Beatles - The main thing I learned from the Beatles, besides basic song structure and chord progressions, is to make every song completely different!
Groucho Marx - One time he had a flamenco guitarist on his quiz show, and the guy tapped percussion on his guitar as he played. I think that's what inspired me to try tapping snare beats on the pick guard as I strum. That's always been a regular part of my playing style.
Talking Heads - Love that insistent rhythm! When first saw them in a little club in Baton Rouge, they did two sets which consisted of all the material from their first two albums. I liked them so much that I drove to New Orleans the next night to see them again.
Françoise Hardy/ Véronique Sanson/ Michel Berger/ Edith Piaf - When most people say "world music," what they really mean is Third World music, with heavy emphasis on percussion. But my favorite world music is European. Listening to French pop music of the ‘60s and '70s, I learned to pay more attention to the melody when I write a song.
Mel Bay chord book (can't recall the title) - By studying the finger charts of all kinds of C chords (C7, Cdim, Cm6, etc.), I figured out chord theory and learned how to invent my own chords. I often play high on the neck, but still leaving some open strings, so the combination of notes has a wide range (from low to high) and sounds richer than a normal open chord or bar chord. When notes are also doubled or tripled (in unison or in octaves), things really ring out.
Mom - She gave me a plastic Gene Autry guitar for Christmas, after I pestered her about one I'd seen in a catalog. And when she saw that I kept playing with it as the months went by, she gave me a real guitar for my 9th birthday and paid for lessons. Also, Mom listened to all kinds of music - classical, top 40, country & western, Broadway, etc.
lyrics:
Donovan (not Dylan!) - From Donovan, I learned to pay attention to the sound of the words, including the consonants. I think he got it from studying traditional poetry, which was written in an era when poems were meant to be recited aloud.
Anne Sexton - The only poet I have the patience to read. (Most contemporary poetry is just people whining about their personal problems.) Favorite poem: "The Passion of the Mad Rabbit."
Gabriel García Márquez - He calls his writing "magical realism." To me it's simply surrealism, meaning that you take reality and exaggerate it. That's what I did with "The Most Sensitive Girl" ("She got sunburn from stars...").
FAVORITE QUOTES
"Don't criticize what you can't understand." - Bob Dylan
"There are two kinds of people, my kind and assholes." - Divine [John Waters]
"You can't polish a turd." - Frank Zappa
"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." - Will Rogers
"Love is lak de sea. It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" - Zora Neale Hurston
I live in a part of Los Angeles known as Silverlake (also spelled Silver Lake). That's a few miles east of Hollywood. From my window I can see the downtown skyline. Here's a Webcam view that's on my official site ElectricEarl.com.
I moved here from Baton Rouge in late 1990. From all I'd heard about the lifestyle in L.A., I expected that I'd hate living here. I'd come strictly because of the music industry. But in fact, I love L.A. And although I never had much success as a musician, I've long been involved in the music scene as a videographer, photographer and Website designer. And, of course, L.A. is the best place in the world to be a music fan!
Jim Dawson reading from Los Angeles's Angel Flight at Skylight Books - 9/20/2008
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson at Amoeba Music (record store) - 9/19/2008
Pamela Des Barres book reading at Book Soup, with some portions read by ex-husband Michael Des Barres, ex-boyfriend Jimmy Thrill, and ex-GTO Miss Mercy - 9/17/2008
thenewno2 [George Harrison's son Dhani]/The Hatch/Army Navy at the Key Club [PHOTOS!] - 9/16/2008
Alejandro Escovedo/Carrie Rodriguez/David Garza at The Troubadour - 9/9/2008
Jake La Botz/C.W. Stoneking at Redwood Bar & Grill [birthday celebration for Bliss and Pamela Des Barres] - 9/8/2008
Mike Stinson/Dave Meshell (of NB) solo/West of Texas/Lincoln Bedroom/The Hello Darlins (featuring Babs McDonald of The Cheatin' Kind and Vicki Hill of the Dukes of Sunset, Edie Murphy) - 9/7/2008
Josh Frank reading In Heaven Everything Is Fine: The Unsolved Life of Peter Ivers and the Lost History of New Wave Theatre, with live performance by Marvin Etzioni [Lone Justice] at Book Soup - 8/14/2008
Dead Rock West/Dave Insley/Homesick Elephant at The Echo - 8/10/2008
Ronnie Mack's Barn Dance at El Cid - featuring Steven Casper, Dean Chamberlain (The Honorable DHC) - 8/5/2008
Garbage at McAllister Auditorium (New Orleans) - 11/14/98
The Cramps at The Palace 10/28/97
Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood at House of Blues - 4/19/95
Collins Kids/Dave+Deke Combo at The Palomino [PHOTOS!] - 12/4/93
Paul McCartney at Hollywood Bowl - 4/16/93
Johnny Carson's farewell show (featuring guests Bette Midler and Robin Williams) at NBC studios in Burbank - 5/21/92
Ofra Haza at Wadsworth Auditorium - 3/27/92
Santana at Bullring By the Sea (Tijuana) - 3/21/92
Sun Ra at Festival Musique Actuelle (Victoriaville, Ontario) - Sept/Oct 1987 [two performances]
Siouxsie & the Banshees at Ole Man River's (New Orleans) - 10/20/81
Dead Boys at The New Place (Metairie/New Orleans) [PHOTOS!] - 5/23/80
Pretenders at Ole Man River's (New Orleans) - 4/5/80
Iggy Pop/Normals at Ole Man River's (New Orleans) [PHOTOS!] - 2/17/80 & 2/18/80
B-52's/Normals at Ole Man River's (New Orleans) - 9/9/79
Blondie/Rockpile at Center for Performing Arts (New Orleans) - 8/3/79 [two shows]
Police/Normals at The Kingfish (Baton Rouge) - 5/9/79
Robert Gordon & Chris Spedding at The Kingfish (Baton Rouge) - 5/8/79
Ramones/Normals at The Kingfish (Baton Rouge) - 1/25/79
Bruce Springsteen at LSU Assembly Center - 12/5/78
Talking Heads/Muchos Plus at Ole Man River's (New Orleans) - 10/4/78
Talking Heads/Bas Clas at The Kingfish (Baton Rouge) - 10/3/78
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks at Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans) - 9/15/78
Rolling Stones/Van Halen/Doobie Brothers at Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans) - 7/13/78
Sex Pistols at The Kingfish (Baton Rouge) - 1/9/78
Tuts Washington/Al 'Father' Jackson at private Mardi Gras party (New Orleans) - 1976
Chuck Berry at Celebration of Life festival (Louisiana) - 1971
The Kinks/Elton John at Fillmore West - November 1970
Herman's Hermits/The Who/Blues Magoos at Baltimore Civic Center - 1967
Ray Charles/Stevie Wonder at Baltimore Civic Center - 7/23/67
Rolling Stones/McCoys/Standells at Baltimore Civic Center - 1966
Rolling Stones/Patti LaBelle/Blossoms at Baltimore Civic Center - 11/13/65
Marty Robbins/Hank Snow/Kitty Wells at Baltimore Civic Center - 1962 (?)
gone but not forgotten:
I've always placed a high premium on attending live events. If I can't afford a CD today, I can always track it down years from now. But if I miss a concert, it's gone forever. I can't tell you how many times I didn't feel like leaving the house, but went anyway and was soooo glad that I did. I'm especially grateful for all the greats I've seen who are no longer with us:
Forrest J. Ackerman [Famous Monsters of Filmland], Hasil Adkins, Lee Allen [Little Richard band], Steve Allen, Chet Atkins, Gene Autry, Stiv Bators [Dead Boys], Delaney Bramlett [Delaney & Bonnie], Hadda Brooks, Charles Brown, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Paul Butterfield, Johnny Carson, June Carter, Ray Charles, Celia Cruz, Desmond Dekker, Bo Diddley, Divine, Lee Dorsey, Buddy Ebsen [Beverly Hillbillies], President Eisenhower, John Entwhistle [The Who], John Fahey, Pete Farndon [Pretenders], President Ford, Lester Flatt [Flatt & Scruggs], Rory Gallagher, Bill Graham [Fillmore owner], Bianca Halstead [Betty Blowtorch], Doug Harvey [Montréal Canadiens], Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Ted Hawkins, Ofra Haza, Lee Hazelwood, Gregory Hines, Bob Hite [Canned Heat], James Honeyman-Scott [Pretenders], John Lee Hooker, J.B. Hutto, Lux Interior [Cramps], Waylon Jennings, Kelly Johnson [Girlschool], Brian Jones [Rolling Stones], Grandpa Jones, Ernie K-Doe, Albert King, Coretta Scott King, Earl King, Arthur Lee [Love], Rose Maddox, Janis Martin, John McGeogh [Siouxsie & the Banshees], Ed McMahon, Country Dick Montana [Beat Farmers], Monty Montana, Keith Moon [The Who], Odetta, Benjamin Orr [The Cars], Bonnie Owens, Buck Owens, Korla Pandit, Pappy [Pappy & Harriet], John Phillips [Mamas & Papas], Jacques Plante [Montréal Canadiens], Billy Preston, Carl Radle [Eric Clapton band], Dee Dee Ramone [The Ramones], Joey Ramone [The Ramones], Johnny Ramone [The Ramones], President Reagan, Marty Robbins, Ginger Rogers, Wally Schirra [astronaut], Eddie Shore [Boston Bruins], Red Skelton, Hank Snow, Susan Sontag, Ruby Starr, Joe Strummer [Clash], Sun Ra, Koko Taylor, Johnny Unitas [Baltimore Colts], Sid Vicious [Sex Pistols], Tuts Washington, Muddy Waters, Wilburn Brothers, Carl Wilson [Beach Boys], Dennis Wilson [Beach Boys], Justin Wilson, Ricky Wilson [B-52s], Jonathan Winters, Jimmy Witherspoon, Gump Worsley [New York Rangers], and Zal Yanovsky [Lovin' Spoonful].
ones that got away: My mother was going to take me to see the Beatles, but the show sold out before she could get tickets. I passed up a chance to see the Yardbirds because they were on a bill with two other bands that I didn't like. When I was a little kid, I was all set to go see the Three Stooges in person, but for some reason that fell through. I had a few chances to see Frank Sinatra, but the tickets were always overpriced.
I don't like:
Rap/hip-hop - If the "artist" can't sing, play an instrument or write music, why do they have a record deal? Most rap recordings would sound better without the vocal track.
Any kind of music where every song has the same beat. I can't listen to disco, salsa, reggae, polka, etc. for more than a few songs in a row. (Exception: The Ramones)
Nashville - The best country music comes from California and Texas.
Co-writing - It's the Nashville equivalent of speed dating, and just as shallow. No great lyric has ever been written by a committee. If Beethoven could write nine symphonies by himself, and if Tolstoy could write War and Peace without help, why does it take more than one Nashville tunesmith to come up with a 3-minute song?
Movies
movies seen in the past year:
(in reverse-chronological order)
Angel On My Shoulder
Attack From Space
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Coraline [3D]
Frost/Nixon
Waltz With Bashir
Moog: A Documentary Film
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Happy-Go-Lucky
Slumdog Millionaire
Bolt [seen in 3D at El Capitan theatre, with live Disney stage show [PHOTOS!]
Changeling
Rachel Getting Married
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
The Dark Knight [IMAX version]
WALL·E [seen at El Capitan theatre, with live Disney stage show & Wurlitzer organ]
CSNY: Déjà Vu [Alas, a documentary, not a concert film.]
Eight Miles High! (Das Wilde Leben) [biopic about Uschi Obermaier]
Lou Reed's Berlin [Filmed in Brooklyn!]
Contempt (Le Mépris)
The Beatles Anthology
all-time favorites:
City Lights
Betrayal [the one based on the Pinter play]
The Searchers
The Phantom of Liberty
Rock 'n Roll High School
Freaks
28 Up [and sequels]
Pecker [Mom is an extra!]
U2 3D [I'm not a huge fan of their music, but in 3D on the big IMAX screen this is the best concert film ever made.]
Television
The Bachelor(ette)
Sixty Minutes
The Simpsons
At the Movies
King of the Hill
news
major sports events
weekdays: Today, Jerry Springer, Maury
vintage Britcoms such as No Honestly, Ever Decreasing Circles, Rising Damp, Butterflies, Solo, Agony, etc.
KLOS-FM classic rock (except godawful Mark & Brian)
KCSN-FM classical
KPCC-FM public radio (news/talk)
Books/Reading
My reading is really eclectic. It depends largely on what I find at thrift stores and yard sales, supplemented by gifts from friends and relatives. (Come to think of it, much of my wardrobe is the same way.) I rarely buy a new book because, quite frankly, I think that $20-$30 is a lot to pay for what is essentially a pad of paper.
currently reading:
Close Range (short story collection) by Annie Proulx
books I've read during the past year:
(in reverse-chronological order)
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Are You Experienced? The Inside Story of the Jimi Hendrix Experience by Noel Redding
Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
Breakfast at Tiffany's (and 3 short stories) by Truman Capote
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now (official biography) by Barry Miles
Revolution: The Making of the Beatles' White Album by David Quantick
Another Brick In the Wall: The Stories Behind Every Pink Floyd Song by Cliff Jones
Ozzy Talking: Ozzy Osbourne In His Own Words by Harry Shaw
Photoshop 7 for Windows & Macintosh by Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas
The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (also CliffsNotes)
Albums: The Stories Behind 50 Years of Great Recordings
John, Paul, George & Ringo: The Definitive Illustrated Chronicle of the Beatles, 1960-1970 by Tim Hill
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
The Rolling Stone Interviews 1967-1980: Talking with the Legends of Rock & Roll
Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream by Barbara Ehrenreich
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Lalo: My Life and Music by Lalo Guerrero and Sherilyn Meece Mentes
Why Do Men Have Nipples? (Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini) by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg, M.D.
Rolling Stones: Images of the World Tour 1989-1990
The New Manual of Photography by John Hedgecoe
Harmful To Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex by Judith Levine
Canon PowerShot G10 Camera User Guide
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney [comic strips]
Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine
Dangerous Curves: The Art of the Guitar by Darcy Kuronen, forward by Lenny Kaye
Los Angeles's Angels Flight by Jim Dawson
(See the Website I made for the author: ElectricEarl.com/af. Jim's friend Phil Spector gives it a thumbs up. Just my luck - I get a good review from Phil Spector, but it's not for my music!)
In Heaven Everything Is Fine: The Unsolved Life of Peter Ivers and the Lost History of New Wave Theatre by Josh Frank with Charlie Buckholtz
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend: For Every Guy Who Wants to Be One, For Every Girl Who Wants to Build One by Felicity Huffman and Patricia Wolff
Prisoner of Woodstock by Dallas Taylor [CSN&Y drummer]
The White Album by Joan Didion
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
all-time favorite books:
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton [read twice]
The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz
Piaf by Simone Berteaut [read twice]
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Hi Earl - Sorry for posting this as a comment instead of sending an invitation…we’re too stupid to figure out how to send an event invitation! The Ridge Route Romeos are coming to Ronnie Mack's Barn Dance on Tuesday, July 7 for a set of songs about drinking, bad decisions, and degenerate behavior. We'll be featuring special guests Marty Rifkin on steel and John Groover McDuffie on guitar. Fun for the whole family, as long as the whold family is over 21 and not confined to the trailer park by an electronic tracking device! There will be 5 of the finest roots-music bands in LA, with the all-star Barn Dance Band kicking it off at 8:30. The Ridge Route Romeos take the stage at 10:30.
El Cid 4212 W. Sunset Blvd. - Los Angeles, CA 90029
Thanks for the add!
Glad you like the songs. Find us anywhere that sells music online!
We will be releasing our new record in the fall. Stay tuned for tour details...
Kindly,
ER
Actually, that last picture i posted here is from March '09!! I have no idea where my head was when i named it... wait, actually i know: my head was in 2008!!! =P
Claire and I have returned from our 3 months EU& UK tour. So, I just posted a note about what's going on with The Bowmans on facebook... and then I started writing a mass email... and then I decided against it... so I'm doing this instead. (begging) Will you visit my profile page to help me spread the word, pretty please??? We have a sneak preview of the new album (Produced by Malcolm Burn, Mastered by Greg Calbi) up for 5 days only… and it can be bought within the next 5 days only!
Thanks for making your wonderful presence at the Barn Dance last night, and for the always fabulous pictures. It wouldn't be the same without you. T & L
