I co wrote “Traces of the Western Slopes” and remember being in the control booth watching the song come alive when these great players were in the studio laying down the basic tracks. It was the first time that I had been in a studio filled with real deal players. SB: The “Pirates” sessions were a lot of fun. That was something else! They sometimes say someone is a musician’s musician, well, that song is a musician’s song for certain, especially considering who is on that album! What do you remember about recording those albums, with those musicians, it’s a cast of legends and giants, right? And is there anything you can say about recording the “Flying Cowboys” album and working with Walter Becker who produced it? M6: It sure worked out on “Pirates” though, the song you wrote with Rickie? Traces of the Western Slopes, eight minutes long. Sometimes a lyric will play into that, but words can be somewhat of a chore for me. Or a chord structure will sort of work hand and hand with a melody. Rickie Lee Jones sings Pretty Poison live (written by Sal Bernardi)” He sat down and listened to both sides of the record, shook his head and said something like “not bad, come back when you’re old enough to sign a contract.” It would be a few years before I wrote another one. We were only 14 years old, so the A&R guy wasn’t that thrilled to see us. Me and one of the guys in the band got on the bus and into town. At that time, midtown Manhattan was the center of the recording industry. We called in the morning and the guy said “sure come on by this afternoon.” That’s how easy it was to get a demo listened to in those days. “Kama Sutra” was a small label that was having some success with the Lovin Spoonful. We called up a record company called “Kama Sutra” records and arranged a meeting. Our little neighborhood band went in to a home studio and made a 45 record of it. SB: “Red Rolls Royce” and “Misunderstood.” 1966. M6: What was the first song or piece of music you wrote, can you remember, and when did you write it? And what is it you hear in your mind, a melody, or chords, do you imagine a whole band, or an orchestra? I don’t really know, that’s a hard one to answer. Get on the train that comes along and go with the flow. As far as decisions are concerned… Whim, hunch, instinct, chance. I don’t remember what I had for dinner last night, but I sort of remember where I was when I wrote certain songs dating back to the 70s.
The songs sort of document the time and place that you were in when they were being dreamed up. Song writing is sort of a mystery because it’s not always clear where they are coming from. There was honing to be done, but I was up for it. Songs were sort of coming quite naturally, without really trying. I guess I felt like I was on to something. The song writing thing kicked in around that time. I went to art school for a while, then drew some adverts for a local magazine called the “Aquarian”and that was as far it went. SB: The initial plan was to be a commercial artist.
Pretty poison discography professional#
M6: Did you intend to be a professional musician, or did it just happen? How do you make decisions in life, like where to go and what to do… do you follow your instinct, or a hunch, or how do you do things? “Even though I write and play in a simple pop genre, I will sometimes add a Bernstein flavor into the mix.” Leonard Bernstein was sort of influential. The Band’s second album comes to mind, along with various tracks from Traffic, The Spoonful, Zappa, Kinks. SB: Having grown up in the fertile 60s, the influence list would be really long. M6: Can you name some of your most early influences in music? Was there anything or anyone that blew you away or has a lasting impression? was swinging with possibilities in those days, although, it was a bit frustrating because we were still too young to be taken seriously. Perhaps, a bit of a stretch, but the atmosphere in N.Y.C. I came up with the name “Blues Generation” and on some level would like to think that Hendrix was the first artist to cover one of my titles. One night Jimi Hendrix dedicated a song to our band at the Fillmore East. We played at school dances and sometimes down in Greenwich Village at the Café Wha? and the Night Owl. In the mid 60s, when I was about 14, 15 or so, I was lead singer and harmonica player for a little neighborhood band called the Blues Generation. Sal Bernardi: I grew up in Northern New Jersey, a few miles west of Manhattan. Mizar6: Where did it all start? Like, where did you grow up and how did music become your language, skill, occupation? Thomas Dolby would say: “Tell me about your childhood.” Sal Bernardi at the music festival Rochefort, France (2006)