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G . E . & LeRoy
though we have completely different backgrounds , we like a lot of the same music . So we recorded my song “ America ,” and we were like , “ Hmmm . This sounds really good !” And when I first decided to write know about guitar . And he ’ s really educated — he can expound on so many different topics , and he ’ s obviously a musicologist , as well . But it ’ s fun to work with somebody who knows a lot about all different sorts of things , and at the same time can be really simple . And we had this one conversation about the old days , and how when you ’ re younger , you go , “ Oh , gosh — I hate such and such .” And you hate this group that might have had a big song that seemed ridiculously simple at the time . But then , as you get older , you look back on it and go , “ Hey — that song had something to it !” And G . E . said that when he was teaching a guitar student , and they ’ d say , “ Oh , I hate that song ,” he ’ d say , “ Well , why don ’ t you
that song , it was a few months before I met G . E . I was watching this little kid on TV , this Mexican girl , crying as they handcuffed her mom when they were separating children from their families . And I was like , “ What the fuck is going on ? My country is going down the tubes — what the hell are they doing in this administration ? They think they can do whatever they want ?”
IE : What did you learn from G . E .? LRB : He knows everything there is to
10 • 2020
learn that song ? Learn the chords , the melody , then come back to me .” Because once you actually learn the song , then you kind of get it . It might not be your forte , it might not be your kind of music . But then you can appreciate the actual writing and what it took to make that song a hit .
Tom Lanham
108 E . St . Charles Rd . Villa Park IL 60181
630-607-0072 mikesdrumshop . net
• Tue-Fri : Noon-8pm
• Sat : Noon-6pm
• Sun : Noon-5pm
Chicago ' s most unique selection of new and used drums ,
featuring state-of-the-art recording and lesson rooms .
Pork Pie • Chicago Drum Company • Noble and Cooley Sabian • WFLIII • Vic Firth • Promark • DW • Ahead Vater • Gibraltar • PDP • Humes and Berg Doc Sweeny • Aquarian • LP
18 illinoisentertainer . com october 2020