# Mike Deasy

Michael William Deasy (born February 4, 1941) is an American rock and jazz guitarist. As a session musician, he played on numerous hit singles and albums recorded in Los Angeles in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He is sometimes credited as Mike Deasy Sr.

## Biography

He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he learned to play guitar as a child. While still in high school, he played in bands backing visiting musicians such as Ricky Nelson and The Everly Brothers, and also played in Ritchie Valens' touring band with Bruce Johnston, Larry Knechtel, Sandy Nelson, and Jim Horn. After graduating in 1959, he joined Eddie Cochran's band, the Kelly Four, where he played both guitar and baritone sax and made his first recordings. He also played with The Coasters and Duane Eddy.
Following Cochran's death in 1960, he became an active session musician in Los Angeles after winning a Down Beat magazine collegiate jazz music scholarship in 1961. Deasy married Jim Horn's sister Kathie in 1961, and the couple later set up their own recording studio and production company, Saltmine Recording. He worked as a member of "The Wrecking Crew", with Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel and others, on sessions for Phil Spector, and contributed guitar parts to The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds. In the 1960s and later years he also worked on records by the Monkees, the Association, Scott McKenzie, Johnny Rivers, the Fifth Dimension, Rick Nelson, Randy Newman, Spanky & Our Gang, Tommy Roe, Fats Domino, The Byrds, Michael Jackson, Helen Reddy, Frank Zappa, and others.
In 1967, he contributed to albums coordinated by record producer Curt Boettcher, including Friar Tuck and His Psychedelic Guitar, effectively a Deasy solo album with wordless vocals by Boettcher. Under the pseudonym Lybuk Hyd, Deasy also played guitar and sitar on the psychedelic concept album Tanyet, credited to The Ceyleib People, which also featured Ry Cooder.
Deasy played guitar (with Tommy Tedesco and Al Casey) on Elvis Presley's 1968 TV special, Elvis. He also performed live with musicians including Cannonball Adderley and Little Richard. In 1969, he was invited by record producer Terry Melcher to work with a newly discovered singer-songwriter, Charles Manson. Deasy left Manson's home after three days, "in a state of drug-fueled paranoia".
Deasy continued to record with leading musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Chet Baker, and Mel Tormé. His guitar playing has appeared on the soundtrack of many films including The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Duel, Bullitt, and Dirty Harry, as well as on many commercials.
From the early 1970s onwards after becoming a born again Christian at the 1969 Billy Graham crusade in Anaheim, California, Deasy became increasingly involved with Contemporary Christian music, producing and writing songs for several successful albums, often in conjunction with his wife. In later years, he has had a parallel career as a motivational speaker, and since 1988 has run a "Yes To Life" educational and inspirational program in schools and colleges in the US, Canada and Europe. The Deasys also co-pastored Rock Church Southeast in Port Arthur, Texas, until it eventually shut its doors when Hurricane Harvey flooded the building.

## Discography

* Your Gang (Mercury, 1966)
* Tanyet (Vault, 1967)
* Friar Tuck and His Psychedelic Guitar (Mercury, 1967)
* Gator Creek (Mercury, 1970)
* Letters to My Head (Capitol, 1973)
* Wings of an Eagle (Sparrow, 1976)
* Wings of Praise (Saltmine, 1987)
* God Hates Queer (Saltmine, 1988)
* Holy Smoke (Saltmine, 1991)
* Tru Love (Saltmine, 1994)
* Guitar Gold (Saltmine, 1995)
* Signs and Wonders (Saltmine, 1999)
* Paper Airplane (Saltmine, 2000)
* Path of Peace Vol. 1 (Saltmine, 2003)
* Path of Peace Vol. 2 (Saltmine, 2003)
* Endtimes Weather Band (Saltmine, 2011)
* Driftin' (Saltmine, 2013)
* The Road Home Vol. 1 (Saltmine)
* The Road Home Vol. 2 (Saltmine)

## Partial credits as a sideman

| Year | Artist | Album Title |
| 1960 | Eddie Cochran | "12 Of His Biggest Hits" |
| 1962 | Aki Aleong and His Licorice Twisters | "Twistin' The Hits" |
| 1964 | The Road Runners | "The New Mustang and Other Hot Rod Hits" |
| 1965 | Gary Lewis & The Playboys | "This Diamond Ring" |
| 1965 | Dennis Budimir | "The Creeper" |
| 1965 | Irene Kral | "Wonderful Life" |
| 1966 | Petula Clark | "My Love" |
| 1966 | Pete Candoli | "Moscow Mule and Many More Kicks" |
| 1966 | Tommy Roe | "Sweet Pea" |
| 1966 | The Deep Six | "The Deep Six" |
| 1966 | Nancy Sinatra | "Boots" |
| 1966 | The Monkees | "The Monkees" |
| 1966 | Bobby Darin | "If I Were a Carpenter" |
| 1966 | The Beach Boys | "Pet Sounds" |
| 1966 | Ben Benay | "The Big Blues Harmonica of Ben Benay" |
| 1966 | Your Gang | "If You Want To Buy 'Em" |
| 1966 | Jerry Goldsmith | "Stagecoach O.S.T." |
| 1966 | The Association | "And Then... Along Comes the Association" |
| 1966 | Lalo Schifrin | "Murderer's Row" |
| 1967 | Dean Martin | "Happiness Is Dean Martin" |
| 1967 | Paul Revere & the Raiders | "Revolution!" |
| 1967 | Nilsson | "Pandemonium Shadow Show" |
| 1967 | Scott McKenzie | "The Voice of Scott McKenzie" |
| 1967 | Elvis Presley | "Double Trouble" |
| 1967 | The Ventures | "Super Psychedelics" |
| 1967 | Bobbie Gentry | "Ode to Billie Joe" |
| 1967 | The First Edition | "The First Edition" |
| 1967 | The Parade | "The Parade" |
| 1967 | The 5th Dimension | "The Magic Garden" |
| 1967 | The Association | "Insight Out" |
| 1967 | Gary Lewis & The Playboys | "Listen!" |
| 1967 | Jan and Dean | "Carnival of Sound" |
| 1967 | Tommy Roe | "Phantasy" |
| 1967 | The Yellow Balloon | "The Yellow Balloon" |
| 1967 | The Monkees | "More of the Monkees" |
| 1967 | The Robbs | "The Robbs" |
| 1967 | Harpers Bizarre | "Feelin' Groovy" |
| 1967 | Gale Garnett | "Sings About Flying & Rainbows & Love & Other Groovy Things" |
| 1967 | The Cake | "The Cake" |
| 1967 | Sagittarius | "Present Tense" |
| 1967 | The Ceyleib People | "Tanyet" |
| 1967 | The Beach Boys | "Smiley Smile" |
| 1967 | Johnny Rivers | "Rewind" |
| 1967 | Lesley Gore | "Magic Colors" |
| 1967 | Bobby Darin | "Inside Out" |
| 1967 | Tommy Roe | "It's Now Winter's Day" |
| 1967 | Harpers Bizarre | "Anything Goes" |
| 1967 | Rick Nelson | "Another Side Of Rick" |
| 1967 | Dean Martin | "Welcome to My World" |
| 1968 | Honey Ltd. | "Honey Ltd." |
| 1968 | Frank De Vol | "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner O.S.T." |
| 1968 | Spanky & Our Gang | "Like to Get to Know You" |
| 1968 | The Lettermen | "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" |
| 1968 | The Sugar Shoppe | "The Sugar Shoppe" |
| 1968 | Richard Harris | "A Tramp Shining" |
| 1968 | Randy Newman | "Randy Newman" |
| 1968 | Elvis Presley | "Elvis" |
| 1968 | The Millennium | "Begin" |
| 1968 | Lalo Schifrin | "Bullitt" |
| 1968 | The Monkees | "The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees" |
| 1968 | Carmen McRae | "The Sound of Silence" |
| 1968 | The Gosdin Brothers | "Sounds of Goodbye" |
| 1968 | Fats Domino | "Fats Is Back" |
| 1968 | Tiny Tim | "God Bless Tiny Tim" |
| 1968 | The Gentle Soul | "The Gentle Soul" |
| 1968 | Rick Nelson | "Perspective" |
| 1968 | Richard Harris | "The Yard Went On Forever" |
| 1968 | The Association | "Birthday" |
| 1968 | Mason Williams | "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record" |
| 1968 | Mel Tormé | "A Day in the Life of Bonnie and Clyde" |
| 1968 | The Grass Roots | "Golden Grass" |
| 1968 | The Beau Brummels | "Bradley's Barn" |
| 1968 | Peggy Lipton | "Peggy Lipton" |
| 1968 | The 5th Dimension | "Stoned Soul Picnic" |
| 1969 | The Monkees | "The Monkees Present" |
| 1969 | Jimmie Rodgers | "Windmills of Your Mind" |
| 1969 | Larry Norman | "Upon This Rock" |
| 1969 | Elvis Presley | "Elvis Sings Flaming Star" |
| 1969 | Laura Nyro | "New York Tendaberry" |
| 1969 | Mark Spoelstra | "Mark Spoelstra" |
| 1969 | Michele O'Malley | "Saturn Rings" |
| 1969 | Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart | "It's All Happening On The Inside" |
| 1969 | Tommy Roe | "Dizzy" |
| 1969 | Jackie Gleason | "The Now Sound ... For Today's Lovers" |
| 1969 | John Simon | "Last Summer" O.S.T. |
| 1969 | Townes Van Zandt | "Our Mother the Mountain" |
| 1969 | Thelma Houston | "Sunshower" |
| 1969 | The Grass Roots | "Lovin' Things" |
| 1969 | The Mystic Moods Orchestra | "Extensions" |
| 1969 | Cass Elliot | "Bubblegum, Lemonade, and... Something for Mama" |
| 1969 | Stan Kenton | "Hair" |
| 1969 | The 5th Dimension | "The Age of Aquarius" |
| 1969 | The Monkees | "Instant Replay" |
| 1969 | Peggy Lee | "A Natural Woman" |
| 1970 | Jackie DeShannon | "To Be Free" |
| 1970 | The 5th Dimension | "The July 5th Album" |
| 1970 | Paul Williams | "Someday Man" |
| 1970 | Bobby Scott | "Robert William Scott - In Memory of the Race" |
| 1970 | Elvis Presley | "Let's Be Friends" |
| 1970 | The Jackson 5 | "ABC" |
| 1970 | Claudine Longet | "Run Wild, Run Free" |
| 1970 | Tommy Roe | "We Can Make Music" |
| 1970 | Chet Baker | "Blood, Chet and Tears" |
| 1970 | The 5th Dimension | "Portrait" |
| 1971 | Jack Daugherty | "Class Of Nineteen Hundred and Seventy One" |
| 1971 | Howard Roberts | "Antelope Freeway" |
| 1971 | David Axelrod | "Rock Interpretation of Handel's Messiah" |
| 1971 | Cannonball Adderley | "The Black Messiah" |
| 1971 | Elvis Presley | "You'll Never Walk Alone" |
| 1971 | The Flying Burrito Brothers | "The Flying Burrito Bros." |
| 1971 | Kim Carnes | "Rest on Me" |
| 1971 | The Sandpipers | "A Gift of Song" |
| 1971 | Solomon Burke | "Electronic Magnetism" |
| 1971 | Johnny Rivers | "Home Grown" |
| 1970 | Jackie DeShannon | "Songs" |
| 1971 | The 5th Dimension | "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" |
| 1971 | Barbra Streisand | "Barbra Joan Streisand" |
| 1971 | Nilsson | "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" |
| 1972 | David Clayton-Thomas | "David Clayton-Thomas" |
| 1972 | Dean Martin | "Dino" |
| 1972 | John Stewart | "Sunstorm" |
| 1972 | Helen Reddy | "I Am Woman" |
| 1972 | Little Richard | ”Southern Child” released 2005 |
| 1972 | Cannonball Adderley / Nat Adderley | "Soul Zodiac" |
| 1972 | Kenny Rankin | "Like a Seed" |
| 1973 | Incredible Bongo Band | "Bongo Rock" |
| 1973 | Barry McGuire | "Seeds" |
| 1973 | Della Reese | "Let Me In Your Life" |
| 1973 | Andy Williams | "Solitaire" |
| 1973 | Frank Sinatra | "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" |
| 1973 | Helen Reddy | "Long Hard Climb" |
| 1974 | 2nd Chapter of Acts | "With Footnotes" |
| 1974 | Terry Melcher | "Terry Melcher" |
| 1974 | Billy Joel | "Streetlife Serenade" |
| 1974 | Incredible Bongo Band | "Return of the Incredible Bongo Band" |
| 1975 | Barry McGuire | "Lighten Up" |
| 1975 | Jackie DeShannon | "New Arrangement" |
| 1975 | Frankie Valli | "Closeup" |
| 1975 | Kenny Rankin | "Inside" |
| 1976 | Annie Herring | "Through a Child's Eyes" |
| 1976 | Cannonball Adderley | "Music You All" |
| 1976 | Janny Grein | "Covenant Woman" |
| 1977 | Keith Green | "For Him Who Has Ears to Hear" |
| 1978 | Candle | "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" |
| 1979 | Barry McGuire | "Cosmic Cowboy" |
| 1979 | Scott Wesley Brown | "One Step Closer" |
| 1983 | Phil Driscoll | "I Exalt Thee" |
| 1983 | Phil Spector | "Back to Mono (1958–1969)" |

## Film and television

| Title | Composer, Conductor or Artist | Year of Release |
| Go, Johnny, Go! | Eddie Cochran | 1959 |
| Stagecoach | Jerry Goldsmith | 1966 |
| Spinout | George Stoll | 1966 |
| Grand Prix | Maurice Jarre | 1966 |
| Murderer's Row | Lalo Schifrin | 1966 |
| The Monkees | The Monkees | 1966 |
| Double Trouble | Jeff Alexander | 1967 |
| Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | Frank De Vol | 1967 |
| The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | Nelson Riddle | 1967 |
| Bullitt | Lalo Schifrin | 1968 |
| The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | Dave Grusin | 1968 |
| Skidoo | Harry Nilsson | 1968 |
| Yours, Mine and Ours | Fred Karlin | 1968 |
| I Love You, Alice B. Toklas | Elmer Bernstein | 1968 |
| The Sweet Ride | Pete Rugolo | 1968 |
| Lady in Cement | Hugo Montenegro | 1968 |
| Elvis | Bones Howe | 1968 |
| The Graduate | Dave Grusin | 1968 |
| Monterey Pop | various | 1968 |
| Get Smart | Irving Szathmary | 1968 |
| What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Frank De Vol | 1968 |
| Coogan's Bluff | Lalo Schifrin | 1968 |
| The Summer Brothers Smothers Show | Nelson Riddle | 1968 |
| Hang 'Em High | Dominic Frontiere | 1968 |
| The Banana Splits Adventure Hour | Ted Nichols | 1968 |
| Last Summer | John Simon | 1969 |
| Change of Habit | Billy Goldenberg | 1969 |
| The Andy Williams Show | Nick Perito | 1969 |
| 33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee | The Monkees | 1969 |
| Sweet Charity | Cy Coleman | 1969 |
| Watermelon Man | Melvin Van Peebles | 1970 |
| WUSA | Lalo Schifrin | 1970 |
| Josie and the Pussycats | Ted Nichols | 1970 |
| Sometimes a Great Notion | Henry Mancini | 1970 |
| Adam at 6 A.M. | Dave Grusin | 1970 |
| The Phynx | Mike Stoller | 1970 |
| The Partridge Family | Wes Farrell | 1970 |
| Beyond the Valley of the Dolls | Stu Phillips | 1970 |
| Star Spangled Girl | Charles Fox | 1971 |
| Flip | George Wyle | 1970 |
| The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | Marty Paich | 1971 |
| Play Misty for Me | Dee Barton | 1971 |
| Alias Smith and Jones | Billy Goldenberg | 1971 |
| Plaza Suite (film) | Maurice Jarre | 1971 |
| Duel | Billy Goldenberg | 1971 |
| Dirty Harry | Lalo Schifrin | 1971 |
| The New Bill Cosby Show | Quincy Jones | 1972 |
| Butterflies Are Free | Bob Alcivar | 1972 |
| The Getaway | Quincy Jones | 1972 |
| The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid | Dave Grusin | 1972 |
| Play It Again Sam | Billy Goldenberg | 1972 |
| Portnoy's Complaint | Michel Legrand | 1972 |
| Magnum Force | Lalo Schifrin | 1973 |
| High Plains Drifter | Dee Barton | 1973 |
| The Outlaw Josey Wales | Jerry Fielding | 1976 |
| Sudden Impact | Lalo Schifrin | 1983 |
| The Wrecking Crew | various | 2008 |
| Sample This - The Birth of Hip Hop | Perry Botkin, Jr. | 2012 |