Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Party

So I'm telling Don Was how good the Stones album is.

No, actually that's untrue. I was talking to Jerry and Sue. Who I know from the Palisades. They were fish out of water, they're social friends of Barnett, they wanted to know...WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE?

So I introduce them to Don Passman, who comes walking by. I tell them he literally wrote the book. I expected that to get a laugh, but it was a noisy party and Don needed to move on and...

I was anxious. I don't want to judge any of these people, like Joni Mitchell, but I always wonder where my place is in these assemblages. Everybody seems to know everybody, everybody is having a good time, how do I navigate, how long before I can leave?

But then Mr. Was shows up.

Actually, Mr. Fagenson. He's only half a year older than me. There's a nexus between two Jews, although he's so much cooler than I am. And I didn't check whether he was wearing his flip-flops, but that's his trademark, even in Toronto in the middle of March, where I first met him. Don is Don 24/7.

And he also produced one of the greatest records of all time.

Yes, he works with the Stones. Yes, he cut Bonnie Raitt's comeback/breakthrough album "Nick Of Time," but the one after that...

"Luck Of The Draw" is one of the great albums ever. Bonnie's one of the few who ever hit a second peak. "Give It Up" is classic, she didn't come close again, and then nearly twenty years later she superseded her prior career, WHEW!

One part be my lover.

One part go away.

I was married to that person. She didn't want to be with me, but she didn't want to get divorced.

And just as good is the title cut.

"These things we do to keep the flame burnin'
And write our fire in the sky"

We're all trying to write our fire in the sky, that's why we move to Los Angeles. Most fail. But those who succeed become icons.

And those who survive in this business deserve respect, like Don Was. Most people can't work anymore, that's the dirty little secret.

So we're talking Stones. Don's telling me how they made the new record. How everybody knew they were on to something but no one wanted to say anything, afraid it would kill the magic.

And I'm worried about Jerry and Sue. They didn't know how long to stand there waiting for me to re-engage them. I introduced them to Don, but this ended up being a one on one conversation, and Mr. Was was not jonesing to move on.

Which Jerry and Sue eventually did.

And we're talking Gregory Porter, and I'm about to go deep on some songwriting theory and...

I feel a presence over my shoulder, someone's being ushered up to Don, to be introduced. An old guy with white hair.

It's Bob Seger.

Now let me tell you, this was not a star-studded affair. Eventually I saw Nancy Wilson, but this was a business party. Old execs, wannabes...

But now it's Bob Seger. Who's got those slightly crooked buck teeth and he's inches away and he's getting into it with Don and I'm standing there thinking...

How long is this gonna last?

And at what point can I enter the conversation?

Now I'd been introduced. But needless to say, keeping his music off Spotify, Seger's got no idea who I am. Which I can handle. But suddenly I'm Jerry and Sue... How long do I stand here until I move on?

I know the rules, I can't let on that I'm a fan. Maybe I'll tell him how good he was at the Frey memorial, that was an invitation-only affair.

But then Bob starts talking about his new album, cut in Nashville, a tribute to Glenn Frey!

And Don asks him who's playing on it and Seger says "Kenny Greenberg," and I know Kenny and can talk this game but...

Should I stay or should I go?

One thing I know for sure, if I go there won't be trouble. I won't be missed. But I was in a genuine conversation with Don that might be picked up, can I fight my inner dialogue and stand my ground?

But then the photographer shows up.

No way I'm gonna be in this picture. I'm the opposite of a glommer-on. If you ask me, maybe...

But after the first pic Don puts his arm around my shoulder, the three of us get photographed, my bona fides have been established as Bob goes on and then...

Ryan Adams pops up between us.

And I'm stunned how young Ryan appears up close and personal. He's veritably cherubic, he's fresh-faced, and he then says...

NOW I'VE FOUND THE PARTY!

And that's when it occurred to me, Bob Seger was just like me, but even worse. He was all alone, and when he found the one person he knew and respected, also from Detroit, there was no way he was gonna let go.

And now the three of them are talking and my spilkes is driving me crazy. I don't want to appear a hanger-on, so I tell Don I'm gonna make my exit.

And I do.

THE AFTERMATH

It was a cornucopia of players. I'm talking about those who work the phone, not those who pluck the strings. Then again, isn't that the problem, that too few of today's artists know how to play?

So, I spoke with Jeff Jones, of Beatles, Inc., who told me the Ron Howard film grossed twelve million, that it was a success. You should view it, you'll get goosebumps when you see the Fab Four way back when.

And after consorting with Irving and Lucian and Peter Paterno, I noticed the oldsters over my shoulder... Bhaskar Menon, Don Zimmermann, Rupert Perry...

But by this time I was engaged in conversation with John Sykes. Who was telling me about arranging a meeting between Leon Russell and Eric Clapton decades after they'd last played together.

And now I was in the groove, I felt comfortable, people wanted to talk to me, but I had no idea how long to engage, I was worried I was committing faux pas, not paying enough attention... Is saying hi enough? Is shaking hands enough?

I became engaged in a long conversation with Dan Wilson and his wife about the state of the arts today, as well as the state of the country, and then I realized it was nearly ten and my mission was complete. The hitters were gone, all that was left were the wannabes.

And at one time or another we're all wannabes. But then we move to Los Angeles, a place where where you went to college is irrelevant, as is your parentage, unless it's Hollywood royalty. We all begin at the same starting line. The gun goes off and we network and go down blind alleys and if we become skilled enough, we last.

And then time moves on and we're plowed under and replaced.

I was talking with Hale Milgrim. I told him I remembered when he presided over the 50th anniversary, with the multi-CD set and the book and...

I didn't want to tell Bob Seger that it was no longer the way it used to be, that albums were passe. But if he could record one great track, another "Night Moves," maybe even a "Still The Same," we were all ears. But the truth is most oldsters can no longer hit the mark. But they remember....

When being a musician was the highest calling in America. Screw being President, you wanted to play, you had influence and money and sex and... You were a king!

But you had to figure out a way to make it happen.

Once upon a time Glenn Frey was managed by Punch, that's what Seger said.

But Glenn had to wait until he found Irving before he could become a superstar.

You need to be in the room where it happens.

Tonight I was.

And those Hollywood nights, in those Hollywood hills, above all the lights, it was giving me chills.


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