Interviewing Bassists Stories part 2

Took you long enough to notice!

 

Thor - you should "sticky" this one as well.

 

Subscribed

 

this entire thread is just fantastic. it's origin and ending are incredible. bravo to tom and bravo to all of us at talk bass. - bass is the place. no music = no life

 

After a couple years off from TB, I get back in time to find this epic thread...took me a couple of days to read through everything, but was well worth the time to read...glad I checked this thread out!!!

 

Tom, thank you so much for this thread & the book you're writing. I can't wait for it to be published!

 

You're welcome.

Just to keep you updated, here's the revised structure of Ghosts and Ballyhoo. This will be my fifth published book, but I've also written two unpublished novels. Things always change a bit between your initial idea and what actually gets put down on paper:

Contents

Introduction

Anthology One: Prelude to Essence. 1962-1985

Interlude with Scott Thunes

Anthology Two: First Light. 1985-1991

Interlude with Scott Thunes

Anthology Three: Beginnings and Annihilation. 1992-1995

Interlude with Scott Thunes

Anthology Four: Summit. 1996-1997

Interlude with Scott Thunes

Anthology Five: Wasteland. 1998-2003

Interlude with Scott Thunes

Anthology Six: Abyss. 2003-2011

Interlude with Scott Thunes

Anthology Seven: The Great Unhaunting. 2012

Lessons Learned

Codas

What I'm doing is preserving the punchiness of the material I first began writing here. This will be by no means one giant, meandering blah-blah full of self-indulgent navel gazing by me. It's going to be about ghosts and music. Period.

The interludes with Thunes will be all in his own words, from an interview I conducted (all my questions have been edited out, so it's just him) and an interview he's agreed to give to the second major ghost in the book. I've introduced them, and they're already pals. That in and of itself would be reason enough for me to die happy, but the book will be another reason to die happy.

It's going to be my best work, without question.

I've already written the first three Anthologies, and today I've finished collating the material for the rest. From now on it's simply a matter of plugging these stories and interludes into the detailed chapter outlines.

I may actually finish this thing in a couple of months. I've never written so fast or so confidently in my life.

Something weird, that I never knew until I began this memoir: All the major events of my life--including my birth--have happened in August. Wonder what that means...

So: The wait will be worth it. I promise.

 

8 is your lucky number?

 

I'm sure a little anticipation on our part is a good thing!

 

Funny you should say that...

You just reminded me that a few years ago I heard a woman on the radio say that eight can bring you prosperity and success. She recommended that everyone write the number "8" on a piece of paper and carry it around with them.

My brother and I did so for two years and then gave up.

Maybe I just didn't wait long enough.

 

Paraphrasing Glinda: Maybe you just didn't recognise the prosperity and success you had.

 

That's true, too. It's one of the Lessons Learned. Right from the beginning of my career in music journalism, I had people telling me what was important, but I couldn't see it until enough had been stripped away.

It's interesting: I've gotten lots of questions about my writing style. I used to write in a much more verbose way, cramming everything with superfluous words and thoughts that distracted from the points I was trying to make.

I don't have that problem anymore. I seem to be able to easily perceive what's important in writing as well as so much else.

From the Gene Simmons section of Anthology Four: Summit 1996-1997

I’d phoned Simmons a few days later to ask follow-up questions that he refused to answer. At the end of the call, he said, "Now, Tom, I kid everyone, including myself. I pull peoples’ legs all the time. But I’m not kidding now. This is very important to me. I need to know: Did I get the cover or not?"

I told him he'd absolutely gotten the cover.

"Well, I can tell you this because there’s no one else around. I’m all by myself in my office, and no one can hear me. This is my job. It’s my job to piss people off. I have to do it because it’s what’s expected of me. It’s what people want. And I’d like to say I think you’re a great guy and a lot of fun to be with, and I had a lot of fun talking to you. I really enjoyed myself. I hope you go on to write lots of best-selling novels and make lots and lots of money. More than enough money. Make tons of the stuff and find happiness and success. Go out and write; get everything you want; do everything you want to do; have a great writing career. Goodbye."

Thank you, Gene. It took a long time, but I’ve finally managed to achieve some of what you so graciously wished for me.

 

Love the structure. Very cool.

 

I still have to read thru big parts of pt. 1, but I want to thank everyone who shared stories here so far...this is AMAZING stuff!

More, please!

 

And cat,s only get 9 lives so they best enjoy the hell out of their 8th

 

I have another thing to thank Tom for - I had never really listened to Duran Duran before, dismissed them in their prime as just another pop band, but he posted a link, mentioning John Taylor on a live version of Girls on Film.

WELL. I have another bass influence to study. These guys, in retrospect, ROCK. The crowd at their concert in London get it. Taylor makes it work so well.

Looking forward to the book, Tom!

 

Thanks very much. Taylor is a genius. Listen to the bass line in View to a Kill.

A View to a Kill (1985) - Duran Duran - OST - (Special Edition) - YouTube

It's more than halfway finished. I just finished the fourth Anthology tonight. The hardest part is done, and the rest will write itself.

Who writes a whole book in a month? Weird...

 

Sometimes something happens in one's life that is simply meant to be. A culmination of events in the past that add up to what is *now*. That is the book, for you, I believe. It was/is simply meant to be. That it is falling together so quickly, and apparently so well, is an indication of this, IMHO.

And after this epic, what are your plans? I am disturbed (am I the only one?) that your posts often refer to an end of things. I'm hoping you are considering nothing dire, but rather perhaps an end of your expose-writing vis a vis the music business. You have hinted that your affliction may remit; may we please expect a rebirth of sorts in a new genre of writing? Where will you go from here?