1 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left This podcast. 2 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: My guest today is keyboard is Steve Woor Karl, Steve, 3 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: you started off as a drummer. 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 2: Right, well, yeah, I'm not in a very serious sense. 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 2: We all started off at drums just because that was 6 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: always Drums were laying around, sticks were laying around, pads 7 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 2: were laying around. So yeah, I spent some times at 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 2: the drum at some time at the drums, but I 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: would never there was never a time where I called 10 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: myself a drummer. 11 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 3: Okay, let's go back. Your father was a professional drummer. 12 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 3: Tell me about that. 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: Absolutely. Yeah. My old man was a was a bebop drummer. 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: Was where his heart was for us, you know, especially 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: for me. Before the Beatles, it was all Miles Davis quintets, 16 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: you know, and you know, a few big bands, some Coltrane. 17 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 2: It was mostly jazz in our household. And my dad 18 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: played at the with Hartford Symphony every weekend, so I 19 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 2: was exposed to some classical music, you know, but it 20 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 2: was mostly he was he was a jazzer. 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 3: You know, and he was earning a living as a 22 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 3: player when you lived in Connecticut. 23 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: You know, he where he went to work every day 24 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 2: was this drum shop where he taught every day. That 25 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: was kind of his day. Gig was teaching at this 26 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 2: drum shop where his teacher, that his teacher owned, and 27 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: they you know, and his teacher helped him get gigs 28 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: right away, you know, society stuff what they called casuals, 29 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: you know, weddings whatever. But yeah, he always he only 30 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 2: did music for a living his entire life. 31 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 3: And did your mother work outside the home. 32 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: No, not at all. She was a stay at home mom. 33 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 3: Well, you know, usually the life of a drummer, the 34 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 3: income is challenging. What was it like growing up? 35 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: You know, it was one of those things in those days. Yes, 36 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: it was very challenging. I was brought up in the 37 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: I was born in the projects in Hartford, and but 38 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 2: it wasn't you know, we were never hungry or anything 39 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 2: like that. There's no you know, sob story there. I 40 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 2: seem to have everything I needed and wanted. We had 41 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 2: Christmases and you know, life was good. 42 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: You know, how old were you when the family moved 43 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 3: to California. 44 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 2: I was just turning nine. We moved, we landed in 45 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: Burbank in nineteen sixty six, and I in August of 46 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: sixty six, and I turned nine in September, the beginning 47 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: of the year. 48 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 3: So did you want to come to California or do 49 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 3: you not want to leave your friends behind? 50 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: You know? It was we were very excited about it. Actually, 51 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: my dad had come like a few months earlier. My 52 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: dad had come to kind of check it out. He 53 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,119 Speaker 2: was wanting something different. He was kind of doing everything 54 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 2: he could do in Hartford, and he was doing okay, 55 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 2: you know, as far as a professional musician goes, he 56 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: was doing all right. But he came out to California 57 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 2: to see one of his childhood friends, Amo Richards, who 58 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 2: was doing very well here in the studios, especially in 59 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 2: the film studios. Some record stuff. But what did amol do? 60 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: Amo was a percussionist in the studios, okay, doing records 61 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 2: and mostly movies, mostly film stuff. And Amo was doing 62 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 2: very well. He was working every day in the film 63 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 2: studios and like I said, some records. And my dad 64 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 2: followed him for a week. He just went to every 65 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: gig he that Amo had, and Amo worked every day. 66 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: My dad followed him around and saw what was expected 67 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 2: that you you know, like say, you know, in the 68 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 2: symphony he could play mallet parts, but he got to 69 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: You could take those home and practice them. But in 70 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: the studios you had maybe one pass through and then 71 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: you had to nail those Tom and Jerry's xylophone parts. 72 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 2: Sometimes they could be very difficult in the film studio 73 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 2: and you had to nail it. You were there with 74 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 2: an eightpiece orchestra. It was very different than like my 75 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: studio career. You know, there are a lot of other 76 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 2: people playing at the same time and you had to 77 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 2: nail that stuff. It was very high pressure. But he 78 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 2: felt he could do it, and he moved the family, 79 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 2: the wife and four kids. We moved across the country 80 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 2: to become you know, for him to become a a 81 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: freelance studio musician. And he did really well, really right 82 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 2: away he did well. So yeah, things took off for 83 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 2: him pretty quick. 84 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 3: Okay, let's talk about his upbringing. Where was he born. 85 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: Hertford, Connecticut? 86 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 3: And were his parents born in America or born in 87 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 3: the so called Old Country? 88 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: No, they were definitely Old Country. His father was Calabrese 89 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: and his mother was from Napoli, Neapolitan, you know, they 90 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 2: were both southern Italians. And his mother never learned English. 91 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 2: I never heard her speak English, but his father was 92 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 2: mostly a carpenter and also a drummer and a trumpet player. 93 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: Would play a lot in these Italian marching bands, which 94 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 2: were a big deal back in the day. And that's 95 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 2: what my dad first did, was play play snare drum 96 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 2: in these Italian marching bands in Hertford. 97 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,239 Speaker 3: And when you moved to California, were they still alive? 98 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: Yes, very much so. They were alive for quite a while. Yeah. 99 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 3: And did they follow you out here or did they 100 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 3: stay in. 101 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: Not at all. Not. They're all as a matter of fact, 102 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 2: all my cousins, everyone is still there in Connecticut. I'm 103 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: going to see them in a couple months. I'm going 104 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 2: to go visit. You know, they're all there. My mom's 105 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 2: family was from Maine, and my dad's they're all in 106 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 2: the general Hartford area and still are. Do you know 107 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 2: how your parents met, Yes, I do know how my 108 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 2: parents met. My dad. My mom was even though she 109 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: was born in Maine, she was taking she was a floutist. 110 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 2: She was taking flute at this music college in Hartford. 111 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 2: And my dad, even though he didn't have a college 112 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 2: education himself, he did some teaching at this Heart School, 113 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 2: Heart School of Music in Hartford and he saw her 114 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 2: in a practice room. He saw through the window, he 115 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: saw in a practice room, and he called his best 116 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 2: friend over and said, that's the woman I'm gonna marry 117 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 2: before they even met. 118 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 3: And okay, so you're nine years old. You moved to 119 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 3: California to where in Los Angeles. 120 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 2: Burbank, Burbank, California. 121 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 3: And what was Burbank like then compared to now? 122 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: You know, it's was pretty much the same. I got 123 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: to tell you. You know, Burbank maybe you know it 124 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 2: gets a bad rap and it's the valley and all 125 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: that stuff, But for us, it was the Promised Land. 126 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 2: It was this bedroom community for people who worked on film. 127 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 2: And you know, this is nineteen sixty six. The Monkeys 128 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 2: were filming their TV show down the street and they 129 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 2: would go tooling around town and the Monkey Mobile. You know, 130 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 2: I was nine, So there was this nine year you know, 131 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 2: what we come to know now is this nine year 132 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: awakening that kids go through where you your eyes are 133 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 2: finally really wide open to life. And it was hitting me, 134 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 2: hitting us all like a ton of bricks. We loved it. 135 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 2: We loved it. It was very exciting. And like I said, 136 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 2: my dad, right away was working, so he right away 137 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 2: was you know, doing things like doing you know, Jerry Fielding. 138 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 2: This composer was someone he worked for, and he was 139 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 2: doing the main title to a sitcom like Hogan's Hero 140 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 2: something we watched, so we would we'd hear, you know, 141 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: we would hear my dad on TV. He worked with 142 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 2: Lila Schiffrin, with someone he hooked up with very early, 143 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 2: who loved the way my dad played. So my dad 144 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 2: was on all these shows like Mission Impossible and Manics 145 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 2: and stuff. When these these guys were still doing TV work. 146 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: It was very very exciting, you know. 147 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 3: Okay, so there if we love kids in your family, 148 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 3: two well known brothers. Who's the fourth. 149 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: Kid, m my young my kid's sister, Jolene, And what's 150 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: she up to. She's a designer. She decorates, Uh, she 151 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 2: does interior design in houses. She she was very musical too. 152 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 2: She just kind of us three boys kind of got 153 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 2: all the got all the stole, all the stole, all 154 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 2: the thunder you know what I mean, got all the attention. 155 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 2: She was I was three years younger than Jeff. She 156 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 2: was three years younger than me, and uh, you know, 157 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 2: we got a lot of the attention but Joline has 158 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:48,119 Speaker 2: always done She's always worked in uh, in the studios, 159 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 2: in the film, film, film, and TV world, and now 160 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 2: she mostly does design work in homes. 161 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 3: Okay, when you moved to California, you're nine, your brothers 162 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,719 Speaker 3: are older. Is everybody already playing instruments? 163 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 2: Yes, Jeff was already quite the drummer immediately, Mike was still. 164 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 2: Mike was also a drummer. They had both as soon 165 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 2: as the Beatles came out, they both they both took 166 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 2: guitar lessons for a little while and Jeff let it 167 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 2: go after a month and Mike stuck with it a 168 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 2: little bit longer with guitar. And then right then Mike 169 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 2: took up the bass in school. And that's when Mike 170 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 2: started playing bass. Was right when we got there. Uh, 171 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 2: he took up the bass, but he took it up. 172 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 2: He was very quick with it. Mike was a Mike 173 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 2: was a great drummer too. Mike had an incredible time, 174 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 2: He had an incredible groove. But you know, Jeff was 175 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 2: just Jeff stood out from a very young age just 176 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: being something very special on drums. Everyone everyone knew that 177 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 2: Jeff was least something special. Uh. Yeah, and I was 178 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 2: already playing piano. By that point, I'd been playing piano. 179 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 2: I'd been taking lessons since since I was four. But 180 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 2: I was always a horrible student, you know. I was 181 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,319 Speaker 2: always just a terrible student. But luckily my dad would 182 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 2: always my dad be it was a very good teacher 183 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 2: of drums. You know. You always taught friends, and especially 184 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 2: in the studio, Guys knew that my dad taught and 185 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 2: was really good at teaching, and they would often ask 186 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 2: him to teach their sons that were interested in taking drums, 187 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 2: and if it was a keyboard player, he'd barter with them. 188 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 2: He'd say, sure, I'll teach your kid if you'll teach 189 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 2: my kid piano, and you know, and I just would 190 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 2: always say yes. I never gave up. I got to 191 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 2: work with an incredible some incredible piano teachers over the years. 192 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 3: You know, Okay, your two older brothers, did they take lessons. 193 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Jeff took some lessons, but I would say from 194 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 2: what I saw that I would say that ninety percent 195 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 2: of Jeff's lessons were him playing along with records. There 196 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 2: was always a drum set set up, and there was 197 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 2: always a turntable and headphones right next to the drum. 198 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 2: Set and Jeff would spend hours upon hours playing along 199 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 2: to records. 200 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 3: And did your brothers take piano at a young age two? 201 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 2: No, not at all. I was the only one. I 202 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 2: was the only one who took And. 203 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 3: Do you know what the motivation was. 204 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 2: For me? 205 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 3: Well, you're four years old? 206 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know. I went with my dad. My dad 207 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 2: took me. He again, he was teaching at this college. 208 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 2: He was teaching drums at some college, and he would 209 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 2: One time he took me and it was he was 210 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,080 Speaker 2: teaching a drum lesson as some guy, and it was 211 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 2: this organ room at this college he was teaching at. 212 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 2: It was this room that had, like, you know, they 213 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 2: had to have at least ten different organs in there. 214 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 2: And towards the end of the lesson, I saw my 215 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 2: dad jump on an organ. I don't even know what 216 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 2: it was, but it was a Hammond. It was something 217 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,679 Speaker 2: like the size of a B three or something, and 218 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 2: he played. He wanted his student to play along with him, 219 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 2: and he played this very simple see blues. He played 220 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 2: this blues on the Hammond for his student to play 221 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 2: along with him, to play, to play a jazz swing 222 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 2: beat along with him. And I had never seen my 223 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: father play a keyboard before then, but I heard him 224 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 2: play this, and I was like, we had just gotten 225 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 2: a piano. I had just started taking lessons with a 226 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 2: friend of his. But I said to him, show me 227 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 2: that blues. Show me I want to learn that. And 228 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 2: he taught to me and I played it to death. 229 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 3: You know, Okay, you continue to take lessons, but you 230 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 3: said you didn't practice. 231 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:14,319 Speaker 2: You know, I would practice. I would start off practicing, 232 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 2: but as soon as it got really difficult, as soon 233 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 2: as the teacher would say things like Okay, that's great, 234 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: now learn it in all twelve keys, see you later, 235 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 2: you know, or something like that, it just would be 236 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: drudgery to me. You know, certain music that I unless 237 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 2: it was something I really wanted to play, it was 238 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: drudgery to me and my as bad as I wanted 239 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 2: to be a good keyboard player, my you know, I 240 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: think I had some undiagnosed attention deficit stuff going on. 241 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 2: It was very hard for me to focus as a kid. 242 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 2: And it wasn't until I started fifth grade and I 243 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 2: am in Studio City and there was another kid. I 244 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 2: thought I was pretty good at fifth grade, you know, 245 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 2: in fifth grade, but there was this other kid in 246 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 2: fifth grade who was a true child prodigy, was amazing 247 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 2: on piano, and we became fast friends. And he was 248 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 2: playing classical pieces and that was the first time I, 249 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 2: like was driven. I wanted to play those those pieces, 250 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 2: so you know, I would get to the music. And 251 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 2: it was the first time I felt driven. Even though 252 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 2: it was hard, I wanted to. I had that in 253 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 2: my head watching this other kid do it, and I 254 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 2: wanted to know what it felt like to be able 255 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 2: to rip off, you know, to whip off some of 256 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: these pieces and stuff like that. And I was really 257 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 2: driven to practice. Things went up and. 258 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 3: Notch and you learned how to do that stuff absolutely. 259 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 260 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 3: Now there was this other kid in school, but if 261 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 3: I was going to school with you, I'd say, oh, Steve, 262 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 3: he's the guy who plays a piano. Or was really 263 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 3: just something you're doing at home? 264 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, No, I was very involved. You know, most 265 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 2: of the public schools I know in California anyway, they're 266 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 2: all through even elementary, junior high. In high school, there 267 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 2: was never a piano chair in the orchestra. It was 268 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 2: always we played percussion. I would play percussion in the orchestras, 269 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 2: timpany xylophone, you know i'd be able to learn the parts, 270 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: and I would that's what you played. There was no 271 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 2: piano chair per se, you know, but I was always 272 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 2: taking lessons and always plowing away and trying. 273 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 3: You know, Okay, you have two older brothers. I don't 274 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 3: have older brothers or any brothers at all. To what 275 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 3: degree was your career following in the steps of your 276 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 3: brothers or was it independent and then you merged down 277 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 3: the road? 278 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,440 Speaker 2: You know, it was a lot of both. Jeff, especially 279 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 2: because at such an early age. I mean, of course 280 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 2: he was playing in his bands in high school and 281 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 2: I went to every gig, but he got a professional 282 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 2: gig at seventeen. He didn't finish high school like myself, 283 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 2: I didn't finish high school either. Because he got a 284 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 2: job touring with Sonny and Chare. You know, he'd been 285 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 2: doing a couple little sessions, local stuff, small time stuff 286 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 2: around the valley. And David Hungate, who was playing with 287 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 2: Sonny and Share at the time, and this is kind 288 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 2: of right before they were really peaking in the mid 289 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 2: seventies early seventies there, David Hungate was did a session 290 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 2: with Jeff and heard him play and recommended him to 291 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 2: Sonny and Share, and Jeff left high school a semester 292 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 2: earlier to tour with them, and then right from that 293 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 2: it was just his His career trajectory was was astonishing 294 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 2: how fast he started doing sessions, really good sessions all 295 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 2: of a sudden. You know, our favorite band Steely Dan, 296 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 2: Jeff's doing like a whole album with him. So Jeff 297 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 2: was always this shining, shining example to us that it 298 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 2: could happen. We could. It was possible, you know, it 299 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 2: was right there, It was possible if we worked hard enough. 300 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 3: You know, Okay, that was Jeff. Jeff is older than you, 301 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 3: He's basically okay, so when you were now in high school, 302 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 3: are you playing in bands? 303 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 2: Absolutely? Absolutely? And then Rape Mike was just two years 304 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 2: younger than Jeff, and Mike was also playing in bands 305 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,359 Speaker 2: and in Jeff's bands in high school, and he right away, 306 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 2: as soon as he graduated, he started touring with bands 307 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 2: Michael Franks, and then Mike was with Seals and Crofts 308 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 2: for a lot of years right out of high school 309 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 2: and doing sessions and playing the Baked Potato. His career 310 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 2: took off immediately. 311 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:24,160 Speaker 3: Also, you know, okay, you're younger than Jeff by three years, 312 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 3: what kind of band are you playing in in high school? 313 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:35,120 Speaker 2: Well, you know, the very first stuff that Jeff did, 314 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,880 Speaker 2: like in junior high was absolutely like soul, these kind 315 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 2: of funk bands, playing Sam and Dave covers, playing covers 316 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:46,400 Speaker 2: like that in high school him and when he met 317 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: David Page, his partner in Toto, they right away there. 318 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 2: They loved Joe Cocker had a band, Mad Dogs and Englishmen. 319 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 2: There was a record, there was a movie. They had 320 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 2: double drums, Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon, and these guys 321 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 2: happened to be Jeff's hero. Well, their high school band 322 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 2: pretty much did that whole Joe Cockers set. They had horns, 323 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 2: they had all these background singers. You know, Leon Russell 324 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 2: was a big hero of ours as far as being 325 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 2: a studio musician, And they kind of copied that band 326 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 2: through through high school. And then when I got into 327 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 2: high school, I took those same charts and I did 328 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 2: that same set. At first, I was kind of copying that, 329 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 2: but then I later in high school, I got rid 330 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 2: of the horns and I wanted to do more of 331 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 2: a rock and roll thing, and that's when I hooked 332 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 2: up with my So when I met Steve Lucather and 333 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 2: Mike Landau and Carlos Vega and John Pierce and these 334 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 2: guys that all went on to have great careers. We 335 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 2: had a band in high school and did lots of 336 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 2: proms and all started taking our new very seriously. All 337 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 2: of a sudden, you. 338 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 3: Know, Okay, so you are the connection to Lucerther, not 339 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 3: your brothers. Yes, okay, so you meet Lucather, you meet Landau, 340 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 3: you're playing this is all great. Your brother both brothers 341 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 3: are Ultimately they've made this a career. Is that in 342 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,479 Speaker 3: the back of your mind to say this is what 343 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:28,919 Speaker 3: I want to do or you say this is what 344 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 3: I'm doing now. 345 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 2: It's absolutely what we wanted to do, and it's what 346 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,120 Speaker 2: we saw was so possible because it was right there 347 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,360 Speaker 2: and it kind of inspired all of us. It inspired 348 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 2: all of us in our band that it was you know, 349 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 2: it wasn't just some pipe dream. Jeff and Mike were 350 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 2: doing it, you know, you know, and it certainly helped me. 351 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 2: I went through a very difficult period where I you know, 352 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 2: as I'm in eleventh grade and twelfth grade in school, 353 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 2: I'm looking I see that my brother's careers took off 354 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 2: freight away. But as far as being the piano player 355 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 2: on a session, being a keyboard player on a session. 356 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: I saw the competition. It was Michael o'mardian and David 357 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,199 Speaker 2: Page and David Foster and these guys that were I 358 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 2: was nowhere near their ability as far as just basic keyboards, 359 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 2: which is part of the reason. I mean, I was 360 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 2: always interested in any way, but I early on I 361 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 2: dove way into synthesizers. I saw especially this is before MIDI, 362 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 2: and I just saw this chasm where the guys who 363 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 2: knew a lot about synthesizers were these nerds, you know, 364 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 2: with pocket protectors on, and the real the great players 365 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:51,160 Speaker 2: didn't want to have anything to do with interfacing, you know, 366 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 2: a synthesizer, what it took to play a mogue from 367 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 2: an art and vice versa, and the little black boxes 368 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 2: and that took and I dove way into that stuff, 369 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 2: and at a very early age start getting hired to 370 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 2: be a synthesizer programmer. 371 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 3: Wait a little bit slower. There's the full mug, then 372 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 3: there's the mini mug. There's the R twenty five hundred 373 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 3: than the twenty six hundred, which is more for a 374 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 3: consumer everyday thing. Where do you get in on this. 375 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 3: It really sort of happened to the change of the 376 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 3: decades sixties to the seventies. And also this stuff was 377 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 3: not cheap. So nope, how did you literally get vaulved Sure? 378 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 3: I had this friend in high school. His name was 379 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 3: Jay Chernick, and he owned We were all way into 380 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 3: Prague Rock. We were all into Emerson, Lincoln Palmer and Yes, 381 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 3: and these these these. 382 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:54,359 Speaker 2: Guys were our heroes. Not so much my brothers, but 383 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 2: I mean they hit me to that stuff. Jeff hit 384 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 2: me to King Crimson and emersoniank and paulm Or. But 385 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 2: he didn't stay in that camp very long. But I 386 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 2: had this friend who owned a Mini Mogue. He owned 387 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 2: an Oberheim Sequencer and an Oberheim Expander module. And I 388 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 2: would hang out with this guy every day, and he 389 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 2: was teaching me. He was showing me stuff on this 390 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 2: Mini Mogue, and he had this stuff interfaced. He had 391 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 2: these little black boxes. He had hired someone so that 392 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 2: this Mogue could talk to this Oberheim, which wasn't easy 393 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 2: to do in those days. Anyway, I'm still in high school. 394 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 2: All I wanted to do was be on the road 395 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:48,439 Speaker 2: and following my brother's footsteps. And I auditioned it started 396 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 2: becoming At that point, it was like a new thing 397 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 2: where groups on the road were hiring a second keyboard 398 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 2: player to cover the string arrangements, to play in art 399 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 2: a string ensemble, to cover you know what I mean, 400 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 2: to cover overdubs live, and all of a sudden kind 401 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 2: of became this new chair with touring bands. And I 402 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 2: remember I auditioned for Mac Davis and didn't get it. 403 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 2: He just said, you're too young. I'm still in high school. 404 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:23,199 Speaker 2: I auditioned for Tim Buckley and he was looking for 405 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 2: a guy who was more of a jazz pianist. He 406 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 2: was looking for a jazzer. I didn't get that. And 407 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 2: then David Foster, whoy had just started programming for, had 408 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 2: just finished working with Gary Wright and recording the dream 409 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 2: Weaver album, and Gary had asked him. Gary was putting 410 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 2: together an all keyboard band, and did David noah of 411 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 2: any young keyboard players who would tour for cheap who 412 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 2: knew how to play synthesizer. And he gave Gary my 413 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 2: number and I played mo base for Gary Wright for 414 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 2: I got the gig, and I left high school a 415 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,440 Speaker 2: semester early because I got the gig playing with Gary Wright. 416 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,400 Speaker 2: You know and I rate then I didn't even own 417 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,120 Speaker 2: a synthesizer then. As a matter of fact, on my audition, 418 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 2: I had borrowed my friend's mini Mogue and he had 419 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 2: marked for me with grease pencil, like cool base settings. 420 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 2: You know, that's how little I knew about it. He 421 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 2: marked some cool base settings. I got the gig and 422 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 2: my brother Mike loaned me the money. I Jay Tchernick, 423 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 2: my friend had decided he wanted to sell all his 424 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 2: synthesizer equipment and buy a grand piano. He wanted to 425 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 2: start taking his his piano lessons seriously, and I bought 426 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,919 Speaker 2: that very rig My brother Mike loaned me the money, 427 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 2: and that was the mog base I had that I 428 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 2: took on tour with me with Gary Wright. 429 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 3: How much money did you need? 430 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 2: It was two thousand dollars for the whole thing, which 431 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 2: was a good minimugs listed They listed for fifteen hundred 432 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 2: dollars then, and then the other stuff was well over 433 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 2: another thousand dollars. And it was a It was a 434 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,919 Speaker 2: beautiful minimug which I have to this day. I still 435 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 2: have it. It it it crashed into a million pieces. 436 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 2: One time we were opening for Jethro Tull, and when 437 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 2: they took our equipment off the stage, it came crashing 438 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 2: down to the floor in a million pieces. But I 439 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 2: had the guts put in another, put in another enclosure, 440 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 2: and so funny because I just had some work on 441 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 2: it and I just got it back, so I had 442 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 2: to show it to you. This was the very first 443 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 2: minimo guy ever owned. You know that, My brother Mike 444 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 2: helped me, helped me pay for for Gary Wright. 445 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 3: Okay, if you were on the road with jeth Rode 446 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 3: Tall and the Mini moge broke, what'd you do with 447 00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 3: the next show? 448 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 2: Gary had this? We were opening for Jethro Toll. Gary 449 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 2: was opening for Jethro Toll. We did a full month 450 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 2: with him, and I loved it. I didn't miss one 451 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 2: Jethro Tol show. I was, I was. I didn't miss 452 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 2: one show. Gary had this amazing tech, this kid named 453 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 2: Alan who is amazing, and Gary already had a mini 454 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 2: Mogue had a keyboard. This this tech had put his 455 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 2: keyboard in a separate enclosure, so it wasn't a key tar. 456 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 2: There was no quitar neck on it, but it just 457 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 2: he had this this minimog around his neck and he 458 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 2: would come out in front and Gary would play you know, 459 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 2: minimog solos and Mini Mogue parts. So Alan did the 460 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 2: same thing for me. He just built this. Uh he 461 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 2: put it in a in a you know, right away, 462 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,200 Speaker 2: put it in a box and had these connectors where 463 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 2: my keyboard was separate, and I started wearing the keyboard 464 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 2: around my neck with Gary also, you know, playing the 465 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 2: bass parts. 466 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 3: Okay, let's go back before you own the Mini Mode. 467 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 3: You're working with Foster, You're programming. What exactly are you doing? 468 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 3: You know, programming today is a whole thing programming drugs. 469 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 3: But in drum excuse me, in the seventies, programming SyncE 470 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 3: like for what were you actually doing? 471 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 2: You know, it was it was simply often like say 472 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 2: with a Mini Mogue, it was like they typically would 473 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 2: want a cool bass sound, a cool Mogue bass sound, 474 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 2: and some of these guys like Foster or David Page 475 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 2: in particular David Page was able to get up great 476 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 2: sounds sometimes on a Mini Mog, but especially when you 477 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 2: were working Foster was his career was taking off, and 478 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,959 Speaker 2: he's working with Alice Cooper and he's every day it 479 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 2: was someone else, and one day it was Michael Jackson 480 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 2: and Quincy Jones. And when you were in the studio 481 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 2: with those guys, you didn't I want to be guessing. 482 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 2: You know. Sometimes these guys would get lucky with since UH, 483 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 2: but they didn't want to be guessing, so they would 484 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 2: bring me along to make sure that when it was 485 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 2: time to get a mog bass sound, I could really 486 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 2: dial it in and UH. And I also had a 487 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 2: twenty six hundred by that point. Yeah, and I got 488 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 2: a CSAD very early on UH and mastered it. You 489 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 2: know what I mean. I really had it down, and 490 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 2: you know, and I was very Uh. I was very musical. 491 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 2: I wasn't just a synth NERD. I was very musical, 492 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 2: and and I wasn't trying to I worked really well 493 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 2: in the studio with these guys. I wasn't trying to 494 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 2: show them up in front of the producer or the artist. 495 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:52,239 Speaker 2: I loved when these guys would do the playing and 496 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 2: I just would tweet the sound while they were playing. 497 00:30:55,680 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 2: They loved that I would dial it in. And you know, 498 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 2: I was a great team player and I made I 499 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 2: just made myself real handy to be around in the studio. 500 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 3: You're seventeen years old, You're on the road with Gary Wright. 501 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 2: What is that like? You know, it was incredible, especially 502 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 2: being with Gary Wright where I mean, I had no idea. 503 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 2: He had this big time manager, de Anthony. He had 504 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 2: these incredible agents. So right away, not only was I 505 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 2: on the road, but we're doing these great gigs. We're 506 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 2: opening for Peter Frampton all the time, We're opening for 507 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 2: Jethro Tull, where we're doing stadium gigs. You know, We're 508 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 2: on these amazing gigs. I mean, I was getting two 509 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 2: hundred bucks a week, you know. But what they didn't 510 00:31:57,400 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 2: know is that I would have paid them two hundred 511 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 2: bucks a week for I was living my Beatles wet dream. 512 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 2: To be honest with you, you know what I'm saying. I 513 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 2: was playing in front of big crowds, which was all 514 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 2: I wanted to do at that point in my life. 515 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 3: You know, how about drinking, drugging and women. 516 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 2: You know, I didn't as far as women goes, I 517 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 2: didn't have. I was seventeen. I didn't have much game. 518 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 2: To be quite honest with you, I'm sixty seven. I 519 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 2: still don't have much game. But you know, the drugs 520 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 2: part was just then. We were just celebrating life. We 521 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 2: were smoking a bunch of weed. And you know, these 522 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 2: were the days in nineteen seventy five. You know, you 523 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 2: know cocaine was not addictive. That was the good news 524 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,959 Speaker 2: about it was it wasn't you know, you didn't get 525 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 2: addicted to it, you know what I mean, no one, 526 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 2: No one had that much money then to you know, 527 00:32:55,760 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 2: you were just doing these little, tiny amounts and it 528 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 2: was a party. Now, you know, part of my story 529 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 2: in my life is that. Believe me. I I I 530 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 2: definitely much later on than we're talking about. My fun 531 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 2: button got stuck and I stayed at the party way 532 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 2: too long. I think, looking back now, I think that, 533 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 2: you know, because I was never much into alcohol. If 534 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 2: I drank, I couldn't do I couldn't you know, I 535 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 2: couldn't work. And for me, the drugs were very connected 536 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 2: with work, with learning synthesizers. I think it was kind 537 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 2: of acting as my riddling, to be honest with you, 538 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 2: More than I was never a big partier, if you 539 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 2: know what I mean. I uh, you know, I used 540 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 2: it because I was having so much fun. I once 541 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 2: I got a bunch of synthesizers and I was always 542 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 2: thinking putting two and two together. I had taken you know, 543 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 2: I had taken arranging lessons, so I had knew how 544 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 2: to block harmonize for saxophones, like for a big band. 545 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 2: And then I get this sequencer that's an eight channel sequencer. 546 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 2: And the only guys were using that we're doing you know, 547 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 2: we're doing you know what? They wound up calling krout 548 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 2: rock and stuff. It was this very electronic YadA YadA 549 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 2: YadA stuff. And I was thinking, you know, I could 550 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 2: take you know what I mean, I could have five 551 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,800 Speaker 2: flutes playing in block harmony, doing sixteenth notes through chord changes. 552 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 2: I know how to do that. I don't see anyone 553 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 2: else doing stuff like that. I was so excited about 554 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 2: marrying the technology with with what I knew musically, it 555 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 2: was hard for me to go to sleep at night. 556 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 2: I was so excited about it. 557 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 3: You know, some people go out on the road to 558 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 3: supporting musicians. They don't even talk to the liner person 559 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 3: they're working for once they're off stage. What was your 560 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,479 Speaker 3: relationship like with Gary Wright? 561 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:10,720 Speaker 2: Gary was a total sweetheart. Gary was the best Gary 562 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 2: was you know, look, he was just an opening act then, 563 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 2: but even when he when things took off, Gary was great. 564 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 2: He took me under his wing. He took us out 565 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:25,800 Speaker 2: to dinner all the time. He was fantastic, He was funny, 566 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:30,319 Speaker 2: he was he was an absolute sweetheart. We just lost 567 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 2: him somewhat recently, you know, a year or two ago, 568 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:38,840 Speaker 2: and I've I've always, I've always been so grateful that 569 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 2: I had that Gary gave me the opportunities he gave me. 570 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,439 Speaker 2: He didn't he just like I said, after those first 571 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 2: two auditions, I I went into audition and the drummer 572 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 2: Art would was setting up and we were just jamming, 573 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 2: you know, we were jamming on an E on E 574 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 2: doing just kind of doing a funk groove. And after 575 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 2: ten minutes, he goes, you got the gig, and you 576 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,120 Speaker 2: know what I mean? And I had a ball, you 577 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 2: know what I mean. 578 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:13,319 Speaker 3: Okay, going back, if some young musician came to you 579 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 3: today and said I have an opportunity to go on 580 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 3: the road and I have to drop out of high 581 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 3: school to do it, what would you say. 582 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 2: Oh boy, you know, it's a really it's a really 583 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 2: good question. You know, you know the only way I 584 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 2: can answer it is by telling you believe me with 585 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 2: my situation. Let's just say, and I would tell them 586 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:47,760 Speaker 2: this at the time when we're talking about nineteen seventy five. Now, 587 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 2: my father did film scores every day. And the composers, 588 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 2: the Lilo Schiffrin's, the John Williams, the you know, the 589 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 2: everyone you can mention, the Bernard Herrmann's, the film scorers. 590 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 2: These guys were these maestros. They were these guys that 591 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 2: were on such a pedestal. I never thought I could 592 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:16,520 Speaker 2: ever be considered to do that kind of gig. Okay, 593 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:21,440 Speaker 2: flash to many years later, and guys like Danny Elfman, 594 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 2: Hans Zimmer, these guys, All of a sudden, it's like, 595 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:29,400 Speaker 2: it's completely possible. I had no idea of some of 596 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 2: the opportunities I would have later in life. You know, Yeah, 597 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:35,719 Speaker 2: I wanted to be a rock star and I wanted 598 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 2: to experience that being in front of people right then. 599 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 2: But I might, I might say, you might want to 600 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 2: think about the future and what you want to what 601 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,000 Speaker 2: tools you want to be able to have, and do 602 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 2: you want to work in film, and do you want 603 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 2: to go to a four year college and have learn 604 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 2: about orchestration and composition and counterpoint and theory and all 605 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:05,319 Speaker 2: this stuff. Now, at the same time, what I did 606 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:11,759 Speaker 2: was was I realized early on that I wasn't going 607 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,919 Speaker 2: to compete with these usual keyboard players. That I had 608 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 2: to make this. I had to find this niche, niche, 609 00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:22,439 Speaker 2: this unique. I had to separate myself from everyone else 610 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:27,880 Speaker 2: in some way. And that's been my motto my whole 611 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,799 Speaker 2: life is to be different, is to find my own thing, 612 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 2: my own style, which now happens. Part of it was 613 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 2: the fact that I went on the road early, that 614 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 2: I got into synthesizers, when I got into them, that 615 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 2: I've had all these different piano teachers. I didn't just 616 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 2: have one. I had ten different piano teachers. And if 617 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 2: I told you who some of them were, You'd think 618 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 2: I'd play like Lenny Tristano or something. You think I'd 619 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:59,799 Speaker 2: be some great keyboard player. It's like I never with 620 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 2: my short attention span, I never stuck with it. But 621 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,439 Speaker 2: you know what that has contributed to making me who 622 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:11,720 Speaker 2: I am, which is unique and different, you know from 623 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 2: all the other guys that do what I do. So 624 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 2: what would I tell them to answer your question? I 625 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,439 Speaker 2: just would would want them to think about that. Maybe 626 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 2: there's some things down the line, you know. You know, 627 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 2: because I saw sure at seventeen, I right away I 628 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 2: was in front of these crowds. I'm getting adulation, I'm 629 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:38,879 Speaker 2: getting gold records, I'm getting this success. But I saw 630 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,719 Speaker 2: how some of my friends who you know what, they 631 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 2: just kind of kept their nose to the grindstone. And 632 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 2: then maybe they went to school. But later they when 633 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,280 Speaker 2: they started their careers, they had a lot more depth 634 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 2: than I did. They were able to do film scores 635 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 2: and stuff on a level that I was never able to. 636 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 2: You know, yes, I did some films scoring, but you 637 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 2: know what, to be real honest with you, I wasn't 638 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:07,240 Speaker 2: that good at it. I was okay, I was able 639 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 2: to get through it, but I wasn't I didn't have 640 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 2: the musical chops, to be honest with you, that my 641 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:19,799 Speaker 2: friends like James Howard and other people you know, or 642 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 2: just the innate talent. You know, a guy like Danny Elfman, 643 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 2: he writes, when he writes music, he's writing it all 644 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:30,040 Speaker 2: in trouble cleft and using octave signs. But you know what, 645 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:36,440 Speaker 2: how can you argue with his results? You know, Hans 646 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 2: Zimmer when he walks into an orchestral session, he doesn't know. 647 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 2: You know, James Howard could sit there and look at 648 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:45,360 Speaker 2: a tenor cleft part and he could whistle the part 649 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:49,640 Speaker 2: to the bassoon player. Okay, James has that kind of 650 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:52,400 Speaker 2: talent and perfect pitch, and he can look at a 651 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:56,080 Speaker 2: score and do that. Hans wouldn't know an alto kleff 652 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:59,319 Speaker 2: from a tenor cleft, and he doesn't care. He's got 653 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:03,759 Speaker 2: his orchestras that do that. Hans is being Hans, and 654 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:05,719 Speaker 2: he knows what he wants and he knows what he 655 00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:09,120 Speaker 2: wants to hear. And I think his work is amazing. 656 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 2: You know, I think his work is amazing. You know, 657 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:16,960 Speaker 2: people can judge it all they want. People made fun 658 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,720 Speaker 2: of Danny Elfman at one point when he was starting off, 659 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,080 Speaker 2: you know, people look down their nose at him. But 660 00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 2: you know what, Danny has written some incredibly beautiful stuff. 661 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 2: I think. 662 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 3: You know, let's go to your film TV career. Sure 663 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 3: you said you weren't that good at it, but like 664 00:41:34,200 --> 00:41:36,360 Speaker 3: you were a composer for Justified. 665 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 2: Yes, that was my last TV show I did. And 666 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:42,960 Speaker 2: and you know when I did a show like that, 667 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:48,719 Speaker 2: it owned me. It owned me. I it would take 668 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:53,120 Speaker 2: me working day and night and weekends when I did 669 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:56,520 Speaker 2: film stuff. Some of my friends, you know, would get 670 00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:59,640 Speaker 2: these TV shows where they they'd have two minutes of 671 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 2: music a week, and it would be a little piano 672 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:04,880 Speaker 2: tinkling with some string pads behind him, and that was 673 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 2: it every week. And they did shows like that for 674 00:42:08,719 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 2: fourteen years. They'd get this great paycheck and they could 675 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:15,000 Speaker 2: work on their songs in the evening and they could 676 00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 2: work on another project over here. Every gig I ever 677 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,359 Speaker 2: got was like there would be multiple chase scenes that 678 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 2: would last three to five minutes, and it was like 679 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:29,200 Speaker 2: it was hard work, you know, And the way I 680 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:35,200 Speaker 2: did it, it was hard, hard work. And to be 681 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 2: honest with you, I really wasn't. I really didn't have 682 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:43,280 Speaker 2: those chops. It would take me. Those kind of shows 683 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 2: would own me my. You know. What I appreciated about 684 00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 2: it was that it taught me to grow up. It 685 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 2: taught me about finishing. It taught me about, you know, 686 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:58,800 Speaker 2: having a deadline. You know. I was in a band 687 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,880 Speaker 2: where if I showed up, if it was time for 688 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,000 Speaker 2: us for Toto to start making a record, and I 689 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,720 Speaker 2: didn't have any songs, no, but I didn't get in trouble. 690 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 2: There was four other, five other writers with lots of 691 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 2: songs to play. You know, nobody was like saying, hey, 692 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:19,359 Speaker 2: come on man, where's your stuff? You know. And by 693 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 2: the way, they were great in that they would anything 694 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:25,080 Speaker 2: I did, play, anything I did come up with. They 695 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,239 Speaker 2: were very happy to cut it for me, you know, 696 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,040 Speaker 2: and we would cut it. We'd be at Sunset Sound 697 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 2: and we went to London to do our strings, and 698 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:35,719 Speaker 2: you know, I had these great opportunities, but I was 699 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 2: so my gig. My job in the band was being 700 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:45,720 Speaker 2: the synth guy. David was the keyboard player, so to speak, 701 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:49,520 Speaker 2: and my job was doing the synth stuff. And I 702 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:52,760 Speaker 2: wanted the synth stuff to be the best synth stuff. 703 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:56,319 Speaker 2: There was a planet Earth, you know, if that was 704 00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:59,320 Speaker 2: going to be my job. So I was. My nose 705 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,840 Speaker 2: was in a man annual, a whole lot I was. 706 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,319 Speaker 2: You know, I wasn't an electronics guy. I didn't take 707 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:11,720 Speaker 2: electronics and high school for an elective. I took print 708 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:16,760 Speaker 2: shop for some reason. I wanted to make rubber stamps, 709 00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:20,560 Speaker 2: you know, that sounded fun to me. I knew nothing 710 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:24,600 Speaker 2: about electronics. I just would make friends with Roger Lynz 711 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:28,440 Speaker 2: and Ralph Dyke's and the guys who really knew their stuff. 712 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 2: These guys became my friends because we were It was 713 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:37,600 Speaker 2: mutually beneficial. We would help each other out. You know, 714 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:41,080 Speaker 2: I was always never had a shortage of ideas. 715 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:43,680 Speaker 3: Was there any issue of imposter syndrome? 716 00:44:44,719 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 2: Absolutely sure, absolutely, But you know what I don't have 717 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 2: you know what I mean that slowly started going away. 718 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:59,320 Speaker 2: I would, you know, quite honestly, even when my career 719 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:02,799 Speaker 2: was pea, when Toto was doing their best work with 720 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 2: Toto four, and I had a song on the Thriller album, 721 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 2: and I had all the work I would ever want, 722 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:13,360 Speaker 2: I would still every single weekend I would go to 723 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,920 Speaker 2: the Baked Potato. I'd hear either one of my brothers 724 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:20,080 Speaker 2: or Luke or one of my friends or Landauers. I'd 725 00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:23,000 Speaker 2: hear one of these guys play with a band there, 726 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:25,680 Speaker 2: and I'd walk out of there feeling like a piece 727 00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 2: of shit because of what I didn't have together. Because 728 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:31,279 Speaker 2: I wanted to be able to play jazz. I wanted 729 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:35,280 Speaker 2: to be able to blow through changes, and I couldn't, 730 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:38,640 Speaker 2: and I was totally afraid of being found out. You know. 731 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:44,240 Speaker 2: You know, here I had this great career, I'm making money, 732 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:48,560 Speaker 2: I have all the success, and yet even at like 733 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:53,480 Speaker 2: such a basic level for me, I you know, I 734 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 2: couldn't I couldn't improvise on a blues without playing the 735 00:45:56,719 --> 00:46:01,120 Speaker 2: same three licks over and over again or something. You know. 736 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:04,720 Speaker 2: So there was definitely imposter syndrome. 737 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:09,040 Speaker 3: When Dream Weaver becomes very successful in the summer seventy five, 738 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:14,360 Speaker 3: it's the heyday of music on television in Concert Midnight Special, 739 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:19,200 Speaker 3: there's some video of Gary Wright and his band on YouTube. 740 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:20,680 Speaker 3: Are you in those videos? 741 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 2: Absolutely? Absolutely? And I'm kicking ass in those videos. You know, 742 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:29,239 Speaker 2: when it comes to playing a bass part, I'm Dreamwaiver. 743 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:34,279 Speaker 2: I'm your guy. You know I could even play. There's 744 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:36,680 Speaker 2: video of me playing a clavinet part with my left 745 00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:39,960 Speaker 2: hand while I'm playing the bass part with my right hand. 746 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:50,960 Speaker 2: You know that kind of stuff. No problem. 747 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:55,080 Speaker 3: Okay. So Gary has this great run dream Weaver Love 748 00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:59,000 Speaker 3: is Alive. That is actually the peak of his solo career. 749 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 3: How long are you on the road with him? And 750 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,239 Speaker 3: what happens? Does he say we're going to go back 751 00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:07,040 Speaker 3: out or we did a tour and that's it, or 752 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:08,560 Speaker 3: you say I did a tour, I want to do 753 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:10,000 Speaker 3: something else. What goes on there? 754 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:13,920 Speaker 2: Just Gary? Did you know when he started off? This 755 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:16,800 Speaker 2: was before this is just as the album was being released. 756 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:20,279 Speaker 2: Like I said, we're playing all these great gigs. I'm 757 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:23,960 Speaker 2: living the dream. Dream Weaver becomes a big hit record, 758 00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:27,799 Speaker 2: and just as we kind of finished, like a year 759 00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:32,640 Speaker 2: of touring, dream Weaver comes out, it hits big, and 760 00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:35,160 Speaker 2: they want us right back on the road again, you know, 761 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,279 Speaker 2: before Gary makes another record. They wanted us on the 762 00:47:37,360 --> 00:47:40,560 Speaker 2: road to keep promoting it, to keep plugging it away, 763 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:43,800 Speaker 2: plugging away at it, at promoting it Warner he was 764 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:47,239 Speaker 2: on Warner Brothers, and so we were right back on 765 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:49,960 Speaker 2: the road. At a certain point, I was asking for 766 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:54,680 Speaker 2: a raise. Gary didn't, you know, as great as things were, 767 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:57,680 Speaker 2: you know, he didn't want to give me the rays 768 00:47:57,719 --> 00:48:00,319 Speaker 2: I wanted. And I was okay with it. It's not 769 00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:05,600 Speaker 2: like I was angry or going to quit. But you know, 770 00:48:05,719 --> 00:48:08,120 Speaker 2: the day I asked for a raise and was told no, 771 00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:11,560 Speaker 2: I went back out. We're in Florida somewhere at a 772 00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 2: hotel and I went back out on the beach and 773 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:18,440 Speaker 2: I wasn't even mad. I just was it was like whatever. 774 00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:20,160 Speaker 2: It wasn't like I was going to quit the gig. 775 00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:25,360 Speaker 2: And I get paged to the front desk at the 776 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,200 Speaker 2: hotel and I had no you know, I was worried 777 00:48:28,239 --> 00:48:31,759 Speaker 2: maybe something happened to a family member or something, and 778 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:36,000 Speaker 2: it happens to be Boss Skags. You know. While I 779 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,240 Speaker 2: was on the road with Gary, David Page, my brother, Jeff, 780 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:41,480 Speaker 2: David Hungy, these guys happened to be working in the 781 00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:45,520 Speaker 2: studio with Boss making this album called Silk Degrees, you know, 782 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:51,000 Speaker 2: and they were gearing up for the road and we're 783 00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:56,040 Speaker 2: looking for a synth guy to cover the string parts 784 00:48:56,239 --> 00:48:59,439 Speaker 2: and cover the some of the synth parts, and would 785 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:04,160 Speaker 2: I be interesting sitting going on the road. And their 786 00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:07,560 Speaker 2: first offer was much more than I was making with Gary. 787 00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:11,360 Speaker 2: So I did the Silk Degrease tour with Boss. 788 00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:15,360 Speaker 3: Well, a little bit slower. You get paiged, how do 789 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 3: you tell Gary and what do you and how much 790 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:18,520 Speaker 3: time do you give him? 791 00:49:19,239 --> 00:49:22,840 Speaker 2: Oh, I got off the phone with Boss. He offers 792 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:25,880 Speaker 2: me much more money than I'm making with Gary. I 793 00:49:25,920 --> 00:49:27,880 Speaker 2: had just asked Gary to give me a raise and 794 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:31,920 Speaker 2: he said no, you know, And there really wasn't hard feelings. 795 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:37,640 Speaker 2: I remember at the time. I really there really weren't 796 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:40,359 Speaker 2: hard feelings. But I got offered. I got a much 797 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:44,040 Speaker 2: better offer. I hung up. I asked the guy at 798 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 2: the front desk, I'd like to leave a message for 799 00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:50,440 Speaker 2: Gary Wright and room whatever, and I said, this is 800 00:49:50,480 --> 00:49:51,160 Speaker 2: my two weeks. 801 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:55,680 Speaker 3: Notice, you know, then how did Gary handle that? 802 00:49:56,080 --> 00:49:58,080 Speaker 2: You know, he handled it fine. And you know what 803 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:00,120 Speaker 2: he went on. He had hired a he woud to 804 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 2: hiring another couple of guys. And just so that you know, 805 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:06,239 Speaker 2: the way you know there was no hard feelings is 806 00:50:06,239 --> 00:50:09,080 Speaker 2: that I did this whole big tour with Boz and 807 00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:12,000 Speaker 2: then you know what, Gary had a big tour coming 808 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:16,399 Speaker 2: up of just stadiums. He had a ten city stadium tour. 809 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:20,480 Speaker 2: General Giant was the opening act, and then Gary Wright 810 00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:26,440 Speaker 2: and then Peter Frampton and then yes, you know, and 811 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:29,680 Speaker 2: we were doing these stadium He had ten stadium gigs 812 00:50:29,680 --> 00:50:31,960 Speaker 2: lined up and he called me and asked me to 813 00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:35,440 Speaker 2: come back and do them with them, and I said, absolutely, 814 00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:38,960 Speaker 2: you know, and they were some of the funnest gigs 815 00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:40,560 Speaker 2: I ever did in my life. Some of those are 816 00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:45,239 Speaker 2: on there are available on YouTube too. You know, some 817 00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:47,600 Speaker 2: of these stadium gigs we did. I mean, you could 818 00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:50,279 Speaker 2: see we were playing during the day, but you could see, yes, 819 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:54,560 Speaker 2: as they still had like the Roger Dean stage from 820 00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:57,799 Speaker 2: Tales of Topographic Oceans in those days and stuff, you know, 821 00:50:57,840 --> 00:51:01,040 Speaker 2: the the yes, the stage set was all, you know, 822 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:03,880 Speaker 2: you could see it in the background. But we had 823 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:07,360 Speaker 2: a ball and I loved it and I loved it. 824 00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:11,399 Speaker 3: Okay, So what was the experience being on the road 825 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:13,200 Speaker 3: with bos gags? 826 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:19,600 Speaker 2: Fantastic BOZ was I really lucked out? I really lucked out? Again. 827 00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:23,239 Speaker 2: These gigs were so easy for me because I wasn't 828 00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:27,319 Speaker 2: in the piano player chair that's the hot seat, you know, 829 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:30,040 Speaker 2: the guy who had to play those meat and potatoes parts. 830 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:33,960 Speaker 2: I was playing synth parts. I was programming mini mogues 831 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 2: and playing string ensemble stuff. It was a cinch and 832 00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:43,440 Speaker 2: it was fun and and Boss took amazing care of 833 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:47,080 Speaker 2: his musicians. He paid everybody really well. We stayed in 834 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:50,279 Speaker 2: great hotels. It was just my brother Jeff was in 835 00:51:50,360 --> 00:51:54,920 Speaker 2: the band David Page, that's when we started working. At 836 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:58,560 Speaker 2: first it was David Page. Nine later another great keyboard player, 837 00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:03,719 Speaker 2: Jay Winding, wound up doing the piano chair. Lucather came 838 00:52:03,719 --> 00:52:07,040 Speaker 2: in later on. Lucather did one of the later tours 839 00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:12,160 Speaker 2: with Boss. So yeah, I mean that's kind of this 840 00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:17,120 Speaker 2: was kind of the beginning of Toto, you know. You know, 841 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:21,160 Speaker 2: my brother Mike wound up playing I think Hungy did 842 00:52:21,200 --> 00:52:26,040 Speaker 2: some gigs at first, but you know, Columbia Toto's record 843 00:52:26,120 --> 00:52:29,759 Speaker 2: company pretty much saw it. Was like David Page co 844 00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:33,919 Speaker 2: wrote all the songs on Silk Degrees. You know, we're 845 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:37,920 Speaker 2: playing live. Boss's that Silk Degrees album was a huge success. 846 00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:41,040 Speaker 2: So all the record company people are all hanging out 847 00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:45,720 Speaker 2: backstage and at the big gigs and stuff, and here's 848 00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:49,239 Speaker 2: this band. Here's Jeff Pacaro on drums. Here's you know, 849 00:52:49,760 --> 00:52:53,200 Speaker 2: David Page on piano, the guy who wrote co wrote 850 00:52:53,200 --> 00:52:56,000 Speaker 2: all those songs on Silk Degrees. Here I am on synse. 851 00:52:56,080 --> 00:53:00,279 Speaker 2: There's Lucather on guitar. It pretty much was they a 852 00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:05,480 Speaker 2: saw Toto. You know, they saw this backing band. And 853 00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:08,319 Speaker 2: I think it's part of the reason why Toto never 854 00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:12,600 Speaker 2: had to do like a showcase or or anything like that. 855 00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:15,759 Speaker 2: Our record deal was pretty much handed to us on 856 00:53:15,800 --> 00:53:18,680 Speaker 2: a platter, you know, Columbia Records. 857 00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:24,279 Speaker 3: Okay, you're on the road with bass. That tour finishes, 858 00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:27,280 Speaker 3: then what then? 859 00:53:27,840 --> 00:53:31,920 Speaker 2: Much to my surprise, I was I was afraid that 860 00:53:32,200 --> 00:53:34,640 Speaker 2: David and Jeff. I had always wished for them to 861 00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:38,560 Speaker 2: start a band, but at that point I David was 862 00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:42,440 Speaker 2: so busy, was getting hired to produce and write and 863 00:53:42,560 --> 00:53:46,880 Speaker 2: sessions and Jeff's. Jeff's career was in full you know, 864 00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:50,200 Speaker 2: full bloom. Lucather and I were just starting out then. 865 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:54,759 Speaker 2: This is seventy six, seventy seven. Our careers are just 866 00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:57,520 Speaker 2: kind of starting out. We're doing pretty good. I'm doing 867 00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:00,439 Speaker 2: all kinds of stuff with Foster by then, and he's 868 00:54:00,520 --> 00:54:04,520 Speaker 2: hiring me whenever he's doing synthesizers. He's got me there 869 00:54:04,520 --> 00:54:09,480 Speaker 2: with him. But I'm thinking, you know what, it's these 870 00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:11,439 Speaker 2: guys are never gonna want to do a band. Why 871 00:54:11,440 --> 00:54:13,960 Speaker 2: would they turn down all this work to stop and 872 00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:18,759 Speaker 2: rehearse and and build up a band thing? But sure enough, 873 00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:22,279 Speaker 2: that's exactly what they did. They decided. You know, I 874 00:54:22,320 --> 00:54:27,719 Speaker 2: think Silk Degrees was a huge encouragement to them that 875 00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:31,560 Speaker 2: they could maybe do it themselves, be the artist. There 876 00:54:31,680 --> 00:54:34,319 Speaker 2: just was this lead singer thing was the one thing 877 00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:38,200 Speaker 2: that wasn't part of our inner circle, you know. 878 00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:45,319 Speaker 3: Luca thir tells me that some of the old cats said, hey, 879 00:54:45,480 --> 00:54:49,799 Speaker 3: you're really happening now, but it ends for everybody. You 880 00:54:49,920 --> 00:54:54,280 Speaker 3: got to find your own thing. Did that ever play 881 00:54:54,280 --> 00:54:57,200 Speaker 3: to you or did you just basically get a call 882 00:54:57,239 --> 00:54:58,920 Speaker 3: one day, Hey, we're going to form a band. 883 00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:02,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was basically that. I mean, we all were 884 00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:04,919 Speaker 2: thrilled to get that call. I was in there very 885 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:08,359 Speaker 2: early on. David knew he wanted you know, they saw 886 00:55:08,440 --> 00:55:10,560 Speaker 2: me with how I was with Gary Wright, how I 887 00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:14,000 Speaker 2: handled since with Gary Wright. They saw me. David and 888 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:17,680 Speaker 2: I worked together with Boz. David saw that I was 889 00:55:18,040 --> 00:55:20,600 Speaker 2: very handy to be around, not only in the studio, 890 00:55:20,719 --> 00:55:23,799 Speaker 2: but that live I could you know what I mean, 891 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:27,479 Speaker 2: synthesizers were becoming very popular, and that I could cover 892 00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:29,920 Speaker 2: a lot of overdubs. So I was kind of in 893 00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:33,960 Speaker 2: there real early on. Luke, they kind of yanked his chain. 894 00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:36,600 Speaker 2: There was a lot of guitar players. David had grown 895 00:55:36,680 --> 00:55:38,840 Speaker 2: up with some. There were a lot of friends that 896 00:55:38,880 --> 00:55:43,759 Speaker 2: were great guitar players. You know. Luka Thurb didn't know 897 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:47,760 Speaker 2: for a while, but because David was doing these demo, 898 00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:50,319 Speaker 2: He was doing these demos just with just with my 899 00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:53,359 Speaker 2: brother Jeff, the two of them in the studio and 900 00:55:53,440 --> 00:55:57,160 Speaker 2: Patriot played mog bass and he would sing, was singing everything, 901 00:55:57,800 --> 00:55:59,680 Speaker 2: and the two of them kind of were building up 902 00:55:59,680 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 2: this batch of songs that were amazing, you know, that 903 00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:08,239 Speaker 2: were amazing. But when it got time to put it 904 00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:11,239 Speaker 2: all together, you know, he made the choice to use 905 00:56:11,320 --> 00:56:14,600 Speaker 2: hung Gate because they were really such this. You know, 906 00:56:14,719 --> 00:56:16,800 Speaker 2: my brother Mike was in the bands in high school 907 00:56:16,800 --> 00:56:21,040 Speaker 2: and Mike had played with bass, and Mike was was 908 00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:24,440 Speaker 2: would have been an obvious choice. But hung Gate, my 909 00:56:24,560 --> 00:56:29,239 Speaker 2: brother Jeff and Page were this core rhythm section thing 910 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:32,400 Speaker 2: that had been doing a lot of sessions together, a 911 00:56:32,440 --> 00:56:35,640 Speaker 2: lot of stuff, stills and Crofts, all the boss Gag, 912 00:56:36,239 --> 00:56:41,320 Speaker 2: silk degree stuff. Hung Gate was an incredibly musical bass 913 00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:45,840 Speaker 2: player and I was in there right away and it 914 00:56:45,960 --> 00:56:49,080 Speaker 2: was like yes, and you know, to your question, we 915 00:56:49,200 --> 00:56:51,839 Speaker 2: all still were doing sessions. We all still when there 916 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:54,960 Speaker 2: was time, we would do sessions. You know, we'd get 917 00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:57,239 Speaker 2: home from the road. And we were very lucky that way, 918 00:56:57,320 --> 00:57:00,000 Speaker 2: because a lot of guys once they commit to a band, 919 00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:03,279 Speaker 2: and a lot of times when you leave town and 920 00:57:03,360 --> 00:57:06,239 Speaker 2: the producer has to hire someone else, a lot of 921 00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:10,719 Speaker 2: times those guys get your gig. You know, they'll hire 922 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:13,719 Speaker 2: a replacement for you, and that guy will will get 923 00:57:13,760 --> 00:57:17,880 Speaker 2: your job. But we all were pretty lucky that way 924 00:57:17,920 --> 00:57:20,560 Speaker 2: and would still get called back, you know, when we 925 00:57:20,560 --> 00:57:23,160 Speaker 2: were home and when we were available. 926 00:57:23,760 --> 00:57:28,280 Speaker 3: Before it's a band, do you have enough studio work 927 00:57:28,320 --> 00:57:31,760 Speaker 3: to make it work? For you or you thinking I 928 00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:35,080 Speaker 3: want another road gig or I need more studio work. 929 00:57:35,360 --> 00:57:36,960 Speaker 3: What's going on for you? 930 00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:39,600 Speaker 2: No, my career was just kind of doing this with 931 00:57:39,680 --> 00:57:42,560 Speaker 2: studio work. I was getting quite a lot of things. 932 00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:45,760 Speaker 2: I was getting better and better. It was just growing, 933 00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:50,440 Speaker 2: you know. Yeah, I mean I'm living. I was a 934 00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:55,160 Speaker 2: single guy living in a small apartment. I got married 935 00:57:55,200 --> 00:58:00,600 Speaker 2: soon after that, very young, at twenty years old. But 936 00:58:00,600 --> 00:58:04,520 Speaker 2: but yeah, no, my session career was just kind of 937 00:58:04,520 --> 00:58:08,320 Speaker 2: getting better and better. More guys were discovering me. Quincy 938 00:58:08,440 --> 00:58:11,200 Speaker 2: Jones would start hiring me without David with or without 939 00:58:11,280 --> 00:58:16,200 Speaker 2: David Foster. You know, David would hire me for everything 940 00:58:16,240 --> 00:58:19,880 Speaker 2: he was doing that used keyboards, that used since he 941 00:58:19,960 --> 00:58:22,960 Speaker 2: wanted me there all the time. And his career was 942 00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:26,400 Speaker 2: taking off big time with Chicago, and you know, it 943 00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:29,960 Speaker 2: was one thing after another with him. It just kept 944 00:58:30,040 --> 00:58:33,360 Speaker 2: getting better and better. In the tubes and Alice Cooper 945 00:58:33,520 --> 00:58:36,720 Speaker 2: and Hall and Oates we did two albums, and you know, 946 00:58:36,720 --> 00:58:41,400 Speaker 2: and Bill Shnae started hiring me, and you know, guys 947 00:58:41,400 --> 00:58:43,920 Speaker 2: started seeing that I was real handy to be around 948 00:58:43,920 --> 00:58:47,080 Speaker 2: in the studio, you know, either by myself or with 949 00:58:47,120 --> 00:58:49,960 Speaker 2: other keyboard players. I was very much a team player. 950 00:58:50,440 --> 00:58:54,000 Speaker 2: I played well with others and we got a lot done. 951 00:58:54,960 --> 00:58:57,120 Speaker 3: Tell me about getting married at twenty. 952 00:58:58,920 --> 00:58:59,760 Speaker 2: What would you like to know? 953 00:59:01,640 --> 00:59:06,120 Speaker 3: Okay, you meet a woman, how long after you meet 954 00:59:06,120 --> 00:59:09,120 Speaker 3: her do you get married? And what's the incentive to 955 00:59:09,160 --> 00:59:13,120 Speaker 3: get married? You know, you're in this unique world where 956 00:59:13,120 --> 00:59:15,560 Speaker 3: you're working, you know, morning, noon, and night in the studio, 957 00:59:15,600 --> 00:59:19,400 Speaker 3: we're off on the road. Is it security or is 958 00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:22,760 Speaker 3: it just this? Is you think you're in love? That's 959 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:25,240 Speaker 3: very young by most people's standards. 960 00:59:25,640 --> 00:59:28,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I had a child then too. I didn't 961 00:59:28,960 --> 00:59:30,680 Speaker 2: think I was in love. I was in love. 962 00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:36,840 Speaker 3: So you got married because a child was on the way, 963 00:59:37,960 --> 00:59:42,680 Speaker 3: I was in love. How long did that marriage last? 964 00:59:45,040 --> 00:59:49,560 Speaker 2: That marriage lasted three years or so, three and a 965 00:59:49,600 --> 00:59:50,280 Speaker 2: half years. 966 00:59:50,520 --> 00:59:52,000 Speaker 3: So why did it end? 967 00:59:53,960 --> 00:59:59,560 Speaker 2: You know? I why did it end? Because my career 968 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:05,480 Speaker 2: became all consuming to me. It became all consuming to me, 969 01:00:06,280 --> 01:00:10,480 Speaker 2: and I saw these opportunities that I had to take 970 01:00:10,520 --> 01:00:17,920 Speaker 2: advantage of, you know, and it was tough. It was 971 01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:20,640 Speaker 2: tough to be working twenty four to seven like that 972 01:00:21,080 --> 01:00:24,240 Speaker 2: and be it still be a human being and be 973 01:00:25,280 --> 01:00:26,480 Speaker 2: a partner in a marriage. 974 01:00:26,840 --> 01:00:31,920 Speaker 3: You know, So how many times you've been married twice, 975 01:00:32,600 --> 01:00:37,360 Speaker 3: And are you married now? No? So, how old were 976 01:00:37,360 --> 01:00:38,959 Speaker 3: you when you got married the second time? 977 01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:46,840 Speaker 2: Much older I was. I would say I was something 978 01:00:46,880 --> 01:00:49,640 Speaker 2: like thirty eight or something the next time I got married. 979 01:00:50,560 --> 01:00:54,040 Speaker 3: So once bitten twice, shy. How hard is it to 980 01:00:54,080 --> 01:00:57,800 Speaker 3: convince yourself to do it a second time again? 981 01:00:57,960 --> 01:01:03,400 Speaker 2: I was in love? You know? What can I say? 982 01:01:04,640 --> 01:01:06,360 Speaker 3: And why did that relationship end? 983 01:01:08,160 --> 01:01:08,280 Speaker 1: Uh? 984 01:01:08,840 --> 01:01:12,600 Speaker 2: It's kind of complicated. You know. I don't want to 985 01:01:12,600 --> 01:01:14,440 Speaker 2: pull anyone else's covers. 986 01:01:14,760 --> 01:01:15,680 Speaker 3: Okay, but it wasn't. 987 01:01:15,720 --> 01:01:18,240 Speaker 2: It wasn't a word note, No, it wasn't. 988 01:01:18,480 --> 01:01:22,680 Speaker 3: Okay. Let's go back to Tote so Page and your 989 01:01:22,680 --> 01:01:27,480 Speaker 3: brother working up this material and they pull you in. 990 01:01:28,280 --> 01:01:31,640 Speaker 3: How do you ultimately decide that you need a singer 991 01:01:31,760 --> 01:01:32,760 Speaker 3: and get a singer? 992 01:01:33,760 --> 01:01:36,800 Speaker 2: Well, they knew right away. I mean David, David wanted 993 01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:39,720 Speaker 2: to be you know, David, I think wanted to I 994 01:01:39,720 --> 01:01:41,600 Speaker 2: think in some ways he wanted to be Elton John 995 01:01:41,840 --> 01:01:45,880 Speaker 2: and you know, and writing all the songs to have 996 01:01:45,960 --> 01:01:48,040 Speaker 2: a thing, and he did great, and he sang all 997 01:01:48,080 --> 01:01:51,560 Speaker 2: the demos and these were amazing songs. And David did 998 01:01:51,560 --> 01:01:55,120 Speaker 2: a great job. But he knew he wanted a real 999 01:01:55,280 --> 01:01:58,120 Speaker 2: tenor in the band. He wanted someone with a high 1000 01:01:58,160 --> 01:02:03,120 Speaker 2: voice in the band, you know, especially in a rock 1001 01:02:03,160 --> 01:02:06,120 Speaker 2: and roll band, you wanted somebody that could cut, somebody 1002 01:02:06,160 --> 01:02:10,120 Speaker 2: that was a real singer, singer, and they had done some. 1003 01:02:10,440 --> 01:02:12,440 Speaker 2: They were good friends with a guy named Joe Shermy 1004 01:02:12,680 --> 01:02:15,600 Speaker 2: who was the bass player in Three Dog Knight, and 1005 01:02:15,680 --> 01:02:19,120 Speaker 2: he had a band called ss Fools after Three Dog Night, 1006 01:02:19,480 --> 01:02:22,280 Speaker 2: and there was a singer in SS Fools named Bobby Kimball. 1007 01:02:23,480 --> 01:02:28,080 Speaker 2: And that's how David and Jeff met Bobby, who wound 1008 01:02:28,160 --> 01:02:29,600 Speaker 2: up being Toto's lead singer. 1009 01:02:30,400 --> 01:02:35,400 Speaker 3: Okay, Bobby is in the band, then he isn't in 1010 01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:39,880 Speaker 3: the band. Ultimately what went on that he was no 1011 01:02:39,960 --> 01:02:40,840 Speaker 3: longer in the band? 1012 01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:45,880 Speaker 2: You know, it was the usual stuff in the early eighties, 1013 01:02:45,960 --> 01:02:52,880 Speaker 2: to be honest with you, you know, quite honestly. I mean, 1014 01:02:52,920 --> 01:02:56,320 Speaker 2: we were all we were all at the party, so 1015 01:02:56,400 --> 01:02:59,400 Speaker 2: to speak. But when you're the lead singer of the band, 1016 01:03:00,080 --> 01:03:02,680 Speaker 2: there's a time when you can pull that off those 1017 01:03:02,760 --> 01:03:06,840 Speaker 2: late nights and heavy drinking and whatever and still do 1018 01:03:06,960 --> 01:03:10,560 Speaker 2: your gig. But after a while it takes its toll. 1019 01:03:11,080 --> 01:03:13,760 Speaker 2: And you know what I mean, I can say that 1020 01:03:13,880 --> 01:03:18,080 Speaker 2: Bobby wasn't wasn't doing anything the rest of us weren't doing, 1021 01:03:19,120 --> 01:03:22,479 Speaker 2: but he was the lead singer, and it just would 1022 01:03:22,480 --> 01:03:26,480 Speaker 2: become a parent when he couldn't perform, when he couldn't 1023 01:03:26,600 --> 01:03:28,680 Speaker 2: you know what I mean? We were all very good 1024 01:03:28,720 --> 01:03:34,720 Speaker 2: at doing what we did. Regardless of how much partying 1025 01:03:34,800 --> 01:03:37,640 Speaker 2: was going on or not. We could still deliver in 1026 01:03:37,680 --> 01:03:42,760 Speaker 2: a very big way. We still were highly functioning. You know, 1027 01:03:44,000 --> 01:03:49,000 Speaker 2: we were all highly functioning. But you know, when you've 1028 01:03:49,120 --> 01:03:51,720 Speaker 2: got a stage and everyone on stage has strep throat, 1029 01:03:51,840 --> 01:03:53,640 Speaker 2: it's going to be You're going to notice the singer 1030 01:03:54,360 --> 01:03:58,840 Speaker 2: has strep throat. You're not going to notice the second 1031 01:03:58,920 --> 01:04:02,440 Speaker 2: keyboard player also strep throat, or the drummer has strep throat, 1032 01:04:02,680 --> 01:04:04,600 Speaker 2: or the bass player has stripped you know what I mean. 1033 01:04:05,720 --> 01:04:09,160 Speaker 3: Okay, at this late day, looking back, there are a 1034 01:04:09,280 --> 01:04:13,439 Speaker 3: number of bands that changed lead singers and survived Van 1035 01:04:13,560 --> 01:04:18,840 Speaker 3: Halen Genesis. Okay, but usually then and still now, it's 1036 01:04:18,840 --> 01:04:21,560 Speaker 3: a kiss of death. So how much did you wring 1037 01:04:21,640 --> 01:04:24,320 Speaker 3: your hands and how much warning did you give Bobby 1038 01:04:24,400 --> 01:04:26,080 Speaker 3: to say, hey, this is going in the wrong direction. 1039 01:04:27,760 --> 01:04:31,240 Speaker 2: You know, look at look what you just mentioned. I 1040 01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:35,760 Speaker 2: can't think of I almost can't think of one band. 1041 01:04:37,640 --> 01:04:41,600 Speaker 2: Who do you want to talk about Journey Foreigner. Who 1042 01:04:41,640 --> 01:04:44,520 Speaker 2: else is there? I mean, we could go van Halet, 1043 01:04:44,520 --> 01:04:48,440 Speaker 2: we could go on and on, and every one of 1044 01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:54,320 Speaker 2: them had lead singer nightmares, every one of them. Now 1045 01:04:54,840 --> 01:04:58,560 Speaker 2: to empathize with the lead singers, by the way, you 1046 01:04:58,560 --> 01:05:00,480 Speaker 2: know when you're doing a rock and roll band. When 1047 01:05:00,480 --> 01:05:03,560 Speaker 2: you're doing rock and roll, there was always this thing, right, 1048 01:05:03,680 --> 01:05:07,240 Speaker 2: it's a producer's job to find where is the where 1049 01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:09,960 Speaker 2: do they sound the best? What's the best key to 1050 01:05:10,040 --> 01:05:12,200 Speaker 2: do this song in? This is what you learn from 1051 01:05:12,200 --> 01:05:15,160 Speaker 2: a David Foster and a Quincy Jones. You want that 1052 01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:17,840 Speaker 2: lead singer when it hits the chorus. You want that 1053 01:05:18,000 --> 01:05:21,600 Speaker 2: vocal and a range where your singer sounds the best, 1054 01:05:21,920 --> 01:05:25,360 Speaker 2: where there's the best wood, where there's the right amount 1055 01:05:25,400 --> 01:05:29,800 Speaker 2: of straining as opposed to how comfortable they're able to 1056 01:05:29,840 --> 01:05:33,240 Speaker 2: sing it. Right, you're making a record. You're not worried 1057 01:05:33,240 --> 01:05:37,040 Speaker 2: about anything else but making the best record you can make, 1058 01:05:37,760 --> 01:05:40,360 Speaker 2: and you want that in the perfect key for your singer. 1059 01:05:41,200 --> 01:05:47,040 Speaker 2: Now ten years later, okay, is that still the and 1060 01:05:47,080 --> 01:05:49,600 Speaker 2: a singer's got to go out on the road and 1061 01:05:49,720 --> 01:05:54,800 Speaker 2: sing those songs one after another. Sometimes it's like like 1062 01:05:54,840 --> 01:05:57,360 Speaker 2: I said, it's easy for the drummer to play in 1063 01:05:57,400 --> 01:06:01,280 Speaker 2: that same key, It's easy for the keyboard player to 1064 01:06:01,360 --> 01:06:04,360 Speaker 2: play in that same key. Who's it the hardest on 1065 01:06:05,560 --> 01:06:09,080 Speaker 2: the lead singer? Okay? And sometimes those guys can't hit 1066 01:06:09,160 --> 01:06:13,520 Speaker 2: those notes anymore. You know, they weren't hitting them comfortably. 1067 01:06:14,040 --> 01:06:17,720 Speaker 2: This wasn't Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra. These are This 1068 01:06:17,920 --> 01:06:26,320 Speaker 2: was rock and roll. You know, I really empathized with 1069 01:06:26,360 --> 01:06:31,920 Speaker 2: these singers, you know, Steve Perry, Lou Graham. Look at 1070 01:06:31,960 --> 01:06:36,480 Speaker 2: all these guys struggled with being able to deliver at 1071 01:06:36,480 --> 01:06:41,440 Speaker 2: the level that you know their bandmates insisted on them delivering. 1072 01:06:41,880 --> 01:06:44,440 Speaker 3: Okay, how much warning do you give Kimball and what 1073 01:06:44,480 --> 01:06:47,080 Speaker 3: does he say when the acts comes down? 1074 01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:49,600 Speaker 2: You know, it was very simple. You know, Toto had 1075 01:06:49,600 --> 01:06:53,360 Speaker 2: this huge success with Total four. It was heartbreaking. We 1076 01:06:53,480 --> 01:06:59,000 Speaker 2: had found our chemistry, We had found we had found 1077 01:06:59,160 --> 01:07:03,920 Speaker 2: what clicks, what works for us. The mixer had nothing 1078 01:07:03,960 --> 01:07:05,920 Speaker 2: to do with the rest of the album. He was 1079 01:07:05,960 --> 01:07:09,960 Speaker 2: hearing everything fresh with fresh ears. He had none of 1080 01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:13,880 Speaker 2: the band politics in his head when he was mixing 1081 01:07:13,920 --> 01:07:18,840 Speaker 2: the album. They had let me do my synthesizers by 1082 01:07:18,920 --> 01:07:22,680 Speaker 2: myself in a studio. I'd learned to record. During the 1083 01:07:22,920 --> 01:07:25,280 Speaker 2: course of the third album, I had learned to record, 1084 01:07:25,800 --> 01:07:29,120 Speaker 2: to learn just basic gain structure and how to record 1085 01:07:29,200 --> 01:07:31,680 Speaker 2: my stuff so that the band didn't need to be 1086 01:07:31,760 --> 01:07:35,240 Speaker 2: sitting there for hours while I was experimenting, and I 1087 01:07:35,280 --> 01:07:39,480 Speaker 2: could record after experimenting for a couple of days, when 1088 01:07:39,520 --> 01:07:42,960 Speaker 2: I got some magical thing up, which again in those days, 1089 01:07:43,040 --> 01:07:45,440 Speaker 2: a lot of these things didn't have presets. I was 1090 01:07:45,520 --> 01:07:49,200 Speaker 2: using modular synthesizers. You talk about the difference between a 1091 01:07:49,240 --> 01:07:53,240 Speaker 2: twenty five hundred and a mog modular as opposed to 1092 01:07:53,240 --> 01:07:58,400 Speaker 2: a mini mogue. To recreate these things was very difficult. 1093 01:07:58,520 --> 01:08:00,640 Speaker 2: Once it all got up and working, I learned how 1094 01:08:00,680 --> 01:08:04,000 Speaker 2: to record and it got to be used on the record. 1095 01:08:06,960 --> 01:08:10,480 Speaker 2: We had figured it out. But then we had been 1096 01:08:10,520 --> 01:08:14,560 Speaker 2: working so hard up to that point. You have to understand, 1097 01:08:14,600 --> 01:08:18,280 Speaker 2: we'd been just constantly in the studio or on the 1098 01:08:18,360 --> 01:08:22,160 Speaker 2: road up to that point. By the time we did 1099 01:08:22,240 --> 01:08:26,080 Speaker 2: Total four and it was hugely successful and we toured 1100 01:08:26,160 --> 01:08:30,559 Speaker 2: behind it, everybody was exhausted and kind of needed a break, 1101 01:08:30,720 --> 01:08:34,160 Speaker 2: and you know what, it was the wrong time to 1102 01:08:34,240 --> 01:08:36,880 Speaker 2: take a break, you know, the old strike while the 1103 01:08:36,920 --> 01:08:39,920 Speaker 2: iron is hot. You know, couldn't have been more apropos, 1104 01:08:40,040 --> 01:08:43,360 Speaker 2: and we wound up doing a film score so that 1105 01:08:43,400 --> 01:08:47,280 Speaker 2: we could stay home. My brother Jeff got married and 1106 01:08:47,320 --> 01:08:52,439 Speaker 2: started a family. He wanted to be home. And then 1107 01:08:52,600 --> 01:08:57,000 Speaker 2: when we finally got around to making a follow up 1108 01:08:57,000 --> 01:09:02,400 Speaker 2: to Total four, you know, a lot of the bad habits, 1109 01:09:02,479 --> 01:09:05,040 Speaker 2: let's say, that had been developing, had gotten to a 1110 01:09:05,080 --> 01:09:10,200 Speaker 2: point where people just couldn't perform at the level they 1111 01:09:10,200 --> 01:09:15,320 Speaker 2: wanted to that we needed them to, and we wound 1112 01:09:15,439 --> 01:09:20,120 Speaker 2: up having to switch lead singers, which was we hated doing. 1113 01:09:20,720 --> 01:09:26,240 Speaker 2: We hated doing that, you know, it was really it 1114 01:09:26,280 --> 01:09:30,639 Speaker 2: was really traumatic for the band. And in that time 1115 01:09:30,720 --> 01:09:33,080 Speaker 2: period when I say, strike while the iron is hot, 1116 01:09:33,520 --> 01:09:36,519 Speaker 2: all of a sudden, soon after the nineteen eighty two, 1117 01:09:36,560 --> 01:09:39,479 Speaker 2: eighty three Grammys whenever, it was all of a sudden, 1118 01:09:39,520 --> 01:09:45,000 Speaker 2: that style of music that polished kind of what our 1119 01:09:45,000 --> 01:09:50,160 Speaker 2: detractors called corporate rock, you know, suddenly became very unpopular. 1120 01:09:51,680 --> 01:09:54,800 Speaker 2: You know, bands like Nirvana were kind of all of 1121 01:09:54,840 --> 01:09:58,479 Speaker 2: a sudden, you know, real popular. The whole Seattle thing 1122 01:09:58,600 --> 01:10:04,519 Speaker 2: was starting to happen, that whole style of music, you know, 1123 01:10:04,960 --> 01:10:11,160 Speaker 2: with these synthesizer extravaganzas, you know what I mean, We're 1124 01:10:11,240 --> 01:10:16,679 Speaker 2: becoming very unpopular, you know, and the record company kind 1125 01:10:16,680 --> 01:10:20,400 Speaker 2: of let us know. They weren't. They weren't as thrilled 1126 01:10:20,479 --> 01:10:22,559 Speaker 2: as they were. I mean, if we had delivered another 1127 01:10:22,880 --> 01:10:25,200 Speaker 2: enough other hits, they'd be okay. But you know what, 1128 01:10:25,360 --> 01:10:30,679 Speaker 2: it just the music world was changing and we were changing. 1129 01:10:31,240 --> 01:10:34,519 Speaker 2: And that's the best way I can think of of 1130 01:10:34,640 --> 01:10:35,040 Speaker 2: putting it. 1131 01:10:41,640 --> 01:10:44,919 Speaker 3: Let's go back to the first album. Sure, first album. 1132 01:10:44,960 --> 01:10:47,439 Speaker 3: You know, you guys had a lot of experience. But 1133 01:10:47,600 --> 01:10:51,160 Speaker 3: did you go in there and knock it right out? 1134 01:10:51,320 --> 01:10:52,840 Speaker 3: Or was the type of thing where you had so 1135 01:10:52,960 --> 01:10:57,679 Speaker 3: much experience and you had enough money to meticulously get 1136 01:10:57,720 --> 01:10:59,880 Speaker 3: it how you want? What was the experience recording the 1137 01:11:00,040 --> 01:11:00,719 Speaker 3: first album? 1138 01:11:01,320 --> 01:11:03,680 Speaker 2: We knocked it right out. You know, we had all 1139 01:11:03,720 --> 01:11:07,320 Speaker 2: these great demos, We had all these songs ready to go. 1140 01:11:07,479 --> 01:11:10,800 Speaker 2: The record company loved the demos that we had, and 1141 01:11:11,400 --> 01:11:13,720 Speaker 2: we went in there like the pros we were and 1142 01:11:13,840 --> 01:11:18,160 Speaker 2: knocked it out and had a ball doing it. And 1143 01:11:18,200 --> 01:11:20,479 Speaker 2: the record company would come and listen and they were 1144 01:11:20,560 --> 01:11:24,280 Speaker 2: loving it. And the first single out of the gate 1145 01:11:24,400 --> 01:11:28,240 Speaker 2: pulled the line hit record, you know, boom. 1146 01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:32,080 Speaker 3: So once should think it's one thing to play on 1147 01:11:32,120 --> 01:11:35,240 Speaker 3: somebody else's hit records. It's quite another to have your 1148 01:11:35,280 --> 01:11:36,240 Speaker 3: own hit record. 1149 01:11:36,840 --> 01:11:39,160 Speaker 2: It sure is, and we've seen plenty. There had been 1150 01:11:39,200 --> 01:11:42,960 Speaker 2: plenty of studio musician bands and I'm not gonna name 1151 01:11:43,000 --> 01:11:45,679 Speaker 2: any names, but there were several bands where a lot 1152 01:11:45,760 --> 01:11:50,519 Speaker 2: of very very successful studio musicians put bands together, and 1153 01:11:51,840 --> 01:11:54,800 Speaker 2: like you said, you know, it was very different to 1154 01:11:56,439 --> 01:11:58,479 Speaker 2: just to do that and to actually have it be 1155 01:11:58,600 --> 01:12:01,679 Speaker 2: successful and have it clicked, and have the stars align, 1156 01:12:02,200 --> 01:12:04,439 Speaker 2: and have the record company back you up and have 1157 01:12:04,520 --> 01:12:07,360 Speaker 2: great management at the time that knew how to work 1158 01:12:07,400 --> 01:12:11,320 Speaker 2: the record company and have the right representation, and you know, 1159 01:12:11,360 --> 01:12:14,360 Speaker 2: the stars aligned, you know for us. 1160 01:12:14,960 --> 01:12:18,679 Speaker 3: Okay, now it comes times to make a second record. 1161 01:12:19,200 --> 01:12:21,599 Speaker 3: A lot of acts, you know, have the second record 1162 01:12:21,640 --> 01:12:24,880 Speaker 3: blues a million reasons because of success on the first one, 1163 01:12:25,040 --> 01:12:27,679 Speaker 3: or they took years to write all the material that's 1164 01:12:27,680 --> 01:12:30,759 Speaker 3: on the first album. What was the experience with Toto 1165 01:12:30,840 --> 01:12:31,839 Speaker 3: on the second album? 1166 01:12:32,280 --> 01:12:34,360 Speaker 2: You know, there was a little bit of that there. 1167 01:12:34,479 --> 01:12:38,320 Speaker 2: Believe me, I've always been well aware of that. Everyone 1168 01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:42,479 Speaker 2: has to read. You know. Again, you kind of hinted 1169 01:12:42,479 --> 01:12:46,479 Speaker 2: at it. But the truth is, every band's first album 1170 01:12:46,840 --> 01:12:51,639 Speaker 2: is the best stuff they've done their entire life. Okay, 1171 01:12:52,600 --> 01:12:55,400 Speaker 2: maybe something was written two weeks ago. But I guarantee 1172 01:12:55,400 --> 01:12:57,840 Speaker 2: you there's some song on there that was written when 1173 01:12:57,840 --> 01:13:01,240 Speaker 2: they were in high school or something. You know, this 1174 01:13:01,280 --> 01:13:05,360 Speaker 2: is the culmination of the best stuff this band has 1175 01:13:05,439 --> 01:13:08,799 Speaker 2: done their entire life. This is for every single band 1176 01:13:09,200 --> 01:13:13,280 Speaker 2: out there. Okay. Then you go on the road, maybe 1177 01:13:13,320 --> 01:13:16,519 Speaker 2: you get divorced, you know whatever. You know, you go 1178 01:13:16,560 --> 01:13:18,920 Speaker 2: on the road and within a year you got a 1179 01:13:18,920 --> 01:13:22,280 Speaker 2: record company going. You got two months, you got you know, 1180 01:13:22,360 --> 01:13:29,000 Speaker 2: maybe three months do it again. You know, it really 1181 01:13:29,080 --> 01:13:32,320 Speaker 2: separates the men from the boys. You know, it really 1182 01:13:32,360 --> 01:13:36,200 Speaker 2: separates the men from the boys. Every single band you 1183 01:13:36,240 --> 01:13:39,000 Speaker 2: can name, their first album was the best shit they 1184 01:13:39,040 --> 01:13:43,479 Speaker 2: did their entire life. Okay. And then in those days, 1185 01:13:43,560 --> 01:13:46,479 Speaker 2: it was every year we had to do a new album. 1186 01:13:47,280 --> 01:13:50,960 Speaker 2: It was every year. Okay. And this is after you've toured. 1187 01:13:51,960 --> 01:13:53,800 Speaker 2: Have you spent any time with your family at all. 1188 01:13:53,880 --> 01:13:57,240 Speaker 2: They don't care. Give us another We need another one, 1189 01:13:57,280 --> 01:14:00,760 Speaker 2: you know, we want another one. Now. We did real good. 1190 01:14:00,800 --> 01:14:03,479 Speaker 2: That first album was you did great, Give us another one, 1191 01:14:03,600 --> 01:14:08,760 Speaker 2: So sophomore jinks. It's like, to me, it's so obvious. Uh. 1192 01:14:08,840 --> 01:14:11,960 Speaker 2: And and that was we still had we had a 1193 01:14:11,960 --> 01:14:13,720 Speaker 2: lot of power. You know. It's not like we were 1194 01:14:13,800 --> 01:14:17,120 Speaker 2: running out of songs. David Page was still, you know, 1195 01:14:17,200 --> 01:14:20,680 Speaker 2: reaching his peak as a songwriter. We all were. There 1196 01:14:20,680 --> 01:14:23,920 Speaker 2: were a lot of writers in the band. You know, 1197 01:14:24,000 --> 01:14:26,759 Speaker 2: did we get a little cocky after that first album 1198 01:14:26,880 --> 01:14:29,280 Speaker 2: did did so good out of the gate? You know 1199 01:14:29,320 --> 01:14:33,800 Speaker 2: what I mean? Sure? Sure, Hydro was we were kinda 1200 01:14:34,640 --> 01:14:37,240 Speaker 2: there was some aspect about it that, believe me, we 1201 01:14:37,240 --> 01:14:40,200 Speaker 2: were going for it. We were. We did get a 1202 01:14:40,240 --> 01:14:44,880 Speaker 2: little cocky for sure and kind of thought, wow, we 1203 01:14:45,000 --> 01:14:48,040 Speaker 2: can do this. They're they're they're buying it. We looked 1204 01:14:48,040 --> 01:14:51,680 Speaker 2: at each other and was like, you know, uh uh, 1205 01:14:51,800 --> 01:14:55,920 Speaker 2: there was some definitely self indulgent there. I can speak 1206 01:14:55,960 --> 01:14:58,720 Speaker 2: for my song that was on Hydra, the song called 1207 01:14:58,760 --> 01:15:02,599 Speaker 2: Secret Love was the weirdest two and a half minutes 1208 01:15:03,600 --> 01:15:05,280 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, you'll hear on a major 1209 01:15:05,360 --> 01:15:11,559 Speaker 2: label release. I had called in this at Sunset Sound. 1210 01:15:11,600 --> 01:15:14,760 Speaker 2: I woke up one morning. I called this place called 1211 01:15:14,840 --> 01:15:19,480 Speaker 2: Kasimov Blutener in Larchmont in California, and I rented a harpsichord, 1212 01:15:19,880 --> 01:15:24,719 Speaker 2: a clavichord, a Mozart piano. I rented all these these 1213 01:15:24,960 --> 01:15:31,160 Speaker 2: vintage keyboards, acoustic keyboards, and had this idea for this 1214 01:15:31,479 --> 01:15:35,400 Speaker 2: very strange song and the guys let me do it. 1215 01:15:35,880 --> 01:15:39,360 Speaker 2: They let me do it. It's on the album. It's called 1216 01:15:39,400 --> 01:15:42,400 Speaker 2: Secret Love. You know, Bobby Kimball did a vocal on it. 1217 01:15:42,479 --> 01:15:46,880 Speaker 2: I couldn't believe what he came up with. It's a 1218 01:15:47,040 --> 01:15:50,519 Speaker 2: very weird song. We were going for it. We were 1219 01:15:50,520 --> 01:15:54,240 Speaker 2: going for it, and we were a little cocky for sure. 1220 01:15:55,320 --> 01:16:00,240 Speaker 3: Okay, Hold the line was ubiquitous on the radio, to 1221 01:16:00,280 --> 01:16:04,840 Speaker 3: the point where there was even some backlash. The first 1222 01:16:04,920 --> 01:16:07,519 Speaker 3: Toto album I bought was the second one, because I 1223 01:16:07,600 --> 01:16:11,720 Speaker 3: heard ninety nine on an airplane radio when that used 1224 01:16:11,720 --> 01:16:16,080 Speaker 3: to be a thing. I thought that Hydra was really 1225 01:16:16,160 --> 01:16:21,120 Speaker 3: pretty good. Yeah, it was nowhere near as successful commercially 1226 01:16:21,120 --> 01:16:24,680 Speaker 3: as the first. So when it's all played out, what 1227 01:16:24,720 --> 01:16:26,960 Speaker 3: do you guys think? Do you think, Well, maybe we 1228 01:16:27,040 --> 01:16:29,760 Speaker 3: didn't do the best work, or the audience didn't get it, 1229 01:16:29,880 --> 01:16:32,880 Speaker 3: or what was the review from the inside? 1230 01:16:32,640 --> 01:16:36,400 Speaker 2: We love, we loved, we loved Hydra. We loved it. 1231 01:16:38,080 --> 01:16:41,120 Speaker 2: Did we get did we get a little cocky? Sure? Now, 1232 01:16:41,160 --> 01:16:44,000 Speaker 2: I don't think being cocky is necessarily a bad thing 1233 01:16:44,280 --> 01:16:49,559 Speaker 2: unless you get way, way, way too cocky. And you know, 1234 01:16:51,320 --> 01:16:53,400 Speaker 2: were there any hole of the lines on it? No? 1235 01:16:53,479 --> 01:16:56,000 Speaker 2: But there sure was a song called ninety nine and stuff. 1236 01:16:56,000 --> 01:16:58,960 Speaker 2: There's still was stuff that people could relate to and 1237 01:16:59,080 --> 01:17:04,320 Speaker 2: was still great songwriting and great production, and you know, 1238 01:17:04,360 --> 01:17:06,519 Speaker 2: it's still there was still a lot of very strong 1239 01:17:06,560 --> 01:17:08,200 Speaker 2: stuff on there, you know what I mean. 1240 01:17:10,240 --> 01:17:14,080 Speaker 3: Okay, on that album, the first album credit for producer 1241 01:17:14,160 --> 01:17:18,080 Speaker 3: is the band second one you get Tom Knox, Reggie Fisher. 1242 01:17:18,560 --> 01:17:22,120 Speaker 3: Is that just slicing up the credit for money or 1243 01:17:22,280 --> 01:17:25,040 Speaker 3: why were other people involved in What did they do well? 1244 01:17:25,160 --> 01:17:28,519 Speaker 2: I I you know, Tom Knox was our longtime engineer. 1245 01:17:28,600 --> 01:17:31,040 Speaker 2: Tom Knox did the did the demos when the guys 1246 01:17:31,040 --> 01:17:33,920 Speaker 2: did the demos. He engineered and mixed all of the 1247 01:17:33,960 --> 01:17:38,120 Speaker 2: first album. Reggie Fisher, the only thing Reggie Fisher did 1248 01:17:38,240 --> 01:17:41,720 Speaker 2: was he did my synthesizer stuff. You know. That's the 1249 01:17:41,760 --> 01:17:45,160 Speaker 2: only thing Reggie Fisher did on Hydro was my synthesizer stuff, 1250 01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:48,880 Speaker 2: which by then I had gotten this modular synthesizer and 1251 01:17:48,960 --> 01:17:52,599 Speaker 2: I it lived at Reggie's house. Reggie had a home 1252 01:17:52,680 --> 01:17:55,400 Speaker 2: studio and that's where I was living at the time, 1253 01:17:56,120 --> 01:17:59,400 Speaker 2: and you know what I mean, just tweaking it and 1254 01:17:59,439 --> 01:18:03,360 Speaker 2: working on this song secret Love. Yeah, I kind of 1255 01:18:03,400 --> 01:18:06,599 Speaker 2: saw where they got. I don't know if they got 1256 01:18:06,600 --> 01:18:10,439 Speaker 2: production credit. I don't think they ever officially got production credit, 1257 01:18:10,560 --> 01:18:13,080 Speaker 2: regardless of what it might say on the record. We 1258 01:18:13,080 --> 01:18:17,120 Speaker 2: were the producers. Again, Toto was always the producer, except 1259 01:18:17,200 --> 01:18:19,720 Speaker 2: on the third album it was I believe it was 1260 01:18:19,800 --> 01:18:23,080 Speaker 2: co produced by Jeff Workman, who was our engineer and 1261 01:18:23,120 --> 01:18:24,240 Speaker 2: mixer on the third album. 1262 01:18:24,360 --> 01:18:26,479 Speaker 3: Okay, so why did you bring in Workmen? 1263 01:18:28,040 --> 01:18:33,080 Speaker 2: You know, lou especially Luke, wanted us. We were kind 1264 01:18:33,080 --> 01:18:36,559 Speaker 2: of whereas Toto did a lot of If you listen 1265 01:18:37,160 --> 01:18:40,800 Speaker 2: to everything on the first album and on Hydra, there 1266 01:18:40,840 --> 01:18:43,080 Speaker 2: was plenty of rock and roll. We thought we were 1267 01:18:43,240 --> 01:18:46,639 Speaker 2: very kind of all over the map, doing all kinds 1268 01:18:46,640 --> 01:18:49,559 Speaker 2: of different stuff. The things that were getting attention were 1269 01:18:49,560 --> 01:18:53,000 Speaker 2: the things like ninety nine, like the R and B 1270 01:18:53,160 --> 01:18:57,600 Speaker 2: stuff like Georgie Porgy. Some of the softer stuff was 1271 01:18:57,640 --> 01:19:00,920 Speaker 2: getting a little bit too much attention, especially for Luke, 1272 01:19:00,920 --> 01:19:03,479 Speaker 2: who was a raal rock and roller, and we wanted 1273 01:19:03,520 --> 01:19:05,600 Speaker 2: to bring in a more rock and roll guy, a 1274 01:19:05,640 --> 01:19:10,000 Speaker 2: guy who would turn the guitars up louder, a guy 1275 01:19:10,040 --> 01:19:12,920 Speaker 2: with some rock and roll experience. You know. 1276 01:19:14,600 --> 01:19:17,680 Speaker 3: Okay, that album is a stiff, So what do you 1277 01:19:17,720 --> 01:19:18,479 Speaker 3: think about that? 1278 01:19:21,320 --> 01:19:23,559 Speaker 2: It was a stiff? There's still some stuff on there 1279 01:19:23,600 --> 01:19:28,120 Speaker 2: that that I'm proud of. Jeff Workman and I did 1280 01:19:28,160 --> 01:19:32,200 Speaker 2: not get along at all during the making of the record. 1281 01:19:32,960 --> 01:19:36,680 Speaker 2: You know, we didn't get along at all. He was 1282 01:19:36,800 --> 01:19:39,760 Speaker 2: used to working with, you know, rock and roll bands, 1283 01:19:39,800 --> 01:19:44,439 Speaker 2: Like who did he work with was guns and not 1284 01:19:44,479 --> 01:19:47,839 Speaker 2: Guns n' Roses, but worked with Queen. 1285 01:19:47,960 --> 01:19:49,519 Speaker 3: He worked with a million bands. 1286 01:19:49,840 --> 01:19:51,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, he worked with a million bands. And you know what, 1287 01:19:51,800 --> 01:19:54,680 Speaker 2: I think he was used to being the if there 1288 01:19:54,800 --> 01:19:57,360 Speaker 2: was a second keyboard player, if there was a guy 1289 01:19:57,360 --> 01:20:00,040 Speaker 2: who did a little bit of sense stuff, he he 1290 01:20:00,120 --> 01:20:02,840 Speaker 2: did that. He was the guy who did that on 1291 01:20:02,880 --> 01:20:07,080 Speaker 2: a lot of the stuff he did. I, you know, 1292 01:20:07,160 --> 01:20:10,080 Speaker 2: that was my job, and him and I bumped head's 1293 01:20:10,320 --> 01:20:13,439 Speaker 2: big time during the making of that record. Now, the 1294 01:20:13,479 --> 01:20:17,639 Speaker 2: only reason I even mentioned that is because after that record, 1295 01:20:19,360 --> 01:20:22,280 Speaker 2: I while we were making that record, while the guys 1296 01:20:22,280 --> 01:20:25,400 Speaker 2: were in the studio with Workmen, I was working away 1297 01:20:25,439 --> 01:20:30,000 Speaker 2: at David Page's house with all my synthesizers, with all 1298 01:20:30,040 --> 01:20:33,640 Speaker 2: this modular gear, and I had an eight track. I 1299 01:20:33,680 --> 01:20:37,760 Speaker 2: had an eight track tape machine, and I transferred the 1300 01:20:37,880 --> 01:20:40,120 Speaker 2: rough rhythm tracks to two of the tracks of the 1301 01:20:40,200 --> 01:20:44,400 Speaker 2: eight track, and I was going to experiment I was 1302 01:20:44,439 --> 01:20:47,400 Speaker 2: going to figure out what I would do when it 1303 01:20:47,439 --> 01:20:53,200 Speaker 2: was time to record the synthesizers for that album. You know, 1304 01:20:53,400 --> 01:20:55,600 Speaker 2: because when I would record, you know, i'd have the 1305 01:20:55,640 --> 01:20:58,360 Speaker 2: whole band would be there. You know, those guys were 1306 01:20:58,439 --> 01:21:01,400 Speaker 2: so good, they were so fat, they were so good 1307 01:21:01,400 --> 01:21:06,559 Speaker 2: at what they did. And whereas I could do things fast, 1308 01:21:06,640 --> 01:21:09,320 Speaker 2: I got hired because I could. You know, Quincy Jones, 1309 01:21:09,360 --> 01:21:11,559 Speaker 2: David Foster would hire me because I could do the 1310 01:21:11,560 --> 01:21:14,200 Speaker 2: synth over dubs on three songs and in three hours. 1311 01:21:14,720 --> 01:21:18,800 Speaker 2: I could be that guy. But I wanted what I 1312 01:21:18,840 --> 01:21:21,759 Speaker 2: did in Toto to be special. This was my band. 1313 01:21:22,800 --> 01:21:26,600 Speaker 2: Whereas what when Luke played a guitar solo, whether regardless 1314 01:21:26,600 --> 01:21:29,719 Speaker 2: of whether it was for his own album, a Toto album, 1315 01:21:30,120 --> 01:21:34,439 Speaker 2: a Quincy Jones album, a Michael Jackson, he played the same, great, 1316 01:21:34,520 --> 01:21:37,640 Speaker 2: amazing guitar solo. You know, My brother Jeff played the 1317 01:21:38,000 --> 01:21:40,280 Speaker 2: you know, I mean Jeff, I have to say stretched 1318 01:21:40,280 --> 01:21:43,639 Speaker 2: with Africa and with some other things because it was Toto, 1319 01:21:44,120 --> 01:21:47,240 Speaker 2: he would indulge a little bit. But anyway, the point 1320 01:21:47,280 --> 01:21:49,960 Speaker 2: being that these guys were real fast, and I was 1321 01:21:50,000 --> 01:21:53,920 Speaker 2: always thinking like an arranger, and I wanted the respect 1322 01:21:54,000 --> 01:21:56,720 Speaker 2: that an arranger got I wanted to take home. I 1323 01:21:56,720 --> 01:21:59,280 Speaker 2: wanted to write out my parts. I wanted to try 1324 01:21:59,320 --> 01:22:03,040 Speaker 2: different voices. I didn't want to just improvise a string 1325 01:22:03,160 --> 01:22:07,040 Speaker 2: arrangement like I was called upon to do a whole bunch. Yeah. 1326 01:22:07,080 --> 01:22:11,720 Speaker 2: I could do that, but you know what, arrangers got 1327 01:22:11,760 --> 01:22:14,720 Speaker 2: to try different voicings. They try it, they check it out, 1328 01:22:14,800 --> 01:22:17,280 Speaker 2: they try a different voicing. Ooh, this is better. They 1329 01:22:17,960 --> 01:22:21,120 Speaker 2: got to work on things by themselves. I wanted to 1330 01:22:21,600 --> 01:22:26,679 Speaker 2: look at my synthesizers like that. Anyway, back to the story. 1331 01:22:26,920 --> 01:22:30,040 Speaker 2: On this eight track, I was going to experiment, and 1332 01:22:30,080 --> 01:22:31,960 Speaker 2: then once I knew what I was going to do, 1333 01:22:32,120 --> 01:22:34,520 Speaker 2: that's what I would do when I got time to overdub. 1334 01:22:34,880 --> 01:22:39,080 Speaker 2: But the reality was on this eight track, I was, 1335 01:22:39,320 --> 01:22:42,840 Speaker 2: you know, I was capturing magic. I was doing stuff 1336 01:22:42,840 --> 01:22:46,760 Speaker 2: with a modular synthesizer that I'd never be able to recreate, 1337 01:22:47,600 --> 01:22:53,080 Speaker 2: you know, and I was bouncing things down. I was. Anyway, 1338 01:22:53,240 --> 01:22:56,480 Speaker 2: I wound up when I got time to do the synthesizers. 1339 01:22:56,720 --> 01:23:00,040 Speaker 2: Nobody even heard that stuff, and it was so some 1340 01:23:00,120 --> 01:23:03,240 Speaker 2: of the best work I'd ever done, and no one 1341 01:23:03,360 --> 01:23:07,519 Speaker 2: to this day has even heard that stuff. I wound 1342 01:23:07,640 --> 01:23:10,760 Speaker 2: up just doing synth stuff very I was very frustrated, 1343 01:23:10,760 --> 01:23:13,439 Speaker 2: but just wound up doing what I always did in 1344 01:23:13,479 --> 01:23:17,040 Speaker 2: the studio with all the guys there with their arms 1345 01:23:17,040 --> 01:23:21,880 Speaker 2: folded behind me, going hurry up, and doing what I 1346 01:23:21,960 --> 01:23:24,960 Speaker 2: typically did on a Toto album. Now, the good part 1347 01:23:25,000 --> 01:23:29,519 Speaker 2: of the story is that for the next album, the 1348 01:23:29,560 --> 01:23:32,320 Speaker 2: guys told me they were gonna make me a tape. 1349 01:23:32,760 --> 01:23:35,120 Speaker 2: You know. The only reason that stuff, by the way, 1350 01:23:35,200 --> 01:23:37,479 Speaker 2: couldn't be used was because it was on eight track. 1351 01:23:38,240 --> 01:23:40,920 Speaker 2: It wasn't on the right format. By then, we had 1352 01:23:40,960 --> 01:23:44,280 Speaker 2: Sympty and you could sync up another piece of tape. 1353 01:23:44,439 --> 01:23:48,240 Speaker 2: You could add tracks, you know. But the only reason 1354 01:23:48,320 --> 01:23:50,840 Speaker 2: why that couldn't be used was because I'd recorded it 1355 01:23:50,880 --> 01:23:53,479 Speaker 2: myself and it was on this eight track. It was 1356 01:23:53,520 --> 01:23:56,679 Speaker 2: on this half inch tape. So for the next album, 1357 01:23:56,920 --> 01:24:02,760 Speaker 2: Total four, the guy said they would make me, I know, 1358 01:24:02,840 --> 01:24:06,680 Speaker 2: this is an acceptable language anymore, but they'd make me 1359 01:24:06,720 --> 01:24:08,519 Speaker 2: a slave tape. They'd make me a tape where I 1360 01:24:08,520 --> 01:24:11,880 Speaker 2: could work out my ideas. But they said, but we 1361 01:24:12,000 --> 01:24:15,360 Speaker 2: can't keep anything you do. You're not an engineer, you know. 1362 01:24:15,600 --> 01:24:19,599 Speaker 2: We always hired the best engineers, and engineers are definitely 1363 01:24:19,600 --> 01:24:23,559 Speaker 2: put on a pedestal with us. So the thing about 1364 01:24:23,640 --> 01:24:26,479 Speaker 2: Jeff Workman, the guy who I bumped heads with so 1365 01:24:26,600 --> 01:24:30,600 Speaker 2: much on that third album, he started hanging out. He 1366 01:24:30,680 --> 01:24:33,080 Speaker 2: started hanging out at David's house a lot. Him and 1367 01:24:33,160 --> 01:24:38,040 Speaker 2: David became close friends, and he lived very close by. 1368 01:24:38,880 --> 01:24:43,320 Speaker 2: And I started asking him all these real stupid questions. 1369 01:24:43,800 --> 01:24:48,679 Speaker 2: I said, Jeff, if I was to record myself, why 1370 01:24:48,720 --> 01:24:54,280 Speaker 2: couldn't they use what I recorded? And he went on 1371 01:24:54,840 --> 01:24:59,559 Speaker 2: to teach me all about gain structure. How do I 1372 01:24:59,640 --> 01:25:03,400 Speaker 2: know I'm getting the right level into a harmonizer? Where 1373 01:25:03,400 --> 01:25:05,160 Speaker 2: do I turn up? Do I turn it up there? 1374 01:25:05,280 --> 01:25:08,439 Speaker 2: When do I turn things up? He taught me all 1375 01:25:08,479 --> 01:25:14,439 Speaker 2: this basic gain structure, basic, all about zero vu. He 1376 01:25:14,680 --> 01:25:18,639 Speaker 2: was the most generous, sweetest guy all of a sudden, 1377 01:25:19,160 --> 01:25:24,000 Speaker 2: who taught me how to record, and they wound up 1378 01:25:24,080 --> 01:25:27,800 Speaker 2: using I did ninety five percent of the synthesizers on 1379 01:25:27,840 --> 01:25:31,920 Speaker 2: Total four I recorded, and they used every bit of it. 1380 01:25:33,000 --> 01:25:35,880 Speaker 2: You know, they used all of it because of what 1381 01:25:36,040 --> 01:25:37,120 Speaker 2: Jeff Workman taught me. 1382 01:25:38,200 --> 01:25:44,240 Speaker 3: Okay, just to be clear, from statistically and from the outside, 1383 01:25:44,880 --> 01:25:48,679 Speaker 3: the third album was going in the wrong direction. Did 1384 01:25:48,720 --> 01:25:51,839 Speaker 3: you feel that in the band? Did you feel pressure 1385 01:25:52,479 --> 01:25:53,120 Speaker 3: or did you not? 1386 01:25:55,080 --> 01:25:57,479 Speaker 2: We definitely felt pressure. We definitely felt pressure from the 1387 01:25:57,520 --> 01:26:02,959 Speaker 2: record company. They were not happy. There was no obvious singles. 1388 01:26:04,040 --> 01:26:06,160 Speaker 2: It was tougher, it had more of a rock and 1389 01:26:06,240 --> 01:26:11,240 Speaker 2: roll thing to it. I you know, there's personal I 1390 01:26:11,360 --> 01:26:18,320 Speaker 2: have some personal feelings about the way the priorities, the 1391 01:26:18,360 --> 01:26:22,040 Speaker 2: band's priorities, which were typical in those days where you know, 1392 01:26:22,080 --> 01:26:24,920 Speaker 2: where bands would spend three days on a bass drum sound, 1393 01:26:25,560 --> 01:26:28,240 Speaker 2: but then they'd have to mix it. They'd have to 1394 01:26:28,280 --> 01:26:31,920 Speaker 2: mix this song like you know what I mean, and 1395 01:26:32,000 --> 01:26:34,439 Speaker 2: in less than a day with a mixer that had 1396 01:26:34,439 --> 01:26:36,519 Speaker 2: been up for three days or something like that. Just 1397 01:26:37,840 --> 01:26:41,680 Speaker 2: the priorities always seemed off to me, But it was 1398 01:26:41,800 --> 01:26:45,479 Speaker 2: just the way it was. Bottom line is, if the 1399 01:26:45,560 --> 01:26:48,040 Speaker 2: songs were right, it wouldn't have mattered, right, you know 1400 01:26:48,120 --> 01:26:51,400 Speaker 2: what I mean, If the songs were where the shit, 1401 01:26:52,040 --> 01:26:53,559 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, it would have cut through 1402 01:26:53,600 --> 01:26:59,080 Speaker 2: all those details. Yeah, it just again you got to 1403 01:26:59,120 --> 01:27:02,080 Speaker 2: remember we're doing this. This is every year, We're going 1404 01:27:02,120 --> 01:27:05,479 Speaker 2: to Europe and Japan and the United States and trying 1405 01:27:05,479 --> 01:27:10,160 Speaker 2: to keep our home lives together, and and you know, 1406 01:27:10,200 --> 01:27:13,160 Speaker 2: having to do this being pointed at, going do it again, 1407 01:27:13,320 --> 01:27:14,920 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, get in there again. It 1408 01:27:15,439 --> 01:27:20,320 Speaker 2: was a hard life. You know, it's not easy where 1409 01:27:20,360 --> 01:27:22,120 Speaker 2: we weren't a band that was just kind of a 1410 01:27:22,200 --> 01:27:25,960 Speaker 2: roots thing where someone wrote a song and had their 1411 01:27:26,040 --> 01:27:29,280 Speaker 2: journal and had great lyrics and we would bang it 1412 01:27:29,320 --> 01:27:33,200 Speaker 2: out on our instruments, and you know, that was it 1413 01:27:33,320 --> 01:27:35,879 Speaker 2: we were. We loved we loved being in the studio. 1414 01:27:35,920 --> 01:27:40,840 Speaker 2: We loved production. I loved tweaking synthesizers and they're being 1415 01:27:40,960 --> 01:27:44,479 Speaker 2: arrangement and string arrangements and you know what I mean. 1416 01:27:44,640 --> 01:27:47,160 Speaker 2: We loved we loved that stuff. You know. 1417 01:27:48,280 --> 01:27:52,600 Speaker 3: Okay, so you're making the fourth record. To what degree 1418 01:27:53,360 --> 01:27:55,519 Speaker 3: do you feel you're on the right track when you're 1419 01:27:55,520 --> 01:27:56,200 Speaker 3: making it. 1420 01:27:56,640 --> 01:28:00,000 Speaker 2: Right out of the gate. We knew we were under pressure. 1421 01:27:59,840 --> 01:28:02,519 Speaker 2: We knew the record company was kind of going, come on, guys. 1422 01:28:02,760 --> 01:28:06,200 Speaker 2: You know, we were so good out of the gate, 1423 01:28:06,960 --> 01:28:09,240 Speaker 2: you know, and then the hydra comes and yeah, there's 1424 01:28:09,320 --> 01:28:12,840 Speaker 2: ninety nine, but it's now we're near the level that 1425 01:28:12,920 --> 01:28:15,320 Speaker 2: the first album is on. And then the third album 1426 01:28:15,439 --> 01:28:18,960 Speaker 2: is even worse, where all of a sudden feeling big 1427 01:28:19,000 --> 01:28:24,160 Speaker 2: pressure from the record company and David Page, god bless him, 1428 01:28:24,200 --> 01:28:27,040 Speaker 2: the first thing he writes for the new album is 1429 01:28:27,080 --> 01:28:32,880 Speaker 2: this song Rosanna. The first thing he writes is him 1430 01:28:33,320 --> 01:28:37,600 Speaker 2: trying his best to write the best possible song that 1431 01:28:37,760 --> 01:28:41,360 Speaker 2: exploits the talents of the band while still being commercial, 1432 01:28:41,880 --> 01:28:44,960 Speaker 2: while still being a hit record. And that's the first 1433 01:28:44,960 --> 01:28:49,200 Speaker 2: thing he writes. That's the first thing we record, you know, 1434 01:28:49,280 --> 01:28:51,840 Speaker 2: and we all believed in it and thought it was hip. 1435 01:28:52,400 --> 01:28:54,599 Speaker 2: And you know what I mean, there's this amazing drum 1436 01:28:54,640 --> 01:28:58,519 Speaker 2: beat that starts it off. It was totally Toto. The 1437 01:28:58,600 --> 01:29:04,400 Speaker 2: horn arrangement, two lead vocals, it changes keys, but yet 1438 01:29:04,400 --> 01:29:07,200 Speaker 2: it's got a payoff, It's got a really strong chorus. 1439 01:29:08,200 --> 01:29:10,439 Speaker 2: It was it was, you know what I mean. I 1440 01:29:10,600 --> 01:29:13,120 Speaker 2: got to spend you know what I mean, you would 1441 01:29:13,120 --> 01:29:15,000 Speaker 2: have You wouldn't believe how long I spent on that 1442 01:29:15,040 --> 01:29:19,719 Speaker 2: synthesizer solo on Rosanna, you know. So to me, that's 1443 01:29:19,720 --> 01:29:22,280 Speaker 2: something I'm so proud of because I got I was 1444 01:29:22,600 --> 01:29:25,960 Speaker 2: very indulgent. That was a perfect case of something I 1445 01:29:26,000 --> 01:29:28,840 Speaker 2: could have never done in the studio with the clock 1446 01:29:28,920 --> 01:29:33,599 Speaker 2: ticking and five producers waiting for me to blow a solo. 1447 01:29:34,040 --> 01:29:37,680 Speaker 2: I wasn't that guy. But I arranged this thing. I 1448 01:29:37,760 --> 01:29:41,599 Speaker 2: did these experiments, I did all kinds of stuff and 1449 01:29:41,680 --> 01:29:45,040 Speaker 2: delivered this solo on two tracks as all the mixer 1450 01:29:45,120 --> 01:29:48,600 Speaker 2: had since solo left and since solo right, you know. 1451 01:29:49,000 --> 01:29:52,160 Speaker 2: And he didn't ask who recorded it or how it 1452 01:29:52,280 --> 01:29:55,320 Speaker 2: was recorded. All z he knew was that he loved 1453 01:29:55,360 --> 01:29:59,120 Speaker 2: it and cranked it up, you know. And and it 1454 01:29:59,280 --> 01:30:03,679 Speaker 2: ends with paid doing this New Orleans third line stuff. 1455 01:30:03,720 --> 01:30:09,240 Speaker 2: It was very, very Toto and it was our first 1456 01:30:09,280 --> 01:30:11,760 Speaker 2: single and it did great right out of the gate. 1457 01:30:12,800 --> 01:30:16,080 Speaker 3: Okay, just to be clear, Rosanna was the first song written, 1458 01:30:16,720 --> 01:30:19,959 Speaker 3: first song recorded. But when you went in the studio, 1459 01:30:20,080 --> 01:30:22,400 Speaker 3: did you have all the songs. 1460 01:30:23,240 --> 01:30:25,639 Speaker 2: They were? You know, there was a batch, definitely. Page 1461 01:30:25,680 --> 01:30:30,400 Speaker 2: always had a batch of songs ready to go. You know, 1462 01:30:30,439 --> 01:30:32,680 Speaker 2: a lot of it came together. A lot of the 1463 01:30:32,720 --> 01:30:35,719 Speaker 2: writing would come together right there in the studio. David 1464 01:30:35,840 --> 01:30:39,040 Speaker 2: wasn't afraid to have a verse and a chorus and 1465 01:30:39,120 --> 01:30:41,080 Speaker 2: an idea for a bridge, and he would sit there 1466 01:30:41,080 --> 01:30:44,080 Speaker 2: with my brother Jeff. You know, he would sit there 1467 01:30:44,200 --> 01:30:47,640 Speaker 2: across from Jeff and they would kind of arrange it 1468 01:30:47,760 --> 01:30:50,160 Speaker 2: together what they were going to cut that day. And 1469 01:30:50,240 --> 01:30:52,640 Speaker 2: believe me, a lot of the finishing touches of the 1470 01:30:52,720 --> 01:30:56,840 Speaker 2: song would come together right then, of the track would 1471 01:30:56,880 --> 01:30:59,320 Speaker 2: come together right then, and then it'd be like, all right, 1472 01:30:59,400 --> 01:31:01,479 Speaker 2: are we ready, let's cut this, you. 1473 01:31:01,439 --> 01:31:08,040 Speaker 3: Know, Okay, revisiting an overhashed subject. How did you know Roseanne? 1474 01:31:08,080 --> 01:31:08,519 Speaker 3: Our kid? 1475 01:31:10,640 --> 01:31:13,479 Speaker 2: I knew Rosanna. I met her at you know, a 1476 01:31:13,600 --> 01:31:18,720 Speaker 2: very close friend of the band, James Newton Howard. It 1477 01:31:18,840 --> 01:31:23,200 Speaker 2: was at the reception to he had gotten married and 1478 01:31:23,240 --> 01:31:25,840 Speaker 2: we're at the reception that was at his house, and 1479 01:31:25,880 --> 01:31:28,880 Speaker 2: I met Rosanna that night. I met Rosanna at the 1480 01:31:28,920 --> 01:31:33,519 Speaker 2: reception and we had become an item. And she started 1481 01:31:33,560 --> 01:31:37,080 Speaker 2: coming to the studio and everybody was. You know, Rosanna 1482 01:31:37,120 --> 01:31:40,920 Speaker 2: has been amused for a lot of people. You know, 1483 01:31:41,520 --> 01:31:44,040 Speaker 2: she's always been a lover of music. She's always been 1484 01:31:44,080 --> 01:31:51,000 Speaker 2: incredibly supportive. And you know, David didn't have a title 1485 01:31:51,040 --> 01:31:53,920 Speaker 2: for a song yet, and I brought her over to 1486 01:31:54,360 --> 01:31:58,000 Speaker 2: David's house while he was working, while he was putting 1487 01:31:58,000 --> 01:32:01,160 Speaker 2: together Rosanna, and I think he and I think he 1488 01:32:01,240 --> 01:32:03,479 Speaker 2: might have been a little bit smitten with her himself, 1489 01:32:03,520 --> 01:32:07,640 Speaker 2: which I wouldn't blame him. She was, she was, she was, 1490 01:32:08,479 --> 01:32:16,360 Speaker 2: she wasn't is really something And you know, what can I. 1491 01:32:16,320 --> 01:32:19,679 Speaker 3: Say, Okay, when the record comes out, are you still 1492 01:32:19,680 --> 01:32:23,200 Speaker 3: an item? Whether you are or not, how does it 1493 01:32:23,240 --> 01:32:26,080 Speaker 3: affect your relationship with her? And how does she handle it? 1494 01:32:26,400 --> 01:32:28,960 Speaker 3: Because the news right away. Whatever, the real story is 1495 01:32:29,200 --> 01:32:32,080 Speaker 3: news right away, and all the media is that it's 1496 01:32:32,120 --> 01:32:33,720 Speaker 3: based on Roseanna Arcat. 1497 01:32:35,000 --> 01:32:37,000 Speaker 2: Sure. No. And she was on the road. She went 1498 01:32:37,000 --> 01:32:39,400 Speaker 2: on the road with us. She did a world tour 1499 01:32:39,439 --> 01:32:43,200 Speaker 2: with us. And this is when her career was you know, 1500 01:32:43,240 --> 01:32:45,360 Speaker 2: she was getting we lived together at this point, and 1501 01:32:45,400 --> 01:32:50,720 Speaker 2: she was getting scripts from huge movies every day. I 1502 01:32:51,160 --> 01:32:56,200 Speaker 2: can't believe. And I'm not the only one she did 1503 01:32:56,240 --> 01:32:58,320 Speaker 2: this with. And she just she wanted to come on 1504 01:32:58,360 --> 01:33:01,080 Speaker 2: the road with us. She loved music. She did a 1505 01:33:01,120 --> 01:33:05,559 Speaker 2: whole world tour with us. You know, we were still 1506 01:33:05,680 --> 01:33:10,960 Speaker 2: very much an item. Yeah, it was, and people were 1507 01:33:11,000 --> 01:33:14,000 Speaker 2: assuming that it was written by me. It was not. 1508 01:33:14,320 --> 01:33:17,720 Speaker 2: It was all that was all David Page. I believe me. 1509 01:33:17,800 --> 01:33:20,600 Speaker 2: I worked my ass off on that song, you know, 1510 01:33:20,640 --> 01:33:23,320 Speaker 2: on that SyncE solo and all those keyboard parts and 1511 01:33:23,360 --> 01:33:26,559 Speaker 2: stuff like that. We were all very proud of that 1512 01:33:26,680 --> 01:33:30,559 Speaker 2: song and thought it was a great representation of who 1513 01:33:30,560 --> 01:33:33,640 Speaker 2: we were as a band and what we were about. 1514 01:33:33,720 --> 01:33:36,479 Speaker 2: And and I think she loved it for she even 1515 01:33:36,880 --> 01:33:40,400 Speaker 2: she even they did some some of the promotion for 1516 01:33:40,479 --> 01:33:45,280 Speaker 2: the single she was involved with. Now after that, you know, 1517 01:33:45,479 --> 01:33:48,400 Speaker 2: years after that, right, it becomes this thing where like 1518 01:33:48,560 --> 01:33:54,639 Speaker 2: every talk show she does, right, you know, with the 1519 01:33:54,640 --> 01:33:58,160 Speaker 2: the questions they ask, right, of course, they bring that up. 1520 01:33:58,320 --> 01:34:01,479 Speaker 2: And I think she I wouldn't blame and I didn't 1521 01:34:01,479 --> 01:34:04,280 Speaker 2: blame her a bit for getting very very tired of 1522 01:34:04,320 --> 01:34:07,200 Speaker 2: getting that question, you know what I mean. I mean, 1523 01:34:07,240 --> 01:34:09,920 Speaker 2: from Letterman, from you know, you name it. They would 1524 01:34:09,920 --> 01:34:13,479 Speaker 2: bring that up while she was out promoting a movie 1525 01:34:13,560 --> 01:34:17,800 Speaker 2: or promoting this or that. Right, these these people, you know, 1526 01:34:18,120 --> 01:34:21,400 Speaker 2: would would I think it was kind of lazy on 1527 01:34:21,479 --> 01:34:23,960 Speaker 2: a lot of their parts. You know, I understand some 1528 01:34:24,080 --> 01:34:25,800 Speaker 2: of it, right, they want to have something else to 1529 01:34:25,840 --> 01:34:28,320 Speaker 2: talk about, but they would bring that up for like 1530 01:34:28,360 --> 01:34:31,600 Speaker 2: the next ten years, this poor girl. Every time she 1531 01:34:31,720 --> 01:34:34,640 Speaker 2: did a talk show, they'd bring up Rosanna, you know 1532 01:34:34,640 --> 01:34:39,200 Speaker 2: what I mean. And at some point, you know, Rosanna 1533 01:34:39,320 --> 01:34:41,920 Speaker 2: was always into Prague stuff, and she wound up being 1534 01:34:41,920 --> 01:34:48,360 Speaker 2: with Peter Gabriel, and you know, she started disparaging the song. 1535 01:34:49,240 --> 01:34:53,680 Speaker 2: You know, even I think just to I thought it 1536 01:34:53,720 --> 01:34:57,120 Speaker 2: was to discourage people from bringing it up. You know, 1537 01:34:57,160 --> 01:34:59,960 Speaker 2: I didn't take it as I didn't take it very personal. 1538 01:35:00,400 --> 01:35:02,479 Speaker 2: You know, I kind of understood she just got kind 1539 01:35:02,479 --> 01:35:05,719 Speaker 2: of tired of being asked that that lame question. 1540 01:35:06,080 --> 01:35:20,439 Speaker 3: You know, Okay, Total four is a monster with varying 1541 01:35:20,600 --> 01:35:27,120 Speaker 3: hit tracks. What's the experience on the inside it. 1542 01:35:29,720 --> 01:35:34,519 Speaker 2: We were feeling very good. We delivered. We delivered. You know, 1543 01:35:34,920 --> 01:35:39,040 Speaker 2: we were under pressure. We were under pressure, and we delivered. 1544 01:35:39,640 --> 01:35:44,200 Speaker 2: We went to some known things. Al Schmidt, a guy 1545 01:35:44,240 --> 01:35:49,160 Speaker 2: who worked with our fathers, you know, a great engineer, 1546 01:35:49,240 --> 01:35:53,800 Speaker 2: cut the basic tracks. There was nothing fancy. We weren't 1547 01:35:53,880 --> 01:35:57,240 Speaker 2: using the flavor of the month in any way. Even 1548 01:35:57,280 --> 01:36:01,000 Speaker 2: though Greg Ladani was this hot young man mixer, his 1549 01:36:01,120 --> 01:36:05,120 Speaker 2: career was really on the uprise. And and Greg mixed 1550 01:36:05,160 --> 01:36:08,880 Speaker 2: the whole album, and like I said, I loved it 1551 01:36:08,960 --> 01:36:13,080 Speaker 2: because before the mixer, whoever recorded our album would be 1552 01:36:13,240 --> 01:36:17,200 Speaker 2: there the whole time. And of course there's there's pecking 1553 01:36:17,320 --> 01:36:21,679 Speaker 2: orders in bands, understandably, you know, David Page and Jeff, 1554 01:36:21,760 --> 01:36:24,720 Speaker 2: my brother Jeff, had a lot more clout than I 1555 01:36:24,800 --> 01:36:28,880 Speaker 2: did as far as you know what I mean, band's 1556 01:36:28,920 --> 01:36:32,680 Speaker 2: pecking orders. I'm sure John Lennon and Paul McCartney had 1557 01:36:32,680 --> 01:36:37,120 Speaker 2: a more clout than what Ringo's opinion was in certain 1558 01:36:37,200 --> 01:36:40,960 Speaker 2: situations as far as the producers and engineers went that 1559 01:36:41,080 --> 01:36:47,320 Speaker 2: were around him. It's understandable, but and so certain band. 1560 01:36:49,240 --> 01:36:55,439 Speaker 2: You know, prejudices and habits and people's opinions get in 1561 01:36:56,200 --> 01:36:58,439 Speaker 2: these guys' heads. And what I loved was, like I 1562 01:36:58,479 --> 01:37:01,960 Speaker 2: said before, Greg Ladani was just this fresh, you know, 1563 01:37:02,000 --> 01:37:05,519 Speaker 2: he had fresh ears. He didn't he didn't know any 1564 01:37:05,520 --> 01:37:10,120 Speaker 2: of the banded politics. You know. I actually remember David 1565 01:37:10,160 --> 01:37:12,280 Speaker 2: after we heard we heard a mix of Rosanna, and 1566 01:37:12,320 --> 01:37:15,000 Speaker 2: we're all we were all kind of blown away with 1567 01:37:15,080 --> 01:37:17,240 Speaker 2: how it had come out. You know, no one had 1568 01:37:17,280 --> 01:37:20,840 Speaker 2: heard the whole since solo put together in the song 1569 01:37:20,960 --> 01:37:24,639 Speaker 2: itself next to Luke's guitar solo, and it all came 1570 01:37:24,680 --> 01:37:28,240 Speaker 2: together and I'll never forget. After we heard it mixed, 1571 01:37:30,040 --> 01:37:32,920 Speaker 2: we walked out of the room and David Pate said 1572 01:37:32,960 --> 01:37:35,439 Speaker 2: to me, He goes, I'll never forget this. He says, 1573 01:37:35,479 --> 01:37:37,600 Speaker 2: you know, Ladanie didn't know that you're not supposed to 1574 01:37:37,640 --> 01:37:43,559 Speaker 2: turn up the sense that loud was. This was the 1575 01:37:43,600 --> 01:37:45,160 Speaker 2: first thing he said to me, and we were just 1576 01:37:45,200 --> 01:37:48,960 Speaker 2: where we were cracking up. You know, Like I said, 1577 01:37:49,040 --> 01:37:51,640 Speaker 2: he didn't have those banded politics in his ears. He 1578 01:37:51,880 --> 01:37:55,120 Speaker 2: just did it the way he heard it, mixed it 1579 01:37:55,200 --> 01:37:57,000 Speaker 2: the way he heard it. That's the way he did 1580 01:37:57,000 --> 01:38:01,360 Speaker 2: the whole album and it was very successful. So you asked, 1581 01:38:01,360 --> 01:38:03,200 Speaker 2: what was it like in the band. We were feeling 1582 01:38:03,240 --> 01:38:06,640 Speaker 2: pretty good about ourselves. We delivered. We delivered in a 1583 01:38:06,640 --> 01:38:08,760 Speaker 2: big way. We were up against the wall, and you 1584 01:38:08,840 --> 01:38:11,280 Speaker 2: know what, we rose to the occasion. 1585 01:38:12,400 --> 01:38:16,360 Speaker 3: Okay, Toto is a band that has gotten a lot 1586 01:38:16,400 --> 01:38:19,200 Speaker 3: of shit, a lot of backlash from day one, day 1587 01:38:19,200 --> 01:38:24,680 Speaker 3: one at studio musicians, I certainly know Lukethur has a 1588 01:38:24,720 --> 01:38:28,240 Speaker 3: thin skin on this topic. Or whoever, everybody's got a 1589 01:38:28,240 --> 01:38:32,840 Speaker 3: different identity. To what degree were you bothered or bothered 1590 01:38:32,920 --> 01:38:33,360 Speaker 3: by that? 1591 01:38:34,640 --> 01:38:38,120 Speaker 2: I understood it from day one, and I never could 1592 01:38:38,280 --> 01:38:41,680 Speaker 2: understand why the other guys couldn't understand it. Okay, the 1593 01:38:41,840 --> 01:38:47,920 Speaker 2: people that are writing about us are journalists, which means 1594 01:38:47,920 --> 01:38:53,040 Speaker 2: they're probably they were English majors in school. Okay, words 1595 01:38:53,800 --> 01:39:00,320 Speaker 2: are very very important to them. Okay, all right, they 1596 01:39:00,400 --> 01:39:05,200 Speaker 2: care about words. We were all musos. Okay. We were 1597 01:39:05,280 --> 01:39:08,599 Speaker 2: all about the pocket and the drum and the feel 1598 01:39:08,760 --> 01:39:12,080 Speaker 2: and this and look at that, those great chord changes 1599 01:39:12,280 --> 01:39:17,000 Speaker 2: and that melody, What a great melody, and all these 1600 01:39:17,120 --> 01:39:21,439 Speaker 2: things that these writers that's way down on the list. 1601 01:39:21,960 --> 01:39:27,760 Speaker 2: What's the first thing they're looking at? The words? It's 1602 01:39:27,920 --> 01:39:34,360 Speaker 2: rolling stone magazine. Bob Dylan is at the peak. He's 1603 01:39:34,439 --> 01:39:39,559 Speaker 2: the best. Okay, listen to his words. He's the poet 1604 01:39:39,600 --> 01:39:44,760 Speaker 2: of the generation. All right, words are all important. And 1605 01:39:44,800 --> 01:39:48,519 Speaker 2: you know what, where Toto, I can't completely throw us 1606 01:39:48,600 --> 01:39:51,240 Speaker 2: under the bus. There were times where guys would make 1607 01:39:51,240 --> 01:39:54,600 Speaker 2: an effort. There was no one in the band. We 1608 01:39:54,640 --> 01:39:57,479 Speaker 2: didn't grow up with that guy who was the lead singer, 1609 01:39:57,680 --> 01:40:01,559 Speaker 2: who kept a journal, who kept who was the poet 1610 01:40:01,600 --> 01:40:05,240 Speaker 2: of the band. That wasn't part of the equation with Toto. 1611 01:40:05,840 --> 01:40:09,200 Speaker 2: We were all musicians. It was all about the playing 1612 01:40:09,920 --> 01:40:15,600 Speaker 2: all those things I told you, and quite frankly, often lyrics, 1613 01:40:15,640 --> 01:40:19,559 Speaker 2: not on every song, but a lot of times. Yeah, 1614 01:40:19,600 --> 01:40:22,559 Speaker 2: we'd spend three days on the drum sound, but you 1615 01:40:22,640 --> 01:40:26,240 Speaker 2: know what, the lyrics would get written the night before 1616 01:40:26,920 --> 01:40:30,559 Speaker 2: the vocal. The lead vocal had to get done. Okay. 1617 01:40:31,479 --> 01:40:33,200 Speaker 2: I wish I could tell you, you know, we spent 1618 01:40:33,400 --> 01:40:38,519 Speaker 2: two weeks on those lyrics. Hell no, okay. And when 1619 01:40:38,520 --> 01:40:42,440 Speaker 2: you're talking about this is when that distinction between records 1620 01:40:42,680 --> 01:40:47,920 Speaker 2: and songs comes in. Okay, Because on records, which is 1621 01:40:48,000 --> 01:40:51,040 Speaker 2: kind of more what we were about. I think if 1622 01:40:51,040 --> 01:40:53,679 Speaker 2: you had to make that distinction, we were guys who 1623 01:40:53,720 --> 01:41:00,559 Speaker 2: made records. Okay, lyrics sometimes, okay, Louie Louis whatever. There's 1624 01:41:00,600 --> 01:41:02,800 Speaker 2: all these records you can name that. You know what. 1625 01:41:04,080 --> 01:41:06,519 Speaker 2: The words weren't that important. It was about the production, 1626 01:41:06,680 --> 01:41:09,360 Speaker 2: It was about the feeling, it was about the dance ability, 1627 01:41:09,800 --> 01:41:12,280 Speaker 2: it was about this cool sound, it was about the 1628 01:41:13,120 --> 01:41:17,280 Speaker 2: horn arrangement. Words weren't number one, you know, the way 1629 01:41:17,320 --> 01:41:20,880 Speaker 2: they were when you're talking about Bob Dylan, you know 1630 01:41:21,080 --> 01:41:24,599 Speaker 2: when you're talking about Van Morrison. You know, now, we 1631 01:41:24,720 --> 01:41:28,000 Speaker 2: loved great lyrics. We loved Joni Mitchell, we loved Steely 1632 01:41:28,160 --> 01:41:31,839 Speaker 2: Dan or the Eagles. We loved great lyrics. 1633 01:41:32,040 --> 01:41:32,479 Speaker 3: It just. 1634 01:41:33,960 --> 01:41:39,760 Speaker 2: It wasn't our priority, quite frankly. And how can you 1635 01:41:39,800 --> 01:41:44,639 Speaker 2: be surprised when these writers, these English majors, they would 1636 01:41:44,800 --> 01:41:46,439 Speaker 2: know a deep pocket if it hit him in the 1637 01:41:46,479 --> 01:41:49,679 Speaker 2: back of the head. Maybe, but you know what, they're 1638 01:41:49,680 --> 01:41:51,920 Speaker 2: going to read your lyrics and if you're rhyming Moon 1639 01:41:52,000 --> 01:41:55,040 Speaker 2: with June, they're going to say this sucks. This is 1640 01:41:55,080 --> 01:41:56,960 Speaker 2: I would get a D on this if I handed 1641 01:41:57,000 --> 01:42:01,280 Speaker 2: this poem in in English class at my college. You know, 1642 01:42:02,320 --> 01:42:05,760 Speaker 2: it was bad poetry to them, and the guys would 1643 01:42:05,800 --> 01:42:08,479 Speaker 2: be It would be funny because I would see they'd 1644 01:42:08,520 --> 01:42:13,160 Speaker 2: be so shocked and hurt, and believe me bad when 1645 01:42:13,160 --> 01:42:15,519 Speaker 2: you work so hard on something and you spend all 1646 01:42:15,520 --> 01:42:17,960 Speaker 2: this time away from your family and you put your 1647 01:42:18,000 --> 01:42:21,640 Speaker 2: heart and soul in something, to hear somebody just completely 1648 01:42:21,640 --> 01:42:29,400 Speaker 2: say it's shit. It hurts, absolutely, absolutely it hurts. But 1649 01:42:31,360 --> 01:42:33,800 Speaker 2: you know Elton John got to start off with those 1650 01:42:33,840 --> 01:42:37,400 Speaker 2: incredible Bernie top and lyrics. He'd start off with that. 1651 01:42:38,520 --> 01:42:41,720 Speaker 2: The song wouldn't even start being written without those that 1652 01:42:41,880 --> 01:42:47,519 Speaker 2: amazing poetry in front of them. You know, leave on, 1653 01:42:48,240 --> 01:42:52,880 Speaker 2: burn down the mission name any Elton tune and the 1654 01:42:53,000 --> 01:42:56,880 Speaker 2: lyrics are amazing, you know what I mean? You know 1655 01:42:57,080 --> 01:42:59,320 Speaker 2: the Eagles, it would be maybe be after the fact, 1656 01:42:59,400 --> 01:43:03,160 Speaker 2: but believe me, they held such high importance, more so 1657 01:43:03,520 --> 01:43:08,240 Speaker 2: than than their priorities were very different than a band Toto. 1658 01:43:08,400 --> 01:43:12,240 Speaker 2: You know, they would never let moon in June or 1659 01:43:12,280 --> 01:43:14,960 Speaker 2: saying uh right there from the start, you know, rhyme 1660 01:43:15,040 --> 01:43:17,200 Speaker 2: it with the word heart like we did I think 1661 01:43:17,280 --> 01:43:20,439 Speaker 2: three times in our lyrics or something. They would there'd 1662 01:43:20,439 --> 01:43:24,200 Speaker 2: be someone in that band going no way. They would 1663 01:43:24,200 --> 01:43:26,640 Speaker 2: work harder. They'd bring in a J. D. Souther to 1664 01:43:26,680 --> 01:43:31,439 Speaker 2: help them elevate the lyrics. You know, we were being 1665 01:43:31,479 --> 01:43:34,519 Speaker 2: the best version of ourselves that we could be. And 1666 01:43:36,960 --> 01:43:39,559 Speaker 2: I think all of us wish the lyrics were better sometimes. 1667 01:43:39,560 --> 01:43:42,679 Speaker 2: And I know, guys, you know, Lucather brought in Randy 1668 01:43:42,720 --> 01:43:49,720 Speaker 2: Goodrum to do one of his second big ballad on 1669 01:43:49,760 --> 01:43:52,320 Speaker 2: the first album. Luke wrote the lyrics himself to his 1670 01:43:52,360 --> 01:43:54,920 Speaker 2: big ballad that you know, but on the on uh 1671 01:43:55,080 --> 01:43:58,280 Speaker 2: or I mean on the fourth album. But then later 1672 01:43:58,320 --> 01:44:01,120 Speaker 2: on Luke had another big song and brought in Randy Goodrum, 1673 01:44:01,160 --> 01:44:04,639 Speaker 2: who wrote incredible lyrics. We would you know, we we 1674 01:44:04,760 --> 01:44:08,519 Speaker 2: cared David on the song Africa. That was David really 1675 01:44:08,640 --> 01:44:13,719 Speaker 2: trying to really put some effort into his lyric writing. 1676 01:44:14,040 --> 01:44:18,320 Speaker 2: You know, we gave him a rational shit at the time. 1677 01:44:18,360 --> 01:44:21,040 Speaker 2: We were like, what is this about the Serengetti the 1678 01:44:21,200 --> 01:44:24,840 Speaker 2: but what are you writing about? You know, we gave 1679 01:44:24,880 --> 01:44:27,120 Speaker 2: him tons of crap about it, you know, while we 1680 01:44:27,120 --> 01:44:30,479 Speaker 2: were working on the tape loops and this and you know, 1681 01:44:30,560 --> 01:44:34,400 Speaker 2: all this me tweaking the Columbus sounds. You know, that's 1682 01:44:34,479 --> 01:44:36,720 Speaker 2: what we spent time doing, you know what I mean. 1683 01:44:36,840 --> 01:44:40,800 Speaker 2: But to me, it was obvious why the critics didn't 1684 01:44:40,880 --> 01:44:44,439 Speaker 2: like us, and I could never understand why why Luke 1685 01:44:44,479 --> 01:44:48,040 Speaker 2: in particular, would get so upset. You know, yeah, it hurts, 1686 01:44:48,080 --> 01:44:52,519 Speaker 2: But he's an English major. His priorities are very different. 1687 01:44:52,640 --> 01:44:55,240 Speaker 2: They don't care about the tone on your guitar that 1688 01:44:55,320 --> 01:44:58,679 Speaker 2: you spent hours and hours on, you know what I mean, 1689 01:44:58,840 --> 01:45:01,360 Speaker 2: that you spent all this time. They don't care about that. 1690 01:45:01,840 --> 01:45:04,200 Speaker 2: They would have rather you spent a few more hours 1691 01:45:04,200 --> 01:45:07,559 Speaker 2: on the lyrics and making better you know what I mean. 1692 01:45:08,840 --> 01:45:13,400 Speaker 3: Okay, So the band has this incredible success both on 1693 01:45:13,640 --> 01:45:18,519 Speaker 3: records and live. Certainly at this late date people know 1694 01:45:18,600 --> 01:45:21,280 Speaker 3: the money is mostly in publishing and at least long 1695 01:45:21,360 --> 01:45:25,439 Speaker 3: term money. You had some songs on some records. First 1696 01:45:25,520 --> 01:45:30,000 Speaker 3: question is, ay, were you ripped off? Sometimes the band 1697 01:45:30,040 --> 01:45:32,880 Speaker 3: is so busy working they have no idea where the 1698 01:45:32,960 --> 01:45:36,880 Speaker 3: money is going. Second, did you get the money and 1699 01:45:37,000 --> 01:45:39,719 Speaker 3: how did you use it? In third, are you still 1700 01:45:39,760 --> 01:45:40,920 Speaker 3: getting money from Toto? 1701 01:45:44,160 --> 01:45:49,120 Speaker 2: Yes? Look at that's what happens with a lot of bands. 1702 01:45:49,240 --> 01:45:53,720 Speaker 2: With every band, guys aren't thinking about that at the time, right, 1703 01:45:53,760 --> 01:45:55,880 Speaker 2: They're just going in. They're in a band. They're thrilled 1704 01:45:55,880 --> 01:46:00,719 Speaker 2: to be in a band. But the human nature aspect 1705 01:46:00,760 --> 01:46:03,280 Speaker 2: kicks in when all of a sudden it hits you 1706 01:46:03,320 --> 01:46:05,519 Speaker 2: that the guy who's written all the songs. He's shown 1707 01:46:05,600 --> 01:46:09,080 Speaker 2: up in a rolls Royce and he's three hours late 1708 01:46:09,120 --> 01:46:13,120 Speaker 2: to the session that you're all paying for. And you know, 1709 01:46:14,280 --> 01:46:17,799 Speaker 2: has this happened with every band? Sure? I've seen bands 1710 01:46:17,800 --> 01:46:21,120 Speaker 2: that you know what, to fight that the guys who 1711 01:46:21,200 --> 01:46:23,280 Speaker 2: write all the songs. They'll say, you know what, let's 1712 01:46:23,280 --> 01:46:26,280 Speaker 2: make them all band written songs. This band is so 1713 01:46:26,400 --> 01:46:29,919 Speaker 2: important to us, and the chemistry we have is so special, 1714 01:46:31,200 --> 01:46:34,080 Speaker 2: Let's make them all band written songs. I've seen guys 1715 01:46:34,120 --> 01:46:37,559 Speaker 2: do that, and then later on resenting it kicks in 1716 01:46:39,280 --> 01:46:42,080 Speaker 2: and it comes out in some weird, ugly way. You know. 1717 01:46:42,439 --> 01:46:47,720 Speaker 2: I won't mention any names, but it's did we get 1718 01:46:47,760 --> 01:46:51,720 Speaker 2: ripped off? Absolutely? Walter Yetnikoff, the guy who was the 1719 01:46:51,760 --> 01:46:54,479 Speaker 2: record company president at the time. He says in his 1720 01:46:54,479 --> 01:46:57,240 Speaker 2: book Howling at the Moon. He says, at the end 1721 01:46:57,720 --> 01:47:01,960 Speaker 2: he was a record company president that Bruce Springsteen would 1722 01:47:02,000 --> 01:47:03,880 Speaker 2: fly in to play him his new single, and he 1723 01:47:03,920 --> 01:47:06,599 Speaker 2: couldn't tell you one Bruce Springsteen song from the other. 1724 01:47:07,040 --> 01:47:10,040 Speaker 2: He came up through the lawyer ranks, and all he 1725 01:47:10,320 --> 01:47:14,040 Speaker 2: knows is that he screwed every band he signed. He 1726 01:47:14,120 --> 01:47:17,519 Speaker 2: got the better. He outlawyered every band that he signed 1727 01:47:17,880 --> 01:47:23,080 Speaker 2: of which we were one of. So did we get screwed? Absolutely? 1728 01:47:23,520 --> 01:47:26,280 Speaker 2: And then when you try to just look at the 1729 01:47:26,720 --> 01:47:29,880 Speaker 2: record business, the whole history of the record business is 1730 01:47:29,920 --> 01:47:33,600 Speaker 2: so is so ugly. And then you you try to 1731 01:47:33,640 --> 01:47:36,879 Speaker 2: audit these companies, you know they'll have your money sitting 1732 01:47:36,920 --> 01:47:40,840 Speaker 2: in some especially in foreign territories. You know you've made 1733 01:47:40,840 --> 01:47:44,200 Speaker 2: all this money, it's sitting in some bank accounts somewhere. 1734 01:47:44,320 --> 01:47:47,800 Speaker 2: And then you have to audit your record company, and 1735 01:47:47,840 --> 01:47:51,200 Speaker 2: then another lawyer gets a third of what you get 1736 01:47:51,200 --> 01:47:56,439 Speaker 2: from the audit. It's it's it's horrible, but but you 1737 01:47:56,520 --> 01:48:01,000 Speaker 2: know what, we made a living. We made a good living. 1738 01:48:03,040 --> 01:48:07,640 Speaker 2: Do I still get money? Yes? Yes. Just being a 1739 01:48:07,680 --> 01:48:10,640 Speaker 2: member of Toto has been very very good to me 1740 01:48:11,439 --> 01:48:12,680 Speaker 2: has been very very good to me. 1741 01:48:12,880 --> 01:48:16,080 Speaker 3: Assuming you didn't have any savings, Could you live off 1742 01:48:16,120 --> 01:48:17,320 Speaker 3: the income from Toto? 1743 01:48:18,200 --> 01:48:21,639 Speaker 2: Not that alone? Now it depends when you say live. 1744 01:48:21,800 --> 01:48:26,560 Speaker 2: I'm used to I'm used to living here in California, 1745 01:48:27,840 --> 01:48:29,599 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. I'm used to going out 1746 01:48:29,640 --> 01:48:32,479 Speaker 2: to dinner, to nice restaurants. I'm not a car guy, 1747 01:48:32,560 --> 01:48:37,360 Speaker 2: but some people are. I don't know. Some people have 1748 01:48:37,520 --> 01:48:40,080 Speaker 2: lived on a lot less. I'll tell you that you 1749 01:48:40,120 --> 01:48:42,840 Speaker 2: know what I mean, They sure wouldn't live here, they 1750 01:48:42,880 --> 01:48:46,800 Speaker 2: wouldn't have these gas prices. They'd go somewhere else where 1751 01:48:46,840 --> 01:48:49,120 Speaker 2: they could, you know what I mean, where they could 1752 01:48:49,160 --> 01:48:53,080 Speaker 2: get better bang for their buck than southern California. Certainly, 1753 01:48:53,680 --> 01:48:54,080 Speaker 2: how do you. 1754 01:48:54,080 --> 01:48:55,280 Speaker 3: End up leaving Toto? 1755 01:48:56,439 --> 01:48:58,479 Speaker 2: How did I end up? You know? It was after 1756 01:48:59,600 --> 01:49:03,599 Speaker 2: you know, I love this question because even though, especially 1757 01:49:03,640 --> 01:49:07,120 Speaker 2: with my brother Jeff and the band, you know, totod 1758 01:49:07,120 --> 01:49:10,760 Speaker 2: believe me, there was some headbutting. You know, for the 1759 01:49:10,760 --> 01:49:13,000 Speaker 2: most part, we all got along great, you know what 1760 01:49:13,000 --> 01:49:16,040 Speaker 2: I mean, We really for the most part, it was 1761 01:49:16,080 --> 01:49:18,120 Speaker 2: like a hell of a lot better than a lot 1762 01:49:18,160 --> 01:49:20,240 Speaker 2: of stuff you hear about. You know, we really got 1763 01:49:20,280 --> 01:49:23,280 Speaker 2: along great. For the most part. We were mostly always 1764 01:49:23,320 --> 01:49:30,360 Speaker 2: on the same page. I I after the sixth album again, 1765 01:49:31,280 --> 01:49:33,880 Speaker 2: ever since Total four, like I told you, the whole 1766 01:49:33,920 --> 01:49:37,839 Speaker 2: thing of music had been changing, you know, this corporate 1767 01:49:38,000 --> 01:49:44,599 Speaker 2: rock things, these very heavily overarranged pop things with the 1768 01:49:44,640 --> 01:49:48,160 Speaker 2: band and synthesizers were becoming less and less popular and 1769 01:49:48,240 --> 01:49:51,599 Speaker 2: less and less common. The whole consensus with people were 1770 01:49:51,600 --> 01:49:54,760 Speaker 2: getting a lot more stripped down. It became a lot 1771 01:49:54,800 --> 01:50:00,240 Speaker 2: more about the lyrics and about rock and roll. I 1772 01:50:00,240 --> 01:50:02,800 Speaker 2: saw that in England. I loved bands like Yes and 1773 01:50:02,880 --> 01:50:06,559 Speaker 2: Emersonich and Palmer. But I totally got it in seventy 1774 01:50:06,600 --> 01:50:09,160 Speaker 2: five seventy six, where the you know, people were going 1775 01:50:09,200 --> 01:50:11,479 Speaker 2: to a rock concert and all of a sudden you're 1776 01:50:11,479 --> 01:50:12,680 Speaker 2: made to feel like you had to go to a 1777 01:50:12,800 --> 01:50:16,559 Speaker 2: music conservatory to play rock and roll, and how they said, 1778 01:50:16,600 --> 01:50:20,760 Speaker 2: fuck that, pick up a guitar, learn three records and 1779 01:50:20,800 --> 01:50:23,000 Speaker 2: if you have something to say, you know what I mean, 1780 01:50:24,040 --> 01:50:27,479 Speaker 2: screw that. You know, the whole backlash to all of that. 1781 01:50:29,520 --> 01:50:32,920 Speaker 2: After we did our sixth album, we toured I remember 1782 01:50:32,920 --> 01:50:36,720 Speaker 2: this very well, and the guys were talking about our 1783 01:50:36,800 --> 01:50:40,640 Speaker 2: next album. Joseph Williams was the lead singer in the 1784 01:50:40,680 --> 01:50:44,599 Speaker 2: band now and they were just talking about how we 1785 01:50:44,720 --> 01:50:47,599 Speaker 2: needed to do even less. We needed to really thin 1786 01:50:47,680 --> 01:50:50,960 Speaker 2: out the arrangements. We really needed to do less as 1787 01:50:51,000 --> 01:50:54,160 Speaker 2: far as arrangement went, as far as since went. They 1788 01:50:54,160 --> 01:50:57,280 Speaker 2: were kind of describing what it was I did in 1789 01:50:57,320 --> 01:51:02,800 Speaker 2: the band, you know, for me, what my purpose in 1790 01:51:02,880 --> 01:51:06,200 Speaker 2: the band was, you know, I mean, they'd always love 1791 01:51:06,280 --> 01:51:09,760 Speaker 2: having me around to recreate the songs live, to do 1792 01:51:09,840 --> 01:51:12,559 Speaker 2: the Rosanna solo, and to do Africa, and to do 1793 01:51:12,720 --> 01:51:16,439 Speaker 2: you know whatever else, but you know, I was just 1794 01:51:16,560 --> 01:51:19,600 Speaker 2: kind of feeling you know what, And so I on 1795 01:51:19,640 --> 01:51:23,000 Speaker 2: the way home were we had finished our last gig 1796 01:51:23,320 --> 01:51:27,000 Speaker 2: of the last tour in Japan, and we were on 1797 01:51:27,040 --> 01:51:29,800 Speaker 2: the way home, and I told the guys there was 1798 01:51:29,880 --> 01:51:33,320 Speaker 2: no big, ugly fight. I'm so happy to say this. 1799 01:51:33,479 --> 01:51:38,400 Speaker 2: There was no ugly scene and fuck you fest or 1800 01:51:38,400 --> 01:51:40,360 Speaker 2: something like that. I you know what I mean. I 1801 01:51:40,560 --> 01:51:43,439 Speaker 2: just we'd been talking about the next album that we 1802 01:51:43,439 --> 01:51:46,040 Speaker 2: were going to go into the studio soon, and they 1803 01:51:46,040 --> 01:51:49,439 Speaker 2: were talking about conceptually how they wanted to simplify and 1804 01:51:49,520 --> 01:51:53,519 Speaker 2: get much more basic. And I told the guys, I said, 1805 01:51:53,520 --> 01:51:56,280 Speaker 2: you know what, I'm not gonna I think I'm going 1806 01:51:56,360 --> 01:51:58,439 Speaker 2: to back out of the band at this point. I'm 1807 01:51:58,439 --> 01:52:00,679 Speaker 2: not going to bail on you guys. I will still 1808 01:52:01,360 --> 01:52:04,000 Speaker 2: because David was When I said that, David Page was like, 1809 01:52:04,200 --> 01:52:07,160 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, he was so used to 1810 01:52:07,200 --> 01:52:10,880 Speaker 2: me being around and assisting him in the studio and 1811 01:52:10,920 --> 01:52:15,679 Speaker 2: being that guy with the synthesizers and putting those sounds under. 1812 01:52:15,800 --> 01:52:18,720 Speaker 2: I says, I'll still come into the studio when you 1813 01:52:18,760 --> 01:52:21,360 Speaker 2: guys go, but I'll be like it used to be. 1814 01:52:21,680 --> 01:52:24,280 Speaker 2: I'll program for David whatever he needs me to do, 1815 01:52:24,360 --> 01:52:26,920 Speaker 2: I'll do. But I won't feel like I have to 1816 01:52:27,000 --> 01:52:30,559 Speaker 2: leave my mark, you know, you know, I won't feel 1817 01:52:30,560 --> 01:52:32,719 Speaker 2: like I have to leave my mark. I'll just help David. 1818 01:52:33,000 --> 01:52:36,840 Speaker 2: And I wound up doing another two world tours after 1819 01:52:36,880 --> 01:52:39,479 Speaker 2: that because I didn't want to leave them in the lurch. 1820 01:52:40,000 --> 01:52:42,680 Speaker 2: I wanted to help them still be able to do 1821 01:52:42,840 --> 01:52:45,840 Speaker 2: Rosanna and these other songs and pull them off live. 1822 01:52:47,439 --> 01:52:50,799 Speaker 2: So I did another two world tours with them. After 1823 01:52:50,880 --> 01:52:54,280 Speaker 2: I had quit, I just was no longer a band member. 1824 01:52:54,360 --> 01:52:58,120 Speaker 2: I didn't have to do the interviews, you know, after soundcheck, 1825 01:52:58,160 --> 01:53:03,080 Speaker 2: I could go relax in my hotel room. And you know, 1826 01:53:03,240 --> 01:53:06,320 Speaker 2: I thought, you know, I thought, I saw I had 1827 01:53:06,320 --> 01:53:09,160 Speaker 2: such success just writing this song on my own, called 1828 01:53:09,240 --> 01:53:11,599 Speaker 2: Human Nature, you know what I mean, just doing wasn't 1829 01:53:11,600 --> 01:53:15,920 Speaker 2: writing it for anybody, but it got the atmosphere of it, 1830 01:53:16,000 --> 01:53:18,320 Speaker 2: caught Quincy's attention and stuff, and I thought, you know, 1831 01:53:18,439 --> 01:53:21,799 Speaker 2: I'm gonna start focusing more on on doing that stuff, 1832 01:53:23,160 --> 01:53:25,599 Speaker 2: you know, maybe maybe paying a little bit more attention 1833 01:53:25,640 --> 01:53:26,240 Speaker 2: to my writing. 1834 01:53:27,680 --> 01:53:30,920 Speaker 3: Okay, how did Q ultimately get Human Nature? 1835 01:53:32,000 --> 01:53:34,800 Speaker 2: You know, I'd already been in the studio working on 1836 01:53:34,960 --> 01:53:38,920 Speaker 2: doing synthesizer overdubs on the Thriller album. On various songs, 1837 01:53:40,240 --> 01:53:43,840 Speaker 2: Q had asked David Page, you know, they were looking 1838 01:53:43,920 --> 01:53:47,040 Speaker 2: for an up tempo rock and roll song for the album. 1839 01:53:47,640 --> 01:53:51,320 Speaker 2: I remember very clearly he wanted something very simple. He 1840 01:53:51,360 --> 01:53:55,520 Speaker 2: wanted a simple rock and roll song like My Sharona, 1841 01:53:56,680 --> 01:54:00,240 Speaker 2: like the next My Sharona. He wanted something very very 1842 01:54:00,280 --> 01:54:02,960 Speaker 2: simple for Michael. That's what he was putting out to 1843 01:54:03,040 --> 01:54:06,680 Speaker 2: all his professional writers, of which I was not one of. 1844 01:54:06,760 --> 01:54:09,800 Speaker 2: I wasn't considered, you know. I was a synth guy 1845 01:54:09,840 --> 01:54:13,799 Speaker 2: in Toto, and I programmed for David Foster and David Page, 1846 01:54:13,800 --> 01:54:16,479 Speaker 2: but you didn't look at me as a writer at all. 1847 01:54:18,120 --> 01:54:21,799 Speaker 2: And so David Page was furiously working away writing these 1848 01:54:21,920 --> 01:54:26,840 Speaker 2: trying to trying to write stuff for Quincy for Michael's album. 1849 01:54:26,960 --> 01:54:29,720 Speaker 2: And I lived with David at the time, and I 1850 01:54:29,880 --> 01:54:35,760 Speaker 2: was kind of the I was the default studio engineer, 1851 01:54:37,680 --> 01:54:39,840 Speaker 2: you know. I was always helping David out, you know, 1852 01:54:39,920 --> 01:54:41,760 Speaker 2: for him letting me have the run of the place. 1853 01:54:42,240 --> 01:54:44,480 Speaker 2: I would do whatever he needed me to do in 1854 01:54:44,520 --> 01:54:48,880 Speaker 2: the studio. And I had been working on this song 1855 01:54:49,160 --> 01:54:52,000 Speaker 2: while on the road with Toto. I'd been finishing I'd 1856 01:54:52,000 --> 01:54:54,600 Speaker 2: had a rough version of the song i'd been working 1857 01:54:54,600 --> 01:54:57,360 Speaker 2: on called Human Nature, where just I was singing it. 1858 01:54:57,440 --> 01:55:01,120 Speaker 2: The lyrics weren't done. It was very rough, but the 1859 01:55:01,200 --> 01:55:05,560 Speaker 2: whole song was basically there, and I had recorded it. 1860 01:55:05,720 --> 01:55:09,120 Speaker 2: I threw it on cassette, and David called down to me. 1861 01:55:10,320 --> 01:55:13,520 Speaker 2: And the night before he had been trying I had 1862 01:55:13,520 --> 01:55:16,840 Speaker 2: helped him record a couple of grooves that were stuff 1863 01:55:16,880 --> 01:55:21,080 Speaker 2: he was gonna was to target Michael and to give 1864 01:55:21,120 --> 01:55:23,440 Speaker 2: Quincy what he was asking for. And he called down 1865 01:55:23,520 --> 01:55:27,440 Speaker 2: to me and said that Quincy's assistant was on the way. 1866 01:55:27,520 --> 01:55:29,880 Speaker 2: Would I throw those two things on cassette for him? 1867 01:55:31,640 --> 01:55:34,920 Speaker 2: Lo and Behold, we were fresh out of cassettes. I 1868 01:55:35,000 --> 01:55:38,360 Speaker 2: had just used the last cassette. We had these custom 1869 01:55:38,440 --> 01:55:41,240 Speaker 2: cassettes made that could maybe hold three songs. They were 1870 01:55:41,320 --> 01:55:44,200 Speaker 2: kind of short, they just were like fifteen minutes long, 1871 01:55:46,200 --> 01:55:48,800 Speaker 2: and we were fresh out of cassettes. So what I 1872 01:55:48,800 --> 01:55:51,440 Speaker 2: did was I just I flipped the tape over, I 1873 01:55:51,560 --> 01:55:56,920 Speaker 2: rewound it, I relabeled it, and I recorded David songs 1874 01:55:57,000 --> 01:56:00,640 Speaker 2: on the on the A side of the cassette. And 1875 01:56:00,680 --> 01:56:05,800 Speaker 2: then Quincy's story is that he was in his office 1876 01:56:05,960 --> 01:56:08,120 Speaker 2: he listened to what David had done he listened to 1877 01:56:08,120 --> 01:56:12,920 Speaker 2: the cassette and what happened was auto reverse kicked in. 1878 01:56:13,640 --> 01:56:18,360 Speaker 2: Now you remember auto reverse, don't you, Bob? Of course, okay, 1879 01:56:20,280 --> 01:56:23,240 Speaker 2: auto reverse kicked in. He calls David Page to the 1880 01:56:23,280 --> 01:56:27,240 Speaker 2: next day and David said it took him twenty minutes. 1881 01:56:27,640 --> 01:56:29,600 Speaker 2: David didn't know what the hell he was talking about. 1882 01:56:29,600 --> 01:56:33,120 Speaker 2: He's describing this song. He's all excited about this song 1883 01:56:33,240 --> 01:56:36,680 Speaker 2: David had sent him. And David finally said, you know, 1884 01:56:36,720 --> 01:56:41,000 Speaker 2: I think you're talking about one of Steve's songs, you know, 1885 01:56:42,600 --> 01:56:44,760 Speaker 2: which is what it was. Yeah, the lyrics weren't done. 1886 01:56:44,760 --> 01:56:47,800 Speaker 2: I had the chorus, The chorus lyrics were intact. He 1887 01:56:47,920 --> 01:56:53,080 Speaker 2: loved my title. He loved the atmosphere is what he loved. 1888 01:56:54,560 --> 01:56:58,200 Speaker 2: And it was a complete total fluke. 1889 01:57:00,080 --> 01:57:05,080 Speaker 3: I know people who've written hit songs and they live 1890 01:57:05,160 --> 01:57:10,320 Speaker 3: off that one song their whole life. Needless to say, 1891 01:57:10,840 --> 01:57:13,960 Speaker 3: you wrote a song that was a hit. It was 1892 01:57:14,040 --> 01:57:16,760 Speaker 3: on one of the most successful albums of all time 1893 01:57:16,800 --> 01:57:20,480 Speaker 3: by a legendary artist. A did you own it all? 1894 01:57:20,920 --> 01:57:25,080 Speaker 3: And B is it still a cash register? Cash machine? 1895 01:57:26,280 --> 01:57:29,720 Speaker 2: I owned? A? Quincy asked. At one point we were 1896 01:57:29,720 --> 01:57:31,440 Speaker 2: on the road. He esked. He told me that I 1897 01:57:31,480 --> 01:57:34,080 Speaker 2: needed to finish the lyrics. They were definitely doing the song, 1898 01:57:34,520 --> 01:57:37,400 Speaker 2: we had cut it. I sent him my verse lyrics, 1899 01:57:38,000 --> 01:57:42,800 Speaker 2: which he was underwhelmed with. Loved my chorus and everything, 1900 01:57:42,880 --> 01:57:46,440 Speaker 2: but was very underwhelmed with my verse lyrics completely understandably 1901 01:57:46,920 --> 01:57:49,640 Speaker 2: asked me would I mind if he brought in a lyricist, 1902 01:57:50,440 --> 01:57:54,000 Speaker 2: and I, to my credit, I was like absolutely. You know, 1903 01:57:54,040 --> 01:57:57,560 Speaker 2: I had zero ego as far as as far as 1904 01:57:57,640 --> 01:58:01,160 Speaker 2: being a lyricist went. You know, sometimes I got lucky, 1905 01:58:01,240 --> 01:58:05,560 Speaker 2: but you know, I said absolutely. He brought in John Bettis, 1906 01:58:05,680 --> 01:58:11,720 Speaker 2: who just nailed it, wrote this, wrote these three amazing 1907 01:58:11,840 --> 01:58:16,800 Speaker 2: verses that gave the song a narrative and made this 1908 01:58:16,920 --> 01:58:20,960 Speaker 2: song really solid. But I hung on to two thirds 1909 01:58:20,960 --> 01:58:25,080 Speaker 2: of it and I had my own publishing and it's 1910 01:58:25,200 --> 01:58:28,040 Speaker 2: done very well to me over the years. 1911 01:58:28,560 --> 01:58:32,200 Speaker 3: Okay, tell me about working on Henley's Boys of Summer. 1912 01:58:34,040 --> 01:58:36,680 Speaker 2: Sure that one was easy. The real interesting one is 1913 01:58:36,680 --> 01:58:39,120 Speaker 2: is is dirty Laundry? Wait? 1914 01:58:39,120 --> 01:58:42,200 Speaker 3: Wait? Start with? Dirty Laundry was on the first album. 1915 01:58:42,440 --> 01:58:45,400 Speaker 2: Sure, you know, I got to make sure I mentioned 1916 01:58:45,480 --> 01:58:48,320 Speaker 2: Danny Cooch, who was a co producer and wrote the 1917 01:58:48,360 --> 01:58:51,720 Speaker 2: song with Don Hanley. I forgot to mention Cooch once 1918 01:58:52,280 --> 01:58:55,760 Speaker 2: and much to my chagrin, I got a call at 1919 01:58:55,800 --> 01:58:58,560 Speaker 2: one o'clock in the morning. Once I'm at David Page's 1920 01:58:58,600 --> 01:59:01,400 Speaker 2: house working like I I typically was at that hour, 1921 01:59:01,760 --> 01:59:03,480 Speaker 2: I got to call at one o'clock in the morning 1922 01:59:03,480 --> 01:59:05,920 Speaker 2: for my brother Jeff. He had been at the studio 1923 01:59:05,960 --> 01:59:08,839 Speaker 2: all day, Record One, which was right down the street, 1924 01:59:08,960 --> 01:59:13,960 Speaker 2: which was five minutes away from David Page's house. They'd 1925 01:59:13,960 --> 01:59:16,440 Speaker 2: been working all day on this trying to get this track, 1926 01:59:16,560 --> 01:59:19,560 Speaker 2: and they were having trouble. Would I come down and 1927 01:59:19,640 --> 01:59:22,080 Speaker 2: see if I could help out? And I really had 1928 01:59:22,120 --> 01:59:23,800 Speaker 2: no idea what they were doing. I said, if they're 1929 01:59:23,800 --> 01:59:27,640 Speaker 2: willing to experiment. I didn't know who's this for. He goes, 1930 01:59:27,680 --> 01:59:30,880 Speaker 2: it's the drummer from the Eagles, and I remember thinking, 1931 01:59:31,040 --> 01:59:33,240 Speaker 2: you know, I mean, I love the Eagle, knew the Eagles, 1932 01:59:33,280 --> 01:59:36,320 Speaker 2: loved the Eagles. I didn't know who was who. I 1933 01:59:36,360 --> 01:59:39,440 Speaker 2: didn't know who's saying what? You know what I mean? 1934 01:59:39,520 --> 01:59:41,720 Speaker 2: I remember thinking, Wow, the Eagles are that big that 1935 01:59:41,800 --> 01:59:46,240 Speaker 2: even the drummer has a solo album. You know. I 1936 01:59:46,280 --> 01:59:50,040 Speaker 2: hadn't heard. I didn't know that Don Henley was that 1937 01:59:50,240 --> 01:59:55,040 Speaker 2: voice that I just loved from the Eagles. I had 1938 01:59:55,040 --> 01:59:58,240 Speaker 2: no idea so I went down there and I just 1939 01:59:58,240 --> 02:00:00,960 Speaker 2: brought a small piece of modular Again. I've actually got 1940 02:00:01,000 --> 02:00:04,920 Speaker 2: the thing I brought down right over here. Anyway, it 1941 02:00:05,120 --> 02:00:08,680 Speaker 2: was why I one of the reasons I loved it 1942 02:00:08,720 --> 02:00:11,760 Speaker 2: so much is because my brother was there, My brother Jeff, 1943 02:00:11,880 --> 02:00:18,480 Speaker 2: who had my brother Jeff was there, and Jeff had 1944 02:00:18,480 --> 02:00:20,720 Speaker 2: seen me. Jeff would get very frustrated with me with 1945 02:00:20,840 --> 02:00:24,000 Speaker 2: how much I had gotten into the technology and was, 1946 02:00:24,320 --> 02:00:26,800 Speaker 2: you know, had my nose in these manuals all the time, 1947 02:00:27,280 --> 02:00:30,760 Speaker 2: and how deep into synthesizers I was getting because in 1948 02:00:30,800 --> 02:00:33,960 Speaker 2: Toto he pretty much they pretty much hated that stuff. 1949 02:00:34,000 --> 02:00:37,040 Speaker 2: They never played to click tracks. They didn't like you 1950 02:00:37,120 --> 02:00:39,080 Speaker 2: know what I mean. They were all such great players, 1951 02:00:39,080 --> 02:00:41,880 Speaker 2: they didn't want to know about sequences and all this 1952 02:00:42,000 --> 02:00:44,960 Speaker 2: kind of stuff. Anyway, I walk in there, I assessed 1953 02:00:45,000 --> 02:00:47,880 Speaker 2: the situation that they wanted to use this real far 1954 02:00:47,960 --> 02:00:51,440 Speaker 2: Fista organ that Danny Cooch had there, and they but 1955 02:00:51,520 --> 02:00:55,040 Speaker 2: they wanted it perfect, and luckily they had recorded it 1956 02:00:55,080 --> 02:00:59,720 Speaker 2: with a drum machine. Luckily, Greg Ladani the engineer, had 1957 02:00:59,720 --> 02:01:02,880 Speaker 2: recorded a sink tone, and I was able to in 1958 02:01:02,960 --> 02:01:09,840 Speaker 2: this very in a very fast way, sync up the 1959 02:01:09,920 --> 02:01:12,560 Speaker 2: drum machine again and have it trigger a gate that 1960 02:01:12,680 --> 02:01:16,520 Speaker 2: just triggered this this far Fisa organ part so that 1961 02:01:16,560 --> 02:01:19,600 Speaker 2: it was perfect, that it played along with the track 1962 02:01:19,640 --> 02:01:23,560 Speaker 2: and was perfect, and everything just clicked. So I loved it. 1963 02:01:23,920 --> 02:01:26,120 Speaker 2: I love the fact that my brother Jeff saw how 1964 02:01:26,240 --> 02:01:31,000 Speaker 2: handy this knowledge that was very hard earned, how it 1965 02:01:31,040 --> 02:01:33,120 Speaker 2: came into you know what I mean, how useful it 1966 02:01:33,440 --> 02:01:38,160 Speaker 2: could be in the studio. You know. Anyway, it went great. 1967 02:01:38,840 --> 02:01:41,880 Speaker 2: They loved me. They thought I was brilliant that I 1968 02:01:42,400 --> 02:01:45,080 Speaker 2: this thing just came together like that, and they started 1969 02:01:45,120 --> 02:01:50,800 Speaker 2: using me all the time. This is now jump to 1970 02:01:50,840 --> 02:01:53,800 Speaker 2: the second the next album they had recorded, already recorded 1971 02:01:53,800 --> 02:01:59,760 Speaker 2: this song boys this summer, and it was done, and 1972 02:02:00,440 --> 02:02:06,280 Speaker 2: Don had decided, to the point I had before about singers, 1973 02:02:06,680 --> 02:02:12,080 Speaker 2: about singing, Don Henley decided that you know what, he 1974 02:02:12,240 --> 02:02:18,520 Speaker 2: wanted it up one half step. Song was completely done, 1975 02:02:18,760 --> 02:02:23,760 Speaker 2: completely recorded, but Don decided that the chorus of the song, 1976 02:02:24,680 --> 02:02:26,760 Speaker 2: if he sang it up one half step, it made 1977 02:02:26,800 --> 02:02:31,880 Speaker 2: a difference to what his voice sounded like, and that 1978 02:02:31,960 --> 02:02:34,840 Speaker 2: his voice sounded better when it was up a half step. 1979 02:02:35,200 --> 02:02:39,360 Speaker 2: Now they called me with the intention of thinking that 1980 02:02:39,480 --> 02:02:46,360 Speaker 2: I had some magic box that could transpose the whole track. Okay, 1981 02:02:47,240 --> 02:02:51,960 Speaker 2: I didn't you know there was You know, later on, 1982 02:02:52,240 --> 02:02:55,120 Speaker 2: we now have things that can do miracles like that 1983 02:02:55,360 --> 02:02:59,760 Speaker 2: pretty darn good these days, but back then there was no. 1984 02:02:59,800 --> 02:03:03,720 Speaker 2: So what I did while most of the guys were 1985 02:03:03,720 --> 02:03:06,040 Speaker 2: out of the room is The co writer on the 1986 02:03:06,080 --> 02:03:09,880 Speaker 2: song was Mike Campbell, the guitar player from Tom Petty's band. 1987 02:03:10,280 --> 02:03:12,040 Speaker 2: They had done it with a drum machine. They still 1988 02:03:12,040 --> 02:03:14,760 Speaker 2: had the drum machine there and up, and we just 1989 02:03:15,080 --> 02:03:19,080 Speaker 2: re recorded the basic track. I re recorded it, I 1990 02:03:19,120 --> 02:03:22,280 Speaker 2: played it on synth, I played the figure on synth. 1991 02:03:22,800 --> 02:03:26,000 Speaker 2: Mike Campbell was there, replayed his guitar part in the 1992 02:03:26,040 --> 02:03:29,800 Speaker 2: new key. It was with the drum machine, and they 1993 02:03:29,840 --> 02:03:32,400 Speaker 2: did all the rest of the track in the new key, 1994 02:03:33,160 --> 02:03:34,920 Speaker 2: and it wound up being a very big record. 1995 02:03:36,400 --> 02:03:41,280 Speaker 3: Wow, uh, switching gears. Tell me about the passing of 1996 02:03:41,320 --> 02:03:43,040 Speaker 3: your brothers. 1997 02:03:44,640 --> 02:03:49,240 Speaker 2: The passing of my brothers was always an absolute heartbreak. 1998 02:03:51,880 --> 02:03:56,800 Speaker 2: Jeff was this sudden shocking thing. I was sure when 1999 02:03:56,840 --> 02:03:58,480 Speaker 2: I got the phone call and I was on my 2000 02:03:58,520 --> 02:04:00,920 Speaker 2: way to the hospital that it was just going to 2001 02:04:00,960 --> 02:04:05,760 Speaker 2: be his warning, his red flag to stop smoking cigarettes. 2002 02:04:05,840 --> 02:04:09,320 Speaker 2: And he was only thirty eight years old. Jeff was 2003 02:04:09,320 --> 02:04:13,680 Speaker 2: in relatively good shape. He'd always had trouble with his 2004 02:04:13,920 --> 02:04:17,920 Speaker 2: arms after shows. There was a circulation thing with his arms. 2005 02:04:20,240 --> 02:04:23,520 Speaker 2: You know, Jeff was the one who Jeff took better 2006 02:04:23,560 --> 02:04:26,320 Speaker 2: care of himself than anyone in the band as far 2007 02:04:26,360 --> 02:04:31,160 Speaker 2: as far as habits went and staying at the party. 2008 02:04:31,360 --> 02:04:35,040 Speaker 2: Jeff was married and had just had his third kid, 2009 02:04:35,760 --> 02:04:41,000 Speaker 2: and his kids and his wife were very, very important 2010 02:04:41,040 --> 02:04:43,920 Speaker 2: to him. Jeff always went. You know, Jeff at this 2011 02:04:44,080 --> 02:04:47,720 Speaker 2: point was always going home at a decent hour and 2012 02:04:47,840 --> 02:04:54,080 Speaker 2: taking care of himself. And it was completely shocking, you know, 2013 02:04:55,000 --> 02:04:59,720 Speaker 2: it was completely shocking and heartbreaking. And I still think 2014 02:04:59,720 --> 02:05:02,760 Speaker 2: about every day. I still all his friends people. It's 2015 02:05:02,800 --> 02:05:07,000 Speaker 2: been thirty two years. It's been thirty two years, and 2016 02:05:07,080 --> 02:05:11,040 Speaker 2: I still think about it all the time, and you know, 2017 02:05:11,360 --> 02:05:14,040 Speaker 2: I can't help but think about all the stuff we 2018 02:05:14,040 --> 02:05:16,400 Speaker 2: could have done by this point too. Like I said, 2019 02:05:16,440 --> 02:05:17,960 Speaker 2: you know, when Jeff and I lived together at home, 2020 02:05:18,000 --> 02:05:21,040 Speaker 2: we were at each other's throats. My brother Mike was 2021 02:05:21,080 --> 02:05:23,840 Speaker 2: the typical middle brother that kept peace with both of us, 2022 02:05:23,840 --> 02:05:25,840 Speaker 2: but Jeff and I were at each other's throats. The 2023 02:05:25,960 --> 02:05:30,000 Speaker 2: second he moved out of the house at seventeen, he 2024 02:05:30,480 --> 02:05:34,320 Speaker 2: became suddenly he was the coolest older brother ever, and 2025 02:05:34,400 --> 02:05:37,800 Speaker 2: I was always invited to his apartment. I could always 2026 02:05:37,800 --> 02:05:40,800 Speaker 2: bring friends over when he was on the road, I 2027 02:05:40,800 --> 02:05:44,960 Speaker 2: could use his apartment. He was the coolest, most supportive 2028 02:05:45,240 --> 02:05:48,600 Speaker 2: older brother anyone could wish for. Then we're in a 2029 02:05:48,640 --> 02:05:54,560 Speaker 2: band together and we're back in those tight quarters and 2030 02:05:54,680 --> 02:05:59,120 Speaker 2: especially me being this synth guy and him being Jeff Piccaro, 2031 02:05:59,360 --> 02:06:04,000 Speaker 2: mister gru mister pocket, which I totally appreciated it. But 2032 02:06:06,080 --> 02:06:08,680 Speaker 2: the technology, you know what I mean, I was way 2033 02:06:08,720 --> 02:06:12,440 Speaker 2: into it, and it was never it was never ever 2034 02:06:12,560 --> 02:06:16,640 Speaker 2: to replace anybody, you know, drum machines to us. I 2035 02:06:16,760 --> 02:06:19,280 Speaker 2: was there when Roger was developing it. Roger had worked 2036 02:06:19,320 --> 02:06:23,440 Speaker 2: for Leon Russell. It was all about just aiding in songwriting. 2037 02:06:24,080 --> 02:06:28,240 Speaker 2: It was never no one ever discussed replacing drummers. You know, 2038 02:06:28,360 --> 02:06:31,400 Speaker 2: Leon used Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon and it was 2039 02:06:31,440 --> 02:06:34,960 Speaker 2: all about you know, that was it was just like 2040 02:06:35,000 --> 02:06:39,560 Speaker 2: an improvement on a Roland rhythm ace, you know what 2041 02:06:39,640 --> 02:06:43,720 Speaker 2: I mean, which uh you know, ironically enough, a t 2042 02:06:43,960 --> 02:06:46,480 Speaker 2: R eight to OHO eight basedrum wound up replacing a 2043 02:06:46,480 --> 02:06:49,200 Speaker 2: hell of a lot more drummers than any Lynn drum 2044 02:06:49,200 --> 02:06:53,240 Speaker 2: machine or Oberheim drum machine or any other drum machine 2045 02:06:53,240 --> 02:06:56,840 Speaker 2: that had samples in it, right, you know what I mean? 2046 02:06:56,920 --> 02:07:00,680 Speaker 2: All of a sudden, this thing, you know, uh was 2047 02:07:00,760 --> 02:07:03,200 Speaker 2: much more popular than any of those drum machines. But 2048 02:07:03,640 --> 02:07:06,160 Speaker 2: you know, there was always all this discussion and debate, 2049 02:07:06,280 --> 02:07:10,240 Speaker 2: and of course people started using it on records, you 2050 02:07:10,280 --> 02:07:13,800 Speaker 2: know what I mean, and it was very upsetting to 2051 02:07:13,920 --> 02:07:16,520 Speaker 2: some drummers and stuff, and they felt like they were 2052 02:07:16,520 --> 02:07:20,280 Speaker 2: getting replaced. I always I never saw it that way. 2053 02:07:20,520 --> 02:07:25,000 Speaker 2: I saw it as who better to know what to 2054 02:07:25,040 --> 02:07:27,640 Speaker 2: do with a drum machine than a drummer? Who better 2055 02:07:27,720 --> 02:07:29,440 Speaker 2: to know what to do if they had a third 2056 02:07:29,560 --> 02:07:36,400 Speaker 2: arm than a drummer. You know, that was always my 2057 02:07:36,920 --> 02:07:39,720 Speaker 2: thing with it. It was never I had. Jeff Pacaro 2058 02:07:39,880 --> 02:07:44,240 Speaker 2: was my brother, and so whereas in Toto we bumped heads. 2059 02:07:44,320 --> 02:07:46,720 Speaker 2: As soon as I left Toto, and so that was 2060 02:07:46,760 --> 02:07:49,040 Speaker 2: like a good five years or so before he died. 2061 02:07:49,560 --> 02:07:53,120 Speaker 2: Jeff would come over any time I asked him to 2062 02:07:53,120 --> 02:07:56,200 Speaker 2: to play on my demos, and no matter what, whether 2063 02:07:56,240 --> 02:07:59,600 Speaker 2: it was to play drums or to play on some pads, 2064 02:07:59,840 --> 02:08:03,640 Speaker 2: or to play to program a drum machine, Jeff was 2065 02:08:03,680 --> 02:08:06,560 Speaker 2: willing to do anything for me. And I love that. 2066 02:08:06,680 --> 02:08:09,840 Speaker 2: Those last five years we were back to being he 2067 02:08:10,000 --> 02:08:13,040 Speaker 2: was back to being the coolest older brother anyone could 2068 02:08:13,040 --> 02:08:16,920 Speaker 2: ever wish for. My brother Mike was a whole nother 2069 02:08:17,000 --> 02:08:21,960 Speaker 2: situation that was really heartbreaking, being that it was the 2070 02:08:22,000 --> 02:08:27,839 Speaker 2: polar opposite of Jeff. Jeff was this single shocking event. 2071 02:08:29,000 --> 02:08:35,440 Speaker 2: Mike was this seven year long nightmare that his family 2072 02:08:35,480 --> 02:08:38,160 Speaker 2: had had to witness and deal with all of us. 2073 02:08:39,480 --> 02:08:44,280 Speaker 2: And you know, als could happen anywhere. First it happened 2074 02:08:44,320 --> 02:08:47,640 Speaker 2: to one of the It's such a cruel disease, and 2075 02:08:47,760 --> 02:08:50,720 Speaker 2: especially for Mike. One of the cruelest things was that 2076 02:08:50,800 --> 02:08:53,919 Speaker 2: it started in his hands. It could have started anywhere. 2077 02:08:54,360 --> 02:08:57,040 Speaker 2: Some people it starts in their feet. He could have 2078 02:08:57,160 --> 02:09:01,480 Speaker 2: done several tours if it had started in his legs 2079 02:09:01,560 --> 02:09:03,800 Speaker 2: or whatever, if his hands and arms were okay. But 2080 02:09:03,880 --> 02:09:08,200 Speaker 2: it started in his hands, in his arms, and he 2081 02:09:08,320 --> 02:09:12,040 Speaker 2: right away wasn't able to play. He had to stop working, 2082 02:09:12,200 --> 02:09:17,920 Speaker 2: and it was completely heartbreaking. I was lucky in that 2083 02:09:18,000 --> 02:09:21,680 Speaker 2: I lived very close to Mike. I lived lived literally 2084 02:09:21,760 --> 02:09:23,880 Speaker 2: two minutes away, and I was able to spend a 2085 02:09:23,920 --> 02:09:30,160 Speaker 2: lot of time with him, But completely heartbreaking, especially for 2086 02:09:30,240 --> 02:09:36,760 Speaker 2: his three children and his wife and of course my parents. 2087 02:09:37,720 --> 02:09:40,520 Speaker 3: What was ultimately what killed Jeff. 2088 02:09:41,920 --> 02:09:44,360 Speaker 2: You know, it was probably a combination of things. He 2089 02:09:44,440 --> 02:09:47,600 Speaker 2: had been you know, he had been using some pesticides outside, 2090 02:09:47,640 --> 02:09:50,760 Speaker 2: but he had been a life long smoker. You know, 2091 02:09:51,080 --> 02:09:54,840 Speaker 2: he'd been a life long smoker Marlborough Reds. You know, 2092 02:09:55,040 --> 02:09:57,760 Speaker 2: he had never stopped, you know, And yes, there was 2093 02:09:57,920 --> 02:10:03,720 Speaker 2: history of drug use, like all of us, but it 2094 02:10:03,840 --> 02:10:07,600 Speaker 2: still was this completely freak thing for a guy at 2095 02:10:07,640 --> 02:10:11,040 Speaker 2: thirty eight years old. Jeff used less drugs than any 2096 02:10:11,120 --> 02:10:14,080 Speaker 2: of us did than any of us did. 2097 02:10:14,720 --> 02:10:16,960 Speaker 3: Did he have a hard d fact or something or not? 2098 02:10:17,280 --> 02:10:20,240 Speaker 2: There was some Yeah, there was some damage there. There 2099 02:10:20,320 --> 02:10:24,240 Speaker 2: was some muscular damage. There was you know, the autopsy 2100 02:10:24,600 --> 02:10:27,360 Speaker 2: reports were very was very complicated. 2101 02:10:27,440 --> 02:10:33,160 Speaker 3: And you know, okay, so what's keep you busy? 2102 02:10:33,200 --> 02:10:37,080 Speaker 2: Now? What keeps being busy? Now? I am the most 2103 02:10:37,280 --> 02:10:42,400 Speaker 2: blessed old dude, you know, as far as you know, 2104 02:10:42,600 --> 02:10:46,120 Speaker 2: I've been very, very lucky my whole life. I haven't 2105 02:10:46,160 --> 02:10:49,000 Speaker 2: had to do anything but make music for a living, 2106 02:10:49,200 --> 02:10:55,640 Speaker 2: and I've been blessed with many different gigs in the 2107 02:10:55,720 --> 02:11:00,000 Speaker 2: music world. And after I left Toto, you know, songwriter, 2108 02:11:00,000 --> 02:11:03,280 Speaker 2: I wanted to be a professional songwriter. But you know what, 2109 02:11:04,760 --> 02:11:09,000 Speaker 2: without a deadline, I found I was useless. You know 2110 02:11:09,000 --> 02:11:11,760 Speaker 2: what I mean. I mean, without deadline's Total was useless. 2111 02:11:11,880 --> 02:11:13,880 Speaker 2: We would have never We'd still be working on the 2112 02:11:13,920 --> 02:11:17,360 Speaker 2: fourth album if there wasn't a deadline there. If someone 2113 02:11:17,360 --> 02:11:20,160 Speaker 2: didn't come and say, you know what, they're showing up 2114 02:11:20,160 --> 02:11:22,800 Speaker 2: in an hour to take the tapes. You know what 2115 02:11:22,800 --> 02:11:26,000 Speaker 2: I mean, you better put this down, we would have 2116 02:11:26,080 --> 02:11:28,879 Speaker 2: kept going. You know. We loved being in the studio. 2117 02:11:30,200 --> 02:11:37,120 Speaker 2: I loved my job so much so I uh, after 2118 02:11:37,160 --> 02:11:39,240 Speaker 2: I left the band for a while, my old friend 2119 02:11:39,320 --> 02:11:43,040 Speaker 2: James Howard, who I mentioned before, James Newton Howard, he 2120 02:11:43,080 --> 02:11:46,360 Speaker 2: had gotten into film scoring and he had a very 2121 02:11:46,400 --> 02:11:51,200 Speaker 2: successful career. His career took off. That was James's thing. 2122 02:11:51,280 --> 02:11:53,400 Speaker 2: He had arranged for us. He did a lot of 2123 02:11:53,480 --> 02:11:59,440 Speaker 2: arrangements for us on Total four in the following album. 2124 02:11:59,560 --> 02:12:03,000 Speaker 2: But got into film scoring and was doing very very well. 2125 02:12:03,440 --> 02:12:05,520 Speaker 2: And we lived very close to each other, and I 2126 02:12:05,520 --> 02:12:07,920 Speaker 2: would help him. I would do some synthesizer stuff for 2127 02:12:08,000 --> 02:12:11,000 Speaker 2: him on occasion, and at one point he asked me, 2128 02:12:11,080 --> 02:12:13,120 Speaker 2: he said, do you want to try doing this? He'd 2129 02:12:13,160 --> 02:12:16,000 Speaker 2: been helping some of his other friends who were into 2130 02:12:16,000 --> 02:12:19,960 Speaker 2: film scoring. He had helped them by getting them jobs 2131 02:12:20,000 --> 02:12:22,240 Speaker 2: where he would write the theme to a TV show 2132 02:12:22,640 --> 02:12:24,960 Speaker 2: like Er, and then in one of his high school 2133 02:12:25,000 --> 02:12:28,880 Speaker 2: friend Marty Davitsch would scored all the episodes for fourteen years. 2134 02:12:28,960 --> 02:12:31,840 Speaker 2: You know, James was helping his friends out like that. 2135 02:12:32,360 --> 02:12:35,200 Speaker 2: He was doing very very well, and he helped me 2136 02:12:35,240 --> 02:12:38,080 Speaker 2: out that way. He did that a few times. He 2137 02:12:38,080 --> 02:12:40,440 Speaker 2: helped get me some gigs. He got me in there, 2138 02:12:40,480 --> 02:12:44,920 Speaker 2: I mean right away right away. But the reality was 2139 02:12:45,000 --> 02:12:47,800 Speaker 2: again I whereas I could do it, and there were 2140 02:12:47,840 --> 02:12:51,200 Speaker 2: certain aspects of it that I did well at. I 2141 02:12:51,880 --> 02:12:57,320 Speaker 2: wasn't great at it. I didn't It wasn't really my lane. 2142 02:12:57,360 --> 02:12:59,560 Speaker 2: At the end of the day, I was making a living. 2143 02:12:59,640 --> 02:13:02,560 Speaker 2: I would occasionally get a show, but a lot of times, 2144 02:13:02,600 --> 02:13:05,760 Speaker 2: you know, you'd run that gauntlet of getting a TV 2145 02:13:05,880 --> 02:13:09,840 Speaker 2: show and auditioning and submitting, and sometimes you'd get the 2146 02:13:09,840 --> 02:13:12,080 Speaker 2: TV show and then it would last for two episodes 2147 02:13:12,200 --> 02:13:14,960 Speaker 2: and it'd be gone and you'd have to start over. 2148 02:13:15,960 --> 02:13:19,960 Speaker 2: James helped me start scoring, and it was very up 2149 02:13:20,000 --> 02:13:23,000 Speaker 2: and down for me, and then total came back into 2150 02:13:23,040 --> 02:13:26,560 Speaker 2: my life. Luke asked me if I wanted to, if 2151 02:13:26,600 --> 02:13:28,520 Speaker 2: I wanted to go on the road with them and 2152 02:13:28,560 --> 02:13:31,480 Speaker 2: do one summer to benefit my brother Mike and That 2153 02:13:31,560 --> 02:13:35,320 Speaker 2: turned into nine years of touring with the band again, 2154 02:13:35,440 --> 02:13:38,720 Speaker 2: which I had a blast with. But when I got home, 2155 02:13:38,880 --> 02:13:41,000 Speaker 2: I knew I was done touring. I knew I wanted 2156 02:13:41,040 --> 02:13:45,680 Speaker 2: to stay home, and I, you know, I figured I 2157 02:13:45,720 --> 02:13:47,240 Speaker 2: was going to have to try to get another film 2158 02:13:47,240 --> 02:13:51,040 Speaker 2: gig or something, and it turns out I didn't. I'm 2159 02:13:51,080 --> 02:13:55,880 Speaker 2: able to. I've been able to live off of my royalties. 2160 02:13:55,920 --> 02:13:59,480 Speaker 2: And then I just made a deal with Primary Wave 2161 02:13:59,520 --> 02:14:03,000 Speaker 2: and the Jack Sexton State and now all I do 2162 02:14:03,360 --> 02:14:07,480 Speaker 2: every day, all day is work on my songs, and 2163 02:14:07,560 --> 02:14:12,320 Speaker 2: I'm in heaven and I'm film scoring. Taught me I 2164 02:14:12,360 --> 02:14:16,360 Speaker 2: developed this finishing muscle. I kind of grew up. And 2165 02:14:17,240 --> 02:14:20,120 Speaker 2: I'm sitting on like two solo albums worth of stuff 2166 02:14:20,160 --> 02:14:24,680 Speaker 2: now and all I do all day is write songs 2167 02:14:24,720 --> 02:14:28,240 Speaker 2: and finish them. And I'm in my lane, you know. 2168 02:14:28,480 --> 02:14:30,320 Speaker 2: And when I go to the Baked Potato Now and 2169 02:14:30,360 --> 02:14:33,920 Speaker 2: hear my friends play, I don't feel like a piece 2170 02:14:33,960 --> 02:14:37,560 Speaker 2: of crap when I leave, I'm very proud of them. 2171 02:14:37,960 --> 02:14:41,760 Speaker 2: And I know that now from here on out, I 2172 02:14:41,800 --> 02:14:45,160 Speaker 2: get to do what I do best, which is to 2173 02:14:45,240 --> 02:14:48,480 Speaker 2: write the kind of songs I write, and I get 2174 02:14:48,480 --> 02:14:50,840 Speaker 2: to finish them and I'm going to be able to 2175 02:14:50,880 --> 02:14:52,440 Speaker 2: do this for the rest of my life. 2176 02:14:52,880 --> 02:14:56,280 Speaker 3: Just to be clear before we go, you sold all 2177 02:14:56,360 --> 02:15:03,440 Speaker 3: your songwriting royalties to Primaryry Wave in the Jacksons eight percent, 2178 02:15:04,480 --> 02:15:06,440 Speaker 3: And what was the decision involved in that. 2179 02:15:07,720 --> 02:15:10,600 Speaker 2: It was a huge decision. It was to just kind 2180 02:15:10,640 --> 02:15:15,600 Speaker 2: of to be able to just do what I love 2181 02:15:15,680 --> 02:15:18,840 Speaker 2: to do, to not have to tour ever again, to 2182 02:15:19,000 --> 02:15:22,520 Speaker 2: not do TV shows which own me, to just be 2183 02:15:22,600 --> 02:15:27,240 Speaker 2: able to do what I love doing. And this affords 2184 02:15:27,320 --> 02:15:27,600 Speaker 2: me that. 2185 02:15:29,400 --> 02:15:33,080 Speaker 3: Okay, Steve's been great talking to you. Tell quite a story. 2186 02:15:33,320 --> 02:15:36,000 Speaker 3: You're quite alive. You know, usually we hear from the 2187 02:15:36,080 --> 02:15:38,400 Speaker 3: lead singer, the lead guitars. We don't know the person 2188 02:15:38,440 --> 02:15:40,720 Speaker 3: I've seen you on stage, but I've never known what 2189 02:15:40,760 --> 02:15:43,240 Speaker 3: you were like. You're a great guy. I want to 2190 02:15:43,240 --> 02:15:46,120 Speaker 3: thank you for taking this time to talk to my audience. 2191 02:15:46,920 --> 02:15:50,120 Speaker 2: Great great, great meeting you, great talking to you. 2192 02:15:50,200 --> 02:15:54,320 Speaker 3: Okay, you bet till next time. This is Bob left 2193 02:15:54,360 --> 02:15:54,680 Speaker 3: six 2194 02:16:16,320 --> 02:16:16,440 Speaker 2: Sh