His sound is instantly identifiable. The groove, both subtle
and soulful, represents the touch of a unique musical force. For the past five
decades, the words and music of Gregg Rolie
have been interwoven into our collective subconscious. A founding member of Santana, The Storm, Abraxas Pool, and Journey (for which he was the original lead singer), Rolie
has been on the road with Ringo Starr
and his All-Starr Band in recent years and will join his former bandmates in
Journey for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 7th.
This is the veteran musician’s second time receiving this honor. Nineteen years
after joining the prestigious RRHOF ranks as a member of Santana, Gregg Rolie
took some time out of a recent Saturday afternoon to talk about the upcoming
award ceremony, and his work past, present, and future.
 |
| Gregg Rolie in his element image by Scott Robert Ritchie |
Roy Abrams: It’s been sixteen years since you and I last
spoke—
Gregg Rolie: I told Michael
(Jensen, President of Jensen Communications), damn, I remember this guy’s name
but I can’t remember from what!
RA: It was just prior to the release of Roots.
The two us kind of commandeered a table in this nice Italian restaurant in
Manhattan that Michael took us to, and we sat there so long talking that
eventually Michael came in and said, “Listen, we need to wrap this up!”
GR: [Laughs] That’s awesome. Well, listen, man, it’s good to
talk to you again! I feel like Ringo right now … where’s the (time) gone?
Forget it! [Laughs]
RA: Congratulations on your second induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
GR: Thank you!
RA: Are there any plans for Journey to perform as part of the
ceremony?
GR: Oh, yeah! I will play on one song. It’s a celebration of
Journey—past, present, and future. It’s kind of like the Eagles; they went through a couple of changes, too, and
you can’t negate some of the things that happened earlier on, even though the
success has continued—God bless Neal
(Schon) for carrying this on as long as he has; finding Arnel (Pineda) … going through the singers, he’s done a good
job of this! I’m going to be playing on one song. I’m not going to divulge
which song because it’s kind of up to those guys what they want to do.
 |
| JOURNEY image courtesy of Sony Legacy |
RA: So, it’s been 19 years between the first induction (with Santana) and
now. I remember speaking with you about Journey 16 years ago, and how you
emphasized remaining true to one’s musical identity and musical integrity,
which prompted your decision to part ways. What specific issues arose that made
you decide that you could no longer travel that road?
GR: With Santana, it was a musical difference, for sure, (as
well as) personal differences. (It was) too much, too soon. We were all full of
ourselves; we didn’t treat each other very nicely. That was a shame, which got
rectified on Santana IV. That was a ball,
doing that; going back and recording with Carlos and the guys, and with Neal as
well. That was last year that we finished that off. With Journey, it was more
about being tired of the road. I had built two bands, lived out of a suitcase
for 14 years or whatever it was, and I wanted to change my life. I was unhappy;
therefore I was making other people unhappy. I just didn’t want to be there
anymore! You know, the best way I can put this, which I’ve said before, is that
the gypsy life that traveling in a band is, when it’s fun, it’s great! You
travel all over the world, you’re playing music for people, and it’s
tremendous! And then, when the smell is off the rose, for whatever reason, and
you say I don’t want to do this anymore, then you don’t. I think that’s true
for any walk of life; anybody that’s had enough, like a stockbroker, sooner or
later, (you say) “I’ve had enough of this! All the yelling and the screaming—I
just want to get out of here!” [Laughs] That was it, more than anything. I
wanted to start a family, and just change my life. I didn’t play seriously for
two years! I fooled around on the piano, but I started a family, which is
probably my best work to date. I have a great family.
RA: That’s beautiful thing and it doesn’t get better than
that! Referring back to the Roots album,
I remember how stoked you were to be working with the Santana percussion
section … and you just had the opportunity to reunite with the entire band for Santana IV. The reunion was announced in
February 2013, and the recording took place during 2014-2015. What were those
sessions like? How quickly did everything gel?
GR: People say, wow, it took them two years to do that! Well,
that’s not true; everybody was working. I was out with Ringo Starr,
Neal Schon was out with Journey, and Santana was being Santana. We got together
when we could; in all reality, I don’t think it took more than a few months to
really do it. It was all sporadic; we sent things to each other. I wrote lyrics
here in Austin and sang a couple of songs in Austin and sent them in. Carlos
goes, “These are awesome!” We did it from afar, but the tracking was all done
in Las Vegas in a studio that Carlos wanted to use, which was fine. It went
fast; every solo of mine on that record is the first take. (Santana drummer) Mike Shrieve goes, “I don’t know what’s going on with
you, man, but I love what you’re doing!” I said, “I don’t know, but I accept!”
It was rocket fast and enjoyable. Carlos
is the one who says that we just didn’t treat each other very well when we were
young, which is really well put. You know, when you’re young and not treating
people well and you really take it seriously, and you grow older and find out
much of it was nonsense in the first place.
 |
| Carlos, Neal, and Gregg image by Robert M. Knight |
RA: You and the Hammond B3
organ are inexorably linked. It’s a deeply traditional sound in
popular music. What are your thoughts on some of the newer keyboard technology?
The British musician Jacob Collier
is utilizing a prototype called the Harmoniser.
GR: It depends on the song. I’m almost going to have to
change my mind immediately, because I’m playing with Ringo and we’re playing
Beatles songs with a B3 and there was never one there, but it works because of
the way I play it, it’s very subtle, and it fills up the room. Sometimes a B3
is just too big to in a song. On Abraxas Pool,
I used a Roland
organ substitute because it had a lighter feel to it, and it made it sound
lighter. Sometimes an organ is just so heavy that it doesn’t belong. It’s how
you approach it. I’ve always been – except for in Santana, where it was really
predominant—I’ve always been pretty subtle about the keyboards. And as far as
the synthesizer stuff, I love some of the string sounds … there’s some very
cool things that go on with it.
RA: When you got the phone call to work with Ringo, what was
going through your mind at that point?
GR: “Are you sure you’ve got the right guy?” [Laughs] I mean,
Mark Rivera is the music director (of the All-Starr
Band). He plays with Billy Joel
now, the sax player. He’s a multi-faceted player. At any rate, he gave me a
call and I said, well, this is great, but you better give me this material fast
because I don’t do this! I haven’t played other people’s music and had to learn
somebody else’s music other than to listen to something and make it my own. So,
here I am playing “Broken Wings”
(from Mr. Mister) and Todd Rundgren’s stuff, and (Steve)
Lukather’s, and of course, Ringo!
(I thought) What am I going to do with this? I’m not this guy!” I was a little
taken aback by it, but (I thought) I gotta do it! Ringo Starr and The Beatles—if it wasn’t for them, I would never be in
music! I would have been an architect! That’s what I was going to do, I was
going to college, and then Santana happened, and that was the end of that. I
just opened the doors and went. It’s the whole key to anything: If the door is
there and you see it, and it’s open, you really ought to take a shot at it.
[Laughs]
RA: With the hindsight of years, how would you assess the
musical contributions of both Journey and Santana to popular music culture?
GR: Santana, number one, is an endless market; it’s like
(the) blues. It just doesn’t go away. Santana music is rhythmic … if you listen
to Pandora and listen to Gypsy King network it’s got a thing … just like blues!
You listen to Muddy Waters
now, it could have been 70 years ago, and it doesn’t matter. Santana’s like
that, and it will continue, because it is so rhythmic and infectious. Journey
is a well-built band that, after I left, penned some very good songs. Neal’s
playing, of course, goes without saying, and (Steve) Perry’s
voice. It caught a generation. But Santana catches so many generations, it’s
crazy. And at the same time, I can say, well, I could be wrong here, because
Journey is continuing on, and they’re catching more people. Being a part of
building a couple of bands of this caliber, I’m so proud of it, but I never
thought about it as we did it; we just (thought), well, here’s the work we have
to do! Where you end up is probably from the work. If you’re afraid of work,
you shouldn’t be in this business.
RA: What advice would you give to musicians regarding holding
a band together?
GR: [Laughs] I don’t know, I haven’t done too well! I guess
my best example to date is playing with the All-Starrs, because it is so
well-run because it’s so relaxed, but it’s serious, and everybody takes it
seriously. The professionalism of the players, of taking other people’s music
and playing it as hard as it if was yours, is what’s going on. And the respect
that everybody has for Ringo, for much the same reason I stated before: I mean, I don’t have any stats on it, but they
probably started more music in the world than anybody! Music just popped up out
of everywhere! I know that’s what happened with me, and I know that’s true of
Lukather, too. As far as running a band, though, he runs a band the way I run
my own, except it’s on steroids. We travel well; he treats us so great. It is a
phenomenal thing that’s happened in my life. The way (Ringo) runs the band is
the way I always thought it should be done, and here I am, doing it!
RA: Given your frenetic schedule, do you find the time to
check out any new artists? If so, who’s doing it for you these days?
GR: You know, I really haven’t. My education of music
nowadays stems from my son, who is a producer and engineer, who did a lot of my
vocals on Santana IV. His name is Sean.
RA: Fantastic! That’s so cool! Congratulations, Dad!
GR: When he was eight years old, he was in the studio, so he
was just born in this stuff. He just has tremendous ears, and I know it’s my
son, and everybody says, “Oh, you’re just blowing a horn for him,” but I
wouldn’t use him if he was bad! He is truly awesome. His musical knowledge of
stuff—he’s 31 now—he explores it all. He passes on all this stuff to me, and
some of it is really cool and some of it is, “Really? I must be old!” [Laughs]
RA: Have you heard of a band called The Lemon Twigs? I recommend them.
GR: Cool! I’ll look them up after I get off the phone with
you.
RA: What were some of the most memorable experiences with
Santana?
GR: Some of them are hindsight, but they’re true and real.
I’ll start with this; it’s an old story, but it’s really honest and true. We
were supposed to go on later in the afternoon (at Woodstock). We flew in there on a
helicopter, like the kind they used in North Korea, and I remember Barry
Imhoff, who worked with Bill Graham
at the time, saying, “Look at that (the crowd)!” And I was going, “Yeah!” I had
no concept; ants on a hill! It didn’t strike me, it really didn’t. We had
played to 30,000 people before, festivals were everywhere and we played few of
them. (Anyway), we were supposed to play later on and it was all helter
skelter. Bill Graham was signing contracts for the movie for Santana, and he
actually wasn’t even our manager. We went, okey doke! Everything was helter
skelter and we had to go on early. The story—Carlos has told this—Carlos had
taken some mescaline, thinking he was going on later … well, he peaked right at
the time where we had to go on, because they changed it on us. I had no idea
he’d done that. (I thought), he’s not playing quite the same. He said, “Oh,
God, help me through this! My guitar is like a snake—if I could just hold on to
it, I’ll never do this again!” [Laughs]
RA: I would imagine!
GR: I didn’t know about that for I don’t know how many years,
honest to God. On top of that, we drove
out. I stayed to see Sly Stone,
who was awesome; then we drove out of there. It took forever to get through
half a million people! We flew in, it took five seconds. If I had driven in, I
think I would have been scared to play for that many people. Otherwise, I
wasn’t. That’s my hindsight on the whole thing. Of course, getting in that
movie, and getting in the center of it, it set the whole career for Santana and
really made it take off.
RA: What about standout memories with Journey?
GR: I’ll tell you one of the major things that ever happened
was, Herbie Herbert
looked at me one day (he was our manager) and said, “Is there anything that impresses you? You just
don’t seem to get impressed by anything!” I said, “Oh, yeah, I do. I’m really
impressed that we built this band. This was not a phenomenon. This was built.” He just looked at me and went,
“Oh, well. I guess I won’t say anything to that!” … We went from the rental
cars to the one Winnebago tour, which was a disaster … Neal and I took our earnings and just flew
home. That was the first and last Winnebago tour! To the busses, to the planes,
to the stadiums … I mean, all of it, over a period of seven years … My whole
point about Journey, for me, is that it is past, present, and future, and
without the past, the present wouldn’t have been there, and neither would the
future. So, we all built this, and I’m very proud of everybody that’s been in
it; it’s been an incredible trip.
 |
| Gregg Rolie image courtesy of Gregg Rolie |
RA: What does the present and future hold for Gregg Rolie?
Are you currently working on anything?
GR: Yeah, I am! As a matter of fact, I am finally going to
finish—with my son Sean, who is helping me to produce this, along with Frenchie Smith—this album that I
started before Santana IV. I put it
on the back burner (and have) all this music sitting there. I have Steve
Lukather playing guitar; Neal played on one track—some phenomenal players, but
it’s all my own stuff. I’m trying to get this out this year, and hopefully,
because I’ve got a ton (of songs) … the last five years, I’ve never been so
busy! I don’t know what happens at retirement—I just kept getting calls that I
couldn’t turn down! I have my own band; we’re still trying to get that going
and keep it alive. We’ve got a few dates, but nothing to speak of at this
point; there’s only about four or five of them. Then I’m going to go out with
Ringo again in October.
RA: It’s been great speaking with you again, Gregg! Thank you
very much for your time!
GR: My pleasure, man. Take care, Roy.
© Roy Abrams 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment