The WELL: inkwell.vue.259: David McGee - BB King: There is Always One More Time

#112: David Gans (tnf) Mon 23 Jan 06 14:02

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:02:00 PST

Heh. I had to rent an SUV for the just-completed tour because I was with two other guys. Filling that fucker up was EXPENSIVE. [Read entire topic]

#111: Berliner (captward) Mon 23 Jan 06 11:30

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:30:00 PST

Oh, you're just jealous because you gotta tour in renters. [Read entire topic]

#110: David Gans (tnf) Mon 23 Jan 06 11:22

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:22:00 PST

Man, what a bizniz. [Read entire topic]

#109: David McGee (davidmcgee) Mon 23 Jan 06 08:16

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 08:16:00 PST

DG--This does seem to be a common arrangement back in the day. I had lunch one day last week with John Broven, the Ace Records A&R consultant whose book "Record Men" documents the antics of some of the pioneering independent pioneers. I think what it boils down to is if any of the musicians from the early days boasted of having a Cadillac, you can pretty well bet they got it via some kind of arrangement with their label, whether they knew it or not. Except Elvis, but then he had Col. Parker sucking him dry in other ways. [Read entire topic]

#108: David Gans (tnf) Thu 19 Jan 06 08:57

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:57:00 PST

Thank you, ed!

Last night at a gig one of mybandmates sang a song about Bo Diddley's money, which ncluded a mention of being dinged for the cost of a car. Did this happen to a lot of guys? [Read entire topic]

#107: Berliner (captward) Wed 18 Jan 06 03:36

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 03:36:00 PST

I will have a digitized copy of "Sliced Steak" in 4-6 weeks, sez TV Tom. Coincidentally, I will also be in the U.S. at that time. Stay tuned, and send e-mail if you want a copy. [Read entire topic]

#106: Dennis Wilen (the-voidmstr) Tue 17 Jan 06 15:40

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 15:40:00 PST

I was the music director of the big Metromedia FM rock station (WMMR) and refused to play either or both "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango (this was Joe's record) and/or "Spiders and Snakes" (this was Ben's record) by somebody I can't remember -- neither one fit our format. Ben and Joe didn't care.

It took some calls from our Program Director Jerry Stevens (a former big local Top 40 DJ and Tom Donahue/Scott Muni wannnabe) to various people in New York and LaLa to get these guys off my back. [Read entire topic]

#105: David McGee (davidmcgee) Tue 17 Jan 06 14:49

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 14:49:00 PST

Certainly the Cameo-Parkway folks would have foisted Lindsey Lohan and even lesser lights (if that's possible) on us. They did give us, after all, the embarrassment called Chubby Checker, who has been utterly shameless in his self-promotion. The night of the Oklahoma City bombing he appeared on a talk show on the Nashville Network and introduced a song he had written the day to honor the victims of the bombing; said all the proceeds from the sale of the single would go to a fund to aid the victims' families. Only problem was he wasn't even signed to a label. His introduction was unbelievable--how the tragedy had inspired him to re-focus his energies and go back to his "country roots" (I kid you not). Naomi Judd, who I know, was also on that night and I couldn't help but notice her looking on in abject horror as Chubby capitalized on this horrible tragedy. I asked her later about it and she said she didn't even know what to say to the guy, he was so pathetic.

But I digress. Dennis, you have my sympathies for having encountered not only Ben Scotti but the repugant Joe Isgro as well. What were you doing that made you worth threatening? Must have had something to do with money that might not get into their pockets if you didn't get religion. [Read entire topic]

#104: Carl LaFong (mcdee) Tue 17 Jan 06 11:31

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:31:00 PST

Yeah, I've got an old Pennsylvania report on organized crime from the early 80s around somewhere. Lotsa colorful stuff, including a pixture of Jerry Blavat with a fairly major mob figure. [Read entire topic]

#103: Dennis Wilen (the-voidmstr) Tue 17 Jan 06 11:05

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:05:00 PST

Ben Scotti personally threatened me, back in the day, as did the notorious Joe Isgro.

The Philly record business was the stuff of legend! [Read entire topic]