Greetings Ant-Bee Fans, For those of you who read Billy's book about
Peter Banks, here's a message from Peter concerning his involvement
recently with a band from his past called (The) Syn. Wish it was
better news.

*DECEPTION AND LIES: A TIME AND A NEED FOR PROVOCATION*


Statement from Pete Banks 24/03/05

I, Pete Banks, would like to make this statement regarding my
relationship with the band known as Syn. I have been concerned with
certain gossip on the Internet regarding my relationship with this
band.

I was originally a member of Syn, comprised of Chris Squire, Andrew
Jackman, Gunner Hakonarson and Steve Nardelli from around 1965 until
their demise two and a half years later. (These dates are
approximate). Steve Nardelli, the original singer of Syn, made a
proposal to me that the Syn should be resurrected out of 'cold
storage' and a meeting took place on the 31st of October Halloween
2003, which included Martyn Adleman, who had left the band around the
time I joined back in the midst of the sixties. The original keyboard
player and drummer sadly no longer cease to be.

The three of us decided to go ahead with the project, the funding of
which would be provided by Nardelli. Nardelli and I spent much of
November, December, and January writing and rewriting old and
potentially new Syn material. I was recruited as producer, arranger,
and co-writer, as well as guitar player and taking care of the
personnel in the new band. Keyboardist, friend, and long-time working
partner Gerard Johnson agreed to play and engineer on a newly
proposed Syn album.

So, with the material that Nardelli and I had bashed together on
acoustic guitars, we had some ideas for songs for a new Syn album;
also a new archive album was proposed consisting of pre-historic Syn
connections. The whole band began recording early in 2004. As
producer, I wanted the project to sound like a group that had been
transported from the sixties into the 21st century, and had found out
that they could still play together.

The worrying fact that Martyn Adleman had not played drums
professionally for over 30 years and that Steve Nardelli, who is
running a sporting goods company, and had sang very little as a rock
lead vocalist--all these handicaps could be overcome--and to a degree
they were. Two pieces were completed 'Grounded' (an old Syn single)
and 'Illusion' (a more atmospheric piece masquerading as an
epic). 'Time and a Word' was begun and most sections were completed.
Unfortunately, Steve could not do full justice to the vocal as he had
to rush away to go on holiday the next day--a big headache for myself
as I had only been informed of this a few hours beforehand.

Most recording projects of such a loose structure suffer from
technical and performance problems, which often a producer can
overcome, but, the absence of the singer and the shakiness of the
drummer are impossible to fix in the mix. We overran on studio time,
Gerard Johnson and myself had to finish a bulk of instrumentation and
backing vocals at his home. The mixing sessions were difficult
because of interruptions from Martyn and Steve (having then returned
from his holiday). Comments such as 'can I hear more drums?' and 'the
vocals sound a bit far back' can be a nightmare at such times. On the
more positive side, the three pieces of music turned out pretty good,
considering the conditions under which they were made. My arrangement
and rewriting of 'Grounded' sounds very satisfactory and almost like
a real band. Likewise, 'Illusion' has become a mini-epic with its
components firing on all systems in the 'old prog rock tradition'.
Although there was a bit of a fight for prominence and domination in
the mix, it was definitely overflowing with ideas taking us back to
those late sixties values of musical freedom and enthusiasm that I
still love. A new version of 'Time and a Word' remains unfinished,
the vocal track is weak and my guitar parts are unfinished along with
the music-links that push the piece together. I hope the current Syn
do not fuck it up.

The last time I met Steve Nardelli was on the fourth of April 2004,
appropriately just after April Fool's Day. He told me how happy he
was with the three pieces and that we would finish them later on in
the year when he could gather more funds to spend on the project. He
also told me that I was indispensable to Syn and I had made the songs
live again (perhaps I had misheard him on that one!). Despite my
attempts to contact him, he has never spoken to me for nearly one
year.

To make things clear and transparent, hear are the relevant facts:

I put the band together, recruiting Gerard Johnson and several bass
players--Steve Gee was gracious enough to step in at the last moment
to deputise. He coached and guided Martyn Adleman with his drumming
and was a model of courtesy, reliability, and patience. I do not
think that he ever got paid.

I originally suggested Chris Squire on bass, to which everyone
agreed. Steve Nardelli, when I gave him Chris' number, never called.

I co-wrote all the songs.

I arranged all the songs.

I played guitar.

I sang backing vocals with Gerard Johnson.

I produced the recordings of the three aforementioned songs.

I would like to make it clear that I am no longer a part of Syn,
although nobody has officially informed me of this. I find the
suggestion that I was hired as a session player very offensive as a
professional musician. Steve Nardelli and Martyn Adleman are not
competent performers, they are amateurs and I doubt that they can
be 'roadworthy' or fit enough to play any gigs without substantial
musical and physical assistance. Gerard Johnson's despicable attitude
to my disposability has been unprofessional, two-faced, and
deceitful. I use to regard him as a friend--a piece of bad judgement
on my part.

The whole Syn project, which I worked on the 1st Nov 2003 to the 4th
April 2004, with so much enthusiasm and energy has become a complete
waste of time; I have never been thanked or credited and it has been
thrown back in my face. They deserve no success or credibility as a
band or as human beings.

You can find the old Syn singles and B-sides plus a demo of 'Flower
Man' on my compilation 'Can I Play You Something?' featuring Mabel
Greer's Toyshop, Yes, etc., released 1999 on Blueprint records
BP301CD.

I find the behavior of Nardelli, Adleman, and Johnson totally
mystifying. Their deceitful, hypocritical and cowardly behavior and
inability to deal with the situation that I find myself in is
something that I have never had to deal with in this profession. They
refuse to even discuss this matter and release Syn material without
any consultation with myself whatsoever. This also applies to the
compilation album which I am featured on and was asked to produce,
having already supplied a lot of archive material from my own
personal collection. Incidentally, I do not include Chris Squire
amongst this cast of villains, as he joined the band after my
departure.

This whole Syn enterprise really stinks and I would just like to make
people aware if they are contemplating purchasing any of these Syn
projects of what kind of people the aforementioned characters really
are. I am really saddened by my need to have to make this statement;
music is the foremost drive in my life and the massive hypocrisy of
these people fills me with intense outrage.

To Johnson, Nardelli, and Adleman, why not be human, why not show
emotion...(very hard for most English people)? Why not have a fucking
opinion?

Pete Banks

www.adequatesounds.com

www.peterbanks.net