Interviewing bassist stories

[Vinz Clortho]

The worst people I ever met were older. Here's why:

Pathologies ALWAYS get worse if not addressed. The longer you live your life in a hideous, immoral fashion, the worse you get. You never plateau and coast. You descend, and the descent picks up speed, you achieve critical mass, and suddenly you're a barking loon.

My memoir will not be at all Oprah-y. I choose to not reveal my own issues. But I will say that I can tell you from personal experience that problems not addressed always get worse, which is why older people tend to be sicker than younger.

If you catch your problems early on, you'll be better for it in the long run. Whatever problem you have now will get worse unless addressed.

Until around the age of sixteen I lived under a certain naivete that debauchery and scandalous behavior was largely a symptom of misguided youth... until I became aware of the number of people in the middle-age demographic that were cheating on their spouses, going to work drunk, racking up tens of thousands in debt and doing lines at parties. I lost a little faith in humanity that I have yet to recover... but if that's the worst of my first-world problems then I'd say I'm doing pretty well for myself. My own brief brush with what I perceive to be low-grade alcoholism makes me wonder how anybody can live so long like that.

Definitely looking forward to this book.

 

[Stumbo]

I'll figure out an e-mail list. I know nothing about technical matters, so if anyone can tell me how to post something to sign up, drop me a PM. And if anyone from Talkbass is reading this, would that be okay with you if I used this thread to get an initial mailing list to have on hand for when the book is published?

Something to check out:
You can use Google Groups or Yahoo Groups to set up a central emailing point. If you set up a private group, everyone that wants to sign up needs to be approved.

Also, for each TBer subscribed to this thread, an update email is sent out based on the user's profile choice: daily, weekly, etc.

Every TBer can also setup their profile to include "Auto subscribe" for each thread you post in or subscribe manualy without posting.

 

[blues.bass]

Tom, I really can't add anything further to what the all guys before me have said... but I will say: Thank you and sign me up!

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

stories. I see myself in some of the people who you vilify. I am not sure we'd get along in real life.

Doesn't matter. I'm here to entertain, not be your friend. Also, I'm not "vilifying" anyone. I'm describing events and experiences I had.

If you're entertained, I've done my job. It shouldn't matter a whit to you whether or not we could get along.

Always try to separate the artist from his art, or you'll invariably be disappointed. I've befriended one famous musician in my life, but what led to the friendship was me finally putting the person ahead of the art. The art is now a bonus, not the primary attraction.

The actress Greta Garbo became a recluse in New York after she stopped working. One day she approached a young man who lived in her apartment building and asked him if he liked taking walks. He had no idea who she was but said he did, so they arranged to take long walks throughout New York every day. She was famous for walking for hours.

After a couple of years he discovered who she was, but he never spoke to her about her career in the 20 years he knew her, and he never watched her movies until after she died. He felt that to watch her movies or learn about her career would have been a betrayal of their friendship.

Don't worry if you and I couldn't get along. I originally came here to entertain and unburden myself before closing the door on several important aspects of my life forever. It very strangely and maybe miraculously led to a book deal. Making friends wasn't part of my agenda.

You and all the other readers here are responsible for me getting my book deal, so I'm grateful to you, even if you don't like me as a person. We don't know each other, and when it comes to personal issues I care only about the opinions of those who are close to me.

 

[hodgy]

I'm truly sorry. I was going to spill all the beans here as my swan song, but I owe it to my publishers to retain the best stories now. They're taking a big chance on me, and I'm ethically obliged to repay their confidence in me.

It pains me, since so many people have been entertained, but I promise you that you ain't seen nothin' yet.

If you can be patient, you'll eventually read about Shark Tooth Man, the Witch, The Woman Who Bragged That her A**hole Is Too Small to F*ck, the Man Who Bragged About His Affair with His Sister, how the record label repaid me for the best article about Gene Simmons ever printed, the First Really Weird Disease, a Test Of Character From God, Warnings Ignored by Experts on Disaster, How to Live the Rest of Your Life without Your Soul Mate, the Real Ghost, the Russian Colonel, What it Feels like to be Murdered, Surviving Character Assassination, the Chicken-voiced Fabulist, Taking Flamethrowers to it All, How a Cat Saved my Life, the Singer Who Saved my Life, the Poet Who Saved my Life, the Letter the Radio Talk Show Host Never Forgot, the Con Man Who Would Not Die, The Manimal and His Noises, How a Blind Date Almost Killed Me, the Family who Set a Trap for Me, the Fake Novelist, Saving the Gay Emo Teen, Advice for the Single and Housebound, the Nightmares Before Publication, the World's Best Editor, the World's Best Therapist, the Lady Who Lived in Disneyland, the Hardest Interview of my Career...

And much, much more. You can wait for that, can't you?

Jiminy, I can't wait for the table of contents!
'In Cold Sweat' arrived in the mail yesterday, I'm looking forward to reading it after I finish Paul Shaffer's autobiography. I have a friend that does freelance photography that has written 2 books on the history of American steel combat helmets (along with a horrifying book about Dimebag Darrel's murder). I'll have to ask him if he's had similar experiences with the historical faction as you with the flamethrowers.

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

Something to check out:
You can use Google Groups or Yahoo Groups to set up a central emailing point.

Okay. I've set up [email protected]

Now what? I'm a G-D dinosaur. I can't figure out what the hell to do next. It says I have to either invite people to join or plug in their e-mail addresses.

This is the welcome message I wrote:

"This group is meant to keep track of people who want to be informed about the progress of the book "Ghosts and Ballyhoo: Memoirs of a Failed L.A. Music Journalist," by Thomas Wictor. It will be published by Schiffer Books, Ltd."

What happens next? HELP!

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

Jiminy, I can't wait for the table of contents!
'In Cold Sweat' arrived in the mail yesterday, I'm looking forward to reading it after I finish Paul Shaffer's autobiography. I have a friend that does freelance photography that has written 2 books on the history of American steel combat helmets (along with a horrifying book about Dimebag Darrel's murder). I'll have to ask him if he's had similar experiences with the historical faction as you with the flamethrowers.

Thank you for buying the book. My experience with flamethrowers was based on my lack of a pedigree and a truly astonishing experience I hope to include in my memoirs.

The man who will likely edit Ghosts and Ballyhoo told me "Never, never, never write with a co-author. It's always a disaster."

Unfortunately he told me that after my disaster, which should be in my memoirs, because it culminated in the Test of Character that may have been divinely sent, since it was so specific and the odds against it happening were higher than winning the mega-jackpot lottery.

I'm happy to think I passed that test. If I get the okay, I'll put it in the book and amaze you.

 

[mcj2x]

Okay. I've set up [email protected]

Now what? I'm a G-D dinosaur. I can't figure out what the hell to do next. It says I have to either invite people to join or plug in their e-mail addresses.

This is the welcome message I wrote:

"This group is meant to keep track of people who want to be informed about the progress of the book "Ghosts and Ballyhoo: Memoirs of a Failed L.A. Music Journalist," by Thomas Wictor. It will be published by Schiffer Books, Ltd."

What happens next? HELP!

just clicked the link and emailed you.... let's see if it works!

 

[mcj2x]

just clicked the link and emailed you.... let's see if it works!

oooohhh.... mail delivery failure.

here is the info i got in the returned mail:

We're writing to let you know that the group you tried to contact (ghosts-and-ballyhoo) may not exist, or you may not have permission to post messages to the group. A few more details on why you weren't able to post:

* You might have spelled or formatted the group name incorrectly.
* The owner of the group may have removed this group.
* You may need to join the group before receiving permission to post.
* This group may not be open to posting.

If you have questions related to this or any other Google Group, visit the Help Center at Google Groups Help.

Thanks,

Google Groups

 

[BluesOnBass]

I hereby unlurk.

I have been chasing this thread for days, but always several pages behind. Couldn't catch up again tonight. Just want to mention that I have enjoyed reading the first 400 posts.

+1000

I'm still trying to catch up - but I don't want it to end! Amazing reading!!

I'm half afraid it will get removed somehow before I reach the most recent posts.

This has taken me away from the page-turner of a novel I was reading before discovering this thread. It's even better - but it's keeping me up wayyy too late reading

Thanks so much for sharing with us all Tom and everyone else who is contributing!!

Also purchasing your book for my Kindle - can't wait to get to that after I catch up here

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

oooohhh.... mail delivery failure.

here is the info i got in the returned mail:

We're writing to let you know that the group you tried to contact (ghosts-and-ballyhoo) may not exist, or you may not have permission to post messages to the group. A few more details on why you weren't able to post:

* You might have spelled or formatted the group name incorrectly.
* The owner of the group may have removed this group.
* You may need to join the group before receiving permission to post.
* This group may not be open to posting.

If you have questions related to this or any other Google Group, visit the Help Center at Google Groups Help.

Thanks,

Google Groups

I'm totally lost. Just now I searched "Ghosts and Ballyhoo" in Google Groups and got no results. So I tried creating the group again, and it said "This name already taken." So I searched again and got the name, but where the @#$% do I see if there are messages or what? I literally have no idea how to use this thing.

Isn't there a @#$%ing page that explains everything, or am I so far behind now that it's like asking someone to explain a pencil?

Ken said he's trying to straighten it out, but if anyone else has any ideas, too, please PM me. I have no clue what I'm doing here. I momentarily got a page that said I could put in a picture, but it didn't say how or where, and they're telling me to choose between the "old groups" and the "new groups."

If someone could point me toward a "Google Groups for Really Stupid People," I'll be grateful for all eternity.

By the way, I hope I haven't broken any rules here, Talkbass. If so, you can take the appropriate action.

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

+1000

I'm still trying to catch up - but I don't want it to end! Amazing reading!!

I'm half afraid it will get removed somehow before I reach the most recent posts.

This has taken me away from the page-turner of a novel I was reading before discovering this thread. It's even better - but it's keeping me up wayyy too late reading

Thanks so much for sharing with us all Tom and everyone else who is contributing!!

Also purchasing your book for my Kindle - can't wait to get to that after I catch up here

Thanks very much. That's all gratifying to hear.

You'll love Ghosts and Ballyhoo. It's going to be a totally new type of memoir, I think, in which the person writing it isn't the main focus.

I just find other people more interesting than I am, so it's more fun to write about them.

 

[RoadRanger]

The google group is at:
https://groups.google.com/group/ghosts-and-ballyhoo
Tom, if you'd like my help setting it up or co-moderating I'd be happy to .

 

[powmetalbassist]

Ghosts and Ballyhoo | Google Groups

 

[LSquared]

Okay. I've set up [email protected]

Now what? I'm a G-D dinosaur. I can't figure out what the hell to do next. It says I have to either invite people to join or plug in their e-mail addresses.

This is the welcome message I wrote:

"This group is meant to keep track of people who want to be informed about the progress of the book "Ghosts and Ballyhoo: Memoirs of a Failed L.A. Music Journalist," by Thomas Wictor. It will be published by Schiffer Books, Ltd."

What happens next? HELP!

I went to Google Groups, searched for "Ghosts & Ballyhoo" and requested to join the group. Tom should get a request via the group. Hopefully I'll be approved!

 

[LSquared]

Thank you for buying the book. My experience with flamethrowers was based on my lack of a pedigree and a truly astonishing experience I hope to include in my memoirs.

The man who will likely edit Ghosts and Ballyhoo told me "Never, never, never write with a co-author. It's always a disaster."

Unfortunately he told me that after my disaster, which should be in my memoirs, because it culminated in the Test of Character that may have been divinely sent, since it was so specific and the odds against it happening were higher than winning the mega-jackpot lottery.

I'm happy to think I passed that test. If I get the okay, I'll put it in the book and amaze you.

I just received my copy of "German Flamethrower Pioneers of World War I" yesterday. Bought it as a gift for my brother, but I may have to spend some time with it first....

 

[erigod23]

Ok, I'll un-lurk, too. Been reading since Post #1. I've enjoyed this thread immensely.

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

The google group is at:
https://groups.google.com/group/ghosts-and-ballyhoo
Tom, if you'd like my help setting it up or co-moderating I'd be happy to .

You know what? If you want to moderate it 100 percent, that's fine with me.

I don't actually care if it turns into a nightmare of flame wars, because I like flame wars. I just did this to keep everybody informed.

Also, since I'm going to be writing the book full time, it's going to be hard to moderate, too.

How do we make you moderator?

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

I just received my copy of "German Flamethrower Pioneers of World War I" yesterday. Bought it as a gift for my brother, but I may have to spend some time with it first....

That's my baby. When my memoirs come out, I hope to include the story behind that book and how I got a Test of Character (likely from God) in regard to the man who was initially my co-author.

I passed that test, I'm proud to say. If the publishers approve me including it, you'll be extremely proud of me for showing charity, when I'm not a forgiving person by nature.

You said December, right? Let me look for bookplates today. I've been overwhelmed by how fast everything is moving here.

And thank you for buying my book.

 

[Arthritic_Tom]

Boy, they sure don't make it easy.

It looks like my Google Group is up and running.

Go to https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!overview and search "ghosts-and-ballyhoo"

Once you find it, that's where you apply. I'm approving all applications, because if you're joining just to be a butthole, that's your problem.

I don't mind flame wars, so if you want to fight and be jerks, cool! I'm doing this to keep everyone informed on the progress of the book, which is going to take up all my time for a while.

I think this link might work, too:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ghosts-and-ballyhoo

I've had one offer to moderate. If anyone else wants to moderate, too, that's great. Maybe I can make you all moderators, so you can get into flame wars over who moderates, and then the flames will be instantly extinguished because you're all moderators, too! It'll be this fantastic exercise in self-defeat, which I always love.

So, all applications are being automatically approved.

Here's some useful(?) information:

http://support.google.com/groups/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=46601