(part 46) ALL ALONE / THE MONKEES / WHAT NEXT?

The next record I made in 1966 was "All Alone/Your Sweet Lovin" on Current Records. The company was run and partially owned by one Mike Goldberg. After my Penthouse Records experience I went outside of Randy Wood's reach and signed a 1 record deal with Current Records. I was given label credit for arranging, writer, and artist. It was a good record.

I cut that record in a couple of hours one afternoon but don't remember everybody's name who played on it. I am sorry for that, because they all did a hell of a good job. J. Fisher is listed as producer and I have vague memories of who that is. He also played guitar as I recall, and possibly did the harmonica parts.

After the record was cut nothing was done with it. There it was and that was it. Same old shit. I went to Goldberg's office and asked him why nothing was being done with the record? He told me all the reactions by L.A. radio were negative and there wasn't much he could do about it.

I'd signed a contract that was going to tie me up for a minimum of 1 year and there was nothing he could do about it? I told him that was no good for me and asked him to release me from the contract which he said he could not do. I recall getting mad at him almost immediately because this was just one more bullshit hangup in a long list of hangups where my life and career were involved.

Goldberg finally said he'd let me out of the contract if I paid him for the cost of the session. Great! I was broke, as usual, and this guy wants me to pay for my own session to let me out of a contract that he's using to hang me up? He wouldn't work the record, so it's dead, and I gotta pay him to get out? Man was I was pissed off.

This guy had sweet talked me with promises into signing the goddamn contract in the first place and now wanted money to let me out of it because he wasn't doing his job promoting the record. It wasn't that it was a lot of money $500 or $600, but for me that was a lot. Fortunately at the time, I'd met another women named Carol Paulus, who I still know to this day, and she gave me the money to get out of that contract.

The record says Lightswitch Music is the publisher, but I will challenge that on similar grounds to those involving Penthouse Records and claims by other publishers. Record labels and publishers are bound, at least minimally, to do something more than record a song, claim the publishing, and sit on it. A contract is between the various parties involved, and each party has some sort of obligation to perform some duty to make the contract binding.

I upheld my obligations by writing and recording the songs so I challenge Current Records and Lightswitch Music on the basis of purposeful and knowing nonperformance. I would like to see the contract again, because my belief is it would be found to be insufficient as a legal document. Therefore I do claim all rights to my songs "All Alone" and "Your Sweet Lovin" and my recorded performances of those 2 songs.

That is 4 singles in a row that I wrote and recorded for 3 different companies in a matter of months. In each case I was promised something which I never received. I was led to believe by each of those companies who signed me, that they had made a good faith promise to do the best job possible with each record.

This by no means was the case with any of those recordings I made in 1966. In each of the circumstances the record was recorded by me, using my songs, and then abandon to a scrap heap by those who held the power and purse strings. The records were basically shelved by those labels and their executives, while at the same time their publishing arm claimed the rights to my songs. It is because of this practice that I feel each of these agreements must be challenged at this time.

Back at Mira Records Phill Turetsky had been watching this absurdity unfold for months. He finally got me away from everyone and told me he wanted to get me something more legitimate than what he had witnessed from his vantage point ay Mira. I was surprised by this and welcomed Phil's involvement in my life, knowing he was Johnny River's business manager and was capable of accomplishing something more concrete.

The first thing Phil did was tell me about a new TV show being planned called "The Monkees." Turetsky said they were casting for the show and believed I had a real shot at it. I was completely overwhelmed by this news and told him I was very interested. He told me Burt Schneider and Bob Raphelson, at Columbia, had based their idea for "The Monkees" on "The Beatle's" movie "A Hard Days Night." On hearing that you know how excited I must have been about doing it.

A meeting was set up and I was scheduled to meet with the producers at Columbia. It seemed to me at the time, that Phil Turetsky had intervened, for whatever purpose, in the black comedy he'd watched over at Mira concerning the career of Bobby Jameson. I guess he thought he could do a better job than what he'd seen Randy Wood, Ken Handler, or Mike Goldberg do.

When I arrived at Columbia Studios, on Gower St. in Hollywood I was ushered in without trouble. That in itself was different from what I'd gotten used to. I met with Raphelson and Schneider right off the bat and then David Jones, who had already been chosen as the first "Monkee." They were extremely nice and very excited about meeting me. It was a positive experience. I asked if the show was really going to be as hip as "A Hard Days Night" and was assured it would be that hip. But from the very beginning I kind of got the feeling that it was going to be exactly the way it turned out, kind of lame.

(part 45) OLD DOGS LIKE ME

Me in 2007

No comment! Excellent! Either my last post was completely uninteresting or I said something of an unacceptable nature. It doesn't matter which. I'm not trying to win a popularity contest. I'm trying to tell a story. I'm not trying to win you over or get you to agree with me.

It occurs to me at times as I remember all this, that I spent the last 40 some years mostly blaming myself for everything that happened to me in the 60's. What I am learning as I go, is a lot of what transpired had nothing to do with me screwing up. Don't get me wrong. I do a whole lot to screw me up later.

My point here is, I always came up with the goods. I had the songs and I recorded them. How that was dealt with by record labels, music publishers, producers, and managers, was pretty much out of my hands. I was 19 and 20 years old at the time most of this took place. I had no power or control over anything except writing and singing the songs.

From 1964 through 1966 I wrote and/or recorded 7 or 8 singles and 2 albums. I'm So Lonely/I Wanna Love You, Okey Fanokey Baby/Meadow Green, All I Want Is My Baby/Each And Every Day, Rum Pum Mum Num/I Wanna Know, Please Mr. Mailman/I Wanna Know, the album Chris Lucey Songs Of Protest And Anti Protest, Vietnam/Metropolitan Man, Reconsider Baby/Low Down Funky Blues, Gotta Find My Roogalator/Low Down Funky Blues, All Alone/Your Sweet Lovin, and the album Jameson Color Him In. For all that I received $250 and a $650 BSA motorcycle. Both albums and 4 of the singles were written and recorded in less than a year's period. From the end of 1965 to the end of 1966.

Although I was using drugs and drinking neither of them had done what they later did to me, which was to completely and utterly destroy my life. From 1964 through 1966 I always showed up and did my work. What was done with that work was not under my control.

What is becoming clearer to me as I write is the basis for my later complete freak-out which started years earlier. That is what I'm relating in these pages. The growing frustration that occurred over a number of years culminating into a very different person than the one who started out writing songs and singing for the fun of it.

If you think I'm attempting to heap blame on others you're Goddamn right. As much as possible. But if you think I'm not willing to heap blame on myself as well you're wrong. I, in the long run will eat, by experience, every single disaster that is the history of Bobby Jameson/Chris Lucey. I have not escaped any of the blame and/or criticism that goes with being me. I have lived through all of this, and still do, for over 4 decades now.

You cannot know, other than me relating it to you, what it has been like, and what it is like to this day. I have nothing to show for my work other than the work itself. I live in poverty. I am not saying that for effect. I live, and have lived in poverty for a very long time. I have this computer, my first, because a bootleg record company (Fallout) sent me a $1,000 when they illegally released "Color Him In" about a year ago. Thank God they did. They are the only ones who have. I bought this computer with that money.

I sit at this keyboard breaking my ass and my head, learning how to use it, and trying to recall and articulate the facts as best I can. I am not interested in anything other than putting the facts forward, for the first time, about my side of my story. I have been asked what I expect to achieve or gain from doing this and I have answered. Nothing! Nothing at all, except to know in my own mind, that Bobby Jameson's version of Bobby Jameson's past history has finally been put somewhere.

A small bit of attention may be given to this story. A story that has been taken so far out of context that I could no longer sit by and accept what others have said about me. That is the world I live in. I am sure that I will never gain anything from what I have done or do here. Getting blamed for all that went on is now, unfortunately, second nature to me. Maybe you think that's why things go wrong in my life, because I expect them to. I accept that criticism. But old dogs like me find it hard to trust humans, because it is humans who cheat and beat on old dogs like me. I'm not interested in a better philosophy. I am interested in better people.



Metropolitan Man as performed by Bobby Jameson in "Mondo Hollywood"

(part 44) MATTEL TOYS, KEN HANDLER, AND MY RIGHTS

So once again I did the right thing and the wrong thing happened. It was getting to be a world of backwards reality with me. It wasn't like I was screwing up back in 1966. I did my work but the outcome always seemed to depend on somebody else's agenda. Ever since Tony Alamo everything I did came out like this.

I didn't care that Ken Handler was gay. Hell I'd been around plenty of gay people, it was just a fact of life. The problem was, Ken Handler had all the power because he was rich and the son of the Mattel Toys family. He didn't have a damn thing to worry about. He was covered no matter what he did. I on the other hand was 20 years old and trying to do something with my life to get it off the ground.

I'd been misled by Handler, and didn't find out about it until the last minute. He forced me to choose between giving him what he wanted to get what I wanted, or to give up what I wanted, because I was unwilling to give him what he wanted. To him I was little more than a piece of ass as it turned out, but to me it was my whole world at that particular point. It wouldn't have mattered if it were a man and a girl or a women and a boy. Whatever configuration you come up with, it was a chicken-shit thing to do to anybody, and that anybody was me.

I brought all the gear Ken had bought me back to Penthouse Records at Mira's offices. His attitude was someone who put himself above everyone else, though I had not seen that part of him until I returned the equipment. He barely took time to acknowledge my presence as I recall, but asked the whereabouts of the motorcycle? "I'm not giving it to you Ken," I said, "I'm gonna keep it because I earned it."

He started to object and I got very cold with him saying, "I'm keeping it Ken and that's all there is to it." I stared at him until he understood that I wasn't kidding. He got to see a part of me that day that he had not been familiar with either. Anything said after that moment I pushed aside. I stood my ground, making it clear that no one would get me to change my mind about keeping the motorcycle. I considered it payment for my work and my time.

I had not been paid for my work on "Reconsider Baby" or "Gotta Find My Roogalator" so keeping the bike seemed reasonable to me at the time. Hell I should have kept everything. I'd experienced too many losses at the hands of others in the past couple of years to just keep standing around at the end with absolutely nothing to show for it. I was tired of the Tony Alamo's, Andrew Oldham's, and Randy Wood's of the world. Ken Handler became the first one I took something from. I took it and dared him to do something about it, and he did not. It was one small victory.

No one will ever convince me that in light of what the facts were, as they relate to Ken Handler and myself, that any contract I may have signed with Penthouse Records could be enforced. He and Penthouse dropped me and failed to fulfill even the most minimal of obligations as a record label and or publisher. In a court of law I would dominate on the law and facts alone, not to mention the fraud perpetrated on me personally by Ken Handler. His sexual advances and demands forced me into a "Do what I want or else stalemate." I was maneuvered into a no win situation and my choices amounted to non choices. As usual, I had had no leverage.

At the time of this writing I do hereby claim all rights to my songs "Low Down Funky Blues" "Gotta Find My Roogalator" and "Reconsider Baby." I further claim all rights to my recorded performances of those songs as well as "Girl From The East" which was recorded at the same time in 1966.

I don't recall with great clarity, following the Penthouse fiasco, what Randy Wood's position regarding me was. I was probably blamed by everyone for screwing the whole thing up. That I have found, is the nature of people who won't take responsibility for their actions. It has taken me many years to realize that many of the calamities in my past were brought about by the actions of others, at least in part. I have paid enough dues to those people. I am determined to one day set the entire record straight. I have no plans to sit by and allow forever, others to claim ownership of my work or profit from it while I live as a pauper.

(part 43) "ROOGALATOR" WAY UP AND THEN WAY DOWN

Local 47 contract for Roogalator and Girl From The East

Local 47 Union contract for Rooglator and Girl From The East


"Gotta Find My Roogalator" by Bobby Jameson and Frank Zappa 1966

As I stated, Ken Handler was the heir to the Mattel Toy Estate. He could do anything he wanted and what he wanted was me. He began buying me instruments, amplifiers, etc. He provided a small house in the valley where I could live if I wanted. He bought me a brand new BSA motor cycle to get around on. He said he was going to make me a star!

I'd heard all this before, so I wasn't as impressed as I would have been, if it were the first time, but Handler was not all that up on my recent past history. I went along with it though, in hopes that it would lead to something concrete as opposed to just another story by someone trying to impress himself.

After Tony Alamo, it was going to be pretty hard for anyone to top his bullshit, but Ken did lay out some real money for the gear, so I went along. One of my complaints, which I vocalized to both Handler and Norm Ratner, was that they'd made a ridiculous mistake with regards to Zappa. "Freak Out", by The Mothers, had been released and had begun to make it apparent that Zappa was not just another run of the mill musician, but something special.

I told them that not giving Frank any credit at all for his work on "Reconsider Baby" was about as stupid as anything they could have done. Ratner was not impressed, but Ken listened to what I was saying and took it seriously. He asked me if I thought Zappa would do another record with me and I said I'd ask him.

The name "Roogalator" was something I picked up from Johnny Rivers. Phil Turetsky, who was River's business manager, had introduced us to each other along the way, and Johnny liked riding motor cycles. He had a 750 Triumph and I had the 650 BSA, so we started riding together. Anyway that's where I picked up the "Roogalator" thing. I believed it was similar to "mojo", like "I Got My Mojo Working." I started fiddling around with the word and told Johnny I had written a pretty good song, but never got him to record it. I think John may have written his own version, but I've never heard it.

I talked to Frank about doing another record, and told him Handler was sorry for not giving him credit on "Reconsider Baby." Frank really didn't seem to care all that much about it, but I assured him he'd get credit if we did anything else. I asked Frank to listen to "Gotta Find My Roogalator" and he liked the song. He said he knew exactly who he would use on the session.

Who he chose to use on "Roogalator" became known as the "Wrecking Crew." They were Louis Morell on guitar, Carol Kaye on guitar and bass, Larry Knechtel on piano, Gene Estes and or John Guerin on drums. Frank played guitar and arranged the song. In reality, Frank and I produced the record, but of course were not given credit, but Frank was at least credited as the arranger.

We recorded it at HRT Studios and got a good sound out of the that room. Another song was cut with it, which has never been released, and that was my song "Girl From The East" off the Chris Lucey album. It has never been used, so that is why "Low Down Funky Blues" is the b side of both "Reconsider Baby" and "Gotta Find My Roogalator."

I must not have been too happy with the way "Girl From The East" came out, or it would have been the b side of "Roogalator". "Low Down Funky Blues" was just a song I made up on the spot for the b side of "Reconsider Baby" when we cut that record, it got reused as the b side for "Roogalator" because we had a shortage of songs that I was willing to use. This is the best recollection I have of how that happened. Someday I will release "Girl From The East" by me and Frank.

click
Original H R acetate of "Girl From The East" by Bobby Jameson and Frank Zappa 1966

My brother Bill, "Jamie" was staying at the house out in the valley that Ken Handler had provided. This proved to be a bad thing, because Bill was pretty isolated out there and started a downhill pattern of mental illness that eventually led to a complete psychotic break with reality, causing me to have to put him in a mental hospital, so he wouldn't hurt himself. This with many other things was one of the miseries of my life.

After "Gotta Find My Roogalator" was finished and scheduled for release, I had a long conversation with Ken Handler about promotion. I told him that if he didn't promote, and I mean really promote "Roogalator" it was going to do exactly what "Reconsider Baby" had done, nothing. Surprisingly he agreed with me and said he wanted me to come to dinner at his house in Woodland Hills to discuss the details of what he had in mind. I immediately felt that we were on the same wave length and was eager to take him up on the invite.

I arrived at Handler's house on a Sunday afternoon by myself, and was greeted by his pregnant wife who was busy in the kitchen preparing food. Ken asked me if I wanted a drink and I said, "Yeah, a scotch and water." He made me a drink and asked if it were OK and I told him it was fine. He said, "Let's go upstairs to my office and talk about our plans for your future." "Wow," I thought, "This is going to be alright."

I followed Ken upstairs, as he yelled to his wife we were going to the office for awhile. She yelled back, "Ok," and we continued on to a small room on the second floor that had been furnished like an office. "Go on in Bobby," he said, and I went into the room followed by Ken. He closed the door and stood there smiling at me for a moment and then said, "I'd like you to spend the night here Bobby." I looked at him closely and said, "Why, what'd you have in mind?" He said, "I want you to stay here with me."

I was all of a sudden in a different world. He was asking me to sleep with him. "Well Ken, I appreciate the compliment, but that's not my thing," I said. He looked at me almost hurt in his expression and said, "Is that final?" I said, "Yeah pretty much Ken, that's final." "No chance that you'd change your mind in the future," he asked? "I don't think so Ken, sorry." "Well that's too bad Bobby, because my plans for you really depended on what you said at this meeting and you've been very clear." said Ken. "Yeah I'm pretty clear on this Ken, pretty damn clear." "Well you realize then," he said, "that my plans for you will have to change now." "I got it," I said, "I got it."

Ken just stood there looking at me with that, "You can still change your mind look." When I heard myself say, "Well I guess I better get going, eh?" As I opened the door to leave, Ken said, "Bobby you know the things I bought for you will all have to be returned in light of our conversation here." "Yeah, OK Ken, I'll make sure to bring all the stuff to your office at Mira," I said, wanting to punch his ass out at that point.

"I'll make sure you get it all back." I stumbled down the stairs and looked for the front door not wanting to be in that house a second more than I had to. "Honey, Bobby can't stay for dinner this time, something important has come up," he yelled to his wife. "Oh that's too bad," she said back... I was out the door and said nothing. I remember the feeling, it was getting to be a habit, it was getting to be my life. Way up and then way down...way up and then way down...way up and........

(part 42) MONDO HOLLYWOOD, FRANK ZAPPA, AND PENTHOUSE RECORDS

Like I said, I liked writing songs and making records, so I kept at it for a long time. It was just what I did. If I wrote a song and liked it, it seemed only natural to record it so I could share it with people. Then I could say, "Hey listen to this." That was what it was all about for me, the music. The music business was just a way to accomplish that, not the other way around. When I looked at what I had done and realized I hadn't made a dime I would tell myself, "Just keep writing and recording Bobby. Sooner or later you'll get a hit and everything will work out fine." I really believed that so I just kept doing it.

It was early 1966 and a lot of things happened in that year. When "Vietnam" was recorded with The Leaves, Bob Cohen filmed it for a movie he was making called "Mondo Hollywood." I never thought much about it at the time, it was just something I did because somebody asked if I wanted to be in a movie and I said, "Yeah OK." It was just about that simple.

I signed a release form, not a contract, but a release form saying it was OK to show me in the movie and use my songs. "Wham Bam Thank You M'am" kind of stuff. You would have to get Bob Cohen to show you the piece of paper and I do mean a single slip of paper. It was not a contract. Cohen put out a soundtrack album on Tower Records and Sidewalk Records called "Mondo Hollywood" and I have never received a penny from it. The movie was on VHS tape, and is now a DVD, but I have never gotten a penny from either, nothing. So who knows what that little piece of paper says?

I moved out of Lois Johnston's house again and was going out with a girl I'd met at "The Trip" on Sunset Blvd. It was a new rock n roll club on the strip and she was a cocktail waitress there. Her name was Gail Sloatman. If you've ever watched "Mondo Hollywood," and depending on which version you watch, there is a scene at the beach where I am walking with a girl, that's Gail.

I drive away with that girl in a Corvette in the movie and that was Pam Burn's car. It was leased by Randy Wood for Pam because she worked for him. Pam used to let me drive it so I could look like a successful recording artist. That's how it got in the movie. Everything I showed up in or with was either loaned or borrowed. I owned my clothes and that was about it. The interesting part about Gail was she became Mrs. Frank Zappa, about a year later. But before I write about that there are a number of things that happened that are relevant to the whole story and its factual context.

I started living with Jeff and Stu Eisen up off Woodrow Wilson Dr. above Laurel Canyon. Stuie and Jeffie, as they were called, used to sell a lot of LSD, and for the most part it was still legal at the time. I moved into their house, along with a lot of other people, so I could be close to the source of the acid. The trouble was I was too close, so I spent a lot of time loaded on it. It was during that time when the use of downers increased as a way to compensate for getting fried on acid a lot.

It was in that house that I came in to direct contact with Arthur Lee and Johnny Echols from Love. I used to sit on the living room floor, there wasn't any furniture, and make up songs and play them. That is as close as Arthur Lee and I ever got musically. Me loaded on LSD singing songs in that house.

Another regular occurrence were the "love-ins." They happened mostly in Griffith Park. This was where I got to know Frank Zappa, because he'd show up just about anywhere and play. That's how Frank was in the beginning. Try to imagine a time before Frank Zappa was famous, that's what I'm talking about. Before "The Mothers Of Invention." Frank would go to the Whiskey A Go Go if he could play, or to a parking lot gig, it didn't seem to matter. He'd just show up and play and that's how he got known.

I would go to all the same places as Frank and we just got used to seeing each other and started talking. I liked Zappa and he liked me so we decided we ought to make a record together, in fact we made more than one. I have to jump around here because a lot of different things all happened at the same time. I will try to be as clear as I can.

After "Vietnam" Randy got involved with the distribution of a new label called Penthouse Records that was started by Ken Handler and Norm Ratner. Ken Handler was the son of the people who owned Mattel Toys, and Norm Ratner was the son of the people who owned Troy upholstery, a well known business in L.A. in the 60's. They were rich kids who wanted to be in the record business, so they were.

I was introduced to them by Randy Wood and Mira Records as an artist for their new label. I guess Randy thought it was a way to keep me close and have someone else pay for it, and who better than a couple of eager rich kids who Randy made a deal with to distribute whatever they released.

I made 2 records for Penthouse. The first was "Reconsider Baby" which I had written after hearing Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Women." This is when I went to Zappa and asked him to work on the record with me. He agreed, because amongst other things Frank was a studio musician and arranger. He was a Union member and he did dates, so I got Penthouse to hire Frank to work on "Reconsider Baby."

Frank did everything. I played him the song and told him about the Percy Sledge record and he understood completely. He put together the band, got the girl backup singers, The Dixie Cups, (I could be wrong on the name) and wrote all the charts. He basically arranged and produced it but received no label credit at all from Penthouse, who printed on the label that the record was arranged and produced by Handler and Ratner, which is bunk. They did shit.

Frank and I made the record along with the players, most of whom became The Wrecking Crew. The record came and went nowhere like all the others, but to my surprise Penthouse didn't quit. Ken Handler said he figured he'd have to learn some things about the music business, and that he wasn't going to quit just because his first record wasn't a hit. He told me he intended to be successful and that he wanted me to make another record for Penthouse and I agreed.

(part 41) LSD, DOWNERS, AND VIETNAM... A NEW BEGINNING

Original seession for Vietnam by Bobby Jameson. Don Conka on drums and members of The Leaves on the track.

1965 was a big year for me. I took my first LSD trip and started using downers on a regular basis. My first acid trip was with Danny Hutton who had come into prominence with a single record "Roses And Rainbows." He then went on to Three Dog Night fame. Our trip started in Hollywood and ended after dawn on Venice Beach and then back to Hollywood. When it was over, I was different.

My use of downers gave me a sense of well being like nothing I'd ever known in my life. The tension I was used to was gone when I was loaded and I loved it. I felt as if I could do anything. I was addicted from the very first time I used them. When I mixed them with booze I would fight anyone anywhere. This became a trademark of mine over the next number of years and got me in a lot of trouble.

After being bounced off the wall by Randy Wood at Mira's offices, I vowed that no one would ever get physical with me again in the music business. I made that promise stick without exception. As far as LSD went, it altered all of my perceptions about everything, and I used way too much of it for way too long.

When Chris Lucey was finished I figured I was too, at least where Mira Records was concerned. But Pam Burns kept after to me to go back and cut a single for Mira. She told me that Randy was ashamed of what he'd done to me and wanted to make it right by letting me cut a record of my choice under my own name.

I was confronted with a number of issues in 1965 and received a letter from my mother containing my draft notice. The war in Vietnam was starting to escalate and I was going to have to go. "Jesus Christ man, just what I need!" I complained, after seeing the notice and finding out I was 1-A. That meant I was eligible for military induction and on my way to Vietnam, period.

This fact, as you may have guessed, was the very reason I wrote the song "Vietnam." Randy Wood was not too keen on this song but said, "If that's what you want to cut then go ahead." This was of course prompted by his promise to Pam Burns regarding my work on Chris Lucey.

I wrote "Metropolitan Man" as a b-side and used Don Conka on drums and some of the guys from "The Leaves" to record both songs. The Leaves were also on Mira and had recorded my song "Girl From The East" for their album. The Leaves had a hit with the song "Hey Joe" at the time and I was lucky to have their help on the record. It came out pretty well I thought.

There were 2 versions of "Vietnam." I wrote the song at the end of 65 and demo'd it with just me, guitar, and harmonica. The version with a band was cut in early 66. As promised, it was on Mira Records as a single, but was never promoted by the company. Randy was reluctant to back an anti-war song on his label so the record just died without ever getting a chance.

I once asked a group of L.A. DJ's at the Whiskey A Go Go during an afternoon radio promotion for something unrelated to me, why they never played my records in L.A.? Reb Foster accused me of using the anti-war demonstrations to further my own career. He was referring to the demonstrations that were starting to occur on the Sunset Strip with great regularity.

They all laughed when Reb said that and chimed in, "Yeah, you're too political." They laughed some more and ignored me as if I weren't there. That was pretty much the story with L.A. radio and me. I never got any airplay. There was a lot of resentment toward me because of the Tony Alamo days. The big ads and then nothing. People used to say, "Oh, you're the guy who had all that publicity and then blew it." I heard that a lot from music industry people in L.A. I was kind of the has been who never was to them and they never let me forget it.

Randy kept his promise alright, but managed to kill the record before it could get off the ground. I didn't know back then whether he did it on purpose, or just didn't get the point of "Vietnam" and refused to promote it. Hell there was a war going on and a lot of people were pissed off about it, so you'd think a song as relevant as "Vietnam" would have had a real shot if Mira would have gotten behind the record.

I don't recall any contracts regarding "Vietnam" and "Metropolitan Man," so I can't say much about it. Knowing Randy though, I'm sure there was some sort of agreement about it somewhere. Randy and I learned to have kind of a love hate relationship with each other that went on for quite awhile, but it was Pam Burns who kept any balance going between Randy and me. She was stuck in the middle of course, because she worked for Randy and loved me. Pam was always the one who kept things from going out of control around Mira.

As usual, I made no money for writing or recording "Vietnam/Metropolitan Man." Unfortunately I was getting used to that. It kind of seemed normal to me. I just liked writing songs and making records whether I got paid or not, so I kept doing it whenever I got the chance. It proved to be a bad way to do business.


Metropolitan Man b-side of Vietnam Mira Records 1966