John Kruth is both a musician and writer who has penned two previous music biographies before his newest release, Rhapsody in Black: The Life and Music of Roy Orbison.

Music Tomes: You’ve previously written about the life and music of Townes Van Zandt and Roland Kirk, how did you come to choose Roy Orbison as your next subject?

John Kruth: I have pretty eclectic tastes and listen to all sorts of music from Don Cherry to George Jones to Ravi Shankar to Glenn Gould to Captain Beefheart…. but ultimately its passion for my subject when it all comes down to it. You better love your subject! Roy’s classic sides for Monument, to me, are some of the greatest records made in the last century from the way they were written, performed and recorded. Also the story of his life fascinated me, the way he overcame incredible tragedy and managed to continue creating in spite of the devastating cards that fate dealt him. Ultimately he was a sonic alchemist who turned pain into beauty.

MT: Orbison’s widow, Barbara, has a notoriously tight-grip on all things Roy, and as you chronicle in the book, had a lot of control over Roy himself. Did this present any problems in your research or in contacting people who knew and worked with Orbison?

JK: In my earlier 2 biographies I worked closely with both of the widows. I wish I could have spoken with Barbara but I was warned by a number of people that she would want to control the contents of the book. So I avoided any contact and just quietly forged on. There were a few people who declined interviews with me because the book is unauthorized. Sadly Barbara was ill and has since passed away. I was hoping that she might’ve liked my book and I could have interviewed her for the 2nd edition.

MT: What did you run across in your research that surprised you?

JK: Writing a biography is kind of like going out on a date with someone you really like but you don’t know all that well and the relationship is suddenly on the fast track and things are unfolding at an alarming rate. There are plenty of surprises, some set backs but you made the commitment. Perhaps it’s more like a shot-gun marriage – cause you gotta see it through at least until the baby arrives! Surprises? How great (and how lame) some of the MGM tracks were – check out the Hank Williams record that Roy made. I never heard it before, and most of the musicians don’t even recall recording it. Its wild, sounds like a Lee Hazelwood production.

Photo by Paul Hoelen Mandarine Montgomery

MT: What are you currently working on?

JK: A number of things… I got the rights back to Bright Moments, my biography of Rahsaan Roland Kirk and am currently editing a new edition of the book. I have about half of a biography written on Reverend Gary Davis with lots of great interviews and stories about the holy blues man. I’m almost finished with a book on the history of outlaw songs for the University of Texas, that I started back when I was writing the Townes Van Zandt book, while trying to crack the “Pancho and Lefty” code. And then there’s my new book, which I don’t want to say anything about until the ink is dry on the contract.

MT: Can you recommend some of your favorite music tomes?

JK: Greil Marcus’ Mystery Train and Old Weird America. Nick Tosches’ Hellfire. Peter Guarlnick’s Feel Like Goin’ Home. Charles Mingus’ Beneath the Underdog. Michael Ondaatje’s Coming Through Slaughter. Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo. Robert Palmer’s Deep Blues. Hazrat Inayat Khan’s The Music of Life. Bob Dylan’s Chronicles. Joe Boyd’s White Bicycles. Val Willmer’s As Serious As Your Life. Lenny Kaye’s You Call It Madness. Leg’s Mac Neil’s Please Kill Me.

Marc Dolan’s newest book, Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock ‘n’ Roll, has recently been released in paperback, including new chapters to bring the book fully up-to-date. Marc took a few minutes to talk to Music Tomes about the book and his subject.

Music Tomes: What sets your book apart from other biographies on Springsteen?

Marc Dolan: First, it is more about the artist than the man. Second, it is a history of the last half-century of American popular music and American politics told through the career of a single artist. Third, it tells a fuller story of the last two decades of Springsteen’s life than any other existing biography.

MT: What compelled you to write the book?

MD: I first wanted to write about Springsteen after hearing him perform “American Skin,” his song about the NYPD shooting of Amadou Diallo, at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 2000. The audience reaction to that performance was so raw, especially for a venue that size, that it made me want to write about Springsteen’s relation to his audience.

I didn’t really start writing about Springsteen in earnest, however, until the spring of 2005, when I noticed that he gave three performances in a matter of weeks that had almost no songs in common. That made me want to write about the variety of his career, the twists and turns and sidesteps into different musical genres.

Little did I know that the next five years, when I researched and wrote the bulk of my biography, would be the most prolific of Springsteen’s career. In fact, the last three chapters of the paperback edition of my book take place after I started working on it.

MT: Did you run across anything in your research that surprised you?

MD: Much of the challenge and the fun of writing this book was discovering the compositional process through which many songs and albums emerged. Learning how The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle changed from a series of set closers to an epic meditation of New York City in the early 1970s made me enjoy the album much, much more. Finally mapping out the fairly rapid process by which The Ghost of Tom Joad changed from a personal album to a political album helped me understand why I like some songs on that album but not others. And understanding exactly when each of the three Seeger Sessions fell in Springsteen’s timeline helped me understand exactly how that project was and was not political.

I think the greatest surprise was realizing that “Streets of Philadelphia,” “Missing,” “Back in Your Arms,” and “Nothing Man” — four songs about isolation that Springsteen released on four different albums over the course of a decade — all came from the same moment in 1993-1994 when he was most interested in assembling music almost completely by himself in his home studio. Creative isolation breeds songs about isolation.

MT: Springsteen is one of those artists that has a lot of myth built around him, some of it partly of his own doing. You mention, as one example, how he evolved stories he told in concert. How do you think that has affected his art?

MD: The large audiences of pop music demand a certain amount of myth — just look at Taylor Swift’s mythologization of how a teenage girl becomes a young woman — but if all the myth is about yourself, you run out of material very quickly. Springsteen’s tremendous capacity for self-mythologizing helped build him up in the 1970s and 1980s, but he needed to learn how to tear it down in the 1990s, if he was ever going to serve as a vital artist. I think he has survived down to our time by realizing that he needs to craft myths about his country now rather than himself.

MT: What are you working on now?

MD: A history of how American sound changed during the 1920s. It’s less about one figure than a number of them, how the technology, the artists, and the audience met between 1917 and 1931 to totally change what we heard as a nation. It covers the dawn of the golden age of mass media in the same way that Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock ‘n’ Roll covers its twilight years.

MT: Can you recommend some of your favorite music tomes?

MD: Anything by Greil Marcus, especially Like a Rolling Stone and When That Rough God Goes Riding: Listening to Van Morrison, both stunning books about the historical aesthetics of early rock ‘n’ roll. Gary Giddins’ Pocketful of Dreams (about the early career of Bing Crosby) and Peter Guralnick”s Last Train to Memphis (about the early career of Elvis Presley) are probably my two favorite musical biographies, and Chuck Berry’s autobiography is probably my favorite musical autobiography. I would also recommend Jon Savage’s England’s Dreaming and Legs McNeil & Gillian McCain’s Please Kill Me, my two favorite books about punk.

One of the reasons I started Music Tomes was to attempt to shine a little light on books that might be under the radar for most people. When Stars Were In Reach: The Who at Union Catholic High School – November 29, 1967 is one of those books. Author Michael Rosenbloom chose tightly focus on not just the Who in concert, but one particular show that took place in a New Jersey Catholic school in the Fall of 1967. Rosenbloom pieces together a tale that will be interesting to not only Who die-hards, but fans of 1960s Rock. 

Music Tomes: How did you come across the story for “When Stars Were In Reach”?

Michael Rosenbloom: I stumbled onto the story. I had come to the conclusion that at age 56 and with my wife or kids not interested in or knowledgeable about my music or my memorabilia collection, it was time to start selling some Who posters on ebay. Once I was “gone,” they wouldn’t know they had anything of value so why not start “cashing in some chips” while I can still enjoy the benefits. The guy to whom I sold two posters sent me an e-mail containing some New York City area Who concert posters from his collection, simply for my viewing enjoyment. Lo and behold, I saw the poster of the Union Catholic show that adorns the front cover of “When Stars Were in Reach.” I was smitten and immediately drawn back in. I said: “Wow, The Who performing in a high school, in a Catholic high school no less! I realized that given the huge role The Who played in my youth, it was time to pay tribute to the band by writing about them in some bite-sized fashion. Certainly a lot more fitting than selling my Who collection! And the concert at Union Catholic would be the perfect vehicle for this. November of 1967 was the period during which I was getting into them. So I relished the opportunity to take on this project. I also saw that the concert at U.C. was in the New York metropolitan area. So, I figured I could visit the school and other people from that era who may still live in the area without taking time off from work. I also figured that with social media like Facebook and internet search tools like Google, I could probably track down a good portion of the people involved with the show at minimal expense. Moreover, I hoped that with the internet, old issues of newspapers of the era would be accessible from my home. All these turned out to be correct assumptions. I sensed that there was a story to be told. Lastly, I liked the idea about writing about something very defined and narrowly-focused and I remember the night when I came to the realization and said to myself: “You can do this.” And so I began.

MT: You interviewed a lot of people who were students at the time. Was it difficult to track them down?

MR: In the end, it was not too difficult. The first thing I did was to do an internet search of the show. The only mention I found was on a Who website, in which the equipment used at the show was discussed. I found an e-mail address on the site and contacted the guy who put the post on the website. I met him and his friends and held a group interview with them. I also e-mailed the school’s alumni association and explained that I was writing a book about The Who concert at their school from 1967. The Director of Alumni Relations sent a group e-mail to alumni of that era and explained that someone was writing a book about The Who show and wanted to hear from students who either attended the concert or who played a part in staging the concert. Suddenly I was flooded with e-mails and telephone calls from individuals who knew they had been part of something special that had been kept under wraps for way too long. They all wanted to share their special stories about the event because too many times in their past they told their stories about The Who playing in their Catholic high school to skeptical listeners. My secret weapon was a former student named Nancy who was relentless in helping me track down certain individuals connected with the show. I also enjoyed searching for people on Facebook. I found this part of the project, tracking down individuals connected with the show every bit as interesting and enjoyable as writing the book. It was very reminiscent of the creativity needed in successfully collecting Who records and memorabilia back in the day. I would get a tremendous rush when I succeeded in finding individuals such as faculty members, members of The Decoys – the opening act – or especially in finding the booking agent for the show.

MT: The fact that the concerts were given at a Catholic school is a surprise to a lot of people. Did you talk to anyone who opposed the shows?

MR: No one that I heard about opposed The Who show. That’s really the only show I can speak about. I think that one reason no one objected to The Who appearing at the school was that none of the parents had ever heard of them. Actually your question is one I posed to a former faculty member. He said that had the parents voiced any objections, the school probably would not have gone through with the concert. The principal a Marist Brother – Vincent Damian, was an empowering educator. He allowed both students and faculty to take possession of a project, provided they would show responsibility and take accountability. Union Catholic’s foray into the rock concert business is to a great extent a tribute to the late Principal Vincent Damian, every bit as much as it is to the students who pushed the idea.

MT: Do you have any other writing projects in the works?

MR: I have several ideas in my head for writing projects. I haven’t acted on any of them yet. Two are music-related. One is more political. All are non-fiction. While I was working on When Stars Were in Reach, I guarded the story with great secrecy from friends and most family members for fear of someone beating me to it. I was surprised that no one else, especially students from the school, took the time and effort to get to the bottom of this amazing story. Because of my paranoia about someone “stealing” my ideas for a book, I am reluctant to discuss in greater detail any of my ideas for a future book.

MT: Can you recommend some of your favorite music tomes?

MR: My favorite music tome is Rock From the Beginning by Nik Cohn. While it was written years ago, I like Nik’s in-your-face opinionated style.

To keep up with Michael Rosenbloom, visit rosesblooming.com

Today author Gary Jucha talks about his new Jimi Hendrix book, an entry in the FAQ Series titled Jimi Hendrix FAQ: All Thats Left to Know About the Voodoo Child. (Full disclosure, I am also working on an entry for the FAQ series).

Music Tomes: In the introduction to the book you give a great account of how you first began to pursue the music of Hendrix. What inspired you to write the book?

Gary Jucha: Frankly I was asked by Robert Rodriguez the FAQ Series Editor if I was interested in possibly writing a book for Backbeat. He had seen a piece I wrote about The Clash at my old website and contacted me. At the time, I didn’t know he meant a book for his FAQ series and so – 9 being my favorite number – I sent him a list of 9 music related titles on subjects that I thought would make good books and that I could write better than anybody.

I can’t remember all of them but I do remember suggesting The Clash in America, which would solely focus on The Clash’s concerts and recording sessions in America as well as their cultural impact on the country they had been bored with, and Jimi Hendrix: The Posthumous Years. I believe that as timeless as the three Jimi Hendrix Experience studio albums are, that it his posthumous recordings that have really contributed to his enduring fame. We had some back and forth discussions and that resulted in me writing Jimi Hendrix FAQ: All There’s Left to Know about the Voodoo Child.

MT: Was there anything that surprised you in your research?

GJ: I was dismayed by his neglected childhood, by how many of his tales were really tall, and how isolated he was at the time of his death. But wanting to stress the positive let me say that what was really a discovery was how truly talented the Band of Gypsys was. That’s Jimi’s all black trio that included Buddy Miles on drums and vocals and Jimi’s army buddy Billy Cox on bass and vocals. Their legacy rests almost entirely on four concerts played on two consecutive nights after a few weeks rehearsal. Now they had been playing together at recording sessions since May 21, 1969 – a few of which are on the new People, Hell and Angels collection – but their performances at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East still stand out.

For example, “Machine Gun” is one of Jimi’s Top Ten iconic songs and that comes from these concerts. And the contributions of Jimi’s fellow gypsys to that song are profound. Billy’s ominous bass line and Buddy’s rat-a-tat-tat drumming really contribute to the song’s mood. And the notable thing that most people don’t realize is they played “Machine Gun” at all four concerts and all four are worth hearing. The one that’s readily available on Band of Gypsys is even arguably not the best version. Others include snatches of “Star Spangled Banner” during Jimi’s solos and I think Jimi didn’t want to release those versions because then it would make “Machine Gun” an anti-Vietnam War song and not the anti-war song that he wanted it to be. (All four versions are available on 2 Nights at the Fillmore, a 6-CD collection.)

MT: What are your thoughts on the new Hendrix release?

GJ: I recommend it. Recorded over a 29 month period with 24 musicians at five studios, I think Jimi’s favorite recording engineer Eddie Kramer has really worked his magic here. The twelve songs sound as if they were recorded at one session.

Of course, it’s not the album Jimi had in mind when mentioning the title to interviewers. It was supposed to be a triple album with each album representing one of the nouns in the title. The first album, for example, would be about people, the second hell and the third angels. I’m surprised the title wasn’t used for a box set.

My only criticism – and it’s a minor one – is with the sequencing. I suggest you burn this playlist to a CD and play it in your car: Hey Gypsy Boy/Villanova Junction Blues/Hear My Train A Comin’/ Bleeding Heart/Mojo Man/Let Me Move You/Izabella/Easy Blues/Crash Landing/Earth Blues/Somewhere/Inside Out

It’s a very different listening experience. It begins quieter and the noisier pieces come during the second half but it flows much better; much more pleasing to the ear.

MT: What are you currently working on?

GJ: Well there’s some discussion about doing a Rolling Stones FAQ, which I’d love to do. I think one of my suggestions to Robert Rodriguez was about the Mick Taylor period; he’s the forgotten Rolling Stone but the Stones’ peak period was with him in the line-up. But right now I’m working on a book about The Clash, their recording of their fourth album Sandinista!, and the tours promoting that triple album, especially the legendary Bonds residency at a disco in New York City’s Times Square in May-June 1981. I saw 8 of those 17 shows.

MT: Can you recommend a few of your favorite music tomes?

GJ: Well, as I mentioned above, 9 is my favorite number so I’ll give you 9:

1. The Fallen – Dave Simpson
2. Jimi Hendrix: The Intimate Story of a Betrayed Musical Legend – Sharon Lawrence
3. Just Kids – Patti Smith
4. Bowie in Berlin – Thomas Jerome Seabrook
5. Redemption Song – The Ballad of Joe Strummer – Chris Salewicz
6. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scene from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 – Michael Azerrad
7. The Beatles Recording Sessions – Mark Lewisohn
8. The Minutemen’s Double Nickels On The Dime – Michael T. Founier
9. Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991 – Paul Tingen

It’s fairly self-evident what each of those music tomes are about except for the first one, which happens to be my favorite. Dave Sampson is a British music journalist whose book is about The Fall, one of Great Britain’s longest running bands. They
formed in 1976 and so far have released 29 studio albums as well as countless live recordings, collections, reissues. But only one member has been in The Fall all that time. That’s mercurial cofounder Mark E. Smith, a British legend who runs his
band like a sports club and fires members left and right. Dozens of line-ups have constituted The Fall and Sampson’s book is like a detective story as he tries to talk to every ex-Fall member, or “the Fallen” alluded to in the book’s title.

Thanks for asking to interview me. I really enjoyed doing this.