Songwriter John Stewart - R.I.P.

[Jim Price]

Although not a superstar name himself, John wrote some of the rock/pop era's most famous songs. The story...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/0 ... index.html

[songsmith]

I always wondered, in his late-70's radio hit, "Gold," if he was saying:

"Well, my buddy Jim Bass, he's a-workin' pumpin' gas
And he makes $2.50 for an hour..."

Or if the last line says, ..."he makes $2.54 an hour."

This is my life. Twenty-seven years of obsessing on whether a character from a minor Top 40 hit actually got that extra four cents per. Either way, the dude was making at least 15 cents over the minimum wage then, not bad for a pump jockey. For those of you under 35, people didn't always pump their own gas. Most places wouldn't even let you, unless they knew you. They usually had someone a bit odd doing that for you.
Anyway, that's your non sequitur for today.
John Stewart was a pretty good writer, and that song, Gold, was actually really good... catchy melody, and his imagery was excellent. I love a lyric or story where you can see what's happening in your head. Newbie songwriters should sometimes look at lyrics like a canvas, a complex picture the writer creates, and occasionally get away from the whole chug-chug, write-from-the-riff thing. Songwriting is art. Be artistic. Maybe, if you create a memorable character, 27 years from now, people will still be thinking about your song. RIP, John.--->JMS

[VENTGtr]

For those of you under 35, people didn't always pump their own gas. Most places wouldn't even let you, unless they knew you. They usually had someone a bit odd doing that for you.

By law, still like that in NJ and...Oregon,(?) I believe.

On the upside, they'd asked if you'd like your windows wiped (And, according
to episodes of "Leave it to Beaver", way back they used to check your oil, tire
pressure, etc.)

[DrumAndDestroy]

By law, still like that in NJ and...Oregon,(?) I believe

yeah...i found that out on the way home from a show we played in NYC last spring.

i was wondering why i was the only guy getting out of my car at the pump...

[Blue Reality]

Now that's funny about the 4 cents. If you had the chance to ask him, would he even realize that was an issue?

When I lived in LA I went to a club in Hollywood where some big name writers would showcase their latest tunes for the industry. Just a writer and an acoustic guitar. One guy wrote the theme to Caddy Shack, another wrote the Clapton ditty I've Got a Rock an Roll heart. What struck me most was that these cats were horrible perfromers. Just rotten at singing and playing. I mentioned that to an A&R guy sitting next to me taking notes and he smiled and shook his head and agreed. But boy can they weave a story and a melody together.

I also brought an old Marshall head to one of the blonde guitar players in the Heart Videos from the late 80's, What About Love... He live in a small house in the San Fernando valley with a pool house converted to a studio and he just holed up in there writing day after day trying to get back in big again. He had a gold record or two on the wall from Heart and photos. Had his time and was back at it trying to break through the grunge wave and the colapse of the LA music/Sunset strip scene...

Good writers find a way to get heard I suppose. It was fascinating to see that these guys weren't any different from us.

BTW the dude didn't buy the Marshall and I'm glad about that.

[VENTGtr]

I also brought an old Marshall head to one of the blonde guitar players in the Heart Videos from the late 80's

Howard Leese?

[Team Transylvania]

Didnt Kenny Loggins do the Caddyshack theme??

[DrumAndDestroy]

caddyshack is classic!

[Brian of the Clan Plush]

I always thought he was saying "he makes 2 bits for an hour".

[VENTGtr]

I always thought he was saying "he makes 2 bits for an hour".

TO THE INTERNETS!!!!

[moxham123]

Gold by John Stewart

When the lights go down
In the California town
People are in for the evening
I jump into my car
And I throw in my guitar
My heart beatin' time with the breathing

Driving over Kanan
Singing to my soul
'Cause people out there turn the music into gold

My buddy Jim Bash
He is working pumping gas
And he makes two fifty for an hour
He's got rhythm in his hands
As he's tapping on the cans
Sings rock and roll in the shower

Driving over Kanan
Singing to my soul
'Cause people out there turn the music into gold

California girls are the greatest in the world
Each one a song in the making
Singin' rhymes with me, I can hear the melody
Story is there for the taking

Driving over Kanan
Singing to my soul
'Cause people out there turn the music into gold

(guitar break)

Driving over Kanan
Singing to my soul
'Cause people out there turn the music into gold

When the lights go down
In the California town
People are in for the evening
I jump into my car
And I throw in my guitar
My heart beatin' time with the breathing

Driving over Kanan
Singing to my soul
'Cause people out there turn the music into gold

Driving over Kanan
Singing to my soul
People out there turn the music into gold
People out there turn the music into gold
People out there turn the music into gold

People out there turn the music into gold...into Gold
People out there turn the music into gold...into Gold
People out there turn the music into gold...into Gold
People out there turn the music into gold...into Gold

[Blue Reality]

Yeah kenny Logins recoreded the theme to Caddy Shack but he didn't write it.

And i don't remember if it was Howard. I really don't remeber his name and he wasn't too friendly either. He played through the amp for a couple of minutes and then said he wasn't interested. That was that. I wasn't interested in striking up a conversation with him.

My experience out there was that any musician's position in the biz was always fragile and there was a lot of turf. Guys tried to control their situations as much as possible and keep distance from people they didn't know too well. Most of these guys were easily replaced and they knew it. So you could chat them up, but if you didn't have some kind of connection with people they knew they weren't helping you out much.

I got in touch with a guy who was a studio drummer through friends and got invited to a club in Hollywood where he and some of his studio buds were show casing songs they wrote in a new band. Like they were going to be another Toto. I wasn't too impressed, especially with the guitar player and I remember thinking that I could easily do what this guy did and more. But even thought the club was empty, there was no way i was going to get the chance to sit in with these guys. It was like, "Who are you??????????? don't even think about it..."

Again it reminded me a lot of situations I'd been in before. Empty club with guys putting their stuff out there hoping some one hears and connects with it. Hey we never know what might happen do we

[Klamachpin]

RIP to yet another 70's music master. I love John's song, "Gold". It takes me back to a magical time when I was young, 1979 that is. It's on his album, "Bombs Away Dream Babies". The lyrics are also found in Stevie Nicks' boxset, "Enchanted". What a lucky cat he was to be able to sing with Stevie & play with Lindsey Buckingham. I'll always remember that song & John for it. All it takes is one good song(hit) to be remembered forever. Thanks, John.