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Post by voodoo on Mar 18, 2015 2:38:59 GMT -5
YUP hard to believe a kid who,never took lessons, grew up on the streets in an orphanage could have his dream come true with friends like a the RAMONES n THE New York Dolls, IGGY POP Loe Reed, Alice Cooper, Willy DEVILLE.
In the late 70s people were sick of over produced music,like ELP ELO n many others,
A seedy bar in the Bowery which is known as Skid Row n sold 5 cent glasses of PABST BLUE RIBBON BEER
A OLD HIPPIE who loved all kinds of ,music HILLY CRYSTAL decided to open his club CBGBS a to the local musicians, we hated DISCO, Studio 54 n got the name PUNK from how we dressed ...like BRANDO dressed in THE WILDE ONE...$jeans, t shirts, long hair n converse sneakers of MC boots
Our music was RAW as it was for such songs as MY GENERATION , 96 Tears, RUMBLE, Pipeline , BOOM BOOM communication Breakdown ...and so many other great hits But Hilly liked it all CBGBS a stands for COUNTRY, BLUE GRASSN BLUES.... Hilly just wanted those who had no place to go as once YA hit the Bowery U have hot the bottom
Hilly n I were Introduced through JOHNNY Thunders, N David JOHANSEN. we never had to play a MONDAY a for open mic night n then Work months of Wednesday's n Thursdays, instead we got signed to jungle records who,soggy was with at the time, n thanks to IGGY N JOHN Y who also was on jungle Records got us a gig opening a 6 month European tour with JOHNNY THUNDERS N IGGY N THE RAMONES n The Pretenders... I Got to,play with THE CRAMPS LA GUNS, GUN CLUB as they took were a JUNGLE Product
So I still remember the night Patti Smith had signed to Arista n we were signed to Jungle Records for three LPs n 4 Eps with a guarantee of $15o K a year plus a percentage of the door n a cut of the swag sold while in tour, We partied all night n soon Arista was knocking in my door.
I know the BIZ is nothing like that any more but I FInd it very hard to Understand how a ,musician makes money today, Back then It was record sales that made the money n payola from radio stations, where today the best thing to do is GIVE THE ALBUM AWAY n make your money on the tour n swag !!! Like U-2 did !!!!!!
I,would just like to,say that what was once a dream with 5 kids playing Jumpin Jack Flash in a basement to opening for THE RAMONES N PRETENDERS In Front of 15 THOUAnd people
I have the pro sized 1 Inch VHC tape to be converted to DVD soon
I thought the dream was I over when I'm met Lou Reed n IGGY Pop.... But it had just started
Yet the entire 4o years was NOT all success !!!!!! IT IS A JOB a
you have to believe In Yourself believe in yourself n everytime someone tells u that YOu can't do that U DO IT n DO it so it hit the news !!!!
I was once very depressed my career is OVer, but all.GOOD things must end
I was soon very lucky to be in the IN CROWD not have to pay to get I to the clubs with 300 people hanging outside I 20 degree temps waiting to pay $75.00 just to get in.....
It was a great ride n left me well off, I owe nobody a dime, own ,y house n am set $$$ wise till death But even though my name may. NEver grace another album.....I am VERY a PROUD of what we accomplished !!!!!! I put out 8 LP with my band n played on FIVE as a guest guitarist
I have my,albums, a tv shows even my Iterview so on Dick Cavett m Merv a Griffin in the model of talking with Dick Cavett I realized Janis, n JIMI n JIm Morrison all sat here.......
so HAPPY ANNNIVERSARY to me, zi got my last royalty check in January for $4.43
SO as long as the checks come j. Somebody knows I'm still alive
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM! BE a pro everytime YA play
U never know whose in the audience,, if ya have no dreams what's the use of working or putting yourself fully Into a project.......being a musician is a bit of a gift from God so DO NOT waste your talent n be the best U CAN BE
Heres to the next 40 years, I rad that about The Ramoness on yea boom ews today.a.a kind of odd
.I doubt I'll,be in the HOF But left ,my mark and that's all any of,U.S. can ask for the memories zi was given n the dream I always wanted
Voodoo
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Post by JamesP on Mar 18, 2015 2:51:05 GMT -5
Nice coincidence James. On this date, the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll HOF.
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Post by jmuscara on Mar 18, 2015 6:35:16 GMT -5
That's great, James. What a story. Glad you joined and can tell it.
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Post by celeste on Mar 28, 2015 19:24:13 GMT -5
I would love for you to post some of your music links as well as some of your old pictures!
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Post by voodoo on Mar 30, 2015 5:47:20 GMT -5
Thank you each one n all for the congrats n kind words. Ya know when I got that first guitar at age 5 the black guy who had a smallcorner store was a BLUESMAN that lost hid right hand in Korea
He taught me that the blues though predominentially BLACK like dope sees no color.
The blues is not a Genre of music, it's a Genre of LIFE, It allowed me that deal with no family and it became my pillow, best friend, therapist......
But what he taught me was that THE BLUES WAS REAL n it was that that gave me my signature " I play the blues for it is my life put to lyric n music"
Ta the one I entered music with the decision to,do it professionally I had just got home from NAMN n JOHNNY thunders got me a gig as his n Sylvains guitar tech But being a tech and stand in when soomeone was to high or,drunk wasn't enough.
i started putting together my first band,JOHNNY JD left THE DOLLS N was playing with IGGY POP n. Meeting him and being johns formed doors opened that never would have. getting inTHE iMCROWD almost killed me but is prt of the sues U pay....
but ,inlay what I want people to know is I ws NO PRODIGY STILLL AINT!!! But what I was...was driven no a survivor, before there ws success tere were ok Ty of peanut butter n jelly sandwiches n $60.00 a month apartments,
But when it happened it was what i hope HEAVEN is.....If u love ,usic, U love telling your stories, pick a style, be professional no play very gig wether there is ONE person or ONE THOUSAND, YA never know when a talent scout I there.
The best advice I can give is if any member of your band does not see himself doijg this for. Lifetime theN FIRE HIM........this is a selfish lifestyle and for every band that makes it 100,000 DO NOT Dress professionally, sing bout LIFE but hold back on the political stuff and anger, give them what they wNt till they give U what u want.....
I recently was asked to do,a gig April 8 with Kenny Wayne shepherd,,,,,, Not being 100 percent Im gonna let him do him thing n as the one end I'll jump,in n how ,my goods playing slide....I know one day without knowing it will be,my last show
But YA know what...THTAs ok.....the memories, the VHS tapes but t one thing that stood out ws when I did an interview with Dick Cavett n while,sitting there remembers I am sitting inTHE same,chair HENDRIX,JOPLIN! MORRISON, LENNON
I guess what iM saying is though music left me financially good for life ....the truth is IMwould,have played for dinner n. Cot,,,,I just loved performing
being ST JAMES on stage allowed my alter ego to one out ,,release his anger , talk of what broke my heart ......
Its a wonderful thing to have others calling U back for n encours.... But if a think this is. Party job n it,s all chics, drug, parties man R u wrong,
Dope makes your performance sloppy n. now record companies test for drugs and alcohol numbers.....before they brought your dope,overseas n to gigs today if your using....soon you lol,be getting read that FINe print that allows them to VOID YOUR Contract
somdo that s for the love of. Music..... There R plenty of perk but also pitfalls
Go out m get em...who knows maybe U r in the next U-2.... Last band that seemed to last at least for over 19 LPs. Now U r lucky if YA get ONE
Give it your best, enjoy every SECOND as as quickly s it started it can end,
James
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Post by voodoo on Apr 27, 2015 18:16:54 GMT -5
thanks man..... Just trying to tell about the parts that r NOt so pretty so if ya do it for he music success will not b measure in $$$$$ or record sales but in how happy u felt telling your stories n maybe connecting with someone Remember we All did this cause it made us feel good... If ya do it for YOU the. U will be a success James
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Post by voodoo on Apr 27, 2015 19:27:22 GMT -5
I want to thank all of u for your replies, input. I want u to know NOT everyone goes about something the same way and I,ll agree I had help from well known people in music and who had made a name for themselves thus making my break in a bit easier. But don't doubt I had my 5 people gigs n nights where we played for the door and left OWEING money for our bar bill. I just wanted to tell my story so those questioning if there dream will come true, to re-thi k WHAT Was the dream..??.. The dream of most is to be on a stage and making the people happy, for me it was going onstage to get out what Imcould NO longer choke down The pain of life as. Namn vet, orphan, addict, but a survivor.... It was those survival skills that maybe kept me focused on that Brass ring. I never cared about being famous, I just wanted to make enough money to live n b happy. The dream came true, but like most of what we dream of.......went like the saying B careful what ya wish for you may get it.. NOBODY ever said I wanna have an addiction, but it ....kind of goes with the territory. Like LIL Walter once I got a taste...well between it. And the drug all my pain was gone. I had to be straight to think straight to remember he horror of war, life alone, n the possibility of being another stastic. SO take your dream as far as u want....it sucks when it ends by I'll say it is easier when it is u who decides when it ends .... It really ended for me when I heard Johhny had died.... I had no real friends to trust anymore n with CRACK coming out even the neighborhood I lived in became a battle ground n u took your life in your hands every time ya went outside. I was lucky n got out just in time, I only wish my friends who are gone had done the same. SO though I regret nothing I did and I had the time of my life, I guess Success itself had become a drug Ina city of million to stand out was a drug, to see your name in lights was a drug to have people ask for your pic or autograph was a drug and MOSTLY to have drug myself out of the street and survived through every possible fault and pitfall was amazing. But I can Not take credit, I owe it to Johnny, Dee Dee Miguel Pinero, and so many who kept telling me to get you F? OUT of the game..... Then it was with the help,of many older blues men n rockers who helped me get straight, but mostly it was something THAT TUNEED ME INSIDE OUT THE TEUE LOVE of a woman who did not care who I was how much cash I had, she loved me.... N that was the BEST ENDING to my dream..... So some of u may have that woman, some may have made it 3/4 of the way to musical success, but in the end Our success is NOT measured in MONEY, ALBUMS or who ya knew, but how I'm remembered n how I treat n train my students, family n friends.... James BTW. I have a friend putting my appearances on MTV n other shows, singles that he has n songs off cassettes I have from practices n two of my albums a friend has and we elect to put them up soon...... I hope it shows the side of me.... As an musician dedicated to his music,...all the rest is CRAP n does NOT matter...... Cheers.....
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Post by bscott on Apr 28, 2015 18:17:08 GMT -5
James, sign me up foe ALL your stuff!
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Post by voodoo on Apr 29, 2015 18:21:59 GMT -5
The thing for me was, my pain was NEVER all gone no matter what the flavor of the day was. I got some distance for a time here and there. Along with the perceived safety using afforded, I could not learn anything musical. Not in any depth. So my real work began at age 35 or so after a few years sober and clean. This was when I began to actually learn some stuff. So I was a late starter. And even then it took me a long time to really begin to do decent musicianship-wise. The past 20 years or so have been my crucial time to become and to do. Last birthday saw me turn 60. At this point, success must be measured differently. I have much less ambition than a younger man, but what I have instead is vision and a clam focus toward what I see as success. For me at this point, getting to play what is inside, write, work up, and get our material recorded, copyrighted, and made into cd's, and passing the word around that way- and in person as we get closer to full time travel- this to me is success. Doing what we want and having some great times. Playing the smaller joints, making connections here and there, and just DOING THIS THING. We just played 3 gigs in 8 days, it was our sort of debut for this season. Two were out of town, but we left the camper home. Lesson learned. From now on, no motels. That's another story. The big week from 4/11 through 4/18 was quite and effort, getting sets together, doing the travel, playing the gigs, and getting ourselves home and back in the daily grind. Other than one date in September, right now we have nothing on the calendar now but we're about to get going on some street/farmers market busking with the good weather. We also are trying to figure out how we will release this next cd when it's all done in a few weeks. My new job will keep me busy during the week so we're going to be cautious about booking. Even a Friday gig will need to be local. James, keep us linked as far as videos. You and I have different experiences and different views of the scene but we are kindred spirits just the same! I understand what ya mean when ya say u were frozen...without being totally medicated doings sings about the horror of war, the worries of life itself n the weird part is ALMOST hoping the next shot would be my last. The only way I could revisit all of the worst from childhood to even today is a TRIP I PREFER NOT TO TAKE, but was it the content of the lyrics that many became attracted to??? Thats when I was taught by a close friend who knows how to control an audience, I must create a character to allow me to stay Ina safe place while ST JAMES went were I could Not. A few times I did breakdown when singing a song called Ghost Rider, a song about my BEST FRIENDS SUICIDE/ MURDER, but the one that always got me was PRODUCT OF WAR....The last chorus is very bluesy, slow, n almost makes u pay attention. we used video from TV behind the drummer of scenes from Namn.... That in itself would grab your attention but it was the words AND WHEN IT WAS OVER U SENT ME HOME WITH A MEDAL N SAID HAVE A GOOD LIFE, BUT MAN I,M SO SCAREED I CANT SLEEP AT NIGHT..... THIS LINEWAS REPEATED THEEE TIMES N FADED AS THE MOST HORIFIC PICTURES FLASHED BEHIND U WITH THE SONG ENDING WITH ME WALKING OFF WITH AN AMERICAN FLAG OVER MY SHOULDERS N SADLY REAL TEARS BEHIND THE BLACK GLASSES. U said u have. Lot of open space on your calendar, well there r a few blues festivals 2-4 days in NYC,NY STATE, PENNSYLVANIA..., OHIO, MARYLAND, THE CITY OF PHILLY..... HAVE MANY FEATIVALS, EACH. With a Headliner but to get a spot all it takes is a CD and a request. U see these festivals have several stages, n different types of attendees There,s always a FEW groups doing an acoustic thing, but to watch n hear the different styles is what makes em all GREAT !!! U can come up in your camper n sleep in the campground.....the September gig The bands stay in Cabins... It's a very nice feeling, there is NO status where the musician,s feel above the people.... Everybody mingles n has a ball, n it is these 6 or so festivals I go to and enjoy more than a huge gig Ya get to join other bands on stage, play with some Great harp,player like Bob Corritore and others from this area like Steve grey. If ya want I can get ya info on these shows... Also the NASCAR RACES at POCONO, WATKINS GLEN,NEW HAMPSHIRE ALL HAVE BANDS THAT BORDER ON APPALACHIAN BLUES/COUNTRY BUT TO GET IN IS NOT THAT HARD i would be happy to enquire on how u n Jolene could play....also once up here there,s always a summer special show in one of the Ny boroughs...... Its a great way to tour, have fun, meet people n just do your thing.... We may play different styles h took different path,s but I agree we both get our drive from that same spirits..... James Brian,,,,, once I get what will amount to a 3 hour DVD containing shots of interviews, in the studio with my band n playing with others, bits of interviews etx.... Since this era was still the Beta max era some of it is BAD but hopefully with today's technology we,ll be able to clean it up, where we have no video, songs will play with pictures from magazines, promo folders, n fans pics....8 hope it will turn out well james
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