Michael D. Amitin
(Vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, mandolin)
Born December 27, 1952 in Silver Lake, California.

It was his sixth grade graduation play, the theme was early California history. Young Michael Amitin had a historic role in the play slated, but before the lights went up, the fates had other plans. A strong seasonal flu had kept the lad from rehearsals. At the last minute when Michael rallied to join his class-

Michael D. Amitin Founder, CEO, Chairman Co-Chairman, President & General Instigator No Tones Unturned Music

mates, his teacher draped a seraphe over his shoulder, thrust a spanish guitar in his hands, and shoved him up on stage to play the role of a prop. Throughout the tediously boring play, the lithe, scrawny boy kept looking curiously at the odd, strangely beautiful creature cradled between his pre-pubescent arms. It was that night when his parents, exuberant with pride and gratification, asked Michael what he would like as a graduation present. "A guitar?" they pondered somewhere between delight and horror.

Michael loved the St. George electric his neighbor sold him, but it was a far cry from the spanish beauty he'd cradled. Before learning that the guitar needed an amp to become whole, Michael's quick, natural ear deftly starting picking up chord patterns from newly released gems by the Kinks, the Byrds and the Yardbirds. But it was when his brother Alan brought home the fresh, unbridled sounds of sixties San Francisco that the golden road of Michael's fate was paved… fair or ill.

After wooing chippies with his junior high school and high school bands, Michael along with brother Alan formed the group "Translove Airways." In dire need of a bassist, Michael cut off the two high strings of his guitar and set sail on the low end, eventually buying an Echo violin Bass. The Translove Airways adventure spun through alchohol-drenched fraternity parties at UCLA and the opening of the Century City mall.

After graduating from Verdugo Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley 1970, Amitin enrolled at San Diego State University where he studied music theory, vocal arrangement, and piano. General irreverence having afflicted him early in the game, Michael's tenure between four walls was marked. He soon ran into the likes of other like-minded mal-contents Lynn Special and Gene Rochambeau, and as the trio "Rudy Kazootie" they lit the pizza circuit on fire. The trio eventually added keyboardist Guy Harris and drummer Marty Eldridge while morphing into "The Late Ted Shade", an adventurous outfit that toured California and landed a recording date with Janis Joplin/Doors producer Paul Rothschild. This union yielded an bristling innovative EP, as well as a lifelong friendship and partnership with Eldridge that would later grow legs in the making of the heralded CD entitled "Seaspiders."

The mile-high road beckoning, Amitin was called to Colorado to join Jemima Puddle-Duck, a country-rock group comprised of five itinerant musicians hailing from such disparate burgs as Hayes, Kansas; Brooklyn, New York; Northridge and Sunland-Tujunga, California."The Duck" joined forces on a shepherd’s ranch near Oak Creek, Colorado, concocting a rich brew of four-part harmony simmering atop country, pop and R&B based melodies and grooves. Growing too big for Colorado's small ponds, the Duck, hit the road. It landed its first recording date in Los Angeles with Producer Ron Hitchcock. The sessions yielded what was to be released as the seminal Jemima Puddle-Duck record "Love At First Fire."

The road was wild as it was 70's. It was in Troy, Michigan where the band was waltzed into the studio by Detroit producer Don Davis who boasted a string of #1 hits from projects with Billy Davis & Marilyn McCoo, Johnny Taylor, and others. Jemima Puddle-Duck changed its name to First Fire as Davis signed the band to a record deal with RCA. First Fire recorded its debut LP at Manta Sound in Toronto with Producer's Matt MacCauley (Dan Hill- Sometimes When We Touch) and Fred Mollin at the helm. The album's single " Pine in The Wind" achieved Billboard Regional Breakout status in the southwest, where First Fire toured extensively in its support.

After four glorious years bathing in the footlights of dimly-lit bowling alleys and beautiful, intimate concert halls, First Fire disbanded and Amitin returned to California continuing a fruitful songwriting partnership with fellow Fire-man Andrew Dimino. In the early '80s with his focus set on songwriting, Amitin scored big landing his tune "Morning Sun Looks Blue" with the legendary David Ruffin (of Temptation's fame) The song was recorded and released as a single for Ruffin's first solo album on Warner Brothers Records. In the wake of that release, Amitin had his songs recorded by Natalie Cole, and Country star Johnny Rodriguez.

Returning to the stage, Amitin joined the rocking post-punk band "Three Party System." 3PS shared the stage with other such obscure LA outfits at the time as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Minutemen and The Motels.

In the '90s, Amitin joined "Voice of the Forest". Based on the lilting sounds of West Africa this group performed at benefits for the Rainforest Activist Network and other organizations dedicated to worldwide rainforest preservation, as well as performing for a host of other social causes. Amitin teamed up with "Forest" drummer Jack "Skippy" Wride and the group "Radio I Ching" was born. Ripe to explore the outer realms of improvisational music, "I Ching" gigged live from San Francisco to San Diego, before releasing Amitin's single "Long, Long Way to the GraveYard" on Relix Records. "I Ching's music was described by one oratory prophet as "George Shearing on Acid." During this time, Amitin fell in love with the mandolin and laud which lead to the development of his Clarence White -meets- Django style.

The aforementioned Seaspiders became Amitin's first foray into producing. Featuring drummer Walfredo Reyes (Santana), Joe Craven (Jerry Garcia, David Grisman), and guitarist Marty Walsh (John Fogerty and Supertramp), the CD serves up a rich tapestry of influences echoing such disparate springs as Appalachia, Brazil, and straight-ahead roots rock.

Michael Amitin is currently working on his first solo acoustic album slated for a 2009 release. Amitin's soulful tune "Poet of the Mississippi Train" has recently been released as part of NBT Records "Ride The Train" series, a compilation of various artists. This CD showcasing the best of new American train songs has worldwide distribution.