 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
A Conversation with Dallas Good (continued)
PM: I noticed your Uncle Brian is credited with playing Lightfoot's 12-string? Is that literally the case?
DG: Quite literally. Gordon Lightfoot is a very good friend of my father and Uncle. He's been a very integral part of their careers.
PM: Wow.
DG: And to this day they talk fairly regularly. He called up my uncle and said, basically, "I got this guitar I was going to leave you when I'm gone, man, but I just thought maybe you'd want it now." And he gave him his '68 Martin 12-string, that I believe is on the cover of one of the records. I can't remember which one. I'll try and dig it out right now while we're on the phone.
PM: Let's see, what record is that...
DG: Well, the thing is I want to say it's from Lightfoot, but he's playing acoustic on the cover of that. But let's see here--
PM: Ah, you have Lightfoot LPs at your fingertips?
DG: Yeah. I have a lot of records.
PM: You have Lightfoot LPs, that's unbelievable.
DG: I have a complete set of the early ones.
PM: And people don't know how great the first ones are.
DG: Oh, yeah.
PM: But I mean, "That's What You Get For Loving Me," and "Early Morning Rain."
DG: Well, the guitar from that particular song is a guy named Red Shea, one of the best guitarists ever, and he taught Travis how to play.
PM: Red Shea did?
DG: Travis took lessons from Red for, oh, at least 8 years. He was Red's youngest student ever because he had these freaky long fingers at the age of 8. So even though Red kind of didn't like teaching kids, Travis kind of squeaked his way in.
PM: Yeah, "You with the Hendrix fingers, come over here."
[laughter]
DG: So yeah, again just sort of showing that we do have an interesting link to Lightfoot. But I couldn't help putting that in, because I mean, that guitar is The guitar. When my uncle received the guitar, it arrived with his union card, and photos of him in the '60s in the case.
PM: Oh, Lord.
DG: It was just such an inspiring moment, like I couldn't just credit my Uncle Brian on 12-string--
PM: Hardly.
DG: --as though it was just a 12-string.
[laughter]
DG: That song in question was co-written with Rick White; he and I have a band with the Sadies and another friend, called The Unintended.
PM: The Unintended, right.
DG: We recently did a split 12-inch with a Toronto band called The Constantines, where we did all Lightfoot songs, and they did all Neil Young songs. The song "Anna Leigh" that my Uncle Brian played 12-string on is very much inspired by Lightfoot in the grand scheme of things.
PM: The last time I saw you, in Guelph [a great little festival of 5000 that sells out before the roster is announced, on an island near Toronto], you had just played a show with The Constantines. They were great.
DG: Yeah, exactly. That was the same tour, I believe. Those guys are really good friends in fact. Just on an interesting sidebar, the bassist from The Constantines, Dallas--his name is Dallas, too--I believe he'll be making a video for the song "Anna Leigh" with the 12-string guitar. I have a very small insular world.
[laughter]
DG: I cherish my friends, but I don't have a lot of them.
PM: Well, when you're on the road so much--
DG: That's just it. Musicians are the only people that I see and can relate to, I suppose.
PM: And when you get home to Toronto, does the group of friends change or stay the same?
DG: I don't have a group of friends.
PM: It's not like that.
DG: No, I'm just kidding.
PM: "I have a girlfriend and the road." [laughs]
DG: And I got a couple of cats, basically. I'm on the road a lot. But that's because my groups of friends and the people that I socialize with, I end up touring with, ultimately.
PM: Right. How well are The Sadies acquainted with my friends Blackie and the Rodeo Kings?
DG: Quite well. Unfortunately whenever we've shared a stage it's been on a fairly superficial level--I mean, to the best of my memory, I believe it's always like festivals and stuff where we're two bands apart. It's never been just a split bill. But they've always been supportive of The Sadies, and yeah, they are a great bunch of guys.
PM: Yeah, I really dig those guys. And I was telling Travis that when Blackie came to town recently, we did a video interview at this recording studio of ours on the Row, and it turned out really good. And should the opportunity ever arise, I'd love to do that with The Sadies.
DG: Oh, that would be my pleasure, absolutely.
PM: Just sit and talk, and play some tunes. It's really a precious document for any fan of the bands to see them in such an intimate setting.
DG: Yeah, plus I'm most comfortable in that environment, absolutely. Talking face-to-face is much better than sitting at home with my other line beeping and fire trucks going by.
print (pdf) listen to clips puremusic home
