Blues Run the Game
Jackson C. Frank
This was one of the songs I used to do with John Rasmussen. I played flute, of course, but I learned to sing it for this project. It’s a good song. The composer’s life was marked by tragedy but he was well-regarded in the industry, and this song has been covered by many artists.
Maybe to Spain
Wherever I have gone
Wherever I've been and gone
Wherever I have gone
The blues are all the same
Well, we're living a life of sin
When I'm not drinking, baby
You are on my mind
When I'm not sleeping, honey
When I ain't sleeping, mama
When I'm not sleeping
You know you'll find me crying
Whenever I've thrown them dice
Maybe tomorrow, honey
Someplace down the line
I'll wake up older
So much older, mama
I'll wake up older
And I'll just stop all my tryin'
Repeat verse 1
When the Jazz Started
One Saturday night, I was at Traynor’s after midnight, which was when the jazz started. I’m not sure why I was there, as I was still a high school student. Anyway, I settled in to listen to the Red Onions from Adelaide. I was a bit self-conscious because of my age and the fact I was alone, so I sat on a small bench at the back of the room.
We all watched as the band set up, and the recording engineer set up his gear. When he was ready, he called for a sound check.
Perfect. Off we go. Settle back and enjoy.
The sound gear suddenly stops. I lean forward and watch the troubleshooting routine, another successful sound check, and off they go again. I settle back to enjoy.
Again, the sound gear stops.
Twice more, and the recording engineer finally does a complete check of all cabling including the power lead, which snakes down the side wall, then across the back wall to the power point set halfway along, low down, near the skirting board – and directly behind one of the legs supporting the bench I’m sitting on.
Yup, you got it. When I leaned forward to watch the set up and sound check, the bench leaned away from the power point, allowing the plug to remain fully engaged. When I settled back, the leg trapped the cord slightly, disengaging the plug but not pulling it out of the wall.
I felt quite embarrassed, but nobody was blaming me.
JB & Ian Ball, 1981
The recording engineer was Ian Ball. I later came to know him quite well, recording demo tapes with both John Rasmussen and Woodside in his Belgrave studio, where the main challenge was to avoid George the Goat if you had to make a trip to the outhouse.
