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T-Bear Interview;
Released
Way Of The World
T-Bear has been in the music industry for a long time. Not only has he worked with some great artists like Billy Squire, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Gene Simmons and Pat Benatar, but he has also released some great solo albums of his own. After an almost forty year hiatus, T-Bear has recently released two great solo albums including The Way of the World which was released earlier this year.
We had the opportunity to do a Zoom call with T-Bear to talk about his career and his new album.
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Greg Drugan: Hey T Bear, thanks for taking some time with me today and I also wanted to congratulate you on your new album, The Way of The World. I really enjoyed it because it has an eclectic mix of songs on there from rock, to jazz to blues.
T Bear: Thank you, thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
GD: You’ve been at this quite a while. How did you get such a mix of songs or different styles of songs for this album?
TB: I made about seven solo albums prior to me taking a hiatus from the music business. I got divorced and then I got remarried to someone that was totally into music. She said to me, “It’s time to put the band back together.” She went back to college and we had a piano that butted up against her desk and she said, “I’m gonna sit here and do my homework and you're gonna sit and write songs.” She gave me a lot of encouragement. It basically started there and then I started doing sessions again.
We were almost done with the record, I had recorded twenty-three tracks, twenty one originals and two covers. Then my wife, Nina was diagnosed with Stage Four terminal cancer, and that year she passed. She made me promise that I would finish the album, go out and tour and live my best life. So I honored that promise and dedicated Fresh Bear Tracks to her. Then COVID hit and then it was time to write another record and we came up with this one.
It’s eclectic because I went through so many changes. Every song is an homage to something. “The Way of the World,” I was listening to Bob Dylan a lot that week. Look at the way the world is right now, holy crap! What would Bob say?
GD: I was just going to mention, “The Way of the World.” I really like that song and “A Change Will Do Me Good.” Those are my two favorites so far on the record. Do you have a favorite song?
TB: Every week it’s a different favorite. They are all my kids. “The Way of the World” is definitely one of my favorites. “A Change Will Do Me Good” for sure and that came out of the COVID thing. That was an homage to Bo Diddley using the Bo Diddley beat. Then I threw in a kinda Deep Purple organ on it. This week, my favorite one is “Jewel.” It’s an homage to Leon Russel.
Here’s the backstory. COVID is over, I’m out and about and I go on a date with a girl called Julie. It’s not about the singer Jewel, it’s about this date I had with Julie. I’m on the date and she works for Lou Adler (Mama’s and Papa’s, Carole King) and he sits on the floor at every Laker game next to Jack Nicholson. So I’m trying to score some points and I ask her if she had a nickname. She said it was Jewel. She said that Jack Nicholson gave her that name. I said that was pretty cool. I told her, “Jewel, I’m gonna write you a song.” She looked at me straight in the eye and said, “You wouldn’t be the first.” I said, “Ok, who wrote you a song.” She replied, “JD Souther.” The guy that writes with the Eagles. I told her, “Well you will know this song is about you from the first line.” “Are you a diamond, or a precious gem? You got your nickname Jewel, from your famous friend.” So she knows it's for her.
GD: I love back stories about songs. On your previous albums have featured many special guests that include: Billy Squire, Stephen Stills, to Robbie Krieger. On this album you decided to keep it a trio with a couple of different bass players, was it a conscious decision to do that?
TB: Yeah, it was a conscious decision because it was the COVID world.
GD: Do you have any plans to tour with this new album?
TB: Yeah, there are. I’ve been out on the road this year playing keyboards with Walter Trout. He features me a little bit and some of the songs that I write end up on his records. One of the songs on Way of the World, called “Breathe” is also on his Broken album. I get to meet a lot of people who don’t know who I am or remember me and now they are learning about it. There’s a lot of international interest in this record.
GD: Looking back on your career, when did you know that you wanted to become a musician?
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TB: I can remember the night, place and time. I was in New York and I got a job at Manny’s Music. A lot of roadies and artists would come in there and get their gear. Back in the day, in the early 70s, I was digging music from the get go. I went down to Fillmore East to see Iron Butterfly. I’m a keyboard player and Iron Butterfly had “Inagodadavida” and it was an eleven minute organ song. I got to watch their opening act. The guy comes out and says: “Ladies and gentlemen, playing their second show in the United States, from England, please welcome Led Zeppelin!” I was completely blown away.
I went back to Manny’s and some guys come in and I’m showing another guy some licks on a Wurlitzer. The guy had some backstage passes and says, “Hey kid, you’re really good, why don’t you come down and jam with us.” I said, “Cool. Who’s us?” He said, “The Grateful Dead.”
GD: Oh, that’s all! (laughs)
TB: So it was The Grateful Dead, Traffic and Hot Tuna. That was the jam that night. It was unannounced, it was unpublished and that was the jam. That’s what they did on those days. I was just standing backstage and then I get a nudge from someone and I look out and Jerry Garcia says, “Come on kid, come play with us!” That was the time, that was the place, that was the moment that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.
GD: That would have a huge impact for sure. Now, was Zeppelin the first band you ever saw in concert?
TB: Yeah, that was the first band that I saw, doing what they do. I was in a band since I was twelve, playing in my garage. But that Zeppelin show, they played the first record from beginning to the end. That was the best thing I have ever seen. To this day, nothing has topped that.
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GD: I’m jealous of that one! In the ‘70s I read that you became Carly Simon’s road manager. How did that come about?
TB: I was playing a lot of open mic nights in New York. I knew a lot of guys and someone came up and said, “we’re going on the road with Carly and we are looking for a road manager.” I raised my hand because I wanted to do anything, anywhere that had to do with musicians. It was really good because I learned a lot! I learned that I didn’t want to be in the audience. I learned that I didn’t want to be on the side of the stage, I wanted to be on the stage.
She was married to James at the time and they were both really nice to me. I used to dog sit for them, but I wanted a career. I did that for one tour and all I was doing was getting her water and picking up picks off the ground that she dropped. I thought, I can play as well as that keyboard player. I want that chair!
GD: Since I’m from Cleveland, I have to ask if you remember staying at the world famous Swingos hotel in the 70’s or early 80s?
TB: I stayed at Swingos for sure. I played at the Richfield Coliseum.
GD: Any crazy stories from Swingos?
TB: I can’t say! I don’t know if the statue of limitations has run out. (laughs)
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GD: Understood! That’s what most people say. You also ended up playing on Billy Squire’s first record. Could you tell that Billy would have a big career?
TB: I knew he was going to have a big career when he was in a band prior to that called Piper. He ended up playing on some of my stuff and I played on some of his stuff. He was great.
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GD: You also played on Crosby, Stills and Nash’s Southern Cross album, is that correct? Fellow Clevelander, Joe Vitali has toured with them a long time, did you get to know Joe?
TB: I was living with Stephen Stills for a little while and joined his band and went on tour with him. He brought a song over to me called “Seven League Boots” and it morphed into “Southern Cross.” I did some keyboard work on that and a little bit of arranging back when it was being written. I loved it! It’s a great song and I was happy to be a part of it.
GD: Did you end up going on tour with them?
TB: I didn’t tour with them, I just recorded with them.
GD: Ok. Was fellow Clevelander, Joe Vitali in the studio for that record?
TB: Yeah, he was around. I played a couple of benefits with Joe. Great guy, great musician. Really a generous and warm soul and a great drummer.
GD: You took a pretty long hiatus from the music business. Why did you take an extended time off after you seemed to be hitting your stride?
TB: I met a woman at the Central Bar which is now the Viper Room. She looked like a California surfer girl, it turned out she’s from New Jersey. We end up dating, we start living together, we got married and she gets pregnant. She said, “Here’s the deal. No more touring for you no more galavanting around the world and you need to get a day job.” So I got a day job selling lightbulbs for a lightbulb company and did that for the next twenty something years. Then I got divorced and the kibosh was over!
GD: And the music started flowing!
TB: Exactly!
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GD: Well, I am certainly glad you made a comeback. I really enjoy your music. I certainly hope you come to the Cleveland area solo or with Walter, I’d like to come check you out live.
TB: That would be great to hang with you. I appreciate you having me today. Anyone that supports live music and supports the music, I appreciate. I want a niche of people that have a relationship with music and you, Greg, have a relationship with music. You read the liner notes and are interested in what goes on.
GD: Thank you for the kind words. I wish you nothing but the best with this record and hopefully I’ll get to see you soon!
TB: Thank you!
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Check out T-Bears new album, The Way of the World.
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