Our Fearless Leader has been known to encourage my love of champagne and taste for a Bloody Caesar..neither of which I normally drink, as they go right to my head. Next thing you know, I’m earnestly telling some hapless artist that I’d be delighted to pose nude, just as soon as I lose twenty pounds and reverse twenty years of living.
We’re deep into it now, we Canadians, the meat and potatoes of winter. There’s snow everywhere, the winds are howling, and you risk frostbite every time you peep outside the door to see if the stalactites hanging from the eaves have killed the postman yet. Or if the sidewalk ice got to him first.
So, what project in your life has taken you the longest to complete? Has anything you’ve really wanted to do ever taken you 18 years? Most likely not, but that’s how long it took director Denny Tedesco to complete his documentary on a small group of musicians in Los Angeles who, from the late 1950’s through to the 1970’s, supplied the rhythm section (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, saxophone) for hundreds, if not thousands of hit records.
This column is the first of what hopefully, will become more of a regular one on DBAWIS by yours truly. My intention (and we all know what happens to intentions, especially good ones) is to take a closer look at some of the hit records and hit makers from the rock era using some of my interview archives.
John Lennon said it best in one of my all time favourite songs of his: “So this is Christmas and what have you done. Another year over, a new one just begun.” I do so wish that Lennon was still here to continue with his amazing talent. But some self-centered asshole with a hand gun and a diseased brain (or a mind-controlled one, for all of you conspiracy buffs) silenced that legendary voice forever 33 years ago.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 