Rich Mahan talks about why he name checked Bobby Bare on his album, his song to help guys get laid, and getting in trouble in lower Alabama.
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Rich Mahan
Rich Mahan
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Interview Recap
Rich Mahan talks about why he name checked Bobby Bare on the title of the CD. When he was growing up, his Dad would come home from work “all stressed out and cussing out some of the people he had to deal with”The way he unwound was to have a couple of cocktails, put on Bobby Bare, and dance around the room, playing air guitar. This was during Bobby Bare’s 70′s work that included songs like “Tequila Sheila” and “Drop Kick Me Jesus Through The Goal Posts Of Life.” Rich says, “I didn’t realize it, but all these songs through osmosis got into my soul.” Rich says fond himself also writing funny songs, not only from the Bobby Bare influence, but also from the influence of Shel Siverstein. “Once I made that connection, I sunk my teeth into it and decided I was really gonna try to put a record that paid tribute to that and thank my parents and their friends for turning me on to so much good music and to thank Bobby Bare for turning me on to songs and songwriting.”
Rich Mahan sets up “Overserved in Alabam.” This is a song that is based on a gig he did while he was in the band Sherman. This is about a gig they did in Mobile, Alabama called the Gas Light. They were handing out free liquor as part as a promotion. Then they were invited to Studio Five Foot Four and the owner let them drink whatever they wanted and before sunup they’d gotten into a fight because they’d been drinking so much. “It’s worse than Vegas man, you can get in trouble drinking in Alabama.” Rich says he hoped to go fishing with Bobby Bare sometime so he can hear what he thinks of the album. “That’s the review that counts.”
[Calvin plays "Overserved In Alabam" from Blame Bobby Bare by Rich Mahan.]
Rich Mahan runs through the band line up both for the live show and the studio band for the recording. He says a lot of them are veterans from the 70′s era scene so everyone could relate to the music. There’s a whole crew of fantastic player
Rich Mahan sets up “Favorite Shirt.” He says this is song is a lot people’s favorites. He tells a story about Paul Thorn having songs that appeal to the ladies and help all the guys get laid. Rich Mahan says this is a song kind of like that and it’s sort of every guy’s fantasy. Rich says he would have liked to hear Delaney Bramlett cover that song.
[Calvin plays "Favorite Shirt" from Blame Bobby Bare by Rich Mahan]
Rich Mahan credits is recording partner Brian Harrison helped shape the sound of the album. It was recorded at the Rendering Plant in Nashville, which is set up to do all recording in analog equipment and that is the way the songs needed to be recorded to translate them on to an album.
Rich Mahan sets up “Tequila y Mota.” He says this is another true story song that happened after they did a gig in LA with the Supersuckers and everyone was so fired up when they got back the the house they started a loud rowdy party at 2:30 in the morning. The neighbors didn’t appreciate it and called the cops. Someone made the big mistake of opening the door and letting them in so “everyone had to scramble to hide things.” Rich says he likes how this song switches back and forth between ¾ time and the rock time.
[Calvin plays "Tequila y Mota" from Blame Bobby Bare by Rich Mahan.]
Rich says “I liker to call this record a Saturday night record of love songs for the bar stool impaired” and “there’s not a downer on this record.”
Rotation 340
- Mein Deutsches Motorrad / Corb Lund / Cabin Fever / 2:32
- Serpentine Blues / Rachel Brooke / A Killer’s Dream / 3:04
- Mulberry Place / Tokyo Rosenthal / Tokyo’s Fifth / 3:20
- Hit On The Head / Cabinet / LEAP / 3:46
- Kerosene / Rod Picott / Girl From Arkansas / 3:21
- Buckets of Rain (with Garland Jeffries) / The Ebony Hillbillies / Barefoot and Flying / 3:09
- Another Love Song (Tulsa Style) / Ted Russell Kamp / Night Owl / 3:41
- Still Looking Up At The Stars / Bruce Piephoff / Still Looking Up At The Stars / 2:49
- Ain’t That A Shame? (2002 Digital Remaster) / Fats Domino / Greatest Hits: Walking To New Orleans / 2:30
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The Americana Music Show is copyright 2012 by Taproot Media. The music and interviews in this episode are used with permission of the artists.
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