Why I started writing music

I discovered R.E.M. one summer in college around 1984, when my best friend popped his brother's cassette in the car stereo while we were driving through our neighborhood in Houston. On one side was Murmer and the other side was Reckoning.  I hadn't heard anything like it before.

It was unpretentious rock with a southern unaffected inflection. It was aggressive yet dreamy.  Pete's layered guitars were mesmerizing and the vocals were indecipherable.  Mike's bass countermelodies were entirely original. Michael's melodies were  genuine, cryptic and completely unpredictable. Who were these guys?

Each listen became more and more alluring. Returning back to college in Dallas, I joined a band as the drummer. Our leader, Bob began to introduce some“college" music into our party repertoire – the Plimsouls, the Knack and R.E.M. We learned all the early IRS R.E.M. songs even if we didn't play them live - we loved them.  I could sing all the Mills and Berry harmonies while carrying the beat.  Bill Berry is one of the only drummers I know of who often played the hi-hat on the“and" (Harborcoat), a very distinctive and bouncy yet nonthreatening delivery.  We had to make up some of the words because we honestly didn't know what Michael was singing (and this was ten years before the internet).

I decided I would learn the lyrics. So, I played my homemade cassettes in the tape recorder - rewind, fast forward - incessantly, writing the words to every song on the first six albums, the best I could ascertain. These were fascinating, cryptic stories and imagery.

I began to really become obsessed with the whole movement. We related to these "normal" guys who were friends deciding to make music without regard to making hits, looking like rock stars or fitting any mold. We were from Texas and related to their southern and punk underground influences.

Bob taught me the basic open chords and bar chords on guitar, as I was beginning to tire of setting up and taking down drums and playing cover music for drunk college kids. Writing my first songs, I often thought about how this would sound if R.E.M. was playing it. 

Encounter I

I found out Peter Buck and Mike Mills were appearing live on the nationally syndicated radio program Rockline. Tuning in, I decided to record the show and make a few attempts to call in. The busy signal finally turned to a ring! Ring, ring and ring, “Rockline, hold please. What would you like to ask the guys?” I was now on the line live with Peter and Mike - my voice was shaking. I told them they had surpassed the Beatles in my book (what was I thinking), and Peter asked me how old I was (23). We chatted about their cover songs and their favorite REM songs, and it was over before I knew it.

This event only accelerated my fascination with this band. Our band was playing favorites like Can't Get There From Here and Radio Free Europe.  When they started getting big, we had to learn It's the End of the World and Pop Song 89. 

Encounter II

I missed the Fables tour because some relatives had come in town to visit, but my music friends saw the show at the Bandshell  - I really missed out on that one. Then they came to Moody Coliseum for the Document tour, and we were in. Bob and I drove to the arena on our lunch break to see if we could catch any of the band members during load-in.  We had the new issue of Rolling Stone with R.E.M. on the cover and the title “America's best rock band.”  Walking the corridor, around comes Michael Stipe with backpack, safety glasses and bandana doo-rag.  Adorned in suit and tie, we tried to shake hands and he stared at us, “let me put my stuff down.” Ok, we thought we would never see him again. But he returned, and we asked, "have you seen the cover?” We showed him the new magazine and he signed it for us along with our band business card. I asked about the opening line of Exhuming McCarthy, "bear the fall more..?" to which he uttered, "beautiful”and that was it.

Boots

We had a great music shop in Dallas called Bills Records which occupied an abandoned grocery store. Records were stacked in no particular order in every nook and cranny. The trip to Bill's required at least an hour and involved ingesting a lot of dust, while discovering many gems.  Over time, I accumulated most of the great R.E.M. bootlegs of the time including So Much Younger Then, Dead Giveaway Office and The Bob Magazine with the Femme Fatale floppy disc and sleeve.  I talked Bob in to selling me an autographed record jacket, and I even have an R.E.M. Viewmaster.

Ardent

One summer, I drove back with my sister from New York following her college graduation. “We have to stop in Memphis because R.E.M. is recording their next album at Ardent,” I insisted.  We drove straight there and saw the band’s road cases in the windows. I sauntered in the front door like we were old friends, and asked the receptionist if I could speak with the band. She made a quick phone call, and politely affirmed that they were not available. 

We hopped across the street to the Memphis Drum Shop to look around. I actually learned to play the drums on my sister's kit in the afternoons while she was at marching practice.  We met Jim Pettit the owner of this famous institution for percussionists.  After a brief chat about music and R.E.M., he gave me a couple of photos of Bill in the studio and some sticks that he had played  - what a treat.

Encounter III

It was the Orange tour, and we were excited to hear distorted guitars (Peter once said he would never use pedals) in Reunion Arena. I scored excellent floor seats and took the Seed with me following some pregame festivities.  The show was big arena rock band stuff.  Well underway, here comes the soliloquy. I knew it would happen, it’s part of the performance. Under multiple influences, I involuntarily shouted "shut up and sing!" Ouch.  Michael looks out, "who said that?”Fingers from all directions pointed at me. Peter and Mike move to center stage and point to me. "This is my goddamn show and I will say whatever I want,”exclaimed Michael to a unanimous ovation. What an irony. I'm the biggest fan in the building, and my mouth shot me down.  I'm sincerely sorry, Michael. I love your stories and I was on adrenaline and other things.

MERMER

Three of my best musician friends and I formed an R.E.M. cover band for fun. The guys played Rickenbackers and I played drums.  We already knew all the familiar songs, and we wanted to perform the deep cuts. We played some parties and bars, and even performed at a Warner release party for New Adventures in Hi-fi.  One of my favorite songs to play was 9-9 off of Murmur. The drum beat still confounds me, similar to a few of the Zeppelin songs.

Application

When Bill had the brain aneurism and retired from R.E.M., some time passed without the announcement of a drummer replacement, but the band hadn't announced a breakup. So I decided I would apply. I sent a formal letter, explaining my experience and desire to play with the band. I received a very polite response from Kevin O'Neil, their management associate stating that they weren't planning to fill the position, but he would pass my info on to the band.

Coincidentally, our lead singer from Mermer, John had recently moved to Watkinsville, GA to fly commercially out of Atlanta.  He gave flight lessons on the side, and one day in walks Bill Berry for flying lessons. What are the odds?  I don't think John ever mentioned anything about our intense proclivity for R.E.M.

Covers

As time passed, I continued to work, raise kids and write music. Live performing in bars no longer interested me.  I began to keep a list of favorite songs in my head for a cover album.  The first one I had in mind was Ocean by the Velvet Underground.  I learned about VU through R.E.M. in the 80's.  I knew their versions before I knew the originals - probably like a lot of people first heard some of the American blues standards from UK bands in the late 60's.

When I moved to Colorado, I became a DJ for KBUT, a community radio station. My show, Transistor Radio is based entirely on the VU family tree. 

When I put my cover album together, I chose Bandwagon because I liked the campy western flavor and the beat of the song.

I continue to write songs and put them out on streaming services.  I still hear R.E.M. in a lot of the melodies.  They were the first band that I loved and somehow identified with in a way. For some unknown reason, I thought that I could do that (make music) and I related to their friendships, their humility and rhythms.  Now, I am honoring and paying tribute to their first EP and releasing my relaxed acoustic version of Chronic Town on the fortieth anniversary of the recording sessions at Mitch Easter's Drive In Studios in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

A lot of popular music I just can't listen to anymore, mainly because it's been drilled in my head for too long.  But, I think the best music grows on you, and I still love to listen to R.E.M.

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