Our Very Special Guest Today is Marky Ramone the drummer for the legendary punk rock band the Ramones.
Marky Ramone is best known for the 15 years he spent
drumming for the Ramones. Prior to joining the Ramones, Marky played with an
array of influential musicians dating back to his high school years when he was
a member of the Brooklyn based hard rock band, Dust. Recording two albums with
his friends, Richie Wise (guitar and vocals) and Kenny Aaronson (bass) for Neil
Bogart’s Karma Sutra/Buddha label.
In 1976, Marky was introduced to Richard Hell. Along
with Bob Quine and Ivan Julian, they formed Richard Hell & the Voidoids.
The Voidoids released their groundbreaking debut album in 1977 on Sire Records,
entitled “Blank Generation”. Shortly after the Voidoids historic U.K. tour with
The Clash, Marky found himself at the bar at CBGB with Dee Dee Ramone. Dee Dee
asked him if he would be interested in joining The Ramones. The spring of 1978,
Marky joined the Ramones. In a matter of weeks he was in the studio recording
his first album with The Ramones entitled, “Road to Ruin”, which features one
of the biggest Ramones songs “I Wanna Be Sedated”. The following year the
Ramones filmed the cult classic “Rock 'n' Roll High School”. Later that year,
they joined forces with producer legend, Phil Spector to record “End Of The
Century”.
After several tours and two more studio albums,
Marky was asked to leave the band in 1983, only to rejoin his band mates in
1987 until they decided to call it quits in 1996. His tenure with the Ramones
spanned a total of 15 years. Performing over 1700 shows and more than 15
releases, including songwriting credits on both Mondo Bizarro and Adios Amigos,
the bands farewell release.
In 2000,
Marky reunited with long time friend Joey Ramone for Joey’s solo effort “Don't
Worry About Me”. In 2001, Marky along with his former band mates (Johnny, Dee
Dee and Tommy), were inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. That same
year, U2’s Bono presented the Ramones with the MTV’s Lifetime Achievement
Award. The DVD release, “Raw”, a compilation of mostly home videos filmed
predominantly by Marky was release in 2004 and entered the Billboard video
chart at number 5. Certified gold in three countries and currently the best
selling Ramones DVD release to date.
In the spring of 2009, Marky launched a capsule
collection clothing line with Hilfiger Denim. In 2010, Marky shared his recipe
for pasta sauce by introducing Marky Ramone’s Brooklyn’s Own Pasta Sauce. In
February 2010 The Ramones received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. It was
the first Grammy for the punk rock pioneers. In early 2010 Marky Ramones
Blitzkrieg with Michale Graves released their first single “When We Were
Angels” with former member of Sheer Terror, Mark Neuman, playing bass and
guitar. With no signs of slowing down, Marky Ramone continues to tour the world
with his band, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, featuring various lead vocalists
including Andrew W.K. and Michale Graves.
Marky is currently in his eighth year as a D.J. on
SiriusXM Satellite Radio hosting “Marky Ramone’s Punk Rock Blitzkrieg”.
Ramone is also a best-selling author who recently
released Punk Rock Blitzkrieg …My
Life As A Ramone – It’s the final word on the genius and mischief of The
Ramones told by the man who kept the beat and lived to tell about it.
-Available to purchase everywhere including amazon.com and www.markyramone.com.
It’s my great pleasure to welcome to the Ray Shasho
Show …drummer, songwriter, author and radio host … Marky Ramone.
MARKY RAMONE INTERVIEWED
ON BBS RADIO 1 POSTED ON YOU TUBE
Be sure to visit
these great sites for all the latest Marky Ramone news and touring information
…
This coming Saturday and Sunday November 12th and 13th will be “The biggest and best concert this area has seen for a long a time” says Mark Serio guitarist and organizer for the benefit to support ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler and raise awareness for ALS or better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Guitarist ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler is best known as a member of The Allman Brothers Band, The Gregg Allman Band and Dickey Betts & Great Southern. Earlier this year Toler announced that he had the disease. Recently his condition has worsened and now has trouble speaking.
His younger brother David “Frankie” Toler drummer and former member of The Allman Brothers Band died earlier this year from a prolonged illness.
Last year I covered an event hosted by “Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes” (who were many of the same organizers) to help raise money for two year old Emalynn Roberts diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Polyneuropathy. The concert was held at the same location and headlined by Dickey Betts & Great Southern. The event was a huge success.
The ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler benefit is promising to be a monumental event. Mark Serio says “The concert is going to be huge.” Musicians are flying in from everywhere to help their friend and fellow musician ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler.
The event takes place on Hershberger Ranch at 13010 Fruitville Rd in Sarasota just 7.3 miles east of I-75 on the right. It’s two full days of non-stop music –including free Barbeque, silent and live auctions and raffles. Online auction at http://www.dantolerbenefit.myevent.com/3/auction.htm
BYOB or beer is available to purchase at the event. The festivities begin at 12pm and ends at 11pm each night.
Tickets are $20.00 for a one day pass and only $35.00 for both dates. There are also VIP tickets available. Purchase tickets here or at the door on the day of the concert. http://www.dantolerbenefit.myevent.com/3/online_payment.htm
Call Mark Serio at (941)228-5099 for further information about the event.
Day 1- Saturday’s music schedule kicks off at 12pm with Cowboy Keith.
In 1969 Delaney & Bonnie supported Eric Clapton’s short-lived Blind Faith band on the road. Their certified gold third album On Tour with Eric Clapton was their most commercially successful release. In 1970 Delaney & Bonnie & Friends participated in the Festival Express tour (originally billed as the Transcontinental Pop Festival) by train across various Canadian cities with The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and The Band. Festival Express was a 2003 documentary film about the 1970 train tour including concert footage across Canada. Also in 1970 the band appeared at The Strawberry Fields Festival in front of an estimated 100,000 people in Ontario, Canada.
Delaney & Bonnie divorced in 1973 after releasing their final album D&B Together. The album featured such illustrious artists as Steve Cropper, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Duane Allman, Dave Mason, Leon Russell and Billy Preston.
Delaney & Bonnie’s most memorable hits were Dave Mason’s penned “Only You Know and I Know” and “Never Ending Song of Love.” Bonnie Bramlett also co-wrote “Let It Rain” with Eric Clapton.
Bonnie enjoyed continued success as a solo composer and recording artist while sharing her amazing vocals with Elvin Bishop, Stephen Stills, Little Feat and The Allman Brothers Band throughout the 70’s and 80’s.
In 1979 Bonnie Bramlett participated in the acclaimed Havana Jam Festival in Cuba.
Under a new married name Bonnie Sheridan, she became an actress with an ongoing role on the TV sitcom Roseanne from 1991-95.
Dickey Betts, a Bradenton native, had formed a band in Florida with bassist Berry Oakley.One night they jammed with another local group featuring Duane and Gregg Allman, and The Allman Brothers Band formed in 1969. After the death of Duane Allman in 1971, Betts became the bands sole guitarist. Dickey Betts was inducted along with the rest of The Allman Brothers Band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Day 2 –Sunday’s music itinerary will feature The Boogiemen opening at 12pm.
The afternoon lineup includes a rendition of 50’s rock and roll icon’s The Platters recreated by Wilson Williams and his Platters.
Blackhawk (The Outlaws) are the headliners for Sunday evening and will be performing at 8:30pm.
There may even be surprise guests performing during the two-day event.
The event is this coming Saturday and SundayNovember 12th and 13th on Hershberger Ranch at 13010 Fruitville Rd in Sarasota just 7.3 miles east of I-75 on the right. 12pm to 11pm each day.
Come out and enjoy good food and great music by legendary performers and help support the fight against ALS.
Order columnist/author Ray Shasho’s new book called Check the Gs – The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business at amazon.com, iuniverse.com, barnesandnoble.com or borders.com. Order now for the holidays!
“Original, Entertaining and Hilarious-- This book has all the elements of a classic in the making. The novel is centralized around Raymond, a boy growing up around the family business in Washington, DC...but that is just the tip of the plot. The dynamic characters really make this memoir.” - Reviewed by a local high school English Teacher.
Dave Mason headlines Hippiefest 2011 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Saturday August 27th. Dave will be sharing the stage with an impressive lineup of classic rock hitmakers.
Joining Dave Mason will be Mark Farner the inspirational leader for Grand Funk Railroad (“We’re An American Band,” “I’m Your Captain,” “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “The Loco-Motion”), Rick Derringer(“Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” “Hang On Sloopy”), Felix Cavaliere(“Good Lovin',” “Groovin'” and “People Got To Be Free”) and Gary Wright (“Dream Weaver,” “Love Is Alive” and “Really Wanna Know You”).
Order your tickets right here for an outta sight night of kicking out the Jams.
Songwriter/Guitarist/Vocalist Dave Mason cofounded the band Traffic after Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group. In 1967 Mason left the band after the release of the Mr. Fantasy album. Mason rejoined the band for awhile in 1968 and recorded “Feelin’ Alright,”a song that became Mason’s trademark.“Feelin’ Alright” was covered by Joe Cocker in 1969. Mason went on to join Delaney & Bonnie & Friends in 1969 and released his debut solo album Alone Together producing the hit single- “Only you know and I know” The album reached gold in the U.S. hitting # 22 on the record charts.
Dave Mason hit superstardom throughout the 70’s with a handful of highly successful albums reaching platinum and gold status - It’s Like You Never Left, Split Coconut, Certified Live,Let it Flow and Mariposo de Oro. Top 40 hits “We Just Disagree” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” were spawned from that triumphant period.
Here’s my recent interview with renowned songwriter/musician/humanitarian Dave Mason.
Dave, I want to thank you for spending some time with me today, where do you call home nowadays?
“No problem thank you, I live near Santa Barbara in California.”
I understand that this is your first Hippiefest tour. I talked with Mark Farner the other day and he let me know that he and Rick Derringer were actually really good friends. Are you buddies with anyone that you share the bill with?
“Not really, I’ve played shows with all these guys but back in the Traffic days it would be Gary. When Gary(Gary Wright) had a band called Spooky Tooth.”
When I do a Dave Mason search on the web, I see a lot of involvement in charity work. What sort of charity events are you involved with?
“I have a charity that I helped start and I’m very involved with it that we do for veterans. And that is we help people transition out of the service to start their own business. It’s called Work Vessels for Veterans at http://wvfv.net/.”
You also participate in various benefit concerts and celebrity golf classics including partnering with Michael Bolton. Do you play golf Dave?
“No I don’t play golf. Michael Bolton’s charity is for abused women and I’ve done that with his charity for about the last five or six years. And for 14 years he was doing it in Stanford Connecticut and then last year I kind of talked him into trying it somewhere else so we moved it to the Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course and this year we’re combining his charity with the Work Vessels charity and the event out there and on the 23rd of September then I have The Feelin’ Alright Second Annual Golf Tournament in Virginia at Fort Belvoir and that is with a group called (CAMMO) which does a lot of work with vets and music and there’s a number of them that have been signed to recording contracts and it’s pretty interesting you know, last year we had a band that the drummer had titanium legs and those guys were really good. And they’re getting a lot of results with post traumatic stress through the music. So it’s interesting work and a great group of people.” http://cammomusic.org/main/
Music has gotten a lot of our servicemen through tough times over the years especially during wartime.
“I did a Toys for Tots show in Atlanta back in 1977 and I was getting ready to walk up on stage and this Marine came up to me and said “You know man, me and my buddy were stuck in a foxhole for three days and we would have gone absolutely nuts if it weren’t for a Jimi Hendrix tape and a Dave Mason tape.”
You’re doing great work for our vets Dave. Sometimes our veterans are not treated with the respect that they deserve are they?
“The way that our vets are treated when they come back is shameful, they’re kind of swept aside a little bit, I mean you know you’ve got the Veterans Administration and all that stuff but there’s a lot that still could be done, anyways that’s why we pick up the void. There’s a number of us, a number of organizations out there that try to fill those holes, fill that gap.”
Bless you man for all you do. I want to talk some about your music; your first band was actually called The Jaguars back in the early 60’s and was reminiscent musically to The Shadows and Ventures?
“Yes, that was my first band The Jaguars. I worked a little instrumental version called Opus To Spring when I was about 16 and a local record store put a record out on it. We only did the one recording with that band and then that’s all we did with that. There was another band called The Hellions with Jim Capaldi we had a record out on Pye records that was produced by Kim Fowley, the guy that did ‘They’re Coming to Take Me Away Ha Ha Ho Ho He He.’” And we did a Jackie Deshannon song called “Daydreaming of You.”
And I heard you guys played the famous Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany where The Beatles played?
“No we never got to Hamburg we played some little town outside of Hamburg and played Saturday nights, we use to play for about eight hours on Saturday nights, fifteen minute songs, fifteen off, fifteen on, fifteen off.”
So you knew Jim Capaldi (Drummer and a founding member of Traffic) because of The Hellions?
“Jim and I knew each other for a long time. Jim (Capaldi) grew up 12 miles from me. Yea, Robert Plant also grew up around 12 miles away and John Bonham.”
You met Steve Winwood when he was in The Spencer Davis Group?
“Yea he was in The Spencer Group and The Hellions use to play up in Birmingham which is 25 miles from Worcester and through that we met Steve and Chris Wood and basically we just hung out for a year or so just run into each other and then at one point Steve had decided he was going to leave The Spencer Davis Group. And during that time during that break I’d sung on a couple of their recordings, ‘Somebody Help Me’ and most of Traffic was on ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ and it’s pretty much all of us singing in the background of ‘I’m A Man.’
I kind of played Roadie for a couple of months with them and then we formed Traffic.”
Then you guys rented a cottage in Berkshire?
“A famous jockey had a racing stable down there so we kind of commandeered this cottage sitting in the middle of nowhere. It’s where they trained and canter the horses. There was no gas, no electricity and no running water in the place. We lived there like that for about six months.”
Man that was primitive living. If you didn’t have electricity how did you plug into the amplifiers and rehearse your music?
“We had a generator.”
Those were the good old days huh? (All laughing)
“Yea whatever we were kids, I was 18 years old and you think there’s not anything you can’t do.”
So how did Traffic get their big break?
“Well Steve already had three, four, top ten records so he had kind of an entree in that way and then I started writing and Jim and Steve started writing and my writing I pretty much did on my own and then the problems started to happen when the stuff that I was writing was the stuff picked for singles. And their biggest hit at the time was the first song I’d ever written and was kind of a fantasy tune called ‘Hole in My Shoe’ and that got to number two in England and was really their biggest single hit. After the first album I left and the reason I left was because I couldn’t really deal with the fame so quickly it was just a little overwhelming for me. So I actually left and did a couple of things worked with starting to produce an album for a group called Family, ‘Music in a Dollhouse’ and then I got to know Hendrix and spent a little time recording with him and some of it was on Electric Ladyland.
Then I did a little stint with what was known as a satirical group called The Scaffold, it was Paul McCartney’s brother (Professionally known as Mike McGear) and I did a number of shows with them and so just roamed around playing with different people and then at one point I just took a little bag and a guitar and worked this little island called Hydra (Greece) and I really didn’t have any money at the time but it was a great time and that’s where I wrote ‘Feelin Alright.’”
Then I met up again with them in New York and they were working on the second album, and then he had five songs and I had five songs so it was like okay let’ s get back together again. And I thought it was a really good second album it was a good transition from Fantasy (Mr. Fantasy debut album) it had a lot of kind of Fantasy stuff on it but giving a lot more cohesive I thought musically. And after that album pretty much again my songs were being picked for the singles and that’s just what caused the riff with Winwood. And I pretty much just spent days where he’d never talk to me.”
Wow that’s a real shame. Unfortunately I hear a lot of stories like that in bands.
“Yea, even marriages break up.”
Bands are like a family with lots of emotion and drama.
“The kind of difference is that sometimes it makes things really good though you know. When you’ve got kind of an edge going in there you can create some really good stuff rather than following one thing all the time but at any rate whatever that’s the way it was so at that point I just decided there wasn’t much point to staying in England or Traffic so I just upped and moved to America."
It’s amazing even though you hailed from England your accent is all but gone man.
“The way they talk where I grew up, I mean I can’t even understand some of the people.”
I always found it fascinating when the early Beatles talked in their Cockney accents, but then when they sang on a record it was gone.
“It’s because they were copying all those American singers that’s why. America is the home of all contemporary music. Jazz, Blues and Rock & Roll it comes from here.”
You know it’s amazing how many musicians that I talked with from the 60’s that had never met Jimi Hendrix. I always figured that at one point or another there would have been a moment spent with him. What was Jimi Hendrix Like?
“He was just a pretty quiet guy as a matter of fact. Most of the time that I spent with him I never saw him basically without a guitar in his hands.”
And you worked on the ‘All Things Must Pass’ Album with George Harrison?
“Well I knew George for quite awhile he gave me my first Sitar. And McCartney I use to go down to the Sgt. Peppers sessions and hang out or stay in the studio while they were recording and spend a good time with George. Nice Man. But playing on All Things Must Pass, I couldn’t recall what tracks that I played on to be perfectly honest with you.”
So what’s on your plate these days Dave?
“Well I tour a lot and obviously the charity for the Vets. Trying to grow the charity is very important for me. And basically just keep on rolling down the road and singing.”
Do you have a CD being released soon or involvement in new collaborations?
“At this point, there’s no point in me putting anymore CD’s out because there’s just no outlet for it, there’s no promotion for it, there’s no radio anymore ever, there’s no way for anyone to know that you’ve got something new out.”
Well you’ve got me Dave. (Laughter)
“I mean national radio, it’s somebody goes in and puts a cart in and pulls it out after thirty days and then puts another one in and there’s nobody home.”
I know exactly what you mean Dave. I was a radio deejay in the late 70’s early 80’s. My dream was to become like one of those deejays from back in the 60’s. Radio is not about the music anymore it’s basically all about advertisers. And who wants to listen to radio to hear back to back to back commercials.
“Yea, there’s just nothing there and no way to get anything promoted. There’s no way for anyone to really hear something or know if they’re even going to like it. So basically anything new that I have is just going to go on my website and you can go there and download it. And until something comes along where you can promote properly it’s economically not feasible to do another CD.”
My column is only about Classic Rock Music and Classic Rock Artists. And my articles are viewed globally on the internet with the sole intention of keeping that dream alive and the fire burning.
“I appreciate that.”
My favorite Dave Mason tune unfortunately was a song that you didn’t write. And it was your biggest hit “We Just Disagree” written by Jim Krueger. I own that awesome performance of the song that you did on Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special. Dave I just want to tell you man that you’re a legendary artist, great songwriter and studio musician and just a classy guy and thank you so much for spending time with me today I really appreciate it.
“You’re quite welcome.”
Keep on doing what you’re doing and I'll see you at Hippiefest in Clearwater.
“I will Ray thank you.”
Dave Mason will be headlining Hippiefest 2011 on Saturday August 27th at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. So let your freak flag fly!
Gregg Rolie was the epitome of genius when it came to creating and fronting monumental rock groups. But he also perfected the art of cool as lead singer for the Latin Rock/Jazz Fusion band Santana and the Progressive Rock band Journey.
Although Carlos Santana gained most of the bands notoriety for his impressive guitar virtuoso, the band would not have become commercially successful without Rolie’s undeniable trademark articulation and gifted keyboards. A similar realization for the quest for commercial success occurred in Rolie’s second pilgrimage with Journey. Rolie relinquished his frontman duties to Robert Fleischman and eventually to a charismatic Steve Perry to sell more records. Gregg Rolie’s amazing vocals and extraordinary keyboard playing can be heard on Santana’s chart-topping classics including “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways,” and “Oye Como Va.” Not only was he co-founder of the group, Rolie was a huge factor in the success of Santana’s masterpiece Abraxas. Despite repudiation from the rest of the band, it was Gregg Rolie who suggested Santana’s most recognizable tune “Black Magic Woman,” (reaching #4 on the U.S. charts) a song written by guitarist Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. Santana with Rolie on lead vocals and keyboards performed an unprecedented set at Woodstock on day two of the three day event. Woodstock documentation of their electrifying performance of “Soul Sacrifice” made rock and roll legendary status. Gregg Rolie and Santana were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Rolie left the band after their fourth album because of Santana’s eclectic musical styles; he formed Journey with ex bandmate Neil Schon in 1973. Journey continues to be one of the most commercially successful rock bands in history.
Today his prodigious group of accomplished musicians forms the Gregg Rolie Band.
His latest endeavor is Gregg Rolie - Five Days a new EP/CD consisting of 6 songs with Gregg playing acoustic piano and singing live. He recorded these tracks in his living room and as Gregg says, "It's from my house to yours.”
Here’s my interview with legendary singer/songwriter/musician/entrepreneur Gregg Rolie.
Gregg thank you for spending time with me today, how are things in Austin Texas?
“It’s been a little too hot in the last three weeks but I don’t mind, it’s okay. Keeps you warm. Again, I don’t get hurricanes but I do get snow it actually does snow here. It snowed here last couple of years. It has full seasons which I kind of like, you know I’m from California and San Diego has one season, actually two it’s either gray or sunny. It doesn’t rain, doesn’t do anything.
California is insane, they just kept voting in the same idiots while I stayed there so I ran away. They just keep doing the same things over and over and one day they’re going to have to pay the price for it. Right now they want every other state to pay for it and I don’t want to. I came here to Texas to escape them and here they’re going to the Federal Government which means I’m paying for them anyway along with everybody else.”
Gregg, do you have Latin roots, you seem to have a genuine affection for Latin music?
“No I don’t, but I can guarantee you that every Latino has some Viking in him. I’m Norwegian –Swedish and the joke between Ron my drummer and I is if you want that real Latin sound you got to have a couple of Norwegians in your band.”
It’s funny I always assumed that you had a Latino background because you meshed so well in Santana.
“I just always loved it. Those rhythms are infections and are driven by Afro-Cuban rhythms. Started in Africa, moved to Cuba and then into America. Tribal instinct music with a lot of electricity on it. And that’s kind of what we did; we built a kind of music in Santana that never existed before.”
My Mom is Cuban so I can certainly Identify Gregg.
“When I was young, I didn’t have any of the Mexican or African- Cuban rhythms in our house other than Sergio Mendes and things of that nature that my Mom liked. The kind of rhythms that was there were like Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. But I always liked that stuff even though I was listening to rock and roll and Chuck Berry but once she put that on I always liked it. And I had no dreams whatsoever of ever getting into something like I ended up doing, it was one of those things. At least I didn’t say no.”
How did you meet Carlos Santana?
“The story about Carlos is a friend of mine Tom Fraser who I played in some frat bands with right and you get paid in alcohol, he saw Carlos play on a Tuesday night with Mike Carabello who ended up being the original Congo player and two guys from Carlos high school playing bass and drums. They played at The Fillmore on Tuesday nights which Bill Graham allowed locals to come in and play, local bands, just for free just to be there. And he said I’m going to go find him Gregg .We lived 30 miles south of San Francisco. So he went up and found him working at Tick Tock hamburger stand on Columbus Street. So he said I’ve got a keyboard player that you can play with and so he goes okay, so he came down to Mountain View to a little farmhouse where we were playing which ended up being Shoreline and Shoreline Amphitheatre.
We were playing and making a lot of noise and there was marijuana and the cops came. So I turned and said “We got to get the hell out of here” and as I turned to Carlos all I saw was his elbows and the back of his feet you know, he was twenty yards down the road already out on this field. And so I thought, what a great idea, so we ran and hid in this tomato patch and that was the beginning of the whole thing.”
Wow that’s so funny what a story.
“Yea we just laid there until the cops left and we went to pick up the van and got all our stuff.”
So you guys hooked up and just started jamming after that?
“Yea, I was going to college at the time. I ended up going up to San Francisco all the time, it was 30 miles in my 55 Chevy and jumping over to go rehearse and I had a B3 organ that I left up there in this guy’s garage. We’d go back and forth and while I was playing in the band I wasn’t doing any college work and while I was doing college work I wasn’t rehearsing with the band so I had to make a decision and chose the band. I was going to be an architect otherwise."
Well Gregg I’m glad that you didn’t become an architect.
“Well I designed my last two houses and they came out really good.”
I guess the story went that after your audition, promoter Chet Helms told the band that you guys would never make it in the San Francisco music scene playing Latin Fusion and suggested Carlos keep his day job?
“I don’t know if it was Helms, we went to the Avalon to try and get a gig there, which is what you had to do back then, a couple of times, and one time we did play for Helms I think, but there was this one guy we played for and he just didn’t get it at all. What do have a conga drum and an electric guitar and an organ… what is this? They all wanted The Jefferson Airplane. Well there already is one.”
And there’s Moby Grape and Quicksilver Messenger Service and Blue Cheer… all very similar.
“Yea, all of those bands and they were already there. Playing what they played. And the music that we were going after was blues and jazz based with conga drums on it and actually one of the songs that kind of kicked us into playing a little bit differently was from the Butterfield Blues Band East-West. The way they jammed on that song we were enamored with and we started jamming our way through this stuff and doing a little bit more of it. Santana was a Jam band and built by all six guys, not one guy, not two guys, and without all the other members of the band that music wouldn’t be what it is.”
There were a lot of Jam bands back in those days right Gregg?
“Most bands were, in fact when we did the first Santana album we called in Albert Gianquinto who was a piano player for James Cotton, he was a friend of ours and quite a musician and asked him what should we do with this music to record it and how we could make this better? And we played it for him and he goes, “Shorten the solo… see ya.” That was it, we shortened the solos and that was our first album.”
And you recorded that first album pretty quick too didn’t you?
“Yea, we did that as a recall in about 2 or 3 weeks from front to back. We were working 14 hours a day and sometimes all night. We weren’t really happy with the sound of it compared to the other records at the time but it was definitely a milestone. And it came out right after Woodstock. Timing is everything in this business.”
How did you guys get invited to Woodstock, how did that happen?
"Well that was Bill Graham. Bill Graham was talking to Michael Lang and he said, “You must have Santana.” And it was an unknown band. Mike Lang told me this story; He told Bill “Send me a tape.” And he got the tape and said, “Okay, we’ll have Santana.” And that was it. So Bill Graham was the one who got us in that and Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson and all kinds of stuff. And at the time I really didn’t know that."
Bill Graham was so important to music.
“Graham was very important to the career of the band Santana. He just loved live music. He brought us “Evil Ways” we didn’t want to do it, I mean when you think about it, singing about pots and pans. We want to rock, you know? But we did it for Bill. “Okay Bill we’ll do that. And that was another time when we didn’t say no."
Santana was so awesome at Woodstock.You guys played Day-Two between The Keef Hartley Band and Canned Heat. Santana pretty much ruined any chances for The Keef Hartley Band to gain any kind of success after Woodstock because of a monumental performance that followed them.
“You know what happened for us was being an unknown band, but the atmosphere was really right for the song “Soul Sacrifice” and at that point the band really kicked into what it could do. Until then Carlos had tuning problems plus he had taken some acid earlier but it finally all peaked for Soul Sacrifice and the energy at that peak is really what the band was all about.”
Gregg, tell me about the atmosphere at Woodstock?
“When we flew in, I really didn’t have any bearing to say that 500,000 people meant something to me, it looked like ants on a hill. I didn’t know what to think about it. I just didn’t find it that striking. We played earlier than we were supposed to and everything was screwed up and we were signing papers just before coming on and Bill Graham signed the okay for the band to play and wasn’t even the manager. And we’d say, “Oh yes that’s fine Bill represented us on this,” and that’s all we would have said. But it was helter skelter getting that thing going. And then we played and I stayed to see Sly Stone and that band was awesome. So I stayed to see that and we drove out. When we drove out it finally struck me just how huge this thing was.”
Wow you guys drove out?
“Yea, we drove out and it took forever. And driving through all these people and watching what they’ve gone through and where they were living and all that, I was amazed at it. And I’m glad I didn’t drive in because it probably would have scared the hell out of me.”
Who would have ever thought that a three-day music festival would have had such a lasting impact?
“Yea, festivals were everywhere but it just turned out to be the mother of all of them. It was like Field of Dreams –If you build it they will come, and that’s what happened. And the smartest thing that I found was that they documented it from the building of it to the garbage. And it turned out be a success and even financially a disaster for years. It turned out to be one of the biggest music successes ever. And if you played Woodstock you had a career."
There were a lot of bands that were supposed to play at Woodstock like Iron Butterfly?(Some of the performers who snubbed Woodstock – Bob Dylan, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones)
“Yea there were bands that turned it down because they weren’t going to get paid. Sometimes getting paid or being a headliner is not the big deal. On a three-day festival and you play last? Everyone’s pretty burnt out by then, Hendrix ended up playing to a handful of people."
Did you know Jimi Hendrix?
“I never met him. However when we were living in Woodstock New York, he didn’t live far from there and I use to drive our truck to go swimming in this reservoir and I got behind this guy, this blue corvette and I asked Eddie Kramer(Woodstock sound engineer) about this just last year and he said, “Oh yea that was Hendrix” he was driving five miles an hour, I was honking the horn trying to get around him and I was ready to flip this guy off as I go by and I looked over and said, “All crap, it’s Jimi Hendrix” and I stepped on it and just kept moving. He sure could play the guitar but he can’t drive.”
Who were some of you musical influences growing up Gregg?
“Beatles, Stones all that kind of stuff, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley. Other than the Beatles I was kind of Helter Skelter, I liked this song that song, Blues Project, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and then turned on to Peter Green, I thought Peter Green was phenomenal. I guess Clapton first and then Peter Green. Where do you find these guys man, they’re both such great guitar players. And which also led me to Black Magic Woman through Mike Shreve.
Mike Shreve (Santana’s drummer) turned me on to Fleetwood Mac where Peter Green was the guitar player. And Black Magic Woman was on there and I said, “I can sing this song, I think this is a great, great song.” And it took me a year to talk the band into playing it. (Carlos Santana finally caught- on after Gregg suggested it over and over again during countless jam sessions.)
We use to rehearse and who was ever in their first would be noodling on something and we’d come in and start playing on whatever whoever was doing. I made a habit of being there first a lot and I’d play that, without the vocals or anything just playing the music. Finally Carlos started playing on it and said, “Wow that’s really cool, what is that?” I said, “It’s Black Magic Woman a song that I’ve been telling you guys for a year now.” And they really grabbed a hold of it which is really how we did things; everybody had to have something in a song that moved them. It didn’t have to be the whole tune but there had to be something there. And so it was a package deal for everyone and a feel good about the music and so when that happened we arranged it and went after it and it became what it did.”
I guess Abraxas was Santana’s Sgt. Pepper’s or Dark Side of the Moon?
"It really was, it’s still one of my favorite works that I ever did because it was so new and different. That album get’s rave reviews all the time, it’s in the top 100 of all time albums. And I agree. Black Magic Woman by the way is the only song I ever sang where I just did it once. Didn’t overdub anything just sang it."
One of my favorite tracks on that album which I think is somewhat overlooked is “Hope You’re Feeling Better” written by you (Gregg Rolie).
"Yea I wrote that kind of based off a guitar- you know that whole opening line with what a guitar player would play. I played way down low and made it as gritty and nasty as I could make it. And it still has that feel to it. Yea it’s a cool tune, it just is."
I kind of forgot that “Oye Como Va” was a Tito Puente composition?
"I forgot who brought that one in; it was either Carlos or Carabello. And I remember thinking to myself, “What am I going to do on this?” You know really I was like, Holy Cow, I’ve got an organ and an electric piano what do I do? I simulated the instrumentation basically and played it on the organ. And it ended up being one of my favorite solos that I ever did. It just really came out right."
Not many keyboard players can play Latino music.
“You know in my mind I‘m playing guitar somewhat, now I don’t know how to explain that but I don’t necessarily play strictly keyboard parts. It’s definitely by ear, left is more and like that. I love guitar and I’ve played with great guitar players all my life including the one I have now Alan Haynes who is a blues guitarist out of Austin and is killer and different from the other guys. I’ve always picked real good guitar players and love playing with guitar players and getting those solos up in the stratosphere if I could do it. I really enjoy that.”
Do you still keep in touch with Carlos Santana?
“No, I really haven’t. The last time I saw him was a few years back.”
I think he’s been playing casino’s lately out in Vegas.
“Yea, I think he lives out in Vegas.”
You left Santana when the musical direction changed but then started a little band called Journey?
“I was up in Seattle with a restaurant with my Dad and I really quit the music business and we were running this restaurant and thank God somebody called. Herbie (Herbert) and Neal (Schon) called me up and said, “What are you doing, we’re starting a band up.” And I said, “I’m not doing anything.” And so I thought I’d give it a shot. What I was told is that we were going to be The Golden Gate Rhythm Section and it was going to be a band for people that came through town or whatever. And within a week we were writing our own material. Which would have been normal for all of us and doing our own songs. And it was a band and then it took off.
Santana was a phenomena and everything kind of fell in place for us, it was amazing. And Journey was a work of art; it was a lot of work. We had to build it. We ended up signing to Columbia because they wouldn’t let me off my contract through Santana.”
I loved those early progressive Journey albums.
“It was built on solos very much like Santana was. The hard part of it was the musicality.”
The Journey debut album (1975) and the band’s follow upalbum Look into the Future (1976) were great albums and ahead of its time.
“There was a lot of playing on there and a lot of interesting ideas. And then it kind of closed up and the industry kind of closed in… and you got to have a singer and you got to have this and you got to have that and it all changed.”
I guess they wanted Journey to be more commercial at that time?
“Yea, and after three albums we could sell more tickets than records. So we made that conscious effort and it was really Herbie who found Steve Perry. This is your lead singer get use to it.”
Man, that was a totally different direction for the band.
“Yea it was a big change and Herbie was right. We ended up going that way which I didn’t mind because I was strapped pretty thin with playing three or four keyboards, singing and playing harmonica. So I welcomed the fact of having someone come in and doing a lot of leads. I wanted to sing a few more leads than I ended up doing. I don’t think Perry liked me singing leads when I think back.”
And Journey became remarkably successful after Perry became the lead singer. And the band remains a draw despite all the personnel changes through the years and look at them today.
“Yea I met Arnel (Pineda- is the lead singer) nice guy, what a great guy he is and what a smart move, a resurgent of their whole career. It’s a great story about finding him on You Tube from the Philippines and what are the odds, it’s just a great story.”
You know it’s funny your story is very similar to Jim McCarty the drummer for The Yardbirds. He left The Yardbirds with Keith Relf and (because of the timing- FM radio, album rock etc.) the band turned into Led Zeppelin. Then McCarty and Relf started a brand new project called Renaissance, made several albums and left again. The band continued and got rather big.
“I did a lot of leaving, but I left Journey to start a family. I built two bands and been on the road for 14 years. Like all things its great when it’s great and when it’s not anymore it’s just… you know and it was showing on me and I just didn’t care quite as much and that’s not fair to everybody else.”
You recommended Jonathan Cain (The Baby’s) to replace you in the band?
“We toured with The Baby’s and I watched what he was doing, plus he could play guitar and when I was leaving I said, “This guy can play anything I’m playing plus he played guitar and I knew Neil wanted to have a rhythm guitar on some songs which made sense to me. And I can’t play guitar for the life of me, I’ve sat down with those things, these things hurt your fingers. Anyway, I recommended him for it and they ended up getting him. And he ended up being the guy who helped pen a lot of those big big hits. I didn’t know he could do that.”
So what happened next after you left Journey?
“I hadn’t played for a couple of years just noodled around in the house and stuff, I had no plans and then I did the solo album. And then I realized how hard that was. It was an interesting turn of events.”
Your first solo effort Gregg Rolie (1985) had some great artists performing on it- Carlos Santana, Peter Wolf (The J.Geils Band), ex bandmate Neil Schon and Craig Chaquico(The Jefferson Starship).
“In fact they did a trade of solos on a song called “Fire at Night” that’s still stunning. That song was about 7 or 8 minutes long and was getting airplay in the Midwest, St Louis I believe… and heavy airplay. But Columbia pulled the plug on it. The reason why and I understand this from the business aspect, why would they want to make me compete with Santana and Journey when they already had them. Why would they spend the money to further my career when they’ve got two bands that are doing that? And even though Neal and Carlos were on there… to my way of thinking it would have furthered their career as well and kept that whole thing going. But that’s not the way they see that and I understand that. They showed them and I was lucky to get the jackets printed. But that’s the record company you know?”
What was it like to work with Peter Wolf?
“Yea he’s a character I liked him a lot, very opinionated about music but a multitalented guy and funny. Yea Peter was very cool."
I’m guessing most of your music is now being recorded from your home now?
“The Roots CD was the first one that I really recorded myself and got an engineer to mix it and Roots came out sounding phenomenal. And we did that between my house and my drummer Ron Wikso’s house.”
Your latest project is called Five Days?
“The band that I have right now has been together for around 9 or 10 years. The CD we put together is called Rain Dance. And it was mixed here at my house which sounds phenomenal and was recorded live at Sturgis. And it’s the Santana stuff that I did way back when along with new material with the same genre. And the band is incredibly good. It’s the longest stint that I’ve ever done anything. And it’s because in the end product it ends up being the hang, if you can hang with guys and their decent players and these guys are great players then it’s going to be really good and fun and easy to do. And that’s what I’ve had for the last 10 years and I’m real happy with these guys."
"Then on a side project I started to do Five Days. I recorded a CD here at my house with piano and vocals done all at the same time like they did in the 40’s and which was unnerving to me because I’d never done that. It was always music first; vocals, and then you got everything perfect. But this was… you didn’t do it right you do it again. But my son recorded it, he’s an engineer. He also mixed the live album. He’s got tremendous ears, which is what it takes. Anyway he recorded it and it was really his idea. We recorded 6 songs and went back and did-Black Magic Woman a different way –Anytime (Journey) a different way and it was inspired by the personal touch that Lyle Lovett did with vocals. It’s just like he’s speaking in your ear, an amazing delivery of vocals. And Eric Clapton has gone back and doing a song that he did before one way and is completely going another route. And it inspired me to do kind of the same idea why not? If anybody has the right to do it, it would be me. And now I play Look into the Future when I go play live. And it’s just piano and guitar."
"Alan Haynes was the first guy I met here in Austin when I moved here. And the way I met him was we went and saw him play and I kind of got to know him a little bit, I was at Antones one night during this blues fest and he was playing and he walked up to me at the bar and says, “You know there’s a B3 up there.” And I said, “Yea?” And he said, “I’ve got this song” And I said, “Yea?” He said, “It’s got two notes.” And I said, “Really, and what keys would those be in?” He goes, “D minor to B-flat.” And I said, “That sounds great, let’s go do this.” And so I went up and played with him and got to know him a bit."
"So when I decided to do this (Five Days) I thought, “I’m going to go grab this blues guitarist.” And he’s really good, been around a long time. He’s played with all the blues greats- Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter and was almost in the Steve Ray Vaughan band. But anyway, I thought I’d go and see if he was interested and he is, so we’ve done four shows and they’ve gone over great and they’ve sold out and it’s about music and conversation. The show is very loose and personable. We’ve opened it up to the fans, because without them I’d probably be driving a cab. And it’s gone over very well and I don’t think there are many guys in a Rock field that would or could do it that I can think of."
"As a matter of fact I just saw Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt doing that same sort of thing. And it was very interesting. Lyle Lovett is a very funny guy by the way he uses his acting skills quite well. I like them because they banter back and forth and it’s pretty funny and they just play song after song and it’s just acoustic guitar. So here I am doing the same thing and inspired by this guy. Which is also interesting, I found out that Abraxas was the first album that he (Lyle Lovett) had.”
Your vocals and keyboards were what established Santana as a cool and great rock band. Carlos had that trademark electric guitar sound and you had the trademark voice and dynamic touch on the B3 -which synthesized together as the true genuine sound of Santana. I want to thank you Gregg for spending time with me today.
“It was my pleasure Ray.”
GREGG ROLIE is also a proponent of music education for children. In 2005, he signed on as an official supporter of “Little Kids Rock” a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in underserved public schools throughout the U.S.A. Special thanks go out toBilly James of Glass Onyon PR who made this interview possible.
Don’t for get to order my new book called Check the Gs –The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business. Get your copy now at http://rayshasho.com/ Coming up next an interview with Mark Farner legendary guitarist and vocalist of Grand Funk Railroad.
Eric Burdon is legendary for his explosive soulful vocal deliberations in many shapes and forms. As kids we idolized him as a merciless rock and roll superhero who we all wanted to secretly mirror. The British Invasion certainly had its share of coolness but The Animals entered the realm of badass. If The Rolling Stones were classified as the bad boys of the British Invasion, then Eric Burdon and The Animals were the original gangsters of Rock and Roll.
Their mega hit messages were significant and way ahead of their time. Songs that made you feel deep within your psyche and then carried through into your soul. Songs like “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” “Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “It's My Life,” John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom" and the timeless proverbial favorite “House of the Rising Sun.”
Animals’ bassist Chas Chandler moved on to manage Jimi Hendrix after the group split up in 1966.
Later Burdon reformed the group as Eric Burdon and the Animals. The band’s evolution shifted towards the hippie generation and psychedelic melody while Burdon’s genius for creating Top40 radio hits heightened. Classic radio airplay anthems like “Sky Pilot,” “Monterey,” “San Franciscan Nights,” “When I was Young” and “Don’t Bring Me Down” became mainstay on the U.S. and British charts.
In 1969, Eric Burdon formed the diverse multitalented band War, spawning yet another huge hit with “Spill The Wine.” Burdon embarked on a successful solo career in 1971.
In 1983 the original Animals reunited for a worldwide tour.
Over the years Burdon has collaborated with the greatest musicians of every genre and toured incessantly around the globe with several variations of The Eric Burdon Band.
In 1994 The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
These days Burdon tours as Eric Burdon & The Animals. He’s written two critically acclaimed memoirs and will release a brand new album soon with a video about Rock and Roll pioneer Bo Diddley. Burdon attended Diddley’s funeral in Gainesville on June 7th 2008.
Marianna Proestou, Eric’s Manager, was graciously accommodating in granting my request for an interview during a hectic tour schedule.
Here is my Q&A with Eric Burdon before his show in Cleveland.
How do you explain your longevity in the music business and what artists do you miss the most that are no longer with us?
"Longevity is something I never gave a second thought to. I guess it’s the shadow of growing up in post WWII, but I never believed I would live past 20. Here I am though… a senior citizen… my voice and heart are stronger than ever, but boredom is the greatest enemy so I have to be careful not to slip over the edge. I admit that I do dwell on the past a bit, for sure there are people I miss and I wish they were still here."
Do you think Chas Chandler was good for Jimi Hendrix career?
"This question touches a very raw nerve for me. For sure Chas’s plans for Jimi initially brought light to one of the world’s most innovative guitarists, but it was inevitable that they would lock horns over creative discussions. I have to admit that Jimi was his own worst enemy, so when things got weird, Chas left. Maybe things would have been different if he'd hung in there with him."
Have you ever considered discovering and managing new bands? Afterall the rock world could definitely use some exciting new talent and who better to launch their careers.
"If I could come across someone who oozed talent and could take advise, maybe… but it’s a fact, young people don’t listen. I don’t have the energy to fight that way. The Chandler-Hendrix experience was a great lesson for me. Young talented people usually prove to be a pain in the ass. They should be managed with respect in one hand and a pistol in the other."
I’ve interviewed several prestigious rock stars who don’t have health insurance. Has this been a problem in the industry?
"To call it an “industry” is a stretch. The rock biz is the low end of the creative world. Faces come and go so fast. Insurance companies would never touch anyone who boasts about drug use, even though it may be fake bravado. “A dead rock star is worth more than a live one”
I feel that deep down you’d like to play MORE songs with a Latin rhythm. I’ve got Cuban roots and I’d really like to see that happen. I remember when Stephen Stills needed help he called in my good friend Joe Lala. Should I give Joe a call for your next album?
"One of my reasons for living in California is it’s close proximity to Mexico. The Latin influence is in every corner of the community. My love of Spanish music hasn't wavered since the 50's. I could hear the blues voicing from the Flamanco families and I always dig for inspiration in Latin music. I just got out of the studio after recording for my new album and a couple of the tracks that we laid down were heavily influenced by Latin music. The album is coming out later this year, so look forward to it."
Will rock and roll ever return to those glory days?
"Well, have you seen American Idol lately? I’m sure that some kids somewhere at this moment are thrashing themselves silly over what they call “Rock n’ Roll”"
My first book will be out soon, It’s called “Check the Gs.” I love to read and write and I believe you share the same passion. I’ve read both of your books and they were well written. Will you be writing another book soon- and I know you use to collect comic books, who was your favorite character?
“G.I. Joe” and I’ve always looked upon the young pilots of the allies, in World War II's final years, as the original hippies. I suppose I could knuckle down to pen another collection of insanity, but at the moment, I’m too busy reading…"
Casinos have become a major venue for classic rock stars, they must pay well, what has been your experience in playing Casinos?
"Like it or not, they’re all that’s left of the decent rooms to play in. I’m sure my grandfather, who was addicted to the game, would love to know that his grandson walks out of the best casinos in the world with pockets filled with dough."
How are things going on the road, what are your plans for the future and how's the family?
"My family is doing well, thanks for asking. Regarding the future: Is there going to be one? I don't know, but presently I have more shows coming up in the US and Canada and a European tour this summer. As I already mentioned I just finished recording for a new album with a video about Bo Diddley (with the families blessing of course). More recordings and exciting projects are on the way but the fans and the world are just going to have to wait and see."
I know you have asthma, the weather is wonderful here in beautiful Tampa Bay Florida, if you ever consider moving. Brian Johnson (AC DC), Rick Derringer, Graeme Edge (Moody Blues) all live within twenty minutes from me. (Jerry Wexler lived here before his passing in 2008 at 91 years old)
"I have friends who live in Florida. I love to visit. I’ve also got close friends in Mississippi, but the most beneficial place for my lungs is in dry weather. If they would stop killing each other, I would love to live in North Africa, but California, as screwed up as it is, is fine for me and has been since the 60’s."
For more information about Eric Burdon and The Animals please visit his website at http://ericburdon.com/
Eric Burdon and The Animals 2011 concert schedule can be found here.
I want to thank Eric Burdon and Marianna Proestou. I hope to see the both of you in the Tampa Bay area- very soon.
My new book called Check the Gs is available for purchase at http://rayshasho.com/ Its "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" with a Rock & Roll twist.
