One-On-One With Ricky Byrd: “Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus!”
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Ricky Byrd
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UP CLOSE ⭐️ Ricky Byrd ⭐️
PHOTO CREDIT: Guy Aceto
There’s a 1955 country classic that goes, “how many times have you heard someone say/If I had his money, I'd do things my way/but little they know that it's so hard to find/one rich man in ten with a satisfied mind.” I kept flashing on that song when writing about the career of Ricky Byrd, who must, when all is said and done, indeed, have a satisfied mind.
He may be in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame as part of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, but he’s also been in the bands of Mott The Hoople’s Ian Hunter, The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. As a solo artist, he’s put out a string of Stones/Faces-inspired rock’n’roll that never fails to satisfy.
He was a forever wasted drug user until he looked himself in the mirror one morning 35 years ago after not having gone to sleep the night before and realized he was killing himself. He’s been clean and sober ever since. He’s also been a “Recovery Warrior,” helping people, visiting treatment facilities, talking and singing and changing the lives of those who want to make that plunge into reality. For that I call him a hero. He’ll argue long and loud against that, insisting it’s his responsibility to do so.
Mike Greenblatt: Your new single, “Glamdemic Blues,” is so damn upbeat and joyous, with so much goin’ on, complete with that great Four Tops song that you left off your last album on the flip side. “Reach Out” lends itself so well to your voice and that rock’n’roll aesthetic with that Jeff Beck-styled intro.
Ricky Byrd: I couldn’t copy nor was I trying to copy the original “Reach Out.” And, yeah, it was supposed to be on Sobering Times. I ran out of space! I had too many songs. So when I submitted “Glamdemic Blues” to Wicked Cool Records, [Stevie] Van Zandt asked, “do you have a b-side? A cover would be cool.” And I went, “y’know, I just happen to have one laying around.”
I had finished Sobering Times, did all the interviews, got it out there, and between that and the previous Clean Getaway album, I had enough recovery songs. I was ready to write some regular rock’n’roll on different subject matter. But I wasn’t up to do another album because you spend all this time and money doing such, and maybe two out of ten, if that, get played on “Underground Garage.” I don’t even know if anybody listens to full albums anymore. So I figured singles are the way to go. Like the ’60s! Like Tommy James! I figured out right off the bat that you write differently when you’re writing for singles as opposed to writing for an album. At least I do. Don’t bore us, get to the chorus. I was trying to make everything short.
I’m a big lover of ear candy. When I was a kid listening in my bedroom at my parents’ apartment with those giant headphones, I loved stuff that had little mixing studio tricks like a guitar that goes from one side to the other, or voices that you didn’t necessarily hear when you were listening without headphones. I try to throw a couple of those into every song I write. So I started writing these singles, handed in the first one, and Van Zandt goes, “done, let’s put it out.” Just like that. So I kept writing. Now I have 11 singles. And you know what that equals.
MG: An album!
RB: You can’t get away from it, right? So the idea is I’m just going to keep submitting singles to Wicked Cool. If they play about three or four of them, I intend to bring up the question, “hey, you wanna do a full-length?” And see where it goes. Now I have the material. So “Glamdemic Blues” I wrote about a year into the pandemic when we were all kinda locked in our rooms frustrated because we couldn’t go out and play. I couldn’t do my recovery stuff. So I started with some chords. I always write the music first. I knew I wasn’t going to do recovery stuff for awhile. So what was I to write about? And I just started to write about the frustration of being locked in. In a holding pattern. That’s where those lyrics came from. I wanted to keep it upbeat, joyous as you say, even putting some la-la’s at the end. It’s got a glam feel to it. The title came last. I’m a big lover of that Mott The Hoople descending guitar line. Which I use quite a bit. And all of a sudden I had a song. It turned out to be a conversation with life.
MG: I loved how you referenced The Who at the very tail end of the song when you shout out “I saw ya” just like at the end of “Happy Jack” in 1966.
RB: I’m so glad you heard that! Most people won’t in their haste to move on to another song. I was sitting at the control board while Steve Holley was playing the drums and just yelled it out not even thinking about it. Then I noticed it was actually on the track.
MG: So who else is on the record besides Steve Holley of Wings?
RB: Steve also played with Joe Cocker. Asbury Juke Jeff Kazee is on keyboards. He’s a very soulful singer/songwriter. My co-producer Bob Stander is on bass. I do all guitars and vocals. I didn’t bring anyone in to do background vocals. When I do it myself, it’s fast, and I can harmonize best with myself because I know exactly what I want. And I enjoy doing it. I love layering vocals. I do some studio tricks when I don’t want the backings to sound just like me so I slow it down a bit, then sing it, then speed it up so my voice is a little higher-sounding tone-wise.
“I got a phone call from my friend Steve Dobo at the Rock Hall early in the morning when he found who the inductees were. I was like, “what?” I got so excited as it’s really important to me.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Smith
MG: I love your attention-to-detail on your records. So what could have possibly been going through your mind in 2015 upon being inducted into the Rock Hall. Man, what a night that must have been!
RB: I was used to being nominated and not getting in. We had been nominated twice before. Honestly? It was a big moment. I got a phone call from my friend Steve Dobo at the Rock Hall early in the morning when he found who the inductees were. I was like, “what?” I got so excited as it’s really important to me. I’ve done a lot of charity events in all-star bands at that Cleveland Convention Center backing up cool people like Mavis Staples.
MG: You’ve been onstage with the biggest and the best! McCartney! Bruce!
RB: Yeah, because of those charity events, right, but every time I’d go into the actual Rock Hall museum in Cleveland, I’d walk through it and, invariably, there’d always be a moment where I’d be brought to dead silence. I’d stand looking at Sam Cooke’s tuxedo or Howlin’ Wolf’s money-bag or the guitar of Muddy Waters or a shirt Keith Richards wore at Madison Square Garden. And I’d be like, “wow man, I wonder if I’ll ever be in here?” The politics of the Rock Hall is one thing but the museum itself is stunning. It’s filled with stuff I remember from when I was a teenager. Totally fascinating. And that was all part of why I got so excited. I knew it was real when I got off the plane with Carol walking towards baggage and there were people along the route there standing and waiting for me to sign Joan Jett & The Blackheart albums. And there’s all these murals there. I mean, the airport in Cleveland is all rock’n’roll. That was the first moment that I knew the night would be special and one I’d remember for the rest of my life. It was so cool. Such a night! Such a crazy night! Carol and I were sitting at the first table, front row, with fellow Blackheart Gary Ryan and his wife. I saw [blues guitarist] Jimmie Vaughan sitting at the next table, there to induct his brother Stevie Ray Vaughan. Joan Jett was nearby. It was just really cool. I took a lot of time writing my speech. The producer kept saying to me, “keep it short, man. I don’t want to have to cut you.” So I did my best. I wrote it with gratitude. Of course, being me, I wanted to get a laugh or two.
“At rehearsal, they told me not to look down at my speech on the podium. There was a monitor overhead and they wanted me to read the speech off of that. It turned out to be great because when I looked down, my whole record collection was sitting right there in front of me. I almost froze up.”
MG: You’re a naturally funny guy. I’ve always called you The Rock’n’Roll Seinfeld.
RB: It’s like writing a song. You write long but have to whittle it down to three minutes for radio. At rehearsal, they told me not to look down at my speech on the podium. There was a monitor overhead and they wanted me to read the speech off of that. It turned out to be great because when I looked down, my whole record collection was sitting right there in front of me. I almost froze up. So it worked that I had to look up over everybody’s head to read my speech on the big monitor. The speech was fun. I didn’t get to perform with Joan. She wanted to use her current band. I agreed with her completely and understood that. But I was part of the closing jam which was, in a word, fabulous. I was amped up right next to Joe Walsh. Ringo on drums. McCartney on bass. Guitarist Gary Clark, Jr., Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, Peter Wolf from The J. Geils Band and Patti Smith were all up there. Paul Schaffer led his Most Dangerous Band In The World, as they’re known. He’d tap you on your shoulder when it was your time to play so I got to do two Beatle songs with Paul and Ringo! Even took a really cool solo. What a great memory.
MG: How was your year as lead guitarist for Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes? What kind of boss was he? Hopefully not like James Brown, Van Morrison or Ian Anderson! I hear he calls out songs you didn’t rehearse. I know he’s a historian, a bit of a curmudgeon, a voracious reader and lives for the stage. But what don’t I know about him?
RB: I get a call that Bobby Bandiera was leaving the Jukes to replace Richie Sambora on a Bon Jovi tour. Would I be interested in filling in for him? I was like, “yeah, that sounds cool.” I was in-between stuff at the time. I didn’t really grow up listening to them as I was always inundated with bands like the Stones, Faces and Who. They sent me 30 songs to learn. I did and on my first night, we played maybe six of them. The rest of the night he kept shouting out different song titles in that voice of his.
MG: But how does that work? What if you don’t know the song?
RB: Good question. I remember leaning into him on stage and softly saying, “but South, I don’t know that one.” He goes, “don’t worry, we’re The Jukes.” I had to be on my toes every night. I love South. On my first solo record, Lifer, he came from the Jersey Shore to my house in New York which was quite a long drive to sit with me and write. He’s a great guy. A little moody, maybe, but aren’t we all? He’s fabulous, taught me so much about leading a band and not being so stressed out and just letting the night flow, not being afraid to ad-lib. You don’t have to stick to the set list. In fact, if I remember correctly, only the first three songs were from the set list every night. I mean, the guy would take great pains to write out a complete set list every night. That would last three songs and invariably he’d go off and start doing other stuff. So yeah, it was a huge learning process. Some nights were frustrating, I won’t lie, because I’d get fucking lost. But I did the best I could. I just kinda followed the bouncing Johnny.
MG: And what led you to leave the Jukes?
RB: It’s not that I ever officially left. I’m trying to remember. There were some extenuating circumstances at the time. There was supposed to be a radio show but my daughter had appendicitis. I was at the hospital and couldn’t leave her there. So I couldn’t do the radio show and they had to get a fill-in for me and the fill-in just stayed there. I think I might’ve done some shows after that but wasn’t a regular. But it was ok. I did my time. Learned a lot. And I became lifelong friends with [keyboardist] Jeff Kazee who has played on all my music since. Muddy Shews was in the band then. So was drummer Joe Bellia. All friends now.
MG: So what’s in your near future?
RB: “Glamdemic Blues” is out on [Stevie Van Zandt’s] Wicked Cool Records who labeled it as one of “the coolest songs in the world” on “Underground Garage.” People can download it at wickedcool.com. Or at any of my social media posts.
MG: And may I add that folks should download it, and not just listen to it for free and go on to something else. It’s how independent artists such as yourself get to keep making music these days. Support musicians! I love how a lot of your stuff has what I call that “Brown Sugar” aesthetic. It’s right there, man. It’s immediate.
RB: I’ve always said to you in our interviews, I’m a product of everything I’ve always listened to when I was 13 and 14. I don’t hide it. I love playing that kind of music. There’s certain beats that really get me going. Like that timeless Chuck Berry beat. That Stonesy feel. My ears perk up. But soul music too. And it’s all due to New York City radio back in the day.
MG: Yeah, it’s in the diversity of genres one after another before corporate dictates ruled the playlists.
RB: Exactly. Which is another reason why I love listening to Little Steven’s Underground Garage. It’s similar to that old free-form style where the DJs picked whatever they wanted to play from Smokey Robinson to The Kinks to Trini Lopez to Dean Martin. It was all over the musical map, and it’s why I have such a wide range of likes within music, that turn into influences on my records. Top 40 Radio made me go deeper when I started reading about the artists I loved in the magazines done by writers like you. Also the people I started hanging out with as a teenager in garage bands turned me on to all sorts of stuff. That’s when I discovered Slade, Status Quo and T-Rex. I wanna put out music now that would have excited me when I was teenager. And I love to throw in that studio trickery, that ear candy, because when I was a kid laying in my bed with my transistor radio under my pillow to give it that bass, it thrilled me no end. Discovery after discovery. Like that famous moment in “Whole Lotta Love” when Robert Plant, right before he sings “way down inside,” where you actually hear the pre-delay, I didn’t know what it was at the time but I knew it sounded cool and later on I started wondering how did they do that? Now I do it too. Music has changed so much since I was a kid. I want to carry on the tradition of the kind of stuff I thrilled to as a kid.
“I have 35 years clean and sober, and consider myself still in recovery. It’s my responsibility, my job, to help the next person looking for assistance by pointing them in the right direction, and offering them a few kind words that they can do it too.”
MG: I love how you’ve been helping people in recovery groups for years. You’ve put out recovery-themed albums. You’ve toured with your oh-so-important message. You’ve changed people’s lives for the better. For the record, you were a stone-cold drug user until you hit rock-bottom, looked in the hotel mirror, and began your ascent. And you’ve dedicated your life to it. I hail you for being the Recovery Warrior that you are.
RB: Thank you. I have 35 years clean and sober, and consider myself still in recovery. It’s my responsibility, my job, to help the next person looking for assistance by pointing them in the right direction, and offering them a few kind words that they can do it too. Over the years, I’ve done my recovery troubadour music groups at treatment centers around the country. Of course, it shut down during the pandemic but it’s slowly picking up again. Still, even today, I cannot get into a lot of places I used to visit due to sporadic Covid outbreaks.
MG: But people can still get your Clean Getaway and Sobering Times albums, which are both great rock’n’roll records even if you ignore the lyrics.
RB: Those albums have the songs I do in my music groups when the message is loud and clear. I do ‘em acoustically. I’ve been very public about my recovery. And I’d be happy to talk to anybody privately about that stuff too. In fact, I am now an ambassador for this really cool new platform called allsober.com. I’ve been getting friends within music, sports and film who are also public about their recovery to be on their inspiration page. Hey, you never know who sees these little things you put out, and it may plant a seed to inspire someone to reach out for help. And I love seeing when people “get it.”
MG: You were in one of the greatest unsigned jam bands in history, The New York Hit Squad. Man, when that Squad played in Manhattan, that was the room to be in on that night no matter who else was in town. I consider myself lucky to having witnessed the kind of rock’n’soul hysteria that emanated from your stage.
RB: Yeah man, what a great band!
MG: You jammed out like a motherfucker on songs that are part of our DNA and you made them come vibrantly alive!
RB: We haven’t done it in ages but when we did it, it was a gas. My Soul Sister, vocalist Christine “The Beehive Queen” Ohlman from the Saturday Night Live house band…Billy Joel’s longtime drummer Liberty DeVitto…keyboardist Jeff Kazee and bassist Muddy Shews from the Asbury Jukes…sometimes Simon Kirke from Bad Company sat in…we’d have guests like singer Billy J. Kramer…because we had so many influences on that stage, we would do all kinds of music. Christine brought in the original Irma Thomas version of “Time Is On My Side.” I would bring in the Elvis version of “C.C. Rider” or Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie.” It was hard to keep it going because each cat had their own careers to maintain. Plus, it was hard to get booked in a place where we could actually make a few bucks. But we did it for fun. We all loved each other and that came out on stage.
MG: So no plans to put another band together?
RB: Not at all. I’m happy right now putting out these singles, of which “Glamdemic Blues” is only the first. I could see doing a one-off show here and there but touring is not on the table at this point. I love being in these all-star house bands backing up all these cool people and I hope to continue to be able to do that. How honored and grateful am I to have shared stages with folks like Graham Nash, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Smokey Robinson, the list goes on and on and that’s been a blessing. So between the recovery work, putting out this new music, and the occasional moments on stage, I’m in a really good place right now. Looking back, I’ve had a wonderful career. I’ve performed all over the world. Of course, everything always changes but I’m completely satisfied just driving around in my car…especially when I hear my own song on “Underground Garage,” which I listen to religiously. Not too shabby.
MG: Last thing: I’m in my office at the Aquarian Weekly one day in 1979 when I get an album by a band I never heard of called Susan on RCA. Power Pop Perfection! I loved it. That was your first band.
RB: Yeah! We got signed to RCA through Tommy Mottola who we met through my publicist girlfriend Carol Kaye, now my wife. It was my first national tour. We opened for Graham Parker. When you have three lead singers like we did on our one and only album, Falling In Love Again, you’re going to run into trouble!
MG: Well, thank you, what a career!
RB: Hey, let’s raise a glass of club soda to the Yankees this year.