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Sometimes there’s no room for you in the conventional business.

If you look at the Spotify Top 50, if you check out the execs at the big three major labels, you may scratch your head and ask yourself WHAT IS THIS AND WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? It’s like the mainstream recording business is heading straight for a cliff, at a hundred miles an hour, as if the rest of the world does not exist, as if in a world where we’re overloaded with choice we only want a limited number of offerings in music. You can listen to all the hit playlists, even country, click through, and if you’re lucky you’ll find a track or two that resonates, and then you’ll pull up Joe Bonamassa’s “Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye” and find it lands directly in the pocket.

Gary Moore was a journeyman. But his LP “Still Got The Blues” was released in America on the new Virgin label Charisma and Phil Quartararo, its majordomo, got the title track airplay. Forget the charts, they rarely reflect reality, if you listened to rock radio in 1990, you know “Still Got The Blues,” it wasn’t that it sounded new, just that it sounded so right. Moore had been kicking around for years, most notably as a member of Thin Lizzy, but that act’s hit days were far behind it, and Phil Lynott died in 1986. In other words, it was Phil Q who made the track a hit.

No one is making Joe Bonamassa’s track “Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye” a hit. Joe’s a self-contained business. With a push would this track break? It’s not quite as good as “Still The Blues,” but it’s close, and I haven’t heard anything just like it in a while. Yes, blues rock, the sound that emanated from the U.K. when the music of the Mississippi Delta mixed with electric guitars and experimentation, envelope-pushing, is essentially dead. Clapton is lionized, oldsters still debate the best guitarist of all time, but it’s an echo chamber at best, no one outside of those involved seems to care. Rock is dead on the radio. But it lives on the road. Which is where Bonamassa makes his bread, he averages 2,759 tickets per gig, for an average gross of $319,754, which is a tidy sum, especially when you do it all yourself.

Joe Bonamassa has been building his audience for decades. While those on the Spotify Top 50 come and go, he remains, under the radar, with little press, but those who know and care support him, he’s a star to them. But so far outsiders have scratched their heads, because Joe was quite definitely a great guitar player, but the songs and the vocals didn’t quite measure up. But now comes “Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye.”

I’m not sure this resonates with the younger generation, after all it hasn’t even been exposed to this music. Then again, a lot of them have, out of the speakers of their parents’ cars, their stereos. Especially the children of baby boomers. And Led Zeppelin is forever. And sure, Great Van Fleet sounds like Led Zeppelin, its lead singer emulates Robert Plant, but that’s not the sound of Joe Bonamassa, Bonamassa sounds closer to the first Zeppelin album, to what came before, closer to Jeff Beck than Jimmy Page. And “Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye” swings.

But it is generic. You’re not going to listen to it and see it as a breakthrough, but it will wake up your ears, because it’s the lost sound that used to resonate with you so. And the guitar-playing is what is absent from all records today and even the lyrics resonate, especially when you learn they’re based on the end of Bonamassa’s five year relationship.

“Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye” doesn’t fit on Active Rock. That format is for harder-edged bands a few generations removed from Black Sabbath, as in if you haven’t been following the scene, don’t know the history, chances are you’ll find the cacophonous sound anathema.

And Triple-A leans meaningful. It’s not about playing so much as songwriting, although its playlist is broader than Active Rock, but it champions acts like Phoebe Bridgers, who appeals more to your intellect than your heart, never mind your genitalia.

So, there’s nowhere for “Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye” in today’s recorded music business. It’s a square peg in a round hole. But in this case, the peg is quite large and the hole is not as big as gatekeepers think it is.

Begging the question if Bonamassa got a push, would he break through. There’s a good case he would! It would be more of a press story than a radio one, because the fans of this kind of music still pay attention to the press. And it could be cool to go see Joe Bonamassa, but then at some point he’d be yesterday’s news, he’d lose his label, thrown on the scrapheap as a has-been. But by doing it himself, by hiding in plain sight, Joe Bonamassa continues to build a career that will last as long as he wants it to. And never forget, people love to own something, and it’s only the youngsters who love to own number one, and they abandon it when the next thing comes along or they get older.

“Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye” is timeless, just like the blues. A sound that here’s forever. Trends come and go. But people will still be playing blues rock. Just check out the School of Rock, this sound dominates. And rock is not like jazz, it is a bigger tent, and is earthy without snootiness and requires no studying, no knowledge to understand and get.

Is this a trend? Is Joe Bonamassa leading a charge back to blues rock? I don’t think so. But the trend of doing it all by yourself, building for the ages as opposed to today, that’s something that is gonna grow, because despite the barriers to entry having been torn down the road to stardom goes through channels narrower than ever before, leaving too many genres of music out, in an age where you are not dependent on the system to build a career. Bonamassa is a harbinger. In a world where the road is more important than the studio, where feeling is more important than the penumbra, where the world still hungers for music that is not background, for the dance floor, for a video game, for a commercial, but is positively primary, up close and personal.

P.S. Check out the YouTube video above, although canned, when you see Bonamassa bend the notes your body tightens, your eyes narrow, you’re caught up in the feeling you know so well, the feeling of music pushing you to that place where it’s the only thing that exists and you feel alive and well.

Re: The Go-Go’s Movie

Bob,

You make some good observations, as usual. But also as usual, there’s a lot more to the story. Richard Gottehrer was the perfect producer, and had the foresight to make a classic album in terms of production. When a Go-Go’s song is heard in 2020 there’s no telltale gated snare drum or cheesy synths to date it right back to 1981. More than anything, he agreed to make the album for $40k, which was the entirety of the budget. When we went over, he kicked in his own money to finish. And Mike Chapman did want to produce the Go-Go’s when we had access to the sort of budget he’d require, and signed on for a 4th album. But we were already on fire—and not in the good way.

And Our Lips are Sealed, I agree, what a perfect song. Never tire of playing it. Released June 12, 1981—but it took 6 months, until the week of Dec 12 to get to #20, where it stayed for a little over a week before heading down. Kudos to IRS and Michael Plen in particular who didn’t give up and worked that single without all the clout and money other labels could throw behind a record.

Starting in August, MTV added the video. So while MTV certainly played a big part in breaking the band, beaming a bunch of cool, fun gals into peoples living rooms—there were so many other working pieces.
Namely the 5 of us. We never stopped. Day in, day out, press, phoners, radio, sound check, show. Every single town we played, we visited the radio stations, smiled and took pics, did their station IDs and answered the questions and yukked it up at the morning jock jokes.
And when playlist adds from big radio program directors were announced in that Quarterback Flash or whatever it was called each Friday, nada. No Go-Go’s.

College DJs played the single, DJs at big stations with some power to slip in a few singles of their own choosing, like Oedipus in Boston for one example—they played a role in us being heard. A November Saturday Night Live appearance catapulted us, even though we were half blotto in the performance. Opening for the Police in arenas helped us, just like Miles Copeland knew it would.

But there was also the timing. The timing always plays a part! The magic part. It’s just a synchronicity. In1981 the recession was just getting started, AIDS too, as well as Iran-Contra. There was an unease and uncertainty for a lot of people in this country, that things might be getting bad, and the Go-Go’s were uplifting. The right band at the right time.

Lucky for us, we had another strong single to follow up “Our Lips Are Sealed.” And after that, “Vacation” pushed the band down the road a little further.

And just as all those elements were relevant and important to the success, there was no big single reason it fell apart. I think you can put all the “usual suspect” reasons of substance & alcohol abuse, rampant egos, and income inequality, under one big umbrella of just being immature, undeveloped humans without much capacity for communicating or compassion. Oh well.

I’ve gotten close to a hundred of messages, emails, texts and phone calls since the Go-Go’s film aired on Showtime. It’s amazing to me what a wide swath of reactions I’m hearing. People wistful, people who didn’t know the back story. People inspired, people proud to have been there, people who want to tell me what the band meant to them. People who gripe about what was left out. People from similar heyday bands that got triggered being reminded of a band in-fighting. People who noticed things that shouldn’t have gotten past QC. It’s been mind-blowing.

I really like that you point out that the fact we were women wasn’t a cause for the difficulties. I get sick of that tired old catfighting bitchy trope, and always point out all the guys in bands who have similar issues. From Creedence to Guns n Roses, it’s hard to be in a band. But what makes the Go-Go’s endurance special is that we always, no matter what, overcome grudges, resentments, betrayals, hurts and disagreements.
And it’s not to cash in on the “oldies circuit.”

It’s because there is a bond that was forged by growing up together all while experiencing something extraordinary.

We (the present day Go-Go’s) don’t expect to have hits. And anyone in their 60’s realizes that chasing relevance might be time better spent nurturing contentment. But everyone wants to be recognized for their contributions, and we did contribute. We always knew we did. We’ve heard it all along, from adults who found inspiration, solace and hope when they were kids and adolescents seeing the Go-Go’s. We’ve heard it from a litany of musicians and artists that surprised even us.
I hope the film brings some of the respect and recognition that has eluded this band!

Kathy Valentine

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Subject: Buffett here-not Warren

Hey Bob

How are you? Just read your piece on Mac, and I too know that Mississippi shy boy thing is not fake. Also as a fellow Mississippian, but from the bayous of Pascagoula, not the “nawth” part of the stage, I just wanted you to take comfort in the fact, that those of us from Mississippi, still can’t figure it out. As you might know, I have been a shameless promoter of Mac for a long time, and really wanted to thank you for the portrait you paint of one of the most talented writers and solo performers that I have ever met, who also happens to be one of my closest friends. That is why I chased him down and made him join the Coral Reefer Band. If I am Captain Kirk, then Mac is Spock, and Mike Utley is Dr McCoy, as we travel the musical universe together. I have to confess, I have not heard a single song on the album yet, because Mac hasn’t sent me one ha ha. I guess I better order one on Mailboat and sit back and dig it like you did, as the hurricane passes over Sag Harbor this afternoon. I will be in the studio to listen to the vinyl ref of “Life on the Flip Side” and will dove tail right into Mac’s. Then I can talk about it after listening to it, if you need me too. Stay safe and I will be back in LA for a week at the end of September, and will check in with you then, and maybe we can grab a covid cocktail.

Fins Up

Jimmy

Spotify

Pandora

Playlist:

“Follow The Yellow Brick Road” – The Munchkins – 1939 – “The Wizard of Oz”

“Itsy-Bitsy-Teeny-Weeny-Yellow-Polka-Dot Bikini” – Bryan Hyland – summer 1960

“The Yellow Rose Of Texas” – Mitch Miller – 1955- in “Giant” in ’56

“She Wore A Yellow Ribbon” – traditional
(“Sing Along With Mitch” album from 1958 – “You Are My Sunshine,” “Down By The Old Mill Stream,” “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad,” “Don’t Fence Me In”)
Movie -theme song – 1949 with John Wayne

“Yellow Submarine” – ’66

“Mellow Yellow” – Donovan – October ’66 in U.S.

“Yellow Balloon” – Jan & Dean – 1967

“Yellow Balloon” – “Yellow Balloon” (included Don Grady – Mouseketeer, “My Three Sons”)

“Yellow Man” – Randy Newman – 2nd album, “12 Songs,” one with “Mama Told Me Not To Come”

“Big Yellow Taxi” – 1970 – “Ladies of the Canyon”

“Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree” – ’73-Tony Orlando & Dawn ’81 – Iran Hostage Crisis

“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – October ’73

“Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow” – Frank Zappa – ’74 album “Apostrophe” (Album after “Over-Nite Sensation” with “Montana” and “Camarillo Brillo” -Now on DiscReet records

“Yellow” – Coldplay – 2000

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Note – This is an hour long show, so I can not include EVERY yellow song.

For example, I could not include the following in the broadcast:

“Green, Yellow and Red” – John Kilzer – 88

“Yellow Ledbetter” – Pearl Jam – 92 flip side of “Jeremy”

“Black And Yellow” – Wiz Khalifa- (2011 – “Rolling Papers” album)

“Yellow Flicker Beat” – 2014 – Lorde – “Hunger Games”

“Yellow Bird” – Pretty Lights

“Purple, Yellow, Red And Blue” – Portugal. The Man -2013

“Bodak Yellow” – Cardi B – 2017

“Yellow Is The Color of Her Eyes” – Soccer Mommy-2019 (about mother with a terminal illness)

The above are from my notes I assembled while constructing the show.
Just so you know.

Tune in today, August 4th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.

Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: HearLefsetzLive

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: LefsetzLive

Once In A Lifetime – Spotify

Once In A Lifetime – YouTube

It’s really hard to write a hit song. I’m not talking about one that tops the chart, but one that grabs the listener and won’t let go, that makes you feel good every time you hear it.

I’m a fan of this guy. Primarily because of his 1983 LP on Geffen, “Nothing But The Truth.” At that point Geffen put out very few records, after the label’s initial splash it was relatively cold, carried by Quarterflash and other acts lost to the sands of time. But then they signed a country act?

Well, that was the pitch, but the truth is “Nothing But The Truth” is closer to a singer-songwriter LP from the seventies than country, but Mac is definitely country, he hails from Mississippi, a state northerners still don’t understand, still don’t know is just a stone’s throw from Graceland.

The radio track on “Nothing But The Truth” was “Minimum Love,” and it actually got some traction, but it was generic whereas the rest of the cuts on the LP were more specific, kinda like “Doctor My Eyes” from the first Jackson Browne LP. But the killer cut is the title track.

We were skippin’ the pages in the bookstore baby when I realized we hit the skids
I got a book about contraceptives and you got a book about kids

These are not the lyrics you hear over the air, but they’re the ones experienced by people all over the world every day. Are your interests aligned? Are you working towards marriage and kids or should you break it up, is someone gonna jump ship.

I was knockin’ around in the grocery store baby on the night of the last election

“Nothin’ But The Truth” is wistful. Reserved. Someone who’s had a lot of experience and is testifying as to their truth. And every four years the above line goes through my brain, whenever there’s an election, funny how music rides shotgun, how it’s our own personal milepost even if no one else knows it, music may be heard in groups, but it’s utterly personal.

But there was never another Mac McAnally album on Geffen.

Next thing I knew Mac was playing with Jimmy Buffett. A sideman instead of the main man. He’d gotten his chance, but he hadn’t connected.

But there was one song, from 1990, about the time Garth Brooks was initially triumphing, but I never heard it, this was still when there was a distinct line between country and rock, despite so many rock acts including country elements in their records, it wasn’t until the twenty first century that old rock fans realized if you wanted to hear guitars, if you wanted more of what used to be, you had to go to Nashville, in your mind anyway.

And I became aware of that song when it was covered by Kenny Chesney, it’s one of his staples, it’s entitled “Back Where I Come From.”

Well in the town where I was raised
The clock ticks and the cattle graze
Time passed with amazing grace
Back where I come from

It sounds like Mayberry. A slower pace. Where people live life as opposed to race it.

And as good as Kenny’s studio version is, the definitive performance is the one included in his 2006 LP “Kenny Chesney Live.” It’s slower, it’s pregnant with meaning. And when Kenny steps away from the mic and lets the audience sing…your heart pitter-patters, this is the unity too often lacking in the U.S. today. Kenny’s #1 venue is outside of Boston, where the Patriots play, but this southern music resonates just as much there. You see we all come from somewhere. Most probably a place where there was no spotlight, where we became who we are today.

But the most poignant lines are:

Some say it’s a backward place
Narrow minds on a narrow way
But I make it a point to say
That’s where I come from

Not only do most Americans not go overseas, most haven’t been far from where they grew up. In the seventies, prior to cheap air travel, never mind the internet, it was a rite of passage, with your family, while you were in college, to get behind the wheel and explore, to see America, Paul Simon even wrote a whole song about it.

“Back Where I Come From” is a hit, the kind I mentioned above, indelible, above the rest, a statement, that penetrates your soul, that you can hear over and over again and never burn out on.

Now the original Mac McAnally version is more upbeat, your mind drifts less, you’re caught up in the groove, smiling, like you do when you hear his new track “Once In A Lifetime.”

Every day is truly once in a lifetime. It’s not coming back. Which is what bugs me about this Covid-19 era, being in suspended animation, watching my life go by, the grains of sand flowing through the hourglass, with only so many left.

Every day is once in lifetime
And right now just me be the right time

I must admit, I’m a glass half-empty kind of guy, but my glass is full when I listen to music, the right music, it not only makes me happy, it emboldens me.

I didn’t get “Once In A Lifetime” at first. Close, but no cigar. But then I listened a second time, now I pull it up and let it play over and over again, I don’t want the mood to end.

I only met McAnally once. Back in the earlier part of this century. At a Jimmy Buffett show in Chula Vista. It was still sunny, he was wandering around backstage with no airs, he could have been a roadie to those out of the loop, or a lumberjack, with his red hair and beard. But I had to talk to him, I had to tell him how much I liked “Nothing But The Truth,” I figured it would mean something to him, that the unheralded work reached a listener and still meant something to him.

But what stunned me in the reaction was the accent. This guy was truly from Mississippi. And he kept his head down, he was humble, he didn’t want to talk about it, he just wanted to move on, he seemed to be embarrassed by the attention. Funny how you think you know who someone is based on their records. That someone sensitive in their music, plumbing their emotions, would be eager to have that conversation in real life, but not Mac, at least not that day, he wasn’t dismissive, he just wanted to elude the spotlight.

Now “Once In A Lifetime” sounds like it’s being sung by the riverbank, with only a few in attendance, made for the joy of music as opposed to the audience, as opposed to the money.

And I don’t think there’s gonna be a lot of money in “Once In A Lifetime,” unless it’s covered by one of Nashville’s stars. The recording is a blueprint, they’d just find someone with a rich voice with little character and gussy up the production, make it slick, but what makes “Once In A Lifetime” so good is its roughness.

It used to be different. If you were the kind of person who could get a record deal, get a song on the radio, you were established, you could turn it into a career. But today if these same people make music very few hear it. You can’t be doing it for the money, you’ve got to be doing it because you love it.

And I love “Once In A Lifetime.”

The story of “Once In A Lifetime” and a live acoustic performance thereof