Bruce "Cabs"
Vogel - In Loving Memory 10-23-56 to 11-06-01
These interviews
were collected by Bruce out of a deep seated love for Ambrosia.
We will be featuring every interview, review, video, pictures & written
word he
contributed as a living, loving memorial to the man who touched us all.
Welcome to Cabs' Column!
Home Of The "Drive By".
Exclusive Interviews
By Bruce "Cabs" Vogel!
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.
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; bluewood@pe.net).
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 input!
(P.B.)
