1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Welcome back, everybody. This is Matt Connorton Unleashed. We are 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,120 live from the studios of WM and H on this 3 00:00:06,639 --> 00:00:11,240 Saturday morning. You might be hearing Amnesia by John Possett 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,759 Dart and we have him, I believe on the phone 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:14,039 with us. 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,399 Speaker 2: John. Is that you, Hey man, how are you doing? 7 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: Good? Good, Welcome to the show. It's great to speak 8 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,239 with you. I kind of went down the rabbit hole 9 00:00:23,359 --> 00:00:26,839 last night with your music. Obviously I've always been aware 10 00:00:26,839 --> 00:00:28,559 of you, but it's been a long time since I 11 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,879 listened to any of your well, first of all, since 12 00:00:32,039 --> 00:00:35,759 any Posset Dart band. So that was fun kind of 13 00:00:35,759 --> 00:00:37,479 going back and listening to a lot of that stuff. 14 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,399 And I also listen to some of your more recent 15 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,560 solo material. And I have to say, I really really 16 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,039 love a lot of what you're doing. And I'm excited 17 00:00:45,039 --> 00:00:48,039 that you're coming to Manchester on the thirteenth to play 18 00:00:48,039 --> 00:00:48,840 at the Rex Theater. 19 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, the Rex is a really nice room. We 20 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:53,600 love coming back here. 21 00:00:54,719 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: Have you played there quite a bit over the years 22 00:00:58,159 --> 00:00:59,039 We have played. 23 00:00:58,799 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: Yes, we have, we have. And the new end it's 24 00:01:01,039 --> 00:01:02,880 kind of you know, it's gone to a couple of 25 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,760 changes and they've really fixed it up nice now and 26 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,879 it's just a really really great listening room. I mean, 27 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:10,799 people really and the audiences are really good and the 28 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,799 whole staff who run it are really great folks. So's 29 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,640 it's excellent. We yes, we love coming there. 30 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: Outstanding. Now are you doing? How big of a tour 31 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:21,640 is this? Are you doing quite a few dates? 32 00:01:23,879 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, this September. We're jumping around quite a bit all 33 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,760 through September. It gets quiets down after September, but we're 34 00:01:28,799 --> 00:01:33,840 all over We're doing you know, New Hampshire, Massachusets, Maine, Connecticut. 35 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,120 We're moving around quite a bit this month, so that's good. 36 00:01:37,159 --> 00:01:40,239 And it's myself and Jim Chaplain, who's I've been playing 37 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,079 with now for twenty five years, and we're doing I've 38 00:01:43,079 --> 00:01:45,159 been really focusing on kind of coming back to the 39 00:01:45,239 --> 00:01:48,439 roots of the songs duo, which I really like and 40 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,599 it really brings in people close to the to the 41 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,599 songs and the music. So we're really enjoying working, you know, 42 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,239 in this very kind of intimate environment. So it's really great. 43 00:01:58,239 --> 00:01:59,760 And Jim and I have been playing together for a 44 00:01:59,799 --> 00:02:02,599 long long time, so it's a very we're very tight. 45 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:03,959 It's like he's a brother, you know. 46 00:02:04,719 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: Excellent. Now, Jim was not a member of Who's That 47 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:07,519 Dart Band? 48 00:02:07,599 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: Correct, not the original band, Okay, but he's been a 49 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,080 member of the band for twenty five years because the band, 50 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,599 original band broke up quite quite a way's back. But 51 00:02:17,719 --> 00:02:20,000 Jim and I've been playing together now for over twenty 52 00:02:20,039 --> 00:02:22,439 five years, and in the band when we were working 53 00:02:22,479 --> 00:02:26,159 with the band. But these days we've been as I mentioned, 54 00:02:26,159 --> 00:02:29,039 we're focusing more on just doing a I've been focusing 55 00:02:29,039 --> 00:02:31,240 on the acoustic aspect of it just because I really 56 00:02:31,319 --> 00:02:34,759 enjoy it. And but Jim has been is well known. 57 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,680 I mean, he's I don't know how if you remember 58 00:02:37,719 --> 00:02:40,159 n RBQ and he old but he plays with Al Anderson, 59 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,479 who's like one of my favorite guitar players and songwriters. 60 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,439 Oh and so we've known each other for a long 61 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,400 long time and he's he's he's he's just great. 62 00:02:50,599 --> 00:02:52,599 Speaker 1: So now on this tour, is it just the two 63 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:57,400 of you? You're just doing it as a duo? Yeah, okay, okay, 64 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:02,240 now you said so do you prefer that? I mean, 65 00:03:02,599 --> 00:03:04,439 is he playing with you the entire set? 66 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,759 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, yeah, we do a duo with the whole show. 67 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,439 Is duo. Oh very good, so so, you know, I 68 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,520 and allows me to kind of really open up and 69 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,080 carry down the root of the songs and then and 70 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,360 we we trade off. It's like we're very it's very 71 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,599 seamless how it's kind of worked out together. But but 72 00:03:21,719 --> 00:03:24,280 it's it's just uh, it's just kind of nice feel 73 00:03:24,319 --> 00:03:26,080 and it brings the songs right to the root of 74 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,159 where they are. So it's very uh, you know, you 75 00:03:28,199 --> 00:03:30,879 really get the core of what it brings. And it 76 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,039 also I find, you know, having done both, I like 77 00:03:34,159 --> 00:03:36,159 enjoy the band, but when you're playing with the band, 78 00:03:36,199 --> 00:03:38,560 it kind of pushes it, you know, it puts you, what, 79 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,479 it's a little further away from you, whereas when you're 80 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,759 acoustic in this setting, it really allows an intimacy. It 81 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:45,879 allows the audience to come up really kind of get 82 00:03:45,919 --> 00:03:49,280 in close and bring the songs up very in a 83 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,840 very kind of warm way. So I really enjoy it. Uh. 84 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: Do you ever play with a full band at this 85 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,159 point or do you always do? I mean, since Poos 86 00:03:58,159 --> 00:04:03,479 that Dart band broke up? How long was that band together? 87 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:04,759 Not that long? 88 00:04:04,919 --> 00:04:09,159 Speaker 2: Right, Well, we were together in the seventies and into 89 00:04:09,199 --> 00:04:12,400 the early eighties, and the industry really kind of took 90 00:04:12,439 --> 00:04:15,879 a big shift at that point, and that's when we 91 00:04:16,439 --> 00:04:20,160 left Capital and We've done We've got a long tour 92 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,759 and then disbanded after this very long tour across the country, 93 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,720 and the whole nature of radio and record really went 94 00:04:28,759 --> 00:04:30,800 through a shift. It was kind of during the period 95 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,720 when the disco and techno stuff really hit the country, yep. 96 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,079 And and when we were with Capital at that point, 97 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:41,720 there was a band called the Nac that turned in 98 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,199 my Sharona, and the labels really just changed their whole 99 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,399 emphasis and direction and so a lot of rosters really 100 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,000 shifted around that period of time, and so it was 101 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,920 almost kind of the end of an era. And it 102 00:04:55,959 --> 00:04:59,279 wasn't really until kind of the beginning of the nineties 103 00:04:59,319 --> 00:05:02,680 when when female artists kind of came back into the 104 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,959 picture that I felt like kind of really kind of reconnecting. 105 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,439 And it was because it was it was the hole 106 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,959 that hole here in the eighties was a kind of 107 00:05:09,959 --> 00:05:12,000 a bizarre period of time musically. 108 00:05:12,399 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's interesting. Uh, A lot of people when they 109 00:05:16,199 --> 00:05:19,920 go through that, I just know from interviewing people when 110 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:21,639 they go through something like that where they've been on 111 00:05:21,639 --> 00:05:23,879 a major label, and then you know it kind of 112 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,560 like you said, there's a shift, right, and then they 113 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,720 get kind of at the end of it, they're kind 114 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,720 of exhausted by it all, and they and they step 115 00:05:31,759 --> 00:05:34,399 away entirely. And it sounds like, so did you take 116 00:05:34,439 --> 00:05:35,959 a break. It sounds like you took a bit of 117 00:05:35,959 --> 00:05:37,839 a break after that. 118 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, we did. I mean the whole there was 119 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,639 a big shift in terms of the whole picture. In 120 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,360 other words, I left, we left capital, I left management, 121 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,000 and at that point, I actually I moved. I moved 122 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,680 to a different area, and then I moved from I 123 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,240 lived in Rockport at the end of the seventies. Yeah, 124 00:05:56,319 --> 00:05:59,160 and then I moved to New York and started doing 125 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,360 when the band broke up, and I started doing a 126 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,360 lot of session work, and so I got involved with 127 00:06:03,399 --> 00:06:05,399 singing and doing a lot of session work in the city, 128 00:06:05,439 --> 00:06:07,240 which kind of kept me very active, but in a 129 00:06:07,399 --> 00:06:10,519 kind of a different vein It was more more revolving 130 00:06:10,519 --> 00:06:14,439 around television and different things that were and writing for 131 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,319 different venues rather than just record and so I got 132 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,720 really involved in that through the eighties, which was great 133 00:06:21,759 --> 00:06:23,879 because I worked with a ton of people and I 134 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:25,199 had a lot of and I actually had a lot 135 00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:27,879 of different bands then, but there were different players. It 136 00:06:27,879 --> 00:06:31,319 was a bunch of guys playing, you know, it was 137 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,160 it was It wasn't the original band, but the original band, 138 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:37,839 all the original guys, Troy and Curtis and I are 139 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,560 all in touch, like we speak to each other regularly, 140 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,800 and we're all still you know, everybody's kind of gone 141 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,600 off in different directions as happens, you know, because really 142 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,160 when you're with a band like we were, we were 143 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:50,079 a family. I mean, it's like being married. You know, 144 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,759 it's like a marriage, you know, and when the marriage 145 00:06:52,759 --> 00:06:55,160 breaks up, you know, you everybody kind of goes off 146 00:06:55,199 --> 00:06:58,199 in different directions. But we're still very very close, and 147 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,040 I love those guys yearly, and we stayed very much 148 00:07:01,079 --> 00:07:01,519 in touch. 149 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: That's really good to hear, because, as you know, so 150 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,600 often that's not the outcome, you know, very very often 151 00:07:09,639 --> 00:07:12,839 it's it's, you know, people don't talk to each other anymore. 152 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,600 There's there's some sort of weird grudge between musicians wh've 153 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:17,040 been in a man. 154 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,199 Speaker 2: That wasn't the case. Yeah, that wasn't the case with us, 155 00:07:20,199 --> 00:07:22,439 because it was more just the business that changed. It, 156 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,600 wasn't it wasn't. It wasn't interpersonal. It was more just, uh, 157 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,240 you know, we had really worked hard and we you know, 158 00:07:28,279 --> 00:07:30,639 we broke the top forty and then it didn't didn't. 159 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,160 You know, it's just for a number of reasons. There 160 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:34,879 were a lot of decisions that were made that were 161 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,439 kind of speculative that we weren't very happy about, choice 162 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,800 of singles and the directions that the labels, you know, 163 00:07:40,959 --> 00:07:44,040 chose that kind of affected the whole picture, and so 164 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,639 there was a little bit of disenfranchisement with the kind 165 00:07:46,639 --> 00:07:49,399 of what had happened was on that level. Because the 166 00:07:49,399 --> 00:07:52,279 record business is such a wacky business. People have no 167 00:07:52,399 --> 00:07:55,600 idea how crazy the record business was back then. Yeah, 168 00:07:55,639 --> 00:07:58,800 so it was like really a different animal, you know. Yeah. 169 00:07:58,879 --> 00:08:01,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's still pretty crazy in a lot of ways. 170 00:08:01,199 --> 00:08:04,319 We talk about it a lot on this program. But 171 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,120 so when you got back in so that was during 172 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,759 the nineties when you started really kind of focusing on 173 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,879 your solo career and playing out and all of that. 174 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, what yeah, Yes, what happened is I was 175 00:08:17,279 --> 00:08:19,000 actually in New York and we were playing the Loan 176 00:08:19,079 --> 00:08:21,000 Star with the New York band who I was playing with, 177 00:08:21,079 --> 00:08:24,959 John McCurry and Chris Bishop and some really great session players. 178 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,480 John McCurry is one of my favorite guitar players in 179 00:08:27,519 --> 00:08:31,240 New York. And he's been with Julian Lennon, Billy, Joel False. 180 00:08:31,319 --> 00:08:33,600 I mean, he's played with everybody, and he's like he's 181 00:08:33,639 --> 00:08:36,159 a really he's in Cyndi Lauper did all of her 182 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,919 early stuff and he's a really good old friend. And 183 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:40,679 he was he joined the band for a while and 184 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,120 we were very close and I was playing the Loans 185 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,120 I was I was doing the Loan Star actually one 186 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,159 night with the old Loan Star thirteenth and fifth, which 187 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,799 is a great room, and they run an ad and 188 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,159 there was a record guy in Nashville at that time 189 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,519 with us. At that time, there was a label called Asylum, Uh, 190 00:08:57,759 --> 00:09:00,919 and he was a asilent Nashville and he saw the 191 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,480 ad and he called me up in New York said 192 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:03,440 what are you doing in New York? And he said, 193 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:05,399 why didn't you come down to Nashville. And that's where 194 00:09:05,399 --> 00:09:08,840 we originally recorded the early records, all in Nashville, And 195 00:09:08,879 --> 00:09:10,440 he said, why don't come down. I'll set you up 196 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,799 with you know, a whole bunch of great writers for 197 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,639 and we'll get see, you know, let's see what we 198 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:19,399 can put together. And so he basically contacted me out 199 00:09:19,399 --> 00:09:21,799 of the blue and set me up with all of 200 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,879 the most wonderful writers in Nashville. And so I went 201 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:27,759 down and wrote for two weeks and then recorded all 202 00:09:27,799 --> 00:09:30,000 that material, and that kind of brought me back into 203 00:09:30,039 --> 00:09:34,480 the Nashville fold. And so then I started working on 204 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,639 solo things from there on, and that's where my original solos, 205 00:09:38,759 --> 00:09:42,000 a lot of the first solo things started getting off 206 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,360 the ground. And it was I so went full circle 207 00:09:44,399 --> 00:09:46,399 because we actually did our first records there in the 208 00:09:46,399 --> 00:09:49,759 early seventies at the Old Quad, which was a notorious 209 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,159 that's where Drift Away by Doobe Gray was cut and 210 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:55,600 all of the kind of legendary stuff from that era 211 00:09:55,799 --> 00:09:59,159 was cut down at the Old Quad on Grand Avenue 212 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:00,320 and Film. 213 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,279 Speaker 1: So you probably back there. So you probably didn't have 214 00:10:03,279 --> 00:10:05,240 any trepidation, right, because I know a lot of people, 215 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,480 you know, when they go to Nashville, people we've had 216 00:10:07,519 --> 00:10:09,720 on the show, they'll they'll talk about how scary it 217 00:10:09,759 --> 00:10:12,279 is because that's like, you know, I mean, that's that's 218 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,240 high pressure, right, you know, sitting around writing writing songs 219 00:10:16,279 --> 00:10:19,399 with people in Nashville, Tennessee. But you had already recorded 220 00:10:19,399 --> 00:10:21,440 there with the band and everything, so for you, I 221 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:22,879 assume it was pretty comfortable. 222 00:10:25,519 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, we were very fortunate and that was the 223 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,279 first place we went when we first signed Capitol. They 224 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:33,879 sent us to Nashville with Norvid Putnam and Normood Putnam 225 00:10:33,919 --> 00:10:36,240 and David Briggs and Kenny Butchery, who we did the 226 00:10:36,279 --> 00:10:39,639 first records with were the last Elvis Presley manns. Oh wow, 227 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:41,440 they were with Presley. So we were working with the 228 00:10:41,519 --> 00:10:44,639 Presley crew. Wow. Which was really amazing as a green 229 00:10:44,759 --> 00:10:46,600 kid to be in the studio with those guys because 230 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,679 they were just phenomenal. Yeah, and so we I was 231 00:10:49,799 --> 00:10:52,559 very lucky to kind of to bump into like some 232 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,759 of the most veteran players at the very beginning. And 233 00:10:56,279 --> 00:10:58,240 we were and we were in Quad, which is one 234 00:10:58,279 --> 00:11:01,320 of the studios which was had Dylan worked in, Joan Baez, 235 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:06,120 Dobie Gray, you know, Dan Fogelberg, you name it, Jesse 236 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,639 Winchester was like that studio was the place, yeah, and 237 00:11:10,759 --> 00:11:14,320 so so it was we Yeah, so I was we 238 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,440 were very fortunate to really land in with a really 239 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,440 good crew and nor Butt was an amazing musician, and producer. 240 00:11:19,519 --> 00:11:23,519 So we were very, very fortunate to be in the 241 00:11:23,519 --> 00:11:26,159 good graces of some really wonderful people who you know, 242 00:11:26,279 --> 00:11:29,720 was a world class education for me and in every way. 243 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt. Now the set that you 244 00:11:33,519 --> 00:11:37,399 do now on tour, do you do a lot of 245 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,879 the original material who sat Dart band? Or is it 246 00:11:40,919 --> 00:11:44,039 I imagine you mix in because you've been prolific, You've 247 00:11:44,039 --> 00:11:46,639 recorded a lot both with the band and since then 248 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:47,120 as well. 249 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 2: Yes, so yes, So basically I make a good make 250 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,879 a point of really going back and honoring a lot 251 00:11:54,879 --> 00:11:57,080 of the early material to the early records through the 252 00:11:57,159 --> 00:12:00,279 capital the years, and then we move on through the 253 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,600 newer things. So it's a real you know, it's quite 254 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,399 a wide swath of material, you know, that goes back 255 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,720 to the beginning for the songs that people really like 256 00:12:08,799 --> 00:12:11,840 from that period, and then newer things. And also a 257 00:12:11,879 --> 00:12:14,120 couple of very discreete covers here. I try and pick 258 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,519 songs that I really love to play by, you know, 259 00:12:17,639 --> 00:12:20,200 by really great writers here and there. So it's it's 260 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,679 a real wide array of things. And and Jim is 261 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,240 you know, we both covered a lot of ground guitar 262 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,559 wives and Jim is just an amazing musician. So and 263 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,480 we're very tight, you know, and so it's it's, uh, 264 00:12:34,799 --> 00:12:36,639 you know, we're very close with each other and kind 265 00:12:36,639 --> 00:12:39,879 of it's there's a lot of really nice chemistry involved. 266 00:12:39,919 --> 00:12:42,519 So it's fun. It's just it's just really fun. 267 00:12:42,879 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. Are you by the way, are you from here? Originally? 268 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:46,399 Where are you from? 269 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,559 Speaker 2: I'm actually from New York. I was. I was. I 270 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,279 was born in New York and raised in New York, 271 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,440 and I moved I went to Boston when I first 272 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,000 met I first. The reason I how I wound up 273 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,759 in Boston is I had my grandparents lived in Nantucket, 274 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,519 and I used to go up there a bit, and 275 00:13:05,919 --> 00:13:07,759 when I in the fifties, in the late fifties and 276 00:13:07,799 --> 00:13:13,840 early sixties, and they One night, I had a friend 277 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,039 who got me to sit down and do an audition 278 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,519 in front of John Hammond, who was playing the Chicken Box, 279 00:13:19,519 --> 00:13:22,559 the club out in Nantucket, and and John asked me 280 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,320 to stay on and play with him for three nights. 281 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,639 And so I opened for John Hammond at the Chicken 282 00:13:26,639 --> 00:13:28,799 Box and one night Don Law, who was a promoter 283 00:13:28,919 --> 00:13:31,919 in Boston, yep, very familiar there because he and John 284 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,519 Hamm's father, John Law's father and John Hammond's father were 285 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,519 both talent scouts who had founded all kinds of you know, 286 00:13:39,519 --> 00:13:43,519 we're legendary and the music business. Yeah, and Don saw 287 00:13:43,519 --> 00:13:44,919 the show and said, what are you doing? Want you 288 00:13:44,919 --> 00:13:47,919 to come to Boston? And I went to Boston and 289 00:13:48,039 --> 00:13:50,600 he started managing me, and that's how the band started. 290 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: That's a that's a hell of a great start, I'll 291 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:58,000 tell you, that's fantastic. That's that's that's a that's an 292 00:13:58,039 --> 00:14:01,679 amazing start. And then did you get signed to Capitol 293 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:02,360 pretty quickly? 294 00:14:04,799 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 2: We actually did a lot of road work. You know, 295 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,039 Don really threw us out on the road, and I 296 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,720 asked John Troy from California. I went to University of 297 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,360 the Pacific in California. I asked him to come out 298 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,440 and play bass, and he started playing bass as a duo. 299 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,399 And then we found John Curtis through an ad in 300 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,440 a music store and we started playing trio. And Don 301 00:14:22,519 --> 00:14:25,480 really put us out on the college circuit really like 302 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,399 and it led a huge amount of work. We started 303 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,360 doing the NEC conferences and everywhere. We played all the 304 00:14:31,399 --> 00:14:34,919 colleges in New England, and so he really turned us 305 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,720 into like a real road outfit really fast. He just 306 00:14:37,759 --> 00:14:40,399 had us on the road endlessly, and we got a 307 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:44,039 reputation kind of you know, through just really hard work 308 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,639 before we were ever signed. And then you know, there 309 00:14:47,679 --> 00:14:50,480 was we had a strong reputation going from roadwork, and 310 00:14:50,519 --> 00:14:54,919 then we were started seeking out labels and towards the 311 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,320 early mid seventies and then you know, we went through 312 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,320 the same thing that I'll probably all Dan went that 313 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,279 we were rejected by all kinds of people, you know, 314 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,320 one left or another. It's you know, it's the game 315 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,279 of rejection. Was trying to find labels. And then finally 316 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,960 a uh there was a legendary recordman named Al Corey 317 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:12,840 was then the head of Capital and he was actually 318 00:15:12,879 --> 00:15:14,679 an old Boston guy and he wanted to come to 319 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,120 Boston and he came to Boston, saw us and signed us, 320 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,679 and so and so we signed with Capital, and uh 321 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,240 and then the rest was you know, a couple of 322 00:15:24,279 --> 00:15:26,360 weeks later, we were Dawn and I were out at 323 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,279 the Brown Derby and Hollywood and Vine and they were 324 00:15:28,279 --> 00:15:31,440 setting us up to uh go and start recording in 325 00:15:31,519 --> 00:15:32,559 Nashville with Norburn. 326 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,639 Speaker 1: Oh wow, yeah, that's yeah, that's that's fantastic. That's uh, yeah, 327 00:15:36,639 --> 00:15:38,399 that's a great start. How many records did you do 328 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:39,000 for Capital? 329 00:15:41,559 --> 00:15:43,799 Speaker 2: We did four, there was an option on five and 330 00:15:43,799 --> 00:15:46,960 then and then then the whole kind of industry. You know, 331 00:15:47,159 --> 00:15:50,000 when at that time when we were making those records, 332 00:15:50,039 --> 00:15:53,039 we were really spending a lot of time and really 333 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:54,720 you know, putting a lot of effort of the records. 334 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,519 And we were spending you know, the budgets were really 335 00:15:56,559 --> 00:16:00,200 high weed to make some pretty expensive records considering what 336 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,919 was going on at that time. And what happened is 337 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,159 the whole industry was very decament at that point. That 338 00:16:06,279 --> 00:16:08,879 was when you know, Fleetwood Mac turned in Tusk, which 339 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:11,279 was and that was like during that era, and so 340 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,720 the industry was really wild and crazy at that point. 341 00:16:14,879 --> 00:16:19,879 And and then you know, as I mentioned, they signed 342 00:16:19,879 --> 00:16:21,960 the Knack and the NAC turned in my Sharona for 343 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,000 ten grand, and all the labels went, oh, man, we're 344 00:16:25,159 --> 00:16:28,320 when we're changing gears now. And they realized that they 345 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,320 could get everybody to do these records for nothing, and 346 00:16:31,399 --> 00:16:34,919 so they just clean sweep all Warner and Capital and 347 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:36,960 a lot of labels just did a clean sweep of 348 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,519 their rosters and just kind of you know, started all 349 00:16:39,559 --> 00:16:41,840 over again. So it was like a real like, you know, 350 00:16:42,279 --> 00:16:46,000 a real rude awakening in a lot of ways at 351 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,000 that period of time. And then also a Saturday night 352 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,080 fever came in from the DG's and the whole scene 353 00:16:51,159 --> 00:16:53,399 just kind of went, you know, just went flipped like 354 00:16:53,399 --> 00:16:55,840 like a one eighty degree in terms of what was 355 00:16:55,879 --> 00:16:58,559 going on in terms of record radio. So it was 356 00:16:58,759 --> 00:17:01,039 it was a very know, it was a very eye 357 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,840 opening period of time to go through, that's for sure. 358 00:17:04,559 --> 00:17:06,519 Speaker 1: Yeah, but you had a you had a great start, 359 00:17:06,559 --> 00:17:08,880 and of course that built the foundation for everything that 360 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,240 you've been able to do since. And and I like 361 00:17:12,279 --> 00:17:14,799 I said very much, so yeah, and I really like 362 00:17:14,799 --> 00:17:16,680 a lot of the new material that you're doing as well. 363 00:17:17,799 --> 00:17:20,680 And we should mention, we should remind people. Of course, 364 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,119 you're going to be at the Rex Theater on September thirteenth, 365 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,160 and of course, for anyone who's never been there, it 366 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,400 is a it is a fantastic place. And this is 367 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,799 this is just you. Correct, there's no opener, it's just 368 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,119 it's just you and your partner. 369 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 2: And last time, no, the last yeah, the last time 370 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:38,200 we were in it was just us. I don't I 371 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:40,440 don't recall that we had no better last time. Okay, 372 00:17:40,599 --> 00:17:43,680 but the nice thing about it, there's really a really 373 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,599 great audience there. I mean that the audience was fantastic 374 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,599 the last couple of times we've been in there. I mean, 375 00:17:48,599 --> 00:17:52,079 they're just it's a very enthusiastic and and uh, you know, 376 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,440 people really knew this, knew the songs, and so we 377 00:17:55,519 --> 00:17:57,000 love playing. There's a great room. 378 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, that's that's excellent. That's excellent. And then what 379 00:18:01,039 --> 00:18:03,920 are your plans for after this run of shows is 380 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,839 done on this tour? Are you gonna You're gonna do 381 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,160 another album or what? Do you know what your kind 382 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:09,359 of long term trajectory is? 383 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 2: You know what I've been doing this. I've been since 384 00:18:13,279 --> 00:18:16,400 I did a record. The last record I did I 385 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,920 did for Sony Red and we did it. We did 386 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,720 I went back when I first went to Nashville. I 387 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:25,640 told you I came. We came on the tail end 388 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,599 of the drift Away sessions with Dobe Gray, and I 389 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,559 walked him at the end of their cutting drift Away 390 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:32,880 and the guys were still in the studio and one 391 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,079 of my heroes, Reggie Young, was one of my really 392 00:18:36,079 --> 00:18:38,599 one of my favorite guitar players, bar None was there 393 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,400 in the studio, and I kind of made a mental 394 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,039 note at that time, which was, this is the seventies, 395 00:18:43,039 --> 00:18:45,319 that I would wanted to do a record with him 396 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,880 so badly all these years, so you know, turned the 397 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,240 clock turns, you know, thirty thirty years forward or so, 398 00:18:53,079 --> 00:18:54,720 and I made a mental note that I wanted to 399 00:18:54,759 --> 00:18:57,720 go back. And I met with a producer named Bill Worndek, 400 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,599 who passed subsequently since, but one of the legendary, absolutely 401 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:07,160 amazing producers. He's done Alison Krause and you know Bellafleck 402 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,240 and many many of the greats, and you know MARLEH. Stanley. 403 00:19:10,279 --> 00:19:12,799 I mean, it's just a long list. But we got 404 00:19:12,799 --> 00:19:14,839 together and did a record, and we wanted to bring 405 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,559 in these these the Muscle Shows guys and Reggie Young. 406 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:19,799 So I did a record with a lot of the 407 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:23,440 Muscle Shows guys, Reggie Young and the Memphis and the 408 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,279 real top bench Nashville players and turn in a record 409 00:19:27,279 --> 00:19:29,640 called Talk, which was I think the best record I've 410 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,319 ever done. Wow, that was the last record I did, 411 00:19:32,839 --> 00:19:35,039 and it didn't it was kind of quiet, kind of 412 00:19:35,079 --> 00:19:38,200 it was didn't really like Sony didn't do much you know, 413 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:40,359 it was the period of time when everything was changing 414 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:44,279 from kind of the old record the whole promo routine 415 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,880 to social media. So it's a big switch. And since 416 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,640 then I've started really working wanted to put more effort 417 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:53,680 and just putting singles out so I don't spend so 418 00:19:53,759 --> 00:19:55,880 much time working on a whole record and just kind 419 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,200 of putting things out immediately. Which you've really noticed from 420 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,880 the site is I put and videos out like one 421 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,319 by one so that they're immediately there and I don't 422 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,400 have to spend a lot of time waiting to ac creue. 423 00:20:07,599 --> 00:20:09,400 You know, the energy that you put into a record, 424 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,400 time it takes to get it out, and the attentions. Man, 425 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,400 there's so much shorter now and a lot of people 426 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,240 don't even have you know, they don't even have CD 427 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,440 players in their cars anymore. So it's it's coming through streaming. 428 00:20:19,559 --> 00:20:23,160 So I'm kind of addressing that the medium has changed 429 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,279 to this to a very much more immediate, you know, 430 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,599 uh format. So that's kind of the way I've been 431 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:31,599 approaching it, is just putting out singles. 432 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: No, that makes sense, and it's something that we talk 433 00:20:34,039 --> 00:20:35,799 about a lot on the show with our guests. Is 434 00:20:35,799 --> 00:20:38,480 that we live in a time where you have all 435 00:20:38,519 --> 00:20:40,400 these different options in terms of how you want to 436 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:42,200 release music. You know, you can do an album, you 437 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,599 can do an EP, you can put out just singles. 438 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,319 And some of our guests they'll talk about putting out 439 00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:51,200 a series of singles that eventually they put together into 440 00:20:51,279 --> 00:20:54,079 an album. But you know, kind of the inversion of 441 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:55,839 you know, instead of putting out an album and then 442 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,279 releasing singles, you release the singles and then it becomes 443 00:20:58,559 --> 00:21:01,079 an album. But yeah, yeah, I mean that's a talk 444 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,039 about a big shift in the industry. Yeah, that's a 445 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:04,119 that's a really big one. 446 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:09,839 Speaker 2: Yes, Yes, I mean people really, you know, our people 447 00:21:09,839 --> 00:21:11,519 are just kind of getting things, you know, I mean, 448 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,000 you know with obviously you know, the advent of Spotify 449 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,599 and Rhapsody and Pandora and Amazon and all the rest 450 00:21:16,599 --> 00:21:19,240 of it. You know, that's really the way people are 451 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,680 are are receiving most of what they're getting. And it's 452 00:21:22,799 --> 00:21:26,000 a you know, it's it's it's it's also very difficult 453 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,160 because there's so much stuff coming through that you really 454 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:30,880 have to kind of dig down to find a lot 455 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,359 of the things. You know, Like there's there's tons of 456 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,920 music that's just below the surface. It doesn't ever kind 457 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,519 of come on to the yep. So it's you know, 458 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,640 it takes it takes some effort to find the things 459 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:42,839 that you really love, but it's it's there. It's just 460 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,640 I mean, you know, it's just there's so much more 461 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:48,200 being released now than ever before. So it's it's definitely 462 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,599 an onslaught of media that's being that people are being 463 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:51,839 inundated with, no question. 464 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely absolutely if you are just joining us, John 465 00:21:56,279 --> 00:21:59,119 Poussett Dart is with us, and uh, we've been talking 466 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,079 about he's got to coming up on the thirteenth at 467 00:22:02,079 --> 00:22:05,400 the Rex Theater right here in Manchester. And John, well, 468 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,119 we'll let you go in a moment, but I really 469 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,400 appreciate your time this morning, and it's great to get 470 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,640 to speak with you. And yeah, the Rex Theater is 471 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:16,480 such a nice venue. Of course, if you're online you 472 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,799 can go to Rextheater dot org or Palace Theater dot 473 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,359 org if you want to get tickets online or call 474 00:22:22,599 --> 00:22:26,480 six O three six six eight five eight eight. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, 475 00:22:26,839 --> 00:22:29,559 and you can see John Poussett Dart And I'm sorry, 476 00:22:29,599 --> 00:22:31,599 what's the name of the gentleman who plays with you again? 477 00:22:32,519 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 2: Jim Chapter Laine and the people. If people know Al Anderson, 478 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,119 Al Anderson is just a treasure, a musical one of 479 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,880 the great guitar player in Saner Sommers and he plays 480 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,559 also with Al and Al is just a monster. He's 481 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,440 literally he was a guitar both with NRBQ and n 482 00:22:47,559 --> 00:22:50,839 RBQ the original NRBQ is was one of the greatest 483 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,559 bands up their Little Feet and Bonnie Ray and some 484 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,599 of my favorite bands bar None the original band it's 485 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,079 changed now, but Al was part of it, was one of 486 00:22:59,079 --> 00:23:02,480 you original members. And he's so he works with Al 487 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,359 and and myself and so he's just and he's also 488 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:08,960 we have a lot of similar friends in Nashville and 489 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,640 spread around, so he's he's a he's just a wonderful musician. 490 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:13,559 Jim Chapter Laine. 491 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: Okay, very cool, very cool. All right, Well, John, we 492 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,079 will let you go, but thank you so much. It 493 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,640 is wonderful to speak with you today. Have a great 494 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,160 show on Friday. I wish I could be there, but 495 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,519 I'm actually on the air Friday nights. But but I 496 00:23:25,559 --> 00:23:27,279 know it's going to be great and we'll keep plugging 497 00:23:27,319 --> 00:23:29,799 it here and spreading the word. And thank you so 498 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,799 much for joining us today. 499 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 2: Matt. It's wonderful talking to you, and thank you for 500 00:23:34,279 --> 00:23:35,720 having me. Greatly appreciate it. 501 00:23:35,759 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, anytime, anytime, all right, Thanks John, 502 00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:40,319 Take care, take care. 503 00:23:41,559 --> 00:23:41,880 Speaker 2: All right. 504 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: That was John Poussett Dart and we're gonna play to 505 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,039 close out our conversation. I'm gonna play this track Amnesia. 506 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,839 This is one of the hits from back in the 507 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:58,240 days of the John Poussar, the Poussett Dart Band. Boy, 508 00:23:58,839 --> 00:24:01,880 I do a radio show, can you the Poossett Dart Band? 509 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,759 This track Amnesia? And I decided to play this one 510 00:24:05,799 --> 00:24:08,519 specifically for our friend Tony Petrello, who might be listening, 511 00:24:08,519 --> 00:24:12,279 because last night on Retrospectrum Radio we were talking about 512 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:14,400 how John was going to be joining us this morning, 513 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,559 and Tony had mentioned that he particularly particularly loves this 514 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:23,000 song Amnesia. So let's give this a spin. Then we'll 515 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,039 show some love to our amazing sponsors and then our guest. 516 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,599 We have a great guest coming in and plus we'll 517 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,319 remind you about that show and the art show that 518 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,559 Jenny is featured in as well. We'll talk about all 519 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,279 of it, but here it is. This is Amnesia. This 520 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,960 is from the poussett Dart Band, John Poussette Dart