So I joined the band and withing a couple of weeks we were in the studio cutting a six-song demo. It was my first time in a recording studio and the experience was more than just a bit intimidating. All of my limitations as a musician were captured on tape. Luckily, what I heard as ham-fisted guitar playing, the rest of the band heard as solid rhythm guitar.
When the school year ended we all pitched in a rented a loft in Hell's Kitchen. The space wasn't much more than a big rehearsal room with space divided up for individual sleeping quarters, a common area and a kitchen. I am convinced that if we had never moved into that loft, Born Ready would have been huge!
The plan for Born Ready was simple - record an album, have a hit single, dominate the world. Here's what really happened:
Born Ready played exactly three gigs. Our first "show" was in the rehearsal space where I had auditioned for the band. Our manager worked for Atlantic Records and the label was having a party in the rehearsal space. We turned out to be the entertainment. Actually I think the party revellers were much more entertaining than we were. The second show took place in a field. I can't remember why we were there but we had been asked to come out to play a huge field party in upstate New York. there were a thousand people on hand and we were the only band. We played all of our songs while the crowd restlessly called for The Doors and The Stones. We had never practised other material as a band but we culled together enough songs that we all knew to make it work. Thank god that our lead singer Nat had the charisma to distract anyone from our obvious flubs. Our final gig was at a New York club called Trampps. The NY scene at the time was New Wave pop and we were a straight ahead rock band. I know that our friends liked us that night...I can't say the same for the rest of the audience.
In between these gigs Born Ready continued to practise in our loft. But put five guys with five personalities in one living space and you get a reality show. That's exactly what happened. We argued about rent, food, rehearsal times, the band name and girlfriends. the last two owed more to Nat than anything else. He had started dating our manager, Ginnie, and their relationship got in the way of the band's name change. You see, we found out that there was already a band called Born ready and we were going to have to change our name. When Nat and Ginnie came in one day with the suggestion of Natty and The Squirrels, all hell broke loose.
A verbal match turned into a shoving match between Nat and the bass player, Steve - both of whom had had more than their share of the beer that had been stocked in the fridge. Steve was a smoker who would never respect anyone else's request to keep his habit out of the loft. During one particularly animated moment in the argument, Steve flicked a lit cigarette at Nat. The butt slid down behind the pillows of a couch, quickly melted a hole and started smouldering. A fire quickly erupted and Joe, our lead guitarist jumped for a pot in the kitchen which he filled with water and threw on the couch. The fire was doused but the loft was now filled with smoke. I quietly went to my room and packed up my belongings. Within an hour I had crashed on a friends floor. Born ready never played a note again.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Born Ready
I took my guitar with me to New York.
I moved there in September of '79 to go to NYU. I lived in the dorm in Greenwich Village. We were surrounded by art. I played my guitar on the front steps of the dorm. When I was brave enough, I took my electric out to Washington Square Park and plugged it into a Mouse amp and played Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss and Adam & The Ant songs.
One afternoon in the Spring of '80 I was walking through the lobby of the dorm when I was approached by a guy who asked if I had been playing in the park the previous day.
"Yes," I answered with caution.
"We've got a band that's looking for a rhythm guitarist," he said and then invited me to an audition the next day. Intrigued by the suggestion, I accepted and took down the address to their rehearsal space.
When I showed up they were auditioning some guy that looked like a Deadhead. He played a hollow body electric and didn't fit in with the other guys at all. The song they played was sort of lame. Kind of a half-assed attempt to meld pop and rock. My enthusiasm began to wane.
When they bid the first guitarist a fond adieu, they asked me to hold on while they warm up. It seems the other guy showed up a little early and they hadn't had a chance to stretch out first. I sat back and watched while the REAL band showed themselves. I was stunned. The song they started playing was remarkable. It had a great riff and a memorably chorus. By the time they hit the bridge, I had my guitar out and began mimicking the chord changes. On top of that, Nat, the singer had tons of charisma and Jagger lips to boot.
They played one more smoking rocker and then called me up to plug in. Joe, the lead guitarist was about to teach me the chord changes for the song the original auditioner had played. I stopped him and said that i didn't like that song very much but would love to play the first song they had played on their own. The guys all looked at each other and shrugged and said "Okay." before Joe could show me the changes I shooed him off saying that I had it down already.
The band started playing the tune and I joined in immediately. I watched the bass player to make sure that I had the chord changes right. I got through the song the first time kind of tentatively and we all agreed to play it again. The second time through we flew. It was great. We were all so excited. At the end we looked at each other and laughed. Nat took off his hoody and had an Ace Frehley t-shirt on underneath. I knew I was in the right place.
We jammed for several more hours Joe teaching me some of their songs and then playing Kiss, Aerosmith and Rolling Stone songs. We were a band. They told me that the band was called Born Ready and they already had a record deal waiting in the wings. They were being courted by Carriere Records, a French subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Now that the line-up was complete, the band needed to head into the studio to record an honest to goodness demo.
More on Born Ready to come....
I moved there in September of '79 to go to NYU. I lived in the dorm in Greenwich Village. We were surrounded by art. I played my guitar on the front steps of the dorm. When I was brave enough, I took my electric out to Washington Square Park and plugged it into a Mouse amp and played Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss and Adam & The Ant songs.
One afternoon in the Spring of '80 I was walking through the lobby of the dorm when I was approached by a guy who asked if I had been playing in the park the previous day.
"Yes," I answered with caution.
"We've got a band that's looking for a rhythm guitarist," he said and then invited me to an audition the next day. Intrigued by the suggestion, I accepted and took down the address to their rehearsal space.
When I showed up they were auditioning some guy that looked like a Deadhead. He played a hollow body electric and didn't fit in with the other guys at all. The song they played was sort of lame. Kind of a half-assed attempt to meld pop and rock. My enthusiasm began to wane.
When they bid the first guitarist a fond adieu, they asked me to hold on while they warm up. It seems the other guy showed up a little early and they hadn't had a chance to stretch out first. I sat back and watched while the REAL band showed themselves. I was stunned. The song they started playing was remarkable. It had a great riff and a memorably chorus. By the time they hit the bridge, I had my guitar out and began mimicking the chord changes. On top of that, Nat, the singer had tons of charisma and Jagger lips to boot.
They played one more smoking rocker and then called me up to plug in. Joe, the lead guitarist was about to teach me the chord changes for the song the original auditioner had played. I stopped him and said that i didn't like that song very much but would love to play the first song they had played on their own. The guys all looked at each other and shrugged and said "Okay." before Joe could show me the changes I shooed him off saying that I had it down already.
The band started playing the tune and I joined in immediately. I watched the bass player to make sure that I had the chord changes right. I got through the song the first time kind of tentatively and we all agreed to play it again. The second time through we flew. It was great. We were all so excited. At the end we looked at each other and laughed. Nat took off his hoody and had an Ace Frehley t-shirt on underneath. I knew I was in the right place.
We jammed for several more hours Joe teaching me some of their songs and then playing Kiss, Aerosmith and Rolling Stone songs. We were a band. They told me that the band was called Born Ready and they already had a record deal waiting in the wings. They were being courted by Carriere Records, a French subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Now that the line-up was complete, the band needed to head into the studio to record an honest to goodness demo.
More on Born Ready to come....
Thursday, May 3, 2007
The Rolling Stone Interview
Rolling Stone magazine is 40 years old and is celebrating this week with interviews with a number of luminaries. I would like to take the liberty here to publish my own interview here.
RS: What do you remember about 1967?
ME: My clearest memory is of Expo '67 in Montreal. We didn't go but it was Canada's Centennial Year and I remember the commemorative money. I still have a couple of 1967 dollar bills and dimes.
RS: Did the music of the 60's have a effect on you?
ME: Oh sure. I can still picture my older brother and sister dancing around the living room the first time The Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan Show. A few years later, I became a big fan of The Monkees. I didn't listen to a lot of rock and roll back then but I was aware of it and my brother brought Rolling Stone into the house.
RS: Are there any early covers that stick in your head?
ME: You know it's hard to separate reality from historical perspective. So many of the famous covers like Lennon in the army helmet, Joplin, Hendrix and that Meryl Streep shot have become so familiar but I can't remember if they were actually in the house. But I do remember the newsprint and folded format of the magazine. I was one of those people that thought the magazine was named after the band.
RS: When did Rolling Stone start to matter to you?
ME: In got into rock and roll in the mid-seventies and started reading all of the popular magazines of the time including Hit Parader, Creem, Circus and Rock Scene. I always felt that Rolling Stone had the most insightful articles and I poured over every word in every article about music. I learned so much more about the history of music that way.
By the late seventies I had started reading more of the political commentary and formed my opinions from the views of Hunter S Thompson and P.J. O'Rourke. It doesn't mean I always agreed with them but they did get me thinking.
RS: What do you remember about 1967?
ME: My clearest memory is of Expo '67 in Montreal. We didn't go but it was Canada's Centennial Year and I remember the commemorative money. I still have a couple of 1967 dollar bills and dimes.
RS: Did the music of the 60's have a effect on you?
ME: Oh sure. I can still picture my older brother and sister dancing around the living room the first time The Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan Show. A few years later, I became a big fan of The Monkees. I didn't listen to a lot of rock and roll back then but I was aware of it and my brother brought Rolling Stone into the house.
RS: Are there any early covers that stick in your head?
ME: You know it's hard to separate reality from historical perspective. So many of the famous covers like Lennon in the army helmet, Joplin, Hendrix and that Meryl Streep shot have become so familiar but I can't remember if they were actually in the house. But I do remember the newsprint and folded format of the magazine. I was one of those people that thought the magazine was named after the band.
RS: When did Rolling Stone start to matter to you?
ME: In got into rock and roll in the mid-seventies and started reading all of the popular magazines of the time including Hit Parader, Creem, Circus and Rock Scene. I always felt that Rolling Stone had the most insightful articles and I poured over every word in every article about music. I learned so much more about the history of music that way.
By the late seventies I had started reading more of the political commentary and formed my opinions from the views of Hunter S Thompson and P.J. O'Rourke. It doesn't mean I always agreed with them but they did get me thinking.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
My Best KISS Story
When I worked for Aucoin Management, one of my regular responsibilities was to file or pick up financials in the company's warehouse in a non-descript building on the West side of Manhattan. The warehouse was also used for storage for the equipment of all of Aucoin's bands. Among the boxes of documents and cases of guitars were back lit logos that hung above the drummer of any one of a number of bands that Bill Aucoin had managed over the years (including my very fave - Starz). The way it worked was I'd show up, sign in and get handed a box of keys that opened the various locks to each of Aucoin's rented rooms. When I was done, I handed back the box and signed out.
Although Aucoin no longer worked with KISS, the band still used the very same warehouse to store there instruments and costumes from over the years. As it happens, the keys to the KISS room were still in the Aucoin box. I avoided going in there for months but one day, curiosity got the better of me. I pulled the one key I had never touched before out of the box. I slipped it into the lock and turned it over. The locked snapped open and I opened the door.
This was a dream come true. Do you remember the seventies? back then we all had giant posters on our walls of our favourite bands. Spread out in front of me were all of the bits of stage gear and guitars that were featured in the KISS posters adorning my walls. There were boots and capes and boas and guitars and a mirror. A mirror! In a warehouse! This was a sign.
I first moved to my left to slip on those famous Demon boots from the cover of Destroyer. I zipped them up and found myself floating a good six inches off the floor. Next, I grabbed Ace's cape used on the Dynasty tour and flung that over my back. Do you remember those pictures inside of KISS Alive of Paul Stanley with feather armbands? Well I slipped one on each arm and then reached for a shattered mirrored Gibson marauder guitar which I slung over my neck. I lurched over to the mirror and caught my first glimpse. No matter how hard you might be laughing right now, I was laughing twice as hard. I don't know if it looked ridiculous or if I was just giddy but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I began to play "Rock N Roll All Nite" and then moved into "Black Diamond" and "Strutter."
I wore the get up for 15 minutes and then thought I should get it off before security walked in and kicked me out of the building for good. After I locked the door, I got the paper work I had originally come there for. I kept the story a secret for about 5 years which seemed like a lifetime. Now everyone know.
This is a true story.
Although Aucoin no longer worked with KISS, the band still used the very same warehouse to store there instruments and costumes from over the years. As it happens, the keys to the KISS room were still in the Aucoin box. I avoided going in there for months but one day, curiosity got the better of me. I pulled the one key I had never touched before out of the box. I slipped it into the lock and turned it over. The locked snapped open and I opened the door.
This was a dream come true. Do you remember the seventies? back then we all had giant posters on our walls of our favourite bands. Spread out in front of me were all of the bits of stage gear and guitars that were featured in the KISS posters adorning my walls. There were boots and capes and boas and guitars and a mirror. A mirror! In a warehouse! This was a sign.
I first moved to my left to slip on those famous Demon boots from the cover of Destroyer. I zipped them up and found myself floating a good six inches off the floor. Next, I grabbed Ace's cape used on the Dynasty tour and flung that over my back. Do you remember those pictures inside of KISS Alive of Paul Stanley with feather armbands? Well I slipped one on each arm and then reached for a shattered mirrored Gibson marauder guitar which I slung over my neck. I lurched over to the mirror and caught my first glimpse. No matter how hard you might be laughing right now, I was laughing twice as hard. I don't know if it looked ridiculous or if I was just giddy but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I began to play "Rock N Roll All Nite" and then moved into "Black Diamond" and "Strutter."
I wore the get up for 15 minutes and then thought I should get it off before security walked in and kicked me out of the building for good. After I locked the door, I got the paper work I had originally come there for. I kept the story a secret for about 5 years which seemed like a lifetime. Now everyone know.
This is a true story.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Lynyrd Skynyrd
When I was about 14, my first job was selling t-shirts at the Canadian National Exhibition during their annual late August run. Back then customers got to choose the t-shirt and the decal that goes on it along with what ever message they wanted pressed on the back. I'd slide the shirt onto a rubber pad, centre the decal and then lock the iron press in place. Voila! A brand new customized t-shirt.
Most of what we sold that summer were Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper T's. But a few times a week I'd get a request for that one weird logo with the skulls and guns for a band called Lynyrd Skynyrd. I had no idea who the band was and I certainly couldn't pronounce the name. The summer ended and I got paid which was all I cared about (though it was much less than I thought I would get).
A couple of years later I started working for CPI handing out their Cheap Thrills magazine at concerts. The big perk was getting into concerts for free! One night the Doobie Brothers headlined Maple Leaf Gardens and Lynyrd Skynyrd opened the show. By the time the final notes of the triple guitar solo at the end of "Free Bird" melded with the din of the audience, I was already out of the arena and on my way to sam the Record man to by the band's latest record, One More From The Road. I hopped on the subway and headed home. I never saw the Doobies that night.
Once I got the record home I put it on the stereo and immediately became a huge fan. I got out my guitar and started to learn "Saturday Night Special," "Gimme Three Steps," "Sweet Home Alabama" and, of course, "Free Bird." I became one of those people that tried to spread the gospel. The next summer, on the eve of the release of Street Survivors, I headed to Rich Stadium where the original line-up performed on one of those giant bills (Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, Starz, Aerosmith).
I made sure I bought Street Survivors the day it came out. When tickets went on sale for the band's first Maple Leaf Gardens headlining show, I made sure I had tickets in hand. And then came the painful news of the crash that killed Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines. Just like that, Lynyrd Skynyrd was through.
In the ensuing years I bought or paid attention to whatever music came from each of the surviving members. Some of it was good and some of it wasn't so good. None of it captured the original magic of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In the late 80's the band reformed and started touring but I was looking for the real thing and didn't pay too much attention. That was until the early 90's when Warner became affiliated with the band through Capricorn Records. They came to Toronto to play the Kingswood Music Theatre and I finally had a chance to tell the band my story. At the end of the story they invited me to watch the show from the side of the stage which is, to this day, one of the great highlights of my rock 'n' roll life. To be standing next to Gary Rossington's amp during "Free Bird" is priceless.
Most of what we sold that summer were Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper T's. But a few times a week I'd get a request for that one weird logo with the skulls and guns for a band called Lynyrd Skynyrd. I had no idea who the band was and I certainly couldn't pronounce the name. The summer ended and I got paid which was all I cared about (though it was much less than I thought I would get).
A couple of years later I started working for CPI handing out their Cheap Thrills magazine at concerts. The big perk was getting into concerts for free! One night the Doobie Brothers headlined Maple Leaf Gardens and Lynyrd Skynyrd opened the show. By the time the final notes of the triple guitar solo at the end of "Free Bird" melded with the din of the audience, I was already out of the arena and on my way to sam the Record man to by the band's latest record, One More From The Road. I hopped on the subway and headed home. I never saw the Doobies that night.
Once I got the record home I put it on the stereo and immediately became a huge fan. I got out my guitar and started to learn "Saturday Night Special," "Gimme Three Steps," "Sweet Home Alabama" and, of course, "Free Bird." I became one of those people that tried to spread the gospel. The next summer, on the eve of the release of Street Survivors, I headed to Rich Stadium where the original line-up performed on one of those giant bills (Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, Starz, Aerosmith).
I made sure I bought Street Survivors the day it came out. When tickets went on sale for the band's first Maple Leaf Gardens headlining show, I made sure I had tickets in hand. And then came the painful news of the crash that killed Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines. Just like that, Lynyrd Skynyrd was through.
In the ensuing years I bought or paid attention to whatever music came from each of the surviving members. Some of it was good and some of it wasn't so good. None of it captured the original magic of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In the late 80's the band reformed and started touring but I was looking for the real thing and didn't pay too much attention. That was until the early 90's when Warner became affiliated with the band through Capricorn Records. They came to Toronto to play the Kingswood Music Theatre and I finally had a chance to tell the band my story. At the end of the story they invited me to watch the show from the side of the stage which is, to this day, one of the great highlights of my rock 'n' roll life. To be standing next to Gary Rossington's amp during "Free Bird" is priceless.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The El Mocambo
There was a period of time in the mid-seventies when my friends and I would go see bands at the El Mocambo on a pretty regular basis. We'd always show up early enough to get ourselves great seats right up front. Although I didn't drink, I felt an obligation to order a beer so that the wait staff wouldn't bug me. I nursed those babies all night long.
I didn't see the Stones there but my friends did. Then there was the night that Cheap Trick played Toronto for the first time and Rick Neilsen stuck his guitar through the roof and left it hanging there. CHUM FM used to tape tons of shows in those days. If you can get your hands on the bootleg, it was a pretty amazing show. The band played three sets a night for two night and the way I remember it, "Hello There" was the only song they performed more than once.
I'm remembering the night The Runaways played two sets. Cherie Curry wasn't in the band anymore. Joan Jett sang lead. In between shows they took off for the CBC to appear on the Peter Gzowski show.
There's an infamous story about Elvis Costello's first Toronto show. The line-up went down the block and yet he was able to walk by the crowds and into the club without anyone noticing.
Judas Priest played the club with a full arsenal of amps set up against the back wall. How we never lost our hearing that night is a minor miracle.
My personal favourite was Starz. Everyone has a guilty pleasure to differentiate themselves from their friends. Mine was Starz. The band was in Toronto to record their fourth album (Coliseum Rock) and ended up heading over to the El Mo for their first and only Toronto shows. The night was bliss...for me.
The El Mocambo is booking bands again and the place still has a vibe though it probably will never regain the aura it once had.
I didn't see the Stones there but my friends did. Then there was the night that Cheap Trick played Toronto for the first time and Rick Neilsen stuck his guitar through the roof and left it hanging there. CHUM FM used to tape tons of shows in those days. If you can get your hands on the bootleg, it was a pretty amazing show. The band played three sets a night for two night and the way I remember it, "Hello There" was the only song they performed more than once.
I'm remembering the night The Runaways played two sets. Cherie Curry wasn't in the band anymore. Joan Jett sang lead. In between shows they took off for the CBC to appear on the Peter Gzowski show.
There's an infamous story about Elvis Costello's first Toronto show. The line-up went down the block and yet he was able to walk by the crowds and into the club without anyone noticing.
Judas Priest played the club with a full arsenal of amps set up against the back wall. How we never lost our hearing that night is a minor miracle.
My personal favourite was Starz. Everyone has a guilty pleasure to differentiate themselves from their friends. Mine was Starz. The band was in Toronto to record their fourth album (Coliseum Rock) and ended up heading over to the El Mo for their first and only Toronto shows. The night was bliss...for me.
The El Mocambo is booking bands again and the place still has a vibe though it probably will never regain the aura it once had.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
There ain't no army helicopter that can stop rock and roll!
We've been busy with the Juno Awards for the past couple of weeks we has kept me from logging on. I think that this year marked my 23rd consecutive Juno Awards. Here are some memories:
Gordon Lightfoot nervously pacing around waiting to be inducted by Bob Dylan into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. A cigarette was dangling from his mouth with ashes dripping onto his red velvet jacket.
I was in the meeting where they announced that they had secured Milli Vanilli as a performer. I've always been a bit of a s--t disturber and wasn't shy to raise my voice in protest. Apparently I was the only person in the room that had heard the rumours that Milli Vanilli didn't really sing on their album. They ended up performing.
One of the proudest moments of my career was when my endless faxes of Maestro Fresh West landed him a performance slot on the show making him the first hip hop artist to be seen on the Junos.
Getting to talk with Joe Perry backstage in Vancouver. Everyone was preening all over Steven Tyler (remember when he said "A Lie Us" instead of Alias?) so I got quality time with Uncle Joe.
Standing at the side of the stage at the Hummingbird Centre and congratulating a very young Alanis on her best New Artist Juno.
Oh and there was that great one with Sebastian Bach! The show had just ended and we were leaving the theatre. Sebastian walked in front of our Prime Minister at the time, Kim Campbell, who made some comment about using army helicopters to get him out of her way. Bach turned to her and said "There ain't no army helicopter that can stop rock and roll!" Classic.
Gordon Lightfoot nervously pacing around waiting to be inducted by Bob Dylan into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. A cigarette was dangling from his mouth with ashes dripping onto his red velvet jacket.
I was in the meeting where they announced that they had secured Milli Vanilli as a performer. I've always been a bit of a s--t disturber and wasn't shy to raise my voice in protest. Apparently I was the only person in the room that had heard the rumours that Milli Vanilli didn't really sing on their album. They ended up performing.
One of the proudest moments of my career was when my endless faxes of Maestro Fresh West landed him a performance slot on the show making him the first hip hop artist to be seen on the Junos.
Getting to talk with Joe Perry backstage in Vancouver. Everyone was preening all over Steven Tyler (remember when he said "A Lie Us" instead of Alias?) so I got quality time with Uncle Joe.
Standing at the side of the stage at the Hummingbird Centre and congratulating a very young Alanis on her best New Artist Juno.
Oh and there was that great one with Sebastian Bach! The show had just ended and we were leaving the theatre. Sebastian walked in front of our Prime Minister at the time, Kim Campbell, who made some comment about using army helicopters to get him out of her way. Bach turned to her and said "There ain't no army helicopter that can stop rock and roll!" Classic.
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