1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: Cast Playground. Taking a Walk with Buds Night. Well, Hi, 2 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: it's Buzz Night, the host of the Taking a Walk 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: podcast series, the special New York edition, the Greenwich Village edition. 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: And we are in the village and I'm with a 5 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: dear friend of mine, Steve Leed. Steve, it's so great 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: to be with you. Thank you. Just to be very specific, 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: we're on the Lower east Side, Okay, so it's on 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: the outskirts of the village, and we're on an avenue 9 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: called Houston Street. Now people from out of town looking 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: and go, oh Houston, No, no, Houston. And we're on 11 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: the corner of Houston, Houston and Essex, a number two 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: hundred and seventeen Houston Street, which is the site of 13 00:00:53,120 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: a very interesting historical rock showcase called the Mercury. Do 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: tell a lot of bands when they first come to 15 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: New York, since there's no cvgvs, not that this is 16 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: a punk environment, but a lot of bands in club 17 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: club backs will come here and for their first exposure 18 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: saying I played New York and you know, there'd be 19 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: a swarm of record company weasels coming down to check 20 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: it out, the action and see what you know, the 21 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: noise and commotion was about and you know, I guess 22 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: you could make or break a career here. Do you 23 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: remember any particular shows you saw here? I was trying. 24 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: I was trying to think about that. No, it's not 25 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: really Maybe maybe maybe the meat Puppets played here, But 26 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: you know, I wouldn't swear. I'm sure somebody listening is 27 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: more savvy than me. Can go on Google and look 28 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: up the Mercury Lounge and see who first did their 29 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: chops here. I'll bet you're right it was. I'm just 30 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: going to put my money on you. Oh, don't do that. 31 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: I think I'm going to All right, well, let's go 32 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: back up this way. We just had a delightful dinner, 33 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: had good, lightful, fattening, unhealthy, lots of soul, yes, but delightable. 34 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: But if you're in the Lower East Side and you 35 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: want to go to a historical food place on Houston Street, 36 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: it's called Kats's. It's been there since the early nineteen 37 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: hundreds and everyone's been there. Presidents have been there. The 38 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: famous film when Harry met Sally, there's that scene where 39 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: she's faking an orgasm in the middle of a restaurant, 40 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: and it's one of the tables there. In fact, it's 41 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: marked with a mobile hanging in the ceiling saying this 42 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: is where it happened. Classic scene, Classic scene, classic scene. 43 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: So you know you're the Lower east Side. Now there's 44 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: also of characters and different people here, all walks away. 45 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: And what's strange is the gentrification that's going on here. 46 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: The corner is a gelato place. Now we're walking past 47 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: a Marshals, Marshalls right next to Kansas. That's so weird. 48 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: And then the next stop is a is a you 49 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: know CBS. It's like things have changed and they continue 50 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: to change. But this is this is the this is 51 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: the Lower east Side. I mean it's happening everywhere. I think. 52 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: You know, the city has gotten extraordinary expensive, whether it's 53 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: an uber taxi or a hot dog, it's it's more 54 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: than it was before the pandemic. Yeah. So did you 55 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: come around the Villa jog with a lot of your 56 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: acts from your your label business that were being showcased. 57 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: I got to think you made a ton of appearances 58 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: yourself here. Well, no, I used to come down here 59 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: as a college kid. That was fun. Where did you 60 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: go to college? Well, I went to school back then. 61 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: I was going to School, Washington, d C. But I 62 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: love hanging out, say March Place at McDougal Street. I 63 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: love going to the Buttons store because that was the 64 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: thing protest buttons. My favorite was flush Twice. It's a 65 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: long way to Washington. I love that. So and you 66 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: get all these o noxious buttons political statements, if you will. 67 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: And there's the Buttons store. It's only sold buttons. Now 68 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: here we are in front of Russ and Daughters advertisers. 69 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: Now this is a toity toity. You might pull it 70 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: a deli, but it's a lot more than that. The 71 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: specialty is small old fish, so you'd come here, you know, 72 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: the salmon, whitefish salad. Not cheap by any stretch of 73 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: the imagination. But top of the line and around the corner. 74 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: I believe they opened a little restaurant. Oh really, I 75 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: have a question for you. What is aus where? Do 76 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: you see that one? Nova scot shit? I'm gonna say 77 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: that's something Polish that I have no idea. Oh and 78 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: I'm the Polish guy here? Is that true? Yeah? I 79 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: should know? Well they got sturgeon, Greek dollars, Russian cavia 80 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: or oops, I don't think he's pickles. Hollava they ship nationwide. 81 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, money changes everything. Look at that homemade pickled locks. 82 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: I have no idea what that is. It looks like 83 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: going back in time. Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean look 84 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: at the floor, at the tile floor. Yeah, but I 85 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: mean enough of the village still, don't you think looks 86 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: like it's back in time? A lot of it still, 87 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: But like it is, it's Army and Navy store that 88 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: just sells begs, army bags and many Okay, then you 89 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: have your dollar fifty pizza places. Yeah I don't have 90 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: fifty for a slice of pizza. Such a deal. That's 91 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: quite a margin business, right, Yeah? How about the bottom 92 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 1: line and the shows that used to be there? So 93 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: the bottom line near Washington Square on Fourth and Merson. 94 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: What a horrible end. The n YU how to take 95 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: it over, but who knows if they would have survived. 96 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: The business has changed so much. I mean two shows 97 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: a night. I don't know how many bands would continue 98 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: doing that. I was there for one of the opening shows. 99 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: Let's see, it was to John and the opening act. 100 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: It was a blues act, Gary Faarr and the t Bones, 101 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: and if I'm not mistaken, they were British anyway, It 102 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,119 Speaker 1: was a small place, right, wasn't it like four hundred 103 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: five four hundred people? Yeah, I mean, but the you 104 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: know the amazing thing. Billy Joel played there, the Spring 105 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: Steam played there, the annual flowing any Christmas shows. Yeah, 106 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: I mean it was really like any W's, like like 107 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: kind of like the broadcast broadcast place of record. Yeah, yeah, 108 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: I mean that was that was the place. But wasn't 109 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: it really I mean Danny Fields was saying this, wasn't 110 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: it really a place that if you were in the 111 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: label business and there was a showcase going on, you 112 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: got to be there. You got to be there. Yeah, right, 113 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: And and the labels paid for everything, right Oh yeah, yeah, 114 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: I mean, and it was hard to get service. I 115 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: mean the waiters, waitress waitresses never hustled you, like I 116 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: excuse me, I need something to drink. But the best 117 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: was the brownies, the brownies and roup cream. I always 118 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: thought those were great there. And Alan and Stanley ran 119 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: it like a family operation. Jack was at the front 120 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: door and with a bar on the left in the 121 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: rest of there. But you really think these places probably 122 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: could not I mean, they didn't survive, but there was 123 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: no way in today's world that they could have survived. 124 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: I think it would be be a challenge. You know, 125 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: the Fillmore East. I'm sure you walk by there, thank yeah, 126 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: I mean really yeah, I mean you walk around the 127 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 1: side is the brick wall where the Allman Brothers shot 128 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: the album cover. I hear some controversy that that's not 129 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: where they shot it. Okay, that's I don't know. We 130 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: got to get to the bottom of that one. But 131 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: I you know, across the street was the Village Theater, 132 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: which had a lot of strange things, including Timothy Larry Bean. 133 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: I went. I went to that. I actually got the 134 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: The program was a marygraph sheet. I'm not freaking, and 135 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: I think one of the talents was this acoustic guitar 136 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: player Peter Walker played the ancient protein strings of Life. Anyway, 137 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: I got Timothy Leary to autograph the mineograph sheet. I 138 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: was thought, Wow, got Timothy Leary autograph. That's pretty cool, 139 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: I thought so. And then on McDougall Street, hopefully I 140 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: got these streets right. The Player's Theater, small theater, a 141 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: couple of hundred if and that's where the Thugs played 142 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: ed Sanders right fully, Cup for Bird because all those 143 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: great songs kill for Peace the Morning Morning, which Richie 144 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: Haven's recorded, which was beautiful, very young firs. My favorite 145 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: song was squat Man versus the Lunatic Vagina. It just 146 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: so here I am. I guess I was sixteen years old, 147 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: and I convinced my father to drive me and a 148 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: couple of friends into the Village of the Night to 149 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 1: go see the Fugs. Really, I don't know. I guess 150 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: they made it, might have done two shows. They were 151 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: sold out, and my father was trying to convince us 152 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: we should go around the corner because there was something 153 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 1: else playing there at the village gate, the Mother's of Invention. 154 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,040 Speaker 1: And I got no, no, no, no, no, no, no 155 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,119 Speaker 1: their imitations. We got to see the Fugs. Oh God. 156 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: Because I was a hardcore folks fan. I mean, that's 157 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: one of my favorite little tortures is I go with 158 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: to Spotify and see if I can stump it find 159 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: songs of artists they don't have, right, they won't have 160 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: any of the folks. Why they sure did. They had 161 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: the whole Focus catalog on that little independent label. They 162 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: were on the ESP Records. Oh wow. So anyway, I 163 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: still like this, and of course my brother and I 164 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: love singing the folk song nothing, It's called nothing. How 165 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: does it go? Monday? Not think? Tuesday, nothing think Wednesday 166 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: a lot more nuh thing, Thursday, think Friday, think Saturdays, 167 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,719 Speaker 1: Sunday more nuh thing. And then the verses called nothing 168 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: nothing nothing not think and during the pandemic, what a 169 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 1: great song? Nothing, Steve? That is worth the price of admission? 170 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 1: Right there? Did you singing that song? That beautiful? That's terrible? 171 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: That was that was wonderful. I mean it's almost as 172 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: bad as my tuba playing tuba playing? Well I played 173 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: tuba and then in marching band played the susophone. So 174 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: you really are a student of music. Well I tried. 175 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: But you know, when did you realize somehow, being affiliated 176 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 1: around a business around music, that you were gonna be 177 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: in that business? When did? When did? When was the 178 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: moment that he knew? I'm a freshman at American University 179 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: of Washington d c M in the dorm. In dorm, 180 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: three guys to a rod, the double ducker bed in 181 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 1: a single bed, and the guy in a single bed 182 00:12:55,800 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: was from Pittsburgh. John and his girlfriend would come instant 183 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 1: the weekend, where the hell am I gonna go for 184 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: a tie around the door, and that meant picks. I 185 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: remember that. What the hell am I gonna do Friday night? 186 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 1: I wander over to the campus radio station and lo 187 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:26,319 Speaker 1: and behold, they need a newsperson to read the news. 188 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: So go over in the corner. Yeah, I'm old telotype. 189 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,199 Speaker 1: They ripped the teletype off, clean up the story. It 190 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,959 Speaker 1: could be semi relevant to the student body. Because it's 191 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: a campus radio station. Guess closed current. So I got 192 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: the radio bug, and then I clawed my way up 193 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:59,680 Speaker 1: through the ranks, came program director, eventually the senior station manager. 194 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: What a great little radio station it was during the 195 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: time the FCC was censoring music. For all the songs 196 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: that were censored, I put them on our playlist and 197 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: major and how have you played every shift? I mean Brewery, 198 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: Shipley come on really? Yeah, So I'm at David Peel. Well, 199 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: David Peel was on Apple Records, and for some reason, 200 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: Capitol Records didn't really believe back then in college radio, 201 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: so it's very difficult to get anything on Capitol. And 202 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: Dave Peel was on Apple, so it was part of Capitol. 203 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: So anyway, so I'm working at the campus radio station 204 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: and down the hall is the university's FM station, but 205 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: in the hallway is a vulten Boorg people. So one 206 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: day I'm welcome by the Voltenborg. Can see production assistant needed. 207 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: Acid rockers need not apply, contact Murray the CA and 208 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: a phone number. So I did one of the bad 209 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: things I did in my life. I took the card 210 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: off of put in my pocket and I called. I 211 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: got the interview, got the job, and I'm working for 212 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: Murray the K as his gopher schleft eventually as his producer, 213 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: his weed gatherer, you name it. I did it for So. 214 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: He was living in Washington, DC and working on weekends 215 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: at w NBC in New York, so I would go 216 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: up on the weekends. He was doing a thing called 217 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: NBC Monitor, So we did that for a while. And 218 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: then he was working at this radio station WWDC AM 219 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: i've co broadcasting in Washington, and he was not doing 220 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: the afternoon drive. I guess he got tired of doing it, 221 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 1: and he cut a deal with a little suburban Maryland 222 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: radio station where he bought the afternoon time slot outright 223 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: and sold advertising to the record companies and took me with. 224 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: So my roommate became the board op. I programmed all 225 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: the music and Murray voiced it and he would leave 226 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: early on Friday, so he couldn't do a show. So 227 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: so was the early days of voice tracking. He recorded 228 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: all the voice tracks, and my roommate and I would 229 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: and throw the music and people didn't know. Then he 230 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: got involved with a woman down there and they she 231 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: did the morning show. So eventually they gave me overnights. 232 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: So my nom dupume air name. Okay, I'm listening herschel Chickawitz, 233 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: bitter indigenous, Steve Lee's sounds like a big top forty 234 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: I Steve Lee's remember, So so I was on like 235 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 1: from I guess from midnight to say it exam herschel Chickawitz. 236 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: I'm I'm still stunned. Well, my current employer actually had 237 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 1: me doing overnights in the one of the channels and 238 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: allowed me to use that name. Really yeah, wow, Well 239 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: you're a rare individual in that you know all of 240 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: my various you know, incarnation names and all of that stuff. 241 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: You're you're keenly familiar with that. So so while I 242 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: was working in New York from Murray. Oh, so I'm 243 00:17:53,560 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: working overnights and I makes sixty dollars a week and 244 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: I get up and I go back to my I 245 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: was co renting a house with a bunch of guys 246 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: and they give me a joint and say show up, 247 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: go to sleep. I'd wake up, I'd be hungry. I'd 248 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: go to Roy Rogers and have a trigger burger. And 249 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: I was ruining my health. And I was like, this 250 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: sucks for sixty some odd dollars. Say wait, if I 251 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: go to my I've graduated. I go to my faculty advisor. 252 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: I go, what am I gonna do? This? This blows? 253 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: So he says, go to grad school. I go, are 254 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: you out of your mind? I barely got out of 255 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: this place. He goes, no, no, no no, no, this is 256 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: a three semester deal. It's really good school. It's probably 257 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: too late, but maybe you get on the waiting list 258 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: or whatever. So i'd a plan the waiting list to 259 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: Syracuse New House. No one, behold, I get on the 260 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 1: waiting list. Okay. Then I got to notice they accepted me. 261 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 1: So I have to go to the general manager the 262 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: radio station. You go, listen, I'm giving you two months notice. 263 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,239 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go to grad school in Syracuse. No no, no no, 264 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:09,959 Speaker 1: no, no no, no, You're gonna stay here we're gonna make 265 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: you a star. I go, we go, all due respect, 266 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this. You go there and Google look 267 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: and find it, but you'll see you want to come back. 268 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: So I found an apartment and moved to Syracuse and 269 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 1: got a job as a campus rep for United Artists Records, 270 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: and then I worked at a retail record store called 271 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:43,120 Speaker 1: Discount Records. Then I did Sunday night sign off at 272 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 1: w o U R and Utica and that was Sunday 273 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: morning transmitter engineer at Wolf the top forty station until 274 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: I got realized that I wasn't getting paid enough to 275 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: make it worth for a while, so I took two 276 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: other jobs. One was a lunch room monitor in the 277 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: d Wit school system to make sure the kids didn't 278 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: kill themselves after lunch. And then I was a bag 279 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: boy at Syracuse Wagments and that job was great. The 280 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: checkout counter, the old lady said, no, my car is there, 281 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: and I carry the bags of grocery of the car 282 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: and I'd get a quarter or fifty cents. I you know. 283 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 1: I did that, and I graduated and I went back 284 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: to work with Murray at w NBC, remember getting him. 285 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: I was working at UA I turned him onto the 286 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 1: Electric Flight office to roll over Beethoven. W NBC was 287 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: playing well, he played on his show. So anyway, I 288 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 1: heard through the grapevine I met the Atlantic kid, Schett Fermanak, 289 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: and he was kind of lame. He's the local Atlantic guy. Anyway, 290 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: I heard through the grape vine that he was probably 291 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: going to be let go and they were looking for somebody. 292 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: So I put on my suit and tie and I 293 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 1: go to the Warner Communications building. I'm gonna go get 294 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: a job and Cable TV, a degree in TV radio 295 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: arm get in the elevator and there's this at the time, 296 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: I thought elderly gentleman. And he looks at me and 297 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,120 Speaker 1: starts laughing. He goes, what the hell are you doing 298 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: wearing a suit and time. Last time he saw me 299 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: he brought cactus to my college radio station. And I'm 300 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: wearing tie, diet and I have my fro. I look 301 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: like a you know. So I said, well, you know, 302 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get you know, an interview with Warner Cable. No, no, no, 303 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: we get off with me. Get off with the second floor. 304 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: It's Atlantic Records. Introduces me to some key executives there. 305 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: They throw me in a room with a bunch of 306 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: these guys, and they go, kid, where do you live 307 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 1: New Jersey? You have a car? Yeah, what'd you do? 308 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: I went to school, so you live at home? Yeah? 309 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 1: You know anybody at WWFM. I go, well, in college, 310 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 1: I used to speak with the music director about imports, 311 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: guy Dennis Elks. Let me ask for sorry, kid, do 312 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: you think you can help us get our records played? There? 313 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,200 Speaker 1: I go, well, I did this college thing for a 314 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: nighted artists, I would assume. So, all right, listen, I 315 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: want you to go out to carl Stat to our 316 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: regional branch and meet with the sales manager there. I 317 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: drive out there. A couple of days later, they could 318 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: give a flying f about me. I could tell they 319 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: were just like so Columbus day. I call Atlantic Records 320 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: and I get the head of vice president of radio promotion. Decline. 321 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: That's on the phone, Dick Steve. Yeah, so listen, you 322 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: know I can't spread this, this this Zeppelin record. I 323 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 1: just can't seem to spread it. You know, up in Boston, 324 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,479 Speaker 1: you know, Jerry's not coming to the party. I don't know, 325 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 1: we're having a little rough time with this song, diar maker. 326 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 1: I don't know and I stopped. I go Dick, I 327 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: go Steve, I go tickets Steve Leeds. He goes, oh, 328 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,880 Speaker 1: I thought you're Steve why Zeppelin's lawyer manager. Listen, kid, 329 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: you got the job to fifty a week and you start, 330 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: you start next next Monday. Well, I tell my mother 331 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: and she's flipping out. She's like, you gain in two 332 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,120 Speaker 1: fifty a week, cluss expenses. This is the worst thing 333 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: that ever happened to you. You're going to be so 334 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 1: spoiled rhyme. I go, yeah, all right, I guess So 335 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: what did I had? They gave me barnaby By, They 336 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: gave me Abandoned luncheonet By, Holland Oates, and a couple 337 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: of disco No, there was there was a disco. Yeah, 338 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: there was some urban record And one of my first 339 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,880 Speaker 1: days in the job, Vin Skeltz is doing mornings, so 340 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: I used to listen to him on his college station, 341 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: so I was a huge fan. I call him up. 342 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: I said, I'm the Atlantic Records guy. Can I meet 343 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: you after the show for breakfast? Because yeah, sure, go Wow, 344 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: I'm paying for breakfast. I get to hang out with 345 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: a guy who I used to listen to on the 346 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: radio and I'm getting paid. This is a job. Wow, 347 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: this is pretty cool and the rest is history. Some 348 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 1: would say that, I would say, so that was almost 349 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 1: fifty years ago. So so in closing, you know, music's 350 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: important to us, it's important to you, it's important to me, 351 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: to our audience. It's something that is hard to describe 352 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: really what it does to us. Can can you articulate 353 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: why music? Well, Karl Marx used the expression from religion, 354 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: but I'll rephrase is it and put it in the 355 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: context of music. It's the opiate of the masses, or 356 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: as Brian Ferry said, love is the drug I need 357 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: to score. And maybe music is in there too somewhere, 358 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 1: So I think it's it's important. It's a common denominator 359 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: that everyone in the world knows in some form or another, 360 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: from an aboriginally drum in Australia to the beat of 361 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 1: Suweto to you know, it's just everywhere you know, we go, 362 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: there's some representation of music. And we're just in a 363 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: highly evolved or so we think, society and we've taken 364 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: it to this level where it's not just a cultural thing, 365 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 1: but it's a business, and a big business that makes 366 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: a lot of money and makes some people rich and 367 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: some people frustrated. That brings a lot of people joy too, 368 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 1: you know, well, yeah, it's yeah, yeah, I mean, I 369 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: mean it's a release. Yeah, I mean because you don't 370 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: have music. Yeah, okay, I can't imagine in the world 371 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: without music. Welled, Steven, it's great to take a walk 372 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: with you in Greenwich village or excuse me, the outskirts, outskirts, 373 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: the outskirts. We're in the Lower East of the Lower 374 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: east Side. We're on Houston Street. We're close to the village, 375 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: but very much close enough. But thanks for sharing your stories. Well, 376 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: thanks for the opportunity, and for those of you are 377 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: listening in the car, thanks for the ride. My Taking 378 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: a Walk with buzz Night is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 379 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.