Was I on a ship bound for glory but missing the gangplank? As I left the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis on Monday, I contemplated why I did not cast my net into possible musical waters and make an attempt to catch a bass playing legend.
Take me to the money, take me to the track
My first journalistic mission on The Big Vikings/Packers Game Day was to attend a news conference where a legislator would present his plan to fund a new Vikings' stadium. As a Capitol Press Corps jackal who covered the eight year Twins stadium journey through the legislative process, I was not hopeful that this event would lead to a Superbowl of lawmaking at the domed building in St. Paul. Of course, a winning team with an icon quarterback and the threat of the Vikings exit when their Metronome lease expires could spark public interest in a new stadium. The timing of a news conference announcing a stadium proposal on the day of the big game was a smart move by Representative Bill Hackbarth. The football matchup game or highlights would be featured on all media on Monday, so a proposal for a new stadium was sure to get some airtime.
Representative Hackbarth's plan purposed a constitutional amendment authorizing the use of revenue from the addition of slot machines at existing metro-area horse racing tracks. The proceeds would fund a new Vikings' stadium. In his view the slot machines would not be an expansion of gambling since the tracks already had betting and card playing in their facilities.
After being hammered by the assembled journalists, Hackbarth said he had not spoken with the Vikings or race track owners about his plan, but he hoped the proposal would spark discussion when the lawmakers returned to the Capitol in February. In the opinion of the Hartbeat, the end result of the news conference was that despite being a different angle than Hackbarth's last legislative session proposal for casino gamboling to fund a stadium, the idea of the lawmakers taking a gamble on slot machines at horse racing tracks seems unlikely. However, to quote country singer, George Jones, and songwriter, Don Rollins, "The race is on."
As television journalists, reporter John Croman and I knew that our mission was to illustrate the Representative's proposal for the 5 pm news. In our vast visual warehouse, hidden in our office in the Science Museum of Minnesota, we have file video of slot machines (casinos are difficult to get into to shoot video unless the casino sees a clear benefit to their business). We would need new video of the Metrodome, which could be harvested from several locations around Minneapolis (those spots are highly guarded secrets, known to only a small group of photojournalists). It would also be very useful to get a comment from Lester Bagley, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Vikings. Where would Mr. Bagley be on game day? Calling his office only resulted in our leaving him a voice mail message and of course, being television news, we needed a comment right now!
The KARE assignment desk informed us that the ESPN program Chalk Talk was happening at the Guthrie Theatre at 12:30 pm. Figuring that members of Vikings' management might be at that event, we called the Vikings' administration offices and were told our quarry, Lester Bagley, would be in attendance. We directed our steed towards Minneapolis and a large blue building located next to the Mississippi River.
So the dancers just can't hide
Chalk Talk was an hour long program with analysis by Monday Night Football personalities Suzy Kolber and Matt Millen. They were joined by the mayors of Minneapolis and Green Bay, as well as former Vikings Chuck Foreman, Randal McDaniel and former Green Bay Packer Antonio Freeman. I spotted Lester Bagley in the audience, and after videotaping some of the program, I set up my camera and tripod for a quick interview.
As the audience exited the theatre, I observed a man who looked a lot like a famous musician. Was the mustached black man wearing a captain's cap, Larry Graham, legendary bass player of Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station? The man was wearing Vikings' pants and a jacket in addition to his nautical chapeau, which was the trademark headgear of both Count Basie (his hat was blue) and Larry Graham (he preferred a white hat). Was this the purveyor of the pop-and slap (he calls it thumping and plucking) bass guitar? Or was this just a fan that resembled the legend? Before I could approach and ask the burning question, Lester Bagley and John Croman emerged from another entrance. My opportunity to meet the multi-instrumentalist proved to be as elusive as the performance schedule of Graham's former band mate, Sly Stone.
When the interview with Mr. Bagley concluded, I searched the line of folks waiting for the meal (another missed opportunity) for the musician who recorded Aint' No Bout-A-Doubt It. I saw a flash of the white hat at the end of a hallway, but our deadline was looming and I made the decision to not engage in a pursuit of a musical innovator. Word around the campfire is that Graham lives in the Minneapolis area. If Larry Graham is reading this edition of Hartbeat, I'd like to hear from him. Otherwise, I will never know if the man I saw on Monday was just a major Vikings' fan or the master of a bass style that influenced many musicians.
The Hartbeat goes on...
The Musical Notes
I first listened to Grand Funk Railroad at my friend John Hendrick's house in Duluth. John was a big fan of Grand Funk and a guitar player who introduced me to many obscure (Pidgeon) and sometimes successful (Blue Cheer) bands. After many record spins on his parents' stereo, I had to agree that the guys from Flint were a pretty good American band. John and I listened to Grand Funk records at maximum volume which added a new level of distortion to the songs making them even more appealing to our teenage ears. I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home) was a successful single off the band's 1970 million selling album, Closer to Home. I started the creative process for this Hartbeat with a nautical theme to lead into the captain's hat riff and possible sighting of Larry Graham.
With his 1983 song, Easy Money, Billy Joel paid tribute to Stax Records with great horn arrangements, sang like Sam Cooke and told a story about the need to make easy money by gambling. Of course the argument can be made that every song on An Innocent Man gives Billy Joel the opportunity to recognize his favorite artists (James Brown, Sam Cooke, Bob Marley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Valli and Beethoven). The album yielded the singles: Tell Her About it, Uptown Girl, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Leave a Tender Moment Alone, Keeping the Faith and This Night. Easy Money never was released as a single, but did appear on the soundtrack of the 1983 film, Easy Money, starring Rodney Dangerfield.
If Billy Joel could combine all of his favorite artists into one album, Sly and the Family Stone were able to combine pop, soul, blues, gospel and psychedelic styles into a pioneering band and several great singles and albums. In Dance to the Music, a single from the album of the same name, Sly built the song instrument by instrument. When Larry Graham sings, "I'm gonna add some bottom so the dancers just can't hide" and starts playing that unique bass riff, you know it will be impossible not to dance to the music.
Larry Graham played bass with Sly through 1972. I've read that the behind the scenes band turmoil and Sly's drug use proved to be too much for Graham and he formed his own group, Graham Central Station. The band had a number of successful hits in the 70's and 80's and after the 1993 induction of the Family Stone into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Graham brought former Family Stone members Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini into his group. The lean years of the band got a boost from Prince, who was quick to acknowledge the influence of Graham Central Station on his music and stage performance. Prince included Graham Central Station as a regular supporting act on his tours.
In a related musical note, Sly Stone appeared as an unannounced surprise guest at a Chicago music festival last month. He joined George Clinton (who now bills himself as lead vocalist/referee) and Parliament Funkadelic on stage. Sly had his hair in a black Mohawk and was wearing a guitar (more like a prop) rather than playing a keyboard. He sang some of his hits, though from the YouTube video I saw it was hard to tell who was doing the lead vocals, given the number of P-Funk members involved.
You never know where Sly will show up and even if he will show up when scheduled to play a gig. Given the recent appearance of Sly Stone, maybe I really did see Larry Graham at the Guthrie this week.
The Photo Notes
The images at are stills from DVCAM video tape. The images of Larry Graham playing his bass and wearing hats are from: http://www.last.fm/music/Larry+Graham. and http://www.musity.fr/u/Vinvin+bassiste/blog-posts/view/slap-la-basse-par-larry-graham+1421
