Scot and I used to talk a lot about value added. Here’s an example of value added. Take a piece of paper. Add a squiggle—maybe even just a signature. Say you’re Pablo Picasso. There are stories of old Pablo, signing the cocktail napkin in exchange for his dinner, and the restaurateur coming out all the better.
Today’s artwork is a SCOT signature image. A Moon Man. Ironic? Iconoclastic? Is he in a boat? Is he popping out of a box straight out of a continent? What’s the deal? Are those fairies or angels hopping from platform to platform? Are they minding? Are they quite so trained as Mister Moon Man may think? Maybe not, but there is always that heart to guide them.
In this case, value added has to do with the fact that this is a lot the same musical track as I played yesterday. Value added here being the addition of a whole different vocal track—thank heavens. (I’ve had enough of that whole robot thing.) And in my opinion, here’s another huge value added consideration: a/n (?) whole ‘nother guitar track! Move over Neil. Yes, each and every one of these tracks is being laid down by our own dear, Scot—who was, and pretty much understood that despite everything, he was equipped to contribute to all of our where-with all. But throughout that time, he had to rely a lot on himself for motivation and affirmation. That’s also where I came in. Today’s track is yet a further reach for our destiny.
Any guesses what blog track was recorded with these same sonic parameters? If you said, “Born to Be Wild,” I here by dub you an official ‘Knight of the Scotish Realm.’ Same drum settings—same vocal treatment--same ragged guitar, hacking away, back in the mix—all this action very mid 1980’s. This is a solo demo (ie Scot is playing all the tracks) he did for “Folklore.” I especially like this recording for the way it captures Scot’s vocals. He had a wonderful voice, but sometimes he would slip into a humor trajectory, not wanting to take his vocals too seriously. In this track he lets his serious voice hang out. “Let’s Reach…” is the shorthand title of the song.
Today’s artwork is a magnificent piece done in 1995. Here Scot has laid down a semi-abstract base of magenta and yellow transparent acrylic wash. Into those still-wet colors, Scot has drawn his image with India ink from a dropper. This angel seems like a very ‘will do’ sort of guy. ‘Will do’, is an expression I re-encountered today. I like it. That and ‘gotcha’ are expressions Scot used a lot. It's kind of like a vow.
“Long gone.” I gush today. I walked into the room today and asked Scot for his assistance. This is what he came up with. Our musical track today is one from the deep archives. It’s another rehearsal tape. Amazing to me how solid the rehearsal tapes I’ve been playing are. Playing on the track is a musical ensemble, assembled by Edward Bachmann. The date on the tape is 1-2-89. (It must have been pretty late on the 2!)
“E.B. White”, so called because of Edwards’s love of E. B. White, the writer, and possibly too, that his initials just happen to be--E. B. Edward fronted the group, playing acoustic guitar and singing lead vocals. Backing him up are the super-charged harmonies of Ramona Torch and Judy Tampa. These girls could both drop a harmony part on a fart. Two part if you wanted it. They sang together a lot and were two thirds of another group-- “Girl Can’t Help It.” Jay Altobelli (not here) being the last girl who couldn’t help it.
Also similar to this outfit and “GCHI” is the drummer. Extra points to anyone who immediately knew Scot was playing the drums that night. Scot was also the original drummer for “Girl Can’t Help It.” He brought his massively funky beat, but also WAY too much personality for that particular group. Leland Monagle, of ‘Sponges’ fame, was brought in as ‘GCHI’s new drummer. Leland has his own funky beat and a massively mellower demeanor. The electric slide is being played by (I think) Bradly Bartel, but I do seem to remember Dave Barker somewhere in the lineup. I will seek further info.
Today’s artwork is a drawing pulled out of a box, pulled down from the shelf. It is a pen and ink drawing, with minimal acrylic was tinting. I see this as a good capsualization of my thoughts about the world, and life, and what happens next. There’s so much riding on the tip of that pencil. The love alignment here seems to be in place. I like the little house down on the ground with the wire stretching between two little telephone poles, and nowhere else.
OOPS. Gave a bunch of info you need for today in tomorrow’s entry. Don’t ask. It seems to happen in the blog world, from time to time. Check tomorrow’s entry for info on band lineup. The tune is one written by Edward Bachmann and possibly Judy Tampa. Edward is a real literary dude, and was another one good with the words (like John Williams).
Today’s artwork is a graphite (pencil) drawing, blocked out with acrylic wash and color spatter. Yesterday I was tired and trying to keep my fussiness under the radar, I wanted something that captured my feelings of being ‘done worn out.’ I found it ironic that this person in the drawing doesn’t have feet for the ‘new soft shoe.’
Edward and Judy and Ramona sound so sweet, but I ask you to hone in to Scot’s drumming. Notice how he won’t let anyone stray any too far of funky—deliberating slowing the band a couple of times—punching in several times in a very Levon Helms kind of way. Long live Levon. Long live Scot.
I don’t think I could count the times I heard Scot tell the story of when Salvador Dali came to New York after WWII. According to Scot, he had $100,000, which he promptly gave to a publicist, telling him to make him famous. As far as I can tell, that was $100,000 well spent.
Today’s track was one of Ringo’s songs—Scot identified with Ringo. What must that have been like hang in such rarified air? Last summer, John & Julie—down the way—had their annual summer party. It just happened to fall on the six-month anniversary of Scot’s passing. Bobby Burns was there that night. I remember standing in the yard, listening to Bobby sing a song I’d heard Scot sing a million times before—in Scot’s same key. Scot and Bobby do not stand to differently in their stature. It’s nice to have Bobby around.
I choose the title tonight to hint at the reality that there are a lot of people with some considerable talent in the world. There are only a few who really make the big time. The rest of us are left with our toes to tap and our own musical identities to surge forth, here and there.
Here in Bloomington, it’s not unknown to pay to play—music Mecca that it is. In other words, you show up at a ‘Blues Jam’ or an ‘Open Mike.’ You buy a beer. You sing a song. You bring a friend or two. That’s the way it works. Pay to play. Sometimes that’s the only way. Today’s artwork is a charcoal/acrylic wash piece. More of Scot’s direct kind of action. Scot acting naturally.
Learned one meaning of the brick out-house today. After the war—in London, many families had built little bomb shelters at the back of the yard. After the war: WTF. These were bricks we were talking about, so what might one do with them? Yes, people were still using outhouses at the end of the garden back then. Real plumbing is so much a luxury, I’m reminded of those people who cannot drink, let alone flush.
Tonight’s musical track is a BC recording, featuring: BIG, BAD, Bobby Burns. Yes, AKA: Robert Burns. When Bobby Burns came into the BC, Scot came straight home and said, “I met this guy tonight. He’s got my same repetoire. He sings in my key. He plays lead guitar—just like me. In keeping, I ask you, who’s doing what?
I choose today’s artwork, straight out of a box, full of treasures. This piece is a graphite drawing with acrylic wash highlights. I learned a little about Oustopathy today. There’s an element of focusing in on the bright light that burns at the core. That and lining things up. Ahhh, alignment.
It’s back to the basic boogie-woogie for us all tonight. “Come on Momma—GET THAT RED DRESS ON!” Today’s track is another Scot Halpin rockabilly original, written in the early 1980’s. This one was always a favorite way back to the “T. Scot Bottom & the Rockabilly Funhouse” days, and it would always come out late in the set. Scot is working it out with “Funhouse,” his San Francisco Rockabilly outfit.
I hear Edward Bachmann, getting down and dirty on bass, a funkified Leland Monagle on drums. I hear Judy Tampa swinging through on rhythm guitar. She often did some knockout harmonies with Scot, and an occasional lulu of a lead vocal, but not today. And then we’ve got Scotty wailing away, in the simplest of ways on guitar and vocals. Dig the wail. Dig the yip. The name of the track is “Let’s Go Out Tonight.”
Today’s artwork is another piece drawn with a squirt bottle filled with extra thick India ink, onto a board that Scot had already laid some wet-on-wet color. The red come from a bottle of red paint that Scot always painted his hearts with. He’d just keep mixing it up, always using the same little bottle for the purpose.
So what about “So What?” We hear Scot settle the band into the groove. The band shifts into a flat out funky beat. At a flub, we hear Scot laugh and say, “Well that’s alright. So what?” And he’s right. I’ve been trying to focus on these two targets. Target #1: Today. Target #2: Have fun. All the mistakes, all the flubs, all the sunburns, are I suspect, just a part of being in on this rotation, so we might as well just try and enjoy ourselves AMAP. All that other stuff adds up to the big “So what?”
Ho, Ho. What have we here? Don’t look too close, and you won’t notice. Today's artwork is an original pen and ink drawing, colored with acrylic wash. The music for today is a song Scot wrote for “The Sponges”, back in 1979. He and I had dueling ‘I want to dance with you' songs. His (today's track) was called, “Baby Don’t Ya Do It.” Scot was enjoying learning to play the bass, and the punchy New Wave and Punk riffs were a fun place for him to start We recorded this track at a studio down in Redwood City (I’m pretty sure it was). "The Sponges" had won the recording session at a recent ‘Battle of the Bands’ in San Francisco. With us that night in the studio were the band’s friends, Pete and Mike. The improvisational spirit struck them both, all on their own. You'll hear them on the bridge. For me, it’s nice to hear their voices, and remember that time, and a lot of other good times.
Saved a super-goodie for today, the summer solstice. The spark for today’s track happened way back in the summer of 1980, while Scot and I were living large in Rhode Island. I remember Scot blocking this song in this little studio he’d set up. The good thing about Scot was that you could always give him the darkest, littlest room. He was not a fussy artist, who had to have things just so. I always felt he could work in the middle of a tornado.
Back in Rhode Island, he sketched out a few of the characters. We moved to Iowa City next and Scot worked with his dad to develop three wonderful children’s’ books and accompanying songs. Once again, Scot was ahead of the media curve. No one quite knew what to do with both a book and a song. He recorded this track on his Teac 4-track in our living room in Iowa City, the winter of 1981. Sounds like Alvin was brought in, but actually--that’s Scot, fairies, trolls and everything else going on, on the track. Today’s artwork is the cover for one of the little books Scot made for his Dad.
