Peter Tessensohn

About Peter Tessensohn

(expired link)
Interview with PeterTessensohn of The X-Streams
-- The Best American 2-Tone Era Ska Band You've Never Heard--
One of the most satisfying blog posts I've written to date has been a profile of The X-Streams, an Arizona based ska band that played a part in the Los Angeles ska scene of the early 80's that flourished around the (expired link). Klub.
Their story is one that continues to draw me (expired link) because they came so close to success before self-destructing. Perhaps because they brought an energy and intensity that was both mesmerizing and a little bit frightening to those who saw and heard them. Perhaps because for one brief moment they may have been the best hope for what an American 2-Tone era ska band could have been.
The band coalesced around Bob Steinhilber (drums), Peter Tessensohn (bass), Steve Kriol (guitar) and Lorraine Springer, a young woman from Trinidad on lead vocals. Springer had met Kriol in California and travelled with him to Arizona to start the band. The addition of local (guitarist) Kurt Mayberry was the final ingredient that took them to the next level, but also complicated their future. Much like Pauline Black and Neol Davies in The Selecter, it was the vocal interplay and energy between Springer and Mayberry that set The X-Streams apart and captured the attention of LA-based producers and music industry veterans, who for a short
time, were captivated by the band's live energy and their edginess.

Shortly after posting my original story about The X-Streams, I connected with Peter Tessensohn. We've stayed in touch since and Tessensohn has been very generous in sharing old pictures and unreleased music with me that the band recorded during the early days. As an original member of the band and the one who was closest to the late Kurt Mayberry, he has a unique perspective on the early days of the band as well as later versions of the band that played together into the early 90's. He recently took time to share his memories about the band and to tell me more about the band's memorable shows at the (expired link). Klub in Los Angeles in 1980. He also shared a treasure trove of never before seen pictures of the band at that (expired link). Klub show
and a song from a Warner Brothers record demo and gave me permission to post them. The pictures alone are worth an exhibition about the (expired link). Klub's
history. Until that happens, they provide a glimpse into the band at its peak and capture their intensity.

**Can you tell me about your introduction to music and ska music in particular?

I started playing music in high school with my friend Kurt Mayberry in the front yard of my house with acoustic guitars in mid 1973-1974. My introduction to Ska and reggae music came about by accident. Back in 1979, Mayberry told me he was playing in a band that was beyond Punk Rock but he could not describe it. He told me it was right up his alley and he enjoyed the offbeat rhythms which complimented his own unique style of guitar playing

***How did the X-Streams get started? Did you know the other members of the band beforehand? Why did you decide to call the band The X-Streams?**

As I remember, founding members: Loraine Springer–lead vocals & front person,
Steve Kriol – rhythm guitar, Bob Steinhilber – drums, Kurt Mayberry initially played bass at the first gig and immediately thereafter on vocals, rhythm and lead guitar.
Kurt invited me to come about and analyze this new unfamiliar music during a rehearsal session, located at a place known as “The Hate House”. Upon arriving, I
noticed a bass guitar leaning against a fender bass amp and a fifteen inch speaker cabinet , but no bass player. It practically had my name written on it. I played for that practice session and had a great time.
Kurt and members of the band were praising me “on very fine job I was doing” and Bob Steinhilber saying out loudly “You’re in the band”.
Loraine creatively entitled us The X-Streams, specifying the “X” having five focal points with her in
the “center”.

**Where did the band fit into the Arizona music scene of the early 80's?

We fit right up there with the New Wave, Reggae/Ska and Punk scene. The genre of music we performed in roster was versatile, not classified in just one.

**Would you describe The X-Streams as a ska band, a reggae band, or a mix of both? Did any bands or musicians influence you?

A mixture of both embedded with our own unique style and groove when we covered songs as of Third World, "Rhythm of Life".
Kurt Mayberry influence me due to his unique guitar playing and rhythmic articulation. I miss him truly, best friends forever that gave me the opportunity to indulge in music. Kurt had a natural talent for playing all musical instruments. We were influenced by bands like The Police, Bob Marley, UB40, Toots
and the Maytals, The Beatles to name a few.

**What was it like to be in a racially mixed band in Arizona in the early 80's? This is a state would not make Martin Luther King's birthday a state holiday for some time.

**Being in a racially mixed band had no consequence at all. Music breaks the prejudice of racial indifference from my experience. I only had good feed back here in Arizona and (expired link).

**What was your first show at the ON Klub in LA like? How important were your early shows at the ON Klub to the success of the band?

**The first show at the (expired link) Klub in the Silver Lake a section of LA. was great and sold-out with SRO. We had a great booking agent/promoter in LA John Sutton-Smith and got interview and promo picture of the band in the LA Weekly. Roger Steffens (expired link). of KCRW radio station in Santa Monica played our demo tape on the air and plugged the shows and introduced us on stage as he did for numerous shows.
That very same night Paul Wexler (son of late Jerry Wexler) was
there to catch both shows. He recently produced The Go Go’s 'We Got the Beat' album and was considering us for a recording Deal at Warner Brothers Records. Though never signed, The X-Streams did record a demo of 4-5 songs (with LA Plugs} that Paul Wexler produced. One of those songs was our version of Sugar Minot’s “Hard Time Pressure” with Loraine on lead vocal and Kurt doing backup vocals and sparkling guitar. Years later, we rerecorded the song again with Kurt Mayberry on lead Vocals.

**Tell me a bit about the early song writing process. Who wrote the songs on your first two singles? Rhythm of Life is a great song and the interplay between Lorraine and Kurt is fantastic.

Though Kurt and I had a number of original compositions, Loraine liked the songs of reggae greats
and we covered the song “Rhythm of Life”. (Third World).
Yes, the interplay was fantastic. The band had a reputation for putting on a great live show.

**Do you have memories of any shows in particular that stand out?

The (expired link). Klub shows were my favorite at time with the original lineup of the band.
Kurt and I went on with the band after Loraine, Bob, and Steve moved on, with a new line up.

**Why did Lorraine leave the band and how did that change the band dynamic?
Lorraine left due to relationship matters within the band and business aspects. The dynamic’s of the band was that we no longer had a front person the impression of Loraine's stage presence. Yet, the musical composition we wrote and covered excelled over the years.

**Despite the many trials and tribulations the band endured what do you think its legacy is?

**I never pondered on a legacy; we presented a performance on stage.
Combing genres of music entwined with our groove and style made a unique
sound of music.

**Are you still involved with music these days?
Yes, I hope to release a compilation of songs Kurt and I recorded over the years and that of my own in recent. That is still in form, style, groove and feel privileged to have been under the tutelage,
The songs uploaded now on (expired link) is new songs of Peter Tessensohn.