Mailbag

Re: Shark Tank Rules

Thanks for the nod Bob, been reading your letter for years. I'm a big fan and appreciate the candor of your writing (we need more of that these days).

Lucky for us Mark Burnett took out the equity clause in Season 4 (he got a ton of flack for it on Inc, Entreprenuer, etc and caved - you can find some of the scathing articles online) so we didn't have to give up anything to be on the show.

I think it all comes down to what you always talk about...passion. Making people feel something. For the artists that can make their fans feel moved, or changed in some way, that fan desires a deeper engagement. Hell I'm that way with Jimmy Buffett. Been a superfan for over a decade and still haven't found something I won't consume of his... Right down to his first live Internet performance for Maragartiaville TV a few weeks ago. I like to think we have a bit of that in all of us... Even if it's being a fan of a pastrami sandwich and movie screening on your birthday! :)

Take care,
Kim

Kim Kaupe
Co-Founder, ZinePak

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Re: Ezrin

Bob, I can stomach the people dissing Bob Ezrin for telling the truth, and will try to keep down my breakfast reading the predictable (and predictably full of shit) comeback "Old people always feel that way about younger people's music", but I have to respond to people using Alice Cooper as an example to challenge Bob's credibility. "I'm Eighteen" is one of the greatest expressions of teen angst ever recorded. "....Lines form on my face and hands, lines form to the left and right, l'm in the middle without any plans, I'm a boy and I'm a man..." "I've got a baby's brain and an old man's heart..." Alice's treatment of "Hello Hooray" (previously by Judy Collins!) is stunningly good. "School's Out", with the creepy Children of the Corn kids singing along? "We can't even think of a word that rhymes..."

Keep proudly displaying your ignorance, jackasses. Much better than learning how to write and play.

Berton Averre

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Re: Ezrin

Bob still leaves his imprint. Take a listen to Wingsuit on the most recent Phish album. Genius.

Ron Sawchuck

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Re: Ezrin

I'm not sure I agree with my son (josh) but I applaud and respect his passion.
As a great admirer of Bob Ezrin please get this to him

David Berman

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Re: Ezrin
It seems to me that this revelation should be be exciting to an artist. What's a better environment for someone creating great music, than a world that lacks great music?

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Re: Ezrin

Well, I stopped reading these after several dozen…and methinks Mr. Ezrin protests too much…and yet, the TRUTH of the matter is, there IS a CRISIS of COMPOSING in songwriting today. Everyone is trying so desperately to express themselves in their LYRICS….while putting less than zero time into their music. I will promise not to wax geezer on anyone, if they can only show me today's Lennon/McCartney, or Joni Mitchell, or Paul Simon, or Randy Newman, or Todd Rundgren, etc. These people wrote/write SONGS, with changes, interesting and inventive chord movement, and MELODY. Just show me where their modern corollaries are, and I will be delighted. There should be someone out there today SURPASSING those names, as they surpassed the rock-era songwriters before them. Just sayin'...

Rob Meurer

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Re: Ezrin

Hi Bob,

Visited Vincent Van Gogh's grave in Auvers-Sur-Oise over the weekend. Puts things in perspective. Never sold a painting in his life even though his brother was in the business (art dealer). In 1987, around 100 years after he died broke, his Irises painting sold for over $100 million. We all seem to agree on one thing, that this music we love is art and made by artists, and if that is the case, I would suspect that posterity will have the last laugh on all of us.

From Paris,
Elliott Murphy

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Re: Ezrin

Bob,

I just finished teaching a class of 19 to 21-year-olds at the University of Warsaw in Poland. I asked them each to write down the music they like best. I got "swing" and "doo-wop", Blur and a few rappers (Jay-Z, of course), but predominantly The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Rolling Stones, ELP, James Brown, Queen, etc.

I asked them, "Why do you listen to so many artists from the 60s and 70s?" About 4 of them replied at once, "Because it was more creative then. You don't really have that now." None of them listen to the radio, BTW.

Youth speaks..........

Robert Bond

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Re: Ezrin

Old money trumps the nouveau riche and their bling every time.


Billy Chapin

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Re: Ezrin

I am not a Musician but only a Fan of great Music, Musicians, Bands and Producers! Two of my favorite Bands are produced by Bob Ezrin as well ! The Bands are: AIR SUPPLY, their Self Titled Album in 1985 and CHRISTIAN KANE's "The House Rules" renamed WELCOME TO MY HOUSE (Put out in 2012 and then again in 2014!! (This is only my opinion)!!

You made my days so much brighter, producing both: AIR SUPPLY and CHRISTIAN KANE, Mr. Ezrin!! I, for one am a big Fan of Yours, Mr Ezrin!!

Jane Elizabeth Hames

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Re-Ezrin

Bob - sorry but I have to disagree with Bob Ezrin. I dunno what the scene is in the USA but it can't be much different from here in the UK where the gatekeepers decide who gets heard and who doesn't. There are just as many concerned, socially aware songwriters out there but it's not in the interests of the industry to stir the pot and make enemies who can influence the bottom line when the end of year accounts roll around. A select few have managed it but they're mostly pre-1990s, anyone who's become popular since then mostly writes the same sad drivel that Ezrin so succinctly highlights. So please, give the artists a break. There are still message driven writers and singers out there, they just don't get heard above the clamour and it's the labels that censor the output down to the same anodyne crap that they think sells safely. What we really need is some labels with the balls to stand up to the man. Unfortunately when some wealthy artists become the 'man' that's increasingly
difficult.

Tony Gilmore

PS I declare an interest in that my daughter is about to release her 15th album the majority self-penned and has to fight hard to get any airtime at all so I've watched the decline of music with immense frustration for her struggle. Amazingly she continues despite the knock backs because it's what she loves. Her name is Thea Gilmore, perhaps you've heard of her - no thought not!

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Re: Ezrin

It has nothing to do with getting old. I'm 25 and I see it too.

Sure the rolling stones sung "I can't get no satisfaction" a hedonstic anthem but it was honest and innovative and powerful.

I don't see fuck all emotion or honesty or innovation in the majority of new (widely popular) music.

There are lots of exceptions like Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Mac Demarco, tame impala, sticky fingers, ben Howard.

But the majority of talented musicians are just too vain to really step outside the box, take risks and add their own personality to music.

Musicians seem to have an ulterior motives when writing. Everyone wants a music career and wants to get paid. But music isn't a product or service..its sacred..and just because you know how to play your instrument and put in the years and produced a professional quality album doesn't mean anyone's wants to fucking listen to your shit. I've had a few musician friends who've moaned to me about how they're professionally produced EP just isn't taking off even though they've done all the 'right things' and they seem confused that they aren't rockstars yet.

I really want to say hey maybe your music isn't actually that fucking fun to listen to because all the character has been sucked out of it while you and your record label have been devising your rise to the top of the music industry with your finely calculated set of songs.

I wasn't alive in the 80's but that seemed like a fucking shitty time for music too.

Ben Carter

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Re: Ezrin

Hi Bob,

I wasn't going to tell this story but if you think it's worth printing go ahead.

Once upon a time there was a bunch of people going to college at Harvard who started what became known as the Harvard COOP. That was short for cooperative. It sold food, books and records among other things. The people there worked basically for free seeing their labor as a payback to help the people in the neighborhood who were not as fortunate as them. All profit was plowed back into the cooperative. A few years later in 1969/1970 at the State University of New York at Buffalo, myself with a few friends, did the same thing but just for music. We started the UB Record Coop because we all felt that since music was an integral part of our lives and soul that it should be made available at the lowest price possible. Two years later we were able to help start similar coops throughout the SUNY system.

The Buffalo Record Coop was so successful that the local record store sued the SUNY system for allowing the Coop to exist. The local record store lost! In fact, that lawsuit went all the way up to the NY Courts of Appeals and established for the entire SUNY system that retail type stores both profit and non-profit, can operate on SUNY campuses and compete with local merchants even if they don't pay rent, payroll (give students credit or even nothing, volunteer), etc.

In those days, there was a real effort to meet all the necessities of life with the least amount of money as possible. That's right, it was the basic hippie philosophy and you know what? It felt real good.

Why doesn't Jay-Z and all the other artists who have made it, fund a non-profit streaming service that includes limiting the operating c-level executives' salaries and all profits get plowed back in to the non-profit to increase payments to the music creators. And why not clearly publish on the web site exactly how the royalties are computed along with every ones' salaries?

I know why, because that would be like we trying to be back in the hippie days. Maybe not such a bad idea.

Best,
David

David E. Parker, Business Affairs
Amherst Records / Harlem Music (BMI) / Halwill Music (ASCAP)

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Re: Ezrin

Hi Bob,

Sorry I am late on this.

I totally agree with the two Bobs.

Is there any doubt that the quality of music (melody, harmony and general quality of music) has been on a decline since the era of the Great American songbook (song standards)? I think this is unanimous among musicologists and musician historians who study music, the way environmental scientists study global warming. Song and musical quality has been on a downward slide for the past 50 or 60 years and the slope is a straight line down each decade.

Will people be listening to the hits of today in 1000 years, 100 years, 10 years or even in 1 year? "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" will be still listened to in 1000 years from now.

About 10 years ago I imagined a day when there would be a hit song on the radio with 1 melody note and 1 chord and it just happened last year.. A band was on the MTV music awards playing a hit song that had one vocal melody note and 1 chord in it the whole way through the song. Some hit songs now don't even have one melody note or one chord in them (and no background music) and the beat is all there is. Soon, there will be a hit song with just a noise sound such as glass breaking and there won't even be a rhythm, not to mention a melody or a chord.

There is still good quality music out there but it's underground and on the fringes because the major labels don't want to be music people who educate and inform and create culture. They want to make the most money by not having to worry about the music. It's a lot easier to find 100 so-so artists than find 5 excellent artists. The zillions of people who listen to something go viral, the lowest common denominator are maybe not going to be the easiest people to market to. Those massive numbers of people are not really ready to hear better music, until they get cultured to appreciate quality.

Many major labels don't even have good music people working there. They only have business people trying to make money who know how to get along with others at the label, who have worked their way up at the label or who might even be friends or relatives with someone at the label.

It's like we need an alternative major label universe with cool young artists where the labels are interested in developing a music culture by educating listeners, finding the really good underground talent and thereby creating a culture where a great musical product would be appreciated. In the end, these labels would beat out the inferior major labels by creating a better product that more listeners would support in time. People would then realize the first major labels were impostors. I know from my own music students that they can be educated after many years and learn to appreciate better and better music as they learn to listen to music.

The BBC and CBC do try to culture listeners but they are only scratching the surface and tend to focus on music they think is cool. However, some of the greatest music being produced might not be that cool at first listen to a population with corrupted taste buds.

Just my two cents.

Mike Vancha

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Re: Ezrin

The fastest way to get artists out of the business that don't belong is to demand some money for what they do at lower levels. When someone has to buy talent, usually they start being really scrutinous of what they are purchasing. Yep, you can hone your chops in pay to play places and places that don't have an audience and in empty rooms called practice spaces for rent. Are Imagine Dragons great? Absolutely, they wouldn't have the fans if they didn't have the material to back up what they can do.

There's two tiers of musicians here in this town that I'm from.

Those that get paid.

Those that don't.

Typically, the ones that get paid don't mingle with the ones that don't. It's hard talking to someone who doesn't want to hear the truth, and costs you performance space.

The ones that get paid a living wage do cover band stuff and perform out a couple of times a week up and down the coast, not just in one area. Or they stay at home and record and pitch their music to get played in film. An artist can make a living wage writing instrumentals or playing low tier casinos and larger clubs.

Those that don't get paid are the dreamers, the believers in the old guard, the poo pooers of good and great material. The people that believe that it isn't about the song, it's about being a star and faking it till they make it. Ha! These people don't know that in order to get signed, you have to sell over 50,000 copies on your own (which at that point, why would you sign over 95% of your income, so you can make a pittance of what you were making before?) AND you have to be under 25 AND you have to have enough unreleased material to fill 10 records and each song has to be great AND you have to be willing to do other forms of entertainment. These are also the people that laud vinyl, believe fame is the end game and that being famous will solve their problems for them. Plus, faking it till you make it is a band aid until you actually learn how to do it.

I realize that when you are writing these letters (about fame and bitching about getting paid) you are talking to the idiots, and there are a lot of them in this area where I live. Sometimes, I forget that and write re's to you, like this one.

What's really a shame is the people really being left out of this equation is the audience.

Artists bicker back and forth about whether or not there has to be a ton of money backing a project (so everyone can get paid handsomely) in order for it to be successful.

If something is great, and I mean has potential for the audience to share it and get buzz or word of mouth going on a project, that's ultimately where your success is going to happen.

But artists think it's a total crap shoot. It's a lottery ticket waiting to happen. That being famous is the endgame.

The problem is my peers. I hate calling them that because they aren't interested in the audience, just playing out.

And now we have people saying, 'get out and support local music!' because nobody is playing to the audience anymore, they're playing to and for themselves.

What happened to making sure the audience is entertained?

Rebekah Ann

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Re: Blue bloods/musicians/Ezrin/music today/grumpy geezers (I subtitle)

There's another side of this.

I came up as a musician in the late 70's, playing in bar bands at first, learning my trade, getting the sounds, licks and parts of all the greats. That's all I did for a living. There was enough money playing clubs so that our band could rent a house together and buy enough food, records and weed to not have to have another job. My entire life was music. There was enough money that when my Fender Rhodes and Mini-Korg weren't cutting it anymore, I went to my Mom's credit union and got a loan for almost $8000 to buy an Oberheim 4 Voice and a Yamaha CP-70 (by the way that's $36k in today's money). I paid it off easily with what I was earning back then. Our band's sound went up a notch and we started getting even better paying gigs.

Then I moved to Chicago and became a studio musician doing jingles. More money than I'd ever imagined! Bought keyboards after keyboard and built a studio in my killer apartment. I began to spend all my free time writing, composing, sound designing, whatever. Then the day would come and it would be back to eight hours in the studio making insane money from all the re-use, all while working with the best musicians, engineers, producers, arrangers, composers, etc.

Got tired of making jingles and moved to Los Angeles, where the sessions were even better. Bought a nice house, great car, and built the studio of my dreams. Did hundreds of records. Wrote with all the cool people and got placements in film and TV, with eye-popping royalty checks. Fell in love with songwriting and producing and spent most of my time doing that, honing my skills, working with most of the greats while getting better every day. Started scoring movies. Then as a musical director, I traveled the world, over 30 countries, playing live with legends.

Then the bottom fell out of the music business, but also at the same time for the entire middle class of this country.

No more record budgets. The clubs lost money, bands were required to pay to play, the session scene disappeared as the labels did, artists weren't developed any more, no tour support, film and TV people paying a couple of hundred dollars for licenses to songs, the unions were crushed, the bankers and billionaires thrived. Music was now free and the entire infrastructure was blasted into a thousand pieces.

So let's fast forward and put that same 17 year old here today. Can't make money playing clubs, Can't get a record deal worth a shit, can't do sessions, can't make money from songwriting, no publishing deal, can't tour unless you're a WELL proven act, can't get a loan, can't afford college. Hell, you can't even play WEDDINGS any more, because nobody can afford a band, they all get a DJ, who by the way plays the songs from back when there was a support system for musicians! Oh, and your parents are split and both broke.
Yet all these old farts are having a field day doing the traditional "these kids today" BULLSHIT. I'm tired of it.

Can you imagine that kid today borrowing $36,000 to invest in his craft? Can you imagine him not having to work two other crappy jobs so he can have time to hopefully have time to write for a market that doesn't exist? You get my drift.

Yeah the artists starved in the 60's. But they had an outlet to play in front of people, for at least enough money to survive. That is GONE, no two ways about it.

To my point: no wonder these kids are aiming for the money. No wonder it's all about THEM. They're scared to death. And they grew up with PARENTS who were scared to death. Our parents in the 60's and 70's worked one job and had a nice house, two cars, vacations, insurance, pensions, etc. Well all that is gone. These kids' role models are driving three hours a day to work two jobs and still don't have enough money to send their them to college (not that I think that that's a great idea). And overseas travel? Maybe the most important thing for a kid to see? Out of the question. And all this stress has helped to almost triple the divorce rate, so again, our "lazy" kids get screwed again. Yeah they get iPhones and soccer but what they want is TIME from their parents.
I think some of us have forgotten how good it was for us, and how SHITTY it is for these kids.

All this crap about no talent any more makes me want to puke. All the old whiny, grumpy geezers who don't take even a minute to listen to the amazing stuff that's being created today despite all the hardships and find it convenient and fashionable to bash these "entitled" kids today, rarely do I see a WORD from somebody trying empathize with, let alone even understand them. Put yourself in their places, folk. We had it AWESOME in our time. I don't know where I would have ended up if I had to come up in today's cesspool.
The government, the media and the labels have all figured out how to easily manipulate the masses using the devices that EVERYONE carries around with them. These tools just make it easier for them to cram total garbage down our throats, after all they have to answer to shareholders with a tidy 20% profit each year. How does a McDonalds do that? By cheapening their ingredients. Same with the labels. Don't pay anybody anything, don't develop, don't tour support. But look what's happening to McDonald's now…it's all backfiring. Same with the music industry, the labels are gasping for air.

In my opinion, Streaming will get figured out, it will scale so EVERYBODY is paying in like they do with Netflix, and the artists of the future will reap the benefits finally after a dormant couple of decades.

Again I wouldn't trade places.

And all you grumpy geezers: You won't be able to yell "get off my lawn" anymore, there's no WATER. Think about that. And count your fucking blessings.

CJ Vanston

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Re: Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Bob
Great stuff as always. I'd like to add Jan & Dean to the list of those who belong in the R&RHOF. Granted, Dean couldn't care less. As it is, he keeps his Grammy for best album design art (Pollution, 1971) on his toilet.

I imagine if he accepted an award from the R&RHOF on Jan's behalf he'd use it as a doorstopper.

David Beard

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Subject: RE: Re-Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Bob,

The biggest joke is that the Moody Blues are not in the Rock and Roll HOF. Besides having some major hits, how many bands followed them with a mellotron and flute.

Bob Levatino

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Subject: Re: Re-Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

I'm astonished that in all that mail, no one mentions Jethro Tull! I know I wasn't sitting alone in sold out arenas through much of the 70's, and I don't think I knew anyone who didn't own Aqualung.

Andrew Cohen

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From: BERTON AVERRE
Subject: Re: Bernie Leadon

Bob, it's funny. I'm doing this gig (of all things!) with Jack Tempchin, and we do "Peaceful Easy Feeling" (of course), and I'm thinking, "Man, Bernie Leadon's playing was always right on the money, I love melodic guitarists." So today there's Bernie Leadon chiming in on the lack of melody. Right on the money.

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From: mark linett
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-WABC Top Ten-2/24/65

Bob,

WOW… If only radio and music was like this today. I was 13 in 1965 and AM radio was "it". I listened to WABC, WMCA and WINS constantly, and bought and still have every record on the list.

A few anecdotes .

1.- There was an answer record to "This Diamond Ring"" called "(Gary Don't You Sell) My Diamond Ring" by Wendy Hill done by the same crew that made the hit including Al Kooper. Not a great record but the flipside "Donna" is a great LA girl group record. This is what you did back then. If a record was a hit, there would be a similar sounding followup and perhaps an answer record. Heck there's even one for "Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" BTW you forgot to mention that Leon Russell arranged both records for producer Snuff Garrett.

2- And speaking of novelty records, check out Alan Sherman's great take on "Downtown" ("Crazy Downtown")

7- I made an album with Barry Mann who along with wife Cynthia Weil wrote Lovin Feelin and was at the session. He told me everyone knew it was a smash when they cut it.

The song is over four minutes long, way over what radio would play back then. So Spector just put 3 minutes something on the label……and the rest as they say is history.

The other story is that at the session Bobby Hatfield asked Spector what he should do while waiting since he didn't sing a note until the chorus. Phi''s reply "You can go to the bank!"

No they don't make em like that anymore. Every record on the list is a memory …..Today nothing is.

Mark Linett

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From: chris stein
Subject: Re: (Goldfinger)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ARioGCJww&spfreload=10

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From: Bret Clancy
Subject: U2 can't sell tickets

U2 and Garth Brooks have a lot in common...they booked too many shows. Look at the prices of U2 in Boston on StubHub right now. As low as $35 with thousands for sale.

I can't wait to go to the show for like $18 like Garth.

StubHub:
http://www.stubhub.com/search/doSearch?searchStr=u2&pageNumber=1&resultsPerPage=50&searchMode=event&start=0&rows=50&geo_exp=1

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Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Joni Mitchell Covers

Bob, great list. I'm glad you included Urge For Going, an underrated
classic. But check out this version, which shows you just how far Joni
Mitchell came and how she changed music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLu2-gG68S0

It's from a Canadian TV show, Let's Sing Out, apparently their version of
Hootenanny. Everybody else (the older guy, BTW, Jimmy Driftwood, wrote The
Battle of New Orleans and Tennessee Stud) is earnest in that "Mighty Wind"
style, and then she starts singing.

You can sense that the others immediately recognize she's taking this music
somewhere beyond their vision. It's also revealing to see how fully
developed as an artist she was at that time. Given that it's 1966, that
means she's a year away from going to New York and two years away from
recording an album and she's already making music like this.

Hope you like it.

George Evanko

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Subject: RE: Rhinofy-Joni Mitchell Covers

Hi Bob,

I'd like to add a song to the Joni Mitchell list: "River"

Naturally, I'm partial to the wonderful Linda Ronstadt version on her Christmas album, with a beautiful arrangement by David Campbell, but the version of this classic that surprised me the most happened during an episode of the David Kelley series, "Ally McBeal." Fifteen years ago, Robert Downey, Jr. was having problems in Hollywood, almost unbookable because of his recurring substance abuse issues. Kelley took a chance and hired him to be Ally's new boyfriend, Larry and he delivered big time (until he got arrested again and subsequently fired). During one episode, Downey sat down at the piano and sang "River." As I listened, I was struck by the power of what a great actor can do for a song. Not blessed with an iconic voice, Downey nevertheless brought so much to his performance that he re-invented the song for me. When he sang: "I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad," I believed him to the core - it resonated, maybe because of what I knew about him, but also because his
utter commitment to the lyric reached me. It was later released on a CD of songs from the show. Definitely worth listening.

Best,
John Boylan

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Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Joni Mitchell Covers - how "Urge" ended up on "Hits"

A bit of trivia. When Reprise / Howie Klein went looking for Joni's version of "Urge For Going" to put on the "Hits" collection there was no master tape anywhere.

They had to take it off the vinyl 45 and clean it up digitally.

Marc Ratner
(I was Reprise VP Promotion at the time)

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Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Big Sky Country

Hi,

Chris Whitley had contracted HIV prior to being contracted and recording "Living With The Law."

That was not common knowledge, but he made no secret of it to his extended circle of friends.

Perhaps this information offers a different insight and perspective into the lyrics of his you quote.

Thanks for reminding me of him so unexpectedly.

Balisani


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From: William Perkins
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Anything Goes

"Anything Goes" Also, one of my favorites by Gregg. Alex Hodges and I were able to get him the deal at Epic based on the title track "I'm No Angel" because Bill Bennett told them he could get "Angel" added on 200 AOR's. "Angel" was #9 video at MTV for the year, we had several AOR #1 tracks from this and the follow-up cd and "Angel" went gold. Gregg had a great year and opened for our client Stevie Ray Vaughan at the sheds all summer. A great comeback year for Gregg! And we did get on every AOR except Cincinnati.

"Like the first time walking in the moonlight, the first time you ever touched a rose. The first time in a long time, everything was alright, What happens now nobody knows.....ANYTHING GOES!"

Willie Perkins

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From: budski1313
Subject: Re: Rrhinofy-Anything Goes

The GAB (Gregg Allman Band) were working on demos for Epic to summit to Michael Kaplan. i suggested to Gregg and Danny we do "Anything Goes". Gregg looked at me like I was an idiot and said "name one lyric from that song you remember" I answered with "it's like the first time you ever saw the moonlight, first time you ever touched a rose, first time in a long time everything's alright. what happens next anything goes."

They decided to do the song. Gregg was hesitant to do the song because Clive Davis had rejected the song a few years earlier when ABB were signed to Arista. I told Gregg that "Clive was wrong ! I believed it could be a hit."

Thesong was release as the second song for radio play from the "I'm No Angel" CD, it became a power play on 96 stations through out the country.

I recieved no engineering credits on the CD liner credits other then crew credits.The album and cassette included my additional engineering credit. Willie Perkins adds more insight to the the "I'm No Angel " story in his book "No Saints No Saviors".

P.S. I will have more to talk about in my book. "Journey Of An Enlightened Roadie" lol

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Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Anything Goes

Hi Bob,

Loved that story. It's great to meet your heroes and they're cool. I helped Robert Plant once at the Apple Store in Nashville. He said "All this technology is so new to me...I feel like a Catholic putting on a condom for the first time...should I roll it on this way?...or that way?"

Cracked me up! He had no obligation to joke with me but he did. A totally cool dude. And he waited his turn like everyone else in the store. No "hey I'm Robert Plant"

He is indeed a golden God in my book.

Cheers,

David Bach

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Re: Gregg Allman At The Roxy

As an example of how different things are, I took my younger son Sam who grew up with bands like Matchbox Twenty and only knowing bands with a hit song or two, to see the Allman Brothers at the Beacon a few years ago. Imagine this--he'd never seen a band just play together letting the music flow freely and grow like that. So after one of their extended jams with the music reaching euphoric heights, his mind was completely blown!! It was like showing him a brand new primary color he'd never seen before.

He looked up at me and said, "Dad, that's even better than the songs! Looks like they are having so much fun. If music is fun to play like that why don't all bands do it??"

I explained that back in the day many did, and not just The Dead, but bands like Santana, Big Brother, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Stones, etc. all played an extended jam or two in their sets because that's what music was about.

I also explained that back then musicians were people who really honed their craft and wanted to bring the music itself to new heights. That was what they worked hard on, as opposed to discussing some new hot marketing strategies and how to win awards.

I think the thing that amazed me most was the fact that in his sphere Sam had never experienced anything like this before, and pure music being played at this level.

Paul Rappaport

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Re: Gregg Allman At The Roxy

Hi Bob,

Scott Sharrard here (Gregg's guitarist and musical director), I just want to take a moment to thank you for this great review of our show at The Roxy. You painted what I feel was a very accurate picture of that night and of our man, Gregg Allman, who is still kicking ass and taking names even without his flagship band.

I've had the pleasure of working with Gregg for about 7 years. To say they dont make them like they used to is an understatement. I can tell you first hand from playing many shows, sharing his bus and his home for many tours and rehearsals, and now writing songs together, that Gregg is all about the music. When people ask me what its like to play with him, my usual response is that its like playing every night with Frank Sinatra or Sam Cooke. Gregg has one of those voice that we call a "phonebook" voice, give this cat anything to sing and he can turn it into a song. But of course he has written and made indelible covers of so many great tunes. When you have material like his, and that voice, the gig never, ever gets old.

Of course this is what's missing from most new bands. Being a solo artist myself for many years I know well the struggle with todays cultural climate in regards to music and it's lack of relevance and importance to the public at large. Case in point was all the people yacking through our Roxy set and then bellowing out the hooks to familiar songs, only to return to their phones to film, take pictures and text. Clearly the smart phone won over the album and people are looking for answers through their devices and not from their artists. I think most people are not looking for the cultural zeitgeist from music anymore. People don't seem to look to musicians for the answer, culturally or spiritually as intently as they once did. The distractions and trappings of the quick fix are too tempting. After all, in real music and especially rock and roll, there are always seeds of revolution being planted, which can be uncomfortable at first but ultimately transcendent. When you hear Gregg's
music in this modern context it reminds you of what really matters. Human connection, not digital connectivity. Blood sweat and tears, not virtual thrills.

All that said, all art is cyclical. At some point music will become the message again. I dont know what generation is gonna give us another Allman Brothers Band or Gregg Allman. I'm in my 30's and grew up studying Gregg's music, The Brothers and all their influences. I spent my child hood hanging with people like Buddy Miles, Hubert Sumlin and many local Milwaukee blues masters youve never heard of like Stokes, Willie Higgins and Harvey Scales. And I also spent time hanging and playing with the great Levon Helm who in my estimation is a kind of blood brother and kindred spirit to Gregg's school of rock and roll. What I call real rock and roll, usually involving white men praying at the altar of black music and in the process of reaching for that magic in the blues and soul masters they create that new flavor, rock and roll! These guys have taught me so much, not just from their indelible records but I actually got to hang with these people and make music with them. It's been an
incredible privilege and a joy to know these guys who were part of what will be considered Americas great musical renaissance of the 1960's-70's.

You will be hearing a lot more from Gregg and the band this year. As a life long fan of the Allman Brothers and a great admirer of all the original members I was sad to see them retire. But I can tell you that Gregg is about to open a whole new chapter and he has the fire in his belly and his voice! This lineup of musicians is also an inspiring mix of players and you will be hearing us on a live DVD thats in the pipe line as well as a new studio album that is currently in the works.

Again, thank you so much Bob for coming down to hear us and for writing this heartfelt and entertaining review of the night. We hope to see you at many more shows this year and beyond. I was always told "take care of the music and it will take care of you". I hope not only the musicians but writers like yourself and the real music fans will follow this mantra and continue to protect the music.

Sincerely,

Scott Sharrard
Guitarist/MD The Gregg Allman Band
www.scottsharrard.com

__________________________________________

Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Top Ten-Week Ending September 25, 1965
From: Richard Gottehrer

Bob

The story of Hang on Sloopy is interesting. I first heard the song along with my songwriting partners Bob Feldman and Jerry Goldstein when it was called "My Girl Sloopy" and recorded by the Vibrations. When we recorded it as the Strangeloves we changed it to "Hang".

The track was actually done for the Strangeloves album following "I Want Candy" the song we wrote with Bert Burns and released on his label Bang Records.

Through a series of events we found ourselves on tour in Columbus Ohio where the local back up band was called Rick and The Raiders, (Rick Zehringer/Dehringer). They were very young; Rick had a commercial voice and was a great guitar player so we literally took them off the stage and back to New York; changed their name to the McCoys, (Hatfields and McCoys feud?); adding their voices and Rick's outstanding guitar solo to our track. The same track was used on the Strangeloves album but with our voices...not as good of course but that's what producers do.

There was a "My Girl Sloopy" version by Little Caesar and The Consuls out and moving up the charts but as soon as the McCoys single was released we moved past it and quickly found ourselves at #1. The rapid rise was aided by the promotional skills of Seymour Stein who was soon to become my partner leading us to the founding of Sire and a lifelong friendship. One good thing leads to the next.

I guess the real point is music and the process we all went through then led us somewhere and you're right it wasn't about all about the money. Creating something from nothing was a joy and if you were fortunate enough it might get on the radio and live for a while.

Things are different today and in a sense I might have had something to do with it but as great as things were then, I wouldn't trade today for any of it. The future is bright as long as people keep making music even if just for the fun of it.

Said as I'm sitting in The Orchard Studio on a Friday night mixing what I still call a record.

Richard

__________________________________________

Subject: Re: Kim Fowley

Kim Fowley got a lot of heat for being himself, but my perspective on him
was rather different.

I met him in line at the Roxy in 1975 to see Springsteen, on the Born To
Run tour. He was boastful, arrogant and goddamned funny.

We flip forward to 1988, when, somehow, Eric Lowen and I re-met him at the
Gaslight in Hollywood, when Eric and I were first starting out. I vaguely
recall it being a Trainwreck Ghosts gig, with Roger Prescott (from The
Pop) and Eddie Mu?oz (from the Plimsouls) on board. He was the same
arrogant boastful guy, but he started asking us, "So what are you all
about." So we told him, acoustic duo, stuck in time on purpose, not giving
a shit what anyone thought any more.

Eric got his number and the two started chatting regularly. He would grill
him in that put-you-on-the-spot way, with the most direct, unsettling
questions. like "Why should anyone give a shit about you?," or "Sing me the
song a guy in Texas in his truck is gonna care about." Somehow, we managed
to pass muster.

Kim was the first to ever write about L&N, also in 1988, in an article
where he called us ?the next big Nu-Folk duo, a dubious distinction if
there ever was one. Whether it meant anything was a matter of opinion. We
didn't care. It was encouragement, it was press, and it was Kim.

In 1993 or 1994 he asked Eric and me to participate in a panel at SXSW,
called "Surviving the Nuclear Nineties." He didn't tell us what he wanted
us to do, but on the spot, asked us to get up an sing a medley of our best
songs. We didn't have one, so we made one up on the fly. He asked the
whole group, "Who here is an artist?", and some hands went up. He picked
one woman and said, "Sing me your best song." She said, "I don't have an
instrument." He said "I don't care. Do it. Now." And she did, a cappella.

Then he said, "Who here is an attorney." A couple of hands went up, and he
MADE the girl go trade contacts with one of the attorneys, right there,
not later, on the spot. Carpe demo, motherfucker.

Now I had heard horror stories from Michael Steele of the Bangles (when
she and I worked at Tower Records Westwood, many many years before Bangles
or Benatar). She had been the first bass player in The Runaways still
had scars from Kim harsh bluntness at that time, and maybe
even worse stuff I don't know about. And I don't doubt that she was
accurate in her assessment. But he was never an asshole with us. Blunt,
yes; asshole, no.

He and Eric kept in better touch than I did, and Eric visited him in New
Orleans around 2000 or so. But Christmastime 2013, after his illness
became public, I finally wrote him a note to say, basically, "Thanks for
all that, way back then." He wrote me a short sweet note back saying,
"Thank you man. Be Happy and Be Brave. KF."

I ended my note by saying, "You're a great guy, that's how I remember you,
and will always remember you. It's OK. I won't tell anyone.˛ I guess I
lied.

RIP Kim Fowley.

dn

__________________________________________

Subject: superbowl/homogeneity

When I was a kid in the sixties there was a complete schism/split between sports and hipness. One was either a Hippy or a Jock. There were no gradations. If one was a Hippy type they dabbled in music, smoked weed and had no interest in sports. I usually credit the beginning of homogeneity in youth culture with the advent of skateboarding which created a bridge between sport related sub groups and rock and roll subgroups.

I recently saw a really great interview with William Gibson (the guy who pretty much of invented the idea of cyberspace) on Wired. At least read this page of it:
http://www.wired.com/2012/09/william-gibson-part-2-twitter/all/
In it he says "When I find myself… being nostalgic… I check my pulse for conservatism."

Maybe nostalgia is an aspect of "Get off my lawn."

What I do miss that's gone from the cultural dialog is the discussion of conformity. It used to be a hot topic and everyone spent a lot of time and lip service on what it meant to them.

We are at a place where all media is the same entertainment. Sports, music, advertising is a mashup, the way all the big cities of the west are kind of the same.

Maybe some things are better off being on their own and special. For me the only successful marriage of music and 'sports' is what goes on in professional wrestling but what do I know?

Thanks Bob, my wife said "Missy Elliot won the Superbowl." I didn't watch any of it.

Chris Stein

__________________________________________

Re: The passing of Lou Maglia

Bob, I don't know if you knew Lou Maglia or not but to many of us in the music biz, he was the guy. He was my boss when I was a running the Elektra Records PR dept. back in the mid-80s. One day Lou called me into his office and asked me to close the door. He handed me my expense form from the week before. It was for $51 and change. Lou said, "Dassinger I spend this kind of money going to lunch. This is embarrassing."
I explained to Lou that I don't hold much regard for the wine-and-dine part of doing PR.
Lou laughed and shook his head saying,"Here is what you are gonna do. Take your wife to dinner once a week. Take David Hinckley at the Daily News to lunch and your friends at MTV. Take Ben Orr to lunch - just spend money. OK? I want to see your expenses double - triple.Lou added, "Speaking of lunch, let's go out for lunch right now and we'll stop at OTB on the way."
Lou you will be missed and I know everyone who worked with him at Elektra, Island Records feel the same.

George Dassinger


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