COLD SHOTT’s MUSICAL ROOTS

The musical history of the current members of COLD SHOTT and THE HURRICANE HORNS is a wonderful tale that spans across Arizona as well as throughout the United States. Most stories show a hardened dedication to the craft they have loved and shared for 40-plus years. Other stories are not only unique but are gems that will be forever cherished in the chapters of Arizona Music History. The following page gives you a few highlights.

Sandy, Tony and Small Paul

Probably our most precious story involves brothers Santiago (Sandy) and Tony Flores and “Small Paul” Hamilton. Starting way back when they were teenagers (ages ranging from 13 to 19 yrs old) these three local legends performed together in a Sandy Flores–led R&B / Soul band, The Soulsations, a top Phoenix-area band in the 1960’s. Throughout the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s the three crossed paths performing with each other in many popular R&B /Soul bands that worked with many local stars as well as performed with and/or backed up many National Acts. Forty years since the start of their professional careers as teenagers, they are back together providing the driving rhythm and lead vocals of COLD SHOTT and The Hurricane Horns and entertaining audiences all around Arizona !!!

SMALL PAUL & TONY – The Soulsations 1966

FUN STORIES

SANDY – Drums, Vocals

“The Jokers, one of my earliest bands, were the opening act for Ike and Tina Turner in 1962. Ike and Tina’s drummer missed his flight into Phoenix and I was asked to fill in for their first set. It was a great experience I will never forget. In the Sixties, The Jokers played live on Channel 5 KPHO every Sunday on their “Fiesta” program. “, says Sandy.

“The Jokers were also the house band for the Calderon Ballroom that used to be located on 16^th Street and Buckeye Road. “Leonard Calderon brought in acts such as Bobby Blue Bland, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Little Milton and many more R&B groups before they were famous and we played with them! When Tony, Paul and I were in the group Kavalo, we had the opportunity of playing behind Rufus Thomas and Vernon Garrett as the backup band!”, beams Sandy.

SMALL PAUL and SANDY – ZAPATA 1971

TONY – Bass, Vocals

In 1969, when Tony was just 17 years old, he was the leader of The Soulsations, a band of top notoriety in Phoenix that also featured Sandy and Paul. Another notable member in The Soulsations was trumpet player Ivan Makil, the 1990-2002 President of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and recently named Arizona’s Valley Leadership 2003 Arizona Man of The Year. Ivan helped arrange for The Soulsations to represent Arizona, in association with the Native American community, at President Richard Nixon’s Inauguration that year.

Tony recalls that as a teenager, he was not fully aware of the winter traveling conditions outside of his native Arizona. “On my trip with the band to Washington D. C. I painfully realized that wearing sandals in the snow was a big wake up call that I wasn’t in Arizona anymore!!” Tony performed that date alongside Lionel Hampton and Johnny Taylor.

PAUL - Vocals

Paul Hamilton’s musical story starts at his earliest memories. Always displaying a natural God-given talent for music performance, Paul was singing and mimicking popular musical artists when he was a little boy. By age 8, his mother suggested that he try out for the newly formed Phoenix Boy’s Choir. He made the cut and performed throughout Arizona with the choir until age 13. During that time, Paul could be found in his neighborhood, sitting on the street corner by his house, singing and imitating popular R&B and Soul tunes and artists of the day. People would stop by and request tunes! Word got out about this amazingly talented boy, who also devised a James Brown routine of his own, and he was approached by not only the popular local talent in the area to join bands but also by local producers and managers. Paul’s first manager, Eugene Delaney, coined the nickname that has stuck with him all these years……SMALL PAUL.

By age 13, Paul made a popular recording called “There’s Gonna Be Some Crying”, produced by Mike Lindberg. His popular James Brown routine helped Paul land a position with local favorites Dyke and The Blazers (“Funky Broadway”). “At 13, I was too young to legally be in the clubs. They used to hide me in the corners, in the shadows, until the set got going, and then bring me out to entertain the crowd and then back in the corner until the next set. I guess I did pretty well….they never ever kicked me out of a club!”, Paul remembers. He performed in notable R&B / Soul clubs such as the Elks Club, VFWs and Sly Fox with Dyke’s band. Paul also performed in various bands in Phoenix with Tony and Sandy (The Sousations, etc.) for the next 3 years.

At 16 years old Paul traveled with Dyke and The Blazers on a U.S. tour that included the famous Apollo Theater and The Hungry Eye in New York City where he shared the stage with many R&B and Soul superstars of the 50’s and 60’s!! When asked if he ever got nervous, he replied, “Sure I did!!! But I started out just closing my eyes and doing what I do best, until little by little, from gig to gig, I would open my eyes a little, and then a little more and before I knew it, I was performing before sell-out crowds, eyes wide-open, and loving every minute of it with no fear!” At age 16, Paul can account for most of the things a touring band on a low budget can claim…….such as flat tires, unhitched trailers on the freeway, missed gigs, no money…...even a night in a Kentucky jail because the Apollo Theater gig money didn’t get wired in time to pay the hotel bill!! But most of all he can claim that, as far back as he can remember, he’s been entertaining audiences from Phoenix throughout the U.S. in bands of his own and rubbing shoulders on the same stage with some of the greatest stars we’ve known.

Paul and Sandy - 1971

Sandy, Tony and Paul Performance History Highlights – 60’s through 90’s

The following is a listing of key credits they have together and individually.

ARIZONA - Key Local Bands , Artists and Clubs 1960’s to 1990’s BANDS Night Owls The Jokers The Soulsetters The Soulsations Tony Flores and The Mystics Dyke and The Blazers Family Affair Zapata Kavalo Southern Ghetto Smiley Small Paul and Drivin’ Wheel Cold Shott and The Hurricane Horns Tony & Sandy – SMILEY late 70’s	Performance / Association with National Artists 1960’s to Present Ike and Tina Turner Dyke and The Blazers Vernon Garrett The Temptations Otis Redding The Shirelles Rufus Thomas The Whispers Lionel Hampton Johnny Taylor Little Milton Tower of Power Bobby Blue Bland Marvin Gaye James Brown Freddy Fender Al Wilson Little Richard Delbert McClinton Jerry Lawson Aretha Franklin Wilson Pickett Joe Tex Sam and Dave
ARTISTS Dyke (Arlester Christian) The Spiders (Alice Cooper) The Whitehead Brothers Ivan Makil (Trumpet in Soulsations – President of Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community 1990-2002) George Bowman Bobby Soul Joey Trujillo Georgie Charles Anita Padila David Benevidas Jose Padila Jim Glass Diana Lee Ralph Chaveria Jr. Rodney Brown The Syndicate	Sandy (drums) and Tony (bass) – The Soulsations 1966
CLUBS Calderon Ballroom Satin Doll VFW Elk’s Club Steve’s Sly Fox La Perla JD’s Scene West Riverside Ballroom Red Dog Elk’s Club Swing City Tigers Den Macayo’s ID Night Club Los Olivos Red Apple Lounge Channel 5 KPHO Warsaw Wally’s Tony’s New Yorker Coyote Springs Brewing Char’s Has The Blues The Rhythm Room	Tony, Sandy and Small Paul – KAVALO early 70’s

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