Re: Let’s Keep It Between Us

Hi Bob,

It’s so sweet to read this all these years later.

I did Planet Waves with Bob Dylan and The Band in 1973. Bob and I connected and stayed in touch after Tour ’74. I called him and told him Bonnie and I were doing a record and asked if he had a song that he felt would be good for her. He sent “Let’s Keep It Between Us’.

I had no idea about Carolyn Dennis at that time. Robbie Robertson said when he heard Bob’s demo: “That’s the ultimate Bob/Sarah song Bob’s ever written”. That surely made sense at the time as they were in the middle of their split then.

There are two versions of Bob’s that I know of. The demo he gave me had 7 verses. We used 4 on Bonnie’s version.

When you say you don’t know what she was singing about, she was very faithful to Bob’s demo he gave us. I think Robbie was right, that version is about Bob & Sarah’s split.

I met Ian McLagan when the New Barbarians came to Shangri-la. I had worked on Goat’s Head Soup and that  started a life long relationship with Keith Richards & that’s how I first met Ronnie Wood who I had also worked with on Eric Clapton’s No Reason To Cry.

Green Light was the middle album of a triumvirate that started with Ian McLagan’s Bump In The Night and finished with Reneé Geyer’s So Lucky.

I had met Ricky Fataar while working on the last ? of the Beach Boys Holland album which brought us Sail On Sailor. I felt I had met the South African Charlie Watts. To this day, one of the finest drummers of all time. And Keith and Charlie felt the same way about Ricky. He’s still with Bonnie 44 years later. I also met Blondie Chaplin, the voice of Sail on Sailor. He sang some backing vocals on Green Light.

I was working on The Basement Tapes one night at Shangri-La and on my way to the kitchen I found Bobby Keys sitting at the bari n the pool table room. He said, “Rob, here’s a man you’ve gotta meet and you’ll never get enough of, Johnny Lee Schell”. He was right. Also Johnny wrote I Can’t Help Myself on Green Light. Johnny and I met up again when Mac did Bump In The Night at Shangri-la.

We were recording Mac’s record when I suggested to Bonnie to come check out Shangri-la. Mac, Ricky, Johnny and Ray O’Hara were in the middle of a take cutting a rocker called Judy, Judy, Judy when Bonnie came into the control room. Her eyes opened wide and she exclaimed “I want these guys to be the band on our record!”. They finished the take, came into the control room and I introduced them to Bonnie. I asked them if they wanted to make a record with her, to which I got a resounding, “Hell yes!”

A month later in June 1981, we began recording Green Light at Shangri-la.

Bonnie had become good friends with NRBQ often playing shows together which led us to their songs on the record.

It is true that Green Light allowed the rough edges to be seen, and Bon, who is three-dimensional…what works with a woman like that? …you’ve got to sell both your body and mind, and most guys are not up to that. It is so true that Bonnie Raitt was never surface…

I’m not so sure about future generations won’t be listening to Green Light.

It’s holding up well. It was an important step for Bonnie. Bonnie, the Bump Band and myself are happy with the results. I also disagree with the magic being absent. You pointed out a number of standout tracks and Bonnie’s vocals are heartfelt and soulful.

Rob Fraboni

I hate rich people. Because they’re so ENTITLED!

I’m not talking about the oligarchs, I’m referring to the everyday rich. You know, the kind of people who don’t check the gas prices, who have seven or eight figure nest eggs and…

Think they’re somehow better than the rest of us.

I don’t know what it’s rooted in. Some people have grown up wealthy, but so many others…they worked hard for their dough, they spent hours going to not only college, but graduate school. Maybe they’ve got one of those gigs where they’re legendarily overpaid, like at a movie studio. They’re the ones who are not bothered by the price tags on the clothing…you know, the hundred and fifty dollar t-shirts. All they know is they want them, and they’re under the delusion that we’re all paying attention to them and envious of them.

Go to Ralphs and everybody parks inside the lines.

Go to Whole Foods? The brand new Panamera is taking up two spaces. God forbid someone put a scratch in it. Furthermore, many people parking in this small lot are not even shopping, they’re visiting neighbors and…who cares if shoppers can’t find a space, tough noogies.

Shop at Ralphs or Kroger or whatever your local everyday market is and…no one fights for a place in line. As a matter of fact, people tend to be polite. I’m not saying that some aren’t hot and bothered, everybody can have a bad day, but they observe rules of decorum, but not at Whole Foods!

People are blocking the aisle. You say something, they don’t move. Then, you risk touching them, truly a no-no, and they look at you like you’ve interrupted the bar exam. HOW DARE YOU!

But the worst tonight was the dog. You have to bring your dog to  Whole Foods? I mean a dog in a grocery store? I thought that was illegal.

I guess not.

Can I go on record that I don’t like dogs? Well, I like some dogs, but I know too many misbehaved canines and too many people who treat their dogs like children, and if you don’t you’re a pariah. But even worse is if you’ve got a dog, you get a pass. Even better is to have a child, especially if you’re a guy, but if you’ve got a dog… Kids come up and pet it. People ask you what breed it is. Tell you how beautiful it is. Fine, BUT I’M TRYING TO SHOP!

So I’m the a*shole. I just want to get in and out, but no, I’ve got to run the gauntlet of a ZOO!

And the owner of this dog wasn’t much better… You know the type, the ones that don’t care if there’s a line, they’re going to take as long as they want, they rule.

It’s kind of like the doofuses who get to the counter at McDonald’s and start thinking about what they want. You’ve never been here before? All the time you’ve been waiting in line you couldn’t make up your mind?

And then there are the special orders… Hold this, add this… If you’re so picky, why don’t you eat at home? I mean the chef spends all this time creating delicacies and you’ve got no respect. Because you’ve got dietary restrictions that don’t square with any science, but you’re convinced you’re on the way to living past a hundred.

That’s another thing about the wealthy, they’re wacked.

Poor people go to the doctor and accept their opinion. A rich person argues. As if they know better and can beat science.

And it’s the wealthy who are into cockamamie new wave science. The west side of Los Angeles? A haven of unvaccinated children.

This is how the rich feel powerful, by rejecting conventional wisdom. They’re too good for conventional wisdom.

Forget that they have tax advantages the hoi polloi who file the standard deduction can’t benefit from…

Starting in the eighties the whole nation was tilted to the wealthy. To make it easier for them to get rich. Theory was it would trickle down to the little people. Yeah right, that never happened.

And now the rich are indignant when we call them on their sh*t.

So many people voted for Trump not because they were MAGA, but because they were sick of the rules established by those who think they know better and lord it over them.

So this woman with the dog… She’s sampling the food. Meanwhile, I just want to get a few slices of roast beef and go home. I know exactly what I want, she’s been there the better part of ten minutes.

Because I’m a rude Jew, I interrupt and ask for my beef, and you’d think I was Oliver asking for more. I mean this woman is tasting her sample, contemplating it, looking up into the ceiling lights…how long is it going to take you to slice a little beef?

And when this woman finally decides what she wants, she buys the teeniest tiniest amount possible. Meanwhile, she’s bonded with the clerk, who has deemed me a pariah.

So after I get my meat…

I want to go to the salad bar and build something minor but refreshing…

But this woman with the dog… She’s checking out every pan, every item, from the hot food to the cold. And I’m working around her, but she’s blocking me with her damn dog and I can’t get what I want.

But she’s just floating through life. Aren’t we wonderful. Let’s go do yoga and meditate. Be calm!

BE CALM? It’s a veritable rat race out there, survival of the fittest, and I don’t have to win but I’ve got to work, fight traffic, and the last thing I wanted to do was to go to the grocery store but…I needed a necessary item tonight.

And Whole Foods is the closest market.

And I’m cracking up at the tonality of all this. I wanted to do it like Bill Burr, so you’d be on my team…you know, from a distance and self-deprecating. Did you watch Bill’s latest Hulu special? It’s the delivery more than the jokes.

But instead I’ve pissed on dogs and people with expensive cars and shopping habits and…

I’m just an angry f*ck who can’t get with the program.

I guess that’s true. Those used to be the leaders in our society, the artists. Now they’re corporations afraid of alienating a potential fan. You can’t get a musician to go on record, and if anybody blows back they apologize, like a wimp.

Billionaires are worse.

But these people… 

Live music sucks on TV.

We all know that, and anybody who’s tried to turn it into a business has lost their shirt. Turns out you have to be there.

And now that’s where everybody wants to be, THE SHOW!

So I’m returning to a series on Amazon Prime last night and I see the logo for Stagecoach on the home screen. This I have to check out. After all, it’s about ten, when the headliners go on. But what I get is a T-Mobile advertisement that’s so offensive… The host is not endearing, it’s endless and I turn it off and go back to my show.

But when that’s over…

I go back to the stream to see Luke Combs on the Mane Stage.

Now I just finished watching the Ron Delsener documentary earlier in the day. And they showed Simon & Garfunkel’s concert in Central Park in 1981 and the audience size was OVERWHELMING!

That’s the way it was on TV last night.

This ain’t no Coachella, this is closer to JazzFest, where people park their asses all day in front of the main stage waiting for the headliners.

The configuration is completely different from Coachella. And by time the headliners take the stage, everybody in attendance is watching, it’s an endless sea of people and that’s impressive and I felt left out.

I don’t want to see influencers parade their wares, I’ve got no problem eating gourmet food, but what I enjoy most, what I go to the show for, is to be a member of a mass-attuned multitude, all on the same page, paying attention to the act on stage.

I mean most people are so far away that it’s not even worth shooting video. Sure, you can take pics of the screens placed strategically throughout the crowd, but what’s the purpose in that?

No, at that point, you’re just there for the music. It’s been a long day, you’re talked out, you’ve been waiting for this…

For such a long time.

And the guy on stage…

Doesn’t look like anybody in the Spotify Top 50. Oh, these people exist in real life, just not in entertainment, not where you can see anybody’s body. And if someone even slightly overweight appears on television, they make a big deal out of it. But Luke Combs… Looks like a guy you went to high school with. And one of the great things about him is he evidences no charisma. And that makes him even more attractive. Big time music has become all about artifice…outfits, makeup, hard drives…Luke Combs looks like he dressed to work on his car.

But he’s into it.

And he calls Bailey Zimmerman on stage to do their new single, “Backup Plan” and I get it the first time through, and that almost never happens anymore.

And then Luke turns it over to the band and…

They start playing Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps” and…

That’s when I start to wonder…why don’t we have this in rock?

Oh, we’ve got Active Rock. You need to go to school to understand it, know all the history of how we got here. Maybe its fans like being outsiders, because one thing is for sure, they’re passionate but this music is not mainstream.

What is mainstream? Hip-hop and overproduced pop. Everybody’s fearful of AI, but this music sounds like it was made by AI. You read the fantastic press and then you hear the track and you go back to the oldies, this stuff is so bad. I know, I know, it’s commerce, but there’s not much art.

And then we’ve got country music.

Which lost its twang long ago.

Country is the rock of the seventies. With tons of Fenders and Gibsons… And not so many hard drives.

Sure, there’s a ton of drivel. Written by committee numbers about babies and church and lame dates, but…that’s not all of it.

I know, I know, you hate country because its epicenter is in the south and all those people are rednecks, but…

They’re not. At this point in time, country is a big tent. It’s truly the sound of America. Hip-hop? You can talk the talk, even dress accordingly, but most people’s lives are far away from this paradigm, too often the music is a cartoon.

But this guy Luke Combs… He looks like you and me. He’s fronting a band of real musicians and this is quite the opposite of Charli XCX, who we had to hear about ad infinitum last summer who played Coachella sans band…at least that’s what I heard. Singing to track. So you can dance and prance… Once again, that’s commerce, but it’s far from the essence of music.

Now after I shut the TV off Garth Brooks came out to sing “Friends in Low Places” and…

If you were there you swooned. This was the surprise magic you were hoping for.

But what resonated even more was Luke’s subsequent appearance with the Backstreet Boys to sing “I Want It That Way.”

“You are my fire

The one desire”

I had to buy that CD, entitled “Millennium,” just to hear “I Want It That Way” whenever I wanted, which turned out to be quite a bit.

It’s got 1,744,938343 streams on Spotify. That’s right, almost TWO BILLION!

But the act was poohed-poohed by the skinny jeans/leather jacket crowd. 

All I know is I used to blast that CD in my car, starting with the opener, “Larger Than Life,” which then slipped into “I Want It That Way” and “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.”

You know what the triple-header opening of “Millennium,” nearly as good as the three songs that open “Slippery When Wet,” have in common?

MAX MARTIN!

The best producer of the last thirty years, who started in a metal band and can write and sing hits seemingly at will.

A hit is a hit is a hit, but there are very few one listen records anymore.

But just like the boy bands were put down at the turn of the century, dismissed as dreck by the supposed cognoscenti, the same thing has happened to modern country.

And country is a big tent. There’s not only the radio stuff, but Chis Stapleton, Willie Nelson, even all those Americana acts like Jason Isbell. This is where it’s happening, but just like the media missed Trump, they’re missing this music story.

If you’re hiring a million writers, putting so much in that the cut can’t breathe and remixing the track ad infinitum…

You’re missing the point.

We want humanity. Life. We want to feel connected.

And I felt connected with the crowd last night.

Didn’t matter what anybody’s politics were, because we’re more alike than dissimilar. It’s the power of the music.

When done right it lifts you up and makes life worth living.

And even though the audio sucks, the excitement of the audience is palpable in this Backstreet Boys/Luke Combs video:

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Everybody’s singing along. They all know the track whereas today’s number ones elude most everybody.

Sure, the landscape has changed, but so has the music.

I WANT IT THAT WAY!

In the of 1969, between my 2nd and 3rd year in law school at UT in Austin, I got a summer job at ASCAP in the membership department. At the time, BMI had more rock acts on the charts than ASCAP. I talked my boss into buying two tickets to all the the Schaefer Beer concerts at Wollman Rink and letting me be ASCAP’s “goodwill ambassador” to meet the acts or their manager. Ron Delsener was great. He helped me out. We would chat at the shows. While watching the Jeff Beck group with Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin and friends were standing next to me. She was looking at Rod Stewart. I heard her say, “I’d like to get my hands on that little Limey.” I saw Arthur Brown with his flaming helmet singing atop of the PA. If a fortune teller had told me that in the 80’s I would get Arthur and Jimmy Carl Black a gig painting my Mother’s house in Austin, I wouldn’t have believed her. The two of them had a painting company called Gentlemen of Color. That’s a story for another day.

Back to Ron Delsener. In April of 1972, I had joined Spirit as lead singer and bass player when Jay and Mark left to form Jo Jo Gunne. Spirit was headlining Carnegie Hall. Dr. John was the opening act. As I was coming down the narrow stairway from the dressing room to go onstage, Ron was coming up. He looked at me in amazement. “I didn’t know you were in this band.” I said, “I’m working for you tonight.” That wasn’t the last time I saw Ron. But, all my memories of him were good ones. A stand up guy.

Looking forward to seeing the documentary,

Al Staehely

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Many fond memories of working with Ron in the ’70’s/80’s. I was told later in life he had a real dread of passing away. Hope he found peace with that. Always a gentleman and always a dapper dresser. No jeans and t’s.

Willie Perkins

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I worked for Ron in the mid 90s. I was in office when the Sillerman meetings were happening but left before the acquisition.

Ron is a force of nature for sure and a true original, a total character – a man of his time much like Bill Graham. But having not yet seen the movie I wonder how much time is spent on Mitch Slater (who passed away way too young)?  He was a big part of Ron’s success during that period.

I’m sure others will write in with additional color but Delsener/Slater (the company name before Sillerman bought them) was the training ground for some of the best names in management and touring – many of whom are still active today.

Rishon Blumberg

PS – Ron’s sister Harriet who worked at his company too and subsequent merged ones just left her gig very recently at Live Nation.

Something definitely was in the water at the Delsener household growing up. Amazing work ethics.

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Love Ron.  His granddaughter / daughter are wonderful people who grew up w my daughter.

Saw Ron back stage from Roger Waters to Van Halen.

Always treated me like family and I’m inspired by his relentless work ethic.   One of the great ones!   Oh and I grew up watching his rock concerts in the 70’s on tv after SNL.   Then it was great to become friends in the 90’s.

TRUE LEGEND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY A GREAT MAN.

Stratis Morfogen
Dot.Cards/stratism

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I can’t wait to watch this. Ron was one of the local promoters my Dad had a lot of respect for. They worked together often and were friends.

Michael Weintraub

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Ron was probably my favorite promoter from the ‘old days’ when I worked for APA and The William Morris Agency approx around 1970. Always a gentleman and a pleasure to work with! The Ultimate professional.  Another favorite of mine with Bill Graham RIP.

Sincerely,

Iona Elliott

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Graham cut an exclusive deal with the venue behind his back and renamed it the Fillmore East.

Gary’s shows in 1967 included a double header show by The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, The Yardbirds w Jimmy Page, and Otis Redding.

Ron recently told me that he and Gary shared office space around this time.

Best,

Josh Kurfirst

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Thanks for the heads up on this one. I went to many shows that Delsener produced — starting with the ones at Wollman Rink in Central Park, forgot he did those. And many downtown at the Palladium, uptown at the Beacon, and in-between, the free shows in the Park, Carnegie Hall, and MSG. Perhaps the only time I saw him onstage was at the Palladium, 1978, trying to calm an agitated, upset crowd after Van Morrison walked offstage after only about 20 minutes…show over! At least Rockpile did a burning opening set. I did see Van a couple other times subsequently, and he was fantastic.

Thanks for your great letters, podcasts and Sirius/XM show!

Todd Ellenberg

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Hi Bob – One evening around 1999/2000, I was hanging out in a lounge on East 27th Street in Manhattan. Ron Delsener was there assessing the interior design of the lounge together with an architect. I learned later that Ron was planning to do some renovations at the Roseland Ballroom (now a 62-story luxury rental property). I had been introduced to Ron through Donald Trump in 1996/1997 when Donald had 55 Wall Street under contract. I toured Ron through the historic grand banking hall as Donald suggested it would make a “tremendous” performance venue. The hall is now run by Cipriani (Cipriani Wall Street) catering to large corporate events. I thought to reintroduce myself to Ron and say hello. He was gracious, we talked a bit. After a while Ron said to me “you wanna hang out?” I hadn’t heard that expression since the 1970’s. I felt wistful, but solaced. It became clear that Ron was somewhat smitten by my friend Staci, a tall, strikingly attractive brunette. We explained to Ron that we were waiting for her fiance to join us, who owned the restaurant across the street. Ron invited us to see David Byrne at the Roseland Ballroom which he was promoting that evening. “Come for a little while and I’ll drive you back here to meet your boyfriend,” he suggested. Why not? We got into his black stretch limousine and drove up to West 52nd Street. Ron asked Staci if she liked caviar. Who doesn’t? We drank vodka and ate caviar at the Russian Vodka Room (still there) next to the venue. Afterwards, the three of us walked into the Roseland. Multiple “Hi Mr. Delsener” greetings were hurled our way. Walking down a hall backstage we literally ran into David Byrne who was already dressed in his iconic oversized pink shag pants. Ron introduced us. David was incredibly polite and relaxed considering he was about to go on stage. I recall that the show was full if not sold out. The VIP section was a raised floor, audience right, where there were four small tables, each with four chairs. The three of us sat at one of the tables, the other three tables remained empty. After about four songs Staci and I really had to get back downtown. Ron said “I’ll give you a ride back as promised. I really need to meet this guy…”

Mike Gochman