Early Shoes (1974 - 1978)
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![Outtake photo from the 1978 photoshoot for the album cover for the PVC re-issue of Black Vinyl Shoes.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/32848d728266c7d075ed326cfd8383139922d804/original/5381814-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Outtake photo from the 1978 photoshoot for the album cover for the PVC re-issue of Black Vinyl Shoes.
![Track sheet listing the instrumentation for the song "Fatal" used during the recording of the "Black Vinyl Shoes" LP in 1977.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/e7601313aab58b21bfccc76fd40e394b76a7dd92/original/4587086-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Track sheet listing the instrumentation for the song "Fatal" used during the recording of the "Black Vinyl Shoes" LP in 1977.
![Flow chart showing the recording sequence used for the song "Fatal" used during the recording of the "Black Vinyl Shoes" LP in 1977. The 4 knobs at the bottom show the level and panning of the 4 tracks for the stereo mixdown.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/c9d339a687932d4107ff8a2d67a9b728c1c9f11d/original/4587087-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Flow chart showing the recording sequence used for the song "Fatal" used during the recording of the "Black Vinyl Shoes" LP in 1977. The 4 knobs at the bottom show the level and panning of the 4 tracks for the stereo mixdown.
![Jeff plays his first Fender Strat at an outside gig in 1977. This guitar was later stolen, along with 3 others, from BFD Studio.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/f2cc68ee2b34830b8aca325ef8dce94ea21241a6/original/4595181-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Jeff plays his first Fender Strat at an outside gig in 1977. This guitar was later stolen, along with 3 others, from BFD Studio.
![Shoes backstage before a gig at The Likely Story club on April 6th, 1977. Note Jeff and Gary with their new Gibson Explorer guitars. Gary's was eventually stolen from BFD Studio.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/125682f1cd2b068abb07c955be6e298f7ce08674/original/4595195-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Shoes backstage before a gig at The Likely Story club on April 6th, 1977. Note Jeff and Gary with their new Gibson Explorer guitars. Gary's was eventually stolen from BFD Studio.
![Shoes play a gig in early 1977 in Schaumburg, IL at a club called B.Ginnings, owned by Danny Seraphine, the drummer for the band Chicago.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/16c9a6da25aaae62108a3671e872e025b92ad29d/original/4595184-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Shoes play a gig in early 1977 in Schaumburg, IL at a club called B.Ginnings, owned by Danny Seraphine, the drummer for the band Chicago.
![Gary plays a Gibson L6S and John his Fender Precision Bass during the gig in Dwight, IL. Note Gary's Gibson Les Paul Studio in the background stand.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/e31b0d933405b0558a448513e9c597d43134aac5/original/4595188-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Gary plays a Gibson L6S and John his Fender Precision Bass during the gig in Dwight, IL. Note Gary's Gibson Les Paul Studio in the background stand.
![Jeff's cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul is barely visible waiting in it's stand during the Dwight, IL gig.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/93f21bb823c566a18586ac684440720389e0a184/original/4860045-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Jeff's cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul is barely visible waiting in it's stand during the Dwight, IL gig.
![Gary (on the far left), is barely visible in this pic taken at an impromptu gig at dusk in Dwight, IL during the fall of 1976.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/b84ab127cfc33dd09118da30f6f001526559c2b8/original/4595186-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Gary (on the far left), is barely visible in this pic taken at an impromptu gig at dusk in Dwight, IL during the fall of 1976.
![Another shot of Shoes playing their first gig with Skip as drummer in Dwight, IL in the fall of 1976.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/f2b9e73ba63e6069f02eb3339393b585e0958d47/original/4859949-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Another shot of Shoes playing their first gig with Skip as drummer in Dwight, IL in the fall of 1976.
![Shoes play under the pavillion in Dwight, IL during Skip's first gig with the band in early fall of 1976.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/22b58c0098c0840b11cb4ac9daaf94a038da4c41/original/4860042-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Shoes play under the pavillion in Dwight, IL during Skip's first gig with the band in early fall of 1976.
![Jeff plays a Fender strat through a Sunn Model T amp as John plays his Precision Bass through a Sunn Bass head w/folded horn bottom at Shoes' first gig at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI in April of 1976.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/4b6ea19f0278e66e6113cb5b25ebf8e634b29bad/original/4914322-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Jeff plays a Fender strat through a Sunn Model T amp as John plays his Precision Bass through a Sunn Bass head w/folded horn bottom at Shoes' first gig at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI in April of 1976.
![Drummer Barry Shumaker during his only live performance with Shoes, on his Ludwig drum kit, during Shoes' very first gig at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/829aee1959cbd8b79cfd16a6b4ca312c98982860/original/4504782-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Drummer Barry Shumaker during his only live performance with Shoes, on his Ludwig drum kit, during Shoes' very first gig at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI.
![Gary's Fender Tele Deluxe waits nearby during Shoes' first gig at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI in April of 1976.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/7868cb13f22e9fa5a5d83bbad55458b0b68bb1ec/original/4504780-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Gary's Fender Tele Deluxe waits nearby during Shoes' first gig at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI in April of 1976.
![Jeff and John work on some backing vocals at La Cabane for the Bazooka sessions during the hot summer of 1975.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/5606f30a544e1a12d48d62c75d35b8678db74942/original/4914323-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Jeff and John work on some backing vocals at La Cabane for the Bazooka sessions during the hot summer of 1975.
![The living room of La Cabane, where "One In Versailles", "Bazooka" and "Black Vinyl Shoes" were recorded.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/45cfa56740cdda48dbecee83885b1bbd9193395d/original/4504771-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The living room of La Cabane, where "One In Versailles", "Bazooka" and "Black Vinyl Shoes" were recorded.
![A Ross Mark 400 tape machine like the one that Jeff butchered to make his first distortion box for early Shoes recordings.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/46488/2abf2dc12451782d3a3c03cbc77d145c30d30d68/original/4594149-orig.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
A Ross Mark 400 tape machine like the one that Jeff butchered to make his first distortion box for early Shoes recordings.