Here is a short story about Neal and myself that occurred a long time ago when we first met. So . . . driving my car down a street in Brooklyn NY, not that far from where I lived at the time, early 70's (was my car a Chevy Impala? I don't remember), summertime, car windows open, I hear an unmistakable-sounding *Gibson electric guitar blaring inside the window of the ground floor of a corner house on that block. I knew the sound of the Gibson, and whoever was playing it, was talented. Being the unabashed, 'confident in my goals' teenager that we all believed we were at the time, I thought nothing of stopping and knocking on the door. "Hey guy, how about teaching me some of the stuff that you're playing, I'll pay you for lessons" I said, no introduction yet, and nothing more added. Neal, also a teenager at the time, responded cordially, amicably, obligingly, "Get out of here" and he shuts the door. I knock again. "What do you want from my life?" Mr. Friendly says. "I'm from the neighborhood, I was listening to you play, then just invite me in for a sec' or come outside so we can talk about it a little bit, I play some guitar too, I'll show you." "Big deal, everybody does" he says to me (it was true, everyone seemed to play guitar at that time). But he eventually winds up letting me in.
Now Neal looked like, and sounded like Jimmy Page in those days. Long hair like Page, parted on the side, and played guitar equally as fast as Page. I was studying Clapton and developed a style that was more bluesy. But our combo was undeniable, and we started playing music together.
There was a kid named Charlie, a West Indian-American kid, that we both knew and both thought was great. I first saw him playing an original song solo onstage in my high school auditorium and I couldn't believe how good he was. Like a Paul McCartney. So we recruited him on bass, his main instrument, got a drummer and formed a band.
Shortly after that, a friend of Neal's named Marvin told him that Atlantic Records wanted him to come in for a demo recording session at their studios in Manhattan because they liked some of Marvin's original tunes (the same studios where CREAM recorded the 'Disraeli Gears' album, so I knew it would be exciting), and Marvin needed a group.
Fast forward -- so we five, (including Marvin), meet at Atlantic Studios in midtown Manhattan for the session, and the first thing I do is ask Neal "Did you bring the 'Fuzz Box' for me?" (think of the guitar sound in The Doors' 'Hello, I Love You'). "No" he said. To this day, he claims he forgot it, I say, he told me that he wanted it to stay in his house so he wouldn't lose it. Whatever. The 'Fuzz Box' was vital as an effect on the guitar for the psychedelic late1960's--early1970's sound we were producing, and the recording engineer explained to me that I now sounded like the Grateful Dead trying to play Black Sabbath without that box. So that was strike one. Then Charlie. The engineer told Charlie, who was singing lead, "Why don't you sing it more like this?" Not one time, not two times, but three different times. So what does any self-respecting, worldly, all-knowing teenager of the time do? They throw their microphone and storm out . . . and that was what Charlie did.
After that, we didn't need a strike three. We were out. And there went a good shot at the music business at a nice young age.
We all survived that bad day, and life for all of us definitely went on from there. Neal eventually opened an air conditioning installation and repair business and made a lot of money "to pay for my guitars", as he put it. I go off and do a bunch of other things, and Charlie, rest his soul, kept pissing people off, by just being Charlie. I actually liked Charlie a hell of a lot, and greatly admired his talent. Even up until this day, I still remember his songs.
Neal's musical life wasn't over with that Atlantic Records incident, of course. He began playing jazz guitar, and in time either interacted with, studied with, or played with some jazz guitar greats, including the legendary Les Paul, Pat Metheny (who has three gold albums and twenty Grammy Awards, and is the only person to have won Grammies in ten categories), Barry Galbraith, Howard Morgan (his master class students included Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Edie Brickell, etc.), Robben Ford (he collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Springfield, KISS, etc), and renowned, innovative bass guitar designer Carl Thompson. Neal, in addition to other musical involvements and endeavors through the years, is currently on the board of JAZZ HOUSE KIDS, a non-profit organization that hosts performances of their organization's musicians and special guests, and will be featuring Sting in a private concert and conversation, February, 2024.
THE AMERICAN RELICS? I called Neal not that long ago and told him that I formed a band again, told him the name, and that we now have a press agent that is doing a very good job helping to get our band name known and our music listened to. Our press releases alone are picked up by 450 to 500 different outlets (including Melody Maker) and many of those outlets have written very complimentary articles about the group..(fast forward again. In addition, as of this writing, two songs of ours are in the rotation on KISS-FM radio, Z100, Hot 97, and a number of other radio stations in different markets around the country). "Wow" he said. He then asked me who this press agent was, and I told him. He responded, "My ex-wife??" "Yeah, Eileen, your ex-wife". Can't make that up.
And one last thing about Neal. I may have kidded here about Neal being a bit of a (a term we used to use often in Brooklyn. I remember my sister called me this all the time (and she was the biggest music fan)) . . . a smartmouth. But in reality, that is not the main point about Neal. Neal is one of the most kind-hearted, good-natured, and dedicated persons I have ever met. Ask any of his many, many friends. And THE AMERICAN RELICS could not have a better band mate.
P.S., the actual small demo recording we did *way back when that sparked interest at Atlantic Records, actually won an Original Song competition on a radio station only a few years back. Long Live Rock!!
Now Neal looked like, and sounded like Jimmy Page in those days. Long hair like Page, parted on the side, and played guitar equally as fast as Page. I was studying Clapton and developed a style that was more bluesy. But our combo was undeniable, and we started playing music together.
There was a kid named Charlie, a West Indian-American kid, that we both knew and both thought was great. I first saw him playing an original song solo onstage in my high school auditorium and I couldn't believe how good he was. Like a Paul McCartney. So we recruited him on bass, his main instrument, got a drummer and formed a band.
Shortly after that, a friend of Neal's named Marvin told him that Atlantic Records wanted him to come in for a demo recording session at their studios in Manhattan because they liked some of Marvin's original tunes (the same studios where CREAM recorded the 'Disraeli Gears' album, so I knew it would be exciting), and Marvin needed a group.
Fast forward -- so we five, (including Marvin), meet at Atlantic Studios in midtown Manhattan for the session, and the first thing I do is ask Neal "Did you bring the 'Fuzz Box' for me?" (think of the guitar sound in The Doors' 'Hello, I Love You'). "No" he said. To this day, he claims he forgot it, I say, he told me that he wanted it to stay in his house so he wouldn't lose it. Whatever. The 'Fuzz Box' was vital as an effect on the guitar for the psychedelic late1960's--early1970's sound we were producing, and the recording engineer explained to me that I now sounded like the Grateful Dead trying to play Black Sabbath without that box. So that was strike one. Then Charlie. The engineer told Charlie, who was singing lead, "Why don't you sing it more like this?" Not one time, not two times, but three different times. So what does any self-respecting, worldly, all-knowing teenager of the time do? They throw their microphone and storm out . . . and that was what Charlie did.
After that, we didn't need a strike three. We were out. And there went a good shot at the music business at a nice young age.
We all survived that bad day, and life for all of us definitely went on from there. Neal eventually opened an air conditioning installation and repair business and made a lot of money "to pay for my guitars", as he put it. I go off and do a bunch of other things, and Charlie, rest his soul, kept pissing people off, by just being Charlie. I actually liked Charlie a hell of a lot, and greatly admired his talent. Even up until this day, I still remember his songs.
Neal's musical life wasn't over with that Atlantic Records incident, of course. He began playing jazz guitar, and in time either interacted with, studied with, or played with some jazz guitar greats, including the legendary Les Paul, Pat Metheny (who has three gold albums and twenty Grammy Awards, and is the only person to have won Grammies in ten categories), Barry Galbraith, Howard Morgan (his master class students included Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Edie Brickell, etc.), Robben Ford (he collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Springfield, KISS, etc), and renowned, innovative bass guitar designer Carl Thompson. Neal, in addition to other musical involvements and endeavors through the years, is currently on the board of JAZZ HOUSE KIDS, a non-profit organization that hosts performances of their organization's musicians and special guests, and will be featuring Sting in a private concert and conversation, February, 2024.
THE AMERICAN RELICS? I called Neal not that long ago and told him that I formed a band again, told him the name, and that we now have a press agent that is doing a very good job helping to get our band name known and our music listened to. Our press releases alone are picked up by 450 to 500 different outlets (including Melody Maker) and many of those outlets have written very complimentary articles about the group..(fast forward again. In addition, as of this writing, two songs of ours are in the rotation on KISS-FM radio, Z100, Hot 97, and a number of other radio stations in different markets around the country). "Wow" he said. He then asked me who this press agent was, and I told him. He responded, "My ex-wife??" "Yeah, Eileen, your ex-wife". Can't make that up.
And one last thing about Neal. I may have kidded here about Neal being a bit of a (a term we used to use often in Brooklyn. I remember my sister called me this all the time (and she was the biggest music fan)) . . . a smartmouth. But in reality, that is not the main point about Neal. Neal is one of the most kind-hearted, good-natured, and dedicated persons I have ever met. Ask any of his many, many friends. And THE AMERICAN RELICS could not have a better band mate.
P.S., the actual small demo recording we did *way back when that sparked interest at Atlantic Records, actually won an Original Song competition on a radio station only a few years back. Long Live Rock!!
'No More Sunshine'
Recorded in the 70's as a demo for Altantic Records Written by Marvin Reich Sung by Marvin Reich and Charlie Bascombe Rhythm and Lead Guitars by Neal and John |
'Street Scene (Mourn The Living Dead)'
Recorded in the 70's as a demo for Atlantic Records Written by Marvin Reich Sung by Charlie Bascombe and Marvin Reich Rhythm and Lead Guitars by Neal and John |