You want me to write about things I like and interview a gaggle of groovy people along the way? Let me think about that. Yes!
Actually, the original commission was slightly different. Five years ago, Mike Fern, publisher of The Maine Edge, asked me to submit a “Best of 2009 in Music” article.
As I recall, the original plan was to continue writing about music. I do that on occasion, but I’ve also been extraordinarily lucky in landing interviews with actors, authors and TV and film stars. I’ve sort of morphed into a younger, non-creepy version of Larry King.
I wasn’t sure what to include for this “Edge favorites of 2014” piece but, thanks to www.TheMaineEdge.com, I was able to look at my submissions for 2014 – some of which I had nearly forgotten about.
You see, I’m not really a writer and it’s sometimes painful for me to reread something I’ve written. I always find little things I wish I had worded differently or stories I wish I had structured in a different way.
God bless Katy and Paul England, Andrew Lohman and Chas Bruns at The Maine Edge. More times than I wish, they’ve received messages from me asking them to please correct something I should have taken care of before clicking “send.”
My favorite interviews are the ones where my guest feels comfortable enough to speak from the heart. My interview with Joey Molland of Badfinger was one of those. We spoke by phone on a January day when Maine and Minnesota’s weather was in snowy sync. Molland, the only surviving member of the classic British pop band, is originally from Liverpool, England and has been a resident of the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” for more than 30 years.
Badfinger’s story qualifies as one of rock’s saddest. They started as favored sons, adopted by The Beatles and signed to Apple Records in 1968. Paul McCartney gave them their first hit, “Come and Get It,” the following year. A series of hit albums and singles followed – as did business problems, a thieving manager and the suicides of two band members.
Joey credits Kathie Molland, his wife and the love of his life, with giving him the strength to continue. She died of cancer in 2009 after 37 years of marriage.
Molland returned this year with a strong new album, “Back to Memphis,” and a renewed interest in Badfinger, thanks to the hit show “Breaking Bad” and its use of the 1972 hit “Baby Blue” during Walter White’s death scene in the series finale.
Molland: “I was amazed. I was actually recording that show for my son, Shaun, who watched the whole series. I had never really watched the show. That night, I put my Dish recorder on and went back to what I was watching. Right after the show ended, the phone started to ring and didn’t stop for a week and a half. The reaction to it was unbelievable. It was like we had a giant hit record all of a sudden.”
My interview with Molland covered a lot of ground, far more than I could include in even the extended piece on The Maine Edge website.
He shared stories of witnessing the breakup of The Beatles and George Harrison’s obvious discomfort at the mere mention of the band’s name.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
 | After The Pearl CD - £9.99 |
 | The Pilgrim CD - £9.99 |
 | Demos Old And New CD - £9.99 |
 | Return To Memphis SCD - £9.99 |
 | This Way Up CD - £9.99 |
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