Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mike Riley, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Look, it's a sold out show.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
It's pure Prairie League at the Kate, one of my
favorite venues here in Connecticut, June twenty six, sold out show.
I mean, there's no reason to do any press when
you've already sold out the venue. So I appreciate you
taking the time to come on. You must be excited though,
because you were retired for about five.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Minutes a couple of years ago, didn't you.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, it was actually about the two and a half
or three years ago, but yeah, it seems like it
was about two minutes.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
But I mean you weren't retired long.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, you know, you can't really retire from rock and roll.
You know, you don't have pension plans and insurance. It
deals with stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, well but let me ask you a little bit
of an intricate personal question. But I mean, pure Prairie League,
huge hits in the seventies. The bands of the seventies
they secure that like when those songs get played, you
get paid or was it just like no, man, you
(00:59):
know we got horror stories. I remember watching that Eagles
documentary and they weren't happy with a lot of their
earliest deals.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well, nobody is because you know, when you're young and naive,
you don't really know the ins and outs of the
music business and the operative word there is business, so
you know, you do kind of foolish things just in
hopes of getting your music out there to be heard.
But yeah, there are more horror stories than there are
happy endings, I'll tell you that.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
So when I'm here in ay what you want to do?
You're not making a dollar at that particular time like
I thought you were.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, it's actually about something like two hundreds of a cent,
and on Spotify it's sixteen thousandths of a cent.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Or let me Love You tonight, that's another favorite of mind.
But you got new music out back on track. If
I'm understanding correctly too, this is there are some old
songs on the record as well as a ton of
new material. Tell me about back on track.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, I wouldn't say old songs. The couple of cover songs,
if you will, that we did. One was a little
Feet song Wow from way back on down on the
Farm album, which we've always loved a Little Feet and
we've done this song for years on stage it's called
six Feet of Snow by Lowell George. And there was
(02:27):
another song that we did that was recorded by Elton
john on a Tumbleweed connection in nineteen seventy one. And
I always loved this song written by Leslie Duncan, who
was a backup singer, and you know, I just decided, hey,
look at you know on this album. It's been twenty
years since the last one. Let's do what we want. Yeah,
we did just that.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Did you say the name?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Did you say the name of the Elton Johns song
right there? I don't know if you did, because a
huge John fan.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
What song was it?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It's called love Song?
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Love Song, oh so was And.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
It was written by Leslie Duncan, who was a very
well known English background singer. But she had crippling stage
fright and couldn't go out on our own to promote herself.
So she sang with Elton and sang with the Alan
Parsons project and you know, just several She did tons
(03:20):
of stasion work and studio work in England in the seventies.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, it's amazing. There were so many stories like that
in the seventies. I remember when I first heard that
Carly Simon, one of my favorite artists in the seventies,
like would sing with her back to the audience. Amazing
to think about because some people are prancing around up
there and you're thinking maybe you shouldn't be and then
the others who are extraordinarily gifted, You're like, I can't
(03:44):
believe you're you know your Gunshi, You're so talented. Let
me ask you this, Mike, can you get more on
with Mike Riley? We're talking pure Prairie League. We're talking
new back on track, first record in decades. They're playing
at the Kate on June twenty sixth. I mean, the
way I see this, your sound is more popular than
ever right now, and you guys were one of the
(04:08):
cultivators of what's really prominent right now. A lot of
rock artists are moving to Tennessee, they're moving to Nashville.
They're making all, you know, country records, country rock records.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Have you ever been in.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Contacted by any of the up and coming Nashville artists
to work together as.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Pure Prairie League? Cover has been done of your music?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Well, that's true. I mean, you know, people like Keith
Urban Counting Crows, a Zach Brown band, they all used
to play Amy in their set.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I remember I'm Catching Counting Crows once. Yeah, I absolutely do.
They killed it a great version of that song. I'd
love to see Keith Urban do it, man, that would
be good.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'll tell you what it's It's pretty gratifying to know
that people you know cite you as an influence and
that you actually did make an impact on you know,
fellow music nicians and artists as well as audiences.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, oh, it would have to be.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Uh. And none of your music ever got in the
hand something you wrote but didn't record, never wound up
on the CD of a country artist.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Well, not that I know of. I mean I know
that we did. I know that Merle Haggard's wife Leona
Williams did a version of I'm Almost Ready. It was
written by Vince Gill when he was in the band,
and you know, it was a pretty good version, but
it was definitely country. It was you can tell that
it was Leona. But other than that, I don't think,
(05:38):
I don't. I don't know that we got covered too
many times by too many other artists. Ye.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Interesting.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I was listening to back on track last night. I
love I'm the Lucky One played that one a couple
of times. Well, is there an actual did you go
the route of this is the first single? Because that
the industry has changed so much, right, I don't even
know if you bother with here's the first thing? Is
there a single off the record or two or three
(06:05):
singles off the record?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I'm the Lucky One got a lot of initial airplay,
and also so did Skipping Stones, skipping Stone town S.
You know, skipping Stones, especially in Europe, got a ton
of airplay and sun But it's interesting, Yeah, yeah, amazing
for the first time.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, well, you know in Europe you got guys like
Ed Shearon come you know Ed Sharon's music is very
seventies country rock.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Totally agree.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
I can't wait for the show. Sold out show at
the Kate on June twenty six. How ambitious is the tour?
I haven't seen an itinerary? Is pure Prairie league? Are
you guys like Hitt and everywhere? Is it a big
sprawling tour or you know Night's Summer tour starts in
June ends in August or what?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Oh I wish no, Actually we did about We only
did about thirty some shows last year. We're doing around
ninety this year, so but we're trying to promote the
record and it's the first record in nineteen years. So yeah,
and you know, we're really excited about coming back to
the Cake. We were the first band to play there
when they opened up. No, we were the Yeah, we
(07:12):
were the hundredth band to play there. We were the
thousandth band to play there.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
So you have a unique relationship with the is it.
I mean, that's that's just it's one of my favorite rooms.
It's just a great room. But you must have a
so you obviously have a very unique relationship with them there.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, it's it was just you know, it's it's an
honor to play there. You know, it used to be
an old town hall and they did such a great
job of remodeling it and turning it into a concert space.
It's very intimate. It's like playing in somebody's living room.
And I got to tell you that Brett and the
staff at the Cake have always treated us like kings
and they're they're just the nicest, most wonderful people, you know,
(07:54):
at least in Connecticut, if not on the planet. So
we're really looking forward to going back to the Cap
and another sold out show and seeing a lot of friends.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, it's a little too Lane Highway live on a
summer night.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
It's gonna be a beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Mike Riley, I'm glad you're back at it strumming that bass.
I'm glad that you know, two week retirement you realize. Yeah,
I'm not retired and I can't wait to see the
Pure Prairie League here in Old c Brook in June.
Thanks for taking the time this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Thanks for having me Ben, It's a pleasure and we'll
see everybody in June.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You got a mic
Mike Riley, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Look, it's a sold out show.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
It's pure Prairie League at the Kate, one of my
favorite venues here in Connecticut, June twenty six, sold out show.
I mean, there's no reason to do any press when
you've already sold out the venue. So I appreciate you
taking the time to come on. You must be excited though,
because you were retired for about five.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Minutes a couple of years ago, didn't you.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, it was actually about the two and a half
or three years ago, but yeah, it seems like it
was about two minutes.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
But I mean you weren't retired long.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, you know, you can't really retire from rock and roll.
You know, you don't have pension plans and insurance. It
deals with stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, well but let me ask you a little bit
of an intricate personal question. But I mean, pure Prairie League,
huge hits in the seventies. The bands of the seventies
they secure that like when those songs get played, you
get paid or was it just like no, man, you
(00:59):
know we got horror stories. I remember watching that Eagles
documentary and they weren't happy with a lot of their
earliest deals.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well, nobody is because you know, when you're young and naive,
you don't really know the ins and outs of the
music business and the operative word there is business, so
you know, you do kind of foolish things just in
hopes of getting your music out there to be heard.
But yeah, there are more horror stories than there are
happy endings, I'll tell you that.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
So when I'm here in ay what you want to do?
You're not making a dollar at that particular time like
I thought you were.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, it's actually about something like two hundreds of a cent,
and on Spotify it's sixteen thousandths of a cent.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Or let me Love You tonight, that's another favorite of mind.
But you got new music out back on track. If
I'm understanding correctly too, this is there are some old
songs on the record as well as a ton of
new material. Tell me about back on track.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, I wouldn't say old songs. The couple of cover songs,
if you will, that we did. One was a little
Feet song Wow from way back on down on the
Farm album, which we've always loved a Little Feet and
we've done this song for years on stage it's called
six Feet of Snow by Lowell George. And there was
(02:27):
another song that we did that was recorded by Elton
john on a Tumbleweed connection in nineteen seventy one. And
I always loved this song written by Leslie Duncan, who
was a backup singer, and you know, I just decided, hey,
look at you know on this album. It's been twenty
years since the last one. Let's do what we want. Yeah,
we did just that.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Did you say the name?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Did you say the name of the Elton Johns song
right there? I don't know if you did, because a
huge John fan.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
What song was it?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It's called love Song?
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Love Song, oh so was And.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
It was written by Leslie Duncan, who was a very
well known English background singer. But she had crippling stage
fright and couldn't go out on our own to promote herself.
So she sang with Elton and sang with the Alan
Parsons project and you know, just several She did tons
(03:20):
of stasion work and studio work in England in the seventies.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, it's amazing. There were so many stories like that
in the seventies. I remember when I first heard that
Carly Simon, one of my favorite artists in the seventies,
like would sing with her back to the audience. Amazing
to think about because some people are prancing around up
there and you're thinking maybe you shouldn't be and then
the others who are extraordinarily gifted, You're like, I can't
(03:44):
believe you're you know your Gunshi, You're so talented. Let
me ask you this, Mike, can you get more on
with Mike Riley? We're talking pure Prairie League. We're talking
new back on track, first record in decades. They're playing
at the Kate on June twenty sixth. I mean, the
way I see this, your sound is more popular than
ever right now, and you guys were one of the
(04:08):
cultivators of what's really prominent right now. A lot of
rock artists are moving to Tennessee, they're moving to Nashville.
They're making all, you know, country records, country rock records.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Have you ever been in.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Contacted by any of the up and coming Nashville artists
to work together as.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Pure Prairie League? Cover has been done of your music?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Well, that's true. I mean, you know, people like Keith
Urban Counting Crows, a Zach Brown band, they all used
to play Amy in their set.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I remember I'm Catching Counting Crows once. Yeah, I absolutely do.
They killed it a great version of that song. I'd
love to see Keith Urban do it, man, that would
be good.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'll tell you what it's It's pretty gratifying to know
that people you know cite you as an influence and
that you actually did make an impact on you know,
fellow music nicians and artists as well as audiences.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, oh, it would have to be.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Uh. And none of your music ever got in the
hand something you wrote but didn't record, never wound up
on the CD of a country artist.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Well, not that I know of. I mean I know
that we did. I know that Merle Haggard's wife Leona
Williams did a version of I'm Almost Ready. It was
written by Vince Gill when he was in the band,
and you know, it was a pretty good version, but
it was definitely country. It was you can tell that
it was Leona. But other than that, I don't think,
(05:38):
I don't. I don't know that we got covered too
many times by too many other artists. Ye.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Interesting.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I was listening to back on track last night. I
love I'm the Lucky One played that one a couple
of times. Well, is there an actual did you go
the route of this is the first single? Because that
the industry has changed so much, right, I don't even
know if you bother with here's the first thing? Is
there a single off the record or two or three
(06:05):
singles off the record?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I'm the Lucky One got a lot of initial airplay,
and also so did Skipping Stones, skipping Stone town S.
You know, skipping Stones, especially in Europe, got a ton
of airplay and sun But it's interesting, Yeah, yeah, amazing
for the first time.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, well, you know in Europe you got guys like
Ed Shearon come you know Ed Sharon's music is very
seventies country rock.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Totally agree.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
I can't wait for the show. Sold out show at
the Kate on June twenty six. How ambitious is the tour?
I haven't seen an itinerary? Is pure Prairie league? Are
you guys like Hitt and everywhere? Is it a big
sprawling tour or you know Night's Summer tour starts in
June ends in August or what?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Oh I wish no, Actually we did about We only
did about thirty some shows last year. We're doing around
ninety this year, so but we're trying to promote the
record and it's the first record in nineteen years. So yeah,
and you know, we're really excited about coming back to
the Cake. We were the first band to play there
when they opened up. No, we were the Yeah, we
(07:12):
were the hundredth band to play there. We were the
thousandth band to play there.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
So you have a unique relationship with the is it.
I mean, that's that's just it's one of my favorite rooms.
It's just a great room. But you must have a
so you obviously have a very unique relationship with them there.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, it's it was just you know, it's it's an
honor to play there. You know, it used to be
an old town hall and they did such a great
job of remodeling it and turning it into a concert space.
It's very intimate. It's like playing in somebody's living room.
And I got to tell you that Brett and the
staff at the Cake have always treated us like kings
and they're they're just the nicest, most wonderful people, you know,
(07:54):
at least in Connecticut, if not on the planet. So
we're really looking forward to going back to the Cap
and another sold out show and seeing a lot of friends.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, it's a little too Lane Highway live on a
summer night.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
It's gonna be a beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Mike Riley, I'm glad you're back at it strumming that bass.
I'm glad that you know, two week retirement you realize. Yeah,
I'm not retired and I can't wait to see the
Pure Prairie League here in Old c Brook in June.
Thanks for taking the time this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Thanks for having me Ben, It's a pleasure and we'll
see everybody in June.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You got a mic
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