Skip to Content Skip to Navigation
e-mail list

Rick Suchow: Scrapbook


scrapbook

Here's my little scrapbook collection... don't worry, no baby pictures.












I'm proud of having one of my tunes included in the music publication The New Real Book. I remember how invaluable the original Real Book was (and still is) for musicians, and this book is sort of an updated version. According to its publisher Chuck Sher, 'The New Real Book' has sold over a half million copies worldwide to date. I get a kick out of seeing my name in the same music book as some of the great jazz composers and players like Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, George Benson and Jaco Pastorius. These people are my heroes.

Some artists' comments on 'The New Real Book':

"Teriffic publication. Great collection of tunes." - Chick Corea

"Great for professionals who have been playing these tunes by ear - like yours truly" - Ron Carter

"Eye-opening collection of jazz standards and important originals that deserves the widest possible use in the jazz community" - Richie Beirach

back to index













"You see, they expected that because it's McCartney and Starr, anyone in their right mind would put that on. It just didn't fit the space we needed on the album... this is my best shot, in my opinion, of my album."
 - Ringo Starr, Beatlefan Magazine 1992, discussing "Angel In Disguise"

OK, here's my Beatles story.

The above book by Beatles biographer Alan Clayson, along with this Rolling Stone magazine article, is my proof that when 'What Goes Around' was picked for Ringo's Time Takes Time, it bumped a Paul McCartney song that was originally on the album. The Rolling Stone article was published while Time was still being completed, and lists Paul's "Angel In Disguise", co-written with Ringo, as one of the songs. Fortunately (for me, at least) Ringo listened to my tape just before the album was finished. So much for getting a little help from his friends! I had the honor of killing the first McCartney-Starkey composition ever, although clearly that fact wouldn't work to my advantage at any gathering of Beatle fanatics.

As for 'What Goes Around', it featured an excellent production by Don Was, who used members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and Bonnie Raitt's band on the song, and Ringo playing drums of course. Don extended the song's ending and also suggested I rewrite some lyrics in the second verse (which I did, and it turned out he was definitely right about that). Thanks Don, you're the boss. No... you're the Don.

The book and article both mention Ringo's cover version of Elvis Presley's 'Don't Be Cruel', another song originally slated for the album that wound up getting bumped to the B-side of the album's first single (titled 'Weight of The World') after 'What Goes Around' was picked.


About McCartney's "Angel In Disguise"... I suppose it was fitting that when Time Magazine reviewed the Ringo album (partially shown below), the writer mentions the "cryptic message" heard at the end of 'What Goes Around' and suggested the phrase could be "I buried Paul".

Well it wasn't, but for the record... I guess I did. And that's my Beatles story.










back to index




















A big thrill was watching the group TKA perform my song 'Are You For Real' on NBC's 'Showtime At The Apollo' in 1990, shot at the legendary Apollo Theatre in New York. (To view the Apollo video clip, click here.)
Speaking of TKA, lead vocalist Kayel (aka K7) had a huge hit five years later called 'Come Baby Come', which landed in the Billboard Top 20 Pop Chart and was eventually released on nearly 40 different 'Various Artist' compilations. Even better, the female vocalist doing the great 'scat' singing on the record just happens to be my wife Camille.

From the success of "Come Baby Come", Camille became the proud recipient of five gold records and one multi-platinum ('Come Baby Come' 7" and 12" singles, albums 'Swing Batta Swing', 'MTV Party To Go Vol. 5', and 'Jock Jams Vol. 1'). All for one song! Nice work baby.




back to index
>









In December of 2004 I had the good fortune to perform at the President's family Christmas party at the White House... a nice informal night and a great time for everyone. I asked Mr. Bush if he'd like to come up and sing with the band, to which he amusingly replied that he no longer drinks (I guess that wasn't an empty beer glass in his hand). I did however have an interesting discussion with him about the steriod abuse problem in baseball, knowing that he was a former co-owner of the Texas Rangers.

Forget the war on terror, our President's real passion is baseball. He talked at length about Donald Fehr (baseball union chief, with whom he still has close ties), and also pointed out to me where in the White House he watches games on TV. I was curious to find out if he was aware of any steriod use on his team back when he had the Rangers. Mr. Bush said that for the most part it wasn't an issue -- although they all kind of suspected Jose Cansceco was involved. Anyway, the President was confident that the players would clean up their act and that government intervention wouldn't be necessary. I hope he's right, now Senator John McCain can go back to dealing with flashbacks of the jungles of Vietnam.

We also chatted about music as well - my respect meter moved a few notches up when he told me that he likes Van Morrison. No surprise however that he likes George Straight a lot more than Sinatra.

Later on I talked with the First Lady for a while, and snapped pictures with the twins, who danced all night! All in all, a real blast... not to mention the tightest security I'll ever experience in my life. One more thing, and no disrespect meant to the President, but I have a feeling that watching him dance to Motown is one of the more bizarre images I'll ever encounter. Anyway, I got some photos inside the White House including one with my new friends George & Laura... see the Photos page.

back to index













Ok, not what you thought (like it was a possibility). The Billboard Chart above, reprinted from the magazine's January 19, 1985 issue, shows "SOS, Fire In The Sky" (which I co-wrote for Deodato) banging Madonna out of a chance for the number 6 spot on the chart and she wound up at number 7. I suppose using the phrase "getting banged by Billy Ocean" would have worked too, but come on now... I'm doing the best I can.

back to index



















This one isn't music related, but definitely scrapbook worthy. It's not every day you get to meet someone who walked on the moon. In my case, it wasn't just any astronaut, it was the one and only Buzz Aldrin, who was a guest at a recent performance I played at the Rainbow Room in the NBC building in Manhattan. In case you forgot (or didn't know), Buzz and Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 were the first two humans in history to walk on the moon, and the event was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history.
Realizing that Buzz has probably been asked to death about his legendary moonwalk experience, I figured what the hell, might as well ask him about the same subject. Fortunately for me, he seemed more than happy to answer my questions. I asked him how well NASA was able to prepare him for the moonwalk and how close they came, down here on earth, to simulating what they imagined would be the actual lunar event. "Not that close", he said with a smile. Talk about job experience.
He went on to explain that the feel of the moon's surface in particular was quite different than what he expected. He also mentioned that he found it quite easy to lose his balance while on the moon, and although he managed ok, a few others who followed him on later moonwalks did in fact have some trouble with that. The zero gravity tests on earth couldn't fully prepare him for the actual feeling while on the moon, and Buzz described some of the testing procedures they went through in preparation. Fascinating stuff, if you ask me.
By the way, the famous "moonwalk" photo pictured above isn't Neil Armstrong, as most people assume - it's Buzz Aldrin. Neil's reflection can be seen in Aldrin's helmet visor snapping the picture of Buzz. Amazingly, Neil forgot to give the camera back to Buzz for his own photo, so the only snapshots in existence of the very first moonwalk in history are of Buzz Aldrin.

back to index




















Above is the first and last page of the Music Cue Sheet for Ringo Starr's television special "Coming Home", which first aired on the Disney Channel in April of 1993. "What Goes Around" was used near the beginning (#8) and end (#27) of the program.

The special was mostly footage of Ringo returning to his childhood neighborhood in Liverpool. Below is a short clip from it, in which Ringo describes the Beatles' very first big gig: opening for Little Richard in October 1962 at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. He is standing in front of the venue as he tells the story. As Ringo speaks, my song is played in the background instrumentally.



back to index
























This is the letter I received from ASCAP's Gloria Messinger after "Let Me Be The One" hit the Billboard charts. A nice note of thanks from the world's largest performing rights group.

back to index













Here's one more item from my 'Beatles' experience... Ringo was kind enough to sign my White Album, which is actually the biggest selling Beatles album of all time. He drew an arrow to his picture so I would know which Beatle he was.



back to index




































A week earlier, "Are You For Real" was four spots ahead of "We Are The World". On this chart, Michael and Lionel reach number one on their way to selling 4 million copies, and "Are You For Real" begins its descent into obscurity.

back to index



































Here's the official Dutch Top 40 Chart from 1985. It may not be America, but hey... a number one is a number one.

(Thanks to Dutch Charts authority Steven Lambeck, who sent me this screen shot from the official Dutch Top 40 cd-rom.)
back to index



































While I consider Jaco, Jamerson and Sir Paul to be the three most influential electric bassists ever, if I had to name a fourth it would be the legendary Larry Graham, the man who originated the slap style of bass playing. It was an amazing experience for me to record with Larry, one of my bass heroes.

In 1985 I was working with the former Sly & The Family Stone bassist in New York on his "Fired Up" solo album for Warner Bros. It was a thrill to hear Larry thumpin' away right next to me in the control room, and have the opportunity to hang out with the future rock and roll hall-of-famer. I was credited with bass and drum programming on the album.

back to index


































Here are a few pages from my old lyric notebook with some original drafts, including an attempted (but later dropped) partial third verse on "Let Me Be The One". There's also the original lyrics to "S.O.S., Fire In The Sky", which was actually a completely different song (titled "Fire In Her Eyes").

To view, click here. (pdf file)

back to index