December 8, 2024 • 48 mins
I speak with Pure Prairie League’s Mike Reilly about the legendary band’s catalog including their iconic hit, “Amie,” as well as their new album, “Back On Track,” which is receiving massive critical praise.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, thanks for joining me today. As we wind down
twenty twenty four, as I record this intro and we
go into today's interview, and I'm so excited. This is
going to be a really fun one for you to
listen to. It's pure prairie Leagues try to say that
about it a zillion times, pure prairie league say that
(00:21):
thousands of times. Now lead singer songwriter, he's just amazing
Michael Rilly from that album, where we can just say PPL,
I think that's a lot easier. They have a great
new album out called Back on Track. Obviously, they are
known for Amy, the huge hit single which everybody needs
(00:43):
to talk with him about, and I'm sure he's insanely
tired of talking, but he can't really tire of it.
It's a beautiful song, beautiful hit. It's an earworm for sure.
We go into that. But the new album, you gotta
get this. It's fantastic, It really really is. I wouldn't
even say it's like, you know, it's not a comeback.
They've never went anywhere. They've always been playing. They've done
(01:05):
many thousands and thousands of shows over the years. They
haven't had a new release. Now in almost twenty years.
But this is a wonderful relays back on track, a
great cast of characters, and this as we talk about
in this episode, so I hope you really really enjoy it.
December ninth, twenty twenty four. Here as we speak, the
(01:25):
year is winding down. I've just had a really great
year talking with so many wonderful artists, and I hope
you have enjoyed listening to these as well, people who
are a little bit more off the radar. I don't
get the big goals stars on here. It would be
nice some would come on here, but it's not expecting
that at all. This is really about championing people who
(01:49):
really want to get their work out there and deservedly
so I really I listened to this album once through.
I'm going to listen to it through again. Great artwork
that comes with it. We really talk about that. You
should go out and get the LP or the CD,
the physical copy, but streaming is not bad either. You
could take it with you when you go streaming and
just delightful. Guy Michael Riley, and I'll talk with you
(02:12):
on the other side of this. You are in the
Central time zone this morning.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
No, I'm on the Eastern time. I'm in the East
end of Long Island.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh gosh, I'm way off. Well, you recorded your latest
project over in the Nashville area.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Right exactly exactly, and that's where most of the band lives.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So yeah, that's a great community. A lot of people
just are always kind of raving about the Nashville community,
how it's really supportive. It's not crazy like your LA's
or New York's or even Chicago.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It's crazy in its own way, but you know, people
are just a lot more friendlier because it's it's the South.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, yeah, totally different. How long have you been up
in New York?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Oh, god, since seventy three.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Okay, through the whole thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh, I lived in LA for about twenty five years also,
but I moved back out here in eight or twenty
ten somewhere around there.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Okay, So you had that experience as like Billy Joel did.
He was out in the West and decided to come
back and sing about New York exactly. So, I mean
that's quite a difference though. You know, you come from
the West and you long for being back in your
culture back in New York, and it's just it's a
huge difference.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, I loved la but you know, after one house
burning down and then everything else, you know, just get
the Land of Fruits and Nuts, I just had to
go east.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah. Oh gosh, was it one of those wildfires that
got out there?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Uh yeah, Yeah, nineteen seventy nine burned down about twenty
eight houses up on top of Laurel Canyon and I
was on the very top at Blue Jay Way and yeah,
just swept right.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Through m Laurel Canyons. Beautiful there, and a lot of
art came out of there as well. All the documentaries
been seeing those. It's just an amazing amount of talent
out there.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, it was quite the scene.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah. Yeah, So it started for you back in the
sixties and some of the things that you had gotten
into just growing up. You had some unique experiences with
the bands as early as sixty four, and obviously everybody
was like totally wild by the Beatles coming out, so
I'm sure that had to be. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I had my whole Beatle fankit, you know, with the
beetle wig and the sign photos and the whole ten
yards you know. So I was right there in front
of the TV watching Ed Sullivan.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, and there was just so many people at that time,
and you know, everybody crowded around the same thing. You
only had three channels back then, so it's like it
was more unified millions watching all at once. Now it's
completely changed all across the landscape.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
It's those were the days. I mean, you know, I
just feel lucky and that we grew up during those
those years. Like says, I'm having a lot less fun
in my seventies in the twenties than I did when
I was in my twenties in the seventies.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, true, that is yeah, and being in that generation, Yeah,
you saw so much change in so many unique things
happen in the way across culture. So you were in
Fort Fort Thomas, Kentucky, right right on.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
The Ohio River across from Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, beautiful down that way, and basically you got into
you went did you go to series to get your
first guitar? And you were like, wow, I.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Did want the silver tone bass with the amplifier and
speaker right there in the case.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, Dan Elektro based from Sears. Yeah, I wish I
had that. Now, there was a series near you Europe
in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Uh, though there was one actually in Cunnington, Kentucky, which
is right next to Fort Thomas.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, Covington very well. I grew up in Ohio, grew
up in Cleveland. Yah, I went to school over there
in Athens. I knew quite a few people from near
the Chilicoffee area in Waiverley, Ohio, where some band members
Pure Prairie League had come from. So yeah, yeah, Ohio was. Yeah,
(06:23):
a lot of great talent came out of there. I
grew up in Cleveland. Guy named Eric Carmon grew up
near May Yeah, yep.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Oh. I mean, you know, there was a Music Machine
and Black Watch. I mean, there were a million groups,
The Pretenders, Yeah, Walsh and Barnstorm. I mean, you know,
just Mark Farner and those guys. I mean it was
you know, it was a real hotbed for all different
kinds of music back in those days, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, and college radio is just exploding, so I mean
a lot of Pure Prairie League stuff was really getting
very hot on there. I remember even in the eighties
when I was at school at Ohio. You I mean,
everybody wanted to play and you know this, everybody wanted
to play Amy that was like the huge thing, and
just you know, easy in certain sections but not so
(07:12):
much in others. But yeah, and to get those harmonies
right too, which you were a natural ad.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
But everybody in the college scene in those days, you know,
tried their best. A lot of people, let's just say
that there was a lot of humping going on during
to that song, and everybody that had an acoustic guitar
learned the three chords.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember being in high school and
somebody had done that. They were like so wild by that.
It's just it's that kind of a song that just
really can resonate, but so many people doing so inspirational
one of those earworms that is a huge part of
the culture. What are the the makings of that's? How
does that? How does a tune like that come together?
(07:54):
Just you know, just playing around? How what's the inspiration
to creating such an airworm like that?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Well, you know, it certainly wasn't anything intentional, as Craig Fuller,
who wrote the song, will tell you. He said, it
was basically just an exercise in songwriting. But you know,
the the idea of just keeping simple chords, simple harmonies
and and uh and relatable lyrics. I mean, that was
(08:20):
that's that's pure Prairie League and it still is to
this day.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah. Yeah, and you've been to master of so many instruments. Uh,
def definitely must have really helped along the way getting
the band together. Keeps me busy, yeah, and out of
trouble for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Well I won't say I won't go that far, Bob.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Yeah, mister Fuller had some Uh she's back then too.
He was just such a different time.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Oh yeah. Well, you know, it's crazy, you know, to
lock somebody up. It was just you know, beyond belief.
But uh, you know, and then when we went out
to visit him in Springfield, you know, to take him
as guitar and a chessboard and some books. You know.
I mean, it's like to see somebody incarcerated, crazy or
you know, for what they believe in. It just you know,
(09:13):
it just it boggles the mind. But you know, those
were the times, and you know we lived through them.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Yeah, and it was towards the tail end of the
Vietnam Wars, which a lot of people just don't realize
in these days with history because it's getting so forgotten.
But it was still pretty serious to be a conscientious objector.
And he didn't get that status right away. So since
he didn't have that status, that's how he ended up incarcerated.
And it's just crazy and it really you wouldn't even
(09:42):
believe that that would even happen today. But we may
be going back to that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Oh God, you never know. But you know, I'm keeping
my fingers crossed.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, just take it day by day. I know, you
get to that. It's like, I'm glad I'm that way
much younger, and just I got so many years ahead
of me. You know, who knows what could be happening.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
And well, I fear my kids now, you.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Know, yeah, how many kids you have now, I've got.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Two boys, but they're growing. They're thirty and thirty five,
so you know, so they're out of the woods on
that one. But uh, you know, I mean it's just
it's just a tough world to grow up in. And
you know, God bless them. They're both doing really, really well.
So you know, I must have done something right in
my younger days. Although I have to give much, I
(10:30):
have to give most of the credit to their mom.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
So that's very good, very good. Yeah, it's one last
thing to worry about. You know, they're off on their
own and you can you can sleep at nights.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Yep, this is it.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, and pure Prairie League. It's the harmonies. And I
know that's probably come you know, because it was organic
to you. You guys really love the Everly Brothers, who
pretty much inspire it it all absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I
knew a guy who crafted Mike stands and he actually
(11:02):
grew up and in the area where his mother knew
the Everly Brother's mother back where they grew up. It's
just it's a small world for sure. But yeah, they
they definitely inspired so much back in the day.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Well you know, I mean that that between that and
the bluegrass music influence, you know, the three part harmonies
in the bluegrass field. You know, it was just a
natural thing for us because that's the kind of stuff
we were listening to on the radio when we were
growing up.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah, and it can really come to you. But you know,
it's it makes it seem like it's it's it's easy,
but it's it seems like so much, you know, to
get those layers. I remember the Eagles when I first
heard them, I was like, this is just completely fascinating
how they're able to be able to get all the
harmonies and get all those those sections down just so well.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Yeah, well that's that's that's discipline and I you know,
give them all the credit in the world for you know,
being masters at it.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Yeah. Yeah, it's just still and a wonderful catalog. Going
back to some of these classic albums like Busting Out,
it's just got this really cool cover to it. To
who is behind the cover of something like Busting Out.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Well, you know, the first cover for the first album
was Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Rockwell was a friend of our art director at the
time at RCA, and he gave us permission and so
did Saturday Evening Post, although they of course got paid
for it. But but you know, we we I wish
we would have known about the term branding back in
nineteen seventy one.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, that's true. It's like, oh, this is cool, let's
just use this. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well, you know, it took the focus off the band members,
of which there have been you know, five and a
half dozen or four and a half dozen, and you know,
over the years, and it gave somebody, you know, it
gave the people that listened to the records and saw
the albums, you know, a relatability factor, I think.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Yeah, and then like Amy was is on that album
and but re released. This happened, you know a few
times in the seventies where something came out and then
was re released and it really hit. And yeah, you
hear about those kind of singles. It's like you probably
never even saw that coming. It's like, oh my gosh,
they just dug this back out, re released it, and
now it's bigger than it was on its original release.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Well after three you know, at that time, we were
about in our third year of two hundred and fifty
college shows a year, so you know, in college radio
was really I think was a lot of responsible for
you know, making that song a hit in nineteen seventy five,
because after doing all those college shows and cramming Amy
down their throats and making sure everybody knew the chords, uh,
(14:00):
you know it, all of a sudden RCA their ears
perked up and went, Wow, college radio is playing the
heck out of this thing. We should find out where
this band is and resign them, which they did.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, and you had you took a turn after that
release and Craig, who was incarcerated, you basically took over
and and got some other personnel involved and it took
another turn.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Correct. There have been several along the way, but but
you know it's worked out to our benefit. Every time
we use friends, we use fans. We always had people
in the band that would bring something to the table
and add to the add to the music, and add
to the legacy. And you know, once again with the
new guys that are on this new album, it's you know,
(14:48):
they've been with me for three years now and it's
you know, their songwriting is great, they're singing is great,
they're playing as killer and and we're doing good shows.
So it's just you know it, it's after fifty five years.
I'm thrilled, excited and very very grateful.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, it's called back on Track, your new release. This
is the first release in how many years.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Now, nineteen. We take our time.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, hey, and you know what it really really shows.
I really have to say I've given this a listen,
and I encourage everybody out there give this thing a listen.
It's just fantastic. Such a great amount of texture in
this and production. It's really solid release. And you've got
a really good list of personnel on this track by track.
(15:38):
Writing the songs for this did? That didn't take a
full nineteen years obviously did? How do all these tracks
come about? As far as lyrics are concerned.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Well, Jeff the guitar player and Jared the bass player
both had had a couple of songs, you know, it's
just basically kind of sitting around and that were never
recorded or released. And so, you know, when when we
decided to do an EP last last year in July,
I said, why don't we look at some songs and
(16:12):
and do a full record, And so Jeff brought in,
you know, a dozen songs, out of which we picked
five or six, and Jared brought in two songs that
he had written, plus a brand new song back on
track that he had written and which you know, the lyric,
if you look at the lyrics and listen to it,
it's kind of a story of the new band. And so,
(16:33):
you know, it just it fit, you know, and the
idea for the artwork just came, you know, right out
of thin air.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Yeah, yeah, you know, you wouldn't really call this so
much as a comeback. It's just really it stands on
its own back on track, and how meaningful that is you.
You certainly are, and and the amount of personnel that
went into this is it just really shows you have
some really interesting instruments on here as well. Somebody who
(17:03):
does the fiddle and named Jennifer Wrinkle. Was that somebody
who was that you'd known for a while.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It's our drummer's wife. Ah, and she's a country star
in her own right. She was Reba's right hand man
for twenty years so and now she's, you know, now
she's a solo country artist. So we had asked her
to play, of course, and she plays sometimes on the
road with us. Jeff Kirk, the saxophone player, actually toured
(17:30):
with us back in the seventies when Vince was in
the band. So now he's the professor of the he's
the head of the music department at Belmont University in Nashville.
And then we had our friend Matt Britton come in
and play steel drums and congas and bongos and percussion,
you know, just to round out, you know, some of
the sounds.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah, and every track just really stands out. Picture Perfect
Life PPLs, which also considered for peer Pirie Lake. Yes, Bob,
was that totally intentional, just to happen. Stance just happened. Yeah,
it's great how those things happened. I love the organ
on that. It just really really moves.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, Randy's a killer. I mean he's a great player.
And you know, we didn't have a keyboard player for jeez,
Michael O'Connor passed away in four and we didn't hire
Randy until I guess twenty or nine, twenty fourteen, yeah, fourteen.
So yeah, he's a killer. So you know, he's just
(18:35):
the right fit. And once again, you know, he brings
such talent to the table that I had to make
sure that we get everything that we could to showcase
the band on this record.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yeah, and it shows again on Skipping Stones against that
that piano organs of the harmonies. What's the story behind
that track?
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Well, Jared wrote that song basically just because we were
record at Riverfront Recorders, which is on the Cumberland River
outside of Nashville in Madison, and you know, he was
standing down by the river one day while we were
taking a break and just throwing rocks in the river
and here comes Skipping Stones.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
It's great that just like comes out like from everyday life.
You know, you got to write what you know and immediately.
These days, you know, you could just get out the
phone now and just record your thoughts rather than have
to carry that notebook around.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Well, we do have a lot of notes, and we
make a lot of notes, but you know, when inspiration hits.
You know, music is a harsh mistress and you need
to when she bites on your ear, you need to listen.
So we're very cognizant and aware of the fact that
when a good idea hits that we need to follow
up on and follow through.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah, now, are you as extensively touring as much as
you used to? Or how many dates a year would
you say you're doing that?
Speaker 2 (20:00):
We average fifty that's good.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah at our age, Yeah, exactly like fifty and yeah
that that that'd be a little bit too crazy, especially
in these days with all the.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Traveling and everything. But uh, you know, next year ought
to be interesting because we're getting a lot of feedback
in a lot of traction from Europe and PPL has
never played Europe, so you know, hopefully there's going to
be a European tour this summer in the works, and
I mean stations in Japan and Australia are playing the
new record and it's like, yikes, spaghetti on the wall here.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Yeah, it's fascinating, isn't it. In a place like Japan,
I'm like, what, well, but they're fascinated.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Americana And well, Americana is just a new name for
country rock. But you know, Americana and country music are
just enjoying a real surgeon popularity these days. And you know,
I think you know, because it's all I think it's
all on the wheel. It's all kind of cyclical that
you know, pure Prairie League's time maybe coming back around again.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Yeah, and it really pays off. You don't think you think, oh, well,
this is not an oldies act anymore for me, I
mean honestly having fresh material and I so appreciate seeing
a band that has been in the culture now over
fifty years is actually putting out new material and not
just relying on the oldies. And it sets it apart.
(21:34):
And you see in the huge acts.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
That would be too easy, and you know, we've had
it easy in our entire career, so why start now?
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, and then I'm sure it's got to be like,
of course, you give them the hits, you know, that
could be sprinkling obviously, but that could also I mean,
if that's all you're doing, I would think that gets
pretty old.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, it's it sort of turns into blood without plasma,
you know, it's I mean, people pay money to come
and see you play those hits. But you know, for
the last few years, we've been digging out songs from
the first few albums that never got any recognition. You know,
songs like Angel and Woman, Angel Number nine, Kentucky and
(22:17):
you know, you know Lucy o'crawfield. There's I mean, there's
just a bunch of hits on or a bunch of
songs on the PPL records that were never hits, but
they were they were you know, damn good songs.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yeah, and they can get lost in the shuffle. It's
a pretty big catalog and people don't realize that even
going back to Firing Up can't hold back those kind
of things are just like things do get buried in there,
and it's it's fresh again when you bring out an
album track and you know it's not familiar to the crowd,
but it's it's it's also new. What's old is new again?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Well, you know when they hear songs like Modern Problem
and Back on Track and Skipping Stones and the Price
of Love. They're you know, they're they're gonna go yikes.
That's you know, that sounds like pure Prairie League, but
it sounds completely different also, so I think, uh, you know,
we hit we hit that nail on the head, and uh,
you know, the other songs that you know, especially a
(23:11):
lot of the songs that Jeff wrote are I won't
say typical, but I will say classic country rock songs,
you know, the Beginning and Picture Perfect Life and Crazy
World and songs like that. I mean, it's it's it's
nice to see that the guys in the band and
I were able to tie the threads together from the
(23:33):
beginning all the way to this current album and then
go further.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yeah. Yeah, you could definitely feel that. The Lucky One
is a really nice, fast, you know, kind of love song,
very country ish but very relatable to It just really
moves and it.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Features you know, I mean, that song features Scott our
drummer on lead vocals, and you know, Jeff and Jared
all sing lead as well. So we we you know,
we've got we've got a great band and hitting on
all twelve cylinders. And you know, we're just we're thrilled
with what's going on and we can't wait for this year.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah. And and Jennifer with her fiddle really shines on
Price of Love. I really just very rollicking love those
lyrics from the time the sun comes up. It's just
really really really captures that.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
We you know, we once again, we just everything just
went the way the way I wanted it to be
as the producer, and the way the band wanted it
to be as the as the players. It just it
all fell into place very easily. And and you know
it's I don't know how we're going to top this,
but we'll give it a little while and ride this
(24:44):
one for a bit.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. And you can always get that
inspiration on the road as well. So, I mean, does
that really hit you when you're out there, if you're
in a bus, plane, train, automobiles, whatever, does something just
hit you right there on occasion?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
But you know, I mean those are I think a
little bit more few and far between, because you've got
to pay attention all the time while you're traveling. But
when things hit, you know, they get they don't get
pushed by the wayside. I mean, we wake up in
the middle of the night and I've got a notepad
next to my bed, so you know, I'll be jotting
stuff down and then go back to sleep.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah. Yeah, the convenience here. You're always working. That's what
it is.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Twenty four seven musician, That's that's the way it is
when you're a musicians here.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
And when you're traveling. How many guitars and instruments you're
bringing with you? You bring the piano, organs, all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Yeah, most of the stuff. Most of the stuff is
brought in for us. We bring our guitars and our
pedal steel guitar and sacks and stuff like that. But
you know, most of the regular equipment, the bass amp,
the guitar amps, the drum set, except for the symbols
and snare drum, you know. So it's it's all and
the keyboards they're all provided, know, according to our specifications
(26:01):
on our contract. Makes it a lot easier on us,
you know, if you're not traveling with a big entourage.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, yeah, definitely enlightens the load for sure. So what
type of venues are you playing? How many theaters.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
We're doing everything from five hundred seat little theaters, you know,
like remodeled theaters and performing arts centers, a lot of those.
That's that's pretty much the bulk of it. We do
several outdoor shows during the summertime, and you know, I
think this year we'll probably be doing a few more festivals,
(26:38):
but because of the new album out and we're doing
some touring with those Aren't Mountain Daredevil, So you know,
there's a that's a fun package and there'll be some
good gigs there, but you know, for the most part,
we're just hitting the places that that I want to
hear us, and you know that we'll do us some good.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yeah, it's awesome. Mentioned John David call doing the Pedal
steel guitar. He's been with you for probably agents he.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Was one of the found members.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Yeah, absolutely, you're talking. Yeah, it's very weird to hear that, like,
you know, now over fifty years now, we're coming up
on six day. It's just a yeah, that's got to
be very interesting to have known somebody so many decades.
The whole Yeah, the whole story with Vince Gil, how
did that all come about? Gosh and where he's gone
(27:30):
in places, just.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Incredible, done pretty well for himself. Yeah, you know when
we were playing in Oklahoma City at the Civic Center
in nineteen seventy seven, and Vince was playing in the
opening act a bluegrass band called Mountain Smoke, and we
were all standing there watching this band play, and this
(27:53):
kid sang and played like a bird. So we asked
him if you want to come up and jam with us?
And he played on four or five songs with us
that night, and I asked him right there on the spot,
you know you want to join the band? He says, na, man,
I'm a bluegrasser. Two years later, we were in La
auditioning guitar players and Vince came along with a friend
(28:15):
of his, which who didn't quite cut it. But we
asked Vince, we wanted to stick around in jam for
a while. We played for four hours until midnight, and
then I asked him again, and now you want to
join the band? He said, yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Got the gig at midnight. Yeah, wow, yeah, And yeah
you discovered that talent. Who knows where things would go.
I mean, I'm sure he would shine, but like that's
how it happened. It's just incredible.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Vince has been very gracious about acknowledging the fact that
we taught him a lot about the music business and
about rock and roll and what it's like, you know,
outside of an insular kind of a thing like a
hometown bluegrass band. And you know, now look at you know,
he's like he's one of the you know, he's an eagle.
So it's you know, which to me is kind of
(29:05):
a natural step for him. But you know, his his
career arc has just been tremendous and I'm glad that
we were a part of it.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Yeah, he played on My Guess Who I had? On
this show, AJ Croche, he played on one of his
albums and just it's a great album to just like Medicine,
and Vince gilli Is on that did an amazing job.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
He doesn't, you know, I think he could fart the
phone book and it would still be like opera.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Some people who doesn't, they're born with that's it.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
I can't be jealous. I'm just in awe.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I got so many great contemporaries. And speaking of that,
you had some really big names on your nineteen seventy
five record two Lane Highway, and Emmy Lou Harris's just
like I was just listening to a track she did
Live with Elvis Costello. It's just incredible. That must have
been fascinating working with Emi Alup back in nineteen seventy five.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Well, the song was basically written with her in mind,
and you know, she was gracious enough to come in
and sing with us in the studio. And then we, uh,
we asked chet Atkins if he wouldn't mind playing on
a song, and of course, you know, he accepted and
we're like, yikes, chet Atkins. Then we had Don Felder
playing mandolin from the Eagles. We had we had uh,
(30:26):
you know, all kinds of guys of Johnny Gimble Merle
Haggard's fiddle player, we had, you know, a lot of
guests were in a Armond and Ronnie Blakeley, you know,
Hoyd Axton's wife and uh and uh and Ronnie Blakelee
who was in that movie Nashville. So you know, it
was just a blast to have friends come in and
(30:46):
work with us in the studio and it just added
to the whole feel of the of the records.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
How did it come about getting Don Felder? I just
loved the Eagles so much. It's just how did he
just come about with He just was friend of a
friend somebody. He just asked him to come on as.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
An old friend. He he uh played in a band
millions of years ago called Flow and they were kind
of a jazz fusion band, and uh, the drummer for
that band and I were real good friends, and the
bass player and the harmonica player and you know, so
they all grew up around the same time in the
same area as Tom Petty. So I had known him
(31:23):
from way back when, and you know, I asked him,
and of course he was kind enough to say, sure,
come on in.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
So yeah, it's just incredible. I could never forget the
guitar and Hotel California. It's just a still yeah soundtrack
of our lives and just like when you know you
hear that all the time.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Player, you know, it's it's uh, we've been lucky to
get these gifted people to uh, you know, kind of
polish our tarnished halo a little bit, you know.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Oh yeah, yeah, and again with your personal and the
new album, it's just it really shows you got a
great cast of characters on this. You have one cover
on here I've noticed. It's called love Song. It's a
Elton John song from a Tumbleweed connection what is the
story on that including that it's a beautiful versions as expected,
(32:13):
beautiful song. I've seen Elton do that song live.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
The You know, that song was written by Leslie Duncan,
who was a very well known background singer in England.
And when that album came out in seventy one, Mike Connor,
the piano player that used to be with us, and
I were living in England and we were touring with
a band called the Lee Ryders, and we did a
bunch of gigs with Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust tour
(32:39):
and I had heard that Elton John record in seventy
one and I fell in love with that song and
it was one of the only songs that Elton and
Bernie did not write. So you know, I find I
kind of dug around a bit and I've always kept
that song sort of my back pocket, and I've always
loved the song and it's still it just haunts me
(33:01):
to this day. You know, Olivia Newton John has done
a version, Heart did a version. It's probably been recorded
twenty five times. But you know, I put the pure
Prairie League spin on it and I think it came
out great.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, Yeah, it's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. I'm sure it
gets well received live too, if you're doing that live.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
We haven't yet, but we're working it up.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Yeah. Yeah, I strongly recommend that. Just when Elton did
that and I was like, wow, I didn't think he'd
bring this one out. It was just a real big surprise.
I love those surprises pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Well, Leslie, I mean she used to sing with Elton,
she sang with Alan Parsons project, she sang on all
the records you know that came out of England in
those days. But she had intense stage fright and couldn't
go couldn't make a go of it as a solo artist.
But you know, and she wrote love Song as the
(33:54):
B side to a movie soundtrack. It was one of
these things just you know, she just blurted it out
and it's you know, I mean, it's stuck with me
for fifty some odd years.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Yeah. Yeah. And then another haunting type of a track
on their Modern Problem has that same kind of effect.
It's just very haunting and just point and beautiful.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
One of the one of the things I had in
mind making this record was this is a record to
be listened to on a good set of headphones. Yeah,
I'm old school, so you know, I used to stereo
system and both speakers and you know, and so if
you listen to this record with a good set of
headphones and not just on your iPhone, you're going to
(34:42):
get a lot more than you actually bargained for out
of some of these songs.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Oh, that is so true. That is so true having
the proper equipment, it really is. And you don't have
to have very expensive stuff to hear it on the
headphones and not just all those crummy droiter iPhone speakers.
It's just it's sacrilegious, like, come on, you need to
hear this a little bit better. And the headphones definitely
say that. So it's it's it's wonderful to hear it
(35:09):
in that. I love the Sacks on a love like yours.
It's just the end that's Alto Sacks.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
It is an Alto. Yeah, that was Jeff played on that.
You know, Sanborn played on several of our records over
the years. Sanborne. Yeah, we lost David earlier this year,
and you know, I wanted to do something to pay
a little bit of tribute to a you know, a
lost family member. So Jeff was kind enough to come
(35:36):
in and throw down some serious sacks.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Yeah. Yeah, David Sanborn miss him. I discovered him when
I was in college. He was just yeah, just a
good like comfort music. It's there's something about that sax
and it really definitely comes through on this. I really
really enjoyed that. And the Lucky One is a really
really nice track to follow that up.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
But you know, the album's the record sequenced itself almost.
It was things just kind of flowed one to the other,
and it was very little work for me actually figuring
out the sequence for the album, because you know, they
just all fell into place.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Yeah, they really do. And sequencing, you know, people bang
their heads over it sometimes and yeah sometimes and it does.
It seems very organic the way these flow one into another.
Six Feet of Snow is another one that's just really
obviously inspired by the environment, as somebody had come upon.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Yeah that you know, that was a little feat song
from down on the Farm back in the seventies and
when Craig was in the band at different times over
the last fifty years, we used to do that song
on stage a lot, and you know, I thought, hey,
let's do this, So I just went to see Little
Feet a couple of weeks ago out here on Long Island,
and I gave Fred and Billy of a thumb and
(37:01):
drive with our version of six Feet of Snow, so
they got a boot out of that.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yeah. Yeah, I like that. Six Feet of Snow is
just you know, has that square dance tempo. It just
kind of reminds me of that. So hats off the
Little Feet.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Your very league. I mean, it just it fits our
you know, it's our style. So you know, the song
and we decided to do it.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
It totally does that, and you know, and then closing
with that title track, it's just like it's very funky.
It's got that synth. It's just really what a good
groove old school Yeah yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
At power Station snare Drome and you know, it's a
it's a it's a great funky track. And the lyrics
if you listen closely to the lyrics, I do get
a kick out of out of the you know what
it has to say. Yeah, we've got John calls Pedal
Steel doing the train whistles.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Yeah. Yeah, so that the producer, I mean, definitely good product.
What label are you on now?
Speaker 2 (38:04):
We're on Pure Prairie League Records.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Okay, that's easy, and I found out.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
That I found it. It's just easier than trying to
get a major label deal because I think the days
of major labels is over except for you know, huge artists.
But you know, I mean everybody from Taylor Swift on
down are doing their own records on their own imprint,
and you know, I think we just have more control
this way.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
So, oh, that is for sure, definitely. I'm sure you've
had to deal with the A and R people and
stuff like that. I hear stories about that. I'm like,
how do you do this? Like you're making it so
much of a business, and you know, the A n
R is telling you how to do your work. It's
that's going to be a very strange feeling.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Well, you know, everybody has to make a living, but
you know, some people have no business telling other people
how to do what they do, if you understand what
I mean. But but you know, we always got along
pretty well with the A and R guys and they us.
You know, in the horse racing business, you say you
have to let them have their head, you know, let
the horse run. And we were pretty lucky with that
(39:10):
up until the eighth album for our ca Can't Hold Back.
You know. They they decided because it was the time
of the big disco scare, that we should we should
be competing with Ambrosia and Player, and you know it's like,
well we did what we could, but you know, you
can't take the hill out of the hillbilly, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Yeah, exactly. That's going to be very worried to say
you've got to compete with Ambrosia in that period of time.
That's yeah, totally just bizarre. So that's nice. I mean,
to be this independent now has got to be just
very liberating.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
At our age. It's it's an absolute necessity, you know.
I mean, if if we're not smart enough to know
what it is that we like and what we want
to do, then we shouldn't be doing it.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Yeah. Yeah, plateway, well six decades. Yeah, this is just
it's an amazing run. You guys are hitting the road.
That's fantastic. Are you to come down here to the
south here in the Atlanta metro area.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
Oh absolutely. I think we're playing the boot Barn in
Gainesville on I think March or May somewhere around. But yeah,
we're going to be hitting We're going to be all
over the place, everywhere from Oregon and Canada, California, Florida,
(40:31):
all through the East coast, all through the Midwest, Michigan, Wisconsin. Uh,
you know, all over the place. So we'll you know,
we're kind of be We're going to be out there
like a fart in a windstorm, if you know what
I mean. We'll be everywhere.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Yeah, And it's just it's a mixture of just getting
on the planes, automobiles, trains.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Yep, all that more. You know, every which way we
can do it. I mean, if we have to do
sled dogs, we'll do it. But we'll get there.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
That's so great. And you keep going at it and
you got the ambition and you know it's what you love,
and it's you know, not everybody can do it, and
at a lot of levels it's very hard.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Well, you know the thing is is that especially after
all these years and all the people that have come
to see us, and I mean, you know, three generations
now of Amy's. I mean we've got people coming to
the shows that are named Amy, their daughters named Amy,
and their granddaughters named Amy. So you know that's who
we're doing it for. I mean, if we were doing
this just for ourselves, it I don't think we'd you know,
(41:36):
it'll be a totally different ballgame. We do this for
the people that pay their hard ear and doe to
come out and see us play these songs that they
grew up with and play them some new stuff and
get some new people excited. And you know, that's that's
why we do it. It's all about the fans and the
people that support the band.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Yeah, yeah, congratulations on a great new album to come
away A long way since the Mark for band going
way back, Mark four? Where did that name come from?
How'd you come up with Mark four? Is here your
first band?
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Uh? Yeah, it was, Actually it was Mike Riley and
the Renegade was the first one. But the Mark four
we had a guy named Rick, a guy named Al
and Mike and so it was there were four of
us and so it was the m A R. C. Four.
But you know, it was a high school band and
we were having fun.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
So yeah, yeah, and then joined the Lemon Pipers towards
their end Oxford, Ohio at the home of Miami University.
I had a sister who went there. Uh yeah, that
was that was like towards the end of that how
did it was just happen stance You ended up with them.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
They they got offered some gigs on the Dick Clark
Caravan of Stars, and Bill Bartlett, the guitar player, had
sort of retired or went into seclusion as it were,
you know, and the drummer called me up and a
couple of other guys and said, hey, look at we've
got some gigs on the Caravan of Stars. Let's hit
(43:04):
the road. So we did, you know, for about six weeks,
and we backed up the Charells and the Dixie Cups
and you know, all those guys. It was. It was
a lot of fun. Pard here and the Raiders were
on that tour, so it was a it was a blast.
Those were the days, man.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Yeah. Yeah, And really paying your dues, you know, and
not like you went on some talent show somebody discovered you. Now,
like that doesn't seem to be nearly as organic, really
paying your dues, really getting out there and playing live.
And I'm sure you remember your first PPL show wasn't
it at the Arie Canal Festival.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Yeah, it was called Bull Island Soda Pop Festival and
Bull Island, Illinois. It was you know, the whole woodstock
lineup and all those you know, it's three hundred thousand
people and on Labor Day of seventy two, and it
was like, yikes, this is an auspicious start. Yeah, you know,
from there.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
So yeah, it's just it's so fascinating when you're in
the world of the arts and how things can just
like come up that you never even saw. And it's
fascinating looking back on that now so many years later.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
It's, uh, you know, it'll all be in the book
if I ever get around to that. You know, it's
it's that's been a work in progress for five decades,
so you know, you never know.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
Yeah, it's gonna be a good book when that gets done.
I definitely even say, yeah, definitely get that out there.
So many autobiographies are out there now, so yeah, definitely
I would definitely go out and do that.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
I've read a lot of them. I try to stay
up on, you know, what people have to say, and
sometimes you know, they can be even the biggest stars
can be boring. But then you know you're get took
like Keith Richards's book and it was just brilliant. Yeah,
you know, I mean there's it's you can never tell,
but you know, and I don't know that anybody would
(44:54):
be all that interested in pure period of League roads stories,
but you know there's there's some there's some good times
and some good anecdotes, and you know, we'll see how
that spaghetti sticks'd be great.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
Well, enjoy your time up there in New York before
you head back out on the road and see you
throughout twenty twenty five as where you record this and
new album. Definitely get that. It's just available on all
the formats.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
YEP, YEP, YEP, CD Baby and Pure Prairie League Record.
That's on our website, in the merch store, there's several
different all the streaming outlets, you know, Amazon Music, iTunes, Spotify,
all that, so, but it'd be nice for people to
buy the actual CD. And we're also going to have
vinyl by the end of January, so with a few
(45:44):
other surprises. But you know, it's streaming is great. I'm
just going to say that really quickly. You know, it's
your music out there, and it's these days it's it's
an absolute necessity. But we like the fact that people
can pick up the CD. Look on the inside, they
(46:05):
can pick up the album and pull out the sleeve
and read both sides, Read the lyrics, read the credits,
read the notes. You know, it's that to me, is
is the heart of this business, and I want to
make sure that we keep some of that heart in there.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah. And then the artwork that comes with it too.
That the covers, the front cover and the back cover,
nothing like what the LPs were always like. They're just beautiful.
It's just like I remember some would come with posters,
even with some of those stars in the seventies. But yeah,
so you have good artwork with this as well.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Yeah. Bill Brown, the guy that did our artwork on
this record, just hit it out of the park, you know.
I mean I gave him the ideas, he came back
to me with some preliminary drawings, and then the next thing,
I know, a couple of weeks later, he's got these
this beautiful these beautiful colors on the front. You know,
I just said, I want to do back on track,
I want to have Luke on a handcart going yeah, yeah,
(47:02):
Well he nailed it.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
You know, it was his idea to do the caboose
on the back and the colors and stuff. It just
I think it's a beautiful package. And I'm really you know,
not to not to sound self aggrandizing, but I'm so
proud of this record.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
I can't tell you yeah, and should be absolutely not
just not just saying that either. It's just really wonderful
and it's just inspiring to see you out there with
something new and going out there and traveling. It's all
impressive stuff.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Well, I appreciate you having me on to be able
to spread the word, Bob.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Absolutely, you're Prairie League coming to a town near you,
near me, it's that would be Gainesville, Georgia, which is
a little bit of a drive from where I'm at.
But yeah, beautiful plays, very good, excellent, take care and
best wishes going forward.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Thanks very much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
A good ONEVI. Wow, that was a lot of fun.
I really enjoyed that. What I haven't really talked about
is that today is National Pastry Day, So enjoy as
we head towards Christmas twenty twenty four as I record this,
and just for the time capsule, we're winding down this year,
(48:15):
so enjoy. I hope you enjoyed listening to Michael and
we're talking about the wonderful catalog known as Pure Rairie
League PPL. Check them out and get that album back
on track available where you get all that wonderful music.
Until next time, have a wonderful holiday season if you're not,
(48:40):
if you're seeing this at the moment, Otherwise if you haven't,
then you have a wonderful next holiday season. Whatever anyway,
enjoy and we'll season
Hey, thanks for joining me today. As we wind down
twenty twenty four, as I record this intro and we
go into today's interview, and I'm so excited. This is
going to be a really fun one for you to
listen to. It's pure prairie Leagues try to say that
about it a zillion times, pure prairie league say that
(00:21):
thousands of times. Now lead singer songwriter, he's just amazing
Michael Rilly from that album, where we can just say PPL,
I think that's a lot easier. They have a great
new album out called Back on Track. Obviously, they are
known for Amy, the huge hit single which everybody needs
(00:43):
to talk with him about, and I'm sure he's insanely
tired of talking, but he can't really tire of it.
It's a beautiful song, beautiful hit. It's an earworm for sure.
We go into that. But the new album, you gotta
get this. It's fantastic, It really really is. I wouldn't
even say it's like, you know, it's not a comeback.
They've never went anywhere. They've always been playing. They've done
(01:05):
many thousands and thousands of shows over the years. They
haven't had a new release. Now in almost twenty years.
But this is a wonderful relays back on track, a
great cast of characters, and this as we talk about
in this episode, so I hope you really really enjoy it.
December ninth, twenty twenty four. Here as we speak, the
(01:25):
year is winding down. I've just had a really great
year talking with so many wonderful artists, and I hope
you have enjoyed listening to these as well, people who
are a little bit more off the radar. I don't
get the big goals stars on here. It would be
nice some would come on here, but it's not expecting
that at all. This is really about championing people who
(01:49):
really want to get their work out there and deservedly
so I really I listened to this album once through.
I'm going to listen to it through again. Great artwork
that comes with it. We really talk about that. You
should go out and get the LP or the CD,
the physical copy, but streaming is not bad either. You
could take it with you when you go streaming and
just delightful. Guy Michael Riley, and I'll talk with you
(02:12):
on the other side of this. You are in the
Central time zone this morning.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
No, I'm on the Eastern time. I'm in the East
end of Long Island.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh gosh, I'm way off. Well, you recorded your latest
project over in the Nashville area.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Right exactly exactly, and that's where most of the band lives.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So yeah, that's a great community. A lot of people
just are always kind of raving about the Nashville community,
how it's really supportive. It's not crazy like your LA's
or New York's or even Chicago.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It's crazy in its own way, but you know, people
are just a lot more friendlier because it's it's the South.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, yeah, totally different. How long have you been up
in New York?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Oh, god, since seventy three.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Okay, through the whole thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh, I lived in LA for about twenty five years also,
but I moved back out here in eight or twenty
ten somewhere around there.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Okay, So you had that experience as like Billy Joel did.
He was out in the West and decided to come
back and sing about New York exactly. So, I mean
that's quite a difference though. You know, you come from
the West and you long for being back in your
culture back in New York, and it's just it's a
huge difference.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, I loved la but you know, after one house
burning down and then everything else, you know, just get
the Land of Fruits and Nuts, I just had to
go east.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah. Oh gosh, was it one of those wildfires that
got out there?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Uh yeah, Yeah, nineteen seventy nine burned down about twenty
eight houses up on top of Laurel Canyon and I
was on the very top at Blue Jay Way and yeah,
just swept right.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Through m Laurel Canyons. Beautiful there, and a lot of
art came out of there as well. All the documentaries
been seeing those. It's just an amazing amount of talent
out there.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, it was quite the scene.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah. Yeah, So it started for you back in the
sixties and some of the things that you had gotten
into just growing up. You had some unique experiences with
the bands as early as sixty four, and obviously everybody
was like totally wild by the Beatles coming out, so
I'm sure that had to be. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I had my whole Beatle fankit, you know, with the
beetle wig and the sign photos and the whole ten
yards you know. So I was right there in front
of the TV watching Ed Sullivan.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, and there was just so many people at that time,
and you know, everybody crowded around the same thing. You
only had three channels back then, so it's like it
was more unified millions watching all at once. Now it's
completely changed all across the landscape.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
It's those were the days. I mean, you know, I
just feel lucky and that we grew up during those
those years. Like says, I'm having a lot less fun
in my seventies in the twenties than I did when
I was in my twenties in the seventies.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, true, that is yeah, and being in that generation, Yeah,
you saw so much change in so many unique things
happen in the way across culture. So you were in
Fort Fort Thomas, Kentucky, right right on.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
The Ohio River across from Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, beautiful down that way, and basically you got into
you went did you go to series to get your
first guitar? And you were like, wow, I.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Did want the silver tone bass with the amplifier and
speaker right there in the case.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, Dan Elektro based from Sears. Yeah, I wish I
had that. Now, there was a series near you Europe
in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Uh, though there was one actually in Cunnington, Kentucky, which
is right next to Fort Thomas.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, Covington very well. I grew up in Ohio, grew
up in Cleveland. Yah, I went to school over there
in Athens. I knew quite a few people from near
the Chilicoffee area in Waiverley, Ohio, where some band members
Pure Prairie League had come from. So yeah, yeah, Ohio was. Yeah,
(06:23):
a lot of great talent came out of there. I
grew up in Cleveland. Guy named Eric Carmon grew up
near May Yeah, yep.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Oh. I mean, you know, there was a Music Machine
and Black Watch. I mean, there were a million groups,
The Pretenders, Yeah, Walsh and Barnstorm. I mean, you know,
just Mark Farner and those guys. I mean it was
you know, it was a real hotbed for all different
kinds of music back in those days, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, and college radio is just exploding, so I mean
a lot of Pure Prairie League stuff was really getting
very hot on there. I remember even in the eighties
when I was at school at Ohio. You I mean,
everybody wanted to play and you know this, everybody wanted
to play Amy that was like the huge thing, and
just you know, easy in certain sections but not so
(07:12):
much in others. But yeah, and to get those harmonies
right too, which you were a natural ad.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
But everybody in the college scene in those days, you know,
tried their best. A lot of people, let's just say
that there was a lot of humping going on during
to that song, and everybody that had an acoustic guitar
learned the three chords.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember being in high school and
somebody had done that. They were like so wild by that.
It's just it's that kind of a song that just
really can resonate, but so many people doing so inspirational
one of those earworms that is a huge part of
the culture. What are the the makings of that's? How
does that? How does a tune like that come together?
(07:54):
Just you know, just playing around? How what's the inspiration
to creating such an airworm like that?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Well, you know, it certainly wasn't anything intentional, as Craig Fuller,
who wrote the song, will tell you. He said, it
was basically just an exercise in songwriting. But you know,
the the idea of just keeping simple chords, simple harmonies
and and uh and relatable lyrics. I mean, that was
(08:20):
that's that's pure Prairie League and it still is to
this day.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah. Yeah, and you've been to master of so many instruments. Uh,
def definitely must have really helped along the way getting
the band together. Keeps me busy, yeah, and out of
trouble for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Well I won't say I won't go that far, Bob.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Yeah, mister Fuller had some Uh she's back then too.
He was just such a different time.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Oh yeah. Well, you know, it's crazy, you know, to
lock somebody up. It was just you know, beyond belief.
But uh, you know, and then when we went out
to visit him in Springfield, you know, to take him
as guitar and a chessboard and some books. You know.
I mean, it's like to see somebody incarcerated, crazy or
you know, for what they believe in. It just you know,
(09:13):
it just it boggles the mind. But you know, those
were the times, and you know we lived through them.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Yeah, and it was towards the tail end of the
Vietnam Wars, which a lot of people just don't realize
in these days with history because it's getting so forgotten.
But it was still pretty serious to be a conscientious objector.
And he didn't get that status right away. So since
he didn't have that status, that's how he ended up incarcerated.
And it's just crazy and it really you wouldn't even
(09:42):
believe that that would even happen today. But we may
be going back to that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Oh God, you never know. But you know, I'm keeping
my fingers crossed.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, just take it day by day. I know, you
get to that. It's like, I'm glad I'm that way
much younger, and just I got so many years ahead
of me. You know, who knows what could be happening.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
And well, I fear my kids now, you.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Know, yeah, how many kids you have now, I've got.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Two boys, but they're growing. They're thirty and thirty five,
so you know, so they're out of the woods on
that one. But uh, you know, I mean it's just
it's just a tough world to grow up in. And
you know, God bless them. They're both doing really, really well.
So you know, I must have done something right in
my younger days. Although I have to give much, I
(10:30):
have to give most of the credit to their mom.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
So that's very good, very good. Yeah, it's one last
thing to worry about. You know, they're off on their
own and you can you can sleep at nights.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Yep, this is it.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, and pure Prairie League. It's the harmonies. And I
know that's probably come you know, because it was organic
to you. You guys really love the Everly Brothers, who
pretty much inspire it it all absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I
knew a guy who crafted Mike stands and he actually
(11:02):
grew up and in the area where his mother knew
the Everly Brother's mother back where they grew up. It's
just it's a small world for sure. But yeah, they
they definitely inspired so much back in the day.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Well you know, I mean that that between that and
the bluegrass music influence, you know, the three part harmonies
in the bluegrass field. You know, it was just a
natural thing for us because that's the kind of stuff
we were listening to on the radio when we were
growing up.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah, and it can really come to you. But you know,
it's it makes it seem like it's it's it's easy,
but it's it seems like so much, you know, to
get those layers. I remember the Eagles when I first
heard them, I was like, this is just completely fascinating
how they're able to be able to get all the
harmonies and get all those those sections down just so well.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Yeah, well that's that's that's discipline and I you know,
give them all the credit in the world for you know,
being masters at it.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Yeah. Yeah, it's just still and a wonderful catalog. Going
back to some of these classic albums like Busting Out,
it's just got this really cool cover to it. To
who is behind the cover of something like Busting Out.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Well, you know, the first cover for the first album
was Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Rockwell was a friend of our art director at the
time at RCA, and he gave us permission and so
did Saturday Evening Post, although they of course got paid
for it. But but you know, we we I wish
we would have known about the term branding back in
nineteen seventy one.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, that's true. It's like, oh, this is cool, let's
just use this. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well, you know, it took the focus off the band members,
of which there have been you know, five and a
half dozen or four and a half dozen, and you know,
over the years, and it gave somebody, you know, it
gave the people that listened to the records and saw
the albums, you know, a relatability factor, I think.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Yeah, and then like Amy was is on that album
and but re released. This happened, you know a few
times in the seventies where something came out and then
was re released and it really hit. And yeah, you
hear about those kind of singles. It's like you probably
never even saw that coming. It's like, oh my gosh,
they just dug this back out, re released it, and
now it's bigger than it was on its original release.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Well after three you know, at that time, we were
about in our third year of two hundred and fifty
college shows a year, so you know, in college radio
was really I think was a lot of responsible for
you know, making that song a hit in nineteen seventy five,
because after doing all those college shows and cramming Amy
down their throats and making sure everybody knew the chords, uh,
(14:00):
you know it, all of a sudden RCA their ears
perked up and went, Wow, college radio is playing the
heck out of this thing. We should find out where
this band is and resign them, which they did.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, and you had you took a turn after that
release and Craig, who was incarcerated, you basically took over
and and got some other personnel involved and it took
another turn.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Correct. There have been several along the way, but but
you know it's worked out to our benefit. Every time
we use friends, we use fans. We always had people
in the band that would bring something to the table
and add to the add to the music, and add
to the legacy. And you know, once again with the
new guys that are on this new album, it's you know,
(14:48):
they've been with me for three years now and it's
you know, their songwriting is great, they're singing is great,
they're playing as killer and and we're doing good shows.
So it's just you know it, it's after fifty five years.
I'm thrilled, excited and very very grateful.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, it's called back on Track, your new release. This
is the first release in how many years.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Now, nineteen. We take our time.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, hey, and you know what it really really shows.
I really have to say I've given this a listen,
and I encourage everybody out there give this thing a listen.
It's just fantastic. Such a great amount of texture in
this and production. It's really solid release. And you've got
a really good list of personnel on this track by track.
(15:38):
Writing the songs for this did? That didn't take a
full nineteen years obviously did? How do all these tracks
come about? As far as lyrics are concerned.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Well, Jeff the guitar player and Jared the bass player
both had had a couple of songs, you know, it's
just basically kind of sitting around and that were never
recorded or released. And so, you know, when when we
decided to do an EP last last year in July,
I said, why don't we look at some songs and
(16:12):
and do a full record, And so Jeff brought in,
you know, a dozen songs, out of which we picked
five or six, and Jared brought in two songs that
he had written, plus a brand new song back on
track that he had written and which you know, the lyric,
if you look at the lyrics and listen to it,
it's kind of a story of the new band. And so,
(16:33):
you know, it just it fit, you know, and the
idea for the artwork just came, you know, right out
of thin air.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Yeah, yeah, you know, you wouldn't really call this so
much as a comeback. It's just really it stands on
its own back on track, and how meaningful that is you.
You certainly are, and and the amount of personnel that
went into this is it just really shows you have
some really interesting instruments on here as well. Somebody who
(17:03):
does the fiddle and named Jennifer Wrinkle. Was that somebody
who was that you'd known for a while.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It's our drummer's wife. Ah, and she's a country star
in her own right. She was Reba's right hand man
for twenty years so and now she's, you know, now
she's a solo country artist. So we had asked her
to play, of course, and she plays sometimes on the
road with us. Jeff Kirk, the saxophone player, actually toured
(17:30):
with us back in the seventies when Vince was in
the band. So now he's the professor of the he's
the head of the music department at Belmont University in Nashville.
And then we had our friend Matt Britton come in
and play steel drums and congas and bongos and percussion,
you know, just to round out, you know, some of
the sounds.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah, and every track just really stands out. Picture Perfect
Life PPLs, which also considered for peer Pirie Lake. Yes, Bob,
was that totally intentional, just to happen. Stance just happened. Yeah,
it's great how those things happened. I love the organ
on that. It just really really moves.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, Randy's a killer. I mean he's a great player.
And you know, we didn't have a keyboard player for jeez,
Michael O'Connor passed away in four and we didn't hire
Randy until I guess twenty or nine, twenty fourteen, yeah, fourteen.
So yeah, he's a killer. So you know, he's just
(18:35):
the right fit. And once again, you know, he brings
such talent to the table that I had to make
sure that we get everything that we could to showcase
the band on this record.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yeah, and it shows again on Skipping Stones against that
that piano organs of the harmonies. What's the story behind
that track?
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Well, Jared wrote that song basically just because we were
record at Riverfront Recorders, which is on the Cumberland River
outside of Nashville in Madison, and you know, he was
standing down by the river one day while we were
taking a break and just throwing rocks in the river
and here comes Skipping Stones.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
It's great that just like comes out like from everyday life.
You know, you got to write what you know and immediately.
These days, you know, you could just get out the
phone now and just record your thoughts rather than have
to carry that notebook around.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Well, we do have a lot of notes, and we
make a lot of notes, but you know, when inspiration hits.
You know, music is a harsh mistress and you need
to when she bites on your ear, you need to listen.
So we're very cognizant and aware of the fact that
when a good idea hits that we need to follow
up on and follow through.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah, now, are you as extensively touring as much as
you used to? Or how many dates a year would
you say you're doing that?
Speaker 2 (20:00):
We average fifty that's good.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah at our age, Yeah, exactly like fifty and yeah
that that that'd be a little bit too crazy, especially
in these days with all the.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Traveling and everything. But uh, you know, next year ought
to be interesting because we're getting a lot of feedback
in a lot of traction from Europe and PPL has
never played Europe, so you know, hopefully there's going to
be a European tour this summer in the works, and
I mean stations in Japan and Australia are playing the
new record and it's like, yikes, spaghetti on the wall here.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Yeah, it's fascinating, isn't it. In a place like Japan,
I'm like, what, well, but they're fascinated.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Americana And well, Americana is just a new name for
country rock. But you know, Americana and country music are
just enjoying a real surgeon popularity these days. And you know,
I think you know, because it's all I think it's
all on the wheel. It's all kind of cyclical that
you know, pure Prairie League's time maybe coming back around again.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Yeah, and it really pays off. You don't think you think, oh, well,
this is not an oldies act anymore for me, I
mean honestly having fresh material and I so appreciate seeing
a band that has been in the culture now over
fifty years is actually putting out new material and not
just relying on the oldies. And it sets it apart.
(21:34):
And you see in the huge acts.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
That would be too easy, and you know, we've had
it easy in our entire career, so why start now?
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, and then I'm sure it's got to be like,
of course, you give them the hits, you know, that
could be sprinkling obviously, but that could also I mean,
if that's all you're doing, I would think that gets
pretty old.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, it's it sort of turns into blood without plasma,
you know, it's I mean, people pay money to come
and see you play those hits. But you know, for
the last few years, we've been digging out songs from
the first few albums that never got any recognition. You know,
songs like Angel and Woman, Angel Number nine, Kentucky and
(22:17):
you know, you know Lucy o'crawfield. There's I mean, there's
just a bunch of hits on or a bunch of
songs on the PPL records that were never hits, but
they were they were you know, damn good songs.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yeah, and they can get lost in the shuffle. It's
a pretty big catalog and people don't realize that even
going back to Firing Up can't hold back those kind
of things are just like things do get buried in there,
and it's it's fresh again when you bring out an
album track and you know it's not familiar to the crowd,
but it's it's it's also new. What's old is new again?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Well, you know when they hear songs like Modern Problem
and Back on Track and Skipping Stones and the Price
of Love. They're you know, they're they're gonna go yikes.
That's you know, that sounds like pure Prairie League, but
it sounds completely different also, so I think, uh, you know,
we hit we hit that nail on the head, and uh,
you know, the other songs that you know, especially a
(23:11):
lot of the songs that Jeff wrote are I won't
say typical, but I will say classic country rock songs,
you know, the Beginning and Picture Perfect Life and Crazy
World and songs like that. I mean, it's it's it's
nice to see that the guys in the band and
I were able to tie the threads together from the
(23:33):
beginning all the way to this current album and then
go further.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yeah. Yeah, you could definitely feel that. The Lucky One
is a really nice, fast, you know, kind of love song,
very country ish but very relatable to It just really
moves and it.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Features you know, I mean, that song features Scott our
drummer on lead vocals, and you know, Jeff and Jared
all sing lead as well. So we we you know,
we've got we've got a great band and hitting on
all twelve cylinders. And you know, we're just we're thrilled
with what's going on and we can't wait for this year.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah. And and Jennifer with her fiddle really shines on
Price of Love. I really just very rollicking love those
lyrics from the time the sun comes up. It's just
really really really captures that.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
We you know, we once again, we just everything just
went the way the way I wanted it to be
as the producer, and the way the band wanted it
to be as the as the players. It just it
all fell into place very easily. And and you know
it's I don't know how we're going to top this,
but we'll give it a little while and ride this
(24:44):
one for a bit.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. And you can always get that
inspiration on the road as well. So, I mean, does
that really hit you when you're out there, if you're
in a bus, plane, train, automobiles, whatever, does something just
hit you right there on occasion?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
But you know, I mean those are I think a
little bit more few and far between, because you've got
to pay attention all the time while you're traveling. But
when things hit, you know, they get they don't get
pushed by the wayside. I mean, we wake up in
the middle of the night and I've got a notepad
next to my bed, so you know, I'll be jotting
stuff down and then go back to sleep.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah. Yeah, the convenience here. You're always working. That's what
it is.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Twenty four seven musician, That's that's the way it is
when you're a musicians here.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
And when you're traveling. How many guitars and instruments you're
bringing with you? You bring the piano, organs, all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Yeah, most of the stuff. Most of the stuff is
brought in for us. We bring our guitars and our
pedal steel guitar and sacks and stuff like that. But
you know, most of the regular equipment, the bass amp,
the guitar amps, the drum set, except for the symbols
and snare drum, you know. So it's it's all and
the keyboards they're all provided, know, according to our specifications
(26:01):
on our contract. Makes it a lot easier on us,
you know, if you're not traveling with a big entourage.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, yeah, definitely enlightens the load for sure. So what
type of venues are you playing? How many theaters.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
We're doing everything from five hundred seat little theaters, you know,
like remodeled theaters and performing arts centers, a lot of those.
That's that's pretty much the bulk of it. We do
several outdoor shows during the summertime, and you know, I
think this year we'll probably be doing a few more festivals,
(26:38):
but because of the new album out and we're doing
some touring with those Aren't Mountain Daredevil, So you know,
there's a that's a fun package and there'll be some
good gigs there, but you know, for the most part,
we're just hitting the places that that I want to
hear us, and you know that we'll do us some good.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yeah, it's awesome. Mentioned John David call doing the Pedal
steel guitar. He's been with you for probably agents he.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Was one of the found members.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Yeah, absolutely, you're talking. Yeah, it's very weird to hear that, like,
you know, now over fifty years now, we're coming up
on six day. It's just a yeah, that's got to
be very interesting to have known somebody so many decades.
The whole Yeah, the whole story with Vince Gil, how
did that all come about? Gosh and where he's gone
(27:30):
in places, just.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Incredible, done pretty well for himself. Yeah, you know when
we were playing in Oklahoma City at the Civic Center
in nineteen seventy seven, and Vince was playing in the
opening act a bluegrass band called Mountain Smoke, and we
were all standing there watching this band play, and this
(27:53):
kid sang and played like a bird. So we asked
him if you want to come up and jam with us?
And he played on four or five songs with us
that night, and I asked him right there on the spot,
you know you want to join the band? He says, na, man,
I'm a bluegrasser. Two years later, we were in La
auditioning guitar players and Vince came along with a friend
(28:15):
of his, which who didn't quite cut it. But we
asked Vince, we wanted to stick around in jam for
a while. We played for four hours until midnight, and
then I asked him again, and now you want to
join the band? He said, yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Got the gig at midnight. Yeah, wow, yeah, And yeah
you discovered that talent. Who knows where things would go.
I mean, I'm sure he would shine, but like that's
how it happened. It's just incredible.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Vince has been very gracious about acknowledging the fact that
we taught him a lot about the music business and
about rock and roll and what it's like, you know,
outside of an insular kind of a thing like a
hometown bluegrass band. And you know, now look at you know,
he's like he's one of the you know, he's an eagle.
So it's you know, which to me is kind of
(29:05):
a natural step for him. But you know, his his
career arc has just been tremendous and I'm glad that
we were a part of it.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Yeah, he played on My Guess Who I had? On
this show, AJ Croche, he played on one of his
albums and just it's a great album to just like Medicine,
and Vince gilli Is on that did an amazing job.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
He doesn't, you know, I think he could fart the
phone book and it would still be like opera.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Some people who doesn't, they're born with that's it.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
I can't be jealous. I'm just in awe.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I got so many great contemporaries. And speaking of that,
you had some really big names on your nineteen seventy
five record two Lane Highway, and Emmy Lou Harris's just
like I was just listening to a track she did
Live with Elvis Costello. It's just incredible. That must have
been fascinating working with Emi Alup back in nineteen seventy five.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Well, the song was basically written with her in mind,
and you know, she was gracious enough to come in
and sing with us in the studio. And then we, uh,
we asked chet Atkins if he wouldn't mind playing on
a song, and of course, you know, he accepted and
we're like, yikes, chet Atkins. Then we had Don Felder
playing mandolin from the Eagles. We had we had uh,
(30:26):
you know, all kinds of guys of Johnny Gimble Merle
Haggard's fiddle player, we had, you know, a lot of
guests were in a Armond and Ronnie Blakeley, you know,
Hoyd Axton's wife and uh and uh and Ronnie Blakelee
who was in that movie Nashville. So you know, it
was just a blast to have friends come in and
(30:46):
work with us in the studio and it just added
to the whole feel of the of the records.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
How did it come about getting Don Felder? I just
loved the Eagles so much. It's just how did he
just come about with He just was friend of a
friend somebody. He just asked him to come on as.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
An old friend. He he uh played in a band
millions of years ago called Flow and they were kind
of a jazz fusion band, and uh, the drummer for
that band and I were real good friends, and the
bass player and the harmonica player and you know, so
they all grew up around the same time in the
same area as Tom Petty. So I had known him
(31:23):
from way back when, and you know, I asked him,
and of course he was kind enough to say, sure,
come on in.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
So yeah, it's just incredible. I could never forget the
guitar and Hotel California. It's just a still yeah soundtrack
of our lives and just like when you know you
hear that all the time.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Player, you know, it's it's uh, we've been lucky to
get these gifted people to uh, you know, kind of
polish our tarnished halo a little bit, you know.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Oh yeah, yeah, and again with your personal and the
new album, it's just it really shows you got a
great cast of characters on this. You have one cover
on here I've noticed. It's called love Song. It's a
Elton John song from a Tumbleweed connection what is the
story on that including that it's a beautiful versions as expected,
(32:13):
beautiful song. I've seen Elton do that song live.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
The You know, that song was written by Leslie Duncan,
who was a very well known background singer in England.
And when that album came out in seventy one, Mike Connor,
the piano player that used to be with us, and
I were living in England and we were touring with
a band called the Lee Ryders, and we did a
bunch of gigs with Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust tour
(32:39):
and I had heard that Elton John record in seventy
one and I fell in love with that song and
it was one of the only songs that Elton and
Bernie did not write. So you know, I find I
kind of dug around a bit and I've always kept
that song sort of my back pocket, and I've always
loved the song and it's still it just haunts me
(33:01):
to this day. You know, Olivia Newton John has done
a version, Heart did a version. It's probably been recorded
twenty five times. But you know, I put the pure
Prairie League spin on it and I think it came
out great.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, Yeah, it's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. I'm sure it
gets well received live too, if you're doing that live.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
We haven't yet, but we're working it up.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Yeah. Yeah, I strongly recommend that. Just when Elton did
that and I was like, wow, I didn't think he'd
bring this one out. It was just a real big surprise.
I love those surprises pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Well, Leslie, I mean she used to sing with Elton,
she sang with Alan Parsons project, she sang on all
the records you know that came out of England in
those days. But she had intense stage fright and couldn't
go couldn't make a go of it as a solo artist.
But you know, and she wrote love Song as the
(33:54):
B side to a movie soundtrack. It was one of
these things just you know, she just blurted it out
and it's you know, I mean, it's stuck with me
for fifty some odd years.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Yeah. Yeah. And then another haunting type of a track
on their Modern Problem has that same kind of effect.
It's just very haunting and just point and beautiful.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
One of the one of the things I had in
mind making this record was this is a record to
be listened to on a good set of headphones. Yeah,
I'm old school, so you know, I used to stereo
system and both speakers and you know, and so if
you listen to this record with a good set of
headphones and not just on your iPhone, you're going to
(34:42):
get a lot more than you actually bargained for out
of some of these songs.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Oh, that is so true. That is so true having
the proper equipment, it really is. And you don't have
to have very expensive stuff to hear it on the
headphones and not just all those crummy droiter iPhone speakers.
It's just it's sacrilegious, like, come on, you need to
hear this a little bit better. And the headphones definitely
say that. So it's it's it's wonderful to hear it
(35:09):
in that. I love the Sacks on a love like yours.
It's just the end that's Alto Sacks.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
It is an Alto. Yeah, that was Jeff played on that.
You know, Sanborn played on several of our records over
the years. Sanborne. Yeah, we lost David earlier this year,
and you know, I wanted to do something to pay
a little bit of tribute to a you know, a
lost family member. So Jeff was kind enough to come
(35:36):
in and throw down some serious sacks.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Yeah. Yeah, David Sanborn miss him. I discovered him when
I was in college. He was just yeah, just a
good like comfort music. It's there's something about that sax
and it really definitely comes through on this. I really
really enjoyed that. And the Lucky One is a really
really nice track to follow that up.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
But you know, the album's the record sequenced itself almost.
It was things just kind of flowed one to the other,
and it was very little work for me actually figuring
out the sequence for the album, because you know, they
just all fell into place.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Yeah, they really do. And sequencing, you know, people bang
their heads over it sometimes and yeah sometimes and it does.
It seems very organic the way these flow one into another.
Six Feet of Snow is another one that's just really
obviously inspired by the environment, as somebody had come upon.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Yeah that you know, that was a little feat song
from down on the Farm back in the seventies and
when Craig was in the band at different times over
the last fifty years, we used to do that song
on stage a lot, and you know, I thought, hey,
let's do this, So I just went to see Little
Feet a couple of weeks ago out here on Long Island,
and I gave Fred and Billy of a thumb and
(37:01):
drive with our version of six Feet of Snow, so
they got a boot out of that.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yeah. Yeah, I like that. Six Feet of Snow is
just you know, has that square dance tempo. It just
kind of reminds me of that. So hats off the
Little Feet.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Your very league. I mean, it just it fits our
you know, it's our style. So you know, the song
and we decided to do it.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
It totally does that, and you know, and then closing
with that title track, it's just like it's very funky.
It's got that synth. It's just really what a good
groove old school Yeah yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
At power Station snare Drome and you know, it's a
it's a it's a great funky track. And the lyrics
if you listen closely to the lyrics, I do get
a kick out of out of the you know what
it has to say. Yeah, we've got John calls Pedal
Steel doing the train whistles.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Yeah. Yeah, so that the producer, I mean, definitely good product.
What label are you on now?
Speaker 2 (38:04):
We're on Pure Prairie League Records.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Okay, that's easy, and I found out.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
That I found it. It's just easier than trying to
get a major label deal because I think the days
of major labels is over except for you know, huge artists.
But you know, I mean everybody from Taylor Swift on
down are doing their own records on their own imprint,
and you know, I think we just have more control
this way.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
So, oh, that is for sure, definitely. I'm sure you've
had to deal with the A and R people and
stuff like that. I hear stories about that. I'm like,
how do you do this? Like you're making it so
much of a business, and you know, the A n
R is telling you how to do your work. It's
that's going to be a very strange feeling.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Well, you know, everybody has to make a living, but
you know, some people have no business telling other people
how to do what they do, if you understand what
I mean. But but you know, we always got along
pretty well with the A and R guys and they us.
You know, in the horse racing business, you say you
have to let them have their head, you know, let
the horse run. And we were pretty lucky with that
(39:10):
up until the eighth album for our ca Can't Hold Back.
You know. They they decided because it was the time
of the big disco scare, that we should we should
be competing with Ambrosia and Player, and you know it's like,
well we did what we could, but you know, you
can't take the hill out of the hillbilly, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Yeah, exactly. That's going to be very worried to say
you've got to compete with Ambrosia in that period of time.
That's yeah, totally just bizarre. So that's nice. I mean,
to be this independent now has got to be just
very liberating.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
At our age. It's it's an absolute necessity, you know.
I mean, if if we're not smart enough to know
what it is that we like and what we want
to do, then we shouldn't be doing it.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Yeah. Yeah, plateway, well six decades. Yeah, this is just
it's an amazing run. You guys are hitting the road.
That's fantastic. Are you to come down here to the
south here in the Atlanta metro area.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
Oh absolutely. I think we're playing the boot Barn in
Gainesville on I think March or May somewhere around. But yeah,
we're going to be hitting We're going to be all
over the place, everywhere from Oregon and Canada, California, Florida,
(40:31):
all through the East coast, all through the Midwest, Michigan, Wisconsin. Uh,
you know, all over the place. So we'll you know,
we're kind of be We're going to be out there
like a fart in a windstorm, if you know what
I mean. We'll be everywhere.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Yeah, And it's just it's a mixture of just getting
on the planes, automobiles, trains.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Yep, all that more. You know, every which way we
can do it. I mean, if we have to do
sled dogs, we'll do it. But we'll get there.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
That's so great. And you keep going at it and
you got the ambition and you know it's what you love,
and it's you know, not everybody can do it, and
at a lot of levels it's very hard.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Well, you know the thing is is that especially after
all these years and all the people that have come
to see us, and I mean, you know, three generations
now of Amy's. I mean we've got people coming to
the shows that are named Amy, their daughters named Amy,
and their granddaughters named Amy. So you know that's who
we're doing it for. I mean, if we were doing
this just for ourselves, it I don't think we'd you know,
(41:36):
it'll be a totally different ballgame. We do this for
the people that pay their hard ear and doe to
come out and see us play these songs that they
grew up with and play them some new stuff and
get some new people excited. And you know, that's that's
why we do it. It's all about the fans and the
people that support the band.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Yeah, yeah, congratulations on a great new album to come
away A long way since the Mark for band going
way back, Mark four? Where did that name come from?
How'd you come up with Mark four? Is here your
first band?
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Uh? Yeah, it was, Actually it was Mike Riley and
the Renegade was the first one. But the Mark four
we had a guy named Rick, a guy named Al
and Mike and so it was there were four of
us and so it was the m A R. C. Four.
But you know, it was a high school band and
we were having fun.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
So yeah, yeah, and then joined the Lemon Pipers towards
their end Oxford, Ohio at the home of Miami University.
I had a sister who went there. Uh yeah, that
was that was like towards the end of that how
did it was just happen stance You ended up with them.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
They they got offered some gigs on the Dick Clark
Caravan of Stars, and Bill Bartlett, the guitar player, had
sort of retired or went into seclusion as it were,
you know, and the drummer called me up and a
couple of other guys and said, hey, look at we've
got some gigs on the Caravan of Stars. Let's hit
(43:04):
the road. So we did, you know, for about six weeks,
and we backed up the Charells and the Dixie Cups
and you know, all those guys. It was. It was
a lot of fun. Pard here and the Raiders were
on that tour, so it was a it was a blast.
Those were the days, man.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Yeah. Yeah, And really paying your dues, you know, and
not like you went on some talent show somebody discovered you. Now,
like that doesn't seem to be nearly as organic, really
paying your dues, really getting out there and playing live.
And I'm sure you remember your first PPL show wasn't
it at the Arie Canal Festival.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Yeah, it was called Bull Island Soda Pop Festival and
Bull Island, Illinois. It was you know, the whole woodstock
lineup and all those you know, it's three hundred thousand
people and on Labor Day of seventy two, and it
was like, yikes, this is an auspicious start. Yeah, you know,
from there.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
So yeah, it's just it's so fascinating when you're in
the world of the arts and how things can just
like come up that you never even saw. And it's
fascinating looking back on that now so many years later.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
It's, uh, you know, it'll all be in the book
if I ever get around to that. You know, it's
it's that's been a work in progress for five decades,
so you know, you never know.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
Yeah, it's gonna be a good book when that gets done.
I definitely even say, yeah, definitely get that out there.
So many autobiographies are out there now, so yeah, definitely
I would definitely go out and do that.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
I've read a lot of them. I try to stay
up on, you know, what people have to say, and
sometimes you know, they can be even the biggest stars
can be boring. But then you know you're get took
like Keith Richards's book and it was just brilliant. Yeah,
you know, I mean there's it's you can never tell,
but you know, and I don't know that anybody would
(44:54):
be all that interested in pure period of League roads stories,
but you know there's there's some there's some good times
and some good anecdotes, and you know, we'll see how
that spaghetti sticks'd be great.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
Well, enjoy your time up there in New York before
you head back out on the road and see you
throughout twenty twenty five as where you record this and
new album. Definitely get that. It's just available on all
the formats.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
YEP, YEP, YEP, CD Baby and Pure Prairie League Record.
That's on our website, in the merch store, there's several
different all the streaming outlets, you know, Amazon Music, iTunes, Spotify,
all that, so, but it'd be nice for people to
buy the actual CD. And we're also going to have
vinyl by the end of January, so with a few
(45:44):
other surprises. But you know, it's streaming is great. I'm
just going to say that really quickly. You know, it's
your music out there, and it's these days it's it's
an absolute necessity. But we like the fact that people
can pick up the CD. Look on the inside, they
(46:05):
can pick up the album and pull out the sleeve
and read both sides, Read the lyrics, read the credits,
read the notes. You know, it's that to me, is
is the heart of this business, and I want to
make sure that we keep some of that heart in there.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah. And then the artwork that comes with it too.
That the covers, the front cover and the back cover,
nothing like what the LPs were always like. They're just beautiful.
It's just like I remember some would come with posters,
even with some of those stars in the seventies. But yeah,
so you have good artwork with this as well.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Yeah. Bill Brown, the guy that did our artwork on
this record, just hit it out of the park, you know.
I mean I gave him the ideas, he came back
to me with some preliminary drawings, and then the next thing,
I know, a couple of weeks later, he's got these
this beautiful these beautiful colors on the front. You know,
I just said, I want to do back on track,
I want to have Luke on a handcart going yeah, yeah,
(47:02):
Well he nailed it.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
You know, it was his idea to do the caboose
on the back and the colors and stuff. It just
I think it's a beautiful package. And I'm really you know,
not to not to sound self aggrandizing, but I'm so
proud of this record.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
I can't tell you yeah, and should be absolutely not
just not just saying that either. It's just really wonderful
and it's just inspiring to see you out there with
something new and going out there and traveling. It's all
impressive stuff.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Well, I appreciate you having me on to be able
to spread the word, Bob.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Absolutely, you're Prairie League coming to a town near you,
near me, it's that would be Gainesville, Georgia, which is
a little bit of a drive from where I'm at.
But yeah, beautiful plays, very good, excellent, take care and
best wishes going forward.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Thanks very much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
A good ONEVI. Wow, that was a lot of fun.
I really enjoyed that. What I haven't really talked about
is that today is National Pastry Day, So enjoy as
we head towards Christmas twenty twenty four as I record this,
and just for the time capsule, we're winding down this year,
(48:15):
so enjoy. I hope you enjoyed listening to Michael and
we're talking about the wonderful catalog known as Pure Rairie
League PPL. Check them out and get that album back
on track available where you get all that wonderful music.
Until next time, have a wonderful holiday season if you're not,
(48:40):
if you're seeing this at the moment, Otherwise if you haven't,
then you have a wonderful next holiday season. Whatever anyway,
enjoy and we'll season
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