CLARK MANDOLINS

It all started in 1971. Our
Hawaiian group split up
when the lead singer ran
away with the hula girl taking
our saved up money with
them. The lead guitarist,
steel player, drummer and I
(Bass) set out playing at a
few bars, Elks etc. Just wasn’t
working out. I decided to
start my own band. Country
music was just becoming popular in the Phoenix
area again and I had an Idea. Why not get a girl
lead singer and add some boogie background to
country music.
We tried out the Final Touch Band at a
few bars… it went over very well. We landed a
job with the Maryvale Elks on Friday nights.
Were playing private parties and weddings -
anything that came along. Glendale Elks, Phoenix
Elks even the Ajo Elks once. Playing Friday
and Saturday Nights at a restaurant on the
slopes of South Mountain was Fun. That is
where Marty Robbins left us a note saying he
liked the group. The people that ran that place
wanted us to play 5 nights a week. I wasn’t
ready for that as I worked full Time for the
Safeway Distribution Center (44 years and 8
Months) We soon started playing up and down
the Scottsdale Strip, even at Carefree. Rawhide
(Scottsdale) heard of us and asked us to come
play. We did, and were hired. We had a previous
engagement booked for the city of Glendale
for the 4th of July. There were 40,000 people
there. My knees were shaking badly. I was going
to open with Johnny B Goode. Somehow my
voice wasn’t squeaky like I thought it would be,
and It went over great. My other musicians rotated
songs. We were a trio this night. Wow
what a night! We only played for 45 minutes.
The main music was the old time Fiddlers. The
Newspaper was very generous to us, barely mentioned
the Fiddlers, and saying we rivaled the
fireworks. The city wanted us the next year, but
we were under a contract then.Playing an average of 3 nights a week at
Rawhide starting out was great. Later we were
Rawhide’s main Tourist band. Four and some
times five nights a week were coming our way.
Now I know a lot of bands played at Rawhide,
but they didn’t last that long
We played mostly out back of rawhide
for the tourist groups and conventions that came
in from all over the world… I lost track of all the
countries that came there. There were several
big Groups. John Deere International Had
5,000 people, but Rawhide could only feed 1000
people a night. We played for them for 5 nights
in a row. There was another 5000 people job, but
I can’t remember who it was. Lots of 500 to almost
1000 company parties. Most were 50 to
100 or so, especially the tour groups. One remarkable
tour was when we were set up at one
of the portable band shelter out back. We were
waiting for the hay wagon to come. It was late,
and we were wondering if were going to play or
not. All of a sudden and out of the bushes they
came. They were Russian City officials, much
like our mayors. There was a group of secret
service and Russian officials with them. Wow!
Only mishap was that one of them wanted to
play my guitarist’s Guitar. My man wouldn’t let
him. Kinda ticked me off.
One year during the monsoons before
Pinnacle Peak road was paved, I could see rattlesnakes
crossing the road. One night on the way
home I thought one would make a good hatband
for my country hat. Using a mic stand to hold
the mad critter down and my pocket knife, I
subdued the snake and threw the body into the
back of my Van. It was still thrashing around in
a garbage bag. My lady singer promptly protested
and climbed over the seat. Later another
band person wanted a hatband just like mine.
He got one. Over the years, perhaps after some
of the redneck left me, I quit doing that and just
took pictures or relocated them out of peoples
yards.
We opened for several bands including
the Nashville Brass, Stella Parton (Dolly’s Sister), did warm ups for Nashville on the Road show and several less famous shows. Amanda Blake often sat at our break tables. She sponsored one of my lady drummer’s CD “Little Doggies Need Loving Too”. They made a couple of TV ads of us advertising Rawhide in Europe and Japan.
After 6 or 8 years playing out back and at private parties they offered us a chance to play at the Golden Belle Restaurant on the main street of Rawhide. We went in to play for two months and ended up playing for 16 months at 5 night a week.
I was getting too old to work two jobs. My wife was getting sick. We still had jam sessions at my house once a week. I would get the guys off the road and we would have a great time. One guy got back on drugs and I had to let him go. Things just weren’t the same after that. I just worked on my day job. My wife kelp getting sicker and sicker. She finally quit her job. She had a brain bleed, and even though she got through that, diabetes and dementia started. It was really terrible. My kids helped much as they could for a couple of years, even taking me on day photo shoots. I just kept working. Nothing else mattered anymore. I sold all my musical stuff except for my 5-string Bass, amp and a mic. Carol

I'm in a room full of people, hanging on one person's breath.
We would all vote him most likely to be loved to death.
I hope he still wants it, but it might remind him of when,
he aimed for the bulls eye and hit it nine times out of ten.
That one time his hand slipped, and I saw the dart sail away.
I don't know where it landed, but I'm guessing between green and gray.
We thought nothing of it, but it still haunts him like a ghost.
With all eyes upon him, except two that matter the most.

He says "Green is the color everyone sees al around me.
Gray is the color I see around her, and she's just a blur."
The more the corwd cheers, the less I can hear
and they don't really care what I play. It might be for her.
But for now it's between green and gray.

We paid and we cheered. Now we're gone and to us that feels right.
But for him every one of those evenings turns into a night.
With another hotel room where he lays awake to pretend
that he's doing fine with his notebook and discman for friends.

He says "Green is the color everyone sees al around me.
Gray is the color I see around her, and she's just a blur."
Night after night what I hear, what I write fills the room
and my head starts to sway. It might be for her,
but for now it's between green and gray.

I want you to love me, he whispers, unable to speak.
And he wonders aloud why feelings so strong make the body so weak.
Then he awoke. Now he's scared to death somebody heard.
If it was you, and you know her, please don't say a word.

Nickel Creek: Chris Thile: This side