Sing Loud, and Leave the Listening to Somebody else

Through the many years I produced “Celebration Rock,” I came to know a number of musicians whose names didn’t quite make it to national music charts, but whose gifts were remarkable nonetheless. Through Presbyterian youth circles I met Meisburg and Walters. Steve Meisburg and John Paul Walters had performed at Union Seminary, at Montreat Conferences, and other venues where their smooth harmonies and endearing stories proved both entertaining and inspiring. They wrote their own songs, performed as a team, and also let one another do some solo work at each show. Their first albums were privately funded and personally distributed, and the first one (I think) was named for a southern traditional folk song “I See the Morning Breaking.” They referred to their music as “high country.” No musician wants to be compared with another, but for the sake of description let’s just say that they had an “England Dan and John Ford Coley” sound. After two or three records on the “Parchment” label, they signed with a major label of the 1970’s, Casablanca Records (which was big into disco, including Donna Summer and the Village People, but also KISS and Cher). After years of paying dues, finding wide acceptance for their gentle style and some prophetic social justice storytelling, to be signed by Casablanca should have been a big step toward national exposure. But…

With a touch of embarrassment, Steve and John told me in an interview that their new producer appreciated their original songs, but thought a new cover of “Mighty Quinn” would be great for their first Casablanca L.P. Covering Bob Dylan and Manfred Mann wasn’t their choice, but they were learning that in the big business of music there were “powers that be” who exercised control over repertoire. With their musical sound rather out of sync with that which Casablanca was heavily promoting, it was no wonder that the L.P. failed to take off. Before their Casablanca days, I had interviewed Meisburg and Walters two or three times, and featured their albums on “Celebration Rock” even though they weren’t well known nationally. The last interview was for the ill-fated Casablanca release. Then the team broke up.

(Meisburg had been a pastor, perhaps UCC, and later went into city government in Tallahassee, Florida. I’m sure he continued to perform as a singer-musician, too.) 

John Paul Waters continued to write and perform, and was always a big hit at Montreat. His private label records and tapes were filled with a wonderful collection of traditional and original songs and stories. I know we did at least one “solo” interview and CR show with his music, and I used several of his songs as I developed particular thematic shows.

Another musician I enjoyed working with was Steve Bassett. While Meisburg and Walters made only a few trips to Richmond for an occasional appearance, Steve Bassett considered the Richmond area home, and his talent was evident on local recordings, concert venues, local TV, numerous benefits, and a continuing gig at a small club called The North Pole just outside the city. I saw Steve entertain thousands at Dogwood Dell, tape a public TV special for an invitation-only audience, and play for just handful of patrons at the North Pole. Blue-eyed soul. (When Richie Havens sang an old Amtrak commercial years ago, I swore it was Steve!)

Like M&W, Steve had signed with a major label after many self-produced efforts. The label was Columbia, and the man who finally “discovered” Steve was the legendary John Hammond, Sr. While that album didn’t propel Steve into the “big time,” he continued his career as what might be called a “journeyman” musician. He opened for some big names, did music for a number of national and regional commercials, and was always willing to “give back” to his local community, particularly for the Central Virginia March of Dimes, for which he wrote and produced a small masterpiece called “Walk with Us.” (The Columbia album also opened the doors to expanding Steve’s reach to New York, Nashville, Chicago., and beyond.) 

The first Steve Bassett songs I remember playing on “Celebration Rock” were “A Poor Man’s Life (Is a Rich Man’s Dream)” and “No Good for Her.” His biggest song was a collaboration with Robbin Thompson “Sweet Virginia Breeze.” A song Steve wrote gave a title to a modest book of his lyric poetry, “Sing Loud (and Leave the Listening to Somebody Else)” I loved the spirit of that song, particularly because the “somebody” might well have referred to the Author of all our music, one whom Steve often referred to as “Him” while pointing heaven-ward. Steve’s piety wasn’t played out in church, but at least in conversations with me, on- and off-air, he gave credit where credit was due.

I not only had the opportunity to feature Steve’s music on the radio (including the “Celebration Rock” jingle I referred to in yesterday’s post), but Steve graciously agreed to be my special guest at the first and only official “Celebration Rock” retreat, an overnight event at the Presbytery’s Camp Hanover near Richmond. Steve and a few other musicians and fans gathered to talk about the creative process of song-writing and performance, while I, as usual, wove the theological and biblical threads through the time we shared. I just went to the Steve Bassett website, and I see that he is as busy as ever, and that his “Mystic Soul Bubbas” beach music band is booked well into 2008.

I do treasure these old records, and I still enjoy playing back the interviews. We all had some good times together and it was a privilege to share them with a big bunch of listeners from Norfolk, VA. to Salem, OR. Here’s something we all need to remember: there are many, many very talented musicians “out there” whose voices will never be heard on “American Idol” or whose work will never find the recognition they deserve. Some of those singers will only find a choir loft, a school stage, or a social networking link as venues for performance. Bless ‘em, some folks have weak voices with which to sing profound lyrics and deeply human stories; and there are others whose rich musical talents are wasted on poetry that is shallow or silly. Then there are the modern psalmists and musical prophets and gospel-tellers and children of amazing grace whom God uses as angels (messengers) to awaken and inspire us.

If you are one of them, then God bless you! Sing loud…and leave the listening to Somebody else!