Re: Video of the Week: Goin' Steady
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:51 am
Dee,
thanks for sharing your thoughts! This discussion is really "Goin' Steady"! I think it is in one of the tv documentaries about Glen from the late 90s, early 00s, that Glen says that he never really planned this career the way it turned out. All he wanted to do is tour with a band and play and sing. Now I don't take Glen's word for granted on everything as you know, but in this case I think it's right.
Was Glen ambitious? Yes, very much so. But I think in his formative years, his ambition was mainly to become the best guitarist in the world, the most versatile too. Versatility really mattered to him. Learning his trade, as Randy called it. And then, be ready when someone asks you. In that Wink Martindale interview from 1977 which was posted earlier, Glen said that he always thought his playing was always better than his singing. Imagine that, one of the most talented singers ever to emerge in post-war American music! He also admitted that he thought that Albuquerque was as far as he was going to get (live performances, local radio and tv show). I think, as many talented artists, he was basically insecure about himself. In one interview I heard once, he even said he didn't even like his own singing voice!
When you look at some of the crucial points in his career (joining Uncle Dick Bills in Albuquerque, moving to Los Angeles, joining the Beach Boys, starring in his own tv show, starring in True Grit) I think it's interesting that in all cases, Glen was asked or stimulated by others to do it. His uncle Dick Bills called Glen asking him to join the Sandia Mountain Boys. Then Glen stayed there for six, seven years (quite a long time) before Jerry Fuller convinced him in 1960 he was wasting his time and he should move to Los Angeles. Mike Love called him to replace Brian Wilson on stage. Tommy Smothers asked him to star in a summer replacement show, John Wayne asked him to star in True Grit.
But as I said, he never said no. He was ready to do it, because... he had learned his trade.
thanks for sharing your thoughts! This discussion is really "Goin' Steady"! I think it is in one of the tv documentaries about Glen from the late 90s, early 00s, that Glen says that he never really planned this career the way it turned out. All he wanted to do is tour with a band and play and sing. Now I don't take Glen's word for granted on everything as you know, but in this case I think it's right.
Was Glen ambitious? Yes, very much so. But I think in his formative years, his ambition was mainly to become the best guitarist in the world, the most versatile too. Versatility really mattered to him. Learning his trade, as Randy called it. And then, be ready when someone asks you. In that Wink Martindale interview from 1977 which was posted earlier, Glen said that he always thought his playing was always better than his singing. Imagine that, one of the most talented singers ever to emerge in post-war American music! He also admitted that he thought that Albuquerque was as far as he was going to get (live performances, local radio and tv show). I think, as many talented artists, he was basically insecure about himself. In one interview I heard once, he even said he didn't even like his own singing voice!
When you look at some of the crucial points in his career (joining Uncle Dick Bills in Albuquerque, moving to Los Angeles, joining the Beach Boys, starring in his own tv show, starring in True Grit) I think it's interesting that in all cases, Glen was asked or stimulated by others to do it. His uncle Dick Bills called Glen asking him to join the Sandia Mountain Boys. Then Glen stayed there for six, seven years (quite a long time) before Jerry Fuller convinced him in 1960 he was wasting his time and he should move to Los Angeles. Mike Love called him to replace Brian Wilson on stage. Tommy Smothers asked him to star in a summer replacement show, John Wayne asked him to star in True Grit.
But as I said, he never said no. He was ready to do it, because... he had learned his trade.