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THE WILD TIMES OF BUD MATHIS Part 3
                                        THE RISE AND FALL    
  
Elektra brought in another singer, Cliff De Young, an organ-piano player, Ralph
Schukett, and assigned Paul Rothchild to produce an album with the group, which he
did, at Sunset Sound Recorders on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. They also decided on
Clear Light as their new name.                                                      
   
Elektra released a single and album at the same time and began a very successful
promotion. Black Roses was the song on the single , but not the recording I had done.
 Paul Rothchild had re-recorded it. Black Roses was also the title of the album. (Editor's Note: Black Roses was actually eventually used as the title for the mid 1980's UK reissuee of the album on the Edsel label, the original album was just issued under the title Clear Light.)

I was very happy to see they didn't forget to credit my Little Giant Music with half
publishing rights, as per our agreement. It was the first song  I ever signed into my
company. I thought it was an omen of better things to come. I was. right.

The promotion program included putting the group on shows with big-name bands. It
worked well. Sales of the single and album soon got Clear Light on all the charts of the
 trade magazines, Billboard, Cashbox, etc. Things were looking good. I began to
envision a new Caddie in my driveway.

WELLLL,-----what happened was just a little bit different from what was hoped for. Just  
another bump along the road, I guess. I'm glad I didn't act on impulse and make a
down payment on my Caddie.
Above: Bud on stage with the second group he managed, The Joint Effort
Below: The Joint Effort with a fan!
                                                 SURPRISE

One day, I got a call from the lawyer I had negotiated the deal with. He wanted to know if I could tell him anything about the group I might not have mentioned before.

Like what, I asked? Well, you know, any bad habits, or character problems. Things like that.

I told him the truth. The only thing I knew was some of the group smoked pot. I knew that because they had offered it to me. Other than that, I knew of nothing. I hadn't been with the group very long, I reminded him. And, I didn't party with them.

Then, I asked him why he was inquiring?  He dropped a grenade in my lap. Seems there was trouble in River City. Big time. Some how or other, the group had managed to piss off Jac Holzman. He was going to drop them from the label.

                                  
                                      SHOCKING NEWS


I had trouble with all this. It was a shock. I asked the lawyer if the trades were accurate in what I had been seeing. Clear Light moving up the charts with a bullet. Was that right?

Well, yes it was, but when Holzman found out the band had "lost" two complete sets of brand new drums, and some other stuff, he'd had enough. There were other things  he told me, but I can't recall it vivid enough to be sure I remember right, so I won't comment.                                                                                                

(Editor's note: I asked Doug Lubahn for his comments on this last paragraph and this was his astonished reply: I NEVER HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE! Lost WHAT?  Did someone think we were doing heroin??? And selling our equipment to support our habit? No  way!! I think I remember some equipment got stolen in New York...out of our van or something..but that's it! It wasn't our  fault! New York was a tough town! You back the equipment truck up against a concrete wall and hope that no one can get in! Sounds like Bud was hearing the record companies "spin" on why Clear Light was being dropped. Come to think of it, If we had a two album deal, ...what happened to the SECOND ALBUM we were promised? I didn't know that we even signed a TWO record DEAL! I always thought we were living Day to Day.)

                                      BYE BYE

The nitty-gritty was, in the middle of a very successful promotion, saleswise and otherwise, the group was being dropped. I was more than a little bothered by all this. There goes my new Caddie. Stop promotion and sales stop. No fat royalty checks for Little Giant Music.

The group broke up. The musicians went their own ways.  Dallas Taylor was the most successful as far as the music business was concerned. He went on to play and record with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young when they were at their peak. Last I heard he had some medical problems in Paris, and had some serious surgery. But I haven't seen or talked to him since I ran into him out on the Strip in the seventies.

Bob Seal continued to play with various people. He continued to improve. Years later I went to see him perform at a club in the San Fernando Valley and he was great. Damn shame he never got the kind of recognition he deserved.
                                   
I lost contact with all the rest of the people. Don't have a clue what happened to them or where they are. The ranks of rock and roll are full of stories like theirs.

(Editor's note: Since writing this Bud has resumed contact with a number of members of the band.)
                                    
All Text and Photographs Copyright Of Bud Mathis 2005
I am very grateful to Bud for allowing extracts from his unpublished memoirs and rare photographs from his archives to be used on the site. Some of Bud's recordings can be heard on the Dionysus CD Take The Brain Train To The Third Eye - Bud Mathis' Sunset Trip which includes tracks from The Brain Train, Wolf Dios, The Joint Effort and Bud himself. This has also been released under the title Infamous - Bands and Artists From The Sixties.

 

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