SPEAKER_01 0:00

For five decades, Gloria Stefan's music has moved the world. This is Let It Moose, a Gloria Esther Fan podcom. The first fan-led show dedicated to her life, legacy, and inform. Lifelong Esther Fan, Carlos, Rob, and Wes for the songs, moments, and stories that make Gloria an icon. If her music changed your life, then welcome home.

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of Let It Loose. My name is Rob.

SPEAKER_04 0:30

I'm Wes.

SPEAKER_02 0:32

I'm Carlos. I'm Allah. And today we have uh a really special episode. I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_04 0:40

I I don't even know what to say.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

I'm not even gonna give it up yet. I'm just gonna say, spoil slightly, that we are interviewing, and an interview, first of all, is big for us. We're just getting our feet on the ground. Yeah we are interviewing Miami Sound Machine Royalty, somebody who is a historic pivotal member of Miami Sound Machine.

SPEAKER_05 1:05

Can we give a little hint?

SPEAKER_02 1:07

A little hint? Well, I said I said we're just getting on our feet. Oh that was a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 1:16

I thought Carlos was gonna start singing. I was, I was gonna start.

SPEAKER_05 1:20

I know. It's a waste of time. There's no juice trying. I have way too much coffee to split. Look at him. Don't throw your back at me before the interview. You know that'll happen. I know. On today's episode, we're spotlighting one of the musicians behind the sound of Miami Sound Machine during their explosive rise in the in the 80s. Guitarist John DeFaria not only helped bring that energy to the stage alongside Gloria and Emilua Stefan, he also wrote one of the one of Gloria's most iconic anthems, Get on Your Feet. Today we're giving him his flowers and celebrating the role he played in shaping a sound that continues to move generations. Everyone, get on your feet and welcome John DeFaria.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

Thank you for being here. Welcome, John.

SPEAKER_07 2:10

My pleasure. Thank you for having me. So appreciate it.

SPEAKER_04 2:14

Yes, thank you so much for joining us. Um, this means the world to all of us, as you know. But let's start uh with the interview. Can we start at the beginning?

SPEAKER_07 2:23

Um yeah, oh way back.

SPEAKER_04 2:26

Did you grow up in Miami?

SPEAKER_07 2:28

Uh no, I didn't. I I went to University of Miami. I went to the school of uh the school of music there. Uh so I was uh I was up in Chicago at the time when I was a kid, and uh I actually went to I actually went to uh uh another school up in Michigan for my senior year. It was like a it was like a music school for high school students. I was a double bass player. Uh and he suggested I go to University of Miami. So I said, okay, I'll check it out, you know. And and sure enough, they let me. I I I think I I applied to U of M and I applied to University of Southern Cal, and I got into both of them. So I chose University of Miami at the time. That was that was a long time ago when when college was cheap. And I went down there and uh man, just ate it all up. I mean, just you know, that the the school was amazing. I met all the guys that I play play with in Sound Machine, they're still all my old buddies, uh, and more, you know.

SPEAKER_04 3:26

Nice. No, that's great.

SPEAKER_07 3:27

And you know, Glory Glory went to U of M as well. Yeah, yeah. She was, I think she was a philosophy major or something. I think so.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

Yeah. Psychology. Yeah, psychology. So it was during that time at your univers at the university when you were part of um were you a part of the band, the company, or did that come later?

SPEAKER_07 3:45

Um, I was I I was in school, you know, that was the later part of my schooling. Uh, like maybe my I think my junior senior year or something like that. We uh they got I got into that band. And and they wanted there, uh that was it was a local band that was um, you know, what can I say about them? They they were working constantly. It was like I was I you know it was such a gift because I was going to school and I was working six nights a week. I mean, I you know, the the the guitar never left my hand. It was just I was all it was here, you know, 12 hours a day. And I was playing 12, it was such a huge gift because I, you know, I cut my teeth that way, you know, just like constantly uh, you know, you know, playing music, just constantly sleeping and playing music. That's all I did back then.

SPEAKER_05 4:40

So the company was already established when you were they had been established.

SPEAKER_07 4:46

They they they came out of another band, uh which called which the reason they're called the company is because they used to be a band called Mike Gillis and Company. And Mike Gillis, who was an amazing jazz guitar player in South Florida, but he was a bit of a slave driver as far as as far as a uh a band uh leader. So eventually they sh they diffused themselves from Mike, and now they needed another guitar player. So uh so then they you know they asked me to uh join, I don't, you know, and and and the rest is history. We started you know just doing local local uh gigs, and and we got we got pretty popular down in down in South Florida. We really did. We got pretty popular, we were working all the time. Um, and of course, you know, the interesting thing about that is Gloria had a, you know, they were a little, they were basically Gloria and Media started as a local band, right? Yeah, they started as, you know, they were doing, you know, I remember when Gloria Media were doing weddings, you know, and they were just doing the local scene, and and then they got a hit in Europe, I believe. They got Dr. Dr. Beat, I think. I think Dr. Beat was their hit in Europe, okay. And you know, it it got them noticed. However, they were still they were still a local band.

SPEAKER_05 6:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:09

Playing the weddings, the bar mitzvah, uh, bar mitzvahs, and and clubs and such. And we were another local band, okay. Uh, and but you know, not as not as successful as Emilio. Amelia, you know, he's he's like crazy, crazy ambitious, you know, and and he put all you know, he got he got those those records out to the right people and and spearheaded the uh the career of that of that group, you know.

SPEAKER_05 6:34

It's funny because I have a note here uh that you've mentioned that the company was a great band, but that Emilio's group seemed to be landing many of the gigs, you know, in in Miami uh at that time. They were. That's right. What you know what what was that about? How how was he landing, you know, because you guys were you guys were performing at the same time, right? You guys were doing your your thing. So how was he landing all these gigs?

SPEAKER_07 7:00

Emilio Emilio has always had a gift for put getting himself placed in great situations. He's always had an amazing gift about that. That's that's the he's the reason why that why the the band was so successful.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

You know, we hear about this time uh like about this era, the beginnings of Miami Sound Machine and this this decade in the 70s, in particular in the 80s, and it feels like lightning in a bottle in a lot of ways. It sounds like everything that you all were doing was really just uh unmatched to other contemporaries at the time. So yeah, what what what do you think set Emilio's approach out from other music directors, other band leaders at the time on the same scene?

SPEAKER_07 7:41

Uh well he just didn't stop. He you know, he was relentless. That's that that was the Emilio Stephen uh, you know, kind of uh that was his you know MO. He was relentless, he never stopped. You know, it and you you mentioned the Miami scene, you know, the Miami scene back then, we didn't realize it at the time, but it was incredible what was going on down there. We had like you know, you know who else was down there that nobody really mentions? The Bee Gees were down there, and they and they just had an enormous career. They um and they were still riding high, okay. Uh they had a studio down there called Middle Ear, uh, which was a uh an amazing place uh on Miami Beach. Um that I that I that I recorded in a number of times, but uh they and I you know and they they were kind of like the I mean you couldn't get any more successful than the Bee Gees, really. You know uh the other the other guy that was down there who was getting a lot of success was a guy named Bobby Caldwell, who wrote a song called What You Won't Do for Love. That was that and actually there were a couple of other bands. Um oh gosh, I'm trying to think who uh who are the other um there were a oh well Casey in the Sunshine the Sunshine down there. Um so it really was uh uh a really interesting time. And of course, the other thing, of course, that's interesting about Miami in the early 80s is the freaking drug scene.

SPEAKER_05 9:09

The drug scene, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 9:11

Dang, man. It was like I was working at the mutiny hotel in Coconut Grove with a guy named Willie Vega, and this is this is when I was in school. I was getting up, you know, I was working until three in the morning, and I was getting up for like a uh 10 o'clock class. I was at drinking a lot of coffee, a lot of Cuban, a lot of cafe con leche a lot of cafecito, yeah, um and uh man, it was just yeah, it was just an an incredible time, really, you know. Um, I was working till like I you know, gigs would go till three in the morning, you know. So it was around the clock.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

That's pretty colony in Spain.

SPEAKER_07 9:51

Yes, well, I know Spain is like that. People don't have to dinner, you know, people don't go out to dinner till 10:30.

SPEAKER_05 9:58

I just learned that, John. I just learned that last year when I went I I was hanging out with Laura and I'm here trying to coordinate a dinner, and I'm thinking, well, you know, let's do about maybe eight o'clock, seven, eight o'clock. And they were like, dinner at seven, eight o'clock? What is that?

SPEAKER_07 10:14

Yesterday, what are you talking about? Still out, for goodness sakes, you know.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Well, it really sounds like a perfect storm between the party scene in Miami and the music that was popular at the time and Emilio's work ethic that just in your and in our opinion gave a Miami sound machine a little bit more of that edge.

SPEAKER_07 10:34

Well, yes, let's let and let's face it, you know, the the the Latin uh pop, yep, you know, uh uh genre was also something that that people really uh were drawn to. Um there there was, you know, Miami was Miami um was it became more of a gateway to South America when I was there. When I when I first moved down there in like '78 or something like that, you know, Carl Gables was a really sleepy little town. It wasn't it wasn't as huge. You know, it's funny, I was just back in Miami uh about a month and a half ago, and my gosh, that city has grown.

SPEAKER_05 11:15

It has, it really has.

SPEAKER_07 11:16

Unbelievable. I mean, when I was there, like I said, it was you know there there was an enormous um arrival of of Latin American folks from all over the world that came to Miami. And uh uh you you remembered, you know, Castro, the whole thing about uh the Marilitos. The Marilitos, yeah. Where Marilitos came over and uh and were were uh you know were were allowed to cross you know the ocean to go to Miami. And they were welcomed in Miami, they were welcomed in Miami, you know. I mean it was I I remember going uh over the 95 driving and seeing tents underneath underneath uh uh for from for recent arrivals uh to Miami. So so there was an influx of pe of people and it really it really set the character and the mood uh of the town uh going forward. And that was you know, like I said, that was the early 80s. That was like uh I'd say that was 81 or something. This is before this is before I was involved with Gloria. Uh but it was interesting how it was I was making such a transition.

SPEAKER_02 12:27

Um, so John, can you walk us through how you were discovered and how you joined uh Emilio and the group?

SPEAKER_07 12:32

Absolutely, absolutely. We're we were at the time company was playing in a club and we were you know six nights a week. It was it was a place called Rick's Cafe American. And um what happened was is that you know, like Gloria and Media were starting to get radio play, they were starting to get uh hits not only in Europe but in the US. Okay. And they were asked to go on a variety of talk shows. Uh they were asked, they were asked by their record, they they had signed to Edmund Records. Uh they needed to put together a freaking kick-ass touring band. That's what they needed. Okay. They they had they had um all the you know, they they they had a lot of momentum going and they needed to get on the road, basically. So they wanted to, they they actually they actually heard of us. We were kind of like the we were kind of like the hot shot musician band in town, okay? And they they had known about us for years. Um but they finally came, they they came out one night and and we're we're in the audience and and watched us uh do our thing for about, I don't know, about an hour, an hour and a half, something like that. And the next day, Emilio calls, I think George, George Casas, or hey Casas, and says, Hey man, I want you and your guitar player and the keyboard player and the sax player come over to my office tomorrow. You know, we went over to Emilio's office and he said, I want to start a new band. I want you guys to be in it. Oh wow, wow, and we were like, Okay, sure, why not?

SPEAKER_05 14:12

I mean, we're you know so George was with George Casas was with you in the company.

SPEAKER_07 14:18

He was play Offspoldswald was in the company, and you know, our our our dear sax player Ed Calle. Oh wow, Ed Calle. Ed Calle was kind of the guy, Ed had done some session work for Emilio, as I remember, and that was he was kind of the catalyst who got us, you know, who introduced us to that opportunity, basically. And then and then he hired, and of course, that was a hell of a transition because you know, we have a fabulous singer of our own, we have a fabulous drummer of our own. And it was it was it was rough and tough to, but of course, we were thinking, okay, you guys, you know, we're gonna pull you along at some point in this situation. You know, that's what we were thinking, and actually, the other person that was in our band was John Cicada.

SPEAKER_04 15:09

Yeah, I was gonna ask you that.

SPEAKER_07 15:11

Juan Sicada, who wasn't wait, what?

SPEAKER_04 15:13

Yeah, John Cicata was in the band.

SPEAKER_07 15:15

He was in the company, he was in the company. What happened was is that Ed Ed started getting some other gigs. We we wanted another singer in the band, and uh and and John was into it, you know. John John was scuffling back then. He was like do doing whatever he could do, and you know, we just became really, really close, good friends. Which we're still to this day just you know buds. But John was not in invited to become sound machine at this at the he was one of the singers, okay? Right, yeah, okay, and and Amelia wanted the band, okay. So sure enough, we got in the band and we started rehearsing with Gloria. And I think our first gig was some little club in New York. We we did clubs for a while. We did, we didn't know, you know, but I saw I saw the thing slowly start building. We would we we went from clubs to like little theaters, like 2,500 seats theaters, you know, they called them theaters in a round, in the round, you know, it was like a um small little venues, uh and then we graduated to larger theaters, and then we graduated to arenas, you know, and and it was just like a con, it was a wave that we were that we were riding, basically.

SPEAKER_05 16:28

It's interesting because that leads me into my next question, which is once you join and began touring with Gloria and the band, um was Let It Loose your first tour? It was, yes. Okay, that was the the first tour with the group, and then that was the first tour. Overseas. Yeah, what was that experience like?

SPEAKER_07 16:48

Oh, it was fantastic, it was amazing. We were we were we were overseas a lot. We went to Asia, we you know, we went to Europe, um the States, of course, South America, everywhere we everywhere. We went everywhere. It was uh I I remember I just have great memories of that. And this is your first big tour.

SPEAKER_05 17:10

Oh, certainly.

SPEAKER_07 17:11

I was all of 25, 26. I don't know. I I guess you know, I was I was just like uh kid in a candy store. I thought it was amazing.

SPEAKER_04 17:19

Yeah, playing playing small clubs in Miami to to go into arenas like that that fast, man. I bet that was awesome.

SPEAKER_07 17:25

Well that transition, it didn't happen immediately. Like I said, it happened over time. It happened, you know, uh the the smaller clubs to the to the arenas, I would say that was probably a two-year process, really. Uh for Gloria too, you know. Sure. Uh she, you know, she the whole thing just became way more successful. The the the record started getting released and you know, charting. Uh, and then of course we started doing, you know, you know, it was it was the the video era, like it was the it was kind of the MTV era. And we started doing a lot of videos, and uh so that would you know that just increased our our our presence. Um it just really was uh uh uh it just really took off, man. It was just amazing.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

I was going to ask how personally how you experience that thing of becoming famous in that way.

SPEAKER_07 18:20

Well, I wasn't I don't know if I was famous myself.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

I mean, I mean uh but you're in the bubble and you're rising altogether, like yes, yes.

SPEAKER_07 18:29

I mean, it was ex listen. I mean, it was super exciting. It was super exciting to be part of to be part of it. It was super and the band was burning, let me tell you. The band was hot.

SPEAKER_05 18:41

John, but you know, it's funny how you know, uh, in your head you you don't consider yourself famous or you know, uh, what you just said, but for me, growing up watching these, you know, during the video era, yeah, your face, you are, you know, you were one of the faces of Miami Sound Machine. So that's why for me this interview is so important because you know, I'm I just see myself, this child, watching you on MTV, on VH1, you know, with your guitar, and you are Miami Sound Machine, you know, having a blast on stage, and it shows in every one of your facial expressions, every one of those moments that are burned in our brains. I'm glad that you mentioned that, Rob, because it's true. Uh John always looked like he was having the most fun out of everyone.

SPEAKER_07 19:33

It's true. I was having a lot of fun. I was I I was I was having a lot of fun. Um and you know, it's interesting. There were some interesting moments on the road, too. You know, uh just some uh there were some crazy moments too. I remember down in I remember we were we were okay. So here's the transition between, you know, clubs and arenas. We were playing like a like a big dinner venue, a dinner club in Mexico City, right? And it was, I think we were there for like a week. We played like I think four shows there or something like that. Um so we start playing the gig, we get down there, we start playing the gig, and the next night I got sick. I mean, you know, they you know, Montezuma's revenge, they call it, you know. But down to Mexico, you have a little core, you have a little bit of this, the bacteria gets in your system, and you're just like out of it, you know.

SPEAKER_06 20:28

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 20:29

So I remember um so I was feeling it really, really bad the next day. And and and they sent, you know, they brought a doctor and they said, Well, we'll we'll give them, I don't know what they gave me, but they tried, they tried to revive me basically, you know. So I got down to the I got down to the lobby, but I, you know, I in the elevator, I slowly came down, got down to the lobby with the rest of the guys in the band, freaking passed out right on right on a chair, hit my head right on a chair. You know, of course, a tiny little head wound bleeds everywhere, right? Oh no, and I'm on the ground, I'm on the ground now, and it looks really bad. Oh no. So what do they do? And this is you know, we're we're two hours away from showtime. What so what what do I do? You know, they they they throw me in an ambulance to take me to a take me to the hospital, and like you know, I had to get a little a little stitch right here. Uh, of course I missed the gig and they had to just wing it, you know. Oh my god. And then uh but but fortunately the next and fortunately the next day was the day off, and then and then I was able to resume, you know. Uh you know, I had a bandage right here, I was wearing a hat, you know. Oh god, it was awful. It was awful. But and you know, here's another thing that happened at that very gig, too. The the the second to last night, the smoke machine, you know, we had these these uh you know, smoke machines uh from dry ice, you know, uh just for vibe on the stage and stuff. And it was it got crazy smoky. I mean, I was like, what is going on? We're out there playing, and it's crazy smoky. And I'm looking back at roadies and the roadies are going like these these these mexican cats had taken out guns and said more you know had had the roadie said no more smoke no more sorry and they said no more smoke you know what weapons they had pulled weapons on our roadies no way wow and we're we're in the front you know trying to trying to do this show and we're and we're you know we're doing entertaining and we're looking at this like for our you know like holy crap what's going on here you know um wow so so that night you know I remember having a meeting with glory and the rest of the band were like man we should get out of here you know maybe we should just get out of here you know we had like I think two more gigs to play or something like that and then uh but you know Gloria and Emilio you know what let's just let's just finish this out and not cause any waves and so that's what we did we we played the last the last two nights there and just and and hauled ask after that that's just one one one in a in a in a lot of stories that happened on the road you know but uh you know I I do want to ask so as the group began working on the cuts both ways album uh you wrote several songs I know that there were several songs that you wrote for that album but yeah yeah one made the one made the final cut which was the famous get on your feet so what was the inspiration behind that song oh wow what was the inspiration behind that song well I know that was a million years ago it's it's amazing how it's amazing how how it became her anthem for getting back on her feet because she had she know uh you know not uh you know I couldn't believe it but her accident happened like a year and a half later you know and if you get on your feet to her because because of her accident she wanted to like you know say that she was back in action uh but prior to that you know I just wanted I just wanted something kind of I was writing a lot of songs and uh I I remember I would just wanted something you know kind of anthemic you know uh something that uh would was just like a real I wanted I wanted a show I wanted a song that would go over great live that's what I that's what I was look shooting for something that's like okay audience get on your feet right yeah that's exactly that's I think what I was what I was going for was was I was thinking about the audience and I was thinking about a positive message out to the audience uh that that she could sing that's what I was thinking and what a song that is what a song that is live especially with you on that guitar yeah oh yeah the the intro every hands down when when when Emilio heard me do that intro he went okay finish yeah finish that song you know yeah so uh yeah that's my all-time favorite album and will always will be oh the touchbook raise record was amazing it was amazing yeah that was what got me into you my my dad loved the trunk you know the horn section that that was what and that's how I became a fan like that cd was on all the time when I was a little I was seven or eight years old when that came out so amazing I know right I know I know I think don't want to lose you was the first song I heard from her okay and and and that one was off that record as well that was her first uh let me see anything for you was her first uh number one yeah um and and you know that really just changed things for all of us you know it changed things for for her and for us uh you know uh the the the venue sizes increased uh uh the the opportunities increased um um and and that that really signaled the the the I think I remember we were uh in Europe or something like that and we came back and she was number one she was number one in in the states yeah and it just was it just made everything different from yeah she told this story you guys were on tour that they remember she remembered hearing about it going to number one like getting off of a plane or something like that.

SPEAKER_04 26:05

I I do remember telling that story.

SPEAKER_07 26:07

Yeah you know back then you know news didn't travel as fast you know what I mean we didn't there were no cell phones or anything like that. Right information that quick so uh you know it took a moment to to find the information but uh yeah aside from writing that song um get on your feet just seems like such a fun song to play as a musician do you have any other songs that like you remembered the loving to play live on the gigs? Oh I loved a lot of the tens gosh you know I always thought one two three was a great song I thought I thought that song was just such a well crafted pop song uh and Kiki Garcia wrote that uh with Gloria um and Kiki was an Kiki was a gifted songwriter he he he wrote he came up with Conga and they you know he finished it with Gloria he was just a such a gifted songwriter I think uh um uh he needs more credit actually because I think he contributed immensely to the you know success of the group yeah no I get that um with with Konga I know that he's credited as the the writer uh did you just mention that Gloria uh co-wrote that with him uh yes I believe that's true yes okay because I know that the credits only sh show him but I feel like I've I've heard her mention that I know that she had the idea or the idea had the idea but yeah right they wanted a song about a about about a a Latin rhythm which was cool uh you know make it a pop song right yeah yeah I don't I wasn't around when that song was written but uh wow great great I mean you know that's their that's their anthem right there right that's her anthem yeah she talks a lot about you the conga and rhythm is gonna get you uh I mean I think they both wrote rhythm is gonna get you she said we actually finished writing rhythm is gonna get you in Kentucky on a tour bus yeah yeah like of course of course yeah most most of the songs are written on a tour bus yeah yep yeah I wrote I wrote get on your feet on a tour bus with it with a with a drum machine and my guitar I I I remember I remember sitting in the in on the couch and that we're driving somewhere and I've and I've got my headphones on I've I've got this drum machine and my guitar and we're just I'm just like okay this'll work you know this will work you know kind of so uh the other song that I loved from Gloria was a song called Words Get in the way that was a great song too. Yeah I just thought I thought the lyric was so good. That's a great uh and the way yeah and the way that you guys performed it uh for the let it um let it come to the homecoming concert yeah that arrangement and stripped down yeah stripped down yeah we decided to like you know a a little intimate moment in the middle of the show you know like high energy and then we wanted to bring it down and and you know do do more of an uh like a short acoustic set uh and and that worked really well uh George uh George Cassis was a master arranger uh George taught me about um uh he he taught me about uh uh um we we called him Mr. Ending because he would come up with an ending for every every you know because when when when you take a track that's on a record and you and you you put it in a live format okay you do have to change the arrangement around a little bit you know you want to take that that song and make it make it come alive in in in in in that kind of format and and you know most of the time on a record the the the track fades out right yep yeah you can't do that live so you have to have an ending yeah and George we called him Mr Ending because he came up with every single ending for every single song live and so and we translated that those records to a live show so in other words for Conga let's say we would we would you know we'd play the tune but then we would open it up a little bit you know because we want it to we wanted it to last a little longer. Yeah yeah we wanted to milk the audience as much as possible you know so you know let's let's let's turn it into like a you know let's get get give the you know teddy a long trumpet solo you know and then let's let's go to percussion you know what I mean and then let's change let's change the rhythm a little bit you know what I mean before we before we go back to the original song you know let's let's go deep into something that where we you know we take the audience on a little ride you know and see see what see what they you know kind of kind of almost surprise them in a way uh which I think is I think it's very entertaining to see that in a live band I like to go see a live band I like to think oh well they're they're taking their songs and they're but they're translating it into something live absolutely and I think that you guys were masters at at that um just well George George was a master I learned all about it from George.

SPEAKER_05 31:11

Yeah no I I I mean the the arrangements because they were different they were different from the actual recordings but it just seemed like you guys just amplified it you know and took it to a a whole other level and I think that's why you guys were such a successful um uh touring group because it was just amazing you know unfortunately I didn't get to see you know these tours in I was too little and too poor but um but but you know even looking at these tours now it's just amazing to see you know uh what you guys accomplished and what you guys created it's still amazing to hear to this day yeah yeah oh well thank you so much that's that's absolutely that's amazing yeah see I want to ask you later toured on the get on your feet tour and the end of the light tour was there ever a moment when it you know where it really hit you just how big this to this became oh sure of course absolutely yeah and I guess that's that's different from when you guys were doing the smaller venues into let it loose because let it loose was pretty big right but then from let it loose to get on your feet and into the light that's just like this whole other monster I'm assuming right on the mountain I would say I would say post uh uh post cuts both ways it was the biggest it had gotten yeah into the light we did that tour too and it was uh yeah um oh gosh I'm trying to think yeah into the light was after the at after the accident yeah right so yeah we had uh yeah so uh you know the bus accident was was pretty horrific um you know we were all up at the well I remember we were all up at the Syrac in Syracuse we were we were waiting I think Gloria and Emilio had a dinner in New York City the night before so we had we had all come up like the day be like two days prior we were all waiting and I remember the you know the it was when it was like it was there was snow on the ground.

SPEAKER_07 33:04

I mean I don't remember exactly what time of year it was I know it was probably toward winter sometime you know or like maybe pre-christmas or something like that.

SPEAKER_04 33:13

We were up there and and her bus got uh you know had they had to pull to a stop on on the freeway and then they got rear-ended and glory was the only one in in a in a you know asleep on a bunk she got thrown everyone everyone else in the bus was able to brace because they were awake yeah you know but glory was just thrown so awful awful yeah you guys were playing and gonna play Syracuse and actually from Syracuse I think you were it was in March you were going to Columbus Ohio my dad actually had bought tickets to that concert so oh my god I remember him you know I was only seven seven or eight years old at that time I remember him telling me you know coming home saying hey this the show's canceled because of this and that's probably well that was leading into my next question or well do you have a favorite show or a favorite standout memory from that time I mean you know I will say this whenever we would do like an award show or something I mean it was like a who's who you know it I mean we went over and did the British music awards and it was just and we did it at Royal Abbott Hall and it's just a who's who of pop stars in the place you know and I just I mean it's just so impressive to be there with all these amazing musicians.

SPEAKER_07 34:30

And of course the same thing uh you know uh doing the Grammy awards uh uh and of course I I must say the other thing that we we were very good at we we did the American Music Awards a number of times that show we we actually were the opening act and then we and then there was a couple of times the first time we did it we were the opening act uh and it was you know it was it was a it was quite a performance and then and then we came back the next year and and did something again I forget what it was but but it was always just I mean it's in LA it's just I mean so many amazing uh you know you you I mean I just can't start start you know there's so many incredible artists that were part of that uh era yeah yeah yeah you know as as I mentioned previously uh when when fans think of Miami Sound Machine you know certain names stand out right so right we got George Casas Clay Oswald Skaggs uh Teddy of course you um what was it like performing with that group of musicians? Oh they those guys are you know they're my brothers they've always been my brothers that always be my brothers so you still keep in contact with all of them oh yeah of course of course absolutely we do we talk occasionally you know absolutely in fact uh I was down in Miami just uh I and like like I told you I I went out I went out to dinner with John with Sicada we got we got some food and you know we got some drinks and and uh we just hung out with rand Randy Barlow myself John Sicada and and and then my my buddy Tim Mitchell who is who is currently uh we get the guitar player with Shakira with that that that's it that's a total offshoot of Miami sound machine is Shakira right I mean I remember Shakira as like this you know little Colombian girl who you know what does she do you know yeah but now she's selling out freaking stadiums yeah I saw the show out here I saw the show at SoFi she was uh you know I came you know Tim invited us out as we went out to see the show but she I mean 70 000 people incredible yeah you know two nights 70 you know selling out a show for 70 000 people whoa that's some that's some success right there and it's a long show too it is yeah but um you know earlier you had mentioned that get on your feet kind of became emblematic of Gloria and her life and her career um but as far as your involvement with the song you received an ASCAP award for that song thank you and then it's it's it's it's right uh it's hanging right over there it's that's a major deal like not everybody has that people write songs all the time but to be recognized by your peers is a major thing.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

Yeah thank you and you know that means that the song and you yourself have a legacy but also the title of the song became the title of a Broadway musical so like that's that's true. That's true.

SPEAKER_07 37:29

Yeah you're you're sort of baked into the career of the Estefans and I am what is that legacy of that song and your involvement mean to you well uh it's uh you know it's so interesting how that how that whole process happens because you know when you when you write songs it's a very intimate process you're you're just by yourself you're not you're not thinking about you know you're just thinking about craft you know uh and so you you go from this little tiny seed you know to okay so now let's let's let's demo it and put you know get get it produced properly so that then that happens right and then you know glory and media go yeah we want to we want to put this on the record and like oh okay that's great so another tier right wow that happens okay so I got a I got a I got a song on the record awesome you know what I mean and then you know six eight months later I'm driving on on 95 you know going going past the Miami airport you know toward toward and it freaking comes on the radio I'm like what oh wow it's major it's a single now you know I mean I didn't I you know I didn't know it would be a single I thought okay it's a it's an album cut great you know wonderful i'm i'm i'm i'm lucky to have an album cut you know you didn't know that song was gonna be a single no i had no idea wow it didn't tell you no no none of us did no the the record company like goes okay this is the you know uh I think don't want to lose you was the first single off the record right and then I think and I think I think on your feet was the second one if I'm not mistaken yeah but you feel it while you're writing it that you got a hit do you or do you not?

SPEAKER_04 39:15

I mean listen I I I listen whenever I try to write a song I try to write a hit that's always the goal right yeah so I think all my songs are hits you know right you know if I'm gonna try it I'm gonna go for broke here you know absolutely so I have to ask you know John at what point in time did you decide to leave the Miami sound machine and what led you to that decision?

SPEAKER_07 39:42

Um okay so what I wanted to do so yeah so after after um what eight years or something I you know I really wanted to get into um I was starting a family and I really wanted to get into um writing for television and film it that was that was my that was my desire and and and my wife and I Shelly and I had moved you know actually uh after Gloria's accident we had almost a year off okay so I went we I went back to Miami and my my my now wife who was my girlfriend at the time we decided hey let's let's let's go to LA and and just you know I had a lot of connections out there and you know I wasn't sure what was gonna happen. I mean was was Gloria gonna be okay that that was a question that was actually that was actually an actual question back then. I was I just wanted to you know kind of pursue my career I was still a very young person and I wanted to pursue my career um and uh so shell and I moved to Los Angeles and it it was amazing and I I got involved with the community out here um I did start doing session work out here I started I started doing some writing um and that led me to other things so finally when when Gloria uh decided to go back on the road I was like sure yeah let's do it but I was also being pulled in this other direction as well um so I did that tour and I think after that I decided to focus full time on my on on on my future I guess I mean for a guitar player being on the road it's wonderful it's amazing but I knew that there was kind of like a I knew I had to transition I'm a big believer that all musicians over periods of time have to kind of reinvent themselves and I think reinvention happens I think every I think actually every human being has to reinvent themselves occasionally there there comes a there comes a point in your life where you go okay what's next you know you know you gotta turn that chapter turn that page um so that was my that was my in uh you know desire was to was to move in that direction you worked with a lot of great you know great people beyond Gloria and Emilio you've collaborated with Phil Ramon George Duke David Foster yeah yeah I was in foster studio a couple of times yeah Kenny loggins oh yeah well I worked with I worked with Kenny for like seven years yeah you know incredible had a great opportunity for me I I you know yeah and also recorded for those like movie scores and television shows yeah I started doing a bunch of a bunch of that and you know uh at the time in the you know this was at back this was back in the mid-90s at the time uh that was kind of a hot industry uh and it still is um I you know it's it's it's an I mean we could go off on on how the industry has changed since I was in Sound Machine you know I was with Gloria not too long ago uh the uh a number of years ago now actually I I went I went out she was here in in LA and I I went out to see them rehearse and stuff like that I hung out with them all day and Gloria said to me do you mean you know she said man the you know the night remember when CDs remember C Ds there was there was so much that was such a great era you know and and and she and she also said you know man I mean you know there was there was a lot there was a there was just more money in the ear in that in that oh yeah in that in that world than there is today now I I actually think that's good and bad you know because uh there was you know you've heard of course the nerd the name corporate rock the term corporate rock right yeah it's because it's because all these bands were making so much cash that that all these companies wanted to get involved too and uh you know Pepsi we we did a Pepsi commercial okay as as as as as Michael Jackson did and Pepsi wanted to appeal to different demographics and you know certainly glory was a perfect demographic for them To appeal to, you know, the Latin, you know, American demographic.

SPEAKER_04 44:03

You did a couple Pepsi commercials. I still have I still have the tour books with the Pepsi stuff in it. Yeah. When you guys did like the photo shoot where she you're dressed up in, I don't know, like in school clothes or something like that. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:17

Right.

SPEAKER_07 44:19

We were like, we were like uh uh elementary school teachers.

SPEAKER_04 44:22

Yes, yes. For something something crazy like that. Yep, yep. So you John, you clearly have not slowed down. What was life after Miami Sound Machine?

SPEAKER_07 44:33

Uh well, you know, it like I said, it was it was um getting into the getting into more of a background uh situation with me, uh getting into uh working with production companies, working with uh out here. I worked with Oprah's company for many years. I worked uh I did stuff for you know uh CNN. I did uh I did a bunch of documentaries. Um and I loved it. I loved I loved doing that that kind of uh of composition and recording and stuff. Like I really, I really dug it. And also the other good thing is it kept me home while I was raising my three boys. Yeah you know, I I I wasn't I didn't have to get out on the road. Um so I I liked that aspect of it too. I could lead like kind of a very uh more of a traditional family life.

SPEAKER_04 45:20

And Gloria's always said that that was always tough for her being away from you know the firm left. Yep.

SPEAKER_07 45:25

Sure, she she was devoted to her kids. Yep, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 45:29

I have I have a fun story uh being at at with my parents at their home, and they were watching a movie on the TV, and at the end with the credits, I saw your name, and I was like, Young Nefalia. We're like, What?

SPEAKER_06 45:46

Thank you. That's great, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:48

That was very funny. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, yeah. I don't remember the title, but it was a move, a love movie, I think. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 45:58

So at this stage, John, is there anything left you still hope to accomplish?

SPEAKER_07 46:02

Oh, you know, I'm I'm I'm I I am I am slowing down, I must admit. But I but I'm still I'm still a kid and a candy star with as far as music is concerned. I'm surrounded by instruments, and I'm you know, I'm practicing more than ever. I'm I'm I'm I'm practicing a lot of guitar and I'm trying to mentor more, actually. I'm I'm I'm working with a great organization out here called Society of Composer and Lyricists, and we're doing a lot of mentorship, a lot of seminars, a lot of uh live events in Los Angeles. Um, I'm the song arts committee chairman, and uh so you know I'm I'm I've taken that role on, and it's just fun. I just love commiserating with uh with younger uh folks who are coming up and and trying to do it as well. You know, I'm a big believer in giving back um to the community, to the music community, basically.

SPEAKER_05 46:57

Well, John, I think I think that you should give back, keep practicing and give back by making an appearance at some venue, some show with Gloria, even if it's just for get on your feet. We need one at least one.

SPEAKER_07 47:12

You know what? Well, you yeah, you're right, actually. Wouldn't it be fun? I would listen.

SPEAKER_05 47:19

I'm gonna tell you right now, if you get on stage and even if it's just for get on your feet, I will lose my shit. I'm just letting you know now.

SPEAKER_07 47:28

I will I will mention that when I talk to Sicada and when I talk to Clay again. I will mention that. I would say I would say this is this is that what do you think, guys? What do you think?

SPEAKER_05 47:37

Maybe this will spark you know something.

SPEAKER_07 47:40

It'd be crazy to have like a reunion, uh, like a couple of gigs where we do a reunion thing, you know.

SPEAKER_02 47:45

People would go insane. People would go insane.

SPEAKER_07 47:48

That original band, you know, literally, hands down. I mean we lost unfortunately, we lost George, who was who was the you know, George was our anchor. He was uh uh he was you know, he was always uh the most um diplomatic musician I've ever met. George Cassis, even in the company, when he was when he was our our the reason the company was so successful was because of George Cassis. Because George Cassis also knew how to get great gigs. And um he taught me, I mean, he taught me, he was he taught me so much. I I'll always remember uh all the amazing things he taught me.

SPEAKER_05 48:29

Um it's beautiful the relationship that you guys, yeah. It was clear that you guys had a great relationship because it showed. It showed and we could hear it as well, you know. Um so I we do have to ask because we are gonna wrap up. Um, but for the fans that want to stay uh connected, where could they follow you or keep up with what you're doing?

SPEAKER_07 48:53

Oh, you know, I'm on social. I'm on uh you know, I've got a I've got a website, johndefarrio.com, uh, and I'm on you know, I'm on social. Uh uh, I've got lots of videos on my on my on my gram. My yeah, my son is an internet, uh, he's like a uh uh social media marketer in Brooklyn, by the way, Wes. Uh uh he's he's always on me. Dad, you know, you gotta post this, you gotta post that. You know, he's like he's always telling me what I have to do as far as like that's awesome, getting getting getting stuff out there. And I and I do believe in it, you know. I think so. Yeah, I'm on, I'm on, you know, you can you can hear my music on uh on Spotify. You can, you know, yeah, social media me, uh uh website me. I'm out there and I'll respond.

SPEAKER_05 49:36

I'm just well we've we've reached the part of the show where we invite our guests to let it loose. Is there anything you'd like to share with our listeners who are also huge fans of yours?

SPEAKER_07 49:50

Is there anything I'd like to share? Uh uh I'm I'm happy to take questions, uh, you know, uh, you know, here or or you know, uh if you want to social media me, like I said, uh you have any questions, please get in touch with me. You know, I would love to uh to hear about your experiences and uh and you know see what you're up to and if if I can like I said I'm I'm kind of I'm kind of you know in that mentorship mode now.

SPEAKER_05 50:17

So uh John, you have no idea how happy uh all of us are, how happy everyone will be when this episode drops, because you really are, you know, um uh you're someone that was part of our life growing up. Um so to be able to sit here with you today and for you to be so gracious with your time and to uh share all these amazing stories. Um, this I I could go ahead and check this off. This is um this is something that uh it's a definitely a bucket list item. So thank you. Thank you so much for for spending the time with us today. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 50:59

It's an honor and a pleasure.

unknown 51:00

Really?

SPEAKER_05 51:01

Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 51:02

We appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 51:05

Thank you once again to our guest John DeFaria this week. What a dream come true! What a bucket list item for all of us. We're gonna be celebrating all things John DeFaria this week on the podcast, all of our social media. So share with us your favorite performances, your favorite music videos, anything related to John, because we're all John all the time this week on the podcast. Follow us on uh Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, give us five stars, leave us a review, press all the buttons on your phone, tell a friend, tell an enemy, all about Let It Loose, and we will see you next time. Bye everybody.

SPEAKER_05 51:43

See you next time. Thanks for listening. Now we just need John here doing the ding it dun dun dun dun ding dun d'Ar.

SPEAKER_01 51:52

Thank you for listening to Let It Loose, a Gloria as the fan podcast. Let It Loose is produced by Carlos, Rob, and Wes with graphic design by Lara. Thank you to Gloria for bringing us all together. Subscribe, rate, and share the love, and join us next week for a brand new episode.