Solo Pixie
"Clearly, A Pixie's Love For Two is a deeply personal album for El Wheeler. The album's release was completely unexpected, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. The liner notes tell the story for the most part. The album is a set of love songs to her father and to Mike Wheeler. The albums leads off with her version of Jim Croce's I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song. When you know El Wheeler's past, and the personal pain her and her father went through together, this song is heartbreaking to listen to.
Next in line we have El's version of Lobo's I'd Love You to Want Me. The sincerity in her voice, and not just for this song, but everything she puts her vocals to, comes across easily.
That brings me to the next song, her version of Roberta Flack's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. She keeps the bass line making song even more minimal than it already is. I'm only speculating, but I swore I could hear a tear running down her face. That's how clear her voice is on the quiet parts of this track. Lucas Sinclair is the engineer/mixer on the album. That guy knows what he is doing.
If you liked Linda Ronstadt's Long Long Time, then you are in for a treat when you hear El Wheeler's version. The only instruments used are a cello, El's bass, and her voice. Let's face it, her voice needs to be treated like a precisely played instrument in the studio. The liner notes tell us that she recorded that at a time when she thought she'd lost Mike. "So yes, the crying you hear on the track is genuine. I will never fake crying on a track." It doesn't sound fake, her very being is crying in pain and looking for solace.
El finally commits Without You and Unchained Melody to vinyl with the last two songs on the album. Aimed at Mike Wheeler of course.
It's not often that someone as young as El Wheeler has the capability to bare her soul and let you know that she means it. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't want to have the attention and love of that young woman.
Forewarning, if you are an 11 fan, this is not their music. It's not a pop album, it's not a rock album.
This is El Wheeler saying 'I love you' to two special people her in life. And they will know it when they hear her sing.
- Rock Music Magazine
El sat on the sofa beside Mike. She pressed a button on her tape player. Donna Summer's I Feel Love started to play, the very beginning was cut off from the DJ talking and Mike cringed, that was why he hated AM radio.
"They are playing this in the dance clubs," El said.
"Yeah, disco is going to be big. I don't think it will have any staying power though." Mike said.
"Ok, listen to this," El fast-forwarded the tape, then hit play.
There was a few seconds of silence and then the funky bass line for Wild Cherry's Play That Funky Music kicked in.
"That's not really disco," Mike said.
"No, and it sounds like it would be a lot of fun to play. Mike. You know our fans are going to want us to put out a disco album. There are still groups that aren't going to do it. But a lot of groups are going to do it to remain in the charts or at least in the music news. I can see even KISS putting out a disco album. I can't imagine what that would sound like but, years from now I don't want anybody referring to our next album as '11's disco album'."
"We already took over a full year off. Even though the live album did really well, fans like a new album every year."
El looked down. "I did this without you or the band. Lucas helped me out."
She reached over and pulled out an album from under some magazines. She must have hidden it there earlier in the day.
Mike picked up the album, "That's a beautiful photo of you, Pixie. Oh…" He read the title of the album.
"A Pixie's Love For Two. Um, me and you?" He said raising his eyebrows.
"No, My dad and you."
Mike flipped the album over to look at the track listing. El smiled as he nodded. "Good choice of songs. Mind if I put this on?"
"I'm not shy," she smiled at him, "go ahead."
"This first song is for your dad. Um, Pixie, he's gonna cry when he hears that." Mike turned to her sitting on the sofa, tears already escaping their prison.
"I know, Lucas and I did that in one take. He wanted another but I couldn't do it."
"That one is perfect El. You're dad will know you mean it."
El nodded, Mike came over and gathered her in his arms.
"He loves you El and he knows you love him too. It's very special for you to put it out there for everyone else to know how you feel. I'm not sure I could do that."
"I was cold, scared and lonely when I approached him that day in the forest. I thought for sure he would take me right back to the lab. Instead he gave me a hug and said 'I'm sorry'. I didn't know what he meant. He brought me here and we cleaned it up together, he put on that Jim Croce album. He kept me safe and warm. We has some terrible arguments. The worst thing I ever said to him was that he was just as bad as Brenner. I'll never forgive myself for that. That song is my attempt at an apology... I…"
Mike couldn't understand what she was saying now, she was crying so hard. He just hugged her and rocked her slightly. "It's ok El, he knows. He really does."
XXXXX
"Ok, I'm just going to come right out and say it," El said facing the rest of the band studio.
"I don't want to do a disco album, but I wouldn't tell you guys not to." Max and Dustin had a look of disgust on their faces.
"For argument's sake," Dustin said, "What if disco isn't a fad, what if it's the new thing in music that just goes on and on."
"Music changes," Mike shrugged. "I'd give it a few years maybe, but something else will come along. Something called punk rock is really big in the UK right now, not my thing either, but I can see it edging out disco. Classic rock will become a niche style of music the same as classic rock and roll did. I mean when was Elvis's last hit, five or six years ago. It's really too bad but people are done with that kind of music. Sha Na Na is a nostalgia band playing fifties music. The more I think about it the more the Terry Jacks song makes sense. And he didn't even write, I think some country and western guy did."
Max piped up, "You don't hear heavy organ in songs at all anymore. Not even Deep Purple has that as their foundation sound anymore."
Dustin sighed. "I think we're in for a bad period of music. Maybe we should just keep off the radar as a band. If we all agree?"
El frowned, "I think I have a career in torch songs, but I really like playing with you guys. And… um, there's this."
She passed an envelope over to Max, who took out a piece of paper and read it. "You're being offered a record contract? I'm guessing it's because your solo album is doing ok."
"That would mean dealing with record companies and all their bullshit again. Nope. Not happening. I want 11 to put out albums, ones we can be proud of. We can continue exploring different types of music, but disco and probably country and western aren't going to those types." El said.
"What about you, Mike?" Dustin said.
"I follow Pixie's lead. For the record I think disco sucks. Not a lot of room for guitar in disco songs. Nothing I want to play anyway."
"El?" Lucas said from the control booth, "Phone call for you."
El looked at Mike a little worried but left the room. Not more than a minute later she was back. She was wiping tears from her eyes but she was smiling.
"Everything ok, Pixie?" Mike said.
"That was my dad. He just called to say he loved me." El put her hands to her face, the heavy tears trickled over them.
Mike hugged her and whispered, "he's not the only one."
XXXXX
"The record company offer wasn't the only one I got in the mail." El told Mike once they were back at the cabin. She handed him a different envelope.
Mike took out the letter and read it. His eyes almost bugged out.
"This is from Playpen magazine. Basically it's saying happy eighteenth birthday and by the way can we take a picture of you nude."
"They want to pay me a lot of money to pose for a centerfold. I think I'm going to do it Mike, knowing that thousands and thousands of people will see me naked, makes me feel good about myself as a person, they even said they would airbrush out the scar."
Mike scrunched up his face. He was silent. She looked serious.
He started to say, "makes you feel good… ?" At that point El burst out laughing. Not just a light chuckle, it was a belly laugh that Mike had not heard before.
"Oh, Mike. You should see your face, it's priceless." El continued to laugh until tears started, and she still laughed.
Mike guessed it was close to five minutes before she stopped, took a few deep breaths and a sigh and then burst out laughing again. This time for over fifteen minutes.
"Are you quite done?" Mike began to laugh to, hearing her laughing and happy was infectious and he couldn't help himself.
When she had finally stopped, she began rubbing her cheeks, "my scar is sore, I haven't pulled it with laughing like that before. You were a very good sport Mike. I'm sorry... at least a little." He grin was ear to ear.
"I was torn between a flat out no, and wanting to support whatever you wanted to do. It was a struggle El, it really was. I don't want to say no to you."
"Don't worry Mike. You are the keeper of all my secrets."
"They are all safe with me, El. I promise."