Mistress was an all American three-piece melodic rock band from Champaign, Illinois, formed in 1987 by brothers Keith (guitar/vocals) and Ron (drums/vocals) Phelps.
With a strong musical heritage, Keith and Ron and lifelong friend, Jim Kates (bassist), put together what would be the core incarnation of Mistress.
It was 1987, and with a handful of songs written and perfected, the guys recorded an all original 5-song cassette demo tape and the ball was rolling!!! In June of ’87, Mistress played their first gig at the home of Kay Vermillion, who early on, was a big supporter and financier.
The band quickly cultivated a strong local following in Champaign/Urbana, Illinois. They played as often as possible, sometimes as many as seven nights a week.
In 1989 bassist, Jim Kates moved to Los Angeles to pursue other musical endeavors and auditions were held to replace him. Todd Briscoe, answering a local musicians’ want ad, was hired on the spot as the new Mistress bass player.
After enlisting Briscoe, the Phelps brothers focused on creating an all-original, independent release album. In early Summer 1990, Mistress recorded a self-titled, 9-song debut album at Pogo Studios, Champaign, Illinois. Upon release, "Mystery Girl" and "Matter of Time" received local radio airplay on WLRW. The album release propelled the band into a national market resulting in the need for management and representation.
In 1991, Mistress signed with the Mark Alan Agency, a national talent agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mistress would last another decade playing three to five nights a week.
Fifteen years as a band was a great accomplishment, but things rarely stay the same and everyone moved on.
FnA Records is proud to re-release the 9 track 1990 album with a bonus track entitled “Circles”. The self-titled album has been remastered and the artwork has been expanded upon to a great degree.
Mistress, the album, is being released on silver-pressed CD, also as an autographed fan pack (signed by the brothers), and finally as a digital download. If the demand calls for it, there may be a vinyl release. There are also some leftover laminates and original CD artwork for sale. And as always, FnA Records will offer a Mistress T-shirt for those fans proud enough to display their love for this extraordinary band!
Tracklist:
- Rockin’
- Mystery Girl
- Love Is On The Line
- She’s Not U
- Don’t Be Shy
- Insatiable
- Drivin’
- Matter Of Time
- Lonely Town
- Circles (Bonus Track)
