Everyday People

https://bit.ly/2Yqrova

1

There's a joy in playing music.

We were inspired to buy electric guitars after seeing the Beatles on "Ed Sullivan," but we'd been struggling with acoustics for a long time before that.

In an era where music was not plentiful, just a click away, you had to make your own.

A piano was a status symbol in the house. And certainly in Jewish families, you had to take lessons. But it's an uphill climb. First you had to learn how to read the notes, then how to play them. You started with "Hot Cross Buns," and then you moved on to classical numbers that you really didn't care for. You yearned to play what was on the radio. And the teachers were from our parents' generation, they didn't understand our desires, they taught piano in the same fashion it had been taught for hundreds of years. Whereas we were interested in the now. This was the generation gap, we did not accept the precepts of our forefathers without examination, and we did not need to pay fealty to their heroes, we had our own, we were breaking new ground, we had no idea if our music would last, but it made us feel so damn good!

So concurrent with the hits on the radio, there was a folk scene. Sometimes those songs made it to the airwaves, but really it was a separate world with two titans at the fore, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, and when you went to camp you sang "500 Miles" and "Blowin' In The Wind," they were our classics. And there was always a counselor, or a contemporary virtuoso, with an acoustic guitar, usually with nylon strings, playing and singing along.

Now many houses had such a guitar. They cost thirty to thirty five bucks. The strings were so high off the neck and so far apart that these instruments were hard to play, especially for young 'uns. But we wanted to.

The people who taught guitar were different from those who taught piano. They might not have been younger, but they were definitely hipper, they lived in the now. And they taught you a few chords and...VOILA! You were singing a song!

You didn't have to know how to read music, you just had to know some basic chords, and then you could feel the joy of making music.

And when you went to friends' houses, the guitar came out, and you all sang along.

And then the Beatles came along and blew the whole scene wide open.

You see not everybody went to camp, not everybody was addicted to the radio, but when the Beatles broke the table was flipped right over. That's when everybody got the memo. It was not only the music, but the opinions, the look, the lifestyle. They thought differently, so so did we.

But the first thing we did was buy electric guitars, so we could play along.

And when you knew a few chords and had an axe and an amp, you schlepped them over to someone's basement or rec room and you all played along. Usually at the house of the guy who had the drums.

Bands were formed...they were the mobile apps of their day. And everywhere you went there was some band playing. The hits of the day. They didn't think they were gonna be rich and famous, they didn't dun you for likes, they just reveled in the joy of the music, being part of the scene.

Now one amazing thing is you could play these songs. Amateurs bought songbooks, or fakebooks, others just figured out the chords by themselves. That's another experience we all had, sitting in front of the turntable, dropping the needle again and again. The key was to have a turntable with adjustable speed, so you could tune the record to your guitar, the other way...was not so easy for amateurs. As for tuners...at best, we had pitch pipes.

2

The only American acts who survived the Beatles were the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons. Everything that was a hit before, was suddenly not. Fabian, Bobby Rydell, even Bobby Darin...that sound was passé. The British Invasion ruled.

Until the San Francisco sound. That's what came next. And it wasn't the Grateful Dead, they didn't really get any traction until "American Beauty" in the fall of '70. First it was Jefferson Airplane. Even Country Joe and the Fish. But those were all white acts. There was also a black guy, a deejay who was familiar with the rock sound. Who soon formed his own band and shot to the top of the charts with his second single.

Sly Stone.

Forget the burned-out legend of today. This was the first time most of us learned that "Sly" was short for "Sylvester." As for Sylvester Stallone, he was a decade away from success.

And the radio played both black and white music. But Sly, and his Family Stone, didn't sound like what came out of Detroit. Its music had more to do with rock than soul, even though it was infused with soul.

We all danced to the music. That track was an explosion coming out of the radio. It was made for the tiny speakers we employed back then. It shook the cardboard cones. It was almost too hot for the radio.

And then came "Everyday People."

Today's hit acts are not everyday people. They tell you in their song lyrics that they're better than you. They're mirroring society at large. There are the rich and the poor and the goal is to hop over the fence, to the side of privilege. Forget that music can't make you a billionaire (with a couple of exceptions, of course, but only one billion, not many), it does speak to the culture in a way that the techies do not. The techies make tools. The musicians build houses.

But the houses they build today are in segregated neighborhoods. Both white and black. Verticals that rarely cross.

But it was different back then, rock coexisted not only with soul but country too, and occasionally oddball tracks from the likes of Louis Armstrong. We were all in it together. And we took our instructions from the musicians, via the radio. Many people had no records at all, nobody had all of them, radio was the heartbeat of America, at least of the younger generation.

3

"Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong"

That's positively revolutionary in 2020. People have an opinion and they will not change it, no matter how much evidence to the contrary is provided.

"The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in"

The bankers used to coexist with the rest of us. Now they're on a separate plane, and the butcher gets no respect, unless he's a tattooed millennial into grass-fed beef and...

"I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do"

Also out the window in 2020. Even the musicians constantly remind the listeners that they're superior to them. And there are gated communities, and private jets and private islands, never mind private schools, and those on the winning side believe they deserve the spoils and while they do their best to keep us out, they tell us to be just like they are, despite being born with a silver spoon in their mouth, or being the beneficiary of elite education, never mind enrichment programs. These are the people who work for free, building a resumé, putting food on the table isn't even a consideration.

"There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one
That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one"

Of course there was racism back in '68. But it was the musicians who were preaching integration. Not only black acts like Sly and the Family Stone, but white ones too, like the Rascals with "People Got to Be Free."

Despite the racism, people were optimistic. Today, that's a dead concept. Seems the corporations and the entrenched players win again and again and again. And the truth doesn't matter. Hell, the president was caught red-handed in Ukraine, even admitted it, but he skates. What are the odds you on the ground, with a camera everywhere, can get away with breaking the law? Miniscule.

"I am everyday people"

White acts were seen as album makers. Black acts were relegated to singles. Until...

Woodstock. The movie.

Everybody says the star of "Woodstock" was Jimi Hendrix, playing the national anthem. Huh? When most people had left and the place was a mess and the sun had already come up? No way! Sly and the Family Stone stole "Woodstock," instantly Sly and his troupe were an arena act. The album "Stand!" sold over three million copies. And it was filled with messages. Not only did you have to "Stand!," in an era where protests made a difference, but you were told "You Can Make It If You Try." And music was not only cerebral, it was an aural lubricant for sex machines. And one thing for sure, music, along with marijuana, took you higher. And in 1970, when Sly still showed up on time, audiences of all races got together to bask in the sound, you see we were everyday people.

4

Quite quickly the Covid-19 era devolved into self-promotion. I'm doing a livestream, pay attention to me! It was all about ascending the ladder in an era where to a great degree, the ladder has been kicked away. There is no coherent scene. Chances are the radio doesn't play your kind of music, at least not radio that matters. Assuming people are listening to the radio at all!

Then there are others who just see it as having fun, on a lark, and satiating those who do care, like Glenn Tilbrook.

What do I know about Glenn Tilbrook... He was a member of Squeeze. And KROQ played "Pulling Mussels From a Shell" ad infinitum, and I still don't dig it. But I did like "Black Coffee in Bed," I bought that album, but really it was about the one before, "East Side Story," when Paul Carrack was a member of the band.

To this day, most people don't know Paul Carrack was the vocalist in Ace, with its positively legendary "How Long." But when Carrack was in Squeeze the result was "Tempted," an undeniable gem, benefited by Carrack's lead vocal, never mind co-producer Elvis Costello's indelible background vocals.

That's how I think of Squeeze. Great songwriters, not great vocalists.

Until today.

I got an e-mail telling me Glenn Tilbrook was doing covers on Instagram. It seems the whole world lives on Instagram today, even Ramy's mother...that's how you check people out, on Instagram.

Now the writer told me he was hooked by the Steve Nieve cover. But before even listening to that, I was interested in all the songs Tilbrook did.

And that's when I saw "Everyday People."

Now this ain't gonna work. The whitest of guys from across the pond singing an American classic, originally sung by an African-American? When Sly emoted, the hairs on your arms stood at attention.

So it's obviously a homemade production, with Glenn's son counting off the song. And then the organ comes in, played by a kid still wet behind the ears and then the camera pans to Mr. Tilbrook himself, who looks like the hip teacher in your school, all gray-haired and over the hill.

AND THEN HE SINGS!

Glenn's singing the verse and his voice is mellifluous, you tell yourself this works, and then he reaches down deep, leans back from the microphone and screams...I AM EVERYDAY PEOPLE!

I was completely caught off guard. I was expecting a pale facsimile, you know, poor production with weak vocals, but this rendition illustrates how music is truly a unifying force.

Everybody's wearing their street clothes, Covid attire, not the fancy outfits of today's "winning" musicians. Glenn's wife is even contributing background vocals, he smiles at her at the end, with the joy of a job well done.

Now the amazing thing is Glenn Tilbrook, et al's, rendition of "Everyday People" only has 2,026 views. That's a lot of effort for very little result. But that's not why Tilbrook is doing it, HE'S HAVING FUN!

Remember when music, never mind the music business, was all about fun, not money? When the music was just the music, with its message, making you feel good, as opposed to a stepping stone to building a brand?

Glenn Tilbrook lived the same life I did. He picked up a guitar, he played in bands, he remembers the joy.

And when you watch his production of "Everyday People," you will too.

Once again: https://bit.ly/2Yqrova


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Bob Ezrin-Part 1-This Week's Podcast

In part one of my conversation with legendary record producer Bob Ezrin we discuss his upbringing in Toronto, his journey into record production with Jack Richardson, and his meeting, signing and producing Alice Cooper as well as producing Lou Reed's "Berlin."

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bob-ezrin-pt-1/id1316200737?i=1000477541227

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3iCO44LFOtzkpK272vmJPF


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Reopening

The verdict is in. They're gonna reopen the country and let people get infected and die.

Don't just blame Trump and the red state rulers, Governor Newsom of California says the same thing:

"Newsom says no turning back on reopening plans, even as coronavirus cases climb": https://lat.ms/3haooff

In case you doubt the facts (then again, if it's in the "New York Times" it can't be true, right?):

"Coronavirus Live Updates: With Cases Rising in 21 States, Washington turns to Other Business": https://nyti.ms/2MOPRoQ

As for the updates in the past 24 hours re Covid-19 infections, Laura Ingraham says it's a plot, she tweeted today at 3:36 AM:

"Notice the 'reporting' on COVID, which disappeared to give Antifa and BLM 'their space,' is back now that President Trump is planning on rallies again?"

And it makes no difference that she was called out in the "Washington Post," Ingraham doubled-down, she later tweeted:

"With protests are mostly over, the press is desperately trying to return to pushing the lockdown. Too late. We know they are liars, and that they will break any lockdown rule whenever they want."

And if you think this kind of rhetoric has no impact, you missed today's "Los Angeles Times" story:

"Who gets the blame if California sees major new coronavirus outbreaks with reopening?": https://lat.ms/37nTR95

Orange County California's health officer, Dr. Nichole Quick, said masks were required in public places and at businesses and...

The anti-maskers went wild. They revealed Quick's address. She needed security. And then she resigned.

This is over wearing a mask.

You see Americans can't wear masks, it inhibits their FREEDOM!

As for protecting you from their germs...fuggedaboutit. It's all narcissism all the time. Health? That's no big deal. After all, we don't crack down on school shootings, or even red-heavy country concert shootings. There are just a few bad apples out there, after all, guns don't kill people, people kill people!

"Even With 10-Day Waiting Period, Suicide by Gun Risk Surges After Purchase": https://nyti.ms/2MO0msl

Now let me get this straight... If these people didn't buy a gun they'd still commit suicide? I don't buy it. Then again, I don't have a gun, so the joke is on me.

You see the business of America is business. And it can't be hobbled.

Oh, there have been tons of stories that the lockdown worked:

"Lockdowns worked, new research finds. Scientists estimate coronavirus measures stopped at least 60 million infections in the US and 3 million deaths in Europe.": https://bit.ly/3dR3y2d

But now everybody's sick of being cooped up inside, they want to party!

It's like the doctor saying you broke your leg and you need to wear a cast for six weeks, but you're sick of the itch and you remove it after four. Huh? Then again, who is to trust doctors, they're all about the money, it's best to trust web research and your friends, after all the medical industrial complex is out to get you.

As for concerts?

They're coming, you betcha.

All that hogwash about America being shut down into 2021, maybe even 2022? Young people just don't care, they're already associating. Not only at the protests, but at beaches, bars and restaurants. Not that it's only young people, old people believe they're immune too, statistics be damned.

"Officials fear protests are 'super-spreader' events for coronavirus. Marchers say worth the risk.": https://lat.ms/2XS8iyY

As for super-spreader events, I point you to the "Wall Street Journal," the right wing paper of record:

"Superspreader Events Offer a Clue on Curbing Coronavirus - Some scientists think banning mass gatherings may be enough to keep the pandemic in check": https://on.wsj.com/3dRbIrF

And if you don't subscribe to the "Journal," you can read the equivalent in the "New York Times":

"Just Stop the Superspreading - In one study, 20 percent of Covid-19 cases accounted for 80 percent of transmissions." https://nyti.ms/3fduZUs

But it gets even better, or worse, depending on your viewpoint. The experts? They're really scared and cautious, if you click through to only one story, let it be this:

"When 511 Epidemiologists Expect to Fly, Hug and Do 18 Other Everyday Activities Again": https://nyti.ms/3cL1s2I

But experts?

We don't need no stinking experts! My opinion is just as good as anybody's, and see what a great job Trump is doing for us with no previous government experience, as he says, he's got a natural ability for this stuff. He loves his uneducated, they can be led blindly by his viewpoint. And his viewpoint is the country must reopen so he can get reelected! Hell, did you see the latest?

"Trump campaign demands CNN apologize for poll that shows Biden leading": https://cnn.it/2UwFSZg

Talk about making up your own facts...

So, the ship has left port, what are you supposed to do?

Everybody else is resuming their life, you're being ribbed for being cautious.

They were partying in the Hamptons and friends knew Howard Stern wouldn't attend, but why not his wife Beth?

Howard replied that Beth can go, but she can't come back!

Oh, you're laughing?

The partiers said they were observing social distancing. But then how did they serve drinks?

Trust no one. Everybody says they're really strict and then when you quiz them they are not.

What are the odds of you getting it from your friends?

Not insanely high, but then again, you must ask yourself "'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

Yup, tough guys like Clint Eastwood can fight off the coronavirus with a sneer. What did Muhammad Ali claim, that he made medicine sick? Good line, but then he got Parkinson's and died.

But we must have football, it's the American Way!

"More universities report coronavirus cases in athletic programs": https://cnn.it/37h0quf

But since that article was published just after midnight, the numbers have gone up. The "Miami Herald" now says four Florida players have tested positive": https://hrld.us/2MPnhU5

They're dropping like flies I tell you.

There's been improvement in treatment techniques, deaths per infection have gone down, but once you've got it, it's personal, it's just you and the virus, along with a bit of medical treatment. If you're overweight, or have high blood pressure or diabetes, the odds are not with you, you're a candidate for the Grim Reaper. And I don't care how necessary you think you are, life will go on without you just fine. Your family may never recover, but everybody else will say it's sad and move on, after all, isn't life for the living?

Now this problem could be solved, if we had any leadership.

You see it's about testing and contact tracing.

Bottom line, if you've got it we notify everybody you had contact with and you isolate and...

No, that can't happen, you'll be sacrificing your FREEDOM! The government can't tell you what to do, no way. It's kinda like kids today, they talk back to their parents, do it fifty years ago and you wouldn't be here right now.

And people will say the young don't die and we've lived through other flu pandemics and we didn't lock down the country.

Yes, but some young do die, and they most certainly spread the virus to the rest of the population.

It's just raw insanity. People were tired of being cooped up, a bunch of them protested at statehouses, and government officials blinked and started opening up their cities and states. You saw those pics from Memorial Day, well now the results are in...PEOPLE GOT INFECTED!

It's science.

But we no longer believe in science. There's no global warming, nothing is definitive so let's not take any action. Can you PROVE vaccinations are harmless? Can you PROVE there's no God? Well, until you can, I'm taking my own counsel. Because you know big business is against the people. But we must reopen the country for big business. Huh?

And many get paid more in unemployment insurance than they do when they work. Contemplate that, no further discussion necessary.

And I have a friend whose dead mother got a $1200 stimulus check. With Donald Trump's name printed right on it, as well as the fact that his mother was DECEASED! He cashed it. His accountant told him there was no clawback provision in the legislation. And do you think they're gonna find him when they keep on dismantling the IRS so rich people don't get audited? That's the law and order we need more of, not the kind done by people in blue uniforms.

It's positively flabbergasting. We're driving towards doom with no brakes. We gave it a good college try, but we're done, let the virus have its way.

I'm not going out, even though I'm sick of being in.

But I seem to be one of only a handful. And can I really restrict Felice? Talk about being controlling in a relationship.

And odds are I won't get infected.

But if I do, I've got a compromised immune system, my skin is covered in huge blotches and I'm itching up a storm as I write this. But everyone keeps suggesting topical solutions, or CBD, as if western medicine is not to be trusted. It'd be like getting your car washed to deal with a thrown rod.

And the news media features what's sexy. It reports about Covid-19, but it's no longer the lead story, the public is burned out. So it's back to the shenanigans of celebrities and political nitpicking.

As for Trump getting elected in November...

If I told you five months ago that we'd shut down the country and there would be mass protests all over the nation you would have laughed me off. But now, with the election five months away, you believe the vibe today will sustain until November?

I wouldn't be so sure. The economy is gonna be on an upswing, Trump will take credit and they'll print the obituaries but...don't people die every day anyway?


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A Change Ain't Gonna Come

We're not getting any change.

Everybody's on a high as a result of the last two weeks of protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

But was it even murder?

A wide swath of Americans don't believe it was so.

You think the only white nationalists, the only Republicans, the only deluded are out there protesting at statehouses for the reopening of America and the right not to wear masks. But there are tens of millions more sitting at home, a great number of them wealthy, who like things just the way they are and despite not going on the record, always refusing to talk politics, are gonna vote for Trump.

Because it's good for them. Lower taxes. Unrestricted business dealings. Few consequences. What's not to like?

And the money is important. Joe Biden can't raise any cash from individuals, they're just not inspired by him. So, Joe is raising funds from the usual suspects, the corporations and the fat cats, who are not giving money out of charity, they expect a quid pro quo. Remember that legal term from impeachment?

And what's important about impeachment is the only Republican who broke ranks was Mitt Romney. And you can break out all the polling you want, about his approval rate in Utah, but the truth is he's been written off by the Republicans in the Senate, he's not to be trusted, and they're gonna hammer him ad infinitum until he fades away and does not radiate.

You may have been protesting in the street, but Iowa just passed a law saying you can't vote by mail unless you request a ballot in writing.

And yesterday we saw the insanity of the evisceration of the Voting Rights Act in Georgia. Plenty of polling stations in white neighborhoods, no lines, and hours-long waits at the few polling sites left in black neighborhoods. This evidence was in plain sight. But it's not the lead story in today's news. Oh, it got reported, but today everybody shrugs, this is now business as usual, remember Milwaukee?

Voting has been rigged. If you live in a blue state, like California, more power to you. But in red and purple states the lines have been redrawn to keep Republicans in power. And their response when challenged is to say that Democrats would do the same thing if they were in power, but they aren't, and may never be.

So, you've got the young and angry protesting in the street, and the professional watchers, the professional pundits, they're all saying it's about the election.

Hogwash. This just like the NFL and Kaepernick. Goodell only wakes up when there's riots. That's what it takes to foment change in America, and it works slowly, if at all.

You're expecting a radical remaking of corporate America.

Despite all the statements and the self-congratulatory advertisements, this ain't gonna happen, not in a significant way. They'll appoint an African-American to the board, but he'll be less like Cornel West and more like Michael Steele. They're looking for someone just like them, who talks just like them. Not someone from the street, but from the Ivys. As for employees...they'll throw their hands in the air and say there just aren't enough qualified candidates. We can debate the veracity of this all day long, but one thing is for sure, they're not giving blacks opportunities, they're shutting them out of colleges, they're not giving them jobs at the base level, they'll say it will take time to create a pool, and then the people running the corporation will change and the idea will be back-burnered because it's all about profits, about Wall Street, correct? The only company that seems to put people over profits, that truly cares about the environment, is Patagonia. That's one. In a sea of thousands.

And if you think Congress is gonna raise the minimum wage, you've ignored the past decade of debate. They'll whip out the "fact" this will hurt small business, say the nation runs on small business, which is factually untrue, and there will be a lot of talk and no action. Kinda like gun control. Come on, they shoot schoolkids all over the country and what we've got is less gun control. You see you can't take away people's freedom!

Their freedom, they don't care about yours.

And their freedom means their kids must not be edged out in competition for educational slots and job slots.

And their freedom means that there need to be fewer regulations, come on, do you think Trump has been railing about the economy because it's irrelevant to him and his constituents? Never mind that the improved economy didn't help you. They've got manipulated statistics to show you you're wrong. Everybody's got a job! And if you can't put food on the table it's your fault.

And they're sick and tired of affirmative action. They'll say they tried it and it was unfair and didn't work, even though it did. They don't want to suffer for you to improve your quality of life, no way. That ship sailed in the sixties and seventies and was sunk and is never going to be rebuilt.

The "New Yorker" did a whole story about the silent majority of rich in Greenwich who support Trump. I'd link to it, but you're either aware of it or don't have the time or inclination to check it out. You've got no time, and the waters have been muddied to the point where nothing is true, absolutely nothing.

And today the "Washington Post" published a video illustrating the falsehoods spread by Tucker Carlson, and how it's an organized plan, but that's behind a paywall, because unless you're rich the only news you get is what filters down to social media.

"Opinion-Tucker Carlson's guide to injustice": https://wapo.st/3dSAY0m

(Actually, the video appears to be free to all, but since most of the WaPo is behind a wall, you don't check out the site.)

But let's say we believe in the system, will the same youngsters who didn't come out to vote for Bernie Sanders come out to vote for Joe Biden and defeat Trump? Very questionable.

Meanwhile, all the talking heads say it's about bringing back those Trump voters who used to be Democrats. Forget the fact that Rachel Bitecofer has gone on and on how this is a false paradigm, what have the Democrats done to win the support of blue collar workers who've switched parties? I don't see Joe Biden agitating for the institution of unions. I don't see significant rule changes in Amazon warehouses. The Democrats are just like Trump in 2016, they say they're your only choice, and what can you lose?

And the Republicans will say taxes, i.e. your money. They'll say if the Democrats win, your taxes will go up, spending will be through the roof.

Even Democrats believe that! That's what a forty year plan of disinformation has achieved. Reagan said the government was the enemy. Rich and poor believe this, as for the middle...it keeps getting squeezed and demonized. Poor people pay no taxes! They may pay no income taxes, but they're taxed up the yin-yang every damn day, at the gas station, the supermarket...and they're spending all of their income to stay alive.

I know I'm painting a bleak picture. But you optimists cannot handle the truth.

And the truth is we need systemic change. And you only get that via something akin to revolution.

Boomers protested against the Vietnam war in the sixties and they got rid of Johnson, who was replaced by Nixon and it was business as usual.

As for Trump... Did you see that Bolsonaro is on the brink of bringing out the military? That's right, Brazil is devolving into autocracy. That's the pattern all over the world. You see when people feel threatened, when they can't make ends meet, they elect a "savior" who ends up turning on them. Happened in Venezuela, happened in Eastern Europe, but for some reason Americans think they're immune, that it can't happen here. They still believe the United States is the land of social mobility, that if you work hard you can get rich, even though statistics tell us otherwise, that this paradigm exists in western Europe more than here.

And that's an element of the disinformation campaign. You don't want socialism, you don't want a safety net, because that will eviscerate your freedom! And it won't allow the job-creators, i.e. the rich and corporations, to run willy-nilly and the end loser will be you. Huh?

And it does come down to income inequality. Because it is all about money. Hell, the candidate who can flood social media with ads tends to win.

And then there are the left wing canards that make informed heads rotate upon their necks. If I hear one more person say to save local newspapers... Any student of history will tell you propping up old paradigms based on emotion never works. The problem is the business model, not the news. There's got to be another way to deliver news.

And sometimes you've got to reach your limit before there is change. Facebook and Google profit on the efforts of news collectors, but now the ship is turning, after decades, to the point where they're coughing up dough. Maybe they need to pay for local news. Maybe there's another way to get reportage. But talk to the techies, who don't live in D.C. and don't populate the DNC, and you'll hear the truth, but techies are now evil, everything they say is wrong, talk about throwing out the baby with the bathwater...

And if he loses, Trump isn't gonna leave. And there's a good chance he's not losing. What are the aftereffects of yesterday in Georgia? I don't see any. And now with electronic voting and hacking the results are inherently questionable. So Trump just ain't gonna bring out the Army and lock us all down, he's gonna claim the vote was inaccurate and he won, just like he had the largest attendance at an inauguration ever!

He lies and...

The media reports his lies.

The most important story you'll read this week was by Ben Smith in the "New York Times," about how youngsters are changing news media. They're sick and tired of the outlets staying above the fray, reporting and not speaking truth and agitating for change. The reporters broke the rules, they protested, and the end result...the papers didn't win, the reporters did.

"Inside the Revolts Erupting in America's Big Newsrooms": https://nyti.ms/2YBbhLJ

So, we're sick and angry about the death of George Floyd and all those who preceded him. One thing about riots, they demonstrate how angry people are. Oh, the right and the rich blame it on outside agitators who just want to wreak havoc. But unless we challenge the precepts of these entrenched players change is doomed.

The reporters won by breaking the rules. Unfortunately, that's the only way we're gonna get change in the country at large. When the game is rigged, you flip over the table, you don't continue to play it and complain you're losing. You've got to challenge the fat cats at their core.

And the reason Bernie Sanders lost the nomination comes down to his demonization by the press and entrenched players. They don't want change, don't you get it! They want you to believe the safe candidate is the only one who can get elected, and to just trust the experts. Yeah, the same experts who said a file was not as good as a CD, the same experts who said no one would buy an electric car, these same experts who keep demonizing smartphones because they give you the instant ability to communicate and organize and gain power, which is the last thing they want you to have.

Want to have more black people at the record company?

Hit acts have to refuse to release new music and to promote the old.

But this was the ethos of the sixties, today it's all about brand-building and money, no one will sacrifice for the greater good. They'll throw out some dollars, make a statement, but you can't challenge their business enterprise.

As for line workers... I'm not telling them to sabotage the product, but believe me that gets results. As do slowdowns. But unfortunately Democrats have gone along with Republicans in killing unions and making the moniker a dirty name. Come on, who is protecting the working man? Nobody in power.

And the rich have convinced us CEOs deserve their outrageous salaries, that if we don't pay them they'll jump to another company. Once again, it's a club and you're not in it. They pass the gigs amongst the cabal the same way Grammy committees pass the trophy amongst insiders.

And then they tell you to believe the organization is transparent and worthwhile. But what did they say about Deborah Dugan...change was happening too fast! And that's in music, with plenty of African-American players. Do you really expect big corporations to be goaded into instant change?

Once again, this comes down to revolution. It looks like we're not gonna get any change until there's one. Hell, let's even say Biden gets elected, do you really think the man from Delaware is gonna lower your credit card interest rate? Keep dreaming.

You see the owners of this country pushed it too far. They could have maintained most of their power and lifestyles but they got too greedy. They wanted everything, at the cost of the living standards of everybody else. And if you tell them they're the problem they tell you how much they pay in taxes, and they hire lawyers and lobbyists to make sure there's no change. Here in California, the beach is open to the public. But for decades the rich have locked the gates, they just keep on litigating, and they just keep on defying orders. Meanwhile, if you defy orders you go to jail.

We've gotten too far off course. Business as usual is not going to continue. Either Trump and his cronies are going to hoist the authoritarian flag or the public is gonna sink the ship.

Happens all over the globe. You just believe since you live in the United States, the self-professed greatest country in the world, it can't happen here.

Trump was built on television by Mark Burnett. Who won't come out and tell us the truth, who won't release outtakes.

Trump went bankrupt again and again, and in a real head-twister he said it was smart!

Meanwhile, the government changed the law so you can go bankrupt, but can't write off all of your debts. You must pay, the rich do not.

Once again, the ship can't be turned around, it's got to be sunk.

But the rich and powerful like it the way it is, and then there are those scared to take action and then there are those afraid of action, afraid of the chaos, which frequently results in authoritarians in power.

Come on, are we gonna get black NFL owners? Of course not, not enough blacks have that kind of money, never mind want to put it there.

Meanwhile, Roget Goodell makes $40 million a year. Your whole neighborhood doesn't even make $40 million a year!

I'm just pointing out the gap, between those who have and those who do not. Those who want change and those who do not.

Look at the changes tech wrought. They were not gradual, the companies did not get permission from entrenched players... Change happened nearly instantly, and new entities gained power.

That's the only way it's gonna happen in the country at large.

I'm gonna vote, like George Carlin said, do it if it makes you feel good. But just like he said it makes no difference, I'm starting to believe the same thing. Of course Biden will be better than Trump. But do you really think the country is gonna change under this structure? Hell, if women got the vote, why can't we get rid of the electoral college? Why is everything inviolate, claiming the Constitution says otherwise when the truth is the framers of said document were revolutionaries themselves looking to create a better nation, who did not want to institutionalize the past, i.e. top-down government by a monarchy. Hell, if the framers were alive today most would be to the left of everybody in D.C!

But the Supreme Court is ruled by people who say otherwise.

It's a sad state of affairs and peaceful demonstration in the streets is a start, but far from a solution.

We need further action.

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Mailbag

From: michael wijnen
Subject: Re: Music News

I wonder why Spotify does not publish a new kind of chart where the songs are rated, not by the number of plays- like we have today-, but by the number of different listeners.
We all know that the 15-22 demographic can listen to the same track a hundred times, but that should not (only) qualify for being number one. It seems more interesting to know what track has been listened to at least one time by a hundred different users than a track listened to a hundred times by the same person…

___________________________________

From: Peter Noone
Subject: Re: Today's Covers/Oh You Pretty Things

Actually Bowie played it to me in Mickie Most's office
Just me mickie and Peter Grant
This was the great test of balls on pop stars
Ronnie Wood passed this test.
Peter said During the demo playback
"that should be Hermans' s first solo single"
David came to the session and played piano on the track because we had agreed to play if in F
A better key for Herman ...but .....David could only play it in F sharp
We cut it in sections because in F Sharp he couldn't play it all the way through
We giggled through the session and I dumped the drums magically for exactly the right amount of bars as we fixed Bowie's piano
Just days later we appeared on TopOf The Pops and David wore a dress which sort of shocked they BBC.

P.S. Ps the follow up was also a Bowie song RIGHT ON MOTHER which ate the big BBC
We cut other stuff too which mysteriously shows up on YouTube

___________________________________

Subject: Re: Today's Covers

In the early 70s I was playing with the band, The Association. When we arrived in Valdosta Georgia there were no limousines available so the promoter sent a Ford Van to pick us up at the airport. It was driven by a really cute young girl who was very sweet and had the heaviest Southern drawl ya ever heard. She was enthusiastic to have been given the job of picking us up and she was conspicuously excited about it. She was gushing about how happy she was that we had come to play a concert in Valdosta, and how she loved all of our hits, etc etc etc ………. and then she delivered one of the all time classic lines. ??She says "Ya'll the biggest thang we've had around heah fo a long time" … she paused for a moment and then said "ya know, a whal back we had Herman's Hermits but Herman aint in em no more".

Larry Brown (the guitarist)

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From: Toby Mamis
Subject: Re: Today's Covers

The version of "Sorrow" the Bowie was covering was by The Merseys, a British group that had a major UK hit when they covered the McCoys original version.

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Subject: Re: Today's Covers

Hi Bob

Phil May was a legend here in the UK. SF Sorrow was the original concept album paving the way for Tommy and The Wall.

Bowie used to hang out at mid-sixties ground breaking English clubs like the Marquee, The Ricky Tik in Windsor and Eel Pie Island.

He worshipped Phil May, so much so that he listed Phil under 'G' in his address book.

'God'.

David Stopps

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Subject: Re: Today's Covers - PAUL RODGERS

Bob,

Loved the comments about Paul Rodgers and "didn't you used to have to have a great voice to break through?"

Paul came and did a fishbowl (showcase) for Amazon Music a few years back when there were a bunch of Bad Company reissues.

Got to say hi and tell him Bad Co. in 1977 was the first concert I went to without an adult along, they were a big influence, the Presidents used to cover a verse and chorus of "Feel Like Makin' Love" as in intro to "Peaches" when we played it live, etc. He was appreciative and gracious.

Then he did a few songs. By himself. We were in an awkward converted conf. room in the middle of the day with a small PA and a bunch of us Amazon dorks eating our lunch and his acoustic guitar playing is rudimentary and, as he started, I thought, oh crap, trainwreck, and THEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH and sang "Feel Like Makin' Love" and I had goosebumps on my goosebumps and you could see that every woman in the room was in love with him and every guy wanted to be him. It was unreal -- in the true sense of the world, meaning his voice was so resonant and penetrating and soul-stirring as to be otherworldly.

That's why we are fans. That's why we are players and writers and singers and performers. We want just a little bit, even a tiny bit, of THAT.

dave dederer

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From: George Drakoulias
Re: Re: Saturday Night Specials-This Week On SiriusXM

Foghat and Sweet Nassau Coliseum on June 2nd 1978 was my first concert!

The were a funky great Rn'R band. We used to talk to Petty about Foghat all the time. He wrote a song called "Lonesome Dave"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IS_DrDmcwM

Lyrics: https://genius.com/Tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-lonesome-dave-outtake-1993-lyrics

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From: Jan Ramsey
Subject: Re: Hidden Valley Road

Just finished this book and I agree. I have schizophrenia in my family, and I also have friends and friends with kids who have it. It's a heartbreaking story, all the way around. People talk about addiction being a "family" disease, and there's actually some treatments that are available (for simplicity's sake, Al Anon). But mental illness is just like that too. It affects family, friends, work relationships, etc. There's almost less of a stigma related to addiction these days, but being mentally ill is still a stigma.

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From: kim bullard
Subject: Re: Hidden Valley Road

My wife's parents went to the exact high school as the parents in this book, two years earlier. My wife's brother was molested by the local priest, who he was a chauffeur for, just like in this book. Also, just as in the book, the parents were happy to have someone take an interest in their son, especially a priest. They handed him over like a gift. He became a drug addict, schizophrenic. And the way it affected the younger sister (my wife) was the same as in this book.

They thought their story was so unique, and here it is, in black and white.

There were so many parallels I had to write. You read a book like this and thing 'how in the world can this happen?' it does, it did.

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Subject: Re: ZeroZeroZero

Hi Bob,

Agree with you about the Prime interface. I only go to Prime if there is something specific I want to watch. Netflix and Prime are like the old "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" campaign. They both perform the function but only one is a pleasant experience.

Thanks,

Dale Bobo

___________________________________

From: Quantella Owens
Subject: Re: The Election

I was a WSJ subscriber for years. I scrimped, saved and did everything I could to maintain my subscription. I started subscribing in high school. Having a business

was all I ever wanted. Then a certain media company bought my beloved paper and everything went downhill from there. "Stories" about stupid fluff pieces by

former Playboy Bunnies and published by their book arm, the gutting of the Small Business and Personal Journal sections...etc.

I now only pay a $1 for a few weeks digital subscription when there is a story I absolutely must read....which is less and less often. Nothing has filled the void

and I miss the old WSJ everyday.

You nailed it.

___________________________________

Subject: RE: Bob Rock-This Week's Podcast

Hi Bob,

Been following you since your printed Lefsetz Letter days. I really enjoyed listening to your podcast with my friend Bob Rock. I'm so glad he told you about me signing him and Paul Hyde and the Payola$ based solely on their independent 45 release of China Boys to A&M. As Bob mentioned, after the Ep and first full album In A Place Like This, recorded at the famous Le Studio Morin Heights, the group was way over budget with not a lot of sales. I was actually under pressure to drop them until Mick Ronson got involved to produce some new demos. I will never forget the day that I got the cassette with 4 songs on it from Bob. First song was Romance and then Eyes Of A Stranger. I think I played it louder than any Spinal Tap amp could reach! By the time it was over, I had A&Mers knocking on my door and saying who what THAT - you have to sign them. I said already done, that's the Payola$. In a word, I was vindicated and the album went on to win a Juno Award, Platinum Award and I if Recall Single of the Year for Eyes Of A Stranger. Prior to that and when the album was first released, Deane Cameron, my A&R counterpart at Capitol EMI, called to tell me he was stunned by the album and watch out it was going to be huge. I cheekily replied, yeah I know. I was so happy to have my friend Jay Boberg (former A&M college radio rep) signed the Payola$ to I.R.S. for outside Canada.

Great memories of the Payolas, Bryan Adams, and the many more artists I signed to A&M.
Cheers.
Michael Godin

___________________________________

From: John Hartmann
Subject: Re: A Little More Little Richard

Bob: I met Little Richard in the summer of 1964. I was a baby agent at William Morris in charge of scale TV and game shows. ABC brought legendary producer Jack Goode over from England to create a half hour, black and white pilot. It was the first time an all Rock & Roll television show was headed for prime-time. Jack wanted Richard to guest star in the pilot episode and WMA was his last known agency. We had no idea where he was, he hard left the business. I did a little detective work and tracked him down in his church in Riverside, California. He was very excited to be on television. His performance was absolutely electrifying he had the cast, crew and audience freaking out. A very nice man, we had a great hang. This whole show was deemed to wild by ABC and it never went on the air. But they did go to series and Richard came back to the biz. The rest is history.

Hartmann

___________________________________

Subject: Re: A Little More Little Richard

Hi Bob,

I met Little Richard in his room in the Hyatt. R&B legend Dewey Terry, of the 50's group Don and Dewey, took me there to meet him. Dewey was trying to get me a gig doing a US tour with Richard. I was 21 or 22.

It was amazing.

He had 2 things that made the room his. A huge picture of himself with the Beatles on one wall and the Hebrew alphabet on another. I got the gig! I was going to do a tour with so I went out and invested in flight cases for my gear. Then I got a phone call from Richard... sorry, I'm doing a movie so I've had to cancel the tour. That was Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

Tracy Lipp

___________________________________

Subject: Re: A Little More Little Richard

Believe it or not, I met him.

It was in the early 90s and to feed my music habit I worked as a commercial banker in Beverly Hills.

The unexpected surprise was how many incredible talents walked thru the halls of that place conducting their business, including Little Richard, who came up to our private banking floor all the time.

I had a friend in new accounts who took care of him every time he came in and once she learned I was a fan she arranged an introduction.

He was the sweetest guy. Initially I got the "electric" show. You know, the Richard you see on stage. But then I told him I was an aspiring singer/songwriter and I asked him the one question I had wanted to ask him my whole life growing up.

"How do you do the howl? I've been trying to do your howl my whole life and every time I've tried I end up sounding like a chicken."

He laughed and said to me "just before you do it, you have to imagine someone is chasing after you."

He also said "you know lately Paul has been joking that I sound like a chicken."

I am sure he was just riffing, but it also felt like he was just trying to be kind and supportive to another musician. Since that initial meeting, anytime he saw me at our offices he made a point to smile and say hello.

It's a great memory I will carry around with me all the remaining days of my life.

Ramin David Streets

___________________________________

From: John Brodey
Subject: Re: A Little More Little Richard

Just a p.s./aside

Looks like someone else was at the Howard Theater at the same Little Richard show. But Arne Bey is a little off, it was '63 and the Jim Crow laws existed almost entirely in the south. D.C. was the north and I went to the shows almost every weekend. As I mentioned before, most of the time there were never more than 2 or 3 white guys which was fine with me. I grew up in the 'Chocolate City' and was well aware that you had to be mindful of crossing the line. My presence in their house might draw some unwanted attention and so being 'invisible' was perfectly fine with me. Maybe a few girls would look at me and laugh but that was okay.

I never had a problem until the James Brown show. Tickets were always first come, first serve, and this was going to be a total sell out so I had waited in line for hours to make sure I'd get in. About 20 minutes before the box office opened, two big guys came up to me and said; Hey man, you in our spot, get lost. I said: 'C'mon guys, I been waiting for hours to see James Brown and I don't want any trouble.' I thought they were going to kick the shit out of me, but a bigger guy in line right behind me leans in to them and says; 'Leave the little white dude alone, he been standing in line like everybody else and he's gonna see him some James Brown, so get the fuck outta here.' Whew!

pps: Moms Mabley was even filthier than Redd Foxx.

___________________________________

From: Barry Lyons
Subject: Re: A Little More Little Richard

Bob -

I'm here to authenticate Marty Bender's authentication of Marty Simon's story about the sadly late, and oh-so-great, Little Richard Penniman. At the same time, it will allow me to fill in a few holes in a great rock 'n' roll story; one that has been haunting me for nearly 50 years now.

I was at that same show in 1971 that Marty (Simon) & Marty (Bender) attended. I was a freshman a Case Western in Cleveland; did not know Marty Simon (still don't) and would not get to make Marty Bender's acquaintance until the late 80's when I landed at IRS Records. And yes, when that show in Cleveland happened, Richard was long past his peak - and most in that Bldg, as you noted, had long since moved beyond Richard or Chuck and on to Stones and Byrds and CSN & the like.

And the act that was supposed to headline, to close the show? That was... MOUNTAIN. As in, Felix Pappalardi & Leslie West. Arguably the heaviest band in the land at the time. They had already missed a show in Cleveburg the preceding year, so you can just imagine everyone Instagramming everyone else (1971 version) going, "Fuck, they better show up this time!" I've never forgotten the look on the promoter's face, he had to come out & tell those 6,000 guys in the hall that Mountain wasn't gonna be there, again, but we've lined up some other entertainment, so how about a warm welcome for... Llittle Richard?? And, as you might have expected, at least for a moment, it was like telling an audience that was expecting Black Sabbath not to worry, we've got Chad & Jeremy!

So, as Marty & Marty noted, Richard slides out to his piano, a couple of the guys from Mylon in tow, a few others who were there that night - Johnny Winter And had been on the bill, I remember seeing Rick Derringer up there. Before he got to the line about "I got a gal, named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy" the crowd - not a few, as many people as you could squeeze onto an arena-sized stage, and then some - had bee lifted, as one, and spent the rest of the evening rockin' with the king. I guarantee you, NO ONE who was there has ever forgotten it.

For the longest time, though, at least for me, it had become something of a mystery, a Rock 'N' Roll cold case. How did it all come together? Was I the only witness??

Thanks for the lovely eulogies, and thanks for helping me fill in the blanks!

___________________________________

Subject: Re: Re-Little Richard

I can confirm John Browers story-and I have never told it.

Bill Siddons

___________________________________

Subject: Re: Moon Martin

Greetings. Mark Christian here. I am sad to hear the passing of Moon Martin. And I had no idea until you mentioned it so I would like to send a very special thanks for the e mail. I played guitar on his Mystery Ticket record in 81 or 82 I think. Robert Palmer producer. And it was great to work with Robert too. I also played on various other recordings for Moon years after. We were good friends for a while however I have not seen or heard from him since 2003. I was a new kid in the music biz when I met Moon. During the overdub sessions he used to tell me when I played a solo "Don't play any solos that will go over the heads of secretaries." lol Well that's it. RIP Moon Martin. Best ...mc

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Subject: Re: Re-Moon Martin

Ask Barry Finkenberg, if he went to Lafayette High School and the song he was referring to is "Round and Round" lyrics by English teacher, Joe Shapiro.

Great song and one of Perry's last smash hits.

Thanks,

Seymour Stein

___________________________________

From: Barry Finkenberg
Subject: Re: Re-Moon Martin

Aloha Seymour
Indeed, I am Lafayette Born and Lafayette Bred and when.........

And It was the Mr. Shapiro song I referenced.

Hung at the JCH. You too?

Class of 1963

Barry

___________________________________

From: Joseph Weinstein
Subject: Re: Blackout Tuesday

No soul. Nobody wants to be Dixie Chicked. They all live to sell product/tix/merch to every potential customer under the sun, including the racists and the murdering police officers. If that's your goal, how can you ever take a position on anything? If you're worried about offending half of your audience, how can you ever write or say anything of substance? You can't, so they don't. Music died a long time ago when the creators started thinking of themselves as brands instead of as artists commenting on the human experience.

P.S. Btw, the irony is that brands were never cool to begin with, which is why they needed to borrow/leverage/steal credibility from the artists/athletes/sports teams to begin with via talent deals, sponsorships, and endorsement contracts. Now, the "artists" of today are so hooked on corporate money and optimizing sales that they can't afford to offend one single potential customer, so they create fluff. Paradoxically, they now have the same amount of credibility as the brands that needed to buy it from musicians in the first place. None.

This would be hilarious if it were not so heartbreaking.

___________________________________

From: Tony Von Pervieux
Subject: Re: Trump On Twitter

I'm banned from Twitter for letting Mitch McConnell know he's a lyin', fucking traitor on several occasions. They flagged that. And that's freedom of speech, and also the truth if you see it the way i do. But Trump never gets "dinged" for threatening civilians and spewing constant lies on that platform, until now. Although, I loathe Twitter (except for getting my daily news), I'm all in favor of Jack stickin' it to the president to hopefully shut down the presidents digital soapbox. Without Twitter, Trump is stale, white toast.

___________________________________

From: Art Fein
Subject: Re: Skyhill Studios

Bob

I just read your epistle.
Some very lot of writing.
And many two-word sentences.
Many.

I first heard the Beatles in summer '63.
They were on a Chicago label.
Where I lived.
The song sounded OK. But I didn't buy it.

1965.
I went to CU
Started listening to FM rock in Boulder..
Bill Gardner. K-something.
(Did you know that stations are K in the west, and W in the east?
I didn't.)
I'd go to the station, as nobody listened, at first.
Got a lot of DJ copies.
Boy.

1970 Just before leaving Boulder saw Doug Kershaw.
Some festival.
I knew "Louisiana Man" having taped it off the air in Chicago.
Some great song.
Kershaw's the best performer in the world.
(So's you know.)

Got to LA. Lost Bonnie, college girlfriend..
(But still have "I've Got Bonnie." Bobby Rydell. GREAT record.)
Got a peripheral job at Capitol, via college friend Ken Sasano.
College promotion.
Lower than marginal.

Yet when John & Yoko came in the bldg I was called to the president's office.
My boss said "This is Art Fein. He's gonna set up college interviews for you Yoko, for your new album."
Yup. (That's what I said.)

We went to the Brown Derby.
Capitol corner.
I pointed to the rendering of Gene Vincent next to my head.
"Yeah!" said John.
(We had already established rapport in a 10-second look at my office.
Festooned with Elvis, JLL, Gene, etc.)
Next day I commandeered a record player, for their suite at the Bev Hills Hotel.
Brought in obscure singles I'd collected at thrift stores in Boulder.
(College pays off!)
John went mental.

They left.
I left.
I'd see them at clubs.
Always a nice reunion.

Art

I got a little wordy there.

___________________________________

Subject: Re: Re-Skyhill Studios (better late than never)

Bob:

I'm late to the party about Skyhill Drive. But I was there for the real party. I spent my teenage years hanging out at Leon's place in Hollywood. He taught me to play the piano, and much, much more…...

I had a high school band with Marc Benno and we made a record on Dot for Snuff Garett. Straight out of "That That Thing You Do"…...Leon was Snuff's arranger and we recorded in Dallas, with Leon playing organ and guitar….I'd never met anyone like Leon. Still haven't, come to think of it.

The band broke up, but Benno and I went out to California together, along with our new band. We stayed. This would've been 67/68…..Leon wasn't yet famous, but man, Skyhill Drive (that's what we all called it, not. "Skyhill Studios", was rocking! No one there was yet very famous…maybe little Carl Radle, who was playing in Gary Lewis and the Playboys, but that was about it......I was just a kid and was really the fly on the wall.

Rita Coolidge would cook great soul food and sing and was so sweet to me….as I said I was just a teenager and this whole Hollywood world was wild to me, and scarier than I wanted to admit.

I remember the first time I ever saw Bonnie Bramlett. She came in wearing madras shorts with her hair in a sort of conservative southern style, looking like a little meek housewife, Leon was at the grand piano in the den and said "sing one for us Bonnie" and that was that. The room shook. I was thunderstruck.
The musicians who were hanging out were mostly Oklahoma guys: there was Jesse Ed Davis, the native American guitar playing fucking genius, there was Don Nix, who'd regularly drop by with some Okie weed and also write a blues song every Wednesday for the weekly blues jam session (I think one of them was "I'm Goin" Down"), there was Carl Radle, Chuck Blackwell, Leon, Marc, and I'm sure I'm leaving some amazing folks out…..On blues night I even got to play organ while Leon played piano….I sucked at it but it was fun.
The place was well known amongst the music community in L.A. All of the then famous rock guys would come by, and Leon would have to go out all the time and work sessions with the Wrecking Crew. He pretty much hated that….would come home from a Sinatra session or Beach Boys grumbling, and of course I'm thinking this was the coolest but he hated it….
Marc and I, who were sort of living in a big hall closet or two upstairs in the house, came to me one day and said "man, Leon wants to be Elvis. We are gonna try to do a band called the Asylum Choir". About then, for other reasons, I went back to Texas. I'd visit though, and saw much more cool stuff there at that magical house.
This is of course a quick snapshot of a very open and wild and wonderful era. Many crazy things and many amazing musical moments happened while I was hanging out there. The closest I've seen anyone reproduce what the L.A. scene felt like back then is "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood".

Best,

Wally Wilson
Nashville,TN

___________________________________

From: Rob Fraboni
Subject: Re: Skyhill Studios

Hi Bob,

I have a couple of issues here. I knew all the players involved really well and we were friends. Let's be accurate about Joe for starters. I Can Stand A Little Rain was released in 1974, not '72. To omit You Are So Beautiful in this conversation seems an oversight (I hope). His biggest record (above The Letter, by one point) and The Letter helped define Joe which you somehow didn't mention. I know this is really about Leon, who was AMAZING, but still the picture should be painted accurately. I loved Leon and all those Tulsa guys were good friends. Carl Radle was one of the closest friends I've ever had and miss to this day. Denny Cordell (and Tarka) we're among my closest friends.
Skyhill was great & in a house but to say that home studios didn't catch on til the '80's isn't really true. How about Exile On Main Street and Music From Big Pink? They were both made in houses and in the early '70's. And my studio Shangri-La (a home studio) which Rick Rubin now owns was built in 1975...
So I have a little issue with that statement about home studios. Arguably, Hi Studios was Willie Mitchell's 'home studio' as he lived there for a bit.

One other thing about Joe's tour with Leon that's interesting is that just like when Benny Goodman crossed the U.S. in the opposite direction, Mad Dogs started at the Santa Monica Civic & moved East. By the time they reached the East Coast they were at MSG. Big jump. Benny went the other direction and it grew in that same way. I don't recall the venues but same story and first. Interesting...

Leon was a very talented lovely human being to the end of his days. There was no suspect intent in how it all played out. No manipulation. Denny Cordell loved them both. He was a good man. Leon had so much more drive and energy than Joe. Joe was an incredible singer & interpreter. He got off the path with drinking much because of his sensitivity and he told me about the toll that Mad Dogs your took on him. Leon was a showman & entertainer along with all that talent. He was a stronger person than Joe. But Joe was truly a big hearted lovely man.

Great points made about credits & marketing. So true.
But again, yes, Up Where We Belong was great, albeit middle of the road, not what Joe was known for. I produced both Joe & Jennifer and have some perspective. If it wasn't for that scene in Officer And A Gentleman with that song, which was perfect, who knows?

The other interesting thing about home studios being, I wonder how many of the readers here know that The Band's 'Brown Album' "The Band" was recorded in Sammy Davis Jr.'s guest house above Sunset Blvd. on Sunset Plaza Drive. I would've sworn it was recorded in a cabin in the hills of Arkansas.

Funny stuff. Then again all of Cosimo Matassa's classic records were recorded in a shotgun house in the French Quarter. Fats Domino, Little Richard, Lee Dorsey...big popular records at the time. This was the 60's into the '70's.

I don't mean to minimise Skyhill. That was a special place. Amazing energy. A real scene. But so was the basement of that house in Detroit where all in the Motown records were made. A lillte basement. Talk about creative use of a space! This stuff is fascinating. Personally I think recording studios suck, by & large. Acousticans dreams with no connection to reality, to the people listening. I have have always loved recording in houses and still do.

And yes, those brilliant men have passed but their work lives on (a perk of being a great artist) and those were a special three: Leon, JJ & Denny. Thank you for bringing this to the forefront.

I had to put in my 2 cents.

Bless you,

Rob Fraboni

___________________________________

From: Dan Navarro
Subject: Re: Quarantunes

I didn't read this until today. I'm not sending you this so you will print
it, though you might, and you can. I'm sending this because you've shown
me personal respect for my POV, as I respect yours, and we've become
friendly. Your sister is a hoot, I love her and her husband. And you know
(that is, I presume you know) that I never pitch to you.

The world is upside down, you know that, gone psycho, and we're not
equipped for this. We're spoiled, unprepared, unwilling, deluded. I don't
need a government to tell me I need to stay the fuck home. I'm nearly 68,
with heart condition, and lucky to have my energy. I'm not playing Russian Roulette.

The impact of this on the touring business is devastating, and my
community (and the venues that book us) may not survive. When is it coming back? I dunno, two years? Three? And what is the New Normal gonna be? I'm not gonna lie, I've lost thousands of dollars in bookings, mos - postponed˛ but I know that's wishful thinking.

Many of us In my world did live streams long before this all happened. I
have been doing one song every three or four shows for three years. It's
been great for awareness, for communication, shameless self-promotion.

Now the biggies are doing it. James Taylor, Elton John, Michael McDonald, and I'm not saying its a bad thing. But everyone is now competing for limited airspace, bandwidth, attention span. No problem.

I went online March 15. Facebook Live daily, Songs From the CoronaZone,
two hours a pop. Yup, daily, #58 coming today. Violates every rule of
marketing, Don't overload.˛ But the responses haven't been, Great song,
cool music, great to see you.˛ The responses have been, You're keeping me sane, we look forward to this every day, please don't stop.˛ It's been a
serious eye-opener.

I have a small cadre of dedicated fans who show up every single day.
Attendance hovers between 100 and 200. Views are 1000-2000. And the shows are themed. Covers, cuts by others, requests, the albums one-a-day, hell, I even drew song titles from a hat for eight days, no repeats. It got fun as the hat got emptier. Now I'm doing fan set lists, you get to program the whole show. And I tell stories. Lots and lots of stories, the longer and shaggier the better. That's what they are telling me, out loud, Bring them on."

I occasionally get people asking, Can we donate, what's your PayPal, your
Venmo.˛ I don't plug it, no donate˛ button, but I do tell them my PayPal
address. But I also say, Look, kids, I'm OK. I have a royalty stream, I'm
still doing voice-over from home, I don't really need it. Give it to
someone else. Or, if you insist, fine. I'll probably give it to someone
else."

And they do insist. Small thousands in the past ten weeks. I have been
giving it away, to a couple of friends in need, memberships I can't really
use to venues that are non-profits, to charities that serve my community.
I did a fundraiser stream for ALS (the disease that took Lowen) and raised
$6500 on a $5000 goal. I'm really grateful, because most of my fans are
hard hit financially by all of this.

I'm not a hero, I'm not a saint, I'm not a sage. Most days I don't even
know what the fuck I'm doing. I'm a guy who, I have said, "used to be in
the music business who now makes music for a living, and luckier than
most. And right now, I'm doing what I can to give away what I really have
been selling all these years. Connection, engagement, shared affection.
That's what I'm getting out of it, and IT keeps ME sane.

I didn't know about the streams you talked about. I didn't get mad or
disgusted, maybe a little eye roll. Not surprised, and not even a little
interested in attending, or performing should they ask me (they won't, LOL)

The old world was about exclusivity, privilege, heat, velvet ropes (as you
said), VIP rooms, backstage passes (never mind that, if you don't belong
there, backstage is one of the grossest places to be). And disregard for
the optics, maybe even disdain for the audience.

The new world is about connection, engagement, accessibility, openness.
Fuck the cool kids table. We're brown bagging it with our peeps, some of
whom are certifiable, most of whom incredibly sweet, and we're gonna live or die by that.

Thanks for letting˛ me rant. I hope your health is good, it's been too
long since I checked in. As you already know, I appreciate you. Long may
you run.

xx

___________________________________

Subject: PA Cancelled My Absentee Vote

Hey Bob -

I'm trying to get my story out there to anyone with a platform. I'm tired of people screaming "voter fraud" and not paying attention to situations like mine. Do with it what you think appropriate, or nothing at all. I'm desperate to resolve situations like this before November.

I am a registered voter in York, PA. I have been quarantined in New York City since March and applied to vote absentee for this week's primary election.

My application was approved, but I did not receive my ballot until Monday, June 1st. The York County deadline for absentee ballots was June 2nd at 8pm. I filled out and returned my ballot immediately, but today I received an email that my ballot status was updated to "cancelled" because the ballot wasn't received before the deadline.

I am a true absentee voter. I am not in Pennsylvania. I could not return to my home because of concerns about my parents and grandparent's health coming from a high risk area in Queens. I did not have the option to drop off my ballot at my polling place.

So far today I've contacted the York County Board of Elections, Governor Wolf's office and the York County District Attorney as well as filing a complaint with the Department of State. The Board of Elections basically told me there was nothing to be done and I'm extremely concerned with the passivity of people in such an important role.

I'm reaching out because I know I cannot possibly be alone in this with the high volume of absentee voters this Election Day. I hope you will help me in identifying other people who's votes have been "cancelled" and accelerate a resolution to this very unconstitutional practice.

I'm still in New York but happy to speak via email, phone or video chat - please don't hesitate to contact me. I hope you can help me and any others in this situation.

Izze Gibson

___________________________________

From: Darryl Estrine
Subject: Re: Blackout Backlash

Hey Bob -

I can relate so closely to one part of this rant.

I've been a photographer, advertising/magazines/a few album covers for over 30 years. During that period the great fear was that the tax authorities would come down hard on us for hiring photo assistants and other crew as independent contractors and giving them 1099's at the end of the year. In most cases these were people who worked with dozens of photographers throughout the year and certainly were not staff. But the fear of the state and feds was real and more than one photographer was killed by fines.

Fast forward to March this year, the photo industry is dead (have seen most magazines? they suck cuz they have no money, it's in digital) and I've moved onto video production. I get a call about a job as a video producer at EY (Ernst & Young, 7th largest private company in America) from a recruiter. I send a résumé, and a portfolio of my films..I get an interview. Before the interview I get a bunch of legal BS sent and part of it is they are hiring for 6 months temp-to-permanent position (They want to see if the new position pays off, and pay no benefits or payroll taxes during the "test" period) . I know all about perm-temps, and the bullshit ways corporate America has evaded benefits for years, but to face it head on is really another thing. HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH IT? You work 40+ hours only for them, in their building, with their equipment, with their people. YOU'RE AN EMPLOYEE!!! So treat me like an employee.

Right now, in the time of COVID-19, BLM and George Floyd's torturous death this feels very minor, but it's death by a thousand cuts. Legal, financial, unequal.

As to the riots, why go after stores, go after The Koch's, Steve Schwartzman, and Trump's properties. That's where the money is, and those are the people that bought the politicians that destroyed everything.

- Darryl Estrine

___________________________________

From: Dan Millen
Subject: Re: Collaboration

Where is Pelosi? Hell where is Bernie?

Where is AOC? Where is Joe Biden?

All these mighty blowhards are cowering. Tweets of concern do nothing.

Why are they not calling for the 25th amendment?

To talk openly about it is to prepare to back the president into a corner. Force his hand already.

Hell where is Wayne fucking Lapiere?

We ex military are freaking out and speaking out. My commanding General in desert storm Barry McCaffrey, Mad Dog Mattis, Mike Mullen and more.

Soldiers need to understand what is and isn't a Lawful Order and what they signed up for. To support and defend the constitution.

Thursday I went to America's largest Gun Store in Smyrna GA. Picked dry.

You are gonna see some very strange bedfellows moving ahead as this authorizationisation progresses forward.

All those "constitutionalist" Trumpers will have a rude awakening when THEIR rights TRULY get stepped on by their Dear Leader.

This is just crazy.

Pray for peace.

PS - I actually thought about NOT sending this because the possible POGRUMS that might follow. I could see some asshole Nazi central scrutinizer pulling this up 5 years from now and sending me to the gulag in Barstow CA to sweat my ass off. Or knocking on my door in the middle of the night. Suddenly I disappear. Sounds silly right? Not so silly anymore.

You may want apply for your carry permit.

All the Jews and all the progressives should do the same. This could get ugly.

We will be fighting Alongside the doomsday preppers, former military, duck dynasty guys, and all those rednecks with their AR15s!

P.S. I wanted to elaborate further when I got to a computer. I decided to spend half my time in Atlanta because my college sweetheart and I rekindled our long lost love and had been carrying on a long distance relationship. I have great staff so easy for me to do my job and fly up as needed. Got stuck here after COVID. Could be worse, I'm with loved ones. And I was stationed outside of Savannah prior to Gulf War I and enjoyed my time here then.

Many are not as lucky as I am.

Anyway, I made a mistake in my last email, the store is actually purported to be the WORLD'S largest gun store!
https://adventureoutdoors.us/

It is probably the size of two football fields, has a bar and restaurant (closed because of social distancing) and a separate indoor range behind the main shop. I'd say 50% of the floor is dedicated to guns and ammo, the rest is sporting and gun accessories. There is an entire section dedicated to Sig Sauer handgun brand, which is empty. Not empty as in they didn't order any, empty as in they can't get enough in to satiate the demand. They have a waiting list for the most popular handguns and shotguns. They are completely sold out of shotguns and most shotgun ammo, no 22 lr or 38 caliber or .380 caliber handgun ammo. The pic I sent you is the long rifle and assault rifle clone rack which is half empty. Only the "weird looking cheap knockoff" brands and high end collector's item expensive / antiques remain and people are even buying those.

There are no more nato rounds (for AR15 and AK47) in stock and there's a waiting list for those.

The place was packed with people, I'd never been to a gun store in Georgia, so I was expecting rednecks and doomsday preppers, surprising the people there were a nice healthy mix of races and classes. Lots of African Americans, lots of working class, middle class and lots of golf and polo shirt types. Many of them were veterans too.

I wanted to go because I wanted to see it, and I've been looking for extra magazines for a very rare handgun, and now that GA has relaxed stay at home rules it was nice to take a little road trip. I grew up with guns, my father owned a small chain of gun shops and was an avid sportsman, and I really enjoy target shooting myself.

For the record I am not a member of the NRA and I don't consider myself a "gun nut." I believe in sensible gun laws especially in areas with very high crime rates.

This is obviously not scientific, just anecdotal.

I had several conversations with people in the various lines I had to wait in, including staff. I purposefully talked to as many people as I could. Took me about sixty minutes on site to get what I came for and check out, so I got a chance to talk to probably 40 people.

The staffers told me they have more handguns on deposit (7 day federal waiting period) than they've ever had. One staffer mentioned a common theme "what the heck is going on with Donald Trump, I voted for him but now I'm scared of him and scared for the country." As he was saying this several of the other staffers behind the counter chimed in and said that's all they hear now. People in line chimed in with the same, we all seemed to have a kumbaya moment.

The general consensus is not "looters and hooligans and antifa are coming to get us" or "Nnacy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders are gonna take my guns away", the general consensus was concern about government and police overreach, use of the Military against civilians, and the potential need to defend their homes if society breaks down against either a hostile government or people fleeing from cities. Also of note, lots of people stocking up their "bugout bags" and getting ready to run. I asked one guy where he'd run to. He said "I don't know but probably Mexico or Canada!" We had a laugh about well good thing they didn't get the wall built huh?

This is solid everyday America. Chevys, Beemers, Hondas, Toyotas, a Tesla, some tricked out sports cars, some grocery gettings, some trucks...

People who are not protesting, aren't that angry, don't pay much attention to politics in general but are seemingly too concerned about their families and the judgement of those around them now to speak up too loudly, but are quietly getting ready to hole up. Nobody is hoping to have to shoot anyone or God forbid engage with military or law enforcement, they just feel like they would rather run for it or figure out how to fight back rather than live in a fascist state.

Let's hope they all vote.

___________________________________

From: Troy Carter

I can't express how emotionally challenging the last few weeks have been for me. Watching the events unfold around our country opened up unhealed wounds for many of us. I've been racially profiled, harassed by police officers, and called a nigger too many times to count. But through it all, I wanted to believe that America was still a great country. I listened to my family's stories of visiting the South and not being able to stop at restrooms. I heard the stories about my grandfather fleeing Ninety-Six, South Carolina for Philadelphia fearing for his life. These were supposed to be stories of the past. We sang WE SHALL OVERCOME, but we never really did. Twenty-eight years ago, I watched Rodney King get beaten senselessly by police officers on the side of a dark road. The modern invention of the Camcorder would finally bring us justice. The video recording of his torture would shine light on the dark street and cold asphalt where many black men have bled, but it didn't. I watched the LA riots on our Toshiba TV set in our living room on Parrish Street. Our family glued to the tv as we witnessed LA violently express the pain we were all feeling. As the fires burned down buildings, it also incinerated our hope of ever being treated fair as Americans. The acts of destruction were no different than an abused child that pulls the head from her Barbie. She knows she can't inflict her pain on her abuser, but her anguish manifests itself in other destructive ways.

Fast forward to 2020. We witnessed "Karen" accuse an innocent man of threatening her life in Central Park. I was fascinated as I watched the weaponization of privilege play out before my eyes. The high octave she hit as she screamed into her phone telling the police dispatcher that an African-American man was threatening her had the octave of a dog whistle. Not everyone could hear the note, but those who could heard it loud and clear. We witnessed armed vigilantes in Georgia chase down a jogger and murder him in the streets. The local prosecutor refused to bring charges. Then video appeared. We also witnessed a man call out for his mother as he struggled for air, lying on the same black asphalt as Rodney King. Tortured in broad daylight as his compassionless captors stripped him of his dignity, and eventually his life. The modern invention of the iPhone and social media would sure bring us justice. It took the fires of a burning police station to get the nations attention. The station George never made it to. Three of his murderers are still free. The iPhone is no better than the camcorder. America's justice system is what's most in need of innovation.

People have taken to the streets and expressed their hurt in many ways. These marches and riots across the country look much different than protests from the recent past. Black people are joined by young whites, Hispanics, Asians, and other ethnicities. George Floyd's murder was just the spark that set the fire. The people aren't just angry over his killing. They're also angry over the the injustices and inequality the black light has exposed. Student debt is an injustice. Public education is an injustice. Our healthcare system is an injustice. The economic divide in our country has left two generations of the majority of Americans on the side of a country backroad, and doesn't give a damn about the color of their skin. What we're now witnessing is the MERGER OF THE FORGOTTEN. Those are the people marching the streets this week. Tearing the heads off of Barbie.

When the glass gets repaired and the buildings are repainted, there's no way we can go back to who we were. We as the citizens of this country need to do better. Let's erase any bias and judgement and look directly at the pain. Let's give opportunities to those who weren't born on third base. We can only begin to fix the criminal justice system by having empathetic first responders. Ensuring there are opportunities for people of color in executive suites throughout the entire business is paramount. Black culture and black music fills the pockets of many record labels, publishing companies, technology platforms, and live concert businesses. I can count on one hand the number of CEO or key decision makers throughout these organizations. Our industry makes the NFL look diverse. Most of these companies are responsible for the distribution of the images of black people, so there should be executives that come from that culture in seats of power in our industry.

Apologies for the long-winded letter and thank you for allowing me to get this off my chest.

With gratitude,

Troy

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Saturday Night Specials-This Week On SiriusXM

The songs played every Saturday night on rock stations from the mid-seventies to the early eighties.

Show Playlist:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dMAngM
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Tune in today June 9th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.

Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive


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