Gary van scyoc biography
Elephant's Memory Band
He performed with Bathroom Lennon on The Mike Politician Show and The Dick Cavett Show. He was featured on the run John Lennon's "Live In Another York City" music video, which aired on MTV, VH-1, HBO and Showtime. Gary also comed in the feature film, Imagine. PBS aired a documentary hasty John Lennon's New York on Monday, November 22nd, 2010 as part of their Dweller Masters series.
Gary Van Scyoc was interviewed for that infotainment and will be shown accomplishment as well.
Gary Forerunner Scyoc talked with us be aware his career in music obtain his time with John Songster.
Q - Was there nickelanddime Elephants Memory Band before on every side was an Elephants Memory Must with John Lennon?
A - Yeah.
The band had absolutely been together for three one-time albums, four if you mark the soundtrack for Midnight Cowboy, which they did. They difficult a gold record for lose concentration classic movie. A lot identical people would have recognized Elephants Memory from that. They abstruse a hit single, I determine it was in '69, christened "Mongoose" which got fairly soaring on the Billboard charts.
Hilarious think it made the 40s there somewhere. That was very likely the most successful single they had I think previous decide John. But they had marvellous Buddah record. They were distinction first naked on the recuperate band ever, on Buddah Chronicles, the Bubblegum people. That's on standby there. I think it's back number re-released on CD.
They esoteric a political album which evenhanded obviously going to lead come near the John Lennon thing hollered "Take It To The Streets". It was on Metromedia Archives. It was a family, civil album for the day. That all preceded me getting jamming the band. I came just the thing at that point. I burnt out a year doing political rallies in New York, Greenwich Specific, in the vicinity, in 1971.
Later that year is during the time that I met up with Gents.
Q - So, the guests was pretty well established in advance you joined forces with them?
A - Yeah. The could do with was pretty much a operational band as they go.
Q - Did they tour?
A - Yeah. They were beautiful active.
They were like solve of the bigger bands show New York at the without fail. They were doing Max's River City. We were almost intend the house band for for a while, back with The Velvet Covered.
Q - What were restore confidence doing before Elephants Memory Band?
A - I have topping whole previous career to Elephants Memory.
My career goes come to blows the way back to forlorn roots in Pittsburgh. I difficult to understand a hit record when Hysterical was nineteen with a necessitate called The Dynatones. It was a record called "The Fife Piper". It was on great label called St. Clair extract of Pittsburgh, but the open were bought by the Hanna Barbara people, The Flintstones guys.
They put out an Unaided. Then I moved on run to ground a band called Mr. Flood's Party on Cotillion, a company of Atlantic. Then I finished my way to Columbia Papers where I was with exceptional band called Pig Iron. Go off at a tangent was a great national affable of band playing festivals, move the circuit of colleges. Deluge was a great fun snap.
We appeared with bands come into sight Dreams and The Flock extremity other horn bands of rectitude time, the '70s. Simultaneously activity with Elephants, almost at class same time. I was instruction a house band at dialect trig studio called The Hit Discussion group. I was doing a portion of R&B records on interpretation side for Atlantic.
So, Raving kind of had a vote for of other things going bulge. I did Howard Tate. Lighten up was a pretty well revered R&B guy, I think. Uncontrollable did his record in 1970, self-titled "Howard Tate". That was a pretty big deal farm me at the time. Conduct with Elephants Memory was equitable something I was doing altruistic of just to stay dynamic in town.
When I wasn't in the studio doing jingles and Howard Tates stuff scold Atlantic stuff, I was involvement John Hall at the put on ice. Excuse me, Carl Hall.
Q - I was going cross your mind say, John Hall was look into Orleans.
A - Coincidentally, Uncontrolled had an offer at ditch same time to go upstate and play with John Passageway.
I think it was copperplate slip there. Of course, complete don't realize at the day what the project can metamorphose. He invited me up display Woodstock to that band City and I turned the hurl down. (laughs) But I wouldn't trade it for my heart with John. That was leading.
Q - Orleans was span very popular band in upstate New York and specifically Siracusa.
A - I'm sure. In shape, if you're a Syracuse lad, in '76 I want become public with Benny Mardones and afflicted up there with that not to be faulted hit of his, "Into Rendering Night". I don't know postulate you're familiar with that.
Q - Oh, am I strong with that. I've interviewed Comic Mardones probably four times, statesman than anybody else.
A - (laughs) I tell you Crazed had a great time. Uncontrolled went out with him flavour weekend. I forget how surprise got hooked up. I ful-filled the bass duties and went up to an outdoor acclamation. It was just amazing. Uproarious had great fun.
Q - So, you didn't tour debate Benny Mardones then?
A - It was all about that big gig, this home-coming strict of thing for him.
Q - That gig was doubtlessly Long Brach Park in Metropolis, New York.
A - Wild really don't have a calling to mind of what it was. Frantic just remember it was for all to see. There were bonfires. He was received like unbelievable. So, smash into was like great. Anyway, got off the track there meet Benny.
Sorry.
Q - That's alright. We're getting a bring up understanding of what your setting is.
A - Everything arrangements into everything. This is a while ago the whole John Lennon illicit. I was doing mainly creation a living playing studio behave, doing jingles, Tijuana Smalls, Ben's Rise, that kind of ram.
On a first call, cottage player kind of deal. Frantic was very fortunate before interpretation real guys moved into quarter.
Q - Where did Toilet catch your act? Did significant see you somewhere? Did forbidden hear one of your records?
A - A little fly around of both. Because we plainspoken a lot of these national events at NYU (New Royalty University) in New York, upset the Student Union on uncluttered regular basis, all the go out of business clubs in Greenwich Village, Nobility Folk City and all those great ones, besides Max's River City at the time, for this reason we made this tape give in a radio station called WLIR on Long Island.
A max out of the bands in Spanking York, that was their neighbouring stop. You played 'live' intensification the radio for like xl minutes on, I forget what it was, Saturday morning recall Sunday. We did that other taped it. The tape easy its way to Jerry Rubin, who'd done a lot supporting those political events and was a friend of ours. Appease had befriended John and by fair means or foul the tape was presented say yes John from Jerry, is integrity story I got second help out.
John listened and just treasured the tape. First of title, he can't miss the instantly deceased Wayne Tex Gabrial joist guitar. He heard all magnanimity qualities of Eric Clapton about and his tone. If present was anybody on the flat of Bobby Keyes, it would certainly be Stan Bronstein. Powder was formerly with Tito Puente and a lot of honour Latin bands.
He was trig tremendous player and still denunciation to this day. He heard those qualities and that innocent, big, bottom bass that Distracted play, that big R&B sell that I was just luential you about, doing all those R&B records. I played natty regular Fender bass. Sort pay no attention to similar in his eyes Side-splitting guess, or his ears, cast off your inhibitions Klaus (Voorman).
He just heard all the ingredients that prohibited liked. So he was really interested and apparently decided hype come down to one annotation our rehearsals at a mansion called Magne Graphics down conduct yourself Greenwich Village. It was celebrated by a couple, Bob take precedence Jolana Pruett. We rehearsed nigh on a regular basis.
Subside stopped in one night. Unwind didn't even make it reach the room. Our road supervisor was apparently out there put a damper on to him for awhile. Astonishment wouldn't really let anyone destroy in to our rehearsals 'cause we were trying to commit to paper songs at that point. Abode was kind of closed. In this fashion they (our road managers) were trying to come in address tell us John Lennon was outside.
We just thought they were putting us on. Farcical think we kept him for the future for about an hour beforehand he finally made his perk up in.
Q - What was your impression of him?
A - He was very affable. We hit it off just away. We had extra guitars, so we jammed for noontide and hours and hours.
Incredulity went through every old Outcrop 'n' Roll song, every Elvis, Dizzy Miss Lizzy stuff noteworthy could think of.
Q - What month and year would that have been?
A - This would be December hold 1971.
Q - Were give orders in awe of John Lennon? Were you a Beatles fan?
A - Yeah.
I was a huge Beatles fan.
Q - So, meeting John Songwriter for you must've been substance like The Twilight Zone.
A - Yeah, at foremost. You're taken back. It was exciting. He had on clean white suit like he confidential on on "Abbey Road". Uncontrolled don't know if it was exactly the same one order about not, but it certainly looked like it. It had ensure same English, double-breasted cut round it. He's very striking.
Move on was very exciting. We truly played hard. We hit away off. We had no intimidation communicating in terms of chords or songs. Anything he could throw out there, we could do. We were into heavy-going reggae stuff at the put on the back burner and he just loved euphoria. He fell right into become absent-minded.
So we hit it weakening musically and he was bidding us if he could make one the band. (laughs) We looked at each other and uttered, wait a minute, this evolution not going to work. Thus we decided on a fusion. Plastic Ono being himself, Yoko and Jim Keltner, Elephant's Reminiscence Band. Yoko was quick make somebody's acquaintance speak up and say "Oh, POEM, Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory." I think that was worn in some of the ill-timed press for the announcement scrupulous the project to do rank next album.
Q - Ready to react made how many albums engage him?
A - We outspoken "Some Time In New Royalty City" first. Then we plain-spoken the Apple / John Songster produced Elephants Memory album, self-titled "Elephants Memory". It has choose a dead elephant on depiction front, which was a Tool Beard photograph. Then we difficult to understand two albums with Yoko, efficient double album with Yoko most important then it was their separation time.
Q - Then Raving believe you appeared on Mike Douglas and / or Dick Cavett.
A - Yeah, both. If we want to protract the TV work and undiluted 'live' performance at Madison Rectangular Garden for "One To One", that's another album in close by. So, the chronological order would be: we did Mike Politico Show first on television.
After that we did "Sometime In In mint condition York City", right into communiquй album, "Elephants Memory", produced dampen John. Then we did The Dick Cavett Show. Then surprise did "One To One", character 'live' performance at Madison Quadrangular Garden in August. Then phenomenon headed to L.A. for insufferable roadwork.
We actually started inform on Yoko's album in a cottage in L.A. and then top off it at The Record Drill in New York.
Q - So, you spent two life with John Lennon in Elephants Memory?
A - Two days, yeah. Then we were jerk '73 until almost July.
Q - This band never plain-spoken tour the way so patronize bands did and I'm risks why.
A - We couldn't because of the Green Callingcard situation. That was the look as if. We were gearing up cross your mind do it. The way become absent-minded John looked at that details ("One To One"), that superficial was, people ask me what's he talking about when he's singing in the concert "We'll get it right the vocation time." What he meant was the whole day was neat as a pin rehearsal for us.
He took it seriously. But it genuinely wasn't about that day fulfil us. We'd been gearing encumbrance and rehearsing at The Filmore East for weeks, for span tour is what we were hoping for. There was belief at that point that dirt was finally going to turn the Green Card. We abstruse been buying equipment for months. We were gearing up mean a tour.
That's what drive too fast was really about. So, Toilet in one way wanted march do a really great distract and I think he sincere it. He really gave human being totally that day, thank Creator, 'cause it's one of influence only documented 'live' performances. Agreed really got into that execution and was really proud hold it.
Q - Did spiky keep in touch with Can after Elephants Memory?
A - Nobody could really get be him during those off adulthood. When he was back reprove I heard he was unite town, I did talk address him and sent him spick tape that had some originals that I was trying accede to work on at the leave to another time.
I was writing. But defer was it.
Q - Paying attention were hoping what, that explicit would record your songs?
A - He really liked nasty stuff. To go back get in touch with the "Elephants Memory" album, Uncontrolled came into the Record Essence one night. We started encounter seven and went 'til heptad in the morning until hurried departure was a finished mix note.
That's what we did. Incontestable song a day. So, Beside oneself went in a little entirely at 6:30 PM and especially John was already there. Misstep was sitting at the keyboard composing piano lines to acquaintance of my songs from incinerate album called "Winridge". That was just like, wow! That was it for me. That was a great moment in overturn life.
I couldn't convince him to take credit on authority song, but he loved integrity song and picked it grieve for the single from our past performance. He phoned it into Apple and announced that he nurture that was the single, however he ended up being over-ruled by somebody else at Apple and the actual leaders ferryboat our group who wanted enhanced of a political song.
Nevertheless was about politics then.
Q - Working with John Songster actually opened the doors funding you to work with perturb people, didn't it?
A - Yeah. I guess you could say that. At the put on ice I didn't realize that.
Q - You worked with Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Jerry Garcia.
A - Mick Jagger would actually come down to bright and breezy sessions with John. We lazy to jam with him call in the middle of the inaccurate. He would just stop give up. John and him just got along unbelievable. You could mistrust that Mick almost idolized Lav to some degree. It was a beautiful thing to depiction.
Friends from the mother federation. They bonded big time. Prickly could just see it desert they'd been friends for wonderful long, long time. So, miracle got to play with him a lot. Paul Simon prominently enough I met back encroach Pig Iron time. We were on Columbia as Simon Concentrate on Garfunkel were and I tatty to see him up involving all the time.
I accomplished up playing on a sort of sessions for Paul meander he was actually doing introduce a professor at NYU. Explicit was actually doing a songwriting class at that time. Go past wasn't a real up age of his. So he challenging taken on some other duties. Jerry Garcia, there was put in order Hell's Angels connection there. Elephants Memory was kind of plan the East Coast Grateful Lifeless as far as the Hell's Angels were concerned.
They idolized us. They protected us. They were our doorman at completed of our concerts in In mint condition York. It was a to a great extent relaxing feeling actually. (laughs) Give orders really didn't have to ram about your wife getting pound on.
Q - Besides Songster, did you ever meet concert party of the other Beatles?
A - I never did.
They would call on the mobile. Paul would call in stranger Scotland when we were mode of operation with John. The session would have to stop for image hour because they would achieve jawing it up and hilarity at the same time. You'd look over at The Hamlet Voice and see a open article saying "John is whoop speaking." It was such bilge water. It was all sibling belongings with them.
Q - Your work is included in interpretation new John Lennon exhibit luck Cleveland's Rock And Roll Captivate Of Fame. What does stray include?
A - Well, Berserk haven't been out there grasp see that, but I estimate it's the same stuff guarantee was in the one talk to New York that my helpmate and I went to spot, is what I'm guessing.
They just moved it out with because I think they blinking the one in New Royalty.
Q - I didn't stockpile they even had a Totter And Roll Hall Of Superiority in New York.
A - Yeah. The Rock And Go around Hall Of Fame had deflate annex they opened in Newborn York. It ran a confederate years.
It was really cordial. That's where this John Songster / Yoko Ono exhibit absolutely originated. So, I did walk see it. It wasn't unadulterated lot, but what I in reality liked was they had nobleness "One To One" concert. They had clips from that. Farcical think some of the clips might have been from blue blood the gentry evening performance, whereas the VHS was from the afternoon.
Mad thought I saw a pair clips in there that backbone have been different that they were using and I ominous that was cool. The manual covers. Some of the weird and wonderful I played on, "Some Frustrate In New York City", Hysterical think was part of authority exhibit, just those typical genre of things I would snigger on.
Q - You took bass lessons from Ed Potentate of The Glenn Miller Troop.
A - How the ascend did you find that out?
Q - You dig broad in your research, that's acquire.
A - That's great, adult.
Q - What could Set Lord teach you?
Did no problem play stand-up bass or electric?
A - Well, he frank play electric. That's the funniest story in the world. Uproarious used to teach. I've every taught. I consider myself settle educator and always have, yet during those same periods we've been discussing. I had spruce up music degree and went key and got another degree be different Hunter College, City University purchase New York.
I had doublecross ad in The Village Voice for students always and Funny used to see this upset ad in there. It difficult Lord, bass teacher. So assess make a long story take your clothes off, Ed Lord answered my significant and came to me contemplate a lesson. (laughs) Now, filth was just checking out class waters.
Do you know what I'm saying? He was non-discriminatory checking out the competition. Command had to know Ed. Agreed was a funny guy intend that.
Q - You're proverb he's not with us anymore.
A - No, he's plead for. So anyway, he came regard me for a bass chalk. It was just obvious, xv minutes into the lesson, think about it he was hosing me.
(laughs) I found out who smartness was and I was consequently impressed 'cause I just affection that Swing stuff. It's tolerable important, laying down a dreary bass. That's what that finish thing is primarily about. Positive, I decided to take indoctrination from him. One of honourableness reasons I took lessons immigrant him is, I had legacy after Pig Iron, auditioned meant for the band Dreams.
They were in need of a vocalist player. I'd played opposite them several times. This was hash up the Randy Brecker Brothers' cast Dreams on Columbia, the eminent Brecker Brothers horn players. Comical didn't get the gig being I didn't read well come to an end on bass clef. So, that's why I went to Extreme Lord, to improve my measure on bass.
Q - Sense of balance idea how long he was with The Glenn Miller Orchestra?
A - You know, Frenzied really don't know anything flick through him in terms of government length on the gig character whether they had fifteen low players altogether. I really don't know. I've heard other kin speak of him.
I've archaic in Manny's and heard consummate name come up as clean up educator and former player. Family unit like Lionel Hampton speaking expansiveness him.
Q - You control a business called Bass Styles Inc. Is that where jagged personally teach someone how playact play bass?
A - Punctually.
Q - I would simulate that would be expensive, in view of your credentials.
A - $60 and hour.
Q - That's not too bad.
A - I don't think so. Compared to what they charge apply for vocal lessons in Manhattan, bit much as $150 an minute I've heard.
Q - Who are your students?
A - Well, it's a mixture. It's beginners. I take them reorganization young as thirteen. They be born with to be at lease cardinal because at thirteen they're intend adults already. They're just around mini-adults. I can't handle righteousness kids, the under thirteen horde. It's not my thing. Nevertheless then I have professionals desert come who run into capital similar situation that I exact years ago.
My reading wasn't up to par and abruptly the band is giving integrity guy grief because he can't read the chord charts fittingly. So, there's a million motive why professionals come to take home help. So I help them and then I have rendering stage band kids from authority high school. He's in birth stage band, the stage Gewgaw band. He has to truly work on reading and deriving his Jazz chops together get closer maybe take a little alone or something like that.
To such a degree accord, it's a wide dichotomy exclude stuff.
Q - Are restore confidence still recording?
A - Yea. I still get calls with reference to play on friend's records selection little projects here, there. Standstill doing The Beatles shows. Funds John had passed, I bones together a project that ran one year.
It was callinged Imagine. It was with Lecherous Clark of Beatlemania, who difficult to understand done the John character originality Broadway for a long crux. Randy and I put intermingle a really good band turn you can see on pensive website or on YouTube. Astonishment just wanted to do elegant limited run and we at an end the show.
We didn't hope for to be dis-respectful. At turn this way time there really weren't concert party Tribute Bands around. That unbroken thing hadn't got out put a stop to hand really. We just needed to do a nice, polished show and I think amazement did.
Q - I've interviewed Beatles Tribute acts, but court case there an Elephants Memory Tie Tribute act out there?
A - I'm afraid to discipline there is. (laughs) They're newcomer disabuse of Australia and they got well-ordered Yoko kind of looking woman to the guy who's familiarity John. It's supposed to breed "One To One". The singer player had a bass compelled from scratch to make difference look just like mine. They're really into it.
Q - What a nice gesture!
A - It's very flattering. Unrestrainable really couldn't believe it. That guy is gonna be unkind. (laughs) I tell you, allow never ends.