I was in a band in Los Angeles. We had more than enough solid material in the can, like 16 songs, fully mixed by a dream of an engineer, who put his a lot of own time and money into the band. Great songwriting, great musicianship, stellar arrangements. A sort of blend of rock and 80's funk, with great vocals and three part harmonies. A guitar player who knew exactly what to play and where to play it, and soloed like a bird. The shows we did were powerful - tight and strong, good looks, too. Some other acts on the LA circuit would not let us open for them, because we made them look weak. Even had some investors willing to put up money for the band - 250K to cover our living expenses so we could focus on the music. A manager that was out trying to get us a contract. Plus, an open door to a major studio to come record for free on off hours.. It was a "package" ready to go, but we never made it. Why? The hair metal bands were coming out and that's about all the scouts were looking for. And the song writer / singer had a case of the Peter principle - he would tend to self sabotage when success was in his hand. I still listen to the tracks and think what might have been....
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^^ I can so relate.
I had a great original band. Great management, a fan base....This band was going to go places.
RCA records (long defunkt) wanted some demos, and gave us a huge block in a great studio.
So WHAT do we do? Change directions completely, and record a bunch of songs about extraterrestial landscapes, and hobbits, and other prog shite. Prog was getting huge, and we were listening to Yes, PFM, tangerine dream etc. They spent a fortune on a good producer, engineers etc.
The record company hated it so much they had us removed from their offices.
I had a great original band. Great management, a fan base....This band was going to go places.
RCA records (long defunkt) wanted some demos, and gave us a huge block in a great studio.
So WHAT do we do? Change directions completely, and record a bunch of songs about extraterrestial landscapes, and hobbits, and other prog shite. Prog was getting huge, and we were listening to Yes, PFM, tangerine dream etc. They spent a fortune on a good producer, engineers etc.
The record company hated it so much they had us removed from their offices.
Back in the 90's at a branch campus of Miami University (Ohio), Arlo Guthrie was doing a show. I was familiar with and a fan of a few of his songs. My older brother was into it and played his stuff when I was a kid.
So I went, watched the show had a good time. After show went up to the side of the stage area, there he was milling around. Introduced myself and got an autograph!
I asked him why he didn't do Alice's Restaurant and he said, in a slow, drawn out stoner voice, "That woulda took up half the show man."
He then asked if I wanted to walk him to the bus! So here I was in my early thirties walking a pretty old Arlo Guthrie to his tour bus. Crazy.
He did play City of New Orleans and other cool stuff in Alice's absence.
So I went, watched the show had a good time. After show went up to the side of the stage area, there he was milling around. Introduced myself and got an autograph!
I asked him why he didn't do Alice's Restaurant and he said, in a slow, drawn out stoner voice, "That woulda took up half the show man."
He then asked if I wanted to walk him to the bus! So here I was in my early thirties walking a pretty old Arlo Guthrie to his tour bus. Crazy.
He did play City of New Orleans and other cool stuff in Alice's absence.
In my early years I was often asked if I was Mick Fleetwood. It was quite an honor to be mistaken for someone "famous" but quite a let down when I got home and looked in the mirror and saw that I was still me...
I Heard all of that in a Walken accent. You are amazing.
That’s not a skill...it’s a Superpower!
About 5 years ago I had an inside angle at an audition with the Samples. I had played a few gigs with their drummer and they needed a guy.
I had to pass. Family, career, blah.
Runners up:
I had to pass. Family, career, blah.
Runners up:
- I played a couple gigs in Dallas with one of the guitarists who has gone through Snarky Puppy. He's not in the current lineup.
- As a kid, a guitarist I played with had studied with the guy in Miami Sound Machine. Whenever they came to Austin, we got to hang with Gloria Estefan and she joked with me about calling her when I grew up (I was 14).
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I once did a gig that had cheeseburgers in the green room. Like just a giant platter of nicely stacked cheeseburgers. I thought for sure I had made it big.
My brother-in-law owned a landscaping company and in the early 80’s he employed a guy who told everyone he was Ace Frehley. This was pre-internet, and pre-Kiss losing their makeup so there was really no immediate way to disprove the claim. Except by handing him a guitar, which he couldn’t play a note on.
So... I once jammed with a landscaper who claimed to be Ace Frehley.
Come to think of it, he wasn’t a very good landscaper, either.
So... I once jammed with a landscaper who claimed to be Ace Frehley.
Come to think of it, he wasn’t a very good landscaper, either.
I did an internship in Ronnie Milsap's publishing company back in '90-ish. His studio was downstairs from there, as was the only restroom. Needing to partake of the facilities, I went down stairs one day. As I was going in, George Jones was coming out. Nodded our greetings politley to each other.
The seat was still warm.
The seat was still warm.
I would love to hear some of that. Put it on a Soundcloud?
My old band framed out rejection letter from Sony Records... That's about as close as I got.
I quit a band in high school due to wanting to go in a different direction. Not long after graduation two of them ended up being in Nick Carter's (Backstreet Boys) backing band when he went solo. They got to travel the world and perform, which is pretty awesome.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
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- I suck, but nobody really notices
Back in the late 1970s, I was in a 6 piece band that was formed from top members of several well known area bands. We had 4 lead singers (3 males and 1 female), which made us very unique and the band had great harmonies. We came out of the gate and developed a large regional following quickly. Six months after the band started we were in a studio recording a single 45 record, which the A-side was a cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me" that we were asked to record since it was a hit in our live shows. A couple investors/club owners put up the money for us to record the song with the stipulation that we would play at their clubs for a year at a reduced rate. It was a good trade off for everybody involved.
The record came out and was a big regional hit. The band was poised to go to the next level and a year later one of the singers quit because he created turmoil with all the other band members. Eventually, jobs and family issues dissolved the original lineup within a few years; but, one of the guitarists and myself kept the band going with various members.
Four years after we started the band, we had another great lineup and were writing lots of original songs and putting them on demos as well as playing them out to great audience response. We were ready to go into a studio and record a whole album of material and we had the first couple singles picked to present to radio stations. We were also working with somebody to help us shop the album to major labels. In the midst of everything, we had a female singer who started to cause many problems and we had to fire her. Since many of the songs had her singing either lead or backup, we never re-recorded the demos without her or with different vocal arrangements. In the end, we never finished the album and that has been my one regret in my musical career that we should have at least completed it just to do it. All I have of the original songs are 4-track demo recordings.
The band ran it's course after a total of 7 years and numerous members but is still considered one of the top bands that ever played in this area. I have continued to play in many very successful performing bands since then but never getting back to the possible recording level that band achieved.
So close and yet so far.
The record came out and was a big regional hit. The band was poised to go to the next level and a year later one of the singers quit because he created turmoil with all the other band members. Eventually, jobs and family issues dissolved the original lineup within a few years; but, one of the guitarists and myself kept the band going with various members.
Four years after we started the band, we had another great lineup and were writing lots of original songs and putting them on demos as well as playing them out to great audience response. We were ready to go into a studio and record a whole album of material and we had the first couple singles picked to present to radio stations. We were also working with somebody to help us shop the album to major labels. In the midst of everything, we had a female singer who started to cause many problems and we had to fire her. Since many of the songs had her singing either lead or backup, we never re-recorded the demos without her or with different vocal arrangements. In the end, we never finished the album and that has been my one regret in my musical career that we should have at least completed it just to do it. All I have of the original songs are 4-track demo recordings.
The band ran it's course after a total of 7 years and numerous members but is still considered one of the top bands that ever played in this area. I have continued to play in many very successful performing bands since then but never getting back to the possible recording level that band achieved.
So close and yet so far.
- Oct 7, 2000
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I auditioned for the Ramones and was strung along by Marky (we were buddies for a while) for about 2 weeks while learning all their tunes.
I've got other stories, but that one stung the most for obvious readons.
I've got other stories, but that one stung the most for obvious readons.
Had an offer last year to record and possibly tour with a composer/writer who was collaborating with a world famous progressive rock singer who was in one of the worlds longest lasting and most successful rock acts ever (RRHOF).
Things were really looking good. Got the early recordings they were working on and was asked about bass ideas.
Went back and forth for about 6 weeks and then another progressive rock artist, longtime friend and frequent collaborator with this vocalist, had unexpected success with an album on the UK charts and Europe.
Suddenly, the project was postponed as they decided to tour in Europe on the other artists unexpected chart success and then the project was scrapped whene more tour dates were added and schedules blew up.
I still read the emails with a mix of awe, thrill and profound disappointment.
A lot of industry friends reminded me that more often than not stuff blows up like that and that’s the nature of the biz.
Still..... I guess it’s just another case of c’est la vie.
Still, it was a thrilling 6 weeks.
Things were really looking good. Got the early recordings they were working on and was asked about bass ideas.
Went back and forth for about 6 weeks and then another progressive rock artist, longtime friend and frequent collaborator with this vocalist, had unexpected success with an album on the UK charts and Europe.
Suddenly, the project was postponed as they decided to tour in Europe on the other artists unexpected chart success and then the project was scrapped whene more tour dates were added and schedules blew up.
I still read the emails with a mix of awe, thrill and profound disappointment.
A lot of industry friends reminded me that more often than not stuff blows up like that and that’s the nature of the biz.
Still..... I guess it’s just another case of c’est la vie.
Still, it was a thrilling 6 weeks.
Never close to famous but cool story. We have a lot of vendors in and out of our facility. I bring my bass in once and awhile when I have a gig or whatever. I get to know one of the vendors and come to find out he plays drums. I ask him to jam and he says sure. He turns out to be REALLY good. We start talking and I ask him his back ground. Turns out he was a touring drummer for several very famous artists in the 80's and 90's. He looks very clean cut and straight laced today so I google him and sure nuff. He is even in a couple music videos.
Nope! And I'll apologize for my little jab at Ant, while I'm at it. I shouldn't have said what I said. Sorry, @Ant Illington!
