Gary Wilson has recently signed with Tip Records to release his new album “Feel the Beat”. Along with having his voice sampled on Beck’s “Where It’s At”, and being one of Questlove’s biggest inspirations, Gary Wilson is experiencing a career revival that is unprecedented after experiencing almost 20 years out of the limelight, and returning to music in 2002.
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Here is what Gary had to say about his long and very interesting music career.
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What bands are you listening to during your free time?
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Sometimes I feel like I am out of the loop. I don’t really listen to other bands (except when someone gives me a CD of their music) so it’s hard for me to answer this question. I listen to mostly classical music (Debusy, Ravel, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Bax, etc.).
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What is it like to perform for such a devoted fan base?
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Very gratifying. Such a change from the early days when most of the audience (at that time) wanted to ‘kill’ me and the band. I sometimes needed a police escort out of the venue because of the hostility the audience felt about me. In the early days my hero was John Cage and I took to heart his comment, “If you don’t irritate the audience then you’re not doing your job.” I certainly irritated the audience in my small town of Endicott, often booking myself to play the wrong venues, knowing that the venue’s audience would disapprove of my music. I had to entertain myself when I was young. Very happy things have changed for the better.
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How do you think young people found out about your music?
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It took awhile. In the early days I had a much smaller following (a few underground radio stations, writers, individuals, etc.). When I self released “You Think You Really Know Me’ in 1977, I had to promote myself. I sent my record out to a lot of college radio stations and some of the more underground rock magazines. Things took a while, but in 1997 Beck released “Odeley” and was riding high with the song “Where It’s At” which featured a Gary Wilson shout out in the song. This gave me a bit of popularity with some of the newer audiences. But it still took until 2002 when Motel Records re-released “You Think You Really Know Me” to reach a much larger audience. Everything changed for the better at that point and I am very happy with that.
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Did you always know your return would bring such a kind welcome?
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No. I was totally taken by surprise when everything took off in 2002. That year Motel records brought me to New York City for two shows at Joe’s Pub. It blew my mind when I found out the Joe’s Pub show was sold out and ticket scalpers were getting hundreds of dollars for tickets to get in to see me. It brings a tear to my eyes when I think about the massive change (for the good) that has occurred for me and my music.
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What inspires your music and art?
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I suppose life, art, and what I would like it to be are my inspirations, what I would personally want to see and hear. I’ve been doing avant garde music and art since I was 12 years old so everything that I do now concerning my music and art seems to come naturally to me. I approach my shows, music, and art with this in mind: “What would I want to see and hear from Gary Wilson?” Then I do it.
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How long have you been playing with The Blind Dates?
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The Blind Dates started out (when I was 13 years old) as an off shoot of my rock band Lord Fuzz around 1966-67. I wanted to be more avant garde then Lord Fuzz and put together some of the players from Lord Fuzz along with my school friends (Frank Roma, Vince Rossi, Carmen Putrino, Butch Bottino, Joe Lunga, David Haney) and formed Dr. Zork and the Warts. We were very experimental and did various avant garde shows around the Endicott area. Slowly (by 1974) things evolved and Dr. Zork and the Warts became Gary Wilson and The Blind Dates. I was able to book my band into CBGBs (around 1976-77) after I self released “You Think You Really Know Me”. I still include some of the original members when I perform now.
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What are your plans for the future?
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Just to enjoy doing Gary Wilson music and art. I have a new album currently being released by Tip Records in San Francisco called “Feel The Beat”.
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What advice do you have for young musicians?
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First of all enjoy what you are doing. I’ve been playing music since I was 8 years old. The years between 1966-69 were a wonderful time for a young small town boy. The British rock scene (Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Rolling Stones, etc.) was in full swing and my rock band Lord Fuzz was playing every weekend at various psychedelic rock clubs. It’s funny that when I play now with the Blind Dates, I try to recreate that feeling within me of how I felt when I was 13 years old. When music and bands were exciting. When there was a certain innocence to it all.
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How has the music industry change since you began performing?
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Since I’ve always been a little outside of the music industry, it’s hard for me to comment on this question. I’ve always had to rely on my own instincts and actions as far as my own music. This includes having my own recording studio in my parents basement and self promoting myself. I tried (submitted a lot of tapes and demos) to get the mainstream record labels interested in me back in the 70s and 80s but the labels rejected me. It’s funny, every now and then I will hear from some A&R guy who I submitted a copy of my album “You Think You Really Know Me” to back in the 70s. They now tell me after all these years that they still has a copy of the album and how much they like it. The problem the major labels had with my music back then was that they liked my music but couldn’t figure out how to market it . Strange. I guess the major difference between then and now is that it is now easier to produce your own CD, album, etc. with the use of a computer. Boy, it sure would have been nice when I was thirteen to be able to produce and duplicate a finished copy of an album as easily as it is now.
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It seems like you are experiencing the opposite of what many artists experience in their careers, because the industry is embracing you when they used to condemn you, it that true?
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Yes, that’s an interesting observation. I’m happy with that. My life has changed for the better. By the late 80s into the 90s I sort of gave up and accepted my fate after so many years of trying to get people to like my art. Who would have thought all this attention for my music would happen to me when I was working as a clerk in some video store for minimum wage in the 90s. “You Think You Really Know Me” was originally self released in 1977. It took till 2002 for the record to finally be embraced. I am very grateful for that.
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Are there any positive aspects of being a professional musician?
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I think there is. My father was a professional musician who worked three to four nights a week at local hotels and restaurants with a local instrumental quartet. When not performing with the Gary Wilson show I play keyboards at a local restaurant (for the last 18 years) with jazz pop singer Donnie Finnell. Donnie does the great American songbook. Music of Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc. I call this my therapy. Two extremes. The older conservative restaurant (and country club) audience knows nothing about the other side of Gary Wilson. I like it that way.
