1 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left Sets podcast. 2 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: My guest today is David Ryper. David, there's a Mickey 3 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: Thomas Starship and you're the Jefferson Starship. Explain to me 4 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: what's going on here. 5 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: Oh okay, that sounds a bit confusing. Okay, So there 6 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: was a Jefferson Starship and that was Paul Cantner. Actually, 7 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 2: Paul Kntnor, Grace Slick and I were starting it kind 8 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 2: of because we we were what was left of Jefferson, 9 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 2: part of what was left of Jefferson Airplane when they 10 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 2: decided not to be Jefferson Airplane anymore. And we had 11 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 2: recorded a couple of albums and we thought we need 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 2: to go out on the road, and we didn't know 13 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: what to call it. And so I'm going way back 14 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: to the beginning here. 15 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 1: So well, actually I'd like to go back to the beginning. Leader, Okay, 16 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: let's just talk. 17 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 2: I gotcha right now. 18 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: My understandings, there's two acts, and why are the two 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: acts and what is the difference? 20 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: Okay. Paul Kantner restarted Jefferson's Starship in the nineties after 21 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: it was did not exist for the for the for 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: the five last five years of the eighties, it became Starship. 23 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 2: But then at the end of that Starship ceased to exist. 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 2: So Paul thought, well, a fine time, just restart and 25 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: do what I want to do, what I've always loved 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 2: to do, So we restarted Jefferson Starship. So Mickey Thomas 27 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 2: was the lead singer in Starship. He wanted something to do. 28 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 2: So I do not know anything for a fact here. 29 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: I assume that he so going against all the legal 30 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: things he managed to I guess he could call it 31 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: Starship featuring Mickey Thomas or Mickey Thomas's Starship, and they 32 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: would let him do that. But meanwhile, there's this other 33 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 2: Jefferson Starship that was existing with Paul Kantner right along 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 2: the way, and this band is what is left. We 35 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 2: were all in the final version of Jefferson Starship when 36 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,519 Speaker 2: Paul passed away in twenty sixteen. 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: Okay, if I go to see Jefferson Starship and you 38 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: do many gigs on the road, what material am I 39 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: going to hear? 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 2: Stuff from the whole Jefferson Starship, airplane even Starship era. 41 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 2: We'll do it all, Okay, I don't know whether you're 42 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 2: actually going to hear every single song we ever did. 43 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 2: That would be impossible, but yeah, we do it from 44 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: all the eras. 45 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: And do you do the same set every night when 46 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: you have like a run of dates or do you 47 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: vary it up? 48 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 2: We vary it up. I mean that all depends on 49 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 2: what we're doing, meaning what Okay, Well, say we were 50 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: going out opening up for bt O and UH and 51 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: Uh Marshall Tucker and so we only had a half 52 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: hours being the opening band for this last little bit, 53 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: and so we just had it. We did do the 54 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 2: same set there because we picked the songs, the songs 55 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 2: that they thought that the audience would have to hear. 56 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 2: So we fit squeeze seven songs into a half an hour. 57 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 2: So it's pretty good. 58 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm interesting because it's a big catalog and I'm 59 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: familiar with it. What are the sevens I could guess, 60 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: But what are the seven songs people have to hear? 61 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: Well? I don't know this. This are the ones we 62 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: came up with that we could fit, we could piece 63 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 2: together that would would work. Okay, what did we do? 64 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: We did find your way back? We did miracles. Then 65 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: we did Nothing's going to stop us now? And we 66 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: did uh why rabbit and we did. We built this city, 67 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 2: and we did Jane, and then we did Somebody to Love. 68 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 2: If we were lucky, it had ended before thirty minutes. 69 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: Okay, you're eighty six years old, Yeah, soon to turn 70 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: eighty seven. What is keeping you on the road. 71 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: These people that are in the band right now, that 72 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 2: we get along so well, and the whole thing. When 73 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 2: Paul passed away, we said, well, now what are we 74 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: going to do? We love each other so much, and 75 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 2: Grace and Grace Slick decided that she thought she thought 76 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 2: the band should go on, and she and she had 77 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 2: the key to the highway, so she gave us the license. 78 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: Well, you've been doing this for sixty almost years at 79 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: almost sixty. What is the difference going out at eighty 80 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: as opposed to twenty six? 81 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 2: Well, I can move around a little better back when 82 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 2: I was twenty six. I'm a little slower, I say, 83 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 2: I don't know. I can still sing knock on wood. 84 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: Let me ask questions a little. A lot of people 85 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 1: don't live to eighty six. There are people who are 86 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:28,559 Speaker 1: totally spried Cochin and able into their nineties. Their acts 87 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: on the road today in their late seventies were on 88 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: the road and can't sing. I guess what I'm saying 89 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: is so many people are plagued by health proms. You're 90 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: obviously talking to me, But you've lived so long. Is 91 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: it because the luck of the genes? Or is it 92 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: because you take such good care of yourself? What explains 93 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: your spryness. 94 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 2: I go with the former, the luck of the genes, 95 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 2: because I haven't particularly taken very good care of myself. 96 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 2: I mean, I do, you know, I do go to 97 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 2: the gym and work out now to to keep my 98 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 2: you know, my you know, my self, you know, torso safe, 99 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 2: you know, keep it in shape. But other than that, 100 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 2: I mean I try to eat a sensible diet, and 101 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: not that I don't have any problems I have. I 102 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 2: have a I have an artificial heart valve, you know, 103 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 2: but it seems to be working. 104 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: Since where you know, you're doing great. It's like my 105 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: doctor says, all of his patients who lived to ninety 106 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: have had at least one bout of cancer. Have you 107 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: had cancer? 108 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 2: I just had a couple of lymph nodes that had 109 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 2: ever removed, But knock on wood, I don't have any now. 110 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: So what pills do you take every day? And how 111 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: many pills. 112 00:06:53,400 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 2: Oh, I take about I don't know, two, three, four, 113 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 2: about five six pills twice a day something like that. 114 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: Okay, there are a lot of people who say, I 115 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: don't want to take pills, and going back to my 116 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: doctor again, is you take the pills. They're going to 117 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: keep you alive. They're doing things. You have a viewpoint 118 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: on the pills at all. 119 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 2: Well, my only only thing I can I can fathom 120 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: is that they are keeping me alive because I ain't dead. 121 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 2: You know. 122 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: Okay, how old did your parents live to? 123 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 2: Mom made it to ninety two and dad made it 124 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: to eighty eight. 125 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: Okay, not the same in my family. But you do 126 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: have good genes. Okay, when you live to eighty six, 127 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: a lot of friends pass away before you do. How 128 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: do you metabolize that? How do you cope with it? 129 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: You have to accept it? And I don't know. I've 130 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 2: I tend to accept that. The universe, I'm not I'm 131 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: not sure the law of conservation of energy, you know, 132 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 2: if if it exists, it's going to exist in another 133 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 2: form somehow, nothing disappears, you know, it's either mass or 134 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 2: it's energy, and and so I don't know. I don't know. 135 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 2: I have yet to find out, I suppose. Okay, So 136 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 2: if I find out I've forgotten. 137 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: Other than your bandmates, do you have a best friend 138 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: someone you can call or if some of those people 139 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: passed away and you've had to switch to another person. 140 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 2: A lot of them passed away, sure, most of them. 141 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: Wow, Okay, let's go back to the beginning. So where 142 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:47,239 Speaker 1: are you from originally? 143 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 2: Well? I was born in Boston, And what did would 144 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 2: your parents do for a living in Boston? My dad 145 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 2: came from a fairly wealthy family and it was right 146 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 2: in the in the during the depression, so they seem 147 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 2: to have kept him in Harvard for the whole depression. 148 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 2: And when I was born, I think I think he 149 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 2: had he has four Harvard degrees, so it makes me 150 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 2: think that he couldn't figure out what else to do 151 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: and he ended up being an attorney. I think he 152 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 2: was working for the New England Dairy Farmers or something. 153 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 2: He was their attorney. 154 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: Then how do you meet your mother? What was her story? 155 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 2: They were both from Cincinnati and they I don't know, 156 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:41,439 Speaker 2: they ran into each other and I and I believe 157 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 2: dad's college roommate married my mom's sister. 158 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: So okay, So how long did you live in Boston? 159 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 2: Only until I was about this Second World War? My 160 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: dad went in the Navy and my mom went back 161 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: to live with their parents in Cincinnati. 162 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,839 Speaker 1: Okay, do you have any memories of that era? 163 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 2: Yeah? I few still linger tell me, Oh, I remember, 164 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 2: you know, saving saving cans and things like that for 165 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 2: for for the war effort. Yeah. Uh. And terrible stories 166 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 2: that came back being Jewish RADI stories came back, you know. 167 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: So the war ends, then what happens? 168 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 2: Uh? I was I end up? I end up? Uh? 169 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 2: My dad was an in the Attu Island for most 170 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 2: of the war, just the Boer War he called it. 171 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 2: Nothing ever happened. And then the then before he got discharged, 172 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 2: they stationed it in North Carolina, and I'd had one 173 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 2: to the second grade in North Carolina. And then when 174 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 2: he got discharged, we moved back to Cincinnati, which is 175 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 2: where I stayed until I moved out here in nineteen 176 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:13,319 Speaker 2: fifty nine. 177 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: Okay, you're living in Cincinnati. You have brothers and sisters, 178 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: two brothers and a sister. Yes, And where are you 179 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: in the hierarchy. 180 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 2: I'm the oldest, the oldest. 181 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: All the hopes and dreams were in you. 182 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 2: They're all still here. I don't know whether his hopes 183 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 2: and dreams. I thought he thought he was going to 184 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 2: get a doctor or a lawyer or something. 185 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: What have your siblings been up to? What would their 186 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: lives look like? 187 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 2: My brother was an advertising art director for all of 188 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: his life, and I know he's kind, but they're all 189 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,079 Speaker 2: into They're all into music a little bit. I mean 190 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 2: he plays viola and string quartets, as did eye when 191 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 2: I was in high school. 192 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: But okay, you're going to school, what kind of kid 193 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: and what kind of student? Were you? 194 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: Terrible? I didn't get along with my father. He expected 195 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 2: me to hit the books. Because I think I've looked. 196 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 2: I kind of learned that that he uh he didn't 197 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 2: do well in school, but he got into Harvard anyway, 198 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 2: and he and then he learned to buckle down and 199 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: get things done, thus the four Harvard degrees. But uh 200 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 2: so he wanted me to and I completely revolted it, 201 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 2: and I must I do not remember doing this on purpose, 202 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 2: but I did terribly in high school. He really wanted 203 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 2: me to go to Harvard, but there was no way 204 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 2: that I was. I couldn't make myself do homework. But 205 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 2: I was very interested. I was playing in the orchestra. 206 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 2: I was playing, you know, in high school. I played 207 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 2: violin and viola and the orchestra and string quartets. It 208 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: was pretty good for a high school guy. But I 209 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 2: wasn't prodigy or anything. 210 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: Where did the music come from? There was there music 211 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 1: in the house. 212 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 2: Constantly he played. They played classical music, and he liked 213 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 2: He liked Benny Goodman, he liked Lewis Armstrong and all 214 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 2: the Broadway hits. They were always playing and we could 215 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: sing them all, you know, all the kids. 216 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: Okay, you're of an age you could remember the birth 217 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: of rock and roll. Can you tell me your first 218 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: experience of hearing Rocket eighty eight or Rock around the Clock? 219 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: And you know, did you like it? Did you dislike it? 220 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 2: I did like it, but it was so frowned upon 221 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 2: in my house. I mean, I could not get a guitar. 222 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 2: I really wanted a guitar, but I could never I 223 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 2: never bought one until I had moved to San Francisco, 224 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 2: and I was by about almost twenty two, I think, 225 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 2: before I bought my first guitar. 226 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: Okay, you graduate from high school, then what do you 227 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:08,719 Speaker 1: do in Cincinnati? 228 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 2: I went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. 229 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:15,959 Speaker 1: And did you graduate? 230 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 2: No? I I changed my major every semester. 231 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: How many years did you go to Miami? 232 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 2: I got three and a half. I think I got 233 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 2: I had one hundred and twenty units, but they were 234 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 2: all in different places, and it had taken me another 235 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 2: three years to graduate to get a major. And I thought, well, 236 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 2: I'm going to end up being an English major, and 237 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 2: what am I going to do with that, you know? 238 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: And so I just I spent the whole time kind 239 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 2: of trying. First thing, my father said, you got to 240 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 2: be a scientist or or you know, or something, because 241 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 2: science is what's coming, you know. And so I try 242 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 2: and I failed. That is so I spent most of 243 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 2: my time screwing around, acting in place in the drama department, 244 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 2: but I took no classes in drama and singing and 245 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 2: singing in the choir and the and the Menscale club. 246 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 2: But I took no classes in music, even though I 247 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 2: had been recruited there by the head of the viola 248 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 2: department when I played viola in high school to go 249 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: there to study music. But music was nothing a good 250 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 2: Jewish boy was supposed to do unless you were David, 251 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 2: you know. Unless you were pick one, you hooty menu 252 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 2: and I don't know. 253 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: Okay, so you're there in Miami. I assume on your 254 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: father's dollar. 255 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 2: Right, absolutely wasting every penny of it. 256 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: Okay, how do you decide to drop out? And what 257 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: does your father say? 258 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 2: Oh? We we ended up not talking mostly, you know. 259 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 2: I rebelled and I married the Catholic girl, my Catholic 260 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 2: girlfriend from college, and we got married and we just 261 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 2: knuck out of town and moved to San Francisco. 262 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: Okay, let's back up. Tell me about meeting this woman 263 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: and getting married. 264 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: I don't know things happened. 265 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: How'd you decide to get married? 266 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 2: Oh? I don't know. That part is pretty doesn't remain 267 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 2: with me very much anymore. 268 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: Okay. How long were you married to that woman? 269 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 2: Until a year after we got to San Francisco. 270 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: Okay, so you're with this woman? Why san Francisco. 271 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 2: I know when I was about a teenager, all of 272 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 2: us piled in a car and shrove all through the 273 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 2: United States. And when we came into San Francisco one summer, right, 274 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 2: all of us in the car. They come around on 275 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 2: the US one oh one coming into San Francisco, and 276 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 2: it was just about sunset. The fog was coming in 277 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 2: the sky was pink. It was the most beautiful thing 278 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,640 Speaker 2: I'd ever seen. And we probably had the best dinner 279 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 2: I've ever had. And I just thought in my head, 280 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 2: I'm going to live here and somehow, And so that's 281 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 2: why I probably picked that. And also, I mean there 282 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 2: was the beat Nicks were out here, and I kind 283 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 2: of I was interested in that. And I was interested 284 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 2: in folk music, although I had didn't have a guitar yet, 285 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 2: but I was. I was always listening to it and 286 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 2: singing it. And I was a big peat Seeger fan, 287 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 2: and I love the Weavers. 288 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: And so, okay, you're talking to your new wife, what 289 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: is your pitch and what is the dream of what's 290 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: going to happen once you get to San Francisco. 291 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 2: Think most of us was getting out of Cincinnati because 292 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 2: she wasn't having a good time there either. She wanted 293 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 2: to get away from her mother and I wanted to 294 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 2: get away from my father. 295 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 1: Although, okay, you get to San Francisco, what are you 296 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: living on? 297 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 2: I tried to I had a little a little inheritance 298 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 2: that I already had. It came from my grandparents, I think, 299 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 2: so I went through that pretty quick. But I was 300 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 2: supposed to have a job at a I don't know, 301 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 2: some trucking company, but it turned out not to be 302 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 2: there when I got there. So I think I worked 303 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 2: for a pawn shop in Oakland until I got a 304 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 2: job with the Southern Pacific Railroad in their main office 305 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 2: in San Francisco, and because I liked trains, but after 306 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 2: I got there, I learned that that they didn't really 307 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 2: like trains. They like money. And so I worked my 308 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 2: way up and I was a freight rate analyst, but 309 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 2: I was a but back up a little bit. The 310 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 2: wife disappears, and I have no idea where she's gone. 311 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: A little bit slower. You go to work one day 312 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,120 Speaker 1: and you come home she's not there. 313 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 2: She's not there, and no sign of her. The cops 314 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 2: haven't heard anything. 315 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 1: Is there stuff going? 316 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 2: No? Some of it? Okay, you know, it's not like 317 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 2: you know. I have no idea what happened. And the 318 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 2: only thing I could think of to do was I 319 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 2: went out and bought a guitar and I started to 320 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 2: learn how to play guitar, and eventually I found her. 321 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 2: Some I think I was driving through Golden Gate Park 322 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 2: and I saw her, and I ran over to he 323 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 2: and say, hey, what's going on? And she came back 324 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 2: and she was pregnant. 325 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: Pregnant with someone else's baby. 326 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:03,479 Speaker 2: Someone else's baby. 327 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: Okay. Just to get the timeline straight, how long after 328 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: she had disappeared did you run into it? 329 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 2: Oh? Matter of weeks? 330 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:16,360 Speaker 1: Okay, So she had already found somebody else. You were 331 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: oblivious if. 332 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 2: It wasn't with them anymore. She wanted to come back. 333 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: Oh, and you said. 334 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 2: I said, I'm a nice guy. I said, well, okay, 335 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 2: but meanwhile, I'm gonna do what I'm going to do. 336 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 2: So I was, I was playing the guitar, and I 337 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 2: was okay. 338 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: Just to get to the end of her story first, 339 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,199 Speaker 1: you think I can. Did she move back, did she 340 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: have the baby? How long much longer did you live together? 341 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 2: She did have the baby, and I don't know because 342 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 2: then I turned into a folks singer. So I first, 343 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 2: I'm working for the Southern Mississi Southern Pacific, and I'm 344 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 2: playing and I'm playing on weekends and and and our 345 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 2: week nights whenever at the folk at the folk clubs 346 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 2: on hot night and andy knights, you know, And so 347 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 2: I'm listening to people that are up there, and I say, well, 348 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 2: if they could do that, I can certainly do that. 349 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 2: So I get up there and sing, and I saw, uh, 350 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 2: there was a note on the on the bulletin board 351 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 2: said wanted folk singers for Peace to travel through Mexico 352 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 2: all the way down to Central and South America, with 353 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 2: bringing nothing with us but living with the people and 354 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 2: to spread peace and happiness and brotherhood. And I said 355 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 2: that sounds very interesting, and so I got in touch 356 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 2: with the guy. He ended up being a Vietnam vet 357 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 2: who was definitely anti war. And this other there was 358 00:21:55,760 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 2: a girl named Sandy Rudin, little Jewish girl who knew 359 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: lots lots of folk songs and wanted to do it. 360 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 2: And I did it, and we were the three. And 361 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 2: I actually talked to Southern Pacific into giving me a 362 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 2: leave of absence. I was a freight raided analyst by then, 363 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 2: and I got permission. 364 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: Okay, Africa, a little lightning round? Yeah you or did 365 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: you not raise that child? 366 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 2: I didn't. 367 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: Okay, what year did all this happen that you went 368 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: took the leave of absence and went on the folks 369 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:33,120 Speaker 1: singing tour? 370 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 2: Probably nineteen sixty two? 371 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: Okay, So this guy had been to Vietnam early when 372 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 1: most people weren't even aware of it. Yeah, well right, okay, 373 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: just to go back to something you said earlier. Okay, Now, 374 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: most people today are unfamiliar with Beatniks. They don't even 375 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: remember Dobie Gillis and the Energy Krebs. So can you 376 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: give us a few words about Beatnicks? 377 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 2: Oh, I don't know North Beach, I don't know Allen Ginsberg, 378 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 2: Jack Carrouac. They're playing bongos and the New Lank You know, 379 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:20,160 Speaker 2: everybody's a cat, you know. Can you dig it? Poetry 380 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 2: recitals in coffeehouses? 381 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: To what degree? Was it limited to San Francisco? Was 382 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: it a completely you know, it's totally different today with 383 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: the Internet, etc. But yeah, what did people in Ohio 384 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: know about Beatniks or what was going on in San Francisco? 385 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:38,400 Speaker 1: If anything? 386 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:44,120 Speaker 2: I on the road by Jack Carrouac, I mean, and 387 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 2: I don't know. I just knew they were there, and 388 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 2: I knew there was a lot of jazz being played there, 389 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 2: and you know, and I don't know. Okay, that wasn't 390 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 2: really the reason I picked it. I picked it because 391 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 2: it was just so beautiful. 392 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 1: Okay, And what exactly was your motivation to buy guitar 393 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: and play music. 394 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 2: That was the big mystery. I don't know. I had 395 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 2: always wanted one, and I never did it. And so 396 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 2: I said, well, screw all this stuff that's supposed to 397 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 2: be happening in my life. I'm going to do what 398 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 2: I want to do, you know. So I went and 399 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 2: bought the guitar and got a bunch of sing out 400 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 2: music and started learning learning how to how to play 401 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 2: and fingerpick and stuff. And it came pretty naturally to 402 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 2: me having played, you know, a strange instrument before. 403 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: Okay, so now you're on this tour with the woman 404 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,959 Speaker 1: in the Vietnam veteran down to Mexico. Tell me about that. 405 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, we go down to a folk club and 406 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,679 Speaker 2: I don't know. We went and we figured out a 407 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:53,439 Speaker 2: way to take the train to Mexico ally, get and 408 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 2: go across from Calexico to Mexico ally and take the 409 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 2: third third class train to Mexico City. That's what our 410 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 2: and so we missed. We missed the train. We just 411 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 2: missed it when we got there. So we had to 412 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 2: stay overnight. You couldn't stay in the station. They wouldn't 413 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 2: stay in the station, and through the miracle of miracles, 414 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 2: the guard for the station said, you can stay in 415 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 2: the back of my pickup trucks. I had a panel 416 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 2: truck panel truck, and so he let us. He was 417 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 2: really friendly and you're nice and and this is about 418 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 2: all that we found in Mexico when we were there, 419 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 2: people that were very friendly. So anyway, we eventually again 420 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 2: on the train the next day, and we have very 421 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 2: little money, and all we're eating is like what what 422 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:55,200 Speaker 2: the vendors are selling at every stop, you know, liketo, potato, tacos, 423 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 2: you know things. And we and by the time we 424 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 2: got to mexic Go City, I think we had twelve 425 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 2: pesos between three of us. But we managed to get 426 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 2: to the American Friends Service Committee and told them what 427 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 2: we were doing for peace, and that they gave us 428 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 2: some people that we could talk to at the University 429 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 2: of Mexico and people at people places we could possibly 430 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 2: stay and and and we went out and we started 431 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 2: went there, met some people, met met an art student 432 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,399 Speaker 2: who was impressed with what we were doing, and people 433 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 2: took us seriously and it was kind of amazing. And 434 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 2: Uh offered us that we could stay at his house 435 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 2: and sleep on. We were sleeping on the floor, but 436 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,120 Speaker 2: you know, it was some place to stay. And we'd 437 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 2: go out in the daytime and and and sit up 438 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:50,199 Speaker 2: in applaza somewhere and leave our guitar cases opens and 439 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 2: sing and people actually three paytos, and and you know, 440 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 2: I guess, I guess we were okay, I don't know. 441 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 2: We found a kosher restaurant when sang in Mexico City 442 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 2: and sang there because she she we knew how aneguila 443 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 2: and that's you know, anyway, that worked too. And and 444 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 2: one day a somebody asked us to come sing. What'd 445 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 2: you come and sing at our meeting? Because they liked 446 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 2: how we sounded. So so okay, we'll come and sing 447 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 2: at your meeting and go to the meeting. And it's 448 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:34,120 Speaker 2: none of us really spoke Spanish except for restaurants, right, 449 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 2: and so but we could understand uh uh because the 450 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 2: speaker was was screaming young even period is smooth and 451 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 2: things like that, and so so well we went along 452 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 2: with it, you know, and we got up and we 453 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 2: compared peach Cheeger to peach Cheeger's problem with the government, 454 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 2: to the muralist Hiciros, who was in jail as a 455 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 2: political prisoner at the time, and and we're saying, if 456 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 2: I had a hammer, you know, went across fairly well. 457 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 2: And then we went back and back to the other 458 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 2: thing is I smoked pot for the first time in 459 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 2: Mexico City too. I remember somebody was, okay, keep telling 460 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 2: the story, which is pretty important in my life. Actually, 461 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 2: I'm sure it was. Anyway, So so anyway, we go 462 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 2: back to the to the artist's house, wake up in 463 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,959 Speaker 2: the morning to banging on the doors, and it's the 464 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 2: Federal Federal Allays and apparently that was the guy that 465 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 2: was yelling yanker imperialless was the Cuban ambassador. And they 466 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 2: drag all of us down down the headquarters, questioned us 467 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 2: all day, put us in a jail overnight, wake us 468 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 2: up in the morning, put us in the car, and 469 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 2: drive us directly up to an amor An Airlines flight. 470 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 2: Put us on the plane, and somehow we were in 471 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 2: first class eating mangoes for breakfast. And I don't but 472 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 2: they send us to San Antonio. I guess it was 473 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 2: the first plane out. I don't know. 474 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: Okay, so now you're in San Antonio. 475 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 2: Now we're in San Antonio and Sandy's we're all furious 476 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 2: about well, what did we do? We sang a song. 477 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 2: You know this is this is wrong. We got to talk. 478 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 2: We have to do something about this. Well, Sandy's college 479 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 2: roommate was Lyndon Johnson's person, personal secretary, personal attorney, I 480 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 2: mean so, and he's up in Austin. So we hitchhike 481 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 2: up to Austin and while she's looking for for her 482 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 2: for her roommate's father, which never really turned turned out 483 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 2: too much. Michael, Michael Gramleck was this guy's name. And 484 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 2: we go to the to the student union where the 485 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 2: the Folk Alliance is is having, you know, their their 486 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 2: weekly meeting, and with we sing some songs and trade thing. 487 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 2: And there's this girl with the autoharp and long hair 488 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 2: and she's singing this beautiful loud voice and she's doing 489 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 2: Irish murder ballads. And we said, but you know, you're 490 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:22,479 Speaker 2: really great. He says. There is a scene that's happened 491 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 2: up in San Francisco. If you want to come out, man, 492 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 2: feel free into the friend that was standing there with her, Uh, 493 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,959 Speaker 2: feel free to I mean you can stay in our 494 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 2: sofa until you find something to do it. You really 495 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 2: could go somewhere, and and then we then we went 496 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 2: back to San Francisco, and they did and they showed up. Well. 497 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 2: The girl was Janis Joplin and the guy was Chet Hilms, 498 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 2: who opened the Avalon Ballroom, and and Chet used to say, 499 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 2: if Freiburg hadn't been deported to Mexico, maybe none of 500 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 2: this would happen. 501 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. Okay, So now you're back in San Francisco, 502 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: you go back to work for the railroad for. 503 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 2: A short amount of time untill I just couldn't take it. 504 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 2: And I met this we had. I met this girl 505 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 2: named Mikaela, who we seemed to bond and make could 506 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 2: sing very well together. I mean she she was left handed, 507 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 2: so that makes it really good for right handed and 508 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 2: left handed guitar players to play on one mic, because 509 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 2: you don't get in any others way like Lennon and mcartney, 510 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 2: you know. Anyway, So we had worked up a bunch 511 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 2: of songs, and we had a bunch of stupid, silly, 512 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 2: funny pattern that went along with it, and we were 513 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 2: going over with the audiences and in the folk clubs, 514 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 2: and we managed to little tour and we made it 515 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 2: down to San Jose and I met a guy that 516 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 2: was playing good banjo and stuff and loved to smoke 517 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 2: pot named Paul Cantner, and he was just hanging out 518 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 2: at the at the folk Club. He was still going 519 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 2: to San Jose State, I think at the time, and 520 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 2: I and I stayed at his house whenever we played there, 521 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 2: and we stay up all night smoking and picking. And 522 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 2: we worked our way down to Los Angeles and to 523 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 2: Pasadena at the ice House, and we played there, and 524 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 2: the manager decided he would he would manage us and 525 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 2: find us gigs. And this had to be sixty three 526 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 2: because I was there when JFK was was it. Yeah, 527 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 2: you always remember that. Of course she remembers everywhere there 528 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 2: were We were right right. But he managed to get 529 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 2: us out on a tour of various clubs, you know, 530 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 2: st all over Christmas Week that was Lovely Oklahoma, Chicago, Detroit, 531 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 2: and we ended up playing at the bottom Line in 532 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 2: New York City. I think we followed Woody Allen actually, 533 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 2: and we did our little spiel and he had got 534 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:22,840 Speaker 2: people record company people to come. What was his name, 535 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 2: I forgetting who is the doors producer? Paul was Paul 536 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 2: Rothchild and he was electure records, and he was there 537 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 2: and he called. He gave us a phone call, and 538 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 2: we went in, went in to see him in his 539 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 2: office and he says he told us, he actually told 540 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 2: us this. He says, let me tell you, folks, songs 541 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 2: are not going to last much longer than this new 542 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 2: group from England. I said, what group from England? He 543 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 2: said to Beatles, He says, they're never going to make it. 544 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:58,680 Speaker 2: He says, but I could get you in one like 545 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 2: the new Christie minstrels, maybe these big things. Maybe I 546 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 2: could get you guys in one of those. What would 547 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 2: you think of that? And we thought about it and said, well, 548 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe. And I hadn't heard the Beatles yet. 549 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 2: And we're driving down and we're driving down to Washington, 550 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 2: DC for our last East Coast thing, and the Beatles 551 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 2: come on. The I Want to Hold Your Hand comes 552 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 2: on and it knocked us out. What was he talking about? 553 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:33,799 Speaker 2: You know? And uh? And that was just funny things 554 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 2: that happened. And when we got to Denver on our 555 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 2: way home, the Beatles played on Ed Sullivan and we 556 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 2: saw that and I could see this was done. And 557 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:49,279 Speaker 2: Michaela and her husband when they got married. He was 558 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:54,439 Speaker 2: playing bass with us. It's called David Michaela with Bob 559 00:34:54,520 --> 00:35:02,359 Speaker 2: Conker on bass and wit you know, really schlocky, but 560 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 2: they laughed at it. He made the face at the 561 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 2: right time, they'd laugh. So they when they got married, 562 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 2: they stopped smoking pot and thought that I should too, 563 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 2: and it wasn't going to happen. Their sense of humor changed. 564 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 2: So and so, and I got there, and I just 565 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,800 Speaker 2: got back to San Jose and hooked up with Paul 566 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 2: and he had a little like communal thing in the house. 567 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,759 Speaker 2: And I stayed there and we decided we were going 568 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 2: to go to La and see if we could be 569 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 2: folked to it. That might be fun. But and so 570 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:51,040 Speaker 2: we got down there and with the help of the girl, 571 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 2: the secretary of the man, the guy at the Bob 572 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 2: I think his name is Bob Shane, that the manager 573 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,920 Speaker 2: of the ice house in Pasadena. She was she but 574 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 2: Laurie I think her name is Laurie Spring. And she 575 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 2: helped us find a place to live and actually ended 576 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,959 Speaker 2: up sharing it with us because she needed a place 577 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 2: to And it was in Venice, like four doors from 578 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 2: the beach, which is pretty good but not conduced it 579 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 2: to and and the whole. I mean that time was 580 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 2: not the time to be forming a folk group. It 581 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 2: was a time to be forming a rock and roll band. 582 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 2: And David Crosby I had run into him there and 583 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 2: in uh at the ice House when his was Les 584 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,400 Speaker 2: Baxter's Balladeers. It was the folk group he was in. 585 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 2: He and his brother were in it. And we just vibe, 586 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 2: says to tout know that we both we know we 587 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,520 Speaker 2: must both must have smoked so and so I was 588 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 2: fast friends with him from then on. So and he 589 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 2: would come by our place while he's bumming around, and 590 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 2: he still didn't And Jim Jim, it was Jim McGuinn 591 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 2: who was who was playing Beatles songs in the bar 592 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:13,840 Speaker 2: outside at the Troubadour all night long and for me 593 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 2: trying to form a band. And but meanwhile we're living there. 594 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 2: And Dino Valenti, who was a singer, folks singer that 595 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:27,840 Speaker 2: I had met in San Francisco when I was singing 596 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:31,440 Speaker 2: with MICHAELA and stuff. And he comes by and he 597 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:35,720 Speaker 2: has this a lead sheet for this song called Pride 598 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 2: of Man, which by Hamilton Camp and uh, and he 599 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 2: gives it to me because he doesn't he didn't read 600 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 2: music and he couldn't figure it out. So anyway, so 601 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 2: that that was just it ended up being quick still 602 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:57,439 Speaker 2: or messenger service first first single, I believe anyway, that's 603 00:37:57,480 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 2: jumping around a little bit. 604 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:02,799 Speaker 1: No, that's perfect. I just got a question. Yeah, did 605 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 1: you know when he was Jet Powers before he was 606 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 1: Dino Valente? 607 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 2: No, he was always Dino Valenti. I mean I knew 608 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 2: that he was Jet Power. I learned that from him. 609 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, he hung up. He was the 610 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 2: kind of guy. I mean, if you could do something 611 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,799 Speaker 2: for him, he'd be your friend, you know, and so 612 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 2: I could drive him. I just kind of was interested 613 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:27,839 Speaker 2: in him because he was he was such a all 614 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 2: out guy. I mean, you know when he's singing, man, 615 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 2: you're stomping and you know, and I said, well that 616 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:37,280 Speaker 2: that's a hell of an act. That and I probably 617 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 2: learned a little bit about singing, and I learned about 618 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:42,160 Speaker 2: a lot of things not to do, you know. But 619 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 2: he wrote some pretty damn good songs. 620 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: Okay, you're living in Venice with Paul Canner and the 621 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:52,359 Speaker 1: woman Dino Valenti comes through. What's the next step for you? 622 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:52,880 Speaker 1: After that? 623 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:59,879 Speaker 2: Uh, shortly after that, we figured out this isn't working, yea, 624 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:07,359 Speaker 2: and moved back to San Jose and with somebody who 625 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 2: had opened up the what was it called the off 626 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 2: Stage was the folk club in San Jose and had 627 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 2: taken it over and wondered if we would help him 628 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 2: run it, and so, okay, there's something to do. So 629 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,359 Speaker 2: we did that, and we stayed, you know, in this 630 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 2: in the Santa se area for a while and did 631 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 2: that and tried to make that work, and it ultimately 632 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:38,840 Speaker 2: went the way of all the folk clubs and and 633 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 2: so we ended up moving to the city and we 634 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:46,719 Speaker 2: were kind of, I don't know, we might have dealt 635 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 2: a little a little pot just so we had some 636 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,840 Speaker 2: to smoke, but it definitely didn't make us any money. 637 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:59,359 Speaker 2: But one day I'm driving in San Francisco. We moved 638 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 2: into a flat in the Fillmore district, right across from 639 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 2: one of the biggest notorious badass tenement thing as you 640 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 2: could imagine. And I was driving around and I turned 641 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:19,600 Speaker 2: made a left turn and I didn't realize it was 642 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,320 Speaker 2: it was after four o'clock and there's no left turns, 643 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,840 Speaker 2: and I make the left turn and I get busted. 644 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 2: The guy looks fine, pot under the seat, and I 645 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:37,160 Speaker 2: go off to jail and a girlfriend I had bailed 646 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 2: me got my bail out, and and I felt, God, 647 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 2: what am I going to do? Man? I don't want 648 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 2: I don't want to call attention by if I live 649 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:49,399 Speaker 2: with these people, it might hurt them because I never 650 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 2: consider getting arrested, right, you know, because I don't know. 651 00:40:54,320 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 2: I was naive. I guess was this pot dude? Man, 652 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 2: you have a good time note anybody you know? Yeah, 653 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:11,280 Speaker 2: But they were serious about it. So so I thought, well, 654 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 2: I'll get a straight job, and so I look good, 655 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 2: maybe they'll be. So I got a job at a 656 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:25,440 Speaker 2: freight forwarding company and I moved out, and after a 657 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 2: couple of couple of about a month of paychecks, I 658 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:34,239 Speaker 2: managed to get a place in Merin County, and the 659 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 2: little house in San Quentin Village overlooked the Sandrafell Bridge. 660 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 2: And I go to work and I do my my 661 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:47,640 Speaker 2: letters and forums and stuff and hating it every second, 662 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,760 Speaker 2: and go back across the bridge every night, get stoned 663 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:56,520 Speaker 2: and get out my twelfth drink and figure out how 664 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:59,520 Speaker 2: to play all the Beatles songs you know, and sing 665 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 2: them at the time of my voice to the Sandrafell Bridge. 666 00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:06,040 Speaker 2: You know. And I did that for like a month, 667 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,839 Speaker 2: two months, you know, And one day there's a knock 668 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:14,640 Speaker 2: on the door and it's a friend, a loose friend 669 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:18,200 Speaker 2: called Otis, and he says, hey, you got any pot, 670 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 2: And I said, sure, I got some seeds and stems. 671 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 2: Come on in, you know, and I said, here, help yourself. 672 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 2: And by the way, listen to this, I said. So 673 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:30,799 Speaker 2: I had an audience for me. So I sang them 674 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:33,239 Speaker 2: all the Beatles songs. And he was just sitting there 675 00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:36,439 Speaker 2: and look at visioning and saying, and he says, he says, 676 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:38,839 Speaker 2: okay about the pot, He said, can I get you? 677 00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:40,879 Speaker 2: Can I get ten dollars worth? And I said, look, 678 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:43,160 Speaker 2: I don't think this is ten dollars worth here, man, 679 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:46,920 Speaker 2: it's just mostly sees. Take it all, forget it, you know. 680 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,560 Speaker 2: And he says, no, no, no, no, take five. I said, 681 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 2: well take it anyway. I'll take the five. Okay. He 682 00:42:55,760 --> 00:43:00,399 Speaker 2: leaves and the next day there's a knock on the door. 683 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:06,279 Speaker 2: The next night and it's the state narcotics officer and 684 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:13,839 Speaker 2: the sheriff and the district attorney, and apparently they were 685 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:16,520 Speaker 2: trying to he told he told them that I was 686 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:23,759 Speaker 2: his dealer and I had never sold him anything, you know, 687 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:28,520 Speaker 2: And I said, and the ten dollar bill was marked 688 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,880 Speaker 2: five dollar bill was his, so they couldn't get me 689 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 2: on sales. But they arrested me for possession and they 690 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:42,759 Speaker 2: found seeds in the trunk of my car, which made 691 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:48,080 Speaker 2: them to confiscate my car, took me off to jail, 692 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 2: and I and I I couldn't ask the girlfriend for 693 00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:58,439 Speaker 2: anymore bail. And I, you know, I probably had enough 694 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 2: money coming to me from my last paycheck from from 695 00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:05,839 Speaker 2: from the place to pay to pay them on. But 696 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 2: nobody to hunt to, nobody that had any property enough 697 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,239 Speaker 2: that would, you know, to guarantee it. And so I 698 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:15,600 Speaker 2: was stuck there. I was sat in there for thirty 699 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:21,799 Speaker 2: days and Paul comes and visits me. 700 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,520 Speaker 1: Wait, wait, before Paul visits you, what's it like being 701 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 1: a nice Jewish boy in jail. 702 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:32,120 Speaker 2: In Santrafel, California. It was not any real big deal. 703 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 2: I mean, it wasn't nice or anything, you know, And 704 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 2: it was It wasn't in the beautiful new building that 705 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:40,080 Speaker 2: they have out there. It was in the old courthouse 706 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 2: in the middle of Santafel. And I kind of probably 707 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 2: went back to the Civil War as far as I 708 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 2: know when it was a built but and and so 709 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 2: I don't know if they made They took me out 710 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:54,600 Speaker 2: of the general population, made me a trustee. So I 711 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 2: was sitting. I don't know why they did that, because 712 00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 2: be a trustee, you're supposed to be convicted of something. 713 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 2: And I hadn't even gone to trial yet, so anybody 714 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:11,200 Speaker 2: but I was there, you know, with I don't know 715 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:16,080 Speaker 2: the elite people, I guess of the jail. And Paul 716 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 2: comes to visit me and he notices there's a little 717 00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 2: hole in the ancient window and he slides a little 718 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 2: joint through there. And meanwhile I was telling me, me 719 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:33,399 Speaker 2: and Marty Ballad are getting it. We're going to put 720 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:35,719 Speaker 2: a band together, which is what all of us were 721 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:39,280 Speaker 2: thinking about, because we had all bought, you know, electric 722 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,680 Speaker 2: instruments because we knew that was where we had to 723 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:49,120 Speaker 2: go if we wanted to sing anywhere. And he says, he, well, 724 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,600 Speaker 2: that's that's really great. So what And he says, I 725 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:55,400 Speaker 2: think we're going to call it Jefferson Airplane. And I 726 00:45:55,440 --> 00:46:00,480 Speaker 2: didn't ask him what that meant, but I said, that's perfect, 727 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:03,399 Speaker 2: and he said, yeah, I would be able. I hope 728 00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 2: you get out of here soon I said, well, I 729 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:11,560 Speaker 2: don't know, I trust I will and uh. And so 730 00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:15,280 Speaker 2: shortly thereafter they I had to go to a court appearance, 731 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:18,360 Speaker 2: and they decided, well, if you're not going to get bail, 732 00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:22,040 Speaker 2: we don't want to get stuck feeding you for two years. 733 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:26,160 Speaker 2: So they you don't look dangerous, so they just let 734 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:28,560 Speaker 2: me out of my own recognizance and they i'me out 735 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:34,280 Speaker 2: in the streets, and some friends had gotten my guitar 736 00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:38,120 Speaker 2: and everything from the house, and my check was there, 737 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:45,640 Speaker 2: but of course I lost my job, and and so 738 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:50,080 Speaker 2: I'm there and I MC John Chippolina and Jimmy Murray 739 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 2: and I were already trying kind of had the idea 740 00:46:53,520 --> 00:47:07,040 Speaker 2: that Dina was looking to form a band. I think 741 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:11,120 Speaker 2: he through Dino could probably it was just loosely. I 742 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 2: had met him and and they and I don't know, 743 00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:19,439 Speaker 2: and we were hanging out. I had no place to stay. 744 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 2: I was sleeping on people on girls floors and stuff, 745 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 2: you know, anywhere I could sleep, and Dino was in jail, 746 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 2: so we had to do something else. So we said, well, 747 00:47:30,239 --> 00:47:32,160 Speaker 2: let's I guess we'll have our own band, you know. 748 00:47:32,960 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 2: And so we were hanging out in the park and 749 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 2: saucelito and pick and sing, and you know a lot 750 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:40,720 Speaker 2: of people were doing that. And there was this guitar 751 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:44,279 Speaker 2: player named Skip came down and and we played with 752 00:47:44,360 --> 00:47:46,480 Speaker 2: him and said this, this could work, This could work 753 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:51,879 Speaker 2: because Jim he fit in pretty well, good looking kid, 754 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:54,520 Speaker 2: he and he played nice guitar and sang really well. 755 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:59,080 Speaker 2: So we took Paul up. Marty Ballen was opened had 756 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:03,040 Speaker 2: opened the Matrix Club in San Francisco where the Jefferson 757 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:07,239 Speaker 2: Airplane rehearsed, and Paul and Marty said, you know, you 758 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:10,040 Speaker 2: guys come over and practice here sometimes if you get 759 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:15,560 Speaker 2: something together. And so we went over there with a 760 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:21,840 Speaker 2: guy named Casey who was a jazz drummer. We just 761 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,959 Speaker 2: got some big sticks. That's the thing that you could play, 762 00:48:26,239 --> 00:48:29,879 Speaker 2: you know, rock and roll, And we bought Skip over 763 00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:33,719 Speaker 2: and we tried to tried to do some stuff and 764 00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:36,960 Speaker 2: it wasn't really working too well. And Marty walked in 765 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:42,919 Speaker 2: and he said to Skip, do you play drums? He said, 766 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:45,279 Speaker 2: I played snare drum in high school. I played snare 767 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:48,680 Speaker 2: drum in the high school band. And he said, you're 768 00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:59,319 Speaker 2: Jefferson Airplane's new drummer, and he was Skip Spence, Skip spence. Yep, next, 769 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:02,880 Speaker 2: what next? What's going to happen? Is all of a sudden, 770 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:06,280 Speaker 2: that first bust is going to come up for trial, 771 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:11,880 Speaker 2: and so I have and I go over there and 772 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:17,720 Speaker 2: they find me guilty and sentenced me to a sixty 773 00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:21,920 Speaker 2: day sentence in San Bruno Prison in San Francisco, and 774 00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,960 Speaker 2: I have two weeks to get my stuff together and 775 00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:28,759 Speaker 2: turn myself in at police orcer headquarters in San Francisco. 776 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:33,960 Speaker 2: And so John and Jimmy and I are turning to 777 00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:36,120 Speaker 2: fair what are we going to do? And I said, well, 778 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:40,759 Speaker 2: it's only sixty days, so I get I'll get out 779 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:44,040 Speaker 2: of there probably, and if I behave well, I'll get 780 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:51,240 Speaker 2: out a little earlier than that. So I'll see you laters. 781 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:54,839 Speaker 2: But meanwhile, I took some acid on the day night 782 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,400 Speaker 2: before I had to turn myself in and met a 783 00:49:57,400 --> 00:50:02,799 Speaker 2: girl named named Tangerine who I'd known, and we had 784 00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:07,160 Speaker 2: a really good time. And as I'm turning myself in, 785 00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:12,239 Speaker 2: I'm still stone quite a bit. And the door I 786 00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:15,000 Speaker 2: take to take the elevator up from the ground floor 787 00:50:15,040 --> 00:50:18,200 Speaker 2: to the to the jail floor, and I pushed the 788 00:50:18,280 --> 00:50:22,040 Speaker 2: jail button and the door closes, and then it opens 789 00:50:22,080 --> 00:50:28,000 Speaker 2: and nobody's there. I said, I push it again. The 790 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:32,880 Speaker 2: door closes and then it opens. Nobody's there. What am 791 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,680 Speaker 2: I If it does it again, I'm going to take 792 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,880 Speaker 2: that as an omen and just leave. I push the button, 793 00:50:39,520 --> 00:50:46,960 Speaker 2: it closes and it goes up. And so that's and 794 00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:53,200 Speaker 2: on on the TVs in the jail there there's the 795 00:50:53,280 --> 00:51:02,200 Speaker 2: Turtles playing Ellinorgy. You're looking swell. So I don't know 796 00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:05,920 Speaker 2: as little as I didn't know that drummer was getting anyway, 797 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:12,399 Speaker 2: So off the sand, off to San Bruno, and they 798 00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:14,160 Speaker 2: want me to cut my hair or else I'll have 799 00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:18,240 Speaker 2: to stay with the gay guys. And I said, well, 800 00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:22,200 Speaker 2: probably I should have stayed with the gay guys. But 801 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:26,920 Speaker 2: I cut my hair, and and somehow, because I seemed 802 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:30,560 Speaker 2: kind of harmless, they made me a trustee again and 803 00:51:31,239 --> 00:51:35,400 Speaker 2: I could I could lock myself and when they're in 804 00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 2: a free time, then I had I had a cell 805 00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:41,640 Speaker 2: that look look was right, so you could see the 806 00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:45,080 Speaker 2: TV set, the one TV set for everybody right was there. 807 00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:50,960 Speaker 2: And so but they locked you in to that, I said, 808 00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:54,319 Speaker 2: well that looked like a plus to me, to be 809 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:57,760 Speaker 2: locked in, not being able to talk, you know, in 810 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:03,360 Speaker 2: interact with anybody else, and so I did that. And 811 00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:09,880 Speaker 2: uh and in forty five days I got out and 812 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:14,080 Speaker 2: they had took me back, raced me at at city Hall. 813 00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:19,719 Speaker 2: Had to go up and see my my uh, probation guy, 814 00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:23,960 Speaker 2: and but he was not he was out to lunch. 815 00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:26,480 Speaker 2: So I had had to come back in two hours. 816 00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:32,080 Speaker 2: So John Chippolina and Jimmy Murray were picking me up, 817 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:37,360 Speaker 2: you know, and and uh, and they told me that 818 00:52:37,440 --> 00:52:41,640 Speaker 2: they found two They found two guys from merced Or 819 00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:44,560 Speaker 2: they thought he were for mer said or, I don't know, 820 00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 2: modesto and a drummer and another guitar player. And and 821 00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:53,160 Speaker 2: I think that we could have a band with them, 822 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:57,279 Speaker 2: and I said great. And so we all smoked a bunch. 823 00:52:57,680 --> 00:53:01,200 Speaker 2: Finally got to smoke a little pot. Well, yeah, that 824 00:53:01,280 --> 00:53:04,319 Speaker 2: was what that was what I did every day and 825 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:08,920 Speaker 2: not in jail though, But and uh, so I go 826 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:13,400 Speaker 2: up and he says, he says, you know, the probation 827 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:17,080 Speaker 2: officer says, I know there's nothing wrong with pot. I 828 00:53:17,120 --> 00:53:19,759 Speaker 2: know it should be legal, but it isn't. So I 829 00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:24,040 Speaker 2: wanted you to understand, to take it more seriously. So 830 00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:27,360 Speaker 2: I gave you this little sentence so you so you'd understand. 831 00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:30,879 Speaker 2: So so just stay away from that stuff. I said, 832 00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,279 Speaker 2: oh yeah, I'll never get to touch a stone out 833 00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:37,640 Speaker 2: of my mind. But and so I go back down 834 00:53:37,960 --> 00:53:42,359 Speaker 2: and it's Gary Duncan and Greg Alamore, the other guys 835 00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:50,680 Speaker 2: from for Quicksellar Messenger Service. We start practicing and the 836 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:54,840 Speaker 2: basement of some a girl, a girl's house named after 837 00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:58,799 Speaker 2: her name was Chris Brooks, and so she thought she'd 838 00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:07,160 Speaker 2: be our manager or whatever, and and that's and so 839 00:54:07,239 --> 00:54:10,880 Speaker 2: we get it together and we come up with the 840 00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:17,600 Speaker 2: Quicksilver Messenger Service thing because John Okay, Gary Duncan, and 841 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:22,439 Speaker 2: Gregor mare Elmore or virgos born on the seventh of September, 842 00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:27,439 Speaker 2: John Chipley and I were virgos born on the same day, 843 00:54:27,719 --> 00:54:32,920 Speaker 2: twenty fourth of August. And Jimmy Murray, who he didn't 844 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:35,520 Speaker 2: really last all the way to Soil. We made the records, 845 00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:40,000 Speaker 2: but there's too much work for him. I think he 846 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:45,720 Speaker 2: was a Gemini, and we all had the ruling planet 847 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:49,680 Speaker 2: of Mercury, which is quicksilver, and he's the mess So 848 00:54:50,200 --> 00:54:52,959 Speaker 2: we all came and it was me or Murray something 849 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:56,480 Speaker 2: I came Quicksilver Messenger Service. That seems ridiculous, but it 850 00:54:56,600 --> 00:54:59,359 Speaker 2: sounded good to us. So there we are. 851 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:03,520 Speaker 1: Okay, you got the band together, when do you start 852 00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:05,920 Speaker 1: playing out? How does it end up that you end 853 00:55:05,960 --> 00:55:07,359 Speaker 1: up getting a record deal. 854 00:55:09,160 --> 00:55:12,439 Speaker 2: It took us a long time, a really long time, 855 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:16,960 Speaker 2: but the committee gave us our first gig. You remember 856 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:22,360 Speaker 2: the company, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Howard Hessemen. Yeah, well I 857 00:55:22,440 --> 00:55:24,719 Speaker 2: knew Howard. I was an old buddy from when he 858 00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:26,560 Speaker 2: was a folks when I was a folcusinger. I used 859 00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 2: to sleep on his floor every now, you know. And 860 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:33,040 Speaker 2: he was a bartender at at the at the coffee 861 00:55:33,040 --> 00:55:41,640 Speaker 2: gallery for his day gig. And uh so anyway, uh so, 862 00:55:42,440 --> 00:55:44,480 Speaker 2: they I think they gave us one hundred bucks to 863 00:55:44,480 --> 00:55:48,880 Speaker 2: come play their Christmas party and that was fairly successful. 864 00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:52,240 Speaker 2: And they said, we wondered if we'd record a version 865 00:55:52,239 --> 00:55:55,759 Speaker 2: of the Star Spangled Banner. And we found somebody and 866 00:55:56,080 --> 00:56:01,960 Speaker 2: we did that, and we moved to Marine County somehow 867 00:56:02,040 --> 00:56:08,279 Speaker 2: with in an old shack in Larkspur. No longer there. 868 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:11,799 Speaker 2: It's all built up into nice things now. And we 869 00:56:11,960 --> 00:56:17,160 Speaker 2: just played all day and night, smoked and played, smoked 870 00:56:17,160 --> 00:56:23,000 Speaker 2: and played, you know, and had some some hippie hippie 871 00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:28,880 Speaker 2: managers that brought us lots of health food. You know, 872 00:56:31,239 --> 00:56:36,960 Speaker 2: all in one cereal and lots of you know, organic honey, 873 00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:41,839 Speaker 2: and we had food to eat and and we we got, 874 00:56:42,320 --> 00:56:46,239 Speaker 2: we got. We started getting gigs at the Avalon and 875 00:56:47,840 --> 00:56:51,839 Speaker 2: I met my first my next wife there, which was 876 00:56:52,760 --> 00:56:57,520 Speaker 2: Julia Dreyer, who was known as Girl, and she was 877 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:03,000 Speaker 2: hanging with us too. And there's lots of stories. 878 00:57:03,520 --> 00:57:06,320 Speaker 1: Okay, you're living in Larkspur. 879 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:08,240 Speaker 2: It's gonna get too detailed. 880 00:57:08,760 --> 00:57:11,239 Speaker 1: The hippies are giving you, you know food, What are 881 00:57:11,239 --> 00:57:12,839 Speaker 1: you living on? You know, you don't know. You don't 882 00:57:12,880 --> 00:57:14,520 Speaker 1: have a regular job, no straight job. 883 00:57:16,240 --> 00:57:19,400 Speaker 2: We got occasional gigs and people would help us. 884 00:57:19,720 --> 00:57:23,160 Speaker 1: I don't know what was going through your mind. 885 00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:27,240 Speaker 2: That this was really fun when we played, you know, 886 00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:30,600 Speaker 2: and they didn't have a I had never played bass before, 887 00:57:30,640 --> 00:57:34,400 Speaker 2: but somebody had to and so since I had played 888 00:57:34,440 --> 00:57:37,800 Speaker 2: twelve string, I don't know what that had to do 889 00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:42,240 Speaker 2: with it, but I played bass, and so I was 890 00:57:42,240 --> 00:57:45,840 Speaker 2: figuring that out and we played. We learned a bunch 891 00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:49,000 Speaker 2: of songs, folks songs, but Pride to Man among them, 892 00:57:49,040 --> 00:57:51,800 Speaker 2: and it all sounded good. We started playing at the 893 00:57:51,800 --> 00:57:56,120 Speaker 2: fillmore in the Avalon, and we got a pretty good following. 894 00:57:56,240 --> 00:57:59,160 Speaker 1: Okay, a little bit slower. You remember the opening in 895 00:57:59,200 --> 00:58:01,880 Speaker 1: the film, wore the opening of the Avalon and what 896 00:58:01,920 --> 00:58:02,520 Speaker 1: that was like? 897 00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:06,160 Speaker 2: Not particularly No. 898 00:58:06,320 --> 00:58:08,760 Speaker 1: Okay, Then let me ask you another one. How about 899 00:58:08,840 --> 00:58:13,240 Speaker 1: Ken Keezy the Mary Prankster's Acid. Was that something that 900 00:58:13,320 --> 00:58:14,120 Speaker 1: was on your radar? 901 00:58:15,280 --> 00:58:19,240 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh yeah, we were well that had to 902 00:58:19,320 --> 00:58:22,200 Speaker 2: be on everybody's radar if you were anywhere in San Francisco. 903 00:58:22,800 --> 00:58:25,000 Speaker 2: Sure I knew knew all of those guys. I mean 904 00:58:25,040 --> 00:58:29,160 Speaker 2: we were all buddy, I mean we all came to 905 00:58:29,200 --> 00:58:32,800 Speaker 2: see each other play The Grateful Dead and Greick Silver 906 00:58:32,920 --> 00:58:36,840 Speaker 2: and Airplane and a Big Brother and Holding Company where 907 00:58:36,840 --> 00:58:41,120 Speaker 2: they're there, Hello Janis again, thank you? Okay. 908 00:58:41,840 --> 00:58:45,840 Speaker 1: First band to have a hit out of the San 909 00:58:45,840 --> 00:58:51,240 Speaker 1: Francisco scene was the Jefferson Airplane in sixty seven. So 910 00:58:51,560 --> 00:58:54,280 Speaker 1: did you feel left downery feel if they can make it? 911 00:58:54,320 --> 00:58:55,080 Speaker 1: We can make it? 912 00:58:57,920 --> 00:59:03,120 Speaker 2: But everybody thought they could make it. But I don't know. 913 00:59:04,280 --> 00:59:07,800 Speaker 2: We're playing and we have a We have a manager 914 00:59:10,920 --> 00:59:19,000 Speaker 2: who was an astrologer. His name was Amber Ambrose Hollingsworth. 915 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:23,720 Speaker 2: And as soon as he became our manager, he somehow 916 00:59:23,760 --> 00:59:26,880 Speaker 2: managed to find a Volkswagen convertible and all of a 917 00:59:26,920 --> 00:59:29,480 Speaker 2: sudden he was wearing the latest clothes from you know, 918 00:59:31,280 --> 00:59:37,840 Speaker 2: from the Los Angeles hippies were wearing and we to 919 00:59:37,960 --> 00:59:42,880 Speaker 2: call behind back. We were calling Ambrose Hollywood, you know. 920 00:59:44,400 --> 00:59:49,840 Speaker 2: But that was too bad. But unfortunately he got into 921 00:59:49,960 --> 00:59:53,960 Speaker 2: this accident that left him paralyzed, driving driving over the 922 00:59:54,280 --> 00:59:57,200 Speaker 2: driving over the bridge. And a and a friend of 923 00:59:57,640 --> 01:00:02,520 Speaker 2: and a friend of a guy named Ron Polti who 924 01:00:02,600 --> 01:00:06,960 Speaker 2: is the friend friend of Nick Gravinidis who played with uh, 925 01:00:08,080 --> 01:00:12,720 Speaker 2: Mike Bloomfield and the Electric Flag. Okay, he's from the 926 01:00:12,800 --> 01:00:17,640 Speaker 2: Chicago the Chicago guys. He did. He decides he'd like 927 01:00:17,720 --> 01:00:20,160 Speaker 2: to be our manager, and they said, well, what do 928 01:00:20,280 --> 01:00:22,840 Speaker 2: you need? He said, I think at that point we 929 01:00:22,840 --> 01:00:24,520 Speaker 2: were living in a house that was right in the 930 01:00:24,520 --> 01:00:26,840 Speaker 2: middle of Mill Valley, which was right out in the 931 01:00:26,880 --> 01:00:31,720 Speaker 2: open and terrible place to try to rehearse or anything. 932 01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:34,320 Speaker 2: And so we want to have a hot we want 933 01:00:34,360 --> 01:00:36,760 Speaker 2: to be on a farm with with the barn we 934 01:00:36,800 --> 01:00:40,040 Speaker 2: can practice in. And in a week he had us 935 01:00:40,080 --> 01:00:44,720 Speaker 2: in a barn we could practice it in Olema, which 936 01:00:44,760 --> 01:00:48,960 Speaker 2: is out of near Point Ray Station. And the Grateful 937 01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:54,680 Speaker 2: Dead had had what used to be a children's summer 938 01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:58,160 Speaker 2: camp in Lagunitas, not you know, down the road from 939 01:00:58,200 --> 01:01:00,920 Speaker 2: where we were, and they moved in there for the 940 01:01:00,960 --> 01:01:06,640 Speaker 2: summer and they were practicing there. And so one day 941 01:01:06,760 --> 01:01:11,440 Speaker 2: we were cleaning some pot in a big bowl, and 942 01:01:11,480 --> 01:01:13,120 Speaker 2: all of a sudden we hear a bunch of whooping 943 01:01:13,160 --> 01:01:17,280 Speaker 2: outside and it's grateful dead dressed like Indians. It's because 944 01:01:17,320 --> 01:01:19,320 Speaker 2: we were the cowboys living on the ranch and they 945 01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:25,440 Speaker 2: the war Path come in and attack us, and so 946 01:01:25,480 --> 01:01:29,120 Speaker 2: we all thought that was really funny, and get around 947 01:01:29,160 --> 01:01:34,600 Speaker 2: and everybody gets gets stoned, and yaki aka yaka, that's funny, okay. 948 01:01:34,800 --> 01:01:38,200 Speaker 2: And then they go home. And meanwhile Dino was there. 949 01:01:38,880 --> 01:01:42,120 Speaker 2: He wasn't in the band, but he's hung with us 950 01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:45,600 Speaker 2: a bunch, and he said, you know what we should do. 951 01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:52,240 Speaker 2: We should practice up Elijah was a wooden Indian and 952 01:01:52,320 --> 01:01:56,040 Speaker 2: sing this song. And then when they're playing at the 953 01:01:56,040 --> 01:02:01,240 Speaker 2: fillmore dress up in cowboy things with bandanas over our 954 01:02:01,240 --> 01:02:04,640 Speaker 2: faces and guns and tie them to their amps in 955 01:02:04,720 --> 01:02:09,040 Speaker 2: Saint Elijah was a wooden Indian. And everybody thought that's 956 01:02:09,040 --> 01:02:12,440 Speaker 2: a wonderful idea. I don't know why they thought that, 957 01:02:12,680 --> 01:02:21,080 Speaker 2: but it ended up getting us busted again, because you know, 958 01:02:21,720 --> 01:02:26,120 Speaker 2: I mean, John Chippolina had ancient some ancient rifles that 959 01:02:26,200 --> 01:02:28,480 Speaker 2: were most of them were let it up, but they 960 01:02:28,480 --> 01:02:31,600 Speaker 2: were just collectors items, you know. He liked old things 961 01:02:33,400 --> 01:02:36,040 Speaker 2: and so that was part of it. So we had 962 01:02:36,080 --> 01:02:42,320 Speaker 2: a panel truck that was our equipment truck and quotes, 963 01:02:44,120 --> 01:02:48,080 Speaker 2: and so we dragged off. We get to to the 964 01:02:48,080 --> 01:02:55,160 Speaker 2: fillmore and the airplane's going over and so Grateful Dead 965 01:02:55,200 --> 01:02:59,800 Speaker 2: aren't quite on yet and so we had to say, okay. 966 01:02:59,840 --> 01:03:01,680 Speaker 2: So we throw all the stuff in the back of 967 01:03:01,680 --> 01:03:05,040 Speaker 2: the truck and there's smoke, a few joints, and all 968 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:07,720 Speaker 2: of a sudden there's door open. Front door opens it 969 01:03:08,040 --> 01:03:14,160 Speaker 2: and there's a revolver pointing it and we thought it 970 01:03:14,240 --> 01:03:17,240 Speaker 2: was probably one of the other guys with the phony gun. 971 01:03:17,680 --> 01:03:20,160 Speaker 2: Look at no, it's real and it was the police. 972 01:03:21,480 --> 01:03:26,360 Speaker 2: Uh oh. And they grabbed me and girl and Jimmy 973 01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:28,240 Speaker 2: Murray out of the back that we were the eyes 974 01:03:28,280 --> 01:03:31,160 Speaker 2: that were there. Throw us in the back of the policeman. Well, 975 01:03:31,240 --> 01:03:34,240 Speaker 2: they're going to search the truck. And I had some 976 01:03:34,320 --> 01:03:40,680 Speaker 2: joints in my pocket, but Jimmy had stashed it under 977 01:03:40,960 --> 01:03:43,600 Speaker 2: his gig stuff under something and then the truck, which 978 01:03:43,600 --> 01:03:46,920 Speaker 2: is the wrong thing to do, but he did. And 979 01:03:46,920 --> 01:03:48,880 Speaker 2: he said they're going to find joints in there, man, 980 01:03:48,960 --> 01:03:51,280 Speaker 2: and they're going to find it. And I said, well, well, 981 01:03:51,360 --> 01:03:53,440 Speaker 2: everybody's got to help me. We got to eat all 982 01:03:53,480 --> 01:03:56,880 Speaker 2: we got to eat all the spots. So we eat 983 01:03:56,920 --> 01:04:00,120 Speaker 2: all the pot because they had they had Jimmy Or 984 01:04:00,200 --> 01:04:02,600 Speaker 2: he was six foot four, so they handcuffed him, but 985 01:04:03,080 --> 01:04:05,760 Speaker 2: girl and me they didn't handcuff because we were they 986 01:04:05,800 --> 01:04:08,880 Speaker 2: didn'tren't worry too much about us, and so we did that. 987 01:04:08,960 --> 01:04:13,040 Speaker 2: And then they ship us off the tail overnight and 988 01:04:13,080 --> 01:04:18,040 Speaker 2: we're out first thing in the morning, and uh and 989 01:04:18,120 --> 01:04:23,080 Speaker 2: they are they arrest once again. They found pot in 990 01:04:23,120 --> 01:04:28,840 Speaker 2: this in this vehicle. They're gonna confiscate it and sell it. 991 01:04:31,280 --> 01:04:33,160 Speaker 2: And the guy that owned the owned the owned the 992 01:04:33,240 --> 01:04:36,760 Speaker 2: van said, if they try to toe that, I never 993 01:04:36,880 --> 01:04:39,560 Speaker 2: I never really fastened the drive shaft in, so it's 994 01:04:39,560 --> 01:04:45,120 Speaker 2: going to fall out. And so I don't think they're 995 01:04:45,160 --> 01:04:48,160 Speaker 2: never going to be able to sell it. And so okay, 996 01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:53,360 Speaker 2: And so meanwhile there's this lawyer named Brian Rohan. I 997 01:04:53,360 --> 01:04:54,320 Speaker 2: don't know if you've come across. 998 01:04:54,600 --> 01:04:57,920 Speaker 1: I used to email from him. Yeah before he passed away, yep, yeah, 999 01:04:58,080 --> 01:04:58,840 Speaker 1: yeah yeah. 1000 01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:02,600 Speaker 2: And uh so he decided he represented us and got 1001 01:05:02,680 --> 01:05:06,440 Speaker 2: us out immediately immediately and decided they were going to 1002 01:05:06,520 --> 01:05:08,160 Speaker 2: make an example of it, and they were going to 1003 01:05:08,240 --> 01:05:12,280 Speaker 2: try the truck and every vehicle that came across their desk. 1004 01:05:12,320 --> 01:05:14,640 Speaker 2: They were going to make them go to you know, 1005 01:05:14,680 --> 01:05:16,600 Speaker 2: they're going to fight it as long as they could 1006 01:05:16,680 --> 01:05:19,920 Speaker 2: and make it cost so much money for them for 1007 01:05:20,000 --> 01:05:23,000 Speaker 2: them to do that they'd stop it. And at worked 1008 01:05:23,000 --> 01:05:28,720 Speaker 2: they did stop confiscating us. So anyway, so one day 1009 01:05:28,720 --> 01:05:31,760 Speaker 2: we went went out went to the to the to 1010 01:05:31,800 --> 01:05:37,000 Speaker 2: the the auction for the cars for the state at 1011 01:05:37,000 --> 01:05:40,840 Speaker 2: Saint Quentin, actually right outside Saint Quentin, and there was 1012 01:05:41,080 --> 01:05:44,120 Speaker 2: there was the van with the drive shaft in the back, 1013 01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:49,880 Speaker 2: and we bought back for fifty bucks and a guy 1014 01:05:49,920 --> 01:05:53,520 Speaker 2: put the drive shaft back in drove away. So anyway, 1015 01:05:55,240 --> 01:05:58,439 Speaker 2: Little Tails, I'm remembering much too much. 1016 01:05:58,760 --> 01:06:01,320 Speaker 1: No no, no, no, no, no, it's all good. This is cold. 1017 01:06:12,400 --> 01:06:15,560 Speaker 1: How does the band ultimately get a record deal with Capitol? 1018 01:06:16,920 --> 01:06:19,120 Speaker 2: I think the president came by and saw us one 1019 01:06:19,240 --> 01:06:25,560 Speaker 2: night when we played at a fair gig, and he 1020 01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:29,560 Speaker 2: liked us. But it was just like nineteen six, I 1021 01:06:29,560 --> 01:06:31,640 Speaker 2: mean we were really late. I mean this was sixty 1022 01:06:31,720 --> 01:06:35,080 Speaker 2: seven and we still hadn't signed you know, right, And 1023 01:06:36,720 --> 01:06:41,200 Speaker 2: he said, we'll think about it, And meanwhile, Monterey Pop 1024 01:06:41,320 --> 01:06:44,320 Speaker 2: is happening, and we get invited to it, even though 1025 01:06:44,360 --> 01:06:48,200 Speaker 2: we had didn't have any record or anything. But so 1026 01:06:48,280 --> 01:06:51,760 Speaker 2: far as San Francisco was concerned, I mean, people would 1027 01:06:51,760 --> 01:06:53,480 Speaker 2: come to see us just as much as they'd go 1028 01:06:53,560 --> 01:06:56,479 Speaker 2: see the Big Brother or Jefferson Airplane or the Dead 1029 01:06:56,560 --> 01:07:00,000 Speaker 2: or anything, because they all liked us as much as anything, 1030 01:07:00,160 --> 01:07:01,600 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, that was all equal in 1031 01:07:01,640 --> 01:07:04,240 Speaker 2: San Francisco. But go out in the road, well that 1032 01:07:04,320 --> 01:07:06,760 Speaker 2: was another thing. So we'd have to have a record 1033 01:07:06,760 --> 01:07:09,960 Speaker 2: for that. So we realized we better do this sometime 1034 01:07:10,960 --> 01:07:15,400 Speaker 2: and so but meanwhile we did get to go to Monterey. 1035 01:07:16,040 --> 01:07:20,919 Speaker 2: That was probably the best festival that ever happened. I think, 1036 01:07:21,920 --> 01:07:23,040 Speaker 2: best one I ever saw. 1037 01:07:25,360 --> 01:07:28,000 Speaker 1: Okay, and then how do you end up getting signed 1038 01:07:28,000 --> 01:07:29,280 Speaker 1: and making the first album? 1039 01:07:30,280 --> 01:07:31,760 Speaker 2: Then he went for it and gave us a pretty 1040 01:07:31,760 --> 01:07:35,680 Speaker 2: good deal. Apparently it was not smooth sailing, of course, 1041 01:07:35,680 --> 01:07:40,800 Speaker 2: because it was Quicksilver Messengers, But we went down and 1042 01:07:42,720 --> 01:07:45,720 Speaker 2: recorded with the same Nick Nick Nick Gravin. I just 1043 01:07:45,840 --> 01:07:49,480 Speaker 2: wanted to do it. And Harvey Brooks, who was the 1044 01:07:49,560 --> 01:07:55,400 Speaker 2: bass player, well really famous bass player, played on all 1045 01:07:55,440 --> 01:07:56,600 Speaker 2: the Bob del and stuff, and he. 1046 01:07:56,640 --> 01:08:00,160 Speaker 1: Played in al Cooper in Super Session Harvey's. 1047 01:07:59,720 --> 01:08:02,760 Speaker 2: Two and he was it was in the Electric Flag. 1048 01:08:03,640 --> 01:08:06,400 Speaker 2: Was really close to our managers, you know. I think 1049 01:08:06,440 --> 01:08:09,480 Speaker 2: he gave him the flag that had an electric thing, 1050 01:08:09,480 --> 01:08:14,320 Speaker 2: and that was the elect caused the name to happen, 1051 01:08:15,360 --> 01:08:19,040 Speaker 2: the Electric Flag. Okay, So anyway, where was I? Okay? 1052 01:08:19,560 --> 01:08:21,400 Speaker 2: So he and Harvey Brooks are trying to do it, 1053 01:08:21,760 --> 01:08:24,080 Speaker 2: get us do it, and we had this long song 1054 01:08:24,120 --> 01:08:28,400 Speaker 2: that we wanted to get on the albums called the Fool. 1055 01:08:30,200 --> 01:08:34,040 Speaker 2: And I had written the words when I apparently when 1056 01:08:34,080 --> 01:08:36,840 Speaker 2: I was high on acid, because when I woke up 1057 01:08:36,880 --> 01:08:39,639 Speaker 2: in the morning that after the acid chip, I looked 1058 01:08:39,640 --> 01:08:42,960 Speaker 2: at my typewriter and there were the words. I must 1059 01:08:43,000 --> 01:08:47,080 Speaker 2: have typed it out, and I said, this sounded like me, So, 1060 01:08:47,240 --> 01:08:51,639 Speaker 2: you know, very very hippish, very very very one world, 1061 01:08:52,000 --> 01:08:56,000 Speaker 2: you know. And we had the song, this bunch of 1062 01:08:56,120 --> 01:08:59,240 Speaker 2: changes that we were turning into a very big thing, 1063 01:08:59,240 --> 01:09:00,960 Speaker 2: and when we played it, it got a lot of 1064 01:09:01,640 --> 01:09:04,720 Speaker 2: a lot of very good reactions. So we tried to 1065 01:09:04,760 --> 01:09:09,600 Speaker 2: do that and it went pretty good, except for the 1066 01:09:09,680 --> 01:09:13,000 Speaker 2: long one. Because Gary decided he had been We've been 1067 01:09:13,000 --> 01:09:15,479 Speaker 2: watching how the Beatles did things one track at a time, 1068 01:09:15,720 --> 01:09:17,360 Speaker 2: and he wanted to do it that way, and it 1069 01:09:18,680 --> 01:09:22,880 Speaker 2: just when we heard the final result, we said no, 1070 01:09:23,040 --> 01:09:26,479 Speaker 2: we got to do it live, play it all at once, 1071 01:09:26,800 --> 01:09:29,960 Speaker 2: and we had complete commit The contract was good because 1072 01:09:29,960 --> 01:09:32,160 Speaker 2: we could do whatever we really wanted to do, so 1073 01:09:32,200 --> 01:09:34,400 Speaker 2: we could we didn't have to put it out until 1074 01:09:34,400 --> 01:09:38,200 Speaker 2: we were done with it. But Harvey said, I've spent 1075 01:09:38,280 --> 01:09:40,680 Speaker 2: enough time on this. I have other things I have 1076 01:09:40,760 --> 01:09:45,120 Speaker 2: to do, so he left it with Nick and I 1077 01:09:45,160 --> 01:09:49,880 Speaker 2: think there was a jazz critic named Pete Welding who 1078 01:09:50,000 --> 01:09:54,440 Speaker 2: ended up being the nominal co producer with Nick Revenitis. 1079 01:09:55,040 --> 01:09:57,679 Speaker 2: But anyway, so we went back and we actually rehearsed 1080 01:09:57,680 --> 01:10:01,360 Speaker 2: it in the studio a couple of months that figured 1081 01:10:01,360 --> 01:10:05,200 Speaker 2: out how we really wanted to do it, and played 1082 01:10:05,240 --> 01:10:07,800 Speaker 2: it on the road a bit, and then went back 1083 01:10:08,120 --> 01:10:11,360 Speaker 2: and finished the record and it finally came out in 1084 01:10:11,520 --> 01:10:13,840 Speaker 2: sixty eight, which is really late. 1085 01:10:14,640 --> 01:10:20,400 Speaker 1: Okay, so the record gets good reviews, what's your experience 1086 01:10:20,479 --> 01:10:23,960 Speaker 1: being in the band? Does it? Does sales meet your expectation? 1087 01:10:24,160 --> 01:10:27,639 Speaker 1: Or you're disappointed there's not a hit? What happens there? 1088 01:10:28,000 --> 01:10:31,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, there wasn't. Actually the only actual hit was was 1089 01:10:32,000 --> 01:10:35,240 Speaker 2: the full really, but it was too long to be 1090 01:10:35,400 --> 01:10:38,040 Speaker 2: to be really get played on the radio, so and 1091 01:10:38,080 --> 01:10:40,400 Speaker 2: it couldn't have been and it couldn't be edited down 1092 01:10:40,439 --> 01:10:43,479 Speaker 2: to anything because it wasn't a pop song. It was 1093 01:10:43,520 --> 01:10:49,439 Speaker 2: this big production. And anyway, Gary Duncan was when we 1094 01:10:49,479 --> 01:10:54,479 Speaker 2: went out on the road, he started he started shooting methodrym, 1095 01:10:56,760 --> 01:11:04,680 Speaker 2: which was disastrous. He's got completely completely paranoid, you know, 1096 01:11:04,760 --> 01:11:09,160 Speaker 2: and everybody was against him and played okay, played too 1097 01:11:09,160 --> 01:11:13,280 Speaker 2: many notes, but you know, uh, and he ended up 1098 01:11:13,360 --> 01:11:18,360 Speaker 2: quitting the band right after we had recorded live in 1099 01:11:19,439 --> 01:11:22,479 Speaker 2: at the Fillmore East and the Fillmore West. What was 1100 01:11:22,520 --> 01:11:24,160 Speaker 2: going to be our We were going to record a 1101 01:11:24,200 --> 01:11:27,000 Speaker 2: live album for the next thing, and he decides he's 1102 01:11:27,000 --> 01:11:31,840 Speaker 2: gonna he's gonna quit, and so well we decided, well 1103 01:11:31,880 --> 01:11:34,120 Speaker 2: we want to record one last thing. So we had 1104 01:11:34,120 --> 01:11:39,600 Speaker 2: one last session and we go into the studio. We 1105 01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:43,440 Speaker 2: played our song that turned out to be called Calvary. 1106 01:11:43,920 --> 01:11:46,880 Speaker 2: But the guy had an idea for the for the title, 1107 01:11:48,920 --> 01:11:51,960 Speaker 2: and he was watching us there. He was going to 1108 01:11:52,080 --> 01:11:56,040 Speaker 2: make the album cover and he said, well, see that, 1109 01:11:56,360 --> 01:11:59,960 Speaker 2: nobody's talking to each other and it's all and Duncan's 1110 01:12:00,640 --> 01:12:03,840 Speaker 2: fucked up and you know, and he said, wow, it 1111 01:12:03,840 --> 01:12:08,880 Speaker 2: looks like Happy Trails to me, and uh, oh yeah, 1112 01:12:08,880 --> 01:12:12,760 Speaker 2: a good name for the album. Okay, I you know, 1113 01:12:12,880 --> 01:12:16,799 Speaker 2: I refuse to get negative because he's gonna leave. Something's 1114 01:12:16,800 --> 01:12:19,639 Speaker 2: going to happen. I don't know. He shouldn't leave because 1115 01:12:20,520 --> 01:12:23,160 Speaker 2: he was he was a great rhythm guitar player and 1116 01:12:23,200 --> 01:12:25,360 Speaker 2: a great and a great lead guitar player too, and 1117 01:12:25,400 --> 01:12:28,840 Speaker 2: he was really good and and he was kind of 1118 01:12:28,840 --> 01:12:30,519 Speaker 2: like the machine of the band. But we're going to 1119 01:12:30,560 --> 01:12:33,720 Speaker 2: have to do something, and so he leaves, and so 1120 01:12:34,120 --> 01:12:36,479 Speaker 2: it was left for us to finish the album without him, 1121 01:12:38,840 --> 01:12:45,200 Speaker 2: and so we did. We finished the Calvary song and 1122 01:12:45,360 --> 01:12:49,479 Speaker 2: uh recorded Happy Trails with Greg Ellenmore singing the only 1123 01:12:49,720 --> 01:12:53,080 Speaker 2: only song he's ever sung just as a joke at 1124 01:12:53,080 --> 01:12:57,559 Speaker 2: the end, and uh, and we end up with the 1125 01:12:57,600 --> 01:13:01,720 Speaker 2: who Do You Love Sweet? On the first side and 1126 01:13:02,120 --> 01:13:06,360 Speaker 2: with the combination of the beginning was from the New 1127 01:13:06,439 --> 01:13:14,040 Speaker 2: York Fillmore, the middle part was from San Francisco Fillmore, 1128 01:13:14,120 --> 01:13:16,560 Speaker 2: where the whole audience in the band and everybody and 1129 01:13:17,360 --> 01:13:22,240 Speaker 2: anywhere within blocks was all stoned on acid. And the 1130 01:13:22,720 --> 01:13:25,719 Speaker 2: end I believe we probably might have used the Fillmore East, 1131 01:13:26,640 --> 01:13:29,280 Speaker 2: but maybe not maybe maybe at all. At the mid 1132 01:13:29,320 --> 01:13:32,599 Speaker 2: midway part has shifted to San Francisco, and it took 1133 01:13:32,680 --> 01:13:35,559 Speaker 2: up the whole first side, and it was the biggest 1134 01:13:35,560 --> 01:13:36,599 Speaker 2: selling record you made. 1135 01:13:38,479 --> 01:13:42,519 Speaker 1: How on the third album does Dino Valente come in 1136 01:13:42,560 --> 01:13:44,320 Speaker 1: and Nicky Hopkins. 1137 01:13:45,520 --> 01:13:48,280 Speaker 2: Well it was Dino didn't come in the third album 1138 01:13:48,439 --> 01:13:51,479 Speaker 2: was the fourth album? Okay, Nicki came in on the 1139 01:13:51,520 --> 01:13:54,280 Speaker 2: third right, Well, they quit on New York. They played 1140 01:13:54,280 --> 01:13:56,840 Speaker 2: their last gig on Gary played his last gig on 1141 01:13:56,920 --> 01:13:59,960 Speaker 2: New Year's Eve and ended up coming back the next 1142 01:14:00,040 --> 01:14:05,240 Speaker 2: New Year's Eve. So we had a year. I don't Nicki. 1143 01:14:05,360 --> 01:14:08,680 Speaker 2: Nicki was in town. I think he'd played with on 1144 01:14:08,760 --> 01:14:12,000 Speaker 2: Steve Miller's album. Then he played on Jefferson Airplanes album 1145 01:14:12,640 --> 01:14:14,800 Speaker 2: and we had one we were coming up next at 1146 01:14:14,880 --> 01:14:18,400 Speaker 2: Wally Hyder's. And he had a very an affinity with 1147 01:14:18,479 --> 01:14:21,160 Speaker 2: John Chippelina. He really they were really hit it off. 1148 01:14:21,920 --> 01:14:25,480 Speaker 2: They were if you want to go to stop astrologically, 1149 01:14:26,000 --> 01:14:28,639 Speaker 2: he was. He was the obsolete opposite of me and John. 1150 01:14:28,680 --> 01:14:31,479 Speaker 2: He was born on February twenty fourth, which is exactly 1151 01:14:31,560 --> 01:14:36,320 Speaker 2: six months apart. So anyway, they were they were very 1152 01:14:36,400 --> 01:14:41,280 Speaker 2: much alike. Hell, they both collected things and I don't 1153 01:14:41,320 --> 01:14:46,120 Speaker 2: know that. They just they became. So he decided he 1154 01:14:46,360 --> 01:14:50,080 Speaker 2: joined Quicksilver. So we made this album with NICKI. 1155 01:14:52,479 --> 01:14:54,400 Speaker 1: How did you feel about him joining? How did you 1156 01:14:54,439 --> 01:14:55,880 Speaker 1: feel about the album. 1157 01:14:56,200 --> 01:15:00,560 Speaker 2: Got him joining? Yeah, he saved us, he said, I 1158 01:15:02,320 --> 01:15:05,360 Speaker 2: never I never got very happy about the songs I 1159 01:15:05,360 --> 01:15:09,600 Speaker 2: sang on that album. But there there are people that 1160 01:15:09,720 --> 01:15:15,799 Speaker 2: love them. But I don't quite understand. But but everybody 1161 01:15:15,840 --> 01:15:18,840 Speaker 2: tells it. It's everybody. Every singer is his own worst, 1162 01:15:19,000 --> 01:15:24,839 Speaker 2: worse critic, you know. So I'll never be satisfied with anything. 1163 01:15:24,960 --> 01:15:29,760 Speaker 1: So okay, the next album, Dino comes in, how does 1164 01:15:29,800 --> 01:15:31,760 Speaker 1: he get into the band? 1165 01:15:32,240 --> 01:15:35,240 Speaker 2: Came back the next next year, but I wanted to 1166 01:15:35,240 --> 01:15:39,439 Speaker 2: get Gary back in the band, and Dino came with him. Well, 1167 01:15:39,560 --> 01:15:42,599 Speaker 2: he said, I know that's going to be trouble because 1168 01:15:43,920 --> 01:15:47,400 Speaker 2: Dino has to run things. I mean, he doesn't know 1169 01:15:47,479 --> 01:15:52,880 Speaker 2: anything else. He can't cooperate with anybody. So I knew 1170 01:15:52,920 --> 01:15:56,920 Speaker 2: him by then and said, well, oh well, let's see 1171 01:15:56,920 --> 01:16:01,599 Speaker 2: what happens. So the first thing was that we're gonna 1172 01:16:01,680 --> 01:16:05,600 Speaker 2: We're gonna record an album in Hawaii. That sounded like 1173 01:16:05,640 --> 01:16:09,559 Speaker 2: a wonderful thing to do because he wanted to go 1174 01:16:09,600 --> 01:16:14,120 Speaker 2: to Hawaii. I guess, I don't know. There was no 1175 01:16:14,240 --> 01:16:16,960 Speaker 2: real studio that we could record them and over there. 1176 01:16:17,160 --> 01:16:19,720 Speaker 2: So we're going to build it. And Capitol had given 1177 01:16:19,800 --> 01:16:26,600 Speaker 2: us an eight track to work with, and so the 1178 01:16:26,680 --> 01:16:30,439 Speaker 2: plan was made. I wasn't very big part of that, 1179 01:16:31,120 --> 01:16:33,920 Speaker 2: but the plan was made. There was this old boy 1180 01:16:33,960 --> 01:16:38,480 Speaker 2: scout ranch way out in the out Holai Eva on Oahu, 1181 01:16:40,520 --> 01:16:43,320 Speaker 2: out for a bunch of cane fields, and it was 1182 01:16:43,320 --> 01:16:46,360 Speaker 2: a boy scout ranch and they had a big, nice, 1183 01:16:46,400 --> 01:16:52,920 Speaker 2: big room and enough places for everybody to stay, and 1184 01:16:52,960 --> 01:16:57,200 Speaker 2: it was pretty cheap. It only had one drawback. It 1185 01:16:57,240 --> 01:17:03,680 Speaker 2: didn't have electricity, but we say, oh well we'll get it. 1186 01:17:03,840 --> 01:17:08,000 Speaker 2: We'll get a generator. You know, no problem, they have generators. 1187 01:17:08,200 --> 01:17:11,000 Speaker 2: And so we get we get over there, everybody comes 1188 01:17:11,040 --> 01:17:14,240 Speaker 2: over and every every and Dino is really happy. You know, 1189 01:17:14,479 --> 01:17:16,200 Speaker 2: he's going to live it up. Man. We're in a 1190 01:17:16,200 --> 01:17:19,519 Speaker 2: big time band, man, you know. And so everybody gets 1191 01:17:19,520 --> 01:17:25,280 Speaker 2: a convertible and and we get there and they cannot 1192 01:17:26,600 --> 01:17:29,600 Speaker 2: get a good ground on that, on that anywhere on 1193 01:17:29,640 --> 01:17:33,479 Speaker 2: the property they keep there. They couldn't get the ground. 1194 01:17:33,520 --> 01:17:36,960 Speaker 2: So you record something and going that'd be a huge 1195 01:17:37,000 --> 01:17:41,040 Speaker 2: buzz on everything. And they couldn't get it ground It 1196 01:17:41,040 --> 01:17:43,160 Speaker 2: took him two weeks to get it grounded. Right. So 1197 01:17:43,200 --> 01:17:47,800 Speaker 2: we're sitting there renting cars, and we sit there and 1198 01:17:47,840 --> 01:17:53,679 Speaker 2: waste two weeks. We have a rented beautiful grand piano, 1199 01:17:53,800 --> 01:17:55,920 Speaker 2: and you know, and what was going to be the 1200 01:17:56,600 --> 01:17:59,200 Speaker 2: it was it was really the kind of the living area, 1201 01:17:59,320 --> 01:18:01,439 Speaker 2: you know, in the living room area, and we built, 1202 01:18:01,840 --> 01:18:05,280 Speaker 2: we had a we had a little little control room, 1203 01:18:05,360 --> 01:18:08,320 Speaker 2: and it was it would work fine. And eventually it 1204 01:18:08,360 --> 01:18:14,120 Speaker 2: did work okay, And but it was crazy Dena wouldn't 1205 01:18:14,200 --> 01:18:19,320 Speaker 2: let any wives go over there. That he made the rules. See, 1206 01:18:19,640 --> 01:18:22,760 Speaker 2: no wives were allowed to go with us. 1207 01:18:23,040 --> 01:18:26,280 Speaker 1: So that album is known for fresh air. Have another 1208 01:18:26,400 --> 01:18:32,120 Speaker 1: hit of fresh Air? Yeah, you know it ends up 1209 01:18:32,120 --> 01:18:34,160 Speaker 1: being a different band now with Dino in it. 1210 01:18:35,000 --> 01:18:39,519 Speaker 2: Yes it does. And I kind of knew that, but 1211 01:18:41,320 --> 01:18:42,760 Speaker 2: I don't know. I didn't. I didn't want to be 1212 01:18:42,840 --> 01:18:49,519 Speaker 2: in that band without Gary. And then, as it turns out, 1213 01:18:49,880 --> 01:18:55,720 Speaker 2: before we left Hawaii, Ron Poulte our manager, Quiz, Tohn 1214 01:18:55,760 --> 01:19:02,040 Speaker 2: Ceppelina Quiz and Nicki Quitz, and I say, well, if 1215 01:19:02,080 --> 01:19:05,439 Speaker 2: I quit, there won't be any I don't want to be, 1216 01:19:05,680 --> 01:19:08,280 Speaker 2: you know, And so I say I'll stick around for 1217 01:19:08,320 --> 01:19:13,559 Speaker 2: a year. If nothing happens, I'm out of here. I mean, 1218 01:19:13,560 --> 01:19:21,719 Speaker 2: if I'm not doing something, you know, and nothing happened. 1219 01:19:22,439 --> 01:19:25,519 Speaker 2: I mean we we got another album probably out of 1220 01:19:25,560 --> 01:19:28,400 Speaker 2: some of the stuff that the next one that came out, 1221 01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:32,760 Speaker 2: I think it had what About Me on it, right, 1222 01:19:32,840 --> 01:19:35,160 Speaker 2: which was which was a pretty good song. I like 1223 01:19:35,280 --> 01:19:37,000 Speaker 2: that song. I like to sing that song. That's a 1224 01:19:37,040 --> 01:19:42,000 Speaker 2: good song. But I could see nothing was happening anyway. 1225 01:19:42,600 --> 01:19:46,320 Speaker 2: I ended up Mike, excuse another pot bust is coming up. 1226 01:19:46,560 --> 01:19:52,960 Speaker 2: So they always ends up good though, you know, first 1227 01:19:52,960 --> 01:19:55,080 Speaker 2: one ended up I had, I got the band. 1228 01:19:56,680 --> 01:19:58,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, what happened with the second boss? 1229 01:20:00,160 --> 01:20:04,800 Speaker 2: It was dismissed Byron Rohan got it dismissed. So I 1230 01:20:05,120 --> 01:20:07,960 Speaker 2: never but you know, it got me out of the 1231 01:20:08,040 --> 01:20:11,680 Speaker 2: job where I was wasting my time. Really, you know, 1232 01:20:12,640 --> 01:20:15,800 Speaker 2: it wasn't going to help me get anywhere or do 1233 01:20:15,880 --> 01:20:20,920 Speaker 2: anything that I could do. I could end up being 1234 01:20:20,960 --> 01:20:23,680 Speaker 2: a clerk for the rest of my life. But I 1235 01:20:23,720 --> 01:20:26,720 Speaker 2: really wanted to sing and play, you know. So it 1236 01:20:26,800 --> 01:20:32,320 Speaker 2: put me into Quicksilver. Actually, and and this next one 1237 01:20:32,600 --> 01:20:34,280 Speaker 2: handily gets me out of Quicksilver. 1238 01:20:43,160 --> 01:20:46,200 Speaker 1: So now you don't have a band. What's the plan? 1239 01:20:49,000 --> 01:20:52,960 Speaker 2: Well, that was an entertaining bus too, but that gets 1240 01:20:53,000 --> 01:20:58,240 Speaker 2: boring talking about bus, so let's get that. Uh. First 1241 01:20:58,240 --> 01:21:00,240 Speaker 2: thing I did was I got out my base wanted 1242 01:21:00,280 --> 01:21:02,599 Speaker 2: to play a little bit. So there's this band called 1243 01:21:02,640 --> 01:21:06,040 Speaker 2: the Asa Cups that a girl, all girl band, and 1244 01:21:06,080 --> 01:21:09,160 Speaker 2: they had another and they had formed a different thing, 1245 01:21:09,200 --> 01:21:11,160 Speaker 2: and they wanted to wonder if I'd played bass because 1246 01:21:11,160 --> 01:21:14,000 Speaker 2: their bass player had stopped them. So I just did 1247 01:21:14,040 --> 01:21:18,080 Speaker 2: it for a couple of few months, and I started 1248 01:21:18,120 --> 01:21:21,040 Speaker 2: hanging out with Mickey Hart from the From the Dead. 1249 01:21:21,080 --> 01:21:24,800 Speaker 2: He hadn't ranch in Nevado, that's you know, you know, 1250 01:21:24,840 --> 01:21:28,519 Speaker 2: a couple of miles away from me, and I started 1251 01:21:28,520 --> 01:21:31,839 Speaker 2: hanging with him. He was making his his first solo album, 1252 01:21:32,720 --> 01:21:34,519 Speaker 2: and so I hung with him and sang a bunch 1253 01:21:34,560 --> 01:21:41,439 Speaker 2: of songs and helped helped engineer. Started thinking of me 1254 01:21:41,520 --> 01:21:44,479 Speaker 2: being an engineer, but I did engineer whole tower of 1255 01:21:44,560 --> 01:21:49,000 Speaker 2: power horn session. So so you know, I was just 1256 01:21:49,479 --> 01:21:52,160 Speaker 2: started hanging with him and you know, and singing, singing 1257 01:21:52,280 --> 01:21:54,759 Speaker 2: a bunch of the songs on his album and playing 1258 01:21:54,800 --> 01:21:57,360 Speaker 2: a bunch of the stuff. And there was a song 1259 01:21:57,400 --> 01:22:02,120 Speaker 2: called And meanwhile, over in San Francisco, Crosby was making 1260 01:22:02,160 --> 01:22:05,559 Speaker 2: his his album if I, if I could only remember 1261 01:22:05,640 --> 01:22:11,280 Speaker 2: my name, And and that was turning into a group 1262 01:22:11,360 --> 01:22:15,960 Speaker 2: thing too, because everybody, you know, all all a lot 1263 01:22:16,000 --> 01:22:19,519 Speaker 2: of the dead, and Paul and Grace and I were 1264 01:22:19,560 --> 01:22:21,919 Speaker 2: over there for a lot of the sessions, just just 1265 01:22:21,920 --> 01:22:23,679 Speaker 2: just to hang and watch out and see if there's 1266 01:22:23,680 --> 01:22:28,599 Speaker 2: anything we could do. And there was a whole thing 1267 01:22:28,680 --> 01:22:36,120 Speaker 2: called the what they call it, where everybody like Crosby, Nash, 1268 01:22:36,160 --> 01:22:44,160 Speaker 2: Phil Lesh, Paul, Grace, Me, Crosby, course Jerry Garcia would 1269 01:22:44,200 --> 01:22:47,120 Speaker 2: be there and we'd all just hang out, be jamming 1270 01:22:47,200 --> 01:22:51,360 Speaker 2: on songs. And I mean, I learned how to play 1271 01:22:51,560 --> 01:22:55,080 Speaker 2: that song, the Grateful Dead song, the Loser. He was 1272 01:22:55,120 --> 01:22:57,200 Speaker 2: writing that at that point. So he was playing that, 1273 01:22:57,240 --> 01:23:00,000 Speaker 2: and we ever teaching to everybody, and we were all 1274 01:23:00,160 --> 01:23:02,880 Speaker 2: playing that, and every bit of it was recorded on 1275 01:23:02,960 --> 01:23:07,839 Speaker 2: two tracks, and it was called the Paro the Planet 1276 01:23:07,840 --> 01:23:11,840 Speaker 2: Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra, the PAO tapes, and that 1277 01:23:12,000 --> 01:23:16,840 Speaker 2: got out as an underground thing. So these long long 1278 01:23:16,960 --> 01:23:21,360 Speaker 2: jams on on one song or so anyway, So that 1279 01:23:21,520 --> 01:23:24,599 Speaker 2: was happening, and so I was hanging out with Paul 1280 01:23:24,640 --> 01:23:27,160 Speaker 2: and Grace a lot, and I heard this one song, 1281 01:23:27,240 --> 01:23:30,680 Speaker 2: I heard them singing on it. Would sound really good. 1282 01:23:30,680 --> 01:23:33,479 Speaker 2: It's called Blind John the guitar player, and they could 1283 01:23:33,479 --> 01:23:36,200 Speaker 2: sing on it if they if they wanted to, and 1284 01:23:36,240 --> 01:23:38,280 Speaker 2: said you want to sing it? So they said sure, 1285 01:23:38,439 --> 01:23:41,240 Speaker 2: So we brought him over to Mickey's and they we 1286 01:23:41,320 --> 01:23:44,960 Speaker 2: sang the background vocals and Grace actually I saw her, 1287 01:23:45,439 --> 01:23:48,120 Speaker 2: said I heard, I heard a piano part for that, 1288 01:23:48,320 --> 01:23:55,160 Speaker 2: she played the piano. And shortly after we finished Mickey's album, 1289 01:23:55,880 --> 01:24:00,360 Speaker 2: Marty left the airplane and Paul and Grace asked me 1290 01:24:00,439 --> 01:24:05,280 Speaker 2: to come and sing the harmonies and be the other 1291 01:24:05,680 --> 01:24:07,639 Speaker 2: other guy singer because they had to be two guys 1292 01:24:07,640 --> 01:24:12,640 Speaker 2: and a girl. And so that got me into Jefferson. 1293 01:24:12,320 --> 01:24:24,559 Speaker 1: Airplane, okay, and Jefferson the Airplane that ultimately disintegrates. 1294 01:24:23,760 --> 01:24:27,719 Speaker 2: Right, So meanwhile, there's there's some time off after after 1295 01:24:27,880 --> 01:24:31,960 Speaker 2: all the touring for they were touring uh Long John Silver, 1296 01:24:32,080 --> 01:24:33,840 Speaker 2: I think that was the name of the album, right, 1297 01:24:34,800 --> 01:24:40,559 Speaker 2: But Paul and Grace both owed Narcia record, so the 1298 01:24:40,600 --> 01:24:43,000 Speaker 2: first one ended up being Baron von told Booth and 1299 01:24:43,040 --> 01:24:46,000 Speaker 2: the Chrome Nun, which is credited to Paul, Grace and 1300 01:24:46,040 --> 01:24:49,160 Speaker 2: me because we just got together and put it to 1301 01:24:49,400 --> 01:24:51,720 Speaker 2: you know, got it together, and everybody else in San 1302 01:24:51,720 --> 01:24:55,880 Speaker 2: Francisco because Jerry Garcia is on it, and Mickey Hart's 1303 01:24:55,920 --> 01:24:58,160 Speaker 2: on it, you know, Yorman jack Aer on it, you know, 1304 01:24:59,360 --> 01:25:03,360 Speaker 2: everybody's it. And that that was pretty good. And then 1305 01:25:03,400 --> 01:25:07,439 Speaker 2: then Grace O had had one called Manhole and it 1306 01:25:07,560 --> 01:25:10,400 Speaker 2: was the same thing. You know, we used the Great 1307 01:25:10,400 --> 01:25:15,360 Speaker 2: San Francisco Wealth of Musicians and we did that one, 1308 01:25:15,439 --> 01:25:17,000 Speaker 2: and then we had had to figure out what are 1309 01:25:17,000 --> 01:25:21,760 Speaker 2: we going to do? And Pete Sears was was was 1310 01:25:21,840 --> 01:25:26,080 Speaker 2: up playing get Nick doing a Kathy m MacDonald album in 1311 01:25:26,120 --> 01:25:29,439 Speaker 2: the same in another studio at Wally Hyder's, and I 1312 01:25:30,200 --> 01:25:33,439 Speaker 2: coveted him when I first saw him. He was playing 1313 01:25:33,439 --> 01:25:38,519 Speaker 2: with John Schippolina's band after he left Quicksilvery, and there 1314 01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:41,439 Speaker 2: was a guy named Jim McPherson and him that played 1315 01:25:41,479 --> 01:25:45,679 Speaker 2: both played keyboards and bass, and so they switched back 1316 01:25:45,680 --> 01:25:48,040 Speaker 2: and forth, and I thought that would be great because 1317 01:25:49,000 --> 01:25:50,760 Speaker 2: I would love to be in a band with him 1318 01:25:50,800 --> 01:25:54,880 Speaker 2: because he played them both beautifully, you know, and he 1319 01:25:55,000 --> 01:25:59,040 Speaker 2: was and so I brought I hinted it Paul and Grace, 1320 01:25:59,280 --> 01:26:01,720 Speaker 2: you know, to meet this guy. So I brought him 1321 01:26:01,720 --> 01:26:05,559 Speaker 2: over and he played jammed a little blue song which 1322 01:26:05,560 --> 01:26:09,639 Speaker 2: Grace turned into Better Lie Down I think on her 1323 01:26:09,720 --> 01:26:14,639 Speaker 2: album and and they got to know him, which is 1324 01:26:14,960 --> 01:26:19,240 Speaker 2: very good. And so when it came time what are 1325 01:26:19,280 --> 01:26:20,439 Speaker 2: we going to do? How are we going to get 1326 01:26:20,439 --> 01:26:23,880 Speaker 2: to band together? And said, well, and what are we 1327 01:26:23,920 --> 01:26:27,280 Speaker 2: going to call it? Well, you know, you know that 1328 01:26:27,520 --> 01:26:32,640 Speaker 2: you know about Paul's blows against the empire, had it 1329 01:26:32,880 --> 01:26:37,280 Speaker 2: was who the cast was, who played the players? Where 1330 01:26:37,320 --> 01:26:40,920 Speaker 2: he called it the Jefferson Jefferson Starship Crew. So he 1331 01:26:40,960 --> 01:26:44,439 Speaker 2: had already had the name. It seemed obvious that that's 1332 01:26:44,479 --> 01:26:49,559 Speaker 2: what we should let the name turn into. And everything 1333 01:26:49,600 --> 01:26:54,280 Speaker 2: went that way. And so when Pete Didget, I think 1334 01:26:54,280 --> 01:26:57,519 Speaker 2: he was playing with a Rod Stewart album in England, 1335 01:26:58,040 --> 01:27:01,600 Speaker 2: and when when that was over, he came back and 1336 01:27:02,080 --> 01:27:04,800 Speaker 2: we went on the first tour without him because he 1337 01:27:05,200 --> 01:27:07,840 Speaker 2: was finishing that record. But he came back and was 1338 01:27:07,880 --> 01:27:11,080 Speaker 2: on all the all the Jefferson Starship albums. 1339 01:27:12,680 --> 01:27:17,440 Speaker 1: Okay, the first one, Dragonfly. There's one successful track, Caroline, 1340 01:27:17,560 --> 01:27:20,920 Speaker 1: sung by Marty, but Marty isn't in the band. How 1341 01:27:20,960 --> 01:27:22,800 Speaker 1: does that work? And how does Marty end up in 1342 01:27:22,800 --> 01:27:23,200 Speaker 1: the band. 1343 01:27:24,240 --> 01:27:26,200 Speaker 2: Well, that's how he ended up in the band, I think, 1344 01:27:28,439 --> 01:27:33,200 Speaker 2: because because he didn't like what was happening between Yorman 1345 01:27:33,160 --> 01:27:36,600 Speaker 2: and Jack and Paul and Grace, and nobody wanted to 1346 01:27:36,640 --> 01:27:39,400 Speaker 2: do what he wanted to do. I think, what's just 1347 01:27:40,360 --> 01:27:44,679 Speaker 2: sing Marty ballance songs, you know, And and that worked 1348 01:27:44,800 --> 01:27:48,120 Speaker 2: that he could still write with with Paul and so 1349 01:27:49,080 --> 01:27:52,160 Speaker 2: I assume that's why why he agreed to come back 1350 01:27:52,200 --> 01:27:55,599 Speaker 2: and do Red Octopus with us. 1351 01:27:55,840 --> 01:28:00,880 Speaker 1: Red Octopus is a gigantic success with Miracles. Did you 1352 01:28:00,920 --> 01:28:03,040 Speaker 1: guys know it was going to be so big? 1353 01:28:04,840 --> 01:28:10,760 Speaker 2: I could feel. I never wanted to think about, oh, 1354 01:28:10,800 --> 01:28:13,080 Speaker 2: this is going to be really big or anything like that. 1355 01:28:13,120 --> 01:28:16,840 Speaker 2: I just wanted but I knew that that one from 1356 01:28:16,920 --> 01:28:19,280 Speaker 2: the moment we played it in the studio. I mean, 1357 01:28:19,320 --> 01:28:21,280 Speaker 2: because we rehearsed it and it was a lot of fun. 1358 01:28:21,720 --> 01:28:25,960 Speaker 2: When we played it in the studio, every everybody did 1359 01:28:26,000 --> 01:28:29,080 Speaker 2: exactly the right thing. That was like that was like 1360 01:28:29,120 --> 01:28:30,200 Speaker 2: a magical one to me. 1361 01:28:31,840 --> 01:28:35,400 Speaker 1: Okay, this is the first time you've been making music 1362 01:28:35,439 --> 01:28:37,960 Speaker 1: for years, but this is the first time you've been 1363 01:28:37,960 --> 01:28:40,600 Speaker 1: involved with something that is commercially successful. 1364 01:28:42,080 --> 01:28:45,360 Speaker 2: He yeah, And. 1365 01:28:46,840 --> 01:28:50,000 Speaker 1: Was your life now different? Were you making any money? 1366 01:28:50,080 --> 01:28:52,400 Speaker 1: It was a big band and you didn't write the hit, 1367 01:28:53,000 --> 01:28:54,800 Speaker 1: but you were on the album. How did it all 1368 01:28:54,800 --> 01:28:55,240 Speaker 1: work out? 1369 01:28:55,320 --> 01:29:00,880 Speaker 2: For you worked that great, I thought. I mean, I 1370 01:29:00,880 --> 01:29:02,880 Speaker 2: mean we had a song, I think song on the 1371 01:29:02,880 --> 01:29:08,360 Speaker 2: album that it wasn't a hit, but it got played. 1372 01:29:10,640 --> 01:29:13,719 Speaker 2: Actually I played the the intro that the we're gonna 1373 01:29:13,760 --> 01:29:17,040 Speaker 2: look at the beginning was mine. So that's kind of 1374 01:29:17,080 --> 01:29:18,599 Speaker 2: the first hook. 1375 01:29:20,120 --> 01:29:25,640 Speaker 1: So the next album is successful, not as successful as Redoctopus, 1376 01:29:25,680 --> 01:29:30,600 Speaker 1: almost nothing could be right. And then you know the 1377 01:29:30,720 --> 01:29:36,440 Speaker 1: band starts, you know, switching into something different. Okay, yeah, 1378 01:29:36,880 --> 01:29:37,800 Speaker 1: tell me about that. 1379 01:29:39,760 --> 01:29:45,360 Speaker 2: Oh what was that Kevin Beamish? Right? 1380 01:29:47,080 --> 01:29:49,680 Speaker 1: Will you make another record? And that is nowhere near 1381 01:29:49,680 --> 01:29:54,200 Speaker 1: as successful? When's the change? Ron Nevison comes in? You 1382 01:29:54,240 --> 01:29:58,200 Speaker 1: write the same gene you're on that album. Yeah, but 1383 01:29:58,320 --> 01:30:04,519 Speaker 1: ron Nevison is is about Lucy Goosey, like San Francisco. No, no, 1384 01:30:04,640 --> 01:30:06,760 Speaker 1: So how did you feel about all that? 1385 01:30:07,920 --> 01:30:11,000 Speaker 2: I thought he did a great job actually, but he 1386 01:30:11,080 --> 01:30:14,400 Speaker 2: had his own problems, but he got it done. I mean, 1387 01:30:15,760 --> 01:30:18,200 Speaker 2: you know, I wasn't the only writer. I mean I 1388 01:30:18,240 --> 01:30:21,320 Speaker 2: started the song and my friend Jim McPherson and I 1389 01:30:21,360 --> 01:30:26,320 Speaker 2: wrote that wrote the melodies and the changes and the words. 1390 01:30:26,439 --> 01:30:28,760 Speaker 2: I mean, he helped me with the words. Basically I 1391 01:30:28,760 --> 01:30:31,720 Speaker 2: had the melody and the changes, but Craig came up 1392 01:30:31,760 --> 01:30:35,479 Speaker 2: with that great rock arrangement, so that's the CASEO and 1393 01:30:35,560 --> 01:30:38,680 Speaker 2: Paul came up with the intro, so that was his 1394 01:30:38,760 --> 01:30:42,800 Speaker 2: little lick at the beginning. So that's so they each 1395 01:30:42,840 --> 01:30:44,160 Speaker 2: got's points on it. 1396 01:30:44,200 --> 01:30:48,960 Speaker 1: So okay, then there's another album, you know with ron 1397 01:30:49,080 --> 01:30:54,120 Speaker 1: Nevisin where Craig writes the hit find Your Way Back. Yeah, 1398 01:30:54,439 --> 01:30:57,080 Speaker 1: And how does Nicky Thomas get in the bed? 1399 01:30:58,560 --> 01:31:03,439 Speaker 2: Well, he was in the band for when Grace left. 1400 01:31:03,800 --> 01:31:07,519 Speaker 2: He was he sang Jane, didn't he right? 1401 01:31:07,560 --> 01:31:09,240 Speaker 1: But how did you find him? How were you? He 1402 01:31:09,320 --> 01:31:11,400 Speaker 1: was working with Elvin Bishop. How did he end up 1403 01:31:11,400 --> 01:31:12,080 Speaker 1: in your band? 1404 01:31:12,920 --> 01:31:17,080 Speaker 2: Well, Marty and Grace both quit and Paul and I 1405 01:31:17,120 --> 01:31:20,479 Speaker 2: agreed with him, said said he thought we needed a 1406 01:31:20,520 --> 01:31:24,760 Speaker 2: new lead singer, so we started auditioning people and we 1407 01:31:24,840 --> 01:31:29,040 Speaker 2: had Jane. So it kind of seemed like the person 1408 01:31:29,080 --> 01:31:31,400 Speaker 2: that sang Jane best was gonna was going to be 1409 01:31:31,479 --> 01:31:39,880 Speaker 2: the guy. And uh, I don't know quite remember how 1410 01:31:39,880 --> 01:31:43,160 Speaker 2: he be came who talked him into coming in? 1411 01:31:46,520 --> 01:31:49,040 Speaker 1: Okay, how do you ultimately leave? 1412 01:31:51,400 --> 01:31:54,240 Speaker 2: Well, there's a few albums before I know, we'll tell 1413 01:31:54,280 --> 01:31:59,719 Speaker 2: you the story. Uh. He brought in Peter wolf Right, 1414 01:32:00,120 --> 01:32:05,880 Speaker 2: who was the most. If anybody's around and you need 1415 01:32:05,960 --> 01:32:09,080 Speaker 2: keyboards played, it'd have to be him, because he was 1416 01:32:09,160 --> 01:32:14,400 Speaker 2: a genius and he was he was great. But I 1417 01:32:14,439 --> 01:32:17,480 Speaker 2: don't know, I was doing less. I was doing much less. 1418 01:32:18,600 --> 01:32:20,800 Speaker 2: You know. I'd sing and maybe I'd get to play 1419 01:32:20,800 --> 01:32:23,920 Speaker 2: a little keys or something here, or play a little bass. 1420 01:32:24,360 --> 01:32:29,400 Speaker 2: And it felt like they were going more towards being 1421 01:32:30,600 --> 01:32:33,120 Speaker 2: a corporate kind of band, you know what I mean, 1422 01:32:33,640 --> 01:32:35,320 Speaker 2: where they're going to say, Okay, we'll sit here and 1423 01:32:35,400 --> 01:32:38,719 Speaker 2: we'll listen to people's songs and we'll pick the songs 1424 01:32:38,760 --> 01:32:42,160 Speaker 2: we're going to do, which is what it turned into 1425 01:32:42,439 --> 01:32:45,640 Speaker 2: after I left and Paul left, and so you know, 1426 01:32:46,240 --> 01:32:48,400 Speaker 2: and it was trying of it was moves to pull 1427 01:32:48,600 --> 01:32:53,519 Speaker 2: push Paul out, you know, because nobody wanted to do 1428 01:32:54,120 --> 01:32:56,920 Speaker 2: his crazy songs or anything, you know, and I kind 1429 01:32:56,920 --> 01:33:00,719 Speaker 2: of like Paul's crazy songs. Some of them were really good. 1430 01:33:01,479 --> 01:33:06,280 Speaker 2: And uh, but I also have a hard time quitting band. 1431 01:33:06,360 --> 01:33:08,160 Speaker 2: Says well, I noticed I should have quit Quick Sliver 1432 01:33:08,240 --> 01:33:11,559 Speaker 2: before I did, and I probably should have quit this one. 1433 01:33:12,120 --> 01:33:13,840 Speaker 1: Well how did it add? Did they push you to 1434 01:33:13,960 --> 01:33:14,439 Speaker 1: you jump? 1435 01:33:15,720 --> 01:33:19,280 Speaker 2: Oh? They pushed, they pushed, But I saw it coming. 1436 01:33:20,120 --> 01:33:21,720 Speaker 2: I mean I could. I could tell by all the 1437 01:33:21,760 --> 01:33:24,960 Speaker 2: contracts that were being signed and things like that. Oh, 1438 01:33:25,000 --> 01:33:27,640 Speaker 2: people could be fired from the band. Okay yet da 1439 01:33:27,680 --> 01:33:30,680 Speaker 2: yeah yeah, yeah yeah, I said, I said, SKay them, 1440 01:33:30,800 --> 01:33:32,800 Speaker 2: now they can fire me. So I expected it. I 1441 01:33:32,800 --> 01:33:36,640 Speaker 2: expected because I wasn't doing anything and I and I 1442 01:33:36,720 --> 01:33:40,120 Speaker 2: was thinking about getting out myself, you know, So that 1443 01:33:40,280 --> 01:33:46,760 Speaker 2: just made it final. So you know, I didn't take 1444 01:33:46,760 --> 01:33:50,200 Speaker 2: it that hard. Actually, and you know, if I if I, 1445 01:33:50,200 --> 01:33:52,680 Speaker 2: if I hadn't been it didn't get out of it, 1446 01:33:52,720 --> 01:33:56,040 Speaker 2: I probably never would have met my wife. Now went 1447 01:33:56,280 --> 01:34:03,160 Speaker 2: the magnificent Linden Imperial and uh and so I was 1448 01:34:03,240 --> 01:34:04,160 Speaker 2: quite happy about it. 1449 01:34:04,200 --> 01:34:07,720 Speaker 1: Actually, okay, you're out of the band. What are you 1450 01:34:07,720 --> 01:34:08,559 Speaker 1: going to do for money? 1451 01:34:10,360 --> 01:34:16,120 Speaker 2: Oh, I'll screep it up somehow, you know, I had 1452 01:34:16,120 --> 01:34:20,519 Speaker 2: some money anyway, pushed it put away and so I 1453 01:34:20,520 --> 01:34:22,400 Speaker 2: don't know, I went. I started. I hung out with 1454 01:34:22,439 --> 01:34:26,920 Speaker 2: Gary Duncan again, who seemed to be reasonable again. And 1455 01:34:27,000 --> 01:34:31,720 Speaker 2: actually that's how I met Linda. You know. I got 1456 01:34:31,720 --> 01:34:33,920 Speaker 2: a phone call and he says, hey, David, I got 1457 01:34:33,920 --> 01:34:36,920 Speaker 2: this chick singer coming coming around and I need to 1458 01:34:36,960 --> 01:34:41,600 Speaker 2: do some background vocals and and because the ones that 1459 01:34:41,640 --> 01:34:43,880 Speaker 2: are on there. Man, the girls got too screwed up 1460 01:34:43,920 --> 01:34:46,439 Speaker 2: and I can't use any of it. He says, Okay, 1461 01:34:46,520 --> 01:34:49,360 Speaker 2: I'll come over. And so I ended up picking up 1462 01:34:49,400 --> 01:34:53,120 Speaker 2: this chick singer at the bus stop and bringing them 1463 01:34:53,160 --> 01:34:55,639 Speaker 2: over to it to his studio, and it was Linda 1464 01:34:55,680 --> 01:35:00,559 Speaker 2: Imperial and h just like falling off a lall we're saying, 1465 01:35:01,000 --> 01:35:05,000 Speaker 2: I think four did four background four songs, backgrounds topped 1466 01:35:05,000 --> 01:35:09,920 Speaker 2: a bottom in one day and it was beautiful. 1467 01:35:11,120 --> 01:35:14,719 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, how long did it last with the marriage 1468 01:35:14,760 --> 01:35:16,320 Speaker 1: with the woman you met at the film bore? 1469 01:35:18,160 --> 01:35:22,080 Speaker 2: Oh? Julia, Well, I have a beautiful daughter with her. 1470 01:35:22,560 --> 01:35:31,960 Speaker 2: Jessica girl, Yeah, girl, girl, Julie, Julia. We got divorced, 1471 01:35:33,080 --> 01:35:36,200 Speaker 2: very dignified. I mean it was it was easy. We 1472 01:35:36,240 --> 01:35:38,080 Speaker 2: all just got together and said, well what do we have? 1473 01:35:38,240 --> 01:35:40,679 Speaker 2: We have this house? Okay, you want me to buy 1474 01:35:40,800 --> 01:35:44,200 Speaker 2: your half of it? And she said that sounds really good. 1475 01:35:44,280 --> 01:35:46,080 Speaker 2: So I bought her half of the house. I don't 1476 01:35:46,080 --> 01:35:51,000 Speaker 2: think her lawyer liked it, but she insisted that's all 1477 01:35:51,040 --> 01:35:51,479 Speaker 2: she wanted. 1478 01:35:53,280 --> 01:35:58,000 Speaker 1: Okay, at this late date, do you get any royalties. 1479 01:35:59,439 --> 01:35:59,760 Speaker 2: From what? 1480 01:36:00,280 --> 01:36:05,599 Speaker 1: From records? Songs? Sure enough to live on. 1481 01:36:09,680 --> 01:36:10,040 Speaker 2: Close? 1482 01:36:10,520 --> 01:36:15,559 Speaker 1: Oh that's good, that's good. So the way you tell 1483 01:36:15,640 --> 01:36:19,640 Speaker 1: the story is you were kind of bumping around and 1484 01:36:19,680 --> 01:36:21,120 Speaker 1: he said I want to I kind of want to 1485 01:36:21,120 --> 01:36:24,000 Speaker 1: do this, and you were kind of falling into things. 1486 01:36:24,600 --> 01:36:28,600 Speaker 1: Is that an accurate description or were you really aggressive? 1487 01:36:28,640 --> 01:36:32,360 Speaker 1: Has got a bad connotation, But were you more like, well, geez, 1488 01:36:32,400 --> 01:36:34,000 Speaker 1: I kind of want to do this. You know, I 1489 01:36:34,040 --> 01:36:36,800 Speaker 1: met this guy. This guy seems to be going somewhere. 1490 01:36:37,400 --> 01:36:40,000 Speaker 1: You know, if we look back, what was it like? 1491 01:36:41,320 --> 01:36:43,880 Speaker 2: I didn't really think about it like that. I think 1492 01:36:43,920 --> 01:36:47,800 Speaker 2: I wanted to go. I wanted I wanted to be 1493 01:36:47,920 --> 01:36:55,200 Speaker 2: in a band where everybody respected each other and and 1494 01:36:55,200 --> 01:36:59,479 Speaker 2: and you know, and I don't think I ever found 1495 01:36:59,520 --> 01:37:01,200 Speaker 2: one it till I was in the one that I'm 1496 01:37:01,240 --> 01:37:07,280 Speaker 2: in now, because that feels great, It's absolutely great. 1497 01:37:07,880 --> 01:37:11,720 Speaker 1: And then, you know, if you weren't living in San Francisco, 1498 01:37:11,840 --> 01:37:14,400 Speaker 1: you were hearing about the hate ashbery, you were hearing 1499 01:37:14,400 --> 01:37:17,240 Speaker 1: about drugs, hearing about Summer of Love. What was your 1500 01:37:17,280 --> 01:37:18,000 Speaker 1: take on all of that? 1501 01:37:20,000 --> 01:37:25,519 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that was kind of a mistake. I mean, 1502 01:37:25,560 --> 01:37:27,640 Speaker 2: nothing lasts forever. I mean, you can't come out and 1503 01:37:27,680 --> 01:37:34,760 Speaker 2: find and as soon as it hit the I saw 1504 01:37:35,240 --> 01:37:40,200 Speaker 2: somebody like like guys in Vietnam, looking at the Quicksilver 1505 01:37:40,280 --> 01:37:46,360 Speaker 2: Messenger service, uh album on in Time on Times, Time 1506 01:37:46,400 --> 01:37:50,559 Speaker 2: Magazine's cover or something like that. And once once you're 1507 01:37:50,600 --> 01:37:54,280 Speaker 2: in Time magazine or stuff like that, it's all over 1508 01:37:56,160 --> 01:37:58,679 Speaker 2: because because it can't it can't be the same. Everybody's 1509 01:37:58,720 --> 01:38:00,559 Speaker 2: going to want to come out and see. It has 1510 01:38:00,600 --> 01:38:03,160 Speaker 2: to be turned into a one way I mean, yeah, 1511 01:38:03,200 --> 01:38:05,360 Speaker 2: it has to be turned into a one way street 1512 01:38:05,520 --> 01:38:08,439 Speaker 2: because there's too many, too much traffic and you know, 1513 01:38:08,560 --> 01:38:10,560 Speaker 2: everybody's coming out to see the hippies who went to 1514 01:38:10,600 --> 01:38:11,800 Speaker 2: Meriton County last year. 1515 01:38:12,439 --> 01:38:18,320 Speaker 1: You know, So before it got all the publicity, was 1516 01:38:18,360 --> 01:38:20,120 Speaker 1: it a dream? Was it great. 1517 01:38:21,160 --> 01:38:24,719 Speaker 2: For Yeah, for a few months, I'd say maybe six, 1518 01:38:25,240 --> 01:38:30,200 Speaker 2: but you know it it's you know, it wasn't that 1519 01:38:30,439 --> 01:38:33,559 Speaker 2: cut and dried. But for the first year it was 1520 01:38:33,640 --> 01:38:36,080 Speaker 2: fine until it got really big. And then when it 1521 01:38:36,080 --> 01:38:39,800 Speaker 2: gets really big, it's it's too big to I mean, 1522 01:38:39,920 --> 01:38:41,639 Speaker 2: San Francisco couldn't hold all that. 1523 01:38:43,920 --> 01:38:49,320 Speaker 1: So being a folks singer, yeah, seeing everything, what do 1524 01:38:49,360 --> 01:38:53,000 Speaker 1: you see in today's world? So he can do There 1525 01:38:53,040 --> 01:38:55,559 Speaker 1: was a thought back in the sixties music could change 1526 01:38:55,560 --> 01:38:59,760 Speaker 1: the world. How do you feel about today's world and 1527 01:39:00,200 --> 01:39:03,080 Speaker 1: can it be changed by music? Does it even need changing. 1528 01:39:04,720 --> 01:39:10,759 Speaker 2: It certainly seems like it needs changing, but it could help. 1529 01:39:12,240 --> 01:39:14,720 Speaker 2: I don't think it could do it. I don't think 1530 01:39:15,439 --> 01:39:19,240 Speaker 2: any one thing could change. People have to change, and 1531 01:39:19,400 --> 01:39:22,320 Speaker 2: are they going to I don't know. But all you 1532 01:39:22,320 --> 01:39:24,520 Speaker 2: can do is try. 1533 01:39:24,720 --> 01:39:28,120 Speaker 1: Well, would you consider yourself an old hippie you never 1534 01:39:28,200 --> 01:39:31,599 Speaker 1: sold out, or how do you view yourself? 1535 01:39:33,040 --> 01:39:35,040 Speaker 2: I don't know. I kind of sold out. I made 1536 01:39:35,080 --> 01:39:40,280 Speaker 2: money doing stuff, But yes, I still agree I haven't changed. 1537 01:39:41,560 --> 01:39:43,519 Speaker 1: It sounds to me like you kind of made money 1538 01:39:43,520 --> 01:39:44,200 Speaker 1: by accident. 1539 01:39:45,479 --> 01:39:48,120 Speaker 2: Well, I was in the right place at the right time, 1540 01:39:49,200 --> 01:39:55,040 Speaker 2: I must admit. I mean that's part of it. But 1541 01:39:55,160 --> 01:40:03,880 Speaker 2: you have have some talent and and I still have 1542 01:40:04,040 --> 01:40:09,679 Speaker 2: values and and I know that people in our band 1543 01:40:09,720 --> 01:40:13,400 Speaker 2: do that when we have now really do and we're 1544 01:40:14,840 --> 01:40:18,840 Speaker 2: trying trying to change things. But all we can all 1545 01:40:18,880 --> 01:40:23,799 Speaker 2: we can do is is is singing and and and 1546 01:40:24,000 --> 01:40:27,400 Speaker 2: so that people are all just people, man, They're all 1547 01:40:27,520 --> 01:40:32,960 Speaker 2: just people, and they ain't that much different anywhere you go. 1548 01:40:34,720 --> 01:40:36,880 Speaker 2: And anybody that tells you any different is trying to 1549 01:40:36,920 --> 01:40:37,439 Speaker 2: get something. 1550 01:40:40,120 --> 01:40:45,719 Speaker 1: So what do you want to be remembered for? Don't 1551 01:40:45,720 --> 01:40:49,639 Speaker 1: need to be remembered. I don't know that's a basic question. 1552 01:40:50,080 --> 01:40:50,920 Speaker 1: Maybe you don't care. 1553 01:40:53,120 --> 01:40:57,240 Speaker 2: I don't know. I want to remember for a guy 1554 01:40:57,280 --> 01:41:00,679 Speaker 2: that did the did the right thing for as he could. 1555 01:41:02,720 --> 01:41:05,840 Speaker 2: I don't know. That's the kind of all I can 1556 01:41:05,880 --> 01:41:06,280 Speaker 2: ask for. 1557 01:41:07,280 --> 01:41:10,280 Speaker 1: And you still are in contact with the beat people. 1558 01:41:10,320 --> 01:41:13,680 Speaker 1: You're out on the road with Jefferson Starship, but all 1559 01:41:13,720 --> 01:41:17,800 Speaker 1: the other people from San Francisco band, some you were in, 1560 01:41:17,880 --> 01:41:21,120 Speaker 1: some you weren't, who are still alive, which is a 1561 01:41:21,160 --> 01:41:24,280 Speaker 1: big thing. Is there still a community you still talk 1562 01:41:24,400 --> 01:41:26,760 Speaker 1: to them, or is basically everybody's doing their own thing. 1563 01:41:27,800 --> 01:41:31,240 Speaker 2: Well, unfortunately, I'm the only time I ever see any 1564 01:41:31,880 --> 01:41:38,160 Speaker 2: old friends is that it's somebody else's funeral. But I'm 1565 01:41:38,200 --> 01:41:43,519 Speaker 2: just trying to to make it to be positive through 1566 01:41:43,560 --> 01:41:45,840 Speaker 2: what's happening now, and that's hard. 1567 01:41:47,040 --> 01:41:51,439 Speaker 1: The heavy lift. Okay, David, you've belistening to David Freiburg, 1568 01:41:51,479 --> 01:41:54,120 Speaker 1: who was there when it all happened in San Francisco 1569 01:41:54,240 --> 01:41:57,440 Speaker 1: and you know him of course from Quicksilver Jefferson Starship 1570 01:41:57,760 --> 01:42:01,320 Speaker 1: Still Jefferson Starship. I want to thank you for taking 1571 01:42:01,360 --> 01:42:04,599 Speaker 1: this time to speak with my audience. Got back until 1572 01:42:04,720 --> 01:42:07,120 Speaker 1: next time. This is Bob left six 1573 01:42:28,840 --> 01:42:28,880 Speaker 2: H