August 7, 2024 • 39 mins
Morgan White Jr. for NightSide:
If you want a little snapshot of who’s who in Boston's folk music history, look no further than "The Folk Music Portrait Project" featuring photographer Barry Schneier. From legendary performers like Tom Rush to contemporary artists like Lori McKenna. Morgan talked with Schneier about his work photographing famous musicians.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
If you want a little snapshot of who’s who in Boston's folk music history, look no further than "The Folk Music Portrait Project" featuring photographer Barry Schneier. From legendary performers like Tom Rush to contemporary artists like Lori McKenna. Morgan talked with Schneier about his work photographing famous musicians.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news video.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you very much, Nicole for my introduction. I'm filling
in for Dan. I'll be here until midnight as well.
I'll be here tomorrow night, Thursday and Friday until midnight.
And Nicole, are you still there?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
I am here, my friend.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Oh goody. Did I not hear you yesterday morning? Doing
news in the am?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I was not on. Maybe it was a story I
had done. I thought you yesterday for mister Ben Parker,
who was playing Dan.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's just, you know, a bunch of moving parts over here.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
But you aren't a workaholic. You're all over the schedule.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, you know, I just go where I'm told.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I know the feeling.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
You get it.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I truly do get it. Indeed, thank you for interacting
with me, and I'm always happy to I'll probably speak
to you tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Works for me.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Let's do it, okay, all right, bye bye.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm going to tell people that on September fifth, a
book will be coming to your local bookstores.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Here's the title. The song is still being written and.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's a book of a collection of photos and narratives,
which is stories of singer songwriters who have made the
Boston Cambridge area their home. And I've got the author
of that book with me right here, right now, Barry Schneider.
I'm sorry, I almost said what you told me not
(01:30):
to stay. Sire is here and he spells at sc h.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
N E I E R.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
And I'm assuming you've got some sort of web location, Barry.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I do. And first of all, Morgan, thank you very
much for having me on tonight. No problem. Yes, my
website is Barry Schneier, and thank you for spelling name right.
I've lived with that content whole life. Harry Sneier Photography
dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Okay, and I'm gonna ask the world's silliest question. The
Charlie card comes courtesy both indirectly and directly of the
Kingston Trio, a legendary folk group.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Tell people that story.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Well, the Kings and Trio were certainly part of what
we would call the earliest part of what themed or
sometimes referred to as the folk revolutions. Yes, came around
mid sixties. People at Kingston Trio, the Peter Paul Mary
that we all remember, Yes, of course, you know, with
those other artists, and you know, we have to go
back to the days of Bob Villa and Joe Baez.
(02:47):
But yeah, Charlie on the MPa for a guy found
by the Kingston Trio couldn't get off the card because
he was stuck. Didn't have it fair, didn't have it
fair in those days you got on. He had a
payper to get off too, So hence that Charlie Card
has named it their honor.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I remember the lyrics of the song, he needed one
more nickel and he couldn't get off of that train.
And did he ever return?
Speaker 5 (03:15):
He'll return, and.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
His fate is still unlearned.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
Very good.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, And had he been riding neath the streets of
Boston now there's so much more track and stops and
places to be stuck on.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
The tee as from the early.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Sixty As long as it's running in your line that day,
I guess right.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Good point, very good point.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I've got a question because it says there are singer
songwriters who have made Boston and Cambridge their home.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Tell us a few.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
Well, the basic storyline is Club Past Seam in Cambridge
was club polled forty seven back in the day. Was
one of the uh call it the flashpoints of the
folk revolution, and many of the artists that came to
there have gone on to become very well known today
(04:17):
as well as many new artists went through today. And
of course at the time you would deal with the
local artists. Now as you go back to the mid sixties,
the local artists of people like Joan Bays Joan Byen,
who was a student at Boston University, Okay for friends,
who was one of her friends who was a student.
There was Jim Queskin who put together the Jim Questan
drug band. And then over you know, down the road
(04:40):
at Harvard University, a student there would listen at night
and come by and help people get to the stage.
His name was Tom Rush. Oh, yes, they've got a
chance to go on stage. So there's a few of
just the significant names that have gone on to become
really legends or icons of their time. And they were
there in the early days of folk music in the
(05:02):
Boston Cambridge here. And matter of fact, it's kind of
where Joan Baier got her start as a resident as
a user, and she didn't even make it to little
freshman year of college. Music became her love.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, and I'm thinking because of that, her piggy bank
got rather.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
Full well, one of the things that she said very
true about that. One of the things she talks about
and one of the things she talks about in the
book because she's one of the artists we were lucky
to get to spend some time with, is she was
not prepared for the success that came to her. When
she started to perform at Club forty seven, the word
got out, this is this woman with this incredible voice,
(05:41):
she has to come in here. Now. Club forty seven,
when it first came into being, was really a jazz club.
Now the jazz was not bringing in the people they wanted,
so they started bringing folk artists in. Joan Baiers was
one of them. When the word as she wanted that
she said in the book the first time she played
there that maybe you know, ten people of the audience
(06:02):
by the time she was, you know, getting better known
and starting to recurt they were lying outside the door.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Wall the wall.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Now what school did you attend? Were you a bu
or Harvard student in those days?
Speaker 5 (06:16):
No? I was, actually I actually was a student here
at Emerson College. Okay I'm not you know, I was
in school later than them. But my introduction to this
music really came when I was in high school, and
I grew up in Newton, and I was a student
in Newton's South High School. And one of my best
(06:37):
friends was a guitarist and we had a little rock
and roll band in high school. But he had been
introduced to folk music in an older sister who introduced
him the folk music. So when I was in high school,
we used to go down to Club forty seven. And
here's some of the acts that came through there. Some
of the acts weber hearing were like the Chambers Buss Oh, yes,
the Valley Boys, Kelen Anderson, some great actor.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I must come today. Have you been able to? I'm sorry,
I'm looking at a picture for gentlemen that I know
was a teacher at Emerson, because I've got a wall
with all kinds of eclectic collection photos and Rex Trailer.
(07:20):
Was he there when you were there?
Speaker 5 (07:23):
You know, it's interesting you mentioned his name. I think
he was actually doing a class. I think he came
in into one class a week. Rex Trailer, Yeah, he
was a teacher there. Actually, speaking of teachers at Emberson
at Emerson the time, what are the instructors I had?
Who was actually a TV news broadcaster at WBT TV
(07:46):
was a fellow named Vinny Debona.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I've heard.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Vinny de Bonah had this idea of, you know, maybe
that people are out there making kind of funny videos,
maybe people would like to see them bend to actually
be in that show America's Funniest Home Videos. I don't
think he was teaching any more for that.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
After another person with a chubby piggybank.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I've got to take a break, and I'm gonna invite
people who might want to call in and speak with
you about your book, about your career, about the career
of a favorite Folks singer, or two or group six one, seven, two, five, four, ten,
thirty eight, eight, eight, nine, two, nine, ten, thirty The
numbers that get through here on Nightside. Nightside goes on
(08:33):
whether Dan is here or not. Dan should be back
on the twelfth of August next Monday, but I'm here
for the rest of the week. My name Morgan White Junior.
The time and the temperature here at Nightside eight sixteen
sixty six degrees.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
You will hear me say that repeatedly. Tonight. Dan is
off for the rest of the week. I'm Morgan Morgan
White Junior, and I'm doing the best I can to
keep you guys company here on night Side Tonight, tomorrow
and Friday Night. My guest is best known for work
with billionaire and I did say that with a b
(09:22):
Bruce Springsteen in the E Street Band and Springsteen's archives
and Center for American Music as well at the Smithsonian Institute.
His name is Barry Shire, and Barry, what got you
into music? Because I know the book the song is
(09:46):
still being written, released on September fifth, focuses on folk music.
But you've mentioned all kinds of music. With Bruce Springsteen,
You've got pure rock and roll and and there are
like three or four different styles that grabbed your interest
when you were a high school student at Newton South
(10:08):
High School.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Right. Well, I've been a lover and pan of music
in my whole life. I have to say, I have
to give credit to my father who always had music
going on in the house. Actually, he was a big
Broadway musical fan and he's okay, had that stuff all
the time. I always was exposed to music. I will
tell you that when the beatle pick in sixty four
(10:32):
or sixty five, I was mesmerized. Like many young men
at that time, we had to be in a rock
and roll band, so were some friends. We formed a
band at high school and we played what was parts
of the time, which is the groups like the Rolling
Stone and the you know groups of the British Invasion groups.
(10:53):
But as time went on, especially as to college, I
just because of my love of music, I happened to
meet many people in the music industry. Was actually working
as a roadie from band back in the late sixties,
and I kind of just found myself embedded in the
music scene here in Boston. Got to know some of
the bands that were circuinly as the time, Arrowsmith being
(11:15):
one of them, knew some of the management in the area,
and just found myself part of the whole scene. And
I just started bringing my camera around and started photographing
the bands that they would performed, and I just got
exposed to all kinds of music, and I was very fortunate.
At the time. I was working a lot with a
group in Cambridge called Window Pane Productions, and they were
(11:37):
associated with a group called Avalon who managed Bonnie Race Wow,
wrapping for a lot of the acts that brought the town.
And the short story was my roommate of mine had
heard spring Sea's music on the radio and thought we
should go check this guy out. And so here we
are in nineteen seventy four going to see him in
(11:58):
a bar to Cambridge with maybe you know, one hundred
people in there. And I heard the music and I
said to myself, that is the best music I have
ever heard. I've said to see this guy.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Again, and this guy is going somewhere.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
Yeah. So I was lucky to basically talk to the
promoter that I was working with and saying, you got
to put this guy on the show. So they produced
some shows with him, and I was able to photograph
with then, and that just kind of led to other things,
and shortly after that, I actually moved to California, and
while I was living out there, I was photographing the
acts in that area as well. So it was kind
of a thrill. Weill be able to be exposed and
(12:33):
I say this often to people, and we're talking now.
In nineteen seven, I was able to get full access
to the band's on stage backstage, not as easily as
much these days for photographers, but I was very fortunate
to be able to build a portfolio, shoot a lot
of acts, and I was very fortunate that some years ago,
basically the short story was my wife and my kids
(12:56):
had come across from my earlier work that Dad, you'd
really got to get this out there. It's really good.
And I did, built the website, and because we introduced
to the organization around Bruce Slingston's management and started photogressing
him again starting around twenty sixteen, did a coupley of
the Sours, and basically through all that work, I got
(13:16):
introduced again back into the music folksing here, you know,
through a wonderful woman named Bessy Siggins, who actually was
joined by us his best friend back in college, but
he's a GETU and introduced to them, got introduced to
Jim Wooster and Matt Smith and the great people that
run that game. And I said to them, you know,
you've got the s much history here of musicians that
(13:37):
have come to the area, and you've got an incredible
group of musicians coming here today. The singer songwriter genre,
the folks singer is the music certainly of music that
has not gone away as rich as ever, and we
need to really document the great history that has come
through your club and get it out there. So the
project was really based upon documenting the artists that comes
(14:00):
there over the past are says only and create the future.
And the great thing is they embrace the show exhibit.
We were introduced you buy Susan and I'm working also
with a wonderful writer, Jane Sullivan, who covers hockey culture
of the globe, and he did the interviews and besides
the book, the entire exhibit, the re tire Coature will
(14:22):
be an exhibit that opens that the Post America Connor
Roots Hall of Fame at the Way Theater September twelve,
and that'll be their t January.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
You couldn't do this what you have done for a
career now if you were in obviously we're talking twilight Zone,
but the time that you started doing this doesn't exist anymore.
They wouldn't have let a rookie, junior or senior from
(14:51):
high school into a club to take pictures, to interact
with the personalities and performers.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
You couldn't do it now. Too much security.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
You're absolutely right about that, and there's a lot of
restrictions placed upon people when theygraph a band. I was
very fortunate. It's interesting when I do talks about my
work and I show them the work of artists I photographed,
you know, back over the years, and these are artists
like Dan Morris and Patty Smith, bos Skag, Steve Miller,
Jackson Brown. They look at they say, how did you
(15:26):
get so close? Looks like you're on the state. And
I said, well, I watched. You know, that's we were
all part of, I would say, a group of artists
all trying to figure out how to do our work,
how to basically get our creative work out there. They
were learning how to do their craft as I was
doing learning how to do my craft. We all wanted
(15:46):
this together and that was the atmosphere. Then to your point,
these days these difficult. Oftentimes other photographers asked me how
do I how do I do what you do? How
do I get into And I say, well, just use
some bands, the bands that are playing small local clubs.
Find bands who like and ask an opportunity to photograph them.
People'll do portfolio, get to work out there. Maybe you'll
(16:09):
get an opportunity that they'll be you down the line.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
You never know, because today twenty twenty four, there may
be some hard working performer performers that in five years
the popularity will explode and who knows what gates will
open up for them, and you as well had to
(16:34):
develop skills as a photographer.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
How did that come about?
Speaker 5 (16:39):
Well, you know, it's a great question because the challenge
and the excitement of photographing groups in a live scenario
is you have to look for the moments when the
action happens, where the emotion happens. And I often joke
about how I say, back in the day I would shoot.
(17:02):
We all shot films. You shot a roll of film.
You had serious exposures. You got to be very careful
that each one looked great. Right, you're shooting digitally. I
was photographing actually when Springsteen came through a tour and
I was photographing him at the garden. I was next
to sitting next to the photographer for the Boston Gloves,
(17:24):
and I can hear his shutter. Now, I'm shooting digitally
now as well, going shoo shoot still was well too.
I could hear his shutter fluttering like a hummingbird winging
that sounded like and I was thinking to myself, what
is going on here? And he's shooting hundreds of shots,
and I thought myself, you know these digital cars that
should go on your camera to hold up to five
(17:44):
hundred shots. Yeah, you know, I thought of myself. You
do that, you're bound to get a good shot. Of
course you are. And I learned later that in the
world of photojournalism there's an expression called spray and pray,
So basically you're bound to get something. Glad that they
know what they're doing. You have to know how to
take a shot. But it's a different world of capture photography,
(18:06):
and I'm very fortunate that my training or my upbringing
was through film, where I had to honestly looked and
be very careful about every shot I took.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Let me, I'm going to stop you here, let me
take a break. When we come back, I want you
to tell people if they go on the web where
they could find some of your photos, other than just
buying the book. The song is still being written, because
that's the second way of following along with what we're
(18:36):
talking about right now here on Night Side. So I
promise I'll bring Barry back commercially to maybe a quick
hit of news. Give us about three four minutes and
the pair of us will return here on night Side
time eight thirty temperature Brazil sixty six degrees.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
It's night Side.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Radio.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I told you that wouldn't take too long.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Barry Shiner is here with me and we are talking
about the book coming out on September fifth. The song
is still being written. And Barry as.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
A junior and senior in.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
High school way back when, just took a camera and
was able to get into various clubs in and around
Boston and take pictures of well known performers Joan Baez,
Bruce Springsteen. Just to drop a couple of names and
tell people how they can find on the web some
(19:41):
of your photos.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
Well, obviously the probably the best place would be my
website which is Barry Schneier Photography dot com. And besides
the read the work related to the current project, all
the work I've gone to the past is there as well,
Desperately one spot. The work is also exhibited through a
(20:06):
gallery in New York and LA called Morrison Hotel Gallery,
which is just a great gallery for anybody who's interested
in seeing music photography. They have some probably the best
collection in the world. If people are in Cleveland and
go to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. They
will see my work displayed there in the Springsteen exhibits.
(20:26):
I'm also in their archives in which they do as
a research element. The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for
American Music at mom University in New Jersey has the
work in their archives as well. Elsewise, it depends. Some
of my works have period of some albums Springsine some
(20:47):
of his albums. Neils Blackbey, one of his guitarists. I
did to work for his latest review when he actually
he came to Boston and progress in years that would
use a lives of albums be put out a couple
of years ago, and you know a few other spots.
(21:08):
You know, there's obviously been some magazines that covered over
the years. But my my website and the website of
the Rock Hall and the Sprinty Archives and moreso the
Towery are probably the best place to just mind my work.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty eight, eight,
eight nine two, nineteen thirty. You want to call it
and speak with Barry, Come on, this gentleman has held
history in his hand, and here's your opportunity. I know
there must be some Bruce Springsteen fans listening. I heard
(21:43):
the name of Jem Baez, Nils Lofgren. You got to
want to speak to this gentleman and ask questions like,
after he's done a two or three hour show, what
was Bruce like sitting back in his dressing room? And
I will ask that after a show is over and
(22:04):
all the energy has been given to sixteen seventeen thousand
fans screaming for him, what's he like when he just
kind of lets down.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
Well, it's actually a great question because I actually have
observed it. There's two things. One is he's physically exhausted.
The band is physically exhausted. I remember I was actually
student in the band when they were performing at the
Madison Square Garden where the tours, and I'm down the
backstage in the dressing room area and I'm kind of
(22:37):
just clucting my equipment and I see Max Weinberg, the drummer,
walk by, and his arms are literally shaking. This guy's
pounding the drums all night. But a great little story
is is when Bruce played where the shows that silet
and I'm just backstage at the end getting my gear together,
and he's walking off and he's, you know, getting ready
(22:57):
for his car. Things a hotel. I mean, he's enough
to for four hours and he's you know, he's he's
not a young person that he's very fit. He just
looked totally exhausted, like he was sort of hunched over,
you know, like the left down. After all, energy is expected.
Just as he's walking away, somebody from his organization comes
up and wants to introduce him to a Vietnam vet
(23:19):
vet who's been injured in the war, wanted leader. He
perked up in an instance. One of the things I
will say about him is when he is with people
and engage with people, just as a as a personality,
he is engaged, he is focused, he is there for you,
even if he has just done four hours, not stop.
It's pretty remarkable servic.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
I'm going to change quickly from this particular subject and
tie this in with you and your father. You say
your father loved Broadway music. I'm going to share with
you my observation. This is completely subjective of the greatest
love song ever heard on the Great White Way, and
(24:03):
it will tie in with you and your father's I
Believe in You from How to Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying, sung by Robert Morse because the plot is
he's singing it to himself in a mirror to psych
himself up. You've got the cool, clear eyes of a
secret of wisdom and truth.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
He is.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Showing that he loves what he has done so far
in his career. And Robert Morse and you and me
and your father have Newton as a common denominator because
that's where he was from.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
I live in.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Newton, and you, obviously with your family grew up in Newton.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
See how it all tied together.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
That is very interesting. I like that very much. And
what's interesting is that album. You know you mentioned about
listening to that music in my household. That album got
a lot of playing. That album and for the other
one I remember that was always being played. Was the
most happy sellar. Yes, you know, you know, And and
(25:14):
it's interesting that you bring up that because I remember
years years later. You know, of course, I'm a young kid.
I'm not really you know, knowing what the storyline is.
But but I remember years later watching must have been
the film version which played of the hottest succeed in
business already trying with Robert Morris. Yes, and I it
was just fantastic. And I remember as an older younger
(25:38):
person suddenly realizing that there was an element of that
storyline just about how tough it is to make it,
what you have to do to be successful, that I
think I didn't really catch before. I mean, it was
a wonderful kind of editorial comment on just trying to make.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
It and there are people people waiting to have you
in the back in a happy go lucky musical. But
that was part of the plot. The people that didn't
like seeing him succeed and did the best they could
to get him tripped up and get him fired.
Speaker 5 (26:16):
It's so interesting you mentioned that, because I remember watching
the film and saving myself. He's letting the world know
that business can be pretty cutthrop yes, And I didn't
take that, And I was really impressed that from that error,
that somebody would take that that storyline on, because you know,
I didn't talk about things like that that much back then.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
And it resonated with me when I saw it the
first time as well, not on Broadway, but the movie,
and I was still in high school, and it went
click in my mind as well. And I'm sorry for
getting slightly off track, but when you said your father
used to listen to Broadway, musicals. I just thought, I
(27:01):
gotta tell this story to Barry.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
That's a great one. Yeah, it was. It was great
to just I mean, my wife and I always have
music on the house. We always have music in the
house when I raise raise three stunts, and we just
think music is such a gift. Everybody appreciates it in
different ways. There's so many options these days. And our
kids still love music today, and matter of fact, we
have great conversations with them, but they tell us, well,
(27:28):
we ask them, what are you listening to? They're exposing
us to the music. When I go places, when I'm
meeting somebody, even if I'm at a doctor's appointment and
talking to somebody, I think, what are you listening to?
These days? You know, I want to know what people
are listening to, Who's popular, who's you know, because with
screaming and all the different ways. I mean, I used
to tell when I might talk about my work, I
(27:49):
talk about how when we used to share music back
in the day, we physically give you sent you an album, yes,
and the hopes you may get it back some days.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
And that's the key.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
You wanted to make sure that your friend gave you
back the album and took care of that album while
they had it in their possession.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Actually, that was sharing music back then. Today it's a
whole other story.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Well, there's so many different ways to do it. You
can send it electronically. Well, don't get me off that subject.
The subject of folk music, it dominated from roughly the
late fifties to just before the British invasion. Once the
Beatles did that at sullivan appearance, the world of music
(28:35):
changed forever, and folk music necessarily had to take a
different seat than it had had in the American listener's ear.
But for those roughly five six years it was on
the top of the heap.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
It was if we sink back, we could think about
the artists like you know, Peter Paul and Mary, the
Kingston Trio, making the appearances on the shows like Ed
Sells and the shows like that that were, you know,
there's the way we heard of music or saw it
on music back then. And you make that good points
because black and roll really became so big in the
(29:18):
mid sixties with the British invasion, and then from then
on with the San Francisco psychedelic music in the late sixties,
and then with the you know, you go through all
the genres, you know, with lowtown and you know you
go then you know, in the nineties against the punk rock,
you need to get the punk rock. And I hope
the changes. But what was very interesting to me is
one of the things I was very excited about doing
(29:40):
this project was the as much as yes, spoke music
certainly to the backseat to that type of music, you know,
pop music, theent, but the singer songwriter, which is what
this book, in This Party really is a tribute to,
always remained. There was always somebody back there who wanted
to write a song topress themselves, to talk about what
(30:01):
they were feeling, what they were seeing, which is what
folk music really is. It's really a voide, you know.
Manity artists say folk music is the music of the people,
by the people, for the people, and there's a continued
generation of artists that are using that to express themselves.
And these days, with all these things we are dealing with,
whether you're dealing with political issues, climate issues, issues with
(30:24):
your own personal identity, music has become a vehicle for
people to express those feelings. It grows, it builds community,
people share, and so there's a whole generation of artists
This is really one of the wonderful things That's Pasting
is doing. They have a initiative called the Folk Collective,
which is identified a dozen musicians, many many urban musicians,
(30:45):
you know, because they realize a lot of the folk
music was coming from you know areas, And I just
be honest, there's a there's there had been a stigma
that folk music was old white guys with guitars. Well,
that's not the case anymore, you know, that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Let me take a break on that comment. And when
we come back, I have a point I want to
make about Peter Paul and Mary's Puff The Magic Dragon.
Time here on night side eight forty six sixty six degrees.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nice Sight Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I'm talking about the book. The song is still being written.
It's a photo s a book. And the author of
that book, Newton local kid, grown up, grown up and
making orals and noodles of money with his photos and
his books. And by the way, is this your first book, Barry?
Speaker 5 (31:44):
Yeah, I know, it's actually my second book. Okay, first
book was based upon my early work with Okay Boss
rock and Roll future.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
There you go, and people get your pens out so
you can spell his name properly. Shinier sc h and
ei e R Barry. I think you can figure out
the spelling of that.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
Yeah, but Barry Schneier.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
All right.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
And I mentioned I want to talk about Peter Paul
Mary's Puff the Magic Dragon. I have a four year
old grandson. Here we are in the year twenty twenty five,
roughly sixty five seventy years sixty five years later, and
(32:36):
my grandson knows that song. He might not know all
the words, but he knows that song. That song has
lived through generations. It's such a simple story that they
tell Peter Paul Mary, they tell so well. And I
(32:56):
will say this about my grandson. I don't think he
knows any Beatles songs, as in recognizing them with the
lyrics of the titles.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
But he knows that song.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
And that's the power of the type of music that
some of these performers were able to put out back
in the late fifties into the early to mid sixties.
Speaker 5 (33:22):
It's a song that gets sung and performed a lot.
And I will tell you that actually one of the
actually I have actually photographed both Peter Yarrow and Paul
STOOTI you know from Peter Paul Mary obviously there is
not with it. Yeah, But when when Peter Yarrow was
(33:44):
performing in Arlington at the Regent Theater and he did
that song, he brought all of the kids up on
stage to sing with them and it was really a
wonderful stace. So to your point, you're right, the kids
they know that song and it's wonderful to hear that.
Butchers about Cherry grandchild.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
And you said you have three children.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Are they are any of them following in their father's
footsteps as far as love of music and or photography
or some relatable subject.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
Well, actually they are. We are three sons. Actually all
live on the West Coast. We joke about how we
think they just want to get it far away from
us as possible, But that's not the case. That's where
they're working.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (34:31):
Our oldest son is in Los Angeles and he actually
is a photographer, and he's actually a sort of photographer.
He works also as a director of photography and very well.
He shoots a lot of episodes for shows on Netflix
and Apple. Our youngest son, who is in Portland, Oregon,
is a producer for a small for a creative agency
and a small one a good size agency. He does
(34:52):
a lot of work for you know, producing commercials for
everything from you know, skateboards for Adidas to you know,
shows for HBO. Our middle son is into music as well.
He actually is a He started off he was obviously
you actually went to Emerton as well as a sweeling
maker and he went on to he does photography as well.
(35:15):
He's actually in the world of digital marketing for a
great brand out there. So they're all doing creative work.
They're all loving music and they still do. And like
I said, oftentimes my wife will say, what do you
listening to these days? Recommend somebody and it's great. Usually
I'll get a text he wants and say, hey, have
you heard this act? So it's great to have that
(35:36):
thing going on with the boys.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
What are their ages?
Speaker 5 (35:39):
Oldest is forty, then thirty eight and thirty six.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
You don't sound old enough. I know your history, so
I'm basing it on what you have said about you.
But again, you don't sound old enough to have a
forty year old child.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
Well, I thank you for that. I thank you so
much for that. It's all in the s all in
the mind. That's all in the attitude, you know, I said,
I feel younger than mine and younger at heart. The
body just needs to catch up. I don't know if
itever will, but.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Well, I have a forty one year old and I
feel every one of the years that I've taken to
get here. But I'm going to ask you did you
see And I don't HBO or Cinemax or Showtime one
of the three. They did a documentary on Little Stevie.
Did you see that?
Speaker 5 (36:30):
Though? You know, I haven't seen it yet, and I'm
so looking forward to seeing it because he he is
a wonderful man. He's a character. I was actually looking
at a few occasions to work with him, photographing his
band as he plays when he's not touring The Spring
Little Stephen and the Disciples of Soul.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Whieh.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
I will tell anybody who is a fan of that
genre of music, R and B soul, it is a
great show, a great act. And I haven't seen the
show yet, but he I'm wondering if this is part
of his the documentary. He himself is a walking Encyclopedia distribute.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
He knows music backwards and forwards, he was there in
the roots, the origins of rock and roll, pre British invasion,
all the way through and up to now in the
twenty twenties. He knows his stuff and he does nothing
(37:24):
but represent that music with love and care.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
Absolutely. When he does his live show, I remember he
will talk about the boarders of the song. He went
into one song where we talked about the origins of
the a cappella groups who were saying it's free quarters.
You know. He brings all the history, all the old
R and B and motown into his show and he's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
All Right, Well, I'm pretty much at the end. I'm
gonna wish you continued success because you have achieved a
strong level of success and keep at it. And I
hope when the book comes out it makes you a
billionaire like Bruce has become.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
Well, I'll take any portions of that, but I want
to thank thank you for having me on and letting
people know about the book and the exhibit that's coming up.
I think people who are in town that they oppose
the exhibit at the at the Wing Center, at the
Folk Americ Ground Lucah Hall of Fame, they'll really get
a good experience of not just seeing some of the
photograph of the artists we spend time with, but the
doings to work in there, to bring some of the
(38:26):
artifacts and archives of the past history to life for
every related experience.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
And Barry, thank you, and we will do this again.
Now that I've got your phone number in my rolodex,
I'll grab you again, maybe during the holiday season.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
That way we can.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Promote the book even more and put a few more
pennies in your piggy bank.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
You take care now, I would love that.
Speaker 5 (38:48):
Thanks so much for having me on the year tonight.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Bye, Barry.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
All right, everybody, next hour we're going to talk about
your doggies and your kiddies, and I'll give you more
details as we come back from the new use. Time
and temperature eight fifty eight sixty six degrees
It's Night with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news video.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you very much, Nicole for my introduction. I'm filling
in for Dan. I'll be here until midnight as well.
I'll be here tomorrow night, Thursday and Friday until midnight.
And Nicole, are you still there?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
I am here, my friend.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Oh goody. Did I not hear you yesterday morning? Doing
news in the am?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I was not on. Maybe it was a story I
had done. I thought you yesterday for mister Ben Parker,
who was playing Dan.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's just, you know, a bunch of moving parts over here.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
But you aren't a workaholic. You're all over the schedule.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, you know, I just go where I'm told.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I know the feeling.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
You get it.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I truly do get it. Indeed, thank you for interacting
with me, and I'm always happy to I'll probably speak
to you tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Works for me.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Let's do it, okay, all right, bye bye.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm going to tell people that on September fifth, a
book will be coming to your local bookstores.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Here's the title. The song is still being written and.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's a book of a collection of photos and narratives,
which is stories of singer songwriters who have made the
Boston Cambridge area their home. And I've got the author
of that book with me right here, right now, Barry Schneider.
I'm sorry, I almost said what you told me not
(01:30):
to stay. Sire is here and he spells at sc h.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
N E I E R.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
And I'm assuming you've got some sort of web location, Barry.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I do. And first of all, Morgan, thank you very
much for having me on tonight. No problem. Yes, my
website is Barry Schneier, and thank you for spelling name right.
I've lived with that content whole life. Harry Sneier Photography
dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Okay, and I'm gonna ask the world's silliest question. The
Charlie card comes courtesy both indirectly and directly of the
Kingston Trio, a legendary folk group.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Tell people that story.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Well, the Kings and Trio were certainly part of what
we would call the earliest part of what themed or
sometimes referred to as the folk revolutions. Yes, came around
mid sixties. People at Kingston Trio, the Peter Paul Mary
that we all remember, Yes, of course, you know, with
those other artists, and you know, we have to go
back to the days of Bob Villa and Joe Baez.
(02:47):
But yeah, Charlie on the MPa for a guy found
by the Kingston Trio couldn't get off the card because
he was stuck. Didn't have it fair, didn't have it
fair in those days you got on. He had a
payper to get off too, So hence that Charlie Card
has named it their honor.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I remember the lyrics of the song, he needed one
more nickel and he couldn't get off of that train.
And did he ever return?
Speaker 5 (03:15):
He'll return, and.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
His fate is still unlearned.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
Very good.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, And had he been riding neath the streets of
Boston now there's so much more track and stops and
places to be stuck on.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
The tee as from the early.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Sixty As long as it's running in your line that day,
I guess right.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Good point, very good point.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I've got a question because it says there are singer
songwriters who have made Boston and Cambridge their home.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Tell us a few.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
Well, the basic storyline is Club Past Seam in Cambridge
was club polled forty seven back in the day. Was
one of the uh call it the flashpoints of the
folk revolution, and many of the artists that came to
there have gone on to become very well known today
(04:17):
as well as many new artists went through today. And
of course at the time you would deal with the
local artists. Now as you go back to the mid sixties,
the local artists of people like Joan Bays Joan Byen,
who was a student at Boston University, Okay for friends,
who was one of her friends who was a student.
There was Jim Queskin who put together the Jim Questan
drug band. And then over you know, down the road
(04:40):
at Harvard University, a student there would listen at night
and come by and help people get to the stage.
His name was Tom Rush. Oh, yes, they've got a
chance to go on stage. So there's a few of
just the significant names that have gone on to become
really legends or icons of their time. And they were
there in the early days of folk music in the
(05:02):
Boston Cambridge here. And matter of fact, it's kind of
where Joan Baier got her start as a resident as
a user, and she didn't even make it to little
freshman year of college. Music became her love.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, and I'm thinking because of that, her piggy bank
got rather.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
Full well, one of the things that she said very
true about that. One of the things she talks about
and one of the things she talks about in the
book because she's one of the artists we were lucky
to get to spend some time with, is she was
not prepared for the success that came to her. When
she started to perform at Club forty seven, the word
got out, this is this woman with this incredible voice,
(05:41):
she has to come in here. Now. Club forty seven,
when it first came into being, was really a jazz club.
Now the jazz was not bringing in the people they wanted,
so they started bringing folk artists in. Joan Baiers was
one of them. When the word as she wanted that
she said in the book the first time she played
there that maybe you know, ten people of the audience
(06:02):
by the time she was, you know, getting better known
and starting to recurt they were lying outside the door.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Wall the wall.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Now what school did you attend? Were you a bu
or Harvard student in those days?
Speaker 5 (06:16):
No? I was, actually I actually was a student here
at Emerson College. Okay I'm not you know, I was
in school later than them. But my introduction to this
music really came when I was in high school, and
I grew up in Newton, and I was a student
in Newton's South High School. And one of my best
(06:37):
friends was a guitarist and we had a little rock
and roll band in high school. But he had been
introduced to folk music in an older sister who introduced
him the folk music. So when I was in high school,
we used to go down to Club forty seven. And
here's some of the acts that came through there. Some
of the acts weber hearing were like the Chambers Buss Oh, yes,
the Valley Boys, Kelen Anderson, some great actor.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I must come today. Have you been able to? I'm sorry,
I'm looking at a picture for gentlemen that I know
was a teacher at Emerson, because I've got a wall
with all kinds of eclectic collection photos and Rex Trailer.
(07:20):
Was he there when you were there?
Speaker 5 (07:23):
You know, it's interesting you mentioned his name. I think
he was actually doing a class. I think he came
in into one class a week. Rex Trailer, Yeah, he
was a teacher there. Actually, speaking of teachers at Emberson
at Emerson the time, what are the instructors I had?
Who was actually a TV news broadcaster at WBT TV
(07:46):
was a fellow named Vinny Debona.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I've heard.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Vinny de Bonah had this idea of, you know, maybe
that people are out there making kind of funny videos,
maybe people would like to see them bend to actually
be in that show America's Funniest Home Videos. I don't
think he was teaching any more for that.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
After another person with a chubby piggybank.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I've got to take a break, and I'm gonna invite
people who might want to call in and speak with
you about your book, about your career, about the career
of a favorite Folks singer, or two or group six one, seven, two, five, four, ten,
thirty eight, eight, eight, nine, two, nine, ten, thirty The
numbers that get through here on Nightside. Nightside goes on
(08:33):
whether Dan is here or not. Dan should be back
on the twelfth of August next Monday, but I'm here
for the rest of the week. My name Morgan White Junior.
The time and the temperature here at Nightside eight sixteen
sixty six degrees.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
You will hear me say that repeatedly. Tonight. Dan is
off for the rest of the week. I'm Morgan Morgan
White Junior, and I'm doing the best I can to
keep you guys company here on night Side Tonight, tomorrow
and Friday Night. My guest is best known for work
with billionaire and I did say that with a b
(09:22):
Bruce Springsteen in the E Street Band and Springsteen's archives
and Center for American Music as well at the Smithsonian Institute.
His name is Barry Shire, and Barry, what got you
into music? Because I know the book the song is
(09:46):
still being written, released on September fifth, focuses on folk music.
But you've mentioned all kinds of music. With Bruce Springsteen,
You've got pure rock and roll and and there are
like three or four different styles that grabbed your interest
when you were a high school student at Newton South
(10:08):
High School.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Right. Well, I've been a lover and pan of music
in my whole life. I have to say, I have
to give credit to my father who always had music
going on in the house. Actually, he was a big
Broadway musical fan and he's okay, had that stuff all
the time. I always was exposed to music. I will
tell you that when the beatle pick in sixty four
(10:32):
or sixty five, I was mesmerized. Like many young men
at that time, we had to be in a rock
and roll band, so were some friends. We formed a
band at high school and we played what was parts
of the time, which is the groups like the Rolling
Stone and the you know groups of the British Invasion groups.
(10:53):
But as time went on, especially as to college, I
just because of my love of music, I happened to
meet many people in the music industry. Was actually working
as a roadie from band back in the late sixties,
and I kind of just found myself embedded in the
music scene here in Boston. Got to know some of
the bands that were circuinly as the time, Arrowsmith being
(11:15):
one of them, knew some of the management in the area,
and just found myself part of the whole scene. And
I just started bringing my camera around and started photographing
the bands that they would performed, and I just got
exposed to all kinds of music, and I was very fortunate.
At the time. I was working a lot with a
group in Cambridge called Window Pane Productions, and they were
(11:37):
associated with a group called Avalon who managed Bonnie Race Wow,
wrapping for a lot of the acts that brought the town.
And the short story was my roommate of mine had
heard spring Sea's music on the radio and thought we
should go check this guy out. And so here we
are in nineteen seventy four going to see him in
(11:58):
a bar to Cambridge with maybe you know, one hundred
people in there. And I heard the music and I
said to myself, that is the best music I have
ever heard. I've said to see this guy.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Again, and this guy is going somewhere.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
Yeah. So I was lucky to basically talk to the
promoter that I was working with and saying, you got
to put this guy on the show. So they produced
some shows with him, and I was able to photograph
with then, and that just kind of led to other things,
and shortly after that, I actually moved to California, and
while I was living out there, I was photographing the
acts in that area as well. So it was kind
of a thrill. Weill be able to be exposed and
(12:33):
I say this often to people, and we're talking now.
In nineteen seven, I was able to get full access
to the band's on stage backstage, not as easily as
much these days for photographers, but I was very fortunate
to be able to build a portfolio, shoot a lot
of acts, and I was very fortunate that some years ago,
basically the short story was my wife and my kids
(12:56):
had come across from my earlier work that Dad, you'd
really got to get this out there. It's really good.
And I did, built the website, and because we introduced
to the organization around Bruce Slingston's management and started photogressing
him again starting around twenty sixteen, did a coupley of
the Sours, and basically through all that work, I got
(13:16):
introduced again back into the music folksing here, you know,
through a wonderful woman named Bessy Siggins, who actually was
joined by us his best friend back in college, but
he's a GETU and introduced to them, got introduced to
Jim Wooster and Matt Smith and the great people that
run that game. And I said to them, you know,
you've got the s much history here of musicians that
(13:37):
have come to the area, and you've got an incredible
group of musicians coming here today. The singer songwriter genre,
the folks singer is the music certainly of music that
has not gone away as rich as ever, and we
need to really document the great history that has come
through your club and get it out there. So the
project was really based upon documenting the artists that comes
(14:00):
there over the past are says only and create the future.
And the great thing is they embrace the show exhibit.
We were introduced you buy Susan and I'm working also
with a wonderful writer, Jane Sullivan, who covers hockey culture
of the globe, and he did the interviews and besides
the book, the entire exhibit, the re tire Coature will
(14:22):
be an exhibit that opens that the Post America Connor
Roots Hall of Fame at the Way Theater September twelve,
and that'll be their t January.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
You couldn't do this what you have done for a
career now if you were in obviously we're talking twilight Zone,
but the time that you started doing this doesn't exist anymore.
They wouldn't have let a rookie, junior or senior from
(14:51):
high school into a club to take pictures, to interact
with the personalities and performers.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
You couldn't do it now. Too much security.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
You're absolutely right about that, and there's a lot of
restrictions placed upon people when theygraph a band. I was
very fortunate. It's interesting when I do talks about my
work and I show them the work of artists I photographed,
you know, back over the years, and these are artists
like Dan Morris and Patty Smith, bos Skag, Steve Miller,
Jackson Brown. They look at they say, how did you
(15:26):
get so close? Looks like you're on the state. And
I said, well, I watched. You know, that's we were
all part of, I would say, a group of artists
all trying to figure out how to do our work,
how to basically get our creative work out there. They
were learning how to do their craft as I was
doing learning how to do my craft. We all wanted
(15:46):
this together and that was the atmosphere. Then to your point,
these days these difficult. Oftentimes other photographers asked me how
do I how do I do what you do? How
do I get into And I say, well, just use
some bands, the bands that are playing small local clubs.
Find bands who like and ask an opportunity to photograph them.
People'll do portfolio, get to work out there. Maybe you'll
(16:09):
get an opportunity that they'll be you down the line.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
You never know, because today twenty twenty four, there may
be some hard working performer performers that in five years
the popularity will explode and who knows what gates will
open up for them, and you as well had to
(16:34):
develop skills as a photographer.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
How did that come about?
Speaker 5 (16:39):
Well, you know, it's a great question because the challenge
and the excitement of photographing groups in a live scenario
is you have to look for the moments when the
action happens, where the emotion happens. And I often joke
about how I say, back in the day I would shoot.
(17:02):
We all shot films. You shot a roll of film.
You had serious exposures. You got to be very careful
that each one looked great. Right, you're shooting digitally. I
was photographing actually when Springsteen came through a tour and
I was photographing him at the garden. I was next
to sitting next to the photographer for the Boston Gloves,
(17:24):
and I can hear his shutter. Now, I'm shooting digitally
now as well, going shoo shoot still was well too.
I could hear his shutter fluttering like a hummingbird winging
that sounded like and I was thinking to myself, what
is going on here? And he's shooting hundreds of shots,
and I thought myself, you know these digital cars that
should go on your camera to hold up to five
(17:44):
hundred shots. Yeah, you know, I thought of myself. You
do that, you're bound to get a good shot. Of
course you are. And I learned later that in the
world of photojournalism there's an expression called spray and pray,
So basically you're bound to get something. Glad that they
know what they're doing. You have to know how to
take a shot. But it's a different world of capture photography,
(18:06):
and I'm very fortunate that my training or my upbringing
was through film, where I had to honestly looked and
be very careful about every shot I took.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Let me, I'm going to stop you here, let me
take a break. When we come back, I want you
to tell people if they go on the web where
they could find some of your photos, other than just
buying the book. The song is still being written, because
that's the second way of following along with what we're
(18:36):
talking about right now here on Night Side. So I
promise I'll bring Barry back commercially to maybe a quick
hit of news. Give us about three four minutes and
the pair of us will return here on night Side
time eight thirty temperature Brazil sixty six degrees.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
It's night Side.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Radio.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I told you that wouldn't take too long.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Barry Shiner is here with me and we are talking
about the book coming out on September fifth. The song
is still being written. And Barry as.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
A junior and senior in.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
High school way back when, just took a camera and
was able to get into various clubs in and around
Boston and take pictures of well known performers Joan Baez,
Bruce Springsteen. Just to drop a couple of names and
tell people how they can find on the web some
(19:41):
of your photos.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
Well, obviously the probably the best place would be my
website which is Barry Schneier Photography dot com. And besides
the read the work related to the current project, all
the work I've gone to the past is there as well,
Desperately one spot. The work is also exhibited through a
(20:06):
gallery in New York and LA called Morrison Hotel Gallery,
which is just a great gallery for anybody who's interested
in seeing music photography. They have some probably the best
collection in the world. If people are in Cleveland and
go to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. They
will see my work displayed there in the Springsteen exhibits.
(20:26):
I'm also in their archives in which they do as
a research element. The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for
American Music at mom University in New Jersey has the
work in their archives as well. Elsewise, it depends. Some
of my works have period of some albums Springsine some
(20:47):
of his albums. Neils Blackbey, one of his guitarists. I
did to work for his latest review when he actually
he came to Boston and progress in years that would
use a lives of albums be put out a couple
of years ago, and you know a few other spots.
(21:08):
You know, there's obviously been some magazines that covered over
the years. But my my website and the website of
the Rock Hall and the Sprinty Archives and moreso the
Towery are probably the best place to just mind my work.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty eight, eight,
eight nine two, nineteen thirty. You want to call it
and speak with Barry, Come on, this gentleman has held
history in his hand, and here's your opportunity. I know
there must be some Bruce Springsteen fans listening. I heard
(21:43):
the name of Jem Baez, Nils Lofgren. You got to
want to speak to this gentleman and ask questions like,
after he's done a two or three hour show, what
was Bruce like sitting back in his dressing room? And
I will ask that after a show is over and
(22:04):
all the energy has been given to sixteen seventeen thousand
fans screaming for him, what's he like when he just
kind of lets down.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
Well, it's actually a great question because I actually have
observed it. There's two things. One is he's physically exhausted.
The band is physically exhausted. I remember I was actually
student in the band when they were performing at the
Madison Square Garden where the tours, and I'm down the
backstage in the dressing room area and I'm kind of
(22:37):
just clucting my equipment and I see Max Weinberg, the drummer,
walk by, and his arms are literally shaking. This guy's
pounding the drums all night. But a great little story
is is when Bruce played where the shows that silet
and I'm just backstage at the end getting my gear together,
and he's walking off and he's, you know, getting ready
(22:57):
for his car. Things a hotel. I mean, he's enough
to for four hours and he's you know, he's he's
not a young person that he's very fit. He just
looked totally exhausted, like he was sort of hunched over,
you know, like the left down. After all, energy is expected.
Just as he's walking away, somebody from his organization comes
up and wants to introduce him to a Vietnam vet
(23:19):
vet who's been injured in the war, wanted leader. He
perked up in an instance. One of the things I
will say about him is when he is with people
and engage with people, just as a as a personality,
he is engaged, he is focused, he is there for you,
even if he has just done four hours, not stop.
It's pretty remarkable servic.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
I'm going to change quickly from this particular subject and
tie this in with you and your father. You say
your father loved Broadway music. I'm going to share with
you my observation. This is completely subjective of the greatest
love song ever heard on the Great White Way, and
(24:03):
it will tie in with you and your father's I
Believe in You from How to Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying, sung by Robert Morse because the plot is
he's singing it to himself in a mirror to psych
himself up. You've got the cool, clear eyes of a
secret of wisdom and truth.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
He is.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Showing that he loves what he has done so far
in his career. And Robert Morse and you and me
and your father have Newton as a common denominator because
that's where he was from.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
I live in.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Newton, and you, obviously with your family grew up in Newton.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
See how it all tied together.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
That is very interesting. I like that very much. And
what's interesting is that album. You know you mentioned about
listening to that music in my household. That album got
a lot of playing. That album and for the other
one I remember that was always being played. Was the
most happy sellar. Yes, you know, you know, And and
(25:14):
it's interesting that you bring up that because I remember
years years later. You know, of course, I'm a young kid.
I'm not really you know, knowing what the storyline is.
But but I remember years later watching must have been
the film version which played of the hottest succeed in
business already trying with Robert Morris. Yes, and I it
was just fantastic. And I remember as an older younger
(25:38):
person suddenly realizing that there was an element of that
storyline just about how tough it is to make it,
what you have to do to be successful, that I
think I didn't really catch before. I mean, it was
a wonderful kind of editorial comment on just trying to make.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
It and there are people people waiting to have you
in the back in a happy go lucky musical. But
that was part of the plot. The people that didn't
like seeing him succeed and did the best they could
to get him tripped up and get him fired.
Speaker 5 (26:16):
It's so interesting you mentioned that, because I remember watching
the film and saving myself. He's letting the world know
that business can be pretty cutthrop yes, And I didn't
take that, And I was really impressed that from that error,
that somebody would take that that storyline on, because you know,
I didn't talk about things like that that much back then.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
And it resonated with me when I saw it the
first time as well, not on Broadway, but the movie,
and I was still in high school, and it went
click in my mind as well. And I'm sorry for
getting slightly off track, but when you said your father
used to listen to Broadway, musicals. I just thought, I
(27:01):
gotta tell this story to Barry.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
That's a great one. Yeah, it was. It was great
to just I mean, my wife and I always have
music on the house. We always have music in the
house when I raise raise three stunts, and we just
think music is such a gift. Everybody appreciates it in
different ways. There's so many options these days. And our
kids still love music today, and matter of fact, we
have great conversations with them, but they tell us, well,
(27:28):
we ask them, what are you listening to? They're exposing
us to the music. When I go places, when I'm
meeting somebody, even if I'm at a doctor's appointment and
talking to somebody, I think, what are you listening to?
These days? You know, I want to know what people
are listening to, Who's popular, who's you know, because with
screaming and all the different ways. I mean, I used
to tell when I might talk about my work, I
(27:49):
talk about how when we used to share music back
in the day, we physically give you sent you an album, yes,
and the hopes you may get it back some days.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
And that's the key.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
You wanted to make sure that your friend gave you
back the album and took care of that album while
they had it in their possession.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Actually, that was sharing music back then. Today it's a
whole other story.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Well, there's so many different ways to do it. You
can send it electronically. Well, don't get me off that subject.
The subject of folk music, it dominated from roughly the
late fifties to just before the British invasion. Once the
Beatles did that at sullivan appearance, the world of music
(28:35):
changed forever, and folk music necessarily had to take a
different seat than it had had in the American listener's ear.
But for those roughly five six years it was on
the top of the heap.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
It was if we sink back, we could think about
the artists like you know, Peter Paul and Mary, the
Kingston Trio, making the appearances on the shows like Ed
Sells and the shows like that that were, you know,
there's the way we heard of music or saw it
on music back then. And you make that good points
because black and roll really became so big in the
(29:18):
mid sixties with the British invasion, and then from then
on with the San Francisco psychedelic music in the late sixties,
and then with the you know, you go through all
the genres, you know, with lowtown and you know you
go then you know, in the nineties against the punk rock,
you need to get the punk rock. And I hope
the changes. But what was very interesting to me is
one of the things I was very excited about doing
(29:40):
this project was the as much as yes, spoke music
certainly to the backseat to that type of music, you know,
pop music, theent, but the singer songwriter, which is what
this book, in This Party really is a tribute to,
always remained. There was always somebody back there who wanted
to write a song topress themselves, to talk about what
(30:01):
they were feeling, what they were seeing, which is what
folk music really is. It's really a voide, you know.
Manity artists say folk music is the music of the people,
by the people, for the people, and there's a continued
generation of artists that are using that to express themselves.
And these days, with all these things we are dealing with,
whether you're dealing with political issues, climate issues, issues with
(30:24):
your own personal identity, music has become a vehicle for
people to express those feelings. It grows, it builds community,
people share, and so there's a whole generation of artists
This is really one of the wonderful things That's Pasting
is doing. They have a initiative called the Folk Collective,
which is identified a dozen musicians, many many urban musicians,
(30:45):
you know, because they realize a lot of the folk
music was coming from you know areas, And I just
be honest, there's a there's there had been a stigma
that folk music was old white guys with guitars. Well,
that's not the case anymore, you know, that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Let me take a break on that comment. And when
we come back, I have a point I want to
make about Peter Paul and Mary's Puff The Magic Dragon.
Time here on night side eight forty six sixty six degrees.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nice Sight Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I'm talking about the book. The song is still being written.
It's a photo s a book. And the author of
that book, Newton local kid, grown up, grown up and
making orals and noodles of money with his photos and
his books. And by the way, is this your first book, Barry?
Speaker 5 (31:44):
Yeah, I know, it's actually my second book. Okay, first
book was based upon my early work with Okay Boss
rock and Roll future.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
There you go, and people get your pens out so
you can spell his name properly. Shinier sc h and
ei e R Barry. I think you can figure out
the spelling of that.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
Yeah, but Barry Schneier.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
All right.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
And I mentioned I want to talk about Peter Paul
Mary's Puff the Magic Dragon. I have a four year
old grandson. Here we are in the year twenty twenty five,
roughly sixty five seventy years sixty five years later, and
(32:36):
my grandson knows that song. He might not know all
the words, but he knows that song. That song has
lived through generations. It's such a simple story that they
tell Peter Paul Mary, they tell so well. And I
(32:56):
will say this about my grandson. I don't think he
knows any Beatles songs, as in recognizing them with the
lyrics of the titles.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
But he knows that song.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
And that's the power of the type of music that
some of these performers were able to put out back
in the late fifties into the early to mid sixties.
Speaker 5 (33:22):
It's a song that gets sung and performed a lot.
And I will tell you that actually one of the
actually I have actually photographed both Peter Yarrow and Paul
STOOTI you know from Peter Paul Mary obviously there is
not with it. Yeah, But when when Peter Yarrow was
(33:44):
performing in Arlington at the Regent Theater and he did
that song, he brought all of the kids up on
stage to sing with them and it was really a
wonderful stace. So to your point, you're right, the kids
they know that song and it's wonderful to hear that.
Butchers about Cherry grandchild.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
And you said you have three children.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Are they are any of them following in their father's
footsteps as far as love of music and or photography
or some relatable subject.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
Well, actually they are. We are three sons. Actually all
live on the West Coast. We joke about how we
think they just want to get it far away from
us as possible, But that's not the case. That's where
they're working.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (34:31):
Our oldest son is in Los Angeles and he actually
is a photographer, and he's actually a sort of photographer.
He works also as a director of photography and very well.
He shoots a lot of episodes for shows on Netflix
and Apple. Our youngest son, who is in Portland, Oregon,
is a producer for a small for a creative agency
and a small one a good size agency. He does
(34:52):
a lot of work for you know, producing commercials for
everything from you know, skateboards for Adidas to you know,
shows for HBO. Our middle son is into music as well.
He actually is a He started off he was obviously
you actually went to Emerton as well as a sweeling
maker and he went on to he does photography as well.
(35:15):
He's actually in the world of digital marketing for a
great brand out there. So they're all doing creative work.
They're all loving music and they still do. And like
I said, oftentimes my wife will say, what do you
listening to these days? Recommend somebody and it's great. Usually
I'll get a text he wants and say, hey, have
you heard this act? So it's great to have that
(35:36):
thing going on with the boys.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
What are their ages?
Speaker 5 (35:39):
Oldest is forty, then thirty eight and thirty six.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
You don't sound old enough. I know your history, so
I'm basing it on what you have said about you.
But again, you don't sound old enough to have a
forty year old child.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
Well, I thank you for that. I thank you so
much for that. It's all in the s all in
the mind. That's all in the attitude, you know, I said,
I feel younger than mine and younger at heart. The
body just needs to catch up. I don't know if
itever will, but.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Well, I have a forty one year old and I
feel every one of the years that I've taken to
get here. But I'm going to ask you did you
see And I don't HBO or Cinemax or Showtime one
of the three. They did a documentary on Little Stevie.
Did you see that?
Speaker 5 (36:30):
Though? You know, I haven't seen it yet, and I'm
so looking forward to seeing it because he he is
a wonderful man. He's a character. I was actually looking
at a few occasions to work with him, photographing his
band as he plays when he's not touring The Spring
Little Stephen and the Disciples of Soul.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Whieh.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
I will tell anybody who is a fan of that
genre of music, R and B soul, it is a
great show, a great act. And I haven't seen the
show yet, but he I'm wondering if this is part
of his the documentary. He himself is a walking Encyclopedia distribute.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
He knows music backwards and forwards, he was there in
the roots, the origins of rock and roll, pre British invasion,
all the way through and up to now in the
twenty twenties. He knows his stuff and he does nothing
(37:24):
but represent that music with love and care.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
Absolutely. When he does his live show, I remember he
will talk about the boarders of the song. He went
into one song where we talked about the origins of
the a cappella groups who were saying it's free quarters.
You know. He brings all the history, all the old
R and B and motown into his show and he's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
All Right, Well, I'm pretty much at the end. I'm
gonna wish you continued success because you have achieved a
strong level of success and keep at it. And I
hope when the book comes out it makes you a
billionaire like Bruce has become.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
Well, I'll take any portions of that, but I want
to thank thank you for having me on and letting
people know about the book and the exhibit that's coming up.
I think people who are in town that they oppose
the exhibit at the at the Wing Center, at the
Folk Americ Ground Lucah Hall of Fame, they'll really get
a good experience of not just seeing some of the
photograph of the artists we spend time with, but the
doings to work in there, to bring some of the
(38:26):
artifacts and archives of the past history to life for
every related experience.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
And Barry, thank you, and we will do this again.
Now that I've got your phone number in my rolodex,
I'll grab you again, maybe during the holiday season.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
That way we can.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Promote the book even more and put a few more
pennies in your piggy bank.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
You take care now, I would love that.
Speaker 5 (38:48):
Thanks so much for having me on the year tonight.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Bye, Barry.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
All right, everybody, next hour we're going to talk about
your doggies and your kiddies, and I'll give you more
details as we come back from the new use. Time
and temperature eight fifty eight sixty six degrees
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