Michael Pinder Exclusive: The Moody Blues Founder Admits to Seeing UFO Formations

By Ray Shasho

An Interview with The Moody Blues legend Michael Pinder

Michael Pinder was affectionately labeled “Micky the Moonboy” as a youth for his preoccupation of the moon, stars, music and electronics. But who could have predicted that a silly nickname perhaps more suited for a sci-fi cartoon superhero would actually forecast his destiny. Pinder’s fascination with the cosmos and a life-changing realization that we are not alone in the universe became the basis for composing intricate and surreal musical masterpieces.
Michael played Hymns on the piano in Church every Sunday at his Colonel’s request; in return Pinder received an early discharge from the British Army. Pinder asked for the early-out after hearing The Beatles “She Loves You” on the radio. Ten days later, Pinder was back in Birmingham, England. He quickly found a job working with Streetly Electronics where he learned the mechanics of the Mellotron. Michael Pinder would become an illustrious keyboardist and trendsetter for the instrument.

In 1964 … Michael Pinder (piano, organ and vocals) and Ray Thomas (tambourine, flute and vocals) formed The Moody Blues along with members …Denny Laine (guitars, harmonica and lead vocals), Clint Warwick (bass guitar and vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums and vocals). The R&B/Rock/Pop Birmingham band scored a Top 10 hit in the U.S. with “Go Now” (1965) from their debut album The Magnificent Moodies.
The Moody Blues became part of ‘The British Invasion’ and supported The Beatles on their final UK tour in December of 1965. They followed the tour with their first trip to the U.S. appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show.
In 1966 … after the departure of Denny Laine and Clint Warwick … The Moody Blues reformed with old friend John Lodge (bass guitar and vocals) and Justin Hayward (lead vocals and guitars) who was recommended to Pinder by Eric Burdon of The Animals. The band had an awakening after a disgruntled audience member visited their dressing room complaining about their music. The group immediately changed their musical direction and style, hence … the commencement of one of the most amazing transformations in rock history.
Meanwhile …Michael Pinder suggested to his friend John Lennon that The Beatles use the Mellotron on Magical Mystery Tour …and they did. Pinder’s Mellotron influence is undeniably detected on “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Pinder and bandmate Ray Thomas were also invited to play harmonica on the tracks… “I Am the Walrus” and “The Fool on the Hill.”

“In 1967 …The Moody Blues first attempt at a dissimilar musical direction had consummated with an awe-inspiring masterpiece entitled… Days of Future Passed. It would be the first Decca/Deram Records release in stereo. Michael Pinder’s Mellotron ingrained a brave new transcendental manner and Progressive Rock was born. The proficient players of The Moody Blues were also accompanied by The London Festival Orchestra while creating the band’s first concept album. Days of Future Passed spawned two of the band’s biggest commercial hits with its new lineup … “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon.” Pinder wrote the tracks… “Dawn is a Feeling” and “The Sunset.” Pinder’s dramatic reading of “Late Lament” added a mind-blowing conclusion to a superlative album. Producer Tony Clarke’s influence also had a huge impact on the group.

The Moody Blues subsequent release … In Search of the Lost Cord (1968) was recorded without an orchestra … although Pinder’s ingenious performance on the Mellotron often sounded like a symphony. Pinder composed “The Best Way to Travel” and “Om” on the album. “Ride My See-saw” became a commercial hit for the band.
In 1969 … The Moody Blues released On the Threshold of a Dream. The group’s signature sound became exclusive to the rest of the rock world. Pinder had considerable songwriting duties on the album with … “So Deep Within You,” “Have You Heard (Part 1),” “The Voyage,” and “Have You Heard (Part 2).”
Inspired by the 1969 moon landing …To Our Children’s Children’s Children was their first album released on the band’s newly formed Threshold Records. The band followed the critically-acclaimed release with … Question of Balance (1970). Pinder penned … “How Is It (We are Here)” and his proverbial classic … “Melancholy Man.”
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour was released in 1971. For the first time, the entire band lyrically collaborated on “Procession” the opening track. Michael Pinder also penned the final track on the album entitled … “My Song.” The release spawned yet another Top 40 hit with … “The Story in Your Eyes.”
Also in 1971 … Pinder played tambourine on John Lennon’s Imagine album on the track … “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama.”
Seventh Sojourn released in 1972 brought an end to the classic Moody Blues era. Michael Pinder penned … “Lost in a Lost World,” and “When You’re a Free Man.” The album also spawned… “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band) and became one of the bands highest charting hits reaching #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the U.S. Pinder also substituted the Mellotron with its precursor the Chamberlin.
In 1976 …Pinder released his solo album entitled … The Promise.

After a lengthy hiatus, The Moody Blues released Octave (1978). Michael Pinder departed the band during the sessions but contributed… “One Step Into the Light.” Pinder was replaced by YES Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz. Without Pinder’s Mellotron and Chamberlin influence, The Moody Blues intricate progressive period was over.
The Moody Blues continue to tour and record as a band with Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge (the only original band member left in the group).
In 1994 …Pinder released his solo effort … Among the Stars (a private mail order release).

MOST RECENTLY … Esoteric Recordings has released Michael Pinder’s 3-Disc CD & DVD set of ‘The Promise (1976) & Among the Stars’ (1994) plus new bonus material featuring Michael’s sons (The Pinder Brothers) and Ray Thomas (The Moody Blues) on flute.
I had the rare pleasure of chatting with Michael Pinder recently. We chatted about his remarkable days with The Moody Blues, his relationship and influence on The Beatles, and UFO’S!

Here’s my interview with legendary Moody Blues singer, songwriter, keyboardist, Mellotron pioneer, and technological beneficence to the music world …MICHAEL PINDER.
Ray Shasho: Hi Michael so glad that you could be on the call today. How’s California weather treating you?
Michael Pinder: “Actually it’s not a bad day, there’s hardly any clouds with a little bit of sunshine and it’s about 68 degrees.”
Ray Shasho: I think we’re both lucky because the rest of the country is really suffering … Michael, Esoteric Recordings has released your 3-Disc CD & DVD set of ‘The Promise (1976) & Among the Stars’ (1994) plus new bonus material featuring your sons (The Pinder Brothers) and Ray Thomas (The Moody Blues) on flute.
Michael Pinder: “Yes, Mike and Matt, two of my three sons are on the album. They recorded four albums as The Pinder Brothers and have their own business teaching music. Matt does a lot of gigs playing bass, like with Kevin Russell’s Cream of Clapton. Dan is the third son in Los Angeles; he’s a film editor in the movie business. I have a talented family. My dad played piano and banjo and my mom sang a little bit. Because my dad was a piano player, I was exposed to a lot of early music from the 20’s, 30’s 40’s, 50’s. But after the Elvis period and the first time I heard The Beatles first tune …that was it, the signal for me. I was in Germany at the time in the military. I happened to be in good with the Colonel at the camp because he was very religious and every Sunday morning he would send for me.”

“One morning he said, “Pinder, I understand you play piano?” I was playing for the guys in the Mess. He said, “How about playing a couple of Hymns for me on Sunday? I said, yes sir, no problem sir. I also found out that there was a guy who played bass and a guy who played drums. The Colonel gave us the equipment to play and he said all I want you to do is to play a few hymns on Sunday mornings. So there I am in Germany and I’m listening to the radio on Saturday morning and I heard The Beatles “She Loves You” for the first time …and that was like, oh yea! I thought, I’ve got to get out of here, but I was already signed up for quite a few years. So I went to see the Colonel and I told him what was happening. He said no problem and within about ten days I was back in England.”
Ray Shasho: That’s an amazing story… why did the Colonel give you an early discharge from the military?
Michael Pinder: “The Colonel was the camp. I played for him every Sunday morning because he was very religious. He said thank you for all the music you’ve played for us and we’ll take care of you. Prior to that, I had a band called The Rocking Tuxedo’s which was my first band. Ray Thomas also had a band and we sort of got to know each other. By the time we got to about the third Beatles hit (All laughing), Ray and I decided to put a band together and we called it The Moody Blues. The reason we called it The Moody Blues was because my mom ran a big seven bar British Pub and the name of the beer company was called Mitchells & Butlers …M&B. I thought we could get on the circuit because they had probably about a hundred different pubs. So I thought “Mood Indigo” because the song stuck with me as a kid and we were playing blues tunes. So that’s how I came up with The Moody Blues.”
Ray Shasho: During the British Invasion …the early Moody Blues had a very different sound and musically ahead of their time, much like The Animals, Yardbirds, and Rolling Stones. I guess not being from Liverpool and hailing from Birmingham may have had something to do with it too?
Michael Pinder: “Yea exactly, we were all on the road but all took a different direction.”
Ray Shasho: What was it like touring with The Beatles?
Michael Pinder: “It was absolutely fabulous! It was just them and us. There was a guy who was like a comedian that would open the show and his name was Pinder … I can’t remember his first name.”
Ray Shasho: At what point did you begin playing the Mellotron?
Michael Pinder: “When the Colonel let me off because I heard The Beatles song … I was looking for a job. There was a company located about three miles from where I lived and was born. I read their ad in the newspaper saying they wanted somebody that had mechanical ideas and knew music. So I applied for the job, got it, and it turned out to be a Mellotron company.”
Ray Shasho: I’m really fascinated with the Mellotron as a musical instrument … an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replaying keyboard. It basically plays a tape when you press a key. But you altered it in some way when you began playing it?
Michael Pinder: “What I did … on the left hand keyboard there would be rhythm sections and things like that, the right side was used for soloing. I didn’t need the cheesy rhythms so what I did was took those out and put another right handed version in the left and created two mellotron’s … one on my left hand and one on my right.”
Ray Shasho: Michael, you became a trailblazer for the Mellotron.
Michael Pinder: “I was lucky enough to turn The Beatles on to the Mellotron. I called them and they sent four Mellotron’s to The Beatles.”
Ray Shasho: It would have been awesome if you had actually played the Mellotron on the track … but we should all still thank you for your very critical contribution to “Strawberry Fields Forever?”
Michael Pinder: “Yes (All laughing). I did play harmonica on “I Am the Walrus” and “The Fool on the Hill” … me and Ray both. They had every kind of harmonica you could imagine. Ray Thomas and I were also lucky enough to get on the final Beatles UK tour.”
Ray Shasho: You also played on John Lennon’s Imagine album?
Michael Pinder: “I played tambourine on “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama.” I turned them on to the Mellotron but when I got there all the tapes were hanging out and nobody knew how to handle it. I couldn’t play Mellotron on that so I grabbed a tambourine, got on the drummer’s high-hat, and went for “I Don’t Want to Be a Soldier Mama.”
Ray Shasho: Was Days of Future Passed …The Moody Blues Sgt. Pepper’s?
Michael Pinder: “I would say so. It was apparently the first stereo record that Decca ever did.”
Ray Shasho: Michael, you were so inspirational and important to the success of The Moody Blues, and composed so many intricate and beautiful arrangements, for instance… "Have You Heard/The Voyage/Have You Heard (part two)" from the album On the Threshold of a Dream. Where do some of your songwriting ideas come from?
Michael Pinder: “It comes from the heart, mind, and things that I’ve listened to over the years.”
“I was born in 1941, at the end of 1945 my mom called me in from the garden while I was collecting spiders. She called … “Michael, I want you to meet somebody,” and there was my dad. He was a sergeant in the military and had just gotten back from France. So she introduced my dad to me … I had never really seen him.”

“My dad used to do deliveries and would bring big crates home so we could break it up and light the fire with it. So we had one in the garden, it was kind of like a coffin without a lid on. I would get a blanket and a cushion and just lie in there and couldn’t see anything except the sky. That was one of my favorite things to do and just watch the skies.”

“When everybody was at work and the older kids were all at school … I used to get a privet stick, strip all the leaves off and turn it into a bow. Then I’d put it behind the little spider webs, onto the web, then go to another one and put it on there … and then watch the spiders fight. There weren’t any spiders left in my garden so I’d go across the street. “So I was in the neighbor’s garden picking spiders off the web and watching them fight. The neighbors weren’t at home. I turned around and there was this guy standing at their front door. He looked like Michael Rennie from the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. So I turned around and this guy was standing by the door of the house. He points and says, look up there. I looked up and saw formations of different types of spaceships. Then they both sort of disappeared, it was one of those miraculous things. So I’ve always been into the outer space thing. It’s one of those things that stay with you your whole life.”
Ray Shasho: Was that the only time you witnessed a UFO?
Michael Pinder: “In 1966 … with the first band, we were coming back from Manchester around midnight and we always wanted to get back to London before dawn, otherwise we’d have trouble getting to sleep. We were coming down from Manchester on the day they opened the M6 motorway. So we’re driving home about one o’clock in the morning and I’m sitting in the back, and I’d put my head back and look out the back window and look at the stars. So we’re driving and probably doing sixty miles an hour. There was this red light and I said, I don’t remember that radio station around here. So I told the guys to pull over and we got out. We all looked over the top of the car and there was this red ball kind of thing moving across the freeway that turns into a square … like a red dice. As it approached us, it got bigger and bigger, and we were all sort of bathed in this blue light. We ended up getting home three hours late and wondering what the heck was that? …So that really solidified my nickname of “Micky the Moonboy” as a kid. I was always interested in the moon. …Read Zecharia Sitchin … he’s the guy!”
Ray Shasho: Michael, any regrets on leaving The Moody Blues?
Michael Pinder: “No, I don’t because I was really quite happy with what Ray and I achieved. We had what we wanted… we conquered it.”
Ray Shasho: Do you still talk with your old bandmates?
Michael Pinder: “I talk with Ray a lot; we’re still the best buddies. We’re the guys who started the band.”
Ray Shasho: I was part of a family retail electronics business in Washington D.C. and we were among the very first in D.C. to carry Pong, the Atari 2600 console and all the game cartridges. After you left The Moody Blues you actually went to work for Atari?
Michael Pinder: “Yes I did for awhile. I was demonstrating for them. I think I still have my original Pong and Atari in the garage (All laughing).”
Ray Shasho: Graeme Edge lives about 15-20 minutes from me. He’s made headlines in the National Enquirer most recently …did you read it?
Michael Pinder: “Yes… misperforming in back of a car. He kind of deserves what he gets.”
Ray Shasho: Michael, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Michael Pinder: “I think I’ve already gotten to play with who I’d want to play with and that’s The Beatles. When we did the last Beatles tour in the UK that all made sense. Do you remember the song…“Those Were the Days” by Mary Hopkin? …Paul gave the song to us first. I told Paul thanks a lot but it’s not quite us. So it turned out to be a one hit wonder for her and I could kind of sense that. But we were so lucky to have played with so many great bands… especially The Beatles.”
Ray Shasho: Michael, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and hopefully will continue to bring.
Michael Pinder: “Ray I appreciate you calling and giving us the chance to chat about it. Cheers!”

Esoteric Recordings releases a Deluxe 3 Disc CD &DVD Set by Moody Blues founder and keyboard player Michael Pinder. -Purchase ‘The Promise/Among The Stars’/DVD set at http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=4389
Michael Pinder official website
Michael Pinder on Twitter
The Pinder Brothers official website
The Pinder Brothers on Facebook
Ray Thomas official website
As always ...very special thanks to “the great” Billy James

Coming UP … My interview with guitarist Wayne Swinny of SALIVA, Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys, the legendary Judy Collins, Jesse Colin Young, and Travis Barker of Blink-182.

This article is dedicated to my Brother Harry who has always been a devoted fan of The Moody Blues.
Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.

“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!” …stillerb47@gmail.com


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Pete Best Interview: The Beatles Conspiracy?

By Ray Shasho

Over the years, there’s been speculation and even conspiracy theories to why original Beatles drummer Pete Best was fired by manager Brian Epstein. On August 16th, 1962, Best was permanently replaced by Rory Storm and the Hurricanes drummer Ritchie Starkey (Ringo Starr).

Some of the explanations for his dismissal we adhered to over the years were … He was too conventional to be a Beatle …Paul and George never liked him …He was anti-social, never hung-out with the other lads after gigs …Pete refused to sport the proposed mop-top haircut …Ringo was the better drummer …Pete was too good looking … Pete was too popular …Pure jealousy …Epstein felt threatened … and so on… and so on.

One thing is certain … John, Paul and George kept completely silent and remained totally numb during and after his discharge from The Beatles. Since receiving those historic walking papers, the band had never made a legitimate effort to make amends, remain friends, or even consider Pete Best as an acquaintance.

In this interview Pete Best states … “I never spoke with any of them again after the dismissal. Played on the same bill as them on two or three occasions, but we didn't speak.”

BBC News reported that … Ringo Starr made an apology to the city of Liverpool for remarking that he missed nothing about his city, leaving many Merseyside residents very angry. A foliage sculpture of The Beatles at Liverpool South Parkway Station was beheaded by vandals three months after the remarks, with the sculptures of the other three Beatles left untouched.

Even today: Fellow Liverpool musicians continue to be puzzled over the firing of Pete Best. In a recent interview conducted with another British Invasion legend Billy J. Kramer, He states… “There’s never been an out and out answer … Me, as an onlooker, I saw… Lets here it one more time for John, George, Paul …and when Pete Best walked back on the stage at the end of the show… young girls just went crazy! It’s something that always baffled me.”

Was there another reason behind the firing of Pete Best?

Pete Best was born in Madras, India and brought up in Liverpool, England. In 1954, Pete’s mother Mona Best pawned all of her jewelry and bet the money on a racehorse. She bet on a 33-1 longshot named “Never Say Die.” She won the bet and used her winnings to purchase a house at 8 Haymans Green in Liverpool.
On August 29th, 1959 Mona Best opened The Casbah Coffee Club in the cellar of that home becoming Liverpool’s first rock ‘n’ roll venue. Mona “Mo” Best’s encouragement to promote local musicians helped shape and popularize the “Merseybeat,” the original sound of the British Invasion. The first gig at the infamous Casbah was ‘The Quarrymen’ featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Brown (The Les Stewart Quartet). The band (without a drummer) played a series of seven Saturday night engagements.
Ken Brown later formed The Blackjacks with Pete Best and ‘Chas’ Newby.

Beatles Era: In the 1960s, a tour of Hamburg, Germany was arranged by The Silver Beetles manager Alan Williams, and the band still desperately needed a drummer. The answer was Pete Best, who frequently played with his band The Blackjacks at his Mom’s Casbah Coffee Club. After The Blackjacks broke up, it was Paul McCartney who convinced Best to join the group and go to Hamburg. Best auditioned at Alan Williams Jacaranda Club and left for Hamburg the next day. Pete Best became a Silver Beetle on August 12th, 1960. The Silver Beetles changed their name to The Beatles on August17th.

During their first tour of Germany, The band played the Indra Club and the Kaiserkellar. The Beatles met photographer Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voormann that same year.
In 1961, NEMS (North End Music Stores) owner Brian Epstein approached the band with a management offer. He had been quite impressed with the group after hearing the release of “My Bonnie” (Polydor Records) recorded with rocker Tony Sheridan. Epstein had also visited the original ‘Cavern Club’ on several occasions to watch The Beatles perform live in front of a crowd. The Beatles first ‘Cavern Club’ gig was secured by Pete Best’s mom Mona.

Before taking over The Beatles, Epstein asked Alan Williams if there were any contractual ties between him and the band. There weren’t any, but Williams told Epstein … “Don’t touch them with a f***ing bargepole, they will let you down.”

Bassist Stuart Sutcliffe quit The Beatles on March 15th, 1961 to pursue a career as an artist. Sutcliffe died April 10th, 1962 of an aneurysm that was believed to be caused by a head injury from a brawl inside Lathom Hall in Liverpool.
In 1962, after becoming Liverpool’s #1 voted band, The Beatles revisited Hamburg to play ‘The Star Club.’ In Hamburg, new boss Brian Epstein announced to the group that they had achieved a recording contract with EMI. They met George Martin that year at Abbey Road Studios. The Beatles recorded the original version of, “Love Me Do” in June of 1962 with Pete Best on drums (available on The Beatles Anthology 1 compilation release).

Pete Best was fired from The Beatles on August 16th, 1962.

In 1964, “Love Me Do” became The Beatles first #1 U.S. Hit (On Vee-Jay Records) featuring their new drummer Ringo Starr. EMI (Capitol Records in the U.S. initially refused to release Beatles records).
Post Beatles Era: Pete Best was offered to play drums with several high profiled bands. Ringo Starr’s ex-group Rory Storm & The Hurricanes ironically asked Pete to replace Ritchie Starkey (Ringo) on drums. Then Brian Epstein contacted Best to shape The Merseybeats into another Beatles scenario. Pete Best rejected both offers.

Which brings up the point … If Pete Best was such a bad drummer, why did Brian Epstein want him to play drums and take charge of The Merseybeats? Epstein still had enough confidence in Pete by asking him to turn The Merseybeats into another Beatles Phenomena.

In 1963, Pete Best joined Lee Curtis & The All-Stars. The band landed a record deal with Decca. The All-Stars toured the UK and Germany and were awarded second place in the Merseybeat Poll, losing the number one spot to The Beatles, but ahead of Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers. The band split from Curtis and eventually became ‘The Pete Best Four’ and ‘The Pete Best Combo.’ The band toured the U.S and Canada.

In 1968, Pete Best left the music business to concentrate on family life. He worked as a civil servant worker for the next twenty years. Depressed over The Beatles sustained fame and fortune, Best tried to commit suicide, but was miraculously talked out of it by his mother Mona and brother Rory.

The secrecy and avoidance surrounding Pete Best’s dismissal by The Beatles reminded me of another incident the same year that lead to a similar covert aftermath … the ‘Cuban Missile Crisis.’ (October 16-28, 1962).

The Pete Best Band: In 1988, after twenty years of turning down requests to perform in public, The Pete Best Band was formed. Pete continues to tour worldwide with his younger brother Roag sharing drumming duties. The band’s sound and appearance is a throwback to those exciting early days of The Beatles. Their setlist includes Beatles classics like … “Please Mr. Postman,” “P.S. I Love You,” “My Bonnie,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Till There Was You,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Twist and Shout” and “Kansas City” to name a few.
I’ve witnessed The Pete Best Band in concert and thought it was … Gratifying, authentic rock and roll at its finest.

In 2007, Pete Best was inducted into the All You Need Is Liverpool Music Hall of Fame as the debut Charter Member.
In 2008, The Pete Best Band released the album Haymans Green consisting of all new material. Best plays drums and co-wrote all the tracks. The album received rave reviews with a lineup that featured … Pete Best (drums), Roag Best (drums and percussions), Tony Flynn (guitar, vocals -played with Steppenwolf), Phil Melia (guitar, harmonica, vocals), and Paul Parry (guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals).

On July 25th, 2011 two streets in Liverpool were named Pete Best Drive and Casbah Close.
Pete and Kathy Best have been married for fifty years; they have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Pete Best has an incredible website that spotlights opportunities to visit or even play at the legendary Casbah Coffee Club. Visit Pete’s official website at www.petebest.com. The site also features some great merchandise and memorabilia.

I had the rare pleasure of chatting with Pete Best recently about life before and after The Beatles.
Here’s my interview with the original drummer of The Beatles/ Leader of The Pete Best Band/Drummer/Percussionist/Songwriter … PETE BEST.
Ray Shasho: Hello Pete, happy 2013!
Pete Best: “Oh thank you …same to you.”
Ray Shasho: I actually met you back in 2001 in Springfield, Virginia after your show.
Pete Best: “That’s going back a long ways, but I do remember the gig.”
Ray Shasho: You and the band certainly put on a great show. So what’s new these days in the life of Pete Best?
Pete Best: “Well, I’ve still got the band going which is touring all over the world as we have been doing for many-many years. But at the present moment, I’m into getting right into this technology … Facebook and everything, and have three things going at the present moment Ray, I’ve got my own website which is www.petebest.com and people can go on that site to see what the band is doing, what I’m doing, and all the updates. It’s full of all kinds of information and we just want people to go on and visit it. And of course the Facebook regime which is www.facebook.com/petebestofficial. I’ve also gone on to the Twitter as well so I can have a chat with the fans, and that is https://twitter.com/BeatlesPeteBest.”
“I’ve been promising myself that I’d keep everyone up-to-date and just enjoying the fact that it gives hundreds and thousands of people out there the opportunity to get in touch with me and have a chat, and keep up to date with what we’re doing and we love to talk about it with people.”
Ray Shasho: I’ve been on your website and it’s quite impressive. I noticed that you can actually book tours at the famous Casbah Coffee Club directly from the site.
Pete Best: “That’s right; The Casbah is opened to tours now, we’re open nearly 365 days a year and it’s by booking appointments only. The contact information is on the website and if people phone up and make an appointment then we’ll be more than glad to take them around and give them a history of The Casbah and the history of Merseybeat from the early years of The Beatles.”
Ray Shasho: Your mom was quite a visionary and entrepreneur wasn’t she?
Pete Best: “Let’s be quite honest about it Ray, she bet all her money on a horse, “Never Say Die” which we didn’t know about, and that horse had jockey Lester Piggott on it, who won the Epsom Derby in 1954, and from that she bought Haymans Green and then transferred a cellar into what the world knows now as The Casbah Club. But that dream that she had, what you are talking about being an entrepreneur, she always wanted to bring music to the kids of Liverpool and that’s exactly what she did, and that’s exactly what history portrays now.”
“The first band to play there were The Quarrymen, who went on to become The Beatles. Every band in Liverpool played there …Gerry and the Pacemakers, Kingsize Taylor, The Searchers, The Swinging Blue Jeans … my goodness me; you can go on and on and on. But the good thing about it Ray, was that she was also very interested in bringing the younger bands up, the bands who were just starting to make a break through. She had a simple rule and it worked great … when you tried out at The Casbah, if the crowd liked you, you got another booking. If they didn’t she’d say, “Go away my lads and practice, the door isn’t closed, come back and have another go.” So many bands did that and it put them on the road to stardom …which is absolutely fantastic.”
Ray Shasho: The music business could certainly use someone like your mom today.
Pete Best: “She’s still here Ray, even though she’s gone. God bless her, she went in 1988. She’s still with us … The Casbah is her, it’s her epitaph. She was the visionary; we’re just carrying on the job for her.”
Ray Shasho: Before The Quarrymen, John Lennon had a band called The Black Jacks. Did John change the name of that band because your band was also called The Black Jacks?
Pete Best: “Yea, my band was The Black Jacks, but I think John stopped calling himself The Black Jacks before I came along. So there were no problems involving name discussions or anything else like that. By that time they turned into The Moondogs, The Silver Beetles, and all the other aliases that he had before we actually were The Beatles with an ‘a,’ so there was no problem on that particular side.”
Ray Shasho: On the day bassist Stuart Sutcliffe was attacked, was it you and John Lennon who actually ran to his rescue?
Pete Best: “Yea, what you actually saw portrayed in films like Birth of The Beatles and Backbeat, they used Litherland Town Hall as to where the assault took place, and it wasn’t, it was a venue called Lathom Hall and Stu was beaten up inside the club. What we used to call in those days …‘Teddy Boys,’ Stuart was the smallest in the band and they picked on him for some unknown reason when we were backstage. John and I heard about it and we dashed out, got stuck into it, and sorted it out. John broke his finger and that was something he carried from that particular fight. But we managed to get Stu out without too much damage to him and we just went on and did the show. But the funny thing was Ray, after that, we were accepted by the ‘Teddy Boys,’ as we use to call them in those days. And at that particular location they turned around and said, “Hang on just a moment, it’s the Beatles, they can handle themselves.” So there was a little bit of respect. But that just puts the record straight in regard to location, and yes, john and I were actually there to help him.”
Ray Shasho: Were you the closest with John than anyone else in the band?
Pete Best: “Oh yea, without doubt. I mean everyone had their associations, but I would say I was closest to John in the band and I hope he felt the same as well. We spent a lot of time together. In Germany, we were the ones getting into trouble, we were the ones starting fights, we were the ones trying to rub sailors … that was the mischief we got up to. But then when we came back to Liverpool he was always at my house. The Casbah was always open and after we played, we came back and raided the coffee machine and sandwiches and everything, then came up to the living room and sat there till the early hours in the morning, chatting and playing music. So it was very much home away from home.”
Ray Shasho: Pete, what was John Lennon like back in those early days?
Pete Best: “He was one of those guys that the more you got to know him, the more you saw that there was more to this guy than what the public actually sees. If I could use an example to that Ray, when I was in Germany, we used to spend a lot of time drinking, and when I was talking with him, I started to realize, okay behind this tough guy façade that he had, there was a very tender and loving person and a brilliant family man. And when you put those two entities together … that to me is the whole John Lennon.”
“In a way he became a visionary and a world leader, which was something I expected and it didn’t come as a surprise when he started leading peace movements and writing fantastic songs about bringing peace to the world. It just seemed logical for him to do it.”
“But he was a real diamond and over the years just kept getting polished …and unfortunately a stupid death because of that idiot Chapman, which robbed the world of a great leader and robbed me of a great friend.”
Ray Shasho: What were you doing when you heard the news about John’s death?
Pete Best: “I was actually getting ready for work in Liverpool. By the time it started to come on the radio over here, it was around seven or eight o’clock in the morning and just getting ready for work and my wife Kathy said, “Pete you’d better come and listen to this …John’s been murdered.” At that particular moment Ray, John Lennon was the last person I thought of. And I said John who? Kathy said, “John, who you used to play with in the band.” So I suddenly realized after hearing the broadcast that it was John Lennon and I was mortified, just absolutely horrified. Of course the media went wild all over the world. They tried to get in touch with me to do radio, television and press interviews, and I just basically said no. I said look, I know what you’re trying to do, but I want to pay my respects to my old friend in the best way I can. So I kept me feelings to myself and stayed quiet.”
Ray Shasho: John’s death affected so many of us, I remember gathering on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. for a vigil a few days after hearing the news. I’m still in a state of denial that George is also not with us any longer.
Pete Best: “They will always be the icons of the music business, generations are still discovering them, year after year, century after century, people will always be discovering their music, which is absolutely fantastic. It probably won’t happen with anyone else.”
“But through all that recognition, and all that fame, there’s been a lot of tragedy within that band as well. Stu Sutcliffe died when he’s only 21; Brian Epstein dies at 32, John being murdered by that idiot Chapman, George dies a horrible death with cancer … so there has been a lot of tragedy within the band. I think success sometimes comes with tragedy. It seems to be an evolution and the way things go.”
Ray Shasho: It seems to me that you’ve enjoyed a more stable and healthier lifestyle than your old bandmates… Kathy and you have been married for 50 years and you have a beautiful family … you’ve done alright!
Pete Best: “I had an early learning curve. It comes from a stable background and a tough backbone. People knock you down and you get back up and try twice as hard. What happened to me at an early age probably hadn’t happened to anyone else, the fact that I was dismissed from The Beatles and then they became icons of the music industry. But that mishap …and I think that was the best way to explain it, woke me up, it made me more streetwise, and I realized that there was more to life than being a rock ‘n’ roll star.”
“But I had family around me and a stable character. I realized it’s not about what happened yesterday, it’s very much about today and tomorrow. I’ve lived my life and been recognized my own sweet way and made my contribution to the music industry. My bands been recognized for their own contribution. At the end of it all, I’m a great family man. I’ve been married to a great Liverpool girl, Kathy; this year makes fifty years, and we’ve got two beautiful daughters and four wonderful grandchildren.”
Ray Shasho: Pete, after you were dismissed from The Beatles, did Brian Epstein actually offer to put you in a different band?
Pete Best: “Yea, it’s a funny thing, not initially. In 1962, when I was called in, he basically turned around and said they want you out and Ringo was in, and it was already prearranged that Ringo was going to be in the band. But a couple of weeks afterwards, I had offers from different bands and was still thinking it over, then got a call from Brian Epstein and he basically said, “Pete, I’d like to see you in the office again, I’ve got something I want to check over with you.” I thought …oh my goodness me; maybe there’s been a change of heart, maybe they’ll bring me back again.”
“So, when I got down there, he was very cordial and polite like he normally was. Then he said, “I’m not bringing you back into the band, just in case you’ve got that on your mind.” So I thought that clears that particular subject (laughing). Then he said, “But I’m really interested in a young band called The Merseybeats which I want you to become the drummer in and take charge of them. I want you to turn them into a second Beatles so I can manage them. I said, Brian, it’s absolutely wonderful that you’ve got that much faith in me, but once you’ve been with the number one horse, and number one stable, it’s going to be very difficult for me to work with you again. I thanked him very much for the offer and went away. Then I joined Lee Curtis & the All-Stars, which was another up and coming band in Liverpool at that time. And I took them to the number two position behind The Beatles in The Mersey Beat Poll.”
Do you have any regrets for not taking Brian’s offer to work with The Merseybeats?
Pete Best: “No, not really, when I talked with Billy Kinsley of The Merseybeats many years afterwards, I think they were disappointed that I didn’t come onboard, because he’s always admired me as a musician when I was a drummer. But as I explained to him, I said Billy, at that particular moment in time; it didn’t seem like the right thing to do, it wouldn’t have set easy with me. He said, “Pete, I accept that, it would have been nice for you to be part of the team.” It wasn’t meant to be, but they went on to be a fantastic band anyway. Billy is still one of the best musicians in Liverpool.”
Ray Shasho: Pete, how many times, if any, did you actually talk with John, Paul or Ringo after your dismissal from the band?
Pete Best: “I never spoke with any of them again after the dismissal. Played on the same bill as them on two or three occasions, but we didn't speak.”
Ray Shasho: Here’s a crazy thought … I covered Ringo Starr’s show not long ago when he played in Clearwater. If Ringo asked you to join his All Starr Band for one of his tours would you accept?
Pete Best: (All laughing)
“That’s a question and a half Ray isn’t it? Now, I’ll turn it around on you… If I ever see Ringo, maybe I’ll ask him if he’d play second drums in my band. (All Laughing)”
Ray Shasho: I think either scenario would be great!
Pete Best: “I always say …if it’s meant to happen, it’s going to happen anyway.”
Ray Shasho: Pete, thank you so much for being on the call today, for all the great music, and for keeping The Casbah legacy alive.
Pete Best: Thanks Ray, I had a really good time. Cheers!

Visit the Pete Best official website at www.petebest.com
Pete Best on Facebook www.facebook.com/petebestofficial
Pete Best on Twitter https://twitter.com/BeatlesPeteBest
Very Special thanks to Roag Best for arranging this interview.

Coming up … An interview with British Invasion legend Billy J. Kramer …We will discuss, why isn’t Brian Epstein in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com -Support Ray so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting. 


~~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.

 © Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved

 

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band superlative for sold out Clearwater audience

By Ray Shasho

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band concert review

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band performed a magnificent show on Sunday evening at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. Every classic tune on the band’s setlist was played to its perfection and accompanied by a rousing standing ovation. The band appeared and sounded like a finely tuned racing machine, with engines revved and in immaculate condition. The 2012 All-Star lineup may be the best group of correlated musicians yet.
A diverse audience packed with both young and old was there to witness a legendary all-star rock band of virtuosos piloted by a member of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all-time. It was an evening brimming with good vibrations, peace and love.
Before the show, everyone loaded up with Ringo Starr T-shirts and programs. The show began promptly at 7:30p.m with various members of the all-stars arriving quietly on stage. Loud and joyous cheers began to encompass the Hall while Santana’s legendary songster and keyboardist Gregg Rolie took his place behind the Hammond organ. Rolie was succeeded by the incredible guitarist and vocalist Steve Lukather of Toto, bassist and vocalist Richard Page of 80s pop sensation Mr. Mister, the melodious ingenuity of Todd Rundgren from Utopia’s progressive rock fame, accomplished drummer Gregg Bissonette, and Mark Rivera, saxophonist, percussionist, and legendary musical director.

The band began to play and the crowd rose to its feet while Ringo Starr glided on stage to take his spot behind the microphone for the opening number, “Matchbox” (#17 Billboard Hit in 1964) a rockabilly Carl Perkins penned tune covered by The Beatles.
Throughout the evening well-wishers acknowledged Ringo’s upcoming birthday on July 7th. Ringo will be turning 72 but looked remarkably fit and ageless on stage. Starr taunted the Ruth Eckerd audience by telling them not to wish him a happy birthday unless they were going to give him a gift. Near the end of the evening someone actually did give him a gift, and he ran backstage with it after the show.

The bands next selection was one of Starr’s biggest solo hits; “It Don’t Come Easy” (#4 Billboard Hit in 1971) followed by “Wings” a re-released tune for the new album Ringo 2012, originally recorded in 1977. Then Ringo sat behind his proverbial drums for the band’s next selections. Todd Rundgren was up next and featured, “I Saw the Light” (#16 Billboard Hit in 1972). Rundgren is a longtime veteran of the All-Star Band and is known for playing in Clearwater frequently. Todd played the Capitol Theatre most recently celebrating the Utopia reunion tour. Todd Rundgren is a living legend in the music world as a producer, guitarist, songwriter and singer. Here’s an interview I did with Todd Rundgren … http://www.examiner.com/article/exclusive-interview-todd-rundgren-talks-utopia-reunion-with-examiner-ray-shasho

For the first time ever on the tour Gregg Rolie was an All-Star, and well-deserved. The first of many thunderous ovations for the evening came after Rolie’s spectacular performance of the Santana classic, “Evil Ways.” (#9 Billboard Hit in 1969) Gregg Rolie has been overshadowed through the years by virtuoso guitarist Carlos Santana, but it was Gregg Rolie’s majestic vocals and magnificent keyboards that solidified the masterpiece of Santana. Rolie was the voice on almost every classic Santana hit. Rolie was also the founder and original vocalist for the band Journey. Read my interview with Gregg Rolie here... http://www.examiner.com/article/santana-and-journey-original-lead-singer-gregg-rolie-speaks-with-ray-shasho

Next, it was Steve Lukather the guitarist and vocalist for classic rock sensation Toto. Lukather is an awe-inspiring guitarist, which was evident after playing the role of Carlos Santana on all of Gregg Rolie’s Santana classics. Wow! Lukather jumped into Toto’s, “Rosanna” (#2 Billboard Hit in 1982, won a Grammy Award for “Record of The Year” in 1983).
Richard Page of Mr. Mister was spotlighted next singing, “Kyrie” (#1 Billboard Hit in 1986). Page is a sensational songwriter and musician. Ringo’s, “Don’t Pass Me By” (From The Beatles White Album in 1968) was next and followed by Rundgren’s signature classic, “Bang The Drum All Day” (1983 recording, all the instruments on the record were played by Todd).

Ringo announced he was going to sing a tune that he had sung for that "other band" and kiddingly remarked … “Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.” Appearing very Beatle-ish, Ringo belted out “Boys” (Originally sang by The Shirelles in 1960) behind his skins followed by another standing ovation. Ringo Starr gave the Clearwater audience back to back Beatles classics with his unmistakable narration of “Yellow Submarine” (#2 Billboard Hit in 1966). The entire Hall stood up, swayed, and sang throughout the song.
Gregg Rolie quietly announced his next selection, “Black Magic Woman” (1970 Hit, the album Abraxas reached #1 on the Billboard charts, written by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac). The song spotlighted an unbelievable performance by Rolie on vocals and keyboards, Lukather on guitar, Bissonette and Rivera on percussions. Lukather’s role of Carlos Santana was astounding, it was an incredible jam.

Without an intermission, Ringo kicked off the second half of the show with, “Anthem” from his latest release, Ringo 2012 followed by, “I’m The Greatest”(Released in1973) a song written exclusively for Ringo by his former bandmate John Lennon.
Richard Page graciously thanked Ringo on stage for letting him perform a non-classic hit on the tour, “You Are Mine” from his 2010 release Peculiar Life. Then Steve Lukather of Toto led the band into a beautiful rendition of “Africa” (Number #1 Billboard Hit in 1983).
It was Gregg Rolie’s time to rock the house again with a tune that hadn’t been played by Santana in concert for quite awhile, “Everybody’s Everything” (Released in 1971 on Santana III album). Ringo followed with the Lennon-McCartney penned earlier rocker, “I Wanna Be Your Man” (1963 release, recorded by The Rolling Stones and The Beatles).
It was apparent throughout all their performances that the band respected each others virtuosity but genuinely just had a lot of fun.

Todd Rundgren was back in the spotlight again to sing his heartfelt composition written for his progressive rock band Utopia called, “Love Is The Answer” (Utopia released it in1977, it became a huge hit for England Dan & John Ford Coley in 1979). Another heartfelt composition, “Broken Wings” (Number #1 Billboard Hit, released in 1985) by Mr. Mister’s Richard Page followed. Then it was time to raise the roof again, Steve Lukather rocked the house with the Toto hard- rockin’ classic, “Hold The Line” (1978 release #5 Billboard Hit) followed by a roaring standing ovation.

The evening wound down with Ringo Starr’s classic single, “Photograph” (#1 Billboard Hit, released in 1973) followed by The Beatles cover tune, “Act Naturally” (Released in 1965). The show concluded with the band playing The Beatles classic, “With a Little Help From my Friends” (Released in 1967, also performed at Woodstock by Joe Cocker and The Grease Band) and a smooth segue into the John Lennon penned anthem, “Give Peace A Chance.” The Ruth Eckerd audience was on its feet singing and displaying peace signs throughout the entire rendition.
There wasn’t one shining star this evening … just a galaxy filled with all-stars.
The entire band was extraordinary! Nevertheless, here are my picks for the top crowd pleasing songs of the evening and not in any particular order. Gregg Rolie- “Evil Ways,” Steve Lukather- “Hold the Line,” Richard Page- “Broken Wings,” Todd Rundgren- “Love Is The Answer,” Ringo Starr- “With A Little Help From My Friends.”

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band official website www.ringostarr.com
Very special thanks to Elizabeth Freund of Beautiful Day Media and the entire staff at Ruth Eckerd Hall.

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

Buy Ray’s very special memoir called ‘CHECK THE Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com -Please help support Ray so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
~~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.

© Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved

 

 

Interview: Tommy Roe tried to get Beatles signed: Both rejected by ABC Records

By Ray Shasho

When recollecting those perpetual hit makers of the ‘60s, singer/songwriter Tommy Roe’s accomplishments are among the elite of the music industry. Tommy Roe wrote and recorded (6) Top 10 hits between 1962 -1969, more than any other solo American artist, including (11) Top 40 hits, (4) certified gold singles, and (2) #1 Hits.
Tommy Roe is a member of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and The Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Roe will also be inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Association (IRMAA) Hall of Fame on September 2nd 2012.
Rock and Roll pioneer Tommy Roe became an overnight Top 40 radio sensation with his 1962 #1 Hit “Sheila,” a tune in which Roe pays homage to Buddy Holly. Tommy Roe scored again the following year with his Top 10 hit, “Everybody” reaching #3 in the U.S.

In 1963, Tommy Roe and Chris Montez (“Let’s Dance,” “Call Me,” “The More I See You”) toured with an up and coming rock and roll band called The Beatles.  Roe initially tried to get The Beatles a recording contract but was told by a record executive to stick to writing music and leave the record business to him. When The Beatles popularity materialized, Tommy Roe was asked to perform at their first American concert at the Washington Coliseum in D.C. Because of an overseas wave of music to hit the U.S. called the British Invasion, Roe was forced to conceive a new sound.
In 1966, Tommy Roe’s #8 Top 40 bubblegum hit, “Sweet Pea” swept the nation, followed by a British Invasion influence release, “Hooray for Hazel” which reached #6 on Billboard’s Top 100.
 In 1969, Tommy Roe struck gold twice with the prevailing, “Dizzy” reaching #1 and the Freddy Weller (Paul Revere & the Raiders) co-written tune, “Jam Up and Jelly Tight” peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts.

Tommy Roe’s willingness to accept and create new musical ideas sustained enormous commercial success during the most competitive period in American popular music.

Tommy Roe will be releasing his long and anticipated CD soon called, ‘Devils Soul Pile.’ Roe admits,“It’s titled after a song I have written and included in the lineup, the song is a departure from my normal and expected style, and one that tells the story of dysfunctional families, and the effect it has on our youth and our neighborhoods. Lyrically, this song is a bit serious, and was inspired by the everyday news of violence in our neighborhoods and cities. But a song that ends in hope.”

Roe’s new release will be followed by ‘An Evening with Tommy Roe’ concert tour launching on April 7th in Riverside, Iowa. A Florida appearance is scheduled at The Villages in Lake Sumter Landing. Roe says, “I will also do a Q&A session in the middle of the show while the stage is being set for my acoustic set with band leader and lead guitarist Rick Levy.”

I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to chat with Tommy Roe about his illustrious music career, including his personal experiences with The Beatles, Elvis and Frank Sinatra.

Here’s my interview with singer/songwriter/musician/rock and roll pioneer Tommy Roe.
Ray Shasho: Thank you for being on the call today Tommy. How are things in Los Angeles?
Tommy Roe: “It’s funny, I came here in 1965 to do a show with Dick Clark called ‘Where the Action is’ and was supposed to stay for six months but I’m still here. (All laughing)”
Ray Shasho: I heard through the grapevine that you’re working on a new CD.
Tommy Roe: “I’m not sure exactly when I’ll get it out, maybe by spring, it’s just a long process today. For one thing the record business just sucks! (All laughing) Trying to get a record deal or trying to get somebody really interested in your project.  I mean, I’ve been out of the business for awhile and fighting that whole battle as well …it’s not easy. But if I’m not successful with a label by May, I’m going to put it out myself and see if I can get an independent distributor. And I can always sell it at my concerts …so we’ll see what happens. I’ve got some new songs and that’s why I’m so excited.  I’ve started writing again and recorded the songs and I’m just trying to package it and put it together, so that’s kind of where we stand with it.”
Ray Shasho: We’re all anxiously awaiting some great new material by Tommy Roe. You are a true rock and roll pioneer.
Tommy Roe: “Well thank you. I didn’t record for a long time and songwriting is funny. I’m not the kind of songwriter where I can sit down every day and write a song, it has to come to me from somewhere. So it’s out there in space somewhere and it sort of reaches me. When that happens I turn one after another and they seem to come out real easy. When I went to Nashville to work with the songwriters there, they were so disciplined and go to the office everyday and write. I couldn’t do that, it’s not the way I do it. I just like to let it happen, and when it happens I have to make it work.”
Ray Shasho: I’ve heard the good and the bad about record companies in the 60’s. After chatting with Tommy James, he told me that even though he was literally cheated out of million in royalties, if it weren’t for Record Exec. Morris Levy, he would have never been a star.
Tommy Roe: “That’s true, it’s like the guy that got me started Bill Lowery from Atlanta. We had these kinds of moguls around that sort of controlled different parts of the country. Levy up there and Bill Lowery in the south and these guys really helped a lot of young entertainers get started and without them we could have never done it. Back in those days the way radio was structured you had to have somebody fighting for you. We didn’t make the money that the guys make today but I think we had a lot of fun. I know I did, it was very spontaneous and I hope the kids today have as much fun as I did.”
Ray Shasho: I was intrigued by the artistic photos that you shot internationally and displayed on your website.
TommyRoe: “Yea, I got into taking pictures, my wife is from Franceand we go there at least once a year. Last year we went twice, she speaks five languages so we travel to all these different places. I kind of follow her around with my camera. (Laughing) But it’s just something I enjoy. It’s funny when I started in the music business; I was in high school and actually had an art scholarship to the Atlanta Art Institute. I was going to enter the Institute when “Sheila” became a hit. So I had to go with the music instead of the art. So it worked out for the best.”
Ray Shasho: You also worked for General Electric?
Tommy Roe: “I got married very young and had a little baby. I was married actually in my last year of high school so I had to get a job. I worked for General Electric; my cousin helped me get a job there, didn’t know what the hell I was doing … just putting wires together. I think what they did was to make machinery to generate electricity at a dam, but I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was just thankful to have a job.”
Ray Shasho: Your first big hit, “Sheila” was one of those rock and roll originals. I’ve always felt if you had continued in that musical direction, you would have been a hell of a rocker.
Tommy Roe: “I kind of got sidetracked… “Sheila” and then “Everybody” was even more of a rockabilly southern song and it went to number three on the charts. But when I came out here to California, I got with this producer who wanted to change my style. What was happening at that time is you had the British Invasion. All the British acts were making it huge over here and really pushed a lot of the American acts off the charts. And this guy figured the only way that I could compete and to stay on the charts was to come up with something totally different. The British acts loved doing rockabilly, that’s what the British acts based their styles off, so he suggested that we get into the softer rock stuff and I think it really helped me survive the ‘60s. The British were just taking over the charts and then I came up with “Sweet Pea.” That was my first soft rock thing. It was a big hit so we just stuck with that style throughout the ‘60s.”
Ray Shasho: I always wondered if it was your decision to change styles musically or the record labels. 
Tommy Roe: “Yea, it was the producer and the label together trying to figure out a way to keep me on the charts. But I really loved the rockabilly style, that’s what I do in my show. When I started singing as a kid in high school I use to do John Lee Hooker. The reason I did it was because our band was getting booked at fraternity parties at Georgia Tech and University of Georgia and that’s all they wanted to hear was blues stuff. So that’s what I really started to sing as a kid… all that blues stuff.”
Ray Shasho: When you wrote “Sheila” were you thinking about Buddy Holly at the time?
Tommy Roe: “I was a huge fan of his and that was my way of respecting Buddy Holly. When I first recorded “Sheila” I recorded it while I was in high school and wrote it when I was about 14 years old. I recorded it early in high school with my local band. We didn’t have the drums and when I hooked up with Felton Jarvis, he loved the song but wanted to put something more exciting into it, so he thought about putting those drums in there. My first version of “Sheila” was almost a hit, it was a hit locally in the southeast but never spread nationally and that’s why Felton knew the song. He knew it would become a hit if he rerecorded it and added the drums in there. I was a huge fan of Holly so it was fine with me.”
Ray Shasho: Besides Buddy Holly who were some of your early influences growing up?
Tommy Roe: “Chuck Berry of course, Carl Perkins… anybody that wrote songs. When I was a kid I wanted to be a songwriter, I was very shy so I never dreamed about being a performer. “Sheila” was originally a poem I wrote about a girl that I went to school with and her name was “Frieda.” It use to be “Sweet Little Frieda.” It was a poem and at the time my dad taught me three chords on the guitar and I thought… boy if I could just put some music to my poems maybe I could become a songwriter. So that’s what started it for me, it just happened that my dad played an instrument and I use to love to write silly poems to my girlfriends. So I turned “Frieda” into a song and ran around singing “Sweet Little Frieda” for a long time. When I finally got the chance to record it the producer suggested changing the name to “Sheila.”
Ray Shasho: You toured with the Beatles before they got big in America.
Tommy Roe: “I did. After Sheila was a hit in 1962, I had an opportunity to go to England and tour over there in 1963. I had worked some dates over here in the states with Chris Montez; in fact we did the Sam Cooke tour together and did several other tours together in the U.S. So we knew each other and they put us together on this tour in England to co-headline. When we got over there we saw the program and it had a featured act on our show called The Beatles, and they were on the bottom of the lineup. Nobody knew who the Beatles were they were just starting out, and I think they only did one other tour before our tour. The Helen Shapiro tour and then they did our tour. On our tour is when they really broke out, it was like Elvis all over again. I even suggested to Brian Epstein that I’d take a package back with me to the states and get them a record deal, which I did; they gave me a promo kit to take back to the states. All they talked about was America; they wanted to know if I met Buddy Holly, have you ever been to New York? Have you been to the Statue of Liberty? …so many questions, they just wanted to know everything about America.”
“So I came back to the states after the tour and I talked to Felton from over in England and I said, “You know I’m working with this band and they’re going to be huge, we should see if we can get them a record deal in the states.” So I brought my promo pack with me and took the Queen Elizabeth ship back to New York City and Felton met me at the dock when I got home. He said, “Come on grab a cab, we’ve got a meeting set up with Sam Clark at ABC Records and he’s waiting for you to hear the band that you found.” So we went right up to Sam’s office and I went in and they said, “Hey kid… it’s good to have you home, we heard you had a great tour and we understand that you found an act that you want us to hear. I said, “Yea, it’s an act that was on our tour called The Beatles. They all kind of laughed. I pulled out their first album with pictures of them wearing the bangs, and the office got real quiet …they stopped talking and looked at the front cover and then said, “What the hell is that?” Felton pointed out, “Wait, you got to hear them.” So they took the album and put it on the turntable, dropped the needle, played a few bars from the first cut and then picked up the needle and said, “I tell you what kid …let us be the talent scout, that’s got to be the worst piece of crap that I’ve ever heard in my life, we’ll find the talent, you just go back to your nice room at The Waldorf Hotel with the nice TV and write us some more hit songs.”I was devastated and felt about an inch high. They completely blew us off!”
“About six months later … The Beatles became how we know them as … The Beatles. Every time I would see those executives at my label from that point on …they would run for the door, they could not face me.”
Ray Shasho: In 1964, you were on the bill with The Beatles when they played their first American concert in Washington D.C. at the Coliseum.
Tommy Roe:  “Of course I had done the tour in England with The Beatles in 1963, so we had a relationship. Brian Epstein was going to manage me at one time so they were talking back and forth with my music publisher and talking to Brian about managing me and said, we’re coming to the states and would like Tommy to open the show for us at a show in Washington D.C. so that’s how that all happened.”
“They did the Ed Sullivan Show and then took the train down to the Washington Coliseum show and I drove up from Atlanta with the band that I used to record “Everybody,” the song was just out as a new record. “Everybody” was inspired by my tour in England with The Beatles. I wrote that on the ship coming back from England to New York.”
“I only did two songs at the Coliseum show with The Beatles … I did “Sheila” and “Everybody.” Then The Chiffons came on and did two songs. But you know what’s funny; it was just supposed to be The Chiffons and myself, and after The Ed Sullivan show everybody called and wanted to get on that show. The Righteous Brothers were there and several other acts came and were also on the show. They got no publicity, they just wanted to come and be close to The Beatles. Murray the K came down from New York and wanted me to introduce them to The Beatles, I told him look …they’ve got security nobody can get near them, you can probably get to them easier that I can.”
Ray Shasho: I had a friend that was actually at that concert, he said that he couldn’t hear any of the music because the girls were screaming so loud.
Tommy Roe: “Al Gore was there too. There was an article in The Washington Post recently where they interviewed Paul, myself, and Al Gore for the anniversary of that show. They’re trying to save that building so they interviewed all of us together for that article.”
Ray Shasho: I was there as a kid, I think to watch the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and the Coliseum was in a really crappy neighborhood.
Tommy Roe: “Yea, they used it for boxing matches and stuff.It was kind of a slimey kind of a place. And the acoustics in there were awful. My band was down in the orchestra pit, they cleared the stage and then they put The Beatles stuff on there. I was kind of standing at the door and watching their show and Ringo was actually picking his drums up and turning them around because it was like a theater in a round. He would get off his drum riser and reset his drums so he could play to the people that he had his back to. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and his drums were moving all over the place, the symbols were flying everywhere, I don’t know how he managed to keep them upright and not fall over. It was the most amazing thing.”
Ray Shasho: Tommy, not only are you a rock and roll pioneer, but you’re also a very important part of Beatles rock and roll history. We haven’t covered Elvis Presley yet … have you met him? 
Tommy Roe:“Oh yea, I met him several times. Felton who produced “Sheila” and “Everybody” ended up producing Elvis the last six or seven years of his life. So when they opened in Las Vegas at the Hilton, Felton invited me over to the opening show. So I met him there, Felton was always doing the sound for Elvis at those Las Vegas shows, so we’d hang out together and go to the dressing room. Elvis was a strange dude. Sometimes he would be very talkative and very alive and other times he would just sit in the corner and say nothing. Either he was moody or not moody there was no in between with him. When you first met Elvis, you think my God this guy’s handsome. And the first time you’re taken back, he had such charisma and magnetism when you walk into a room and meet him. There was two people that I’ve met that were that way …Frank Sinatra also had the same thing but in a different way. When you met Frank, his presence was overpowering and Elvis was the same way. There are very few entertainers that have that; it’s a God given gift.”
Ray Shasho: I was a huge fan of Frank Sinatra. I saw five of his concerts including front row center seats at Caesars Palace in Vegas and Resorts in Atlantic City. I’ve always wanted to meet him, what was Sinatra like?
Tommy Roe: “He was a great and fun guy. My wife was very good friends with him, as a matter of fact she had a house right next door to his in Palm Springs. Before we were married we’d go down to that house. It’s on the golf course and he’d be playing golf and met him several times there. But she knew him really well. The first time I met him was at a restaurant in Palm Springs, and I was touring and had my road manager with me, and he was 6’5 and weighed about 280 pounds, just a huge guy. So we’re in there together with my girlfriend at the time who became my wife Josette. As we walked in to the restaurant Josette said, “Oh there’s Frank” and I didn’t know who she was talking about. She took me by the hand and took me over to his table and introduced me to him. She said, Frank I want you to meet my boyfriend … this is Tommy Roe, he’s a singer too and this is his bodyguard. Frank said, “Josette, you don’t need a bodyguard, I’m your bodyguard. (All laughing) We had a fun conversation, “Jilly” was there with him, and I think it was kind of their hangout in Palm Springs. But he was a very nice guy and total charisma.”
Ray Shasho: When “Hooray for Hazel” hit the Top 40 airwaves, I really thought it was part of the British Invasion. I never imagined the tune to be a Tommy Roe song. Am I correct to think that the song mirrored the British Invasion?   
Tommy Roe: “Well we were trying to survive weren’t we? Of course I had the experience of being over in England so I knew that sound. I was familiar with that British sound so I wanted to integrate it into my recording sessions. You’re right; “Hazel” did have that. I love doing “Hazel” in the show and it’s amazing how many people remember it.”
Ray Shasho: What was the origin behind “Hooray for Hazel”?
Tommy Roe: “Well you remember the Hazel TV show?  There are so many girl names for songs… why not a Hazel … let’s do a Hazel. So that’s where a got the idea for the song.”
Ray Shasho: There seems to be a resurgence of “Sweet Pea” on You Tube. The song is getting thousands of hits, and everyone seems to love the little girl that you sing to in the video.
Tommy Roe: “I’ve heard about that, there’s a clip from ‘Where the Action is’ where I’m singing to that little girl.  I’ve even had some emails asking if it was my daughter. It wasn’t my daughter but she kind of looked like me in a way. She was a big fan in the audience and knew every word to the song. The audience was full of kids but I just so happened to sit down with her and she sang right along with me. But there has been a lot of reaction to that video.”
Ray Shasho: Tommy, you’ve got some concert dates coming up?
Tommy Roe: “We’re going to start on April 7th at the Riverside Casino in Iowa and then we go up to the Seneca Niagara Casino in New York. We’ve got some dates over in Canada in May and coming down to the Villages in Florida on June 18th. We do an hour show with an acoustic set in the middle and a Q & A with the audience which I really enjoy. It’s a lot of fun and the audience loves it.
Ray Shasho: Tommy we’re all looking forward to your new CD and upcoming concert dates. Thank you for being on the call today and most of all for all the great Tommy Roe music over the years.
Tommy Roe: “Ray, thank you for the interest in Tommy Roe. We’ll see you down in Florida.”

Watch for Tommy Roe’s CD including brand new material soon!
Check for updates and concert dates on Tommy Roe’s official website at www.tommyroe.com
The Villages official website www.thevillages.com
Special thanks to the great Billy James at Glass Onyon PR for arranging this interview
Official website http://glassonyonpublicity.wordpress.com

Contact Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

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Book Review -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.~~Pacific Book Review

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