Mark Fenichel
Published in the Nov. 26 – Dec. 9, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mark “Fenny” Fenichel
Just by chance a couple of weeks ago, I happened to get an introduction to a professional local drummer with a rich history going back to the 1960s.
Richard Spremich has been a Bay Area resident and recently settled in Morgan Hill. He is best known in the music world as the original drummer for Latin Rock band Malo (led by Jorge Santana, brother of Carlos Santana).
He was just a young kid coming up in the Bay Area music scene with a band called Naked Lunch. They held a pretty good following as a teen rock band and after a while changed their name to The Malibus but that name was short lived as a soon-to-be-famous Bay Area music promoter suggested they change their name to Malo. It seemed to fit their Latino based rock sound.
Richard Spremich
Richard played many shows with Malo and enjoyed a taste of success with the Malo hit “Suavacedo” in 1972.
However, drugs, egos, women and mild success led to numerous riffs within the band causing their sudden break-up which in those days received a great deal of press. Richard continued playing music in local bands Visions, Cutting Edge and Bronze Booty but also continued with bouts of substance abuse. In 1980 he gave up music in favor of his other talent: sales consulting and marketing.
Richard was involved in a serious car accident that put him out of music completely but eventually he started putting together bands again and gave up drugs for religion and church music.
In the year 2000 Richard had another major setback when he stepped off a curb and into a water drainage ditch. The injury was serious enough to put him in a wheelchair and out of the music scene once again. He couldn’t walk and he couldn’t stand for two years when — as he puts it — through a “miracle” he was suddenly healed and began to walk again.
I noticed that now he doesn’t even have a noticeable limp when he walks. Richard currently plays in his church band where he can and when he can and covers all styles from funk to blues to Christian Rock.
Teaching drums privately and in group lessons has been his mainstay and if you would like to learn from a pro that has done it all, you can contact him at (408) 430-9262 or look him up on Facebook.
Send music tips and notes to Mark “Fenny” Fenichel at [email protected].
