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UM, WELCOME TO THIS EDITION OF SUNDAY AT THE LIBRARY.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE FRIENDS OF THE HASTINGS LIBRARY.
AND BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR EXCITING SPEAKERS TODAY, I JUST WANT TO REMIND ALL OF YOU WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE FRIENDS, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US.
WE SUPPORT ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY, AND WE'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US.
AND PLEASE REMEMBER, AFTER THIS TALK, THERE WILL BE BOOKS FOR SALE IN THE BACK AND THERE WILL BE REFRESHMENTS IN THE BARNES ROOM.
AND I'M GOING TO READ MY INTRODUCTION SO I DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING OUT BECAUSE BILLY ALTMAN IS A KIND OF 19TH CENTURY, 21ST CENTURY RE RENAISSANCE MAN.
BESIDES KNOWING MORE ABOUT ALL KINDS OF MUSIC THAN ALMOST ANYONE IN THE WORLD, OH, I'M SORRY.
BESIDES KNOWING MORE ABOUT ALL KINDS OF MUSIC THAN ALMOST ANYONE IN THE WORLD, HE'S AN AWARD-WINNING CULTURAL JOURNALIST, CRITIC AND HISTORIAN.
HE WAS A FOUNDING CURATOR OF THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME IN CLEVELAND, AND AT BOTH AN EDITORIAL AND A CURATORIAL CONSULTANT TO THE GRAMMY MUSEUMS IN LOS ANGELES, THE NATIONAL BLUES MUSEUM IN ST.
LOUIS, AND THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC IN NASHVILLE.
BUT HE ALSO TEACHES HIS MUSIC HISTORY AND WRITING AT THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND FOR A CHANGE OF PERFORMANCE IN VENUE, HE COVERS NEW COVERED NEW YORK BASEBALL AND OTHER SPORTS FOR MANY YEARS FOR THE VILLAGE VOICE.
AND SINCE 2004, HE HAS BEEN AN OFFICIAL SCORER FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AT METS AND YANKEES GAMES.
AND THAT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING.
SO SPIKE BARK AND MY HUSBAND WILL BE TALKING WITH BILLY TODAY ABOUT MUSIC AND ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK, POSITIVELY.
FOURTH AND MERCER, THE INSIDE STORY OF NEW YORK'S ICONIC MUSIC CLUB, THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND HOW DO WE HAPPEN TO KNOW BILLY WHEN HE AND HIS WIFE JOYCE AND HIS DAUGHTER EMMA, MOVED TO HASTINGS.
WE MET THEM BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND RUTH LESLIE WAS JOYCE'S COUSIN.
AND JUST TO COMPLETE THIS HASTINGS CIRCLE, RUTH LESLIE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THIS LIBRARY FOR MANY YEARS.
SO NOW ON BEHALF OF THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, I'M HAPPY TO INTRODUCE BILLY ALTMAN.
UH, BILLY, WHY A BOOK ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE? WELL, I MEAN, OUT OF, UM, 18,000 CLUBS THAT MAY HAVE EXISTED IN NEW YORK CITY OVER, OVER THE YEARS, THE BOTTOM LINE WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS CLUBS, UH, IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY.
AND AS I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY, IT WAS OPEN FROM 1974 TO EARLY 2004, AND IT WASN'T, UH, A CLUB THAT SHOWED, LET'S SAY, ONE KIND OF MUSIC OR WAS HAD A NICHE, NICHE FOR A PARTICULAR STYLE OF MUSIC OR A SCENE WHERE PEOPLE CAME JUST TO HANG OUT.
THE BOTTOM LINE WAS ONE, I IT COULD BE A FOLK CLUB.
ONE I, IT COULD BE A ROCK CLUB.
ONE I, IT COULD BE A COMEDY CLUB.
ONE, I, IT COULD BE A SPOKEN WORD CLUB, A JAZZ CLUB, A COUNTRY MUSIC CLUB.
UM, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, THE CLUB JUST WAS EVER ALAN PEPPER AND HIS PARTNER, STANLEY SADOWSKI, WANTED TO PRESENT TO PEOPLE JUST 'CAUSE THEY WANTED TO PRESENT SOMETHING GOOD ON A STAGE.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF VISION, SIMPLE VISION OF JUST TRYING TO HAVE A CLUB THAT WOULD HOLD ANYTHING, I DIDN'T, IT REALLY SEPARATED IT FROM MOST OF THE OTHER CLUBS IN THE CITY AND KIND OF HELD ITS SPOT THERE ALMOST FOR THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE CLUB FOR 30 YEARS.
SO IT SEEMED LIKE A, A CLUB THAT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED.
AND FORTUNATELY FOR ME, ALAN PEPPER, WHO'S THE OWNER OF THE CLUB, WHO I'VE KNOWN ALL THROUGH THE YEARS, APPROACHED ME A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND WANTED TO DO A COMBINATION MEMOIR, BUT, BUT THE CLUB WAS SO MUCH OF HIS LIFE, UH, THE HISTORY OF THE CLUB.
SO HOW DID THAT PROCESS WORK? WELL, WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS.
I'VE TOLD PEOPLE THAT THE BOTTOM LINE, HOW MANY OF YOU WERE AT THE BOTTOM LINE?
OKAY, SO, ALRIGHT, SO, SO THE BOTTOM LINE, UH, HELD IT WAS A 400 SEAT VENUE, OKAY? AND AS EVERYONE WHO WAS THERE KNOWS, UH, INTIMATE CLUB, IMMACULATE, UM, UH, SOUND, UH, UH, SIGHT LINES WERE TERRIFIC UNLESS YOU WERE SITTING BEHIND THE TWO POLES THERE, UH, THAT YOU COULDN'T WRITE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, BECAUSE THEY BUILT IT IN TEARS, UM, YOU COULD SEE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE CLUB.
UH, AND, UM, UH, WHEN THE CLUB CLOSED IN 2004, I'D BEEN GOING TO THE CLUB, UH, ALMOST FROM THE DAY IT OPENED IN 2004, REALLY UP UNTIL WHEN IT CLOSED.
AND, UM, AFTER THE CLUB CLOSED IN EARLY
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2004, I DID A PIECE FOR A MAGAZINE ABOUT THE CLUB CLOSING.I TALKED TO ALAN PEPPER, THE CO-OWNER.
I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT PLAYED THERE.
I TOOK PEOPLE WHO WENT TO THE CLUB.
AND OVER THE YEARS, I FOUND OUT LATER FROM ALAN THAT HE HAD WANTED TO DO KIND OF A, A HISTORY OF THE CLUB.
AND HE'D STARTED TO MAKE KIND OF LIKE FURTIVE EVENTS TO KIND OF START AND GET A KIND OF MEMOIR AND HISTORY OF THE CLUB GOING.
AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, THEY NEVER SEEMED TO WORK OUT.
AND AS HE TOLD ME, AFTER HE THEN APPROACHED ME A FEW YEARS AGO, HE SAID, I KEPT COMING BACK TO THAT ARTICLE YOU WROTE ON IN TRACKS MAGAZINE ON THE CLUB.
AND FINALLY ONE OF MY FRIENDS SAID, WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM
AND, UM, UH, I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE CLUB WAS NOT ABOUT ANY KIND OF SCENE.
IT WAS REALLY ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT PLAYED THERE, ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WENT THERE, UH, PEOPLE WHO WORKED THERE.
UH, AND SO, UM, WHEN WE STARTED TO GO ABOUT FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO IT, UM, ALAN, NOT ME, HAD SUGGESTED WE DO IT AS AN ORAL HISTORY.
UM, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GET A LOT OF VOICES IN THERE.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF VOICES BECAUSE AS I SAID BEFORE, THE CLUB HELD 400 SEATS, 400, YOU KNOW, SEATS AT A CLUB, AT A SHOW.
THE BOTTOM LINE, UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER CLUBS, HAD TWO SHOWS EVERY NIGHT FOR HIS ENTIRE HISTORY.
SO YOU CAN START TO DO THE MATH IF THE CLUB WAS HALF FULL EVERY WEEK, WHICH IS NOT STAYING ALL THAT MUCH BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TOO MANY DARK NIGHTS.
LIKE THEY DIDN'T TAKE A MONTH OFF FOR VACATIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU THINK, ALL RIGHT, MAYBE ON THE, FOR THE COURSE OF, UH, OF ARGUMENT, LET'S SAY THE CLUB WAS HALF FULL.
SAY IF YOU HAD A POSSIBILITY OF 800 A NIGHT FOR SEVEN NIGHTS, WELL THAT WOULD BE 5,000 SOMETHING.
IF THE CLUB WAS HALF FULL, HOW MANY WERE THERE FOR A WEEK? MULTIPLY THAT BY HOW MANY WEEKS ARE IN THE YEAR? MULTIPLE THAT BY 30
AND WE GET WELL OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN COMING TO THE CLUB.
AND DURING THE COURSE OF THE TIME THAT THE CLUB WAS OPEN OVER MORE THAN 3000 DIFFERENT ACTS PLAYED THE CLUB.
SO THIS IS A NICE, EASY PROJECT,
SO WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT HOW TO DO IT.
AS I SAID, ALAN WANTED TO AS AN ORAL HISTORY, 'CAUSE HE WANTED TO GET A LOT OF THE VOICES, UH, OF PEOPLE WHO PLAYED.
THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WORKED THERE, MUSIC INDUSTRY PEOPLE, RADIO INDUSTRY, PEOPLE, MANAGERS, BOOKING AGENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO WE STARTED TO MAP IT OUT AND, UM, UH, AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT, UH, WE DO IT AS AN ORAL HISTORY.
WE HAD TO KIND OF TRY AND BE REPRESENTATIVE.
UH, SO THEN IT JUST CAME DOWN TO THINKING ABOUT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM EACH SIDE OF PARTS OF THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT COMP COMPASS, UH, TO TALK TO.
AND THAT'S HOW WE STARTED TO GO ABOUT IT.
AND WHO DID THE ORAL HISTORIES? ME,
YEAH, YEAH, I DID ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS.
SO YOU DID THE ONES WITH ALAN IN YES.
ALAN AND I, ALAN LIVES AT THE, UM, AT THE ACTRESS HOME IN NEW JERSEY, IF YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THAT.
UH, HIM AND HIS WIFE, THEY, THEY BOTH LIVE THERE AND THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND WE DID, WE DID THE ENTIRE BOOK OVER THE PHONE.
UM, ALAN'S A REAL LUDDITE
AND SO ANYTIME HE WANTED TO REACH HIM, YOU HAD TO EITHER REACH HIM OR LEAVE A VOICE, A VOICEMAIL ON HIS, ON HIS, ON HIS, UH, CELL PHONE, OR I'LL SEND HIM AN EMAIL THAT HE MIGHT READ IN THE BUSINESS OFFICE,
SO, SO KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER WAS A LOT OF PHONE CALLS BACK AND FORTH.
BUT YEAH, WE MAPPED OUT PEOPLE TO TALK TO, AND ALAN HAD SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT HE WANTED ME TO TALK TO THAT HE THOUGHT WOULD BE GOOD TO TALK TO.
AND THERE WAS NO, OBVIOUSLY, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE, UH, THERE WERE ARTISTS AND PEOPLE THAT I KNEW I WANTED TO TALK TO THAT I COULD CONTACT.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE STARTED TO GO ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, WE DECIDED TO GO CHRONOLOGICALLY, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS, I'VE READ A LOT OF KIND OF ORAL HISTORIES OR INTERVIEWS WHERE THEY'LL DO A CHAPTER ON AN ARTIST AND YOU GOT LOST, OH, THE FIRST TIME HE PLAYED THE CLUB.
OH, AND THEN THIS HAPPENED 30.
AND YOU, YOU LOSE TRACK OF WHAT YOU'RE READING.
UH, AND SO I LIKE THINGS TO GO IN ORDER.
AND SINCE ALSO, ALSO SINCE IT WAS GONNA BE ALSO ALAN'S LIFE STORY, UM, WE WANTED IT TO START AT THE BEGINNING
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S PARTIALLY A MEMOIR.
AND THEN ONCE THE CLUB, OF COURSE, GOT SOME, AND ALSO WE, I TALKED TO SOME OF ALAN'S CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, WHICH WERE REMARKABLE.
I'LL JUST MENTION ONE OF HIS FRIENDS, ONE OF HIS CHILDHOOD FRIENDS IN BROOKLYN WAS A GUY MEANT FOR, FOR MUSIC PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, WAS A GUY NAMED ARTIE BUTLER.
UH, AND ARTIE BUTLER, WHEN ALAN SAID HE'D BEEN CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ARTIE BUTLER, I KNEW WHO ARTIE BUTLER WAS.
ARTIE BUTLER WAS A KEYBOARD PLAYER, UH, AND AN ARRANGER.
AND HE'S PROBABLY BEST KNOWN, UH, FOR MUSIC THAT HE DID BEHIND THE SCENES.
BUT THIS IS A GUY WHO STARTED HIS CAREER, UM, AS A TAPE OPERATOR, UH, FOR JERRY LEVER AND MIKE STOLLER WHEN THEY WERE PRODUCING THEIR RECORDS FOR ATLANTIC.
UH, AND ONE DAY THE TAPE OPERATOR, UH, WAS THERE AND HE WAS DOING HIS JOB.
AND WHOEVER THE KEYBOARD PLAYER THAT THEY HAD HIRED FOR THE SESSION DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE WAS PLAYING.
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BROOKLYN KID, JUST SAID, I CAN DO THATAND HE SAT DOWN AT THE PIANO AND BINGO, HE STARTED TO BE A SESSION MUSICIAN, AND HE WOUND UP PLAYING ON A TON OF MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE 1960S.
HE'S ON VIRTUALLY EVERY SHANGRI LIVES RECORD, UH, INCLUDING LEADER OF THE PACK AND, AND, YOU KNOW, NEVER GO HOME ANYMORE.
UH, HE'S PROBABLY MOST FAMOUS FOR PLAYING THE, THE PIANO ON, UH, JOE COCKERS FEELING ALL RIGHT.
HE CAME UP WITH THAT NEW ORLEANS ARRANGEMENT.
HE THEN WAS THE GUY LATER ON WHO TALKED LOUIS ARMSTRONG INTO DOING WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE KIND OF TIP OF THE ICEBERG THAT THIS BOOK WAS.
'CAUSE WE WOULD START TALKING ABOUT THINGS AND THEN THINGS WOULD JUST RIFF OFF OF THERE.
UH, BUT REALLY INTERESTING PEOPLE THAT WE, WE GOT TO TALK TO ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING, WHICH MADE THE PROJECT FOR ME A, A A REALLY INTERESTING AND FUN THING TO DO.
SO HOW, HOW DID YOU CONTACT THE PEOPLE? ALAN, YOU KNOW, ALAN HAD THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ROLODEX,
AND SO, UM, HE GAVE ME LEADS ON A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THEN WE'D GO THROUGH CHANNELS TO TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE.
SO SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY.
IT'D AN ARTIST THAT ALAN JUST WAS FRIENDS WITH.
WE STILL WAS FRIENDS LIKE LADEN WAINWRIGHT, WHO PLAYED THE CLUB ALMOST FROM THE FIRST DAY, WAS OPEN ALL THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE 30 YEARS.
AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE JUST KEPT IN TOUCH WITH OVER THIS.
'CAUSE HE, HE, MOST PEOPLE THAT PLAYED THE CLUB, ALMOST EVERYBODY PLAYED THE CLUB, REALLY LIKED PLAYING THE CLUB, UM, AS A CLUB OWNER.
UM, HE HAD A REPUTATION AS BEING MARKEDLY DIFFERENT THAN SAY, MIKE PERKO.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT AT, YOU KNOW, AT AT HI AT FOLK CITY OR, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, OR PAUL COLBY AT THE BITTER END, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CLUB OWNERS, IF YOU GUYS HAVE GONE TO CLUBS OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S CLUB OWNERS THAT DON'T REALLY LIKE TO, PERFORMERS VERY MUCH
THERE'S CLUB OWNERS WHO DON'T LIKE THE CLIENTELE.
AND THEN THERE'S CLUB OWNERS WHO DON'T LIKE EITHER OF THOSE FACTIONS,
AND, AND, UM, WHEN ALAN AND STANLEY STARTED THEIR CAREERS, THEY STARTED AS PROMOTERS IN THE CITY PROMOTING FOR BOOKING ACTS FOR PEOPLE LIKE PAUL KOBE AND, AND FOR MIKE CORCO.
AND WHEN THEY FINALLY OPENED THE CLUB, THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND THEY WANTED TO DO IT PROFESSIONALLY.
AND, UM, I THINK ANYBODY, ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE CLUB, WHEN YOU WALKED IN THE DOOR, YOU KNEW THAT THE CLUB WAS PAYING YOU A DECENT AMOUNT OF RESPECT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE FIRST ONLINE, YOU COULD SIT ALL THE WAY UP FRONT, OKAY? NOWADAYS, RIGHT? WE ALL PAY $30 MORE TO SIT FIVE, FIVE ROWS CLOSER TO THE STAGE.
UH, AND SO THE CLUB ALSO NEVER HAD A MINIMUM.
YOU COULD WALK IN AND PAY YOUR $3 OR $5, AND YOU WOULD SEE TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF MUSIC, AND YOU COULD JUST ORDER A GLASS OF WATER.
SO THAT, AND THEY NEVER CHANGED ON THAT.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY COULD HAVE CERTAINLY STARTED DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEY HAD SO MUCH RESPECT FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CLIENTELE AND ALSO FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PERFORMERS AS WELL.
UH, AND SO MOST PEOPLE THAT PLAYED THE CLUB REALLY RESPECT THEM.
STANLEY S SADOWSKI, WHO WAS THE, YOU KNOW, HE HANDLED MOST OF THE BUSINESS END AND DID ALL THE CONTRACTS.
STANLEY WAS GOOD GUY, BUT, BUT A VERY TOUGH NEGOTIATOR, UH, FAMOUS STORIES ABOUT HIM IS THAT ANYTIME ANYBODY SENT HIM A CONTRACT, THE FIRST THING HE DID, HE DID, HE WOULD LOOK FOR THE WRITERS ON THE CONTRACT.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, VERY FAMOUS STORIES OF, OF ROCK ACTS AND, YOU KNOW, NO BROWN M AND MS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CANDY BOWL AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND, UM, STANLEY WOULD JUST LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AND THE, HE WOULDN'T LOOK AT THE, AT THE THE OTHER STUFF FIRST.
HE'D LOOK AT THE WRITERS FIRST, AND HE WOULD JUST TAKE A GIANT X AND HE WOULD X OUT EVERY RIDER
AND THAT'S HOW THEY DID BUSINESS FOR 30 YEARS.
AND THEN HE WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH PEOPLE.
UM, BUT, UM, MOST PEOPLE THAT PLAYED THE CLUB REALLY RESPECTED THEM FOR THE WAY THAT THEY HANDLED THEIR BUSINESS, AND THAT REALLY MATTERED A LOT.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF RUNNING JOKES IN THE STORY ABOUT THE FACT THAT IF YOU PLAYED AT THE BOTTOM LINE, UM, YOU DIDN'T GET DRINKS OR FOOD FOR FREE, OKAY, YOU GOT A DISCOUNT, UM, YOU GOT A DISCOUNT OF 50% OFF, OFF DRINKS, 30% OFF FOOD, I THINK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT YOU DIDN'T GET FREE ANYTHING.
UH, AND, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT THEY LEFT BACKSTAGE, BECAUSE EARLY ON, ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS SAID, GUYS, YOU HAVE TO PUT AT LEAST SOMETHING BACKSTAGE FOR PEOPLE.
SO EARLY ON, ALAN AND STANLEY DECIDED, OKAY, WELL, WE'LL PUT, LIKE, UM, KIND OF LIKE A FRUIT AND, AND COOKIES BOWL WITH A LITTLE, WITH A LITTLE SIGN THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU.
WELCOME TO THE BOTTOM LINE, YOU KNOW, THE MANAGEMENT OR WHATEVER.
UH, AND SO BASICALLY ALMOST EVERY ARTIST THAT I TALKED TO WOULD JOKE ABOUT.
YEAH, IT WAS REALLY FUN COMING BACKSTAGE AND SEEING LIKE TWO BANANAS.
WE HAD FIVE GUYS IN THE GROUP, AND THERE WERE TWO BANANAS, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD TWO BANANAS.
UH, AND THEN, AND THEN OUR RUNNING JOKE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BOOK IS, IS AT LEAST HALF THE PERFORMERS THAT I TALKED TO KEPT SAYING, YEAH, BACKSTAGE AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
SO, SO THAT WAS JUST ONE OF THE HARD, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT, THAT KEPT COMING UP AND UP AS I TALKED TO PEOPLE.
BUT NO, I DID EVERY SINGLE INTERVIEW OVER THE PHONE.
I DIDN'T EVEN DO ZOOMS. I WANTED PEOPLE TO BE COMFORTABLE, AND I DON'T MIND DOING PHONE INTERVIEWS.
SO WE DID ALL OF THEM OVER THE PHONE.
SO NOTHING IN PERSON EXCEPT FOR, UH, ART? OR DID YOU DO IN
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PERSON INTERVIEWS WITH ART? WITH, UM, PEPPER, WITH ALAN? NO, NO.I MEAN, I WENT OUT TO SEE HIM IN NEW JERSEY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT SOME, WE REALLY DID ALL THE FORMAL INTERVIEWS ALL OVER THE PHONE.
AND, UM, SO, OKAY, SO YOU HAD A BIG ROLODEX.
HOW DID YOU GET TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN? WELL, THAT WAS, THAT WAS INTERESTING, BRUCE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU WERE AT THE BORN TO RUN SHOWS, MAYBE ONE OR TWO OF YOU MAY.
OH, I, I MISSED IT BY THAT ONE.
AH, BUT THAT WAS AUGUST, AUGUST OF 1975.
WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CHAPTER ON IT.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE BOTTOM LINE HISTORY, BUT ALSO IN BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S HISTORY.
I MEAN, HAVE YOU HAVE READ HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY? HE TALKED ABOUT IT.
UM, BRUCE HAD, YOU KNOW, ALREADY PUT OUT, UH, TWO ALBUMS. UH, THE THIRD ALBUM WAS BORN TO RUN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A LONG STORY LONGER, UM, UH, CLIVE DAVIS, WHO HAD SIGNED BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, UH, TO COLUMBIA RECORDS, WAS NO LONGER AT COLUMBIA.
BY THE TIME BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PLAYED THERE.
HE'D LOST HIS JOB AT COLUMBIA, UH, THROUGH A, A, A SCANDAL THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH, BUT HE, HE WAS THE FALL GUY FOR IT.
AND HE HAD STARTED ARISTA RECORDS, BUT, UH, HE WASN'T EVEN AT COLUMBIA ANYMORE.
SO COLUMBIA RECORDS KIND OF, THEY'D ALREADY DONE TWO ALBUMS WITH BRUCE AND NOT, THEY HADN'T SOLD VERY MUCH, AND HE WAS GETTING THE BORN RUN ALBUM READY.
UH, AND SO IT WAS GONNA BE A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT FOR HIM.
AND THEY WOUND UP DECIDING TO DO A FIVE NIGHT RESIDENCY, IN WHICH, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO A SPRINGSTEEN SHOW, YOU KNOW HOW LONG BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHOWS ARE.
HE DID TWO SHOWS A NIGHT FOR FIVE DAYS IN A ROW.
AND AS HE TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I WAS 24, YOU COULD DO THAT THEN
AND IT WAS AT THOSE SHOWS THAT THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN THAT ALL OF US KNOW ON STAGE REALLY KIND OF SHOWED UP.
UM, AND, UM, GETTING TO HIM WAS INTERESTING.
WE HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS AND CHANNELS, AND I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND BRUCE.
WE TALKED TO HIS ORIGINAL MANAGER, MIKE ELL.
WE TALKED TO JOHN LANDAU, WHO HELPED PRODUCE THE ALBUM, BECAME HIS MANAGER.
I TALKED TO BOTH MAX WEINBERG, HIS LONGTIME DRUMMER, UH, STEVE VAN ZANT, HIS GUITAR PLAYER, AND BEST BUDDY FROM WHEN THEY WERE OF HIGH SCHOOL.
WE TALKED TO THE GUY THAT BOOKED THE SHOW, SAM MCKEE.
AND WE TALKED TO WAITRESSES FROM THE SHOWS, UH, AND SOME, SOME OF THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS.
AND SO WE KEPT DOING THIS, AND WE KEPT CIRCLING AROUND, WELL, WE REALLY, WE REALLY NEED TO TALK TO BRUCE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND SO IT TOOK ABOUT MAYBE EIGHT MONTHS FOR ME TO FINALLY CONNECT WITH HIM, UH, BECAUSE, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS MOM TOOK I, AND SHE PASSED AWAY, AND THEN HE GOT SICK IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE TOUR.
AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, WE JUST COULDN'T CONNECT.
AND FINALLY, UM, WE WERE STARTING TO RUN OUTTA TIME.
'CAUSE I HAD TO OBVIOUSLY GET THIS THING FINISHED.
AND SO, UM, I LOOKED AT HIS, ON HIS WEBSITE AT HIS TOUR, AND HE WAS OFF IN EUROPE.
SO I KNEW THAT WAS HAPPENING, AND I KEPT LOOKING AT THE DATES AND IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO I THOUGHT, IT'S NEW JULY.
AND THEN IT WAS, YOU KNOW, JULY 30TH AND 31ST, YOU KNOW, WEMBLEY STADIUM, YOU KNOW, LONDON.
AND THEN THE NEXT GIG WAS LIKE AUGUST 18TH PITTSBURGH.
SO I THOUGHT, OH, HE MUST BE OFF
HE'S, SO I GOT IN TOUCH WITH HIS PEOPLE.
I SAID, LOOK, I KNOW BRUCE IS OFF.
DO YOU THINK WE COULD FINALLY GET THIS TO HAPPEN? AND HIS, HIS, UH, YOU KNOW, PERSON THAT HE WORKED WITH, ALLIE SAID, I, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, BUT HE'S GONE ON A VACATION, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AFTER THE TOUR IS OVER.
SHE GOES, WELL, HE'LL BE BACK FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THEN IT CAME DOWN TO LITERALLY A FRIDAY OR A MONDAY
AND THE FRIDAY SHOW, SHE CALLS ME, SHE SAYS, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN TODAY, BUT IT'LL HAPPEN ON MONDAY.
SO THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORY, MAYBE FROM DOING THE ENTIRE BOOK.
SO IT'S MONDAY MORNING AND HE'S GONNA CALL ME AT NOON.
SO I'M AT, AT MY LITTLE OFFICE DOWNSTAIRS AT OUR HOUSE, AND I'VE GOT MY LITTLE DIGITAL RECORDER READY, MY CELL PHONE'S READY, CUP OF COFFEE'S READY.
SO NOW I'M THINKING, ALL RIGHT, WELL, I KNOW.
SO I GET IN TOUCH WITH, WITH UH, UH, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS PERSONNEL.
AND SHE GOES, HE DIDN'T CALL YOU? I SAID, NO.
OH MY, HOLD ON, LET ME FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
SAID, I, YOU KNOW, THEN SHE GETS BACK ON, SHE SAYS, OH, HE HAD SOMETHING TO DO THIS MORNING AND IT JUST CAME UP.
YOU'LL BE HOME LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
YES, I'LL BE HOME LATER AND SAY NO.
SO THEN WE GOT, YOU KNOW, ONE O'CLOCK, TWO O'CLOCK, THREE O'CLOCK, THREE 30, I FINALLY DECIDE I COULD USE ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE I COULD USE TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK.
I'LL TAKE MY DIGITAL I'LL, I'LL TAKE MY CELL PHONE WITH ME.
SO I GO UPSTAIRS, I POUR A CUP OF COFFEE, I SIT DOWN WITH CHOICE, MY WIFE, I SIT THERE AND OF COURSE THE CELL PHONE RINGS AND I TAKE IT OUT.
WHAT DOES IT SAY? FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY,
SO I GET ON THE PHONE, IT'S LIKE, BILLY, HE GOES, IS IT, IS THIS BILLY? IT'S BRUCE.
HOW ARE YOU MAN, I'M SO SORRY.
AND HE SAYS, I'M SO SORRY, SOME STUFF CAME UP, BUT WHATEVER YOU NEED IS OKAY.
AND I SAID, OKAY, LISTEN, I GOTTA, I GOTTA GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS TO MY OFFICE.
AND THEN WE HAD A REALLY NICE HALF HOUR CHAT.
UM, HAD GREAT STORIES TO TELL ME.
THE ONE THAT I'LL REALLY SHARE, AS HE SAID THAT, UM, AFTER HIS SECOND ALBUM CAME OUT AND IT HAD BOMBED, UM, HE WAS ON TOUR IN THE SOUTH AND HE SAID, A RADIO STATION IN ATLANTA, AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A COPY OF HIS
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ALBUM,AND HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I CAME OFF THE TOUR AND, YOU KNOW, CLIVE DAVIS WAS GONE.
I STARTED TO REALIZE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY'RE MORE INTERESTED IN BILLY JOEL RIGHT NOW THAN THEY ARE WITH ME,
AND I SAID TO HIM, WELL, YOU KNOW, HE'D ALREADY HAD A HIT WITH PIANO MAN.
HE'D ALREADY MADE GOOD ON THE INVESTMENT,
AND WE SAID, YOU HAVE A POINTS.
AND WE TALKED FOR ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR.
AND THEN WE GOT OFF THE PHONE, HE APOLOGIZED AGAIN.
WE FINISHED UP AND SAID, IF I NEED ANYTHING MORE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST LET ME KNOW.
I COME UPSTAIRS AND JOYCE IS STANDING THERE, AND SHE SAID, DID I HEAR BRUCE BRUSTEIN APOLOGIZED TO YOU?
WERE THERE ANY SURPRISES IN YOUR INTERVIEWS? UM, THEY WERE, WE WERE INTER, IT WAS INTERESTING HEARING PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE CLUB MEANT TO THEM, BECAUSE I REALLY HADN'T UNDERSTOOD HOW MUCH PEOPLE REALLY, UM, LOVED PLAYING THERE.
UH, 'CAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY HEAR PEOPLE, THESE PEOPLE SAY, I LIKE BEING BACK.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY COMES INTO A CLUB 'CAUSE I LOVE BEING HERE.
BUT PEOPLE REALLY TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW MUCH IT MEANT.
AND ALSO, UM, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WERE NEVER TOO LOW AT THE BOTTOM LINE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY COULD SEE THE AUDIENCE THAT EVEN IF THERE WERE LIGHTS ON AT THE CLUB, THEY COULD SEE TO THE BACK OF THE CLUB.
AND PEOPLE LIKE JOHN HYATT, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS, WHO WAS A WONDERFUL INTERVIEW AND A REALLY, REALLY FUNNY GUY, UH, SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, I LOVE PLAYING THE CLUB.
'CAUSE I'D LOOK OUT AND I COULD, I COULD SEE THE AUDIENCE AND THEY COULD SEE ME.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS LIKE HE SAID TO ME, YOU ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT LITTLE ARC AND THAT LITTLE SPACE IN THE MIDDLE THAT WE ALL COULD MEET AND PLAYING AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
I, I ALWAYS FELT THAT WAY, WHICH IS REALLY NICE.
SO, ANY PARTICULARLY FUNNY STORIES, UM, FROM THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE CLUB? UH, WELL, THERE WERE ALWAYS, WERE ALWAYS FUNNY THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE CLUB.
I THINK ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES, UH, ROSEANNE CASH, UH, HAD HER FIRST SHOW AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND SHE OPENED FOR RANDY MEISNER, WHO'D BEEN THE, THE BASE, THE ORIGINAL BASS PLAYER FROM THE EAGLES.
UM, AND, UM, HE HAD JUST LEFT THE EAGLES.
THIS WAS IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, AND HE HAD JUST LEFT THE EAGLES AND HE WAS STILL ON, I THINK, ON, ON ASYLUM RECORDS.
AND WHEN THE CLUB WAS BUILT, UM, A WONDERFUL, UH, UH, GUY NAMED BRUCE DEFOREST HELPED BUILD THE CLUB.
UH, AND WHEN HE HELPED BUILD THINGS, UM, UH, THEY HAD TWO VERY SMALL DRESSING ROOMS, UH, BUT EACH DRESSING ROOM HAD A BATHROOM.
UH, AND, UM, BRUCE DEFOREST, WHEN HE HELPED SUPERVISED THE BUILDING IN THE CLUB, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE FIXTURES IN THE BATHROOMS WERE REALLY SOLIDLY BUILT AND THAT THEY REALLY HAD TO YOU BE REALLY GOOD.
EVERYTHING, THE TOILET TO SINK, EVERYTHING HAD TO BE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE.
AND ALAN STANLEY KEPT SAYING, WHY DO YOU WANNA DO THAT? BRUCE? AND BRUCE SAID, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TO CLUBS.
THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS WHEN A GUY DOESN'T LIKE THE SHOW THAT HE DOES, HE COMES IN, WHO TRIES TO DEMOLISH THE BATHROOM
AND SO LITERALLY ROSEANNE GAS TELLS ME THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'D DONE HER FIRST SET AND THEN RODNEY MEISNER PLAYED, AND THEN, UM, SHE COULD TELL FROM WHAT WAS GOING ON IN STAGE IT WASN'T GOING THAT WELL.
AND THEN SHE WAS IN HER DRESSING ROOM AND SHE'S HEARING A LOT OF, A LOT OF SCREAMING AND YELLING AND THROWING THINGS
AND IT WAS RANDY MEISNER TRYING TO TAKE APART THE BATHROOM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO
AND, UM, WAS THERE A, UH, FUNNY STORY ABOUT MUDDY AND OH YES.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL DO A LITTLE BIT OF, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE AN ORAL HISTORY, SO I HAVE TO KIND OF, UH, GIVE THE, UH, GIVE YOU, GIVE YOU WHO'S TALKING ON THESE.
BUT I HAVE A COUPLE, COUPLE ONES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE A LOT.
THIS IS FROM, UH, MARK SLE, WHO WAS ONE OF THE EARLY STAGE MANAGERS OF THE CLUB.
UH, THIS WAS NIGHT, THIS IS ME WRITING HERE.
WHILE DYLAN DIDN'T, UH, PLAY AT THE CLUB, HE DID MAKE AN UNANNOUNCED ONSTAGE APPEARANCE.
SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THIS CLUB OPENED, WHEN BLUES LEGEND, MUDDY WATERS CAME IN FOR A THREE DAY ENGAGEMENT, AND DYLAN SHOWED UP THE FIRST NIGHT, THIS IS MARK SEG, THE STAGE MANAGER, ALAN ALAN PEPPER BROUGHT DYLAN BACKSTAGE AND INTRODUCED BOB TO ME.
AND I SAID, UH, JUST TELL MARK WHAT YOU WANNA DO.
AND DYLAN SAYS TO ME, I GOT TWO HARMONS.
I'LL DO ANYTHING HE WANTS TO DO, BUT IT'LL NEED TO BE IN THOSE KEYS.
I WAITED UNTIL THE SONG ENDED AND I GOT UP ON STAGE AND WHISPERED IN MUDDY WATER'S EAR, BOB DYLAN IS HERE AND HE'D LOVE TO SIT IN WITH YOU AND PLAY HARMONICA AS LONG AS IT'S IN THESE KEYS.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE ONLY HARMONS HE'S BROUGHT.
AND MUDDY SAID, OKAY, TELL HIM I'LL BRING HIM UP AFTER THE NEXT SONG.
I GO BACKSTAGE, I TELL DYLAN THAT MUDDY'S GONNA BRING HIM UP AFTER THE NEXT SONG ENDS.
AND MUDDY SAYS, FROM THE STAGE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'VE GOT A FRIEND WHO'S GONNA COME UP AND SIT IN WITH US, GIVE HIM A BIG HAND.
DYLAN LOOKED AT ME, I LOOKED AT HIM, AND HE JUST SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AND WENT OUT AND PLAYED WITH MUDDY WATERS
ANY OTHER PARTICULAR EXCERPTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? I I HAVE A STORY THAT I, THAT I LIKE TO TELL EVERYBODY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS, UH, ARE
[00:25:01]
FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARTIST, 'CAUSE THEY JUST HAD, THEY JUST DID AN AMERICAN MASTERS ON HIM, UH, BUT SUN RA, THE GREAT JAZZ, UH, UH, KEYBOARD PLAYER AND CYCLONE PLAYER.AND SINCE, YOU KNOW, HE WAS ON MY HEAD ANYWAY.
AND HE SHOWS UP IN OUR BOOK SEVERAL TIMES, AND THIS IS A, A STORY FROM, UH, BEFORE THE BOTTOM LINE OPENED WHEN, UM, UH, WHEN ALAN PEPPER AND STANLEY S SADOWSKI, UH, WERE BOOKING SHOWS FOR ARTS LUGO OFF AT THE VILLAGE GATE.
WHICH ANOTHER PLACE THAT THEY, THAT THEY, UM, DID HOLD SHOWS.
UH, UM, UH, SO THIS IS, UH, UH, THE VILLAGE GATE HAD, UH, DID NOT HAVE MONDAY EVENTS.
SO PEPPER AND S SADOWSKI ASKED ARTS LUGO IF THEY COULD PRODUCE THEIR OWN MONDAY SHOWS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TALENT AND THE PROMOTION.
THIS LED TO AN INFAMOUS BOOKING OF SUN RAW AND HIS INTERGALACTIC ORCHESTRA.
WELL BEFORE PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, THE INSCRUTABLE BAND LEADER, RAW BORN HENRY BLOUNT AND RAISED IN ALABAMA.
THOUGH HE SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE CLAIMING A CELESTIAL IDENTITY WOULD OUTFIT HIS MUSICIANS IN OUTRAGEOUS COSTUMES WITH THE NEAR ARMY OF ACCOMPANYING DANCERS, SINGERS.
AND A COURT SORTED, PERCUSSIONIST SPILLING OFF THE STAGE AND OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE ON MONDAYS, OFTEN HAPPENS IN NEW YORK CLUB.
AT THE TIME, MUSICIANS UNION REPRESENTATIVE NORMAN POSNER SHOWED UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GROUP HAD A PROPER CONTRACT FOR THE GIG, AND THAT ALL THE MEMBERS WERE UP TO DATE ON THEIR DUES TO NEW YORK.
THE TIME WITH THE MIDDLE AGED, STRAIGHT-LACED REPRESENTATIVE PEPPER WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO ADDRESS HIM, TO LET RON KNOW THAT HE NEEDED TO SHOW THE UNION MAN ASSIGN CONTRACT AND HIS UNION CARD, NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, REQUIRED SUN RAH.
TELL HIM THIS STUFF DOESN'T APPLY TO US.
WE'RE FROM SATURN
YOU REALLY WANT ME TO TELL 'EM THAT SAID PEPPER? YES, BECAUSE IT'S TRUE.
AND MATTER OF FACT, HE CLOSED THE DOOR TO HIS DRESSING ROOM, PEPPER, WENT BACK TO THE UNION REP AND TOLD HIM VERBATIM WHAT RAH HAD SAID.
THE INCREDULOUS POSNER LOOKED OVER ITS SADOWSKI WHO JUST NOD WITH HIS STRAIGHT FACE AND BLIND TRUST OR WHATEVER HIS PAL PEPPER WAS UP TO.
AND WITH THAT, THE BEFUDDLED UNION REP TURNED AROUND AND LEFT REPEATEDLY LOUD, REPEATING LOUDLY AS HE SLUNK OUT THE DOOR.
THEY COME FROM SATURN, THEY COME FROM SATURN.
THE OFFICE HAS NO IDEA WHAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH
UM, HE PLAYED AT, UH, CARNEGIE HALL, WHICH IS A UNION HALL, UH, AND YOU CANNOT RECORD IF YOU'RE WITHOUT A CONTRACT AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS GOING ON.
AND SUN RA WAS DOING A REHEARSAL FOR THE NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL.
AND AFTER THE SOUND CHECK IN THE REHEARSAL, HE LEFT.
AND IT WAS UP TO ME AND ANOTHER ROAD MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE NO MICROPHONES LEFT ON THE STAGE WITH LITTLE CASSETTE BOXES.
WE FOUND 31
UM, ANOTHER STORY I WANNA TELL, AND AGAIN, IS JUST WAS PEOPLE ARE ARE ARE IN YOUR, IN YOUR HEAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE RECENT, WE, WE RECENTLY LOST FLOYD VIVINO, IF YOU REMEMBER HIM, UNCLE FLOYD, UH, THE GREAT COMIC COMIC GUN AND WHO HAD THAT GREAT KIDS ADULT, UH, UH, SHOW ON UHF ON CHANNEL 68, UH, FROM NEWARK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, AND THIS IS, UH, AND REALLY INTERESTING STORY AND IT IT SPEAKS TO WHAT COULD GO ON AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND THE KINDS OF UNEXPECTED THINGS THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
UM, SO THIS IS ABOUT, UM, UH, THE TIME THAT UNCLE FLOYD HAD AN, HAD AN UNEXPECTED GUEST AT HIS SHOW, UH, UNCLE FLOYD IN JANUARY IN 1981, WE'D STARTED PLAYING THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND ONE NIGHT, REALLY OUT OF NOWHERE, DAVID BOWIE CAME IN TO SEE US.
SUPPOSEDLY 50,000 PEOPLE WERE THERE THAT ONE NIGHT, BUT HE WAS SITTING RIGHT OUT FRONT RIGHT BY THE PIANO.
AND THIS IS NOW SCOTT GORDON, WHO, WHO WORKED ON UNCLE FLOYD'S SHOW, GREAT FRIEND OF HIS, WE HEARD ABOUT IT WHEN WE GOT THERE.
BUT THE CLUB WAS NOTIFIED BEFORE THAT HE WAS GONNA BE THERE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU DON'T LET GET AROUND 'CAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HIS FAN BASE WOULD'VE DONE IF THEY KNEW HE WAS COMING.
AND WE WERE LIKE, DAVID BOWIE'S HERE, WHY IS DAVID BOWIE COMING TO SEE US? WE DO A KITTY COMEDY SHOW.
WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY HE WAS COMING.
I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH OF HIM THAT ONE OF THE FANS TOOK THERE WITH HIM, WITH HIS SMILE ON HIS FACE WITH HIS UNCLE FLOYD BUTTON.
BEFORE THE SHOW, FLOYD TOLD US, LOOK, DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE HIM.
THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE BAD ENOUGH WITH HIM WHEN THEY NOTICE HIM.
UM, BOWIE CAME BACKSTAGE AFTER THE SHOW, THE WHOLE COMPANY, WE WERE ALL SHOCKED THAT HE WOULD COME BACK TO SAY HELLO.
SCOTT BOWIE HAD COME SAID, STARTED WATCHING THE SHOW WITH JOHN LENNON THE PREVIOUS SUMMER WHEN HE CAME TO NEW YORK TO GET READY TO APPEAR IN THE ELEPHANT MAN ON BROADWAY.
AND HE WATCHED AT THE THEATER THAT FALL WHEN HE WAS IN MAKEUP, WHEN HE CAME TO SEE US IN JANUARY OF 1981,
[00:30:01]
WE ASKED HIM HOW HE KNEW ABOUT THE SHOW, AND HE TOLD US THAT JOHN LENNON HAD TURNED HIM ONTO IT.AND THESE WERE BOWIE'S EXACT WORDS.
IN FACT, I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE JOHN AND I WERE SUPPOSED TO COME TOGETHER AND I'M HERE AS A TRIBUTE TO HIM FROM BOWIE'S LIPS RIGHT TO MY EARS.
WE CAME THAT CLOSE TO MEETING JOHN LENNON.
JOHN LENNON HAD GOTTEN, WE'D LOST JOHN LENNON IN DECEMBER.
SO ORIGINALLY LENNON AND BOWIE WERE, WERE SUPPOSED TO COME TO THE SHOW.
UNCLE FLOYD SAID, HOW'D YOU FIND OUT ABOUT ME? AND BOWIE SAID, JOHN LENNON TURNED ME ON.
DON'T FORGET, THIS WAS LONG AFTER LENNON HAD DIED.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND DAVID BOWIE WAS SO EXTREME.
WE WERE AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SHOW BUSINESS LADDER.
SO I SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU SEE IN ME? AND DAVID BOWIE SAID, I SEE IN YOU THE BRITISH HALL MUSIC PERFORMER.
YOU WEAR A COSTUME, YOU RECOGNIZE 'CAUSE OF THAT.
PLUS YOU PLAY IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.
FLOYD PLAY PIANO WHEN YOU'RE A WHICH THERE IN VARIETY HALL, IN MUSICAL HALLS IN GREAT BRITAIN, OVER 20 YEARS LATER IN HIS 2002 ALBUM, HEATHEN BOWIE PAID TRIBUTE TO FLOYD AND HIS PUPPET PAL UGI AND BONES BOY, WITH THE WISTFUL SLIP AWAY.
ONCE UPON A TIME, THEY, ME MERELY MIGHT'VE BEEN BONES AND UGI ON HIS SILVER SCREEN.
NO ONE KNEW WHAT THEY COULD DO EXCEPT FOR ME.
AND YOU DON'T FORGET TO KEEP YOUR HEAD WARM.
TWINKLE TWINKLE UNCLE FLOYD WATCHING ALL THE WORLD IN WAR TOUR.
AND HELL, I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE, FLOYD, OUT OF NOWHERE, DAVID BOWIE SENT ME A CHECK FOR $6,000 WHEN THAT ALBUM CAME OUT.
AND THEN HE SENT ME ANOTHER 5,000.
HE'S MY NAME PROJECTED ON A BACK SCREEN ON HIS STAGE SHOW.
WHEN HE PERFORMED THE SONG, HE SENT ME A CHRISTMAS CARD EVERY YEAR IN 2016.
AND THEN HE PASSED AWAY ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER.
AND I KNEW WHY I HADN'T GOTTEN ONE.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF KIND OF STORIES THAT I WAS GETTING FROM ARTISTS THAT WERE JUST FLOORING ME.
SO IN TERMS OF SURPRISES WHEN I HEARD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, STORIES LIKE THAT WE GOT FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF, OF, A LOT OF FUNNY AND COOL BACKSTAGE SHOWS, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF KIND OF INTERESTING STORIES LIKE THAT AS WELL.
ANY OTHERS THAT YOU WANNA SHARE? UH, THERE'S ALSO, THERE'S ALSO A VERY TOUCHING ONE.
WELL, I WON'T HAVE IT HERE, BUT I, BUT LET'S READ, BUT I'LL, I'LL MENTION IT.
UH, THIS IS FROM MEG GRIFFIN, A LONG TIME.
UH, THIS JOCKEY NEW WHO, WHO'S NOW ON SIRIUS XM, UH, AND, UM, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE CLUB'S RUN, UM, JOHNNY CASH'S WIFE, JUNE CARTER CASH AND MADE AN ALBUM, HER FIRST ALBUM IN A VERY, VERY LONG TIME, AND SHE WAS GONNA MAKE AN APPEARANCE AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
UH, AND SHE HAD EARLIER IN, IN THE DAY, UH, BEEN UP AT THE WFUV STUDIOS, WERE WERE MEG WORK.
AND, UM, UH, SO SHE WAS ALL EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, UM, JUNE COMING TO THE SHOW.
AND SHE WONDERED TO HERSELF, YOU KNOW, WITH JOHNNY 'CAUSE HE HAD ACCOMPANIED HER, UH, TO NEW YORK IF HE MIGHT MAKE AN APPEARANCE.
AND SHE SAID THAT, UM, WHEN SHE GOT TO THE CLUB, AND, AND JUNE SHOWED UP WITH HER ENTOURAGE.
AND THEN SHE LOOKED, AND AS SHE LOOKED, SHE SAW THAT JOHNNY CASH WAS WITH HER.
AND BY THIS TIME, JOHNNY WAS REALLY ON HIS LAST LEGS.
HE REALLY WASN'T GONNA LIVE ANOTHER MORE THAN ANOTHER YEAR.
AND AS, AS HE, AS HE WALKED IN, MEG SAID TO MYSELF, OH MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT HIM.
YOU KNOW, HE'S SO DIMINISHED, BUT IT'S SO NICE THAT HE'S HERE.
AND THEN THE SHOW STARTED AND, UH, JUNE WAS PERFORMING.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SAID, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEBODY THAT'S KIND OF, KIND OF, I KNOW PRETTY WELL.
JOHNNY CASH AND OUT FROM THE CURTAINS BACKSTAGE CAME JOHNNY CASH.
AND AS HE WAS KIND OF STUPIDER AND AS HE, AS HE JUST WALKED OUT ON ONTO TO THE STAGE, HE SEEMED TO JUST KIND OF GET UP.
AND BY THE TIME HE ARRIVED AT THE MICROPHONE, HE WAS JOHNNY CASH.
AND THEY SANG A SONG TOGETHER AND HE FINISHED THE SONG, AND TWO PEOPLE CAME OUT AND HELPED HIM BACK OFF THE STAGE.
AND AS HE WENT BACK OFF THE STAGE, HE STARTED, YOU KNOW, GETTING MORE AND MORE DIMINISHED.
AND, AND, AND MEG SAID TO ME, IT WAS LIKE I SAID TO MYSELF, DID I JUST SEE A MIRACLE? AND SHE SAID, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN AT THE STAGE, AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
HOW DID YOU FIND A PUBLISHER? WELL, WE, WE SENT OUT, YOU KNOW, A PROPOSAL
WE GOT SOME INTEREST IN THE BOOK, AND THANK GOODNESS, UM, UH, A GUY NAMED JOHN WAS A, WHO WAS AT BACKBEAT BOOKS, UH, WAS INTERESTED IN BUYING THE BOOK.
AND SO, SO WE, WE GOT TO DO IT.
SO I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, A VERY EASY WAY TO DO A BOOK, MAKE SOME PHONE CALLS, AND DO SOME ORAL HISTORIES AND PUT IT TOGETHER.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT ALL FUN IN THE GAMES.
IT, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SIMPLY DOING THINGS AS ORAL HISTORY, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU INTERVIEW PEOPLE, PEOPLE SPEAK IN FRAGMENTS, THEY GO, UH, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, AND SO, SO, YOU KNOW, TO TURN THIS INTO SOMETHING READABLE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF EDIT THESE.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT I TALKED TO FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO HOW MUCH WE COULD FIT IN EVERYTHING, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, BUT THE, THE THING THAT'S BEEN HEARTENING IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE INTERVIEWED FOR THE BOOK GOT IN TOUCH WITH ME.
THE FUNNIEST THING WAS WHEN SOME PERSON WROTE ME AND SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I'VE EVER BEEN, I'VE BEEN QUOTED ACCURATELY
[00:35:01]
I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWING PEOPLE FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY.I SAID, WELL, THANK GOD, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS REALLY NICE.
BUT, UM, UH, IT CAN, IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE THESE DAYS, ESPECIALLY WITH AI AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, UH,
I LITERALLY WAS COPY EDITED BY AN AI PROGRAM, UH, WHICH RESULTED IN ME HAVING TO DO TONS OF MORE WORK TO UNDO THINGS THAT THE COPY EDIT.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, DARLENE LOVE THE GREAT SINGER WHO PLAYED AT THE CLUB A LOT, UH, DARLENE LOVE WOULD SAY, YOU ALL, AND I GET THE MANUSCRIPT BACK AND THEY CHANGED IT TO YOU ALL
SO LOTS, LOTS OF FUN STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE, BUT IT ACTUALLY, IT TURNED OUT WONDERFUL.
WE CAN YOU HAVE A LITTLE TIME FOR SOME QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OUT THERE? SURE.
WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE INTERVIEW OF THE ARTISTS THAT PLAYED THERE? UM, JOHN HYATT WAS ABSOLUTELY, I, I'LL READ A LITTLE, I'LL READ IT TO JOHN HYATT, ONE OF YOU GUYS KNOW HIM, UH, YOU KNOW, TERRIFIC SINGER SONGWRITER AND JUST A GREAT GUY.
AND HE, HE PLAYED THE CLUB A LOT DURING THE COURSE OF, OF HIS, UH, HIS CAREER.
OKAY, THIS IS, UM, UH, HE WAS VERY, VERY FUNNY, VERY, VERY FUNNY FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM INDIANA.
HE'S GOT THAT GREAT MIDWESTERN SENSE OF HUMOR.
THE FIRST SHOW I DID TO THE BOTTOM LINE, I OPENED FOR TEENAGE NEW WAVE PRINCESS, RACHEL SWEET, WHO WAS ALL THAT IN A LOAF OF SLICED BREAD.
WE, SHE HAD, I HAD JUST COME OUT WITH MY FIRST ALBUM.
I WAS IN MY ANGRY YOUNG MAN PHASE.
I'LL NEVER FORGET HER DAD WAS MANAGING HER.
SHE WAS FROM AKRON AND HE HAD BEEN A TIRE SALESMAN AS HE TOLD ME.
HE CAME INTO MY DRESSING ROOM BETWEEN SOUNDCHECK AND THE SHOW.
AND HE WAS A BIG GUY, VERY UPSTANDING AS I RECALL.
AND HE SAID, JOHN DICK SWEET ALONG SILENCE JOHN DICK SWE, I MANAGED MY DAUGHTER LISA.
HE'D GONE INTO THE MUSIC BUSINESS RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED PLAYING NEW YORK REGULARLY, HAD A GOOD FRIEND NAMED JACK WILLIAMS, WHO'S, AGAIN, ONE OF THESE STORIES THAT JUST SHOWED UP WHO MOVED TO NASHVILLE, FROM NASHVILLE TO NEW YORK.
HE'D BEEN TRAINED IN OPERA, BUT HE WAS DOING, AT THE TIME A LOT OF BROADWAY AND STAGE WORK.
HE HAD A BIG ROLE IN THE ORIGINAL SWEENEY TODD AS ONE OF THE VILLAINS.
AND HE PUT ME UP WHEN I CAME TO NEW YORK BECAUSE FOR A WHILE I WASN'T MAKING ANY MONEY ANYWHERE.
JACK HAD A BEAUTIFUL FREAKING VOICE.
HE COULD SCARE THE S**T OUT OF YOU OR SING A BABY TO SLEEP.
I ASKED HIM, JACK, YOU THINK I SHOULD TAKE VOICE LESSONS? AND HE LOOKED AT ME, HE SAID, YOU, NO, YOU SHOULD NEVER TAKE VOICE LESSONS.
I SAID, BUT JACK, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SING.
HE SAID, YEAH, I KNOW, BUT IT'LL JUST SCREW UP THAT LITTLE WEIRD THING THAT YOU HAVE
SO, SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY, ONE OF, ONE OF MY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE OFF, OFF THE CUFF STORIES THERE.
UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER STORY THAT THAT DIDN'T, DIDN'T REALLY MAKE IT INTO THE BOOK 'CAUSE IT WOULDN'T HAVE A REAL PLACE, WAS THAT I GOT TO INTERVIEW CAROLYN HESTER, UH, THE FOLKS SINGER WHOSE CAREER GOES ALL THE WAY BACK, UH, TO THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING OF THE 1960S.
AND I'D ALWAYS WANTED TO TALK TO CAROLYN HESTER, UM, BECAUSE SHE, UH, CAME FROM WACO, TEXAS, AND SHE BEGAN HER CAREER BY RECORDING IN NORMAN PETTY'S STUDIO IN NEW MEXICO, WHERE BUDDY HOLLY MADE MOST OF HIS RECORDS.
AND IT TURNED OUT THAT SHE MET BUDDY HOLLY WHEN SHE FIRST GOT TO THAT STUDIO, AND THEY BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS.
AND SHE VISITED HIM IN NEW YORK ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE HE WENT LEFT FROM NEW YORK WHERE HE WAS LIVING, YOU KNOW, DOWN IN THE VILLAGE, UH, TO GO ON THE INFA, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE TOUR THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HE WOUND UP GETTING KILLED IN THE PLANE CRASH.
BUT SHE TOLD ME THIS GREAT STORY THAT SHE'S TOLD OTHER PEOPLE THAT WHEN SHE'S PERFORMING AT THE GASLIGHT CAFE IN 1962, SHE'S PLAYING LATE ONE NIGHT AND, AND SHE'S DOING HER SHOW.
THERE'S ME, MY 20 PEOPLE IN THE CLUB, AND THERE'S THIS GUY SITTING OVER AT THE BAR JUST KIND OF WATCHING HER AND WATCHING HER.
AND SHE SAID, I USED TO ALWAYS FINISH MY SET BY TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FACT THAT I'D BEEN FRIENDS WITH BUDDY HOLLY.
AND THEN I WOULD DO THE SONG LONESOME TEARS BY BUDDY HOLLY, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS BY BUDDY HOLLY, SHE SAID.
AND I STARTED TALKING ABOUT BUDDY HOLLY AND THIS GUY SITTING AT THE BAR.
I COULD SEE IT CAME OFF OF THE BARN.
HE TOOK ONE OF THE WOODEN SHARE, THE CREAKY WOODEN SHARES BACK THEN, UH, AT THE GASLIGHT.
HE, AND HE CAME RIGHT UP NEAR THE STAGE AND HE'S JUST STARING AT ME WHILE I'M TELLING A STORY AND SINGING A SONG.
SHE GOES, SO I FINISHED THIS SONG AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BACK THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE A STAGE CREW OR ANYTHING, I JUST, WE STOPPED AND I JUST HAD MY GUITAR.
I STARTED PUT IT IN GUITAR GUESS.
AND THE GUY COMES TO, HE SAYS, DID YOU REALLY KNOW BUDDY HOLLY? AND SHE SAID, YEAH.
AND ALL HE WANTED TO DO WAS TALK TO ME ABOUT BUDDY HOLLY.
I SAID, WHAT YOU NAME? HE GOES, BOB, I SAID, BOB, WHAT? HE GOES, BOB DYLAN
AND THAT ENCOUNTER RESULTED IN BOB DYLAN PLAYING ON HER FIRST ALBUM, WHICH IS WHERE HE MET JOHN HAMMOND SR.
WHO SIGNED HIM TO COLUMBIA RECORDS.
SO THAT'S A FAVORITE, YOU KNOW, TURNING OUT ONE OF THOSE STORIES THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT IN THE BOOK
[00:40:01]
SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2004? AH, WHAT HAPPENED IN 2004? UM, THE SPACE WITH THE BOTTOM LINE WAS, THE BOTTOM LINE WAS IN A BUILDING OWNED BY NYU NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, AND THEY RENTED IT FROM NYUI THINK THE RENT ALAN TOLD ME WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED, THEY TOOK OUT THEIR FIRST, I THINK FIVE YEAR LEASE FOR I THINK $1,200 MAYBE.UH, AND IF YOU KNOW WHAT NEW YORK, WHAT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WAS LIKE BACK THEN, YOU KNOW, NYU WASN'T NYU IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES.
AND THE VILLAGE WASN'T THE VILLAGE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT TIME IN THE VILLAGE WAS TOUGH, ESPECIALLY AROUND WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAD THE DRUG DEALERS IN THE PARK AND YOU HAD THE SEX WORKERS ON BROADWAY
UH, AND UM, THEY HAD THEIR LONG LEASES WITH NYU AND THEN IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS THEY STARTED TO GET A LITTLE BIT BEHIND IN THE RENT.
A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE EFFECTS OF, OF NINE 11, UH, AND BUSINESSES, UH, NINE 11, YOU KNOW, KILLED A LOT OF BUSINESSES IN THE VILLAGE.
AND SO THEY STARTED TO FALL BEHIND ON SOME OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, THE CASH FLOW AND THEY WERE TALKING NYU ABOUT IT.
AND THEN AT SOME POINT THE NYU SAID THE LEASE WAS GOING GONNA EXPIRE IN EARLY 2004 AND THEY JACKED THEIR RENT UP TO, I THINK OVER IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE $15,000 FROM, FROM WHEN IT HAD BEEN.
AND IT WAS JUST AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT AND THEY OWED THEM A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
THEY GOT PLEDGES FROM PEOPLE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE TO WHAT THEY OWED THEM, SPRINGSTEEN PEOPLE FROM CXM ORFORD.
BUT UM, AT THAT POINT IT TURNED INTO REAL ESTATE AS HAS ANY OF YOU WHO HAVE, HAVE ANY CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN THAT HAVE, HAVE TRIED TO LIVE IN THE VILLAGE
AND IT BECAME ALL ABOUT, THEY JUST WANTED THAT, THAT REAL ESTATE BACK.
AND IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT THEY SUGGESTED, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO WORK IT OUT.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK WE HAVE SOMETHING IN THE BACK VERY IMPORTANT TO OBVIOUSLY THE HISTORY OF MOST OF THE PEOPLE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, AND MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION, SO THE IN THEIR OWN SOUND, UM, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
A LOT OF ARTISTS DID BRING IN THEIR SOUND PEOPLE, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE SOUND WAS SO GOOD 'CAUSE THEY HIRED PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE TO DO SOUND FROM THE BEGINNING.
AND THE PEOPLE WORKING THE SOUND BOARDS WERE SO GOOD THAT MANY PEOPLE STARTED OFF WORKING THE SOUND BOARD FOR THE BOTTOM LINE AND SOMEONE WOULD COME IN AND PLAY AND ASK THEM TO GO ON TOUR, DO SOUND WITH THEM.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT, UH, GENERALLY PEOPLE DID USE THE SOUND PEOPLE AT THE CLUB.
SO THEN THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS THAT THEN MANY OF THOSE SHOWS WERE RECORDED.
YES, THIS ARCHIVE IS, THERE'S AN ARCHIVE THAT EXISTS A LOT OF DEALING WITH THE RIGHTS TO THAT BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY LETS YOU RECORD THEIR SHOWS.
UM, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE RECORDED TONS OF SHOWS AND, UM, THEY'RE IN A SERIES OF DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE ALAN HAS STUFF, TAPES AND STUFF.
THEY'RE, THEY'VE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT PLACES.
BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S BEEN PROGRESSING, BUT THERE IS, THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN, IN, IN SOMEBODY ACQUIRING THE ARCHIVES, UH, WHETHER IT BE AN INSTITUTION OR WHATEVER.
UH, AND I THINK THE BOOK A LITTLE BIT, THE PRESENCE OF THE BOOK HAS HELPED OUT A LITTLE BIT.
DID THEY EVER TRY TO FIND ANOTHER LOCATION? UH, WHEN, BY THE TIME THE CLUB CLOSED, UH, STANLEY S SADOWSKI, UM, LEFT NEW YORK, UH, IN 1993, UM, AND HE MOVED TO LAS VEGAS.
UH, BUT STANLEY CONTINUED TO DO ALL THE CONTRACTS FOR THE CLUB.
'CAUSE HIM AND ALAN, THEY'D BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THEY'D BEEN IN FOURTH GRADE IN BROOKLYN.
THESE TWO GUYS, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF IN THE BOOK ON THEIR GREAT FRIENDSHIP.
AND STANLEY WANTED TO, HE JUST DIDN'T WANNA BE IN NEW YORK ANYMORE.
AND HE ALSO WAS A REAL GAMBLER.
AND HE LOVED, HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO LAS VEGAS.
AND THEN SOMEONE TOOK HIM THERE IN THE EARLY 2000 AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU KNEW, IF YOU NEVER WENT TO THE CLUB AND YOU SAW STANLEY SADOWSKI, ALAN PEPPER WAS A LITTLE THIN GUY AND STANLEY SADOWSKI WAS A BIG HEAVY SET GUY.
AND STANLEY, SO STANLEY LOVED TO GAMBLE AND HE LOVED FOOD.
AND SO HE WENT TO LAS VEGAS AND IF YOU GAMBLED ENOUGH, YOU ATE FOR FREE ALMOST EVERYWHERE.
SO, SO STANLEY GOT VERY INTERESTED IN LAS VEGAS.
ANYWAY, HE MOVED OUT THERE BUT CONTINUED, UM, YOU KNOW, TO WORK, TO, TO WORK TOGETHER.
UH, AND WHEN THEY DECIDED TO CLOSE THE CLUB, ALAN STARTED TO LOOK FOR PLACES.
BUT AS HE TOLD ME, UM, HE LOOKED FOR ONE PLACE NOT FAR FROM WHERE THE BARCLAY CENTER IS NOW.
UH, AND UH, HE ESTIMATED THAT IT WAS GONNA COST $10 MILLION TO DO IT.
AND AT THAT POINT IN ALAN STANLEY'S LIFE IN HIS SIXTIES, HE WAS NOT GOING TO LOOK TO RAISE $10 MILLION TO START A MUSIC CLUB, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU BILLY.
YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT BOTTOM LINE.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SHOW YOU SHOW THERE? PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS ASKED ME THAT.
I WENT TO SO MANY SHOWS AT THE BOTTOM LINE THAT I, MOST OF MY MEMORIES ARE KIND OF, UH, PERSONAL BEING BACKSTAGE AND TALKING TO ARTISTS.
[00:45:01]
UH, AND UM, ALRIGHT, I'LL SHARE, MY WIFE WILL MAKE ME TELL THIS STORY.UH, SO ONE OF MY FAVORITES, SO I WORKED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS FOR CREAM MAGAZINE, IF YOU GUYS, YOU'D HAVE TO CREAM.
YEAH, WE WERE REALLY, REALLY SNOTTY MAGAZINE AND I WAS A REALLY SNOTTY YOUNG ROCK CRITIC IN THE OLD DAYS.
AND, UM, I WROTE A LOT OF STUFF THAT GOT ME A LOT OF TROUBLE
AND, UH, ANYWAY, THE FIRST TIME THAT, UM, UH, CONE BRUNETTE CAME IN WITH HIS THEN WIFE, SAM PHILLIPS, BUT, AND I'D, I WROTE, I MEAN, I LIKED C BONE BURNETT AND I LOVE HIS MUSIC, AND I'D WRITTEN ABOUT SEA BONNE A LOT OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO, UM, BUT I'D NEVER MET HIM.
UH, AND I'D HEARD IT THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES.
WE KIND OF COMMUNICATED, BUT I NEVER MET HIM.
AND SO, UM, UH, I, UH, I WENT BACKSTAGE TO SAY HELLO TO HIM AND I WALKED IN AND HE SAID, BILLY ALTMAN ROCK CRITICISM ALL
AND YEAH, AND HE'S THE GUY THAT LIKED STUFF THAT I WROTE ABOUT HIM.
UH, BUT YEAH, BUT ANYWAY, BUT I, SO IT'S A LOT OF MEMORIES OF JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE BACKSTAGE, BUT SHOWS, UM, YOU REMEMBER THEM FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS.
I REMEMBER WHEN, UM, IF YOU GUYS KNOW NANCY GRIFFITH, UH, THE GREAT TECH NOW GRANT, NANCY GRIFFITH WAS THE PERSON THAT INTRODUCED THE SONG FROM A DISTANCE THAT, THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW BY BETTE MIDLER.
BUT NANCY GRIFFITH RECORDED THAT FOR HER 1985 ALBUM, ONE STAR STATE OF MIND, AND SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, FOR BETTE MIDLER.
THEN HEARING THIS SONG, AND, UM, IT WAS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES, MAYBE THE ONLY TIME AT ANY CLUB SHOW THAT I EVER SAW, SHE PERFORMED THAT SONG IN THE MIDDLE OF HER SET AND SHE STOPPED HER OWN SHOW.
THAT WAS WHEN SHE JUST INTRODUCED IT AND THE ENTIRE CLUB GOT UP AND GAVE HER A STANDING OVATION.
AND I LOOKED OVER TO MY RIGHT AND WHO'S AT THE, WHO'S AT TABLE TO MY RIGHT WHO BILL MURRAY
AND THAT WAS A VERY BOTTOM LINE MOMENT.
'CAUSE A LOT OF SHOWS YOU HAD FAMOUS PEOPLE JUST SITTING AT TABLES WITH YOU.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY MOST MEMORABLE, I MEAN, ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS I THINK WAS RICHARD AND LINDA THOMPSON IN 1980, UH, THREE.
AND THEY WERE REALLY ON THE VERGE OF NOT BEING TOGETHER ANYMORE.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF TENSION AND THEY CAME OUT AND DID THIS AMAZING SHOW AND THEN BACKSTAGE, THEY WERE BARELY TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
SO SHOW BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, UM, MY FAVORITE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AT THE BOTTOM LINE WAS, UH, FINISHING UP THREE NIGHTS AT THE BOTTOM LINE IN WHICH HE ALMOST CAME TO BLOWS WITH HIS AUDIENCE, LOU REED, UH, WHEN HE RECORDED HIS TAKE NO PRISONERS ALBUM.
AND HE LITERALLY WAS FIGHTING WITH PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST NOT FIST FIGHTS, BUT, AND THEN THE NEXT NIGHT, BEGINNING THREE NIGHTS AT THE BOTTOM LINE, DOLLY PARTON DOING HER FIRST EVER SOLO SHOW IN NEW YORK.
AND THAT TO ME IS THE BOTTOM LINE IN A NUTSHELL THAT ONE NIGHT IS LOU REED SPARRING WITH THE AUDIENCE, AND THE NEXT NIGHT IS DOLLY PARTON CHARMING THE PANTS OFF LIKE M**K JAGGER AND BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND ALL THESE FAMOUS PEOPLE THAT CAME TO SEE HER AND COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW WONDERFUL SHE WAS.
BILLY WILL BE IN THE BACK SIGNING COPIES OF THE BOOK.
AFTER YOU PURCHASE A BOOK FROM BILLY, YOU CAN GO INTO THE NEXT ROOM AND HAVE SOME HOMEMADE BROWNIES AND CHEESE CRACKERS.