As told to the Awizard list by Mark "Moogy" Klingman...
Part 8
9/18/99
Nicky Nichols was the flamboyant make-up and costume designer that gave TR his peacock face on his first TV show after "Hello, It's Me'" was a hit. He did make-up and costumes for all the tours I was on. He was always a good friend of TR's.
Moogy
9/19/99
[So, you say Bowie was one of Todd's idols. Was there anything in particular he really dug about what Bowie was doing? ]
Obviously, TR dug the whole glitter rock thing. That's why we all had to wear crazy make-up and costumes for the first few tours. I was made up as Betty Boop!! Here we are playing heavy half hour long jazz rock fusion...transcendental rock... and I had to look like Ms. Boop!! After a few tours, TR let us stop wearing the Nicky Nichols applied make-up. The whole glitter look of the early tours was straight out of Bowie. After we played Carnegie Hall.... Bowie joined us for a small party at an Indian restaurant, where we ate and danced. Things were going well, till I let slip to Bowie, how little I enjoyed playing with Lou Reed, as compared to TR. This was enuff to upset him, mightily. He stopped talking to me, after that.
[Did Todd ever specifically play you music (anybody's) he was really excited about? Did he ever have an 'awe struck' attitude about anybody's music or playing or say 'man, you gotta sit down and listen to this' etc? Was he into Laura Nyro when you knew him? ]
I knew one day someone would mention this. Laura Nyro was a tremendous influence on TR and I. We both started writing piano songs after listening to her album, "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession". Laura Nyro inspired both of us to become songwriters. After Eli came out, TR began to play piano endlessly, and taking Laura's chords to other worlds. In fact, in TR's piano based songs, (which are most of his songs), there is no greater influence than Laura Nyro. I, likewise, was blown away by hearing the "Eli" album. It was a completely obscure record, and bonded us together after first meeting each other (we found the record independent of each other)...Our immediate bond was how much we loved Laura Nyro.
TR even wrote a song about her on his first album, based on how poorly she performed at The Troubadour (an LA club), and the fact that TR had dinner with her, later!
Todd would honestly, almost never listen to rock music when I was around. He hated for anyone to think of him as a fan of anyone. Mostly, he loved to condemn other rock music. But, I can tell you his earliest influences were the Beatles and the Who. In the early days of the first "Runt", all his guitar moves were based on Peter Townsend. His singing was based on many Philly soul black acts, and his Utopia band concept had as much to do with the Mahavishnu Orchestra as with Yes.
Moogy
9/22/99
The section of the Ikon that I wrote is the last section before the finale'. The band breaks and the electric piano plays a very Aron Copland type line, and then the band comes in with a 9/8-hoedown country feel. Then the thing breaks down to just grand piano and I play a sad slow melody. The piece then goes to double speed as the hoedown picks up from ballad section...this leads into the final recap of all the melodies of the Ikon. I wrote this entire section, and the piece was originally called "The Conquering of the West". Todd liked the piece and interpolated it into the "Ikon".
My band is rehearsing it and will most likely play "The conquering of the west" from the Ikon ... on Sunday... for the first time.
Moogy
9/24/99
I do remember, that at the time, TR was not happy about having to share the production credit with someone, who had essentially walked off the production...even though this someone was George Harrison (who played an amazing slide guitar solo on "Day after Day"). TR told me, that he did sit with Harrison in the studio and go over the tracks with him, before taking over the project.
Moogy
9/24/99
The only lead singing that I did on the first Utopia album is on the "Freak Parade". I sing both choruses' solo. "In a world full of freaks, you can creep you can crawl, but the world's biggest freak...(TR and band chime in) is the one with no balls" In fact, that's the only lead singing on that album, not done by TR.
Moogy
9/25/99
On "Freak Parade", I co-wrote all the music with John Siegler.
[One kick ass piano solo. Can't think of a rock piano solo with more.] Thanks! That's me... and not Ralph, or the Frog. The real overt influence on the music of the "Freak Parade", was that it followed the form of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".
Moogy
9/29/99
Now it can be revealed!!!!!!!
Not only did none of the stars from his TV show, "Taxi" show up at Andy's funeral. But no one from SNL or the two movies that he had done and no comedians from the Improv who had made it with Andy (like Robin Williams). No stars at the funeral. ZILCH!...
On the 6 o clock news the nite of the funeral were interviews with me (yes, I was there) and Bob Zmuda. But, least we stop here... let it be known here first. Exclusively!!!!!!
In the movie "Man on the Moon", the whole cast of Taxi is at the funeral!!!!!!
I say stop the lies, Hollywood!!... In this flic - Art sure don't imitate life!!!! In fact, the only people outside the family and a few friends, who were there, were many Elvis impersonators in full regalia. They thought Andy was the first and the best Elvis. This was added to the flick after my sister told Milosh Forman (the director) about it. My sister (Lynzee Klingman) edited the movie. So they added the Elvis guys at my suggestion, but wouldn't take out the Taxi cast. A second, more complete Bio by Bill Shnee?? is coming out in November and I did about three interviews for it, so watch out for the MoogMan and maybe a Utopia reference, in the authorized Andy Kaufman Bio.
Moogy
10/8/99
When we played Philly, as "Hello, It's Me" was in the top five and Todd was America's hottest new rock star, his parents came to the gig. After the sold out show of screaming TR fanatics, I was next to Todd, as his parents came backstage. His mother was beaming and proud, but his Dad, dressed in a plaid workshirt and dungarees, seemed somewhat hostile. While standing next to TR, I asked his father what he thought of the concert and Todd's music. His dad said, "I didn't listen to the music. It was so loud that I had to go to the lobby to get away from it. Then I could still hear it, so I went to my car in the parking lot, and I could still hear it. So, I rolled up all the windows while I sat in the car. Peace at last!" Todd laughed politely.
Moogy
11/5/99
Ellman quit the group to work for his father's restaurant empire - "Beefsteak Charlie's" and "Steak and Brew". He was being groomed to take over as president of the company. I talked him out of musical retirement to record one song with me and John Seigler in 1985. I still remember going to his office and seeing him in his business suit. That song, "Popularity", will be on my next album...out in about two months...."Moogy and the MoJo's" a musical history - part 3. (Part 2 comes later)
Moogy
11/6/99
[ Moogy seems to have been deeply hurt by experiences with Todd (not that I can blame him in the slightest), and has not worked that through enough to let it go. ]
Whatever my personal feelings about TR, or what I've worked thru or not, when you say TR was a "YESHEAD" or worshipped Nyro, and loved Clapton.... I feel I just have to step in, cause I was there. I am a witness to history. And I think that people want to know the truth. When TR was in high school, he probably was a fan of other bands and musicians, but from the first day I ever knew him and onward, he wasn't a fan. That's just a fact. If you went to his house, he wouldn't play you records he loved of contemporary pop acts or bands. I think he felt he was above all that. He said it best. "I don't admire people..." that's your quote, not mine. .... and honest to god, it was true, when it came to his influences. He must have loved them. He just wouldn't admit it.
For a guy steeped in music the way he was, I was always amazed that he felt it was bad form to display affection for the music and musicians that so influenced him and turned his life around (remember, he was a nerd in high school, till he found music). Occasionally, I would bring over new records I loved so I could turn TR onto them. And he would always act unexcited and point out some negative thing about them, whoever they were. I finally had to stop bringing over records. I couldn't take it anymore. Here was a musical genius, swimming in music 24 hours a day, who never seemed to enjoy any record by any contemporary. Very sad, and in a way, very telling. It's not about me, or what I've worked out or not, or been hurt or not. I was there - with TR much of the time, during they years 69 to 75 and stayed very close to him during much of those years. I'm only telling you the truth, Bill, now deal with it.
[To him it is a sham because he can't see it from any other perspective. ]
I'm not saying he was a sham, I loved the man's music. Deal with that! He just wasn't a fan or an admirer of other people's work. At least, he wouldn't let on that he was...
Okay, Bill!! Do you want to know what really turned TR on??? What he really, really loved.........fireworks!
Moogy
11/10/99
The two songs you are talking about were TR on everything songs. The crashing sea sounds on "Spark of Life" - were created with the mini-moog. TR had an uncanny ability to find any sound effect equivalent on the mini-moog. If you pull out your copy of my CD, "Old Times, Good Times".... on the song, "Doing the Slop", TR uses the mini-moog to create all the sound effects. That's the comet, the car engine, the dual carburetors, screeching wheels etc....check it out. The CD is still for sale at my website -http://www.moogymusic.com
The tap dancing sound on "Useless Begging", was, I believe, done with spoons. TR either played two spoons back to back or banged them on the floor..can't remember which. But he was always able to make music on any instrument, synth, even household appliance or in this case, silverware.
Moogy