4 On the Floor Press

4 ON THE FLOOR: by Chuck O'Toole

The State of Music:

East/Central PA's recent influence on and insurgence into modern/pop music has been well documented in these pages; Erie has a pretty happening music scene, Pittsburgh has some great bands whose years of hard work and dedication are starting to pay off (Like The Clarks and The Gathering Field) but what about all the real estate in between? For those of you who might still think the world is flat, consider this....Rumor has it that Pennsylvania doesn't end just west of Nanty Glo or Scalp Level. Legend has it that there is an uncharted wild territory just northwest of Johnstown, where the trees outnumber the people. The newspapers don't report on it, and the broadcast signals get weak; but the natives are intelligent, hardworking creatures of habit often misunderstood by the outside world. You might ask, 'Yes, but is there musical life on the wilder side of Penn's woods?' You'll have to be the judge.

It's in this wild territory where Brookville based rockers 4 on the Floor roam writing, recording and performing their own brand of bone shaking, gut level rock. If you've come to see a well-choreographed hair-tossing band, you'd better look somewhere else (or maybe, you can get Skid Row for your prom). But if you want to see a show where the integrity of the music is foremost, you'll want to check out 4 on the Floor in person. Whether they're knocking you out with their own blues rock fusion numbers or a cover-tune, you're in for a fun ride. This band has players who can give you an exciting free-form Jam session or knock the dust off a classic track with unbelievable style.

THE BAND - Founded by lead vocalist/guitar player George 'Pork' McElhinny with drummer Jerry Hetrick, 4 on the Floor has been playing around the Brookville area now for almost 5 years. Two years ago a desperate need for a new bass player brought guitar virtuoso J.R. McElhinny (George's brother) out of a premature retirement to play bass guitar. Then in the Fall of '95 the present lineup was finally cemented when Dave Hawk, the guitar/keyboard player from Ask A Stranger, came in to replace the exiting John McNeil (watch for John's solo album this Summer). "The band's single greatest achievement may have been turning such widely varied musical influences and tastes into an asset. Jerry's 'grooving' drum styles, J.R.'s Entwestle-like domination of the 6-string bass with Pork's heartfelt blues licks, and Dave's harder edged influences could spell disaster in less capable hands," producer Gary Smith comments, "but they really use it to their musical advantage. Fortunately, each one has the chops and versatility to express themselves in any musical setting." George adds, "The four of us have about 70 years of working-band experience between us, and we've made a lot of noise in the last year thanks to the album, local radio, and our fans at the shows. With the addition of Gary Smith and Des Schiffhouer from Pro-Live Sound & Light playing is fun again, and the production is consistently good every night."

THE ALBUM - 4 on the Floor's debut 12 song CD entitled, "Both Sides Against the Middle" is getting very good response from radio, press and industry people alike. Produced by their esteemed sound engineer Gary Smith along with Hawk, McElhinny, and McElhinny the album showcases their very diverse musical backgrounds and interests. Eleven of the twelve tracks were recorded in an airplane hanger in the Brookville area using Profound Sound's mobile recording equipment which accommodated the 'raw' and 'real' approach the band wanted on this collection of powerful honest songs. Each track has its own unique character, from the boogie-based opening of the title track to the richly layered closer "Eye of the Storm," "Both Sides..." is a pure rock 'n' Roll album, but each song veers you a few degrees away from where the last song left you.

The project got off to a good start in March '96 when they recorded their first song "Stop (Thinking About You)" at Holland Sound in Scranton while doing session work for sister, Michelle McElhinny's Warner Bros. demo. The demo CD of that one song launched a six month 'teaser' campaign on three area radio stations, (WMKX in Brookville, WKVE in Ridgeway, and WCCR in Clarion) who the band directly credits for the success of the album. Dave Hawk tells us, "By the time the CD's were delivered in March the buzz had risen to a fever pitch locally, and the initial burst of sales was unbelievable!" Hawk continues, "Now the work starts. It's nice being a big fish in a little pond, but we've got to reach out to a wider audience and see if the project works out in other markets."

"So far, the album has been able to stand on its own merits in Erie and Youngstown where they've never heard of us," adds J.R. McElhinny, "so we think we can hold our own anywhere that we get a fair shot. At first I was worried about having such a wide range of rock styles presented on the disc, but it's actually helped us get certain songs played on stations that might not have played the others." Dave Hawk add, "Regional radio support has been overwhelming, besides being a feature on Erie's best AOR station (Rocket 101) and Pittsburgh's (WDVE)'s 'Homegrown Shows', we've gotten some really heavy rotation (as many as 12 plays-a-day) on some stations. Robin, Jamie, and Nathan at Magic 96 were also responsible for getting our CD to the producer of a nationally syndicated radio program called "Blues Deluxe" which featured the song 'I Don't Care' from coast to coast to an estimated audience of 1 million people in mid-April." George McElhinny said, "We were thrilled that they played a song of our nationally, but we were kinda surprised at which song they picked. Anyone who has heard the CD knows that there is a real traditional blues ballad (ala Jimi) called 'Step Away' on the album that seemed like the natural choice, but instead the producer of the show chose a real high energy groove track called 'I Don't Care', Go Figure!"

J.R. McElhinny tells us, "In the two months since we've got our product back we've gotten calls from overseas distributors, independent promoters, and even some bigger labels. We don't have any illusions of getting rich and famous, but so far it's been real encouraging. Sales have been brisk and the press has all been good."

"Dave's done a lot of these things before, but a lot of these things are new to me," says Pork, "We've been doing radio, TV, and newspaper interviews, live acoustic radio performances, and every other kind of promotion we can line up."

THE FUTURE - Where some bands would relax and bask in the glow of their latest triumphs, 4 on the Floor chooses to redouble their efforts in the months to come. June is going to be a big month for 4 on the Floor, playing four big outdoor shows in the span of seven days. The largest of these shows will be the highly anticipated 25th Anniversary Bash at the Jefferson County Fair Grounds, for Butch and the boys from East American Motorsports. 4 on the Floor will be featured along with veteran rockers 38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and David Allen Coe. The pre-sale on this show has been outstanding, and the promoter reports 7000 tickets are already reserved. That should expose the band to 10-15000 new faces in one week. The band's brand of cover-tunes and exciting originals are very well suited to the biker crowd, and they'll be rocking several other statewide biker events including: the state ABATE party in Hazen and Pennsylvania's "State hog Rally" in State College. Dave says, "I've always had a good time playing at biker parties. They're usually the most responsive and genuinely appreciative audiences you could imagine playing for. They seem to capture the real spirit of rock 'n' roll." The month of July brings another real test for the band and their material: a trip to Florida for a week or two of shows. Right now 4 on the Floor's mission seems clear, keep exposing as many people as possible to "Both Sides Against the Middle" using any means necessary. George says, "We're always working on new material. We're actually starting to get excited about some of the new songs we're working on for the next album too. We'll be premiering some of them at the live shows throughout the summer and hopefully we'll be ending the year working on new album."

Watch for 4 on the Floor on a stage or in a record store near you. Before they go, they would like to thank their circle of friends, families, and fans for all of their support, and they encourage people (especially Program Directors) to resist the reflex to tune-out when they hear something unfamiliar. "Where it's 4 on the Floor or some other band you've never heard of , let the music do the talking."

"Oh yeah, by the way, what do you think Jerry?"

Jerry just smiles and says, "Drums are cool. That's why I play 'em."

REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF "THE FINAL CUT" BY D'SCRIBE (JIM PRICE)

4 ON THE FLOOR - BOTH SIDES AGAINST THE MIDDLE (Arachnid) Based near Clarion, 4 on the Floor deliver; tasty blues and funk-laced rock with a bite on this fine debut disc; Both Sides Against the Middle. The line-up - singer/guitarist George McElhinny, singer/guitarist/keyboard man Dave Hawk (ex-Ask A Stranger), bassist/guitarist JR McElhinny, and drummer Jerry Hetrick hive us muscular, driving, bluesy and funky rock with tight musicianship and impassioned, soulful vocals....executed with a clean, polished, professional caliber sound mix and production. Just about every song here works, and will likely have you foot tapping or your body swaying by tune's end. There are heartier, robust numbers like the opening title track, "Control, "Can't Have It Both Ways," "Don't Talk About It", and "You Walked In"; an outright rocker in "Panic & Desire"' funkier assaults like "I Don't Care", "Stop (Thinking About You)" and "Feelings Can't Be Wrong;" a superior Bluesy ballad in "Step Away", and the well-orchestrated, slower closer tune "Eye of the Storm". Veterans of various bands before this, 4 on the Floor have their chops down tight and solid here - the guitar leads are clean and fluid, the rhythms fat and meaty, and the vocals (app. 75% George and 25% Dave) - show ample power, range, emotion and grit. Most of this album would sound perfectly at home segueing in and out of the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company. 'Both Sides Against the Middle' is an impressive debut, and for your daily minimum requirement of heartfelt Bluesy/funky rock, this is well worth seeking out. (Can be purchased at the group's live shows, or write Four On The floor, P.O. Box 135, Summerville, PA 15864; also check out the group's cover story in the June issue of PA Musician Magazine.) RATING 8.9/10

<D'RATLNG SYSTEM: scores from 8.1-9.0 = Very good - worth checking out>

* Editor's Note: Both Sides Against The Middle is also available through National Record Mart / NRM Music, and select Record Den, Wall, and Mediaplay locations, as well as numerous independent retailers.

"Who needs a five speed, 4 On The Floor puts the pedal to the metal." - David Johnson, Producer/Host of Nationally Syndicated Radio Program, "Blues Deluxe".

"Four On The Floor adds a fresh taste to the guitar-driven days of 70's Blues Rock" - "Rock 'n' Roll Reporter - Tara Thomas"