In 1973, I had been working with Helen Reddy for almost three years. Helen had a number of Pop hits, including I AM WOMAN, of course, and NBC decided that she would be the host of a Summer replacement show for Flip Wilson. The show introduced the Pointer Sisters to America and other stars over the course of the Summer were Peter Allen, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jim Croce, Anne Murray, Albert Brooks and Chuck Berry, to name a few. A real microcosm of the 70's LA Music Scene.
One of the best things about Helen and her husband Jeff Wald was their loyalty to the band that traveled with her for her live concerts. Wald has become a legend over the years for his over the top style and in your face heavy handed negotiating tactics. It was really something to watch as Jeff would do whatever he could to further Helen's career. He was young and brash and had absolutely no fear at all, whether yelling at Room Service or the Head of Capitol Records.
Helen's band at that time included Mike Warren on Guitar, Dick Horn on Piano, Dave Parlato on Bass and me on Drums. When we heard the news of the impending Summer TV Shows, we were all excited but also not sure, as NBC insisted that the Musical Director for the TV Show was to be the Immortal Nelson Riddle. Would Nelson want to use his own guys? How would he react to a quartet of long haired Hippies invading his Orchestra?
Mr. Wald went to the Mystical "Powers That Be" and insisted that Helen's Band be the rhythm section on the Show. I have no idea what he had to do but it was decided that we were to be in Nelson Riddle's Band for any and all music performed, not just Helen's music.
Told to be at the Capitol Tower for the first prerecording of the Show, I arrived about two hours early, just to make sure my drums, which had been delivered by my Cartage Company, were in order and also to maybe get a peek at the music we would be recording that afternoon. I had hair down to my shoulders, wore a floral shirt and low rise blue jeans with a large leather belt. Slowly the band began to assemble. Shorty Sherrock, Al Aarons, Cappy Lewis, Tommy Shepherd, Nelson's son Chris, Buddy Collette, Gene Estes, Al Viola, Claire Fischer and others I can't recall, began to find their seats.
Suddenly, in walked the man himself. Looking around, he said hello to his regulars, began leafing through the music on his stand, placed there by Vern Yocum and then looked in my direction. Typing this, I can remember the fear I had at that moment. I went over to introduce myself. He was professional and somewhat distant. Clearly, he had no idea what to expect from Helen's band and no idea what to expect from the young kid standing in front of him with a mountain of hair who weighed 99 pounds and was his new drummer.
First thing we recorded was the Theme to the show, which was Nelson's instrumental arrangement of I AM WOMAN. No problem...He counted it off and away we went. Some more short versions of the Theme, some bumpers and the Closing Theme and it was break time. We went into the booth to listen to what we had done and Nelson seemed to relax a bit. It sounded good, the band was tight and our little rhythm section gave an authenticity to the charts that was a new experience for Nelson.
One by one, we recorded each number for that week's show. Nelson had a metronome on the podium. Before each take he would get the tempo from the metronome and after each take he would turn it on again to see if we were still at the same tempo. When it turned out that we were, he would turn in my direction and smile. It was going to be OK.
I don't recall how many shows we did but each week we did the same prerecord at Capitol 1 and then over to NBC to do the show live. I went on to work with Nelson on many other projects. Live gigs with his band, recordings with Eydie Gorme, more TV and Films and the Linda Ronstadt concerts at Radio City Music Hall. I did the last date he ever did, September 1985, NYC, South Street Seaport. Temperature 55 degrees and the wind blowing hard. But that's another story. And it all started when I was 24 years old and was Helen Reddy's drummer.
