Michael Des Barres: Silverhead rocker & TV villain ‘Murdoc’ chats with Ray Shasho

By Ray Shasho

Interview: Michael Des Barres, CD Review: Carnaby Street

Michael Des Barres is a perfect example of how perseverance, hard work, and a positive outlook, can achieve many of life’s yearnings. Michael is an incredible story; he embraced his passion for the arts and has never looked backed.

Acting lessons at the Corona Stage School led to a supporting cast member role as “Williams,” a London East End pupil on the 1967 British drama, To Sir, with Love starring Sidney Poitier. Besides acting, Michael loved music, especially American blues and rock ‘n’ roll. He formed his first band called the Orange Illusion in his teen years.
In 1972, Michael Des Barres became frontman for British glam rockers and cult icons Silverhead. The band eventually signed with Purple Records (owned by Deep Purple) and released two essential albums, Silverhead (1972) and 16 and Savaged (1973).
Silverhead became a significant role model for future generations of glam rock groups.
 
After the premature disbanding of Silverhead, Michael Des Barres formed Detective. The band was signed to Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label by legendary guitarist Jimmy Page in 1975. Detective featured guitarist Michael Monarch (Steppenwolf) and Tony Kaye (Yes). The group recorded three studio albums, Detective (1977), It Takes One to Know One (1978), and their third album was recorded on Atlantic Records but never released. (Michael remains friends with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant).
During this time Michael Des Barres appeared on the WKRP in Cincinnati television episode “Hoodlum Rock” as the infamous Sir Charles 'Dog' Weatherbee of the band Scum of the Earth. (Rob Zombie released a song called “Scum of the Earth” in 2000, and a heavy metal band by the name of Scum of the Earth was formed in 2003).

After the break-up of Detective, Michael Des Barres teamed up with Ex-Sex Pistol guitarist Steve Jones to form Chequered Past. The line-up also included bassist Nigel Harrison and drummer Clem Burke from Blondie, and guitarist Tony Sales formerly of Utopia. (The band recorded one album together called Chequered Past). Des Barres also became the lead singer of the touring and Live Aid version of The Power Station, a Duran Duran spin-off band.

Michael Des Barres penned the world-wide hit “Obsession” with Holly Knight, which became a huge hit for the LA new wave group Animation in 1985.

Des Barres states that he loves performing in front of a live audience in a rock ‘n’ roll band, but he’s also in love with all the arts, and in many shapes and forms. He’s also an accomplished actor and probably best known for playing the infamous villain ‘Murdoc’ on the popular TV series MacGyver and ‘Alex’ in the movie Pink Cadillac.
Michael has appeared in countless film, television, voice-over and stage roles and his credits are awe-inspiring. Visit http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0220735/ for a complete listing of his credits.

At 64, Michael Des Barres continues to amaze, mystify and diversify.
In April of 2012, Des Barres reunited with Silverhead and all his old mates for the first time in 38 years. The band performed to standing room only audiences in Japan. He’s also recently appeared on the television series The Finder, Suits, and the motion picture California Solo.

More impressively, Michael Des Barres returns to his mid- 1960’s roots with an incredible hard-driving rock ‘n’ roll band initiated by old school elation. The new CD is entitled Carnaby Street and will be officially released on July 10th. Des Barres indicated, “I feel I’m part of a movement that is slipping away, I have something to bring to the table that is endangered of being swept under the carpet.”

After listening to Carnaby Street, two things became certain …rock ‘n’ roll needs Michael Des Barres and we need more Michael Des Barres. The band is incredibly tight and Des Barres’ vocals are majestic. Des Barres embellishes the essence of a ‘British rocker’ by epitomizing Rod Stewart, Noddy Holder and Steve Marriott all in one voice. It’s an incredible musical journey back to the swinging rock ‘n’ roll days of London. Carnaby Street is a natural flow of raw rock energy reminiscent to the days when rock was king. The Brits are back and ready to rock!
I had a chance to chat with Michael last week about the new CD, his inspiring music and acting career, his rock and roll mates, and creating opportunities in life.
I found Michael to be brilliant, receptive, spiritual, charming, and a bloody rocker to the end!

Here’s my interview with the iconic British glam rocker, singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor… Michael Des Barres, as he takes us back to the “Garden of Eden for rock ‘n’roll.”
Ray Shasho: Hello Michael, how are you?
Michael Des Barres: “I’m good man, how are you?”
Ray Shasho: It’s great to be chatting with the original frontman for Scum of the Earth.
Michael Des Barres: “(All Laughing!) I get stopped for many reasons but that was definitely one of the top five. It seemed to define some sort of a Spinal Tap moment for the punk generation. It had an amazing penetration in the media … and it stayed there. That show was so much fun to do.”
Ray Shasho: Michael, I want to say congrats on such an awesome and inspiring career. I’ve heard you talk about how you’ve obtained one of your first acting roles on “To Sir With Love” but it seems you’ve created so many great opportunities for yourself in the entertainment business, how was that possible for you?
Michael Des Barres: “I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of creating opportunities. I think the way you create opportunity is to believe … it wasn’t a choice to be an artist it was something that I never ever questioned. I really knew deep within that what I wanted to do most was express myself in whatever form. I could have done a sculpture, been a painter, taken photographs or whatever, there was something inside that I wanted to get out and the universe provided these wonderful ways of doing it. I never really gave it that much thought, right now I’m sounding too metaphysical for my own good. But I do believe that if you really have faith, and you trust that you have something to offer the world, you will be given that opportunity.”

“But I did work very hard … I was in boarding school for eight years and spent a lot of time reading, because I didn’t have parents, and I spent a lot of time alone. So I took advantage of my education and read everything that I could get my hands on. By the time I was 15 or 16, I knew kind of where I wanted to go. I loved the blues and I loved Shakespeare. Loved Oscar Wilde and loved Elvis, and there was this strange hybrid of influences. I wanted to act and went to drama school. Within months we were given the opportunity to work on To Sir with Love in 1967, which was a huge international success, and I tasted it, and saw what it was like, and saw how Sidney handled himself. Connery was doing Bond at the same time, so I was exposed to great charismatic actors very early on and knew the parameters of what could happen and how it could be done, so I watched and studied them. After the movie I did a lot of theater which gave me a defining discipline, which when I got addicted to everything you could become addicted to, I still had that skeleton of discipline.”
Ray Shasho: Blues and Shakespeare, Michael you are a genuine renaissance man.
Michael Des Barres: “Yea, you know … Muddy Waters and Hamlet that about sums it up. Art is both inspired and inspiring and that’s all ever wanted to do.”
Ray Shasho: I want to chat about your new CD Carnaby Street. Your voice sounds amazing man; it’s a great album, stick to being a rocker for awhile because today’s music scene really needs you.
Michael Des Barres: “You’re so incredibly kind to say that. You know what I do … I’ve been killing people on TV for years (laughing) and “Murdoc” was very good to me and I love my career as an actor… however… really what I want to do is stand on the stage of a club anywhere and plug my guitar in and sing the f-ing blues. And it’s really all I want to do. The words and feel of Carnaby Street is freedom through music… liberation with three chords. You can liberate yourself in the most simplistic way. My music is no way ironic, sarcastic, aggressive, sentimental or apologetic … it’s below the waist music. Rock ‘n’ roll is a euphemism for f-ing and dancing. And by saying that I don’t mean to be crude, I’m just saying perhaps that has been lost on a generation raised on Wellbutrin and Prozac.”

“Jack White and the Stripes, The Black Keyes, Alabama Shakes, there are innumerable bands that play authentic and genuine rock ‘n’ roll music. And I don’t mean I’m the head of an army of authenticity because I believe there are many people doing it. But I just want to add my take on it since I was there. I mean there were very few people singing rock ‘n’ roll music in 1967 at many nightclubs, and are still doing that. I am a rare breed by that definition.”
Ray Shasho: 'Carnaby Street' is just a natural flow of raw rock ‘n’ roll energy and reminiscent to the days when rock was king.
Michael Des Barres: “I recorded and mixed it in 10 days. Everything you hear on that record was done in the moment. There were perhaps backup vocals but no overdubs on the album. That album was done because my band is so extraordinary and so in love with that music. You don’t THINK when you’re playing that music. Everything you hear is one take. I wrote all the tunes and collaborated with the very talented country artist Jesse Dayton. I stayed in Austin, Texas for a month writing this album and met Jesse, and he was all about the music and very inspiring. And the rest of the record I wrote with Paul Hill, who is my bass player, and unbelievably talented. He’s Linda Perry’s bass player for all her productions, Tina Turner, James Blunt … the list is endless. And he has the same DNA as I do, as does the rest of the band. I’m very proud of the album and you’re the first person who I’ve spoken to who has heard it. It hasn’t even been sent out particularly yet, so I do appreciate your diligence.”
Ray Shasho: I’ve always been a huge fan of British rock … another reason why I love this CD.
Michael Des Barres: “Well that’s what it is … that’s why it’s got a Union Jack on the cover, and why I called it Carnaby Street. When I was a kid … 15, 16, 17, I would go and see Georgie Fame, Alexis Korner, Long John Baldry … Rod, Terry Reid, Beck, and then Hendrix and so on and so on. So when I was acting my little ass off, I was listening and so taken by the revolution that was happening every minute. Can you imagine what it was like in London in 1967? It was everything you think it was. Every ten feet was a gorgeous girl, with a gorgeous boy, in gorgeous clothes, listening to stunning music. It was the Garden of Eden for rock ‘n’roll.”
Ray Shasho: You’re kind of a cult figure because of the TV character ‘Murdoc’ on MacGyver, but you also have cult status for being the frontman in the bands Silverhead and Detective. Why were those incredible bands short-lived?
Michael Des Barres: “Well one word and you’ve heard it before, it begins with D and ends with S. And that’s the reason. I look back at those days and don’t regret the fact that we didn’t sell 25- million albums, for me they were some of the best rock and roll bands ever. I’m so proud of being a member of those bands and what we were capable of… even in those circumstances.”

“We were 19 in Silverhead and never experienced about going to Japan or the states, and the temptations were so incredible and we succumbed to them. In Detective we were sponsored by Led Zeppelin at the height of their decadence, so the fact that we even put an album out is a miracle. We were very indulgent and addictive and we succumbed to those things. But even given those circumstances, we made some great records and people have enjoyed them. But all I know is that I’m happy. I’m happy it happened because I’ve learned a lot about what life is.”

“The fact that I’m doing this now …money is not the issue, it’s not like I’m hungry to pay my rent, I’m doing this for the fact… I feel I’m part of a movement that is slipping away. I feel I have something to bring to the table that is endangered of being swept under the carpet.”
Ray Shasho: I heard Rod Stewart, Steve Marriott and Noddy Holder on Carnaby Street.
Michael Des Barres: “I think Noddy Holder was the best of them all. Noddy Holder had the greatest, humorous, bluesy voice of any of them. I have the deepest respect for Noddy, we came up at the same time and I adored him. His voice was like Steve’s … so big. Silverhead opened for Humble Pie a couple of times and I would just sit there and be astonished at this little tiny fellow and this incredible voice. Recently, I did a gig with Jerry Shirley and a tribute to Humble Pie. Steve was an actor, he went to drama school and played the Artful Dodger, we’d all go on auditions before the world changed and everyone was in high heels and eye makeup.”
Ray Shasho: I think you’re one of the only singers around that can hit the same notes like they could.
Michael Des Barres: “I find it really easy for some reason. (Laughing) I’m 64, and a few years ago when I decided I was going to make a record, I played every nightclub that would let me play and my voice came back, still stronger than ever.”

“It’s interesting, Robert Plant has remained a really good friend, and I love him and Jimmy you know, and there’s a reason he doesn’t want to sing those songs anymore. He turned to me one day and said, “I just can’t sing about lemon juice down my leg anymore …I just can’t do it, it would be like a 15 year old playing Romeo.” And he’s the one that has been incredibly creative with his career.”
Ray Shasho: I enjoyed the interview you did on You Tube with Pete Townshend and Gene Simmons. Did you have your own radio show too?
Michael Des Barres: “I was asked once but didn’t enjoy it very much. I love Gene, and Pete is a God you know, and love to interview people as you do, it’s a wonderful conversation to have but I don’t want to do it every day. I love to work and I have to work … it’s a compulsion.”
Ray Shasho: The Silverhead reunion this year in Japan had to be a blast.
Michael Des Barres: “Thirty-eight years I haven’t seen these guys… accept for Nigel. We all live in different countries so we had to regroup in Tokyo. Picture this… walking into a room in Tokyo with all the gear there and all these glam kids outside screaming and yelling, and we walk in there and I see these guys that I haven’t seen in 38 years, and the first half an hour is … I’m so sorry that I slept with your girlfriend … and it’s all very intimate, but within a half an hour its turn the f*** down I can’t hear myself! We only rehearsed for three days and to grasp it all in that short time frame was not an easy thing.”

“With Silverhead, we were always the band that was trying to seduce the audience; we were touring with Uriah Heep, Deep Purple etc. Always trying to win the audience over … skinny little bastards with makeup on in Mobile, Alabama in 1972 … we were a target for the boys and a different kind of target for the girls. We had a big bulls-eye on our ass!”

“When we went to Japan a few months ago and we played, everybody new every syllable to every song and for the first time in our lives, they knew who we were. It was a phenomenon and shocking to us. After that first gig, Robbie was in a corner literally with tears flowing down his cheeks. It was a very emotional closure for the band. We would have never experienced the closure if we would have gone on to make multiple albums in that one band …it would have been a different life.”
Ray Shasho: You’re the second rock star that I’ve interviewed who played a part in Seinfeld. Joe Lala of (Blues Image, Stephen Stills and Manassas), was in “The Face Painter” episode. He’s the only rocker who I know that became a veteran actor besides you. I know David Bowie and Mick Jagger played some parts but not to the extent of you and Joe.
Michael Des Barres: “I worked with Mick … I did The Man from Elysian Fields with him and Andy Garcia, James Coburn… and he was fantastic in it … great movie!”
Ray Shasho: I hope Mick and the Stones can do one more tour … maybe a goodbye tour of some sorts.
Michael Des Barres: “I don’t think it will be a tour per se, they’ll probably do 10-12 cities, 2 or 3 nights in those cities and call it a day. Maybe not even a tour, they might do a satellite thing. I can’t imagine Keith, Charlie is 71 now; I just don’t see them doing a year and a half of vigorous touring. I imagine they’ll do selective cities or a satellite show.”
Ray Shasho: You’re still good friends with Jimmy Page, how’s he doing?
Michael Des Barres: “Great… unbelievably well. Joyous, doesn’t live in the past, lives in the moment and does his thing. I would love to make an album with Jimmy. I’ve said many times to him let’s do it. But right now this record Carnaby Street is terribly important to me and I think people are going to be shocked about how I’m singing, what the songs are, and a bit of a revelation for people who didn’t get it the first time.”
Ray Shasho: Did you actually turn down singing the role for Judas on the soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar?
Michael Des Barres: “I did yea. The last thing I wanted to do back then was to go into a studio at 3:20 and sing “What’s the buzz tell me what’s a happening.” There was no way that I had the discipline at that time, because I was learning about life, sex, love and how to go f*ing wild. I didn’t want to have to show up at a particular time and do someone else’s work. I wanted to create my own work.”
Ray Shasho: Michael a final question, you are incredibly fit, how do you do it man?
Michael Des Barres: “It’s very simple … I get up very early and drink a gallon of black coffee, then read about myself on the internet(laughing), then go to the gym and do my cardio … don’t have a trainer I know exactly what I’m doing. An hour and fifteen minutes in the gym, come home and shower, sit-down with a guitar around my neck or some lines to learn and get on with the work. In terms of food … I don’t eat sugar, potatoes or bread. I eat lean fish, no red meat, eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, and drink a lot of water. But I strongly suggest that sugar is the worst thing you could do. I just love being able to walk down the street with my head held high, my shoulders back, Buddy Guy in my iPod, and the love of a good woman.”
Ray Shasho: Michael, thank you so much for spending time with me today and more importantly for all the great rock ‘n’ roll music you continue to bring to us all.
Michael Des Barres: “Thank you so much Ray and have a GREAT day!”

The new release from The Michael Des Barres Band Carnaby Street will be officially released on July 10th and is available for pre-order at amazon.com or www.desbarres.com
Michael Des Barres official website www.desbarres.com
Special thanks to the great Billy James at Glass Onyon PR
Official website http://glassonyonpublicity.wordpress.com/

Contact Classic Rock Music Reporter Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

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Eric Johnson: An extraordinary and diverse guitarist with rock fusion mastery

By Ray Shasho

Interview with guitarist Eric Johnson
Texan, singer, songwriter, producer and guitar player extraordinaire Eric Johnson will be launching his worldwide tour from Florida. Johnson will be performing at five different Florida venues before traveling to the Netherlands, UK and Italy. The tour returns back to the U.S. in August. The tour kicks off in Pensacola on June 26th with a stopover in Clearwater at the Capitol Theatre on Saturday June 30th. For tickets visit www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Eric Johnson released his sixth studio album in late 2010 entitled Up Close. The 15-track disc features guest performances by Steve Miller, Jimmie Vaughan, Sonny Landreth, Jonny Lang and Malford Milligan. The recording is also available on 12 inch vinyl at www.ericjohnson.com.
 
Eric Johnson began playing guitar at the age of 11. He played with his first touring band in 1968, a psychedelic group called Mariani. The band shared the bill with ZZ Top and Bloodrock in their home state of Texas. Johnson was trained in classical music but was heavily influence by the guitar styles of Jimi Hendrix and hard rock rhythms of Led Zeppelin. In 1974, he joined a rock/jazz fusion group called The Electromagnets. The Magnets shared the stage with bands like Kiss and Mahogany Rush.

Eric Johnson recorded Seven Worlds his first solo album after the band’s break up.
Johnson later became a highly sought session guitarist working with legendary artists Cat Stevens, Carole King and Christopher Cross to name a few. In 1986, his critically acclaimed album Tones landed him on the front cover of Guitar Player Magazine. The cover story about Johnson heightened his credentials in the music world and brought the virtuoso critical praise. The album’s track “Zap” was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

In 1990, Eric Johnson released his platinum selling third album Ah Via Musicom. His illustrious recording of “Cliffs of Dover” won him a 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. (“Cliffs of Dover” currently has almost 9-million views on You Tube).

In 2005, Eric Johnson’s fifth studio release Bloom generated a fifth Grammy Award Nomination. Johnson was invited to play on Joe Satriani’s G3 Tour, The Crossroads Guitar Festival and the Experience Hendrix Tour. Johnson can please any audience because he enjoys playing any genre. He’s usually spotlighted for his electric performances, but Johnson is an exceptional acoustic player as well. I had the opportunity to chat with Eric this week about the tour and his intensifying career.

Here’s my interview with the Grammy Award winning guitar virtuoso, singer, songwriter and producer Eric Johnson.
Ray Shasho: Eric, thank you for being on the call today, how’s everything in Texas?
Eric Johnson: “Hey Ray how are you, everything’s good.”
Ray Shasho: So you’re headed over to Florida pretty soon?
Eric Johnson: “Yea, we are… we’re going to come play a few dates there and then go over to Europe and play there for a few weeks.”
Ray Shasho: It’s a rarity that major tours get launched from Florida, was there a specific reason you chose us … just got good vibes maybe?
Eric Johnson: “We were there a few months ago on the Hendrix Tour and talking to some people about bringing our own show there. So we kind of had that in the back of our minds and we had some time before going over to Europe, and I really hadn’t played in Florida for awhile so I thought we’d better go play some.”
“The Hendrix shows was a fun tour. It’s always nice to play Hendrix’s music and especially for some of the kids who aren’t familiar with his music, so it’s really good for them.”
Ray Shasho: I’d hate to imagine younger generations not wanting to learn about previous music eras, artists and cultures. I knew all about my parent’s generation and actually embraced it. I saw Sinatra and his incredible band five times in concert.
Eric Johnson: “Yea, there were some great musicians that they listened to; I really appreciate it even more now. What’s interesting is how music has evolved and so digitally processed, and you go back and listen to that stuff that was our parent’s music and it’s just amazing. If you take that same spirit and same music but put it into more of a modern rock context … it would smoke anything out there. There wouldn’t be anything that could hold a candle to it. Maybe the only thing that keeps it from being competitive and blowing everything away is just the fact it’s a different style of music that maybe a lot of people don’t relate to. But the musicality, the energy level and spontaneity of it is almost incomparable in this century.”
Ray Shasho: I’m guessing you don’t like to commit to playing a certain genre of music… and prefer it that way?
Eric Johnson: “Yea, kind of … because I just love all styles of music and being open and learning from it.”
Ray Shasho: So Eric … how many guitars do you own?
Eric Johnson: “I only own half as many as I use to, guess somewhere around 17 or 18. What’s interesting is that I get more enjoyment having less guitars and stuff because I like having everything adjusted just right so it works well, and so it drives you nutty. If you’ve got tons of stuff and your trying to keep everything working well you don’t get enough time to do anything but being a custodian. So I just got tired of that and decided I was more interested in making music than collecting guitars.”
Ray Shasho: I was always fascinated by musicians who tinkered with their equipment and experimented to create new sounds. How involved do you get personally in reinventing the wheel?
Eric Johnson: “Probably way too involved. (All laughing) You know there are some happy accidents out there or some interesting combinations that can make some real magic and so you keep chasing it …it’s like a gold mine. And you know when you can hear something and its real special … whenever that happens and experience that, it’s like going to the mountaintop, and it’s hard to live in the valley from then on because you’re always trying to stay on the mountaintop. But it’s kind of a double- edged sword; it can be keeping you away from what you need to be really doing.”
Ray Shasho: Do you have a signature guitar or amplifier developed and out there?
Eric Johnson: “I do … I have my own guitar out now and effects peddle and speaker out and I’ve been thinking about doing amplifiers, got a couple of amps that we’re thinking about maybe doing.”
Ray Shasho: I noticed that “Cliffs of Dover” currently has almost 9-million views on You Tube. Would you say that “Cliffs of Dover” was kind of like your “Stairway to Heaven?
Eric Johnson: “I think so yea, and it was just a tune that came to me really fast. I recorded it and played it for a friend and he said that’s kind of nice. And I said I don’t know what to call it. He said it sounds regal, why don’t you call it “Cliffs of Dover.” So I said … okay.”
Ray Shasho: The Alien Love Child was a very successful side project.
Eric Johnson: “Yea, that was a live thing we did, we recorded two or three nights at Antone’s and chose which of the three nights we liked. That was a fun band and a lot of improvisation.”
Ray Shasho: You were invited to play on the G3 Tour a bunch of times and also invited to play at The Crossroads Guitar Festival. Who were some of the artists that you shared the stage with?
Eric Johnson: “I did the first year… John Mayall, Steve Vai, Sonny Landreth, Billy Gibbons, John McLaughlin and of course Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck.”
Ray Shasho: I knew you were playing guitar professionally at an early age, but wasn’t aware that you toured with so many legendary bands.
Eric Johnson: “I started playing professionally when I was 13, joined Mariani at 15, and got into the Electromagnets when I was 19. But we played with bands like Mahogany Rush, Captain Beefheart and Kiss.”
Ray Shasho: If given the opportunity…what artist would you like to collaborate with?
Eric Johnson: “Stevie Wonder, I’ve always been a big fan of his … yea that would be cool.”
Ray Shasho: Eric, I hope to see you in Clearwater on June 30th and I may just write a review of the show.
Eric Johnson: “I’ll make sure that I tune up that night. And make sure you come on back and say hello.”
Ray Shasho: I sure will …thanks’ Eric see you in Florida.

Visit Eric Johnson’s official website at www.ericjohnson.com
Eric Johnson’s Florida concert dates … June 26- Pensacola, June 27 -Ponte Vedre, June 28- Orlando, June 29- Ft Lauderdale, June 30- Clearwater.
Order Eric Johnson’s latest CD Up Close on his website or at amazon.com
Buy tickets for guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson in concert at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater Fl at www.rutheckerdhall.com
Special thanks to Chipster PR at www.chipsterpr.com

 Contact columnist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com
 Order author/columnist Ray Shasho’s exciting new memoir ‘Check the Gs’ at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com Available on Kindle or Nook for ONLY .99 Cents!
 ~Pacific Book Review says… I found Check the Gs to be pure entertainment, fantastic fun and a catalyst to igniting so many memories of my own life, as I too am within a few years of Ray. So to all, I say if you have a bit of grey hair (or no hair), buy this book! It’s a great gift for your “over-the-hill” friends, or for their kids, if they are the history buffs of younger generations trying to figure out why we are the way we are.

© Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved

 

 

Happy Together Tour draws another packed house at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater

By Ray Shasho

Happy Together 2012 Concert Review

Your hometown “Boss Jock” excitedly babbled over the airwaves about the latest hit record to enter his hot “Stacks of Wax” while you listened impatiently on your pocket-sized AM transistor radio held close to your ear. Your next move was to rush down to the nearest record store and grab a 45 rpm copy for less than a buck before the store sold-out. Then you dashed back home or over to a friend’s house where it was played over and over again on a portable record player and practically wearing down the enduring stylus beneath the pivoting tone arm. There were no MP3s or Smartphones, just an uncomplicated time when the music meant more than the technology.

 The Happy Together concert brought it all back in a single evening of personal gratification and appreciation for some of those artists that helped mold a very important generation. For about three hours last night, a packed Ruth Eckerd Hall rekindled its youth and stopped the proverbial clock from ticking.

The evening began promptly at 7:30 p.m. with the introduction of The Buckinghams. Original bandmates guitarist/vocalist Carl Giammarese and bassist/vocalist Nick Fortuna performed one of the tightest performances of the evening and their vocals were superlative. The Chicago band was often mistaken for a British group in the 60s because of their name, led off with their 1967 (#6) Hit “Don’t You Care.” In 1967 The Buckinghams were dubbed “The Most Listened to Band in America,” by Billboard Magazine. Their set continued with (#12) Hit “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song)” and (#5) Hit “Mercy, Mercy Mercy.” Giammarese romantically singled out a woman sitting in the front row during “Susan” (#11) Hit. The Buckinghams concluded their set with their number (#1) Hit single “Kind Of a Drag” followed by a well deserved standing ovation.

Immediately after The Buckinghams exited the stage the PA announcer introduced The Grass Roots. The Roots are an interesting story, spotlighted by guitarist Dusty Hanvey and bassist/lead vocalist Mark Dawson. There are no original members of The Grass Roots in the band remaining. The heart and soul of The Grass Roots was frontman and leader Rob Grill who passed away in Orlando, Fl before last year’s Happy Together Tour. But nevertheless they are still a very good band. Dusty Hanvey’s guitar solo is definitely a highpoint on the tour, as it were last year. Hanvey is an exceptional guitarist who could probably match licks with most classic rock virtuosos. The Grass Roots opened with their (#16) Hit “Two Divided By Love” and (#9) Hit “Sooner Or Later.” Probably the biggest moment of the show came when the band harmonized a beautiful and haunting arrangement to all the veterans which quickly integrated into their (#8) Hit “Let’s Live For Today.” You could almost feel Rob Grill’s presence smiling down from the heavens. Dusty Hanvey’s solo during the song was remarkable and Dawson’s vocals were admirable. The band concluded their set with (#15) Hit “Temptation Eyes” and the bands biggest Hit (#5) in 1968 “Midnight Confessions.”

Without skipping a beat Gary Puckett arrived on stage. Puckett won the most youthful-looking prize for the evening and was remarkably fit. Puckett opened with one of many of his 1968 chartbusting hits “Lady Willpower” (#2) Hit, followed by “Over You” (#7) Hit. Puckett schmoozed the audience as a seasoned entertainer should. The Union Gap frontman lives in the Clearwater area so he had family and friends in the audience. Puckett mentioned that he was introduced recently at a Martin Short show at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Puckett’s next selection was “This Girl Is A Woman Now” (#2) Hit in 1969, followed by “Woman, Woman” #4 Hit in 1968, which Puckett said has reached the 16-million mark in total sales. Gary Puckett’s most memorable moment of the evening came with his performance of “Home” a tune dedicated to all the men and women defending our country. The song was accompanied by a heartfelt tribute film to the vets and received a huge standing ovation. Prior to the song, Puckett asked all the veterans in the audience to stand up and be recognized, and he thanked all of them while the audience applauded their accolades. Gary Puckett ended his set with “Young Girl” his #2 Hit from 1968.
Ray's interview with Gary Puckett can be found here www.examiner.com/article/an-interview-with-music-legends-micky-dolenz-ga...

After a short intermission it was time to bring out a Monkee. An exhilarated Micky Dolenz bounced out on stage as if he were still performing on The Monkees hit TV show. Dolenz definitely had the loudest crowd reception of the evening for an introduction. Wearing hat and sunglasses Micky belted out the Boyce and Hart penned 1966 tune “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” (#20) Hit, followed by “She.” Dolenz proclaimed to the audience that the next tune was the one that started it all for The Monkees, then Micky performed a marvelous rendition of “Last Train To Clarksville” The Monkees (#1) Hit in 1966. Dolenz dedicated his next few selections to his former bandmate and close friend Davey Jones who passed away in February of this year. The Ruth Eckerd audience became fixated on a slideshow of Jones while Dolenz sang a few of Davey’s trademark tunes “Daydream Believer” (#1) Hit and “A Little Bit Me, and A Little Bit You” (#2) Hit on the Billboard charts.
Dolenz also thanked all the great writers of Monkees songs including Neil Diamond, Boyce and Hart, and on his next song, “Pleasant Valley Sunday” a Carole King penned composition. Micky Dolenz concluded his set with “I’m A Believer” The Monkees (#1) Hit in 1966.
Ray's interview with Micky Dolenz can also be found here www.examiner.com/article/an-interview-with-music-legends-micky-dolenz-ga...

After Micky Dolenz finished his set “Flo and Eddie” of The Turtles were introduced on stage. Professor Mark Volman (Belmont University) and Howard Kaylan repeated the Lady Gaga skit of last year and then opened their show with “She’d Rather Be With Me” (#3) Hit, followed by “You Baby.” “It Ain’t Me Babe” a Top Ten Hit in 1965 penned by Bob Dylan was performed next and always a crowd pleaser. The strongest tunes of their set were “Elenore” 1968 (#6) Hit and “Happy Together” (#1) Hit in 1967 knocking The Beatles “Penny Lane” from the number one position. The Turtles are always an exciting act to watch.
Ray's interview with The Turtles Mark Volman www.examiner.com/article/the-turtles-profound-witty-professor-mark-volma...

For the evening’s music finale, each artist was brought back to the stage one by one to sing their biggest hit song with the rest of the performers.
The Happy Together Tour has been delighting audiences since 1984, and last night’s packed house made it evident that there is a continued need for nostalgia entertainment. And after all, how can you go wrong when you’re featuring five of the greatest bands of the decade singing over 25 hit songs. It was a fun and entertaining evening for all.

Special thanks to everyone at Ruth Eckerd Hall and especially Katie Pedretty.
Also very special thanks to Jeff Albright of the Albright Entertainment Group.
For future Ruth Eckerd Hall and Capitol Theatre events go to www.rutheckerdhall.com
Contact author/columnist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Order Ray’s great new memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ and relive those magic memories of your youth. The book is also available for download on Nook and Kindle for ONLY .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.
~~Pacific Book Review says… Ray Shasho is a product of the second half of the 20th century, made in the USA from parts around the world, and within him is every trend in music, television, politics and culture contributing to his philosophical and comically analytical reflections collected in his fine book of memories. I found Check the Gs to be pure entertainment, fantastic fun and a catalyst to igniting so many memories of my own life, as I too am within a few years of Ray. So to all, I say if you have a bit of grey hair (or no hair), buy this book! It’s a great gift for your “over-the-hill” friends, or for their kids, if they are the history buffs of younger generations trying to figure out why we are the way we are.

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An interview with music legends Micky Dolenz & Gary Puckett -Happy Together 2012

By Ray Shasho

Happy Together Tour 2012
Micky Dolenz the unmistakable and charismatic lead singer of The Monkees along with Gary Puckett pop/rock troubadour for The Union Gap will be performing together on the Happy Together Tour 2012. The tour launches June 8th in Columbus, Georgia and arrives at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fl on June 15th.

View slideshow: An interview with music legends Micky Dolenz & Gary Puckett

This year’s Happy Together Tour spotlights another who’s who of Top 40 Chartbusters including- The Turtles featuring Flo and Eddie, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, Gary Puckett of The Union Gap, The Buckinghams and The Grassroots. Last year’s similar lineup was a sell-out for Ruth Eckerd Hall’s 2180 seating capacity.
 
Micky Dolenz began a career in show business as a child actor in the 1956 TV Series Circus Boy. Micky played Corky; a 12-year old adopted by the traveling circus who eventually becomes a water boy to Bimbo the baby elephant. The TV series ran through 1958.
Los Angeles, California native Micky Dolenz auditioned for a TV series in 1965 called The Monkees. He won the role as the impetuous singer/drummer for a fictitious rock and roll band that mocked The Beatles but would never become successful. But in reality, The Monkees became pop/rock superstars and Monkeemania was born.

The Monkees debut single “Last Train to Clarksville” was an instant smash reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. The tune had similarities to The Beatles “Paperback Writer.” The Monkees were led by Micky Dolenz on lead vocals and drums, Davy Jones on vocals and tambourine, Mike Nesmith on guitar and Peter Tork on bass and keyboards. The band was profoundly supervised and produced by Don Kirshner. Many of The Monkees songs were written by legendary artists like Carole King and Gerry Goffin (“Pleasant Valley Sunday”), Neil Diamond (“I’m a Believer” #1 Hit) (“A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”), Boyce and Hart (“I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”), (“Theme from) the Monkees”), (“Last Train to Clarksville”#1 Hit), and John Stewart of The Kingston Trio (“Daydream Believer” #1 Hit). The Monkees became one of the most lucrative acts of the 60s.

After The Monkees impassioned breakup with Producer Don Kirshner, They released a psychedelic theatrical project called Head. The movie featured cameos by Jack Nicholson and Frank Zappa. Both the movie and soundtrack were shunned by the critics only to become a cult classic. Micky’s vocalization on The “Porpoise Song” written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King were sublime and surreal.
Micky Dolenz chatted with me about Happy Together 2012, The Monkees, his relationship with The Beatles, and the passing of his dear friend Davey Jones. Dolenz continues to tour and sing all The Monkees classic hits. He also acts in various musical stage productions worldwide.

Clearwater, Fl resident Gary Puckett began his trek to Top 40 superstardom with the release of the 1968 Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne penned “Woman, Woman.” The song was a smash hit during one of the most spectacular years for Top 40 radio history. The tune hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Like so many bands of the decade, every group seemed to need a visual gimmick. Under manager Dick Badger, the band wore Union Army Civil War uniforms. Gary Puckett and The Union Gap churned out hit after hit throughout 1968 and 1969 chalking up six consecutive gold records. “Young Girl” #2 Hit, “Lady Willpower”#2 Hit, “Over You” #7 Hit, “Don’t Give Into Him”#15 Hit, and “This Girl Is A Woman Now” #9 Hit. Legendary Songwriter and Producer Jerry Fuller wrote (3) of those classic hits.

The Union Gap disbanded in 1971. Puckett has performed on more than thirty network Television shows and prime time specials in his career. In 1986, Puckett was invited to tour with The Monkees for their reunion tour.
In 2001, Gary Puckett released In Europe and a critically acclaimed Christmas CD entitled At Christmas. In 2002, Puckett released a collection of hits called Gary Puckett "Live" featuring the single “Home” and dedicated it to all of our troops around the world.

Here’s my interview with (2) legendary pop/rock artists. First we’ll chat with Gary Puckett of The Union Gap followed by Micky Dolenz of The Monkees.

Ray Shasho: Thanks for being on the call today Gary. We’re only about 53 minutes apart from each other, you in Clearwater and me here in Bradenton.
Gary Puckett: “We came here in 2000 from Southern California. We’re happy to be here, we love the gators and all the wildlife, birdlife, the turtles… and all that in our backyard.”
Ray Shasho: Gary, we’re all excited about Happy Together Tour 2012 which kicks off June 8th in Columbus, Georgia and arrives in your backyard at Ruth Eckerd Hall on June 15th.
Gary Puckett: “I was actually on the very first Happy Together Tour that went out in 1984. It was The Turtles, The Association, Spanky and Our Gang, and me. That was the first one that went out there as an oldies tour, and the promoters were not really sure how to do it, to make it profitable. But we ended up touring about eight months of the year. It was just amazing; we were constantly on the road. We all ended up buying vehicles of our own to get around and through it. There were some fly dates of course but generally we were in a big black Ford that held 15 passengers which I bought for my bunch … and we called it the Puckett Bucket. (All laughing)”
“It was one of those things …Happy Together became very successful in ‘84 and ‘85… then in 1986; it turned into The Monkees 20 year reunion tour which I was invited to be on. It was wildly successful; I think it was the biggest tour of that year. Then years later… they find out that these package tours really do work, giving the concertgoer their bang for the buck. And they get lots and lots of hits in one evening and there are five acts on the bill now … and great memories.”
Ray Shasho The nostalgia and karma these types of shows generate is so important for so many people … especially the Baby Boomer Generation.
Gary Puckett: “Mark Volman of The Turtles said to me years ago, “You do an interesting thing when you walk out on stage.” I said what’s that? He said, “You take off your wristwatch.”
Ray Shasho: So I guess Professor Volman is on summer break from his classroom so he can go out on tour again?
Gary Puckett: “They had to plan the tour around his school schedule. But he’s tenured I think. He’s got a great class that everybody loves, in fact when we spoke just last week he said we’ve got to get you into my class to chat with the students and let them in on your experience.”
Ray Shasho: Talk a little bit about your relationship with Producer Jerry Fuller; was that a similar relationship as with Don Kirshner and The Monkees?
Gary Puckett: “Well yea in a way …but Jerry and I to this day we now have a good relationship. We had some rocky times but Jerry is a talented, songwriting, producing guy. He was an artist and had some regional successes on the radio, things that he had written and recorded. He wrote “Travelin’ Man” for Ricky Nelson and to this day is probably responsible for about 120 million record and CD sales etc. He worked with everybody from me, Johnny Mathis, John Davidson to others. He wrote and produced Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell.” Jerry was extremely talented but was also a¬ ‘my way or the highway’ kind of guy. And if you disagreed with him …tough! But on the flipside to that he was given responsibility to have control of the budget he was given by the record company and to find talent to make hit records. So we did really well for a couple of years together and then got to loggerheads for some stupid reason and it’s probably me. Who knows at this point in retrospect… so there was a parting of the way at some point. But we did a concert about a year ago now at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts and Jerry and his family live in Southern California. I invited him to come up and for the first time in our entire career we sang “Young Girl” together on stage and it really was terrific. So the relationship is good.”
Ray Shasho: And you also had a couple of other great songwriters working with you in Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne.
Gary Puckett: “Yup… “Woman, Woman” was written by those guys. Jerry had the song in his hand and he knew what to do with it. He said, “This is a hit song, we just got to take it out of the country genre and put it into a pop genre.” And so we did. In any case it was a huge hit and sold a million and half records. To this date, I found out from a publisher some time ago, that it’s on its way to 16- million copies.”
Ray Shasho: I always believed that 1968 was one of the greatest years of all-time for Top 40 radio. What was it like after “Woman, Woman” became a huge hit?
Gary Puckett: “It was a huge whirlwind of activity and experience and we got to work with all the great groups from The Beach Boys to The Human Beinz. Memories that sort of pass by me …I remember an evening at Yale Bowl with 12,000 people sitting there and waiting for a concert. And we were down on the grass with The Association throwing a Frisbee around waiting for them to say okay its time.”
“Things like that … and working with Junior Walker & The All Stars to Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels to being booed off the stage. We were the closing of the first half of a show that really featured Mitch Ryder. We only had the one hit record at that time and for the twenty minutes we were on stage we heard nothing but 20,000 people in the Pittsburgh Arena booing until we got to “Woman, Woman” and then they quieted down.”
Ray Shasho: You also performed on countless Television programs.
Gary Puckett: “Ed Sullivan (3) times, The Red Skelton Show, and all those variety comedic- type of shows, even Virginia Graham pops into mind and Mike Douglas.”
Ray Shasho: FM radio and the arrival of album rock led to the demise for many of the 45 singles ‘Hitmakers’ of the 60s. Tommy James was able to extend his longevity with “Crimson and Clover.” What was it like for Gary Puckett & The Union Gap?
Gary Puckett: “I didn’t work publicly from 1970 through 1980. It was very difficult. I kind of made the decision to not to go back in the studio when I should have gone back in the studio. I should have just let Columbia Records continue to drive the bus. I wanted to have a little more control over my recording career. My foresight was not what their foresight was and my ability to find hit songs wasn’t what there’s was. So it really was the decline. Unfortunately for me making the decision that I made to take a year off to write songs and come roaring back didn’t work.”
Ray Shasho: Do you still talk with any of the original Union Gap band members?
Gary Puckett: “Yea, from time to time. I spoke a couple of months ago to Dwight Bement, he’s up in Colorado Springs, spoke recently with Kerry Chater he’s in Nashville. The other guys I haven’t talked with in quite some time. Gary Withem is up in Indiana retired, Paul Wheatbread is down in San Diego still with his family, and I haven’t talked with Paul for many years.”
Ray Shasho: Do you have children …grandchildren Gary?
Gary Puckett: “Our oldest daughter just got married and she’s returning from her honeymoon. She was married on a Disney Cruise on the private island. It happened a week and half ago. Saturday night we were having her reception out here at the house. So there was a lot of physical labor around the house … everything from weeding and planting and mulching to cleaning the roof and sealing the pavers and all that stuff to make it beautiful for her reception.”
“But she just got accepted into USF Medical School, so we kind of think that grandkids with her are down the road a bit. But the younger one who is going to turn 23 has just fallen in love and we think that this might be the guy for her. So we have a feeling that she’ll be the first and a grandchild.”
“They were both Florida Gators … Michaela the older one was the drum major for three years for the Gator band. The younger one Sydney played clarinet in the band at that time. We got to go in 2006 when they beat the Ohio Buckeyes and Michaela was the first one out on the field of course because they come out in that high stepping routine.”
Ray Shasho: Gary, recent recordings you’d like to talk about?
Gary Puckett: “I have the “Lost Tapes” CD which is a snapshot of Gary Puckett. In the mid 70s, my brother David and I, he wrote the lyrics and I wrote the music then I produced it and played most of the guitar. It’s a great, sensitive, beautiful album and you cannot get it anywhere except from my website or in the merchandise line after the show. And my Christmas album that everyone seems to like a lot.”
“All you troops out there that are reading this column go to my website and on the opening page it says veterans please click here, click on the link it’s called maggivets.com (MAGGI Veterans Solutions) and if you qualify you can receive benefits from the U.S. Government that you may not know about. So please go there if you are a veteran.”
Ray Shasho: Gary, thank you for spending time with me today. But more importantly for all the great music you gave to us over the years. We’ll see you at Happy Together 2012 in Clearwater, Fl on June 15th.
Gary Puckett: “Ray, it’s really been a pleasure talking with you and you’re welcome. And thank you for being interested in me today. See you at the show.”
A few hours after I hung up with Gary Puckett, I connected with Monkees legend Micky Dolenz. Micky was doing a solo gig in Illinois that evening.
Ray Shasho: Hello Micky, thank you for being on the call today.
Micky Dolenz: “Hi Ray, I actually just left your part of the world at Epcot in Orlando.”
Ray Shasho: Micky, we’re all excited that you’ll be performing at this year’s Happy Together Tour and making a stop at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.
Micky Dolenz: “I love that venue too; I’ve played there so many times on different shows and had a great time.”
Ray Shasho: Micky, I lost a dear friend unexpectedly recently, and he was only 52 years of age, so I can somewhat relate to how you must have felt when you heard of the passing of your dear friend Davey Jones.
Mickey Dolenz: “Yea, it was tough, and it hit me a lot harder than I even realize that it would. We had just been on the road together on tour and he seemed to be in pretty good shape, and it really came out of the blue. These days you never know.”
Ray Shasho: Besides the Happy Together Tour what else have you got going on?
Mickey Dolenz: “I tour as a solo of course like tonight and the last few days at Epcot. I won’t be doing too many of the solo gigs in June or July because of the Happy Together Tour, it’s pretty constant and a lot of cities. I’ve also been doing an awful lot of musical theatre; in fact I’ve been at Ruth Eckerd Hall a number of times doing musical theatre. Shows like Aida, an Elton John and Tim Rice musical and the revival of the 70s show Pippin. Last year I was in England doing Hairspray in the West End. So that’s kind of what I do when I’m not on tour as a solo act.”
Ray Shasho: I heard a rumor that you auditioned for a role as the Riddler on the Batman Forever movie in which Jim Carrey actually won the role.
Micky Dolenz: “(Laughing) I heard that rumor … I was never asked or never went on an audition or interview for it. They may have been thinking about it but I would have no way of knowing. But I’ve heard that rumor and I don’t know if it’s true.”
Ray Shasho: Besides reporting on classic rock music, I’ve added a segment to my column and have begun interviewing classic TV icons, so I ‘m getting the best of both worlds by chatting with you today Micky. I never had an opportunity to watch Circus Boy before, but because of today’s modern technology, I can finally watch you on that great TV series. How did you land the role of Corky on Circus Boy?
Micky Dolenz: “My parents were both in show business. My father was an actor, my mom an actress, and both singers, dancers and actors. They met in Los Angeles doing a play together and so I grew up in a show biz family. My father was working as a working actor and I guess his agent one day said, “Should we have Micky go down and audition for a show?” I must have said okay, I don’t remember ever being pressured into it or anything like that, but I do remember going to some interviews when I was younger. And one of them was this show called Circus Boy. Obviously I screen tested for it and got it.”
Ray Shasho: Were there tons of other kids at the audition?
Micky Dolenz: “No, I don’t recall being around a whole lot of kids. It wasn’t like the cattle call audition, but it wouldn’t have been because I had an agent and my father was an actor. It might have been if there was dancing involved, a big dance call or music call for singing or something.”
Ray Shasho: Do you regret not continuing in an acting role as a kid, maybe landing another TV character role or perhaps as an actor in a motion picture right after the Circus Boy series ended?
Micky Dolenz: “No I don’t at all. What happened was, my parents after Circus Boy decided to take me out of show business for two years to go back to normal school. It was the smartest thing they ever did. Because those are the years …after you have a hit show and you’re young, those are the tough years trying to make it, people think you’re too old for this part or too young for that part and you’ve already had a show so you’re kind of already a has been at 12. And those are the years that could cause problems. My parents very wisely took me out of the business. I just went back to school …and by the time I got out of high school, I kind of decided what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an architect. And so then I went back and started doing a little bit of acting jobs in some of the shows in the early 60s like Mr. Novak and Peyton Place, and I was in college studying to be an architect and along came The Monkees interview.”
Ray Shasho: The documentary Making the Monkees from 2007 was actually on television several nights ago. The thing that stood out the most about that documentary was Mike Nesmith’s animosity with Producer Don Kirshner.
Micky Dolenz: “He was … Mike wasn’t getting his music, and his songs, his influence …none of us were. None of us were really consulted … in the early days that is. We were never consulted about the music.”
Ray Shasho: That situation reminded me of the movie Rock Star, where a tribute band singer is called in to play for the real band but just as a hired singer. He wants to add his songwriting talents to the band but is rejected, so he walks off the stage, quits, and does his own thing.
Micky Dolenz: “In our case, it was a slightly different kettle of fish because The Monkees was a television show. And we were cast in the television show to play this imaginary band. Because that’s what The Monkees was …it was a television show about a band. And they must have had in mind that we were going to sing and play because they cast us like that. We had to be able to sing and play, act, and do everything to get through the audition so I played guitar, Johnny B. Goode on the guitar for instance, and Mike would have played something, Peter would have played something on the banjo, and you had to be able to sing, act, and improvise. So they had in mind that they wanted us obviously to sing and play, but then the mechanism of RCA, NBC, and Screen Gems television … the mechanism was pretty powerful and when the ball started rolling it was very difficult to stop it.”
Ray Shasho: Did you guys know that you may be actually touring as a real band?
Micky Dolenz: “I think they implied that because we started rehearsing immediately. So I think that was in the master plan absolutely to go on the road and play. Otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered to hire people who could play. The closest thing these days to what The Monkees was as a paradigm is Glee, which is a TV show about an imaginary Glee Club. But they can sing, and they can dance, and they can act, and I heard they went on the road.”
Ray Shasho: I read a quote from Michael Nesmith in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine after Davey’s passing that read, "For me, David was The Monkees. They were his band. We were his side men.” I don’t mean disrespect in anyway … Davey was a great talent, and Mike may have been just caught up in the moment after Davey’s passing, but I was really shocked over that statement. I’ve always believed you were the true voice of the Monkees and I hope most of the fans would agree.
Mickey Dolenz: “Well … thank you and I really appreciate that.”
Ray Shasho: What was it like for you after The Monkees went out on their very first tour?
Micky Dolenz: “It was pretty crazy and I don’t remember a whole lot about it, and not for the reasons people might thing. But it was just because there was so much going on so fast and also because it was 45 years ago. It was a harrowing experience …the whole thing, including the tour. You move so fast and are constantly in motion. I have glimpses of massive crowds and limos and cars and stuff like that. But I couldn’t tell you if you asked me where I was or what I did on any particular day, time, city, or venue because I’d have no idea.”
“And it happens today when I’m on tour, even when I was doing Hairspary in England recently and we were in ten or twelve cities in twelve or fourteen weeks. You’re moving in and out of hotels and apartments and then doing eight shows a week and having time to just sleep and eat and move on to the next one. It’s very difficult … for me anyway, to keep track of where I am and what day it is. (Laughing)”
Ray Shasho: “Micky, you had a special relationship with The Beatles and actually hung out with them at the Sgt. Pepper’s sessions.”
Micky Dolenz: “Yea, I was just visiting. I was lucky to meet all The Beatles and as you say … to get into some of the Sgt. Pepper sessions and had a great time. And over the years spent some time with all four of The Beatles … I would say mainly Ringo and John out in LA. And I just saw Ringo a few weeks ago.”
Ray Shasho: What were the Hollywood Vampires all about?
Micky Dolenz: “(Laughing) Alice Cooper organized it and had some shirts made. It was a weekend softball team and get together. We’d play softball on weekend out in the valley and decided playing at some charity gigs. It was a lot of fun and went on for quite a while.”
Ray Shasho: Was that also part of the infamous lost weekend that everyone seems to talk about?
Micky Dolenz: “Not the Hollywood Vampires … that was John’s lost weekend, but he was around. I don’t recall him playing a lot of softball because he would have probably been playing soccer. But I remember seeing him during those months …yea.”
Ray Shasho: Mickey, as a critic, I really liked the Head soundtrack. I think the time was right for that release. After all music was about to go through the transition into FM Album rock anyway.
Micky Dolenz: “I’m very proud of that album. Last year when we went out as The Monkees, David, Peter and I, we did that whole album in its entirety and in order … and it was really great. That was a great tour and I had fun on that.”
Ray Shasho: I know Carole King was a contributor on the Head album, and I Frank Zappa appeared in the movie, but did he contribute to the album in any way?
Micky Dolenz: “No, he didn’t. Carole wrote a couple of great songs on that album …“The Porpoise Song,” “As We Go Along,” and “Swami -Plus Strings.” I’ve always loved her material; in fact I did a tribute album to her called King For A Day.”
Ray Shasho: I was a radio deejay back in the late 70’s and you became a morning deejay on WCBS-FM in New York in 2005?
Micky Dolenz: “Yea I was. I had a great time. It was very-very hard …it was tough. People don’t realize what a tough gig that is. Especially that early morning thing like I did. It’s a lot of work and you can’t use all of your senses, just your voice and ears.”
Ray Shasho: Micky, do you believe The Monkees should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Micky Dolenz: “Oh …it’s not for me to say. I’m very flattered that people, fans, and even the press have gone out there, signed petitions and stuff like that. I’ve never been one to chase awards or anything like that to be honest. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is not a public democratic organization; it’s a private club basically. It’s like a private golf club and they decide who they’re going to let in the club. Like I say, it’s not a democratic decision it’s a very private -one. Like a golf club … like Augusta deciding if they’re going to let women in the club. It’s their business and they can let enter or keep out anybody they want. But it’s a great organization too; I’ve done some charity work for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame foundation. They do a lot of great charity work but like I say it’s a private club. There’s really no rhyme or reason, it’s just the musical preference of a few people there.”
Ray Shasho: Micky, I want to thank you so much for being on the call today and especially for all the great music you gave us over the years. I’ll see you at Happy Together 2012 in Clearwater on June 15th.
Micky Dolenz: “Thanks very much Ray, I’ll see you at the show…bye-bye!”

The Happy Together Tour 2012 KICKS OFF June 8TH in Columbus, GA. and arrives at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL on June 15th. Buy your tickets now at www.rutheckerdhall.com or call 727-791-7400.
Micky Dolenz official website- www.mickydolenz.com
Gary Puckett Official Website- www.garypuckettmusic.com
Happy Together Tour 2012 schedule- www.theturtles.com/documents/tour.html

Special thanks To Jeff Albright of The Albright Entertainment Group -Official website http://rockstarpr.com
Contact columnist/author Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Order Ray Shasho’s incredible memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com and available to download on Kindle or Nook for Just .99 cents!

A teacher in Miami, Fl says… Original, Entertaining and Hilarious-- This book has all the elements of a classic in the making. The novel is centralized around Raymond, a boy growing up around the family store in Washington, DC ...but that is just the tip of the plot. The dynamic characters really make this memoir. Think My Big Fat Greek Wedding ...but with "Cuberians" the families made up name for what you get when you mix Cubans with Syrians from Brooklyn.
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