Rock and Roll; Interview with Carl Gardner [Part 2 of 2]

So you know what you are searching searching. Now there's a tune. It wasn't that we didn't like certain we thought it was one funny country song that black people should be saying you know. And Millie guy of course had that country voice now as he got along into searching around that part where it says. Because I've been saying it's either here in the last minute if you play that song that you hear that goes that he did he just smile about it cause it was so funny to us and to him and I was I thought it would never make it. But if in fact it was better than young they turned it over and it will craze a selling man but they most hold a million even. But it was funny it was a funny song because they would

all drive it and then we had would go driving on owner radio who no one was telling me you know. So. It was radio listening and world out drum in Sam's play was on radio so it was a funny song. Oh no. We would start rehearsing and it would take away all the coin we saved us from them. Nelly mostly in New York. I don't own a moat with it and we didn't have by saying when is it. That's why I have cholesterol it leave the meetings a minute and leave it so it will eat them too you know. And what we would do the SO was it was a song for three or four hours and they would cut it just as fast in this last no

and the Kosen Rufu doing it takes like five or six takes we didn't go too long we have been it's not fair to him I took him business. There were no joking around we know a lot of joking around when I was a serious one. I was come on let's do this name Let's get over it and was then I would make but sometimes we would come in and I'm talking you know night I was some of those things. Some are pretty rough but most of the songs were pretty fast. Why are you going back to that certain kind of funny sometimes racial situation. The early sixties. So just what about it.

It's an interesting because you've got the writing of what's going on for Black Voices on the message. You know still writing let music know that Christian and Christian alone in my head the other two Jewish kids knew our culture better than I knew my culture and I said how do they do that you know and that I wanted I thought about it and how do you know what we do. Because every stone we wrote was in our culture. We were with the later the same way he wrote about the rear and all that kind of stuff was the company of black people. The the situation of black people and they amaze me with how

they can take not culture and put it on paper like that and knowing what they're doing and yet they want colleges and some white guys and came back in the one concert It amazed me you know and you missed or used to. Especially Gerry he was a funny one. Yeah it was. They'd come along I would and he loved Billy guys actually because they would too ally and they were in the news searching. They were to lag and they got alone will when there was Tarzan was always I so I assumed he was coming for my it was a serious one. Opana very serious guy. And here it was a the go around I don't thing and it would coon might not shock and come out we all get to sound and get inspired they get to go in there and but it knocked me out. How they knew my culture and I still don't know how to.

Yeah yeah yeah. There's music records you know birth. What do you think. We're going down the barriers. Where is Marius from segregation. No I didn't think it had anything to do with bringing down segregation. I was just hoping I was in Texas not too. I was taught but I was just as good as a white man was put in the in him black I would consider myself black. My mother's mother read it. So she taught us nothing about hate. No let Miss so I was as good as you are. And I walk in your shoes as good as you walk in your shoes and had no sense from how things over me. Yeah I was as good as you. So I had no problem with racial problems. You know I was the kind of person if I want to know why I'm

going to get anywhere where you will shoot me and not. But I didn't care about that I want to stay with my race. That's the kind of person I was. So therefore I did not think that let me that had anything to do with breaking down racial prejudice. No it still had nothing to do with it. Martin Luther King is the answer to those dreams and she'll not forget the name but it's better than when I was coming up. We couldn't even stay in a motel I was staying with black people in a roach infested houses as the coast is saying about whites only in the south so we were angry about that and you know at supermarkets and cold cuts you know we stopped at a place and out of mammoth national food as well we're not going to feed you. We had to go somewhere and you know move around all of us once again.

Where we are homeless we did the best we could and came up with a lot of experience and this might mean a lot experience to get it right. Well we went all over the sauce except Mississippi I was very afraid to go down there because only they were doing the right people in an era where Martin Luther King was marching. I could not have been one of the marchers because I couldn't take that kind of stuff I would shoot you might me and here you go and shoot you. I was not the person. I don't know Malcolm X is sad to me this way. Fight for what you believe in. And I was that time. Rebel Without a Cause with a cause. So I was saying that no matter where my head at my chain about here it

was. We toured. It was the same in Texas and racial matters. Same in Texas as it's been traveling. We encountered a lot of racial prejudice in Alabama and places like that. And we had a st audience that had a board running down. I don't for you my slowness out whites thrown aside and you had to turn to the licensing and into America the blacks are saying you know I kind of miss. And we went through a lot of mess. We walked into a place in South Carolina announced that we wouldn't close the work they only meet and I want to stand so I'm going for I'm

going to coast and she said you've got to coast as I said. Here's a picture. Yes we are. So now you're not the cause of the white. And he's minutes spent in one of my guys and I said let's get out of here man. We got out once and they said they thought the coast. Let's show you how ignorant people were about life. They thought look Kosen well why that is the kind we had no television it's radio. You know who we were. What you're what is my favorite coasters records that's a lesson that I said that question. I didn't say you don't thing cause the coasters one by one pop album. Maybe I shouldn't go back that far to say this but I must because I was in the pot for you and I loved it. We kind of pop I would call it close and one by one own album I didn't think oh

when I'm with my Satin Doll will win for me. And one more song like hat right now. But that was my favorite album. But my favorite song in the class was yak in the air. Were you would you like that part of the theater. That was the most magnificent tail on earth. If they didn't like you you know do nothing that the net leader in that era Cosas was the Apollo Theater where a child was no and could follow us. But we did skits with it I hit

it and we had skits that we talked about and went out and never went out were hostile the coasters never were harassed and their lives. It was so towns that we would discuss a skit that campaign called Take nothing to me. And the secret of your sex. You know the sort of things and skits shopping for clothes. I would dress up as a dummy. Millie guy would come in as an old man with talent clothes and say you know I was the other way and walked in the park Mr. This man walks up to me and says second floor or something like that and he says show me that suit you know and he was a man as soon as you know and I would stand there like a statue and it was at the Apollo. And as I stand there I would never bend and I would look straight ahead and I will the audience and them at this hour when they were met I almost cried because I hadn't been standing five minutes like that and didn't bat an eye and I went to them I was there and

almost certain really got this thing in the song. He would touch me like that and the statue would come alive so let him go. And they must know what numbers matter now and knowing is what go wow they get co. And when we got to move those audiences and then a policy that no one can go and what they were going to be one of the guys got shot on one of my skins. He laid his head was sad and strange and the guy who was into drugs perhaps start dragging him all cause we were using 30 women you know without a shell and when he called things up the ranks. Yeah we were using blanks for that particular show and that. Oh yeah.

Now at Apollo Theater we were doing a show and we did one of those homes in a skit called Say nothing to me. And he gets in the race thing and gets shot. When the guy shooting he dies on stage. And one of the guys in our audience place was always packed. What got the audience and the gun were ranked thirty eight you know because and it was very loud. So this guy actually thought this man was shot. He came up and started training him off the stage and run and came alive when you take him in. He said I'm taking him. I get fitted on but I might have thought you would need it. He actually thought the man was not there because he wanted his though. So you don't think the hospital and the people went crazy in there. We couldn't stay for 15 minutes. So the 15 minute to start the owners were laughing and Ray Charles was out with us and all these people and he just couldn't get home.

Where you said you want to own some of the skits on organ and piano and play with us. It was so great that it's one that's out of sight and we made it up in less than five minutes and when I need it. And in comedy in the Imus thing and we thought at the end like I said the Partido was the greatest place just starts with you have to do to see if the whole world would like you if they like you were accepted and that's what we had to do and we prudence. So that's the way that we were doing a great job. Are you different. Not really. Whether the mood is the mother of all that you know whether the mood is the key and the money. And they're also playing of all things you know. Rock n Roll

is the overshoot where the mood is still soulful and with a move the still soulful the beat was only changed in one sense and yet it was not changed. You know rock n roll to me has the same meat as late I was doing with a movement to Robins and it has that same back meat and it rock'n'roll it has the same sort of make me one more screaming fashion and guitar swing you know. And there is one who can food that food and guitar playing on his. You're playing his guitar solo he would call it. So everything came from where the moods and all things have to go back to his mother. And that's one of them rose. I would class it that way. But it would. Go one

two three. Just one more story. The reason why young blood. Then there was a song I thought had a lot of good beat to it. The beats were just magnificent and I was glad that I was leading that song and singing that song. The parts when it got to look at their look and then talking about leaders in the House and the audience. It was a magnificent song even even own tool it was better than little Connie because you were looking at the audience and saying look at their little they had an amazing look. Yeah. You know and that I thought you know I'm not one of the and the greatest songs that leave us all alone. For me

you know but it was a hit. But like I said before. Young yet with me it was the mother of their songs when young but to me was a great song for me to be singing because that was the kind of voice I had to deliver. But that type of song. So I joined with him very much. Your lucky I did as I was then only Kono a year alone we had one in her hand. I couldn't keep myself from shouting Why look at that look at it look at it and look good day young. Oh

yeah. I can't get you out. Yeah I thought I was then on the co-owner of a yellow ribbon in her hair and could not keep myself from shouting Why look. Look at their loser they're a little bit young young young. I can't get you out of my my. And I thought I was then in a moment well it

looked soooo yeah but you work so you could not keep myself from shouting Why look and then look at their leader they're good they're young young young. I can get you out of my working. I saw her standing on the cone. You will see a yellow burned in her hand. Well it looks huge and could not keep myself from shouting Why look good look at you there and then.

He he. Young. I can't get you out oh man my a. Like that you were going to remember 19 being you know.