Month: October 2020

When John Hall, Wells Kelly and Larry Hoppen first played publicly in February 1972, it marked the start of what would become known as Orleans. It would be 9 months later, in October, that I (Lance Hoppen) would be invited to join their work-in-progress. By the spring of 1973, we had landed a recording contract with ABC/Dunhill and, come June, we were in Muscle Shoals Sound Studio making our first album.

It was maybe 2004(?). John Hall was living in Nashville part-time, as was I (Lance Hoppen) full-time since 1989. John had a big head start on a certain song he had hoped to interest Michael McDonald in finishing with him. Alas, that was not to be, so he did the next best thing — he got someone who kinda looks like Michael … ME! 🙂 John and I then finished Mission of Mercy, each putting our own big stamps on it.

By September of 1984, after several years of diminishing returns for our endless best efforts, Larry and I (Lance), the only 2 remaining members of the original 4, had had enough. Clearly, we were no longer “still havin’ fun”. And so, we decided to pack it in. John Hall had left the band in the fall of 1977 and, for the 7 years following, there was little interaction between him and us. That all changed quite suddenly.