roe or Vee) which became part of that PBS special. Then Roe asked us to back him on the “Solid Gold” TV show where Tom sang a new version of “Sheila”. 1988 was a busy TV year for the Ric’s as we recorded five shows on a Nashville Network (TNN) program called “Rock & Roll Palace” with Wolfman Jack as host, backing Bobby Vee twice, Tommy Roe twice and Buddy Knox. We also became part of another PBS special called “Buddy Holly & The Crickets - A Tribute” where we backed Knox and Vee along with performing two songs by ourselves. Since the Ricochettes were the only group that wasn’t a national act, our songs were the first to hit the cutting room floor when it was time to edit the show to ninety minutes. That was the bad news. The good news was when the host, Kris Kristofferson, announced Vee and Knox, he always mentioned the Ricochettes in the same breath. Thanks Kris!

           Ahhh, the Val-Air Ballroom (my favorite) in Des Moines, IA was where we re-corded our album. At the time, it was considered one of the best live albums recorded. Since the cost was so high we had only enough money to print 1,000 albums and cassettes. (I still have about 100 albums in my garage if anyone’s interested.) We named the album “Ain’t Rock & Roll Pretty” which was a saying that our friend Del Shannon would always use during his concerts.

           Traveling to England, Scotland and Wales (and even Spain once) turned out to be an event we enjoyed every twelve to eighteen months. Bobby Vee was and is huge overseas, so we’d perform between thirty and fifty shows in a six to eight week time frame. The tours would be either an all American show in which we’d back all of the artists, or a 50 / 50 show where the first half would have one or two Britsh groups and the second half we’d back Vee and maybe one other act. I was able to work along side and become friends with some of my favorite English groups - the Searchers, the Fortunes, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, the Tremeloes and Freddie & the Dreamers. Our first tour (October - November 1985) was still probably the most memorable as we backed Bo Diddley, Bobby Vee, Del Shannon, Frankie Ford and the Marvelettes with the closing act being Rick Nelson and his band. It was a real treat becoming friends with Rick and his group. The tour ended close to the end of November, and within a month Rick and his band had died in a plane crash. For me December 31, 1985 was my day the music died.

           1989 is when the crapola hit the fan. Within a six month period Craig and Mike both left the group mainly because of all the traveling. Loren Haake (drums) and Rick Helm (keys) took their places and did a great job. The work continued as we kept backing Bobby Vee both here and overseas. Then in 1991 Rick’s health took a turn for the worse and he left the group. A few months later Steve exited. Mike Laqua became our new keyboard player along with Steve Swenson on bass. As we entered 1992, and the group was really starting to gel, Bobby Vee announced he was putting his three sons (Jeff, Tom and Robb) in the band. He wanted to keep me on as musical director but Haake, Swenson and Laqua had to go. That’s when I decided the Ricochettes were a thing of the past. And that’s the name of that tune.

           If you’re wondering what everyone’s doing now, this is what I know. As of May 2006 my nephew Mike lives in Kansas City, Missouri and works for Southwestern Bell. Unfortunately he hasn’t touched his piano since he left in 1989 other than a couple reunions. Craig is still living in Minneapolis drumming for Bobby Vee’s son, Robb. J. J. is living in Florida singing in a country band. Nobody’s heard from Bob Lutske since he left the group. Steve Carlisle is singing and playing bass in a group called “Dancer” here in the Twin Cities. Rick Helm, as far as I‘ve been able to find out, passed away in 2004 from his ongoing fight with diabetes. Swenson, along with being a real estate broker, has a group here in town called “Cocktail Stevie & the Tablerockers. Loren is playing in a duo also here in town called “The Skip Moore Combo.” Mike Laqua has moved to Wisconsin and at present isn’t playing anymore.

           I stayed on as Bobby Vee’s musical director till May of 2003 and then started a cd duplicating business here in Minneapolis called “Arffytune CD Duplicating.” My youngest daughter, Corrinne, and I also operate a mobil DJ company (Ar J. - D. J.). We’ve been doing the DJ thing since 1999 when Vee decided to cut back on his touring. In July of 2004 I started “Arffytune Records and Distribution,” an internet business selling CDs of various artists. Since September of 2004 I’ve come back part time with Bobby Vee when I’m not doing my DJ thing. (I’m like a bad rash for Bob. I just keep coming back.) Now I can pick and choose the fun gigs --- like going to England and performing with Paul McCartney at Paul’s Buddy Holly tribute concert --- or doing a PBS special in Austin, Texas called “At The Drive-In” where we backed eight acts including the Nelson twins who were doing a tribute to their dad --- or going with the Vee clan for two weeks in Australia --- or going on a cruise to the Caribbean and only having to play one, one hour set for the whole cruise. Like they say in the Bahamas, “Ya Mon,” life is still good!!!