John Densmore was the drummer for one of the most influential bands of the ‘60s, The Doors, but he’s always been on a quest to find truth through art and creativity. John explains to Marc that his love of jazz inspired a lot of the rock and roll he made and his latest book is an attempt to discover the inspirations of other artists. They also talk about how the drug scene spelled the end of the good times in 1960s Los Angeles, why he went to the mat against his bandmates over licensing The Doors music for commercials, and what Jim Morrison is like these days when he appears in John’s dreams.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Mark Mare, and this is my pod gas- welcome to it
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Today, on the show I talked to John Dens more, he was a door,
the drama, the doors
You remember the rock and Roll Hall of Fame written a couple books about his time in the doors got a new book out called the seekers which is about the artists who inspired him he's
also taken a stand against commercialism and has prevented the doors music from being used.
Shall products will talk about that a bit? I know,
the remaining doors not thrilled about that, but the but noted yeah
don't hear that much anymore bit. Yet they be
of integrated, adapted, assimilated into commercialism and somehow justifying it
Is there any selling out any more? If you do it
in a cool way. I mean that's been the way
tat for a while. Now we're in this new shift its like that. So much
about doing whatever it takes to us too, to make a buck.
Our product as long as you keep your shit together and look cool doing it now to utterly about deal managing your brand managing your own product get out there yeah right
so in you and then having the people come to you, so you can sell their shit
hey MA. Am we you upon on this? While you talk to your fans,
hey man. Will you wear this? While you talk to your fans, hey man,
seeing this tomb. While you talk to your fans, look this kid. You read this on your face, while people,
are enjoying you talking. Could you eat four of these at this
anytime. You rubbish on your face. While people talk
make it a show making show called a meeting for thing
Robin Shit on my face, whereas our brought you
by that shit on the face people
yeah man
if no Sellen out anymore.
What is going on the movie that I mean STAR dust, the David Bowe, film I did with Johnny Flynn is getting em, I would say Mick.
the reviews but tat. My mother has watched it apparently
cause she set out to watch it the other night? And she
I don't think I watched the right one. I don't think I did. I was it
will you what you mean was I energies? I got see what was it at the beginning when they were
The British in the seventies, people do
so I am now she's like now, it did seem to be Ike another time.
like a primitive time like a hundred years ago or something like what are you talking about?
I dont know I watch Roy ten or fifteen minutes, and I didn't see you in it. What
the watching star dust
you're another star dust, I guess there is There- is another Stardust apparently and my mother watched a nice portion of it
before she realized it wasn't about Dave
it seems that a weird fantasy movie from my ten fifty
here's go hunting.
But it's about, but it took her too.
Fifteen minutes before she's like doesn't seem right
And she's got our marbles, my mother
but she waited it out. Maybe this was an artful approach to the area.
To the David Bowie story that starts off a hundred years ago. There go way back. Gad
I think I got her on the right track. Folks, it's it's nice to have dreams
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I dont understand I get I watch the movie or not in it. It was like from it was like the old days, what a wide on that, which is
the Mai watching the wrong movie? Yes, yes, I wish my
happy birthday left him a message and talk to him he's eighty to think he's. Ok, my biggest problem right now, aside from
during covered. I've decided, as I will given that my
primary relationship at this point in time is a black cat name, buster kitten, fuckin buster, so I've
this will all my cats are different points like he's acting, weird, exacting twinkie. I thought I was the full moon. Maybe a mouse and asked me if it is a rat in the basement who the fuck knows what a cat
and always act and weird. So I start focusing in hyper focusing on buster, what's up buster what,
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What's happening buster and you know the cats gonna feel that
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You're going to sit up there on the couch, that's your place! Buster, that your place. How can we not now
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besides. The couch now are the other chair. Why are
Oh you're gonna ruin that piece of furniture and then you just stop after a few months and move on to another piece of furniture where I work
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When he was I to he ate some stupid, only I'm not even sure what, but he went,
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check out two years site, is a bit of denial. That's how you know why people are selfish stupid
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guess I brought him in his.
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modest as a gay man dislike people, these cats
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I mean I'm ready, I'm ready to snap and sub cute foods of after I get
some key voice, just just for fun
got the shit over here
run a cat hospice before
and if you know anything about me, you know you know this cat business, there's cats around
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as he just mean, buster, we'll work it out. Just me
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exact and weird though man buster is acting tweaked, he might be just getting,
It seems that I don't know he's acting like there's something out. There
he's acting like there's another animal.
either in the house or near the house, something's going on
Not a smile and goin on a lot of
a guy. I know there's some writer on here dried around here
something's going on man now going to sleep.
upstairs now, but aren't you downstairs cat nope? These words
that now there's what's happening deal with it fucker. I'm are obviously projecting a lot. So look you guys.
John Dens more, is a drummer. He was a door.
His new book is called the seekers meetings
remarkable musicians and other artists, you can get it wherever you get books here.
Throughout my interview with Jerry shambling in the book actually is an example of people searching for truth and transcendence through their art, and we talk about that. A bit
This is me talking
the drama of the doors.
John Dinsmore, John, how you feel and buddy
something I want to say what what the fuck mark exactly what
I got no answer for you. I got no answer for you, John Kick
and we get agent orange to step down till I can sign some books, yeah
where I will add an over ever gonna, get him out of black and white House
go in and get him boy
such all the year out of a Roman, what have the world but like when you think that
A you know your life, I mean you know during this. The late sixties I mean
What was the feeling around? You know the chaos that that Nixon was creating. Was it
your younger man, but did you feel it has menacing, or was it better or worse?
It's the same, although you know every night was horrendous,
calming, and so maybe that was
worse. I don't know I saw my hatred
Donald this amazing I mean Bush,
well yeah. I said
A friend on the other well, thank you
Donald hasn't started war- and my friend said he did the civil war outright
so maybe Trump is
Vietnam WAR, which was a catalyst difficult as it wasn't as horror.
This is all of this is now. We did start that war, the people stop that war, and so I'm hoping praying
why? Just finally, maybe going around a corner a little bit towards light and they'll be some light for ten years. I hope I helped
the two and that were you at you and now lay still
yeah I'm at Santa Monica, where I was born and my mom was born here in nineteen o four, but
we're not native now to
Indians or the natives. First, people, where you were your people from Ireland, oh yeah,
yeah yeah Barbarian, LOS Angeles for the whole time you ve seen the whole. You know rise
fall and rise and fall again, avert of LOS Angeles. I mean
like. I gave it imagine what, when I see pictures of LOS Angeles from the Sixtys and Seventys it just looked. Fucking nuts.
I just got a tower got an hour to go here, yeah with which way the wind blew yeah yeah. I was good
yeah, but what were you in New York? Now I grew up in our.
Turkey, Yazzi Unama, younger, I'm, fifty seven and I was born in Jersey.
Most of us. I most we grew up and Albuquerque. I get a weird question,
it's not really a trivial question, but it just like. I recounted a story that I read
in an oral history, punk rock that e pop told
In how the doors inspired him to do so
let us be who he is and it was based on it
oh that you guys did? It must have been Ann Arbor Detroit where energy went to
Gee, you guys and Jim did the entire.
show like singing it this on.
Like Mickey Mouse or in a weird voice, and he wouldn't stop it and the audience was getting furious and they were,
fucking like just mad. Is how and he would not stop doing it, and eighty thought it was
The most amazing thing you ever see well
you hear that, but I'm sorry mark my brain cells and clicking at one side of him.
That's crazy towards something like that wooden stand out, while that
the whole show of men- maybe a few
maybe maybe his memories off a little bit. Maybe he
poetic licence unsure. So let's talk about this like the drive to define truth and end the this sort of idea of what art is supposed to do
seems to be something night. You know you ve always been obsessed with,
did you didn't you ve noticed side,
Colleagues, you do yeah. I saw data sharing interview yeah, but when you were like you know, I like the way you start
is that you grew up in a creative house to a certain degree. Yeah. You know an ok. I got this idea.
I will do it to the had to various musical icons right. It will inspire me, and so I wrote a few chap
and then I owe you know my mom. She encourage Pierre
oh and drums so I'll write a chapter on her then, and I and I sat
let's be honest, autobiographical, stick it at the beginning, the book. Then it hit me
two weeks ago. Our wait a minute in the jail,
drawn Helen Jones, cauldrons drummer. I talk about how to do
errors and everyone that the first
you ever heard. Was your mother's heart be in the womb? Aha yesterday
while a core issues, the first chapter, I was in a room, yeah yeah every
What would I found sort of compelling was this idea that you know that your shoe she had some hardship in her life in some loss early on oh yeah, and that you know created creativity that the deserted she was driven to paint, and
ah disorder manage the grief. Oh man, that's good! I don't love imply that that helps me yeah I got.
that's why she panted tell ninety four. She channeled it and that's what the book a sort of about
you know where the year of professional musician are playing.
piano in the closet? Nobody here is it you're still
some sort of feed you and he'll issue.
When did you know for yourself? I mean like when you were a kid in Europe. You were. I could you also do a chapter with with it up a teacher of yours, afraid, cats, right now and by day?
But when you were a kid I mean: did you want to be an artist, or did you want to just beer
rock and roll calls you the girls liked it
No, I I Philip
music in eight years old plan again and then I played the alibi,
the school and all that by now
I thought I would make a living out of sight. I crapshoot right yeah yeah, that's why
and I went to college I majors and accounting you no money, accounting sure. Then I got ds. Ok, maybe
should major. Is that my like hear music, but I dropped out right
and then what happened? I got in this ban prayed
It will pay the rent ten years and now I'm seventy six. In a week- and I'm still talking about this fuckin bear
you know if it happens with the guy
Is it survive?
you know, Romania, you may
much of a cultural impact,
yesterday. I guess it sort of an albatross, but but you know there
you ve gotta, be some pride in it still write all talk total I mean you know my let's see first book, I have three
have centred memoirs, hear what I said
atra that form
I argue with Ray because he's like kind of selling.
doors like Lily Loam and a little too much and he's given me shit. Saying John Was-
better than the doors than not like a course ray. I have of the doors per
let's not my forehead, very proud of it, but I also get divorced. You have to go to the bathroom yeah. Don't you have a life
so but like when you got started any. When did you find, I guess in looking at the
and having not read your other books, where
did you see
No, that you were going to be of that? What
we're doing was not made
Stream, it was not your necessarily does
I too make kids, but you know that you are on the path of an artist and not just the rock
When did you start seeing it as art? Was it something that happened in the doors with with the wit when you got started, taking more
creative risks. Well I mean you, don't we we always wanted to become his populars pot possible possible, but I guess in Jim's lyrics where these this the searching
you know that I was young. I didn't understand at all really, but it didn't turn me. I'm not thinking about you talk and it gets Gary and about truth is in the silence and the void and addiction. Real, Gerrit Zalm says it's addiction. If you can't sit quietly pretty
you think so our addiction to distraction. Why mean, but you? How did you got? How did you survive? It seems that you know, given that what you are surrounded with that somehow watching Jim he kind of self destruct
that's an hour? Another, the other three. You did all right. I you know you didn't see my
you guys, went down the same path. Much well, that was a teaching. Jim was always going too far. Yeah. It's interesting idea for years with a get
the question you Jim was around a day would be he be clean Selborne and I always
now I was a kamikaze drop. Another
it was you, go away, what hole
I know a lot of really cool people,
in Yemen, ended
Of course he would is a different time right, yeah yeah,
He was an example and I definitely was more cautious, certainly dabbled.
We even rob you don't want to die
united in your good. In order,
to know that you can break out through the other side there.
party there trying to get there and you don't know what that
going to require. So we assume that is on the other side now here but a but like it. It seems like this book. You can move through
Did you first meet? You know, Elvin Jones, we see an influence on you when you were younger, well yeah as teenagers
then too Shelley's Manhole and Hollywood well
Jazz maniac, like this
after on re our
the situation was sharing the jazz mentors. We love
answer me telling ray. I saw culture many times. We are now able yeah live Elvin and
oh, I didn't know, I was seeing something that was really iconic, but I knew there was magic. I just knew it.
How old were you when you were going to see them? Eighty words
in downtown. Where was it? Where were they plan the culturing Hollywood? Oh yeah? I went
t want. I got my fake idea,
I was wanting widen and the door
I said the state, but you can come in here just me
I believe this drumming and was so primal yet
conversation with coal train right and I can't
the idea that have a conversation with Jim and also but Sir you but big big.
But so from early on you were kind of like your brain was
the lock into that kind of journey. Yeah takes us
type of minded to lock into coal train and jazz in general, but you are so
If you are a freak for an early on yeah, I guess I'm
Seeger I was I've been blessed with, I mean all
chapters I saw,
I was in Jamaica before regular, came to the states and got in there. I saw coal train before you
giant. Do you remember one called train kind of started like going the attitude we able to stay with him throughout the whole journey when it
yeah, really out there. You still dug it.
oh yeah most. Definitely because
He I knew his journey from people too
cool jazz with miles the active, encore tat.
And then his own, courted when further out so
I was,
I go anywhere with them and did you you got
the talk to Alvin Jones yeah. I know
I been some Royce Hall and then I went up to the stage because you know it's not my
rock. There wasn't a Berlin wall, you I just go out there and- and I just listen, Fucker answer a few town to call you back.
Hey I'm doing an interview by I don't know who it was lol
so I go and station Elden is taking the nails out that he hammered on the floor of Royce. All the key is based wrung from sliding. I will talk about strong yeah, I'm afraid to talk to him.
Years later after cauldron died,
see him in another club and I bring in my first book writers, understood
real nervous jazz is a higher. Our former he'd be condescending, he'd know.
the door is remarkable
and I said elder in here. I wrote that you gave me my hands and he was
celebrations in
and then by the end of his life he was in town. I bring is carries drums though the car
You go see him wherever he was an album out the harder life. Isn't it Joe yeah yeah? So you you guys were kind of friends until he passed,
Yeah I've met a mentors. That's what I'm writing about you now sure I get it back
in these guys yo. It's interesting that either at the time that the doors around there were so
If a crashing of you, there was a period there
the seventies you known late. Sixties were
the other generations were kind of mixing. You know,
had the old, timer rock and roll guys, and you
the new wave, but you were kind something
as you would do, shows together or be around right. Yeah I know,
When did you me Jerry Louis?
well that was later yeah. That was interesting.
We got big enough, so we thought we had the power to dictate the second hat,
play the Hollywood bowl and ways, and this is before Johnny Cash. Med TV show reasonable, Johnny Cash
I walked the line and they said
we're not hiring of fellow real. That's, ok, we couldn't do it
We played the form and we got Jerry Louis and let you know we were pleased
the had to the early fifties rockers when the doors play the forum, you guys, you know he was a opening act. He opened and he had been playing.
Music and reward him. You know your play. Some your heads, India,
All the audience was going. Do doors Yan, hee hee?
the EU now cantankerous he got upon the p.
for those who, like me, God love you further!
you have a heart attack and the way they hit
Did he player
with his feet. He slammed the piano and
was he. It was nice to you guys. It was me you know they showed up without any instruments which was rather, we buy your dragons sure really
and Robbie says. Well, I got a lotta guitars
kindly why Jerry
he says all raggedy offend again: ta Gay man, that's old school,
He still around two men. Yes, you know, he's eighties
takes, or so like Willy nilly alcinous my closing chapter and he's eighty six or seven yeah
These guys are teachers for me how to do this thing you sure and worthwhile,
you like. I have a weird I had a weird encounter would Lou Reed, but it was just a fan encounter where
united. Dare I went to get a record
signed at a record store in Boston
sign in records, and I just really
wanted to ask him like the right question. I knew I only had a second
You know I was here tankers we're here, but I
The idea was: why can I get up there? My cave Lou? What gauge pick do you use Yoda like that was my big question.
he's at media man, you gotta, use a medium and I've yeah. You know used a medium for a few years, but but
then he was cantankerous, but is a definite definitive. Why did you do
Put him in you really do have a lot of respect for his journey is well yeah at first, I didn't
yet the velvet underground, I know other at the whisky, and you know I was a western
not a peaceful, a maniac, but they were dark.
Singing here-
then I realized wow
power here. What they're up to it and music ship is.
a sort of secondary young in Tunis Guitar that Astrid sound and hit the guitar like percussion instrument? This is different. This there's some artillery really really was fun. I met him just
after he got back from Czechoslovakia wherever this love hobble had him come over for an interview because he inspired hovels when he was in jail and
Lou was really you now high from back there
I got a high just hearing the story and yeah yeah sure bringing its interest
No! You ve been underway for so long, but you didn't mention here that the zapper seen did you not know Frank yeah.
I wouldn't know right ways to go over to his house, for a jam sessions are really yeah.
over Laurel Canyon, the West Wilson Wilson, he appeared.
What was it like over there? That house, oh cool, place,
the blows the play. Now we talk with Frank about he was in the avant garde stuff, which we knew of
so you guys are sit around and he play like is strange.
italian art, composers and stuff and do tourism,
He merely washed everybody jam notes, a really I mean
in the area, but you guys it seems to me that
You know that that whatever the sound of the doors one
I was talking about it this morning to some
because I knew I had to talk to you- is that you know people like wolves. The door seem like there was a simplicity to it now my gear, but like you care the thing about the doors in
you guys did is that if you, if you can hear one note of a song and no again
equally, who it is that that,
and is an authentic real you no kind of ground breaking a bunch of people like you. You know that
I think the simplicity of it was sort of disarming dead. You like eel, given Jim.
darkness in his showmanship played against the kind of almost Joe
The rhythm of some of the tunes Ikeda had this interesting bow.
that's why I never heard that common simplicity, but what I think is the one made us you know when you like Lou red with you, you need you need to get a
technique to get across here uniqueness whenever the hellenes sure classical musicians,
most technical of all tat right and they get stiff. Sometimes right on the starboard due to Mount were right about Ia Ul, hee, hee
is totally aware of.
salsa led Zepplin and of course
so flew right. You know I go backstage after and he says to me one.
go start. Mahler is heavy metal. Yes, I could see and he yellow yet so when you open the being fed by always, you find your uniqueness. You just need enough technique, maybe that's the simplicity part take gets your thing across
and you can get stuck. If you get too much threatening right, you gave you become sort of this kind of a new dollar, a guy that can play really well button there. The feelings, not there, your eye over time. Let me show you all my shit right and when you
listen to Willie Nelson take a solo. There is space, would greatly hardware its phrasing,
which is what Gary shelling is talking about, which is what
wrong. Does is talking about the site
Are you become the more you hear this truth in that space? Is that like what was it? What was a year you sort of river a little bit about that chief is pronounced, his name,
Well, you know there was this kind of iconic underground book meetings with remarkable. Maybe I'm here I tried to get into him, but I didn't. I didn't succeed in its difficult and then there was a cop film made by Peter Brook tears. Stamp was the star. There was real eccentric, but interesting in that
all these men were searching were musicians trying to play so well. They catch gods ear, and I thought that it means
it was remarkable. Musicians are right, he's that right and each chapter will be about people who face
yeah and it's like they're, not all musicians, though I mean you know. I don't know what you're doing what you relation.
ship with with with with with the poet Robert Bligh, but he seemed to have a profound effect on you. What was
at about. Well, I say remarkable musicians, Perin and other, I am sure yeah.
he had a big effect on me and I played drums
He read and I think poetry, but I think writing is looking for music in between sentences in a way phrasing again. Space and poetry is like the skeleton of language. It's really intense to try.
get it sell, concise and working time to spend with that guy could be shorter. Let a movement for a little while they're here how I was once again same deal. I was an early, we were heavies men's groups and we were
trying to break the mold drinking beer watching sports we were,
we are doing that women have done for ever talk to each other about feelings.
I remember I was saying you know this ever
thousand movement were travel? Woe
yeah I mean he was just where we were.
dissing women. We are just trying to share our shit like that. It's done it!
Meetings are water and- and it was a really great thing and gotten so big.
but I would say that inspired the million men margin and some good stuff, so it helped you personally
Did you ever your role models? I guess it kid, you know, do what was your old man life,
He was behind the newspaper really
yeah
and my mom Yak Yak Yuk all the time here you know
twice a year, my dad and put the paper down and pay
shut up bad man, but they were.
Yeah. Now, together forty years and dedicated, and I tried to do that-
root real harm that wasn't my cards yeah and like when you have back. I like in terms of the work you have done. Your start, like just, will start with the door, so you like in the door,
What do you think was you're sort of peak moment where you you almost got? Guy
dear cause, I mean I within that I love the fuckin. First live album and you know, ah that thing I get you
can I get. You know I listen to the studio records, but the one you're with one in five and you know it and I think the
at the end is on. There is well right. I mean that record is sort of like that. That was it that fuckin rocked hard for me.
Can I get you kind of got out there on that? One? Where we
We're still you know, like people say, what's the most exciting concert, you know the giant medicine
we're garden was mass adulation. That was cool
that is right, more excited
is the road up right. It's like we're, gonna make a fucking,
failing this? Ok, that's kind
on that lie record were still la yeah yeah
you're drumming like you, since you didn't really have a base to work we having to play off of them. He had raised foot but, like the rhythm section, was you so? What who you're taking your q
from Jim. Better now
rob myself remedy
you follow him like when you do in the end, in these kind of risk,
then in going off and do whatever the fuck he's doing I mean you're, you must
in some symbiotic trip with that yeah. That's very true,
were uneasy and I'm the unhappy conversation with you like. I saw it called for and with the air, but a base player.
A separate based glare and a drummer. They work to keep the groove, yes all
me and raise left hand, so when he would get excited
Playing a solo high speed up there
without a there was
more space, more room for me to improvise. Keep my job is my job here.
play off everybody rebellion push him right. Dynamics is the whole deal for me, I'm not the fast astronomer, but once again, if you play
pianissimo fortissimo and
they need between them.
Getting a whole range of human emotions right now, that's that's where you that's so yes or that that's the trick, get it again put it all ended. The thing
got a longer all don't do it all at one level. All that's why metals kind of tough for me,
I need some silence that either the life there
up and down the end. You talk to right and you also talked Robbie Shankar, which is right to me. Like you know, it's like, I mean I'd the same type of ability,
like not everybody can listen to jazz. Not everybody can listen to Raja. You know
an end? Like I love it. I will
listening to two Shankar, any the dunes adieu. The law
form indian stuff. I ain't you to me it's like I can.
Listen to that all day, and I find it completely compelling. Would you take away from MECCA trance yeah, yes, Trance, muse, yeah
It's interesting, how ok, the fat for
and the fat doors were simultaneous simultaneously experiment
with their legal lsd.
There's no inner have here
Somehow we get onto my hurry she! Well, I guess what you're thinking well
this is informed about shattering on I'm nervous system in Europe is a calmer ral, so we get into that and when we get into that,
It's the rubbish on car, and all that is the same,
We have no communication one much, but they were see time you
It was sleeping and there I like us yeah
Yes, the union and our time
under current sapling yeah yeah their collective unconscious images at that time,
integration, that's interesting! So a sort of a movement from LSD, democracy, then of a sunset. Our music is everywhere that that was the universal thread. Yeah. I think that chapter I
say what you got so popular
started using sleep time, music for porn flakes
How can I stop them, but he couldn't so I'm tract of God betrayed behaviors
track and sex. You know it in his yea is somehow or another they did so did you, like. I remember I think Michael Bloomfield, in his
the desperation in late stage, addiction was actually playing for some porn soundtrack. Well, you know.
Junkies I'll do anything, I guess so man are. You must have seen a lot of that happened throughout the only I dont know. If, if he was a junkie diving, a dish Vienna Yea was very well has it was pretty, I think, AEGIS and that's that's just hearsay but deal.
Did Heroin. Did you feel the impact like INA Wended Heroin really start destroying the rock scene and allay here's the deal?
we're still with then legal psychedelic since part yeah and yes, it works at ST scientists.
flooring. My right cocaine comes along
even Jim thought, with a sly heroin is not some heavy shit right and then I began
cool,
believe dabble.
I'm already hyper, so idle. Doesn't
for me. I go the other way right and then
she goes on the heroin. Oh, my god, it's dislike now really
and that's what hypothalamus throughout all alcohol to Jim out pretty much the right old school.
the legal drugs. The idea was that what was Jack
it's like when you hang out with Algeria.
it was really great in the beginning, real innocent and and then
sad road Virginia discuss. She could be enough
had mass adulation and then what
all alone and wasn't centred enough to cut pretty lonely
the spear in the bottle
yeah yeah or the needle yeah.
sad heart. She was so you not Jim
Janis were a couple of those people who have the dick creativity and and survival
in one package, addiction and creativity and one back. We are now right. Some people down right
Picasso lived a ninety right here. I just
as time goes on, I'm more and more grateful for what
TIM gave us.
really are being around. I can imagine if it sometimes it's hard for me to listen to him
it's a lot more.
what about you tell me about the others were like whose subcommittee
mentors for you working for me. Like you,
yeah? It became,
time went on and I started to understand myself more about vulnerability, really that
There was something about liking, a richer prior. You know when he was able to like you
There was a rawness to his truth. So how do you
it under the joke yo into something that you actually speaks to the human condition in a
that's a vulnerable and raw.
yeah baby so fed by it
Bruce and Richard and sure ship on whatever their just trying to get at the very root.
submit all the an ethical. Any Lenny was sort of like Hetty Andy
but he but also a great out observer of human foibles and an systemic foibles, but him but Rick
There was some sort of real kind of Richard with fragile man,
and you know it, and he couldn't hide it, so he
yeah. He wore is hard on his sleeve, so yeah, and he brought that any brought himself too
to do what he was doing in a way that
I don't know that anyone's ever really done it before.
I mean angers, easy and be
a clown is easy, but you are really getting.
Being vulnerable in in humor is tricky even talking about life.
yourself on fire yeah man
Ray among Richard, like Ledger, suffer yeah man. I mean
it took. Some balls are to be. The public notice did make that kind of horrendous mistake
and yet that horrible accident, in the midst of all that darkness and addiction and then get an hour and a half out of it good for him, man
in your career, though it's you MIKE after the doors you kind of went on some differ.
Journey, I mean I get like I Eddie there there
There is a certain amount of humility and an ego witness in real creative passion to to sort of pursue dance. And what was that
out. Well, I became a drummer for a dance company, ok
about what I realized? You know: it's not the goal of the giant concert. It's it's the road there yet, and so I've been doing a poetry and drumming handwriting
yeah in clubs and stuff for years off and on man. If I have a good night, I feel that connection with it,
audience, I'm as high as that square garden. You know you're some theirs it it's like. If, if it's
forty peace orchestra or do well, that's one person on stage and the audience Massa Square, a gardener club, that's the other person and the two of you are gonna dance
yeah mystery and magic is how you gonna go right as they get me a salsa Walsall, Annie Metaphor here: yeah that's,
that's what I'm missing so much now with the pandemic, just saying like music and the connection is really
A big party or life are well.
No, I.
I became a writer ten twenty years ago
so I'm used to this sort of monk. Like this
so I'm all right with me, but I do miss social. We human beings.
Our drive? When did you sit? When did you
First, how will the? Where was wrong Dawson his life when you, when you had the experience with him? Well, I was playing with his buddy Krishna
ass. The two went to India in the sixty smear.
gave the guru, LSD and the girl said. Well, she got behalf
This is our guy. Here I was playing a precaution with Christian at us and them
the Enron Dusk came, I gotta meet him and then I got invited to his heart.
This is after he had a stroke. Of course. Here, though, I had dinner with them,
man, I gotta say the love by was palpable pianola corny, but me and may well be happy to be dealt a card of a stroke where each year
I get Gary Snyder spaces.
He translated that is. Ok,
there, is gaining more in that silence, then, even if I was blah blah blind interesting, that's it
He had a real love I, but he was in a wheelchair and there wasn't pretty
so to him like I'm in here that is sort of process around YO, YO sort of moving towards
death and mortality and kind of
making a sort of accepting.
mortality. Is his trip right. So you know. So I guess
Do you know when you have a stroke like I just talked to Michael J Dot Fox the other day. Cuz he's got he's got a book out and if it seems to me that the people that it's
and you build a relationship with their sickness or with their. There
or why abilities that people that befriended and accept that this is going to be their power.
nor from here on out for one way or another are the people that are able to sort of stay in a light when it comes to life, you know, doesn't teaching for
Rebecca you now were maybe
Our role is not as dramatic but
we got a year. This aging makes you yield yeah hard sometimes, but
as George Harrison wrote, some
He knew he had cancer. Some days are quite sublime, yeah, so yeah
that's right in that. In the midst of all this chaos in in horror that we're doing would now when I'm out here, I sit
Am I porch? This is the life right here,
right now, you're everything that's outside of me and everything I know that's going on. That's horrible is not here
right now, I'm having eyes I'm having a nice day.
I know this respected, you know, and hopefully you and I don't get the virus. Yes, but the earth are footprint on earth is lighter and that's it
That's something to think about how you mean, with everything stalled.
yeah. When evidence, I thought you I thought about that. You were given the earth. The rest is well taken ahead, but I mean I guess, maybe we had a common. What do I talked to Patty Smith a couple weeks ago, she's lovely, you have a nice time, her all the best right I mean you know she.
Starts the whole thing here, then she crosses over and rights a national book award.
book- oh my god, grandma right here,
what a renaissance woman you know and have a woman.
she's real, listen, a little. The interview that she's
part of that lineage that beautiful thread beatniks.
frozen or I get, rigour is sort of like the hippy
our on the shoulders of the beat right the poem
sir, on the shoulders of the hippies. The grunge is on the shoulders of the parks, and so it goes where all learning from each other.
And do now. Let's talk a little bit about like gum in terms of like how you felt about how the doors
she was going to be used, are allowed to use what was your source of of anxious about that well mark. It goes like this.
We are solicited to do. Come
I believe, like my fire, her well yeah, ok and were kind of considering James out of town, and he comes back and says
idea. Good idea- and I got a idea for
Herschel all go on television and I'll smash the car with a sledgehammer
that's a now, and so I think it while he didn't write them,
he wrote. One line, I love become a
RO pyre of course, Morrison ask right there
who rose up
arriving wrote that right robbing clear and so well. Jim cares about.
a whole catalogue of every
we're doing here. So
How can I break
through a new deodorant right, right or left me two times, because I just
goodbye, angry right, yeah yeah.
You know I've been misdemeanor got a lot of shit for now people have come around more and so forth.
Do we protecting the legacy in honouring what you thought, gymnast vision wasn't what they thought. The clear division of the ban was, and he stuck by it because you didn't want
fuckin sell it out.
the point of silly my band made sell my guide me out of that was so painful.
I believe I did, but because we knew what they were just seeing an easy payday right on some level yeah yeah I mean they must have been doing. Ok, it's outside the doors. Well, that that's what
my question was ok what I've always hard. It was kind of like the Chapelle. What what did he turned down? Fifty sixty million resolution are so
without active fifteen million for breaking through a cadillac?
yeah right ask whistling in up here
I mean mind you after managers and splitting it all up and only a few million each
still beer. I stay at the rain, Robbie. Okay. We all have
a nice house and kind of a couple, groovy cars. What are you gonna buy? What do you need here? Doktor there was that space here
the truth came in there was.
No answer- and I was so
Oh yeah, I'm gonna do no right.
You to mark important this was way back.
things got so hard. If a new ban wanted to do a commercial to pay, the rent,
yeah sure now, yeah I've been again
you gonna tell hole and success
Maybe re examined that decision and don't do it anymore had in our case,
Who is like you know the guy. You know it would be on the grave of Jim Morrison, and these were iconic. Songs is
thing: you know, if you need to make ends meet me, do
The commercial way that there may be no and even heard before you want to sell a jingle you nobody
everywhere there like this song, represented something it. It was a big shifted
thinking like even worthwhile gum like somebody for some people can have,
they use digging pop search and destroy a thing for a Nike commercial, and I talked to the dude
a music manager. He said that the guy who view
that song for that or got permission to use? It didn't even know who he was. He saw the title on them. He saw the title on a list of songs and then checked it out, but but I'd lie you know for Iggy. You know what kind of like
it can. A reinvigorated is clear when he probably needed the bread, because he doesn't yet you don't yes what well, when Nike backed up Colon Catherine Guy, I'm not, I don't wear
ports gear yet, but I went to Nike and bought a teacher either as a key towns, and I quote in most
second, both the unhinged near the point of view.
I say you know people weren't
getting fed by our songs or fell in love were first time I got high. We can change the soundtrack to their life and details and says I would give us
flock of you fell in love with surely, thereby song. It's my saw to it right, man right and
yeah yeah it's like way. Imbros, they d, pay. Smithy gotta, keep your name clean.
You know what I mean now did you guys did
did everybody and on a good, no, like we re past, were you ok, we were
strained, and I I
Since then, the last chapter of the second book with another
saying listen. This is gonna be a hard pill to swallow. I want to make sure you got to this chapter,
same here. How could I not love you guys week? We create mad,
get a garage
them
then, when I heard re was getting really sick, I call them and thank God he take the phone up. Nobody does the happier and we talked about his cancer and none of the
legal ship, which was all right one, but it felt good to hear his voice now we I bet it was, it was a closure
I feel german him even deeper. Now, yeah yeah,
Talk to home sure, but yeah course you d, think about Jim Rigour,
I have dreams about him. Occasionally, oh yeah, I remember he taught
does this dream he had
a big concert and he goes back
hotel room and his
down the hall and here's a bunch of voices in his room here
he looks that a key ass, the right Rome any opens the door
there's a whole bunch of people in their partying and they look at him. I who the fuck are you
the dream of a pretty interesting
you dream about him: oh, I dreamt that he was back
he was clean and sober. He was in a light and our money suit. Why would he want anyone to play
re use raid ago yeah.
I guess like when you have is the time you guys had for the amount of time you had it again. I guess it's hard to like those memories must be pretty amazing,
I mean I'm not saying that you know you don't have a life after that. Would you obviously do, but you you, the bond you create were guys like you said you make magic that lasts forever. You must be really
Well. I've had several marriages mark in this way:
it's gone, all my whole I'd like I was
John.
Rose member have near he like this
and I said being
abandoned polygamy without sex.
yeah? You guys are in air and how do you talk to Robbie.
Occasionally yeah how's he doing during after them.
illegal has that we finally place a music together at the county museum
The felt really suite immediately was like we are back really, you guys are good, so distinct, it's so wild that you can just pick up after so many years and and you
You lock writing. Do it right yeah. Did you
So in your blood, that's him, no one.
amazing to me. Remember those songs and I mean
Gustavo started data Mouth conducts without manuscripts,
yeah, they told all those symphonies are just in his friggin had great Wi Fi, like
just like that the moment, whereas watching that the above us only sky, which was a documentary about
John Lennon, in the making of imagine that you have a family
All this footage he had been around forever. Is I talk. I talk to Sean
about it, he said TAT. He knew that footage because they had it. You know they
ever saw that the putting together that doc, many but there's a moment. We know
undoubted that mansion and their recording imagine and there he has George come out too.
I want a few songs, Ray and theirs
just a moment that they capture on camera where job
and yet on the piano and Georgia sitting
holding a guitar and John just
Sir George, and and and
Looked at him with that face like in a we understand, each other on a level that you're no one else can even understand.
And George immediately got it without anything being said and knew exactly what to do, and I was like holy shit, that's amazing!
Well I mean you know if you work together long time, it's kind of like a private club right, but you know
with with much gratitude for all the facts, and I also think that a lot of people to realise how many dates you guys fuckin did I mean it's like you got these records. Were you guys we're on the road a lot right, yeah that went for six years? Three we were added.
I mean that so many show so much places. So may I mean like you, I always forget that, like people like Hendricks- and you guys it's like we here,
records. We hear the live record or to be guys did hundreds of dates, hundreds of dates, syllable,
comes into a right, you just you go in that spits yeah.
That's it in a minute and then others and you're in it. It must be just a lady,
but you want to make a fresh to appear in comedy just the phrasing of a jack or flops, and then something happens if these hysterical
right, we ve little room. Will space at improvisation, yeah masses, jasmine? That's that's! The best
job drawn, raise gold, improvisations saw connected German, and it's like in that's those are the sometimes the best moments. Is that one
yeah that few minutes he got out of it. You are it's like. Oh my god, you know
getting older. I dont have as much took me
drumming wise, but I think I've learned that if you put the right symbol crash in the rights spot,
yeah it's as powerful as these big flurries idea in my twenty soya enough salmon carbon,
this right, yeah, you know yet it's it's adjusting
its evolving. Your timing, there's something more satisfying to that. Then you know then just a flurry
you can lock. If you didn't know one b, you like you know, yielded
yielding yeah man yielding where'd. You get that word. I got that.
From a cover over a Pearl Jim Album yield. Oh yeah,
these player took the photograph of a yield side right now, that's pretty hip! You, like those guys
Eddie saying this: when we are conducted in the Raw hall of Fame alone,
a guy, great singer ha.
I got those pipes from the little guy crazy, we're hey man
he's good talking here and I love the book, and I wish you the best of success with it, and you seem
healthy, so you'll be around awhile, really great connect
wherever it was fun. Take care of yourself.
Say what you out of your body, barriers,
John Dens, more old
Ruby guy still groovy still doing
things still being that guy from the old days, the book is called
the secret meetings with remarkable musicians and other artists get it. Where we get
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Transcript generated on 2020-12-03.