A Beautiful Song: A Musical Soul Story

by Michael Cantwell

  Scott had begun taking education classes since he still wanted to return to Ohio and teach kids music. He found an opportunity through the school to go into a poor section of the city and teach elementary school kids. The guy seemed to come back from that on cloud nine every time telling me how he was sure he had made a difference in someone’s life that day. I admired his ambitions, but I always felt like he could have done so much more with his life. It took me many years before I realized how wrong I was about Scott’s dreams. He convinced Elise and me to tag along, but I really didn’t think I would ever have the patience for such a thing, or want to be trapped in a small room day in and day out. I think Elise was a bit more affected by her first visit since she went a few more times.

  Carl passed the bar exam as expected with his first attempt, and we went out for dinner to celebrate. He invited his dad, who was in town that week, so I met Carl’s dad for the first time. I quickly found out where Carl got his salesmanship from. Carl kept bragging on and on about how I was going to be on the Yale label one day, and that his dad would be out peddling albums with my name on them. I mostly ignored it all and just kept asking Carl how he was going to get me a record deal if he could not even get me a job in a local club. He assured me now that he had passed his exam and was about to move into his new down town digs, I would soon be working. He knew that was not our original agreement, but I was not going to make too much of a fuss on his special night.

  His dad insisted that no record label would ever offer a contract to anyone with my name. We talked about it for a while and he kept asking me who my influences were at the time. He forced me to really think about it, even though Gordy had always impressed on me to be myself. But as the hour was getting late, I told him that I wanted to speak the words of Bob Dylan with the soul of James Brown. From that moment on, I was to be known as Dylan James in my professional life. Of course I had no job, no degree, and no real future, but I did have a cool name. The next day I sprung the name on Scott and Elise and Scott’s only response was “Oh yes I can see it all so clearly now, a big marquee sign at Radio City Music Hall, an evening with two guitars and one drama queen, Dylan James.” The guy had a soft spot for kids, but he sure did hold a grudge. Elise also enjoyed his comment far too much for my liking.

  I started to really concentrate on my class work during my junior year. It had become important to me that I did well, so that my dad didn’t think it was all about playing music. He was still disappointed in me that I didn’t go to a business school and play music on the side. He knew I was talented, but in his world, real men didn’t play music for a living. He was of course a huge Frank Sinatra fan but somehow that fact always seemed to escape him. I also took a voice class in my first semester. I was starting to become more comfortable with my singing voice. I knew if I was to play solo in clubs, no one wanted to hear someone who was not somewhat accomplished in voice. But I also figured if Bob Dylan could get away with it so could I.

  Just before the first of December, Carl called and told me he had an offer for me to play solo in a small club the week between Christmas and New Year. The regular act would be on vacation. I was not thrilled since I knew my mother would be very upset with me, but I took the job anyway. It worked out since I didn’t have to worry about school work. I convinced Debby to come and do half of my sets with me. I really didn’t want to sing all the songs. She agreed. I arranged with the school for her to stay in a dorm room to herself, so her dad didn’t go crazy. I gave her half of my cut even though she only played half of the sets with me. It was for very low pay, and after Carl took his fifteen percent and the government took their cut, and with Debby’s split, I had just enough for gas money. But I was working with an audience again. I played about ninety minutes with Debby and just over an hour alone. The owner was so happy with our work that he wanted to extend it another week, but I had promised my family I would be home for a week while on break. We did offer our services over the summer if he wanted us back.

  Little did I know, Carl had arranged for someone from Yale Records to come one night and hear us perform. He didn’t want to tell me so that I wouldn’t get too nervous. I found out the next day. He was impressed enough to let Carl know that they might use me as a studio musician in the future. He also liked the chemistry between me and Debby.

  I spent the remainder of the holiday break at home and went to the shop to visit with Gordy for an hour or so each day. I had not seen that much of him lately. I told him about my new name and his only response was “congrats the suits took over.” I think he was being sarcastic, but he let it all go very quickly. I still didn’t know why he had such anger about either the music industry or something else, but he was always a very private person. I had never been to his house even though he had come to my parents for Thanksgiving and once for Christmas dinner. He would always change the subject when it became too personal about his past. Debby and I played one weekend at a local restaurant and were asked to play part time over the summer, but we didn’t want to commit to such a small job. We were however getting very good at performing with each other.

  I barely remember the second semester of my junior year. I remember Carl got me sporadic jobs on weekends, and at various clubs but nothing exciting. I also actually got a studio job to play rhythm guitar on an album being put out by the “next overnight sensation”. They were so overnight I don’t even remember their name, but it did give me some experience in a studio working with a producer. My advisor at school was very pleased I was able to get the experience. Scott was taking mostly education classes now and was considering transferring to Ohio State to finish his degree in education. Elise was offered to play in a small orchestra for an off Broadway production, so between her school work and her practice time, I rarely got a chance to see her. I was starting to feel very isolated even though I was still on campus and Scott was still my roommate. The only good thing was that my grades were the best they had ever been even with business classes.

  Carl could not arrange any full time jobs for me over the summer, so I went home and played weekends here and there with Debby. I also went back to the shop with Gordy giving lessons and really concentrated on my song writing. I got a few tips from Gordy. He hinted that maybe, just maybe, he had written a few songs in his past. I knew he was still somewhat involved in music because I would see envelopes being delivered to the shop from “The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers” or ASCAP. I didn’t want to pry since he hated that, but Skunk once told me that Gordy “Made a few bucks from royalties, the store was more for his sanity.” I was about to enter my senior year and I had no idea what I would be doing this time next year. I only knew it could not be giving guitar lessons to ten year old kids who had no idea how to appreciate a fine instrument. I was starting to sound like Gordy.

  Elise convinced me to come and visit her in North Carolina for a week near the end of the summer. It was like another world to me. I had no idea there were actually that many stars in the sky and the air could be so crisp and clear. She was so much more relaxed and almost a different person at home. She was not nearly as shy, and I noticed one very important thing. She would play that violin like a fiddle. Meaning no more Chopin at home, she was playing down right foot stomping Dixie style music. It was a real eye opener for me. I was happy I knew she could play that style of music. It also opened my mind to the idea of seeing more of the world. If in a twelve hour car ride there sat so much beauty that I had never been exposed to, what else was beyond my sight lines? I had never been outside of New Jersey or New York City. To me Atlantic City was the country. Now I know why Elise laughed every time I would take her there and tell her we were going to the country for the day. I had to drive my car up and down multiple dirt roads to make it to her parent’s home.

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  Chapter 7

  First day back at Julliard for senior year was very upsetting. Scott transferred to Ohio State over the summer and didn’t tell me. I showed up and t
hey stuck me with some guy named Craig something, who played the flute, and didn’t like the Rolling Stones. I didn’t bother to learn Craig’s last name, nor did I speak to him much the entire year. Lucky for me he lived nearby and went home more than he was in the dorm. He would only say that it was his first time ever sleeping away from home. His parents would not pay his tuition any longer unless he lived on campus his senior year. He was there maybe three nights a week which were three too many for me. He was so pretentious, let’s just say he was right up there next to Billy Potts as to people I never cared to see ever again.

  I called Scott and ripped him for not contacting me when he transferred. I was starting to play a few of the songs he and I had written in my sets, and I wanted to write more with him during our senior year. I tried hard to understand why he left, but maybe I was only being selfish in wanting him to finish school with me. He explained that our school didn’t offer enough credits for him to get a degree in education and he wanted to be closer to home. His heart was in being a music teacher, and living in Ohio after graduation. I wished “Mr. Buckeye” all the best and told him that I would stop by to see him when I toured the area. He laughed and would only say “Good luck and give Elise a kiss for me.” I was not sure I would ever see him again. We were close for three years yet he was afraid to tell me he was leaving the school. It was all very odd to me.

  Soon after returning, my school advisor wanted to know my future plans. Me too, all I knew was I wanted to take my guitars and tour the world. He asked if I had a backup plan. I really didn’t. Maybe I could play locally for a while, but ultimately I wanted to put a band together and see the world. He wanted to know if I was interested in staying on as a teacher at the school. At first I thought it was a practical joke put on by Elise and Scott, but I soon realized he was serious. He said that he thought I had a wonderful demeanor for teaching and with my skills I would be a fine addition to the staff. I politely declined the offer. Elise on the other hand was contacted from her last off Broadway show. She was offered a position as the second seat violin with an orchestra for a large Broadway show opening November 1st. She had no idea how long the show would last, but it was a big opportunity for her. Carl worked out the details for her. Originally she had planned on moving back to North Carolina after graduation, but with her job offer, that was all on hold now.

  Since I had taken most of my core classes for graduation, I was taking as many business classes as I could to fill my schedule. I took an economics class as well as an intro to accounting class. I still had my two music classes and I took an advanced song writing class. My focus was to play half of my own music when performing in public. Between that class, and Gordy’s help over the summer, I think my ability to create songs had increased significantly. I wrote about twenty songs that year. A few were actually decent songs in my opinion. I got the highest grade in the class. My professor contacted someone he knew in the industry and passed along a few of my songs. I really didn’t think twice about it, but I was pleased he thought that highly of my work.

  It was late October and Carl called telling me to get over to an audition for a four night a week job at a very successful club in the city. I would be playing for an hour early in the evening, but that was perfect for me. I had five classes and really didn’t want to burn out too much trying to do both. I went over and was awarded the job. It was in a high class section of the city, where mostly Wall Street executives would go when they wanted to kick back and have a beer and small dinner. It was high end money, but very casual. I was under contract to play from November all the way through the end of March. It meant I would only be home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I had to start looking ahead.

  One night in late January after my set was done, someone approached me about joining their band on weekends. It had been a trio but they lost their lead guitarist who just got married. His wife didn’t want him out playing weekends any longer. They were a straight on blues band that had a drummer and bass player. He said they had been playing at the same place for a year, but had to find a lead guitarist within a month. I never really played much blues at that point, so it was not only something new for me, but it got me in front of a raucous crowd. It was as close to the summer beach crowd as I had seen since that band.

  My current job was ok, but most barely knew I was up there playing. Mark Simmons and Phil Glass were a play loud and take no prisoners type of band. I went over to practice with them that weekend and there was instant chemistry. Elise was working every weekend with the orchestra, including two shows on Sundays, so she could not complain that I was now playing Tuesday through Sunday. I was lucky in that most of my classes that last semester were easy for me, with little homework. I knew I would really be stretched thin for a few months something I fought against earlier in the school year. But I really needed to play in front of a rowdy crowd now and again. I also learned several new songs. I had the best of both worlds now. I could play my originals during the week and really kick it up a notch on Saturday and Sunday with the blues band. Part of the catch was that I was allowed to play at least one of my originals every night. I reworked a few to make them fit in with a more edgy blues feel to them. The other guys were very receptive to it, and wanted to play some originals anyway. I really enjoyed being a part of their band.

  Mark and Phil had been childhood friends from the upstate New York area. They both graduated from City College in New York, and worked during the week as stockbrokers. They wanted to play music, but also did pretty well as brokers. They offered me a few tips, but I didn’t have any real money to invest. Mark’s dad was a lover of the blues, so he grew up listening to it all the time. He had played in a high school band with Phil. When they moved on to college they kept finding ways to play music. Both were competent players, but neither had the training that I had received in the past four years at Julliard. They were both business majors. I was playing several hours a day almost every day of the year. I think they both quickly realized that fact and in a very short period of time I was playing longer solos. I was front and center even though Phil our drummer did most of the vocals. I sang a few including my personal songs, and Mark sang one a night, and we all sang backups when needed, but really none of us were first rate singers.

  I graduated with honors in May of 1977. I think my parents were happy I graduated, but didn’t like the fact that I didn’t have what they would have called a “full time secure job.” Granted I really didn’t know what I was going to be doing much longer, but the downtown club extended me through the summer. The blues band packed the house most nights, so we could stay there on weekends for as long as we wanted.

  After graduation I had to find a place to live in the city. I had little money. Elise’s Broadway show was doing well, so she too wanted to remain in the city. We found a small apartment on the edge of the town and split the expenses. Between the two of us, we barely had enough to live on, but we somehow survived. I can’t say at that point she was my girl friend since we rarely saw each other except on Mondays, and early in the afternoons after we woke up. I was home before her most nights and did manage to go see her perform one evening. She never did get to see me since she was doing eight performances a week.

  Towards the end of the summer I got a call from my agent Carl who asked, “Uhm my idiot client songwriter, have you ever bothered to copyright your songs”? I followed that with “My over compensated manager and agent, how was I to know to do such a thing unless you told me”. He was not happy with my response, but I was starting to grow tired of Carl since as soon as he got his law license and downtown office, I was way down his list of his priorities. It seems that when I gave my songs to my professor, I had joked that if ever anything ever came from it all he should just contact my agent. I must have even given him Carl’s card. It was my fault for not taking it serious. But it seems a small record label from the Los Angeles area was working with a new female singer from the west coast and they had heard my songs. They called Carl to
see if they could use one or possibly two for her to record. Carl said I was very lucky that there was one honest person in the music industry, because they knew the songs did not have a copyright. Lucky for me, they wanted to do it the proper way. So Carl applied for a copyright later that day. But there was more to the story. They wanted me to fly to Los Angeles and see if I would work with her to write a few more songs and see where it all went. They would pay for all my expenses for two weeks, including a round trip plane ticket. I would get song writing royalties if she used the songs on the album. Carl handled all that for me, and to this day I really don’t know the agreement.

  Linda Sweet had this incredible voice, but the record label really didn’t know how to position her in the market place. She had one album out with very limited success. They tried to make her into a smooth jazz sounding singer, but she had a raw quality about her voice. She was born in Southern California to an American dad and Mexican mom. She was only nineteen when her first album was released. The record label wanted to give her one more shot at stardom before they cut her loose. She was given my songs from someone who worked for the label who was friends with my professor from school. I think that’s a big reason why he wanted to make sure I was given credit for my songs and not steal them. My professor should have known better not to send songs without a copyright, but I guess maybe he didn’t think it would really get this far either, who knows. I did call him to thank him the next day.