His post in a nutshell was that he needed a “real job” and was sick of the “Music Business,” and that it’s a losing proposition trying to sustain a living at it. This is nothing new to most people involved in any occupation that is based in the arts, and it’s sad. Music and art gives so much to so many and yet those responsible for its creation seem to benefit the least.

Photo (C) Rob Kearn 2004

The second thing which made me chuckle was a memory from way back stirred by seeing George Thorogood last week.

It was right after our appearance on Saturday Night Live and we found ourselves in our record company’s office after hours. Our manager at the time was inquiring about how many orders for our record had come in and what kind of stock was on hand to fill them.

The president of said record company sat at a computer that looked like a prop from the movie War Games and with one finger typed a few keys and with much glee said they had over 40,000 orders placed in just one day. Great! How many do you have ready to ship? A few more key punches and the answer was on the screen, thirty. “Thirty thousand,” we asked? “Let me check,” says record company president followed by more clicks, and the answer…”no, 30.”

Looks of fright were shared and it was time to leave but as I looked down next to the desk I saw on the floor a 2-inch, 24-track tape laying outside of its box, the tape half off the reel and tangled like a pile of spaghetti. On the box was written George Thorogood master, “Bad to the Bone.” I had to ask, “Is that “THE” master for Bad to the Bone?” As the most nonchalant “yes” that could ever be spoken reached my ears, I knew then and there that music and business were two words that just didn’t belong together.

My point here is that like so many others who are bound together in some way that just works, it’s just not the same apart. Is there anyone who prefers the Don or Phil Everly solo records over their work together? Lennon and McCartney, together or separate? Ray and Dave Davies or Kinks?

Yes, it can be a drag at times to work with the same person, and even more so if there happens to be a blood relation, but in the long run some things are just better together.

Zev Katz

After a full day recording with the Spanic Boys, it’s time to relax before dinner at Timmer’s on Big Cedar Lake with our favorite bass player and all-around great guy Zev Katz.

Our first video done by Purple Onion in 1991, made it to MTV and CMT. Matching ’59 Caddies, houses and dogs. Featuring Lori Minetti who later went on to become the Wisconsin Lottery Hostess and her twin sister Lisa. What can I say, it was the early 90′s!

This one goes way back to ’94 from the “Spanic Family Album”.  All of the old footage is from original home movies and Director Frank Anderson did a great job as always. You can see my Dad at 10 years old with his first electric guitar – a 1956 Blonde Stratocaster that he got for his birthday that year.