Papa's got a brand new bag
Popular local singer finds his Sweet spot and gets to be himself, again
By Michel Cicero 03/12/2009
Like most musicians, Joe Retta’s done his share of weird gigs to pay the bills. The vocalist best known for his crack tribute to Robert Plant in Led Zepplica, recently joined the Sweet, but back in the late ’80s the opportunities were not as delicious. Case in point: Cop Rock, the ill-conceived Steven Bochco musical police drama. In one episode a handsome, short-haired Retta in suit and tie sang “Don’t Mess With My Pursuit of Happiness” about being a white-collar coke fiend.
These days find Retta far too busy for such meanderings. A full-time working singer in two very successful tribute bands, session and commercial vocalist, and now the lead singer in the Sweet, Retta hardly has time to come up for air. He recently returned home from India, where he was performing with Led Zepplica, which has fans worldwide. Led Zeppelin’s body of work has been getting fresh interest from a generation that wasn’t even born when they were playing live, and the possibility of actually seeing the group perform now is next to nil, and even then it would be sans John Bonham. So Led Zepplica is happy to fill the gap. “People love Zeppelin. So many young kids come to our shows,” says Retta, who has studied and mastered not only Plant’s vocal style but his mannerisms as well. Plant even sang his praises, saying he was the “best guy he’d ever heard do his stuff,” according to Retta.
Retta also sings for the Queen tribute Queen Nation, and if switching back and forth from Freddie Mercury to Robert Plant to Sweet songs seems dizzying, it can be. Retta actually has bags dedicated to his various stage personas. “I have my Freddy bag, my Robert bag, and now I have my own bag,” his own bag being the one he uses for Sweet gigs. Retta isn’t impersonating anyone in the Sweet, he’s just performing their many hit songs. “It was kind of trippy to finally be myself up there,” he muses. "It was such a release.”
Retta’s success is a testament to both his enormous vocal range and his commitment to quality. The 40-something single father is in fantastic shape and brings a lot of flair and energy to the stage. He’s also blessed with a low-maintenance set of pipes. “I’m really lucky,” he says. “I don’t have to baby my voice at all. I don’t do any warm-ups. Even if I have a cold I can usually sing right through it.” Indeed, Retta’s voice gets put to the test often five days a week, and he’s never had a lesson. “My teachers were what I heard on the radio and being in bands and wondering how I could get that sound.”
“If you want to become a painter, look at something and see how you can reproduce it,” he says. Learning vocalization via mimicry has given Retta the ability to sing practically anything, which has in turn landed him in some propitious situations, like performing Journey songs with Greg Rawley and singing with an impressive array of rock ’n’ roll luminaries.
Retta once had the rare opportunity to perform as Ronnie James Dio for the man himself at Dio’s record release party. Things turned a bit silly and next thing Retta knew, Dio had his hands around his throat — all in jest, of course. “So there I am and I’m kind of making fun of him,” recalls Retta, “and somewhere there’s a photo of him choking me.”
It’s been a long, strange trip for Retta, and the adventure is far from over. Joining up with the two remaining original members of the Sweet and two fresh additions to the band is proving to be satisfying, fun and lucrative. The band, which never actually toured the U.S. during its radio heyday, has been well-received and is preparing to release a live record with Retta on vocals in addition to a greatest hits double record that’s in the works. Members are also writing new material, a rarity these days with nostalgia acts.
Retta is grateful to have been welcomed into the band and noted that bandleader Steve Priest has been very generous, extending him privileges that erase the notion he’s just a hired gun. “The Sweet thing could launch something really cool.”
The Sweet will perform on Friday, March 13, at the Canyon, 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills. 583-8700, www.canyonclub.net.
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