Micahel & Johnny: the last straw--Florida gig

[jamestkirk]

Did you know that it was essentially over for LoVE when Arthur failed to show for the last East Coast gig at that Florida music festival?

He left for LA over some pretense or girlfriend crisis, after NYC, saying he would be there in Florida for the show.

Was that one of those instances where LoVE failed to get headliner "status", so Arthur in effect just told the festival organizers to piss off?

[MichaelStuart-Ware]

Yeah, we were at the hotel in New York one day and Arthur just said, "Hey I have to run back to L.A. and take care of some bullshit, so I'll meet you guys in Miami, OK?" I mean, I can't speak for anybody else, but I was thinking "Great! See you later," because by this time, Arthur was a drag to be around. Always mad and looking for trouble or for something to complain about. His personality was a lot like Bill Graham's actually. You know...the "self-made man" syndrome. Permanently grouchy.

I'm certain all of us knew that Arthur's last-minute excuse for not showing up for the Miami Pops Festival "...because we didn't get top billing..." was just an excuse. I mean, he was all comfy at home and didn't want to leave, that's all. But I don't think any of us thought, "Well, that's it..." any more than we did on a day-to-day basis.

Truth is, we didn't play very often, and when it's like that, you always think tomorrow might be the last day. But I think at that point, we knew about the film thing coming up and then we did the "Laughing Stock" session after that, so we knew it would go on a bit longer, anyway.

[silentseason]

Let me piggyback that question with this (for Michael): How did you find out that you (and everyone else) were no longer in the group, and at that point were you happy/sad about it?

[MichaelStuart-Ware]

I think I was up in Seattle playing with the Danny O'Keefe band when I heard that Arthur had recorded "Four Sail" with a new Love lineup (in August of '69.) The last thing the Forever Changes lineup did together was "Laughing Stock", and "Your Mind..." in June of '68, so that's over a year with no communication between the original members whatsoever. There was no "firing." We just stopped speaking. So the fact that Arthur recorded the fourth album with new guys didn't come as a surprise at all.

Was I sad? Probably a little. More just disappointed, I guess. But it was inevitable. Why? Let me describe this snapshot to you...

We're onstage at the Whisky, debuting Da Capo. We're playing the first cut on the "A" side, "Stephanie Knows Who". Stephanie is standing at the edge of the stage looking up with loving eyes... at Bryan. That is all, because Arthur loved Stephanie, and in the end it was a crushing defeat by a subordinate, and one he could neither forget nor forgive.

[silentseason]

I think I was up in Seattle playing with the Danny O'Keefe band when I heard that Arthur had recorded "Four Sail" with a new Love lineup (in August of '69.) The last thing the Forever Changes lineup did together was "Laughing Stock", and "Your Mind..." in June of '68, so that's over a year with no communication between the original members whatsoever. There was no "firing." We just stopped speaking. So the fact that Arthur recorded the fourth album with new guys didn't come as a surprise at all.

Was I sad? Probably a little. More just disappointed, I guess. But it was inevitable. Why? Let me describe this snapshot to you...

We're onstage at the Whisky, debuting Da Capo. We're playing the first cut on the "A" side, "Stephanie Knows Who". Stephanie is standing at the edge of the stage looking up with loving eyes... at Bryan. That is all, because Arthur loved Stephanie, and in the end it was a crushing defeat by a subordinate, and one he could neither forget nor forgive.

I know hindsight is 20/20, but two more questions along this line. Going into the group in mid '66, do you recall if you thought that maybe this was a band that would have commercial success and a long life span? Also, given the volatility of what transpired do you regret having joined? And I ask this very carefully, as your (or mine or anyones for that matter) critical thinking in your twenties obviously aren't what they are later on after you have grown and matured.

[MichaelStuart-Ware]

Like I said...Arthur and Bryan saw me playing at Bido Lito's with The Sons of Adam in June of '66 and asked me to join up on the spot. Problem was, 1.) I was real happy playing with The Sons of Adam, 2.) The guys in the Sons of Adam were my best friends in the whole wide world, 3.) The Sons of Adam were enjoying relative success, playing as the house band at Gazzarri's on the strip, doing modeling assignments for GQ, and high-profile films like, "The Slender Thread", and 4.) Arthur and other members of Love had a widely publicized and well-known arrest record for drug violations ... however,

A couple of months later, The Sons of Adam began to falter, because we didn't write, and our singing was limited at best... and we started arguing a lot. So I finally accepted Arthur's standing invitation to join up just in time to record Da Capo.

Am I sorry I joined Love? Not hardly. I just wish I would have accepted the first time around, because then I would have had the opportunity to play drums on one of the great compositions of all time, "7&7 Is."

Not only that, but I want to say right here and now that I absolutely and fully appreciate having had the honor of recording music written by two of the great minds ever to write in the popular music genre, Arthur Lee and Bryan Maclean. I shudder to think what I almost missed.

[jamestkirk]

Like I said...Arthur and Bryan saw me playing at Bido Lito's with The Sons of Adam in June of '66 and asked me to join up on the spot. Problem was, 1.) I was real happy playing with The Sons of Adam, 2.) The guys in the Sons of Adam were my best friends in the whole wide world, 3.) The Sons of Adam were enjoying relative success, playing as the house band at Gazzarri's on the strip, doing modeling assignments for GQ, and high-profile films like, "The Slender Thread", and 4.) Arthur and other members of Love had a widely publicized and well-known arrest record for drug violations ... however,

A couple of months later, The Sons of Adam began to falter, because we didn't write, and our singing was limited at best... and we started arguing a lot. So I finally accepted Arthur's standing invitation to join up just in time to record Da Capo.

Am I sorry I joined Love? Not hardly. I just wish I would have accepted the first time around, because then I would have had the opportunity to play drums on one of the great compositions of all time, "7&7 Is."

Not only that, but I want to say right here and now that I absolutely and fully appreciate having had the honor of recording music written by two of the great minds ever to write in the popular music genre, Arthur Lee and Bryan Maclean. I shudder to think what I almost missed.

You absolutely made the right choice as far as the LOVE fans here are concerned!! You keep the beat for us!!

Have you and Randy Holden been in touch lately...any more projects? I read that his wife gave him a custom-made glass neck guitar---sounds like a beauty.

One of THE best guitarists period, in my book. He made, for me, the best album side that Blue Cheer ever recorded! Another artist that could just never find the fame he seserved!!

[silentseason]

Totally concur with jtk. You are part of the mix that made Love unique and if you take one of the elements out....you don't have that specialness anymore.

[MichaelStuart-Ware]

Yes James, you are so right about Randy Holden being one of the all-time greats of the era. He used his background in surf music, then added some early Keith Richards and Jeff Beck to the mix (plus some things of his own that defy description or category)... the result established a style that was pretty much the basis for the heavy-metal era that came about in the late-sixties and early-seventies.

The last time I played with Randy (a couple years ago) I was just blown away,... not only has he not lost a thing, if anything he's even better than ever. The guy is just a powerhouse of ability and profound talent.

The Sons of Adam were never the same after he left and Blue Cheer were most certainly the fortunate beneficiaries of our loss.

[MichaelStuart-Ware]

Thanks for the kind words, silent and jtk. As the last guy to join up with the original group, I always felt like the new arrival.

Don Conka was an essential component in the laying of the soul-stirring foundation that made Love the special band it was. Snoop gave an excellent account of himself on the first album (and of course on "7&7 Is"), and I was fortunate to have been the drummer on Da Capo and Forever Changes.

Don, Snoop and I all have to be considered the "actual drummers" in the band, Love.

[TJSAbass]

Michael, thank you for that insight about Stephanie. It kind of makes me a little more sympathetic toward Arthur. Had to be hard for him to deal with, at that moment.

[Bruno]

[quote="MichaelStuart-Ware"]Like I said...Arthur and Bryan saw me playing at Bido Lito's with The Sons of Adam in June of '66 and asked me to join up on the spot.

Love and The Sons Of Adam played together on the same bill for the first time at the Bido Lito's in March 1966 not in June 1966. That show happened in March before both bands played together at the Fillmore Auditorioum in San Francisco on April 8-9, 1966.

[MichaelStuart-Ware]

I could have the date wrong that Bryan and Arthur first invited me to join up. I only remember they were in the audience that night at Bido Lito's as customers not performers. It was their night off from where ever it was they were playing, as it was The Sons of Adam's night off from Gazzarri's, and Bryan and Arthur had dropped in to Bido Lito's to check things out.

The Sons of Adam were there to do a 4 or 5 tune guest (non-pay) set. The Sons of Adam went over big and subsequently accepted an invitation from Bill and Dorothy to play there regularly and often for money after we left Gazzarris, and we did.

So if the first time Love and The Sons of Adam played on the same bill was at Bido Litos in March of '66, then the night I was first invited to join (during our first encounter at Bido Lito's) was several months prior.