From left counter clockwise: Kim Ludtke, Mick Orton, Mark Zaputil and Jon Ludtke in the bottom center
Updated: 2/26/13 – When I joined Silver Laughter, the band was comprised of Jon Ludtke on rhythm and lead guitar, Mark Zaputil on lead guitar and Kim Ludtke on drums. With my arrival, I replaced Steve Elliott who switched to steel guitar and started a country-rock band called Sneaky Feelin’.
I remember having to scramble to learn all the cover songs Silver Laughter was doing since we had a job shortly after I joined. The band was solidly booked in dance clubs across the Midwest, first by booking agency “Big G” Geisler Enterprises and later, Entertainment Services Concept.
Steve didn’t like traveling. I had been in Colorado (Boulder-Denver area) playing in a band called Tabernash and was married at the time I was asked to join. The marriage fell apart soon after that because being in the band required all my time to be spent on the road.
Jon and I started writing material almost immediately, since our goal was to write and record our own original music. One of our first collaborations was “Any Words You Can Say” but was not arranged or recorded until Ken Wiles replaced Mark on lead guitar.
Mick Orton
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