ABOUT THE ALBUM:
I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE OF THE DATE (S) ON THIS RECORDING;
IT COULD BE AS EARLY AS 1972. ANYWAY, AT SOME POINT IN THE EARLY 70'S, I WAS LIVING
IN LONG BEACH, DRUMMING IN A BAND THERE, AND ATTENDING LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE. I HAD JUST
RETURNED FROM A ROAD TRIP WITH THE GREAT BLUESMAN, ALBERT COLLINS A FRIEND OF A FRIEND SAID
SOME GUYS HAD FREE STUDIO TIME THAT NIGHT, BUT THY NEEDED A DRUMMER. I WENT TO THE STUDIO
(JPM RECORDING), MET THE GUYS, AND THEIR BACKER WHO WAS PAYING FOR THIS JAM SESSION ON STUDIO
TIME. HIS NAME WAS ALEX AND HE WAS A COOL, LAID BACK DUDE. THE ENGINEER AND STUDIO OWNER WAS
JOHN PETERS. THE JAM SESSION SUCKED SO BAD I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. AT SOME POINT IT WAS
CLEAR I DIDN'T SEE EYE TO EYE WITH THE BAND’S LEADER. SO, I PACKED UP & BEGAN
LOADING MY STUFF. AT THIS POINT, ALEX, THE BACKER, RAN OUTSIDE AFTER ME. WE TALKED ALONE OUT
FRONT BY MY CAR. HE ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG. I SAID THOSE MUSICIANS INSIDE SUCKED, AND I WANTED
NO PART OF CAPTURING THE SUCK ON TAPE FOR ALL TIME. HE ASKED WHAT I WANTED IN ORDER TO STAY.
I SAID I WANTED TO RECORD MY OWN STUFF, BY MYSELF. HE SAID OKAY. I RECORDED NINE SONGS THAT
NIGHT AND THE NEXT, PLAYING AND SINGING ALL THE PARTS. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN I COULDN’T
BELIEVE IT. THIS WAS EARLY ON. I HAD ONLY BEEN A PART OF 4 OR 5 SESSIONS IN THE PAST, AND
ONLY ONE WHERE I PLAYED ALL THE STUFF MYSELF. OF THE NINE SONGS, I THOUGHT SIX WERE GOOD ENOUGH
TO LET ANYONE HEAR. SO, HERE THEY ARE. THEY’RE NOT MASTERS, BUT THEY’RE FUN. BY
THE WAY, SHORTLY AFTERWARDS I LOST TOUCH WITH ALEX, BUT REMAINED IN TOUCH WITH JOHN AND WE
DID MANY PROJECTS TOGETHER IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. HE’S ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE
PEOPLE. IN FACT, I WOULDN’T MIND DOING ANOTHER PROJECT WITH HIM RIGHT ABOUT NOW. |
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