Post by classic rock revival on Apr 29, 2011 19:23:25 GMT -6
This is an interview I did with Chuck Leavell in 2004.
Jim: You were recently inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame, congratulations. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Chuck: It was quite a surprise to me, to be honest. I had been up for the induction once before a few years ago, but I believe it was Trisha Yearwood that went in that year. So I sort of forgot about it and went on about my life. Then around late summer I got a call from them asking if I was going to be around in mid September. I told them as far as I knew I was. Then they said that they had to know because they had chosen me to be inducted and wanted me to be present to accept and to play. So of course I made sure I was available! The ceremony was very special and moving for me. The best part was playing with a great band...the Randall Bramblett Band, and I recruited my friend Tim Ries who is an amazing sax player and is on my next cd to come down. We played three songs...a new piece of mine called "Southscape", "Jessica", and closed with the traditional "Georgia On My Mind".
Jim: You have two solo CD's to your credit and I believe you have a new CD titled "Southscape", due for release early next year (2005), is that correct?
Chuck: My first solo cd was a Holiday special called "What's In That Bag?". It was released in 1998 and has done well every year around the season.
My next project was a solo piano cd called "Forever Blue", which was released in 2001 and continues to do well. And yes, we hope to get "Southscape" out in Spring/Summer of '05.
Jim: Given your busy work schedule with the Stones, and as a much in demand studio musician, do you find the time to tour as a solo artist?
Chuck: I recently did my first ever solo shows. I mean, totally solo! I played the Douglass Theater in Macon, Ga. and the Old Opera House in Hawkinsville, Ga. Dec. 3rd and 4th. We filmed and recorded both shows, and I believe we'll have a DVD available before too long. I was really pleased with the results, and will more than likely be doing more of this. It worked very well in the theater setting...both are beautifully restored historic theaters that seat about 450 people. It's an intimate setting and gives me a chance to get close to the audience and explore my career with some of the great artists I've been fortunate to work with as well as putting my own music into the presentation.
Jim: I haven't read your autobiography "Between Rock And A Home Place", yet. But, being in the music business as long as you have, recording and performing with some of the biggest names in the business, I can only imagine you must have some fascinating stories to tell. Tell us a bit about your book.
Chuck: Well, first of all it was a matter of timing. We finished the last Stones tour in Nov. of '03, and I knew that I would have a good bit of time at home after the tour. So during the tour, I called my friend J. Marshall Craig, who is a great writer and had just done Eric Burdon's book called "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". He had done a great job on that book, and I told him I was ready to do a book and would he help. He jumped right on it, and so I had him come out on several of the shows during the tour so he could get familiar with the Stones setting. Then I turned my diaries over to him that I've kept through the years...both written and spoken...finally, when the tour was over he came to our place, Charlane Plantation to get the vibe here. Then we began to collaborate on the story. I knew that I needed a good professional writer to help articulate all the stories, and Jeff was the perfect choice. We worked very closely and very hard over the following months to put it all together, and it's just been finished and released. It came out on Nov. 15 of this year. Of course it covers my experiences in music throughout my career, but also goes into my commitment to my family and my commitment to our environment and to forestry. That's what the second part of the title ...a Home Place...refers to. We also included about 200 photos that help tell the story. I'm really pleased with it, and so far it's done very well. We have just about sold out of the first printing and are already planning a second printing for early '05.
Jim: How do you manage to balance your busy work schedule with your home life?
Chuck: As best I can!! You know, one can get a lot done if one has the passion, the desire and if one balances with a little time management. I have routines that I follow that help. When I'm not touring, I'm up early at Charlane...get in a good workout in my gym four days a week, then if I'm working on a musical project I'll go practice for two to three hours and then dedicate the rest of the day to other things like writing or working on Charlane. If I don't have musical projects going on then I'll dedicate more time to whatever the priorities might be...like being an advocate of Family Forestry, going out and giving speeches and presentations to forestry and environmental groups, going to Washington, DC to meet with Senators, Congressmen and other political figures concerning forestry and environmental issues, holding field days at Charlane, or my time as a Trustee of the American Forest Foundation and the Georgia Conservancy. Of course I love working on Charlane, and love working the land on my tractors or working my bird dogs or performing any number of stewardship practices. But no matter what, I make sure I keep my chops up as a musician. It's just a matter of when you do what.
Now, when I'm touring it's a different story. The focus then is on the tour and what it takes to make the best presentation. We work very hard at rehearsals and sound checks, and are constantly "tweeking" the show as we tour. I still get in my exercise, though. I'm very dedicated to that routine and it helps keep me sane and feeling good. not to mention how much it helps in "shaking off" the travel routine. I like working with weights and then some yoga or some running or walking. I do that at least four days a week. I also make sure that I spend as much time as possible with my family. Now that our daughters Amy and Ashley are grown and living out on their own, Rose Lane and I have more time to spend together whether at Charlane or touring. And of course we encourage the girls to come see us as much as possible in both settings!
Jim: You joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1973, just in time for their classic "Brothers & Sisters", album. How did you come to join the Allman Brothers? Also, can you tell us a bit about your first recording session and tour with the band?
Chuck: It's in the book, man! Well, I'll tell you the short of it was that I was called in to do Gregg Allman's first solo album, "Laid Back". During the recording sessions, there was these jams that went down with lots of musicians, including the rest of the Allmans. The jams were lots of fun and over the course of about a month or so, they became more frequent and more fun. So one day I get a call for a meeting in the Capricorn offices, and there are all the Allmans with Phil Walden, the manager. They dropped the bomb on me asking if I'd be interested in joining the band, and of course I accepted!
Jim: The Allman's followed up "Brothers & Sisters", with "Win, Lose, Or Draw", then released two live albums and broke up. You then formed the band Sea Level along with fellow Allman members, Jaimoe and Lamar Williams. Tell us about the Allman's demise and how Sea Level came together.
Chuck: The Allman Brothers broke up. There was a big scandal in Macon, Ga. concerning a drug bust that centered around one of the Allman's staff members and Gregg. Things just blew up in a short time and the band more or less imploded. Jaimoe, Lamar Williams and myself had already been playing as a trio from time to time and we called it "We Three". We decided to carry on with that concept but to add a guitar to it, so I called my old pal Jimmy Nalls in. I had played with Jimmy in Alex Taylor's band as well as with Dr. John. He fit in nicely, and Sea Level was born. From there the personnel changed a bit from album to album...we had Randall Bramblett and Davis Causey join the band and changed drummers a few times. Anyway, we kept the band together for five albums and five years, calling it quits around 1981. That was about the time I got the call from the Stones.
Jim: Did you reach your musical goals in Sea Level? Was the band as successful as you'd hoped it would be?
Chuck: Well, probably not is the answer to both questions. But at the end of the day, we did very well. We had a strong and dedicated following, if we didn't reach Allmans like popularity. We made some great music and we sure had one heck of a great time!
Jim: In 1982, Bill Graham suggested you to the Rolling Stones. Did you know he was going to do this, or did you find out about it afterwards?
Chuck: It was actually '81, and no, I had no idea. The call came in and within 36 hours I was on a plane to Mass. where the band was rehearsing. I auditioned for about three days and thought I had the gig. But the band decided to keep Ian McLagan, who had done the previous tour, on board for the US tour in '81. But they kept in touch and invited me to sit in with them at the Fox Theater in Atlanta during that tour, which of course I accepted. Then when they shut down and prepared for the European tour, they decided they wanted me, and that's when I came on board.
Jim: Your first tour with the Stones was the European leg of their "Tatto You" Tour. Tell us about your first Stones tour.
Chuck: It was amazing, if a bit rough around the edges. At that time the band didn't spend as much time and effort in preparing for a tour, so it was sort of haphazard as to how the shows turned out. You'd have a great night followed by a disaster followed by an average night, etc. The set list was pretty narrow and stuck for the most part to the well known songs and some of the new ones from Tatoo You. Of course the hoopla surrounding a Stones tour was new to me...even though we had our own hoopla with the Allmans, this was different. In any case, I somehow managed to survive!
Jim: Mick and Keith have always been the main songwriters in the Stones. How did you manage to break that mold by co-authoring "Back To Zero", with them?
Chuck: It just sort of happened. I had the riff, and was playing it in the studio when Mick joined in and started babbling over the top. Keith, Charlie and Ronnie joined in and it was just a sort of jam. Mick liked it and wanted to add some percussion and arranged for that the next day. I went to him very quickly to say to him that I wanted a writer's credit as it was my riff and changes, and he agreed. He then wrote the rest of the lyrics and there was the tune. It's no classic by any means, but it was a neat experience, and of course I wish it would happen more often!
Jim: After 22 years of recording and touring with the Rolling Stones, have they come to accept you as a full, permanent member of the band?
Chuck: Absolutely not! No, the Stones are a distinctly English Institution for one thing, and why would they want to "complicate" matters by adding a new member? They are very clear on who is a Rolling Stone and who is not. But that's ok with me. Maybe if I'd come in in the late 60's or early 70's things would have been different, but that's just speculation. I have a strong role with the band, and to be honest it's nice to have my "freedom" to do all the other projects I do when the band isn't working. Of course I believe I should get a lot more money for what I do for the band...but who doesn't feel that way about their work? When I'm working with the Stones I give them all I have in terms of energy, talent and ideas. My status and what I get out of it probably doesn't reflect what I put into it. But at the end of the day, I'm glad I've got the gig.
© classic rock revival. all rights reserved.
Jim: You were recently inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame, congratulations. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Chuck: It was quite a surprise to me, to be honest. I had been up for the induction once before a few years ago, but I believe it was Trisha Yearwood that went in that year. So I sort of forgot about it and went on about my life. Then around late summer I got a call from them asking if I was going to be around in mid September. I told them as far as I knew I was. Then they said that they had to know because they had chosen me to be inducted and wanted me to be present to accept and to play. So of course I made sure I was available! The ceremony was very special and moving for me. The best part was playing with a great band...the Randall Bramblett Band, and I recruited my friend Tim Ries who is an amazing sax player and is on my next cd to come down. We played three songs...a new piece of mine called "Southscape", "Jessica", and closed with the traditional "Georgia On My Mind".
Jim: You have two solo CD's to your credit and I believe you have a new CD titled "Southscape", due for release early next year (2005), is that correct?
Chuck: My first solo cd was a Holiday special called "What's In That Bag?". It was released in 1998 and has done well every year around the season.
My next project was a solo piano cd called "Forever Blue", which was released in 2001 and continues to do well. And yes, we hope to get "Southscape" out in Spring/Summer of '05.
Jim: Given your busy work schedule with the Stones, and as a much in demand studio musician, do you find the time to tour as a solo artist?
Chuck: I recently did my first ever solo shows. I mean, totally solo! I played the Douglass Theater in Macon, Ga. and the Old Opera House in Hawkinsville, Ga. Dec. 3rd and 4th. We filmed and recorded both shows, and I believe we'll have a DVD available before too long. I was really pleased with the results, and will more than likely be doing more of this. It worked very well in the theater setting...both are beautifully restored historic theaters that seat about 450 people. It's an intimate setting and gives me a chance to get close to the audience and explore my career with some of the great artists I've been fortunate to work with as well as putting my own music into the presentation.
Jim: I haven't read your autobiography "Between Rock And A Home Place", yet. But, being in the music business as long as you have, recording and performing with some of the biggest names in the business, I can only imagine you must have some fascinating stories to tell. Tell us a bit about your book.
Chuck: Well, first of all it was a matter of timing. We finished the last Stones tour in Nov. of '03, and I knew that I would have a good bit of time at home after the tour. So during the tour, I called my friend J. Marshall Craig, who is a great writer and had just done Eric Burdon's book called "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". He had done a great job on that book, and I told him I was ready to do a book and would he help. He jumped right on it, and so I had him come out on several of the shows during the tour so he could get familiar with the Stones setting. Then I turned my diaries over to him that I've kept through the years...both written and spoken...finally, when the tour was over he came to our place, Charlane Plantation to get the vibe here. Then we began to collaborate on the story. I knew that I needed a good professional writer to help articulate all the stories, and Jeff was the perfect choice. We worked very closely and very hard over the following months to put it all together, and it's just been finished and released. It came out on Nov. 15 of this year. Of course it covers my experiences in music throughout my career, but also goes into my commitment to my family and my commitment to our environment and to forestry. That's what the second part of the title ...a Home Place...refers to. We also included about 200 photos that help tell the story. I'm really pleased with it, and so far it's done very well. We have just about sold out of the first printing and are already planning a second printing for early '05.
Jim: How do you manage to balance your busy work schedule with your home life?
Chuck: As best I can!! You know, one can get a lot done if one has the passion, the desire and if one balances with a little time management. I have routines that I follow that help. When I'm not touring, I'm up early at Charlane...get in a good workout in my gym four days a week, then if I'm working on a musical project I'll go practice for two to three hours and then dedicate the rest of the day to other things like writing or working on Charlane. If I don't have musical projects going on then I'll dedicate more time to whatever the priorities might be...like being an advocate of Family Forestry, going out and giving speeches and presentations to forestry and environmental groups, going to Washington, DC to meet with Senators, Congressmen and other political figures concerning forestry and environmental issues, holding field days at Charlane, or my time as a Trustee of the American Forest Foundation and the Georgia Conservancy. Of course I love working on Charlane, and love working the land on my tractors or working my bird dogs or performing any number of stewardship practices. But no matter what, I make sure I keep my chops up as a musician. It's just a matter of when you do what.
Now, when I'm touring it's a different story. The focus then is on the tour and what it takes to make the best presentation. We work very hard at rehearsals and sound checks, and are constantly "tweeking" the show as we tour. I still get in my exercise, though. I'm very dedicated to that routine and it helps keep me sane and feeling good. not to mention how much it helps in "shaking off" the travel routine. I like working with weights and then some yoga or some running or walking. I do that at least four days a week. I also make sure that I spend as much time as possible with my family. Now that our daughters Amy and Ashley are grown and living out on their own, Rose Lane and I have more time to spend together whether at Charlane or touring. And of course we encourage the girls to come see us as much as possible in both settings!
Jim: You joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1973, just in time for their classic "Brothers & Sisters", album. How did you come to join the Allman Brothers? Also, can you tell us a bit about your first recording session and tour with the band?
Chuck: It's in the book, man! Well, I'll tell you the short of it was that I was called in to do Gregg Allman's first solo album, "Laid Back". During the recording sessions, there was these jams that went down with lots of musicians, including the rest of the Allmans. The jams were lots of fun and over the course of about a month or so, they became more frequent and more fun. So one day I get a call for a meeting in the Capricorn offices, and there are all the Allmans with Phil Walden, the manager. They dropped the bomb on me asking if I'd be interested in joining the band, and of course I accepted!
Jim: The Allman's followed up "Brothers & Sisters", with "Win, Lose, Or Draw", then released two live albums and broke up. You then formed the band Sea Level along with fellow Allman members, Jaimoe and Lamar Williams. Tell us about the Allman's demise and how Sea Level came together.
Chuck: The Allman Brothers broke up. There was a big scandal in Macon, Ga. concerning a drug bust that centered around one of the Allman's staff members and Gregg. Things just blew up in a short time and the band more or less imploded. Jaimoe, Lamar Williams and myself had already been playing as a trio from time to time and we called it "We Three". We decided to carry on with that concept but to add a guitar to it, so I called my old pal Jimmy Nalls in. I had played with Jimmy in Alex Taylor's band as well as with Dr. John. He fit in nicely, and Sea Level was born. From there the personnel changed a bit from album to album...we had Randall Bramblett and Davis Causey join the band and changed drummers a few times. Anyway, we kept the band together for five albums and five years, calling it quits around 1981. That was about the time I got the call from the Stones.
Jim: Did you reach your musical goals in Sea Level? Was the band as successful as you'd hoped it would be?
Chuck: Well, probably not is the answer to both questions. But at the end of the day, we did very well. We had a strong and dedicated following, if we didn't reach Allmans like popularity. We made some great music and we sure had one heck of a great time!
Jim: In 1982, Bill Graham suggested you to the Rolling Stones. Did you know he was going to do this, or did you find out about it afterwards?
Chuck: It was actually '81, and no, I had no idea. The call came in and within 36 hours I was on a plane to Mass. where the band was rehearsing. I auditioned for about three days and thought I had the gig. But the band decided to keep Ian McLagan, who had done the previous tour, on board for the US tour in '81. But they kept in touch and invited me to sit in with them at the Fox Theater in Atlanta during that tour, which of course I accepted. Then when they shut down and prepared for the European tour, they decided they wanted me, and that's when I came on board.
Jim: Your first tour with the Stones was the European leg of their "Tatto You" Tour. Tell us about your first Stones tour.
Chuck: It was amazing, if a bit rough around the edges. At that time the band didn't spend as much time and effort in preparing for a tour, so it was sort of haphazard as to how the shows turned out. You'd have a great night followed by a disaster followed by an average night, etc. The set list was pretty narrow and stuck for the most part to the well known songs and some of the new ones from Tatoo You. Of course the hoopla surrounding a Stones tour was new to me...even though we had our own hoopla with the Allmans, this was different. In any case, I somehow managed to survive!
Jim: Mick and Keith have always been the main songwriters in the Stones. How did you manage to break that mold by co-authoring "Back To Zero", with them?
Chuck: It just sort of happened. I had the riff, and was playing it in the studio when Mick joined in and started babbling over the top. Keith, Charlie and Ronnie joined in and it was just a sort of jam. Mick liked it and wanted to add some percussion and arranged for that the next day. I went to him very quickly to say to him that I wanted a writer's credit as it was my riff and changes, and he agreed. He then wrote the rest of the lyrics and there was the tune. It's no classic by any means, but it was a neat experience, and of course I wish it would happen more often!
Jim: After 22 years of recording and touring with the Rolling Stones, have they come to accept you as a full, permanent member of the band?
Chuck: Absolutely not! No, the Stones are a distinctly English Institution for one thing, and why would they want to "complicate" matters by adding a new member? They are very clear on who is a Rolling Stone and who is not. But that's ok with me. Maybe if I'd come in in the late 60's or early 70's things would have been different, but that's just speculation. I have a strong role with the band, and to be honest it's nice to have my "freedom" to do all the other projects I do when the band isn't working. Of course I believe I should get a lot more money for what I do for the band...but who doesn't feel that way about their work? When I'm working with the Stones I give them all I have in terms of energy, talent and ideas. My status and what I get out of it probably doesn't reflect what I put into it. But at the end of the day, I'm glad I've got the gig.
© classic rock revival. all rights reserved.