MENU
  • Home
  • Interviews
  • BUZZ!
  • News
  • New Releases
  • Concert Reviews
  • Contributors
    • Bob Gruen's Studio
    • Bob Heimall - Cover Stories
    • Jim Kroemer - Album Art
  • About
  • Contact Us
Boomerociity.com

Article Search...
Boomerocity.com

 

Watch current interviews with music and entertainment icons and influencers of the baby boomer generation as well as rising stars in music.

Article Search...
  • Home
  • Interviews
  • BUZZ!
  • News
  • New Releases
  • Concert Reviews
  • Contributors
    • Bob Gruen's Studio
    • Bob Heimall - Cover Stories
    • Jim Kroemer - Album Art
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Boomerocity Buzz

    Boomerocity Buzz.  The latest news in the music industry.

    January 2023

    January 2023

    December 2022

    December 2022

    November 2022

    November 2022

                                  Sources                                                            Tickets

    All Access
    AllMusic
    Americana Music Magazine
    Americana One
    Aquarian Drunkard
    Bass Player Magazine
    Best Classic Bands
    Billboard
    Birthplace of Country Music
    Blabber 'n' Smoke
    Blabbermouth
    Blues and Soul Music Magazine
    Blues Matters Magazine
    Blues Music Magazine
    Bob Lefsetz
    Boot, The
    Brave Words
    Brevard Florida Live
    Broadway World
    Buddy Magazine
    Building Our Own Nashville
    ClassBands.com
    Classic Artists Today
    Classic Rock Music News
    Classic Rock Planet
    Classic Rock Review
    Classic Rock Revisited
    Classics Du Jour
    CMA World
    CMT
    Complex Magazine
    Consequence of Sound
    Country Music News Blog
    Country Music On Tour
    Country Music People
    Country Music Pride
    Country Music Rocks
    Country Music Scene, The
    Country Music Tattle Tale
    Country Routes News
    Country Standard Time
    Country Thang Daily
    Country Universe
    Country's Chatter
    Cowboy Clones
    Creem Magazine
    Digital Music News
    DIY Magazine
    Downbeat Magazine
    Drum Magazine
    Drummer World
    Dutch Progressive Rock Page
    Elmore Magazine
    Entertainment Weekly
    Everything Music Magazine
    Fan Voted Chart, The
    FellowReaders
    Folk Alley
    For Folks Sake
    Future Music Magazine
    Gerald Rothberg
    Goldmine Magazine
    Got Country Online
    Guitar Girl Magazine
    Guitar Interactive Magazine
    Guitar World
    Heavy Music Magazine
    High On Score Magazine
    Hollywood Reporter
    Hometown Country Music
    I Love Classic Rock
    In The Studio
    International Music Magazine
    Interview Magazine
    Jazz Times
    Jazziz
    Kentucky Country Music
    Kerrang
    Keystone Rock Review
    Legendary Rock Interviews
    Listen
    Live For Live Music
    Lonesome Highway
    Los Angeles Magazine
    Loudersound
    Loudwire
    Lovin' Lyrics
    Maverick Country
    Modern Rock Review
    Mojo Magazine
    Moon Dance Jam
    Music Business Worldwide
    Music Connection Magazine
    Music Radar
    Music Row Magazine
    Music Week
    MusicMixDaily.com
    Muzique Magazine
    My Classic Rock
    My Classic Rock Experience
    Nash Country Daily
    Nashville Country Club
    Nashville Country Music Magazine
    Nashville Gab
    Nashville's Newest Country
    Nashville Scene
    New Prog Releases
    NewEars
    News Now
    NME Magazine
    No Country For New Nashville
    NYCountrySwag.com
    NZ Musician
    Making Music Magazine
    Offbeat Magazine
    Phoenix New Times
    Planet Rock
    Pop Matters
    Post To Wire
    Premier Guitar
    Prog-Sphere
    ProgReport
    Progressive Aspect, The
    Progressive Music Planet
    Progressive Rock Central
    ProgRock
    Q
    Real Rock News
    Reddit - Country
    Reddit - Garage Rock
    Reddit - Indie Rock
    Reddit - Psychedelic Rock
    Reddit - Punk Rock
    Regional Daily News
    Release Music Magazine
    Revolver Magazine
    Rock and Blues Muse
    Rock News Desk
    Rock Pit, The
    Rock Sound
    Rock Star Dreams
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone Country
    Roots Rock Review
    Roughstock
    RTT News
    Saving Country Music
    SFL Music Magazine
    Six Shooter Country
    Society of Rock
    Songlines Magazine
    Sonic Perspectives
    Sounds Like Nashville
    Spin Magazine
    Stitcher.com
    Taste of Country
    Team Rock
    Texas Music Magazine
    That Nashville Sound
    This Day In Music.com
    Think Country
    Twang Nation
    Twangrila
    Twangville
    UDiscoverMusic.com
    Ultimate Classic Rock
    Uncut Magazine
    Under The Radar
    USL Magazine
    Vanity Fair
    Vibe Magazine
    View Magazine
    Vintage Guitar 
    Vintage Rock
    Vortex Magazine
    What's Up Magazine
    Whiskey Riff
    Your Life In Song

    AEGWorldWide

     

     

    BandsInTownLogo

     

     

    Live Nation Logo

     

    StubHub

     TicketLiquidatorLogo

  • John Mayall Discusses "Find A Way To Care"

    Posted September, 2015

    JohnMayallbyMaureenClark001Cropped2If all I wrote was, “John Mayall is a blues institution,” I would’ve said plenty and it would start a conversation that would last hours. The legendary blues man is, of course, the founder of the UK’s John Mayall and the Blues Breakers. That band, founded in 1960’s, had a stellar group of musicians who went on to become blues and rock greats in their own right.  Names like Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Walter Trout, Harvey Mandel, Coco Montoya and many others. 

    Even more astonishing is that the eighty-one year old icon is still recording and touring around the world. In fact, he has just released his sixty-second album entitled, “Find A Way To Care”. 

    To discuss that album, I contacted Mr. Mayall at his California home. Cordial and still quite British, I started out by asking him if this disc was, in fact, his sixty-second album, to which he said:

    “Yes, it does sound about right. The thing is, those are all the original albums and, then, there are countless others which are compilations and repackagings and things like that. Those ones I can never keep track of but the important thing is to stick with the originals.”

    When I asked how “Find A Way To Care” was different to record from the other sixty-one albums, with his very proper EverythingKnoxvilleLogoEditedBritish accent he replied quite philosophically. 

    “It’s all the passage of time and experience, you know? If you’re talking about stuff from the sixties, obviously, there was a lot of immaturity in some respect and there was also an innocence about it and strength to it, in that respect. I think the{mprestriction ids="*"} passage of time, the more you play and the more years that add up, I guess you just keep on going.”

    With recording technology and techniques changing drastically since he first recorded, I asked him if he recorded straight to digital or did he do like some other rockers like Joe Walsh or Rick Derringer are doing and record in analog first before transferring the recording into digital.

    JohnMayallbyJeffFasano002Photo by Jeff Fasano“I have no idea. I’m a firm believer in keeping up to date with all the latest technology. That’s the way I’ve always been.”

    Albums can often be a long and laborious process. Sometimes, it can take months to get an album in the can. When I asked Mayall how long his latest offering took to record, his answer was a head-spinner.

    “Well, the band came in for three days. Two of them live in Chicago and one of them lives in Fort Worth. So, they came in for three days and I did some overdubs on the forth day. The following week, we did the mixing.” 

    When I expressed my amazement over how fast the album was completed, the blues icon said: 

    “Yeah, I mean, we’ve been together for five years and everything’s first take. We know what we’re doing. I’ve always believed that the first or second take of anything is where you get the freshness and the spirit captured.

    “We all know each other. We can mind read and all that. It’s really spectacular. Ha! Ha!”

    I love Mayall’s treatment of Muddy Waters’ “Long Distance Call” and told him as much.  Knowing that musicians don’t like to pick a favorite song because it’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite kid, I asked John if there is a track off of this album that he would point to as a calling card to people to entice them to buy it.

    “It’s almost an impossibility – it all depends on what you’re mood is. ‘Drifting’ (referring to ‘Drifting Blues’) is straight-forward blues. But, then, on the other hand, ‘Ain’t No Guarantees’ is a good stomping one so I just depends what your mood is.”

    The title cut is one of four tunes that Mayall wrote on this CD. It comes across as both reflective and instructive. When askedJohnMayallbyMaureenClark001Photo by Maureen Clark about the story behind the song, he confessed:

    “I really don’t know how to explain the song. When I’m writing a song, I want to make it as interesting as possible. Also, it should reflect the mood and the story that you’re telling. It came together very quickly once you know what the story is. I’m a great believer in positivity.”

    I have twice interviewed one of John’s former band mates, Walter Trout, who recently has had an amazing recovery from a liver transplant. Mayall had this to say about Walter Trout:

    “Walter’s a pretty amazing character. First of all, he’s survived death. That’s a bit of a remarkable thing, you know. His operation was successful. He’s back strong and he’s back in business, again. I saw him fairly recently. I sat in with him. It was just like old times. As a composer and musician, he’s always coming up with new stuff. I haven’t heard his new album, yet. It’s yet to be released. It’s somewhat biographical and about all that he’s been through. He’s a very creative person with whatever he does.”

    As for what’s next for the blues legend, he says:

    “That’s pretty much it. It’s quite a big chunk of the year that we’ve got coming up on the road. The album is just out. The dates are already filling up for next year, which is great. There’s also going to be a volume two of the live stuff from 1967 with Peter Green, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood. So, volume two of that will be coming out in the new year. Apart from that, that’s all I’ve got going at the moment. I think it’s quite enough. More than most people.”

    As our chat was wrapping up, I asked John Mayall, “When you go to that great blues gig in the sky, how do you want to be remembered and what do you hope your legacy will be?” He answered without hesitation or timidity:

    “Well, I hope that people appreciate all the music that I’ve done because I’m quite confident that I don’t sound like anyone else. There’s a wealth of stuff in the music of mine for people to dig into. I think there’s quite enough going on there, already. If I die tomorrow, there’s quite a lot for people to deal with.”{/mprestriction}



Latest from Bob Gruen's Studio

You’ve seen Bob Gruen’s work in galleries, books, and on the official John Lennon stamp by the U.S. Post Office. You can now see some of his choice work each month here on Boomerocity.com!

Elvis Costello 1977

Elvis Costello 1977

  About Bob Gruen Baby boomers have seen and admired the work of Bob Gruen…
Read More
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Everything Knoxville Magazine

Facebook Feed

Share the Love!

Share This

Follow Us

Keep Up With Our Latest!

Thank you! Please check your email and confirm the newsletter subscription.
Your subscription was updated
It seems that you have already subscribed to this list. Click here to update your profile.

Boomerocity.com respects your privacy and will not sell your email address or any other information.

Useful Links

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • About
  • Bios
  • Photo Of The Month
  • Reviews / Interviews
  • Stores
  • Site Map
  • Login

Contact Boomerocity.com

Boomerocity.com is a website dedicated to the cultural interests of the Baby Boomer Generation.

Need addtional information, permission to use an article/picture, and/or advertise on boomerocity.com

use our CONTACT FORM.


 

 2023 © Boomerocity.com
All Rights Reserved.

Website Design and SEO by WorkSmart Business Solutions

 

 Blogs - OnToplist.com