Welcome to a conversation with

LARRY CHANEY

 

Where and when were you born?

Wichita, Kansas  6/12/54

Tell us about your first musical instrument and do you still own it?

I grew up with a grand piano in the house, but I hated piano lessons.  When I was 12 my folks bought me a Sears Silvertone electric guitar with the amp in the case.  You had to open the case and stand it on edge.  It was cool because I could tell my friends at school that my amp "is this tall!"  In reality, the amp could have fit in a bos one foot square.  I wish I still had it.

What was the first rock 'n roll concert you attended and what albums were in your collection as a teenager?

I was lucky, especially considering that I didn't grow up in a terribly cultured area, to see Humble Pie's very first show in the U.S.  They were opening for Grand Funk Railroad, of which I was a big fan.  I had never heard of Humble Pie, but their set is what I remember so vividly to this day.  Two guitars, bass and drums, a great lead singer in Steve Marriot, and a great lead guitar in Peter Frampton.  Over 30 years later, that show still influences my view of what Rock and Roll is supposed to sound like, look like and feel like.

My album collection at the time was typical.  Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin, etc.  I also got into more melodic, acoustic rock like James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, which then led me to west coast country rock like the Byrds, Poco, Flying Burrito Bros., etc.

At what point in your life did you realize that singer/songwriter/musician would be your profession?

Well, I'm sure I was like a lot of kids from my generation, that when they saw the Beatles on TV for the first time, I felt like I had to do that, although I was young enough to not know what that really meant.

I guess it would have to have been in the mid 70's when I packed up and drove to Nashville with $65 in my pocket, which wouldn't have been enough to get back home on.  So I sort of forced myself into a situation where I would have to get at least some gigs, and in the process check the scene out and see if I wanted to stay.  Later on, I found myself gradually working more and more in the studios, although I never made a conscious decision to do so and always played live shows as well.

What other types of jobs have you had in the past?

Fry cook, bus boy, carpet layer, offset press operator.  The funniest one was in Nashville when I was so poor, and a drummer friend asked me if I wanted to fill in for him that night.  I needed the money so bad that I said yes.  It was playing country music in a beer joint, and as long as we played mid-temp country, I had the guy I was working for fooled, although I'm sure that he was wishing my friend was there instead.  But as soon as they wanted to play something with a "train beat", the scam was up, and I admitted that I was a guitar player, not a drummer.  I still made $15, though.

How is it that you came to be a part of the Edwin McCain Band?

I was playing with a girl named Heidi Campbell.  Dave Harrison was her drummer and band leader.  He eventually hired Scott and Craig to be in the band as well. At the same time, the EMB was doing pre-production demos with Matt Rollings and Kenny Greenburg, the production team for Misguided Roses.  Matt was also producing Heidi, and we had worked on sessions together several times.  Me and Kenny go all the way back to the early 80's when we would share gigs, usually me subbing for him.  When Kenny started putting lots of electric guitar on Edwin's songs, they realized that they would have to find someone to play those parts live.  I was very hesitant to go on the road, although I was digging the new tracks they were recording.  My wife, Elizabeth, finally convinced me that I shouldn't let this opportunity pass.

Do you recall your best and worst stage performances?

There are things that happened on stage in the late 70's with Steve Earle that I will deny to the end!

Years later, I did a series of industry showcases in Nashville for a country singer/songwriter that will remain anonymous.  typically, showcases are done around 6:00-7:00 in the evening, so that record executives can go on the way home from work.  We had done two showcases that week that started at 7:00.  The big finale in front of the biggest of the big wigs was supposed to start at 6:00.  No one told me.  Later, I confirmed this with 2 other guys in the band.  Maybe it was my fault, but I went home to take a shower while everyone else stayed.  While I was in the shower, the phone rang.  It was the sound man at the club.  He said, "Dude, they're on the 2nd song!".  I finished dressing in the car and got there in time for the last 2 songs.  The poor guy I was working for was sweating like Albert Brooks in the movie "Broadcast News".  Needless to say, he didn't get a record deal.  Tragic.

It is hard to tell when I'm having a good gig.  Sometimes after a show when I think I sucked, invariably a dozen people will tell me that I never sounded better.  There are gigs that stand out, though.  Pretty much every time we play Chicago House of Blues is a highlight.  The same could be said for the last show we did in Austin, and not because I live there.  Austin audiences always make you feel like they're really listening, and it makes you play better.

In the past, I had the good fortune of playing 2 shows with Gail Davies, opening for Neil Young at Red Rocks, Colorado, and then the Fox Theatre in St. Louis.  The Red Rocks show was possibly the largest audience. It was back when they still let people up on the big boulders.

What is the funniest/strangest thing you've seen someone in the audience say or do while you were performing?

When we did the 2 night stand at the Myrtle Beach HOB for the DVD, I had the worst first night, which is why you always do 2 nights for those kinds of things. Anyway, I had gear problems, couldn't find the pocket, something was wrong with the monitors, and in the middle of all that, I guess a couple of girls right in front had finally had enough to drink and decided to expose themselves!  Knowing I was being filmed, I tried not to react, but I remember thinking, "Oh great, what's next?"  I've watched the DVD looking for my reaction, but I know that 90% of it is the 2nd night.

You've toured throughout the USA with the Edwin McCain Band. If you were to ever relocate, which city or region would you setting in and why?

That's tough.  I really like where I live now.  There are those times when I'm on the west coast, and the weather is perfect, great food everywhere, beautiful people, and it's easy to see why people want to live there.  but I think sometimes that visiting places like New York, or northern Italy is better.  You get to enjoy it without having to come up with what it would cost to live there.

Of the places you have seen, what is your favorite city in the USA?

New York is still the greatest city in the world.  Its the original metropolis, the modern day Rome.

What can you tell us about yourself that you think would surprise us?

Maybe that I could be happy working in a winery in Australia, or a bakery in Italy.  But I would still be playing music, even if it was just for me.

Finally, who's music are you listening to these days?

A couple of years ago, David Ryan Harris turned me on to a British artist named Lewis Taylor.  First of all, when DRH speaks, you listen.  And boy, was he right.  Lewis combines Marvin Gaye/Donny Hathaway style vocals with Jimi Hendrix style guitar playing and Earth, Wind and Fire chord changes and arrangements, topped with some Mitchell Froom/Chad Blake/Los Lobos weirdness.  Of course, the same description can be applied to David Ryan Harris himself, who is also great.  Anyway, LT just released some new stuff, so I'm back into it again.