WEBVTT

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Hello and welcome to the Hammer

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Museum. Tonight's program is a

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conversation with artists Hedi El

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Kholti and Reynaldo Rivera, and

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they're going to be playing records

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and discussing music that's had a

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profound influence in their lives.

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Hedi and Reynaldo are both featured

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in the Hammer Museum's current

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biennial, Made in L.A.

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This is the fifth iteration of Made

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in L.A. and it's on exhibition until

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August 1st at both the Hammer Museum

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and at the Huntington in Pasadena.

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So you have 19 more days to see it.

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Reynaldo and Hattie are close

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friends. They're both artists who

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are not musicians but who are

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obsessed with music and have

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extensive, extensive, encyclopedic

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record collections.

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And I don't know about you, but when

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I was a kid, my friends and I would

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go over to each other's houses and

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hang out in our rooms and play

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records for each other and talk

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about all the songs that we love.

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And tonight's program is really

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just like that.

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It's a very intimate evening in

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which and Reynaldo invite us and

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each other into their homes and play

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records for us.

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And in doing so, we learn a lot

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about their lives, their origin

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stories, what drew them to Los

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Angeles and how music was a gateway

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that opened up new worlds for them.

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It's really incredible how music

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brings people together across all

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language barriers and across vast

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physical and cultural differences.

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So we're going to start at Hedi's

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House hearing him talk about

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growing up in Morocco.

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And then we're going to move over to

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Reynaldo's house and then we'll go

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back and forth.

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And it's a little bit of an

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experiment, but I think you'll

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really enjoy it.

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I'll tell you a little bit about

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each artist and then you'll see, as

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the evening unfolds, how their love

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of music cross-pollinates their

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artistic practices and their ideas

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as well as their personal lives.

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Reynaldo Rivera was born in

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Mexicali, Mexico, and now lives in

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Los Angeles.

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He grew up traveling a lot

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throughout Mexico, in the US, mostly

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between Los Angeles and Stockton,

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California and the small central

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Mexican city of San Diego de la

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Union.

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His large body of work, captures

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queer clubs and house parties in Los

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Angeles in the 1980s and 1990s,

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and most of his incredible work has

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never been seen, although this

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gorgeous new monograph

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published by Semiotext(e) this year

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goes a long way to revealing his

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work to a wider public.

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I highly recommend it.

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One of Reynaldo's goals is to

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remember and lend visibility to

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a whole community of vibrant trans

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women and drag performers,

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many of whom died young and under

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recognized.

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His work also represents a Latin

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version of the Echo Park

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neighborhood in Los Angeles that has

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all but disappeared, reminding

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us that L.A. is a place with a deep

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history and a short memory.

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Hedi El Kholti is a writer and

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editor based here in L.A.

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He's the coeditor of Semiotext(e),

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along with

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Chris Kraus and Sylvère Lotringer,

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and he currently edits

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Semiotext(e)', occasional journal,

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Animal Shelter.

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He was born in the Moroccan capital

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city Rabat and moved to Los

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Angeles in 1992.

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He worked in the film industry for

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several years and then went and

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earned a BFA at the Art Center

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College of Design in Pasadena.

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Over the years, he's developed a

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really intimate collage practice

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that materialized in a series of

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books and fanzines and chat books.

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And his classes are part pop

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culture, time capsule, part

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unfettered stream of consciousness,

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and always deeply personal

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and autobiographical.

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Through his compositions, El Kholti

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reflects on insecurities regarding

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queerness, virility,

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fear of illness and feelings

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of alienation from his country of

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birth.

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I should also mention that this

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dialog tonight, which takes place

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over a couple of days, was

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videotaped and edited by the

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wonderful Joe Stewart, who is also

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part of Heti and Reynaldo's inner

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circle.

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So as you'll soon see through many

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lenses, many languages, many styles

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of music, many time periods, we

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get a very global and yet

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simultaneously tiny and intimate

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view of the world through the music

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of Hedi El Kholti and Reynaldo

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Rivera.

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So let's jump right into their

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conversation, recorded first in the

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home of Hedi El Kholti.

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Enjoy.

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Did you listen to the radio in

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Morocco when you were a kid?

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Yes, I did, actually, I mean, but

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there was maybe one radio show

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and a lot of the music in Morocco

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were

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stuff from the 70s,

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I don't know, like Rolling Stones,

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rock music, you know, the

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Beatles, everything.

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The country stopped importing

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goods in 1977.

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So the record store, the

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record stores only had their

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stock.

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Well, like the local stuff, no?

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No, there was no local stuff.

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There was no like--

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No record pressings from right down the street?

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So it was just a stock that they

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had--.

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From before.

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From before.

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So basically time stopped in

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1977.

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So even the radio just played

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the things.

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Yeah. Over and over.

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You know, like Elton John, like a

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lot of, you know,

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big kind of-- and then

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we had maybe one

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show a week on Moroccan

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television that were

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like a French variety

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show.

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So we

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listened a lot to, like,

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the French stuff that was popular

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at the time, like the kind of

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mainstream stuff.

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Well, the reason I'm asking this is

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because I know when I was young

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in my village,

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just most of the music

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that I knew was stuff I'd listen

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when you're walking through

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town and you listen

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to the other people playing the

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radio, right.

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And so this stuff, even though

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you're not consciously

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playing it yourself or even

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listening, maybe, it like

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sticks in your noodle, you know?

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And it becomes like the soundtrack

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of that time, you know?

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Well, for me, the soundtrack of that

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time was more I mean, in

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town, a lot of

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Arabic music

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like that...where is she?

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I have a lot of her records...

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Demis Roussos was playing in

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my village.

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You know, it's like this fucking

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Greek dude, and

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this is back in '72.

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So, you know, it's

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it's interesting how

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random this could be, like

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being in the middle of fucking

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nowhere in Mexico

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with these little towns and have

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this great--I mean, this guy Demis

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Roussos was huge.

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I don't remember the name of the

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stupid songs, but

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that would be some of the shit I

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would listen to on the radio walking

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down the street.

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To me it's like that,

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like, Oum Kulthoum

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and like Fairuz.

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That's what I remember most.

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And other ,Farid al Atrash

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and like a lot of like Egyptian or

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Lebanese singers.

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And

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that's what you would hear

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everywhere.

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Which one is this?

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I tried this one that I lve.

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Oh, Fairuz.

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Actually I have this one LP

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that's called Light in Beirut from

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the 50s.

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[Fairuz singing on stereo]

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I always find this super

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interesting, just this

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cross pollination of music, you

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know, and how I

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got super into Oum Kulthoum

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when I was in...

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I think I was looking for someone

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else in Greece

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and they thought I was looking for

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her. I was looking for Sotiria

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Bellou--I don't know if you fucking know who. she is.

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But they gave me instead an

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Oum Kulthoum record.

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And I was a fan.

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It was..what was the name

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of that song?

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Alf Leila?

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Alf Leila.

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Yes.

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The best. Super good.

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And imagine, I don't have to

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know what the fuck they're saying,

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but it's like, you know,

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you feel it. And that's the amazing

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shit about music that

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you don't need to know the language

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to actually know what they're saying

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or to feel what they're saying.

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I found this record somewhere. It's

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gotta be from the mid 70s,

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'75.

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So I must have been like eight years

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old or something like that,

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and there's a song and

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the lyrics,

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it's about L.A.

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It's called So Far Away From

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L.A.

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And in the lyrics, he says,

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"I'm no one but a shadow,"

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which is weird.

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But mostly what

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I thought was really interesting

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about it is that he

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name checks a lot

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of the places in L.A., like the

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Queen Mary becoming a

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hotel, and

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Sharon Tate and Polanski

285
00:09:37.680 --> 00:09:38.680
and

286
00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:40.619
the Manson family.

287
00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:41.620
I mean, he doesn't

288
00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:44.699
mention them, but

289
00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:46.739
he mentions the crime.

290
00:09:47.760 --> 00:09:48.840
Alcatraz,

291
00:09:49.890 --> 00:09:51.270
Carol Chessman.

292
00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:55.829
Just these names...

293
00:09:55.830 --> 00:09:57.599
I used to listen to the song a lot

294
00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:59.489
when I was a kid and these

295
00:09:59.490 --> 00:10:01.139
names I didn't really know what they

296
00:10:01.140 --> 00:10:02.140
were.

297
00:10:04.800 --> 00:10:06.299
So you were listening to this when

298
00:10:06.300 --> 00:10:07.619
you were living in Morocco?

299
00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:08.999
Yeah, when I was like eight years

300
00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:10.000
old.

301
00:10:12.870 --> 00:10:14.789
And so this was your first exposure

302
00:10:14.790 --> 00:10:15.959
to Los Angeles?

303
00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:18.659
Yeah, I think it just

304
00:10:18.660 --> 00:10:19.660
impressed

305
00:10:20.710 --> 00:10:22.559
that that that place in

306
00:10:22.560 --> 00:10:24.599
my head, you know, that name.

307
00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:26.069
That name. What is that name?

308
00:10:26.070 --> 00:10:27.070
Where is it?

309
00:10:28.410 --> 00:10:29.607
[So Far Away From L.A. by Nicolas Peyrac plays on stereo]

310
00:10:31.560 --> 00:10:32.669
Oh, it's French.

311
00:10:32.670 --> 00:10:33.670
Yeah, of course it's French.

312
00:10:36.510 --> 00:10:38.250
You know, it's a little bit like

313
00:10:40.050 --> 00:10:41.759
that San Francisco song by

314
00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:44.080
McKenzie...

315
00:10:58.580 --> 00:11:01.189
It's just all these names and stuff.

316
00:11:01.190 --> 00:11:03.379
Because I think about that a

317
00:11:03.380 --> 00:11:05.039
lot, like why am I here?

318
00:11:05.040 --> 00:11:06.926
Why am I in this city?

319
00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:09.859
What made it

320
00:11:12.180 --> 00:11:14.360
a place that I should go to?

321
00:11:16.160 --> 00:11:17.160
So the seed was planted a long time ago?

322
00:11:18.110 --> 00:11:19.394
Yeah, I feel like

323
00:11:26.300 --> 00:11:28.159
when I write, I do my collages

324
00:11:28.160 --> 00:11:30.419
and I try to, like, connect the dots

325
00:11:30.420 --> 00:11:31.669
of all these

326
00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:35.329
elements, these

327
00:11:35.330 --> 00:11:37.010
scenes that were imprinted that

328
00:11:40.190 --> 00:11:41.749
brought me here, or trying to

329
00:11:41.750 --> 00:11:43.849
understand my trajectory.

330
00:11:43.850 --> 00:11:45.889
It makes absolutely no sense.

331
00:11:45.890 --> 00:11:46.890
Right.

332
00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:49.189
But down at the time, there was

333
00:11:49.190 --> 00:11:50.460
a lot of people from

334
00:11:51.530 --> 00:11:52.622
Morocco and Tunisia

335
00:11:53.930 --> 00:11:56.969
who came to L.A.. So you hear about

336
00:11:56.970 --> 00:11:57.779
this one of my fellow who moved to

337
00:11:57.780 --> 00:11:58.780
Venice

338
00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:01.320
that

339
00:12:03.530 --> 00:12:05.419
I used to know when I first

340
00:12:05.420 --> 00:12:06.420
moved here.

341
00:12:07.340 --> 00:12:08.340
So

342
00:12:10.380 --> 00:12:12.359
it was a place that seemed to be...

343
00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:15.600
There's also this

344
00:12:17.350 --> 00:12:18.350
singer.

345
00:12:20.750 --> 00:12:21.750
I don't know if I have it here...

346
00:12:24.270 --> 00:12:26.159
It's interesting when you

347
00:12:26.160 --> 00:12:27.160
start calling back--.

348
00:12:27.740 --> 00:12:28.740
Actually that song,

349
00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:32.039
it was a huge hit when I was a kid.

350
00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:38.369
It's about language.

351
00:12:38.370 --> 00:12:39.370
It's about--

352
00:12:41.070 --> 00:12:43.559
it's used in that movie

353
00:12:43.560 --> 00:12:45.119
Call Me By Your Name.

354
00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:46.939
So it had like

355
00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:49.139
a little bit of a revival.

356
00:12:49.140 --> 00:12:51.059
But I need to find the...

357
00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:08.763
[Song on stereo] Far away from L.A., so far to go from Frisco..

358
00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.389
I was really into this singer

359
00:13:11.390 --> 00:13:13.279
who died of cancer

360
00:13:13.280 --> 00:13:14.280
pretty young.

361
00:13:15.110 --> 00:13:17.029
My stepmother, when

362
00:13:17.030 --> 00:13:19.039
my parents divorced, gave

363
00:13:19.040 --> 00:13:20.040
me

364
00:13:21.020 --> 00:13:22.849
give me a tape basically that

365
00:13:22.850 --> 00:13:24.709
you could buy in the streets, you

366
00:13:24.710 --> 00:13:26.529
know, that was like a

367
00:13:26.530 --> 00:13:27.439
best of.

368
00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:28.729
They used to sell like this, like

369
00:13:28.730 --> 00:13:30.949
bootleg bootleg tapes

370
00:13:30.950 --> 00:13:33.589
since there was no record store.

371
00:13:33.590 --> 00:13:35.479
And she gave me a tape of him.

372
00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:36.649
Because I didn't have a lot of

373
00:13:36.650 --> 00:13:38.119
stuff. When you had something, you'd

374
00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:40.489
listen to it forever

375
00:13:40.490 --> 00:13:41.489
right.

376
00:13:41.490 --> 00:13:43.039
I really got into him

377
00:13:44.570 --> 00:13:45.570
and

378
00:13:46.850 --> 00:13:48.319
there's a song, but it's not on that

379
00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:49.549
record, that I love.

380
00:13:51.070 --> 00:13:52.689
And there's a song about America,

381
00:13:52.690 --> 00:13:54.609
too, about wanting to move to

382
00:13:54.610 --> 00:13:56.379
America, so there was another, like,

383
00:13:56.380 --> 00:13:57.380
little imprint.

384
00:13:58.380 --> 00:14:00.609
And then the rest

385
00:14:00.610 --> 00:14:03.189
of the songs were

386
00:14:03.190 --> 00:14:04.190
stuff

387
00:14:06.340 --> 00:14:08.439
like French pop music, like

388
00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:09.999
Françoise Hardy and like all of this

389
00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:10.509
stuff.

390
00:14:10.510 --> 00:14:11.799
You were going to play this. I'm

391
00:14:11.800 --> 00:14:13.419
actually interested in the words...

392
00:14:13.420 --> 00:14:15.759
This one? Yeah, yeah.

393
00:14:15.760 --> 00:14:16.629
So I'm getting to that.

394
00:14:16.630 --> 00:14:18.639
So, like, you know, just

395
00:14:18.640 --> 00:14:20.919
these French pop songs,

396
00:14:20.920 --> 00:14:23.889
the music was stuff you got from--

397
00:14:23.890 --> 00:14:25.538
But is it French?

398
00:14:25.539 --> 00:14:26.539
--Movies. Yeah.

399
00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:30.009
He's the son of the filmmaker

400
00:14:30.010 --> 00:14:32.139
Jules Dassin and the

401
00:14:32.140 --> 00:14:33.761
Greek singer Melina Mercouri, who

402
00:14:34.810 --> 00:14:35.810
I think is also an actress.

403
00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:37.831
What does this translate to?

404
00:14:37.832 --> 00:14:38.649
Indian Summer.

405
00:14:38.650 --> 00:14:39.669
Oh, OK.

406
00:14:39.670 --> 00:14:42.249
It's like a really cheesy,

407
00:14:42.250 --> 00:14:43.749
like super I mean...

408
00:14:43.750 --> 00:14:45.259
Like feelings.

409
00:14:45.260 --> 00:14:46.869
Yeah, yeah.

410
00:14:46.870 --> 00:14:48.150
I think even cheesier.

411
00:14:51.310 --> 00:14:53.439
And it's funny because--I

412
00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:55.809
mean it's not funny, but I mean...

413
00:14:55.810 --> 00:14:58.059
Yeah, so it's very cheesy

414
00:14:58.060 --> 00:14:59.080
in a way.

415
00:15:02.650 --> 00:15:04.449
I don't know, I think it's probably

416
00:15:04.450 --> 00:15:06.099
a cover of something that he did in

417
00:15:06.100 --> 00:15:08.169
French because

418
00:15:08.170 --> 00:15:09.170
it's...

419
00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:13.869
In a way it was weird

420
00:15:13.870 --> 00:15:15.939
because it came back like in the 90s

421
00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:17.979
with bands

422
00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:18.980
like Air.

423
00:15:21.130 --> 00:15:23.259
They really mined all of that Franch

424
00:15:23.260 --> 00:15:25.539
soundtrack, stuff like

425
00:15:25.540 --> 00:15:26.540
Francis Lai, and

426
00:15:27.520 --> 00:15:28.996
all the sound of the 70s...

427
00:15:32.110 --> 00:15:34.419
You know, they really did that

428
00:15:34.420 --> 00:15:36.329
at some point all these French--

429
00:15:36.330 --> 00:15:37.330
Do you remember Air?

430
00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:39.200
Yeah. Listening

431
00:15:40.390 --> 00:15:41.859
to them was complete...

432
00:15:41.860 --> 00:15:43.569
And also in the art world they used

433
00:15:43.570 --> 00:15:45.819
a lot of the stuff

434
00:15:45.820 --> 00:15:47.099
from the time too.

435
00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:49.139
So it it was all this very

436
00:15:49.140 --> 00:15:50.140
nostalgic.

437
00:15:50.890 --> 00:15:52.839
And this was later you're talking

438
00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:53.840
about?

439
00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:55.940
No, this is like mid-seventies, but

440
00:15:57.940 --> 00:15:59.829
in the 90s, that sound came

441
00:15:59.830 --> 00:16:00.830
back--

442
00:16:04.450 --> 00:16:05.450
you know, it's super cheesy.

443
00:16:08.170 --> 00:16:09.170
OK. I wanna hear this.

444
00:16:10.390 --> 00:16:12.459
Yeah. So this, I don't know, this

445
00:16:12.460 --> 00:16:14.529
was just an example

446
00:16:14.530 --> 00:16:15.530
of someone...

447
00:16:16.590 --> 00:16:18.599
He talks about,

448
00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:20.490
you know, he talks about like...

449
00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:25.794
You know, it's like a kind of pop,

450
00:16:25.795 --> 00:16:26.795
synth-pop song.,.

451
00:16:28.469 --> 00:16:29.159
'83. I saw the date.

452
00:16:29.160 --> 00:16:31.229
Yeah. And so the song was

453
00:16:31.230 --> 00:16:33.299
used in that movie Call

454
00:16:33.300 --> 00:16:34.349
Me By Your Name. Right.

455
00:16:34.350 --> 00:16:36.179
And he talks about, you

456
00:16:36.180 --> 00:16:38.039
know, words don't come easy to

457
00:16:38.040 --> 00:16:40.889
me, but it's also

458
00:16:40.890 --> 00:16:42.749
because he moved

459
00:16:42.750 --> 00:16:44.609
to California from

460
00:16:44.610 --> 00:16:46.679
Tunisia in the 70s.

461
00:16:46.680 --> 00:16:48.179
Yeah. They don't come easy when you

462
00:16:48.180 --> 00:16:48.929
don't know the language.

463
00:16:48.930 --> 00:16:49.439
I know, right?

464
00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:51.269
There's also

465
00:16:51.270 --> 00:16:52.296
this sorta like strange--

466
00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:55.739
I mean, I still feel it,

467
00:16:55.740 --> 00:16:58.140
not just with my accent, but how

468
00:16:59.190 --> 00:16:59.940
how it's--

469
00:16:59.941 --> 00:17:00.960
You don't have an accent!

470
00:17:03.400 --> 00:17:05.969
No, the struggle of expressing

471
00:17:05.970 --> 00:17:07.739
yourself in a in a different

472
00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:08.219
language.

473
00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:08.729
Right.

474
00:17:08.730 --> 00:17:10.769
You know, the dream of

475
00:17:10.770 --> 00:17:11.770
California...

476
00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:14.159
It all stemmed from...

477
00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:15.779
From people in

478
00:17:17.040 --> 00:17:18.358
North Africa.

479
00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:19.379
I know, isn't that funny?

480
00:17:19.380 --> 00:17:21.299
But there's also--

481
00:17:21.300 --> 00:17:23.025
you were talking about how

482
00:17:24.890 --> 00:17:26.939
you were listening to English

483
00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:28.589
pop and not understanding the

484
00:17:28.590 --> 00:17:29.578
lyrics.

485
00:17:29.579 --> 00:17:30.629
Girl, I was listening to fucking

486
00:17:30.630 --> 00:17:32.039
Frenchy shit, and I thought it was

487
00:17:32.040 --> 00:17:33.040
English.

488
00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:35.849
You know, the first record I

489
00:17:35.850 --> 00:17:37.259
bought-- I didn't buym I stole it

490
00:17:37.260 --> 00:17:39.169
from my aun-was Je

491
00:17:39.170 --> 00:17:40.589
T'aime, right?

492
00:17:40.590 --> 00:17:43.219
Da da da da da.

493
00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:44.819
And I thought she was speaking

494
00:17:44.820 --> 00:17:46.289
English, I didn't fucking know.

495
00:17:46.290 --> 00:17:48.119
It was all good to me, though.

496
00:17:48.120 --> 00:17:49.799
That was my first-- Oh my God.

497
00:17:49.800 --> 00:17:50.800
I played that record till

498
00:17:51.840 --> 00:17:53.009
you could see through it.

499
00:17:53.010 --> 00:17:55.199
So Italo disco thing, I mean,

500
00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.089
now a lot of people are like really

501
00:17:57.090 --> 00:17:58.709
into it. But I mean, we grew up with

502
00:17:58.710 --> 00:18:01.019
it and it was just-- often

503
00:18:01.020 --> 00:18:02.952
they would have,

504
00:18:04.770 --> 00:18:06.689
like this woman has

505
00:18:06.690 --> 00:18:09.299
records under like ten names,

506
00:18:09.300 --> 00:18:10.949
and then the woman on the cover is

507
00:18:10.950 --> 00:18:12.419
not the singer.

508
00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:14.259
Oh, she's like buried in the mix.

509
00:18:14.260 --> 00:18:16.559
You know, maybe she sung,

510
00:18:16.560 --> 00:18:18.329
you know, so they would do that or

511
00:18:18.330 --> 00:18:19.859
they would just like...

512
00:18:19.860 --> 00:18:20.969
Oh, they do in Mexico.

513
00:18:20.970 --> 00:18:22.679
Well,they did in the old days, not

514
00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:23.099
anymore.

515
00:18:23.100 --> 00:18:25.049
It started because

516
00:18:25.050 --> 00:18:28.049
the lira was so

517
00:18:28.050 --> 00:18:30.059
devaluated that it

518
00:18:30.060 --> 00:18:32.579
was too expensive to buy records,

519
00:18:32.580 --> 00:18:34.799
like American disco records.

520
00:18:34.800 --> 00:18:36.719
So they had to make their own

521
00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:38.699
for for the discos,

522
00:18:38.700 --> 00:18:40.589
you know, so they like the producer,

523
00:18:40.590 --> 00:18:42.280
like, kept just--

524
00:18:42.281 --> 00:18:42.689
Pumping them out?

525
00:18:42.690 --> 00:18:44.609
Pumping them out and then using,

526
00:18:44.610 --> 00:18:46.169
like, whoever they found, you know,

527
00:18:46.170 --> 00:18:47.348
like..

528
00:18:47.349 --> 00:18:48.149
Here, let me take your photo.

529
00:18:48.150 --> 00:18:50.549
Yeah, like some some American

530
00:18:50.550 --> 00:18:51.990
foreign exchange student,

531
00:18:53.700 --> 00:18:54.700
would come and write the lyrics.

532
00:18:57.690 --> 00:19:00.269
The lyrics are like not English,

533
00:19:00.270 --> 00:19:01.169
proper English.

534
00:19:01.170 --> 00:19:03.119
For a lot of them, It's like you'll

535
00:19:03.120 --> 00:19:04.919
just... I mean, I have some songs,

536
00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:06.539
you're like, wow, what is he even

537
00:19:06.540 --> 00:19:07.019
saying?

538
00:19:07.020 --> 00:19:07.439
Right.

539
00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:09.119
And sometimes the metaphors are,

540
00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:10.590
like, really strange.

541
00:19:11.970 --> 00:19:13.979
I just I got one for my birthday

542
00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:15.989
last year by this, actually.

543
00:19:15.990 --> 00:19:18.389
I guess she's a well known Italian

544
00:19:18.390 --> 00:19:21.389
lady Carrera Cara?

545
00:19:21.390 --> 00:19:22.390
Oh shit.

546
00:19:23.100 --> 00:19:26.009
And it's in like three languages

547
00:19:26.010 --> 00:19:27.010
actually.

548
00:19:27.690 --> 00:19:29.399
What's his name posted...

549
00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:31.169
This stuff was more like one hit

550
00:19:31.170 --> 00:19:33.059
wonder, but some of them had

551
00:19:33.060 --> 00:19:34.859
crossover and they became like big

552
00:19:34.860 --> 00:19:36.127
in France and Germany.

553
00:19:37.410 --> 00:19:39.239
And also the

554
00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:42.029
famous one by this guy Raf,

555
00:19:42.030 --> 00:19:43.949
Self-control was covered

556
00:19:43.950 --> 00:19:46.828
by Laura Branigan.

557
00:19:46.829 --> 00:19:47.039
Really?

558
00:19:47.040 --> 00:19:48.229
Yeah.

559
00:19:48.230 --> 00:19:49.469
Gloria lady?

560
00:19:49.470 --> 00:19:50.429
Yeah. Yeah.

561
00:19:50.430 --> 00:19:52.529
So she does actually

562
00:19:52.530 --> 00:19:54.209
I mean, there's a conversation at

563
00:19:54.210 --> 00:19:55.490
the beginning of the song.

564
00:19:56.520 --> 00:19:58.496
I don't know what he says.

565
00:20:08.810 --> 00:20:10.789
That conversation, I don't

566
00:20:10.790 --> 00:20:12.739
understand, it's just like,

567
00:20:12.740 --> 00:20:13.880
what is he even saying?

568
00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:20.180
It sounds good already, shoot.

569
00:20:21.230 --> 00:20:22.230
Where's the poppers?

570
00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:24.149
No, the quaaludes.

571
00:20:24.150 --> 00:20:25.959
This is the era of the quaalude and

572
00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:27.049
what else?

573
00:20:27.050 --> 00:20:28.050
Coke. Let's

574
00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:31.339
smoke some coke.

575
00:20:31.340 --> 00:20:33.259
Under the rattle, it's the, you

576
00:20:33.260 --> 00:20:34.660
know, the rattle of the rotary

577
00:20:34.661 --> 00:20:35.661
phone.

578
00:20:48.620 --> 00:20:50.719
That has to be played at my funeral.

579
00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:51.919
But you have to just play the

580
00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:53.114
conversation over and over and over

581
00:20:53.115 --> 00:20:53.659
and over and over.

582
00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:55.009
She was my favorite.

583
00:20:55.010 --> 00:20:56.509
And that's the singer from this

584
00:20:56.510 --> 00:20:58.549
other band, the one

585
00:20:58.550 --> 00:21:00.469
who did-- I don't

586
00:21:00.470 --> 00:21:02.240
remember her name, but she did...

587
00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:06.660
Oh,

588
00:21:08.330 --> 00:21:10.190
I love this fraulein in the

589
00:21:11.540 --> 00:21:12.540
cover.

590
00:21:14.570 --> 00:21:15.859
So which one was the one we just

591
00:21:15.860 --> 00:21:17.269
listened to on here?

592
00:21:17.270 --> 00:21:18.270
That's

593
00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:20.100
Ken Laszlo.

594
00:21:20.300 --> 00:21:21.430
Hey Hey Guy.

595
00:21:29.610 --> 00:21:31.949
So how did you go from Italo disco

596
00:21:31.950 --> 00:21:33.749
to Joy Division?

597
00:21:35.250 --> 00:21:37.109
Well, actually, I got from Joy

598
00:21:37.110 --> 00:21:38.669
Division to Italo disco.

599
00:21:38.670 --> 00:21:39.729
Oh really?

600
00:21:39.730 --> 00:21:40.769
Yeah.

601
00:21:40.770 --> 00:21:41.839
That's a little backwards.

602
00:21:43.410 --> 00:21:44.553
Not exactly.

603
00:21:45.600 --> 00:21:47.160
I mean. Joy Division went from

604
00:21:48.280 --> 00:21:49.280
Joy Division to New Order

605
00:21:51.150 --> 00:21:51.999
after Ian Curtis died.

606
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.000
Right.

607
00:21:53.490 --> 00:21:55.478
But this came out before...

608
00:21:55.479 --> 00:21:56.699
No, that came out after.

609
00:21:56.700 --> 00:21:57.999
Really?

610
00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.919
Yeah, Joy Division's from the late 70s.

611
00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:01.009
'79, huh?

612
00:22:01.010 --> 00:22:03.119
Yeah. And this is '83.

613
00:22:03.120 --> 00:22:03.689
Really?

614
00:22:03.690 --> 00:22:04.349
Yeah.

615
00:22:04.350 --> 00:22:05.349
They were still listening to this

616
00:22:05.350 --> 00:22:06.350
shit in the 80s?

617
00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:08.709
Disco, yeah.

618
00:22:08.710 --> 00:22:11.729
Disco was dead in '79 here.

619
00:22:11.730 --> 00:22:13.829
So what do people, what did

620
00:22:13.830 --> 00:22:14.830
they dance to?

621
00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:16.349
Not disco anymore.

622
00:22:16.350 --> 00:22:17.879
When I listen to it now, I'm like

623
00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:19.919
interested in, it's

624
00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:21.889
almost like reading a John

625
00:22:21.890 --> 00:22:23.239
Ashbury poem or something like that.

626
00:22:24.600 --> 00:22:26.489
I would like to give a couple

627
00:22:26.490 --> 00:22:29.069
of examples of this bad metaphors,

628
00:22:29.070 --> 00:22:30.929
but they're really beautiful

629
00:22:30.930 --> 00:22:33.329
and poetic and strange

630
00:22:33.330 --> 00:22:35.369
and I'm interested in those

631
00:22:35.370 --> 00:22:37.499
mistakes. Like, someone

632
00:22:37.500 --> 00:22:39.719
who doesn't speak

633
00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:41.399
the language properly, or doesn't

634
00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:43.439
follow the rules of

635
00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:46.519
what would constitute good lyrics.

636
00:22:46.520 --> 00:22:48.399
That's interesting to

637
00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:49.349
me.

638
00:22:49.350 --> 00:22:51.599
But I think disco did a lot of--

639
00:22:51.600 --> 00:22:53.489
all that Euro disco did a lot

640
00:22:53.490 --> 00:22:53.969
of that.

641
00:22:53.970 --> 00:22:54.839
Yeah. Yeah.

642
00:22:54.840 --> 00:22:56.849
Because people will not

643
00:22:56.850 --> 00:22:58.069
native speakers.

644
00:22:58.070 --> 00:23:00.508
They just made up their own--.

645
00:23:00.509 --> 00:23:01.139
--From Denmark.

646
00:23:01.140 --> 00:23:03.509
And that was my version of English,

647
00:23:03.510 --> 00:23:05.699
Before I spoke English, was

648
00:23:05.700 --> 00:23:07.739
like cobbled from

649
00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:08.740
different pop songs.

650
00:23:10.140 --> 00:23:11.909
Italo disco, so that was wrong.

651
00:23:11.910 --> 00:23:14.399
But also like whatever songs.

652
00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:15.469
So did you call people and go "do

653
00:23:15.470 --> 00:23:16.470
you like to boogie?

654
00:23:17.520 --> 00:23:18.449
Boogie oogie?"

655
00:23:18.450 --> 00:23:19.639
Yeah.

656
00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:20.852
I don't know, you know.

657
00:23:22.650 --> 00:23:23.969
I always find that moving.

658
00:23:25.410 --> 00:23:26.410
And also

659
00:23:28.080 --> 00:23:29.328
sometimes there's

660
00:23:30.990 --> 00:23:33.694
something intriguing

661
00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:36.319
in the mistakes.

662
00:23:37.530 --> 00:23:39.359
That is actually really

663
00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:40.169
good.

664
00:23:40.170 --> 00:23:42.389
This Evening in Beirut.

665
00:23:42.390 --> 00:23:44.789
You know, this was my first

666
00:23:44.790 --> 00:23:46.769
Piaf record that I bought

667
00:23:46.770 --> 00:23:47.770
when I was,

668
00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:49.900
when

669
00:23:52.050 --> 00:23:53.069
I was 16

670
00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:55.349
and I still have it.

671
00:23:55.350 --> 00:23:56.009
Wow.

672
00:23:56.010 --> 00:23:58.469
I bought this in the

673
00:23:58.470 --> 00:24:00.149
early 80s.

674
00:24:00.150 --> 00:24:01.150
Show me.

675
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:03.989
Well, I had bought a 78 and Stockton

676
00:24:03.990 --> 00:24:05.819
and and then one day I

677
00:24:05.820 --> 00:24:07.649
was going through, like, Music Plus,

678
00:24:07.650 --> 00:24:08.579
you know, one of those crappy

679
00:24:08.580 --> 00:24:10.499
records from the old days,

680
00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:11.789
and I found this record.

681
00:24:11.790 --> 00:24:13.199
You want connection?

682
00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:15.389
He did a cover of

683
00:24:15.390 --> 00:24:17.039
Mon Légionnaire.

684
00:24:17.040 --> 00:24:17.609
He did?

685
00:24:17.610 --> 00:24:18.509
Serge Gainsboug.

686
00:24:18.510 --> 00:24:20.542
Yeah. On his like last record.

687
00:24:22.050 --> 00:24:24.059
Which then turns it into sort

688
00:24:24.060 --> 00:24:26.249
of a weird, gay song.

689
00:24:26.250 --> 00:24:26.759
Really?

690
00:24:26.760 --> 00:24:27.760
Well, you know, my...

691
00:24:28.930 --> 00:24:29.779
Right right right, but he's not

692
00:24:29.780 --> 00:24:30.599
queer, right?

693
00:24:30.600 --> 00:24:32.400
No. But he was just

694
00:24:34.110 --> 00:24:35.110
playing with things.

695
00:24:35.190 --> 00:24:36.239
What?

696
00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:37.240
I was saying he couldn't sing either.

697
00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:40.169
Whenever someone asked me about

698
00:24:40.170 --> 00:24:41.759
my--What do you call that?

699
00:24:41.760 --> 00:24:43.439
Not a guilty, Is it a guilty

700
00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:44.219
pleasure?

701
00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:45.220
Yeah.

702
00:24:47.090 --> 00:24:48.409
Oh.

703
00:24:48.410 --> 00:24:50.299
Well, when I was a teenager, let's

704
00:24:50.300 --> 00:24:52.939
say like 12, 13,

705
00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:53.940
I heard-

706
00:24:55.070 --> 00:24:56.070
What song was it? Was it Rumors?

707
00:24:57.230 --> 00:24:59.329
And in those days, I was like full

708
00:24:59.330 --> 00:25:00.979
on cholo, right? Gangs and the whole

709
00:25:00.980 --> 00:25:02.899
shebang. I was in

710
00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:05.179
some gang in Santa Ana

711
00:25:05.180 --> 00:25:06.949
and I remember listening to this and

712
00:25:06.950 --> 00:25:08.779
I got all into fucking Fleetwood

713
00:25:08.780 --> 00:25:11.509
Mac, but I was so--

714
00:25:11.510 --> 00:25:13.369
I didn't want nobody,

715
00:25:13.370 --> 00:25:16.429
I would have never told anybody

716
00:25:16.430 --> 00:25:17.839
that I fucking listened to these

717
00:25:17.840 --> 00:25:18.799
people.

718
00:25:18.800 --> 00:25:20.779
So this was my

719
00:25:20.780 --> 00:25:22.220
my guilty pleasure.

720
00:25:23.320 --> 00:25:24.409
Did you ever see that man--

721
00:25:24.410 --> 00:25:26.359
I was, like, so embarrassed to admit

722
00:25:26.360 --> 00:25:27.369
it.

723
00:25:27.370 --> 00:25:28.370
The Gatorade--

724
00:25:29.390 --> 00:25:30.390
no,

725
00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:33.069
the sort of...

726
00:25:33.070 --> 00:25:34.899
You know, that video

727
00:25:34.900 --> 00:25:36.259
at some point was everywhere.

728
00:25:37.600 --> 00:25:39.371
It's some guy on a skateboard with--

729
00:25:43.780 --> 00:25:44.609
Oh right right right. Well, that would have made me

730
00:25:44.610 --> 00:25:46.479
maybe go into Fleetwood

731
00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.680
Mac. But this was back in

732
00:25:50.140 --> 00:25:51.609
'76 whenever this

733
00:25:53.050 --> 00:25:54.609
album came out, was it, I think

734
00:25:54.610 --> 00:25:55.610
Rumors.

735
00:25:56.650 --> 00:25:58.779
Girls were wearing Dittos.

736
00:25:58.780 --> 00:25:59.679
What is that?

737
00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:01.239
These ugly pants.

738
00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:02.529
I'm just saying this was the era,

739
00:26:02.530 --> 00:26:03.961
like girls were wearing Dittos.

740
00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:07.209
We were wearing khakis and

741
00:26:07.210 --> 00:26:08.639
Pendletons, you know.

742
00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:10.479
This was right before the Teen

743
00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:12.009
Angel came out.

744
00:26:12.010 --> 00:26:14.229
Not Teen Angel, Lowrider Magazine.

745
00:26:14.230 --> 00:26:16.029
That was like the Bible to us when

746
00:26:16.030 --> 00:26:17.229
it came out.

747
00:26:17.230 --> 00:26:19.559
It was like finding the

748
00:26:19.560 --> 00:26:21.429
Dead Sea Scrolls when Lowrider

749
00:26:21.430 --> 00:26:22.430
first came out.

750
00:26:23.620 --> 00:26:26.229
Anyway. And that took obviously

751
00:26:26.230 --> 00:26:27.849
things to a very different

752
00:26:27.850 --> 00:26:28.869
direction.

753
00:26:28.870 --> 00:26:29.870
To...Oh my God

754
00:26:35.210 --> 00:26:36.210
The oldies!

755
00:26:37.120 --> 00:26:38.799
My sister, when I first got to the

756
00:26:38.800 --> 00:26:39.800
U.S.,

757
00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:43.509
my oldest sister was really

758
00:26:43.510 --> 00:26:45.789
involved in the Chicano movement.

759
00:26:47.020 --> 00:26:49.209
And if you were a fucking

760
00:26:49.210 --> 00:26:50.889
Chicano in those days, you listened

761
00:26:50.890 --> 00:26:51.789
to oldies.

762
00:26:51.790 --> 00:26:52.719
That was what it was.

763
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:54.639
I didn't even know this shit was old

764
00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:56.589
until, like, I was way

765
00:26:56.590 --> 00:26:58.479
older. I didn't realize that

766
00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:00.430
this stuff was, like, from the 50s.

767
00:27:02.380 --> 00:27:03.380
Did you ever get these compilations,

768
00:27:05.290 --> 00:27:06.969
The East...?

769
00:27:06.970 --> 00:27:07.970
Yeah.

770
00:27:09.130 --> 00:27:10.130
What are they called? East

771
00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:12.640
Side Stories. Yeah.

772
00:27:16.090 --> 00:27:17.475
You know, I was around when--

773
00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:19.680
What would you call this--

774
00:27:20.620 --> 00:27:22.209
when people were still cruising on

775
00:27:22.210 --> 00:27:23.458
Whittier Boulevard.

776
00:27:23.459 --> 00:27:24.459
Their still cruising today.

777
00:27:24.460 --> 00:27:26.349
Nah, but that's--this shit now is

778
00:27:26.350 --> 00:27:28.629
like revival or

779
00:27:28.630 --> 00:27:30.277
some bad re-What

780
00:27:31.510 --> 00:27:32.799
do you call this when you redo

781
00:27:32.800 --> 00:27:33.999
something?

782
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.899
It's not the same.

783
00:27:34.900 --> 00:27:36.459
I mean, when we did it...

784
00:27:36.460 --> 00:27:37.460
Why is it different?

785
00:27:38.049 --> 00:27:38.919
Well, Because when we were doing it, for

786
00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:41.199
one, gas was like fucking fifteen

787
00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:42.489
cents a gallon.

788
00:27:42.490 --> 00:27:43.569
It was the shit we...

789
00:27:43.570 --> 00:27:45.249
It was something much more organic

790
00:27:45.250 --> 00:27:46.329
at the time, that people got

791
00:27:46.330 --> 00:27:47.979
together and they met at Whittier

792
00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:50.289
Boulevard to meet girls

793
00:27:50.290 --> 00:27:52.336
and get drunk and do smoke PCP,

794
00:27:53.820 --> 00:27:55.379
or whatever else was around at the

795
00:27:55.380 --> 00:27:56.309
time.

796
00:27:56.310 --> 00:27:58.139
And and

797
00:27:58.140 --> 00:27:59.939
it was also like the fucking police

798
00:27:59.940 --> 00:28:02.069
would always come and fuck with you.

799
00:28:02.070 --> 00:28:04.229
So it was part of the experience,

800
00:28:04.230 --> 00:28:05.099
right?

801
00:28:05.100 --> 00:28:06.429
You're going to get fucked with by

802
00:28:06.430 --> 00:28:07.430
the police.

803
00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:10.319
And, you know, we're going to go

804
00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:12.209
out. I remember like stealing gas

805
00:28:12.210 --> 00:28:13.979
from some car so that we could get

806
00:28:13.980 --> 00:28:15.269
back home.

807
00:28:15.270 --> 00:28:17.099
I mean, a lot of Chicanos

808
00:28:17.100 --> 00:28:18.449
from different neighborhoods would

809
00:28:18.450 --> 00:28:20.309
come and we would all

810
00:28:20.310 --> 00:28:21.719
get together on Whittier Boulevard?

811
00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:23.669
And that had happened for a while

812
00:28:23.670 --> 00:28:25.829
and it ended around the early 80s.

813
00:28:28.830 --> 00:28:30.659
My cousins lived right off Whittier

814
00:28:30.660 --> 00:28:32.369
Boulevard, so I used to go hang out

815
00:28:32.370 --> 00:28:32.909
with them.

816
00:28:32.910 --> 00:28:34.109
So you're saying that today it's

817
00:28:34.110 --> 00:28:35.519
more like a simulation of it?

818
00:28:35.520 --> 00:28:36.520
Yeah, it's like...like

819
00:28:37.560 --> 00:28:38.849
every fucking revival.

820
00:28:38.850 --> 00:28:39.850
I mean, really, how

821
00:28:40.950 --> 00:28:42.839
often do you go to a revival

822
00:28:42.840 --> 00:28:44.489
anything that's any good.

823
00:28:44.490 --> 00:28:46.003
Except for Prince, I like Prince's

824
00:28:46.004 --> 00:28:47.004
concert?

825
00:28:48.360 --> 00:28:49.829
His concert didn't seem like a

826
00:28:49.830 --> 00:28:51.839
revival. But usually when

827
00:28:51.840 --> 00:28:53.669
you go listen to like--who did

828
00:28:53.670 --> 00:28:55.409
you go see that was terrible?

829
00:28:55.410 --> 00:28:56.939
What did I go see that was terrible?

830
00:28:56.940 --> 00:28:58.949
Oh, I

831
00:28:58.950 --> 00:28:59.950
went to see the Cure.

832
00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:07.889
The story is that, it's the first

833
00:29:07.890 --> 00:29:09.809
concert that ever seen.

834
00:29:09.810 --> 00:29:11.699
And to hitchhike

835
00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:13.619
from, you know, where we

836
00:29:13.620 --> 00:29:14.519
were in the summer.

837
00:29:14.520 --> 00:29:16.139
Where was this?

838
00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:18.269
It was in the south of France.

839
00:29:18.270 --> 00:29:20.309
My father used to spend

840
00:29:20.310 --> 00:29:21.310
summer there in this

841
00:29:22.290 --> 00:29:24.389
town. And they were playing in

842
00:29:24.390 --> 00:29:26.789
an arena like three

843
00:29:26.790 --> 00:29:28.719
towns, you know, like maybe 50

844
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:29.720
miles.

845
00:29:30.540 --> 00:29:32.429
And so I hitchhiked,

846
00:29:32.430 --> 00:29:34.259
bought my ticket, went alone--I

847
00:29:34.260 --> 00:29:35.260
mean, nobody cared--then

848
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:37.769
waited all day to get in.

849
00:29:37.770 --> 00:29:39.449
And it was amazing.

850
00:29:41.280 --> 00:29:43.589
Yeah, but that was what in 1980?

851
00:29:43.590 --> 00:29:45.849
Yeah. I was trying to hitchhike back

852
00:29:45.850 --> 00:29:48.059
but I couldn't find a ride,

853
00:29:48.060 --> 00:29:49.679
you know, so then I had to hitchhike

854
00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:50.705
to another town

855
00:29:52.710 --> 00:29:53.779
much further away.

856
00:29:53.780 --> 00:29:54.689
I didn't know where I was going to

857
00:29:54.690 --> 00:29:56.519
sleep and then I ended up going

858
00:29:56.520 --> 00:29:58.349
to my grandmother who lived on

859
00:29:58.350 --> 00:29:59.879
the other direction.

860
00:29:59.880 --> 00:30:01.499
And then I took a bus the next day

861
00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:02.500
or something.

862
00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:05.039
And then I was going to see them at

863
00:30:05.040 --> 00:30:06.945
Coachella like in 2000-something.

864
00:30:08.220 --> 00:30:10.429
And my friend was like,

865
00:30:10.430 --> 00:30:12.379
"I want to get back to L.A., I don't

866
00:30:12.380 --> 00:30:14.479
want to wait," so I ended

867
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.459
up, you know, it was fine, I've seen

868
00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:17.239
them.

869
00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:18.529
And I saw them in Paris too.

870
00:30:18.530 --> 00:30:20.479
I was like, I'm, you know, a

871
00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:21.649
40 year old man.

872
00:30:21.650 --> 00:30:23.839
I don't need to see the Cure.

873
00:30:23.840 --> 00:30:25.699
But now I felt like, you know,

874
00:30:25.700 --> 00:30:26.700
I actually want to see them

875
00:30:27.980 --> 00:30:29.042
one last time.

876
00:30:30.980 --> 00:30:33.109
But I mean, I want to see

877
00:30:33.110 --> 00:30:35.689
Mazzy Star, then he died last year.

878
00:30:35.690 --> 00:30:37.279
Dave Roback.

879
00:30:37.280 --> 00:30:38.449
And all this reminds me of

880
00:30:39.590 --> 00:30:41.539
one of my first concerts

881
00:30:41.540 --> 00:30:43.309
to go see Siouxie, Siouxsie and the

882
00:30:43.310 --> 00:30:44.419
Banshees.

883
00:30:44.420 --> 00:30:46.999
And my mother gave me a ride.

884
00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:48.919
She dropped me off at

885
00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:50.329
the Perkins Palace.

886
00:30:50.330 --> 00:30:52.639
This is 1980.

887
00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:54.529
And I

888
00:30:54.530 --> 00:30:56.419
had to walk back home because I

889
00:30:56.420 --> 00:30:57.889
didn't have a ride back.

890
00:30:57.890 --> 00:30:59.429
But I waited in the back to see

891
00:30:59.430 --> 00:31:00.430
Siouxsie...

892
00:31:01.190 --> 00:31:02.609
the good old days, because I was a

893
00:31:02.610 --> 00:31:03.529
huge fan.

894
00:31:03.530 --> 00:31:05.299
I wanted to be Siouxsie Sieux.

895
00:31:05.300 --> 00:31:06.919
It's something when all these people

896
00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:09.259
from the 80s are still working

897
00:31:09.260 --> 00:31:10.260
that look.

898
00:31:11.390 --> 00:31:13.189
We all kind of went on and they

899
00:31:13.190 --> 00:31:14.359
stayed.

900
00:31:14.360 --> 00:31:16.309
I'm glad SIouxsie finally

901
00:31:16.310 --> 00:31:17.509
changed her look, right?

902
00:31:17.510 --> 00:31:18.199
Yeah.

903
00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:20.299
I mean, she's 80.

904
00:31:20.300 --> 00:31:21.300
No, she's not.

905
00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.258
Oh my god, this song is so good.

906
00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:25.582
["I Want to Get Married" by The Delicates plays on stereo] When

907
00:31:33.260 --> 00:31:34.260
he comes over at night...

908
00:31:37.250 --> 00:31:38.250
"And when he holds me tight.

909
00:31:41.120 --> 00:31:43.029
The sweet words that he said to me,

910
00:31:43.030 --> 00:31:44.030
yeah yeah."

911
00:31:47.670 --> 00:31:48.619
You know how many nights we partied to this

912
00:31:48.620 --> 00:31:50.246
in some shitty old car?

913
00:31:54.570 --> 00:31:55.954
"I wanna get married."

914
00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:01.159
This actually reminds me of driving

915
00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:03.679
through the Sonora Desert

916
00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:06.259
in the late 70s with my mama.

917
00:32:06.260 --> 00:32:08.539
And it was like 3:00 in the morning.

918
00:32:08.540 --> 00:32:10.399
And my older sister turned

919
00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:11.689
the radio on.

920
00:32:11.690 --> 00:32:14.209
We were like hours into Mexico

921
00:32:14.210 --> 00:32:15.469
and all of a sudden,

922
00:32:16.490 --> 00:32:18.349
Huggy Boy's comes out, and

923
00:32:18.350 --> 00:32:19.919
I think this song came on.

924
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:22.129
Oh, my God, we were all excited

925
00:32:22.130 --> 00:32:24.229
because we were in the fucking

926
00:32:24.230 --> 00:32:25.999
middle of nowhere in Mexico.

927
00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:27.619
I mean, there's a lot of the desert

928
00:32:27.620 --> 00:32:29.449
pretty--especially back in

929
00:32:29.450 --> 00:32:31.729
like seventy, I must have been like

930
00:32:31.730 --> 00:32:32.730
'78.

931
00:32:33.380 --> 00:32:35.019
That was fucking cool.

932
00:32:35.020 --> 00:32:36.320
I always remember that

933
00:32:38.110 --> 00:32:40.249
being in this night listening

934
00:32:40.250 --> 00:32:42.710
to Huggy Boy's in Mexico.

935
00:32:48.530 --> 00:32:50.329
I love the ending of the song.

936
00:32:50.330 --> 00:32:51.259
So you guys are going to have to

937
00:32:51.260 --> 00:32:52.520
listen to the whole fucking thing.

938
00:33:07.900 --> 00:33:09.270
"He said baby, I love you."

939
00:33:14.090 --> 00:33:15.090
That's right, girl.

940
00:33:19.800 --> 00:33:21.709
"...have to deceive

941
00:33:21.710 --> 00:33:22.710
you.

942
00:33:23.650 --> 00:33:25.149
Because I'm already married."

943
00:33:35.230 --> 00:33:37.269
Oh my god, this was the 70s.

944
00:33:37.270 --> 00:33:39.429
This totally takes me back to like

945
00:33:39.430 --> 00:33:40.430
'75, '76.

946
00:33:42.100 --> 00:33:43.100
It is so good.

947
00:33:44.620 --> 00:33:46.119
I remember when my sister bought

948
00:33:46.120 --> 00:33:48.429
these records

949
00:33:48.430 --> 00:33:50.289
from--what was

950
00:33:50.290 --> 00:33:51.789
that radio station?

951
00:33:51.790 --> 00:33:53.679
Not KRLA, I think

952
00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:55.599
it was Huggy Boy's, and they would

953
00:33:55.600 --> 00:33:57.729
sell all these compilations of

954
00:33:57.730 --> 00:33:58.730
oldies.

955
00:33:58.990 --> 00:34:00.129
As you can see, this is volume

956
00:34:00.130 --> 00:34:02.289
seven. There were like volume 100.

957
00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:05.280
But they have everything.

958
00:34:06.810 --> 00:34:08.428
Oh, my God, this is, like, it.

959
00:34:08.429 --> 00:34:09.429
This was everything.

960
00:34:10.860 --> 00:34:11.860
The old days.

961
00:34:13.650 --> 00:34:14.650
1975.

962
00:34:15.030 --> 00:34:17.549
BT Express was on the radio

963
00:34:17.550 --> 00:34:18.550
with--oh my god, what was that

964
00:34:20.070 --> 00:34:21.779
song? Do It ('Till You're

965
00:34:21.780 --> 00:34:24.059
Satisfied), yes!

966
00:34:24.060 --> 00:34:25.979
That was the bomb.

967
00:34:25.980 --> 00:34:27.689
I mean, that's when I first heard

968
00:34:27.690 --> 00:34:28.969
soul music.

969
00:34:30.659 --> 00:34:33.089
I remember this from

970
00:34:33.090 --> 00:34:35.249
my older sister Cathy,

971
00:34:35.250 --> 00:34:37.169
who was very involved

972
00:34:37.170 --> 00:34:38.170
in all that,

973
00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:42.539
you know, Chicano politics.

974
00:34:42.540 --> 00:34:44.669
Later, she worked for Chicano Pintos

975
00:34:44.670 --> 00:34:46.388
trying to get, you know, a Chicano

976
00:34:46.389 --> 00:34:47.638
out of prison.

977
00:34:47.639 --> 00:34:49.709
Now, she was Chicano, her

978
00:34:49.710 --> 00:34:51.388
and my younger sister.

979
00:34:51.389 --> 00:34:53.549
But me and Erminia

980
00:34:53.550 --> 00:34:54.550
were born in Mexico, so...

981
00:34:56.190 --> 00:34:58.139
In those days, in the 70s, they were

982
00:34:58.140 --> 00:35:00.239
really sticklers to,

983
00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:03.982
you know, like if you--Chicanos

984
00:35:05.730 --> 00:35:07.050
in Mex--at least in Santa Ana, maybe

985
00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:10.109
not so much here in L.A., but

986
00:35:10.110 --> 00:35:11.129
in Santa Ana,

987
00:35:13.500 --> 00:35:15.089
Chicanos and Mexicans didn't get

988
00:35:15.090 --> 00:35:17.099
along and

989
00:35:17.100 --> 00:35:18.959
they had their own

990
00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:19.349
gangs.

991
00:35:19.350 --> 00:35:21.719
Like, the Chicanos had FxTroop and

992
00:35:21.720 --> 00:35:23.039
Delhi and shit.

993
00:35:23.040 --> 00:35:25.139
And Mexicans were

994
00:35:25.140 --> 00:35:27.209
La Casinos, you know.

995
00:35:27.210 --> 00:35:29.189
La Casinos were in that area

996
00:35:29.190 --> 00:35:29.969
where I was at.

997
00:35:29.970 --> 00:35:31.919
So, you know, when

998
00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:33.939
you're this age, 10, 11,

999
00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:37.529
you don't get to jumped into a gang,

1000
00:35:37.530 --> 00:35:40.229
you kind of just are, like,

1001
00:35:40.230 --> 00:35:41.230
born into it.

1002
00:35:43.230 --> 00:35:45.809
It happened so organically,

1003
00:35:46.980 --> 00:35:49.019
you know, and

1004
00:35:49.020 --> 00:35:50.849
at that time, it was so much

1005
00:35:50.850 --> 00:35:52.499
part of what was going on.

1006
00:35:54.240 --> 00:35:55.770
We viewed gangs

1007
00:35:57.110 --> 00:35:58.679
as gangs. I mean, shit, all that

1008
00:35:58.680 --> 00:36:00.589
shit about them being "youth

1009
00:36:00.590 --> 00:36:02.369
clubs." I mean, I didn't see it as a

1010
00:36:02.370 --> 00:36:04.139
fucking youth club.

1011
00:36:04.140 --> 00:36:06.479
We did crazy shit, but

1012
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:08.339
it was just shit that happened,

1013
00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:10.349
you know? It's like if

1014
00:36:10.350 --> 00:36:11.519
you lived in those shitty

1015
00:36:11.520 --> 00:36:13.319
neighborhoods, like we lived in in

1016
00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:14.320
Santa Ana,

1017
00:36:15.330 --> 00:36:17.189
that was just a given,

1018
00:36:17.190 --> 00:36:19.739
you know? So I wasn't all that

1019
00:36:19.740 --> 00:36:21.839
into that scene.

1020
00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:23.445
And then what, we moved to Pasadena.

1021
00:36:26.370 --> 00:36:28.289
I mean, there I ended up, I got

1022
00:36:28.290 --> 00:36:30.030
jumped into a gang there because,

1023
00:36:31.060 --> 00:36:32.639
even though my cousins were in this

1024
00:36:32.640 --> 00:36:33.840
gang, South Side,

1025
00:36:35.370 --> 00:36:36.489
you know, I wasn't

1026
00:36:38.010 --> 00:36:39.779
born into I like the way I was in

1027
00:36:39.780 --> 00:36:41.009
Santa Ana. I mean, here I was

1028
00:36:41.010 --> 00:36:43.529
already older, you know,

1029
00:36:43.530 --> 00:36:45.569
so there was a whole very different

1030
00:36:45.570 --> 00:36:47.489
kind of scenario where I had to get

1031
00:36:47.490 --> 00:36:48.959
jumped in.

1032
00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:50.549
And like they said, like in that

1033
00:36:50.550 --> 00:36:52.229
movie, Blood In, Blood Out, you

1034
00:36:52.230 --> 00:36:53.909
know, it was like you got jumped,

1035
00:36:53.910 --> 00:36:56.219
you got beaten until you bled.

1036
00:36:56.220 --> 00:36:58.799
And luckily, I bled pretty quickly.

1037
00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:01.439
And I had a friend at that time,

1038
00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:02.440
Gatto

1039
00:37:03.690 --> 00:37:05.279
who as soon as I got a bloody nose,

1040
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:07.319
he stopped the fight and

1041
00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:08.609
that was it.

1042
00:37:08.610 --> 00:37:10.739
He ended up being the reason

1043
00:37:10.740 --> 00:37:12.659
why I left that whole

1044
00:37:12.660 --> 00:37:14.519
gang life because

1045
00:37:14.520 --> 00:37:16.619
he ended up getting killed.

1046
00:37:16.620 --> 00:37:18.929
I had saw him that morning,

1047
00:37:18.930 --> 00:37:19.738
you know, it was a morning like

1048
00:37:19.739 --> 00:37:21.119
every other. I had just started

1049
00:37:21.120 --> 00:37:22.190
working up north in Stockton--well,

1050
00:37:23.700 --> 00:37:24.899
in this cannery.

1051
00:37:24.900 --> 00:37:26.669
I had gone to work up there as a

1052
00:37:26.670 --> 00:37:28.769
field worker before, but

1053
00:37:28.770 --> 00:37:30.389
I started working in a cannery in

1054
00:37:30.390 --> 00:37:32.249
'79, at

1055
00:37:32.250 --> 00:37:33.900
the end of '79, I think, or '80.

1056
00:37:35.010 --> 00:37:36.899
And I had just been

1057
00:37:36.900 --> 00:37:38.549
back. I saw him this morning on

1058
00:37:38.550 --> 00:37:40.799
Colorado Boulevard getting a haircut

1059
00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:42.359
right off Fair Oaks and Colorado.

1060
00:37:44.100 --> 00:37:46.049
1980. And he was like, "Oh, you

1061
00:37:46.050 --> 00:37:47.309
know, I'm doing really good.

1062
00:37:47.310 --> 00:37:48.539
I just got a job.

1063
00:37:48.540 --> 00:37:50.699
I want to get my haircut."

1064
00:37:50.700 --> 00:37:51.920
He used to have a glass eye because

1065
00:37:53.120 --> 00:37:55.079
he had gotten his eye poked out in

1066
00:37:55.080 --> 00:37:56.315
a fight with a chair.

1067
00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:00.299
He was called Gatto because he

1068
00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:01.379
looked like a cat. He had these

1069
00:38:01.380 --> 00:38:03.899
weird, yellow-green eyes

1070
00:38:03.900 --> 00:38:04.919
like a cat.

1071
00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:07.079
Anyway, he ended up

1072
00:38:07.080 --> 00:38:09.179
dying that evening, that same day,

1073
00:38:09.180 --> 00:38:10.180
that night.

1074
00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:13.199
And it kind of affected me in this

1075
00:38:13.200 --> 00:38:14.879
way where I was like, you know, I

1076
00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:16.709
knew more than that

1077
00:38:16.710 --> 00:38:18.749
guy. I had moved around

1078
00:38:18.750 --> 00:38:20.759
and I just started

1079
00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:21.970
seeing the writing on the wall.

1080
00:38:24.270 --> 00:38:25.979
Which is kind of funny because it

1081
00:38:25.980 --> 00:38:27.189
also coincides with

1082
00:38:28.560 --> 00:38:30.449
music, you know, because around

1083
00:38:30.450 --> 00:38:32.429
the same time I started getting into

1084
00:38:32.430 --> 00:38:34.499
what my oldest sister was into,

1085
00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:35.609
Erminia.

1086
00:38:35.610 --> 00:38:37.229
You know, this punk rock, new wave

1087
00:38:37.230 --> 00:38:38.699
shit, even though it had been around

1088
00:38:38.700 --> 00:38:39.509
for a while already.

1089
00:38:39.510 --> 00:38:41.129
I mean, I already had some of the

1090
00:38:41.130 --> 00:38:42.130
records, but

1091
00:38:43.230 --> 00:38:44.509
that's why I say I went from like

1092
00:38:44.510 --> 00:38:45.659
cholo to punk rock

1093
00:38:47.190 --> 00:38:49.349
and New Wave, really.

1094
00:38:49.350 --> 00:38:51.509
At that point, it was all like

1095
00:38:51.510 --> 00:38:52.510
mix-matched--

1096
00:38:53.430 --> 00:38:54.430
like '79, '80

1097
00:38:55.890 --> 00:38:56.890
eighty.

1098
00:38:58.060 --> 00:38:59.069
I nevered look back.

1099
00:38:59.070 --> 00:39:00.719
It's like I left that whole gang

1100
00:39:00.720 --> 00:39:01.720
thing

1101
00:39:03.180 --> 00:39:05.279
in 1980, '80,

1102
00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:06.280
'81.

1103
00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:08.129
I never looked back, never.

1104
00:39:08.130 --> 00:39:10.179
I never talked about

1105
00:39:10.180 --> 00:39:11.789
it, thought about it, nothing.

1106
00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:14.939
In a way it's like putting out this

1107
00:39:14.940 --> 00:39:16.919
book has really

1108
00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:18.359
brought all this shit up because so

1109
00:39:18.360 --> 00:39:19.360
many people have asked--I'm

1110
00:39:20.340 --> 00:39:21.899
constantly being asked all this

1111
00:39:21.900 --> 00:39:23.779
stuff and there's a

1112
00:39:23.780 --> 00:39:25.649
huge chunk of

1113
00:39:25.650 --> 00:39:27.359
time that's kind of left out and

1114
00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:29.280
that's that whole gang time.

1115
00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:33.089
I don't know. I guess I'm talking

1116
00:39:33.090 --> 00:39:34.229
about it out of...whatever.

1117
00:39:35.490 --> 00:39:36.490
Just why not?

1118
00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:39.269
Like the song goes "tell it like it

1119
00:39:39.270 --> 00:39:40.270
is."

1120
00:39:44.700 --> 00:39:46.169
I mean, being queer and being in

1121
00:39:46.170 --> 00:39:47.170
gangs was

1122
00:39:48.570 --> 00:39:50.699
kind of tricky because,

1123
00:39:50.700 --> 00:39:53.032
I mean, I knew I was a

1124
00:39:53.033 --> 00:39:55.259
'mo, but I kept it so deep in there,

1125
00:39:55.260 --> 00:39:57.509
it was under so many layers of crap

1126
00:39:57.510 --> 00:39:59.409
that I never let

1127
00:39:59.410 --> 00:40:00.959
that come out, you know?

1128
00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:02.429
I mean, once in a while, a little

1129
00:40:02.430 --> 00:40:04.169
thought would come out and I would

1130
00:40:04.170 --> 00:40:05.579
just suppress that shit back in

1131
00:40:05.580 --> 00:40:06.580
there.

1132
00:40:07.410 --> 00:40:09.459
Until 1981.

1133
00:40:09.460 --> 00:40:10.460
I let it rip.

1134
00:40:11.370 --> 00:40:12.569
You don't have that song, do you?

1135
00:40:12.570 --> 00:40:13.570
Which one?

1136
00:40:14.340 --> 00:40:15.509
Grace Jones.

1137
00:40:15.510 --> 00:40:16.829
No, I wish I did.

1138
00:40:16.830 --> 00:40:19.049
I had never even heard of this song.

1139
00:40:19.050 --> 00:40:19.879
La Vie en Rose.

1140
00:40:19.880 --> 00:40:20.879
I go come on.

1141
00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:21.880
Edith Piaf

1142
00:40:23.320 --> 00:40:25.199
I have a bunch of Grace Jones stuff

1143
00:40:25.200 --> 00:40:26.200
but not She's Lost Control

1144
00:40:27.870 --> 00:40:28.870
No--

1145
00:40:30.200 --> 00:40:31.200
Is it in--?

1146
00:40:32.090 --> 00:40:33.920
I think it's in...

1147
00:40:36.570 --> 00:40:38.669
It's like a sorta, like

1148
00:40:38.670 --> 00:40:39.670
late-70s...

1149
00:40:42.840 --> 00:40:44.909
Can you think of another song?

1150
00:40:44.910 --> 00:40:45.910
70s song?

1151
00:40:47.940 --> 00:40:48.940
Heti.

1152
00:40:56.520 --> 00:40:57.520
Why would Private Life be in here?

1153
00:41:00.780 --> 00:41:02.609
Oh, I know!

1154
00:41:02.610 --> 00:41:04.859
These are all the women singers.

1155
00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:06.529
Would I have put her...?

1156
00:41:06.530 --> 00:41:07.530
Yes.

1157
00:41:08.080 --> 00:41:09.080
Madeleine Peyroux.

1158
00:41:10.980 --> 00:41:11.980
She would be in here, duh.

1159
00:41:16.440 --> 00:41:17.249
You know what?

1160
00:41:17.250 --> 00:41:18.250
I know where it is.

1161
00:41:19.200 --> 00:41:20.219
I think.

1162
00:41:20.220 --> 00:41:21.220
It has to be in this pile.

1163
00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:24.088
These are all the frauleins...

1164
00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:28.199
See, you have an object.

1165
00:41:28.200 --> 00:41:29.039
Here she is.

1166
00:41:29.040 --> 00:41:31.079
Where? Oh, there you go.

1167
00:41:34.980 --> 00:41:36.599
I mean, it's not my favorite song of

1168
00:41:36.600 --> 00:41:37.229
her now.

1169
00:41:37.230 --> 00:41:39.059
So I forgot, did we

1170
00:41:39.060 --> 00:41:40.379
already go through your, which one's

1171
00:41:40.380 --> 00:41:41.760
your guilty pleasure song.

1172
00:41:44.490 --> 00:41:45.749
I don't know.

1173
00:41:45.750 --> 00:41:46.769
I don't have guilt.

1174
00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:50.060
To me this song is--my

1175
00:41:51.330 --> 00:41:52.530
mother had the tape

1176
00:41:53.580 --> 00:41:54.580
of that album

1177
00:41:55.470 --> 00:41:57.269
and she listened to it constantly.

1178
00:41:57.270 --> 00:41:58.839
And I think that's the only tape--

1179
00:41:58.840 --> 00:42:00.079
It was the only one she had in the car,

1180
00:42:00.080 --> 00:42:00.779
right?

1181
00:42:00.780 --> 00:42:02.699
Well, also like, at home or

1182
00:42:02.700 --> 00:42:03.666
whatever, like it's not...

1183
00:42:03.667 --> 00:42:04.667
What

1184
00:42:07.350 --> 00:42:08.369
year was this?

1185
00:42:08.370 --> 00:42:10.439
That must have been like in 79

1186
00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:11.429
or 80.

1187
00:42:11.430 --> 00:42:13.279
And it was when I think she was

1188
00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:14.280
was the happiest.

1189
00:42:15.060 --> 00:42:16.060
So that song

1190
00:42:18.120 --> 00:42:19.559
you know, it was like, well it's

1191
00:42:19.560 --> 00:42:21.419
French, it's Edith Piaf, but it's

1192
00:42:21.420 --> 00:42:23.369
like Grace Jones, you

1193
00:42:23.370 --> 00:42:25.019
know, it's disco.

1194
00:42:25.020 --> 00:42:26.309
And to me, it's like

1195
00:42:27.480 --> 00:42:29.129
happiness.

1196
00:42:29.130 --> 00:42:30.221
It was like I could feel

1197
00:42:31.230 --> 00:42:33.389
the sort of

1198
00:42:33.390 --> 00:42:35.249
joy that my mother,

1199
00:42:35.250 --> 00:42:36.250
she had this--

1200
00:42:37.140 --> 00:42:38.819
she was with this guy that she left

1201
00:42:38.820 --> 00:42:40.739
my father for.

1202
00:42:40.740 --> 00:42:42.399
I was just thinking this, how like

1203
00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:43.469
she's just thinking all of her

1204
00:42:43.470 --> 00:42:44.429
groove, she was going to get her

1205
00:42:44.430 --> 00:42:45.430
groove on that night.

1206
00:42:46.410 --> 00:42:48.419
Yeah. And they had just built

1207
00:42:48.420 --> 00:42:50.795
this like new freeway in

1208
00:42:50.796 --> 00:42:51.796
Morocco.

1209
00:42:52.800 --> 00:42:54.509
He had a house like half an hour

1210
00:42:54.510 --> 00:42:55.510
away from the city, and she would

1211
00:42:56.520 --> 00:42:58.689
be speeding on the freeway,

1212
00:42:58.690 --> 00:42:59.746
listening to that song...

1213
00:43:01.050 --> 00:43:02.129
On her way to her man.

1214
00:43:02.130 --> 00:43:03.749
Yeah. And you know when you really

1215
00:43:03.750 --> 00:43:06.179
want to get there, like, rather...

1216
00:43:06.180 --> 00:43:07.180
Quickly.

1217
00:43:07.380 --> 00:43:08.380
...And I was next

1218
00:43:09.320 --> 00:43:10.539
to her.

1219
00:43:10.540 --> 00:43:12.489
It was exciting.

1220
00:43:12.490 --> 00:43:13.709
Oh my god, would you be in the car

1221
00:43:13.710 --> 00:43:15.139
while she was getting her groove on?

1222
00:43:15.140 --> 00:43:16.269
No, no, no, no.

1223
00:43:16.270 --> 00:43:17.069
You know she did.

1224
00:43:17.070 --> 00:43:17.929
We would spend the weekend there,

1225
00:43:17.930 --> 00:43:18.930
you

1226
00:43:20.370 --> 00:43:22.349
know. He had like a sort of beach

1227
00:43:22.350 --> 00:43:23.350
house.

1228
00:43:23.700 --> 00:43:24.779
I would stay there.

1229
00:43:24.780 --> 00:43:27.659
But that's

1230
00:43:27.660 --> 00:43:29.279
just something that brings me back

1231
00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:32.609
to this very happy, driving

1232
00:43:32.610 --> 00:43:34.529
moment where

1233
00:43:34.530 --> 00:43:36.659
things are possible.

1234
00:43:36.660 --> 00:43:38.489
Right. Well, I mean, it's, you

1235
00:43:38.490 --> 00:43:40.499
know, when you're a kid, you always

1236
00:43:40.500 --> 00:43:42.389
think about the music, the car

1237
00:43:42.390 --> 00:43:43.379
radio. Fug.

1238
00:43:43.380 --> 00:43:45.269
I mean, you know, I remember

1239
00:43:45.270 --> 00:43:46.270
sitting in

1240
00:43:47.250 --> 00:43:48.899
my mama's car, but, you know, always

1241
00:43:48.900 --> 00:43:50.369
my older sister was the one that

1242
00:43:50.370 --> 00:43:52.229
control the radio.

1243
00:43:52.230 --> 00:43:54.239
So I was listening to

1244
00:43:54.240 --> 00:43:55.449
1980 KDay.

1245
00:43:55.450 --> 00:43:57.719
That was the radio station

1246
00:43:57.720 --> 00:43:59.789
that like everyone there was--you

1247
00:43:59.790 --> 00:44:00.719
know, the cool kids.

1248
00:44:00.720 --> 00:44:03.569
Listen to KDAY 1980.

1249
00:44:03.570 --> 00:44:04.570
Wait wait wait 15...Shit, now I

1250
00:44:06.360 --> 00:44:08.799
forgot. "1580 KDAY,

1251
00:44:08.800 --> 00:44:09.800
K-D-A-Y.".

1252
00:44:10.170 --> 00:44:11.706
And it was like a soul station.

1253
00:44:14.130 --> 00:44:15.479
I don't know, it's like

1254
00:44:15.480 --> 00:44:16.480
listening...I

1255
00:44:18.810 --> 00:44:20.969
mean, I always feel like that is

1256
00:44:20.970 --> 00:44:23.159
again a way that we

1257
00:44:24.540 --> 00:44:26.279
we learn about music, you know, like

1258
00:44:26.280 --> 00:44:28.619
through our parents or

1259
00:44:28.620 --> 00:44:31.049
siblings playing music on the radio.

1260
00:44:31.050 --> 00:44:32.999
I mean the 70s were, at

1261
00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:34.829
least for me, that was my

1262
00:44:34.830 --> 00:44:36.689
time when we

1263
00:44:36.690 --> 00:44:38.579
came back, me and my sister

1264
00:44:38.580 --> 00:44:39.719
came back from Mexico.

1265
00:44:41.010 --> 00:44:42.899
And it was

1266
00:44:42.900 --> 00:44:44.819
a different world than what we

1267
00:44:44.820 --> 00:44:46.679
left. You know, we left in

1268
00:44:46.680 --> 00:44:48.869
'69 and came back in

1269
00:44:48.870 --> 00:44:50.039
'75.

1270
00:44:50.040 --> 00:44:51.040
And that was like,

1271
00:44:51.930 --> 00:44:53.449
you know, Los Angeles was like a

1272
00:44:53.450 --> 00:44:54.450
whole 'nother world.

1273
00:44:55.530 --> 00:44:56.530
Okay, this song,

1274
00:44:58.200 --> 00:45:00.149
you know, I'll tell

1275
00:45:00.150 --> 00:45:01.150
you why.

1276
00:45:01.910 --> 00:45:03.420
You know I met these queens,

1277
00:45:06.420 --> 00:45:08.340
I met them at a club downtown.

1278
00:45:11.340 --> 00:45:13.379
He lives in San Francisco now.

1279
00:45:13.380 --> 00:45:14.380
You don't have the...

1280
00:45:16.630 --> 00:45:17.630
Oh, the inner sleeve?

1281
00:45:19.110 --> 00:45:20.099
The inner sleeve has the age of

1282
00:45:20.100 --> 00:45:20.819
[unintelligible].

1283
00:45:20.820 --> 00:45:22.769
I remember reading

1284
00:45:22.770 --> 00:45:23.770
all this stuff.

1285
00:45:25.050 --> 00:45:27.209
I mean, usually I hate fucking whiny

1286
00:45:27.210 --> 00:45:28.259
people.

1287
00:45:28.260 --> 00:45:30.119
And so this guy was almost on

1288
00:45:30.120 --> 00:45:30.709
the border.

1289
00:45:30.710 --> 00:45:32.538
Like, whiny people in

1290
00:45:32.539 --> 00:45:33.539
life, or in music?

1291
00:45:33.880 --> 00:45:36.059
In music. Like, I hate

1292
00:45:36.060 --> 00:45:38.219
the guy from the Smiths, the singer.

1293
00:45:38.220 --> 00:45:39.220
Oh yeah?

1294
00:45:39.810 --> 00:45:40.810
Morrissey?

1295
00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:43.259
And so that was a guilty

1296
00:45:43.260 --> 00:45:45.089
pleasure because I liked that How

1297
00:45:45.090 --> 00:45:46.019
Soon is Now, right?

1298
00:45:46.020 --> 00:45:47.369
When it came out.

1299
00:45:47.370 --> 00:45:48.809
I had the single.

1300
00:45:48.810 --> 00:45:49.849
Yeah.

1301
00:45:49.850 --> 00:45:50.850
You don't have it anymore?

1302
00:45:51.179 --> 00:45:52.179
No, I couldn't stand him.

1303
00:45:53.479 --> 00:45:54.209
I still have it.

1304
00:45:54.210 --> 00:45:55.499
She was fucking annoying.

1305
00:45:55.500 --> 00:45:57.329
And so I've always disliked

1306
00:45:57.330 --> 00:45:59.239
those kind of-- those like

1307
00:45:59.240 --> 00:46:00.229
whiny gays.

1308
00:46:00.230 --> 00:46:01.789
And so this guy was almost on that

1309
00:46:01.790 --> 00:46:03.709
borderline, but I really like

1310
00:46:03.710 --> 00:46:04.710
this record.

1311
00:46:05.180 --> 00:46:06.900
There was another one, I was ashamed

1312
00:46:06.901 --> 00:46:07.419
to say I liked it.

1313
00:46:07.420 --> 00:46:08.950
No, but I mean,

1314
00:46:11.360 --> 00:46:13.069
I don't know. For me, that song, it

1315
00:46:13.070 --> 00:46:14.190
was just like a message from...

1316
00:46:16.720 --> 00:46:18.019
From the other side.

1317
00:46:18.020 --> 00:46:20.689
Yeah. Like a message saying

1318
00:46:20.690 --> 00:46:21.919
"You have to go,

1319
00:46:22.970 --> 00:46:24.799
because your parents are not gonna

1320
00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:25.699
understand."

1321
00:46:25.700 --> 00:46:26.700
Right.

1322
00:46:30.130 --> 00:46:31.549
Shit, if we're going to get into,

1323
00:46:31.550 --> 00:46:33.469
like, coming out stories...

1324
00:46:33.470 --> 00:46:34.470
But I mean, it's like...

1325
00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:39.119
I didn't tell my dad I was a fag

1326
00:46:39.120 --> 00:46:40.820
until I was in my thirties.

1327
00:46:43.670 --> 00:46:45.679
Mind you, he knew, but I didn't,

1328
00:46:45.680 --> 00:46:47.315
like, say dad, "I'm a fucking homo"

1329
00:46:47.316 --> 00:46:48.316
til

1330
00:46:49.580 --> 00:46:50.509
I was in my thirties.

1331
00:46:50.510 --> 00:46:52.459
I wanted-- It

1332
00:46:52.460 --> 00:46:53.819
was like, run away.

1333
00:46:53.820 --> 00:46:55.429
There was movies about people

1334
00:46:55.430 --> 00:46:57.839
running away. There was that movie

1335
00:46:57.840 --> 00:47:00.659
Vagabond, did you ever see that

1336
00:47:00.660 --> 00:47:01.740
Agnes Varda movie

1337
00:47:03.680 --> 00:47:05.659
with Sandrine Bonnaire,

1338
00:47:05.660 --> 00:47:06.660
where she's like, "I

1339
00:47:07.520 --> 00:47:08.839
have to run away," you know?

1340
00:47:09.990 --> 00:47:11.129
The song is telling me to run away,

1341
00:47:11.130 --> 00:47:12.319
the movie's telling me to run

1342
00:47:12.320 --> 00:47:12.739
away...

1343
00:47:12.740 --> 00:47:13.999
And you ran away.

1344
00:47:14.000 --> 00:47:15.729
Well, no, I didn't really run away.

1345
00:47:15.730 --> 00:47:17.179
I took my time.

1346
00:47:17.180 --> 00:47:18.799
I was like, I can't, you know,

1347
00:47:19.880 --> 00:47:22.819
I can't sleep in a ditch

1348
00:47:22.820 --> 00:47:23.839
like she does.

1349
00:47:23.840 --> 00:47:25.519
I fucking slept in my car for

1350
00:47:25.520 --> 00:47:26.599
months.

1351
00:47:26.600 --> 00:47:28.519
Yeah. I'm not,

1352
00:47:28.520 --> 00:47:29.299
you know...

1353
00:47:29.300 --> 00:47:30.300
I'm more, like,

1354
00:47:31.590 --> 00:47:33.739
I need to make room for it.

1355
00:47:33.740 --> 00:47:35.419
I was like, I'm going to run away

1356
00:47:35.420 --> 00:47:36.800
but I have to time it properly.

1357
00:47:46.260 --> 00:47:48.689
I'm going to play this because

1358
00:47:48.690 --> 00:47:49.860
we can't end this day

1359
00:47:51.120 --> 00:47:52.559
without this.

1360
00:47:52.560 --> 00:47:53.669
It's going to be a little louder

1361
00:47:53.670 --> 00:47:54.989
because this is about the song

1362
00:47:54.990 --> 00:47:55.990
anyway.

1363
00:47:57.240 --> 00:47:58.169
What's with that?

1364
00:47:58.170 --> 00:47:59.170
You'll find out

1365
00:48:01.419 --> 00:48:02.419
Aw, you can't fucking hear it.

1366
00:48:03.530 --> 00:48:04.133
Ah, Visage.

1367
00:48:04.134 --> 00:48:05.134
Right?

1368
00:48:06.700 --> 00:48:09.489
Ding, ding, ding.

1369
00:48:09.490 --> 00:48:11.439
Is that a heart monitor,

1370
00:48:11.440 --> 00:48:12.819
that's what it sounds like me.

1371
00:48:12.820 --> 00:48:13.959
Can you hear the record?

1372
00:48:29.860 --> 00:48:31.759
I'm sorry, but I

1373
00:48:31.760 --> 00:48:32.760
got to put it higher, because

1374
00:48:34.150 --> 00:48:36.549
this song was so influential

1375
00:48:36.550 --> 00:48:37.599
for both of us.

1376
00:48:37.600 --> 00:48:38.600
Yeah.

1377
00:48:40.990 --> 00:48:42.219
This is everything.

1378
00:48:43.390 --> 00:48:44.709
You know, for me, it was also like

1379
00:48:44.710 --> 00:48:46.609
this, like La Vie en Rose, the

1380
00:48:46.610 --> 00:48:48.729
song has a French,

1381
00:48:48.730 --> 00:48:50.360
there's a French section, a French

1382
00:48:50.361 --> 00:48:51.639
girl singing.

1383
00:48:51.640 --> 00:48:53.799
So I could understand what

1384
00:48:53.800 --> 00:48:55.299
the song was about.

1385
00:48:55.300 --> 00:48:56.979
And it's this very depressing...

1386
00:48:56.980 --> 00:48:58.339
Well, to me it all was English.

1387
00:48:58.340 --> 00:48:59.529
I didn't know what the either one

1388
00:48:59.530 --> 00:49:00.530
was saying.

1389
00:49:02.590 --> 00:49:03.590
Like, you know,

1390
00:49:05.890 --> 00:49:06.689
"devenir gris" which means "turn

1391
00:49:06.690 --> 00:49:07.690
grey.".

1392
00:49:09.700 --> 00:49:11.109
So that's why it's Fade to Grey.

1393
00:49:15.270 --> 00:49:17.129
[unintelligible] my lifelong

1394
00:49:17.130 --> 00:49:18.130
depression

1395
00:49:19.120 --> 00:49:20.120
I'm going to lower it now.

1396
00:49:34.550 --> 00:49:36.709
I know, I just, I love this.

1397
00:49:36.710 --> 00:49:39.709
And, you know, I actually heard this

1398
00:49:39.710 --> 00:49:42.079
on the television on this same show,

1399
00:49:42.080 --> 00:49:43.489
Rock World.

1400
00:49:43.490 --> 00:49:45.109
That's how I got expo-- But actually

1401
00:49:45.110 --> 00:49:46.110
that's not true.

1402
00:49:46.970 --> 00:49:48.949
They had had a song that was

1403
00:49:48.950 --> 00:49:50.809
a hit in the discos

1404
00:49:50.810 --> 00:49:52.039
called Moon over Moscow.

1405
00:49:52.040 --> 00:49:52.969
Yeah. Yeah.

1406
00:49:52.970 --> 00:49:54.919
So that that had been

1407
00:49:54.920 --> 00:49:56.779
playing, not on the radio but in the

1408
00:49:56.780 --> 00:49:57.979
discos.

1409
00:49:57.980 --> 00:49:59.809
And at that time, one of

1410
00:49:59.810 --> 00:50:01.729
my sisters, I used to go pick her

1411
00:50:01.730 --> 00:50:03.989
up at some disco in Pasadena.

1412
00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:07.249
It was for under age--

1413
00:50:07.250 --> 00:50:09.229
Marilyn's Backstreet.

1414
00:50:09.230 --> 00:50:11.089
Anyway, so they used to

1415
00:50:11.090 --> 00:50:13.399
play-- oh, and Gino's, that

1416
00:50:13.400 --> 00:50:15.349
Latino cha cha club up

1417
00:50:15.350 --> 00:50:16.350
on

1418
00:50:17.450 --> 00:50:19.111
Vine and Santa Monica.

1419
00:50:37.890 --> 00:50:39.350
Through Matt Fishbeck

1420
00:50:40.530 --> 00:50:42.210
from the band Holy Shit,

1421
00:50:45.140 --> 00:50:47.310
we went, I don't know, like,

1422
00:50:48.720 --> 00:50:50.609
maybe 15

1423
00:50:50.610 --> 00:50:52.619
years ago or something like that,

1424
00:50:52.620 --> 00:50:55.399
we went to Chris's place

1425
00:50:55.400 --> 00:50:57.140
in Baja for a weekend

1426
00:50:58.500 --> 00:50:59.500
with my son Paul

1427
00:51:00.670 --> 00:51:01.670
and Sylvie.

1428
00:51:03.120 --> 00:51:04.525
And, you know,

1429
00:51:07.860 --> 00:51:10.019
it was a great weekend.

1430
00:51:10.020 --> 00:51:12.209
We have a lot of drama.

1431
00:51:12.210 --> 00:51:13.912
And anyway, he bought his omnichord,

1432
00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:17.795
which is this little instrument,

1433
00:51:19.980 --> 00:51:21.809
and at some point everybody went to

1434
00:51:21.810 --> 00:51:23.339
sleep. And I started playing with it

1435
00:51:23.340 --> 00:51:25.769
because I love the sound of it.

1436
00:51:25.770 --> 00:51:28.109
And in fact, that song

1437
00:51:28.110 --> 00:51:29.110
from The The,

1438
00:51:30.810 --> 00:51:32.429
This is Today

1439
00:51:33.510 --> 00:51:35.869
is recorded with an omnichord,

1440
00:51:35.870 --> 00:51:37.559
but other ones as well.

1441
00:51:37.560 --> 00:51:39.132
So it was like this little 80s thing

1442
00:51:43.620 --> 00:51:44.620
that has chords.

1443
00:51:45.900 --> 00:51:47.939
And I started going online

1444
00:51:47.940 --> 00:51:49.779
and looking at

1445
00:51:49.780 --> 00:51:50.780
tablatures.

1446
00:51:51.340 --> 00:51:53.189
And when I went back to L.A.,

1447
00:51:53.190 --> 00:51:54.449
I had so much fun with it that I

1448
00:51:54.450 --> 00:51:55.450
bought one

1449
00:51:56.940 --> 00:52:00.009
at the time on eBay or something.

1450
00:52:00.010 --> 00:52:01.010
And I started,

1451
00:52:03.660 --> 00:52:05.250
you know, printing

1452
00:52:06.360 --> 00:52:08.429
these tablatures for these songs

1453
00:52:08.430 --> 00:52:10.349
that I loved or had

1454
00:52:10.350 --> 00:52:12.659
meant something to me.

1455
00:52:12.660 --> 00:52:14.309
And so I had a whole pile, and

1456
00:52:14.310 --> 00:52:15.540
finally I started

1457
00:52:16.800 --> 00:52:18.729
making this little collage book

1458
00:52:18.730 --> 00:52:20.559
with the

1459
00:52:20.560 --> 00:52:22.919
stubs that were,

1460
00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:24.929
you know, sitting in the folder

1461
00:52:24.930 --> 00:52:26.030
that I had printed.

1462
00:52:27.510 --> 00:52:28.699
And my friend Paul,

1463
00:52:30.210 --> 00:52:32.159
he used to make also these

1464
00:52:32.160 --> 00:52:33.449
like little zines

1465
00:52:34.740 --> 00:52:37.349
with the tabs for

1466
00:52:37.350 --> 00:52:39.480
when we went camping and,

1467
00:52:41.070 --> 00:52:43.389
you know, and so we could all sing

1468
00:52:43.390 --> 00:52:45.239
to song. So it's a little bit of

1469
00:52:45.240 --> 00:52:47.069
a version of that, but

1470
00:52:47.070 --> 00:52:49.109
with of the songs that

1471
00:52:49.110 --> 00:52:50.219
I care about.

1472
00:52:51.900 --> 00:52:54.389
And then, I don't know,

1473
00:52:54.390 --> 00:52:56.220
this little map or tableau

1474
00:52:57.960 --> 00:52:59.789
with images that

1475
00:52:59.790 --> 00:53:00.874
makes me feel of,

1476
00:53:02.580 --> 00:53:03.629
take me back to

1477
00:53:04.890 --> 00:53:06.899
how I felt when

1478
00:53:06.900 --> 00:53:08.789
I was listening to the songs or what

1479
00:53:08.790 --> 00:53:10.889
they meant to me or

1480
00:53:10.890 --> 00:53:12.719
what they

1481
00:53:12.720 --> 00:53:13.720
taught me.

1482
00:53:15.570 --> 00:53:16.796
So some of them are like more

1483
00:53:17.820 --> 00:53:20.100
biographical than others.

1484
00:53:22.860 --> 00:53:24.729
Yeah, I don't know,

1485
00:53:24.730 --> 00:53:26.609
I mean, what I could add to

1486
00:53:26.610 --> 00:53:28.599
that. So they're like, yeah,

1487
00:53:29.610 --> 00:53:30.610
you know,

1488
00:53:31.670 --> 00:53:33.529
some of them are about drugs or

1489
00:53:33.530 --> 00:53:35.510
like specific moments where,

1490
00:53:36.590 --> 00:53:37.549
you know, I don't know, there's

1491
00:53:37.550 --> 00:53:40.099
little like autobiographical

1492
00:53:40.100 --> 00:53:41.100
clues

1493
00:53:42.300 --> 00:53:43.590
about certain

1494
00:53:44.850 --> 00:53:47.059
things that happened.

1495
00:53:47.060 --> 00:53:49.019
It's so strange with

1496
00:53:49.020 --> 00:53:50.020
all these people

1497
00:53:51.720 --> 00:53:53.729
in the mid 2000s,

1498
00:53:53.730 --> 00:53:55.679
all these musicians in Echo Park:

1499
00:53:56.910 --> 00:53:59.609
Matt Fishbeck and Ariel Pink and,

1500
00:53:59.610 --> 00:54:01.769
you know, around

1501
00:54:01.770 --> 00:54:03.899
this gallery that--

1502
00:54:03.900 --> 00:54:06.629
and Janet Kim who had a band called

1503
00:54:06.630 --> 00:54:08.557
Softboiled Eggies, and

1504
00:54:10.740 --> 00:54:12.059
she had a gallery called Tiny

1505
00:54:12.060 --> 00:54:13.889
Creatures. And she invited me to

1506
00:54:13.890 --> 00:54:16.319
be like a couple of shows,

1507
00:54:16.320 --> 00:54:17.759
later on.

1508
00:54:17.760 --> 00:54:19.829
And my contribution for the shows

1509
00:54:19.830 --> 00:54:20.830
were

1510
00:54:21.900 --> 00:54:23.048
these little zines.

1511
00:54:28.100 --> 00:54:30.029
So for one show I made this one

1512
00:54:30.030 --> 00:54:32.159
too, where

1513
00:54:32.160 --> 00:54:34.109
I took photos

1514
00:54:34.110 --> 00:54:35.939
closeup of

1515
00:54:35.940 --> 00:54:37.271
of -- can you see it?

1516
00:54:38.470 --> 00:54:39.470
Of

1517
00:54:40.600 --> 00:54:42.290
like those

1518
00:54:44.890 --> 00:54:46.254
etchings in the groove,

1519
00:54:47.740 --> 00:54:50.319
in the groove of the records

1520
00:54:50.320 --> 00:54:52.439
with these little messages.

1521
00:54:52.440 --> 00:54:54.396
And I did this one

1522
00:54:56.200 --> 00:54:57.316
with Paul Quinn, where

1523
00:54:58.450 --> 00:55:01.209
I put all the interviews and

1524
00:55:01.210 --> 00:55:03.069
I wrote a little, you

1525
00:55:03.070 --> 00:55:05.139
know, a little piece about him.

1526
00:55:05.140 --> 00:55:07.300
And then I put all the interviews

1527
00:55:09.130 --> 00:55:11.179
that he

1528
00:55:11.180 --> 00:55:13.119
did and the reviews, you

1529
00:55:13.120 --> 00:55:14.120
know,

1530
00:55:15.100 --> 00:55:17.859
and some pages from a zine

1531
00:55:17.860 --> 00:55:18.860
that they made

1532
00:55:20.110 --> 00:55:21.219
when the record came out.

1533
00:55:23.680 --> 00:55:25.809
So I met I Matt

1534
00:55:25.810 --> 00:55:28.059
trthrough my friend Paul

1535
00:55:28.060 --> 00:55:29.060
Gellman,

1536
00:55:30.310 --> 00:55:32.289
known as Tall Paul Gellman.

1537
00:55:32.290 --> 00:55:33.134
Oh so it's not that same Paul as in

1538
00:55:33.135 --> 00:55:34.135
the...

1539
00:55:35.380 --> 00:55:36.909
Oh, yeah. No, it's not.

1540
00:55:39.160 --> 00:55:40.160
And

1541
00:55:41.890 --> 00:55:43.839
I met him before his record came

1542
00:55:43.840 --> 00:55:45.464
out. Oh yeah, sort of.

1543
00:55:47.050 --> 00:55:48.178
He did a record with Ariel Pink

1544
00:55:50.290 --> 00:55:52.045
under Holy Shit their band called

1545
00:55:53.320 --> 00:55:54.435
Straned at Two Harbors

1546
00:55:56.240 --> 00:55:57.240
and

1547
00:55:58.360 --> 00:55:59.360
and

1548
00:56:00.340 --> 00:56:02.229
it was sort of like, you know these

1549
00:56:02.230 --> 00:56:03.230
things

1550
00:56:04.690 --> 00:56:06.879
when you're young and you

1551
00:56:06.880 --> 00:56:08.589
become friends with people because

1552
00:56:08.590 --> 00:56:09.841
they love the same record.

1553
00:56:11.800 --> 00:56:14.229
And I think we talked about

1554
00:56:14.230 --> 00:56:15.230
Lawrence of Felt,

1555
00:56:16.480 --> 00:56:17.480
and then he came over and he

1556
00:56:18.970 --> 00:56:20.770
saw some of my records.

1557
00:56:21.850 --> 00:56:23.806
I made him discover things, he

1558
00:56:23.807 --> 00:56:25.089
made me discover things, and we

1559
00:56:25.090 --> 00:56:26.619
became very close friends.

1560
00:56:26.620 --> 00:56:27.729
And then he told me, "I have a

1561
00:56:27.730 --> 00:56:29.769
record coming out." And

1562
00:56:29.770 --> 00:56:31.239
I listen to it and I really fell in

1563
00:56:31.240 --> 00:56:32.530
love with it. I think it's like,

1564
00:56:33.910 --> 00:56:35.769
you know, a sort of, like,

1565
00:56:35.770 --> 00:56:37.359
lo-fi, or whatever you want to call

1566
00:56:37.360 --> 00:56:38.469
it, masterpiece.

1567
00:56:43.640 --> 00:56:44.719
That was also

1568
00:56:46.120 --> 00:56:48.129
a little before the Tiny Creature

1569
00:56:48.130 --> 00:56:50.439
days. But we became

1570
00:56:50.440 --> 00:56:52.269
friends...I want to show you

1571
00:56:52.270 --> 00:56:53.270
something.

1572
00:56:55.960 --> 00:56:56.960
You should shoot that too, actually.

1573
00:57:00.380 --> 00:57:02.799
So that's in 2008.

1574
00:57:02.800 --> 00:57:04.629
So I think in 2007 we worked

1575
00:57:04.630 --> 00:57:05.559
on this issue.

1576
00:57:05.560 --> 00:57:08.109
My friend in Paris had this

1577
00:57:08.110 --> 00:57:10.299
magazine that she would do

1578
00:57:10.300 --> 00:57:12.129
around one band, and their

1579
00:57:12.130 --> 00:57:13.130
sort of like universe or their

1580
00:57:13.880 --> 00:57:15.220
inspirations, or like people

1581
00:57:16.470 --> 00:57:17.470
around them.

1582
00:57:18.850 --> 00:57:20.799
So we did that issue together

1583
00:57:20.800 --> 00:57:23.049
and it's a little snapshot

1584
00:57:23.050 --> 00:57:24.809
of that scene at that moment and all

1585
00:57:26.410 --> 00:57:28.779
the friends that I met through

1586
00:57:28.780 --> 00:57:29.980
Paul and Matt,

1587
00:57:31.690 --> 00:57:33.909
like Geneva Jacuzzi,

1588
00:57:33.910 --> 00:57:35.739
Rachel Detroit,

1589
00:57:37.750 --> 00:57:40.239
of course, Ariel, but also

1590
00:57:40.240 --> 00:57:41.349
Jason Yates

1591
00:57:43.870 --> 00:57:45.729
and plenty of

1592
00:57:45.730 --> 00:57:46.730
other people.

1593
00:57:48.200 --> 00:57:49.200
J.C.

1594
00:57:49.340 --> 00:57:50.340
Wiest,

1595
00:57:51.880 --> 00:57:53.110
who was in his band.

1596
00:57:55.990 --> 00:57:59.139
And eventually

1597
00:57:59.140 --> 00:58:01.089
we became very, very close friends

1598
00:58:01.090 --> 00:58:02.090
over the years.

1599
00:58:03.610 --> 00:58:05.589
He's, you know, one of my best

1600
00:58:05.590 --> 00:58:06.999
friends.

1601
00:58:07.000 --> 00:58:09.549
And at some point,

1602
00:58:09.550 --> 00:58:11.029
with Semiotext(e) I put out one of

1603
00:58:11.030 --> 00:58:12.879
these records, which

1604
00:58:12.880 --> 00:58:13.880
I loved, and it

1605
00:58:16.610 --> 00:58:18.679
sounded to me like in one file,

1606
00:58:18.680 --> 00:58:20.909
so like you couldn't skip songs

1607
00:58:20.910 --> 00:58:22.789
and I used to listen to it going

1608
00:58:22.790 --> 00:58:23.790
to the west side, just

1609
00:58:24.640 --> 00:58:26.629
put the CD in my car, and

1610
00:58:26.630 --> 00:58:28.729
then listen to the whole thing.

1611
00:58:28.730 --> 00:58:29.730
And

1612
00:58:30.670 --> 00:58:32.959
and so that's

1613
00:58:32.960 --> 00:58:33.960
Solid Rain

1614
00:58:34.910 --> 00:58:35.910
by Holy Shit.

1615
00:58:37.080 --> 00:58:38.839
I don't know how many drunken

1616
00:58:38.840 --> 00:58:41.029
evenings started

1617
00:58:41.030 --> 00:58:42.275
with Chayito mornings.

1618
00:58:46.110 --> 00:58:47.987
"Una noche me embriagué."

1619
00:59:03.130 --> 00:59:04.130
I'll play you my favorite.

1620
00:59:05.050 --> 00:59:07.030
My favorite song ever.

1621
00:59:15.480 --> 00:59:16.480
[Chayito Valdéz singing on stereo]

1622
00:59:20.750 --> 00:59:21.929
I want to hear the story of that

1623
00:59:21.930 --> 00:59:23.839
"bum-bum." Why do so many songs done

1624
00:59:23.840 --> 00:59:24.840
with the "bum-bum?"

1625
00:59:48.280 --> 00:59:49.280
"Quiero ser feliz..."

1626
00:59:49.590 --> 00:59:50.590
She is fucking everything.

1627
00:59:52.650 --> 00:59:55.439
My mama and my mama's girlfriend,

1628
00:59:55.440 --> 00:59:57.389
you know, we always have

1629
00:59:57.390 --> 00:59:59.429
parties every fucking weekend

1630
00:59:59.430 --> 01:00:01.343
and all the people would

1631
01:00:01.344 --> 01:00:03.299
show up with tons of booze.

1632
01:00:03.300 --> 01:00:05.239
And by the evening, everyone

1633
01:00:05.240 --> 01:00:07.079
was super plastered

1634
01:00:07.080 --> 01:00:08.939
singing along to

1635
01:00:08.940 --> 01:00:10.379
Chayito Valdéz, or, you know, the

1636
01:00:10.380 --> 01:00:12.899
other ranchera people.

1637
01:00:12.900 --> 01:00:14.579
So it's like this stuff, it's

1638
01:00:14.580 --> 01:00:16.439
interesting how music just takes you

1639
01:00:16.440 --> 01:00:18.090
immediately to those times.

1640
01:00:19.200 --> 01:00:21.149
And my mama just gave me this

1641
01:00:21.150 --> 01:00:22.290
box of records,

1642
01:00:23.400 --> 01:00:24.779
because I guess she's thinking she's

1643
01:00:24.780 --> 01:00:25.980
like at the end of her

1644
01:00:27.870 --> 01:00:28.870
life.

1645
01:00:29.670 --> 01:00:31.109
I was going through this stuff and I

1646
01:00:31.110 --> 01:00:33.359
was remembering all

1647
01:00:33.360 --> 01:00:34.819
the parties, you know.

1648
01:00:37.410 --> 01:00:39.989
Oh my God, this one was so good.

1649
01:00:39.990 --> 01:00:40.990
Los Diablos.

1650
01:00:41.460 --> 01:00:43.868
It's like psychodelic.

1651
01:00:44.880 --> 01:00:45.239
I know that one.

1652
01:00:45.240 --> 01:00:46.240
You do?

1653
01:00:47.120 --> 01:00:49.139
There was a song that

1654
01:00:49.140 --> 01:00:51.239
was a little bit of a hit.

1655
01:00:51.240 --> 01:00:52.949
Well, yeah. I mean they had a few

1656
01:00:52.950 --> 01:00:54.669
hits in Chile or wherever the fuck

1657
01:00:54.670 --> 01:00:55.670
they're from.

1658
01:00:57.840 --> 01:00:59.309
It was just like, you know, like

1659
01:00:59.310 --> 01:01:00.310
cumbia.

1660
01:01:00.930 --> 01:01:03.119
All this stuff, like--

1661
01:01:03.120 --> 01:01:04.409
oh, Juan Gabriel. Juanga.

1662
01:01:04.410 --> 01:01:06.779
You can't have a cryathon

1663
01:01:06.780 --> 01:01:07.780
without Juan Gabriel.

1664
01:01:11.220 --> 01:01:12.959
I don't know, I mean, a lot of these

1665
01:01:12.960 --> 01:01:14.729
people actually I don't remember,

1666
01:01:14.730 --> 01:01:16.889
but I remember those hits,

1667
01:01:16.890 --> 01:01:19.359
which-- of course, Lucha Reyes,

1668
01:01:19.360 --> 01:01:20.699
she's one of my favorites.

1669
01:01:22.020 --> 01:01:23.999
I felt kind of sad that my mama was

1670
01:01:24.000 --> 01:01:25.679
giving me her records.

1671
01:01:25.680 --> 01:01:27.449
I feel like she's already probably

1672
01:01:27.450 --> 01:01:29.999
thinking it's the end of her

1673
01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:30.809
chanson.

1674
01:01:30.810 --> 01:01:33.209
But does she have like a timetable?

1675
01:01:33.210 --> 01:01:35.429
No. Well, she does, Mary

1676
01:01:35.430 --> 01:01:37.469
bought her one, but she's

1677
01:01:37.470 --> 01:01:39.419
like moving from one place to

1678
01:01:39.420 --> 01:01:41.369
a smaller place and, you know,

1679
01:01:41.370 --> 01:01:43.469
she's like, "It's time to

1680
01:01:43.470 --> 01:01:44.470
get rid of shit."

1681
01:01:46.140 --> 01:01:49.329
I don't know, this box represents,

1682
01:01:49.330 --> 01:01:50.459
like, my childhood

1683
01:01:51.780 --> 01:01:52.780
here in the U.S.

1684
01:01:54.390 --> 01:01:56.189
I actually remember playing this

1685
01:01:56.190 --> 01:01:57.638
record.

1686
01:01:57.639 --> 01:01:58.639
It looks damaged.

1687
01:02:04.690 --> 01:02:06.579
And I think this guy, I don't

1688
01:02:06.580 --> 01:02:07.959
remember what this dude's from,

1689
01:02:09.370 --> 01:02:10.602
but this is Mary's side.

1690
01:02:12.700 --> 01:02:14.679
She loved all this stuff.

1691
01:02:14.680 --> 01:02:16.749
She came from Cuba,

1692
01:02:16.750 --> 01:02:18.280
my mama's girlfriend's Cuban,

1693
01:02:19.300 --> 01:02:21.019
so there's like Cuban influenced

1694
01:02:21.020 --> 01:02:22.929
stuff was stuff that came from

1695
01:02:22.930 --> 01:02:23.930
her.

1696
01:02:28.960 --> 01:02:30.909
There's like a-- it's

1697
01:02:30.910 --> 01:02:32.185
signed to my mom and Mary.

1698
01:02:34.810 --> 01:02:35.649
How funny is that.

1699
01:02:35.650 --> 01:02:37.089
Does it have a year?

1700
01:02:37.090 --> 01:02:37.899
Oh, '88.

1701
01:02:37.900 --> 01:02:38.900
This was from

1702
01:02:39.790 --> 01:02:42.369
'88. This is my mama's history

1703
01:02:42.370 --> 01:02:43.370
and this is mine.

1704
01:02:46.380 --> 01:02:47.379
A lot of this stuff I've had since I was

1705
01:02:47.380 --> 01:02:48.639
a teenager, you know?

1706
01:02:50.020 --> 01:02:52.209
Like this B-52s

1707
01:02:52.210 --> 01:02:53.210
record.

1708
01:02:54.370 --> 01:02:57.099
My sister Ermenia brought this home

1709
01:02:57.100 --> 01:02:58.959
in '79 when it

1710
01:02:58.960 --> 01:02:59.960
came out,

1711
01:03:00.790 --> 01:03:02.139
and I still have it.

1712
01:03:02.140 --> 01:03:03.140
How funny is that?

1713
01:03:04.060 --> 01:03:05.060
So I was-- This

1714
01:03:08.510 --> 01:03:09.510
record is so good.

1715
01:03:20.560 --> 01:03:21.560
That's

1716
01:03:26.920 --> 01:03:27.920
right.

1717
01:03:32.640 --> 01:03:33.640
You

1718
01:03:34.510 --> 01:03:37.209
know, I was telling Heti that

1719
01:03:37.210 --> 01:03:39.639
the reason I wanted to do this thing

1720
01:03:39.640 --> 01:03:41.709
was to talk about the importance

1721
01:03:41.710 --> 01:03:43.749
of the music, but also the role

1722
01:03:43.750 --> 01:03:46.269
that it's played in my life and

1723
01:03:46.270 --> 01:03:47.589
that it was a friend when I didn't

1724
01:03:47.590 --> 01:03:49.509
have friends, it was that family

1725
01:03:49.510 --> 01:03:51.849
member that I couldn't-- when

1726
01:03:51.850 --> 01:03:53.529
I didn't have family to talk about

1727
01:03:53.530 --> 01:03:55.539
my gayness or whatever, or

1728
01:03:55.540 --> 01:03:57.309
about being dumped by a boyfriend.

1729
01:03:57.310 --> 01:03:59.199
It's like music

1730
01:03:59.200 --> 01:04:00.429
taught me all these things, you

1731
01:04:00.430 --> 01:04:03.609
know, like Billie Holiday and Bessie

1732
01:04:03.610 --> 01:04:04.610
taught me how to suffer,

1733
01:04:05.560 --> 01:04:06.560
Toña la Negra how to--

1734
01:04:07.750 --> 01:04:09.699
and in a way maybe that is why

1735
01:04:09.700 --> 01:04:10.689
I am how I am.

1736
01:04:10.690 --> 01:04:11.690
It's like

1737
01:04:12.520 --> 01:04:14.559
they taught me all these things that

1738
01:04:14.560 --> 01:04:15.560
I kind of ran with.

1739
01:04:16.540 --> 01:04:18.429
You know, it's like they were

1740
01:04:18.430 --> 01:04:20.789
friends and family members, my

1741
01:04:20.790 --> 01:04:23.259
tia, my nana, my best friend.

1742
01:04:23.260 --> 01:04:24.999
And so in a way, that's what I'm

1743
01:04:25.000 --> 01:04:25.899
carrying with me.

1744
01:04:25.900 --> 01:04:27.249
It's like this is, in a way, my

1745
01:04:27.250 --> 01:04:28.250
extended family.

1746
01:04:29.500 --> 01:04:31.479
You know, the things that made

1747
01:04:31.480 --> 01:04:33.249
life possible when it was so

1748
01:04:33.250 --> 01:04:34.479
terrible.

1749
01:04:34.480 --> 01:04:36.399
So, yeah, in a way, this

1750
01:04:36.400 --> 01:04:37.899
is my homage to music.