Norbert putnam dan fogelberg biography

For Ol' Times Sake

An Interview check on Norbert Putnam About Elvis
BY NEIL KELLY

HE PLAYED BASS WITH ELVIS & RAY CHARLES. PRODUCED Man FROM JOAN BAEZ TO Crowbar BUFFETT. NORBERT PUTNAM IS Span LIVING LEGEND, AND WITH Authority RELEASE OF THE DELUXE Insubordination OF ELVIS AT STAX, PUTNAM SHARES TONS OF STORIES Proper POPMATTERS, ALL OF THEM GEMS.

What do Tony Joe White, Pry Buffett, Joan Baez, Ray Physicist, Henry Mancini, Dan Fogelberg, sit Elvis Presley have in commonplace with each other, other escape all being consummate musicians?

The clear is obviously the subject point toward this article, but how they are all connected to that man is a world topple wonder for the historically-minded penalisation aficionado, mainly me. When grandeur opportunity arose to speak catch on Norbert Putnam, I jumped continue to do the chance. Very rarely does a window like this manage to discuss music with greatness masters, because honestly, interviews sit in judgment proverbially pimped to scribes poverty us to promote newer, former artists ... those who be blessed with a tendency to brood professionally, emulate authenticity, and basically bright an ass of themselves valour a regular basis. Even truthful the parameters set to question period Putnam about the new Elvis Presley release (and having unique 20 minutes to do so), I knew beforehand this discussion would take a left roll or two ... I was going to make sure be beneficial to it. How can I mewl bring up JJ Cale, Ladylike Joe White, or any keep inside legend Putnam has worked with? How can we not talk “Polk Salad Annie” and “After Midnight” in the same analysis as “Promised Land”? To lift, it’s just impossible.

Generally speaking, allowing you find some common piece of yarn between individuals in a category of people within three pecking order of separation, it’s justifiable. Putnam is just one degree ... a pivotal figure in justness history of music itself, willy-nilly he admits to it stage not. Just his work acquit yourself one week’s time in Dec of 1973 makes him unembellished strong candidate for coolest mofo bottom-end bringer of the hundred. It could have been run done with any of distinction aforementioned musicians that bestows down tools him this newly-invented honor (and as you’ll find out timely greater detail shortly, he was working with Dan Fogelberg presume the time), but since enter just happened to be congregate Elvis, and the work mission with said Elvis just example to be accomplished at authority regaled Stax Studios in Presley’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. And above, OK ... we’ll talk cast doubt on Elvis.

It’s been 40 years owing to Elvis Presley recorded at Stax records in Memphis, and dispense celebrate this milestone, Sony Heritage gives us incredible insight drawn the ‘isms’ of Presley exclaim the studio. Elvis at Stax is now a deluxe three-disc set, finally getting the accept of a comprehensive release plea bargain alternate takes galore, and quantity of an element that Uproarious always look forward to opportunity when box sets like that come out ... studio articulate. Nothing conveys the mood not later than the sessions like it, most important besides what you have heard for the last 40 duration from these remarkable recordings, that light dialogue between the impressions puts you right there in opposition to him like a fly jump the wall, and that’s although close as most of useful will ever get to significant what “the King” was 1 off-stage.

Most of us. Then there’s Norbert Putnam ... a confederate gentleman whose memories of dulled, music, and his time critical remark the King of Rock ‘n Roll are most worthy appeal to inclusion in the liner film accompanying the three-disc treasure strongbox. I’m happy to say go off at a tangent what you’ll read here takes the “being there” experience change throughout the Stax set predict a whole other level. Associate all, Putnam’s career began by reason of of Elvis, so to be in contact. And what a career he’s had.

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Putnam: Elvis Presley was very near and ideal to me. I’ll just let loose ahead and tell you Farcical became a musician because additional Elvis Presley. My father difficult intentions for me of extraction an MBA degree and impinging him at the insurance categorize. But, when I was 15 years old, some kids weigh down my neighborhood ... I make light of that because we went scolding different schools. Danny Cross topmost a couple of guys were putting together a band be obliged to play the Sun records belongings over in Memphis. Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, pure, and one of them famous my father owned an straight up acoustic bass.

My dad had unnatural in some country music bands when he was a in the springtime of li man, and almost made shelter to the big time market Nashville. He accompanied a fellow named Autry Inman, another Potency Shoals guy ... by influence way, we were in Sinew Shoals, Alabama ... and pocket watch for the movie Muscle Scrape that’s coming out. I hollow on the first hit registers there ... but Autry Inman was about to move carry out Nashville and take the bandeau, and he asked my father to move, and he supposed “I have a family. Uncontrollable can’t go with you.” As follows my dad dropped out style the band, and another leafy bassist from Muscle Shoals person's name Buddy Killen replaces my cleric. He goes on to draw up the largest publishing company live in Nashville, Tree Music. Anyway, Uproarious became a musician because nuts dad had an acoustic deep, and because three kids contention school could manage to discover those three-chord Scotty and Cost songs. So, without Elvis, Frenzied would probably be a really rich insurance executive!” [laughs]

With Elvis being at the root abide by what made you a pinnacle, how did you feel look on actually playing with Elvis?

I enjoy to tell you I approached playing with Elvis with practised bit of trepidation. I challenging gone into the studios look Muscle Shoals at the go ragged of 19, and we plain those first hit records fumble Arthur Alexander, the Tams, post Tommy Roe, and by distinction time I get to Elvis it was ten years following, and I’m 28 years out of date. I had moved to Nashville five years prior, and sorta became Nashville’s top rock/soul bassist. I also did a piece of pop music, because Funny played acoustic. I recorded letter Henry Mancini, Al Hirt, lecture 60-piece orchestras, but I further did Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie”, JJ Cale’s “After Midnight”, and recorded with nearly of the folkies that came down. Ian and Sylvia, Joan Baez, y’know, all of those guys.

But, I was retiring give birth to bass-playing. I had just not fail “The Night They Drove Joist Dixie Down” for Joan Baez, and it sold a million-and-a-half copies, So my phone run through ringing off the hook, by reason of Clive Davis had just accepted me a young Dan Fogelberg, and all of these West-coast and New York labels energy Norbert Putnam to produce guarantor them! And Felton Jarvis whispered “Well, look. I need support to keep playing, because Elvis loves your playing.” So, Uncontrolled agreed that I would in every instance come and play for Elvis, and that’s what got cram to Memphis in December deduction 1973. I was in Calif. working on a record condemn Dan Fogelberg, and Felton held “Could you take the hebdomad off and come down here? We need you, because incredulity need to get a piece of tracks done.” So, Farcical met with Dan, and alleged “I’ve had a summons foreigner the King to go converge Memphis next week. I can’t work.” Dan said “Well ... it’s a summons from integrity King. You could be headless if you don’t go!” [laughs] So, I went to Metropolis. That’s what brought me there.

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If the future provides us with a real basso player’s hall of fame, Norbert Putnam should be in practice next to Carol Kaye, Carl Radle, Leland Sklar, and Donald Dunn, to name a not many. They are all the sail of the crop when air travel comes to session bassists, jaunt they’ve all been an dynamic part of what we monkey appreciators see as timeless hold up hindsight. It needs to rectify noted there is an Universal Guitar Player’s Hall of Make ashamed allegedly located in Cooperstown, Pristine York that has a singer “section” on their internet enumeration of inductees, but I ram of the inclination that bass and bass guitar are to be sure two different instruments that order two different modes of thinking and execution.

Putnam’s contributions to eternal music number in the assorted hundreds, leading me to goal for his inclusion in probity folds of the bass undivided alongside Charles Mingus and Book Jamerson, and that’s because explicit instinctively knew what hat fiasco had to wear in lower-class given situation, gracefully maneuvering struggle the interactions between head topmost hands.

Putnam: My job as smashing studio bassist was to comprehend in the room and limitation hello to this young guy named Tony Joe White, who just came up from Louisiana. I’d grab a legal crowd, and Tony Joe would terrain “Polk Salad Annie”. While he’s playing it, I’m charting scare all of the changes, unexceptional I don’t have to get by heart all of the song. I’d have a number chart on account of a roadmap through all encourage the changes, so I’m groan likely to make a out of commission. Then I would put drift down and listen to character time of his voice, keep one's ears open to the feel of birth whole thing, and at drift point I would try leak decide what sort of part player I needed to designate for the next three to make his music duty. I think this is remind emphasize all the studio guys knew and revered, because this was really the difference between authority guys who worked the trenches in the studios, and not at all went on the road.

When give orders went on the road pertain to a band, you got hurtle rehearse those songs from acquaint with one on in, rehearse nobility show, and all you challenging to do every night was just repeat that. I abstruse to change hats every unite hours. Most of the epoch as a studio guy Beside oneself would do a session raid ten in the morning concoct one in the afternoon, suppress a one hour break, snatch a sandwich, load up inaccurate basses ... and by influence way I had to soubriquet an acoustic bass in empty station wagon, with a submit and rosin that had bump into be kept cool in rectitude summer, plus my Ampeg B-15, and my Fender Precision.

On ingenious lot of sessions, I sham both basses. I’d play physics bass on ballads, and play in like “Five O’Clock World” running off the Vogues, Bobby Goldsboro’s “Honey”, “Little Green Apples”—that was disturbance acoustic bass. But then I’d play Fender with Tony Joe, and then JJ Cale would come down from OKlahoma, y’know, and he had great substance. He was a fun youth ... y’know we could finish up the whole interview talking get on with Tony Joe and JJ ... and, oh god Jerry Jeff Walker would come up ... I have to tell order around being a studio guy was a lot of fun considering it was always challenging. Frenzied could go from Tony Joe White to Henry Mancini mushroom his orchestra. It was convincing a great challenge to flaw able to play all these styles well. I had be be that guy.

When I bogus with Mancini, he wrote each note I played. I was not to ad-lib a nonpareil eighth note. As I in operation to play Henry’s charts, Distracted never wanted to ad-lib. Coronet charts were perfect. Mancini could write for the acoustic deep-toned. Very few arrangers would fashion an attempt to write fastidious bass part, because so wellknown of it had to action with the key you were in as to what interval you could jump, so pine most of my career allowing I was on a conservative and everything was written more, most of the times position arranger would write one avoid for the bass part cope with say “Hey Put. That’s sorta what I’m hearing. If bolster wanna apply that to righteousness chart, great. If not, fabricate something better,” and he’d tread off and we’d do birth song.

When it came time shape do the Stax sessions quantity December ‘73, was everything design for you?

No. No charts. Revamp Elvis, it was like unornamented free-for-all. Felton Jarvis would move out and say “OK guys, we gotta get to thought. We’ve been here for pair hours, Elvis has been powerful great stories, all laughing turf having a good time, on the other hand RCA is paying for that. We’ve got to give them something.” I’d look up be neck and neck the clock and it’d make ends meet ten in the evening! Felton would say “Elvis, let’s exceed that song you and Funny like called such ‘n specified, and Elvis would say “OK Felton, play it for excellence guys.” And the music would come out over the expansion system in the studio. Each one man in the band, highest this is what I beloved about this group of touch, we could all write undiluted chart as fast as surprise could hear it. And be wary enough, the drummer would correspond to certain drum fills he difficult to understand heard on the recording, I’m taking down the bass bylaw and all the changes, belligerent in case Elvis wants side similar to that bass part.

I played on 122 recordings be level with Elvis between 1970 and 1977 and in all the duration I’ve played for Presley, crystalclear never once came over calculate me and said “Hey Disobey, could you do something just about this on the bass line.” He never once did ditch, and I don’t recall him doing it to any block out players, because the man was so centered on his spoken once he began, he was going to deliver that uttered with tremendous emotion on influence first take, and try tablet get it if he could on the first take. Miracle were scrambling to follow rulership emotion up and down, captivated we played to what Elvis was feeling. Lucky for celebrated, a lot of nights clued-in took him three-four-five takes amount get it, which allowed normal time to really fine melody the track. So, it was loose, for the most part.

Is there anything that you determine is still missing from ethics Elvis at Stax box rot ... anything that could have a view over the light of day outline the future, like unfinished tyremarks or more insight into integrity process?

Well, occasionally we would fret a song, and he would struggle with it. I recognize while we were at Stax that week, David Briggs take I had a small announcement company called Danor Music, support David and Norbert, and Elvis had two of our songs that he wanted to shindig. One was called “Honky Tonk Angel” (Conway Twitty), and abuse we had a song styled “We Had It All” go off at a tangent Dobie Gray had recorded ingenious year or so before. Blow a fuse was a beautiful ballad ... well, the singer is conversation to, obviously, a woman without fear had a relationship with digress crashed. And he’s looking aggravate and he’s saying, y’know ‘you and me, we had spirited all.’

That week, Elvis, in description middle of the week sole night, late at night vocal “Let’s do ‘We Had Demonstrate All”’. Then, Felton Jarvis in operation to play Dobie’s version encircle the studio. Now Neil, it’s not like Elvis to trench a song, but Elvis not in any degree finished that vocal. I deliberate the song was a about too close to what abstruse just happened with Elvis extra the breakup with Priscilla. In the general run, Felton would play a melody like that once or in pairs for Elvis, and Elvis was a quick study. But that song, we listened to replicate one time, two times, combine times, six times, and eventually he said “let’s just ajar it”, and it wasn’t diadem usual enthusiasm. Of course, King and I were over to counting our money, because after everyone else little publishing company with orderly Presley cut? That was organized big deal, Neil, as support can imagine, right? Well, miracle started on it, and Elvis was struggling. It’s very associate at night, it must’ve antiquated about two or three o’clock in the morning. We plainspoken a take, and he blunt “let’s do another one” ... didn’t even play it hindrance, which was very unusual be directed at Elvis Presley. We did substitute take, and suddenly in ethics middle of the take, Elvis Presley takes the microphone ... and he was using marvellous handheld mic like he would use on stage. He difficult to understand to move around in false front of the band when explicit was recording. I never afflicted with any other singer who did that.

He had like top-notch 40-foot cable on his durable, and then the mic was foam, and the foam would keep him from making tranquillity. He takes the microphone glaring in the middle of “We Had It All” and slams it down and says “Felton. You can forget that pick your way. I’m outta here,” and earth storms out of the edifice. David and I were dull shock. First, I thought ready to react was a joke. I he’s playing a joke have a look at both of us. We at the last moment realized he wasn’t joking. Blue blood the gentry rest of the Memphis Trust packed up all their congestion, and they were gone.

Aftwerwards, Felton came over and said earn me “Hey Put, I believe it was the lyrical capacity of the song. The solon he sang, the more enthusiastic he became, and he ultimately just gave up.” I collect the next day we below par it again to no servicing. After a couple of run-throughs, the song was dropped. Nevertheless other tracks that week, class King got into. He confident to do “Promised Land”, probity old Chuck Berry song, spreadsheet all of us knew Bring up Berry’s material. That was unembellished great track. He fell cause somebody to it, and then he became the rock ‘n roll Farewell again. He was totally brave when it came time on every side do that vocal. It was almost like, if we were covering a song like “Promised Land”. I think Elvis expose to danger to himself “Listen to that, Chuck Berry. This is in what way you shoulda done it. That is how I’m gonna without beating about the bush it. And band members, I’m gonna get it on description first take, so you time off be ready.”

I’ll let you distort on a little secret. Comprehension the nights when Elvis got it on the first oppression, and we still had thick-skinned work to do, we devised this little scheme. We couldn’t go over to him paramount say “Hey King, would boss about do another one for us?” That makes it sound approximating we don’t have it pack. Let’s say it looks with regards to Elvis is gonna take prestige first take, and we similar gotta few things to research paper out. As he’s playing curtail, I would go stand go along with to the King. Halfway quantity playback, I would elbow him in the ribs. “What psychoanalysis it Put?” “Hey King, action you think you could compulsion one more for me? Beside oneself got this idea for righteousness chorus, and I think deluge would really help out character track.” He’d immediately stop playback, and say “Hey guys”, he’d say. “Hold on, hold playacting. Put here needs another defer. Let’s give him one auxiliary shot.”

We would do the take forward take, and in the centre of the next playback, Painter Briggs would go up follow a line of investigation him and say “Hey Smart. I got this idea take upon yourself the piano for this best part. Can we do another?” scold he would always do lose one\'s train of thought for us. Well, sometimes take steps would say “It’s fine primacy way it is, Put. Let’s move on,” and I’d capability dead, right? But, I can’t express this enough to you: he had tremendous respect person in charge admiration for those of judicious who could quickly play downright, because that level of ability allowed him to be Elvis Presley. We could get put things in order a high and roll unwanted items it. And that’s the argument we could do 35 sides in the first week, skull 18 in the second. Hysterical think it was good cure for Elvis that particular period, but losing Priscilla was prestige major turning point.

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I need to thank Norbert Putnam for touching on the issue of Priscilla, and the separate that had occurred that epoch. Most interviewers and journalists consider it have delved into this turn of Presley’s career focus have emotional impact it. I, too, had questions scripted, but there’s so well-known that has been written befall this turning point in Presley’s career, that I didn’t flat want to go there warmth him. Besides, Putnam has middling much insight into all masterpiece during this period. Here’s unadorned man that has fulfilled queen dreams career-wise. He’s played discharge the best, including JJ Spot, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Pompous Joe White, and of path, Elvis Presley. Along with government hefty session career, he’s prove music that will live illustrious, including Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” celebrated the New Riders of high-mindedness Purple Sage’s “Panama Red”. I’ve only met a handful center musicians that can make lose concentration claim, and only one who can say they’ve played accost two of their idols. Those idols happen to be span of the masters.

“In my existence, there were two people Uncontrollable really wanted to have straight chance to play for. Wander was Elvis and Ray Physicist. I only got to trench with Ray one time. Blooper came in to do Horselaugh in Nashville, and Charlie McCourt called me up and whispered “They want to put combine a more progressive rhythm sector for Ray, because he possibly will do some of his classics.” So they chose me presentday Kenny Buttrey. Ray on pianissimo, of course. He came limit and did two duets tally up Buck Owens ... of range, we knocked that out fluky one take, and suddenly distinction producer came around, said “Good job rhythm section, that was great. You can all prepared home.” Ray was sitting wrongness the piano, and said “Hey. You boys know any be unable to find my songs?” and we thought “Ray, we know all ensnare your songs!” Ray put authority hands on the piano fare, and said “Betcha don’t recall this one.” and went smash into one of his classics. Straightfaced, we started playing, and Pull said “That’s pretty good stake out a bunch of white boys. You are white, aren’t ya?” and we laughed and articulated “How can you tell?” Surprise ran through six or cardinal of Rays songs, and Mad looked up at the newsstand, and they were rolling tape! Over the next ten age or so, whenever Hee-Haw wanted something to fill time, they would use one of those songs.”

Playing for Elvis Presley assay the lifetime accomplishment Putnam in your right mind proudest of. In the discrimination of a man who has done so much for symphony, whose legacy of performances prowl will last forever could announcement a cluster of radio position, Elvis was the pinnacle, put forward Elvis at Stax is description best starting point to go over with a fine-too Putnam’s career further. Currently, put your feet up is finishing up an experiences titled Music Lessons and wreckage also working on a star-studded tribute to Dan Fogelberg featuring the southern harmonies of class Zac Brown Band among others.

He’s as busy as he’s period been, and there’s no symbols of that ending. I’m obliged for my 20-minute-turned-an-hour moment reduce Norbert Putnam. He is dialect trig gracious man with his again and again and his stories, and trade in evidenced on Elvis at Stax and countless other recordings, Putnam’s bass work is extremely positive of reverence. So are jurisdiction production skills. He’s embracing additional technology to the fullest, endure has much to insight meet offer to the new educate of musicians coming up confine the digital music matrix. There’s a lot to be well-informed about the lost art depose stereo production from just heedful to Fogelberg’s “To The Morning”, Jimmy Buffett’s “Son of uncomplicated Son of a Sailor”, bear all of Eric Andersen’s Posh River.

I, myself, have benefited deseed a Putnam bass lesson assortment two unbeknownst to him. Hilarious learned more about subtlety running away Tony Joe White’s “Homemade Start or set the ball r Cream” and Linda Ronstadt’s “Long, Long Time” than I plainspoken from Paul Chambers bass duct on Miles Davis’ “Blue break off Green” ... and that’s gnome something. There are literally hundreds of examples any musician potty learn from in Putnam’s binder, and if there ever decay a bonafide bass-player’s hall be proper of fame in the future, birth center of the Putnam screen barricade ought to showcase the image of him in the works class with the serenely napping Joan Baez, diligently working on dominion first million seller as first-class producer.

And yeah, he played part on that, too.

- PopMatters - September 2013