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Welcome to
Cabs' Column! Home Of The "Drive By".
Exclusive Interviews By Bruce
"Cabs" Vogel!
Click Here To Pass
The BS & Get Straight TO The Interview!!
The 1st Interview Is With
Ray Kinman!
These interviews will be known as
"Drive Bys"! Now For a brief (ha-yeah, right!)
Cabs Bio:
Lying in my girlfriends living room in 1975, Collette
Harrington put on
Holdin on to Yesterday and I was sold on the sound. I remember when Mama
Frog came on and thought "This is weird, but cool" and I was having a good
time. She dumped me shortly thereafter. I ran out and got the first album
and played Holdin on to Yesterday over and over thinking of her.
Was in college and noticed SINT came out and went out and bought it.
Listening to it for the first time, I was disappointed. It was okay, but all
that classical stuff was weird, but cool. I continued to listen to it until
I loved it. All my friends thought it was weird, but I was cool.
I saw them at San Jose State and was blown away. The next time I saw them
was at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts. THIS IS THE MOMENT that will
always go down as my most intense love for the band and music. There I was,
sitting up in the audience, right of center, looking at the Ambrosia banner
on the wall by the stage. The black color of their logo, the pre-concert
music included the classical segments of Cowboy Star. This rush, that's hard
to describe, came over me like "I know these guys, but yet I don't". There
is a strong clenching bond that I have with Ambrosia, but they have no idea
who Bruce Vogel is. It was frustrating, but peaceful, that maybe the future
knows something that I don't know.
I continued to listen for new albums as they were released, and picked them
up one by one. Went to several more concerts as they came to town. Ambrosia
"broke up" and years went by when my brother call around 1989 and told me
they were in town at the Cabaret in San Jose. My brother made T-shirts for
all four guys with a picture of them from the first album and had "Tour
1989" on it. It was a hit with the guys and they invited us backstage after
the show. They now know who I am, the future was right.
By pure luck, my brother called Burleigh and left a message. He called back
and invited us to see one of the first Tin Drum gigs in L.A. We got to know
Burleigh well that evening, along with Chris because he was at the club
also. For the next years after that, I would call Burleigh and find out when
Ambrosia or Tin Drum was playing. It is, and truly was, an honor to meet and
see my favorite musicians after all those years listening to them.
Bruce "Cabs" Vogel
DRIVE BY WITH RAY KINMAN
Cabs: First off, Ray, tell us a little bit about yourself and your early
relationship with Ambrosia.
RK: I grew up in a small town in the Los Angeles area called San
Pedro, which is the home town of several of the Ambrosia boys.
I first met Chris North through a story that my brother, Larry Kinman, told me. They
first met in a local area known as Lochman Farms.
Lochman Farms used to be a large dairy operating in the San Pedro area prior to the
explosion of housing developments springing up at a rather alarming rate in the mid
1960's. My brother Larry and I had built an underground fort in Lochman Farm Fields.
Covered with cardboard and grass, he thought his fort was inpenetrable. but he soon found
out that was not the case...one day he opened his secret trap door and was frightened out
of his wits to find Chris and a few of his friends (I think Chris was around 12 or 13
years old at the time) inside - smoking cigarettes and checking out his secret stash of
Playboy magazines.
Cabs: What were those first sessions at Mama Joes studio like?
RK: I was present for very few of those first sessions. My
brother and I would drop in at Mama Joe's from time to time just to listen in and feel
important.
I remember seeing a track sheet at one of those sessions: there were so many
overdubs that any given track contained dozens of instruments or sound effects.
Mama Jo's Label
One night Joe Puerta gave me a ride home and I was astounded with his stories of the
complexity of the music business. I did not know Joe very well at the time, but he
asked me what my favorite bands were: I can claim responsibilty for turning him on
to Little Feat!
Later, when Joe was playing with Bruce Hornsby and the Range, he called and invited me
to do some background vocals on Bruce's first album - "The Way It Is".
When they finished mixing this record, Joe let me borrow his copy just to
check it out. I listened to it over the weekend and when I gave it back to Joe, I
told him that I didn't think it would sell. I think it sold somewhere in the
neighborhood of 12 million copies. This was the last time that I had an opinion
about music.
Bruce Hornsby &The; Range:The Way It Is
Cabs: Your brother Larry played with Ambrosia in the early years, what
can you tell us about his involvement?
Larry Kinman
RK: My brother Larry (1953-1998) was one of the most incredibly
talented guitarists anyone in our town (or anywhere else) had ever heard. He was a
local legend! Larry's band (White Gas) and Chris North's band (The Rubber Band) used
to play various parties and dances in the San Pedro area, so naturally they wound up
playing together from time to time.
White Gas
In those early days (early 1970's) Chris teamed up with local musicians Dave Pack, Joe
Puerta and Burleigh Drummond to form the core of Ambrosia and shared the bill with White
Gas (my brother's band) at the San Pedro Free Clinic dances regularly. The first
time I saw Ambrosia was at a Marymount High School dance, performing a rendition of the
rock opera "Tommy" by The Who. Yes, they were a copy band in the early
years!
Ambrosia @ Marymount!
Eventually, Ambrosia landed a recording contract (I will leave out those details -
because I know very little about it!) and while they were recording their first album, my
brother played a blues gig on weekends with Ambrosia (minus Dave Pack) in the San Fernando
valley at a lesbian bar called the Hialeah House. Larry was considered for the
guitar solo on "Holdin On To Yesterday" - this was a perfect showcase for
his blues style, but politics kicked in and Larry was dropped.
Chris North, Johnny, Ray Kinman & Larry
Kinman-Liars Club!
Both Larry and Joe Puerta were hired as back up musicians for an early 70's singer
named "Chi Coltrane". Larry and Joe toured the U.S. and Europe with Chi
and appeared on the television show "Midnight Special". We were so proud of our
hometown boys - they had made the big time!
Chi Coltrane
Cabs: Do you have any stories you can relate to us about those days?
i.e. Harvey, "What's your Liver for?"
RK: Harvey was the caretaker at Mama Joe's Studio and lived in a small
house (maybe I should say shack) behind the studio. He was in his fifties or sixties
at the time, but when he was a young man, he was kicked in the head by a mule and suffered
significant brain damage.
Harvey
Harvey was a trip! He would come in the studio from time to time and we would
strike up conversation with him just to trip out on his speech! His sentences made
sense in a very strange way but it was difficult to hold a conversation without getting
lost...not laughing at him, but...well, maybe you had to be there!
There is a tag at the end of Ambrosia's song "Harvey" with an actual
recording of Harvey describing his brain damage. If my memory serves me well, it
went something like this:
"And my front brain could not connected to my thinker, see?".
Cabs: ("And my front brain could not accept my thinker, see?")
Cabs: Did you continue to follow Ambrosia's music throughout the years?
RK: I followed them in a loose way. My brother and I had moved
to Lake Tahoe and were playing in club bands around the Reno/Tahoe area. At one
point, we lost our drummer and Burleigh
came to Tahoe to fill in for a few weeks.
Burleigh
I saw them whenever they came to the Tahoe area, but unfortunately that was not very
often. In 1983, they played Reno, Nevada and I went down to see them. We had a
great game of "fruit baseball" in the backstage area. This is baseball
played with apples and oranges instead of a ball.
Cabs: Is it possible for you to pick one Ambrosia album and explain
why you rate it as your favorite?
RK: That's an easy question - the first album. When it was first
released, there was a local shock wave that went through San Pedro - we all knew what
incredible talent was present in Ambrosia, but when we heard what they were capable of
producing in the studio....we literally thought that they were the next Beatles.
I personally view the first Ambrosia album as America's comeback to Sgt. Pepper and
would not hesitate to put them in the same category.
Sgt. Pepper
I will also go out on a limb and offer the opinion that this is the ugliest
album cover I have ever seen.
Ambrosia
Cabs: Do you have any song that holds a special meaning to you?
RK: Nope.
Cabs: Many Travellers love "Drink of Water". What is your take
on that song?
RK: Joe was in his early twenties at the time he waxed philosophical
with "Drink". You have heard of mid-life crisis. This is Joe
with a pre-life crisis. I really like this song.
Cabs: Ray, I understand you play with Chuck Alvarez and Chris North.
Talk about that experience.
RK: Chuck was Ambrosia's tour manager for several years and he wound
up playing guitar with Tim Wiesberg and touring with him. He is an amazing blues
artist - a raw, but polished veteran of the early San Pedro music scene. Chuck picks
up some really great players as side-men to play with. It has been a privilege
playing with him.
Chuck Alvarez
If the Traveller's want a real treat, pick up "Chuck Alvarez Band Live at Sacred
Grounds" (Chuck's email address is; [email protected]).
Chris North's roots are in straight ahead blues and he gives some burning organ
performances on this CD.
Click Above To Order!
Cabs: Besides playing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
RK: I am a professional artist (24 years now) specializing in
architectural woodcarving - doors, fireplace mantels, signs - that sort of thing. I
do most of the woodcarvings for Disneyland.(Please visit Ray's site!!)
I have been touring the U.S. as a seminar speaker - teaching folks how to begin
carving. I am also working on my first book which should be out next spring.
Cabs: Is there anything you would like to say to the guys in Ambrosia?
RK: Nope.
Cabs:I’m curious as to why you answered "Nope"?
RK: I answered "Nope" to that question because if I wanted to
say anything to
the Ambrosia boys, I would just say it privately. I am still good friends
with all of them except David - and that is just because I have never known him
on more than a "Hey, whats up?" kind of relationship. Nothing weird or anything
personal
there at all.
Cabs: Thanks Ray for taking the time to do this. This will be my maiden
interview on "Cabs' Column"
and I hope you'll still respect me in the morning.
Special thanks to Bob Hicks for priceless info & pics!
(P.B.)
Check Back Often!!
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