How (musically) famous are you?

[Brian Krashpad]

I'll just list the ones I'd answer yes to:

Been interviewed or quoted by a magazine or newspaper
Had your photo printed in a magazine or newspaper
Written about music in a magazine/newspaper?
Been interviewed on radio?
Been interviewed on TV/webcast?
Performed on TV/webcast?
Had your recorded music played on the radio?
Been signed to an independent label?
Gone on a statewide or regional tour?
Played in public (either jammed onstage or as part of the band/act) with a nationally or internationally famous musician?
Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, on the same stage at a single stage-venue at a single-day show
Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, at a multi-stage or multi-venue or multi-day show/festival?
Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, before they became famous?
Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, after they became famous?
Signed an autograph.
Been recognized as a musician outside of one of your shows or someone else's shows (like walking down the street or at the laundromat or something) by someone you don't know.
Charted on radio play or internet play charts?
[/B]

That won't do at all.

We'll need details. See post above yours for an example.

Now write!

 

[Perfect Stranger]

I will be famous and on TV.......as soon as they catch me....:rotflmao:

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I will be famous and on TV.......as soon as they catch me....:rotflmao:

DEETS, PEOPLE!

We need deets.

 

[hubberjub]

Have you ever:

Been interviewed or quoted by a magazine or newspaper? Yes

Been interviewed for, or lent memorabilia or other source materials to, a filmaker or TV show making a film/TV show about music? I don't think so.

Been interviewed for, or lent memorabilia or other source materials to, an author writing a book about music? No.

Appeared in a film about music, as yourself. No.

Had your photo printed in a magazine or newspaper? Yes.

Had your photo on the cover of a magazine? Yes (local music magazine.)

Had your photo on a pull-out center poster or calendar in a magazine? Not unless you count those nude centerfolds I did back in college. (just kidding)

Written about music in a magazine/newspaper? Yes

Written a book about music? No

Been interviewed on radio? Yes

Been interviewed on TV/webcast? Yes

Performed (live) on radio? Yes

Performed on TV/webcast? Yes

Had your recorded music played on the radio? Yes

Been signed to an independent label? No

Been signed to a major label? No

Gone on a statewide or regional tour? Yes

Gone on a national or international tour? Just down the east coast.

Played in public (either jammed onstage or as part of the band/act) with a nationally or internationally famous musician? Yes

Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, on the same stage at a single stage-venue at a single-day show? Yes

Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, at a multi-stage or multi-venue or multi-day show/festival?
Yes

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, before they became famous?
Kind of.

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, after they became famous?
Does NRBQ count.

Signed an autograph.
Yes which I find silly.

Been recognized as a musician outside of one of your shows or someone else's shows (like walking down the street or at the laundromat or something) by someone you don't know.
Yes which is also silly.

Charted on radio play or internet play charts?
Within a certain genre.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, after they became famous?
Does NRBQ count.

Oh yes, definitely. By coincidence I recently read that one of their founding guitarists, a guy from up in Kentucky iirc, had died.

Now, expand on some of those "yes" responses.

I want stories, not a poll!

 

[sumitomo]

I will be famous and on TV.......as soon as they catch me....:rotflmao:

You are I saw You on COPS! :what Sumi

 

[deeaa]

That won't do at all.

We'll need details. See post above yours for an example.

Now write!

Okay, fair enough.

Been interviewed or quoted by a magazine or newspaper
- Several times. Can't really list all here, but both interviewed and quoted. I was told in one interview I sounded like some famous singer and I blurted 'who the f**k is he?' and that got quoted somewhere else.

Had your photo printed in a magazine or newspaper
- Again both...a few pics in music macs in new releases or demos section...a few times in colour even. Newspapers, maybe half a dozen times, last in 2005 in the main paper locally. Got a full page with one of my bands once too in the same paper which is fifth largest in the country actually.

Written about music in a magazine/newspaper?
- I worked as a part-time journalist for a few years when studying.

Been interviewed on radio?
- 3-4 times, in two different towns. Last in, um, 2004 I think.

Been interviewed on TV/webcast?
- Both, TV being a citywide TV station though, not national. In the U.S. I was interviewed for a few web mags and two Internet radios, like ODU.

Performed on TV/webcast?
- Two citywide TV station appearances...also one of our videos won some video contest in some town, was shown for a while...and then I had one song with one of my bands in full national TV station 'powerplay' for over a month.
Sadly I got no income from that, though as the station went bankrupt and never paid any ASCAP fees. I could have bought me a car, LOL, if they had paid!

Had your recorded music played on the radio?
- Plenty of times. First time was in '89, first nationwide in '92 or '93.
Again, even though it was national airing the times and repetitions weren't very large, so I made maybe a few thousand in ASCAP fees only, and that over a decade.

Been signed to an independent label?
- Yep, released two small albums.

Gone on a statewide or regional tour?
- Well, what can you count...anyway, I have played in every top-5 city sizewise in Finland. We even had an own van at one point and drove around...never made any money but played a lot of gigs.

Played in public (either jammed onstage or as part of the band/act) with a nationally or internationally famous musician?
- When I was in music school we had a couple of sessions at a local Jazz Club where we had to perform with some pretty big players. Can't remember who they were. Some jazz dudes mostly, but also some blues guys. I'm terrible with names.

Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, on the same stage at a single stage-venue at a single-day show
- Both, played a few festivals where there were bands from all around the world, and also warmed up a few of the top-10 or even top-3 bands here.

Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, at a multi-stage or multi-venue or multi-day show/festival?
- Yeah, see above.

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, before they became famous?
- Yeah, one of the all-time best done Finnish bands, Apulanta, back in the day...they had just released their first hit which was soaring the charts. And due to some time planning reasons we've sometimes appeared after a much more established band, such as, say, Tarot.

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, after they became famous?
- Ok this one one is kind of a stretch...I missed the single stage requirement. We once played this dual-stage gig with a platinum artist playing the other first and we were supposed to start when he finishes on the next stage. Turns out the platinum artist enjoyed playing so much he played during our whole set and coincidentally nobody came to see us, as we were forced to start in order to keep to the schedule.

Signed an autograph.
- Yeah, a couple of times. Funny enough, also in the U.S. once just for playing a song of ours from tape to someone.

Been recognized as a musician outside of one of your shows or someone else's shows (like walking down the street or at the laundromat or something) by someone you don't know.
- Used to happen a lot. Isn't it a big part for young guys to get this to happen with girls

Charted on radio play or internet play charts?
- Yeah, soundclick for instance...it's crazy...like with one of my bands I've had close to four MILLION total song plays, almost 500.000 page visits...had songs number one in Metal and Rock and whatnot...

But you can't really count Internet success like Soundclick, Broadjam etc...because that's nothing tangible, there's no money made or anything like that.

 

[jpfeifer]

Wow... , I suppose that I am the furthest away from famous as a person can get, but I have played with a few famous people.

I got to do some recording work a few years ago for one of the founding members of Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. He was the person that they made the show Jersey Boys about. His name is Tommy DeVito. He was a lot of fun and had tons of great stories about playing on the Ed Sullivan show in the 60's, etc. He is really funny guy.

I got to play with Tommy Tedesco once at a music clinic and talk with him. He was my hero because he is probably the best studio musician that ever lived.

Outside of this, I'm not very famous and probably never will be. Maybe it's better that way.

--Jim

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Wow... , I suppose that I am the furthest away from famous as a person can get, but I have played with a few famous people.

I got to do some recording work a few years ago for one of the founding members of Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. He was the person that they made the show Jersey Boys about. His name is Tommy DeVito. He was a lot of fun and had tons of great stories about playing on the Ed Sullivan show in the 60's, etc. He is really funny guy.

I got to play with Tommy Tedesco once at a music clinic and talk with him. He was my hero because he is probably the best studio musician that ever lived.

Outside of this, I'm not very famous and probably never will be. Maybe it's better that way.

--Jim

Ah, but you have two good stories to tell-- a lot of people haven't gotten to play with anyone famous.

Thanks for sharing.

And the same to deeaa.

 

[bigG]

I almost was...

I'll try to do this chronologically from memory:

From the 60s and early 70s (too many stories, but these are just the ones that touch on "fame"):

Three members of the first band I was in (myself on bass, the drummer and the guit player) "mimed" the theme song (Yellow Bird) in the background of two TV commercials for now-defunct National Airlines. One was done in the CBS affiliate TV studio in Miami, the other was outside at some motel in the FL Keys. The local-talent front man was doing the on-screen voice commercial w us behind him. (Was in high school at the time, and got off to do those, and, made some decent $!) Pretty cool seeing yourself on TV at all hours of the day and night for weeks at a time. Fwiw, the pancake make-up we all had to wear was NASTY stuff. Had to scrape it off w a knife, just about.

Another band I was in opened for Lou Christie (Lightning Strikes) and Steve Alaimo (can't remember the couple of hits he had), and did some studio demo work with Dion (DaMucci) - (Abraham, Martin and John - as well as earlier Dion and the Belmonts).

Now to the bigger stuff: another band I was in was the #1 band in Miami (abt 1967) and opened for alot of name touring acts at major 2,000 to 10,000person standing room venues. The McCoys, Vanilla Fudge, Young Rascals, Ultimate Spinach, Procol Harum, Grateful Dead, Blues Image (Ride Captain Ride) long before they went to California and recorded the album that yielded that hit...Can't remember any more of that period...

From all those gigs we got hooked up pretty tight w Vanilla Fudge and their managers. In 1968, we went to NYC to land a promised contract w Columbia Records. While waiting for that to happen, we were often the house band at a club the Fudge owned called The Action House on Long Island, and opened for some touring acts there, also: Soul Survivors (Expressway to Your Heart), The Rascals again, The Illusion...Opened for The Chambers Brothers at The Electric Circus in NYC. Saw the real-in-the-flesh Sugar Plumb Fairy (made famous in Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side) while loading out from a club that's right across the street from The Ed Sullivan Theatre (now David Letterman's show is done from there) at abt 3 AM.

Landed Columbia Records contract. Recorded in their famous Studio One in downtown Manhattan. Our signing was announced in Billboard Magazine along w a black n white pic of the band. After recording abt 6 or 7 songs towards a proper album, Columbia decided to test market a single in the regional northeast. The A-side was written by our guitar player, the B-side was co-written by myself and the same guy. (Entitled "Take a Bus" and "Let It Flow", respectively.) Unfortunately, the best that single did was to get to #13 on some station in Maine, and Rob Cavallo, our producer, decided to pull the plug...

So, back to Miami. I joined another seven-piece band made up of mostly guys with whom I had been in previous bands in the mid-60s. We quickly became the #1 band in Miami and the house band at the biggest head-club (and last) called Light My Fire (abt 150 seated/standing capacity). That band headlined EVERY love-in at Greynold's Park (scaffolding and a couple of generators) and on the beach, playing from a stage on the rear deck of the Castaway's Hotel. We got alot of radio exposure as Light My Fire advertised incessantly on radio.

That same band opened for a few outdoor "big-name" festivals, the biggest of which was at the Hollywood Speedway (25,000 people on a BEAUTIFUL late winter's afternoon). MANY mid-name and a few big name acts (kinda like a mini-Woodstock): Sweetwater, The Fudge, Jefferson Airplane (can't remember anymore bands, but there were some 10 or 12 there). That was filmed for the local TV stations nightly news - snippets were shown of some bands (us included, cause we were big name local) and the crowd from the stage perspective. (Man, that stage was something. All scaffolding, abt 20' high and probably 100' across by 40' deep. All we had to do was bring our axes; amps and PA were "generic", but w choices of amps for bass and guitar, and abt 3 or 4 different drum kits.)

Members of that same band (myself included) also did ALOT of studio back-up work for mostly demo tapes of young up-n-coming vocalists, some of whom had hits much later during the 70s disco meltdown. Interestingly enough, the aforementioned Steve Alaimo was running the boards (Tone Studios in Hialeah - an outlying suburb of Miami). Henry Stone, the owner, came to have numerous disco-era hits on his own label, most notably w K C and the Sunshine Band. All of that ended when I made the biggest mistake of my life: to quit music, get married and get a straight job as an electrician. Wasn't just me, though. One of our guitarists also decided to quit and get married, and the drummer, who was from NY, decided to head back home and complete college. Oh well, it is what it is, or, better, was what it was...

Well, that's all that comes to mind as to "bordering" on fame. But I got tons of additional stories of lesser incidents and gigs. While we were in NY, NJ, there was a spell there where we were BROKE! Waiting for monies due us. Eating food from vending machines and making coffee in our motel rooms w Sanka packets and "hot" tap water from the bathroom sink! I don't recommend it!

That's all for now, although I'm sure to remember more stuff once I post this. That always happens...

G :crazyguy

 

[Monkus]

Context: Trinidad and Tobago is a small twin island republic 7 miles east of Venezuela. We're approximately 1.2 million people.

Have you ever:

Been interviewed or quoted by a magazine or newspaper? yes, Local dailies.

Been interviewed for, or lent memorabilia or other source materials to, a filmaker or TV show making a film/TV show about music? no

Been interviewed for, or lent memorabilia or other source materials to, an author writing a book about music? no

Appeared in a film about music, as yourself. no

Had your photo printed in a magazine or newspaper? yes

Had your photo on the cover of a magazine? no

Had your photo on a pull-out center poster or calendar in a magazine? no lol!

Written about music in a magazine/newspaper? yes

Written a book about music? no

Been interviewed on radio? yes

Been interviewed on TV/webcast? yes

Performed (live) on radio? yes

Performed on TV/webcast? yes (local tv station only)

Had your recorded music played on the radio? yes

Been signed to an independent label? no

Been signed to a major label? no

Gone on a statewide or regional tour (read local)? yes

Gone on a national or international tour? No

Played in public (either jammed onstage or as part of the band/act) with a nationally or internationally famous musician? No, but Air Supply and Survivor used my gear, does that count?

Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, on the same stage at a single stage-venue at a single-day show? yes, opened for Firehouse, The Outfield, Air Supply, Survivor, White Lion, Alice DJ, Flock of Seagulls and one or two others I can't remember, different shows between 1998-2002.

Opened for or been (lower) on the same bill as a nationally or internationally famous musician, at a multi-stage or multi-venue or multi-day show/festival? no

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, before they became famous? no.

Had a nationally or internationally famous musician or band open for you, at a single-stage venue and a single-day show, after they became famous? no

Signed an autograph. yes, was creepy the first few times.

Been recognized as a musician outside of one of your shows or someone else's shows (like walking down the street or at the laundromat or something) by someone you don't know. yes, very, very embarrassing, still happens sometimes, small country.

Charted on radio play or internet play charts? yes, local charts, a song called For Tonight.

 

[sumitomo]

That's awesome G what great memories!Sumi
All I ever had was my picture on a wanted poster:thwap

 

[bigG]

That's awesome G what great memories!Sumi
All I ever had was my picture on a wanted poster:thwap

Thanks, sumi! The older I get, the more I live on those memories. But more like my "autumn of my life" pleasant reflections these days. 59 years brings a certain feeling of acceptance and comfort, at least for me, which is nice.

I wouldn't trade those times and those memories for anything. :AOK

 

[Brian Krashpad]

G, thanks a lot! Great stories!

Monkus, tell us more on some of your "yes" answers, mon!