Steve Cargill Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 (edited) …Of Texas. Deep in the Heart of Texas. Where I’m from! Hello to the Breakthrough Guitar Community Forum! I’m Steve Cargill from Austin,Texas. Been working on Jonathan’s program for a few months but just joined the Forum this weekend (24-25 Sep 21) so this is my introduction letter uh, post as we call it here in the 21st century. Hey, I watched the chariot race from Ben Hur on my phone while waiting in a doctor’s office this morning. Unbelievable! Anyway, excellent idea to have questions all ready to be answered. Really gets the condensation wiped off the windows. Truly! To wit— Question One. How did I get started? Began learning and playing guitar and occasionally spent some time on bass at age 12, promptly (like the next day) after seeing The Beatles for the first time on Ed Sullivan’s show, Sunday night, 9 Feb 1964. Now, you’ve never heard THAT string of events before, have you? 😄 It’s a boomer thing, I know, but its hard to describe the magnitude of that single TV show’s significance today even though it was happening all around me, start to finish, approximately 1964-1970. (Good subject for a blog thread, eh? Why was all that so significant?) Since that magic night, things have changed so much in popular music and the record business, I don’t think such a huge, revolutionary change in popular culture and popular music, especially not almost instantly like The Beatles happened, could occur that way again because those conditions probably won’t, and maybe even can’t occur again. That night, seeing those guys and they way they looked and they way they sounded—hearing their music was absolutely huge, totally different from anything on the radio or records at the time—a true tsunami-style game changer for people who were rock and rollers in my generation. It was such a watershed, its been 57 years and I’m still getting over it, in case you can’t tell. Retired from business in 2013 and with time enough at last (there’s a fascinating Twilight Zone episode by that title), finally dusted off my guitar and guitar-playing skills and dusted off my motivation as well to get up off the couch and now am having a go. Which is why when I saw Jonathan Boyd’s ad on a Web site I was reading, I checked it out. And here I am. That’s the guitar journey so far, 1964-2021. Question Two. If you all could wave a magic wand over me and my guitar, I would LOVE, with eyes closed, and in a completely darkened room with only the glowing pilot light(s) on my amp for spatial orientation so I don’t stumble and fall , to be able to play note-for-note the guitar part from Crossroads exactly as performed by Cream (Eric Clapton, guitar) recorded Live at Winterland, San Francisco, Calif., 10 March 1968. It’s on a couple of Cream compilations, the one called Gold comes to mind, but the I believe the original version is on the LP (album) Wheels of Fire. I had Wheels of Fire on an 8 track in my ‘68 VW Beetle. Driving around town, singing sometimes screaming at the tops of our lungs, “WENT DOWN TO THE CROSSROADS / TRIED TO FLAG A RIDE…” Those were the days. If you have to ask why THAT song—-I could tell you but then I’d have to—-kidding. It’s the song at age 16 that inspired me to do more than only play rhythm guitar. Plus it just ROCKS. I’d like to be able to perform it as Mr. C does. The Cream version of Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign is easier, but Crossroads is the big kahuna. So—third question, what does my ultimate dream look like? My ultimate dream is finding at least three other humans (bass, drums, 2nd guitar or keyboards) maybe a fourth, who WANT TO make a band that did 60s-70s stuff: The Beatles, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Byrds, Mamas and Papas, Allman Bros., Elvis (yes Elvis), Neil Young, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, plus lots of blues standards from Three Kings (B.B., Freddie, Albert) Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Slim Harpo, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and others of which there are plenty, Kimosabe. Original songs would be welcome too if they fit the overall vibe of the band’s sound or were arranged to. Then throw in the occasional song by Ed Sheeran or Green Day or Kings of Leon or someone who is current and can fit our style, just to show we’re not totally hind-leg walkers from Jurassic Park (a.k.a. dinosaurs) which is exactly what we are but no need to flaunt it. Kidding. Truly, there is absolutely terrific current stuff out there a band such as I’ve described could use. Reverend by Kings of Leon is really an excellent song, Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams is also really great. We work hard, get three or four sets down (takes months to do that as I recall) and then—get some gigs. Not too many, maybe two or three a month. Then—Europe. The UK. Norway, Sweden, Denmark (The Viking Tour!) Hamburg. The Star Club. Is it still there? Kidding. And I have Viking heritage so I can joke about a Viking tour. But not horned helmets. That’s Hollywood stuff, not authentic. Anyway, gigs—local stuff will be plenty good for starters. You asked for the ultimate dream, so there it is. It’s ultimate fer shure dude, and its also my dream. Sincerest thanks to Jonathan Boyd and Company for this cool new Web site Breakthrough Forum, and for asking these questions of newcomers. Answering them forced me to think about what I want, where I’ve been and where I’m going. And how much time is left on the clock! Ha! Ha! John Lennon’s #9 Dream is playing on the radio as I type this. I love it when stuff like this happens. Look forward to meeting you all virtually here on the Breakthrough Forum and to joining in with what’s going on here. Best regards, Steve Cargill Edited September 25, 2021 by Steve Cargill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewey Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 Steve, What a great introduction! As a long-time suffering Minnesota Vikings fan I like your idea of touring nordic countries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Carter Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 Welcome to the band @Steve Cargill! That's one heck of an introduction. I love it. We're glad to have you. I'm excited to watch your progress and I am going to make that Viking Tour. It's happening. P.S. - Thank you! The horned helmet is absolutely a Hollywood thing. I see it on TV and video games and everywhere and I'm like "how did we get it so wrong?" 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Gay Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 What an awesome intro, and solid foundation. You are an inspiration to a lot of folks who are still wondering about "Their" answers to some of those questions. It is a pleasure to meet you, and I wish you nothing but success with your goals Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cargill Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 Thanks for your kind words, Glen. I appreciate your support. Hope to get to know you better. Regards, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.