A Beautiful Song: A Musical Soul Story

by Michael Cantwell

  Carl contacted me a few days later with what he thought was his big news. I received my first royalty check. I went right over to his office and found out it was for $312.50. Here I was envisioning purchasing a downtown Manhattan apartment with the check. Instead, I could barely pay my half of the rent with Elise.

  I think the real reason why he wanted me there was because he had an offer from Mountain Records. This was a real contract to enter a real studio. The executive had come through on his word. The contract was not promising a record deal at this point, but did make it possible for us to go into a local recording studio in New York City to make a few tracks and see what could develop. The icing on the cake was; this was not just any studio; this was “The Electric Lady Land Studio” made famous by Jimi Hendrix.

  There was one caveat to the offer. I had to use a new drummer of their choosing. He had done his homework on the band and heard that we could use a professional drummer. I was not too happy and asked Carl to handle it, but their decision was final. “New drummer, or no deal.” I asked him to contact Yale to see if they were interested. Carl proceeded to give me the history lesson on Mountain Records. Mountain was started as more of a jazz label. Newer acts, like Linda Sweet, started with them, but the parent company was Yale Records. I had to either tell Phil he was out of the recording or wait to find another opportunity. Carl told me that he would tell Phil the bad news, but I knew it was my responsibility. I was not about to kick him out of the band, but he was not going into the studio with the Overture. I touched base with Gordy for advice, but his only response was “Don’t lose your soul over music kid.” I was starting to see what he meant, but I was now determined to make this work.

  Phil took it pretty hard. I assured him that he was not out of the band, that I had seen the Grateful Dead play with two drummers, so maybe we could do that type of thing. I felt like I had really let him down. I didn’t feel much like recording now, but I knew I had worked too hard to let this opportunity slip away. I called the other band members with the good news and they didn’t seem that interested other than Duke. Junior had just lost his mother and Debby wanted to play “Florence Nightingale”. Plus she was in love with her new shiny boyfriend. I had to drive down to New Jersey to talk her into understanding this was what we had been working towards for years. She could not quit now. It took a few weeks, but we finally all arranged our schedules to get in the studio. Elise’s Broadway show had ended, so I asked her to come and play on the tapes. She was very hesitant at first, but I convinced her she could stop at any time she wanted. Mountain sent over a drummer who had played with some very successful country acts. The guy was an excellent drummer. He was only hired to work with us in the studio. I really didn’t want him to be a part of the band. Phil was our drummer.

  The record label booked up enough studio time to record five original tracks. They were sent to Mountain for review. I wish I had more time to make the songs perfect, but we had run out of studio time. It was now sit and play the waiting game. I had to admit though, the new drummer made us sound better. Duke and Junior were real professionals. I too now had a resume in the studio. Elise played on three of the songs and Debby’s voice was strong despite not singing much in recent weeks. I think Elise was a bit more at ease around Debby since she had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who came along and didn’t know when to back off, but I didn’t want to upset Debby. We had very limited time in the studio so I didn’t want any drama. I didn’t bother to learn his name, so I dubbed him Yoko.

  Irving Altos was the executive at Mountain who made this all possible for The Overture. He got us the studio time. I felt I owed him one, and he knew it. It didn’t take him long to cash in when he called me and asked to return to California to work on two of the songs on Linda’s album. Linda was out of the rehab center and seemed ready to restart her career. I was skeptical. The road manager Dirk Kalen was still hanging around her. The guy was a bad influence on her. I hinted to Mr. Altos he might be an issue and he told me “We are keeping a close eye on the two of them.” I wanted him fired, but that was not my call, nor did I want to hurt Linda. She had made it all possible for me to get my own career off the ground. I felt I owed her a great deal. We recorded two or three of the tracks over again, with some minor changes to the lyrics. It made a positive difference. Linda wanted to get back on the road, but Mr. Altos would not schedule any more dates till she could prove to him that she was ready. She was not.

  During my time in Los Angeles, I spent a fair amount of time with Mr. Altos. He shared with me his philosophy on how to be a success in the music business, as well as a person. I had grown to find out he was a man of integrity, despite my initial reactions when he would not push Linda into the rehab center until the album was essentially completed. I think he was searching to find out more about me, and the goals I had for my own band and career. It was good that he took a personal interest in my music more than just a money maker for the company. I did tweak him about all the costs it seemed they tacked on the recording sessions before I could get some real money in royalties but he did his best to justify it all. I did understand better, but still didn’t buy all he was selling to me. He knew I didn’t. It was worth a few chuckles over dinner.

  Back to Contents

  Chapter 9

  Mountain agreed to put Dylan James and The Overture back in the studio to record an entire album. It would be released on a limited basis. Mr. Altos told me “Let’s put out a single and put you in front of an audience and see how it all plays out.” I was beyond excited. One problem, we needed a drummer. He would not agree to have Phil be the main drummer on the recordings. He did agree Phil could play some type of percussion on the tapes and have his name in the credits. I thought that was a fair compromise but Phil was still upset. I told Phil I worked hard to keep him in the band and that “I’m not fighting this any longer. You either have to appreciate what I’ve done to this point or don’t show up at all.” Mountain allowed the band to audition a few drummers. We decided on a young guy who had little experience, but who blew us all away in the audition. The kid was a natural. Even Mr. Altos after hearing the tape agreed he was a talented musician. I think even Phil knew that Billy was the superior drummer.

  Billy Nash was a brash twenty-one year old from the Chicago area. He had come to New York to finish his degree at a local college. Billy wanted to live in New York, his dad had other ideas. But the only way his dad would help pay his tuition would be if Billy did leave home, he had to promise to finish his degree in his new town. His dad was a well known drummer in the Chicago area for many years. He knew his son wanted to get out of his shadow.

  We got off on the wrong foot with Billy. He had to be scolded a few times for being late for rehearsals. He was very young in the head, still immature but had real talent. I think Elise lost it one day when he pinched her on the butt and told her “There is plenty more where that comes from sweet thing.” I almost stepped in, but after Billy got a knee in the mid section from Elise, I figured she had lived in the city long enough now that she could handle herself quite nicely.

  We were only allowed three weeks to complete the album. We decided on twelve songs with Mr. Altos, picking nine songs for the final cut. He chose six new original songs of mine, one from Linda’s album that I wrote earlier and two covers songs. Mr. Altos was pleased with the final product entitled “First Time Heard”. Our first album was released for holiday shopping in 1979, mostly along the east coast.

  The band had an upbeat somewhat funky sound now due to the influences of Junior and Duke along with the fiddle sound. That was the problem. The record label didn’t know how to classify our band and the radio stations would not give us air play. It seems we didn’t fit into anything they were used to playing. The Overture was not like the band “Kansas” with a fiddle player nor was it the “E Street Band” who had Clarence with the sax and a blues sound at times. We were our own sound. Radio stations and executives at times don’t know what to do with “new sounding
bands.” We started to play college campuses in the area on weekends and Debby had to decide if she was going to make this her career now or not. She was still driving back and forth from New Jersey and changing her schedule to do it all. She was getting worn down and her boyfriend was not happy. I didn’t care about him one bit. I knew Debby could do much better than that egotistical jerk.

  Linda Sweet’s, “The Third Time is the Charm” was released about the same time as The Overture’s first album. The first single was met with mild success. A fresh tour was being planned to promote the album. I had not spoken much with Linda in recent months. I was busy with my own album, but I heard from Mr. Altos she was still “working her way back.”

  The tour was delayed when she privately put herself back in rehab a second time. The second single entitled “Mystery to Me” was released and rushed up the charts to the number one spot pushing aside the Village People. My first number one single was for another singer. When you create songs for others you take great pride, but I think I always wanted the first one to be with my own band. It was not meant to be. The royalty checks cashed the same way, no matter who sang the song. But more importantly, I proved to myself, and to the record label, that I could write hit songs. This was now the second time an album that I wrote for had hit singles.

  It allowed me to get more promotional money from Mr. Altos for The Overture album. We were being played on college radio stations all the time. We had been performing on weekends all over New York and New Jersey and were building a core group of fans. I would do an interview in the afternoon or on the phone earlier in the week, later play at that college the same weekend. WNEW and WMMR two rock and roll oriented stations in New York and Philadelphia started to give the band major rotation airplay. Once Linda’s single became number one, and it was now common knowledge I was the song writer in both groups The Overture benefited.

  They expanded our tour to about fifteen cities along the east coast for a month. Debby had to take a leave from her job for thirty days. Her non supporting boyfriend told her she was “Chasing an empty dream” which only made me like him even less. Mountain later released our album in markets along the west coast. It ended up making it to number eighty four on the Billboard top 100. The band was very popular in the Washington DC to New York area which pushed sales upward. It was enough to get Mountain to commit for a second project. The band was developing a cult like following with college students along the east coast.

  After our tour, I went to see Linda, who was home from rehab a second time. She finally distanced herself from the people she called “her friends” who were only interested in keeping her high and latch on to her fame. She was now ready to tour, and a short tour was being planned for the west coast. I spoke with Mr. Altos about having The Overture be the opening act for Linda on the entire west coast tour. He agreed. It meant double duty for me again, but I was ready for it this time. Debby was hired as the backup singer and Junior played keyboards for Linda on a few songs as well. Phil was not invited along for the west coast part of the tour since he had become a constant complainer and didn’t attend any shows outside of the New York to Washington area. He always complained about being home for work on Monday. I did all I could to soothe Phil, but I knew our old band mate Mark had told him over and over “He will screw you out of the band.” It all was a bit ugly, but I did what I could for the guy to keep him involved. I did keep my word when he did play tambourine and congas on the album and was given full band payments for touring and band royalties. So in my own conscience, I had done enough for the guy.

  Before I left for the west coast for rehearsals with Linda’s band, Elise told me she was going to accept an offer to be the violinist in another Broadway show. I flipped out. I really didn’t understand why she would want to do that since we were getting along as a couple, and the band was now coming together. We were up all night with a long conversation. She told me all about growing up very poor and that when she played classical music it made her “Feel rich and important somehow.” I told her that “Money does not make you rich but having a relationship with your God, being true to yourself, loving others and being a good person will do all that.” She said “That’s easier to say when you can put food on your table.” We were doing ok now with the tour and I was starting to get some royalty checks, small ones but something. But she went on to say “When I dress up in my black gown and sit in the orchestra pit for a show, I become Cinderella at the ball.” That’s who she wanted to be all her life, Cinderella, “Not some poor red neck from the hills of North Carolina.” I told her that “No black dress or gown or any Broadway show can make you rich, go find who you want to be in life.” She loved her family, she loved where she came from, but she wanted to be secure and “Have the American dream one day.” I told her “Who has proved that dream was more alive, but a beautiful woman who made it all the way to New York and plays in front of thousands of people on a nightly basis, doing something you love.” I knew it didn’t matter what type of music she played or what she wore while doing it. Then I asked her to call my old roommate and her friend Scott, ask him if he considered himself “rich”. Even though I had not spoken much with Scott nor had Elise, we both knew what his answer would be if she called. She said she would think about it and let me know.

  We had two weeks to get ready for the tour with Linda and the band. I don’t think she was still herself. She was not really focused in rehearsals. We did our best to motivate her but it was not easy. The last three days The Overture came out and joined us including Elise. We got in some rehearsals with them as well. This time we played larger arenas with capacities up to fifteen thousand people for concerts. Dylan James and The Overture opened up with a forty- five minute set with the Linda Sweet Band playing about a ninety minute show. For the encore with Linda’s band, the entire Overture band joined in and played a Beatles medley on the nights that the audience was really appreciative. We played part of the second side of Abbey Road.

  By now Linda’s third album was Gold and heading for Platinum with four songs having been in the Top 40. My song writing abilities were now proven, and the record label knew it. I was now starting to write the second album for The Overture. I was starting to involve Elise and Duke with the song writing chores as well.

  Duke Bryant was as much of a perfectionist as I was when it came to the sound of the band. He had become our “musical director” and I trusted his musical instincts. Even though he was an excellent bass guitar player, he was almost as good on the six string guitar. He told me he had written songs in the past with a former band, and was excited to write again.

  Duke grew up in New Orleans and was influenced by Fats Domino as a kid. I told him I thought it was odd he was influenced by a piano player and he ended up on the bass, but his comment was “There is only one Fats Domino.” He also said that “The bass guitar was the only instrument the school had left when it was my chance to pick for the school band.” His parents could not afford an instrument so he had to “play what was available. “ The guy loved to be on stage as much as I did. It showed every night. He also knew how to keep Billy in check as much as possible.

  Billy had a habit of showing up five minutes before sound checks, most times with a new woman from whatever town we were in. He loved being young and wild and he was starting to get a collection of tattoos on his back and arms. Duke did what he could to make sure Billy hit his marks for the shows. Even though there was a song list on the floor next to him, many times I had to tell Billy the song before we started to make sure he was on cue.

  This was the first time out west for Elise. When we had a rare day off, she would find the only museum within one hundred miles. I don’t know how she did it, but she could find something to see everywhere we stopped. I wanted to sleep all day, but at least for a few hours I would indulge her sense of history. I will admit she found some good cowboy museums that were fun to see. Debby laughed at me and would always stay behind. Duke came once because we were trying
to finish a song, but he stopped short of buying a cowboy hat and shirt for the concert the following night. I did and wore that hat for both shows in Arizona. I tossed it into the crowd during the encore the second night. After the show a beautiful lady found us coming out of the arena. She asked me to autograph it for her. Elise didn’t let me buy any more hats after that night.

  The tour ended just in time. Linda was not taking care of herself. She was not eating well or getting enough rest. The record company wanted her to tour Europe later in the year, but she needed to get well. They also wanted to start working on the next album, but with her health it was not going to work. Plus I wanted to put out the second Overture album.

  Mr. Altos had been very good to me. He understood my dilemma. I did promise I would go on the tour in Europe if Linda got it together. He agreed it was best to cancel Linda’s European trip and for The Overture to head back to New York and start on the new album.

  Weeks later the label and management arranged for The Overture to play some shows in the Midwest to keep us busy while working on the new album. We played Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati and a few other towns. While in Ohio, my old room mate Scott came to our show with his new wife. It was nice to see him again. I called him onstage to play piano on the song I had written with him many years ago. I think he wept. He screwed it all up even though when he called to see if he could get back stage I warned him if he did he would have to learn our song again. He didn’t trust I would call him on stage. Debby knew the song since her and I had played it many times with the two of us. I think our sound man turned Scott’s microphone down about half way into the song. But it was with only the three of us on stage in his home town, with some of his friends in the crowd, so I am sure he didn’t forget that night any time soon. The audience always loves an impromptu moment in a show. I told Scott “The next time we are in town and you want free tickets, learn your song!” We had dinner after the show with Scott and his wife. They gave Debby, Elise and I a tour of his town. Lucky for us the museum was closed for the night.