Page 74 - The Westerner Magazine Halloween 2018
P. 74
They must have. I called him, and he said, psychic who was reading questions
“John, you don’t know me. I’m Don blindfolded that everyone had submitted for
Burkhimer.” Don is the one who would him to answer. The band was getting ready
eventually give me the Hues Corporation to go back on stage when the psychic said,
and “Rock the Boat.” “John! Everything is all right with Sy. It’ll
take longer than you expected.”
Don said he wanted me to called Joe
Reisman, who was head of A&R in Los That’s Seymour Heller, Liberace’s manager,
Angeles for the West Coast. I didn’t, as I who had, in fact, offered me a job in LA.
wasn’t ready. It was flattering, but I just Nobody knew that. The next time psychic
wasn’t ready. I ended up recording rhythm Doctor Richard Ireland who became quite
tracks for a local artist from Phoenix in LA. famous submitted a question, I asked him
Dan Berrett was a contractor of musicians about the job. He said, “Forget Sy. You’re
who you could hire, for example, if you going to be working for a major label in LA
nd
wanted a string section or horns. I called for two older guys. It’ll be October 22 of
nd
him and told him I needed a rhythm section this year.” I started September 22 of that
in LA. The next day after the session he year. Once I was hired, I called Doctor
called me and said, “I like the way you work Ireland in Phoenix and I said, “You said
nd
with musicians and artists, so I’d like to take October 22 !” He replied. “John, what do
you over to meet Joe Reisman at RCA.” The you want?”
very guy I didn’t call.
What was that first year at a major label
How did it go with Joe Reisman? like RCA like?
When we sat down, Joe Reisman opened his “We will give you one year,” Joe Reisman
desk drawer and said, “Here… you’re said. He was getting very antsy before I
number two on our list. Weren’t you found Friends of Distinction. That’s what
supposed to call me?” I asked him who got me going.
number one on his list was and he said,
“David Gates.” That’s the guy who would RCA didn’t give you artists. You had to
eventually become the lead singer for Bread. find your own?
“Joe, why wouldn’t you hire David? He’s Everybody else was set. The artists were
experienced.” “John,” Joe said, “David covered. I was lucky enough to be given
wants a salary to match his experience and I leeway to choose an artist. The other act that
want you to work for next to nothing.” So, I I had found was unhappy and signed to
quit college in the last year and ended up Columbia. They were called The Spiral
working as a staff producer at RCA. Staircase. This was before they scored their
first hit, “I Love You More Today Than
Now, there’s a cute story that goes along
with all of this. There was a famous psychic Yesterday.” In fact, Friends of Distinction
here in Arizona at that time. I was standing had “Grazing in the Grass” moving up the
in the back of the club, watching this charts at the same time The Spiral Staircase
