Truth for all of us: without our friends we are nothing, nowhere, nobody.
from PAPER AIRPLANE, track released 19 April 2010 cast:
piano JANE MANGINI guitars KEVIN BARRY/DUKE LEVINE bass ANDREW MAZZONE (RICHARD GATES track 8) drums ANDY PLAISTED harp DENNIS BRENNAN backup vox DENNIS BRENNAN/RICHARD GATES
produced by RICK BERLIN/DENNIS BRENNAN/JOE STEWART recorded/engineered by JOE STEWART @ HI-N-DRY/HUMMELVISION mixed @ HUMMELVISION mastered by IAN KENNEDY @ NEW ALLIANCE EAST MASTERING
from HALF IN THE BAG, track released 18 April 1987 Half In The Bag (No Deal Whatsoever Records) 1993. Produced, engineered, arranged by Chet Cahill in his house in Malden, Randy Roos - Orchestra Luna (layered up 4 guitar tracks)
The meaning behind this tune is blatantly obvious, ok? 'Nuf said. And a perfect happy song for any too-much-to-drink T-day afternoon.
Billie Best (Chet's wife) did the spoken word grill and I answered back with a Woody Allen mumble. What Billie does here is Insanely Right-On and Funny about this most horrible to guys embarrassment. (All comedy requires someone being embarrassed - or so I read Newsweek the other day.)
The most peculiar reaction to this song happened when I played it at Jacques and I swear there was a line-up of truck drivers on stools at the bar to my right and I got 'em to sing the 'can't get it up' chorus in unison with fist-pump choreography. Had it been on film it would have gone viral on UToob for sure.
Driving the dishwasher home from Doyles one night, we got talking. It turned out in the conversation that the kid hadn't seen his father in years (I was driving him home to his Aunt's house). He told me about a year ago his Dad showed up on his birthday with a wrapped present under his arm. He was contrite. He asked his son:
'You must hate me after all these years, right?'
'How can I hate someone I don't even know?' the kid replied.
Ain't that the truth. This is why the original seed for the song has evolved into a (somewhat) protest song about fighting prejudice in others and more especially, in ourselves. It's filled with f- c- and n-bombs.
An aside: Bursting into the kitchen at Doyles, Billy Charles, the Haitian chef said (all in good faith):
'I think a faggot entered the kitchen.'
In a rare wise-assed comeback I said:
'I think a nigger just called me a faggot.'
We both lost it. Big laughs all round. I think, on some level, this is what the song is about.
I include this video from the night 5/9 when Berlin + The Old Stag String Quartet performed live @ the Hi-n-Dry studio (the Mark Sandman Project) - http://www.hindry.com/sandman_project/ We performed the full record w/ Brendan Cooney (conductor/arranger), Meredith Cooper (violin), Marnie Hall (violin), Joe Simcox (viola), Fabrizio Mazzetta (cello), jJane Mangini (piano), Saran Hund + Andrew Ross (vox), Joe Stewart (engineer), cameras (Chico Eastridge + Ryan Jorgensen), edit Berlin
This from OLD STAG, track released 14 September 2008 cello Katie Franich v2 Christina Hornby v1 Meredith Cooper viola Joe Simcox string arranger Brendan Cooney produced by Rick Berlin album recorded by Joe Stewart in Rick's livingroom (strings recorded in a classroom at BU) misc sounds from Centre Street in Jamaica Plain mixed by Sir David Minehan at Woolly Mammoth Sound photos by Rene Rives jacket design by Shaun Wolf Wortis mastered by Dave Locke, JP Masters
from HALF IN THE BAG, track released 18 April 1987 Half In The Bag (No Deal Whatsoever Records) 1993. Produced, engineered, arranged by Chet Cahill in his house in Malden, Randy Roos - Orchestra Luna (layered up 4 guitar tracks)
This is true story (in the lyrics for the most part) of a homeless man in Kenmore who burned alive in the basement of Eddy de Syon's apartment building). I was home, Eddy called. He'd seen smoke under his door. He opened it up and there before him was a man covered in fire. He called 911, but it was too late. The man had, apparently, spilled booze over himself in the basement, his cigarette fell and started the inferno. Years later I ran into someone who actually knew the guy consumed. He still felt the terror of it.
This is a super dark song. I was once asked by someone in the audience at Ryles to please, never play that song again, ever.
I'm a JP zealot. Have been from the start. It is truly, among the many many places I've lived, the only one I can call 'home'. I'm not sure why that is, but I am not alone in feeling that way. Friends leave, miss the hood and come back, time and time again. Even something as silly as crossing the BU Bridge and hitting the god-awful J-Way, I feel relief. I'm home. I'm oddly more at peace. One of my imaginings is that because many of the buildings (the Irish Battleships notwithstanding) are wildly dissimilar, so varied in shape, size, architecture and materials that we feel that the OK part of being different from one another is reflected in the space around us. We're overly protective and possessive. We hate to cross the river. We defend the hood against fakers, hipsters and the rich even as they also in their own particular way become part of the JP weave which is cumulatively bigger than all of us. Duh. The JP Music Festival (1st Annual) was a proud example of this sense of heartfelt belonging. You saw it on the faces in the crowd, on stage and behind all scenes.
I've worked here (Doyles) for at least 22 years. I've lived in JP apartments on and off for years. I've wanted to write a valentine to the place for a long time. You can't make those things happen. They have to wait until they want out and then, if you're lucky, you get one that says it the way you want it said and tells the truth.
I include a video I shot of two of my friends walking the streets alone. I asked Margie (Nicoll) and Mike (O'Brien) to 'act' the walk because they're not actors. They have such open honest faces that they bring it home, at least to me, the vibe of this awesome town.
The song is dedicated to Kevin Armitage (1964-2010). I was lucky enough to catch him walking by himself on his way to the Behan. I doubt he liked being photographed, but there he was, head down, listening to music. His passing and the outpouring of love for him at his funeral, in the bars afterwards (all over Boston) and ongoingly is another example of how loyal, deep, big-hearted and easily one finds real friends here in this crazy hood.
from PAPER AIRPLANE, track released 19 April 2010 cast:
piano JANE MANGINI guitars KEVIN BARRY/DUKE LEVINE bass ANDREW MAZZONE (RICHARD GATES track 8) drums ANDY PLAISTED harp DENNIS BRENNAN backup vox DENNIS BRENNAN/RICHARD GATES bar vox THE BRENDAN BEHAN RATS tuba JOBY WILSON trombone JOE STEWART toy piano BERLIN
produced by RICK BERLIN/DENNIS BRENNAN/JOE STEWART recorded/engineered by JOE STEWART @ HI-N-DRY/HUMMELVISION mixed @ HUMMELVISION mastered by IAN KENNEDY @ NEW ALLIANCE EAST MASTERING
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 03:58PM 
