Mailbag

Subject: Re: The Chain
This piece made me very happy, Bob. During the soundcheck I turned to a younger co-worker next to me and said, "...and all of those sounds are actually coming from the band!" They even count themselves in, instead of clips or digital tracks counting them in. Mick Fleetwood on drums sounded incredible. And the whole band looked so happy to be performing together. It was a booking Jonny Norman, our Co-EP and music booker wanted so badly, and it was so much fun.
Ed Glavin
Exec. Producer, The Ellen Show
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Subject: Re: The Chain
Longtime fan, first time caller!
Thanks for this Bob, I'm the Music Producer at Ellen, and this booking was
15 years in the making, and let me tell you, they were incredible. I wish
you had been in the room, because it was electric. They sounded not only better than ever, they sounded fresh, like a new band. I?m not sure even the band thought it could be possible, that they could reinvent the wheel at this stage of their career and succeed, but they did it.
And their work ethic. So many acts show up, perform their song, and get
right back into their car. Not these guys. They show up early, they
rehearse, they stay long after to make sure it sounds great, they work
HARD. And that's why it works. And why this machine has been working for so long. They actually CARE about the music. And they?ve been smart. They have an amazing team of people around them, from the top - down. It was an extraordinary thing to be a part of and to watch them create their magic. And I'm so happy you posted our clip and felt the same way.
Best,
Jonathan
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Jonathan Norman
Co-Executive Producer
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
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From: Seth Godin
Subject: Re: Ignore Sunk Costs
thanks Bob!
Once you see sunk costs, they're everywhere.
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Subject: Re: Jewtropolis
Lana del Rey cancels performance in Israel bc there wasn't suitable venue for to play in West Bank. Didn't you know? Palestinians are HUGE Lana Del Rey fans! Amnesty International warns against expulsion of and violence against activists in Bahrain. Meanwhile, Bahrain is hosting an International Jazz Festival. Where is the outrage and threats and vitriol from Roger Waters, BDS and the rest of the Israel-bashers out there? While we're at it, where are the calls to make Saudi Arabia -- which just sentenced a women's rights activist to DEATH -- an international pariah? And what about Dubai/UAE, to which recording artists flock for the big paydays and obscene luxury even though the government's abysmal human rights record includes capitol punishment for homosexuality and religious apostasy? Anyone ever say a peep about the artists only too happy to drink Cristal and party the night away in this gilded bastion of conspicuous consumption? I'm no Likudnik and i hate the settler movement and Netanyahu in equal measure. However, the hypocrisy at the core of the BDS movement makes my blood boil and gives the lie to the claim that all this selective Israel bashing and anti-Zionism is not thinly veiled anti-Semitism.
Matt Greenberg
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Subject: Re: Jewtropolis
Mr. Lefsetz,
You’re spot on about Roger Waters.
Few people realize just how rotten Hamas is. They refer to one of Hitlers favorite books right in their very charter.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_imprints_of_The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion#Hamas
It should be more widely known.
I always figure that we should focus on Israel’s problems after Roger Waters gives his Long Island mansion back to the Native American tribe that no doubt lived there in the last few hundred years.
I figure the Jewish people have far more historical right to Israel than Americans to America. The college kids should give back their land grant university land back to the local native tribe then we can talk about Israel.
Sincerely,
Bill Mericle
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Subject: Re: Jewtropolis
Bob,
If you ever feel the need to throw up in your mouth ask a pro Trump Jew how they can support a President that courts Nazi's and white supremacists. The crap they will come up with to explain away the common ground they share with people that want to murder them is unreal. It's as if they forgot what their fathers or grandfathers fought for in WWII.
We don't need no Rodger Waters.
Neal Berz
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From: Charlie Brusco
Subject: Re: Ed King
I first met Ed King in Feb 1974 in Nashville when the Outlaws played the 1st of hundreds of shows with Lynyrd Skynyrd between that night and 1977. The Outlaws were the special guests on the entire Torture Tour. During those years there was a very special bond between Outlaws, Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker. A strong mix of friendship and rivalry. When Ed left the Torture Tour abruptly Hughie Thomasson and Billy Jones of the Outlaws stepped up every night to add a third guitar at Ronnie’s urging.
In 1987 I was promoting in Atlanta and managing Gary and Dale’s new group simply named Rossington who were signed to Atlantic by Ahmet. They were opening for KANSAS at the Fox in Atlanta and just before showtime Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson showed up and joined Gary & Dale onstage for Sweet Home Alabama as the encore. The sold out crowd was stunned. After the show in a club somewhere in Atlanta that night the 1st talk was to do one show on October 20 ten years after the plane crash as a memorial to our dear friends lost in the crash.
Before any talk of who would be the singer or anything else Gary said to me “ if we are going to do this I need one person to make it work” I said let’s get Donny Van Zant or Ronnie Hammond of ARS to sing. Gary looked me in the eyes and said “ find me Ed King ... I am not doing this without Ed King.” I went on a search for Ed and found him living with his family in New Jersey and that Sept-Oct 1987 we played 32 sold out shows across the US. And the music was back on stage.
God Bless Ed King I will miss you forever.
Charlie
PS ... the radio station in St Louis was most likely KSHE and I bet they are still playing Sweet Home.
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From: Erin Cowgill
Subject: Re: The King Must Die
Hi Bob,
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I just want to speak to the auto part of this mail.. when I was 17 and had just graduated from high-school, I bought a used Peugeot off a lot for cash and didn't even make it home. The guy sold me a car with a cracked block and he knew it. I had it towed back to the lot and they took the car but didn't give me my money back. They said I had "driven the car until it no longer ran!" I was robbed and had no one to help me get redress. Later, the guy's son (didn't know him) bought me drinks to sooth his guilt when he saw me out at a bar. That was weird. It confirmed that the guy robbed me and knew it. ?
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I went straight to a technical school that very summer and took an auto-mechanics class. That was the best. It was fun, easy and dirty and I met some nice kids there. We had a bunch of flood-totaled cars and all the work was supervised so teachers brought us unloaded new trucks and cars and we put in the air-conditioning, power-steering, etc. We took the blocks out and cleaned the rods, pistons, rings.. and put them back.. it was really a blast. I miss it and feel sad at times that the new cars aren't fixable in that same way. So far I haven't been ripped off again.. only caught one guy trying. ?
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But it's still a thought if you want to save money.. find a school and give the kids a try. We were motivated and proud. I still get joy whenever I smell anything resembling creosote. ?
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That skill came in handy all the way through the 90s (changing my own oil, brakes, thermostat, plugs.. changing a tire lickety-split on the side of the road in heels and a dress without hesitating).. in the 80s in New Orleans, I changed the power steering belt in a co-worker's Delta 88 on my lunch break in the parking lot and was dubbed a 'YUMMY' by one of our club members.. Young Urban Mechanic. Ten weeks of class really paid for itself. Oh.. and if you know anyone at an art-school big metals dept.. I built steel holders for my exhaust system (BMW) for free using the workshop at an art-school in MA. They were better than the originals. I really miss all those connections. Not many things feel better than being able to solve your own problems. ?
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Glad you got out of that on a successful note! You solved yours with your wits. ?
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Erin?
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From: Seymour Stein
Subject: Fwd: Seymour Stein-This Week's Podcast
Mentoring taught and helped me achieve what I accomplished at Sire. Had many great mentors; Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, Ahmet’s brother Nesuhi, Paul Ackerman and Tom Noonan at Billboard, George Goldner at Red Bird and others.
That said, Syd Nathan was the most important mentor in my career. That is why book is dedicated to him.
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From: Whitten Pell
Subject: RE: More Mumbai
I went to India for King Fisher beer, who wanted to bring some "western artists" to play in a few cities. This was in the late 80's, and even then just about everything, even right down to power, would need in every case need to be shipped in from another country. The infrastructure was simply not there.
Now the interesting part was while looking at one cricket stadium in Bangalore, home of King Fisher, I noticed maybe 20 or so folks on their knees just picking at the grass. I asked what they were doing and I was told cutting the grass by hand....why? Fuel cost would be more expensive and their abundance of labor so inexpensive, let alone need for employment, was the answer.
Now the side story...Upon arrival we stayed at The Taj, near the Gateway. It is 5 am and I am not going to sleep, so head out on the street. Within minutes folks are surrounding me wanting to sell be trinkets and whatever. Me? I wanted a small bit of hash. I found a guy, he said $20 US and he would be right back...talk about the value of the $ to the Rube....he brings me back the brick of hash.
End of story.....................
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Subject: Re: Re-Aretha
In the mid-80's Roy Thomas Baker had enough clout that he was able to request information from Atlantic Records about how "those old soul tunes" were recorded, and actually be taken seriously. They sent their chief engineer, at the time, into the tape vault to cull out some of the gems that reside there. He made a cassette tape using these tapes and him narrating, with inside info into how they were created. Aretha's "Respect" was among them. He explained that it was an eight track recording: Bass drum, drum overhead, bass, guitar, horns, back-ground singers, piano, and Aretha's vocal. There were a number of intriguing bits of info about each track, and it was a kick to hear the raw elements that went into making such a masterpiece. When he got to the piano track, I noticed that there was vocal bleed from Aretha's vocal, and Aretha's vocal track also had piano bleed. I thought "Yeah well, multi-million selling record or not, I bet the engineer wishes he could take those tracks back and do a better job of isolation." Right about that time, the narrator chimed in with "And the reason there's so much bleed between the piano and her vocal is because she is playing the piano part while recording the vocal." Would this - could this - EVER happen today!? What a talent!
Ken McKim
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Subject: Aretha and ToP
Hi Bob:
Some time ago you wrote some very nice things about some of the lyrics to a couple of our songs with Tower of Power.
Seeing all of the media attention over the passing of Aretha I'm writing to tell you that I thought you nailed it with your comments about the Queen of Soul. Aretha profoundly influenced Tower of Power throughout the years and opening for her that weekend at the Fillmore West, back in the early 70's, was a highlight in our career. One of the greatest memories in my life happened during that weekend when she looked me straight in the eye and said "Tower of Power, my favorite band!!!". I just melted right there in front of her. I'm not so naive that I believe we actually were her favorite, but for that small moment, in the doorway to the backstage dressing room, she was gracious and kind enough to lay that compliment on a starry eyed 21 year old kid. I look forward to seeing her in the eternal heavens, along with so many whom she helped to know the Lord, and I thank you for your comments about her.
Emilio Castillo - Bandleader for Tower of Power
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Subject: Aretha Franklin
I had the pleasure of meeting Aretha Franklin multiple times as I was Curtis Mayfield's Manager and Partner for 30 years until his death.
Curtis wrote and produced the Sparkle album and soundtrack at the request of Warner Bros Films. I called Aretha about singing the soundtrack and she said yes. Curtis was so moved that he told me I don't have to tell Aretha anything all I have to do is send her the music and lyrics.
Aretha came to our studio in Chicago and cut her vocals in a few days. Curtis was so moved by her vocal performance he said this was a smash album. Everyone that heard the tapes felt the same way. Well, it was hit!
Then, Ahmet Ertegun called me about ten months later to request that Curtis does a new album with Aretha. Curtis quickly agreed when I told him and that album became "Almighty Fire." Another hit album.
When, I put together the Curtis Mayfield Tribute album for Warner Bros Records at the request of Mo Ostin. Every artist of the album from Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder and the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin not only accepted but each new which Curtis song they wanted to sing. Not one of them asked to reimbursed for their recording session and costs. Each one told me to tell Curtis to keep it and thanks.
Curtis's response to me was " Even though I am a paralyzed my eyes are open to all of these artists who not only agreed to be on the album but their performances were wonderful. God Bless them!"
Aretha rest in peace.
Marvin Heiman
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From: Louise Goffin
Subject: Re: Aretha
Bob, thank you for citing all those amazing Aretha records.
Aretha forged her own unique path.
Her power was like a pure-bred stallion. She knew it, she owned it. God bless her and all she gave us. The industry as we knew it was built on a foundation of authentic artists. Tapestry wasn’t made around a marketing plan. Great heartfelt songs transcend the best laid plans. R.I.P.
Queen of Soul.
P.S. I had a fun story about The Kennedy Center Honors.
read.tidal.com/article/louise-goffin-recalls-a-close-encounter-with-aretha-franklin
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Subject: RE: Re-Aretha
Bob,
I promoted Aretha's concerts in Los Angeles several times. Musically she was a consummate professional every time. In 2011 at the Microsoft Theater show we brought Pinks Hot Dogs backstage for her and her crew. At the top of the show she sang a song, then stopped to tell the audience how nice we were to bring in Pinks, how great tasting the hot dogs were and next she told her crew to bring out Pinks to the people sitting in the crowd. A dozen Ree Ree fans got to eat the food from backstage that night. That was a first.
Also, she still hired H.B. Barnum as her musical director each time. He is someone who you might want to read up about and interview. Another musical legend.
Susan Rosenbluth
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Subject: Re: Westfield Century City
Hi Bob, glad you enjoyed your visit to Westfield Century City. You're right, the mall when done the right way is definitely not dying.
My Dad, a holocaust survivor, started Westfield in 1960 in Sydney Australia. He, my 2 brothers and I collectively put in 157 years of working life building the company before recently selling it. I guess you could say another overnight success.
The mall business is a bloody tough game, but if you ask me, not as tough as the music business !
David Lowy
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From: Richard Griffiths
Subject: Re: Touring vs. Labels
We love ticket counts, but merch per head is the true barometer of how your act is doing.
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Subject: "The Jacket" co-writer
Hi Bob!
I got an email forwarded to me by my mom this morning from her dear musician friend in NYC that she told me contained some "nice comments" on The Jacket, a song I co-wrote with Ashley McBryde and Neal Coty. I thought I would open the email to find a copy and paste job of a few mildly pleasant YouTube comments, so imagine my surprise when I scrolled down and started reading a very generous write up from a man whose blog we studied in school as the gold standard of industry analysis.
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to listen to the song and share your enthusiasm! I know how much it takes to get someone to track 5 of an album these days, which is also a testament to Ashley's talent and the skill and talent of the other writers, musicians, and producers involved in this project. We sit in stuffy little rooms every day and dream big dreams with our friends while we write these songs and it means so much when they finally reach the world to such a warm welcome as yours.
Thank you,
Olivia Rudeen
P.S. If you get a chance to talk to Ashley about it, you should have her tell you about how the eponymous jacket was stolen from her car in East Nashville a few months before the release of the album. Maybe they'll get a Jacket, Part 2 out of it.
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Subject: Re: Mailbag
Kenny Lee Lewis,
Don Nix isn't was......Don IS in Memphis. Long time friend. Spoke to him yesterday. He introduced me to Leon when we were both in LA in '65. Also spent time with him at Leon's Skyhill Drive home. To say we had some good times is an understatement
David Fleischman
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From: Doug Pomerantz
Subject: Re: Oscar Changes
Real simple.... Move the Oscars to Netflix!
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Subject: Re: Panic! At The Disco At Staples
Yes, the future is here and it’s all on the Internet. Panic got signed by posting 2 demos on Pete Wentz’s live journal in 2005 before the band had even played a show!
Bden was always larger than life, part of the reason the original lineup imploded. I do believe he will go on to do things greater than P!ATD and I hope the best for him in the unusual life that is stardom.
- Jon Walker (formerly of P!ATD)
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From: Matthew Whiting
Subject: Re: Panic! At The Disco At Staples
I'm so glad you've discovered our lord and savior Brendon Urie!
I worked the PR on his solo record in Australia, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!
Media wouldn't have a bare of it, industry barely gave him the time of day because it wasn't A Fever You Can't Sweat Out or Pretty. Odd.
His inclusion on the Soundwave 2013 (maybe 14?) bill felt forced and but holy hell, none of his fans would believe it. He was the second coming. Fans were out in droves, they were screaming for him and when he was on stage (or camera) you would know why. Pure brilliant star quality. Emo had died and Panic! was surviving when My Chemical Romance and The Used were struggling, Fall Out Boy had become a heartless pop band and Paramore was the closest thing to breathing in the fallout of Myspace.
But even then there wasn't a place for him here in Aus.
But now, he's Justin T unhinged, he doesn't need to play the ex boy band because he survived without making PG-13 hits. (Fuck A) Silver Lining.
I don't do the Warner Music/Atlantic dance anymore, but it's amazing to see him thrive.
Welcome to the fandom.
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Subject: Here's one for ya
Back in the 1970s, my band, JAMES GANG, was working in Los Angeles. We were recording or doing some live performances, I can’t remember which. We were staying at the Hyatt House, and used to occasionally eat breakfast in their restaurant. Al Kooper was a good friend to the band, and we had known him since the Blues Project days. One day, he wandered into the restaurant for a bowl of soup, and sat down with us to talk. During the course of the conversation, he mentioned that he was working with “a young group” and felt very strongly about them. He asked if we wanted to take a ride up to his house for a listen. A couple of us thought that was a great idea, so we rode up to Al’s house. I think he was renting the place from David Cassidy, and what I remember most is that there was not a stick of furniture in the place (I assumed he had just moved in), but he had a pair of gargantuan speakers…”Voice of the Theaters” or something like that). We gathered around the cassette machine and Al hit “play” on the demo for “Sweet Home Alabama”, by Lynyrd Skynyrd, of course. I remember it perfectly to this day, and have to agree that sometimes, a hit is a hit!! PERIOD. WOW!!!!!!!
Jimmy Fox
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Subject: Re: You're On Your Own
Hey Bob,
40+ years on the road as a tech.
I have no interest in pop music live- nothing seen or heard is produced live, so no point & no interest.
I worked for an singer who went from 15% track ( percussion, key pads, BGV's) to almost all track over the past years. even show stopping raging guitar solo...ho hum.
I worked StageCoach and on the mane stage all day there were 2 acts live (playing to under 100 people)-
The memo says you want big crowds and a big sound and big show you get a couple of macs and hire your band based on head shots ( which is why there is always a formula to the look- you know the one dude with tight black pants, chain wallet, and doc martins and spiky hair, maybe a tshirt with tats all over it..doing a pogo off to the side)
One of the big shows out this summer doesn't even have a bass player replicant on the stage- flashy lights and dancers to distract.
...and why the long build when you can buy 10000 hours and install in on your mac and give the pa a stereo feed..also time code to run lights, prompters and video...
now you are where if the mac crashes the show stops (check your playback sample rate... VH, and make sure the hard drive sudden motion sensor is off or the sub bass will park the harddrive & make sure the IP addressing is unique if you network into lights and/or motion control)
Luckily I am aging out and still have clients who play live and can support me a middle class living (not in NYC or Westside LA) and will keep me going for a few years yet- as long as I still make lobby call.
The thrill of live performance is when somebody goofs and they have to find a way to fix it- you see everyone snap to attention and work it out- that is fun ( for me)
Wandering over to look at jam band world, they are always out there and working and playing live...it may be the same 10000 people each show but they keep on coming.
Maybe that is the Savior- industry papers show musical instrument sales rebounding
I do have tech Pals working some of the pop shows, it's not a music show its a multimedia with cast members and props instead of instruments...and sometimes you hear a live vocal...sometimes not.
Milli and Paula were eviscerated for tracks, Janet and Britney and etc etc made it acceptable to an audience who doesn't treasure spontaneous excellence and will cheer for flashy flash distractions over top of the songs they already own.
OK, off to push 23 road cases into position and spend 3 hours wiring just to make sure the guitar sounds right tonight...while the other band techs do similar and the special mics are positioned just so and the PA tuned for the venue...aside from lights and visual elements, it'll be at least 6 hours to be show ready so the band can call any song they like at soundcheck and play it through.
Live music.
cheers, TS
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Subject: Re: Paul McCartney At The Capitol Congress
Bob
Perhaps Sir Paul should have sang All You Need Is Luck....
I left San Diego and my High School band Jan 85 and moved to LA to make it and I was homeless by Aug 85. I met David O from the Plimsouls and his pal Rick Perrotta who owned Baby O Studios in Hollywood. Rick liked me and was kind enough to give me a break by letting me sleep on the couch in one of the studios at Baby O in exchange for cleaning up and running their rehearsal room. My clothes were all in plastics glad bags and it was the worst summer this surfer had ever experienced.
While hanging out there I had no shame so I would introduce myself to rockstars in the studio and tell them I play guitar...Most would tell me to fuck off or like Gene Simmons just ice me with a blank stare BUT George Clinton was cool to me when he just said...ok. Well that night at 3 am I was sleeping in the sofa in Studio B and David Spradley ( who was cutting with George Clinton) woke me and asked if I would come in and try some guitar....I jumped up and went into the studio with my 200 dollar guitar and lost my entire mind knowing that George was outside the box and it worked.
I got my first session check from Capital Records and my life would never be the same.
Sure I had skills but everyone needs a little LUCK. I often think when walking through a casino at 3am and seeing a band singing Lady’s Night with 4 people on the dance floor Man that could have been me if not for a little luck.
If George Clinton had not helped me I would have never worked with all the greats that I have been lucky enough to play with and that’s including Mick Jagger the king himself. If not for George Clinton and that lucky break I’m sure George Harrison would never have sat at my table in a club and bought me drinks....Mind blowing!!!
Yep Bob your right...Skills and preparation are a must but without luck you are just another killer with no audience.
Stevie Salas
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From: Eric Bazilian
Subject: Re: Paul McCartney At The Capitol Congress
Your description of your meeting with Paul mirrors mine and brings a smile. In December 1987 The Hooters were on tour in the US supporting the album that began our decline in the US but kick started the career in Europe that pretty much sustains us today (40 years in 2020). We were headlining a show in Winston-Salem, NC, when we were informed that Satellite, the second single from the album (and a definite oddball of a track) had gone ballistic in the UK and that we’d be flying to London the next day to perform on Top Of The Pops.
Because of Union rules or some such, rehearsal was early in the day, followed by a break of several hours. On our way to the studio we were told that one of the other guests on the show was Paul McCartney. Gasps all around, and within minutes we walked in to the BBC building to see My First Favorite Beatle onstage with his band, including not only Linda but Nigel Kennedy, who was on the cusp of his career as an alt-punk-classical violin maestro. Striking was the fact that, even though Top Of The Pops was an all-playback show (as opposed to other shows which featured live vocals over “TV tracks”), Paul and band were plugged in, playing and singing live OVER the full playback, just because it’s more fun that way.
After their rehearsal ended I stood back while all the various crew and local admirers swarmed Paul, figuring that if I got a clear shot I’d go in for a quick handshake and hello. The window finally opened and I made my approach, hand outstretched, managing to get out the words, “hi, I’m Eric from...” before he finished the sentence for me... “ah, from The Hooters, I recognize you from your video! Linda, come meet Eric!”, in exactly the voice I’d had in my head since the Ed Sullivan show.
Linda came over, absolutely delightful, admiring my jacket (a Yamamoto that I’d gotten in Paris and was later stolen from the stage at the Paradiso in Amsterdam), we took the obligatory photos with all the band, at which point they invited me back to the dressing room, where we had the long break before show time. Now, it’s a given that every musician of our generation had his/her list of ‘questions if I ever meet a Beatle’, and mine were mostly gear-geeky. I gingerly asked Paul which guitar he’d played the Taxman solo on (‘it was the Epiphone, I suppose’), which amp (a Vox, I’d imagine), and whether there was a distortion pedal involved (‘sounds like it, doesn’t it?). His genuinely enthusiastic answers opened the door to a barrage of conversation, in which he asked me similar questions about our band and record. A total mensch and a gentleman. Linda was there the entire time, filling in details that Paul had neglected. Nigel Kennedy was also welcoming, we had a great conversation about the life of a classical musician in a pop world, he even let me play his Stradivarius (during which I learned about the practice of Patronship, in which a wealthy, often anonymous, sponsor provides an instrument to a promoting young talent which they will eventually pay off, to a greater or lesser degree). I eventually ran out of questions and witty banter, but, as with the Queen, I felt uncomfortable leaving the dressing room without being given leave, so to speak. Eventually we all dispersed, but not before both Paul and Linda gave me the office phone number and an invitation to ‘come visit the farm’.
I actually did call that number once, left a message of some sort. At times I wish I’d been more proactive about taking them up on their offer but, in hindsight, I suppose it was best that I simply let it be. (See what I did there?)
And that’s Paul, Sir Paul, the real living and breathing Big Bang of all the good that’s left in what we’ve become.
My apologies for going on at such length, but my memory of this Peak Life Experience is so crystal clear, and this is just the ‘single version’.
Next time maybe I’ll tell you about George and Ringo (equally positive and life-affirming).
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Subject: Re: Ed King
Hey Bob-
Great post about Skynyrd. However I didn’t know Ed King other than in passing but I grew up in Macon and Jacksonville and I knew the early Skynyrd band pretty well. My parents were living in Jacksonville and I went to HS at Landon, on the other side of town from Robert E Lee where they went. I started college at the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1965 and lived there until 1975. There was a music scene going on there that was really amazing. Lots of players and lots of hippies and rednecks alike who loved live music. Some you would know like Mudcrutch, The Allman’s, Skynyrd, Cowboy, Second Coming, Rotary Connection were all around. Others like Ides Of March, RGF, Purlee, Celebration, Dark Star, Road Turkey, The Maundy Quintet and more were all great live bands who cut their teeth in the bars, frat parties and private concerts at people’s houses and farms. There was always something happening. Several of the unknown bands had members who eventually became famous:
Mudcrutch - Tom Petty & Benmont Tench (TP & Heartbreakers)
Power - Danny Roberts (Mudcrutch)
Road Turkey - Marty Jourard (Motels)
RGF - Jeff Jourard (Motels), Ron Blair (Tom Petty)
Maundy Quintet - Bernie Leadon & Don Felder (Eagles)
Purlee - Zeke Zirngiebel & Marty Stinger (Warren Zevon), Bob Harris (Zevon & Frank Zappa)
I played bass & sang in Dark Star. We played tons of gigs including several of these concert-parties with Mudcrutch and Skynyrd. We were all playing original music and all had our own followings. The audiences were stoned on pot, cheap wine and/or mushrooms and really knew how to party. It was a special time and that time period started what became Southern Rock.
In April of 1972 there was a large 2 day festival held out at a farm in Archer, probably 20 minutes southwest of Gainesville. It was north Florida’s answer to Woodstock. Pretty much all of the great local bands were there and it was a great scene. My band, Dark Star, played at dawn on Sunday morning right after Skynyrd played an amazing set. There was something incredibly inspiring about the sunrise, tho I’m sure what was probably a thousand people in the audience and some great pot helped, and we played better than we ever had. A promoter was there who was putting on a smaller festival in Jacksonville in a few months with Skynyrd as the headliner and he asked if we wanted to open & of course we said yes.
The day of the Jacksonville festival came and we played a pretty good set to an audience of 200-300 people in the late afternoon on a hot Florida summer afternoon. Skynyrd played their set to a great response and that was the day. As we all packed up, I went off to find the promoter to get our money. I was the manager for our band and I knew nothing about contracts and the like, I’d just shook his hand and expected to get what we’d agreed on. Quite probably $300-$400 dollars, maybe less. We were a 4 piece band it it was before the era of $100 per man. There was a little mobile trailer used as the office behind the stage & I walked in. The promoter was there along with a couple of what seemed to me to be big short haired guys. He asked me what the f*&k I wanted and I replied I as there to get our money for the gig. It’s important to understand that I’m a very skinny long haired kid with a somewhat high voice. I asked again, but he cut me off, turned to his buddies and told them that we were finished here. Needless to say I retreated.
I walked back over to our guys and Ronnie Van Zant came over to me to complement us on our show. We’d known each other to some extent, he could tell I wasn’t too happy and asked what was up. I described what happened and he said; “Follow me”. Ronnie was a short guy kind of built like a fireplug and definitely not someone I would want to mess with and he seemed pretty pissed off. I followed him back to the trailer and inside. The promoter looked surprised to see us and asked what was up. Ronnie said something along the lines of “Give the kid his money!” The promoter started to mutter something and the two guys acted antsy, and Ronnie repeated himself. The promoter looked at Ronnie, reached into a briefcase on the desk and tossed some money at me. I picked it up, not even counting it. Ronnie looked over at me and said something like, see you later kid. I took that as my orders to get out and he stayed. Our gear was all packed so we said our byes to the Skynyrd boys and left. I only saw Ronnie one other time, I think in Atlanta some time in ’73. Probably at the park downtown. He remembered the incident and we laughed about it. as best I remember I think they played Sweet Home Alabama and of course they must have played their guitar tour de force Free Bird. That was a long time ago and remembered through a fog of pot smoke.
I kept playing all through the years, attending the University of Miami to get a degree in jazz Performance, moving to New York touring with a reunion version of BS&T and Buddy Rich in the mid-80’s and still keep at it. But those were some special days that I remember fondly.
Keep up the good work man… I read most all of your emails.
Al
Al Hospers
Sounds Clever & the Valley Horns
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Subject: Kaskade podcast
On a plane trip just now, I just listened to your Kaskade podcast, only the second one I have been able to listen to. Spellbound, listening and I know nothing about EDM.
I flew helicopters for 47 years, first in the Army in Vietnam, then the last 29 years flying medical helicopters all over California. I put in my 10,000 hours and a lot more. Helicopters don’t just fall out of the sky. They may, just like very occasionally airliners do. They can be flown as safely as airliners, think of Marine One flying the president; mostly they are not. The missions they fly, and lower standards of safe operations in the helicopter industry cause the much higher accident rate.
Please tell Kaskade to ensure his wife, whom he mentioned was learning to be a helicopter pilot and fly him and the family , always has a safety pilot and they only fly twin-engine helicopters. You simply can not be a top pilot without concentrated training, thousands of hours of flying, and current and ongoing flight experience. 10,000 hours or more, on the ground, in the air and in your brain. No airlines fly single engine aircraft; there must be some logic in there, extra engines cost a bunch. Would you really bet there life on flying with a single engine? Kaskade should not. Why would anyone want to fly without a top rated pilot? I wouldn’t and will not allow my family to either.
A few decades back, I was walking past my neighbors house on a jaunt with my dog. His helicopter was landing on his basketball court under the command of his airplane pilot, recently transitioned into helicopters. I made a note to myself to drop a letter into his mailbox, offering a safety audit of his helicopter operations. Gratis. I knew the complexity and unknowns about operating a helicopter safely that he did not seem to realize. A few nights later, while on duty as the chief pilot for Stanford university’s medical helicopter, I were called out to a helicopter crash in the northern Bay Area. I flew the best helicopter available—twin-engine, instrument flight capable, weather radar a crew of 3, and a defined go, no go, launch matrix. I declined the flight, even with all that, and over 20 years helicopter flight experience. That night, my neighbor Bill Graham—the rock promoter—and two others died. I regretted not writing that letter to him.
Hopefully, I won’t read about another senseless helicopter crash.
Regards,
Steve Greene
Sent from Captain Stephen Hood Greene's iPad...
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