Nominee – 1996 6th Annual LA Music Awards
Hollywood Gone Mad
Various – Arlan’s Army (CD, Comp) Flipside Records FLIP81 1995
2003 album called: no far out
Rainbows End was formed in 1995 by guitarist/vocalist Kathryn Grimm and bassist/vocalist Leon Randolph (a.k.a., “Randy Wilde”). The two teamed up after floating in and out of many bands in Los Angeles. Kathryn’s band, “Group Therapy” (with Jeff Buckley backing her on guitar) and Leon’s group, “Gone Wilde” (featuring saxman Randall Willis of the jazzy B. Sharp Quartet) had both disbanded. Being the two hardest working musicians in L.A., they both decided to merge their talents and Rainbows End was born. The group’s name came from a paint sample that Kathryn found on a visit to the hardward store a few years earlier. “I always dreamed of putting a band together with that name.” After a diligent auditioning process (50 drummers), Walt Spano completed the trio.
The album’s title, “No Far Out” came from an article about the renowned martial arts sifu, Ark Y. Wong who’s style Kathryn and Leon were studying. His claim to his amazing skill was his avoidance of drugs, alcohol and “no far out.” The CD was recorded in the “Rainbow Room”, the band’s rehearsal studio in Studio City. With borrowed equipment, Leon and Kathryn completed the 12 song CD featuring a wacko collection of tunes inspired by all genres. This beyond-eclectic work includes the fusion-esque ditty “Hate Sucks”, in 9/8; a heavy rock/jazz version of Roosevelt Jamison’s old blues hit “That’s How Strong My Love Is” (with a visit to “Take Five” during the solo); the ethereal “Afterlife,” a story about life beyond; the rocking/rap tune “Hollywood’s Gone Mad,” a biographical picture of Kathryn and Leon’s life in their neighborhood (“…drugs and guns can both be had, killing is the latest fad…”); a super funky “Mighty Love” showing off Leon’s ultra chops, “End of the Rainbow, a twisted instrumental take on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and other wildly diverse tunes with whammy bar bass solos and the like. The CD was single handedly distributed to local record stores and sold at shows. The Music Connection bluntly coined it, “…one step up from a ghetto blaster…” What the CD lacks in recording quality, it more than makes up for in the talent department. The musicianship and songwriting skills of the trio are way above average and strongly shine through.
Walt Spano left the band in 1996 and drum wizard Nir Nakav was recruited to join the band. With Nir on drums, Rainbows End went on to record a six song CD with producer Tracy G. (monster guitarist of DIO and WWIII) and work with producers Johnny Love (of Love Hate) and Alex Woltman (Bootsie Collins). After endless gigs, shining reviews and numerous promises of great things to happen, Rainbows End got lost in the Hollywood cesspool of bands and finally disbanded in 1998. Nir married Kristin Wallace and moved back to Israel eventually joining the super heavy “Salem.” Leon is a producer/engineer and has released his own bass solo CD, “The Four Strings of Spring” (sold on CD Baby at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/leonrandolph). Kathryn is a vocal and guitar instructor performing around Southern California with her band “KGB” and is actively involved in the L.A.’s women’s network, FemMuse. Her highly unorthodox 12 song CD “Kitchen Sink,” is a mixture of all styles (literally), and is receiving rave reviews (also on CD Baby at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kathryngrimm). She is currently working on a new recording project and and at the same time promoting her Jazz CD “Jazz According to Grimm” (soon to be on CD Baby).