Mailbag-Christopher Cross+

Subject: from Christopher Cross

Bob,

Thank you for the kind words recently in your column. I'm a big fan, so it meant a lot to me coming from you, in particular the comparison to Carl, my vocal mentor and dear friend.

You navigate the paradigm shift in our business through a nice combination of reality and artistic conscience. For artists like me from an earlier era your insights are helpful.

I know Rob Meurer has been in touch with you, and over all these years, while relatively unnoticed, Rob and I have strived to continue to grow as writers and to make quality albums. I have a new one, Secret Ladder, coming out Sept 12th.

Thanks again for the mention and validation.

Christopher

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Hi, Bob --

What a lovely surprise to see your piece on Christopher Cross and all those records I played on with my friend I'd known since we were 17. Although I wish I didn't need to, I must correct one fact in your primer.

The piano solo in "Sailing" was played by our producer Michael Omartian. It is a timeless and iconic performance that I have duplicated in concert with Christopher countless hundreds of times and that I would love to take credit for. I was also on the track, but on electric keyboards. We had a long-standing band (named Christopher Cross) which essentially made that sound that was the first album, but there is no question that Omartian came in and put on the crowning touches, such as this solo and the glorious string arrangement on the same song.

Thanks for acknowledging Chris, and do check out his about-to-be-released album SECRET LADDER. No old-guy laurel-resting going on here. Of course, I'm a bit prejudiced since I wrote ten of the songs with Christopher.

Ever onward!
Rob Meurer

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I played with Christopher for a few years, and we're still friends.

You're right, he's a bad ass, I used to sit at the stage side in the middle of the set when he would go out and do a few songs by himself, (and then I would go out and sit with him and do a duo on guitar with him for a few more songs), and I would turn to anybody next to me and say "if you saw somebody doing this these days in like Genghis or something like that, your head would explode!". He can really bring it, sitting there by himself with a guitar... A lot of people don't know that he came up shedding with Eric Johnson at Eric's apartment back in the day… he can actually play.


Wade Biery

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He should also be remembered for beating Pink Floyd "The Wall" for the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1981. The band couldn't attend and I was asked to go to New York for the ceremony (that was back when they used to alternate coasts). Everyone around them said it was pretty well a lock. I mean, look at the competition….Hell, I even bought a tux! And then they announced the winner and there I was - all dressed up with nowhere to go. At least James Guthrie won for engineering. As for me: I was so disillusioned that I left the business and retired to a small Lama farm in the wilds of Saskatchewan where there is a forlorn and dusty spot on my mantle where the Grammy for Album of the Year 1981 ought to have been.

Love

Bob Ezrin

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A little known fact except to guitar geeks is that Christopher Cross was the former owner of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Number One Fender Stratocaster.

Michael Hoffman?
Orinda, CA

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Pretty good segment about him on Sunday Morning this past week. Lots of stuff a young guy like me (34) couldn't possibly remember even though I definitely was entranced by the music when I was a kid.

CBS Sunday Morning: http://youtu.be/aeEe9W8wayw

Jeremy C.

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Also worth mentioning is how hard Chris wanted HIS dream to come true (Warner bros being his 1st choice). The back story to all those hits? He was turned down 5 times, always with positive encouragement and an invitation to keep knocking on the door by WB 4 or 5 times. He collected nearly 30 rejection slips from the majors and big Indies. He persevered and kept improving. The payoff was a magical debut record. Btw besides being a great guy he's another underrated Texas guitar player, he can play his ass off. Surprised he didn't make the transition into modern country. The man has talent.

Ricky Schultz

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Another of Cross' unknown / forgotten pop masterpieces was the title track from the movie "Nothing In Common."

Robert Paris

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People look at me cross-eyed when I tell them that "The Flamingo Album" this is still one of my favorite albums of all time. Then I play Ride Like The Wind for them on a great pair of speakers and they get it. There are drums on this song that I promise you've never heard if you've only listened to an MP3 through earbuds. My only complaint about this album is that there are only 9 songs, and it's only 38 minutes long...

Michael Betterton
Morris Higham Management
Dale Morris & Associates

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Hi Bob,

I'll never forget it...April 25, 1980. Eight high school girls from the San Gabriel Valley drove over to the Roxy to see Christopher Cross. In the car, we all eagerly discussed if he would look like Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins or Dan Fogelberg. This was back in the day when the Roxy had tables right at the stage and we snagged a great one right at center stage. We were all exploding with anticipation! Imagine our seventeen-year-old reaction to Christopher Cross walking out onstage! We all kept our composure, but gave each other looks of, "What?!" He was right in front of us and we had all been playing that first album 24/7. Within a matter of minutes, the shock wore off and that voice took us all to heaven and back. It is one of my favorite Roxy shows of all time (and I have seen many there). Just had to share! Thanks for the primer and the reminder!

Much Peace,
Deb Sparks in Azusa

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Don't forget his first album had a stunning array of guitar players on it.—"Minstrel Gigolo" was the first time I heard Eric Johnson, and that guitar sound and technique sound stopped me dead in my tracks; I became an Eric Johnson fan immediately, way before "Cliffs of Dover."

In fact, the credits on the album are astounding for what was an unknown artist primarily known for having the best cover bar band in Austen. It was like recording an album with Steely Dan's band: Larry Carlton and Jay Graydon on guitar, Lenny Castro on percussion, Chuck Findley on trumpet, Larry Horn on sax, and Michael McDonald, Don Henley, JD Souther, Nicolette Larson, Valerie Carter singing harmonies.

Pretty incredible.

Best,

jim

James K. Willcox
Senior Editor/Electronics
Consumer Reports

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Hi Bob,

You left out that Chris' furious outro guitar solo on Ride Like the Wind rivals anything Clapton played on any Live Cream album and it seals the deal for the boys too! A much cooler outlaw song than Desperado...

Kev

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Omartian's career is a thing of wonder. I was engineering for a few days while he was writing the "She Works Hard For The Money" album with Donna Summer. Not too many players reach that level.... I've been to his Nashville house a few times recently and I don't think I've ever seen that much platinum at one time before. Serious chops!!!

Thomas Whitlock

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Giant props on the Wilsonic perception. Carl and I loved to write & record whenever schedules provided (zero career plans - protected our friendship). Just us, up here at my place where he could get away and test SF Italian food joints.

I recall he mentioned we should add Chris to our next go…that plan and many others gave way to Plan C.
Miss him every day…

Scott Mathews

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Nice piece on Christopher, Bob.

I'll tell you one other thing about him. He was the biggest mensch out of anyone I ever opened for.

In 2005, I opened for him to his sold out crowd of 600+ people in New York City.

The first thing he said after my set to his audience was, "How about it for Jon Regen? He was great!"

He didn't know me. He didn't have to give me a shot in the arm. But he did.

It's something I think about still.

Nearly a decade later I ran into him in London (we were sharing an agent at the time). I told him how much his acknowledgement meant to me. He then asked to me support him again!

In the era of the egomaniacs, Christopher Cross is still all talent and class.

Jon Regen

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From: Phil Brown
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Fillmore-The Last Days Primer-Final

Well, I was there for a lot of this. I mastered the set-I was an engineer at Columbia in San Francisco-and before that I was a roadie for, among others, The Sons Of Champlin. I think the set gives you the flavor of the place, right down to acts like Lamb, a frequent opening act. BTW, Lamb was signed to Graham's label so that explains that.
The movie perfectly captures what the Fillmore West-I still call it the Carousel-was about, right down to Bill's explosive temper. The scene with Mike Ferguson of The Charlatans trying to get the band-or what was left of it-onto the bill was classic Graham. All of us experienced Bill's temper at one time or another, frequently over nothing. That was Bill.
I think I'll haul it out and listen to it.
If you want to buy the set make sure it still has the poster, handbill and ticket.

Phil Brown

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From: kim bullard
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Tumbleweed Connection Primer

"The way it goes from slow to fast and back again (a trick Zeppelin also employed so well!)"

he was trying to copy Laura Nyro when writing Mission; the tempo changes, etc. Funny, huh?

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From: AL KOOPER
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Tumbleweed Connection Primer

I can't believe you didn't mention one of the greatest things about Tumbleweed Connection.
Herbie Flowers !
Who ??????
The Bass player.
Most people don't pay attention to the bass player but this guy played so uniquely and masterfully on this album that he was soon playing on recordings by Lou Reed, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, Cat Stevens and OF COURSE, yours truly. I have NEVER played with a bassist this unique and he made all the tracks he played on soooo much better. He also influenced a handful of bassists in many ways.
But that album was a very NOTICEABLE collection of his genius.
Sorry you missed it.
BTW he also played on Space Odyssey, Walk On The Wild Side, Jump Into The Fire, I Love My Dog, Matthew & Son, New York City (You're A Woman) and my cover of Come Down In Time. Eat a gummy bear and relisten to Tumbleweed Connection and just listen to Herbie.

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From: Phil Hood
Subject: Re: Chopped Teen Tournament

Right on. For the past twenty years, every week someone has sent me a note about some seven year-old drummer who is "going to be famous someday."

It almost never happens. Fame depends on hard hard work. If you're a sideman you have to be great just to get in the game and then the toughest thing is being someone that the bandleader can stand to live with on the bus. The seven-year old and ten-year old phenoms are never actually that good. They aren't Neil Peart. They aren't Jeff Porcaro. Listen closely and their groove isn't that good.

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From: Chris Blackwell
Subject: Re: Tommy Ramone

Gary Kurfirst who never had a word printed about him deserves a lot of credit for his guidance and management of the Ramones amongst others like Mountain, Talking Heads etc etc

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Subject: Re: Income Inequality

Hi Mr. Lefsetz,

I've been reading your email blasts for a few years now, but never wrote until this one. I'm a 40-something working musician in NYC. I make a very modest living playing weddings, corporate events, and, of course, mitzvahs. Much of my work is for the 1%. (I also have my own band which is not the subject of this email to you.)

I live month-to-month with almost no savings due to the ever-increasing cost of living. I'm happy to play music for a living even if the music occasionally blows.

However, and here's the rub, the musicians who do the same job but are a generation older than me all have houses, pensions, health care, etc. The union has become a shadow of what it was, and the money has evaporated. Or rather, it has trickled up. The old-timers marvel at how much richer the rich seem to be these days. A 16 year-old's birthday party with Circ du Soleil, multiple Billboard-topping acts, and $100,000 in flowers is not unusual.

But the guys (and girls) in the house band still get our $350 and no benefits.

Wages are basically the same as they were 20 years ago, and far lower if you factor in cost of living and lack of benefits.

I've started to see it plainly as I play week after week for the rich. We get paid the same if playing at The Plaza or playing a fireman's wedding in Queens. The difference: the richer the client, the more likely we are to not get fed on the gig and to not get tipped. To them we are just the help, same as their maids and drivers. To the firemen, we're the same dudes and we are treated with respect.

I may be getting a bit long in the tooth to sharpen my pitchfork, but when the day comes, I'll sure buy a few for the younger guys.

-Please withhold my name if you should want to circulate this.

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Subject: Re: SXM The Highway

Bob,

I do regular, contract work for Sirius/XM Nashville, home base for The Highway. I wanted to take a minute to tell you a bit more about the heroes behind this community.

Firstly, John Marks, the program director of which you spoke, and the figurehead behind the recent press the station has seen. John deserves every bit of credit that he has been given. Even I, as a freelance audio engineer, am treated with extreme respect and general interest by John, and, so much more so, are the new artist that he is finding. He creates a personal relationship with each one; he roots for them. He has created a unique community for artist/radio as well as audience/radio. The gratitude these artists have for him, for the station, is that of a real friendship, of something they believe in and rely on. He approaches his tasks delicately and with personal investment, and it shows in any interaction you have with him.

Beyond John, however, are several other crucial figures. Morning show host, Storme Warren, maintains personal relationships with many artists of The Highway, as well as many fans, that go beyond the scope of his air time. Daily, I watch him take extended phone calls--he takes his own, unscreened phone calls--which he quickly knows are unairable by nature of their conversational content. But he allows fans, many of whom he knows by voice recognition, to speak with him at length, like old friends shooting the s**t. He can tell you as much about the lives of some of these long-time fans as he can about the lives of the artists he knows. He's also gone sky diving with Brett Eldridge as a completion of a dare they made to commemorate his number one single, had a parody song written about him by Lady Antebellum, and arranged for Dierks Bentley to visit his diehard fan intern at the studio before her internship term ran out.

And perhaps the most unsung hero of the station is channel director Joyce Rizer, who helps to manage the social media and the many live-audience-attended events that the Highway puts on. Most citizens of Nashville would be surprised to know that Sirius/XM has a Nashville branch, despite the 60+ free, live events we do in our performance theatre. And that's because it isn't for them, it's for the fans. I've seen people drive hundreds of miles to attend these private, intimate shows, and they are able to do so because Joyce and the Highway crew have the fans of the channel in mind with every event, giving away tickets to those who truly want to go, not just to those who live closest. It's difficult to compare that aspect of the station to other radio entities, because so few others have a comparable reach. So, I will just leave it at, I have seen people from everywhere from New York to Wyoming to Wisconsin in attendance at these shows, yet most of my local peers have no idea that the
branch is there at all.

There are many other influential figures in this story: host Buzz Brainard, who has an unparalleled passion and excitement for music and who has put out an open invitation to fans to swarm his studio during his Friday broadcast, The Music Row Happy Hour; Brittany Goudie, Storme's co-host, who is regularly expanding the shows personal touch--check out their adopt a school initiative for this season's high school football season; and my boss, chief engineer Jonathan Burtner, who would treat every live recording we do on site like the Beatles at Abbey Road, if he could.

I appreciate the words you've said about my peers, and I know that for the foreseeable future, they will continue to strive to impress. It's a common goal, shared by a genuine team, all of whom follow the cornerstone principle that the audience is king. Everyone here is tuned into them, and the power of the station comes from this group of earnest listeners.

All the best to you, Bob.

Aaron Dethrage


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