I was under contract w Crocked Foxx. (Guy & Roy ) recorded at American Studios in Memphis a week after Elvis & a week before Neil Diamond. The studio rhythm section led by Tommy Cogsbill was incredible. I was so overwhelmed its hard to imagine I cud even sing. After a week with Presley, sharing the many embellishments I'm sure Elvis shared with them til 4-5 in the morning, when we all showed up for the first of a weeks worth of 9am sessions looking a bit haggard, I'm sure seeing my young, inexperienced butt was not the highlight of their week. Actually my presence was really an after thought. Guy also flew another singer already under contract to Memphis with us. IMHO, he was a far better singer... Very controlled vibrato, fair intonation & meter. Obviously he had spent hours on the reel we were both given: "Can't Find Love." "Well, whose going first?" As the five-piece group mustered their areas I quickly ducked into the next room & listened to the song (1st time) wrote the words down and hummed the melody so nobody wud know wut I was doing. The other guy sounded great. EXACTLY like the demo they gave us. I was sooo intimidated. The song seemed like it needed a growly Steppenwolf voice. Also easier to produce with vocal chords still burning from the gig last nite. Got home from some Cajun town (no sleep near the gulf where the girls fight predictably at 11:30 pm nitely- spilling out of the girls restroom during break with 200 guys circled around as we tuned up again. Never saw the other singer again. Don't even remember him on flight back as Bellello assured me I didn't need a lawyer to look over a stack of paperwork representing a five-year commitment. So I get 3% of net cash in after juke box, DJs, 300-500 Drake-owned stations alone? " Sure, 25% for ur company is also stand ? Oh, Okay" Next stop: Tyler Tx. Robin Hood Bryan with no earthly idea of what song. Robin pulls out a decorative jewelry box after introductions filled w/ black mollys, speckled things, orange pills, etc. "Wuts ur pleasur? Lotta work to do." I had "no eyes" as drummer Johnnie Thomasie wud repeat every 10 minutes. To seem cool & renig I replied, "Got any points (hypo needles)?" Robin yells out "Greg's got eyes to shoot up!!" "Sorry man we don't do that" Whew, I thought. Anyway, turns out a C & W song "laughing Girl" was the plan. I believe on about take 47 they gave up. Charlie Ross did the honors in two takes. By now people around me (not sure which) were speeding their tits off & decided Lil Richardis "Lucille" the song du jour. Mike McClain on B3, Fat Johnnie laying down a high hat, kick drum, tin can snare sound. Charlie on bass & Norman ?lastName? on very tasteful telecaster & I layed down a New Orleans version of the standard. We ended the day w/ Dr Pepper jingles. C Foxx peddled it with Scepter, Columbia. & Capitol findly taking the project. Beatles formed Apple two months later & within a year lost the fight for distribution rights in USA. My release date pushed back 3-4 times. All Towers subsidiaries shut down & Capitol avoided bankruptcy. My single? Final mix done in Bakersfield I think. So, either a 1" tape has desinergrated on a shelf in CA. Or been recycled for "sugar sugar ", or some other "equally" deserving project. I went out with Linda after an Eternity's Gig at the "green Turtle" which in turn led to an intro to Ed, a senior mixing engineer for American Studios. Actual Guy & Roy did okay by me. Never took a percentage of a gig and brought me back to Memphis several times over the years to cut songs that never had a chance of seeing vinyl. Roy & Guy's taste in music were a bit suspect to say the least. They were never cheap when it came to an "a" side though. Memphis Horns, Sweet Inpirations, Memphis phila, "Cimmaron" did back up works on these tracks. Cimmaron did" Rings" which made it to #7 on Billboard. Anyway, those were great times. Sorry forLindas passing... Don't know details. We stayed friend for a good while. But only that one romantic night, unfortunately for me. Love to hear from anyone about latest news.
Greg Black (back in Baton Rouge again)
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