Blues Saraceno (guitarist & composer, ex- Poison)

Blues Saraceno is a guitarist, composer and producer. He is most recognized for his time playing with Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker (Cream) and his tenure in Poison.  Now he composes music for film & TV. In this rare interview, Blues discusses his time with Jack Bruce & Poison, jamming with Les Paul, auditioning for David Lee Roth and more! This a mind blowing, can’t miss episode for any rock fan! 

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:43 - Early Beginnings 
0:04:23 - Getting Signed to a Record Deal 
0:23:52 - Plaid Guitars & Plaid Converse 
0:28:10 - Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker 
0:50:11 - Poison 
1:24:07 - David Lee Roth 
1:35:10 - Session Work 
1:38:30 - Les Paul 
1:42:40 - Guitar, Grinding & TV/Film Work 
1:51:35 - Animal Charity 
1:52:32 - Outro 

Blues Saraceno website:
http://www.bluessaraceno.com

Humane Society website:
https://www.humanesociety.org

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

Hey guys, I hope you're ready for this one. I've been trying to get this guy on the show for years, and now it's finally happened. Blue saris Seino. He's here and despite the fact that he doesn't do a lot of interviews, he's actually really good at them. He's got great stories, including working with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker from cream, his audition and time playing poison, his tryout with David Lee Roth jamming with Les Paul, and so many more great stories. It's a long one, but it's a fun one. Stay right there when I was a kid, and I mean, I played a little guitar, I sucked. And I gave up because of people like us. I'm like, I can't be as good as guys like this. But I took guitar lessons. And my guitar teacher we worked on one of your songs from hair pick. Yeah, yeah. And then he went to like, I think it was the NAMM thing. And he saw you there. And he and he like he got your autograph. So I still have that. Is that you? That's your autograph? Right?

Blues Saraceno: 1:06

Yeah. Yeah. Thank God. Jack. Yeah, but yeah.

Chuck Shute: 1:10

Yeah, those like, some was so weird. It's like, things are coming full circle here. So yeah,

Blues Saraceno: 1:15

it's, it's been an interesting existence. I mean, I gotta be honest with you. I mean, keep in mind, I started in Connecticut. So Right. You know, I was just a kid, kind of in the very middle of literally, Middletown, Connecticut, which was very blue collar. I always describe it every time I try to explain to people, it's kind of like the sopranos meets deer hunter. So there really wasn't a ton of options. And music was kind of really the thing that really, it was the thing that I could kind of just universally agree on, like, I this, this makes sense to me. And, and I just kind of pursued it, it was very frustrating because I wanted to get out of the gates so much faster than I did. And now that I have kids, and my kids want to do acting, and you know, I realized that's just that is just the byproduct of wanting, you know, to live in the dream business, basically, it's like, you know, I've got kids and they are so talented. I mean, these these, you know, I mean, I'm, I'm, you know, like, honestly, like just looking at it realistically, not with like, parents blinders on. And it's still just very frustrating because, you know, the opportunities have to present themselves, you have to make the opportunities present themselves with through, you know, so my point being is that, um, in in retrospect, whenever telling the story, it always comes off like a really like, you know, well orchestrated story. And, you know, reality it wasn't it was literally no more complicated than man, I gotta get out of here, because Connecticut is not going to be for me long term. And it was just one foot in front, the other and then whatever opportunity presented itself really trying to make the absolute most out of it. So it was kind of like a game of Open, open open doors game, you would just go through whatever came up. And so the crazy part is, at one point, I was working with a manager named Brian Cohen, the guy was great. He was an outstanding manager. And he owned a store music store called Brian guitars, or Brian's guitars, I honestly forget. But he was he had connections with Michael Bolton, because Michael Bolton was was from New Haven, Connecticut. And so at one point he had sent this demo guy sent out and this is keep in mind and guitar was very much in vogue at the time, you know, I mean, it was kinda like, you know, how UFC is the thing now or whatever. But, um, at one point, Michael Bolton was like, Yeah, I'm gonna, you know, I'd work with this guy, I'd work on writing some songs with them, and let's get him a deal. And you know, so I was going to kind of go that path. And then I had this garbage car dodge Lancer, and on my way, driving into Manhattan, which was like a two hour drive that blew a head gasket for the third time. And I couldn't make a writing session. This was before cell phones and all this stuff. So in essence, I couldn't make it because the car just you know, I didn't want I wasn't going to make it through traffic of New York. So I pulled over I called my manager from a payphone and he's like, Yeah, you're probably better coming back, you know, I came back. And at that point, because I didn't make the writing session. They were like, I don't know how serious this guy is. And they decided not to work with me. So then I was like, well, it looks like I'm doing guitar records. And that's literally how the path began. One door closed and one door open.

Chuck Shute: 4:20

But how did you tell the story about how you, your dad took you to this guitar shop? And you hear like, Hey, look at my kid. He's again, he plays guitar and then the guitar shop owner. recommended you go to the was at the NAMM music convention.

Blues Saraceno: 4:34

Well, that was so I was working. I was working at um, I also I got people's just like techniques like when when it rains, it just fires you know? But anyways, so what happened was, I was working at a stand I was grateful for these opportunities. There was a guy named Ray de Champlain who owned creative, creative strings in I want to say Newington, and I he gave me a job when I was like literally like I don't 1112 years old, something like that I was so part of it was he didn't want to hire me initially because I was so little in my voice was so high that he was like, What? What can I do with this kid? You know? So my dad who did carpeting flooring he ultimately went up to he was like the guy that all the flooring and Ray was like, Yeah, I need to get the store done. And my dad's like, Listen, I'll work I'll do the, I'll cut you the deal. But you got to at least just you know, even if it's not officials, let the kid come down for on Saturdays, let him just feel like he's working at the store or something like that. But my dad was so adamant that, you know, he just pushed the case, which was a great thing about my dad, he was so he was just such a kind of a force of nature in that regard that the guy really didn't want to hire me, you know what I mean? You know, so he bakes was like, Okay, fine, you know, and so every Saturday, I would get up and drive my bike, rain or shine, didn't care was like a 40 minute drive. And I would drive to that store. And it was like Disneyland, I mean, the guitars and at least in the beginning of the day, the guitars were so shiny, and I loved it, you know what I mean? I'd walk in there. And I'd be like, ah, what new guitars were in and I got to kind of soak it all in because I was it was just being around that environment. You know what I mean? It was like I just learned from being subjected to it, I there was all the latest hottest players, and they had all the tricks. And I never would have figured this was pre internet. So, you know, I didn't know how to do you know, dive bar squeeze, because I didn't, couldn't you know, what is that? You know, I mean, and then I'd see somebody do it. I'm like, That's it, you know what I mean in and so, from there, I worked there for like, four years. But the crazy part was that I can only go so far there because you know, all these guys, these guys were phenomenal musicians that worked there. They were very much jazz based. And because they were so jazz based. I went the other way. I was rock bass. I was like, it was almost like the war. It was like the the east versus the West type thing. They're like, Yeah, you know, I'd bring in some new band, whatever it was, and they'd be like, it's good. But you gotta listen to this, you know, Spyro Gyra shit. And I'm like, Well, that is very good, too. But you know, this, you know, this is fucking AC DC, homie. You know what I mean? And like, you know, so it was just, and we both had a mutual respect. It was it was like a very pleasant war of like, you know, in our own way, we were kind of bringing the next person up, because we were like, so I was showing them like, you know, you know, here's some, you know, here's some Richie Blackmore. And they're like, well, here is, you know, some elders, Viola. And I'm like, Yeah, but you got to get that, you know, race with the Spanish devil. That's when he's kicking. And they're like, oh, no, that's what he's just showing off. And I'm like, is he though? You know, and so Anyways, that was creative. And I was grateful to have the opportunity. But because I was kind of just known as the kid that drove his bike on the weekends to come down. I think I was making like $5 a day or whatever it was. I can only go so far there, because there was also local guitar players that had more shine than I did. And they were really excited about them. And I was just kind of common fare. So at one point, my dad was buying something from Brian O'Brien guitars. And he says, Hey, man, my kid is really, you know, he's definitely you know, he's an he's an exceptional player, you should hear him and the guy was like, Man, I don't want you know. So then at one point, my dad just brought me down. He goes, Listen, go into corner, and play. And he knew I always played loud. So I just went in the corner. And I just started playing, I just grabbed over there was no one could see me playing. And then the crazy part was when I was little, I would play and people would gather around because it wasn't, you know, we didn't have Instagram. So it was like, if you heard that, you know, a player that was kind of different than the norm, drew attention. So I'm playing there's people gathered around this guy Grantsville who's playing and my dad's like, yeah, that's my, that's my kid. You know what I mean? So Brian, who just heard me before he even saw me was like, you really felt that I had something a little different than, than other people. So from there, Brian was like, Listen, I've got an idea. And he says, if you can get yourself out to a NAMM Show, which is a the NAMM show for people don't know is the National Association of music merchants. At the time, it would happen by yearly but really the big one was January flower to Anaheim, California in January, or I think it was Nashville in the summer or something like that. I don't really remember but um, so he says, Listen, if you can get out there, there's this company, Ivan says. And they have some of the they got like that's like this is the up and coming company. This was right. Right before this was right. Like when Steve Vai was kicking off right when all those like multicolored gyms were going and they had Joe Satriani. They had Steve Vai. They were getting Paul Gilbert, you know? And they said, listen, these guys are really kind of on their way up. And he goes, I know the Artist Relations guy because Brian was such a phenomenal businessman that he for a store his size was doing like four times the numbers and then any of the big stores worth so he says, Listen, I'm gonna you know, I'm going to I'm going to call a favor and I'm going to get you an appointment with this guy named rich Lesnar. Rich Laughner was the Artist Relations guy for Hoshino Robbins and so I went back to Ray de Champlain, which was The guy from creative and I said, Hey, you know, I want to go up to NAMM. I'm gonna buy my ticket my parents gave me you know, we had we had nothing. I mean, I think the ticket was like 400 bucks would have, which at the time was like saying two grand, you know, for us, because we were literally just living, you know, not even month to month it was like week to week. But they my parents got me the ticket and Ray was kind enough to let me kind of crash with with with them out there. You know what I mean? Which I was grateful, you know, he's like, yeah, do your thing. You know, I'm gonna be out handling business. And so I had a place to stay. And I had a ticket. And I flew out to the NAMM show. And it was amazing, because I left you know, dreary, cold California, sorry, Connecticut with like, you know, everybody's got, you know, the mall haircuts and the chains on their tires and the big fluffy jackets. And all of a sudden, I'm in Los Angeles. And I'm like, this was keep in mind, this was like, kind of like, I wouldn't say the heyday of the hair metal, but it was definitely kind of towards the tail end. But still, it was in full swing. So, you know, the guy's got the hair puffed up, ladies got it. I'm walking on guys are walking around with two girls on each arm. I'm like, this is like, I just couldn't, you know, and you know, it was just it was California. So everybody was good looking. Nobody needed a jacket, you know. And I was like, this place exists, what? And so anyways, I fly out there and and it was Friday when I flew out on Friday. So it was Friday, Saturday and Sunday was really afford a show. And really back in the day, this was like the heyday of those shows. This was you know, this was where people would fly out to. It was kind of like a boat show for boats. Like if you want to see what's happening for the next year and the boat show you go to the boat, you know, you don't see it. And so this was like I said, pre internet. So we get out there. And so what would happen is everybody would fly out there was like an excuse to like, get away from the families and everybody would just go bananas for four days. They'd start drinking on Thursday, Friday was the was like, you know, was that was the was the pinnacle. And by Saturday, right? It was looking pretty, you know, pretty toasty. And by Sunday. It was crispy out there, you know? And yeah, so you see

Chuck Shute: 12:11

a lot of like, people that you recognize, like almost people.

Blues Saraceno: 12:15

Yeah, just it was well keep in mind at the time, there was only three magazines, there was guitar player, guitar for the practicing musician and Guitar World. And that was our internet at the time. That was our Instagram. That was our tick tock, you know, because you didn't know anything. You were so removed. If you lived in the middle of Wisconsin somewhere you didn't have. There was no kind of no mecca of sorts to go to other you just had the piece of together with what you knew and word of mouth and record stores and hey, man who's got the can you get me a Tony MacAlpine record I, I saw his review and guitar player you know, that's I remember, that's how I found out about Tony MacAlpine. I saw him in the back of the magazine, and then, you know, I would do whatever I could to try and find anything that had Tony MacAlpine on it, and you know, and that was, that was the method then it wasn't like now where it's like, hold on, what's the www what you know. And so, anyways, and it's a long story, but in short, I went there. And so what I was doing was on Friday, and I was just kind of on my own running wild there. So on Friday, I just started walking around, and I would just walk into a booth, and hey, can I play that, and that was kind of like a kid, and they were like, a bucket. But you know, I play it, and I play it. And then people would gather around, because this was kind of at the time where, you know, that's what it was all about the demonstrations. And so, so I go to whatever booth and I'm playing and stuff, and I've got a crowd, and I'm like, holy, this is easy. You know, I played that people were like, yeah, man, keep playing, you know, and they'd let me turn up and all that stuff. And so I'd say thanks. And I'd go to the next booth, and I play and I'd get a crowd, you know, and so, I just kind of went around. So I did that Friday, that Saturday. And what was happening was, it was great for the people at the booth because I was, you know, filling their booths and drawing attention to their stuff. But ultimately, it wasn't really doing much for me, you know what I mean? So I was like, I was kind of digging it, but I was kind of realizing, alright, well, you know, and so the last thing I had was I had a card from Brian and at the back, it says Hoshino 11 o'clock Ridge last night. And so I go there at 11 o'clock, and I was nervous. And I was so nervous. I forgot to pick. I just was like, so I met rich and he was the nicest guy just really nice. And he was totally like, everybody else was burnt out. But Rich was like, totally on his A game. So I knew Rich was like a legit guy. He wasn't fucking around. Like he was real, real serious hold on calls that just never ends. Sorry about that. And so I met with rich in in, like I said, he was absolutely 100% Like, you know, rock solid. And I was like, wow, and I really liked him. And so I played for him, but I was nervous. So I forgot to pick. So I just picked up one of the ionises and I just started playing with my fingers because I was like, you know, gotta make it work and so, started playing with my fingers. And I think he really won he liked the approach I took to it and he liked it. It was just at the time. And you gotta realize everybody was just a million miles an hour because that was, you know, what was in vogue. And I was kind of the opposite. It was almost like, almost like in direct contrast to that, you know, and I didn't have a pic. So, you know, this was, so I kind of just played, I did the best I could of what I had. And it was kind of like, you know, in my style, it's always kind of been what it was it ever since it took me like about, I started playing when I was like nine. And by the time I was like 11, I kind of had the direction locked. At that point, it was just bringing in more influences and getting the technique better. But it was just weird. It just kind of came out of the gate that way. And the reality is the truth of the matter was, I didn't really have the ability without putting a massive amount of effort into trying to sound like somebody else. And I was like, Well, why am I going to work this hard to sound like something I'm not, whereas my style just kind of came naturally. So it was like, once again, the path of least resistance, I just went down what works for me. Yeah, and that's how I kind of developed it. And then at that point, it was just bringing in influences to expand the vocabulary and just getting better at the technique, you know, and of course, you had to have some of the of the of the moment type style guitar work, because you always you're always a product of your environment, you know, for the most part. And so I played for rich, and Rich was like, Okay, listen, he goes, I kind of really liked where you're going with this, he goes, but I'm in a bit of a dilemma, because you have no exposure. So it's tough, I can't just, you know, sign you as an artist and endorse you because, you know, he explained to me is every endorsement is really just, it's a give and take, like, you know, we provide product, and you know, an advertising but you in turn, bring, you know, a new kind of community to our product, and you bring more exposure awareness demonstration, through your demonstration through your, your playing you. You know, that's, that's what we kind of benefit from it. And I'm like, Yeah, that makes total sense. So he says, but listen, I don't want to, you know, here's what I'm going to do. So he just like right on his head, and I was talking, I'm like, hey, what if I did like a demonstration thing, we were just like, kind of spitballing right there. And I was very, you know, I was very kind of like, I want to say I was more like kind of like world savvy or street savvy, because I was definitely not from an academic background, I was more from a, you know, you know, go do it, go actually do it, and then figure it out background, if that makes sense. And because I was just, you know, I was had so much exposure to dealing with different people, because I would work with my dad, he would do carpeting. So we would go in different houses. And I would learn just to kind of read the room and work with different some people were very particular one way other people weren't. And I just kind of at a very early age would just kind of kind of understood human nature kind of pretty, pretty, fairly reasonably. And so that was kind of a strong asset. And so, in talking to rich, we were kind of just spitballing I was like, Yeah, I understand that makes total sense. I said, but what if I was like, you know, I'm like, what if I did a demonstration, what if I was kind of started throwing things out to try and give him something and he was also kind of doing the same. So we kind of came up with on the spot, at least that's how I remember it was that he's like, Well, here's what I'll do. He goes, I'm gonna send you a guitar, and just take it and do some demonstrations with it. And then like, which was a cassette tape at the time, and then send it to me, and let's see what we can do. And to be honest with you, all I heard was I'm gonna send you a guitar. Yeah, so shoot, it was word, but two weeks later, a package shows up. And it was I think, in whatever the it was, like an RG 550. You know, just like your basic, you know, kind of, you know, strat style guitar. And I remember had a smaller neck than I was used to. So I had to adjust that. But, so from there, what ends up happening was, and that's all I needed, I knew the door was already kicked open, I knew I had I had a connection, and the guy was cool. And so I went in my garage, and I would you know, I was always self recording and doing that stuff because honestly, I couldn't find anybody in my local community that was was of even close to my age that could really, you know, get the job done. So at the time, I was playing with a drummer of kind of close to my age, a guy named Tom Hulsey, he was a great drummer. And he was, I think, from Newington as well. And he was kind of more at the time was much more of a jazz background. But he could, you know, he could he could do all the like hot for teacher stuff and like that. And so when he was really just still is I'm sure I've lost contact with him but great, great drummer. So, in essence, he came over I recorded them with whatever I had, I think I had a Clary on four track. And so I made these demos, I'd record him on the drums and I played the bass and I played the rhythm guitar and then I basically made these like two and a half to three minute just straight out of the gate demonstration songs. I was like there's no I wasn't doing guitar themes, none of that stuff because to be honest with you, I never wanted to do that stuff. I just was kind of like a brawler on the guitar as far as the approach it was just I want to pick this thing up. I want to just knock it out of the park and get out of there you don't I mean, I wasn't I don't think guitar themes sound that good to be honest with you. They just sound like like you just you know like you were missing an instrument so you'd like did like a mock up with a guitar. They never or the way guitar is expressed, it never quite comes off like a vocal track or anything like that. And I always felt that since day one, but it was what I had. So I had I had him do the drums, sent them on his way did all the, you know, bass stuff. And so I did it and I sent in a song and it was just like, get down to business, get it done. And I sent a rich riches like, Dude, this is great. I love it. You don't I mean, he goes, Yeah, this is this works out cool. And then I said, he goes, Hey, can you do me a favor? Can you do a second one? And I was like, okay, you know, so then I did a second one, you know, a couple weeks later sits down he goes, I love I like it better than the first one. I was like, Cool. Then he's like, Hey, man, is there any shot you can do a third one and at this point, you know, the shine of a new guitar is was wearing off, I was like, bam, kind of earning this thing here. You know what I mean? Like, you know, I liked the guitar, but you know, okay, you know, so I took that third one, you know, and I sent the third one in and he's like, okay, yeah, he goes, so he took him and he sent them out. And then so what happened was at the time I made this demo in I did a weird order I sent I put the like, almost like the most non aggressive song first almost like started with a ballad because I just was like, ah, let's try something different. I was trying to kind of break through the clutter and all the all the would you call it all the juices, lot of chatter out there with guitar players, every guy who had better hair, the next one, and they had brighter guitars and they were faster and you know, and it's like, I can't I'm not going to go toe for toe against the Paul Gilbert that's not going to work for me at all that's going to not work out well for me, you know, so. So I so I kind of just did everything kind of very different than what was going on. So I start this thing with almost like a ballad. And then it goes to more aggressive one that I end with a shuffle and I put it out there and so what happens is this tape kind of starts floating around the industry. What I didn't realize this rich dad knew everybody because everybody it's a very small industry. He knew, you know, one guitar player knows the X, the other guitar player at the time. You will, which is what still with Hoshino, there was DiMarzio pickups. And they were they were the exclusive ones. And even though I was I've always been a Seymour Duncan guy, because that's just what my ears liked the best but I you know, I liked the madness. And I liked it. The marshals they were cool, but he sent a tape the same tape over to this guy Steve blue Jarrett DiMarzio. And Bucha like to tape and blue to turn this guy into John sticks at guitar for the practicing musician magazine. And in I unbeknownst to me, I didn't realize this at the time, but the magazine was having they were trying to launch a guitar label because they figured, hey, they were the biggest of all the three magazines. And they figured hey, if we do this guitar, you know, label it would be great because we have like a built in audience. And so John Stix got it and they called me and they said, Hey, man, is this you playing guitar and because I was very young, I was like, I think I was I was maybe 15 I did it you know, and like, you know, 15 and a half or whatever it was, and I just kept sending in and at the time, they there was no video to go with it. So and I said, Yeah, you know, and he says, Well, you know, they we basically started I sent it in like he got FedEx to him or something like that. I remember like it rides in like an hour later I got a phone call because you could set it for like 10am delivery, you could pay extra and of course I was so eager for the opportunity I paid the extra and so in short this guy John sticks heard it and he that was in I guess I just fit the perfect mold because that's who they want to launch they were real concerned about the first guy that they come out with because they felt if they came out with some weak product out of the gate no one was gonna take the label serious so they held out for a year I guess to find it. And then my tape came across her desk and then from there it kind of it kind of bounced off but not to go on a tangent but that's how it all began.

Chuck Shute: 23:48

So then how did you come up with the plaid? guitar because that was a big part of your trademark I think like that you went all your guitars had the plaid stuff on then you had the album that was planned? Yeah.

Blues Saraceno: 24:00

That was I was in Japan with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. And I showed up on I don't know whatever day let's say on a Monday by Wednesday. somebody shows up at the gig was an exact replica of my guitar design. And it was like you know it was like a car it wasn't you know painted weird. It was like a you know, I had different parts on a different neck different color pickups because I was an artist so they would give me things that you couldn't commonly get you know, and then two days later I'm signing the exact guitar I mean like it was literally they had scratches and everything it was like the guy I think made it may have must have took a picture with me on day one By day three he's got the guitar real nice guy you know and assigned the guitar and I was like geez you know and then so what was happening of course at the moment you know, Van Halen was the top gun that was you know, Van Halen Steve Vai ng they all the you know, your your talent your you know, was kind of running the ruling the roost there. So, what I liked about Van Halen is he had such an instantly recognizable guitar the second you saw that that multistrike guitar, you were like, Guy Got it. And I wanted something that was instantly is recognizable, you know, Zakk Wylde had the bullseye guitar, I think you know, or maybe it was maybe this was even before that I honestly, I'm getting older. I don't remember all the details. But um, so I was literally one day I was like, Alright, I gotta come up with something. I was sitting the supermarket, I came back from Japan, and we're thinking, jeez, you know, I'm gonna, if they're gonna copy me, which they are, people are going to copy, there's no way around it, you know? I said, Well, if they're gonna do it, they're gonna earn it. You know, it's kind of my theory. So I was sitting in the supermarket, and I was just standing so guy with this big plaid shirt. And I'm like, That's it. That's what I'm gonna do. So I went down to the local, you know, betting barn or whatever it was. And I decided, hey, I want to I want to have a plaid guitar. And I called the guys and as I said, I want to have a guitar. That's plaid so that whenever you see it, you'll know it's me. And I could kind of run with it. And that's honestly how it started. It was hard, very hard to do. Because they this guy, I think the original artists that I worked with was a guy named Pedro Cruz, who I think was the gentleman that was working with IBM this time. And the hard part was because the guitar is not a flat surface. It's it's, you know, it's got bevels, and shapes and shifts and stuff like that, that it was hard to get it all to line up. It was really hard. It was very, I remember, they were it was definitely a challenge. But he did it got it done. And it was cool. And then that just became like a thing, you know, then I started doing my cabinets that color, because it was just something that was going to help me stand out. I was just trying to find a way of breaking out in the pack. And that's honestly, if you guys want to hear a crazy story. That's how the plaid Converse came out. I remember at one point there was like this fashion wave of planning. And it happened because the drummer Joe Franco, I would work with him and he always had the coolest Converse. I was like dude, where he'd have almost like tinfoil Congress. I'm like, where did you get those? He goes, Oh, I got a friend over Congress. He just says if you send it to him, he'll make you whatever you want. Because I'll put a call in for you. And he did. And the guy's name was Pete Dylan. Nice guy. And I talked to my phone. I said, Hey, man, I use these plaid guitars, can you make me plaid converse to kind of like, you know, match it. And I don't know what I was going for. And if I was just gonna like, in my mind, I was gonna turn into one big like, tartan fool or whatever. Anyways. He says, Yeah, he goes, but here's the deal, you gotta go get the fabric, you know. And so I go down to the same place though, the old bedding barn with the blue haired ladies. And it was kind of tough because you couldn't make the pattern too big or it didn't look plaid, if you made it too small, just look like a checkerboard, you know, and some colors worked better. So I go down there and I pick like, you know, three, four different things. And I send it to him, and I didn't hear anything for like, two months. And I'm like, I guess I guess he just blew it off, whatever. Then one day, you know, package shows up. And it's like, you know, six, seven pairs of these plaid sneakers. And I was like, Oh, shit, those are awesome. And then I talked to Peter Dillon about I don't know, two months later, and he goes, I just wanted to thank you, man. I'm like, thank me. I'm Thank you, dude. I appreciate the sneakers. He goes, No, no, you understand. My bosses came in and they saw those things on the bench. They thought that was the coolest thing. And that's where the plaid sneakers came from. from Congress. Wow. Yeah, he goes, Oh, yeah, they made millions off that so and you got money, you just how to not make money with another terrible financial decision from my book. So that's

Chuck Shute: 28:08

funny. Yeah. So you mentioned the cream thing. Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. I don't think I even knew about that until I started doing research for this interview. But so did they call it cream? Or was it just like

Blues Saraceno: 28:20

think it was just jack Bruce and Ginger Baker? They didn't have the third ingredient which was you know, the the the Eric Clapton

Chuck Shute: 28:27

Yeah. So how did they get you? They did is this after you had already done that put out a solo album.

Blues Saraceno: 28:32

Yeah, I did the first record. And keep in mind what I did is I signed a one record deal, which was kind of that was another thing Brian was really good at it's unheard of no one signs a one record deal because why would they? Why would they want to make you a known entity? And then have you bail on to the next thing, you know? Because you know, Brian was really good with his tactics, he kind of effect was to say, Listen, in all fairness, we understand that but you know, you guys aren't a proven label. So why would we want to like lock ourselves into something that may not get out of the gate? So we kind of just kind of, you know, they mutually kind of agreed that hey, we'll do one record and if it does, well, we'll discuss it you know, so I did the one record and and all's I also, I really wanted to do was I was ultimately just use it. My whole point for doing it was basically to use it as a kind of like a calling card, a business card. Like at the time everybody had like cassettes that were hand done, you know, and some black and white photo and all of a sudden, this was an opportunity for me to have a CD which was like you know, and so I did I did that and it worked out great. I did the first record and then it was working because I could go back to iPads and say Hey, guys, listen, not I'm gonna do this record I can you know, I can feature your your guitar on the album now. And this album is going to be on this gonna be promoted by this guitar magazine, which is the most popular guitar magazine now. I had some I had some I had a little bit of weight behind me as far as negotiating and it worked out great because now rich is like okay, They will sign you as an artist, you know, and then we'll promote you. And we'll try and promoting you with the record. So everybody kind of got on board I DiMarzio got on board at the time I've been has got on board, whatever string company I was with, I think it was the Dario at the time. And then so I had like this multi, kind of like little network. And so really, what at the time, what was the most advantageous of the endorsements was not the actual product itself, because to be honest with you, I was going to buy the product that I liked anyways, or, you know, at least use the product that I liked. So really, what was of most value was the was the endorsement because that would put would shine some light on you. So what happened was, I was in the magazine for the, you know, I would stagger the ads, but I would be in the magazine for the, when the label came out, I'd be in the magazine Freiberg as I'd be in the magazine. So what was happening was, you know, on this one platform that people would kind of use as the as a gauge of what's going on. I was getting, you know, exposure. So because of the exposure and honestly, because this guy John sticks was had it was friends with the manager of Jack Bruce, that's really it was kind of a two fold thing, because one wouldn't have probably happened without the other. But John sticks, which was the guy that I worked with, on the record was new those guys. He says, Hey, listen, I've got this young kid, he's coming up, you know, and he's in all the magazines. You know, he's, you know, he's young, he's fresh, you should check them out. So I went to a cat was like, kind of like a closed cattle call of sorts. They had all the heavy hitters. From all the new on the New York scene came into play, you know, all these guys from other bands and, and I was doing a photo shoot at the day over and I think I want to say Staten Island, I think with Damart wherever DiMarzio was, I was doing a photo shoot. So I got like hair and makeup on. I'm doing a photo shoot. And I did get a call there. Hey, listen, they're holding auditions today. You gotta get you gotta you gotta get out early. And you gotta get over there because I got you a slot. For an audition. I'm like, and I had my guitar because I was using it for the photoshoot. So I was like, awesome. So I cut the photoshoot short, I hop in the car I go over and of course that day, I think the President was in town. So it was held like Midtown at like Sr. and so I did real good until I got like about two blocks away. And it was just gridlock. I couldn't even park where to park the car. And I'm just stressing out because I'm trying to make the audition I got fucking makeup on. I mean, it was just like, I looked like you know, an extra from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Like it was just like, I got a blue Mohawk at the time. And you know, and so anyways, and I'm just so finally I just soon as I can get to a parking lot, I parked a car I'm, you know, hustling down to the couple blocks to get to the place I show up. I'm like, two hours late. And they everybody's pissed because like, you know, I was the last guy there. The president of epic was there, he wanted to go to lunch, you know, and it was just a catastrophe. So I roll in, I got the guitar, I'm sweating, you know, and they, they had an amp. And Jack was really cool. It was just jack Bruce at the time. And he says, Hey, man, do you know any my tunes? And I'm like, yeah, no, I don't, you know, he's, he's like, alright, you know, and I said, and of course, I was like, Hey, listen, my dad listens to you guys all the time. You know, if you just play something, I'll figure it out. And he's just like, What the fuck, you know? So anyways, and I didn't realize this about at the time, but Jack kind of loves controlled chaos. And I didn't really realize that at the time. So I just walk in, you know, I know, I'm already out. I know this, I'm just doing this as a courtesy. So I don't come off. Like I didn't show up. I walk in, there's like, some bullshit JCM 800 with no fucking gain on it to play and I'm just like, Jesus, fuck, you know. So I turn the amp to its side, you know, and I just literally take every knob and I just will open it up wide open, because I figured out how to get the most gain out of it. And I can play it, you know, and it won't blow them out. So literally out of the movies, I go just play something, we'll figure it out. And he liked it. He's like, Alright, cool, you know, and there was a there, you know, so he just starts playing something and I start laying into it. And of course, the fucking tubes and the amp arc, because I had turned everything up. And it was a rental amp, just, you know, in literally out of the fucking movies, the amp starts smoking, you know, and I'm just like, You got to be kidding me, this audition could not go any worse. You know, and I'm just sitting there, like, I was just uncomfortable in silent and so they will camp out and they go in to get a guy and they bring another one in and like no one's saying anything. And it's just like, Alright, so we just jam on some stuff. And you know, I just throw what I got at it at the time, you know, and I'm trying to, like interject my style with the current stuff. And I'm like, you know, so we do we chamfer like I wasn't, you know, 567 minutes. It wasn't much, you know, just on some I don't even know what it was just some groups, you know? And they're like, Okay, thanks. And I'm like guys, I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much and I just like you know, back off and you know, and I'm like, that was uncomfortable. And I head home and when I get home there's a voicemail and machine from from the management. They're like, Hey, this is such and such from management. Yeah, Jack would like you to come in on Tuesday. We're gonna do we're gonna try some stuff a breeze he's told me this time he says learn the fucking Um, you know, and so they gave me like three songs to learn. I came in and at that point, you know, we were good. And that was it, they gave me if I remember correctly, they were kind of just gave me the gig on the spot. And it was just going to be Jack Bruce and we were going to do like these, you know, like, club tour like, you know, whatever 300 cedars whatever it was, you know, nothing, just like a club tour from from the, starting at the East Coast to the West. And I was like, Fuck, yeah, this is great. Because I had never toured, I'd never really been in that many bands. At that point, I was in like a, you know, like, like a hair, local Hair Metal band or something like that, because it was the thing to do. But even that was not for very long. And so, and then as we're getting into it, so I'm just gonna go on tour with Jack Bruce. I'm like the guy from cream the bass player from Korean cool, you know, and then the management gets Ginger Baker on board. And now it's a whole different game. They got Jack and ginger to play together, which is two thirds of like, you know, the, the Uber supergroup from the late 60s, early 70s, or whatever it was. And to be honest with you all this is kind of going over my head because I'm like, you know, do let's do some fucking Guns and Roses. Let's do that. And they're like, what the, you know, yeah, I didn't want to play in like a group that like, you know, my dad was in tune like, fuck that, you know, but, but I liked the music I realized that this mute these guys are good. I get why these people liked them. And and I didn't really the crazy part is, is much as I it's much as I understood how good Clapton was, I mean, it I just approached it totally different. I just was like, going completely on another take because it just wasn't it wasn't of my time. You know what I mean? Right? That's gonna be my only thing. So

Chuck Shute: 36:40

it sounds like that's what they wanted. Right?

Blues Saraceno: 36:42

I yeah, that Jack loved it. What I didn't realize it because I keep in mind I walked in, met him for five minutes. And you know, you know, I didn't realize the cream was really kind of like, kind of like a jazz band on somebody with a blues guitar player. And like, it was kind of weird. And like, so I in my own way was like, almost like the perfect fit for him because I knew nothing of it. Well, he was different. They were schooled, I was totally unschooled. And I was just kind of, like, just so wild, because I didn't know any better. I just came in, like, kind of, like, you know, almost like you'd pick a dog up off the streets and it doesn't know anything. It's just a fucking you know, rampid running dog. And that was kind of like, they kind of liked that it was so I was so left of center for anybody, because everybody that audition was great. They all knew the parts and they played a note for note and they, you know, each guy was better than next and I just come in and I'm, you know, fucking doing dive bombs and pick slides. And you know, I can they're just like, What the fuck is

Chuck Shute: 37:33

controlled chaos? Like you said, yeah, he

Blues Saraceno: 37:35

loved it. He was like, this is perfect, you know. And keep in mind it was also for his solo record just wasn't for Queen product that we're gonna do sound really, for his solo record, so he was all over it. Enter Ginger Baker. And that was interesting. That was an interesting dynamic. So in the stories go on, there's so many stories that it's crazy. And I've got some that are so off the walls. I don't even know if people would believe them. I mean, they're just so

Chuck Shute: 37:59

to me at least one jeez.

Blues Saraceno: 38:02

Okay, well, one is one starts like this. He comes in, he flies into JFK, and he had his, his his the collapse, he he collapses in the in the airport, because his appendix bursts, you know, so I get a call we were supposed to rehearse so what happened was we were gonna play with ginger and then all of a sudden the the tours went from like these kind of like smaller clubs to bigger clubs. I was like, alright, that's cool. Because all of a sudden you've got now it was Jack Bruce. It was Jack Bruce featuring Jack Bruce and John Jack with Jack was banned featuring Ginger Baker. I was I think that was so every all the cream fans were like, ah, heck yeah, this is gonna be awesome. And so. So he comes in, right? And he collapses so and then to drag him off to the hospital. So then the guy is like, 50 at the time, you know? 51 Whatever it was. So then I get a call Hey, the tours on hold right now in rehearsals been canceled. So I'm like, well, there went that gig. Because the drummer collapsed and I didn't know what it was drummer collapse in the in the airport. And I was like, alright, well, easy. come easy. Go. You know, and then I get a call like two days later. No, no, no tours back on. We're just going to postpone it a week. Because the drummer had appendicitis and they he had surgery. I'm like, pretty sure you got to give it more than a week or two after but whatever. Okay, so cut two week later, we're back at SR and I walk in the room and rooms cold and there's this guy by himself with like a long trench coat. And he's like, literally, I want to say he's like gray in color. I was like, holy shit. And he's like smoking the pipe in the back. And he's like, kind of like this. And he's got like this long, like, trench coat on and he's like, in the corner like me, this was out of a fucking movie. guy looks like fucking Nosferatu. I was like, shit, you know? He did not look good. I mean, look, you know, but walk over and I'm like, you know, I go you know you ginger. I'm blues. Nice to meet you. I go to shake his hand. He just looks at me he's like, just doesn't say anything like a half grown five and I'm like, I'm like, oh shit, you know what I mean? So I'm like, I made an effort, you know what I mean? And that's it. So I just go to the other end of the room, you know, and it's the rooms fucking cold. Like it's just weird. And then Jack comes in he goes, Hey, blues, Jack's always very jovial and very warm. Very, very, very. He has a very kindness and warmth about him. So it was very in contrast to that to the sky. That's fucking you know, there's gargoyle in the fucking corner. You know? So, that's it. That's it. And then there was we had, we had Bernie Morel keyboards from parliament. Funkadelic. And we had Gary Cooper the also so I didn't know any of these guys. I didn't know they were from pocket as I was like him. And they were just cool dudes, like they were nice guys like, and that's kind of what I liked about music. It didn't matter. Like, no one gave a shit. I didn't know who anybody was because I was just too young, you know. And then they didn't know who I was. But everybody grooved instantly because it was just merit based, like and I heard I heard Gary sing. I'm like, That guy sings that he had fucking Bernie plank, v3. I'm like, Oh, shit, this is gonna be awesome. You know. And so the band clicks instantly, you know? And then there's fucking ginger. And the guy literally is like, can barely hold sticks. Like, we can barely get through the songs. I'm like, Whoa, Holy fuck, this is going to be interesting. So. And this is this all makes sense. So at the time, I think there was a drummer, I want to say his name was Tom Goss. He was a young guy kind of like me a little bit older than me, but not not by much. And so the plan was ginger was refused. And so I didn't realize the dynamic between Jack and ginger. At the time, I didn't realize they were like an old married couple. And it was it was toxic at times, you know what I mean? And so ginger refused to do any of Jack's solo material. And which presents a problem because we're out there promoting a record on Epic, which is his, I want to say it was a hand in the hands of time, I believe, or hands of time or something like that. So we're in a dilemma, we got a drummer and doesn't want to play and is really in no shape. He's definitely was in no shape to play the new stuff, for sure. I mean, he just was like rough for that, you know. So we ended up bringing on the second drummer. So we traveled with two drummers, and the plan was we would go out and we would play the No, that wasn't okay, that wasn't playing. But that didn't happen yet. I take it back, back it up, back up, back up back. That happened after this first gig. Okay, so a little context. So we started doing the new stuff wasn't really working out. But we had to do it in the cream stuff after about after about like day to really rehearse for like, literally, maybe my memories off, but I want to say like three days tops like, like, we didn't even know the shit. I didn't know that they knew this stuff so well, because the nose cream stuff they didn't even know. They were just rehearsing for us. And I was like, Jesus, yeah, we had to learn like whatever 1015 15 songs ever it was and they weren't hard. It was just I just wasn't familiar with it, because I didn't listen to it. So anyways, so here's the first gig. So this drummer is not looking good. I'm just like, Man, I don't know if this guy is gonna make the tour. It was not you know, so anyways, we get in this bus. I show up late because it was in Manhattan. And once again, the traffic I was in Connecticut, it was a two and a half hour drive to get in. We show up. We leave Midtown Manhattan, we get on this bus. I'm late. And my dad pulls in late, we grab my stuff, we throw it I just hop on the bus. Everybody's on the bus and they're like, give me a hard time because I was like, whatever half hour late and everybody's pissed. But anyways, I get on the bus. And I said, Fuck this, I'm just gonna go to sleep because we're going to have our first gig was going to be in Washington, DC. It was a small, smaller club. And I said, okay, and it's a bunch of old dudes and they're all sitting there smoking around the bus and I'm like, I didn't smoke. So I was like, I'm just gonna go to sleep in my bunk. And I remember the the guy that the bus driver was like, hey, sleep, feet first. I'm like, Why? Because well, if we crash, you won't break your neck. I'm like, All right, good to know. So I go, I literally take the car and I was late. So I had two gig bags. I think I just went to sleep with the two big bags like this. I was like, fuck it, you know? And I wake up about an hour later and I can't like just fucking smoke everywhere. I'm like, Holy fuck. I pop up on like the bus and I walk out and it was literally like Cheech and Chong. Those guys were all sitting there. Closed and there was so much fucking smoke because they were all smoking like they would roll their own cigarettes and ginger would smoke this cherry bark. I remember it was cherry bark tobacco was like fucking like, it was like putting your face next to like a fucking exhaust pipe was insane. And I'm just like, holy the shit this is not going to work and work for me. I cannot spend 30 days on a fucking coffin of smoke, you know? So so instead I'm like, What the fuck guys this is I know, I'm the new guy. I know on the low guy on the totem pole. I understand that you guys are the shit. I'm not understood. But fuck this. You know what I mean? If I was still I was just scrappy. Yeah, just my, my my I wasn't, you know, I didn't give a shit. I was like, There's no fucking way I'm going to do this. You know? I mean, that's just too much. So they're like, cool, cool, they crack open the window. And I realized the bulk of that was Ginger's fucking pipe man as shit was like it was terrible. So he and I are instantly we never you know, we never gelled out of the gate you know from the from the from the first part. So, you know, so it Every time he was kind of one way I was just like more that way so we just kind of you know, so anyways, so I get off the bus and I'm like fuck this guy's there's no way I'm gonna do this you know and so they're like alright we'll work it out so we got to do the first gig so now this is where the story kicks in is pretty sweet. We go to the first gig we didn't do soundcheck because you know we were late and I don't I don't think I don't think we've halftime did soundcheck these guys were so professional didn't even need it. They just they need their shit. So well soundcheck was they just set to sit they just set their their instruments and go you know, and I was like okay, you know, didn't know the set there was no setlist, you know, we maybe played together three times and you know, so we get out there and Okay, ladies and gentlemen introducing the jack Bruce ban with Ginger Baker. And what happened was, I let me set it up. There was a club and then there was like a, I want to say a What's the top part like Michael Malika landing but almost like a I don't even know what to call it. It was almost like a deck that surrounded was always like a top floor, that sort of thing. But it was it went out so far that when you're in the back, it was really kind of almost hard to see the stage because it was such an extended thing. Like I could play guitar to I could almost like maybe a foot or two reach up and touch somebody's flip. Like it was like almost like, has that hot? Yeah, it was kind of cool. It was cool. Because people could like you had people really close to you. And they were around. It was really cool was in Washington, I forget the name of the club. That place held on maybe 400 people, but and it was sold out. And I'm pretty sure that's if I remember correctly, it was sold out. So we start playing and it's like 1234, didn't, didn't, didn't didn't and I'm like playing and something is way off. Now I will say admittedly, we were very, very loud because I just by nature. Because of the way I played guitar I didn't they didn't have I didn't have master volume amps. I just had old Marshalls and I would just crank them up. And that was the sound you know, and the more gain you wanted, the louder you would get them. And that's just kind of, even though we still had master volume amps at this time, I just always had that approach. So for whatever reason, I would always open up the power section and just tap into the preamp section a lot. So it was always loud. That was the way it always sounded better. Anytime I went the opposing way. Just send it thin. I never liked it. And it never felt I played as good. So I always just kind of went that way. So we were loud. Jack was loud. I was loud. That part is absolutely you know, we were loud. But we're playing and I can't hear the fucking drums I'm like I'm so I'm like looking down I've got very few I think I have like a walk pedal on the ground. Like stepping on the wah pedal my checking my knobs. Looking back at my amp, everything's good. I look over to Jack Jack's fucking with his bass, and we look at each other. And we're like, you know, we were kind of our minds were in the same spot, like something is off, and we can't figure out what the fuck is going on. And then simultaneously as as Jackie and I looked at each other, we look back and we see ginger sitting there with sticks in his ears. And he's like screaming and he's got sticks sticking out of his ears, you know? And I can't tell what he's saying. And I'm like, Oh, shit, maybe his appendix broke again, you know what I mean? Like, I'm like, Holy fuck, you know. And I'm looking at Jack and in and we just keep playing because we're not going to stop playing and Jack and he's just screaming. He's like, he's guttural howls. And he's basically like, you know, we realize he's saying it's too loud. It's too loud. Like, you know, he basically felt it was too loud. So he chose not to play drums. So we do the whole first song with no drums. But what's happening is because of the way the place is laid out, the people, the people on the front and the top can all see it because they realized the guys I'm playing, but the people in the back can't see it because of that big overhang. So the people in the back are like, turn the drums up, turn the drums up. And I said just chance going, you know. And what happened was this this our tour manager, which was guy named David Colvin, which was also the sound engineer was also the sound guy was hitting all the buttons like trying to figure out because he couldn't necessarily, you know, he didn't know if he didn't he just no one thought the drummer wouldn't play with the moral story. The buttons, he had hit one of the solo buttons where he's allowed to talk to us through the PA and it comes out and that's how we soundcheck and I distinctly remember him saying, fuck, if the drummer would fucking play, I could turn them up and it comes through the whole PA and shit. Like, you know, oh, yeah, that was the first song. That was the first time I ever played with those guys. That was the first time I ever went on tour. That was the first so ginger. I think I think he agreed to do only the cream songs at that point. And he would we only did like very few songs and we had to turn down which we didn't you know, I mean, and then at the end of the at the end of the night, Ginger gets an A was he was traveling with his wife for time. They rent a car and they take off so now we have no drummer. And we had to send the police to go find them. And this tour was canceled. So I literally called my parents I'm like hey guys, yeah, I think I'm just gonna take a bus home, you know what I mean? And and they're just gonna show up here separately. And that was night one and that was kind of story just kind of builds on that I'll get crazier and crazier. And that was some of my touring stories.

Chuck Shute: 50:04

Wow, that is crazy. So then we I gotta I've been asking you like, I don't know, 2030 years to ask you these questions about poison. So what happened with poison so because what I remember initially was that they auditioned you and Richie Kotzen. Correct. And Brett said, blues was great. And then but I just gelled more with Richie. And then later when Richie, they kick Richie how they bring you on, then blues or Brett says, I originally wanted blues but he was just too young to take on the road. But then I heard you tell the story. And it's like totally different. So why don't you

Blues Saraceno: 50:38

tell me once again? I don't I'm not saying his their reasons or their reasons, you know? Yeah. And my perspective is a little different. But keep in mind Regina. We knew each other because we you know, I've been as guys and still to this day, we talked not not a lot, but I we tried to just talked to him a couple of weeks back. And, you know, he's just of course super talented guy. And he you know, we've always, we've always gotten along really, really well. You know, I think there was just a mutual, you know, on my part, I really respected his skill set. And he's just honestly, he's been always been very nice. He's very good person, you know, I mean, so

Chuck Shute: 51:10

when I definitely remember like, because I had all those guitar magazines, and it was like you and him are definitely in those magazines all the time, even though I never heard your music because I couldn't buy every CD, but I knew of you too, because I would see your your faces all the time.

Blues Saraceno: 51:26

Yeah. And he was I think he was like, not fumbling a couple hours away from me, you know, so. So we just traveled in the same circles. We were both IBNS guys, and we were both eventually Lanie guys, so we you know, we'd always you know, we was always, you know, it was always cool. And so I didn't, I didn't realize that it was just me and him. So what ended up happening was basically this, I was living in Connecticut at the time. And I had heard that there was an issue with there. So of course, I was reaching out trying to get as many trying to get as many people just trying to get in that camp. And actually the person that was really responsible for getting me in the door was Rudy sarzo Believe it or Oh, I had him on show. Nice guy. The nicest guys. I mean, dude, it's rude. He's such a nice guy that if anyone has anything bad to say, you instantly know it's the person that's saying it that's full of shit, because he's just the nicest guy you're gonna run into and super talented. And just like, you know, just I mean, I couldn't say enough things about him to be honest with you. But he basically I think threw my name out there and they're like, Hey, you should you should get blues to come in and I think you know Rudy thought I'd be a good fit for that. So ultimately, they brought me out I flew out I want to say two times I flew out one time and I was still with Jack at the time so it was interesting predicament but I really I was with Jack at that point. Probably about five I think I was like 20 or 21 So I think I went on a row with Jack when I was 16 You know, maybe 17 But I want to say 16 I honestly don't remember I'd have to you know definitely at least 17 Maybe but I maybe I was with Jack for like three four years because at this point it was Jack and ginger then it became Jack and Simon Phillips then it was Jack and Gary husband and so we got all these amazing drummers I've been super, you know what I'm talking about a great gig. I mean, he played with the best of the best musicians and so I got to play with everybody from Ginger Baker, Simon Phillips Gary husband I got to play with all these different drummers and they were all amazingly great but just so different. So you know like Like honestly wouldn't even play with ginger we would play so loud that you want to hear the crazy stuff this is how I would keep time with ginger because we were so loud. Ginger is high was always on the up dude. He was always on the upbeat so whenever I'd get lost I would just look back and I would just find I just knew he was on the upbeat all the other farmers their high hats are on the down. Do you really mean so that's how we would be that's how crazy it was but you learn to stick and move in that situation. But so anyways, fly out to California I stayed out in Studio City put mine of course I wanted to you know, I you know, I wanted to play ball. So I was staying in a nice hotel, I fly out, they come out I literally learned the I think I learned I remember they gave me a cassette of the stuff and the songs were pretty big, really basic. So it was really just being familiar with the song it wasn't the chords or how to play it. It was just memorizing the actual song you know,

Chuck Shute: 54:16

so important note to this, like you flew out and put yourself up on your own dime, they didn't buy it, which is weird because they were pretty big band and the only two people why wouldn't they pay for your plane ticket and hotel?

Blues Saraceno: 54:28

Well, you know, it's the music industry is a fickle beast, I guess what I will say is the bigger in general, the bigger the projects I would work on the more crazy it would be like I always remember thinking well Alright, this one's kind of crazy when I get to the next one. That's when it's going to all make sense and they just that's just not the case. You were you know, you really it was you know, if you want to if you want to join if you want to be in the music industry, definitely take a moment think about it. It's all I'm gonna say. So yeah, I flew myself out on my own dime, I put myself I think I was out, like, you know, three grand or something like that, which, you know, keep in mind, I was not, you know, that was a lot of money to me at the time. Yeah, but myself out, and I had the management just send me a cassette of their live show. And that way I just figured, and I just listened to it on the plane, like, I'd never learned the songs. I just listened to it. And when I got there, I just went in the hotel, I was like, Okay, I knew what the cores were, you know, it was one of four chords, you know, because very complex songs. No, they weren't but but there is an art to it. Definitely. Not not not that, you know, it's honestly the simpler stuffs kind of harder to play because it just comes down to either you've got the feel for it, or you don't, there's nothing to hide behind. But the field was no big deal. Like it just kind of naturally, I felt worked into my skill set fine. Like, you know, it was just one of those few groups that I would be able to do that with, you know, whereas I couldn't do that with a, you know, if I had to play with Sting, I'd be like, Oh, shit, here we go. I gotta. You don't I mean, so then I came down, I played and we got along, instantly, right out of the gate, everything was great. And I came in. And so basically, I think the difference was this, it wasn't playing the songs playing the songs was easy. What they needed was a songwriter. That was really the deal, because CeCe was really one of the primary, you know, was one of the primary legs that held up that structure, you know, and so what they really needed more than anything else, I mean, wasn't the guy to play the parts or fit the image, it was a guy that could further write songs and continue on down the path. And that was up my alley, because in essence, I know everybody kind of knows me as a guitar guy. But even in the last, you know, 20 something years, I've been a composer because honestly, even back in the day, that's what I was kind of more about the guitar was just honestly a tool to help me. It was just a tool in my skill set. You know, I'm a multi instrumentalist, but I'm clearly not as good on the other thing. So I would kind of like I understand drums, I can play drums, I'm by no means a drummer. But thanks to the you know, thanks to technology of MIDI. I'm a drummer. Now, you know what I mean? So, you know, even though I'm not a drummer as drummer, per se, you know, I lack the, you know, that even, you know, insight, but I had a good approach to it. Like I had a good style that always work but so anyways, so the songwriting was fine. I was like, oh, hell I can I know what these like I understood where I understood what they were and what they weren't. So we, I think we I came I remember coming in twice. I think if, if I could be off. I know, I definitely came in once flew in, played the songs. That was great. Everybody got along. And then while I was there, they said, Hey, let's come in and do some writing. And I said, Cool. So I came down and we just left, we just let a dat machine time rip. And we just started working on songs. And we were just coming up with stuff like that. It was really no big deal. It was

Chuck Shute: 57:37

coming with these the songs that would later end up on crack a smile, or was it somewhere somewhere,

Blues Saraceno: 57:41

somewhere somewhere? But basically, my approach was this and I was very forthcoming with it. I was very hyper and and you know, it was a mile a minute and high energy. And you know, I mean, I've mellowed more now and I'm still hyper you don't I mean, so. I came in. And I think what it came down to my belief was, I could be wrong. But I know that I got along really well with Ricky and Bobby instantly like that. We just clicked and they were like, Yeah, this is piece of cake. With with Bret, I think because my personality was just so similar to CC's like CeCe was very high energy and was very, you know, it's kind of almost like you just break up with one girlfriend and the next girl comes in is almost identical. As Richie was more, I think Richie was much more of like, and I was kind of, like, rougher like I was. So like, in short, like, you know, I take great pride in what I can do, but I know what it is, and I know what it isn't. So, you know, basically like I came in and I'm like, Guys, my approach was like this, you guys are a fun, cool rock'n'roll band. You know, I go the girls love you. So fuck the guys who cares? You already you've already won, you'll win by the fall because you've got the girls so the guys are going to show up no matter what. But at the time keep in mind this was starting to pivot towards like the hair metal thing was starting to die out. And now I'll come like to serious bands are starting to kick in and I think I think Brett in particular, you know, really want to kind of what really wanted to kind of win over the critics in the you know, in the guys in my approach was like, You're never going to fucking win. Um, you'll never be taken seriously that way. You know what I mean? Like, you know, so I, I was kind of like, so fuck it. Let's just be the best, you know, girl band that you can fucking being who and fuck them? You know? I mean, that was kind of my take.

Chuck Shute: 59:20

You want to be at a party band. And Ricky and Bobby were all about it.

Blues Saraceno: 59:24

Yeah, they were like, well, I mean, that's just what the skill their skill set only went so far. And it was great. It was like me trying to be a jazz guitarist. In all honesty, my skill set doesn't lend itself to it. So it's not that I don't appreciate like, I have a friend Josh Smith. That guy is he's off the rails. I watch it. I'm like, Geez, that guy is crazy. Good, you know, but it's not my skill set. So I just admire his skill set. And then I just move on because he's already got it so locked. I don't even want to waste my time trying to even you know it because I just would rather listen to him to be honest with you, you know? And so I kind of felt that way about, you know about poison. It's like, let's just be a fun time party than the past. happen was the times were changing and fun was out. And brooding wasn't you know what I mean? But I was like, fuck it weather the storm, just do what you do be authentic to who you are. And it will, it will be what it is. And if it you know, because it's like MC Hammer, he's like dancing around. And then two albums later he's a fucking thug gangster was weird was weird, right? You know, even though he's a super talented guy, he's just stuck with being the super talented guy that he is, you know. And so that was my take and my gut my gut feeling is Brett was just not feeling that I think Brett wanted to go in the other direction. I think Richie just fit that mold better. You know what I mean? He was, you know, more than musician's musician, you know, and he could probably, you know, do that better, you know, for what they wanted. So my gut feeling, honestly, is probably why they went there. And if that was their choice, it probably made more sense, because I was never going to do that. So, ultimately, so but the way they left it was kind of janky. Like, I never got a call back. It just went radio silent. So I was out like three grand and then just

Chuck Shute: 1:01:00

twice right to auditions. Yeah,

Blues Saraceno: 1:01:02

I think I remember flying up twice. I know, we definitely did things twice. Honestly, it's been a hot minute, I could be off on that. But I remember staying up right, you know, right at the right in Studio City. And I remember I was out a bunch of cash. And it was hard because I was playing with Jack at the time. So I had to do it. In between I left. I was doing guitar clinics. So I would do jack. And Jack was cool, because he would schedule stuff enough. And then it would allow me to do guitar clinics, because keep in mind, I was still just day to day, I was still just a journeyman, I was just making money. I was getting paid at a while on the road, or I would go to Qatar clinics. So there was no passive income for me. It was all just, I'd work I'd get paid. I'd work I get paid. You know, and, and I was still living in Connecticut. I was still living in my parents garage of all places. But I wasn't really home much because I was touring so much. And, and so I was just kind of trying to figure it out. And I wanted to move out to Los Angeles because I knew the second I went for that first NAMM Show. I'm like, am I fucking out of here? You know what I mean? Like, so it was just a matter of when it made sense. And I was doing records at the time because I was really trying to build a career. I really was very career motivated. And I want to get out of my situation. It's not that Connecticut's a bad place. It's just that I was in a very blue collar. I mean, I was gonna end up being you know, there wasn't a ton of opportunities for me there. So I really was so motivated to get out. So

Chuck Shute: 1:02:22

do you really want the poison gig? I mean, were you like, oh,

Blues Saraceno: 1:02:24

yeah, I did it. I'll tell you why I did. I did. Because what happened was, I was playing with Jack, it was great. I was doing guitar clinics, it was great. I had the respect of my peers. And that meant everything. But I didn't have the experience of playing arenas I didn't have experience of playing for I want to play for the girls, I didn't want to play for a bunch of balding dudes, or a bunch of guys sitting there with their arms folded at my guitar clinics, asking me what pic I use, like, I listen, I appreciate it, every last person that came out, it wasn't that it wasn't. It was just after a while, when you sit down at the movie, and you know how it ends, it's just time to go see a different movie. And I had been doing it for five years. At that point, I was grateful, believe me, it was beats going home and doing construction, you know what I mean? And it was a chance, but I just was getting it was getting stagnant. And so what's happening was it was getting stagnant. And I felt myself losing the motivation to kind of push it forward. And I didn't want to do that. Because honestly, I respect people, anybody that's going to give me an ounce of their time, I want my absolute best out there. Otherwise, I feel like I'm not giving them what, you know, I'm not giving them their money's worth. And I would never do like I want if I show up, I want your full attention. And so I wouldn't expect anything less from me in so when I kind of felt, you know, meaning me giving it to other given other people. And I just kind of felt like I was just starting to get stagnant. And I just didn't know where to take it. I was losing motivation. I did three records. And to be honest with you after a third when I was done, and it wasn't that I was done with ideas. It wasn't that if anything I could the problem was it was so much work to do those records that were brutally hard to do. And they weren't really fun to do, because I just took them so serious, and they weren't really going to go so far. It was kind of like I was just getting a lot of the same fan base. You know, I wasn't it wasn't really branching out. And so I just I just felt like, you know, there's, I just didn't it didn't feel sincere anymore. So I stopped doing it. And the people that this day asked me every day or not every day, but you know, every time I get you know some time of interaction, do do more records do more this. I just you know, at the time, I didn't feel as authentic. So I didn't do it, which is weird to walk away from something when you're kind of like I was kind of at the top of my game for that. And as far as exposure and all that stuff. I just just didn't feel you know, I just didn't feel like it was going to be a home run. So I just bailed. And so yes, I did want to do the poisoned thing because I wanted to play the stadiums. I wanted to tour I wanted to play these big events, you know, and you know, the I think the biggest I'd played in front of us, we did Tel Aviv, Israel for like they shut down I think we played like it was an outdoor festival. It felt like you know, they're saying like, it was like 20 30,000 people, you know, which was cool, and I liked that I was Like, Oh, this feels comfortable, it's outdoors. And I love playing outdoors because I can play so loud, and outdoors is weird, the sound just goes out and doesn't come back. So you can play super loud. It's like nothing. It's weird. It's, it was awesome, you know, and I loved it. And so I liked playing the bigger stages for because I just didn't have that experience as much as I wanted. So then poison comes along and so I auditioned for the thing, and it just didn't end up happening and they didn't you know, they didn't call me and say hey, we're just gonna go into depression I just got nothing fucking radio silence

Chuck Shute: 1:05:28

is that usual on the business? Because that seems unusual.

Blues Saraceno: 1:05:32

There is no usual in the business. That's really the truth. There is no one that says that isn't it's different horses for different courses. That's really the truth. I've you know, I worked with Melissa Etheridge, she was the nicest lady. I mean, literally, I couldn't believe how just like she was cool. She was would work with taught, you know, it was like it was very collaborative. I mean, what a nice person what a talent and just a she really respected and addressed her, you know, the people that she worked with everybody from the engineers to producers, I mean, I really can't send a nice nothing's like, you know, hurt her and Rudy stars are gonna end up in heaven somewhere. Like, like, they're just, you know, that was that's least was my experience with then I've worked with people that were just they say, don't meet your idols. And let me tell you, there is so much to be said about that. Because you meet people and you're like, how can you be such a talented talented person and be such a walking pile of garbage like it is it is amazing. So my experiences and they've been vast on many different levels is it's just different for every different set of circumstances seems like

Chuck Shute: 1:06:33

most of the the most successful people are usually typically the most professional, and nicest, at least in my experience with doing the podcast like Dee Snider. And you know all the big like John karate that those guys are just so nice like Alice Cooper I've heard nothing but good things about him.

Blues Saraceno: 1:06:50

Same here. Same Hereford great thing. Well, it's funny di played on a song easy action with the Snyder back in the day from a producer, I want to say Rick wake. So I bet he's one He's a phenomenal singer. Like, don't be fooled by the image. When it comes down to it, that dude just got a great tone to his voice. And he's a hard working guy, like, you know, he's not in the shape he's in by accident, you know, is the point. So, you know, East Coast guy, and Joe Franco, which was the drummer who's another just a, you know, you want the Joe Franco's in your, in your, in your team because, or in your life because he's just, you know, professional and super talented and, and, you know, these are the people you want. And so I've been very fortunate to work with these just monster talents, and also just really nice people. And I've also worked with some of the biggest nightmares where you're like, geez, you know, it is what it is, you just kind of have to you just learn to kind of navigate the personalities, you know, because each one in their own way has something to bring to the table and there's honestly something to be learned at all of these junctures you know, I've even people that were horrible to deal with, I've learned a lot you know, and it depends on your personality. I'm you know, I don't have a problem with with people that are hard to deal with because, you know, it's just, you know, doesn't bother me and like I said, I only I only bend so much then it's like Fuck off, you know what I mean? I think once those lines are Yeah, once those lines are established, everybody knows where they are and then we just get it done. You know, some people like to create through tension and you have to realize that's just their method like some people you know, I like things to be kind of calm and cool and collaborative and you know, everybody's you know, I like it to be a good vibe but some people will love tension and just you know, just the bashing of heads and just like you know, buddy fighting for their spot and that's that's their method and so you have to be you have to be willing to kind of jump in there and start kicking ass to you can't be you can't be a daffodil and you know, amongst files, you know, it doesn't Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 1:08:38

so the poison thing so yeah, so they they don't call you so then time goes on and then obviously we know the story with Richie they've thrown over the fence and

Blues Saraceno: 1:08:47

they had a falling out there and they slipped with somebody's girlfriend or something or Yeah, that's Listen, it's it's it's out there. I'll let you guys go online and search it up. But yeah, it's they have a falling out with him. They literally leaping leave him mentor. And they have another leg of the I think they had finished a US tour. And I believe there was part of a a I think it was like Chile Caracas all that they had like a couple a couple overseas stuff. They had commitments they had to make for this album they did with him. So they so there was a cycle. The cycle is you write a record, you record a record, you released a record, then you tour to promote the record and the record does. Well the cycle is a long cycle. If the record doesn't do well, then it's a shorter cycle. And there may not be another cycle. So poison was on top of the world. They brought in Richie, they kind of went in a very different direction, because I think that was really I think, Brett and I want to say Brett, my guess is Brett and Richie were kind of instrumental in coming up with that would be my guess. I wasn't there. So I can't tell you, for sure. But that'd be my guess they went kind of a different direction, which was different. I think a lot of employees and fans didn't wasn't necessarily my opinion was it wasn't necessarily what they were expecting. You know, I mean, so even though I thought that record had a lot of great merit to it I don't necessarily know if it was what people were, you know, was what they were ready to digest at that time. So the record did what it did, they did a cycle and then at the end of the cycle, they had the falling out reaches out. They had some overseas stuff to do. And then they come back to me I was body surfing on a Sunday and then my phone was like, you know, when the moral stories when people want to find you, they will find I must have gotten seven phone calls from seven different people. Hey, call into the poison camp camp. You know, they're calling my parents house my mom, it was crazy. It was almost like the cops were after me.

Chuck Shute: 1:10:32

before cell phones and social media so they can't Twitter.

Blues Saraceno: 1:10:35

I think there was cellphones. I had the big old flip top but I was out surfing. Fucking Sunday I'm surfing you know, Malibu, you know what I mean? Just live in the dream, you know. So I get a call. I talked to Ricky, Ricky was in Studio City. Now at this point. I think I at this point, I lived out here now. So I'm already out here. You know, I basically decided to make the move. So I was out here. So I met with Ricky that same Sunday members showed up I was fucking you know, had still had sunblock in my face and shit. Ricky, we talked and Ricky was like, Listen, man, you know, of course, we always want to do in the band, but it was more of a breath thing. I'm like, Yeah, whatever. So here's what it came down. To it came down to they knew I already knew the tunes because I had already jam with them. They already knew it was going to work. So they said, listen, we're gonna we want to bring in let's do this tour tour works out, we'll talk about moving forward. And they offered me a pretty sizable amount of money to do it towards the tour for I think it was going to be a two week tour, you know, but in the back of my head, I was like, Yeah, you guys totally jacked me on that last one. And they offered a decent amount. They were definitely over a barrel, you know, so I went back to him and says, well double it that way and that way, I was fine. Like, I kind of felt like alright, it was what it was, you know, but then I doubled it, you know, and so so at that point, I was good. Like, at that point, they

Chuck Shute: 1:11:54

said yes, right. Do you said double and they said okay, yeah, on the spot.

Blues Saraceno: 1:11:57

No problem. I mean, so it was a lot of you. You couldn't get triple now they weren't gonna do triple it was double was I asked for a lot, you know, so, you know, I mean, honestly, I didn't it wasn't about sticking it to him. It was just about hey, I was out that money and I just felt like it double it and I feel good and I'm moving forward. And so so that was it. We doubled we did the tour and that was a great experience. We got to do like rock and Rio I played Chile Caracas South America. And there's a I gots crazy stories about that that are just like holy shit. You can't make this stuff up like Quentin Tarantino needs to call me I got shit. That is for fucking off the rattles dude. It's nuts. Lord,

Chuck Shute: 1:12:33

give me one of those Jesus. Greatest teases.

Blues Saraceno: 1:12:37

All right, well think about this. The first gig I ever played. And I'll give you the abridged one because I can't let all the juice out of the out of the box. So basically, we go to play in their version of a I think this was it's maybe Chile. I don't know South America somewhere. I'm not even sure because honestly, they start blowing together. Yeah, they're just soundcheck in their version of a stadium over there was kind of like a really big, really big gymnasium. Now we're talking. There ain't shit up the code, like I'm looking up. And as we're hitting the kick drum dust is coming down. And I'm like, and then all of a sudden, you know, like, when you flick a card, like you play the carpet, you throw the card. Well, every now and then a ceiling tile would come down and like what's flying right by you? And then I looked up and I realize Holy shit, that's not dust. That's probably asbestos. You know what I mean? And I'm looking, and I'm like, fuck, man. There ain't no sprinklers in this place. Like, I was like, Oh, shit, you know, I mean, so I was like, Okay, well, fuck it. Here we are. It's, you know, you're in a third world country. There's not it's a whole different set of rules over there. And so the first band comes on, you know, and I'm like, Well, I'm gonna go check out the first band. You know, just because I'm, you know, I'm new to this. I'm like, so sit. And I'm like, holy shit. It's raining. You know what I mean? In the first band. It's fucking raining on the first pan. And I'm like, But then I'm like, Well, I know. There's no sprinklers. And I know there's a ceiling because I remember the fucking tiles coming down. I look up and sure enough, there's a ceiling and there's fucking rain inside. It's raining indoors. And I'm like, What the fuck is going on? You know, I thought maybe like somebody had hose or something like that. And so what it was was the crowd spitting on the the opening band. That was their way if they liked you, they would spit. You know? Fuck, right. You know? And so I'm sitting there, and I go get the other guys. I'm like, You guys gotta see this shit. You know? So there's four of us standing on the side of the stage looking at them looking at each other. You know, in the fucking singer looks like a fucking glazed doughnut. Like it was rough, man. Oh, yeah, it

Chuck Shute: 1:14:36

was Pan was this Do you remember?

Blues Saraceno: 1:14:37

I don't remember was I think it was uh, you know, whatever. Whatever. It was a South American band or local. Okay, do a great man. I'll tell you that. I don't remember who they were. Remember? They sounded fucking tight. You know? And, and I go look at those guys. And I'm like, fuck this noise. You know? I mean, like, I don't need the money that bad. I'm not doing this shit. You know what I mean? So the story goes on and on and on. But basically you're in South America. And the rules aren't what they what they are over here. And so the long story short is we went out and played because we weren't there wasn't a ton of options. I just put a, I had like a skater hood on I just pulled it tight. And so luckily, by the time we got out there, I think they had lost a little bit of their, their Verve per se, but they would bring lemons to be rejuvenate the salivary glands and stuff. Wow. Yeah. So that's how the tour started, you know, and it just goes from there.

Chuck Shute: 1:15:27

So did was poisoned still. And this is like 9394 Are they still in like the party mode? is Ricky still doing the like, the thing where he points at the girls and then like, they bring him backstage and stuff? Or they've kind of mellowed out on that?

Blues Saraceno: 1:15:40

I don't. We were I mean, first of all, we were stuck. We don't I it was a kind of a an interesting thing. I was it came at the end of the tour. So I really only did to South America leg. And then we did, it's like we you know, I never really did the US stuff. We did a couple like we would find in Britain, I would do like acoustic shows like in, you know, the B 93. In, you know, in fucking New Orleans, just we'd play a stadium. It's just he and I playing acoustic guitar. But we didn't, I didn't really get to experience the whole the whole US thing because it wasn't my thing. And honestly, I didn't take part in any of that stuff. I always had like, the crazy part was I always had girlfriends, so I wasn't in the band to get girls because that was I always ended up for whatever reason I always had girlfriends. And I just wanted the experience the playing the thing. So all the silliness that went on really I wasn't a part of any that stuff. I just never took part in it. Because to be honest with you, my tenure with that band was really like this. It was a marriage of convenience. We all understood it. And we were all good with it. Like those guys were very, it was like the three of them and me, you know, so here would be a typical rehearsal, we go to a writing session, we go to a writing session come out great, you know, and then I'd be like, alright, let's hit the strip clubs. I'm like, Yeah, I'm going back home go to sleep in I mean, like, those guys would go their way and do their thing. And I would just go mine. But we everybody respect each other. And it worked. It was very smooth. There was no, there was no blowouts. It was just very it was like a well oiled machine at that point. And so the stuff that they did was really kind of on their thing and I just kind of stayed to my kind of had my own little world going there. So my my time with poison was was very enjoyable. And I really have nothing but really nice things to say. I didn't you know, everything was totally aboveboard. Everything that went to, you know, I didn't think was great, you know, so that

Chuck Shute: 1:17:24

sucks that they and you'd made this album. That's I like it. I think it's underrated. And but doesn't come out for like six years or something. Yeah, I never understood that.

Blues Saraceno: 1:17:32

Yeah, well, whatever, whatever. That's what it is. What ends up happening was that I came in and I was originally signed, signed on. So we did the tour and tour went great. I mean, everything everybody got along really well. And I really just it was, I have nothing bad to say everybody was really cool. I got along with everybody. And they were all really nice to me. And the crew was nice. Everybody was good. And everybody. There was no drama. There was no drama, no craziest, I don't have like my crazy stories are about like onstage like, like my crazy stories like to clarify, they weren't, there was nothing bad. It was like, I jumped in the crowd once and it jumped so far in security couldn't get to me. I mean, it was I was basically getting mauled publicly, you know, and, you know, because I was in that, like, these are the stories I've got, they were like, like, like, I would run and I jumped off the monitor. I staged Oh, so far out there that I went past the security team, you know, and so I just, I just remember hearing this. And that was the security like trying to make way through the because it was local security. And they were trying to get me, but I was getting like pummeled, because I was so far out, like, just crazy stories like that, where, you know, oh my god, you know, I mean, like, just, you know, we played like we would play. We played rock and Rio and I thought we were gonna, you know, you know, it was us and Aerosmith. And I thought we were gonna play like, you know, we flew in on a Friday and then we left on a Sunday, I thought we were playing Friday and Friday and Saturday leaving but we weren't we played the Friday and then we played the following Saturday, we had a week where we're stuck in a hotel with like, it was us Whitney Houston, Robert Plant Aerosmith. You know, we're just sitting at the hotel and we're there for a week everybody's come there and you couldn't leave. Because there was so many people. It was like the Beatles like this was South America. So one out of every three households at the time, I believe, according to the people that you know, the our interpreters and stuff. They said, like one out of every three households has a television. You I mean, so like when you go there, you're literally like The Beatles, because they had never experienced anything like that. Like, you know, we didn't go through customs, none of that stuff. I don't remember any of that stuff. I remember guys showing up with like, machine guns to like, escort us places. And I'm like, holy smokes, this is nutty, you know, but um, but yeah, the band was cool. And we got along very well. And so what happened was, I was supposed to take a year we did a tour and the guys were like, Listen, this is clearly working out. Come, come, you know, come join the band, and every cycle will just kind of cycle you in more and I was like, that's fair. So the sad part is I had to go back. In order to do that I had to go back to jail. Back in cancel that was kind of the deal. And he had stuff on the books. Now he had time to get a replacement. It wasn't like, you know, I wouldn't leave him in a lurch being like, Hey, you got two weeks. But you know, we had stuff planned maybe like a month or two out. The problem was for Jack, it was hard because we had grown together as like a team. Like, after playing with him for five years. Like we didn't we never use Atlas, he would just look at me I knew we just like he had kind of like almost groomed me to be you know, in that band a certain I fit a certain thing. And we got along so well. And everything was so good. So when I left, I had to leave because I had to make a decision. Either I had to go, I couldn't do both. Because it wasn't the schedules weren't gonna work. So that was a very hard conversation, I had to go back to Jack and say, Hey, listen, it's not, you know, he's like, isn't the money and it wasn't, it wasn't the money, he couldn't offer me enough, because that project just didn't pull in what this project pulled. And so even if they, you know, adjusted the finances, it wasn't about that it was I just, I just like, I need the opportunity to go play these stadiums and tour the world and travel on this level and, and have these experiences because I kind of feel like I'm just getting stagnant here, you know, and he understood it, but it was I think it really hurt him. You know, and I always that was just a hard conversation. And there was just no, there was no fix for it. Either. I had to make the jump and do it, you know, otherwise, I wasn't being true to myself, but then you realize the damage you caused leaving. And it was just, you know, there was no, you know, so I was in keep in mind, his wife, Margaret managed him. So we were very close, everybody was very close. We were you know, I'd go there and stay at his house on his farm and stuff, you know, and, you know, I was so grateful for all the opportunities, it was just coming to a point where I just I had to go to the next level and this, you know, we weren't gonna play, you know, I wasn't gonna play the, you know, like, like, I like, as soon as I left that I'm doing stadiums. And then like, we're playing with Aerosmith. So like we play and then they wheel Aerosmith out and we're playing we're outside and I don't know how many people were there. You can go on YouTube and look at it. All I can tell you is this. This was back when people did lighters when they held up their lighters, it felt like you could see the curvature of the earth. That's a lot of people. You know, that's pretty cool. Yeah, they're saying it's like over 100,000 or whatever. I don't know. I wasn't there with a clicker counting them. But yeah, you know, my point was, I wasn't going to get that experience the other place to play outside to play you know, they will my cabin out and then I'm just sitting there like a kid with my legs dangling on like Brad Whitford cabinet while they do the Aerosmith and there's Steve Tyler doing his dance. And he's like, 20 feet away. And I'm like, this is cool. You know what I mean? Like, you know, so I needed to do that because I had to, you know, that was part of my journey there. So, but it was hard because there was definitely an object and talk to me for a hot minute was couple many years where I just didn't talk to like I did before he passed. I did run into him at the House of Blues. I went down and saw him play Vernon Reid was like, just shredding it up on the guitar. You know, it was fun. It was a great show. It's

Chuck Shute: 1:22:44

surprising that he wouldn't be happy for that opportunity for you. Like he's already had his success. He's a he's the bass player from cream like

Blues Saraceno: 1:22:53

he was I think it wasn't that he Jack's a very kind person. It wasn't that or you know, I say is because I you know, I realize he's passed, but he is it's not that. We just grew together. I think he really really appreciated what we have. We were like this ragtag misfit. Yeah, that worked. Like he really took me under his wing. He liked it. I was just bananas was shit. Like, I didn't realize like, he would tell me things. I'm like, I guess that is kind of crazy. Like, when I look back at it, like I remember getting an argument with the with the with the I got an argument with the with the president of Epic Records because over a principle thing like it was weird it you know, because he was like, holy shit. You were nuts. I was like, oh, yeah, I didn't. I didn't, you know, I didn't realize at the time, but he liked that. And so I think he just kind of really just cared for this like situation we had. So it wasn't that he wasn't happy for me. I think he was just, he was sad that it just kind of came to an end. And yeah, disappointed, I think you know, so but we talked, we talked we had a great lead, though. We talked to at the House of Blues, and I saw Bernie there I so it was it was great. You know, I got the chance to kind of catch up. And he was he was doing great. And everything was great. But like I said, it's the music industry. It's not, you know, it's not what you think it is. When you think it is it is everything comes with something else. And so, yeah,

Chuck Shute: 1:24:02

well, I know you gotta get going. But before you gotta tell me, I know. Well, you've already told the story before but my audience hasn't heard at the David Lee Roth story this year. I love this one.

Blues Saraceno: 1:24:12

Yeah, that's a good one. Right? I was trying to think I was I was walking on Venice beach with my girlfriend at the time, and I ran into Rick Rubin. And, and he was really cool. I've always been a big fan of his production wise. And he was, you know, he's a real real hip guy like he would have you seen the documentary on him?

Chuck Shute: 1:24:32

No, it's there. One. Yeah. It's like it's really interesting because it shows how he's hands off. He is with the production. It's more about the vibe. And

Blues Saraceno: 1:24:39

yeah, he kind of gives you kind of yourself a little bit, you know, in a good way. But now he was this is how cool the guy was Aquino he'd already produced like, you know, the Beastie Boys. This guy was like, he was the mega producer, then, you know, and I got hip to him from a band called masters a reality. I thought I just love

Chuck Shute: 1:24:54

that. Oh, yeah. Isn't that who's the drummer for that? It's

Blues Saraceno: 1:24:57

well, at one point, but you're not Ginger Baker. I was gonna say Yeah, well, it's really for me it was about that they they did a record called sunrise on the suffer bust. It was great, but I liked them because they were like, kind of like it was Chris Goss was the singer. And man, I just that that's you definitely if you're like a Queens of the Stone Age fan, because I know, I know, Josh and I just really respect him as an artist. But like, see, you can see, like, you can see kind of, like the template of certain things and really, like, you know, I kind of thought like, to me, masses a reality kind of felt like a heavier version of cream, like, like a hard rock version of cream, you know, so I was instantly then I heard the chili peppers. And so the second I heard that blood sugar sex Magik um, like, whoever produced this shit is fucking is on it, because he was smart enough to get the best out of that situation, you know. And I think that, to me is what a good producer is they go in, and they find a way of accentuating the positive and whatever isn't great, that gets kind of put by the side there. So for whatever reason, I had run into him, I stopped I talk to him when you're talking to seconds. I mean, that's pretty crazy. When a guy of that, you know, success was still hit with all the guitar players and stuff like that. And so he said, Hey, you should fuck with it. I wanted to I think he said, Hey, you should audition for you should go, you should go meet with David Lee Roth. And I think he told David Lee Roth he goes, You should call this kid blues because that's a time off wanted to make a blues record. And Rick is like, well, his name's blues, you should check them out. And at least that's the way the story was told to me. And you know, and I'm like, That's fucking hilarious. So anyways, the story goes like this. And it's a great it's a funny story. And like I said, all my stories, I gotta be honest, I don't really have any negative of anything. So every story, please take what the best? No, no, these are fun. This is great. Yeah, they really are. They're hilarious to me. But it's and who knows what the digital age or maybe

Chuck Shute: 1:26:44

surprise, you don't do more podcasts. Like, I tried.

Blues Saraceno: 1:26:47

I tried to kind of not do my I like coasting a little bit under the radar. And honestly, I have a very pretty I'm so when I can, when I'm in my work. I'm almost like a method actor. I just focused on it. You know, and honestly, I have a family. I'm all about raising my kids and stuff. So I kind of decided to leave a little bit in front of the camera stuff behind. In and you know, so I kind of just randomly pick things that I think would be a good fit. You know, obviously, when I when when I checked out your stuff, I was like, Oh, this guy gets it, you know, but I don't want to be common for I just, I'm just not about that. You know? And yeah, so I couldn't afford

Chuck Shute: 1:27:21

a new now because I have a lot of podcasters that follow me, they're probably going to be reaching out so you could pick up on

Blues Saraceno: 1:27:26

me, you know, once again, if there's something something, if there's a different angle or something to come out, you know, because I just get tired of telling the same stories. There's so many great stories out there. But But anyways, the Roth one was like this not clearly, Van Halen was was just the band, that band really did it for me as far as like, whenever I heard that, you know, when I had a Sony Walkman. I remember walking to school and just whatever it was a second I heard that band, I knew every fiber of my DNA knew holy shitballs Here we go. And I can't tell you exactly what it was a combination of everything. And so for me, as much as I love the Hagar era for what it was, it was just I'm a very diehard like, I just Roth was the guy for me. Even though listen, I if Sammy Hagar called me right now, I would literally hang up with you on this. Work with him.

Chuck Shute: 1:28:11

I would tell you to do that. Yeah.

Blues Saraceno: 1:28:12

Because I mean his and especially now he you know, he's a real deal. Seeing it the way he keeps his voice in shape. I mean, the guy's tone. It's great.

Chuck Shute: 1:28:19

In all the stories I've heard of people on the podcast that worked with him. It sounds like it's frickin amazing. Like he picked up in the red for it's always the same story picks you up with the red Ferrari. And it's just crazy.

Blues Saraceno: 1:28:30

Well, he's got a great guitar player, Victor Johnson, which was really possible is that guy even back I remember listening to delirious going, Holy shit, that guitar player knows what he's doing, man. And I was right, the guy's a great guitar player. So I'm gonna say Sammy has got a great ear for guitarist and so in as much as I am a fan of him as it just of the two, I was just a Van Halen guy. It was like that chemistry, it was the, it was everything about Roth from, like, you know, everything so so of the two, listen, you know, it's like, do I take the Porsche or the Ferrari, they're both amazing. There's, you know, I don't find I think, I don't think anybody can find fault with anybody. I'm just saying for me personally, I was I was a original the first six were, were what I was about, probably also because the guitar sound was what it was when he changed and he kind of started to evolve in you know, and move it out. It just lost me I liked the ride. I don't care about the hits. I care about like I liked every I liked the warts and all approach. I think that's kind of what I liked about it. And so as good as, as is Hagar is he's just not that, you know, he can't be that because he's not that he's much more of a polished professional, you know, you know, singer you know, and in all fairness, I just liked him because that was their early phase. So no matter how good he is, he just wasn't part of that early phase. So I will say that but but my like my respect for Hagar is is off the charts. But anyways, so I was a rough guy. So at some point, I was still living in Connecticut at the time. I don't know how or why this works out, but I was still living there and I was about to move out. And I was living with my my then girlfriend And I was staying at her place, I was going to move out in about a month and her their parents were so cool, you know, they let me stay there and I had all my gear, which would inroad cases sitting in their garage, like, you know, which was about to be shipped out. So I had like about four weeks where I needed to kind of stay before I made the final move. And I was going to move out and find a place to live. And then she was going to come out and live with me. So we were kind of, you know, pretty far along in our relationship. It was good, but the parents were just super nice. And they said, Hey, listen, if you want during this transition, you can stay, we have an extra room, you can stay there, and you can just stay at our place for a month. We're fine with it. So their house was meticulous, I mean, like everything they had, like, it was very Connecticut like doilies everywhere. And like, you know, you know, little signs of, you know, around the place little tchotchkes everywhere. And so I got to stay in this little, it was like a guest room that like, you know, and it was literally like a show room. It had all these pieces that were like meticulously and pillows everywhere. So I would literally just lay in the bed like this, I wouldn't even go under the covers because I just didn't want to mess it up. You know, I mean, like, I did the whole vampire style sleep. And I was so in this was, you know, right when this was pre cellphone, a very early cell phone. So I come home, from whatever job I was doing at the time, I would think I was working in New York City doing a session I come home, and the mom was very nice. She goes, Oh, hey, I've got a message for you. A Mr. Roth called you. And I'm like, Mr. Roth. I'm thinking like, you know, my accounting firm, maybe like, I'm trying to think like this, you know, I can't quite put it together. And I said, Mr. Rogers, because yes, he left a message and I'm like, Okay, I'm thinking like, it's like, Did I not pay a tax or something like that, you know, and so she looks at the thing looks piece paper? She goes, um, yes, please call. It's in regards to fame and fortune. And I'm like, fucking David Lee Roth. Oh, shit, you know, so there we go. Yeah. And I knew the second I heard that I'm like, it's on. So the next day I have to call this number at 12 o'clock I call and it's ensure enough I get the assistant and assistant puts me through to them. And there it is, man. There is just like on the videos. Hey, man, and it was like, there is David Lee Roth, and he's like, just going on. I mean, I thought I talked a lot Holy shit. This guy was just, he just he was just going in eat and I was in I was like, because this is like, you know, this is after the Eden Eden smile era shit. Like this was like, I'm like, Fuck, yeah, you know. So anyways, he says, hey, you know, you gotta come out, you know, so I fly out. And I meet him and my mom had a Mazda Miata. So this was 19 It had to be around 1990 You know, because my mom had a 1990 or 1991 or something like that. So anyways, they were living in Ojai which is about you know, an hour and a half from LA. So they give me the address. I hop in the car, and I drive the fucking Mazda Miata with the top down and you know, it's like it's like a fucking tic tac with wheels on it. You know? And I pull up to the to the Ross house in Pasadena. It's got these massive like, Casa Blanca style walls and the door opens and then the car comes in. I parked the car. The system comes out. And okay, yeah, Mr. Roth is down by the pool and I you know, walk in, it's like, it's quite an estate. Like, it's like, you know, you're walking through like this, you know, path and you're going down these big massive

Chuck Shute: 1:33:17

of like, the Scarface house. Yeah, it

Blues Saraceno: 1:33:19

was literally like the fucking Scarface house. I was like, Oh, shit, you know, and sure enough there by the pool, and his fucking Adidas tracksuit is David, man. And he's like, practicing his fucking Tai Chi and shit. And I mean, like, like, he's got this big fucking phone. And I'm like, Well, if this is nuts, you know what I mean? And he was fucking hilarious. Holy shit. I mean, the first. So it was ultimately a three hour meeting. And the first meeting was first hour was I'm telling you, my fucking sides hurt. He was so funny. I mean, like, it was like, the guy was just banging them off the use of one line. After one liner. He was dropping these chestnuts of knowledge on me. Holy shit. I mean, I had to literally take a minute be like, Dude, give me a second. Like, he was fucking funny, charismatic. I mean, holy shit. And then now we're on our two and I'm like, Okay, I kind of feel like I kind of heard that before. Like, I mean, like, our two were starting to kind of get a little long in the tooth for me. And fucking our three was like, holy shit. I'm literally being held hostage by David Lee Roth. Like, I just couldn't, I couldn't find a break in the conversation. Like it was like, it was my best analogy is like the movies always. The records always gone. You just drop the needle and you get it and then you lift up the needle and then you drop it again like it's just going and so you know it by so by our three I just had to get out of there. It was too much, man. I was like, it was like, but so anyways, we talked that we had a great time I sent material he didn't I don't think he'd like what I sent in. And it just never went any farther than that. So that was that story there. But it was a great experience. It was very I mean He was very kind and warm and funny, but it was like, it was like drinking straight cranberry juice on that shit, man, you gotta figure every now and then, you know,

Chuck Shute: 1:35:08

crazy. Yeah. Yeah. So then you did a song with Vince Neil, for a tribute album. Did you have a meeting with him? Or is that one of those things where you just came in? Oh, that was

Blues Saraceno: 1:35:16

through? That was to Bob Kulick at the time. Oh, yeah. Really, really, that was very sad. When he passed. That was very nice guy. He really yeah, he was just he, he just he was he had a skill for putting the right people together. And so we he brought me in No, I did mine in pieces on that, like a session that I did. I mean, at some point, I've done so many sessions and even ghost tracks, like, there's a lot of records out there where people will be like, Hey, man, you know, you know, the guy in the band, it's not quite in tune, or a lot of time and you just kind of come in after hours, and you do a little, you know, little touch up here through their rig that happens every now and then. Less now, because now everything's digital, and you can manipulate so much stuff, but But at one point, you know, my career was like Guitar Guy, and then it became like, session guy, and then it became kind of like, producer guy. And then it just became like, composer guy, you know, I mean, that everything was kind of working in tandem. But, um, so it just got to the point the problem with the sessions was once again, there was no, there was no, it was there was no, we call it there was it was no long term money. It was just like you do a session, you get paid by time you get paid. It's been 90 days, you know. So I was just a journeyman and there was no no income coming in via royalties or anything like that, because you're just doing sessions. So yeah. And if you have any

Chuck Shute: 1:36:33

of those other like David Lee Roth, like kind of almost got the job kinds of things, auditions that you didn't get.

Blues Saraceno: 1:36:40

I mean, there's probably tons. I mean, I can't tell you how many times I almost wanted to roll with Melissa Etheridge, for a hot minute that didn't paint. You know, there's, there's a lot of I mean, dude, if I went through all my swings and misses, There's just plenty of them. But honestly, I forget you just there's so much. It's like, it's hard to explain to people it's like, you know, like, what fork did you use yesterday when you ate breakfast? You're like, about a week ago? How about a year ago? How about, you know, honestly, the way I approach music is it's just I'm very, you know, I don't I'm not a method type. I'm not a template type of guy. I just every day it's almost like an etch a sketch, I just wake up and I try something new and different. And that keeps it genuine for me. So the downside is, you know, I read an interview with this guy, Vic Stephens that did that engineered and mix. The second record, I believe is the plaid record. Great guy who super nice guy that I'm so grateful. I got to work with people of that caliber, because the record wouldn't have sounded that way. But he did an interview and I read it online. And he was telling me about gear I use I forgot it. I don't even know I use that. I forgot, you know, but I trust his memory more than I trust mine. He's like, Yeah, Les Paul was used here, there. I'm like, I have a list. But I don't remember. You know, I just don't because it's one of so many things that I've done. And I'm just like, I kind of feel like a true artist. What was the saying John Lennon is like, I'm an artist. Give me a tube. I'll get you something out of it. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, like, that's kind of just the way I approach it. I don't give a shit. It's all just, you know, throw it at me. And we'll figure it out. And I think an artist is takes the best for whatever that situation is and figure something cool out of it. And that's what keeps it young. I mean, I'm not you know, I'm not 17 anymore. So now I have to approach it that that way or I'm just otherwise it's just a job and I don't need a job. I've been working long enough. I've done fine. No, I don't usually have to do sessions anymore. If I don't, yeah, I just but I want to, you know, just part of being I think part of being an artist is just

Chuck Shute: 1:38:26

one of those highlights. I mean, didn't you also say you've jammed with Les Paul, speaking of Les Paul, you jammed with the actual real guy.

Blues Saraceno: 1:38:32

Yeah, no, he's super nice guy. He invited me down and as a matter of fact this you want to hear a funny story about this one? This was during the Ivanhoe. I've got a picture of it somewhere. I think it's on my Instagram. Just a couple pictures of I think I put one up because I told somebody the story and they're like, No way. I'm like, dude, just go look on Instagram. And you know, and John sticks, which was because he keeps my John sticks was the editor of it was really guitar for the practicing vision was his thing. It was his baby. He ran that show. There was a lot of other people that Cherry Lane that were it wasn't just him, but that was really kind of his, his baby. So he would do these interviews with people like Joe Walsh, like he played Joe Walsh funk for it. And I'm a huge Joe Walsh like the James Gang Fuck yeah. Like, you know, let's do that. I mean, that guy, he made that guitar sound like a beast. I mean, I just loved the way that guy played it. His intonation was so good. He would bend and he would bend right into tune. And I was like, how do you do? You know, I just thought that was great. And I love the tones he got I love the James Gang, especially James Gang Rides Again, again. That record for me was the was the shit. You know, just but everybody the drummer was great bass player was great. But anyways, he did an interview with Les Paul, and he played him some my stuff and Les Paul was like, Dude, you have them come down and play, you know. And so Les Paul requested that I come down and I was like, Well, I'm not about to turn that down. So there was a place called I want to say if I recall, I want to say it's fat Tuesdays in New York. And I remember it was a rainy day. So we lived in Connecticut. My dad came my dad drove me down. He had a 59 Paul at the time. It was a quilt top one it was Les Paul in really good shape. And I had The IBNS and I didn't want to play the Les Paul, fuck that old guitar, I wanted to live the whammy bar and shit. So, I came down, I was wearing my mom's silver shirt, because that was rock'n'roll at the time, you know, and came down, I sat through the set, and he says, Hey, I'm gonna bring up and play and I was like, let's do it. And he played in the guy was great. And he was just he was funny, and I don't remember what we played. I just remember doing like, he would play, he would do all the fast stuff. And I was like, Well, okay, I gotta go to yellow. So I would try and like counter what he did. And so I was doing a lot of the Whammy stuff. And he just thought that was hilarious. Like, he would smile when I do the Whammy shit. And he didn't, he had a whammy bar, but it didn't do the same thing, or I think he did. I'd have to even look at the picture. I don't really remember. But I remember whatever I do, he would smile. And he would do something. He was like, outdo me. And it was like, Oh, shit, you know, I mean, like, so it was just very fun and very nice. And I was really appreciative of the opportunity. Because how often does Les Paul invite you just to come play because he heard your stuff in one jam with you? I was like, Well, that's pretty cool. So at the time, I had my Ivan hands, which was what I was playing in, my dad had that 59 Les Paul, it was in really good shape. And so my dad brought a Sharpie, and he took a screwdriver. He took the pickguard off the 59 Les Paul, and he's holding the picker and he says, Hey, Les, you know, that was you know, I really appreciate you doing that with my son. It was like for my dad, he was loving it because les asked his kid to play so he was like, so this is how crazy my dad is. My dad's got this pristine 59 Paul quilt top. I mean, this thing doesn't have a ding on it, you know, he pulls the pickguard off and let's say you want me to sign the Les Paul my dad goes fuck that sign the guitar and he hands him the guitar in right under the pickguard Les Paul signed at Les Paul so you could put the pickguard on and you wouldn't see it you could take it off I guess less knew to do that you know, and I go to my technical Do you realize that's he goes he goes out your shirts a guitar fuck it universally. So we had a 59 Les Paul signed by Les Paul, which we sold to buy my mom the Mazda Miata that I drove to David Lee Roth thing so yeah, so we'll circle Yeah, cuz made no money. You know, I mean, like we you know, so we sold the thing so so I guess you can say because of less partner, I don't know. But anyway, so we signed it. And so somewhere out there in the vintage world, you're just going to be a quilt top 59 Les Paul in great condition that Scott les Paul's signature on it and know that my dad fucked you guys over on that one. So there you are. He had the greatest, you know, one of the greatest guitar players of all time, sign your Les Paul, depending on how you look at it. Yeah, so we looked at it like we had this you know, we had so much respect for him just as what he's you know, just as a player and what he's contributed to the guitar community that Yeah, well, that's that's just how my dad was. That's the respect he had for him like, no, don't sign the Picard signed the guitar. And this was even at the time was the was the was the unicorn of guitars. And that's, that's just kind of how we are as people like we just you know, we appreciate art and artists and to be honest with you, even guitar players that you guys think suck. I probably like you don't mean because I just like guitar. I like musicians. And I like all this stuff. So, you know,

Chuck Shute: 1:42:49

I'm so amazed because like I said, I at the beginning, like I tried to play guitar and I'm like, I can't play like these guys. I'm like you guys do so I'm so amazed by guitar players like yourself. Like it's just

Blues Saraceno: 1:42:59

so different. I go on Instagram, and I'm like this, it's gone nuts. I can't you know, it's not and I wouldn't say that. I can't It's just I don't want to spend the time to have to build up that skill set.

Chuck Shute: 1:43:08

I don't know, because I saw I saw a video of you just, it's crazy. I heard you say that one point you gave up all your guitars video of you at NAMM just like a couple years ago and you pick up the guitar. And I'm just like my jaw is dry and I see both guitar players do this stuff all the time but every time it's amazing and I feel like that one especially it's like a two minute video I don't know if you get paid for that because it's got like 80,000 views or something but you would just shred and it's just like when you were a kid all these people are gathered around

Blues Saraceno: 1:43:38

I guess I've just always had a thing with it you know I'm not it's hard like I respect it. So I take great pride in it but at the same time I don't I'm not curing cancer here you know I mean so it is what it is but there's some things I have some videos I have 33 million views like the crazy part is like if you the stuff that really gets out there it's like the stuff that I'm doing now is all the it's all like the TV and film stuff. Yeah, we did it we were trying I think if you get 67 You get 65 million views or something like that you can go gold I'm close I think on one song alone I'm up to like I'm like I'm like 10 million away or something like that and then I can get certified for some stupid award I don't want anyways you know but so is

Chuck Shute: 1:44:16

that like because you have like yeah, dogs of war and I listen to your Spotify stuff like Devil You Know the Grave Digger I like this is like I don't know what you call like it's like a spooky kind of country Mater. It's kind of like

Blues Saraceno: 1:44:29

Shark country we kind of the crazy part is that's really the big story that no one's hip to like that which is a whole nother podcast within itself is the whole music television film The way Yeah, because part of being an artist and this is like the crazy part about anything is like if you want to be a musician, I have to constantly reinvent so I have to become an engineer, a mixer, a guitarist, a basis a drummer, keyboardist, singer, I have to write lyrics I have to write write, you know, then you have to get the right stuff because at the end of the day, it's really merit based if I put some Anything out in the world and it's not that good. No one gives a shit. You know, I mean, you have to fight through everybody else and all the you know, all the Adele's and all the you know, Billy Eilish is you have to you're competing with these people, so you have to bring something that is of caliber. And I've had to do that since since I was 15, my take that I had, in the beginning had to be good enough to want them to start their magazine with that tape, you know, I mean, like that, so, so, you know, you're, that's kind of why I kind of feel like I was always kind of, like, took a bare knuckle approach to guitar, you know, because I've always just had to scrap my way through it. And then as life changed, and as the industry moved, I had to adapt and change with it. And so now, you know, I kind of feel like I've worked my way to a really good spot in the TV and film thing, you know, considering I've been able to buy houses and raise family, you know, based off of ultimately, you know, creative work. I mean, that's a good deal for me, you know what I mean? And it's definitely, you know, not been without its challenges, or it sacrifices you definitely give to get, you know, I mean, while everybody was out playing and going to college, I was on the road touring, grinding it out, you know what I mean? And I've never stopped since I was, you know, since I've been a kid, you know, so there's that, but it's allowed me to, you know, afford medical insurance for my, for my family. You know, and you know, my wife wants a car, we buy our car. And I mean, like, so, there's been certain advantages that have really worked well, but it's not free. And that's really the interesting part. The interesting part of more than the I know, the guitar stuff is the fun stuff. But it's really the television and film is really, the stories kick in for a lot of stuff. So it's been good. And it's been fun. And I've had all these great stories and hopefully will continue more. But yeah, you're right. At one point, I got rid of all my guitars, I just was done. And I just didn't want to do it anymore. And I at that point, I was just taking on work that was just going to be, you know, to just pay my bills. At that point. I was like, Okay, I've got a mortgage at this point. I sold all my guitars get rid of all the and I was friends with weasel out here. And he always had a whole bunch of guitars. So I kept one guitar. And whenever I would do sessions, I just call him Hey, can I borrow stress? Can I borrow till he's like, yeah, just come take whatever you want. And so I would just use his guitars. As a matter of fact, just as how cool he is. I did this one session for for first comm where I was doing kind of like these. It was for television and film they wanted like Stevie Ray Vaughan type stuff. And I didn't own a strat, I only owned one guitar. And I sold it. I just bought my house and I taken all that I just was so done with everything. I was like, I just I needed to I needed to purge it and just get out. And so I was I was living in that house and I called us I said, Ah shit, I got rid of my strat. I said, Hey, can I borrow Stratton? Because yeah, so I show up at his house. And he had a bunch of them. And he had like a bunch of them in like this kind of like guitar row. And I said, I just need a strat and he goes, we'll just pick the one you want. I go, I don't care what it is, I just it just has to have big frets, because I do a lot of that Stevie Ray Vaughn bending, and he has big frets. So he just grabs the first one. That's nice, because he'll just take this one in, I don't think I had the right case for it. He goes, Just take that one, just do it in the case. And then when I got home, he had given me the Hendrix strap to use, you know, yeah, he just That's how cool he just didn't, you know, because they were just tools. Like we all knew what that was and what it wasn't. Yeah, but that, like when you get to a certain level, when you're in the room with these, like when you're in a room with David Lee Roth, he's no longer David Roth, he's just that guy that you take him as an artist at that point, you'd have to be able to check all that shit at the door. You know, you know, when I work with mostly Etheridge or Ziggy Marley, or whoever it is, you're just you just you have to meet with them, you kind of get a feel for who they are. And as an artist, and then your job is to well, how do we, you know, how does my contribution make this artists thing better, you know, and so, I think part of it, they don't no one ever talks about this stuff. But that's what being an artist is, is you meet with people, and it doesn't matter whether you've sold a million, or 10 million or none. It's just about the true art of it. And that's what I like, that's kind of why it's so that's why I just think it's funny. It's like, oh, yeah, grab that it's a strap. You don't I mean, or whatever. Okay, it was I don't see it was just a strap with big frets. And so I'm sitting there playing the Hendrix guitar. And he was just kind enough and didn't you know, didn't, he just wasn't precious about it's like, Here, take it do your thing. And then, you know, then most don't give it right back. It was no big deal. And I mean, and that's, that's kind of how I think that's kind of why we've always gotten along on that level. Because we've always just, you know, when I first moved out here was one of the very few people that I knew. And we just always appreciated music. Like we'd be sitting there listening to like, AC DC at two in the morning. And then whatever celebrity would come over, we didn't give a shit were like, whatever do check out this riff. We were so hot on the, you know, listening to fucking whatever it was that we didn't give a shit whoever the celebrity was, because we were just in that moment. And we were all about the music and that's how, you know, that's kind of how I like to, you know, live my life that way. I think it's there's a pureness to it considering the rest of the world has gone to shit. You know what I mean? And like, yeah, I don't want any part of what's going on right now. It's just nuts. You know? Try raising kids do that fucking show.

Chuck Shute: 1:49:55

Well, that's why I love what you do. I love the art. You say? Yeah, you're not curing cancer, but you're in entertaining. And I mean, for me, it was like, I don't know how I don't think I would have made it through my teen years without music. So I appreciate it,

Blues Saraceno: 1:50:06

you know, be without music, like it allowed me to focus in, you know, maybe it allowed me to shut out a lot of the negative stuff and just stay so I couldn't be more grateful for it. And that's why I hold it like is dear but then I kind of keep it loose too because I think if you hold things too tight, you know, like, That's why I'll share any information. I don't care. Like if it makes if it makes somebody else create something better than awesome. I kind of feel like I benefited from from it because, you know, then I get to enjoy that cool fucking piece of music they made or whatever, you know what I mean? So, you know, that's how I honestly, let me leave by saying this what I liked is that kind of like when I was playing with Jack, it didn't matter. Your age or your ethnicity or your color. No one gave a shit. It was just like you got the goods come up on stage. And I mean, if you delivered you got the attaboy or the atta girl and if you didn't, then you were like, dude, do that you got to up your game. You know, I mean it it was kind of like it made you want to be better. And like all that social bullshit was left at the door. I didn't even realize I was playing from guys from Parliament until I heard them talking on the bus. I'm like, Oh, shit. Right. But I didn't care because I just thought they were great. You know, it didn't know I that's

Chuck Shute: 1:51:11

that's how I think that's the one thing about music is it brings everyone together from all different backgrounds. Because if it's good music, who gives a shit? What? Like, I don't give a shit. Yeah, exactly.

Blues Saraceno: 1:51:22

You know, and it's good. Every now and then you'll hear something you're like, oh, yeah, you know, you look your fender like, you know, I mean, it's, it's all the bullshit goes away. And that's what I like it, it doesn't there's a disappearance to it. So absolutely. I find that awesome. So thank you

Chuck Shute: 1:51:34

so much for doing this. I always end with the charity. Is there one that I know you're a big supporter of animals? Or is there another one?

Blues Saraceno: 1:51:40

Anything anything animal based, I just, I feel like anybody that will do any kind thing for any animal just because they really can't stand up for themselves. And you know, they do things that are kind of quirky at times, there's really no maliciousness behind it. So I am so pro animal on any level anything my mom worked for the Humane Society. I know that that was good. It's hard with these charities because you never really know where it ends up. But anything animal related or even, you know, honestly, if you just make an effort to do anything kind towards an animal, I would greatly appreciate that and be forever in your debt on that level. So

Chuck Shute: 1:52:13

I love it. Well, thank you so much for doing this and going way over the time limit that you Yeah, I

Blues Saraceno: 1:52:17

said sorry about the rough start there. But welcome to my world. But listen, I very much appreciate your time and I especially appreciate anybody's time that's willing to listen to me blabber on at a million miles an hour about some craziest stories. So it

Chuck Shute: 1:52:29

was great. It was so much fun. I loved it. Thank you so much was alright, take it easy. Thank you. See you later. Buh bye. Well, thank you again to Blue sir. Seino. Very cool to have him on the show because I know he doesn't do a lot of interviews. I was a big fan. I still am. I love the stuff he's doing now. Check out his Spotify to hear some of the stuff that he has. He's got his music placed in tons of film and TV and check his website in the show notes to see the full list. It's really long. He's doing a lot of great work with all that stuff. He's also on social media if you want to follow him mostly Instagram is what I'm seeing him post on. And if you enjoyed this episode, check out some of the other stuff I've done. So make sure to subscribe or follow me on social media to keep up with future episodes. I appreciate your support. Thank you for listening, have a great day and shoot for the moon.