Hey, Why are You In This?

[Kenny Allyn]

Target rich environment … plus maybe something in the water here.

Growing up in Memphis it was nigh on impossible NOT to be around music and become involved! Within a six block area around my house it averaged one full band for every block and a half, everyone I knew played! I started on guitar and my brother on bass, now he plays guitar and I play bass … incidentally the bass my brother owned back then, was a 1966 Fender Jazz candy apple red with a matching headstock, when he quit playing around 1970/71 he sold “that” bass to Leroy Hodges over at Hi Records for $125.00 Leroy used it to record many of the Hi Records hits (he still has it). So many bands were around that not one but two books have been written on the subject

With me the hook as set early on, and I guess I’m still a fish on the line, and it's ever evolving too, as now I’m taking up drums. It was never about anything but the music for me … and I thank God I can still do it even after my little stroke incident earlier this year.

Pictures from another era … one of the top area bands from back in the day Randy and the Radiants

Note in the first picture there is an old Fender Concert amp in the foreground … That IS the FOH boys and girls!

In the second picture taken some years later … you may see a pipe smoking bass player you recognize!

 

[bluewine]

It was never about girls or being on stage for me. Now I'm married and have no desire to play on stage agian. I'm just as happy jammin' long with the laptop.......for now anyway..lol



I have heard the story above from other TBers, I appreciate it. However, I will never understand it.

For me , how could it not have something to do with women?

 

[tycobb73]

I don't understand how it is all about the girls. Is it really that difficult for you to get girls that you have to pretend to be a rock star to do it? Going up to her and striking a conversation in which you show sincere interest in her takes a lot less work than playing rockstar.

 

[LaughingGroove]

It was never about girls or being on stage for me. Now I'm married and have no desire to play on stage agian. I'm just as happy jammin' long with the laptop.......for now anyway..lol



I have heard the syory above from other TBers, I appreciate it. However, I will never understand it.

For me , how could it not have something to do with women?

I think that everyone plays for different reasons. Some to be a "rock star" lol, some to get the girls attention, some maybe cause they have nothing better to do.

For me after a long day, picking up an instrument for an hour or so lets relax and escape everyday life (work...ect), no need to impress anyone, they have already seen it before....lol

 

[JimmyM]

I don't understand how it is all about the girls. Is it really that difficult for you to get girls that you have to pretend to be a rock star to do it? Going up to her and striking a conversation in which you show sincere interest in her takes a lot less work than playing rockstar.

yes, i'm sure it all came really easy for you, mr. clooney. some of us needed all the help we could get.

 

[tycobb73]

yes, i'm sure it all came really easy for you, mr. clooney. some of us needed all the help we could get.

Honestly, I think people tried more times than I did. With some people its a never ending hunt to be in a relationship or get laid. With me that was never the case. 3 years of my high school I was single including prom, which I didn't go to because I wasn't interested in anyone at my school at that time. And I'm not sad I didn't go. I was single for years after that and my exploits didn't total some monstrous number. But if I was interested in a girl, I was sincerely interested in her and it showed. The 2 times I talked to my wife before we started dating we probably talked for a total of 10 hours. Our first date lasted about 12 hours. I don't hunt women like others hunt women, its just not in me. And how the op can't understand how its not about women and is about music, I can't understand the reverse.

 

[bluewine]

I don't understand how it is all about the girls. Is it really that difficult for you to get girls that you have to pretend to be a rock star to do it? Going up to her and striking a conversation in which you show sincere interest in her takes a lot less work than playing rockstar.

You really don't have to play Rock Star. Women can be fickle. They see you on stage or see your picture on a poster or a web-site and your bigger than life to them.

I'm shy and I don't do well with meeting women.Being in a band, well it does all the work for you.

 

[bluewine]

Honestly, I think people tried more times than I did. With some people its a never ending hunt to be in a relationship or get laid. With me that was never the case. 3 years of my high school I was single including prom, which I didn't go to because I wasn't interested in anyone at my school at that time. And I'm not sad I didn't go. I was single for years after that and my exploits didn't total some monstrous number. But if I was interested in a girl, I was sincerely interested in her and it showed. The 2 times I talked to my wife before we started dating we probably talked for a total of 10 hours. Our first date lasted about 12 hours. I don't hunt women like others hunt women, its just not in me. And how the op can't understand how its not about women and is about music, I can't understand the reverse.

WOW! I have like 40 year of scheming, hunting and telling lies.All evolving around trying to make it with chics.

 

[jive1]

From reference.com

chick   /tʃɪk/ Show Spelled[chik] Show IPA
–noun
1. a young chicken or other bird.
2. a child.
3. Slang: Often Offensive . a girl or young woman.


chic   /ʃik/ Show Spelled [sheek] Show IPA adjective, -er, -est.
1. attractive and fashionable; stylish: a chic hat.
–noun
2. style and elegance, esp. in dress: Paris clothes have such chic.
3. stylishness; modishness: the chic of the firstnighters.

 

[JimmyM]

Honestly, I think people tried more times than I did. With some people its a never ending hunt to be in a relationship or get laid. With me that was never the case. 3 years of my high school I was single including prom, which I didn't go to because I wasn't interested in anyone at my school at that time. And I'm not sad I didn't go. I was single for years after that and my exploits didn't total some monstrous number. But if I was interested in a girl, I was sincerely interested in her and it showed. The 2 times I talked to my wife before we started dating we probably talked for a total of 10 hours. Our first date lasted about 12 hours. I don't hunt women like others hunt women, its just not in me. And how the op can't understand how its not about women and is about music, I can't understand the reverse.

it isn't all about the girls. as ed fuqua said, at some point it has to be about the music. but damned if music didn't look attractive to me knowing you could get girls from it.

and if it is all about the girls to some musicians, so what? it isn't hurting anyone. you can't take your standards and apply them across the board to everyone. so it was never important to you to have a girl? great. well it was important to some of us.

i learned long ago not to question other people's motivations. live your life the way you want. as long as you don't hurt or injure others, have fun.

 

[JimmyM]

From reference.com

chick   /tʃɪk/ Show Spelled[chik] Show IPA
–noun
1. a young chicken or other bird.
2. a child.
3. Slang: Often Offensive . a girl or young woman.

any woman who takes offense to the word "chick" is a woman i'd never want to be with. it's as silly as a man taking offense to the word "dude." our drummer used to get offended when i'd call him dude. i used to call him ridiculous. now he says it constantly. listen, i can think of a lot worse names to call people than chick and dude!

 

[jive1]

For those who can't understand why it's not about the women, I'd like to say that I rather have a happy marriage than an empty fling.

And if it's only about the women, then like many guys who play music before they get married, they quit and then might get back into it around mid-life crisis. They got what they wanted out of music, so they are less motivated to put in the effort. There is nothing wrong with this.
Or if you're one of those guys always on the prowl, but many times feel lonely or feel like your music lacks meaning, your motivation for music is many times the the thing that gets in the way of meaningful relationships and/or music. But, there's nothing wrong with this either.

For me, being married has freed up the enourmous amounts of energy I once spent in attracting the opposite sex into my music and other endeavors.

 

[jive1]

any woman who takes offense to the word "chick" is a woman i'd never want to be with. it's as silly as a man taking offense to the word "dude." our drummer used to get offended when i'd call him dude. i used to call him ridiculous. now he says it constantly. listen, i can think of a lot worse names to call people than chick and dude!

I'm with you there. It's not about it being offensive. It just came from cut and paste from the online dictionary.

Just wanted to clarify "chic" meaning stylish as opposed to "chick" which is a slang term for a girl.

 

[JimmyM]

For those who can't understand why it's not about the women, I'd like to say that I rather have a happy marriage than an empty fling.

And if it's only about the women, then like many guys who play music before they get married, they quit and then might get back into it around mid-life crisis. They got what they wanted out of music, so they are less motivated to put in the effort. There is nothing wrong with this.
Or if you're one of those guys always on the prowl, but many times feel lonely or feel like your music lacks meaning, your motivation for music is many times the the thing that gets in the way of meaningful relationships and/or music. But, there's nothing wrong with this either.

For me, being married has freed up the enourmous amounts of energy I once spent in attracting the opposite sex into my music and other endeavors.

all very true. especially the married part. but a guy can dream

 

[jaywa]

Well in my high school there were three ways to pull chicks: 1) Be an athlete, 2) have a hot car, or 3) be a rock musician. 1 and 2 weren't gonna happen for me, so thankfully bass came easy and bands always needed bass players.

29 years later and happily married, now the fullfillment comes more from the compliments of other musicians... some nice cash money at the end of the gig... and the thump in the chest of a perfectly sync'd bass note and kick drum coming out of a big-ass floor wedge.

 

[jive1]

all very true. especially the married part. but a guy can dream

Depending on the gig, you're gonna have dreams whether you want to or not. Hopefully, it's one of those good ones.

 

[tahoebass92]

I play bass because as a young guitarist in middle school, my parents went out and bought me a nice american Telecaster to replace my secondhand Epiphone. I played guitar in jazz band, but in-between songs, I would always put my pick down, and play my guitar like a bass, trying to cop Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Jaco Pastorius, etc. When I was in 7th grade, I said enough is enough, and went out and bought a cheap bass. The $90 bass saw more action than the $1000 guitar, and the rest is history. I ended up putting in over 100 hours of work the next summer sanding and staining decks to save up enough bread to buy my Geddy Lee Jazz.

 

[jaywa]

I ended up putting in over 100 hours of work the next summer sanding and staining decks to save up enough bread to buy my Geddy Lee Jazz.

Well done. That is hard work. Don't ever get rid of that bass... it's worth a lot more to you than anybody could give you in cash.

But I have to ask... did you consider selling the Telecaster? If it was really a $1,000 guitar that could have gotten you a long way toward that Jazz Bass.

 

[Jim Campbell]

I play bass because as a young guitarist in middle school, my parents went out and bought me a nice american Telecaster to replace my secondhand Epiphone. I played guitar in jazz band, but in-between songs, I would always put my pick down, and play my guitar like a bass, trying to cop Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Jaco Pastorius, etc. When I was in 7th grade, I said enough is enough, and went out and bought a cheap bass. The $90 bass saw more action than the $1000 guitar, and the rest is history. I ended up putting in over 100 hours of work the next summer sanding and staining decks to save up enough bread to buy my Geddy Lee Jazz.

i used to do that with an old harmony accoustic while waiting in my perpetually late to middle school buds living room....got my hofner a few years later

 

[bluewine]

Target rich environment … plus maybe something in the water here.

Growing up in Memphis it was nigh on impossible NOT to be around music and become involved! Within a six block area around my house it averaged one full band for every block and a half, everyone I knew played! I started on guitar and my brother on bass, now he plays guitar and I play bass … incidentally the bass my brother owned back then, was a 1966 Fender Jazz candy apple red with a matching headstock, when he quit playing around 1970/71 he sold “that” bass to Leroy Hodges over at Hi Records for $125.00 Leroy used it to record many of the Hi Records hits (he still has it). So many bands were around that not one but two books have been written on the subject

With me the hook as set early on, and I guess I’m still a fish on the line, and it's ever evolving too, as now I’m taking up drums. It was never about anything but the music for me … and I thank God I can still do it even after my little stroke incident earlier this year.

Pictures from another era … one of the top area bands from back in the day Randy and the Radiants

Note in the first picture there is an old Fender Concert amp in the foreground … That IS the FOH boys and girls!

In the second picture taken some years later … you may see a pipe smoking bass player you recognize!

Awesome story and sooo cool pictures. I wish I had a brother that played.