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#Post#: 1682--------------------------------------------------
Interview With Art Greenhaw in Which He Talks About Bob Bogle an
d Nokie Edwards
By: Noel Date: February 22, 2013, 8:25 pm
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Interview With Art Greenhaw in Which He Talks About Bob Bogle
and Nokie Edwards - by Noel
One of my Facebook friends is Art Greenhaw of The Light Crust
Doughboys. What can I say? I like Western Swing. One day, I saw
this pic of Art holding a Fender Jazzmaster.
HTML https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/13134_142589822568316_320877703_n.jpg
I didn’t pass up the opportunity to comment on it, and Art
replied, “This particular guitar is a USA-made Fender '62
Jazzmaster reissue. This instrument was used by me and Bob Bogle
all during our La Me' Studio Dallas sessions. Bob made me a
splendid offer: to set this guitar up in exactly the setup Bob
uses. But we were recording for many, many hours, and we decided
to keep recording instead of working on guitars. I'll always
remember his thoughtful offer, though!”
Art mentioned Mr. Moto and I responded with Paul Johnston and
one thing led to another.
Noel: The first time I realized you had a connection to surf and
instrumental music was when you told me that you and Bob Bogle
used your '62 AVRI Jazzmaster on a recording project. What is
the name of the album you made with Bob?
Art: The album Bob and I worked on together was THE VENTURES,
ROCKY! Later, and continuing on through the present, I
re-arranged and re-recorded for my own band, The Light Crust
Doughboys, ideas and songs Bob and I had explored and
experimented with in Dallas, Texas. I put even more of my
arranging and, of course, my own surf-style lead guitar and bass
guitar playing on these new albums of mine, 80th ANNIVERSARY/THE
LIGHT CRUST DOUGHBOYS and SPIRITUAL COWBOYS/THE LIGHT CRUST
DOUGHBOYS. But, of course, Bob's bass and lead guitar playing
are on the album ROCKY!/THE VENTURES. And on that album ROCKY!,
I contributed keyboards, some production, some arranging, some
rhythm guitar, a bit of lead guitar.
Noel: Is that album still available and how would someone get a
copy?
Art: ROCKY! is available wherever records and downloads are
sold. Our LIGHT CRUST DOUGHBOYS' albums, featuring my
playing/arrangements/production - much of it inspired by Bob and
Nokie and The Ventures---can be ordered at
www.lightcrustdoughboys.org and wherever downloads are sold.
Noel: Can you tell us something of what it was like to record
with Bob? Do you have a favorite Bob Bogle story you can share?
Art: Bob was always, always very professional, dedicated and
serious. If we were scheduled to record at 10 am, he was always
ready BEFORE 10 am. In addition to recording, Bob wanted to talk
about philosophy and even theology (as long as it didn't
interfere with recording!). Like a lot of us, he was seeking
answers to life's deepest questions. He recognized that we in
this world see "as through a glass darkly". Maybe he realized or
believed that "night cometh". But I always remember and
appreciate that Bob wanted to talk about "spiritual" things.
Favorite memories for me were on the very first day of recording
when Bob first heard me play keyboard. He would make very
encouraging, cheerleading remarks like: "Now that's a Top Ten
Lick!" and "Now that's a million-dollar INTRO!" and "You can
take THAT to the bank!" Bob also said "If I'd only started
recording with you 10 years earlier..." I reminded Bob that I
had been writing The Ventures for 10 years with recording ideas
and proposals - so it wasn't my fault! Bob also went into detail
about "VENTURES-RHYTHM-guitar playing", demonstrated a lot for
me, had me play in that technique for him...Very much a
downbeat/on-top-of-the-beat thing, not a backbeat or a laid-back
thing...Listen to our latest LIGHT CRUST DOUGHBOYS' albums for
this style of rhythm guitar playing that I'm using more and
more...
Noel: You mentioned that Bob offered to set up your Jazzmaster
Ventures-style, but that there wasn't time. Did Bob explain what
exactly is a Ventures setup? Have you ever played a Jazzmaster
set up that way how would you describe the difference?
Art: Bob didn't go into the technical aspects of the setup, he
just said he'd set it up! I believe he was quite OK, though,
with the setup I had, since much of the rhythm guitar I played
he used. I flip my Jazzmaster bridge around (upside-down), he
seemed to like that. I rest my palm on the Jazzmaster vibrato,
Bob sort of puts the vibrato between 2 of his fingers. Bob
mentioned my vibrato technique and that he liked it. Of course,
I love his technique, and learned so much from his records—and
now, from him in person.
Noel: I'm really curious to know if you and Bob ever sat around
playing Ventures hits to relax in-between takes or other times?
If you did, what did you play?
Art: Bob and I didn't jam or play guitars off-session...We were
too busy playing every day for the job and for the songs at
hand! Wish we could have jammed and made music more - and could
have played at night! And let me say playing for the soul and
the spirit and for joy is really a NOKIE EDWARDS' thing-to-do -
let's talk about Nokie soon, too!
Noel: I can't pass up an invitation like yours to talk about
Nokie. But I have just one question before we start.Whatever
gave you the idea to turn your Jazzmaster bridge upside-down?
Does work?
Art: A Dallas, Texas guitar shop tech gave me the suggestion of
flipping the Jazzmaster bridge around where the bridge saddles
are upside down...He thought the strings would stay in place
better...I think he's right (it's a bit of an improvement)!
Noel: When and how did you meet Nokie Edwards?
Art: When a kid grows up like me loving pop music and records,
there are certain styles and looks and sounds of players that
you just love. Nokie for me was this player on guitar. I just
thought he and The Ventures were the coolest ever: laid-back,
self-assured, a cowboy swagger in a good way; why, Nokie didn't
even have to look at the fretboard! Coolness! I first met Nokie
when The Ventures had a USA-revival in the early 1980s. There
are pics of him and me during that period at www.artgreenhaw.com
Noel: What were your first impressions of him?
Art: Nokie had a winning way with fans, putting his arm around
their shoulder in photos, making them feel appreciated. These
images would be my first impressions of Nokie: very warm with
fans, quietness and rugged individualism in his manner,
technically spellbinding in his playing.
Noel: I love your comment about him, "playing for the soul and
the spirit and for joy is really a NOKIE EDWARDS' thing-to-do."
Was there a particular event that formed this feeling?
Art: "The playing-from-and-for-the-soul Bit" - this is a quality
that many of the greats have, Nokie has it, Elvis had it...The
personal attitude that you as a musician want to make music as
often as possible just for the joy of making music, for the
healing it brings to your spirit, and for the magic and
happiness it brings to others; in other words, you just love to
play, and you're not just playing for the money or the job...;
as late as 2006, Nokie and our team would have been recording
day and night, and yet, long past midnight, Nokie would break
into a little concert for anyone who wanted to experience his
guitar playing; one-on-one with the person, or the small group,
it didn't matter...
Noel: Nokie is recovering from a very harrowing health crisis he
experienced in Japan. I saw him perform with The Ventures in
early April of 2012 and he looked extremely frail. So I wasn't
shocked to learn his pacemaker wasn't working well. All reports
of his health at Don Wilson's recent birthday party say Nokie is
doing very well and looks good and seems a lot stronger. Have
you spoken to Nokie recently and is he looking forward to
getting back in the studio and performing any time soon?
Art: My mom had a very, very serious bout with almost all the
same heart-pacemaker issues as Nokie, and he called me the day
before her very major surgery to console; it was perfect timing,
so appreciated, and I'll always remember it...And this was even
in the Spring of 2012 before his health episodes in the Fall of
2012; And I've talked with him since he returned home this year
from Japan and those crises; Along these same lines, Nokie
admires and respects older people, senior citizens, the wisdom
of the aged. When he first saw my dad at the 2006 Grammy Awards
(GRAMMY NOMINATION, SOUTHERN MEETS SOUL album), and Dad was
moving slower due to age, he was very, very glad to see him -
and it was genuine and sincere gladness, you could tell...
Noel: Do you have a favorite Nokie story? Or two, or three?
Art: Many Favorite Stories! Here are just 3 favorites: 1) At one
of our first recording sessions together in Oregon, Nokie would
put in 13 hours straight...and fresh-as-a-flower after 13 hours
in the studio! Another Favorite story: 2) Nokie and I did some
Gospel Guitar church services as part of my Guitar Festivals in
Texas; I'll never forget just our 2 guitars: his Hitchhiker, my
Mosrite twanging away in a church sanctuary
with traditional choir in front of us, people sitting in pews
all behind us...; another Favorite story: 3) Nokie at a session
pulling out his original Red Rhodes fuzz box that was used on
the FABULOUS VENTURES, WALK DON'T RUN VOL. 2 and other albums I
loved - and first hearing that buttery sound on our cuts that
landed on our eventual album, CHRISTMAS IN GUITARLAND. It was
heavenly, heavenly!
Noel: Shortly after the original incident in Japan, I somehow
ended up speaking to Jimmie Fadden and Jeff Hanna about Nokie
after a Dirt Band concert. They had noticed my Ventures T-shirt,
and immediately started talking about back in the day when they
played surf music and made some records with Nokie. They had
heard a little about his illness and were concerned, and were
greatly relieved by the prognosis for recovery. It was clear
they both relished their memories of those days. Nokie Edwards
has impacted so many guitarists, both musically and personally.
I can't stop thinking about a project with you, Jimmie and Jeff,
Nokie and some others from those early days, and maybe even some
modern guitartists who've been inspired by him. Have you ever
thought about doing something like this?
Art: In response to this question, I believe the best thing we
could all do is come together for an annual NOKIE EDWARDS
APPRECIATION SOCIETY MEET & PLAY - for which I could provide the
building and the space and the format - in metro Dallas, Texas,
a good central USA location. NOKIE STUDENTS/FANS OF THE WORLD,
UNITE!!
Noel: Are there any new projects in the works or ideas for
something surf musicians might find exciting?
Art: Would love to do new projects, but it's so difficult to
even pay back top-drawer recording costs - unless several of us
Nokie disciples could email multi-tracks and files
back-and-forth. Also, I'd love to have some fans commit to some
quantity purchases of our CDs that we could use to help defray
Nokie's hospital expenses. Corporations, banks, businesses, etc.
that might take 50-100 or more customized CDs, this sort of
thing. I have my favorite Nokie records on Greenhaw Records
which are Gospel; Surf Guitar fans might particularly go for our
albums GUITARS OVER TEXAS and GUITAR BAND CLASSICS and CHRISTMAS
IN GUITARLAND. To see our Catalog, go to
www.theconnextion.com/artgreenhaw.
I want to thank Art for agreeing to share these wonderful
memories of Bob Bogle and Nokie Edwards. I hope everyone enjoys
reading this interview as much as I enjoyed talking with (okay,
emailing) Art to put it together.
Recordings with Bob Bogle and Nokie Edwards are at
HTML http://www.theconnextion.com/artgreenhaw/
Art Greenhaw is on Facebook at
HTML https://www.facebook.com/mcwhortergreenhaw?fref=ts
Art Greenhaw Records are on Facebook at
HTML https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Greenhaw-Records/134528256707806?ref=ts&fref=ts
The Light Crust Doughboys are on Facebook (check out the Shell
Pink Mosrite Art is playing) at
HTML https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Greenhaw-Records/134528256707806?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/GreenhawDoughboysPromotions?fref=ts
—
This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's
got.
#Post#: 1683--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interview With Art Greenhaw in Which He Talks About Bob Bogl
e and Nokie Edwards
By: wstagner Date: February 23, 2013, 9:04 am
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WOW, great interview, Noel....thanks for positing. :-*
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