Full Transcript for Inter-album Interview: Vincent "Perm" Parker

read to you Less 76 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:58.480 as I learned to read music around this time, because 77 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:01.040 a buddy of mine was a drummer in the jazz band. 78 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:04.319 He said, hey, they need a bass player in jazz band, 79 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:05.560 and I told them about you. 80 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:10.680 Was that you not sure? Now? 81 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:13.279 He did say there were multiple drummers in the jazz band, 82 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:15.600 so you had to like wait your turn to play, right. 83 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:21.720 I actually took first seat, you know, Oh you were right? 84 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:26.439 Maybe maybe Brett Kern. It might have been Britt. We 85 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:27.920 call him Kerr and Kern. 86 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.040 So right, Oh Kern was in the jazz band too, Okay, 87 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:35.079 so oh wow, that's so cool because let's did say, 88 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.079 of course he played with Kerrn as well, so so 89 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.399 you knew Kerrn. You guys were both getting reps in 90 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:44.959 I guess playing playing drums. Maybe it was Kern that 91 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:46.639 referred less to the jazz band. 92 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:51.319 Then it might have been Kurrent. Okay, but you know something, 93 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.360 I think we're in different, two different bands in mister 94 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:57.600 Johnson's class so it might have been me that that 95 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:00.439 till May we need another bass player over here. 96 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:06.279 So okay, wow. So actually I'm curious about, and I 97 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:09.160 kind of skipped over it. I'm curious about what music 98 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:11.759 you were listening to in your household when you were 99 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:12.560 a kid. 100 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:18.519 A lot of R and B, R and B soul funk, 101 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:23.639 you know. I mean, let's started practicing together every lunch day, 102 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:27.560 and lunchtime we'd go to mister Johnson's classroom and go 103 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:31.839 into the soundproof boosts and just stretch out every day. 104 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:36.920 So it was thirty minutes of thirty minutes of fiery 105 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:38.279 funk and crip. 106 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:46.000 Yeah that's awesome. So you guys, man, I don't even 107 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:47.920 think they'd let you do that now because you have 108 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:49.399 to be you know, supervised. 109 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:49.879 But so. 110 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:54.879 How long had you been drumming up to that point? 111 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:05.519 I started drumming the time I left Warren Crespy, so 112 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:09.000 that had to be I was twelve when I got 113 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:14.439 to Elsa Riedo. Yeah, I started about twelve years eleven 114 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:17.319 or twelve years old. Oh wow, So you just I 115 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:21.399 have been wow. Yeah for a while you've been playing. 116 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:24.560 I had a lot of a lot of like brothers, 117 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:31.560 Johnson sly Stone, Parliament Funkadelic, James Brown, you know those 118 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:32.959 kind of those kind of people. 119 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:38.519 Oh, man, you're naming Stone Cold legends too, Like what 120 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.000 a lineup? Wow? 121 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:44.720 What life slid? Yeah? 122 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:49.160 So is that what was that part of the way 123 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:51.800 I should rephrase that? Is that kind of how you 124 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:54.800 guys got together as far as you're sharing musical interests? 125 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:55.600 Isn't that sort of thing? 126 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.120 Yeah? Plus, I just I just loved the fact that 127 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:03.639 Less was so he was so, he was brave. He 128 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:08.879 never he never was embarrassed to anything. Even when we 129 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:12.639 were playing and it wasn't right, he played wrong, but 130 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.120 he was proud of it and it sounded good and 131 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:22.439 I enjoyed it. But I'll tell you what, he got 132 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:25.000 it right along the way. Man, he just picked it up. 133 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:28.160 And this guy he started hammering the bass, you know, 134 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:30.480 And he used to teach me a lot of the 135 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:36.200 rock rock and roll like Rush and Judas Priest and 136 00:08:36.600 --> 00:08:39.519 Eagles and he used to tell me the stories and everything, 137 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.320 and so we used to have fun. And we we 138 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:49.360 had another band called Euphoria with Chris Osen and less 139 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:51.320 was playing the base with us on that one. I 140 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:56.840 know he don't write about that one, but we had, Uh, 141 00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:59.879 we had several things going on during that time, and 142 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:03.879 in this group called Star in the Jazz Band, and 143 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.200 you ended up going to going to Disneyland and playing 144 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:09.960 down there with the competitions, and I think we took 145 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:14.759 first place because I had left before they gave up. 146 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.919 The Awarrence what Wow. 147 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:23.840 Yeah, I was hanging out so anyway, but we did win, 148 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:28.639 I believe, and and we we It was just it 149 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:33.120 was just it just was. We had a wonderful, wonderful life. Man, 150 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.840 when we were growing up. I mean, we

couldn't ask 151 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:38.120 for a better childhood. Wow. 152 00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:41.960 Man, I didn't know that. I mean I knew about 153 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:47.120 Star Sax trubbling at rhythm uh and lessons involvement in 154 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:49.559 yours as well, but I didn't know you guys were 155 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:56.159 playing competitions. So you guys were pretty good, well some. 156 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.559 People thought so. We had a lot of fun in 157 00:09:58.679 --> 00:09:59.279 the time. 158 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:03.080 Because we we basically we basically played what we liked 159 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:07.480 and I really enjoyed myself, and when we did the 160 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.960 rock and roll stuff, when Less was teaching me the 161 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:12.960 rock and roll stuff and I was showing him some 162 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:15.720 of the funk stuff, and then it ended up coming 163 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:18.120 up ended up in our later years. 164 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:21.200 For me. Over the years, I played with a lot 165 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:26.720 of different bands, I mean, including HR and Bad Brains, 166 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:31.480 some of those Bad Brain boys, and Banks and Black 167 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:33.960 Trash what we call Black Chrash but his name is 168 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:37.200 David Jordan, of course, and a couple of other members 169 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:41.840 of the Jackson family and the Old Jays. I played 170 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:47.639 with a lot of different people, and I bet that 171 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:50.279 was a lot of inspiration from Less two. I mean, 172 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:53.559 he he was my he was my he was my muse. 173 00:10:56.320 --> 00:10:58.559 So you guys, it sounds like you guys served as 174 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.200 conduits for one another. And when I beaten by that is, 175 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:03.720 you know, you showed him a lot of R and B, 176 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:06.840 funk and soul, and he was showing you a lot 177 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:11.279 of rock stuff. And so you guys were then getting 178 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:17.080 grounding in multiple styles and approaches, which clearly served you well, 179 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:17.960 both of you guys. 180 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.159 Man, it helped me paid a rent so many times. 181 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.759 I could never ever done what I've done, unless it 182 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:27.960 started right there mister Johnson's class. 183 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:33.759 Wow, well, let's talk about mister Johnson's class. Let's let's 184 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.000 talk about his class, because you guys met in there, 185 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:40.759 and you know, less learned to read music there that 186 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:43.960 he tells the anecdote that mister Johnson was taken aback 187 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.320 that he didn't

know how to read music. And I 188 00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:50.679 assume you guys, when you were drumming, you were reading charts. 189 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.960 First of all, I've I've been a public educator for 190 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:56.519 twenty years, so I love hearing about you know, teachers 191 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:00.399 who inspire kids or you know, help kids all up 192 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:03.360 talents and interest in that sort of thing. So what 193 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:05.440 was it like being with mister Johnson. 194 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:09.320 He was a funny guy, That's all I can say. 195 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:12.399 He was a he was a great educator. I'm not 196 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:14.879 sure if he's still alive, but I know if he is, 197 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:20.120 this guy has turned of some good musicians and basically 198 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:23.559 he gave us room to grow. And I think I 199 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:26.600 think that's that's the world. The best thing that you 200 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.639 could do for a young mind is to let him grow, 201 00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:33.879 just give him some guidance, and and just just let 202 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:37.080 him go, because you know, being in the music business. 203 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:40.279 It's a hard business. It's not it's not it's not 204 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:43.879 something that you're going to get life insurance and health 205 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.759 insurance and all these different things like that. You you 206 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:51.480 have you have to love what you're doing. And in 207 00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:54.559 mister Johnson's class, and a couple of music teachers I 208 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:58.639 had over the years, like Ivan bird Low. He was 209 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:01.840 one of my first drum teas and he was He 210 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:04.759 just passed away about maybe three weeks ago and I 211 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:08.679 miss him dearly. But he was the biggest influence on me. 212 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:14.120 And mister Johnson. He definitely let us develop our own 213 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:17.320 styles and he didn't interfere with us a lot. He 214 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:21.039 let us. He gave us room to grow and learned 215 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:24.480 to love music. Because I say, I tell kids all 216 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:26.799 the time now they come over for lessons and stuff, 217 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:28.919 and I tell them all the time, if you don't 218 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:33.080 love this thing that we're doing, you find anything else 219 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:35.799 and go do it because this is this is not 220 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:42.159 for you. So you have to love this. Wow, I 221 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:44.360 take I take my head off of mister Johnson, but 222 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:49.159 the educators that dolytic children learn, you know, yeah, he 223 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:50.440 cracked the whip sometimes. 224 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:53.799 Well, yeah, you have to do that every once in 225 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.879 a while. But yeah, it sounds like he gave you 226 00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:59.679 guys opportunity that and you took the opportunity. And I 227 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:05.480 think that's that's commendable on his part, especially with a 228 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:08.840 music class or conducting the jazz band or or something 229 00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:12.039 like that, because that's that's a lot of kids to wrangle, 230 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.919 So good for him. 231 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:23.720 Man. Kurt Hammond was there also, Lars. There's a guys 232 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:31.039 like Dan Watson, uh Britt Britt Kern and I forgot 233 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:35.039 the other guy that plays for Mark beat him when 234 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:38.120 he was a guitar player. And and like I said, 235 00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:40.559 Kurt Hamond, he was playing with this group called Exodus 236 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:43.399 and they used to play everything fat than him and Dan. 237 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:47.120 But I used to love him all the time, you know. 238 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:52.240 And a lot of influences that that that, I mean, 239 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:55.919 the Bay Area just such an influence went with place. 240 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:03.960 It's yeah, it's remarkable just DeAnza High in those years 241 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:09.360 you were there, that you're there with uh Less and 242 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:10.480 Kirk Hammett. 243 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:14.720 I think Jeff Bessera Possessed was there at one point. 244 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:21.159 Biedermann was there, man. So you guys all knew each 245 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.559 other obviously, right, and and hung out. 246 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:28.840 Yes, we hunt out somewhat. We hung out somewhere. We 247 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:31.440 always look at each other's bad and go, wow, I 248 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:33.720 wish I was doing that. Well, you know when you 249 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:35.679 get on the stage, go wow, I wish I was 250 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:38.919 doing that. We just had fun and so we inspired 251 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:39.399 each other. 252 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:43.679 So oh man, okay, great, because you know, sometimes what 253 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:48.279 happens is there's there's a sense of unhealthy competition. But 254 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:50.799 it sounds like you guys all got along and were 255 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:54.720 excited for one another and the paths you were striking. 256 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:59.679 Well, no, I know, like I said, less was fearless man. Yeah, 257 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:02.879 if he liked if he liked it, he played it. 258 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:06.320 He didn't care what nobody else thought. You know, if 259 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:10.039 I like this, he played it. And

I pretty much 260 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:12.080 liked what he was playing, So I played what he 261 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:14.720 was doing. So I'd play off of him, and he 262 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:17.480 play off of me. And it was just fun. So 263 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.240 it was just growing up. I think we were just young. 264 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:23.639 That's probably the main thing. We were young. 265 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:26.960 Yeah, yeah, not knowing any better to a degree. But 266 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:31.840 that fearlessness, I think is something that he took with him, 267 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.320 you know, as Primus gained a lot of momentum and 268 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.960 so on and so forth and that I think has 269 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:40.960 served him really well. Is that something you took into 270 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.039 your career as well. 271 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:47.480 I just I just enjoyed playing I mean more than 272 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:51.039 anything else. I love playing. I love playing music. I 273 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.480 mean I had I had an opportunity to play Major 274 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:57.200 League Baseball and a couple other things, but I always 275 00:16:57.320 --> 00:16:59.960 came back to the music all the time. 276 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:03.240 Oh wow, wow, you. 277 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:07.680 Know that's that was and that that loves just started from. 278 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:15.279 I keep saying, just being funky, man, be funky. 279 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:18.559 Excellent, that's great advice. There, you go, be funky. 280 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:21.920 I like it. I'll tell you what. Drums is the 281 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:25.519 hardest instrument to start playing to learn. But once you 282 00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:27.759 learned and you got it, and if you if you 283 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:31.119 started today, in ten years from now, you will be 284 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.960 you have been playing for ten years. It's just you 285 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:36.640 gotta start doing it and just be funky. 286 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:38.839 There you go, Frankie, be funky. 287 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:40.519 Be funky. 288 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:48.599 I like it. I'm gonna I'm gonna Frankie's funky forehead. 289 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:52.400 That's what that is right there. I'm gonna take that 290 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:56.720 advice with me that just be funky. It seems like 291 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:59.359 the unless it's told this story and you you mentioned 292 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.480 a couple of these things that he was. He was 293 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:05.079 just worshiping Gedty Lee and Rush and he said, at 294 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.079 some point somebody told him, yeah, Getty's cool, but you 295 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:11.759 got to check out Larry Graham and Stanley Clark. You 296 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:16.720 were already familiar with Larry Graham certainly. Oh yeah, you're 297 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:20.200 being an accomplished drummer. When you hear somebody like Larry 298 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.799 Graham laying it down on bass, I mean you probably 299 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.000 I would. I wouldn't be able to help it. I 300 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.759 would just start drumming along with him because he's He's 301 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:30.240 just that damn good. 302 00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:35.079 Yeah, man, I mean that's that's one of my superheroes. 303 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:39.559 I mean, Larry Graham. I think he was one of 304 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:43.200 one of the most my most inspiration from him, you 305 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:48.000 know him and that whole slide in family song Click man. 306 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:52.279 I used to love them. And the Isley Brothers. Yeah, 307 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:57.839 also the brothers Johnson, Lewis and Lewis Justin he was 308 00:18:57.880 --> 00:19:00.240 a crazy bass player that we used to listen too. 309 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:05.000 There was a Bay Area band called Pleasure, and I 310 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:10.000 still hear some of the songs Let's play today. I 311 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:14.359 hear some of the influences from Pleasure. I can I 312 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:19.000 can feel it like, uh, is that Jerry Card or 313 00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:25.920 that tummy Kat. Anyway, they remind me of flashes of 314 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.839 the Pleasure Band. That band was so cold, man, and 315 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.119 we used to love to play those guys. They had 316 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.119 the song called Glide, Yeah, and we used to used 317 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:39.440 to screw around with it in the practice bands. 318 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:42.200 Less Less teases death all the time. 319 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:49.319 Yeah, yeah, he still throws it out there. It's so great, man. 320 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:54.440 I wish I would Lesson play with him again. But yeah, 321 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:57.799 I'm doing different things these days. I've been playing keyboards 322 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:02.440 and oh okay, doing some other Yeah. No, I'm just 323 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:07.599 I'm just inspired by by the Larry Graham and all 324 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:10.240 those different Bay Area musicians there were. There were just 325 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:14.680 some great players, you know, Fleetwood, Mac and all everybody. 326 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:16.559 I mean, they were just great players. 327 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:20.400 Yeah, oh my gosh. And in this in this Primus book, 328 00:20:21.079 --> 00:20:24.000 Less relates that I think it was around twenty thirteen 329 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:27.920 he actually finally got to meet Larry Graham. And I'm 330 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.759 gonna paraphrase, and he said it was some radio station 331 00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:33.599 event and he and he said, and Larry Graham is

332 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.480 standing there playing his bass four feet in front of me, 333 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:40.720 and unless his words. He says, he's just kicking the 334 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.039 shit out of everybody. Like like Larry just brings it. 335 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:48.319 And you know the Larry Larry Graham. I've listened to it. 336 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:51.519 It just blows me away. So just to have that, 337 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:54.279 you know, kind of influence. And he was, you know, 338 00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:56.599 Larry Graham was an out of the box thinker. And 339 00:20:57.079 --> 00:21:01.079 I think that's another one of those hallmarks of of 340 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:03.680 you guys in those in those useful days, it seemed 341 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:07.799 like you were looking for people who were maybe I 342 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.200 wouldn't say against the norm, but certainly doing their own thing. 343 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:12.319 Does that sound accurate? 344 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:16.880 That's it. Do your own thing, man, do your own thing, 345 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:20.720 and sooner or later something's gonna dig it. Be fearless, 346 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:24.880 Always be fearless. Like you're just starting to play the drums, 347 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:27.319 play everything that you can get that you hear that 348 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:30.240 sounds good. I don't care if it's if it's uh 349 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:35.440 Ziggy and the violinists in their crew, just just if 350 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:37.119 it sounds good, play it. 351 00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:40.000 Yeah, so you get And that's that goes back to 352 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:43.440 that fearlessness too. You guys were just probably because I 353 00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:46.079 you know, I as a teenager the I think I 354 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:48.960 was thirteen, and somebody showed me a Primus song, and 355 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:52.920 I think it was that fearlessness that drew me in, 356 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:56.160 and it was so different. So it's you know, it 357 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:59.160 doesn't matter the music or the musician. I think you 358 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:03.240 can hear it in the musician, I suppose, And maybe 359 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:08.960 that's what drew me into. Speaking of fearlessness. You you 360 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:11.759 you related to me, and I would love to know 361 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:14.200 more about this with with Star. 362 00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:15.759 Uh. 363 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.880 You guys played at in the cafeteria, Is that right? 364 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.079 You said that you helped avert a riot somehow. 365 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:25.359 Yeah, I mean, I mean this this was during the 366 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:32.200 Roots era and it was kind of it was the 367 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:34.680 people were crying to split off some these little groups, 368 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:38.440 you know, and we just men, Me and my boys. 369 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.680 We always we were together. So they used to call 370 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:43.640 me rock and roll brother, and they used to say 371 00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:48.200 funky white dude. So it's used to We used to play, 372 00:22:48.519 --> 00:22:53.359 and we ended up playing that day. You know, his 373 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.960 name was Principal. I think his name was Darden. I 374 00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:00.640 can't remember you, but he said, we have some problems 375 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:03.400 with everybody. Man. If you guys can play, make sure 376 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:06.039 you guys do it, you know, And we just came 377 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:08.480 out there and played. You know, I didn't tell everybody 378 00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:12.759 about it. But but I didn't want to make anybody afraid. 379 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:15.759 I just wanted us to play. And we ended up playing. 380 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:17.759 And the next thing I know it, after we got 381 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:20.720 through playing, I looked around. Everybody was hugging and dancing 382 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:26.200 and jamming, and I was like, oh yeah, yeah, man. 383 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:29.240 And a lot, like I said, a lot of musicians 384 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:32.480 that were there, they were all there too, because we 385 00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:37.039 didn't have any egos problems maybe when I was playing baseball, 386 00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:40.279 but not not playing music. I never had a music ego, 387 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:43.920 you know, always like Curtain, those guys used to play 388 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:47.559 everything fast, and a couple of other bands. I used 389 00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:50.480 to rehearse a Die at my mother's. She used to 390 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:56.079 run a government a government agency down in Seaside, and 391 00:23:56.119 --> 00:23:59.400 they used to practice down there. And all of the 392 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:02.039 bands we just we just love to play. We used 393 00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:05.000 to do a lot of keg parties and stuff like that, 394 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:10.440 but that was all a part of just learning, just learning, 395 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:12.359 and we just wanted to be a part of some 396 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:14.599 I mean, we didn't know that we was going to 397 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:19.039 be part of the Bear Musicians, but we ended up 398 00:24:19.079 --> 00:24:21.799 being a part of the Bear and musicians. And and 399 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:24.079 when I when I I played with a lot of 400 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:27.200 different bands that that would talk about me. They talk 401 00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:30.519 about me being a bear musician, and it makes me 402 00:24:31.160 --> 00:24:37.519 not proud. I'm say, I'm well pleased with myself when 403 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:40.440 I think of calling me a mayor

musician, because when 404 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:43.799 you when you name bear musicians, you name it some bad, 405 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:46.079 bad boys and girls. 406 00:24:47.640 --> 00:24:50.480 Yeah, man, you're in the club with all the heavies. 407 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:57.440 Yeah, that's what they say. I had had fun. 408 00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:57.720 Man. 409 00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:00.000 I wish I could do it another day. But if 410 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.160 if it was only one person out there are ten 411 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:06.279 thousand people out there, Like when we were playing at 412 00:25:06.279 --> 00:25:10.279 the New Orleans Jazz Festival. As a matter of fact, 413 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:13.400 I ran into Less Claypool. He was open enough for 414 00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:15.079 government mule. 415 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:16.079 Yeah. 416 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.880 And I was playing the New Orleans Jazz Festival and 417 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:23.240 he was and he was called something kind of I 418 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:26.200 can't remember what he was calling it, but anyway, I 419 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:30.160 ended up on stage with him and sitting in the back, 420 00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:33.920 you know. And uh, I ended up meeting Bella Fleck 421 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.519 and the Fleck Tongs and another great basement Victor Wooden. Yeah, 422 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:42.880 and a Less was he was. He was in rare 423 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.920 form that night. He was cranking it. Man. You know, 424 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:48.680 I was like Man. So I'm so well pleased with 425 00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:52.039 less Man. All I can do is speak speak kind 426 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:57.000 words over Man because he was he was grounded, and 427 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.079 I loved the way he played, you know, and I 428 00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:02.319 just voice we would have got a chance to play again, 429 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:05.759 but unfortunately my time kind of ran out on me. 430 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:09.119 So yeah, got Frankie went. Would that had been New 431 00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:11.319 Orleans Jazz Fest? Was that early odds? 432 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:17.160 Yeah? We were playing with a band called Casper and 433 00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:19.519 my band was called a six or two band out 434 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:24.079 of Arizona. Hope he Land, he's a Hope and a 435 00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:27.640 couple of members from Bad Brains was in the band, 436 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:34.000 and myself and who else was playing? A guy named 437 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:39.279 Scott Elliott. He was playing keyboards, and I mean everybody, 438 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:42.880 everybody in that band was really really some a couple 439 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:47.079 of musicians, and I love playing with those guys. 440 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:51.359 Also, right on, that's excellent, man. It's so cool that 441 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:54.759

you ran into West too. Of course, that's great because 442 00:26:54.799 --> 00:26:57.519 you guys both are you know, criss crossing the country 443 00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:00.640 touring and gigging and all that stuff, So what are 444 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.200 the odds? That's great. 445 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:05.440 I ran into him a couple of times, but I 446 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:07.920 just couldn't stop and play with him, because every time 447 00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:09.839 I had to go, I had to go and make 448 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:11.759 sure that my gear got with this place where it's 449 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:13.960 supposed to be had. I had to have somebody to 450 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:16.319 go do this, and I had to leave, so I 451 00:27:16.359 --> 00:27:18.400 had to go play somewhere else and didn't get to 452 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:22.240 play with Less anymore. So but I always wanted to. 453 00:27:22.359 --> 00:27:25.240 I just just I just was busy at the time, 454 00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:27.960 so I never got a chance to do it. Man 455 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:28.960 him and Larry You. 456 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:32.720 Know, yeah, Less, if you're listening, here you go, here's 457 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:33.200 your chance. 458 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:42.119 This new drummer I forgot his name. His name was. 459 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:44.599 I used to play with his dad. 460 00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:49.519 You well, John Hoffman, you played with his dad? I 461 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:52.200 did no way tell me about that. 462 00:27:53.519 --> 00:28:02.720 In several different bands stan Stan Hoffman. Yeah, no, yay. 463 00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:05.960 I played was standing a couple of times. Man A small, 464 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:10.680 small world. Yeah it is. Also the guy that took 465 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:13.519 my place's name was the drummer. 466 00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:17.000 His name was, Oh oh, that that's Tim Alexander. 467 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:22.079 Tim Alexander he used to play with. I used to 468 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:26.920 put in a band with Tim. Tim knew the ben 469 00:28:27.039 --> 00:28:30.000 that I was working with, the Jackson's was called the 470 00:28:30.119 --> 00:28:33.359 tud band. And I'd watched Tim and those guys play, 471 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:35.920 and I watched and Tim used to watch me play, 472 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:40.519 and we used to criss crossed around the country. So yeah, Tim, 473 00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:43.319 he was a pretty solid drummer too. I liked Tim. 474 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:48.440 Yeah, Oh my gosh, these these connections are blowing me away. 475 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:51.839 I had no idea you played with Hoffer's dad and 476 00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:54.680 and had uh a cross paths with Tim Alexander, Get 477 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:56.599 out of here. That's crazy. 478 00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:00.319 Also, the boys from Bad Brains, I mean there was 479 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:03.000 some crazy music. Have you ever heard of Bad Brains? 480 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:04.960 Are the HR? Oh? 481 00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:08.599 Yeah, yeah, Bad Brains. 482 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:12.039 Bad Brains? Them boys playing man and they used to 483 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:14.279 drive me crazy, man to playing with those guys. Man, 484 00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:18.039 But I loved him to this day. I love black Trash, 485 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:23.720 I love Billy Banks. They they they're excellent social inspiration. 486 00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:27.400 I don't want to talk about my other things. That's 487 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:30.000 an inspiration. We spoke about that earlier bit. 488 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:35.000 There's a there's a Bad Brains fiftieth anniversary celebration coming 489 00:29:35.079 --> 00:29:40.880 up here in l A. I don't get talking to 490 00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:43.839 Oh were you talking about it? 491 00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:48.559 Yeah? You know I played with HR a couple of 492 00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:53.039 times and different kind of brother, but you know, he 493 00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:56.279 was he was doing his thing, and I loved it. So, 494 00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:01.319 like I said, it's just folky, bro smoky wherever we're at. 495 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:05.039 So I just have fun all the time. 496 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:10.400 Man, that's great. Uh, thank you for sharing those details. 497 00:30:10.440 --> 00:30:12.200 I had no idea if that's so cool. 498 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:20.039 So that's that's that's his baby. 499 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:25.240 Yeah. Man, that's kind of a full circle thing in 500 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.000 in a way. 501 00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:31.200 It's funny. It's just funny from Alexander all the guys. 502 00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:33.119 Just just funny man. 503 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:34.559 Man. 504 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:35.799 Yeah. 505 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:38.799 So speaking of that, like, because we've been talking about 506 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:43.279 your high school years and then you joined the army 507 00:30:43.319 --> 00:30:46.960 correct or the military. I don't know what branch I 508 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:50.319 joined the army correct Okay, so you did. How long 509 00:30:50.359 --> 00:30:51.160 were you in the army? 510 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:55.200 I was in the army for three years? 511 00:30:55.640 --> 00:30:59.799 Okay. Was did you expect to go to the army 512 00:30:59.799 --> 00:31:01.440 out of high school? I'm curious about that. 513 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:09.640 Well, I had a couple of bad turns and a 514 00:31:09.720 --> 00:31:12.440 couple of my friends going. Matter of fact, my teacher, 515 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:17.359 even low I was telling you about. He was like, well, 516 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:20.000 I'm getting ready to go to Germany events. Since you 517 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:23.079 since you, since you you not got a dead end, 518 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:25.279

why don't you enjoin on me too? And I thought 519 00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:29.839 about it. I said, that's a good idea, dude. He said, 520 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:31.960 we're gonna go to the old ladies man, and you 521 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:35.279 can play music everywhere. I said, okay, I think I 522 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:38.279 can try that. And I did you know what, I said, 523 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:39.799 I can do it. I'm gonna try to see how 524 00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:41.680 it goes. I gave him three years and then I 525 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:47.240 got out. So but it was and I think it 526 00:31:47.319 --> 00:31:50.160 was fun because I was young. Again, just to say 527 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:54.119 it again, it was because I was young. Yeah, I 528 00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:59.359 did give three away. So okay, and lets let's when 529 00:31:59.400 --> 00:32:01.119 I got out of the military. I was. I was 530 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:04.559 when he called. He yes, he called to say, bess 531 00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:06.319 what you're doing. I was. I was like, I was 532 00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:11.960 in Texas and I was thinking about reading up. It 533 00:32:12.039 --> 00:32:16.839 was gonna fly hiccups. I had took a test and 534 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:20.279 I passed the test. It was an aviation test to 535 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:23.480 fly those brand new helicopters with the sights that your 536 00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:26.200 eyes go this way, the guns that go that way. 537 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:33.279 But I didn't want to be a puppy, so you know, yeah, yeah, 538 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:36.160 so I didn't. I didn't. I came home, Wow and 539 00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:39.240 joint prim Yeah, primate. 540 00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:43.200 At primate at the time, Yes, it sounded like les 541 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:45.119 was waiting for you to get out of the military, 542 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:48.640 because you know, you guys had played uh and been 543 00:32:49.079 --> 00:32:51.160 good friends in high school and played a lot and 544 00:32:51.240 --> 00:32:56.400 kind of knew each other musically. Uh and so so primus, well, 545 00:32:56.480 --> 00:33:02.880 I should rephrase Primate starts in earnest. Then when you 546 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:08.799 come back to California, what were some of those early days, like, like, 547 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:13.000 we've we've heard the Primate demo tape and I sent 548 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:17.279 you that link so hopefully you got to listen to it. Excellent. 549 00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:19.880 What was yeah, what was it like getting together with 550 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:24.039 Lesson Todd and making some freaky sounds. 551 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:27.440 And it was great? It was really great. I mean 552 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:33.200 it was different. It was different because less always less 553 00:33:33.480 --> 00:33:37.319 he says himself. He was he's never been a virtuoso singer, 554 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:45.519 but he believed in himself. So I believed in it. 555 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:48.079 I think this half the battle. If you can get 556 00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:50.519 somebody to believe in you know, that's the whole thing. 557 00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:54.319 And his dad, Lynn is an excellent he's an excellent 558 00:33:54.359 --> 00:33:58.240 guy too, So it's it was all there. Everything was. 559 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:00.559 It was just all he had to do, stick with 560 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:03.720 it and the stuff was playing. It was gonna get 561 00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:08.480 the world's gonna catch up. That's all. Yeah, unless never. 562 00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:12.599 He never backed down for anything. And I still see 563 00:34:12.639 --> 00:34:15.360 why I watch some of the videos now because I 564 00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:18.000 haven't been I haven't been really keeping up with his career. 565 00:34:18.360 --> 00:34:21.519 But lately since I've been home, not to touring all 566 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:24.320 the time, I had a chance to catch up some 567 00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:27.920 some of the songs that he's playing and stuff he's been. 568 00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:31.360 He's been true to himself, man, and always was. He 569 00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:34.000 was a hustler. Man. He was a hustler when when 570 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:37.440 we made the Prime stuff, the Too Many Puppies that song, 571 00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:41.639 and well Prelude to Fear we did that one too also, 572 00:34:41.719 --> 00:34:45.920 and it was it was they were different. You know, 573 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:48.280 people are gonna go Prime it sucks and this and 574 00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:50.119 that next next. I know what I seen the album 575 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:55.199 says suck this. Yeah, I say, hey, listen, listen, suck 576 00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:58.599 this sounds like less, you know, so like he's standing 577 00:34:58.599 --> 00:35:04.760 there with the s on his chest. And I just 578 00:35:04.840 --> 00:35:08.840 laugh every time. I was watching this story, this movie 579 00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:12.119 with me and my girl who ended up being my wife, 580 00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:19.039 name is Nicole, and we were watching this stupid movie man, 581 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:21.679 But you know it was it was like smoking a 582 00:35:21.679 --> 00:35:25.639 lot of weed and stuff like that back then, and 583 00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:28.039 and I was watching him. Pam Grid was in this movie. 584 00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:30.760 She was introducing the Battle of the Bands and she 585 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:37.719 said ladies and gentlemen primus, and Less came out about, Hey, hey, baby, 586 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:39.920 look this, let's least that's my old man. I told 587 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:43.320 you about him, you know. And they were on there 588 00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:49.239 playing now Tummy Tummy cat. Yeah. It was so funny. Man, 589 00:35:49.639 --> 00:35:51.920 I couldn't

have believed, but I seen that, and I 590 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:55.639 was so so well pleased with Less when I seen that, 591 00:35:55.880 --> 00:35:59.440 because he's still stuck in it no matter what nobody does. 592 00:35:59.480 --> 00:36:01.199 He always sticks in there. Man. 593 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:05.760 That's so surreal to see your old buddy in a 594 00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:08.159 in a goofball movie like Bill and Ted. 595 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:14.719 That was a crazy movie too. Anyway, when I see 596 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:18.360 him at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, all right and 597 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:21.199 unloading the gear, you know, I had these dreads and 598 00:36:21.239 --> 00:36:23.320 my beer was up to my ankles. You know, he 599 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:26.000 couldn't really tell who I was. So I was going, 600 00:36:26.239 --> 00:36:33.599 mister Claypole, can I have your autograph? He's like one 601 00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:35.199 of the things then that I was doing together. Say 602 00:36:35.320 --> 00:36:38.199 mister Claypole, can I have your autograph? And he turned 603 00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:43.880 to run, said perm. So it was so funny and 604 00:36:43.880 --> 00:36:46.920 it just I was just well pleased to see him. 605 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:49.119 I wanted to hang out, but I had to go 606 00:36:49.320 --> 00:36:52.840 myself and get some stuff together for the show the 607 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:56.840 next day at the at the Jazz Festival, and he 608 00:36:56.920 --> 00:36:59.440 was playing with governmental that night, so he gave me 609 00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:02.079 a couple of tickets to get in and uh, and 610 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:07.280 I really stretch out. I enjoyed myself that day. Whoa, 611 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:09.519 whoa one of the heights of my of my career. 612 00:37:10.480 --> 00:37:11.639 That's actually watching. 613 00:37:13.880 --> 00:37:18.880 Man. Yeah, I'm curious about this, this this Primate demo. 614 00:37:19.639 --> 00:37:22.239 I'm curious about this Primate demo because there's four tracks 615 00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:26.199 on it, and and the Linen drum Machine is the 616 00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:29.519 unofficial first Primates drummer, right, So the lind drum machines 617 00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:33.800 on there, but it sounds like it sounds like puppies 618 00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:37.760 and preu defear those sound like the drum machines on those. 619 00:37:37.800 --> 00:37:41.039 Did you drum on the other two tracks, Chattering Song 620 00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:42.760 and uh Creating? 621 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:49.079 I'm so sorry. I'm not sure how many songs that 622 00:37:49.119 --> 00:37:52.239 I've drummed on't But I was playing along with the 623 00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:55.519 lenn drum machine too, because I was playing right along 624 00:37:55.559 --> 00:37:58.440 with it, like a click track. So and then it 625 00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:02.599 ended up telling me a couple of jobs. Man, oh, 626 00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:05.559 because they knew that I could play with because they learned. 627 00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:07.840 They never learned that I could play with the drum 628 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:11.119 machine and the click track. This was before people started 629 00:38:11.119 --> 00:38:13.599 doing it. I mean people doing it now. They get 630 00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:17.159 a lot of them do it now, but then nobody 631 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:19.079 was doing it. It was me and a couple of 632 00:38:19.079 --> 00:38:22.239 other people. Nobody could really lock into a drum machine, 633 00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:24.840 you know, but I was one of those that could, 634 00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:29.639 and I guess I got on. I was happy. 635 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:35.440 That's fascinating to me because you know, just like getting 636 00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:38.320 into drums and that sort of thing. There's you know, 637 00:38:38.360 --> 00:38:40.880 there's all kinds of attitudes about playing to a click 638 00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:44.679 but because you are, that's so interesting. Because you were 639 00:38:44.719 --> 00:38:48.360 playing along to what was programmed into the Linn drum 640 00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:51.559 machine for these primate songs. You were able to just 641 00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:56.119 fine tune that timing and it got you gigs and 642 00:38:56.199 --> 00:38:58.400 that's what were Do you remember what those gigs were? 643 00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:03.440 Yeah? One was with this band called the Band and 644 00:39:03.480 --> 00:39:06.960 they needed a drummer that well with with a drum machine. 645 00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:11.199 And I was really against it, but rent had to 646 00:39:11.199 --> 00:39:15.000 be paid, so I enjoyed. I joined and they were 647 00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:19.199 the best band in Arizona. Nice and I got that gig. 648 00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:22.519 And then I did some some drumming for Joe Jackson, 649 00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:28.480 Michael Jackson's father. He had a couple of bands that 650 00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:31.519 they wanted me to play with them. They had to 651 00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:33.639 I had to follow a click track, but they wanted 652 00:39:33.639 --> 00:39:36.320 to make it a little live, give it a live fill. 653 00:39:37.880 --> 00:39:42.119 And those were some of the gigs that I got. 654 00:39:42.519 --> 00:39:46.079 Uh jj fadd we were playing, uh, we're playing the 655 00:39:46.239 --> 00:39:49.480 click track for them, and they were one of Joe 656 00:39:49.559 --> 00:39:56.159 Jackson's groups. Also there was a group called Neutrons, some 657 00:39:56.239 --> 00:39:58.280 young rappers, and I did They don't wanted me to 658 00:39:58.280 --> 00:40:01.280 play with that. So because when they did this, uh 659 00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:06.039 the showcases at the at the Roxy, I ended up 660 00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:08.760 playing on those those parts you know, and I mean 661 00:40:09.000 -->

00:40:12.519 all the record producers and record coming through there. So 662 00:40:12.599 --> 00:40:15.920 I ended up playing with those and and and made 663 00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:20.519 those bands sound better and they paid me. I paid 664 00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:22.239 the rent. Hey cool, all right? 665 00:40:24.599 --> 00:40:27.960 That And that sounds like a specific skill because it 666 00:40:27.880 --> 00:40:30.360 it and and it must be because to play to 667 00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:32.639 a click or along with a click or however you 668 00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:36.239 want to phrase that, as opposed to I don't know, 669 00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:41.599 playing free or without one what is to you, what's 670 00:40:41.679 --> 00:40:44.840 the what's the major difference or what how do you 671 00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:48.719 how do you play along with a to a click? 672 00:40:48.800 --> 00:40:50.559 I suppose that's my question to you. 673 00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:56.119 Well, when I first started doing it, when I heard 674 00:40:56.159 --> 00:40:58.360 the snare, if the snare is on two and four, 675 00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:01.039 you make sure you lock in with you there, and 676 00:41:01.079 --> 00:41:04.599 lock into your bass player because your bass player he's 677 00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:08.119 got he's got the other thing going on with the 678 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:11.159 with the bass, you know, like uh like if the 679 00:41:11.239 --> 00:41:13.480 bass goes, if a bass player blues a triple it, 680 00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:18.880 you know, I'll do you know, and just keep that 681 00:41:19.320 --> 00:41:28.800 pal pale going. You have two four h town, you know, 682 00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:33.239 like a different times and different and different well not 683 00:41:33.360 --> 00:41:36.039 key signatures, but different times. You know, you just lock 684 00:41:36.119 --> 00:41:38.280 into that situation and you just go with it, man, 685 00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:40.599 and just keep it funky. 686 00:41:40.760 --> 00:41:44.320 Okay. That makes sense to me, And it actually kind 687 00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:47.719 of reminds me of some of what we hear in 688 00:41:47.719 --> 00:41:50.719 in the in that Primate demo, especially something like pre 689 00:41:50.840 --> 00:41:53.280 League to Fear, because there are some big pals in there, 690 00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:54.920 for sure. 691 00:41:54.719 --> 00:41:55.079 You guys. 692 00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:57.760 It's it's what's really impressive to me about that demo, 693 00:41:58.679 --> 00:42:02.000 uh is you guys got a really big sound and 694 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:04.239 and I know that making a demo tape was tough 695 00:42:04.280 --> 00:42:08.159 to do in the eighties. You know, everybody has a 696 00:42:08.199 --> 00:42:13.280 home studio now. But but then, you know, if time 697 00:42:13.400 --> 00:42:16.719 was money and tape was expensive and getting in there 698 00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:21.320 all that stuff.

So it's it sounds great and and 699 00:42:21.360 --> 00:42:23.719 I love I love listening to it because it's, uh, 700 00:42:23.800 --> 00:42:26.280 you know, I've kind of turned at primordial primus to 701 00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:29.320 a to a degree, but really these songs, songs were 702 00:42:29.360 --> 00:42:32.519 pretty well developed, so maybe that's a misnomer, but he 703 00:42:32.679 --> 00:42:36.000 what do you remember about putting that demo together? And 704 00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:37.719 it sounds like you guys just had a lot of 705 00:42:37.719 --> 00:42:38.280 fun with it. 706 00:42:39.800 --> 00:42:42.360 Well, I know, let's let's made a lot of sacrifices 707 00:42:42.440 --> 00:42:45.559 like his car, and yeah, probably a couple of girlfriends 708 00:42:45.599 --> 00:42:50.719 and everything else. But yeah, he he, he was the 709 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:55.159 main driving force. He was. He knew that if we 710 00:42:55.400 --> 00:42:57.800 if he get that, if he got that sound right, 711 00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:01.519 that things is going to happen. Informed he was one 712 00:43:01.519 --> 00:43:04.719 of the people that believed it. Everybody I knew they 713 00:43:04.760 --> 00:43:08.400 didn't believe it. But me, I just said, well, if 714 00:43:08.519 --> 00:43:12.679 anybody can do it, less can So I just just wait. 715 00:43:13.320 --> 00:43:16.199 Man, Yeah, you saw that in him early. That's really cool. 716 00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:20.800 Uh, and then he was yeah. 717 00:43:21.239 --> 00:43:24.280 So and then as the story goes, uh, somebody who 718 00:43:24.679 --> 00:43:28.159 knew somebody who knew Big Rick Stewart slipped that tape 719 00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:30.760 to him, and then you guys were all of a 720 00:43:30.760 --> 00:43:31.679 sudden on the radio. 721 00:43:33.559 --> 00:43:35.199 I had left the band by that time. 722 00:43:35.400 --> 00:43:37.599 Okay, So by the time that the tape makes it 723 00:43:37.639 --> 00:43:40.159 on the radio. Okay. One thing that wasn't clear to 724 00:43:40.199 --> 00:43:44.320 me was was gigs? Did you Did you do any 725 00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:45.280 primate gigs? 726 00:43:46.719 --> 00:43:49.679 No? I did the recording with him, Okay, so I 727 00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:52.079 didn't start on all the gigs. I ended up leaving 728 00:43:52.360 --> 00:43:54.960 and playing with the band that ended up doing stuff 729 00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:58.519 with the Jackson's and okay, a couple of other musicians. 730 00:43:58.559 --> 00:44:02.519 So I ended up going at I want to say 731 00:44:02.559 --> 00:44:06.719 selling out. I wasn't selling out, It's just less was 732 00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:08.920 going in a different direction and I was going in 733 00:44:08.960 --> 00:44:13.079 another one. Yeah. But he got he'd got what he 734 00:44:13.159 --> 00:44:15.559 needed to get to get what he wanted. 735 00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:20.840 Okay, yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, you guys, So what 736 00:44:20.840

--> 00:44:24.840 what's really cool is then this tape, Uh, it got 737 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:27.800 it got you on your path, and and it got 738 00:44:27.840 --> 00:44:30.840 Lesson Todd on their path, and you all benefited from 739 00:44:30.880 --> 00:44:34.000 it and I'm and I'm sure it was amicable when 740 00:44:34.039 --> 00:44:40.079 you when that's great man, it's and I and I 741 00:44:40.119 --> 00:44:41.719 we talked about this on the phone the other day. 742 00:44:41.719 --> 00:44:45.599 That and Frankie, you know, I we've talked about this too, 743 00:44:45.639 --> 00:44:48.840 Frankie that when I was when I was a teenager, 744 00:44:49.400 --> 00:44:52.559 you know, in the mid nineties to late nineties, and 745 00:44:52.840 --> 00:44:55.400 looking up all the info on Primise I could on 746 00:44:55.480 --> 00:44:58.239 the internet right, just just eating it up because I 747 00:44:58.280 --> 00:45:01.599 was just obsessed with this band. I would see these 748 00:45:01.719 --> 00:45:04.119 names of previous drummers and I was like, who, I 749 00:45:04.119 --> 00:45:06.440 don't know who Jay Lane is, Robbie Bean. 750 00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:08.280 Is. 751 00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:11.480 Yeah, so I'm like this this like these these names 752 00:45:11.519 --> 00:45:13.480 sound made up? Robbie Bean, who's that? 753 00:45:13.719 --> 00:45:15.920 You know? Like market people? 754 00:45:16.039 --> 00:45:17.360 And what do they look like? 755 00:45:18.039 --> 00:45:21.320 What? What the world were they doing? Yeah? So so 756 00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:24.840 just and then I saw that name Perm Parker, and 757 00:45:24.840 --> 00:45:26.960 and of course Per I didn't know at the time 758 00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:31.320 Perm was a nickname, So like, what who is this guy? 759 00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:34.280 I gotta know more? And I didn't. And you were 760 00:45:34.920 --> 00:45:37.360 a mysterious figure for so long. 761 00:45:38.760 --> 00:45:44.119 Well, Parker, I'm at the root. So that's part of 762 00:45:44.159 --> 00:45:46.559 the tree, you know. I ended up in the roots 763 00:45:46.599 --> 00:45:49.639 and we were playing in high school. And then the 764 00:45:49.639 --> 00:45:54.199 rest of them was the tree, the leaves and the branches. Yeah. 765 00:45:54.239 --> 00:45:54.760 I love that. 766 00:45:57.039 --> 00:45:59.880 Yeah, man, the roots of the family tree. I love that. 767 00:46:01.119 --> 00:46:05.599 Yeah. I And I asked the roots. 768 00:46:05.880 --> 00:46:06.440 I wanted to. 769 00:46:06.800 --> 00:46:11.679 I wanted to ask perm because there's a quote by 770 00:46:11.800 --> 00:46:15.000 this in the press release for Seats of Cheese where 771 00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:19.119 he says that Sergeant Baker is kind of an amalgamation 772 00:46:19.320 --> 00:46:22.800 of a lot of stories friends told him about the army. 773 00:46:23.039 --> 00:46:24.440 So I'm wondering if you. 774 00:46:24.519 --> 00:46:27.440 Relate tales to him when you came back from the army, 775 00:46:27.480 --> 00:46:30.639 and if you have heard the song Sergeant Baker by 776 00:46:30.679 --> 00:46:32.920 Primus No. 777 00:46:32.920 --> 00:46:36.199 No, we talked when I first got out the military. 778 00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:41.159 We talked about some of the stories in the military, 779 00:46:41.239 --> 00:46:46.679 but and I know too many puppies, was basically about 780 00:46:47.639 --> 00:46:51.159 soldiers and stuff. But he he made he probably put 781 00:46:51.199 --> 00:46:53.440 it all together and like you said, made an amalgination 782 00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:58.239 out of it and ran with it. So and like 783 00:46:58.320 --> 00:47:01.800 I say, he stayed funky. You just keep it funking 784 00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:06.159 that and whatever it is. He never faked the funk. 785 00:47:06.239 --> 00:47:08.400 So you know, that's that's what Jorge Clinton said. If 786 00:47:08.440 --> 00:47:11.400 you fake the funk, your nose a girl. But his 787 00:47:15.320 --> 00:47:22.639 in trouble. So yeah, yeah, Frankie, I believe I believe 788 00:47:23.400 --> 00:47:26.199 some of those stories might get made into the list 789 00:47:26.239 --> 00:47:28.840 because I had a million stories and I can't buy 790 00:47:28.880 --> 00:47:37.000 someone on the But yeah, it's. 791 00:47:36.920 --> 00:47:40.760 It's cool though, that your experience has helped helped him 792 00:47:40.880 --> 00:47:44.800 form this character for this this song that is this 793 00:47:44.960 --> 00:47:48.000 search a Baker song for sure, but certainly puppies as well, 794 00:47:49.280 --> 00:47:52.440 you know, given your military experience, So you helped inform 795 00:47:52.480 --> 00:47:56.559 a couple of tunes there. That's pretty rad. 796 00:47:55.840 --> 00:48:00.320 And we we we He he did it all, can't. 797 00:48:00.440 --> 00:48:03.519 I can't tell any credit for anything less it's done. 798 00:48:05.199 --> 00:48:09.079 He's always been less Man, and I kept I keep 799 00:48:09.199 --> 00:48:13.440 saying to this day, just like when when God spoke 800 00:48:13.519 --> 00:48:15.840 up with Ice, he said, this is my son, and 801 00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:19.719 I'm well pleased. I am well pleased with less Claypool Man. 802 00:48:19.760 --> 00:48:23.679 I always have been, because he has never faked a funk. 803 00:48:24.280 --> 00:48:29.199 Just keeping funky, Vince, keeping funky, That's what he always told, 804 00:48:29.360 --> 00:48:34.280 Just just played what you feel, man. And I love 805 00:48:34.360 --> 00:48:37.079 the way he thought. I still love the way when 806 00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:42.000 I seen I watched when they were showing them. One 807 00:48:42.039 --> 00:48:47.639 of the kids that I gave him his name was 808 00:48:49.199 --> 00:48:51.400 he I used to play with his dad. Also, he 809 00:48:51.480 --> 00:48:57.039 his name was Miles. He was named after Miles Davis. 810 00:48:57.440 --> 00:49:02.280 He sent me the the videos of all of

the 811 00:49:02.360 --> 00:49:04.119 drummers that Less was looking at. 812 00:49:04.519 --> 00:49:07.719 Oh yeah, it was like Interstellar drum Derby. 813 00:49:07.400 --> 00:49:15.599 Yeah the drum Derby. Hey man, you know, said hint 814 00:49:15.679 --> 00:49:18.920 that it is. And then they showed they show, they 815 00:49:18.960 --> 00:49:20.960 showed Stan had his little dreads and everything. 816 00:49:20.960 --> 00:49:23.800 He was singing on keyboard. I was like wow. And 817 00:49:23.840 --> 00:49:25.719 he ended up getting the job. And I was like 818 00:49:25.880 --> 00:49:29.039 laughing so hard, man, Like I just couldn't believe it. 819 00:49:30.840 --> 00:49:33.239 The young man I was getting. 820 00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:37.599 Ready to play in this draft drum contest for a 821 00:49:38.519 --> 00:49:43.519 guitar center and I couldn't because I had to hit 822 00:49:43.559 --> 00:49:47.199 the road and go somewhere else. And Scott ended up 823 00:49:47.280 --> 00:49:53.159 winning the drum contest and one of the new drum 824 00:49:53.239 --> 00:49:56.840 set and oh wow, and all that I was. I 825 00:49:56.920 --> 00:49:59.559 used to laugh at all this, man, because it's just 826 00:49:59.639 --> 00:50:04.519 been a a big, a big, long beautiful ride. Man. 827 00:50:04.719 --> 00:50:08.679 It's just been a long and a lot of beautiful people. Man. Yeah, 828 00:50:08.719 --> 00:50:11.719 And I tell you, man, it's just it's just been great. 829 00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:15.480 And man, if I could do anything different, I wouldn't 830 00:50:15.559 --> 00:50:17.679 change a thing. Yeah. 831 00:50:17.719 --> 00:50:21.400 Well, you've had a long successful music career man, and 832 00:50:21.440 --> 00:50:24.320 that and that you know it's hard to do. And 833 00:50:24.360 --> 00:50:27.760 so first of all, congratulations to you for sticking with 834 00:50:27.800 --> 00:50:30.280 it and and doing the work that needed to be 835 00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:33.880 done to make it happen, because it's it's exceedingly difficult 836 00:50:34.360 --> 00:50:37.239 and pretty much I'm sure pretty much anybody in the 837 00:50:37.280 --> 00:50:41.599 business would say the same thing. But you know you've 838 00:50:41.800 --> 00:50:43.519 so certainly hats off to you. 839 00:50:44.079 --> 00:50:44.320 Uh. 840 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:47.880 And I don't know if DeAnza High has high school reunions, 841 00:50:47.880 --> 00:50:50.880 but like you know, if you're to get you and 842 00:50:51.039 --> 00:50:55.280 Less and uh, Kirk Hammett and Brian Kehoe and Flounce 843 00:50:55.320 --> 00:50:58.039 and Fred and all those dudes, I'll get all you 844 00:50:58.079 --> 00:51:00.519 guys in the same room man alive. That would be 845 00:51:00.760 --> 00:51:01.639 that'd be a blast. 846 00:51:02.960 --> 00:51:08.480 Brian Kehole, that's that's another name from the past. Wow. 847 00:51:08.880 --> 00:51:11.679 Yeah, key hoo's doing it too. He's he's working for 848 00:51:11.760

--> 00:51:14.159 Jim Dumlop and he's got a bunch of bands. He's 849 00:51:14.360 --> 00:51:16.159 he's still doing it. It's great. 850 00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:21.400 Wow. Wow, I never knew that. I never knew that. 851 00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:24.079 And then and then he and Less actually Kejo and 852 00:51:24.199 --> 00:51:26.840 Less did a thing called Duo de Twang. And so 853 00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:30.199 it's just the two of them, like country frying, some 854 00:51:30.199 --> 00:51:33.400 some of their own songs and some uh some covers. 855 00:51:33.880 --> 00:51:35.800 So those guys ended up doing stuff together. 856 00:51:36.719 --> 00:51:40.639 Man, that is that is wonderful. Man less, let's never 857 00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:44.440 forgotten anybody. I'm so glad he did that. So I 858 00:51:44.440 --> 00:51:47.679 guess he's getting the guys from from DeAnza and El 859 00:51:47.719 --> 00:51:50.760 Crito and all these different places. And well, guys, I 860 00:51:50.760 --> 00:51:55.360 always played with Elo Leva Spiz. He ended up playing 861 00:51:55.360 --> 00:51:59.840 with Prince oh Ricky Hill. He played with everybody. Leva Spence, 862 00:52:00.199 --> 00:52:03.360 he plays. He's a guitar player for Prince, and she 863 00:52:04.000 --> 00:52:07.920 played base with she and guitar for her. And a 864 00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:11.320 couple of musicians like this is this drummer that I 865 00:52:11.400 --> 00:52:13.679 used to always have to every time he came and said, man, 866 00:52:13.679 --> 00:52:17.199 get off the drums, tell this get finished, because he 867 00:52:17.320 --> 00:52:21.480 was he was that incredible drummer, you know, he was 868 00:52:21.599 --> 00:52:26.360 that drummer. So I used to love to to all 869 00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:28.360 of those musicians down and I take my hat off 870 00:52:28.480 --> 00:52:30.159 to her. And now I wish I could see some 871 00:52:30.280 --> 00:52:33.159 of them now, Eli and all of those guys. Man, 872 00:52:33.199 --> 00:52:37.480 I haven't seen him in a long time, but I've 873 00:52:37.519 --> 00:52:40.519 been noticing back in the day that there there was 874 00:52:40.639 --> 00:52:45.039 albums that were made that these musicians were on, and 875 00:52:44.519 --> 00:52:50.119 I always in Pebbles, She married baby Face and La 876 00:52:50.280 --> 00:52:52.360 Reid and all of that, et cetera, et cetera. 877 00:52:53.920 --> 00:52:58.079 Yeah, I know Frankie. Frankie probably knows some of those 878 00:52:58.159 --> 00:53:02.360 names from because he's a big prince. So yes, man, 879 00:53:02.760 --> 00:53:06.199 And you mentioned like, I can't imagine a more nerve 880 00:53:06.280 --> 00:53:10.079 racking situation than auditioning to be Prince's guitar player. 881 00:53:11.920 --> 00:53:17.039 Wow, well you know he he He actually was auditioning 882 00:53:17.199 --> 00:53:20.440 she le E because Levi was playing for she Ly 883 00:53:20.760 --> 00:53:25.039 at the time, and he ended up ended

up right 884 00:53:25.119 --> 00:53:28.559 along with that situation. And I remember Levi. He used 885 00:53:28.559 --> 00:53:30.960 to used to ride the bus with us to Elsto, 886 00:53:31.119 --> 00:53:34.239 like they used to call the seventy two p And 887 00:53:35.119 --> 00:53:37.400 he was just this really cool guy man. He had 888 00:53:37.400 --> 00:53:41.199 a he had a great disposition about everything in the 889 00:53:41.239 --> 00:53:44.760 way he studied music. And he ended up playing with 890 00:53:45.719 --> 00:53:48.719 she lely E and I ran into him one night 891 00:53:49.679 --> 00:53:52.440 in Arizona. He was playing at the Civic Plaza with 892 00:53:52.519 --> 00:53:57.360 Sheilely and they were they were, they were, they were 893 00:53:57.639 --> 00:54:01.280 incredible that night and I was gonna go hang out 894 00:54:01.280 --> 00:54:03.800 with him that night, but Unfortunately I had to go 895 00:54:04.280 --> 00:54:07.679 and get ready for the road so I could hang 896 00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:10.159 out with him that night every time, every time some 897 00:54:10.239 --> 00:54:13.039 of the people I knew, I couldn't be with him 898 00:54:13.079 --> 00:54:15.400 because I was doing my own things at the time, 899 00:54:15.559 --> 00:54:20.440 So right again, you know, and I missed a lot 900 00:54:20.480 --> 00:54:23.639 of the things that Eli did. I'm sorry. I was 901 00:54:23.639 --> 00:54:29.320 talking about Levi, right, Spence, Yeah, he I didn't get 902 00:54:29.320 --> 00:54:32.159 a chance to see him a lot. And then him printing. 903 00:54:32.199 --> 00:54:34.760 Those guys took off. I knew. They started playing with 904 00:54:34.840 --> 00:54:38.679 this group called O'Brien on the Soul Train, and they 905 00:54:38.719 --> 00:54:41.199 had a group called a Soul Trained Gang or something 906 00:54:41.239 --> 00:54:44.320 like that, and Levi was wanted the guitar players that 907 00:54:44.480 --> 00:54:50.239 was playing with with with that crew, his name was 908 00:54:50.280 --> 00:54:53.719 O'Brien the bands, his name was O'Brien, and he he 909 00:54:53.760 --> 00:54:56.119 had like four guitar players and he was one of them. 910 00:54:56.400 --> 00:54:58.920 And this guy was so cool and smooth man. Every 911 00:54:58.960 --> 00:55:00.880 time I seen it, he was just he was just 912 00:55:00.920 --> 00:55:06.679 a great guitarist man. And I just never got a 913 00:55:06.760 --> 00:55:10.360 chance to play with him either. Once we started playing professionally, 914 00:55:10.440 --> 00:55:13.159 I missed my call because every time I tried to 915 00:55:13.159 --> 00:55:16.039 go play with somebody, I'd have to go play with somebody. 916 00:55:17.239 --> 00:55:18.599 I can't play, I gotta go play. 917 00:55:19.719 --> 00:55:23.920 But I didn't. Like I said, I got the chance 918 00:55:24.000 --> 00:55:26.760 to hang out with Less one night, and it was 919 00:55:26.800 --> 00:55:29.199 in New Orleans and it was one of the great 920 00:55:29.880 --> 00:55:33.000 great things that It was a packed house that night 921 00:55:33.400 --> 00:55:35.320 and then the next morning. I didn't know if he 922 00:55:35.400 --> 00:55:38.480 was in the crowd, but I gave him tickets and 923 00:55:38.559 --> 00:55:40.239 left him at the wheel. Call him and if he 924 00:55:40.320 --> 00:55:43.519 did show up, we were in rare form that day. 925 00:55:43.599 --> 00:55:46.480 So if he didn't see it, he missed out on 926 00:55:46.519 --> 00:55:49.760 a really good show, because, like I said, a couple 927 00:55:49.760 --> 00:55:52.119 of people that was in bad brains. We were playing 928 00:55:52.159 --> 00:55:55.719 in that man, and we were killing it that night. 929 00:55:55.800 --> 00:55:57.800 It was I mean, we left mud on the float 930 00:56:00.119 --> 00:56:03.599 was coming on after us, and you know, she had 931 00:56:03.639 --> 00:56:07.119 to she had to do her best because we had 932 00:56:07.159 --> 00:56:09.599 put so much mud on the floor by the time 933 00:56:09.719 --> 00:56:12.480 she got there. She had she had to stretch out 934 00:56:12.599 --> 00:56:14.880 and she did too. Man, I take my hat to 935 00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:19.119 the late great Tina Maria. She was. She was a 936 00:56:19.239 --> 00:56:23.800 great performer. That band was smoking too. Man played with 937 00:56:23.840 --> 00:56:27.000 Ohio players and Rogers that and I wish Less would 938 00:56:27.079 --> 00:56:30.519 have been there because he would have loved that. That 939 00:56:30.599 --> 00:56:34.840 band Rogers, the late great Roger Troutman. Oh my god, 940 00:56:35.599 --> 00:56:39.199 that band was so funky. Man, oh Man, I can't 941 00:56:39.280 --> 00:56:43.559 believe how fun it was. And the Ohio players before 942 00:56:43.559 --> 00:56:47.559 the late great Sugar Food passed away and he was there, 943 00:56:47.840 --> 00:56:51.719 they were incredible for the people. 944 00:56:53.719 --> 00:56:55.559 Uh sounded like you had a question. 945 00:56:56.199 --> 00:56:58.119 I just wanted to say, firm, I think you would 946 00:56:58.199 --> 00:57:04.039 really enjoy listening to some live recordings of Les Cleepel's 947 00:57:04.079 --> 00:57:06.559 bucket of Bernie Brain's when they were on tour in 948 00:57:06.559 --> 00:57:10.079 two thousand and four, because they were playing some incredibly 949 00:57:10.280 --> 00:57:11.159 funky stuff. 950 00:57:12.840 --> 00:57:15.000 Man, I sure would, because I always wanted to play 951 00:57:15.039 --> 00:57:18.719 with Bernie Burrel. I can't believe I didn't get with Bernie. 952 00:57:18.719 --> 00:57:21.000 Oh yeah, they had. 953 00:57:20.320 --> 00:57:24.440 They had from Cadelic covers on the tour, a Bad 954 00:57:24.519 --> 00:57:26.039 Brain cover as well. 955 00:57:26.159 --> 00:57:28.199 So it's really fantastic stuff. 956 00:57:29.719 --> 00:57:31.760 Man. I will go back and listen to So Bad 957 00:57:31.800 --> 00:57:36.840 because you know so frank if

you can please send 958 00:57:36.880 --> 00:57:39.559 me some of those links that you're talking about, if 959 00:57:39.599 --> 00:57:44.760 you will do any get my email and send it 960 00:57:44.760 --> 00:57:45.079 to me. 961 00:57:45.239 --> 00:57:52.400 Man, definitely. Well, Frankie gave you a recommendation, and I'm 962 00:57:52.400 --> 00:57:55.880 going to ask you for one events, which is you 963 00:57:55.920 --> 00:57:59.639 know you mentioned Parliament, Funkadelic, Larry Graham, sly Stone, James Brown, 964 00:58:00.159 --> 00:58:03.960 on down the Line, Pleasure, all fantastic acts, the Reddings, 965 00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:08.159 and and and so on. For me, I've got that basis. 966 00:58:08.880 --> 00:58:11.920 If I was gonna dig deeper. What other artists would 967 00:58:11.920 --> 00:58:16.039 you recommend I check out? To really get into the 968 00:58:16.039 --> 00:58:16.800 funk and R and B. 969 00:58:18.559 --> 00:58:23.400 Man, you have to go to the godfather man, James Brown. 970 00:58:25.119 --> 00:58:31.119 You know Paul Stubblefield, his drummer. One night I was, 971 00:58:31.280 --> 00:58:35.599 I was playing at this club right in Arizona. I 972 00:58:35.679 --> 00:58:38.440 was kicking, you know. I was in rare form that 973 00:58:38.559 --> 00:58:40.960 night too myself, and I was throwing you know, everybody 974 00:58:41.039 --> 00:58:43.079 threw my sticks. They hit it okay, right where I 975 00:58:43.159 --> 00:58:44.840 wanted to. You know, this is one of them nights, 976 00:58:44.840 --> 00:58:47.800 you know. And this this old guy came up to 977 00:58:47.840 --> 00:58:49.800 me and say, hey, man, you do me real good? 978 00:58:51.440 --> 00:58:52.119 I said, what. 979 00:58:53.679 --> 00:58:55.119 You do me real good? 980 00:58:55.480 --> 00:59:00.159 He said, my name is Paul Stubblefield. It was like 981 00:59:00.519 --> 00:59:02.559 stumble feel. I say, a man, I've been pro trying 982 00:59:02.599 --> 00:59:07.000 to do you my whole life. I didn't have another 983 00:59:07.119 --> 00:59:10.760 drummer name, but pretty have you ever heard of him? 984 00:59:11.079 --> 00:59:12.760 I think I've heard that guy. 985 00:59:13.400 --> 00:59:17.159 He's a crazy drummer. He came up on my on 986 00:59:17.199 --> 00:59:21.039 my stage, and I used to pride myself but not 987 00:59:21.119 --> 00:59:23.639 tuning my drums right and get some sound out of them. 988 00:59:23.960 --> 00:59:28.880 And nobody could play my drums. And I used to 989 00:59:28.920 --> 00:59:32.400 pride myself because nobody could play my drums. But he 990 00:59:32.519 --> 00:59:36.000 got on my drums and he played my drums. I 991 00:59:36.039 --> 00:59:38.960 mean I never tuned him. You know, some guys have 992 00:59:39.079 --> 00:59:42.400 to tune it like this and tune it like the ad. No. 993 00:59:43.000 --> 00:59:45.039 I used to hit it and get that sound out 994 00:59:45.079 --> 00:59:47.800 of it because I used to rim shot everything. They 995 00:59:47.920 --> 00:59:52.440 used to call it Banks. Jerome Banks used to tell 996 00:59:52.480 --> 00:59:55.440 me from bad brands. He say, oh, Vince playing that 997 00:59:55.519 --> 00:59:59.960 fat back. He's called fat back, and that's that's that's 998 01:00:00.039 --> 01:00:05.440 where the funk came from. And this up, it's like 999 01:00:05.440 --> 01:00:08.239 you hit the realm and you get the sound of 1000 01:00:08.280 --> 01:00:11.840 the of the snare head. So you didn't have to 1001 01:00:11.920 --> 01:00:14.400 tune your drums if you get that rim and hit 1002 01:00:14.440 --> 01:00:18.239 it right in the right spot every time. And boy, 1003 01:00:18.280 --> 01:00:23.079 if you keep that kick drum pumping boom, you get 1004 01:00:23.079 --> 01:00:25.480 there what he called They used to call me, are 1005 01:00:25.519 --> 01:00:28.119 you a fat bag drummer? And then they started calling 1006 01:00:28.159 --> 01:00:30.280 me a reggae drummer because I ended up playing with 1007 01:00:30.480 --> 01:00:34.599 Bernie Spear and playing We're doing shows with Bernie Spear, 1008 01:00:34.719 --> 01:00:38.000 the Whalers, uh, the Sagittari's Bend. I actually played with 1009 01:00:38.039 --> 01:00:42.559 the Sagittarian band bass player. His name was Man. This 1010 01:00:42.719 --> 01:00:45.000 dude is cold bloody whoa. He's one of the best 1011 01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:49.440 bass players I played with. His name was I can't 1012 01:00:49.480 --> 01:00:52.079 remember his name. He's one of the great bass players 1013 01:00:52.320 --> 01:00:55.639 fly blah hoh with Burnie Spear. I never got to 1014 01:00:55.679 --> 01:00:58.920 meet a couple of drummers I wanted to meet, but 1015 01:00:58.960 --> 01:01:01.119 I didn't. Yellow Man. I played with Yellow Man a 1016 01:01:01.119 --> 01:01:05.280 couple of times, and Frankie Paul and all of those 1017 01:01:05.320 --> 01:01:08.719 reggae drummers. Man it was, and all of a sudden, 1018 01:01:09.039 --> 01:01:14.119 I became what they call the reggae drummer first and 1019 01:01:14.239 --> 01:01:16.559 first I was the rock and roll brother. Then I 1020 01:01:16.639 --> 01:01:20.320 was the funk man, and then I turned to the 1021 01:01:20.320 --> 01:01:23.920 reggae drummer, and I was all along. I just always 1022 01:01:24.000 --> 01:01:27.039 just said, okay, that's cool. At least I'm not faking it. 1023 01:01:27.280 --> 01:01:31.280 That the real. So I just I just played well, 1024 01:01:32.199 --> 01:01:36.119 like like when we begin and at DeAnza, we just 1025 01:01:36.280 --> 01:01:39.719 kept it real and we kept it funk man. That's 1026 01:01:39.760 --> 01:01:42.199 all we did. Yeah, that's all we did. 1027 01:01:42.440 --> 01:01:44.280 Served you for decades. 1028 01:01:44.840 --> 01:01:47.760 For decades, man, it paid the red. 1029 01:01:48.079 --> 01:01:51.360 That's right. I'll tell you what, Vincent. It has been 1030 01:01:51.400 --> 01:01:54.800 fantastic to talk to you. I can't thank you enough 1031 01:01:55.679 --> 01:01:58.519 for your time and and for telling us you know 1032 01:01:58.599 --> 01:02:01.800 about about yourself and your experience is less but also 1033 01:02:01.920 --> 01:02:06.039 your your musical uh career in journey. I hope all 1034 01:02:06.079 --> 01:02:07.920 these guys that you're missing you get to see them 1035 01:02:07.960 --> 01:02:08.599 again sometime. 1036 01:02:09.760 --> 01:02:12.679 I do too, Man, it would be it would be 1037 01:02:12.880 --> 01:02:16.679 a pleasure just to just to sit and trade stories, 1038 01:02:16.719 --> 01:02:19.880 you know about some of the horn players and the 1039 01:02:20.280 --> 01:02:23.559 horn player was the crazy ones, and the tours and 1040 01:02:23.960 --> 01:02:26.119 the falls from the tours. I would just love to 1041 01:02:26.159 --> 01:02:30.400 sit down and just talk. And I would love to 1042 01:02:30.400 --> 01:02:32.559 sit down and play. Maybe I can play the drums 1043 01:02:32.599 --> 01:02:35.199 as much, but I can took the libraries a little 1044 01:02:35.199 --> 01:02:38.000 bit so I can steal jam 1045 01:02:38.239 --> 01:02:40.840 Act I'm still with on