Post by tackhead311 on Aug 27, 2009 16:50:29 GMT -5
He loved the relaxed atmosphere of San Francisco in the early 60s, and spent many hours taking long walks through the city. One day while walking down Page Street and admiring a huge Victorian on the corner, he heard guitar music coming from an upper floor window. With a love for music and a sense of adventure, Sam boldly walked into the house to investigate. It was here that he met Peter Albin and the seed for Big Brother was planted.
Sam Houston Andrew III was born December 18, 1941 in Taft, California. As the son of a military father he moved a great deal as a child. Sam developed a love for music a very early age. By the time he was fifteen, living in Okinawa, he already had his own band called the "Cool Notes".
Sam’s early influences were Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Little Richard. He also listened to a lot a black delta blues. Not only did Sam have his own band at age fifteen, but he also had his own weekly TV show, an Okinawan version of American Bandstand.
Shortly after Sam graduated from high school his father was transferred to Hamilton Air Force Base north of San Rafael, California. It was during this period that Sam started attending classes at the University of San Francisco and got involved in the San Francisco folk music scene of the early 60s. But it wasn’t until he returned from a two-year stay in Paris that he met Peter Albin at 1090 Page Street.
As Big Brother began to jell, Sam brought many songs into the band. He has been a prolific songwriter all of his life, penning his first tune at the age of six. Of his early compositions, "Call on Me" and "Combination of the Two" have been two of Big Brother’s most enduring classic tracks and are still concert favorites today. Sam continues today in his original role as musical director of the band.
Sam and original band mate James Gurley have produced some of the greatest psychedelic guitar solos of all time. In February of 1997, Guitar Player magazine listed Sam and James work on "Summertime" as one of the top ten Psychedelic solos in music history.
In December of 1968 Sam along with Janis Joplin left Big Brother and the Holding Company to form the Kozmic Blues Band. After about nine months and one album, "I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!", Sam returned to Big Brother.
After Big Brother’s stopped performing in 1972, Sam moved to New York where he studied harmony and counterpoint at the New School for Social Research and composition at Mannes School of Music. During this period he also scored several films in the US and Canada as well as writing two string quartets and a symphony. Sam remained in the east for eight years before returning to San Francisco where he began playing clarinet and saxophone.
Since Big Brother reunited in 1987, Sam has provided a wonderful variety of fresh new songs to the band. A sensitive and thoughtful man, his personality is reflected in the lyrics of his beautiful ballads. When Big Brother is not on the road, Sam pursues his solo project, The Sam Andrew Band.
Whether with the Sam Andrew Band or with Big Brother, Sam is a pure delight to see in concert. Not only is he a fabulous performer, he is also one of the most gracious, humble and kind human beings you will ever meet. One does not quickly forget an encounter with Sam Houston Andrew III.
I can not believe that i got to talk to one of my heroes enjoy!
1 How did you get your start in music?
My father played the guitar. Some of my mother’s people were professional musicians around San Antonio, Texas, and her father and brother played music nightly out on the porch of their farmhouse. Beautiful old 19th century tunes that were lovely to hear. I played the accordion and the harmonica, trying to sound liike them.
2What are your influences musically ?
T-Bone Walker was the first guitarist I remember noticing. They played Stormy Monday on the radio a lot when I was 14.The guitar player on Honky Tonk by Bill Doggett was so good. I always thought every note that he played should be engraved in gold. That was just a perfect record. Then I heard Charlie Christian, so fluid, so sophisticated, all easy and swinging. I liked Chet Atkins a lot and, of course, his hero, Les Paul, who always seemed to be telling a joke when he played. Then there was everybody’s hero, Django Reinhart, who could play such great blues. And let’s not forget the crazy guitar solo on Rock Around The Clock, fast, dizzy, clean.
3 BBHC was such a amazing band how did you guys come about? What was behind the name?
Big Brother is the government, the man, the corporation, the authority. That was one name on a long list. A holding company is, of course, a large corporation that owns several smalle
r corporations, like Time Warner, or General Motors. The Holding Company was a name on another long list. The two names meant something similar so we put them together.
4 My father is such a huge fan of yours and always said that, yes, Janis was good but her band never got their deserved recognition. Did you ever feel that way?
Really, I never noticed that we didn’t get recognition because there was always a lot of adulation and love coming our way. I dimly realized that Janis was getting a lot of praise, but, then, she deserved a lot of praise. She was not only more talented than we were, but she was more talented than anyone was, anyone out of the San Francisco scene anyway.
Today I realize that we were the best band for Janis because we were her family and we all achieved fame at the same time.I think that, if Janis had lived, Full Tilt Boogie Band might have been her best band, but, as it is, they didn’t have time to develop into a family unit.
5 What where some of your favorite bands to tour with?
Jimi Hendrix, Moby Grape, Buddy Guy, Sons of Champlin, Howlin’ Wolf, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Junior Walker, Steve Miller, Chuck Berry, Love, Muddy Waters, Ike and Tina Turner, not necessarily in that order.
6 Monterrey Pop Did you get tocheck out any other bands?
The big three for me at Monterey were Otis Redding, Jimi and Ravi Shankar.
7 Did you hear any of the drama between Hendrix and the Who?
No, no, that’s British bullshit. We were acid hippies from San Francisco, very naive, loved everybody, especially our sister bands of the counter revolution. We weren’t experienced enough to feel rivalry with anyone, and so didn’t see it in others.
8 What was your favorite song to play live?
I like them all. Turtle Blues, Piece of My Heart, Summertime, Ball and Chain, I really like them all, even the little, obscure pieces like Road Block, It’s Cool, even Caterpillar.
9 Have you heard Melissa Etheridges version of Piece of my Heart? Whats your opinion on that version?
Melissa did Piece of My Heart with us at The Maritime Music Hall in San Francisco. I love how she does the tune. She’s the real deal, authentic strong, no nonsense. A real musician.
10 What was the reason you and Janis left BBHC and did Kozmic Blues Band?
Janis wanted a keyboard, horns, and she felt that some people in the band weren’t working at their capacity. She (and I) had a strong work ethic which meant 24 hours a day thinking about the band and planning. Some people enjoy life and they just do not want to make that kind of commitmen
t. I can understand that, although I am definitely not that way. She decided to leave, told me about it, I offered to form a band for her, and finally decided to go with her
11 I heard a rumour when reforming BBHC you guys had a young Eddie Money try out for you guys how did he do ?
This is news to me. But I will say that I like Eddie Money, and he could never be a Big Brother singer. He’s much better being Eddie Money. The Big Brother set requires a singer with lungs of steel.
12 What are you enjoying musically today?
Arranging Big Brother music for two guitars. I like inventing guitar lines and then playing them in thirds with the other Big Brother guitarist, who is now Ben Nieves, a very fine, enthusiastic player. Composing has always been my main activity.
13 In your opinion what are 10 must have records in your collection?
You know, I’m not much for the whole desert island discs thing, but Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue would have to be in there. Sviatoslav Richter playing Mozart wouldn’t be a bad choice. Bach cello suites by Casals? Probably. Django Reinhart. James Brown, definitely, Live At The Apollo. Cannonball Adderly, such a happy intellectual. Cecilia Bartoli singing 18th century opera. Ask me tomorrow and there would be a whole other list.
14 Samstock who would play that bill?
You mean if I were a place and it were like Woodstock? Probably all Santana and Hendrix, I don’t know.
15 Is BBHC planning anymore tours in the future?
Europe in November, Italy and Greece. Japan a little later. Every summer all over the United States. I want to go to Brazil and the rest of Latin America, where all the Latins are. I love them and I love their music.
16 What is your opinion on the Rockband games and Guitar hero games now that you have a song in them?
++ I’m over thirty and so have never played a game in my life. What do YOU think of them? That’s a far more important question.
17 Any advice for somebody starting out in the music buisness?
Business? OK. It’s a job, then, like any other job, and you have to put as many hours into it, AT LEAST, as you do into any kind of real, meaningful work. That sounds easy to say, but very few people really realize this. Getting the gigs is vital and getting the gigs takes a lot of phone calls. Notice I haven’t said anything about the music? The music is a given. Yes, you have to know how to play, and you have to practice a LOT, but it’s almost like that is the easy part. The real part is communicating, making friends, being visible, showing up and showing up always on time. Staying sane, lucid and clear about where you are going is a good idea. Play a lot a
nd communicate a lot, and that will take up your time, believe me.
18 Who would be in the Sam Andrew All -Star Band?
You probably don’t know that there really was a Sam Andrew All-Star Band for ten or fifteen years and I had 256 people in it. Not all at the same time, of course, although that might be fun. I had people in that band who were far better players than ANYONE famous, and I had some famous people in it too. Steve Stefanowicz, a blind kid from Seattle, was maybe the best guitar player I have ever heard. If anyone knows where he is, please have him call me? Steve played a lot with me. Chris Leighton, in Seattle also, played drums with me. Just unbelievable how good he is. Keith Lowe on bass. Keith has played with Fiona Apple, and many other good people. Mick Taylor from the Rolling Stones played with me in the Sam Andrew Band one night, and he did a good job too.
19 So how does it feel to know you have written so much music that will stand the test of time for many genarations?
I was born lucky. My life has been one blessing after another. I don’t know how long any music will last, but I have been so fortunate to be a musician and an artist all my life and I get a real pleasure from learning languages and traveling the world. We can all make our lives beautiful by deciding at each moment to be person who helps.
Sam Andrew
Big Brother and the Holding Company
25 August 2009
