The Laurie and Olga Show
Opening – Introduction and Theme Song of the Laurie and Olga Show
Cut to "Could Have been a Lady"
Olga:
Now that’s just a little teaser of what’s in store for this hour because Laurie and I are honoured, blessed – oh what a way to start the year with April Wine.
Laurie:
April Wine, and to everyone that is 41 or 42 – ya gotta know
Olga:
You grew up with these guys
Laurie:
You were at the Edge if you lived in the West Island, and even if you lived in the city, April Wine is one of Canada’s hottest bands.
Olga:
They rock!
Laurie:
They rock, they roll, they are it, I tell ya something right now, as a kid I knew all the April Wine songs.
Olga:
Well for sure you did.
Laurie:
I remember the Maples Inn, so you know what folks, do you remember the Maples Inn, do you remember the Edgewater? Do you remember the Battle of the Bands in the basement of the Edgewater, and I know that we are going to be talking to a couple of people but when I saw the name Ritchie Henman, I said OH MY GOD I remember him from the Edgewater, this is scarey. Well, now Graeme why don’t you introduce our distinguished guest?
Graeme Bishop:
We have a Montrealer who began his career in the computer field with IBM, moved over to work with a group called The Triangle with Trevor Payne
Jerry Mercer:
And lots before Trevor that you would never know about (laughing).
Olga:
But not Freda Payne, not from Band of Gold – no relation?
Graeme:
We’re not that old!
Jerry:
Well almost!
Graeme:
Then he had to fill in the shoes of a gentleman that we’ll be speaking to shortly. I’d like to introduce you to long time and still Montrealer and still April Winer – Jerry Mercer.
Laurie:
Unbelievable!
Olga:
In studio we’ve got Jerry Mercer and on the line we’ve got – Laurie go ahead
Laurie:
OK I’ve got to tell you I’m bringing myself back to the time I was 17 at the Maples Inn – Ritchie Henman?
Ritchie Henman:
What were you doing there at 17?
Laurie:
If the truth be known, I was underage, what can I tell you. But you know what Ritchie, it’s great to talk to you – how’s your brother David?
Ritchie:
He’s just fine, great to talk to you – Hi Jerry!
Jerry:
Hi Ritchie, how ya doing bud?
Ritchie:
Good buddy.
Olga:
Welcome this afternoon to CJAD with Olga and Laurie.
Jerry:
It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, I used to come here and do real late night with Dave Patrick and we would hang out with Montrealers and talk on the phone for many hours, it was great fun.
Laurie:
Now can you tell us Jerry what’s going on with April Wine at this point?
Jerry:
Well the group is in the process of finishing up the recording of it’s latest album. We reunited in 1992 and this is the 3rd album we’re going to release since then, we’re hoping to release it around April the first of 2000 and we’re going to be releasing it on Civilian Records which is our new record company. You know we’re still rocking hard and we’re still playing well over 100 concerts a year and traveling all over North America.
Olga:
No!
Graeme:
And in high demand in the States. This will be studio album number 15.
Jerry:
Oh at least.
Olga:
Oh my goodness!
Laurie:
Holy smokes!
Jerry:
At least, maybe 16.
Laurie:
Now Ritchie, when did you join April Wine?
Ritchie:
You’re asking me?
Olga:
Yes.
Ritchie:
My brother and I started the band with my cousin in about November of 1969.
Jerry:
Founding member.
Ritchie:
Founding members, and it’s interesting, two things there you said,
you mentioned the phrase Jerry filling my shoes, I have to confess, and
I am sure Jerry knows this, by the time he had joined the band, I had stolen
a lot of licks from him, I was watching him play every night and I was
kind of in awe of his drumming, so I was stealing from him left and right
and maybe that made the transition smoother for him!
GROUP LAUGHTER
Jerry:
I met Ritchie and the boys in the band when I was with Mashmakan and I think it was the summer of 1970 during what was called a survival tour, Mashmakan was headlining with April Wine, and Life, and John Jay Francois, and Crazy Eddie, it was probably about 8 acts that went on the road with Mashmakan headlining on a Maritime tour with six cars and a truck with a common crew. Everyone was playing Ritchie’s drums, we had a common backline of amps that everybody was playing on and we did a tour of all of the Maritime arenas, it was like a summer survival tour and we had such a great time.
Ritchie:
It was a lot like a National Lampoon vacation movie!
GROUP LAUGHTER
Laurie:
That’s pretty scary, pretty scary.
Jerry:
Absolutely wild – all kinds of things are going to happen when you’ve got about 25 musicians on the road!
Ritchie:
I think it’s great that the new album is going to be released around April 1st because that marks the 30th anniversary of us actually driving up – we really did drive up here on April Fools’ Day…
Jerry:
Isn’t that something?
Ritchie:
…with no plan at all.
Jerry:
That’s right and you guys were going for RCA and you arrived at the RCA warehouse up in St. Laurent instead of the main office. I remember that story.
Ritchie:
We were tourists!
Olga:
We were tourists! Now where does the name come from – April Wine?
Ritchie:
That’s my brother really, it was just a question of putting 2 words together that he found favourable and you know that worked for him that didn’t tie us down to anything. At the time it meant that with a name like that you could play almost anything you wanted and the name didn’t give anybody a preconceived notion of what you were supposed to be.
Laurie:
Well you know it sounds good, if you had said something like November
Beer it wouldn’t have been the same as April Wine.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Olga:
That’s right, April Wine – it had a ring to it you know!
Ritchie:
As it turns out, it also gave the graphic artists lots of fuel for the first few albums and for merchandising. They kind of milked that wine part of it for all it’s worth!
Jerry:
Yeah, the grapes!
Ritchie:
But we survived it.
Olga:
Now are you still drumming?
Ritchie:
No I’m retired actually, if I can use the R word.
Laurie:
You’re too young! You didn’t take a package did you?
Ritchie:
No, I didn’t take a package, I just retired from live performances, I’ve got my drums set up at home and I play them when the mood hits me and I’ve got guitars and key boards here, no – I got a haircut and I got a real job a couple of years ago!
Laurie:
Oh, come on!
Olga:
No! No! We don’t want to hear that.
Laurie:
No, once a rocker always a rocker.
Olga:
And I bet you have a dental plan too!
Ritchie:
I’ve got everything but.
Graeme:
You know, Jerry got a haircut as well.
Laurie:
It’s a close shave let me tell ya, you know we’ve got to take a break, Ritchie Henman I want to thank you for calling in.
Ritchie:
Thank you!
Laurie:
It’s nice to hear your voice and success man.
Ritchie:
Thank you very much.
Laurie:
Hey listen, are you going to be at Bourbon St. West on Thursday, January 27th?
Ritchie:
I sure am!
Laurie:
Are you – the great April Wine returns to Montreal at Bourbon kidlets! Stay tuned – you know there’s going to be a lot of people there that remember you from my goodness….
Olga:
High School days!
Jerry:
Yeah, we’ve had a couple of shows there and it’s always very packed and we’re well received, it’s a good spot.
Olga:
It’s like coming home eh?
Jerry:
Yeah, the group used to play in Pierrefonds Arena and all kinds of high schools around the West Island.
Graeme:
Like D’Arcy McGee in Montreal.
Laurie:
You played at my high school, James Lyng.
Jerry:
We may do our launching of the album from the Spectrum in the New Year but it’s going to be great to play out in the West Island again at the end of this month.
Olga:
Ritchie will you play – you know get up and beat the skins?
Ritchie:
Oh no, I’ll be my usual enthusiastic spectator.
Graeme:
He’ll play on the bar!
Olga:
You’ll be playing at the bar?
Laurie:
Swizzle sticks at the bar of Bourbon I can see it now – we’ve got
to take a quick break.
Graeme:
Thanks Ritchie.
Jerry:
All right Ritchie, chow!
RETURN FROM BREAK – PLAYS I LIKE TO ROCK
Olga:
You know everybody knows that song.
Laurie:
Oh you know that is April Wine and we’re so lucky we’re doing an April Wine lovefest, it’s a lovefest from 3 – 4.
Graeme:
It’s like Wine 2K.
Laurie:
Wine 2K works for me!
Olga:
Do you want some cheese with that wine?
Olga:
And on the line we’ve got none other than……
Laurie:
our own little friend, Donald Tarlton. How are you Donald?
Donald Tarlton:
Greetings! Wine 2K – I hope that’s not as big a hype as Y2K was!
Olga:
Bigger – bigger and better cause they’re back in town.
Donald:
First of all, my special, special congratulations and greetings to Jerry Mercer.
Olga:
Yes of course.
Donald:
I think Jerry has been one of the great gurus of the Montreal musician scene for just such a long time and I don’t mean to categorize Jerry as being old.
Jerry:
I’m 60 years young Donald and I’m still rocking and I expect to do so for another 20 years or so before I’m done.
Donald:
Jerry has been the super-dad and mentor for every musician in Montreal
for years and years and years and certainly one of the finest guys I’ve
ever had the privilege to work with and be involved with and be associated
with over the years and I just want to congratulate him for being not only
the greatest drummer to ever step on a concert stage that I’ve ever seen,
but also for being the kind of guy he’s been over the years – one of the
great ones and what makes this business fascinating and fun to be part
of is to know exciting, truly wonderful people and April Wine – all the
guys from April Wine – Jerry, Myles, Jimmy, David, Ritchie and back to
Jim and Brian it was a wonderful…….
Jerry:
And Steve and Gary.
Donald:
………group of people over the years and they certainly entertained this city and put this city on the rock and roll map. Jerry if you could remember that tour down throughout the Maritimes.
Jerry:
That’s what we were just talking about a few minutes ago.
Donald:
It was famous for you guys mooning everybody on the beach!
GROUP LAUGHTER
Donald:
If you recall in those days we couldn’t get served in the restaurants because of our long hair, but you solved all that Jerry in later years.
Olga:
No kidding, I was going to say he won’t have a problem now.
Donald:
Hey when you look back upon it and say to yourself, well, what the music business has become, the business side of the music business has really taken over the industry and with it destroyed a lot of good friendships and good relationships because everyone takes their selves a little more seriously now than we did in those good old days.
Jerry:
We were all flying by the seat of our pants by then, nobody had any experience, nobody really knew and you kind of made the rules as you went along and if it sounded good, you tried it.
Donald:
I tell ya some of those wonderful, wonderful moments, probably the greatest thrill I had as a concert promoter was selling out the Montreal Forum twice with April Wine.
Jerry:
On yeah!
Olga:
Imagine – twice!
Donald:
A Canadian act, a Montreal act, real pioneers in this industry. Prior to all the benefits of Canadian radio kicking in, of Canadian legislative radio kicking in, these guys did it on talent and sheer determination and hustle, and drive and it was just that those were really truly memorable times and they’ll never quite be replaced in this business although the future looks great for all the young artists that are out there today, but they’ll never quite duplicate those days, eh Jerry!
Laurie:
But you know Donald, I think that April Wine were pioneers in paving the road of success of rock and roll…….. Canadian rock and roll for other bands.
Jerry:
That was a key thing I remember when Donald was getting us off the
ground here in Montreal, as the group began to see records across the country,
Donald was able to put together a network of promoters so that April Wine
helped establish the pathway, and once the pathway was established with
a network of promoters across the country – Don you used to be able to
send other groups instead of just everybody going to Toronto and Vancouver
and maybe Montreal, they were able to go right across to audiences that
never had a chance to see them before.
Donald:
That was the big thing.
Jerry:
That was great!
Donald:
We started in Montreal, then we expanded throughout the province and then into Atlantic Canada, then eventually we set up a thing called Music Confederation and developed a system of agents and promoters from one end of the country to the other end of the country.
Jerry:
That had never been done before so it was nice to be a part of all that.
Donald:
And I can remember getting on those buses and driving through Timmins, Ontario…getting busted-up in Timmins….. and all the other elements. We truly were definite pioneers.
Jerry:
…that was ….Kirkland Lake in…..’74.
Donald:
Yep, we were definite pioneers. That was 25 years before The Tradgically Hip made it part of their press release. You truly were the pioneers.
Olga:
Thank you so much for taking the time, and welcome home, happy holidays.
Jerry:
I just want to bring up one more memory Donald. Back in the days when I was with Trevor Payne and we’re playing all the R & B stings as Trevor Payne and the Soul Brothers, you were just finishing high school ………… and you were booking us in your high school.
Donald:
That was fabulous, I was working when I was in Grade 10 out of my home with a little telephone and in those days high school dances were terrific, we were getting good dollars.
Jerry:
That’s all we did, we worked a high school every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, that was our living.
Donald:
And in the high schools, it was a different thing, there were so many kids we were all part of that wonderful population explosion and again those were times that were typical of a particular era and treasured memories when we look back upon them.
Jerry:
That really can’t happen again, it’s because of the demographics at the time. This huge glut of teenagers, just everything exploded out of that time period, and it was quite amazing.
Donald:
It was pretty awesome Jerry and thanks for allowing me to be part of it and congratulations and keep up the good work, there’s nothing like a great rock band, there’s nothing like a great rock and roll drummer and say Hi to Myles and all the rest of the guys and wish them the very, very best for me.
Jerry:
I’ll do that Donald and thanks very much for everything.
Donald:
Thanks ever so much.
Olga:
Hey Donald, you know they’re coming back.
Donald:
Absolutely, I’m going to be there.
Olga:
Thursday, January 27th at Bourbon Street West.
Donald:
I got it, I got it marked down.
Olga:
Now if any of our listeners out there would like to speak to a member of April Wine and we have 2 pairs of tickets to give away, if you want to reminisce with Jerry here, give us a call – we have got to really find a true blue fan.
Laurie:
And give them a little pop quiz, they’ve got to earn these tickets.
Olga:
A little earlier on we had a caller who was at your first concert – now I don’t know where that was.
Jerry:
When Gary Moffet and I joined April Wine together, we rehearsed for two weeks and I was scrambling to learn all Ritchie’s drum parts and Gary was scrambling to learn all David’s guitar parts and we opened our first gig and we had never played anywhere before together, our very first gig was opening for T-Rex and Three Dog Night at the Toronto CNE Stadium with about 30,000 people, that was our first gig.
Olga:
And you’re up there saying oh my God what did I get myself into.
NEWSBREAK
CUT TO TONIGHT IS A WONDERFUL TIME TO FALL IN LOVE
Laurie & Olga Sing Along
Graeme:
There go the ratings!
Laurie:
Listen we’ve got Dave Buerster on the line calling all the way from California – Dave are you there?
Dave Buerster:
I sure am.
Laurie:
Welcome to CJAD – I’m sure that Jerry Mercer wants to say Hi to you.
Dave:
How ya doing Jerry?
Jerry:
I’m doing great and its good to talk to you.
Laurie:
So what’s going on with you now Dave – you’re in California?
Dave:
I’m in a little city, it’s called Escondido, just a little north of San Diego.
Laurie:
OOOH
Olga:
And what are you doing?
Dave:
I’m sitting in the yard enjoying the weather.
Olga:
You’re sitting in the yard…isn’t that nice.
Jerry:
My heart bleeds.
Olga:
Now to our listeners out there Dave, why don’t you give us a little background information on you?
Dave:
OK, well I originally got into April Wine during my senior year of
high school back in 72. I was born and raised in Buffalo and WKBW and WYSL
were playing a lot of You Could Have Been A Lady, it got a lot of airplay
there. And one day I was wandering around in a Fort Erie record store and
I stumbled across this very interesting looking album called On Record
– never saw a record album before when the jacket looked like the record.
I thought it was very novel and on it was that song that I’d been hearing
on the radio and liked from the very first listen, and I bought the record
and that was the beginning of my April Wine association, I guess you would
say, and from that point forward I would pick up everything I could find.
I would make regular trips to Toronto and picked up the stuff because they
had a sound that was so different, so unique. The albums were the type
of thing you’d put the needle on them and you’d leave it there. It wasn’t
just picking a song here and there, you just played the album and I just
really got into them. When I moved out here to California in 1976, I decided
I was going to make April Wine the centerpiece, if you will, of my record
collection. I was pretty much a record collector at that time anyway and
that was going to be the centerpiece. I didn’t know any other April Wine
collectors, and I liked to be different.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Dave:
And over the years, to be honest with you the better part of 20 years, I’ve collected April Wine music and memorabilia basically in a vacuum. I wasn’t competing with anyone for this stuff, I’d pick up pieces here and there. I moved out here actually to take a mobile disc jockey job so it got me around up to L.A. and out to Yuma, Arizona, all over the place. I would pick up April Wine records at whatever local shops I was at, to give away at my disc jockey shows thinking it would be a neat way to spread the word. Played a lot of their music during my shows and when I was out of town on my road trips, I got an opportunity to scour little out of the way record stores and all kinds of little places for bits and pieces of my April Wine collection and it just built up over the years until today I’ve got to buy another house I think to hold it all.
Olga:
No!
Jerry:
Chuckles.
Olga:
Your wife must just adore you!
Dave:
Well she’s been very supportive, as a matter of fact she bought me a Christmas present this year that just about knocked my socks off. I’ve got a gold record award for the Nature of the Beast hanging on my wall over my desk right now.
Jerry:
Who was it made out to?
Dave:
Oddly enough it was from Capitol Records to Aquarius Records.
Jerry:
Oh, OK
Dave:
I never saw one like that before.
Jerry:
Well you see Aquarius Records was our Canadian Label.
Dave:
Yes it was.
Jerry:
And Capitol Records was our American label so I guess that’s just their way of saying thanks cause we didn’t have a contract directly with Capitol, but they had one with Aquarius for us so I guess that was the reason but that’s pretty cool that you ended up with that cause there’s only a few of them made.
Dave:
Well that’s what I was kind of hoping and I’ve got a couple of items in my collection that I’d like to consider to be, if not one of a kind, at least close to it. It’s kind of got a life of its own this collection of mine quite frankly.
Laurie:
The April Wine Museum of California. Hey you’re at San Diego, at the zoo, and all you have to do is drive up a little north.
Jerry:
We’ve been down in your area, but we haven’t been down there I guess for the last 3 years.
Dave:
Well it’s been longer than that, I saw you here in San Diego at a little club called Chillers in 1993 and to my knowledge that was the last time you were here, unless you snuck in and didn’t tell me.
Jerry:
Down in the San Diego area – yeah we’ve been to LA a number of times but we haven’t been down to the south end
Dave:
Well I sure haven’t found out about that, so I’m going to have to keep on top of it a little better, you guys have got to get out here.
Laurie:
You know what Jerry, this man should frighten you!
GROUP LAUGHTER
Olga:
Did your wife know you are an April Wine stalker when she married
you?
Dave:
I’ve been listening to April Wine longer than I’ve known her.
Laurie:
Dave I want to thank you for calling and keep up that great collection.
Dave:
Well if anybody would like to look at it, I’d like to give myself a shameless plug for my website - if anyone would like to take a peek it’s out there at www.tns.net/~winefan.
Jerry:
Anyone mark that down?
Olga:
Wait, wait, Graeme’s got it, the
other stalker, the Montreal stalker Graeme.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Graeme:
Thanks a lot man.
Jerry:
I hope you get to see us down in your neck of the woods real soon.
Dave:
Well, I’ll be waiting.
Olga:
Hey listen, you can always fly up to Montreal January 27th.
Dave:
Are you offering me plane fare?
Olga:
No, you would not be correct sir.
Dave:
That’s too bad.
Olga:
We can throw in a couple of tickets to the show, but if you start now you should be able to drive up here by then.
Laurie:
You’ve got time my friend.
Dave:
Maybe you can just send the tickets and they’ll be part of my collection.
Olga:
You know what, we’ll send you the stubs!
Dave:
I appreciate that.
Olga:
OK thanks Dave and take care.
Laurie:
OK let’s got to Steve Traynor from Bourbon Street cause he’s such a great fan and a great guy, Hi Steve., what’s up?
Steve Traynor:
Not much, just wanted to say Hi to Jerry and tell the boys I’m looking forward to seeing them on the 27th. What a lineup you got, Jerry and Ritchie Henman, Donald K Donald, what a show today!
Laurie:
I tell you we had nothing to do with it Steve.
Olga:
Absolutely nothing.
Olga:
Now listen, we’re having the April Wine Return to Montreal, Thursday January 27th, 2000 at your home away from home – where can people get tickets?
Steve:
At admissions 790-1245 or at Bourbon Street.
Laurie:
How much are the tickets?
Steve:
15 bucks.
Laurie:
$17.25 with the taxes, Steve it’s under 20.
Olga:
To go back in time and revisit your
youth, it’s well worth it, it’s cheaper than time travel.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Steve:
The first record I ever bought was Could Have Been a Lady, first single 1972.
Jerry:
That was off the second album that the group made, and I came in half way through the third album which is called Electric Jewels.
Steve:
Well it’s funny Jerry, because after buying that many, many years later, I was doing sound for bands in 1979 early 80’s – I was doing sound for Ly Rock (sp) and Ritchie at the time joined that band.
Jerry:
That’s right.
Steve:
It was kind of like a full circle thing meeting an old friend I never knew.
Jerry:
That’s cool, that’s pretty cool.
Laurie:
Thanks for calling Steve and you know I’m really thrilled that Bourbon is presenting April Wine cause they have so many fans and it’s a great venue.
Steve:
Are we going to see you there?
Laurie:
Oh yeah, we’re going to be singing!
Olga:
We’re going to introduce the band!
Steve:
I’ll see ya then.
Laurie:
Take care.
Olga:
We’ve got so many callers on line to chat – let’s go to Tony on 4.
Laurie:
Tony. Welcome to CJAD.
Tony:
Hello, Hi Jerry, how are you doing?
Jerry:
Great Tony, very good Tony.
Tony:
I remember you, you were one of my first concerts. I’ll never forget that day you were at the Forum and who was your backup band?
Jerry:
Well it depends on which year it was, the last year we did it with Corey Hart, we also did it with Loverboy……..
Tony:
No there was one particular guy that you will never forget I’m sure.
Jerry:
Johnny Winter opened for us on our very first Forum performance.
Tony:
That’s the one.
Olga:
Holy Toledo!
Jerry:
Donald was talking about that earlier, it actually oversold the Forum, There was over 19,000 tickets sold and there was 2000 people standing room only, which you are not even allowed to do anymore, and there was a riot out in the street by a few thousand people that couldn’t even get tickets, so it was quite a night.
Tony:
I was worried, cause I’ll never forget it when Johnny Winter got off the stage there was a hush in the crowd cause Johnny Winter made such an impact that we were worried, but you guys just walked on, you just took over Johnny Winter’s aura, it was amazing!
Jerry:
Well we never had a problem with that, we always tried to have good opening acts, it was the same thing with Loverboy and we’ve had a lot of great acts in front of us over the years.
Graeme:
And that continues today.
Jerry:
It’s not a problem, I just look at it as we go out there and do our best and if we do it and have fun, it will stand up.
Laurie:
Darn right!
Jerry:
It will stand up not a problem.
Laurie:
Thanks Tony and we’ve got to go to Steve Lang and Brian Greenway, they’re both on the phone.
Olga:
No way!
Laurie:
Are you there boys?
Brian Greenway:
I’m here, I’m Brian here, here I am.
Steve Lang:
Yeah, this is Steve.
Jerry:
All right, all right, this is great!
Graeme:
Hi Brian, Hi Steve!
Brian:
Hey Graeme, how ya doing? How ya doing everybody, Hi Stephen.
Steve:
Good Brian, how you doing?
Brian:
Great, Happy New Year! What a way to get us all back on the radio again.
Laurie:
And AM talk radio too, this is frightening.
Olga:
And who are you two guys for our listeners out there?
Laurie:
Introduce yourselves, Steve Lang and Brian Greenway.
Steve:
I’m the former bassist of April Wine from 1975 to 84.
Brian:
Me, Brian Greenway, I joined the band in 1977 and still currently involved with them.
Olga:
Oh Brian, do you still have big hair?
Brian:
No……. big grey hair!
Laurie:
Brian Greenway was the cutie patootie let me tell you.
Olga:
You had great hair in this picture!
Laurie:
He was having a really good hair day.
Olga.
I think so!
Jerry:
Everyday is a good hair day for
me!
GROUP LAUGHTER
Laurie:
Now Steve I understand you are no longer in music, you’re in Toronto?
Steve:
That’s right.
Laurie:
And what are you doing?
Jerry:
MONEY!
Steve:
I’m a financial advisor.
Laurie:
Are you going to be coming into Montreal for the April Wine concert at Bourbon?
Steve:
No I’m not.
Olga:
Why, it’s not that far you know.
Graeme:
It’s RRSP season.
Jerry:
Steve’s been out to a number of our concerts, whenever we’re playing around Toronto, Stephen often comes out.
Laurie:
So he doesn’t leave the Ontario
border, Steve we’re going to crap on you because we can.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Graeme:
Steve’s not licensed for Quebec are you Steve?
Steve:
No I’m not.
Olga:
See Graeme would know that.
Laurie:
But that’s OK it’s a Thursday you can be home Friday.
Steve:
When is it?
Olga:
Thursday the 27th
Steve:
Of January?
Olga:
Yeah, RRSP season ends like the end of February beginning of March.
Laurie:
You’ve got time Steve.
Olga:
Lots of time.
Steve:
Well you never know it could happen.
Olga:
Come on, it’s like a reunion.
Jerry:
Hey listen, you’re asking Steve to take a day off work and that could cost him $50,000 dollars – expensive tickets.
Brian:
And the Canadian dollar will drop again cause Steve doesn’t work that day.
Olga:
No listen, he doesn’t even need to take a day off – he can get on a train 5:00 PM, get off at Dorval, he’s right there and goes to the show, gets back on a night train.
Steve:
I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.
Olga:
Now what happened to you, you left the band and that was that.
Steve:
Yeah, I left the band, well the band broke up in 1984 basically and everybody went their separate ways and I moved down to Toronto and kind of hung around the edges of the music business and one thing led to another. I was always very interested in the business side when I was in the band in terms of settling the box office and helping with negotiations on the record contract and the management contract, so it was kind of a natural thing that I drifted towards the business side although a lot of people, when they found out what I was doing, looked pretty shocked.
Laurie:
But usually musicians are a different breed.
Jerry:
Steve also wrote a whole bunch of songs, just towards the end of April Wine Steve had begun to write songs himself.
Brian:
And some good ones too.
Jerry:
Some very good ones and I guess Steve for about a year after you were in Toronto you were still serious about marketing your tunes and staying in the record business.
Steve:
Yeah I was actually offered a record deal by John Redman at A & M and Gerry Lacoursiere was the president at that time, but I never followed through with it. I didn’t want to tour anymore, I had 2 children and I just didn’t want to go on the road again.
Olga:
So do you not write music at all?
Steve:
No, although my daughter is in music and she plays bass in a band in Toronto.
Olga:
Does she really?
Laurie:
Good for her.
Steve:
Called 66 kicks.
Laurie:
Fantastic, well listen thank you very much and let’s go to Brian right now because he’s been on hold. Hi Brian, we’ll let you talk now cause he’s been on hold, now what have you been up to?
Brian:
What have I been up to – I’m enjoying my holiday getting ready to go back on the road with the band and back in the studio.
Laurie:
I understand you’ve got a new album coming out, but you call it an album although it’s a CD.
Jerry:
Yeah.
Brian:
It’s hard not to call it an album anymore. A CD is something I buy an album is something I make.
Laurie:
I know but we’re dating ourselves.
Jerry:
CD is the form that the album takes.
Laurie:
OK that’s the final analysis.
Jerry:
Could be a tape, we don’t say we’re going to make a tape, we say we’re going to make an album.
Steve:
Jerry, you still say you’re going
to make an 8 track.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Olga:
This is why Steve is in the money and Jerry’s not!
Brian:
Hey Laurie, was it you that wanted
to quit smoking?
Laurie:
Yeah.
Brian:
OK, cause I quit smoking again on January 1st as I usually do and no one had mentioned Nicorettes.
Laurie:
The Nicorette gum, I heard it really tastes bad.
Brian:
No no no, you get mint or fruit. I’m not working for the company or anything, but.
Steve:
How much are you getting for this Brian?
Laurie:
Yeah, I was going to say, I’m having a conversation with Brian Greenway about Nicorettes.
Brian:
It works, it works, it worked for me for 5 months. You know I quit smoking hundreds of times.
Laurie:
No really the Nicorette was good? You didn’t try the Zyban.
Brian:
Well you need a real good physical on that as your caller said earlier.
Olga:
Hey Steve do you ever miss the music industry?
Steve:
Well I still kind of see it from the fringes through my daughter and yeah once in a while I miss it – I miss the traveling, to be honest I miss the jet.
Brian:
We miss the jet too Steve!
Jerry:
The Lear jet specifically.
Laurie:
Well you know what Steve, I think it would be great if you could bring your daughter down here and let her see the boys in action.
Olga:
Who knows maybe you might even be coaxed to go up on stage for a tune or two. Actually do you tell people when you are going to invest somebody’s money who you were?
Steve:
Never.
Laurie:
You can’t say " was a rock star."
Olga:
You know forget it, I don’t know if you know it but this is being transmitted to CFRB right now, live in Toronto, yes sir!
Steve:
The cat’s out of the bag.
Brian:
Hey Steve, wear the gold jeans to
the office anymore?
GROUP LAUGHTER
Olga:
Poor Steve, you notice everyone craps on him cause he got a real life.
Laurie:
Poor Steve.
Jerry:
Gold jeans, I remember those.
Olga:
Ah, the boys are bugging you Steve. Amyways, really and truly you should try come it’s Thursday January 27th, it will be fun.
Steve:
Yeah, I might do it.
Jerry:
You can sleep at my house if you can’t afford a hotel Steve!
Graeme:
Just like the old days.
Olga:
One big bus on the 401.
Laurie:
I hate to be a party pooper but we are 5 minutes over our commercial spots, boys do you want to stay on the line or no?
Brian:
Sure, I will.
Steve:
Sure.
Olga:
Does he not sound like a financial guy?
Olga:
Yeah, yeah, he doesn’t sound like he was ever a rocker.
Graeme:
Not a stalker.
Olga:
No he’s not a stalker, you’re the
stalker.
Laurie:
Graeme Bishop, I swear when we come back we have to tell how we received all this info on April Wine.
Olga:
And we said, what? Who is this guy?
Laurie:
Does April Wine know he’s doing
this? It’s scaring the hell out of me!
GROUP LAUGHTER
CUT TO OOWATTANITE (LOTTO 649
Theme Song)
Laurie:
Steve Lang in Toronto, hopefully we’ll see you at the concert on the 27th.
Steve:
Yeah, I’ll try to get down there.
Laurie:
I hope we’ve shamed you enough.
Olga:
So hopefully Steve we’ll see you there.
Steve:
I’m going to try and make it.
Graeme:
Thanks a lot Steve.
Steve:
Thanks very much.
Jerry:
Thanks Steve, chow!
Olga:
You know what we have Linden on the line who used to play with Steve.
Linden:
Hi, how are you, this show sure brings back a lot of memories. I used to play in a band with Steve Lang before he joined April Wine, called Attic Dust.
Jerry:
OK – I didn’t know him in that, I didn’t know you guys at that time, I knew him from Cheeque and from another group.
Linden:
I was hoping Steve would stay on cause I haven’t talked to him in 15 or 20 years but I want him to come down for that show because I’m definitely going to go to Bourbon and I’d like to see him again there. And Brian Greenway too, he’s a very good friend of mine, I’ve jammed with Brian.
Jerry:
Well, Brian will definitely be there!
Graeme:
Brian and Jerry better be there!
Olga:
OK thanks Linden.
Laurie:
I’ve got a question, whatever happened to Billy Cream and The Teenage Dream?
Graeme:
They soured.
Jerry:
God, I haven’t seen Billy for a long, long time.
Olga:
Let’s go – Sandy!
Sandy:
I’m a little late getting to hear you crazy ladies today, but I was delighted to hear April Wine was on.
Laurie:
Good.
Sandy:
And I just want to say to Jerry it was really a privilege to have him at our church last year giving his testimony and playing his drums, it was a lot of fun.
Jerry:
Oh, thank you.
Sandy:
And I want you to know we’re still praying for you and I just had to ask how you are doing?
Jerry:
Oh, I’m doing very well, you know I was duking it out with a prostrate cancer back then and it’s been I guess about 10 months now since I finished my treatments and everything is looking good, so I’m just rocking along.
Sandy:
Great, well I want to wish you all the best with your music and hope that God blesses your socks off this year.
Jerry:
God blesses the socks off me everyday and it’s amazing the good things that come into my life.
Sandy:
Good stuff!
Jerry:
I’m just so pleased to be a musician.
Laurie:
Thanks so much Sandy for that, Bye Bye.
Olga:
Isn’t that something.
Olga:
OK let’s go – Mrs. Wells
Laurie:
Mrs. Wells are you there?
Mrs. Wells:
Yes, hi Laurie, listen remember the house you used to visit when you were a girl?
Laurie:
Yes, Joyce’s mother, I know it’s you.
Mrs. Wells:
Yes, well I just want to tell you that one of the April Wine members bought my house.
Laurie:
Who?
Mrs. Wells:
And the playroom where you used to play is lined with gold records and awards and all kinds of stuff.
Laurie:
Which one is it, who bought it?
Mrs. Wells:
Actually Moffet bought it.
Jerry:
Gary Moffet, yes.
Laurie:
Now I know where he lives.
GROUP LAUGHTER
Mrs. Wells:
Well his parents live there but his father died last year.
Jerry:
In NDG?
Laurie:
No, St. Laurent, New Bordeaux.
Mrs. Wells:
Actually Cartierville.
Laurie:
We’ve got to go, it’s time for the news, but I want to thank Graeme Bishop because you made this happen this afternoon.
Olga:
What a machine you are!
Graeme:
That’s what all the women call me, it’s funny!
Laurie:
You are a great man and a great fan. A machine (chuckles) - Jerry Mercer all the best to you, we’ll see you at Bourbon.
Olga:
And we’ll be there on the 27th and we’ll only play April Wine until the 27th!
Laurie:
Bye everyone, it’s been a great
time!