“Joey (Ramone) would mention The Ancients when writers would ask him what new bands he was listening to. He would wear his Ancients tee shirt. Joey was The Ancients’ number one fan and he did all he could do”…… - (excerpt from “Wake Me When It’s Over” by Rob Sacher).

“Fred Schreck, the one-of-a-kind vocalist from the Ancients”-Chicago Tribune

The Ancients were formed in late 1990 in New York City by vocalist/musician Fred Schreck (Crush, The Billygoats, Satellite Paradiso) and producer, club owner and impresario Rob Sacher (Luna Lounge, “Wake Me When It’s Over”). 

Following the rapid rise and fall of regional popularity with his previous band (Shoot the Doctor), with an out- of- character appearance on the internationally televised show “Star Search,” Schreck was convinced by Sacher to strip everything down to the bare essence and try again. He was offered a job as a door attendant, and then DJ at Sacher’s first East Village club, The Mission. The club was the epicenter of alternative music in lower Manhattan at that time. 

A hangout for not only local music lovers (and dancers from the nearby Pyramid Club), the Mission was also the place where notable artists, musicians and actors would hide out from the chaos of the city. Members of the Psychedelic Furs, Sisters of Mercy, Trent Reznor (NIN) at the bar, Naomi Campbell dancing on top of it, and Matt Dillon tipping DJs to hear Replacements songs were all part of a typical night. It was here that Schreck began to reimagine his direction and form close professional and personal relationships lasting to this day. 

Recording of the debut album commenced in a small home studio in Queens, mostly as a solo effort in early 1991.  

Although most of the recording was performed by Schreck, there were several guest appearances by some of his new acquaintances. 

Joe Mcginty and Knox Chandler (Psychedelic Furs), Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke) and John Valentine Carruthers (Siouxsie and the Banshees) all pitched in to help Fred, and perhaps, pay off a bar tab or two at the club! 

The most consequential and significant contributor was a young Morgan Visconti, just 18 years old at the time. Even at that age, Morgan already had incredible production chops. Not unlike the skills of his famous Dad (Tony). He produced what was to be the first, and only single “Release Me”. From then on, Morgan would be an integral part of The Ancients as a co-writer, musician, and producer. 

(The Ancients- Release Me- Mission Recording Co./Human) 

A live band was formed and started playing around the NYC club circuit. 

The album caught the ear of Joey Ramone, who volunteered to represent The Ancients to various connections in the industry. 

Although the album was well received, it never quite broke into the bigger lexicon. 

A follow up album was started, but Fred was tempted by an opportunity he could not pass up. 

A duo of musicians that he long respected and had a major label deal had just lost their singer. 

He joined the group “Crush” with Ferguson and Carruthers in 1992. 

(Crush- The Rain-1993- EastWest/Atlantic) 

This would turn out to be a wrong turn for Schreck, and although his performance garnered positive reviews, it would cement his fate as a lifelong journeyman. 

He returned to what started as the follow up Ancients album. 

Working day and night with Visconti, they wrote and recorded some of the finest material either one of them had ever produced. Unfortunately, it would not see the light of day until some twenty years later, long after Schreck had decided to leave New York for Nashville and Visconti became a powerhouse in the ad music industry. 

Reenter Rob Sacher. 

With the advent of social media, Rob and Fred reconnected.  

Sacher suggested to Schreck that he should reach out to John Ashton (Psychedelic Furs), who was looking for a singer/lyricist for his new all-star project, “Satellite Paradiso”. 

It was during this time that Schreck and Visconti decided to revisit and release the album “Mind” in 2015. Almost 20 years after they started working on it! It remains a point of immense pride between the two longtime friends.

So, here we are, seven (not quite twenty) years later, a raging pandemic, on the brink of a potential worldwide conflict and civil unrest, with the fate of the planet we live on, and our children’s future hanging in the balance. 

What more appropriate time to release the third album? Huh? 

“Leveler” began as a humble, homespun effort. 

It soon became clear that it was the obvious follow up as album #3 in The Ancients collection. 

Believe it or not, it is an effort inspired by hope. 

Album #1 will be re-released in the coming year (not 20-not 7), remastered, with unreleased versions of some of the early songs. 

Stay tuned, 

We are getting better and faster at this!