Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Believe it or not, I get many questions about Orchestra Luna and its descendants. Some are fairly easy to answer and some are much more difficult. Others are simply impossible for me to answer with the few resources I have. Here are some common questions about Orchestra Luna and Luna that I've received, along with my best stab at answering them (just click on the question to move to that point in the list):

1. Who or what is Orchestra Luna?
2. When and where did they perform?
3. Who were the band members? Who was the leader?
4. What album(s) did the group release? Where can I buy one?
5. Is the album available on CD?
5a. Was there originally a different version of the album?
6. Wasn't there a second album?
7. But wasn't there a single that was actually released?
8. Was the band, Luna, different from Orchestra Luna?
9. Who were the later members of Orchestra Luna/Luna?
10. Karla DeVito was a member of the band?
11. What other band members continued their musical careers after leaving?
12. What has Richard Kinscherf been doing since Orchestra Luna?
13. So Richard Kinscherf is now Rick Berlin?
14. Who does the beautiful vocals on "Little Sam"? On "Fay Wray"?
15. Are there any videos/films of the group performing? Are there any live audio recordings?
16. Did Orchestra Luna actually perform Jim Steinman songs with Meat Loaf?
17. Is this site connected with the band in any way? Is it an official site?
18. How is Rupert Holmes connected with all this?
19. Are all of the band members still alive in 2004?

1. Who or what is Orchestra Luna?

Orchestra Luna was a seven-person musical group formed in 1973. Sometimes called a "theatrical music group," they occupied a special musical niche, often playing non-traditional venues. Though their instrumentation was traditional rock & roll (electric guitars and bass, keyboards, and drums), their vocal stylings were more Broadway than Fillmore East.

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2. When and where did they perform?

The original Orchestra Luna was based in Boston and played throughout the Northeastern states from 1993 through 1995, They played mostly at clubs, but sometimes opened for other acts (for example, Roxy Music.) The second incarnation of the band, sometimes called Orchestra Luna II, often played in New York at CBGBs and even played at The Kennedy Center. The last version of the band, Luna, played many of the same venues.

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3. Who were the band members? Who was the leader?

The original band members were (in alphabetical order) Peter Barrett, Scott Chambers, Liz Gallagher, Lisa Kinscherf, Richard Kinscherf, Don Mulvaney, and Randy Roos. Musical groups are collaborative efforts and it has always seemed presumptive to me to point to one individual as "the leader." With that said, I think we can safely recognize that Richard Kinscherf (Rick Berlin) was the only founding member of the group who stayed with the group until its final dissolution. He was also the primary songwriter for the group, writing all but two of the songs on the only album the group released.

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4. What album(s) did the group release? Where can I buy one?

The group released just one album, the self-titled Orchestra Luna (Epic KE33166) in 1974. This release date is in error, since parts of the album were recorded/mixed in the studio in July and August of 1974. (Most albums show a copyright date of 1974 on the cover and inner sleeve and 1975 on the album label.) Tom Worman, who worked for Epic records, loved the group and had signed them to record this album. It was intended for release in the fall of 1974, but the head of CBS Records came to hear the band play and decided to add two songs that he heard during the live performance to the album (see Question #5a.) This delayed the release of the album until March/April of 1975. The album was not heavily promoted and most people had no idea what to make of it. You used to be able to find many copies in the cut-out bins at record stores, but these have disappeared over time. Original LP's in good condition are difficult to find. (For images of the original LP and liner graphics, go here.) There was also an 8-track version of the album (remember, people, that this was 1974!) and I also have a sealed copy of the 8-track (see my main Orchestra Luna Page.) Images of the 8-track version are posted there.

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5. Is the album available on CD?

Yes. There is a Japanese-issued CD that was released in 2001 and copies are still available through a variety of sources. Amazon.com lists the CD with a two-week shipping delay, but I ordered a copy last year and was eventually told that it was unavailable. Your best bet is to look for a used copy or check out specialty/import CD stores. The Japanese CD has liner notes in both English and Japanese, and the notes include all information available from the original LP. It does not, however, reproduce the original liner graphics. (For images of the original LP, original liner graphics, and the Japanese CD, go here.)

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5a. Was there originally a different version of the album?

Yes. As discussed in Question #4, the original album tracks recorded in 1974 were not the same as the official album release in 1975. The original album included the songs "Chicken", "Fishbowl", and "The Sky is Red". "Doris Dreams" and "Heart" were not included on the original album. Bruce Lundvall, President of Epic Records, came to Boston in 1974 to hear OL perform and was so impressed with "Doris Dreams" and "Heart" that he directed that they be added to the album, dropping "Chicken", "Fishbowl", and "The Sky is Red". As Randy Roos later said in an interview, "It was a totally good call." The three tracks that were left on the cutting-room floor do not have the energy or charm of the rest of the album. Ironically, "Heart" would go on to become what was probably their biggest hit. It is still played at baseball games in Boston. Lundvall became President of CBS Records US in 1976, which led directly to the dropping of OL from the label, as Steve Popovich took over Epic Records.

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6. Wasn't there a second album?

Yes, a later version of the group (Luna) recorded an album, but it was never released. After the release of the first album, which sold fewer than 10,000 copies, Steve Popovich became the head of A&R at Epic. After hearing Orchestra Luna play at the Little Hippodrome, the Epic A&R group decided that they weren't interested in OL's music and dropped the group from the Epic roster. According to the New England Music Scrapbook, Luna, the next version of the band following the departure of Randy Roos, then traded recording rights to Titanium Record Company for studio time and recorded an album. When Steve Popovich, who had left Epic to co-found Cleveland International Records in 1977, started negotiating with Luna to release the record, Titanium demanded more money for the recording rights than Cleveland (or Luna) was willing to pay. According to Richard Kinscherf, Titanium would not release the rights for less than $100,000. A legal battle ensued, but the net result was that the recorded album was never released.

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7. But wasn't there a single that was actually released?

The band actually released two different singles.

In 1975, Epic released a shortened version of "Heart" as the first single from the OL album. Showing tremendous imagination and great faith in OL's music, the B side of the single was also a shortened version of (actually an excerpt from) "Heart". The B side consists mostly of portions of Peter Barrett's narration from the song and is humorously labeled "Long Version", though it is only two seconds longer than the "Short Version". The copy of the single I have is intended as a promo and not for distribution or sale. Unfortunately, the single did not get much airplay and did not sell well. However, it is the A-side version of "Heart" that has been adopted by fans of the Boston Red Sox as the unofficial anthem for the team. This version is played at virtually every Sox home game. Here are scanned images from the 1975 single (click on image for a larger version):

In 1978, Titanium Record Company released a Luna single, "Hollywood" (alternatively titled "Hooray for Hollywood" or "Skin Deep") b/w "Dumb Love." The single was produced by Jay Mandel. "Dumb Love" sounded a lot like the original Orchestra Luna, while "Hollywood" was quite distinctive and more characteristic of the Luna sound. "Hollywood" was also included on the Best of the Boston Beat compilation. I have a copy of the single and will probably post a review or some comments at a later date. For anyone who is interested, here are scanned images from the 1978 single (click on image for a larger version):

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8. Was the band, Luna, different from Orchestra Luna?

Orchestra Luna went through several stages. The original band was called Orchestra Luna (OL) and it consisted of the original seven members listed above. Epic dropped the band from its label in 1976 and the band broke up shortly thereafter. Scott Chambers, Don Mulvaney, Randy Roos, and Lisa Kinscherf left the band about that time. The band reformed later in 1976 with original members Peter Barrett, Liz Gallagher, and Richard Kinscherf and several new members. This band is sometimes referred to as Orchestra Luna II (OL II) but I am not clear about whether this was the "official" name. (I doubt very much that it was. I believe that it continued to be simply Orchestra Luna.) In mid-1977, the band dissolved again. Richard then formed a third band called simply...Luna. Research shows that the group performed as Orchestra Luna on June 22-23, 1977, and as Luna on November 9, 1977. In spring of 1980, Luna also broke up. Subsequent bands formed by Richard dropped all references to Orchestra Luna.

Luna was performing under that name at least as early as October, 1977. They made demo tapes which were distributed by their manager, Billie Best. Here are some images of a four-song demo cassette distributed during that time (click on the image to enlarge):

I believe that the band members at the time this demo tape was made were Rick, Bob Brandon, Steve Perry, Eric Engstrom, and Chet Cahill. As far as I can tell, there are no female vocals on the demo. One of the interesting things about the tape is that the label suggests an alternative title of "Skin Deep" for the song that was to become their first single, "Hollywood". (And, no, the little gray box is not on the original tape label. I didn't want visitors to the site to be trying Billie Best's old telephone number at all hours of the night. There's a picture of Billie and Karla DeVito here if you want to see.)

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9. Who were the later members of Orchestra Luna/Luna?

In 1976 and 1977, several musicians and vocalists were band members. Bob Brandon, Chet Cahill, Karla DeVito (see question #11 below), Eric Engstrom, Ace Holleran, and Steve Perry all performed with the band during this period. I am not absolutely clear about the exact dates that members of Luna came and went, but I know that at least some of these same musicians were also in Luna and even went on to play in Berlin Airlift, Rick's next band.

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10. Was Karla DeVito a member of the band?

Yes, Karla was a vocalist with the band in 1976 and 1977. (For those of you who don't recognize the name, Karla has probably had one of the higher profiles of any OL member after leaving the group. She toured with Meat Loaf on the original Bat out of Hell tour in 1978 and has released at least two solo albums.) For more information on Karla, see my Orchestra Luna Biographies Page.

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11. What other band members continued their musical careers after leaving?

Leaving Richard Kinscherf aside for now, Randy Roos has probably had the most active musical career. Randy continues to play and record progressive jazz and has released at least five albums since leaving the group. He has also taught at the New England Conservatory of Music and has scored several PBS productions. Scott Chambers has also had a notable musical career, working both as a studio musician and with several high-profile musical acts. Again, for more information, see my Orchestra Luna Biographies Page. Unfortunately, I know very little about the other band members, though I am actively seeking information on them.

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12. What has Richard Kinscherf been doing since Orchestra Luna?

He has been quite busy. According to his autobiographical information at his website, Richard changed his last name to Berlin shortly after forming Luna in 1978. He says, "No one can spell Kinscherf." In 1981, he formed a new band, Berlin Airlift, which got significant local airplay in Boston. Berlin Airlift was signed to Handshake/CBS Records in 1982 and it released its debut album later that year. The album received great reviews. Several weeks later, Handshake went bankrupt. After releasing an EP in 1983, Berlin Airlift dissolved in 1984. From 1985 through 1989, Rick's new band, Rick Berlin - The Movie, released several singles, including "Rock n Roll Romance." During this period, Rick also wrote at least two screenplays. In 1990, he formed Rome Is Burning, which lasted less than a year. Rick then started a solo career and was soon performing at local clubs to enthusiastic audiences. In 1999, he again went the group route, forming The Shelley Winters Project. He remains active both with The Shelley Winters Project and with solo performances.

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13. So Richard Kinscherf is now Rick Berlin?

Yes, I think I said that already. And don't ask about Rick's middle name....

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14. Who does the beautiful vocals on "Little Sam"? On "Fay Wray"?

Lisa Kinscherf did the lead vocal on "Little Sam" and Liz Gallagher did the lead vocal on "Fay Wray". Liz also did the female narration on "Love Is Not Enough". Most of the male lead vocals, except narration, were done by Rick.

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15. Are there any videos/films of the group performing? Are there any live audio recordings?

I am not aware of any "official" audio or video recordings of the group performing live. There are some "studio floor" cuts of songs recorded in the studio in 1974, but they were not released on the final album. For more about these tracks, see Question #5a. There are also some 1977 demo cassette tapes of Luna that are in very good condition and really do the band justice. The demo tapes were intended for free distribution by the band's manager to potential clients, so it might be possible for me to post some MP3's of the demo tracks someday (if I am confident that it is ethical and legal to do so.) In the meantime, please don't ask me to do this. Finally, I know that there some cassette copies of live performances by Luna in 1977. The sound quality is variable on these, but they represent the band performing live in a club and not the studio. Again, please do not ask me for copies of these tapes. I am quite sure that there are probably some other private audio tapes somewhere of Orchestra Luna performing.

I also know that Hilly Kristal, owner of CBGBs, intended to release Vol. II of "Live at CBGBs" and that this record would have included material by Orchestra Luna. However, the album was canceled due to lack of funding and I have no idea if master tapes exist somewhere or if the project had not yet gone that far.

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16. Did Orchestra Luna actually perform Jim Steinman songs with Meat Loaf?

Not exactly, but you're closer than you think. Jim Steinman wrote most of the songs that came to be included on Bat Out of Hell for a musical called, "Neverland," a variation of the Peter Pan story relocated to the coast of Southern California and taking place in the future. This was produced by the Musical Theatre Lab at the Kennedy Center in 1977. (To download a facsimile copy of the program for the production, click here.) The production was directed by Barry Keating, who also played the part of the Historian in the play. Orchestra Luna was the band for the production. The band at that time included (in the order listed in the program) Rick Kinscherf, Bob Brandon, Chet Cahill, Steve Perry, Karla DeVito, Liz Gallagher, Peter Barrett, and Ace Holleran. Karla would, of course, later tour with Meat Loaf as he performed virtually the same songs from the musical as recorded on Bat Out of Hell. As far as I know, Meat Loaf was not involved in the production or performance of the play. One last interesting fact: Ellen Foley, who went on to sing the female vocals on the album, appeared in the part of Wendy in the production. (Note: Since writing this, I have come across several bulletin board postings where it was incorrectly stated that Ellen Foley came from Orchestra Luna. To the best of my knowledge, Ellen was never a member of Orchestra Luna or Luna. The program for the "Neverland" production lists Karla and Liz as members of Orchestra Luna and lists Ellen only as playing the part of Wendy. If you have some evidence to the contrary, please let me know. I tend to believe that this is just a result of the Ellen Foley/Karla DeVito confusion that seems so common. Ellen sang on the Bat Out of Hell album ONLY and did not do the tour with Meat Loaf. Karla did NOT sing on the album, but was the one to tour with Meat Loaf and do the "stage show." This has been stated many times in print and in interviews with all the participants, but fans still seem to get it mixed-up.)

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17. Is this site connected with the band in any way? Is it an official site?

This is strictly a "fan" site and is not connected with the band in any way. There are no advertisements, no merchandise to sell, no commercial links, and no counters or hidden functions. I maintain it because I am a fan and I have enjoyed their music for many years.

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18. How is Rupert Holmes connected with all this?

Rupert Holmes is probably best known for his hit song, "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)," released in 1979. He and Jeffrey Lesser produced Orchestra Luna, which was recorded at Media Sound, New York, in July and August, 1974. Rupert also did the arrangements for the brass, strings, and woodwinds featured on the album. Like many musicians, Rupert was busy arranging and producing and was able to crack the charts with his own recordings only once with any major success. To the best of my knowledge, he worked on the OL album on behalf of Epic Records and was not otherwise involved with the band or with any later OL/Luna/Berlin Airlift recordings.

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19. Are all of the band members still alive in 2004?

Sadly, Peter Barrett passed away in 1991. Of the original OL members, Rick, Randy, Don, and Scott are definitely alive and well. I know virtually nothing about the current whereabouts of Lisa and Liz.

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