What is a Merrell Fankhauser? The most interesting cult figure in rock history

By Ray Shasho

After rock and roll erupted in the 50s, and before the British Invasion conquered America, surf music was the hippest sounds on the airwaves. It was the surf music genre that glorified reverberation and preserved the electric guitarist as the front-runner for rock music.

Guitarist Merrell Fankhauser was among those early 60s innovators of surf instrumental and culture. Fankhauser’s group The Impacts, were apparently the originators of “Wipe Out” one of the biggest hits in surf music history.

Fankhauser also helped define psychedelic folk music. His multifarious musical journey throughout the 60s and 70s generated the bands; Merrell And The Exiles, Fapardokly, Merrell And HMS Bounty, MU, Fankhauser/Cassidy Band and also an incredible solo career.

Fankhauser and Jeff Cotton (later Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band -guitarist) and Ed Cassidy (Spirit -drummer) collaborated in several bands together. Merrell also teamed up with the late John Cipollina(Quicksilver Messenger Service -guitarist) to record “Dr Fankhauser” which reached #1 on the French radio charts.

Legendary surf and cult folk-rocker Merrell Fankhauser is credited with over 300 published and released compositions. Considered to be one of the great lost folk-rock classics of the 60s, his ‘Fapardokly’ album has been sought-out for years by collectors and music aficionados. An original copy of the 1967 release could fetch up to $1000.

Besides surf, psychedelic folk, and rock … Fankhauser recorded several exceptional blues albums… ‘On The Blue Road’ with Ed Cassidy featuring John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band –multi-instrumentalist) and Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna –bass and keyboards) including a tribute to the late great Nicky Hopkins. ‘Stolen Guitar Blues’ by The Fankhauser/Cassidy Band features a tribute to Randy California (Spirit –guitarist/singer).

In 2001, Fankhauser began hosting a music show that airs in many parts of Hawaii, California, and the East Coast called “Tiki Lounge.” Merrell performs on the show with many legendary artists including Willie Nelson, Mary Ramsey of 10,000 Maniacs, Fito de la Parra of Canned Heat, and Ed Cassidy of Spirit.

His current band is called Merrell Fankhauser And Friends. The band has concert dates scheduled thru the summer in California. Also watch for a tribute CD set titled "Reach For The Sky" A Tribute to Sky Sunlight Saxon (lead singer from The Seeds).

I had the pleasure recently to chat with the multi-talented/guitarist/singer/songwriter/TV host/ Merrell Fankhauser.

Ray Shasho:Merrell, thank you so much for spending time with me today. You moved from Kentucky to California when you were 13. I married a Kentucky woman (pun intended) How much of a culture shock was that for you?

Merrell Fankhauser: “My dad started putting visions of California in our heads early on and after one of those cold snowy Kentucky winters, dad said, “We’re moving to sunny California!” I was around 12 years old and we moved to Lakewood a suburb of L.A., I looked at it like an adventure and adapted to California life fairly fast. It really wasn’t that much of a culture shock although I got teased a bit for my southern accent!”

Ray Shasho: How long did it take you to adapt and learn to surf?
Merrell Fankhauser: “Dad was a flight instructor and charter pilot and we lived on a little airport in the southern California town of Lake Elsinore for about 4 years and then we moved north to the town of Arroyo Grande on the California central coast. This is where my love affair with the ocean began. I was always a good swimmer and by the summer of my 17th birthday… I was a pretty good surfer.”

Ray Shasho: I didn’t realize how many surf bands were around in the early 60’s.
Merrell Fankhauser: “I started playing with my band The Impacts when I was 17, the term 'Instrumental Surf' hadn’t been coined at that time. We did a mixture of 50's style rock and instrumentals by The Fireballs, The Champs and Duane Eddy. We were all impressed when The Ventures came along with "Walk Don’t Run." I had been writing instrumentals and being a surfer gave the songs surfing titles. There were two bands on the central coast besides ours that did instrumentals, 'The Revels' (Church Key & 'Comanche' from the movie Pulp Fiction) and The Sentinals (“Latin‘ia”). Much later we heard of The Challengers and later Dick Dale from Southern California… and that was it! Then later when the term 'Instrumental Surf' was coined, bands started popping up all over California doing this exciting reverb driven instrumental style of music. We never heard of any East coast or Midwest surf bands, but later the Astronauts came from Colorado with their song “Baja.””

Ray Shasho: It seemed like it was very competitive, how were the best surf bands selected to get national attention? 
Merrell Fankhauser: “Getting signed to a record deal back then was all just luck, and who happened to hear you!”
Ray Shasho: What artists influenced you into picking up the guitar?

Merrell Fankhauser:“I was first influenced by my dad to start playing the guitar and he showed me my first chords. Then I heard The Kingston Trio, Carl Perkins and The Fireballs. I loved the Fireballs song “Torquay,” and that really got me going in an instrumental vein. I wrote my first vocal "Too Many Heartbreaks" in 1961 but it didn’t get recorded till 1964.”

Ray Shasho: Did the Beatles ruin that whole Surfing culture scene?
Merrell Fankhauser: “When The Beatles came along they not only knocked Instrumental Surf off the charts but also Folk, R&B, and the Motown stuff, it affected everybody. That’s when you saw a lot of U.S. groups adapting British styles and band names.” (FYI; Johnny Barbata drummer from The Sentinals went on to be the drummer in The Turtles with Marc Volman. Later, Johnny played with Jefferson Starship and then a short stint with Crosby Stills and Nash).”

Ray Shasho: It seems everyone I’ve interviewed who grew up in Southern California was obsessed with surfing. It really was a way of life wasn’t it?
Merrell Fankhauser: “Yes the surfer lifestyle was present everywhere, not just southern Calif. but all the way from San Francisco down the coast to Mexico. We used to laugh at guys living way out in the Desert driving around with surfboards on their cars, and they never went surfing as the ocean was 150 miles or more away!”

“The surfing scene was a special time when everyone was physically fit with tan bodies, and everybody wanted a California blonde surfer girl! It was a healthy lifestyle and drugs hadn’t really come into play, although some got into drinking a little too much beer. Surfing and drag racing was the thing to do!”

Ray Shasho: Talk about the true origin of “Wipeout.”

Merrell Fankhauser: “I was surfing at Pismo Beach one day… the waves were small and I was just sitting on my board day dreaming when a big wave was building behind me. It took me over the falls and mashed me into the sand pretty good. When I came up coughing and spitting out sand a guy on the beach was laughing and shouting "Ha Ha Ha… You sure got Wiped Out!" He made sure all the pretty girls lying on the beach heard him as he pointed at me! It was the summer of 1962 and I had written a song called “Kick Out” a year before and decided to change the title to “Wipe Out!””

“We recorded The Impacts "Wipe Out" album in September of 1962 and it came out on Del Fi Records in November of 62. Later the producer called us back in the studio in January of 1963 to re record my song “Wipe Out” for a 45 single. He changed the arrangement to have a drum solo every verse instead of the one solo our original had. Drummer, producer, and publisher Richard Delvy who went on to work with The Surfaris, was in our session and listened very carefully to all our recordings. The Surfaris also recorded one of our songs "Blue Surf," and somehow Delvy ended up owning the rights to “Wipe Out.” We never got a recording contract or any royalties till 1994 when Del Fi went back into business. Delvy ripped off The Surfaris when he sold two of their songs to Dot Records, then went in the studio with his band The Challengers and recorded the rest of the songs for the Surfaris album, and then passed them off as being played by The Surfaris!”

“This kinda stuff was rampant during the Surf music explosion, there were more sharks in the music business then there were in the sea!  Producers and publishers stole songs from young musicians and the records would come out with no songwriting credits! My “Wipe Out” version was copyrighted and listed in ASCAP by Anthony Music publishing in 1962 and released nearly 9 months before the Surfaris. Unfortunately our second version was never released as a single. My lead guitar part is very similar but buried in the mix, and our chord progression fit the Surfaris version like a blueprint! A coincidence...?”

Ray Shasho: The ‘Fapardokly’ album is awesome. “Mr. Clock” and “Tomorrow’s Girl” are my favorite tunes. What’s the origin of the title on that great LP?

Merrell Fankhauser: “In the later part of 1967, I moved from the high desert area of Lancaster, California where I'd been living for about 4 years and got a regular gig back in Pismo Beach at a club called ‘The Cove.’ It was in the height of the Psychedelic scene and I decided we needed a more 'far out' sounding band name. I dropped ‘Merrell And The Exiles,’ sat down with a pen, and took the first few letters of the last name of the current band members, FA- Fankhauser, PAR- Parrish, DO - Dodd, DKLY - Dick Lee, and came up with ‘Fapardokly!’”

Ray Shasho: Why didn’t Merrell And The Exiles get more commercial airplay?

Merrell Fankhauser: “Merrell And The Exiles where discovered at the beginning of 1964 by Glenn Records, a small label in the nearby desert town of Palmdale California. In our first session we recorded my very first original vocal song written back in 1961 called “Too Many Heartbreaks.” The flip side was a new song "Please Be Mine." Glenn Records had 50 or so radio contacts across the country and only one small distributor in L.A. With no budget for promotion, the singles would only get limited airplay and sell a few thousand copies and then disappear. We did a lot of recording in Glenn's dessert studio and five singles were released from 1964 to 67. There were enough songs on the shelf for two albums, and in late 1967 Glenn randomly took a dozen songs from different time periods and put out the 'Fapardokly album.”

“Little did we know that later the album would become one of the most sought after and valuable albums of the 60's with a sealed copy going for $1000! The album is now world famous. My 1967 song “Tomorrows Girl” from the album would go on to be featured in the 2010 Grammy nominated Rhino Records box set ‘Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965 - 1968.’ The rest of Merrell And The Exiles recordings later came out in the 90's on Vinyl and CD as Merrell And The Exiles "The Early Years, Wild In The Desert."

Ray Shasho: Do you think (3) different band startups in less than 10 years may have hurt your chances for establishing huge commercial success? 
Merrell Fankhauser: “I do think changing the names of each band hurt the chances for commercial success. You would put the entire PR into a band name and just as the band was making some smoke, key members would leave the group. Merrell And The Exiles had many changes in the lineup, several members going to Captain Beefhearts Magic Band. My friend Harry Nilsson gave me some advice to just use my name as the band name, that way if band members quit it didn’t matter and you didn’t lose the PR! When I signed with Uni / Shamley Records in 1968, I was surprised that the president of the company Russ Regan liked my last name 'Fankhauser' (Swiss origin) and even had bumper stickers made up saying “What is a Merrell Fankhauser?” with a phone number to call. I started using Merrell Fankhauser for my releases in the mid 70's after the breakup of my band "MU." I continue to use my name on my recordings and "Merrell Fankhauser And Friends" for my live band.”

Ray Shasho: Merrell, talk about playing music around the west coast psychedelic music scene?

Merrell Fankhauser: “I moved down to Hollywood in 1968 with my band who by then had changed names from "Fapardokly" to "H.M.S. Bounty," a suggestion from one of our producers at the time. We were friends with and played on the same bill with bands like ‘The Seeds,’ ‘Canned Heat,’ ‘C.T.A.’ and many others. I was living in the suburbs of L.A. in Woodland Hills and Captain Beefheart had also moved there from Lancaster. I would occasionally go over and jam with him and the band, which comprised two of my old Exiles members. We had a lot of fun playing at concerts in the L.A. area with wild psychedelic light shows. H.M.S. Bounty upstaged a well known band at San Fernando College and the audience insisted we go back on after the headline band quit! We rocked out on a Psychedelic jam for at least 30 minutes with the audience dancing and playing beats on metal folding chairs!”

Ray Shasho: Who were some other artists you collaborated with?
Merrell Fankhauser: “I became friends with drummer Ed Cassidy in 1990 when I was doing the satellite TV show ‘California Music.’ Cass and I hit it off right away and decided to do some gigs and recording together as Spirit wasn’t doing much at the time. We did several memorable live performances including one on the set of the movie 'Grumpy Old Men 2.’ Cass got a kick out of meeting Walter Matthau and jack Lemmon.”

Ray Shasho: Talk about the album, ‘On The Blue Road’ by The Fankhauser Cassidy Band.

Love the blues guitar licks and vocals on the recording.

Merrell Fankhauser: “The Fankhauser Cassidy band went into the studio in 1994 and our first album ‘On The Blue Road’ was released on D Town Records in 1995. It was a Blues Rock style and was even nominated for a Blues award. It got substantial airplay around the globe and good sales. It was later released as a double CD and record set with our second album as 'Further On Up The Road’ on the Comet / Akarma label from Italy. Cass is also playing on my song "Two Guys From The 60's" that will be released in June on a tribute CD set titled "Reach For The Sky" A Tribute to Sky Sunlight Saxon (lead singer from The Seeds) on Global Recording Artists San Francisco label.”

Ray Shasho: Merrell, are there recent collaborations, new releases, or upcoming concert tours you’d like to mention?
Merrell Fankhauser: “I’ve done 3 volumes of solo Instrumental Surf CD's titled "Rockin And Surfin" and I am now working on volume 4. I have a spacey instrumental CD coming out in June also on Gonzo Records titled "Area 51 Suite." And I'm just finishing up a solo album for my son titled, Sunny Tim Fankhauser "I’ve got The Right To Sing The Blues," Ed Cassidy plays on it and "The Revels" and my current band Merrell Fankhauser And Friends." Gonzo Multimedia just released Merrell Fankhauser "The Best Of" 2 CD set with songs from 1964 to now, and two volumes of my current TV show ‘Tiki Lounge’ on DVD with a bonus audio CD in each volume. I am currently putting together two more volumes of Tiki Lounge for DVD release. I’ve been doing the show for 11 years now and it airs 3 times a week on the entire California central coast and Hawaii. We have concerts scheduled thru the summer in California.”

Ray Shasho: Thank you very much Merrell for spending time with me today, and for all your musical innovations throughout the years.

Merrell Fankhauser: “Thanks Ray!”

Merrell Fankhauser official website www.merrellfankhauser.com

Purchase Merrell Fankhauser’s music at www.amazon.com/Merrell-Fankhauser/e/B000APYQO6

Purchase Merrell Fankhauser 'The Best Of' two-cd set: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15291/MERRELL_FANKHAUSER-The_Best_Of.html

Purchase Merrell Fankhauser 'Best Of Tiki Lounge' DVDs: www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15360

Special thanks to the great Billy James of Glass Onyon PR for this interview.

Official website http://glassonyonpublicity.wordpress.com/

Contact author/columnist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Download Ray’s exciting new memoir ‘Check the Gs’ The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business on Kindle or Nook at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com for only .99 cents!

Ray Shasho is open and honest in his depiction of his family and their business practices. He describes the closeness of family members and the dissension that ultimately led to the original family store being sold and transformed into one and then two stores. As the story progresses, Shasho offers firsthand accounts of the D.C. riots following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, the murder of John F. Kennedy, and meeting celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Chuck Norris, and Sugar Ray Leonard.  After seven years of running one of the businesses himself, Shasho closed the last family store and walked away with a full appreciation for what he had learned from the work: “Over the years, the business taught me to be many things—a salesman, an entrepreneur, a diplomat, an actor, and a clown. But more important, it taught me to be a man… (274). Check the Gs is a delightful, heartwarming portrayal of an American family that lived the dream in their own animated, humorous and bazaar way -Melissa Brown Levine for Independent Professional Book Reviewers.

© Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved 

Marty Ingels Interview: A Brooklyn wisecracker with hutzpah who became a TV Icon

By Ray Shasho

This is another “Classic Rock Meets Classic TV” segment:

... "I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king."

Marty Ingels longevity in show business may be depicted by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon’s unfeigned lyrics popularized by the "Chairman of the Board" Frank Sinatra.

The multi-talented Marty Ingels has contributed to the entertainment world in various manners.   Gumption, perseverance, and a chance encounter with legends Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard, landed the kid from Brooklyn a big break on television. And it was Marty Ingels recurring and animated performances as Sol Pomeroy, Rob Petrie’s loud-mouth Army buddy on The Dick Van Dyke Show that sparked a costarring opportunity with John Astin(Gomez -Addams Family) on the critically-acclaimed sitcom, ‘I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster.’ Unfortunately the sitcom, created by the legendary Leonard Stern (“The Honeymooners,” “Sergeant Bilko,” “The Steve Allen Show,” “Get Smart,” “McMillan and Wife.”) was cancelled after just one season and 32- episodes.

‘I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster’ 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD Set of the 1960s TV sitcom is available to purchase for the first time ever. ‘Volume One’ includes three -discs with the first 16- episodes and never-before-seen extras and collectable bonuses. The show is about two blue-collar carpenter buddies and their day-to-day antics. Marty Ingels played bachelor Arch Fenster, and John Astin portrayed Harry Dickens, a married man who sometimes relished Fenster’s bachelorism. Harry’s wife Kate Dickens was played by Emmaline Henry (Amanda Bellows of “I Dream of Jeannie.”)   

Marty Ingels has appeared in over 100 TV shows and feature films. Some of the classic TV shows he’s appeared on are, “The Addams Family,” “Bewitched,” “Adam-12,”  “Police Story,” “Chips,” “The Love Boat,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Baywatch,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and     “ CSI.” He’s also had a successful career performing voiceovers on various cartoon series including, “Motormouse and Autocat,” “The New Tom & Jerry Show,” “The Great Grape Ape Show,” and was the voice of “Pac-Man.”

Marty’s latest projects include, “Laid Off” and “A Strange Brand of Happy.”

Ingels married Academy Award winning actress and singer Shirley Jones in 1977. Jones appeared in classic musicals such as, “Oklahoma!” “Carousel” and “The Music Man.” She also became commonplace on television as Shirley Partridge, the widowed-mom of five children who then became a successful pop group.

Jones and Ingels wrote an autobiography based on their oddball relationship called, Shirley & Marty: “An Unlikely Love Story.”

Here’s my interview with comedian/ actor/ cartoon character/ voiceover artist/ theatrical agent/ Marty Ingels.

Ray Shasho: Marty, you’re one of those characters that I’ve always remembered from childhood and being from Brooklyn, you truly remind me of one of my Uncle’s from Bensonhurst.  

Marty Ingels: “Then go to your room!”

Ray Shasho: (Laughing!) How did you first get into show business?

Marty Ingels: “My first few months in Hollywood, no sign of work. But I had a sweet old agent who just loved me ... and was increasingly more embarrassed with the zero prospects he came up with. One day (as he tells it) he called a friend of his, who was then producing a daily show dramatizing recorded criminal trials. He said, “Randy, you gotta’ get me a gig for Marty … anything!” Randy said, Just happens our show next week is about a murder that happens in a traveling circus troupe … and there’s a part for a clown.” My agent said, “Say no more …when do you want to see Marty?”

The next day… I had my circus clown reading. Nobody told me that the part for the clown had been written for a Midget. Anyway, the audition room was packed with little people when I got there … and I stammered and stuttered when they asked me what part I was reading for. Well… I got the part and those nice little people were dumfounded by a peculiar statistic… once every six years, a good role comes up for a dwarf, and a 6 foot 1 inch Bozo gets it.” (Laughing)

Ray Shasho: What was your big break in television?

Marty Ingels: “Guesting on the Dick Van Dyke Show as his loud-mouth Army buddy. It was my first TV shot in LA. My other break came after crawling into Jerry Lewis' office at Paramount. I was aggressive!”

Ray Shasho: One of my favorite Dick Van Dyke episodes was 'Sol and the Sponsor.' How did you get that role on the Dick Van Dyke Show?

Marty Ingels: “1961-ish it's about 2:30 a.m., and I'm sitting with a weary date in the all-night Pancake House. I'm in my mid-20s and mostly jobless. Then I look up and see two couples entering the restaurant and being seated. The two couples are Carl Reiner, Sheldon Leonard and their wives. It's a miracle mirage… I can't believe it. I say to my date, “Do you know who those men are?”  She says, “Who?” And I said, "Only Hollywood’s entire sitcom industry in one place.”  

“I asked my date if she's got four dollars that she can lend me (I've got six dollars in my pocket). So, she gives the four dollars to me and I race to the kitchen and ask who handles their table. I tell the waitress, “Look… I'll give you ten dollars if you let me serve the dessert.” I could say… “the rest is history” but not quite yet.”

“The dessert came and I jumped in and raced over there with the pie and the Shortcake … then I turned it on … Gleason, Berle, Skelton… I did it all. The wives loved me, Carl and Sheldon crunched up their mouths’ and squinted their eyes.... they knew exactly what was happening, but it was Carl who saved everybody's day. He whipped out a business card and said, “I'll give you this if you please get us our real waitress.”

“And it still wasn’t the rest is history yet because God still had his move to make. The next day… when I called Reiner and made an appointment to see him, he could’ve vanished without a sound, but he didn’t. He made the appointment and when I got there, he was quick to tell me that they were introducing a new character the next week and they hadn't cast yet. It was for an old New York Jewish Army Buddy of Dick’s called Sol Pomeroy …and now the rest of that is history! When I watch it now… this pushy kid fresh from Brooklyn High School, balancing all that comic traffic and doing it so beautifully …my therapist would say… "It's about time you broke down and gave yourself some credit … I was good! Now I gotta’ take a Prozac.”

Ray Shasho: What was it like to work on the set with those hilarious characters, and under the great Carl Reiner?

Marty Ingels: “They’re all heroes of mine. Carl has an over-the-top presence. His genius for comedy of simple life was the magic ... and still is.”

Ray Shasho: Do you still keep tabs with anyone from the Dick Van Dyke Show?

Marty Ingels: “Dick’s a close friend … Carl too.”

Ray Shasho:  (Laughing) ‘I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster’ lasted one season / 32 episodes. When the show came out you had some pretty stiff competition, but I'm still surprised it was cancelled after only one season, especially being created by the legendary Leonard Stern. And I wasn't aware that the show launched the careers of so many great actors. (Harvey Korman, Lee Meriwether, Yvonne Craig, Jim Nabors, and Ellen Burstyn to name just a few)

Marty Ingels: “The show was an instant smash with the critics. They said it was a refreshing throw-back to the slapstick comedy era, even Stan Laurel was a fan. The show got cancelled by mistake before the ratings came out showing us beating our competition.”

Ray Shasho: Of course… your costar on that hilarious sitcom was John Astin. (He also played Gomez on ‘The Addams Family’) Do you still keep in contact with John?

Marty Ingels: “I’ve tried … John’s a college professor now. He’s a nice guy,  but I always overwhelmed him.”

Ray Shasho: You did a lot of voiceovers throughout your career, what was your favorite role?

Marty Ingels: “The voice of Pac-Man, which everybody thought would take over the world, but it didn’t …the Smurfs buried us. Voiceovers saved my carcass.”

Ray Shasho: Is there anything else you’d like to add Marty?

Marty Ingels: “Shirley and I administer Southern California’s only 911 Memorial Park, across Big Bear Lake in a little town called Fawnskin. It has a genuine piece of the Twin Towers in the center of the park in tribute to the thousands of sainted souls that left us. The park can only survive on outside donations. Go see it!”

Ray Shasho: Thank you so much for spending time with me today …Uncle Marty. (Laughing)

Marty Ingels: “You can come out of your room now.”

‘I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster’ 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD Set of 1960s TV sitcom is available to purchase at Amazon.com.

‘I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster’ official website www.imdickenshesfenster.com

Marty Ingels IMDb www.imdb.com/name/nm0408733/

Marty Ingels TV.com www.tv.com/people/marty-ingels/

Shirley Jones official website www.shirleyjones.com

Special thanks to the great Billy James of Glass Onyon PR for this interview.

Official website http://glassonyonpublicity.wordpress.com/

Contact columnist/author Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Download Ray’s exciting new memoir called “Check the Gs” The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business on Kindle and Nook for just .99 cents!

 

Ray, raised by a Cuban Catholic mother and a Syrian Jewish father was 100% street smart.  What impressed me most was when Ray was older, so did his style of writing change into a more mature written voice.  For example, his early years, the first third of Check the Gs, had observations as seen through a kid’s perspective.  I actually felt a kid was narrating the story in first person!  Yet as Ray matured, his storytelling had more to do with his meeting all sorts of people, falling in love, but still selling gadgets, and making a PR (profit). ~~Pacific Book Review

Order today at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com

© Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved

 

Henry McCullough divulges divine intervention while with Paul McCartney & Wings

By Ray Shasho

Guitarist/songwriter/vocalist/ Henry McCullough may not be a household name but has undeniably imprinted his roots in rock and roll folklore. McCullough’s first band of prominence was spearheaded by (Animals bassist/Hendrix manager) Chas Chandler. The band (Eire Apparent) toured with legendary performers such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move, and Pink Floyd.

McCullough joined the legendary Irish Folk group, Sweeney’s Men, before joining Joe Cocker’s Grease band. McCullough toured with Cocker as his lead guitarist. Joe Cocker and The Grease Band performed on day (3) of the Woodstock Festival, August 17th, 1969. The band’s electrifying performance of the Beatles, “With a Little Help from My Friends,” was considered one of the most memorable of the event.

McCullough also had a short stint with the progressive rock band Spooky Tooth.

Several members of The Grease Band were asked to play on an avant-garde concept album called, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ Henry McCullough and bandmate Neil Hubbard would play under the direction of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The album reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1971.

Also in 1971, Paul McCartney asked Henry McCullough to join his new band Wings as their lead guitarist. McCullough’s most significant contribution to McCartney’s Wings was his awe-inspiring solo on, “My Love.” According to McCullough, his guitar lick may have been induced by a divine nature. McCullough also played on, “Hi, Hi, Hi” which got tremendous airplay over Top 40 radio in America and peaked at #10 on the charts. The upbeat tune was loaded with sexual innuendos and banned by the BBC. McCullough also played on the James Bond theme song, “Live and Let Die” penned by McCartney, and charting at #2 on Billboard Top 100. The song was recorded during the ‘Red Rose Speedway’ sessions.

During a Wings recording session at Abbey Road studios, McCullough was asked to contribute a simple spoken sentence for another session in progress next door. The band was Pink Floyd and the recording was for the ‘Dark Side of the Moon album.’ McCullough’s notorious line, “I don't know; I was really drunk at the time” found its way on the “Money” track. ‘Dark Side of the Moon,’ became one of the most successful selling albums in history, and is considered one of the greatest rock albums of all-time.

Some of the incredible artists that McCullough has worked with over the years include… Eric Burdon, Roy Harper, Donovan, Ronnie Lane, Frankie Miller, Marianne Faithful, and The Who.

McCullough most recently reunited with former Wings bandmate and drummer Denny Seiwell, and performed at the ‘Fest for Beatles Fans’ in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Henry McCullough’s latest release, “Poor Man’s Moon” is an amazing dose of British-blues, rock, folk, and country, played by one of the very best guitarist in the business.

Here’s my recent chat with the enduring and incredible Henry McCullough.

Ray Shasho: Thank you so much Henry for spending time with me today. You’ve performed on countless recordings throughout the years with so many legendary artists. Have you collaborated with fellow countrymen Van Morrison or the late great Rory Gallagher? 

Henry McCullough: “I met Rory many years ago, he also played in showbands in Ireland, but I never had the pleasure of playing with Rory, I did speak to his brother(manager) about Rory coming over to produce my ‘Unfinished Business’ CD, but he wasn't well enough so that was that, RIP Rory Gallagher. I've not had the pleasure of playing with Van Morrison either, though our paths did cross a few times over the years.”

Ray Shasho: The greatest cover of The Beatles, “I Am The Walrus” has to be Spooky Tooth’s Prog Rock/ Psychedelic version on, ‘The Last Puff’ album. Was the band actually in the studio together or was it recorded in succession?

Henry  McCullough: “From what I can remember, all of Spooky Tooth were in the Studio together, and my guitar part was overdubbed, I only had a minor part to play on ‘The Last Puff.’”

Ray Shasho: Do you know if The Beatles listened to the Tooth’s version of, “I Am The Walrus?”

Henry McCullough: “I really don't know if any of the Beatles heard this particular track on ‘The Last Puff,’ I doubt it, if any of The Beatles were to listen to every cover of Beatles songs; they would be listening for a very long time.”

Ray Shasho: Some of the most memorable Woodstock concert moments caught on film were Alvin Lee and Ten Years After’s “I’m Going Home,” Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice,” Joe Cocker and The Grease Band’s “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and Ritchie Havens “Freedom.” I’ve chatted with Gregg Rolie (Santana) about his Woodstock experience, what was Henry McCullough’s flashback to Woodstock?

Henry McCullough: “What a day that was, we were air lifted by helicopter, did the gig, and airlifted out. Impossible to try and explain to anyone what seed was planted at Woodstock that day, it changed a lot of people, it wasn't until in later years, looking back, that one realized,  "what a moment in rock n roll history."  I must say that Joe Cocker and The Grease Band were at top form and it did wonders for Joe. It was a great performance by Joe and the band. That was some gig, yes sir…. that was some gig.”

Ray Shasho: Santana’s Gregg Rolie hung around to watch one of his favorite performers, Sly Stone. Did you hang around to watch the other performers?

Henry McCullough: “We did not hang around too long after the gig at Woodstock, it was back to the hotel, a "last Puff" and away we went the following morning, to where, I can't remember.”

Ray Shasho: Have you ever jammed with Jimi Hendrix?

Henry McCullough: “Yes I did jam with the great Jimi Hendrix. We (Eire Apparent) had the same managers, and he produced the first single, and the first L.P. which I didn't play on. I was sacked for enjoying the fruits of America. Steve Paul had the Scene Club in New York and the "Eire Apparent" had a week’s residency. Jimi arrived with Buddy Miles and that was a jam and a half … jeez, I've just realized how long ago it all was.” 

Ray Shasho: ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ was an incredible album. How were you and Neil Hubbard selected to play on the album? Also describe the production process.

Henry McCullough: “It was The Grease Band that played on all the tracks. Together we were doing a lot of sessions in and around London; Joe had gone to do his thing with Leon Russell in the U.S., Mad Dogs & Englishmen. We needed another guitar player to work live gigs with The Grease Band and that’s where Neil Hubbard came into the picture … a great guitarist.

“We would start the day with Andrew Lloyd Webber showing us the chord sheets etc. etc. and away we went. Particular bits that had a short riff for guitar … I learned on piano before we would start the session. When all the backing tracks were finished, that was it for us, then they brought in the singers etc, I never played with Ian Gillian, nor did I get to meet him or any of the singers involved.”

Ray Shasho: You played on; “My Love” WINGS first number 1 hit in America. Was that beautiful guitar solo your own creation?

Henry McCullough:  The solo on "My Love" was done at Air studios, George Martin’s studio.

Yes that's me playing the solo, and was done in one take. I mentioned to Paul that I wanted to change whatever was suggested. The conversation between Paul and I went like this ..."what are you gonna’ play?" -  "I don't know" - " You don't know what you’re gonna’ play?" -"No."

“Now, there's Paul, George Martin etc. in the control room, a 50 piece orchestra waiting on me in the studio, (they were recording both the orchestra and guitar solo at the same time) so, in I went and plugged in the Gold Top, took a deep breath, and when I exhaled it was all over, a bit like going to the dentist. It was a one take wonder, a gift from God? I don't know… somebody/something happened, everybody saw it/felt it, ask Sir Paul and I think you would get a similar answer.”

Ray Shasho: I witnessed WINGS first American tour in 1976. Do you have any regrets about leaving the band before their first worldwide tour?

Henry McCullough:  “Of course, but I can't dwell on the past. I walked out just prior to going to Lagos, an awful time to walk away, not the thing to do and it is the only thing I regret. But sure, look where it got him, and I’m a happy man.”

Ray Shasho: I’m guessing no one had a clue how famous your line …"I don't know; I was really drunk at the time" would become after it was recorded at the end of “Money” on the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ album?  

Henry McCullough: “I honestly can't remember what the question was that brought that reply, and I’ve not seen any of the Floyd since that day in Abbey Road.”

Ray Shasho: “Skin and Bone” from your latest release, ‘Poor Man’s Moon’ is a really cool tune …awesome country and blues guitar licks. Were you influenced by American country and blues artists?

Henry McCullough: “Yes, country, blues, all of that stuff. Hank Williams, John Lee Hooker, Snooks Eaglin, bluegrass …. You know what I mean.”

Ray Shasho: Nashville has so many incredible players and is a main hub for recording music in the U.S. these days. Do you spend any time in Nashville?   

Henry McCullough: “I never got to hang around Nashville; I made it to the Country Music Hall of Fame and met Conway Twitty … that was nice.”

Ray Shasho: Love your cover tune of, “A Mess of Blues.” Did you ever get an opportunity to meet with Elvis or Scotty Moore?

Henry McCullough:  “Never met Elvis or Scotty Moore, oh well, but I did hear them like all the rest of the world and that was good enough for me.”

Ray Shasho:What’s the origin behind your song, “Failed Christian?”

Henry McCullough: ““Failed Christian,” an outsider looking in, Spirit in music, there's a prayer in a song.”

Ray Shasho: Henry, what are your latest endeavors?

Henry McCullough: “Off to ‘The Beatles Fest’ in New Jersey, the Iridium in N.Y.C., France and Poland in April, and Norway in the summer. I just do what I've always done, play music, travel and to keep on looking for which I know is out there. It's not ever-present … you gotta’ look for it before you get paid.”

Ray Shasho: Thank you very much Henry, it’s been a real pleasure, you’re a truly gifted guitar player and songwriter! Thanks for all the great music throughout the years.

Henry McCullough: “Thanks Ray!”

Order Henry McCullough’s latest CD ‘Poor Man’s Moon’ at Amazon.com

Henry McCullough official website www.henrymccullough.com

Special Thanks to Anne Leighton of Leighton Media for this interview

Official website www.anneleighton.com   

Leighton Music Services http://leightonmusicservices.blogspot.com/

Contact Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Download author/columnist Ray Shasho’s exciting new memoir ‘Check the Gs’ The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business on Kindle at Amazon.com or on Nook at barnesandnoble.com for only .99 cents!

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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