Notes by Rob Buran:
Richie Havens is the first of three interviews done for WPLT with artists playing in the Plattsburgh area but not at PSUC. Richie was the headliner for a 50's and 60's rock-n-roll show called Stars on Stage, the one and only show put together by Peter Sellers of Lake Placid, that included Danny & the Juniors, The Shirelles, and an Elvis impersonator, and Richie. This is the only interview I did at the Crete Civic Center although I had been involved with other shows there. Unfortunately I used some inferior reel-to-reel tape because I only had one new reel of the Maxell high-bias mastering tape, and I was saving it for a scheduled interview I had set up for 13 days later with Steve Hackett. I didn't know how friendly Richie was. Had I known, I would have assumed ahead of time that he would agree to speak, and would have made sure I had another Maxell mastering reel. So I took a chance that he'd probably decline, and to my surprise he agreed. It's a miracle that this interview was able to be salvaged. It would not play on my TEAC deck that it was originally recorded on, so I used my Pioneer reel-to-reel deck, and it played only because it has a speed control. You'll note a high pitched buzzing. I don't know what that is but it's not your sound system. And it is recorded at the same VU level as the other interviews, but due to the degradation of the tape, the DB level of the sound at the same VU level is lower. Again it's not your system. There is also noise in the room from two sources; from a ceiling fan and from a heating system in the wall that went on and off, similar to one you'd see in a motel room. I knew Richie had played Woodstock, and also appeared on a Steve Hackett album Please Don't Touch. So I got Richie to talk about getting together with Steve. Jim Kinsella of the Press- Republican asked him about Woodstock. Since it was just Richie, Jim and me, it allowed for much longer answers versus the press conference approach. Richie filled both sides of the reel-to-reel tape, and when the second side was complete he asked me if there was a place in town to go dancing. I knew about Mother's Nightclub but had never been there. I did know from walking past it that management had a sign in the door that said IDs were required for everyone "From 18 to 80." So I telephoned and asked to speak to the owner. After I explained why I was calling, they put me on with John Perras. That was the first time I ever spoke with John. I told him I was bringing Richie down and wanted an exception to the ID policy. He agreed and met us at the door. I sat there for several hours watching Richie dance with all of these women who had no idea who he was. Then I brought him up to the Holiday Inn at closing time.
Track 36. Richie Havens. October 22, 1981/Crete Civic Center. He explains his musical history, his first gig in 1965 at "The Id" with 13 year old Jose Feliciano who was playing Flight of the Bumblebee on guitar.
Track 37. Richie Havens. October 22, 1981/Crete Civic Center. He explains how he ended up opening Woodstock.
Track 38. Richie Havens. October 22, 1981/Crete Civic Center. Lamenting never seeing the Beatles play.
Track 39. Richie Havens. October 22, 1981/Crete Civic Center. Richie explains how he got involved with Steve Hackett on Steve's solo album Please Don't Touch.
Track 40. Richie Havens. October 22, 1981/Crete Civic Center. I knew that I'd be interviewing Steve Hackett 13 days after speaking with Richie, so I asked Richie if he'd like to record a message for Steve. He agreed and began this hello by singing the chorus to Icarus Ascending, one of the two songs Steve wrote for Richie that appear on Steve's second solo album, the first after leaving Genesis, Please Don't Touch.
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