1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: Podcast Playground. 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast Music history on foot. 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 2: Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, podcast Playground, or wherever 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,479 Speaker 2: you get your podcasts. Taking a Walk covers music of 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 2: all genres, from new unsigned artists to a long standing 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: hall of famous and everything in between. Buzz Night is 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 2: your hosts, and on this episode, grit and resilience are 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 2: the operative words regarding our guests. John Easdale is the 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 2: leader of the band Drama Rama, blending a dash of 10 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 2: hard rock, wallop, alternative rock, power pop, and punk. This 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 2: Pasadena Records band is out with a brand new project 12 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: called Color TV. Join Buzz Next with John Easdale. 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 3: Well, Hi, John, thanks for being on Taking a Walk, 14 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 3: albeit virtually. 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: I wish we were together, but we can pretend. 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 4: We're thousands of miles away, but we are together through 17 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 4: the magic of technology. 18 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 3: Well, congratulations on the now twenty twenty release Color TV 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 3: after a fifteen year hiatus. We're going to talk about that, 20 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 3: but do take me back to the record store basement 21 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 3: of Looney Tunes Records in Wayne, New Jersey. What were 22 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 3: you listening to then and what did you imagine that 23 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 3: your future was going to hold? 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 4: Well, you know, I grew up listening to the Beatles 25 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 4: and then you know, actually the Monkeys came before the Beatles. 26 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 4: When I was really little, I was like four years old. 27 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 4: Their show came on the air and I and I 28 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 4: was hooked to rock and roll. So I was a 29 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 4: little too young for the first wave of the British invasion. 30 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 4: And so the Monkeys turned me on a rock and 31 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 4: then I caught up and got the Beatles, and then 32 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 4: the Stone and then the Who and the Kinks, and 33 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 4: then in the early seventies David Bowie and Mata Hoopo 34 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 4: and t Rex and stuff like that, and then punk rock, 35 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 4: you know, sex pistols and clash, and then by nineteen 36 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 4: eighty two when we started the band, actually the store opened, 37 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 4: Looney Tunes. Our original bass player, Chris Carter, he owned 38 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 4: the store, and it was like trying to be like 39 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 4: a Manhattan record store, like a Bleaker Bobs or something, 40 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 4: and it only sold you know, imports and good you know, 41 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 4: just rock. It was a rock and roll record store 42 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 4: and sold imports and don't tell anybody but bootlegs and 43 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 4: all kinds of you know, we were just trying to 44 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 4: be the coolest thing in the world in a town 45 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 4: that really didn't have any use for that kind of 46 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 4: a record store. But yeah, we were listening to all 47 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 4: the new music that was coming over from England and 48 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 4: all the cool new music that was coming out of 49 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 4: the United States and out of Manhattan, which was about 50 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 4: half an hour away, maybe fifteen miles or something from 51 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 4: where we grew up. 52 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 3: What was your favorite pizza place in New Jersey? Just 53 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 3: out of curiosity? 54 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 4: You know, Tony's was gray and then there was there 55 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 4: was another place called Vinnie's Pizza Rama. There was a 56 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 4: lot of them, just just you know, there were like 57 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 4: four or five of them just in Ween, But yeah, 58 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 4: there was a whole bunch of them. The pizza out 59 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 4: there is so much better than I'm in California now, 60 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 4: and they call it pizza, but it really doesn't live 61 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 4: up to the name, doesn't deserve the name. 62 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 5: They should just call it piz. 63 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 3: I don't think you could get bad slices of pizza 64 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 3: or full pizzas anywhere in New Jersey. 65 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 4: No, not that I'm aware of, unless they have a 66 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 4: Papa John's out there. 67 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 3: So what were these places like Stone Pony, the Green Parrot, 68 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 3: the Fast Lane? 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: What were they like? What did they smell like maybe 70 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: you know. 71 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 4: And when we were first starting out, there was very 72 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 4: very few places for original music in New Jersey. It 73 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 4: was way more about cover bands and you know, bands 74 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 4: playing led Zeppelin and stuff. So we went to we 75 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 4: were playing at a bunch of dives. Not that those 76 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 4: places you mentioned were dives. Those were actually a little 77 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 4: bit more reputable and actual had actual people who came 78 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 4: to see what they came to see. But we played 79 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 4: at places called like the Dirt Club and other places 80 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 4: that weren't even as good as that. 81 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 3: And by the way, a shout out to Chris Carter, 82 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 3: who you mentioned, who does a pretty badass Beetles show 83 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 3: here on Sirius XM. 84 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: He does. 85 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 4: He's been doing Breakfast with the Beatles here in Los 86 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,720 Speaker 4: Angeles for gud twenty five years at least. He's on 87 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 4: a Sunday morning show on Klos FM ninety five point five, 88 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 4: and he took that show over. 89 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 5: It's been on for a long long time. 90 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 4: A brilliant lady named Deirdre Donnie who started it and 91 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 4: then sadly she passed away and Chris took it over 92 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 4: and he's been doing it ever since. 93 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 5: And then he got picked up on. 94 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 4: Sirius and he does it on there, and he also 95 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 4: does another show on Little Stevens channel called The British Invasion, 96 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 4: And yeah, he was. He and I and my friend Mark, 97 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 4: who I've known since I was two years old, started 98 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 4: the band in the basement and Peter Wood played guitar, 99 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 4: and I was actually the first drummer in the band 100 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 4: because we were just doing recordings before we played live. 101 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 4: We were just fooling around with four tracks and stuff, 102 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 4: and then we went in the studio same thing. I 103 00:05:55,279 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 4: played drums and those guys played the instrument. 104 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: The local music scene in Jersey was so fertile. 105 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 3: You had bands like Red House, the Smithereens, the Whirling Dervishes. 106 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 3: Was it camaraderie with all these other bands or was 107 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 3: it raw get out of the way competition. 108 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 4: I think at that age, everybody's kind of like we're 109 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 4: the best, get out of the way kind of thing. 110 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 4: I mean, I've always been trying to be cordial and friendly, 111 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 4: and I certainly don't have, you know, a massive ego 112 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 4: or whatever. But I think every band kind of just 113 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 4: is like thinking about themselves and we're the best, you know, 114 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 4: but you know a lot of them, I like a 115 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 4: lot of the bands you mentioned I didn't meet at 116 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 4: the time. We never did share a stage with any 117 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 4: of those bands until later we played with the Smithereens 118 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 4: and the Roling Dervishes. In fact, when we played in 119 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 4: New Jersey, the keyboard player from the Worling Dervishes is 120 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 4: name is Billy Siegel. 121 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 5: He actually sits in with us and plays with us. 122 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 3: You shared a part of your history with a similar 123 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 3: outcome of Mink Deville and Jerry Lewis. This was the 124 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 3: cult praise you received in France. 125 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: How did you embrace that? 126 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 3: And didn't the DJ from k Rock Rodney Beckenheimer think 127 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 3: that the band was French? 128 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 5: Yes. 129 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 4: What happened was we were going in the studio and 130 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 4: making our own recordings, and so first we put out 131 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 4: a forty five all by ourselves on our own label, 132 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 4: question Mark Records. Then we put out a twelve inch EP, 133 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 4: also on question Mark, and there. 134 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 5: Was a French DJ. 135 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 4: It got reviewed in a magazine called The Trouser Press, 136 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 4: and a DJ in France read the review and picked 137 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 4: up the record and he loved it and was playing 138 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 4: it on his show, and he introduced us to a 139 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 4: French label called New Rose Records, which was primarily releasing 140 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 4: records by American artists who weren't necessarily signed to a 141 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 4: major label or whatever. So we got a deal with 142 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 4: New Rose Records and they put out our first album 143 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 4: and it was only available in America as an import, 144 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 4: and Rodney Bingenheimer in Los Angeles bought it. 145 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 5: He just went to the store and. 146 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 4: Bought it in Pasadena Records in Pasadena at a store 147 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 4: called Poohbas and had a picture of Edie Sedgwick on 148 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 4: the cover and it said New Rose Records, Paris, France 149 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 4: on the bottom. So he thought we were French. And 150 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 4: we found out he was playing it and we called 151 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 4: him up and said, hey, Rodney, we're from New Jersey. 152 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 4: He came out to visit the East Coast when the 153 00:08:55,520 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 4: Monkeys were doing their first reunion in nineteen eighty six, 154 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 4: and he slept on our couch and he said, you 155 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 4: guys should come out to Los Angeles. Now, little known 156 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 4: to us, it wasn't just getting played on his Sunday 157 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 4: night show. The radio station actually added it to their 158 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 4: playlist and it started giving a lot of phone calls 159 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 4: and requests, and you know, it was on the radio 160 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 4: every It was in heavy rotation. 161 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 3: As they say, you've had movie success with your music 162 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 3: in a Nightmare on Elm Street four. 163 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: You've also had music in the Sega video games. 164 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 3: So you were really ahead of your time in that 165 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 3: area of kind of branding, if you will, wouldn't you agree. 166 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 4: You know, and it had all the wonderful things that 167 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 4: have happened to us over the years, you know, aside 168 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 4: from me writing songs in the band, playing and. 169 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 5: Going and laying it down to tape, all the. 170 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 4: Wonderful things that have happened to us have been a 171 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 4: result of the music and not necessarily of brand or 172 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 4: you know, any kind of efforts behind the scenes. It's 173 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 4: way more like people hear the music and then they 174 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 4: want to use it, you know. That's how it got 175 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 4: in Nightmare on Elm Street. That's how a lot of 176 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 4: our other songs have gotten in movies. It's like they 177 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 4: find the music and then they contact us. As opposed 178 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 4: to having somebody you know, pitching and saying, hey, you 179 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 4: got this great new. 180 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 5: Song by this band. You know, you got to put 181 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 5: it in your movie. It goes the other way. 182 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 4: It's like a director or a musical supervisor will say 183 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 4: I got to have that. 184 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 5: Song in my in my TV show or in my movie. 185 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 4: Or something, and so it's kind of backwards, but it's 186 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 4: really nice because it's all about the music and not 187 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 4: about the fashion or the style or the trendiness or 188 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 4: the fad. 189 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 5: And we're we're we've been very fortunate. 190 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 3: You had a great one called Hi Fi Sci Fi, 191 00:10:53,760 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 3: including some backing vocal contributors like Dwight Twilly and Sylvan Sylvan, 192 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 3: and then the band broke up after that release. 193 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: What did you learn from that breakup? 194 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 4: Well, you know, we had done everything ourselves up until 195 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 4: about our third album and then and even that we 196 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 4: recorded ourselves. But then we signed to a small label 197 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 4: in in Tarns called Chameleon Records, and that label ended 198 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 4: up being distributed by Warner Brothers or Warner Warner Music, 199 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 4: and we had to start dealing with the major label thing. 200 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 5: And we weren't used to. 201 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 4: Input from from executives, so we weren't very open to suggestion, 202 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 4: and we thought we knew better. 203 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 5: Than the record company. 204 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 4: So we kind of probably were a pain in the 205 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 4: neck to these guys. And we you know, we we 206 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 4: complained and not only did we come privately, but we 207 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 4: also did it publicly. 208 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 5: Memorably. 209 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 4: One of our members did an interview and pretty much 210 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 4: thought the interview was over and started talking to the 211 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 4: journalist and telling him how terrible. 212 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 5: Our label was and how terrible of a job our 213 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 5: label was doing. 214 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 4: And that's what got published was all of us, all 215 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 4: the gripes, and as you can imagine, the label didn't 216 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 4: really appreciate that. So we had a bad experience. But 217 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 4: I think it was mostly our own fault, and that 218 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 4: had more to do with the band breakup. Also just 219 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 4: the fact of being together. By that point, we were 220 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 4: together more than ten years, and I think we were 221 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 4: ready to take a break. 222 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 3: We have a podcast project that is called Music Saved Me. 223 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 3: And I know you've had trials and tribulations relating to addiction. 224 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 3: Can you talk about the power of music, how important 225 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 3: it is, especially when you're going through a struggle. 226 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 5: Well, you know, it's weird because when you're growing. 227 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 4: Up, when you're little, when I when I heard the 228 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 4: Monkeys or when I was listening to the Beatles or whoever, 229 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 4: I wasn't doing drugs. I wasn't I wasn't drinking. I 230 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 4: was just you know, getting high on the music, if 231 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 4: you will. And as I grew up and you know, 232 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 4: started being in advanced you know, the old the dangerous phrase 233 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 4: sex and drugs and rock and roll was in the 234 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 4: back of your head, and so they kind of went 235 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 4: hand in hand. And at some point the drugs anyway, 236 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,439 Speaker 4: really took over and and and when it was time 237 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 4: to give that up, and you know, rock and roll 238 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 4: did save me because I still had that and I remembered. 239 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 4: You know, you know what, you don't need drugs or 240 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 4: you don't need to be drunk. You don't need to 241 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 4: alter your conscious consciousness because you know what, the music 242 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 4: alters your consciousness. The music lifts you up. And the music, 243 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 4: you know, it's the music that is the strength. And 244 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 4: in a lot of ways, music is my higher power 245 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 4: when it comes to that. And yeah, music is miraculous. 246 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 4: It's the only thing I think we still have as humans. 247 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 5: Touch with that's magical. You know. It really can lift 248 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 5: your spirits. You know what's that old phrase. 249 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 4: It has charms that that soothes the savage breast. 250 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: It does. 251 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 4: It can make you happy. If you're in a good mood, 252 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 4: it can lift even higher. And if you're in a 253 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 4: bad mood, it can lift you out of that and yeah, no, 254 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 4: it is. It is a bomb on the soul. 255 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: We share a mutual friend named Rich Russa. 256 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 3: Who uses your song Anything Anything as part of his 257 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 3: show his theme. Rich is such a great guy and 258 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 3: such a great musicologist. 259 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: Really, how did you first encounter Rich? 260 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 4: He decided to name his show Anything Anything, and that's 261 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 4: how I first became aware of mister Rich. I'm happy 262 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 4: to say that he and I are now friends more 263 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 4: than you know. It has nothing, you know, it started 264 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 4: as a professional relationship, but it's blossomed into a true friendship. 265 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 4: And you know, I will say that I have a 266 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 4: lot of friends that I've made over the years in 267 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 4: show business, in the music business, and which is uncommon 268 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 4: because there's a lot of you know, guys that you 269 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 4: wouldn't you know, everyone want to speak to except for 270 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 4: that the business relationship. But Rich and I are really 271 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 4: really close. He's a wonderful DJ. He he plays, you know, 272 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 4: the greatest music goes on. He's he's all over the place. 273 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 4: Eclectic is if you look in the dictionaries picture of 274 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 4: Rich under eclectic because he plays everything. If you've ever 275 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 4: seen his collection, you would be flabbergasted because it's just incredible. 276 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 4: He he. He's the kind of guy who picked me 277 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 4: up and take me to the airport when I'm back East. 278 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 4: He's given us so many opportunities over the years when 279 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 4: the band got back together and and when we played 280 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 4: back East, he would like be our host and sponsor 281 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 4: the shows. And he's just been a great friend to 282 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 4: the band. But he's also just a great friend. And 283 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 4: I love that guy. 284 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: He's got a great head of hair too. 285 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 5: I gotta say that's that. 286 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 4: I envy that, and and I that's why I wear 287 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 4: a cowboy hat because I prefer it to a two 288 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 4: pay or a weave. 289 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 5: But no, yeah, he looks good. He's a good looking fellow. 290 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 3: I want to thank you for on Color TV turning 291 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 3: me on to the song Abandoned Love, which I did 292 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 3: not know as a Bob Dylan fan. You do a 293 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 3: tremendous cover of that. How did you find that tune? 294 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 4: You know there's a there's a tape recording of him 295 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,439 Speaker 4: doing it at a club in New York back in 296 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 4: the in between Blood on the Tracks and Desire. 297 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 5: When when when when Bob went back. 298 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 4: To Manhattan and was like going to the folk clubs again, 299 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,239 Speaker 4: he got up and played that song one night and 300 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 4: I heard a recording of that. 301 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 5: Now after that it was like a bootleg thing. 302 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 4: Somebody had a tape recorder in the club and they 303 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 4: recorded him when when he when he's sang it. 304 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 5: Now. 305 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 4: After that, apparently he went in and tried to do 306 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 4: a version of it, a recording of it which has 307 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 4: a lot of differently lyrics, then the version I first heard, 308 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 4: the bootleg version, well, not a lot, but a few. 309 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 4: There is a there is it's on one of his 310 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 4: bootleg series, the studio version that he did record, but 311 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 4: it's slightly different lyrics. And then I think George Harrison 312 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 4: even did a version that's like an outtake. I don't 313 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 4: know if it's ever been commercially released, but you can 314 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 4: find that as well. 315 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's an amazing song. 316 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 4: And you know, through the years, we've always tried to 317 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,919 Speaker 4: do songs and covers, versions of songs that weren't the 318 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 4: most well known by you know, well known artists perhaps. 319 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,400 Speaker 5: But not their most well known song. Try to find 320 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 5: something a little bit more obscure. 321 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 3: So what's your creative process in terms of writing new stuff. 322 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 4: It's ninety inspiration one percent perspiration. It just it comes 323 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 4: to me like I turn off the radio and I 324 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 4: listened to the radio in my head, and it just 325 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 4: it really is. It's all comes from outer space. I 326 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 4: don't know it comes from heaven. I really I couldn't 327 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 4: tell you how it happens. 328 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 5: It just does. 329 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 4: And I'm very fortunate that that's the way it goes, 330 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 4: because when I do try to write a song, I'm 331 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 4: not usually happy with the result. 332 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 3: Well, I know you're playing out live, and I know 333 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 3: you're playing out live really tremendously. My friend Elliott Kendall 334 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 3: just saw you a week or two ago and told 335 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 3: me how great it was. What's the joy of playing live? 336 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 3: Especially after COVID kind of shut that down. 337 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 4: I have to say that as the years have gone by, 338 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 4: I'm even get more pleasure out of performing. At some 339 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 4: point twenty some odd years ago, someone said, well, you're 340 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 4: an enter painter. 341 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 5: And I was like wow. 342 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 4: I was blown away, knocked me down, because I never 343 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 4: thought of myself in those terms, and I never thought 344 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 4: of people coming and buying tickets and coming to see me. 345 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 5: I just I had a much. 346 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 4: Larger ego when I was a younger man, and especially 347 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 4: when I was drinking and doing drugs, and you know, 348 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,439 Speaker 4: I didn't care about anything but me. 349 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 5: It was all about me and about how I felt. 350 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 5: And if I felt like getting up. 351 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 4: There half half cocked and half asked and half in 352 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 4: the bag or whatever you want to call it, that's 353 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 4: what you got, you know. 354 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 5: And now when I. 355 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 6: Get up there, I think, you know, I know that 356 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 6: people have come to see me, and and they they 357 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 6: bought tickets, and I owe them the very best that 358 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 6: I can do, and I have ten times more fun 359 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 6: than I ever did before. 360 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 5: After COVID, we've been really busy. We were you know, 361 00:20:58,400 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 5: we had to take a few years off. 362 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 4: We put out Color TV like a month in May, 363 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 4: you know, the shutdown was March. The album came out 364 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 4: in May first, so we weren't able to go out 365 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 4: and promote and you know, play the album live for 366 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 4: a while. 367 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 5: And it wasn't until almost well. 368 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 4: We started doing some stuff late in twenty one, and 369 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 4: then twenty twenty two I think was our busiest year ever, 370 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 4: at least since we got back together in two thousand 371 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 4: and three. We did all kinds of things. We traveled 372 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 4: all over and it's just wonderful. It is wonderful that 373 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 4: we're still doing this forty one years after starting the band, 374 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 4: and that we still get up and have a great 375 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 4: time and try to you know, rock hard, and people 376 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 4: are having fun, people show up and it's we're the lucky. 377 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 4: I'm the luckiest man in the world. 378 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 3: Well, I'm pretty lucky because the Taken a Walk podcast 379 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 3: reconnects me with folks, and it connects me with new folks, 380 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,360 Speaker 3: allows me to have music discovery and I so love 381 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 3: discovering drama rama and John Easdale and I thank you 382 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 3: for sharing on Taking a Walk. 383 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 5: Oh, pleasure is entirely mine. Thank you so much for 384 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 5: having me on buzz I. Thank you. 385 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 2: Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 386 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.