Mailbag

From: Don Law
Subject: Robert Johnson

Bob,

Loved your story about Robert Johnson but it was off the mark on a number of points. My father was the only person to record Robert and John Hammond had heard my fathers recordings and hoped to find him for a Carnegie Hall concert. He contacted my father and asked him if he could contact Robert and the rest is well documented. If you would like to discuss the background please send me your number and I will call.

Best,
Don Law

________________________________________

From: John Boylan
Re: Robert Johnson

Hi Bob,

On your recommendation, I listened to the podcast on Robert Johnson, and you're right - it's a great story. Faust in the Delta - Joseph Campbell would love it. The McCormick part is heartbreaking. And the ending reminds of that great old maxim: "When the truth and the legend contradict each other, always print the legend."

However, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details, and I have to point out a major problem with the podcast - John Hammond did not discover Robert Johnson, and he would have been the first to say that.

I loved John Hammond - most of us who worked with him or around him at the old CBS Records felt the same way. He was the consummate music man, completely uninfluenced by anything except the authenticity and quality of the music. And the number and variety of artists he discovered is staggering. Robert Johnson is not one of them.

To be sure, he heard Johnson's records and liked them, and wanted Johnson to appear on the "Spirituals to Swing" concert, but when he tried to book him, he found out that Johnson had died. In Hammond's book, he says that Johnson was "killed by his girl friend." Later, in a video, he said that Johnson had been killed "in a barroom brawl." Neither story, as we know, is true. John Hammond did not know a great deal about Johnson because he was never really involved with him.

Johnson was discovered by two people and recorded by a third. In 1936, Johnson went to Speir's Furniture Store in Jackson, Mississippi. In those days, furniture stores were the main place one would buy both a phonograph and records to play on it. Many of them would also make their own records for customers for a fee. H.C. Speir, the owner was impressed with Johnson and brought him to a talent scout he knew named Ernie Oertle, an independent who had ties to the American Recording Company, later part of Columbia Records. Oertle also liked him and brought him to San Antonio, where Don Law (father of Live Nations's Don Law in Boston) produced the initial sessions on him at the Gunter Hotel in late November, 1936.

The sides that they did there, plus a few more later in Dallas, comprise the entire works of Robert Johnson. Initially, they were not very successful, although one single, "Terraplane Blues," made some impact. The vinyl reissue in the 1960s on Columbia is what kicked off the Robert Johnson revival, and allowed all those players of my generation to hear him.

Peter Guralnick, one of the best writers in American music, wrote a small volume called "Searching for Robert Johnson." It's well worth reading.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never know the whole Robert Johnson story - but all the legends work fine for me.

Best,
JB

________________________________________

From: Don Law
Subject: Re: Robert Johnson

Bob,

John is right about the Speir/Oertle connection to my father. I remember sitting on the floor of our living room in 1960 when my father had many of the original recordings spread out on the floor along with his recording log. The surroundings for the sessions were incredibly crude and it is a wonder that the original recordings did not melt on site. My father had an ice-filled bathtub with a fan blowing over it trying to prevent the recording from melting in the Texas heat. There was an engineer, my father, Robert, and a bottle of whiskey, and everyone drank. Most recordings were done on first or second take. My mother and father each had a few recollections of Robert. A few years later, when my father went back to find Robert he was told that Robert's liquor had been poisoned with naphthalene by a vengeful husband. Since so many people have made a cottage industry out of Robert Johnson I would not trust anyone on the subject other than the author Peter Guralnick who is also mentioned by John.

Best,
Don Law

________________________________________

From: Geoffrey Cushing-Murray
Subject: Thanks
To: Bob Lefsetz

for your continued support of Angel. Warms my heart. I did get the girl back though it took about 15 years. We've been married for 19.
____

From: Bob Lefsetz
Subject: Re: Thanks
To: Geoffrey Cushing-Murray

Wow, you're blowing my mind! Tell me the story!
____

From: Geoffrey Cushing-Murray
Subject: Re: Thanks
To: Bob Lefsetz

It was a typical starving artist story. I was writing songs in the early to mid -70's that were good but not material that anybody wanted to cover. Jerry Fuller and Bud Scoppa were early champions. I worked casuals and bar bands as a singer living a somewhat dangerous lifestyle and not making much money. I was on and off with a girl who had a great job in TV production. I was convinced that we were meant to be together, but she... not so much. She didn't think I was doing enough to promote myself pounding the pavement and such and she was right. I had enough connections that I believed if I continued to produce material that I could be proud of things would work out. Well, the girl dumped me and ran off with a soap opera actor and moved to NYC. This is now referred to as her BIG MISTAKE. Shortly there after Carl Wilson got hold of some of my demos via Billy Hinsche of Dino, Desi and Billy who was also Carl's brother-in-law and I at once became hot and cool. I scored a cover by Johnny Cougar called Hot Night in a Cold Town and moved on to playing original stuff on the Madame Wong/Hong Kong Cafe/Club 88 circuit. Some 6 years after my dumping I had cause to call my old flame because of the passing of the guy who introduced us. Next thing you know we're carrying on a doomed bi-costal thing over another 6 year period which ended with her not returning my calls. Freshly devastated I moved on and was married to another good looking Jewish girl from Brooklyn same age who even lived on the same street, Freedonia off Cahuenga. That was my big mistake and it lasted another 6 years. I had, by the end of that affair, soured on the music biz and either ran out of things to say or ran in to a colossal writer's block and, being cash poor with medical bills, started working in the limousine business. Word of my impending divorce got back to NY and within a year we were married and have remained happily so for 19 years. Music is still a big deal to me but all in private and I keep it that way by never finishing anything I start. When I committed to songwriting I believed that if I could write just one song that could stand the test of time then all the other crap would be worthwhile. You've done your part in bringing me a measure of satisfaction. Thanks again.
____

From: Billy Hinsche
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Some Beach Boys You Might Have Missed

There's a lot more to the Geoffrey story - we dated sisters and that's how we met. He is a decorated Viet Nam Vet who wrote "Love Surrounds Me" with Dennis and "Full Sail" with Carl for the LA LIGHT album) - Geoffrey remains a good friend to this day. Best to you and Felice, Billy

P.S. Geoffrey earned a degree in English from UCLA - probably class of '71 - '72 and so I knew he was erudite - thus, the introduction to Carl as a potential songwriting partner. Later, Billy

________________________________________

From: William Hinsche
Subject: Re: Eric Carmen On The Beach Boys

If I might add one more point of interest to Eric's excellent email: I was on the road as a Beach Boys' band member during those tours of '74 and '76, and when Eric played the Roxy in LA around the same time period I asked him if he would like to meet Brian; so in-between sets I drove him to Brian's Bel Air home on Bellagio to make the introduction, getting Eric back to the Roxy in time for his second set.

All best,

Billy Hinsche

________________________________________

From: Eric Carmen
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Some Beach Boys You Might Have Missed

Bob,

Couldn't agree with you more about "Marcella." I don't know if that strummed chord before each downbeat of the verse was played on an autoharp or (more likely) they slowed the tape speed way down, and played it on a twelve-string with a capo, and then sped the tape up again, but it is the standout of that album. I was thrilled to hear Brian and his band play it during the "Smile" tour. I thinks it's as close as The Beach Boys are going to get to the Rolling Stones. It rocks!

Reading your columns these past few nights make me realize I need to go back and listen to all these tracks again!

Eric

________________________________________

From: Don Berns
Subject: Eric Carmen

Bob-

Next time you talk to your pal, Eric Carmen, ask him if he knows why the Raspberries version of "Go All The Way" was not used in Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows," a film that otherwise (mostly) succeeded in re-creating the 70s with the original music of the era.

I like The Killers...a lot...but their version of "Go All The Way" is a sacrilege compared to the original.

doN Berns

________________________________________

From: Eric Carmen
Subject: Re: Eric Carmen

It's all about the money. If they had used the Raspberries' version, which I control the copyright and publishing for, they would have had to negotiate a price with me. By having The Killers re-record it, they didn't have to deal with those issues, and probably got it a lot cheaper. I'm just happy to know Tim Burton loved the song. My daughter is the biggest tim Burton fan on the planet, and it made her day knowing Tim had asked The Killers to re-record it. No harm, no foul. I thought they did a really good job, and, believe me, it's not an easy song to do.

When I was touring with Ringo, in 2000, an interviewer asked us whose songs were the hardest. The entire band ( Jack Bruce, Dave Edmunds, Simon Kirke and Ringo) immediately pointed to me, and said "Eric's".

I think Dave's quote was : "There's a fucking chord for every WORD!!!!" All the other songs we played were basically "grooves". If you can play the groove, i. e. "Sunshine Of Your Love", "I Knew The Bride ( When She Used To Rock 'n Roll )" you were good. My songs have very sophisticated chords and harmonies, owing to my influences, The Beach Boys and The Who, and The Byrds and The Beatles.

It was much more difficult for the band to process my stuff than the "riff" based R&R we were all used to.

Having said that, it was the greatest band I have ever worked with. You can't imagine the joy of having Ringo and Simon Kirke drumming on "All By Myself" every night. Amazing!

e

________________________________________

Subject: Re: The Power Of One

Two things that Michael Eisner said when we were working for him, starting Hollywood Records in '89/'90:

"You don't fire people for making mistakes, you fire people for not making mistakes"

and

"If someone's not mad at you, you're not doing a good job."

truer words...

Best,
Steve Jones
Executive Producer
"Swamp Hunters"
TRUTV
T GROUP

________________________________________

Subject: Re: Sillerman

BINGO, Bob.

I am a outdoor venue owner/operator, and booking agent. My venue, 5600 capacity Whitewater Amphitheatre, is located on the banks of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels Texas. We are a very seasonal venue (Summer Tourist destination). We are also the third highest grossing Amphitheatre in Texas, and most likely #1 grossing Amphitheatre in the State in the Summertime. Last year we hosted Bob Dylan, Leon Russell. Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Robert Earl Keen, Gary Allan, and many other country acts. We also hosted acts like GIRL TALK and GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY. These last two just killed it, and Ghostland has sold out four years in a row.

Two weeks ago we hosted Skrillex (on Memorial Day Weekend) and the cheapest ticket was $50.00. This show sold out six weeks in advance and the gross tickets sales were over a quarter million dollars. The Skrillex agent called to ask if we could end the show by 11:30 (which we are normally done just before midnight) The reason he wanted it to end by 11:30 was for Sonny to hop on a plane to Vegas from our local airport so he could play the late night party at the WYNN. ( West Coast time two hours earlier) He then played San Diego the next night.

We are looking forward to our future sellouts on Ghostland Observatory on July 21, and GIRL TALK on August 4th.

Oh, one other note, 5600 people, not one single issue with the crowd. Sonny Moore was and his tour manager, and the rest of his group where probably the classiest team we have ever worked with. I hope they come back for two nights in 2014. Im glad we diversified to Electronic.

Will Korioth
www.whitewaterrocks.com

________________________________________

From: Theresa K.
Subject: Re: Bits & Bytes

re: UCLA
I was an English major at UCLA back in ye olde 1970s.

I wanted to be an English teacher - maybe even teach college. What could be better than getting paid to sit around all day talking with people who wanted to study Shakespeare? What could be more relaxing than sitting around all day getting paid to talk about Elizabethan life, times & literature?

But then, when I was a TA with a section of "Bonehead English," which is what we called the "English for jock scholarships" section... a full-ride sports scholarship student was failing - combination of being ill-equipped for this level of education, him not caring, and him being practically close to illiterate.

One day, an assistant coach under a big famous one comes to have a talk with me about said student. "X is failing your section but he needs a 'C' to stay on the team" and I reply that "X" can't read and what if he doesn't make it into the major leagues? WORSE... he does make it and he can't read the contracts presented to him by an agent, let alone a sports franchise! How is a fake passing grade going to help him? Passing him helps no one but the sports program!

I complained to my advisor who advised me that I might be better served getting my advanced degree in English in the homeland of the language... so off to the UK I go, forever changed by my first-hand eye witnessing of and participation in the rise of punk rock.
True story.

UCLA, you and your star-f*ckery made me the obnoxious, literate hard-ass I am today.
Thanks?

________________________________________

From: Hugh Surratt
Subject: Ray Bradbury--A Recollection

1979.

Preface:

Having all recently lost our jobs at record labels, some friends and I had decided to manage bands in LA.

One of the bands was a SoCal country-rock outfit called Blue Steel. Their leader was a very talented guitarist named Richard Bowden, who grew up with Don Henley in Linden TX. Because of that friendship, Blue Steel opened for the Eagles' "Long Run" Tour that year. I spent three months out there on that tour (which is a whole other story--have you seen Almost Famous?).

The thing about artist management is that if your clients don't make money, there ain't no dough.

Ours didn't, and there wasn't.

Story:

Anyway, when I got off the road, I was flat broke. So one of my partners and I decided to take the Eagles' Tour Manager, Tom Nixon, up on his offer to paint his house.

Yeah, that was j-u-s-t a little humiliating!

So, one day we're out deep in The Valley, smokin' reefers and climbing ladders with buckets of paint, and Tom's wife comes out and tells us that her dad is coming by to float in the pool for the afternoon: "So be cool and stash the joints, guys."

An hour later, here comes a guy around into the backyard with his bathing suit in hand.

It's fucking Ray Bradbury!

Turns out Tom's wife Susan is Ray's daughter!

I did one of those Looney Tunes' Triple takes.

Ha-min-ah-ha-min-ah-ha-min-ah.

I certainly gave him his space, but yeah, I spent about a half hour talking to him. Me on the side of the pool, and Ray floating around on air mattress in his swimmin' trunks.

Of course, I couldn't resist telling him what a fan I was of the EC Comics' adaptations of his stories--and he told me the famous story (at least amongst us old comics fans) about how that all happened--in a friendly and humorous fashion, I might add. Embarrassingly, it was the first time I'd ever heard that story.

Oh yeah, he had arrived in a taxi--Bradbury told me he NEVER drove a car. And if I recall correctly, he said he didn't fly unless it was absolutely necessary.

Mr Martian Chronicles didn't drive or fly!

A very funny and really quite engaging gentleman.

RIP.

________________________________________

From: Robin Millar
Subject: RE: Sales

V happy with your sales review this week....but may I make one er
clarification re Adele?

The phrase "The game here is..."

Not Adele's game. She's not playing. The whole Sony team have privately admitted that if Adele had agreed to play even 5% of the super-saturation flesh pressing coast to coast jamboree they had planned for her debut album the hunger when 21 broke through would not have been there.

She just refused to play the game. She's a singer and songwriter who HAS to sing to cathartise her over-felt emotions. She writes as a reaction to catastrophe and it's that truth everyone hears and buys into. And your comment about Jack white having no great songs? You are right and Adele's manager was brave and told her that after the first record and adele was sussed enough to listen and go and collaborate with great people and up the anti and come up with a devastating collection of music for 21 where all the raw power and emotion came from her and the objectivity to translate this into how others would react came from the other pro in the room.

Adele does not play the game. She never will. I'm sure your comment was aimed at the label, the product managers, her management and so on....but if we are thinking Adele is going to spend time worrying about her release strategy? Naah


All the best

Robin

________________________________________

Bob..

if you wish to print this, please don't use my name (or label)...you'll understand...a lot of people have no idea....

4/22/09 I cut my wrists.....big ol' gaping hole in my left wrist you could have placed a golf ball in....for some reason, I didn't die...kept waking up and cutting deeper....actually woke up the next day (after a bottle of sleeping pills and a lot of blood) feeling quite refreshed..drove myself to the ER...

go figure

I can't speak for Bob, of course,....i can only speak for myself but no one could have helped or stopped me..it wasn't a cry for help..i was tired and wanted to go...I didn't want to be saved....

my suicide note was a list of assets, debts, and an apology to my parents,,,,not a whining list of "poor-me's"

I placed my severely cut wrist in a box of rags so my landlord wouldn't have a mess to clean up, wrapped the other in an old sweatshirt, and watched 'The Fifth Element" hoping to go to sleep and not wake up..love that movie...

having failed, I learned just how many people I would have really hurt but..to be honest...at that moment...I'm not sure i would have cared if I HAD known...really known.....one of the reasons I was so tired was living for other people..being THEIR rock......I think it might have made me cut the darned hand off...

so..I have read and re-read your letter and there is a part of me that understands but...I was tired...I was alone..so.who was it REALLY hurting.....having moved 6 times in 8 years while at _______, I already knew that people forget you and go on with their own lives...you don't have as many friends as you think...just acquaintances...

so...to address your points...I didn't want help..it was there....I didn't want it...was I less than macho by quitting?...to be honest, never crossed my mind...I was TIRED....it turns out that being tired is part of depression but at the time I didn't care and just wanted to go to sleep....and not wake up..

I'm starting to ramble and I'm sorry for that but..you have been so wonderful with your emails....filling me with musical happiness with your links and playlists...and info I never would have known otherwise..I hope I answered at least one of your questions...

as it turns out, Bi-Polar, PTSD, and a few other things...plus a mother ...ahh..my mother...
hahahahahahaha

____

From: Bob Lefsetz
To: _________

Wow, what a story, so how are you now?
____

From: _________

well

thanks to meds and my 4th shrink, I am very very well..surprisingly happy...and..believe it or not..in a stable relationship...and working

I hope I helped you if only a little

________________________________________

From: Mike Lawson
Subject: Re: Bob Welch

Wendy Welch was very grateful for your posting. She asked me to convey some of these thoughts with her gratitude. She wants everyone to know that Bob had the professional help he needed, and most importantly, he had her, with whom he shared an epic love affair. They were rarely apart from each other. I've known them all but the first three years they were married. Bob had Wendy, they were inseparable, it was an epic soulmate love many people will never experience.

Bob was in a lot of pain. He had a titanium plate put in his neck three months ago because he was in so much pain, the surgery was supposed to fix it, it made it worse. He had a spinal chord injury. He also had an A-Fib heat condition, which he got treatment for at the Mayo clinic a few years ago from, and was constantly worried he would have a stroke, end up an invalid like his father, the late film producer Robert Welch (he did those Pale Face movies for Bob Hope, among others), who had to be cared for by his mother. He said he couldn't put Wendy through that. He didn't want to slide down hill, was having trouble doing simple things, and between the pain and the depression it creates and/or amplifies, I guess he did what he thought he had to do.

Chronic pain is a horrific situation. Post-surgical pain is really hard on people, especially as we get older, and its especially hard when that surgery was supposed to stop the pain. I know this, first hand. In Bob's case, the surgery to stop the pain only increased it. He was miserable. We talked about medications, we talked about heating pads, we talked doctors, about soaking in hot baths, all the things that can help. Doctors are scared to treat pain for patients, scared of the DEA, scared of losing their licenses, they'd rather risk a patient be miserable than risk their license, and its because of the pill junkies gaming the system, combined with the crooked doctors who feed them. The innocent suffer who need the help. Bob had been to see the doctor the day before. Obviously, he did't feel like things were going to get better after whatever he learned in that visit. He did not like the idea of a pain management clinic being a next step.

The other side of this is that Bob was a heroin user 30 years ago. It was the hardest thing he ever kicked, and without his wife Wendy, he would not have done so. She was his rock. He was hers. When Wendy was hospitalized a couple of times the past few years, Bob and I had long conversations about him trying to make it without her, or vice versa. I promised I would be there for either when that terrible call comes, but it was still in my mind decades away. I never dreamed the call would be because of this.

Bob did not want to face dealing with the hell that is being in pain management systems, pissing in cups, random pill counts, monthly visits to the pain clinic and pharmacy, being treated like a potential suspect instead of a patient. The fact that eventually they have to up the dosage as the tolerance builds and at some point still be in pain anyway was not appealing. He didn't want to become dependent on pain medications. He wanted the pain to stop, that's all he wanted. He wanted to play his guitar again. Yesterday, Bob finally stopped the pain. I am comforted only by the fact that he is not hurting anymore, even though the price of his pain stopping is such devastatingly painful for his wife, for his family, for his friends, and even his fans to whom his hits became "their song" or held some special meaning in their lives, the way amazing music often does.

Bob, Wendy and I are/were close, and we talked many times a week, nearly every week. Over the past few years we started drifting from music business, politics, talking guitars, computers, recording, guffawing at the latest Lefsetz rant (which were frequent, believe me), to what doctors we were seeing, what medications we were on. I guess that comes with getting older. Several months ago, I tried to get him recording in his home studio again. He was a musical wizard, a mad-scientist, in that little home studio, using now-dated digital recording tools to achieve amazing results. What he could do with digital "stone axes and animal bones" compared to more modern recording tools, was out of this world. I had an extra Mac Pro and a couple of LCDs, and a MOTU 828 interface, that I gave to him, because the fan part of me wanted to see what wonders Bob could created with modern digital recording tools like Logic, on a super-fast Mac. He managed to set it all up, but he never got to use it much, Bob. He couldn't sit at the computer, use a mouse, or anything because of the pain. He had trouble making a chord on a guitar in the past few months. Imagine having the ability to feed your very life-giving muse slowly snatched away from you in a painful cruel fashion.

For the record, Bob was clean and sober, wasn't taking any strong medications, his actions were not the result of side effects of something. He was not a heavy drinker, or abuser of anything since getting clean from smack so long ago. Ultimately, he did this because he didn't want Wendy to suffer the long term care of a man fading in his senior years, he was hurting terribly, and he couldn't make music now. He did this, he said, because he loved her. As hard as that is for me to understand, and certainly even harder for her to understand, he did this tragic thing out of love. It wasn't anger, it wasn't depression (though his condition was depressing), he did this out of love. He detailed these thoughts in what he left behind in his notes. The exact words are to remain private, but this is the basic message.

His last words to me, late in the evening on June 5th as we hung up the phone, "I love you, Mike." Please remember Bob for the amazing music he left us, not for the way he left.

Thank you for your tribute to Bob Welch. You were a Bob Welch fan, but Bob Welch was also a bona fide Bob Lefsetz fan.

Mike Lawson


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