1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the best of Coast to Coast podcast. 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: Become a Coast Insider and you can hear this complete conversation, 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: as well as recent shows featuring guests discussing new cases 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: of the troubling cattle mutilation phenomenon, worry, some instances of 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: clandestine CIA torture, and the evidence that the Lost City 6 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: of Atlantis may have really once existed. Check out these 7 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: programs and many other fascinating episodes waiting for you and 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: the Coast to Coast archive by heading over to Coast 9 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: to Coast am dot com and signing up for Coast Insider. 10 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: Now here's a highlight from Coast to Coast AM on 11 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio Weak to open Lines coming up sometime next hour. 12 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: Chuck has been kind enough to give us a little 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: bonus time too, so thank you for that. We're talking 14 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: about we're talking about both the career, the avocation and 15 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: the vocation. I guess we should probably say of Chuck Lavelle, 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: who is a co founder of the Mother Nature Network 17 00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 1: and somebody who's been very interested in tree conservancies, so 18 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: tree Farmer Uh, as well as the musical arranger and 19 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: studio creative director of The Rolling Stones. Is there is 20 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,639 Speaker 1: there an official title for you in The Stones, Chuck, Well, 21 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: they have bestowed the moniker of musical director on me, 22 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: So that's a musical director. That's wonderful. Uh And and 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: I hear your hand. I think in other things like 24 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: the Black Crow's version of Hard to Handle, which you know, 25 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: I mean the piano on that is awesome. But I 26 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: also there's that had a such a seasoned sound to 27 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: that young band that I always wondered whether or not 28 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: that was because of your participation. Well, listen, um, those guys, 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: Rich and Chris, the Robinson brothers. Um. The original name 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: of that band was Mister Crow's Garden, and I found 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: out about them through the producer George Draculius, who approached 32 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: me and said, listen, our label is going to do 33 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: a record on these guys, and they specifically requested that 34 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: you play on it, and so can I meet with you? 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: So we met out in LA when I was doing 36 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 1: another recording session out there, and George, the producer, played 37 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: me this raw raw tape cassette tape and his Cadillac 38 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: convertible after we had lunch, and it was crazy, but 39 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: it was crazy good, you know. It was muffle sound. 40 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: You know that the recording was awful. You couldn't distinguish 41 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff, but what you could distinguish was 42 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: this unmistakable energy and this you know, just passion. It 43 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: just was there. And so I said, yeah, George, I'll 44 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: do it. And we arranged it just a day or 45 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: two before I was to leave on a Stones tour. 46 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: We recorded in Atlanta, and the original request was would 47 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: you play on a couple of songs? So I did, 48 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: and you know, I played on the first one, played piano, 49 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: and they said, well, hope, what about some Morgan put 50 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: the Yeah, I'll put some Morgan on it. Yeah, same 51 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: same thing. And then by the time the whole day 52 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: was finished, I was on, like, you know, ninety percent 53 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: of the record. Yeah. I'm trying to I'm trying to 54 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: work you the same way for the show tonight. I'm 55 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: trying to like get you to do one track and 56 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: get you another track. And I mean, I just I 57 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,839 Speaker 1: cannot tell you. I mean, I I've been I never 58 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: thought i'd never talk to you. So this is just 59 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: it's so exciting to me because I just love your 60 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: work and I could totally understand why they would be 61 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: like yeah, okay, we'll get him in and then there's 62 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: probably there's probably like a plan. They're like, just get 63 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: him a little, we'll get him a little pregnant, and 64 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: then we'll get them to stick around. That's the way 65 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: you work. Oh man, Okay, I don't know. I don't know. 66 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: I don't know how else to do it. I thought 67 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: I had you for two hours. So but I but 68 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: I will take you where I can so that that 69 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: that's not the I'm not imagining that that you you 70 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: brought something to that album that was intentional. They want 71 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: you to be there to bring a little oh that 72 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: kind of seasoned R and B blues rock, you know, 73 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: roots kind of thing that you brought to it. Well, 74 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: i'll tell you Ian. You know, as young as those 75 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: guys were at the time, um, they knew a lot. 76 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: You know, they had studied rock and roll, they had 77 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: studied it deeply, and rhythm and blues. You know, they 78 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: knew about all the most important artists that influence all 79 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: of us, and including the Rolling Stones. I mean there's 80 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: definitely a Stone's oh yeah, totally. But you know they 81 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: have the southern thing, uh, you know, they've got the 82 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: R and B group, They got the soul in there 83 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: and uh, but they've got to the British invasion. You know, 84 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: you can hear a little bit of face and some 85 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: of the stuff and uh but they were fun. You know, 86 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: they just had all this just incredible energy. Um. I 87 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: remember while I was recording with the band, Um, you know, 88 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: I was overdubbing that they already had the tracks going. 89 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 1: And my wife and are at the time, Toddler daughter 90 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: was about three years old, and Chris Robinson was chasing 91 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: my little girl all around. She was no funny, you know, 92 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: they were. He was like a little kid as well. 93 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: Those are happy memories. Yeah, right, do you have the 94 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: same memory when you were I mean, you know, the 95 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 1: everybody knows the Allman Brothers originally did a version of 96 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: Midnight Rider, and then Greg Olman does his solo version. 97 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: The original Alman Brothers cut is well respected and often 98 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: covered by other people as well. But Greg Olman's version 99 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: of that song, I mean, became a top twenty hit. 100 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: It's a great song, It's a wonderful version. What was 101 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: the difference? How do you like that I tracked with 102 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: that song partly because it's so not my life, you know, 103 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: I have I'm never in danger. I'd never do anything dangerous. 104 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: I'm not on the run. Nobody wants to kill me, 105 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: while some people want to come. You've been nobody important 106 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: us to kill me, and so, you know, I mean, 107 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,559 Speaker 1: it's funny to me that I relate to those lyrics. 108 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 1: I guess I always sort of feel like I'm always 109 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: a day late in the dollars short, and I'm always 110 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: trying to get somewhere, and the elements are against me. 111 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: But that song has such a cool, spooky vibe, that 112 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: version of Midnight Rider. How did you get that? Well, 113 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: it was certainly intended, you know, when you really dive 114 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: into the lyrics of the song and the guys on 115 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: the run and he's trying to hide and dodge bullets 116 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: and so forth. Yeah, it needs that mysterious element to it. 117 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: And the original record, as good as it is, is 118 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: a bit happy, isn't it. You know, It's got a 119 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: kind of an uplifting, that's true vibe to it. And 120 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: so the intention when we tackled it this time was, 121 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: let's let's get the mystery in there, Let's get the 122 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: you know, let's make it feel like this guy's hiding 123 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: out and that that was the intention. That's the way 124 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: we approached it. And by the way, that's what Greg wanted. 125 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: And man, listen, when you played that song on the break, 126 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: it just reminded me how wonderful that voice is. Oh yeah, 127 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: well back a lot of memories, you know, just just 128 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: here in this tune. And I sure do you missed 129 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: a guy tell you that goosebumps, goosebumps. I met him 130 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: once on touring on the I'm No Angel album, Um 131 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: and uh, and he was he was just out of 132 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: rehab and and I know that was kind of a 133 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: problem with one of the Robinson's and and so you 134 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: got the stones and all these years. How so, how 135 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: did you avoid fallen into that that vortex of of 136 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: of drugs or alcohol that that that ruined so many lives. 137 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: I'm sure that you know or threatened so many performances 138 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: and talents of people that you've known. Well. Man, you know, 139 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: most all musicians like to experiment one way or another. 140 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: But at some point in time, if you love what 141 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: you do and you're deeply passionate about it, you realize, hey, 142 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: I want to do this as long as I can. 143 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: I want to do this a long time. Does it 144 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: take to do that a long time. Well, let's keep 145 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: yourself in shape, man, you know. Um, and then I 146 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,679 Speaker 1: got kind of addicted to working out. I used to 147 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: run quite a lot. I don't do that so much anymore, 148 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: but you know, I still hit the gym and that 149 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: means everything to me. You know, it's it's a much 150 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: better addiction than the other things. But I mean, you 151 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: know what I mean by that. And I've had a 152 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: similar experience in media, working in radio and television for 153 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: many years, and people who I thought were a hell 154 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: of a lot more talented than I am, you know, 155 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: took an early off ramp, and it just it saddens 156 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: me to think how much they struggled, and even when 157 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: they had their successes coming back. Um, you know, you 158 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: could tell that they were still haunted a little bit 159 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: by by all of that. And it's I commend your 160 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: long career because of how much you've been able to 161 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: contribute to other people. And you know, like with the 162 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: Stones in particular as their musical director, where you're in 163 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: the studio and I've seen the Stones work a little 164 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: bit on like TV specials and there's that great, you 165 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: know movie about about Sympathy for the Devil, and I 166 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: know their process is kind of weird. Their writing processes 167 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: would seem a little ad hoc, I think, And is 168 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: that why you're there to try to pick up the 169 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: pieces and keep them going in the right direction. Well, 170 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: you know, first of all, I have to say about 171 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: the work ethic of the band. You know, people think, oh, 172 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: it must be great to be in a band like 173 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: the Rolling Stones, and it's just lovely. You get up 174 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: on stage and play do you Thaying? And then you 175 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: go away. But now you know when you look at 176 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: the body of work that these guys have put together 177 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: and what it takes. I think that film you're talking 178 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: about that as about Sympathy for the Devil shows very 179 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: graphic the iterations, the attempt how do we The first 180 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: attempt at the thing was just really slow D drag, 181 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: a bad yeah that's back rapp thing, And and they 182 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: had to go through trying all these different things to 183 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: get to what works. And that's really the way the 184 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: band works. You know. I've been in recording sessions with 185 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: him when like, here's an example of you Got Me Rocking, 186 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 1: which I think is a really cool rock and it 187 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: may not be people's favorite Stone song, but but it's 188 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: I tell you what. Every time we played the song 189 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: people were singing along with it, but Keith had the 190 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: riff and the chorus, Hey hey, you got me rocking 191 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: now Hey. We battered that thing every day for like 192 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: hours before finally this form took place. I mean, Mick 193 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: would just be mumbling unintelligible words over the thing until 194 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: finally something happened. You know, it's like, just don't give up, 195 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: don't let go. Stay at it, stay at it, stay 196 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: at it until something emerges. And it does and it's magic. 197 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: Listen to more Coast to Coast AM every weeknight at 198 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: one a m. Eastern and go to Coast to Coast 199 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: am dot com for more