continued...
HIP: Yeah, we heard he was going to play some trumpet with you?
Yeah, I left some messages for him. I hope he plays trumpet on my new CD, called Straight from the Heart.
HIP: Straight from the Heart, right. I heard you recorded like 27 songs...
We recorded 27 songs. We recorded for three days, ten hours a day, and then we overdubbed a few voices and stuff the next day.
HIP: You played at The Cathay DeGrande?
We were the house band there for years.
HIP: Yeah? How was that?
The Cathay DeGrande was kind of like The Masque or The Marquee or The Cavern in Europe. You know, where The Stones and The Beatles came from. A lot of bands came from those two clubs. We used to play every Monday for two or three years, we missed three or four Mondays out of that time. Tom Waits used to come play with us, Maria McKee (Lone Justice), all The Blasters, all The (Los) Lobos, The Paladins. We helped a lot, a lot of bands come up. The Lobos do one of my songs, and The Blasters too. I wrote a song for The Mentors that I play for like Eldon (El Duce). Okay, its another gross song, which Im glad I can play in America, cuz I know if I played it in Islam theyd fucking slice my throat and murder my family. God, I havent played it for 19 years.
(He now performs the song)
"That bitch is really strong,
she really likes em long,
I really want your mom!
I want your mom.
I want your mom.
I want your mom."
Anyway thats a song I wrote for The Mentors that never got played anywhere. You know, Eldon graduated at the top of his class. He always acted like a fucking dummy. I think his starting line when he worked at The Ivar Theater when he was the film man or something, was "Gentlemen, pitch your tents!" and the guys would pull their jackets up over their crotch. At the beginning of every film, "Gentlemen, pitch your tents!".
The first time I saw him play he had hair. It was split down the middle, oiled. It looked like two apple leaves on his fucking head. He was wearing shorts, with shit in them, and combat boots, and a hood. That was it, I said who is this fucking idiot?.
HIP: El Duce was big figure in the Kurt Cobain conspiracy...
He was a big fat figure! (laughter) I used to peel his face off of the Zero One, excuse me the Zero-Zero floor, when it was on 1955 Cahuenga (Blvd). I was the doorman, I collected the money. I never hit anybody, Id just pick them up and throw them. It was a whole lotta fun. A guy named Top Jimmy, the singer for Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs, was the bartender. Now he was the biggest drunk in town, what the hell he was doing behind the fucking bar I dont know. It was a great time, I used to peel Eldon off the floor at the end of the night cuz hed be in a bunch of piss near the bathroom. I always made sure his head was tilted so he wouldnt swallow the piss. Im not lying.
Anyway, about the band, Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs, it was myself on guitar and Jimmy singing. The great, great, great, great, Jimmy. A really good person. Jimmy died, recently. I almost died a couple months ago from my heart. I had to pull through and stop doing drugs, stop drinking. I dont want to play in Jimmys band any more! Sorry Jimmy. Anyway, it was me and Top Jimmy the singer, the three guys from X (the band), and Exene would get up and sing, slippin and sliding with me and some other stuff. Anyway they were X but they were with us too. It was Ray (Manzarek) from The Doors, and James who is now in The Thunderbirds, The Tigermen. James Harmon, The Blasters. A lot of great bands. James is going to play on my new CD when he gets into town on the 17th.
HIP: Carlos Guitarlos, our guest for tonight, we just have a couple of more minutes left and we just wanted to ask you if you have any ideas about where music is heading or what you think of contemporary music...
Well it all comes back around to songwriting and stuff. Instead of just following what somebody else did, you know? I mean, like with my songs, Ive done like 500 or so songs with a lot of different styles and stuff, and its derivative of course but at least its not all the same song you know? Like I said, when I was thirteen I could play whatever I heard. That was a time when you could hear ten different types of artists on the same station. Now theres a station for rock, for 60s rock, for 50s rock, for punk rock, for heavy rock, for thrash rock. It could all be you know, put together into something better. Not to dilute each genre but to show it to other people who arent listening to it. You know what Im saying? Its important. Otherwise I wouldnt be able to play as much as I can play. Otherwise I would just know one of those, instead of all of them.
HIP: Do you have any advice for aspiring guitarists?
Yeah. Stand up, kick in your fucking TV screen and go play your fucking guitar or instrument! What the hell are you watching me for?
HIP: Okay, thats some good solid advice. Carlos (Guitarlos), his new CD is "Straight From The Heart". Why dont you take us out with one last song.
Im going to play The National Anthem, because Im old. Heres a song for the people that just got banged up today from those fucking airplanes (WTC, Sept.11).
(begins to play The National Anthem as credits roll by)
Article on Top Jimmy's wake
Page 1
Page 2
(Rock City News)
www.carlosguitarlos.com
Tom Waits CD with Carlos Guitarlos on guitar (Swordfishtrombones)
Chuck Prophet CD with Carlos Guitarlos on guitar (Balinese Dancer)