This was a 2 1/2 Inch scully analog session At Critera Studios in beautiful Miami.I was flown from tampa in a rented lear to do the session.Infomed that if I did not hit the pocket my hands were going to be broken.Handed a 1957 tele esquire to cut the parts.I flew in on a lear and had to catch a hound back to Tampa.It pissed the band and management off to no end that I was a white man.I had a ball and loved it all.Never got paid either.I considered I got to fly in a lear and did not have my hands broken after the session.And they would have done that no question about it.It was not digital I had to play the riff from start to finish perfect.The material was so advanced.I just had to hang through and do my thing.After I was done I was stranded in Miami,the assistant engineer gave me a ride to the Greyhound Station.All of it was a fantastic expierence.The track I cut is point genius.I was treated like a captured prisoner.Flying in a lear jet to Miami.I plugged the tele into a Fender Princeton amp and the drummer Gregg drilled me on how to play it.I was asked what kind of whiskey I wanted and choose Jim Beam Bourbon with Key West Cola.Every word towards me,every action was hard and cold.Like I did not know shit from Shineola.And these were some really bad dudes.I was not scared though,I was getting off on it.The tracks I was going to cut were the ones that may put me on the map.The lear landed in Miami,the limo was waiting.Next thing I knew I was in Critera Studios in the "A" room.For all of the tracks I went direct into the board.11 hours straight.I DID ALL OF THE ALBUM TRACKS.Standing where Eric Clapton cut "Layla."That Tele was the right choice,it felt so fine.And I had to appreciate the moment I had been given here.No white man on Earth ever cut such tight guitar tracks for a black band.And after the expenses paid for me to get there if I did not turn in the cuts they would have stomped my hands and I never would have played again.But I was up for the hunt.I loved working with Shawn and the band.And they loved me and how I fit into the mix yet it bugged them up to no end that I was a white dude and a rock and roller.They would have put me out in a moment in favor of a black guitar player and relegated me to road manager to just do the guitar tracks in the studio.It was a hard lesson to me, yet as I said no other white man on earth could cut such tight and precise tracks,no black guitarist could top it either,that is why I was there.I do not do very many chords,the keyboards covered that and no guitar solos.Tight melodies all up in the pocket that the drummer Gregg instructed me to play in flight.My work here ranks with James Brown's guitarist,I am very proud of it.What I had to endure to cut these tracks is not really of any matter.And the whole attitude of it was so racist against me which I also consider to be childish.This was a project from Florida being set up to go head to head with the mighty "Cameo."Our only major concert was at the bayfront center in St.Petersburg opening for Chaka Kahn and Shawn Brown with the rest of us just tore the house down.Then we were set to do a European Tour.By this time I had become to get pretty aggravated with them.They would turn my guitar off onstage.So the Bayfront was my final gig with them.They were "Blackstar" I would have quite gladly just played my guitar parts in the wings and not even have shown my white ass onstage,the whole concept and the material was genius,yet the attitude going down behind it was really debased.They wanted nothing to do in any sort of way with white people.A huge white market that would have fallen in love with them and would have taken nothing away from their predominately Black following.The art is directed to all people.This attitude cost all of us millions of dollars and relegated this fantastic band to obscurity but for the fact that I also bought a copy of all the tracks when I was in Miami and rode on home with them on the hound.Otherwise you would never had heard this music ever.R.I.P. to Gregg Pruitt,the fantastic drummer and soul of the pocket.My instructor and conductor for the sessions I did.In my opinion he is the finest funk drummer that ever existed.He was the one that insisted that I do the guitar parts.Drilled me like an armed forces D.I. instructor.It is his melodies that I am playing.I was so dismayed out of this,I felt as though I had the number one guitar slot in the world.I would have left my own thing to do this in a heartbeat.Such a soulful funky guitar perfoming on such fantastic songs.The major leagues though wanted to remove the guitar from black music in favor of just the keyboards.Leaving so many great black guitar players out of work.Who are they going to play with,a country band?A heavy metal band? they are not even going to go out to audition for that because this is the thing that they want to play,all clean and clear But they are shut out of it.They can't find any work.James Brown,the godfather of soul did not feel like this,there was always this funky little guitar part leading up the pocket.Controlled and precise with such awesome tone.A keyboard will never be able to compensate that.A lot of sales of even the most cutting edge material are not what they would be with a great guitar part.Puff,LL cool Jay,50 cent,David Ruffin Jr where is your guitar player?Call me!