Please, feel free to eavesdrop.
Buck, this really IS an honor and I'm having a blast already with Song of the Year acclaim!
EARLY TIMES
I remember slipping into an open mic at a coffee house/piano bar on Lovers Lane when I was 19 and with trembling fingers and voice, played "Abilene". It was one of those things that was painful but knew I had to do it to move on.
At 20, I was fronting a band and playing drunken fraternity parties out at Texas Tech, so I guess it served its purpose.
When I was 15, I was sacking groceries at the A&P grocery store over in Snider Plaza. One day I had to go up in the attic to get more sacks and there was an old Kay arch-top guitar lying in the rafters.
One of the cashiers used to play it some on breaks and he sold it to me for $8.
I had to pay him in two installments because I only made 50-cents an hour and an occasional 10-cent tip.
Not long after that I really souped it up and screwed a De Armond pickup on it, cutting a hole in the arch-top for the single volume control.
DROP ANY NAMES?
When I was a junior out at Texas Tech, two freshmen came walking into my dorm room after a little jam session in the dorm and asked me if I wanted to start a band.
Well why not! I wasn't in danger of graduating anytime soon (actually I played on into grad school), so we picked up a bass player and formed "The Techniques".
We re-united about 10 years ago and still play 50s and 60s rock and roll for Auto Shows, Class Reunions and parties (the only blatant plug...promise).
My most memorable performance was either my second invite to the Kerrville Festival Songwriters Showcase, back in 1979 when I had two songs make it; or, the Techniques opening for Jimmie Gilmer and the Fireballs at the Lubbock Coliseum during their tour for #1 hit "Sugar Shack".
However, the energy of the high school Senior Dances that The Techniques played for in the mid-60s, where kids saved and did volunteer work all year for one big rock and roll party...those were electrifying!
(MORE ON JIMMIE GILMER AND THE FIREBALLS HERE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fireballs )
Don Williams was the judge in the aforementioned Kerrville Songwriters Finals, but we didn't get any of his critiques.
Back in the 60s, we hired Jerry Allison of the Crickets to give our band some advice, but if he saw any of our great potential, he never let on. Other than that, I've only been friends with a few "sidemen of the famous".
NORMAN PETTY RECORDING STUDIO, Clovis NM.
Back in '64 when our band was having some local success, we pooled some of our earnings and set out to make a record (because that's just what everyone did, right?).
I had written a couple of instrumentals ("Dream Theme" b/w "Autumn Rain"), so we got 3-4 hours booked at Norman Petty's studio and hot-footed over to Clovis, NM. That's where Buddy Holly went, so we figured it was good enough for us.
I had been playing out of a Rickenbacker amp that the local music store told me was the hottest thing, but we weren't getting a lively enough sound out of it in studio, so Norman had me play out of the studio's tweed case Fender Twin.
He told me it was the same amp Buddy used! My hands were so sweaty, I was gripping my guitar pick like a vise.
After we warmed up, we made two runs at each number and Norman said, "I don't think we can get any better than that."
We took that to mean it was perfect, but I'm not necessarily sure that's what Norman meant. Before we left, he asked me if I wanted to have my songs published. I thought, " Nobody's going to want to buy Sheet Music of this rock and roll, so what have I got to lose?"
I found out later. I don't remember Norman even giving me the $2 for the rights. Needless to say, I didn't major in Business at Tech.
However, the record had pretty big success regionally. My neighbor had just hired on as the afternoon DJ on the popular Lubbock radio station and he used our record as his theme song during intros and signoffs.
Actual record sales were great (#1 in Lubbock sales, out selling the Beatles for 3 weeks), but the real success was in performances. We were able to triple our bookings and triple our rates. It was a pretty sweet time.
"Dream Theme" was later reissued in 2004 on a compilation CD by Ace Records (UK), called "That's Swift".
RUFFIN STUDIO, Amarillo, TX.
We quickly started working on a follow-up record to “Dream Theme” and this time we wanted vocals. I co-wrote the lyrics to a song called “It’s A Fast Ride” with me double-picking a boogie rhythm.
It dealt with a rather shallow relationship. The flip side was a typical teen ballad that I co-wrote called “It Can’t Be Wrong To Be In Love”.
Although we had a modest hit with Norman Petty’s sound, we decided to try Ruffin’s Studio in Amarillo for our next recording. Ray was well known up and down the plains states for his band “Ray Ruff and the Checkmates” and his studio was twice the size of Norman’s.
Unfortunately, the recordings were not nearly as sharp, clean nor bright as what we got from the Petty Studio, and we never released those songs.
MOONHOUSE STUDIO, Austin TX.
Through my wonderful wife and in-laws, I was fortunate to meet many of the terrific international artists that live in the Austin area.
I was fully retired by 2001 and had resumed my playing in parties and jams, so, in 2008, I approached Chris Gage (8 years as pianist on Hee Haw and for years, now, Jerry Jeff Walker's guitar player) about recording and producing a CD of Texas music for me.
He had just moved to his new, upgraded studio and agreed to take me on. I sent him homemade recordings of my material and he arranged and charted the songs. Then Chris lined up top artists for the session, including Redd Volkaert (Merl Haggard's long time guitar player) and Earl Poole Ball (Johnny Cash's piano player for more than a decade).
Chris was so organized and the musicians were so creative, we laid down 10 tracks in 10 hours, and I was ecstatic.
I released my CD, "I'd Love To See Texas Again", in 2009 with the worst possible timing. I decided not to tour but, instead, tested the viability of marketing with Internet sales and local appearances only. Ha!
With the Great Recession and the market's rapid move from on-line purchase of CDs to on-line purchases of tracks and then simply streaming, CD sales slowed to performances only. Lessons learned.
I continue to get international pay for streaming listeners, but at a small fraction of a cent per play, the stream provides barely a trickle of revenue. That's why the Dallas Songwriter's Association award for 2014 Song of the Year is even more rewarding and gratifying.
RADIO LEGACY
In 2012, Station KDAV in Lubbock invited The Techniques for a reunion performance. The station sponsored a charity Auto and Motorcycle Show that we opened for and we had an in-studio interview session about the record and the times.
They had played our record throughout the week and we provided anecdotes in the studio as they played the songs again.
In 2013, I did a 30 minute performance/interview on the syndicated internet radio show "Live Music Scene" at the Thirsty Armadillo in the Fort Worth Stockyards. I had my own band, got to play four of the songs from my CD and had a great show!
Dallas' KNON has been great about playing the different genres of my songs. Cowhide Cole's Rockabilly Review has played "Autumn Rain" during a surfer show; Renegade Radio played "Hangin Out All Over Town" on their Texas music show; and DSA's own Jenni Peal played "Sweet Rolls and Cream" on her morning show last year.
WHAT THE BUCK OWENS
I was on a layover one Sunday morning in 1966 in the small Cincinnati Airport coffee shop when Buck Owens and his band came in for breakfast.
I was a grad student at the time, studying for an Advanced Calculus final, and I looked all around for something to get an autograph on. The only thing I had was my calculus book, so I went over to their table and asked Buck for his autograph in my book.
Buck's eyes weren't even open yet, and he never looked at what he was signing. He just took my book and started signing the flyleaf with a big "Best Wishes..." in an automatic flourish, when his bass player said, "Hey, Buck, do you know what you're signing?"
Buck closed the book, looked at the cover, and the whole table burst out laughing.
That's about as close as I've come to a brush with the famous and I'm certain that's as close as Buck ever came to a calculus book!
INFLUENCES
I mostly write Americana and Texana. Like many artists, I blend country, folk, blues, rockabilly; often with southern or Texas references.
Chuck Berry was important to everything, with both lyrics and guitar, then quickly followed Little Richard, all the Sun boys (Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny and Carl), Buddy, the doo-wopers and R & B with The Clovers, The Coasters, The Diamonds, Jackie Wilson….
Later, it was Guy Clark and Delbert McClinton
For guitar, I look to Les Paul, Scotty Moore, James Burton and Chet. The last several years I've been in awe of the talents of Chris Gage (my producer) on guitar, piano and in the booth.
I think my all time favorite performer was Jerry Lee Lewis. I just can't sit down when I hear his bad boy "Pumpin' Piano".
My favorite songwriters started with Lieber and Stoller, although I didn't know all those songs were theirs until later.
Others include Buddy Holly, Boyce and Hart (for the Monkees) get a nod, Don Henley-big time, Mickey Newbury, Guy Clark and Gary Nicholson.
Favorite songs include: Chuck's "Roll Over Beethoven,” Elvis' "That's All Right Mama,” Buddy's "That'll Be The Day,” Jerry Lee's "Whole Lotta Shakin," and "Great Balls Of Fire,” Don Henley's "Lyin' Eyes," Robert Palmer's "Bad Case of Lovin' You," and Delbert's "Why Me" and "Every Time I Roll The Dice.”
WRITING
Inspiration...that's an interesting concept. I find I have Moments of Inspiration and Periods of Inspiration.
When I have a Moment of Inspiration, it's usually just a line that I hear out in the world that sends my mind quickly into considering possibilities, often quirky, and grabbing a scrap of paper to record it.
I may take a few moments or minutes initially to jot down a natural rhyming thought that later forms a key element of the song. Sometimes the idea is so rich that I have an outpouring of words, rhymes and phrases, but those are rare gems.
Then, I have to find a Period of Inspiration. It usually comes in quiet, or at least uncluttered, times. I may get an idea out of turmoil, joy, turbulence or trial, but the body of the creation comes from a settled time that allows me to try several paths; adding, rejecting, re-writing, honing, assessing, testing.
When I realize the opportunity for a period of inspiration, I review my scraps of momentary inspiration and see if anything piques my interest. Sometimes these periods of inspiration are triggered by listening to other artists, either live or on the radio.
Favorite times of further creation and honing come on quiet car trips on Texas back roads or when I'm out jogging.
I'll often start with a natural meter to fit the words, then envision possibilities of style and mood for the theme of the song. What emotion do I want to invoke? Laughter? Empathy? Nostalgia? Joy?
I'll usually get a hook line, chorus or bridge lyric idea begun before I see what melody will fit the flow and feel.
What genre will fit the thought? What literary devices should I use? Humor? Satire?
I'm not naturally inclined to create free verse. I like to keep the rhymes tight (sometimes too much so) and enjoy internal rhymes and triple rhymes. I have to guard against making the rhyming too "sing-song", however.
I lean heavily on matching the lyric to the meter and usually try to get hard consonants on the beat. I guess that's because I like to dance to a strong rhythm and it comes out in what I write.
I always want a break in the melodic structure and almost always like a surprise or a twist in the lyric.
I like the lyric to tell a story: do a set up, develop a character, have a memorable, easily repeatable hook that strikes a chord with the listener, and gives a musical message of some sort.
A-LOP-BAM-BOOM
As a boy, I liked the swing music from the 40s and especially the boogie woogie, but I had no way to express the "feel-goodness" I felt. And I wasn't going to DANCE. Ugh!
However, as a teen, when I first heard "A-wop-bop, a-loo-mop, a-lop-bam-boom", I started jumping around. I think there's a tone and frequency that my mind and body just react strongly to.
Like Chuck said, "I got to learn to dance, if it takes me both night and day." Trouble was, I didn't have a big sister that could teach me to fast dance, so instead, I found a guitar and started imitating the sounds I heard on the radio.
Note: I didn't have any trouble learning to slow dance because it was easy and there was a different, more compelling draw going on with that!
Happily, I learned to swing dance later, so that when I wasn't performing I could DANCE. Oh yeah! Two ways to get the girls!!
A second thing music does for me is that it gives me a medium for creativity. I've always received great satisfaction from taking a kernel of thought and building a plan and executing the plan. It's a process I relish.
The resulting products meet with varying degrees of success, but enough of them are fruitful that I feel I can continue enjoying this creative process.
I also especially like word play (puns, double entendres, twists on phrases) and writing music lets me be Pan, the music maker and trickster.
ROAD LEADS TO DSA
There were several things I found attractive about the DSA. First, it was a solid, well-established organization with a good reputation and impressive speakers, members and alumni. That made it easy to commit my time to it. I wanted to learn more about the craft and believed the DSA could do that.
Secondly, I wanted to see where my creations measured up and where they didn't. I wanted to hear both first impressions as well as considered critiques, and I get both of these, generously, from the DSA.
I also wanted to join a community that discussed the business and performance aspects of songwriting. Again, both of these are generously shared by the organization.
The things I've learned come from such a naive starting point that they are silly to express. But they were all learning points for me.
--Don't sign your publishing rights away without a contract, and know exactly what that contract says.
--Choose your producer carefully. A good one makes magic out of your material. Average producer = average product.
--Your video won't go viral just because you put it out on YouTube.
--An indie can't sell a studio CD without performing.
--You don't make any money on internet sales from steaming unless you have hundreds of thousands of listens.
My favorite DSA events are
--2nd Tuesday Meetings
--Saturday Night at Angela's in Plano
--Festival opportunities
To make a good thing even better, I think the overall scoring total of each of the submissions to the Best of Meeting Critiques would add great feedback to the writers. I don't mean a breakdown of all the categories; just the final point total for each song.
Harry Hewlett did this on the last monthly submission in 2014 and I found it to be extremely informative. I loved it!!
I’m not a big one for advice. But if you are a DSA member, you need to be active. Start going to an event regularly. Appreciate what gifts are being offered.
GETTING PERSONAL
I was born in Wichita Falls and moved to Dallas when I was 10. I lived in Dallas and spent my summers back in Wichita Falls.
I went to several elementary schools in Dallas, then spent my high school years at Thomas Jefferson HS.
I spent 13 years getting a BS and MS at Texas Tech while working full time following my junior year.
I got Math degrees but didn't want to teach. I always had my eye out for a career at Texas Instruments and was fortunate to be rewarded with 25 years of creative endeavors.
I’ve lived in and around Dallas for 47 years
Aside from making music, I enjoy dancing and watching Netflix with my wife, Malinda, and reading every section of the Dallas Morning News at breakfast each morning.
Oh, and I try to work the Sunday New York Times Crossword in bits and pieces throughout the week.
If I were to brag, and folks, he’s asking me to brag, the things I am happiest and most proud of are:
First I think I am a pretty good family man. I'm proud of my education: BS, MS Math
I've run the Dallas (White Rock) Marathon the last 39 years in a row. I even medaled in my age group a few times. If anyone is interested in times, my fastest was a 2:48.
--I've coached the Texas Instruments Track Team for the last 35 years and once was on the cover of Runners World.
--I was "the talent" in a GTE pager service commercial. They had me running all over the hills outside of Austin while Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek) narrated the pitch
