LARS: 

Let’s start with the obvious question. Bring us up to date.  What have you been doing with yourself since the end of the Baxter Robertson band?

BAXTER: 

Whoa, that’s a lot of water under the bridge! Let’s just say I could never stop writing songs. I’ve done a few collections on CD, starting with a project called “Family Pets” in ‘94, which has some of my favorite songs, and most recently, the “Sofa Lords”, in which I share the writing duties with two other talented writers.

LARS: 

Is Family Pets for sale?  If so where does anyone get it?  And if it is for sale, mention a few tunes we can expect to find on it.

BAXTER: 

Must..get...web..site....then,...could...sell...all...kinds..Baxter...tunes

LARS: 

Do those two talented writers have names?

BAXTER: 

Cal Ball, Scott Smith.

LARS: 

Do you miss performing the music you made back in the 80’s?

BAXTER: 

Well, I hadn’t until recently, when I hooked up with a few of my old band mates, who suggested a reunion of sorts...that got me missing some of the old songs.

LARS: 

How did you hook up after all this time?

BAXTER: 

Through mutual friend, Dennis O’Donnell (Google name, then onto Bob Siebenberg’s website).Dennis has a “geezer band” in LA doing his originals. We did a show in Burbank in August and he got Alan Maggini(Gtr) to sign on to play, thus reuniting Alan and myself onstage for the first time in over twenty years. Also during the same visit Alan and his wife hosted me and our ex-drummer, Tom Fillman, for dinner. It was after several margaritas that I agreed to do a reunion.

LARS: 

How rusty are you? Can you still remember them or will you need to go back and listen to them first?

BAXTER: 

Naturally I’ll have to review my parts; but I’m not rusty. I’ve been a full-time musician all this time, so I better be able to pull this kid’s stuff off!

LARS: 

Your music doesn’t match up with the general term 80’s music.  Are you glad to have come out of that era?

BAXTER: 

I’d sort of disagree with your statement. I think eclecticism was a big part of the 80’s and I drew from a number of influences, but because I was a bit older than most 80’s artists, my influences came mostly from the mid-Sixties to early 70’s, and certainly what was popular on the West Coast. I still hear those influences when I go back and listen to the albums. As far as being glad to have come out that era, we were glad to have a record deal at all, so yeah, I’m ecstatic!

LARS: 

I think you actually do agree, because you answered why you were different.   You were a bit older which meant different influences and to me that sound had a bit more heart in it.  I liked Tainted Love as much as the next guy but you guys were still playing guitar.  That was almost unusual for the time.   Feel free to tell me I’m wrong again.

BAXTER: 

Would it do any good? I guess I hear a hybrid vibe in my stuff between other 80’s artists, like a little Gabriel mixed with Petty, or “Red Ryder” with “Til Tuesday”. Stuff like that.

LARS: 

I guess it would do good!  I see your point, perhaps because I liked and had albums from all those bands you mention.  Red Rider plays one my favorite songs, Human Race.  I’m so glad to see my music heroes actually listen to some of the same music interest that I have.  Do you think your music from the 80’s is still relevant?

BAXTER: 

I get e-mails to this day from people who really liked the songs—that makes it relevant to me.

LARS: 

Let’s go back to the 80’s for bit.  Do you remember your first MTV video appearance?  How did you react to seeing yourself on TV in a music video for the first time?

BAXTER: 

Seeing yourself on MTV in ‘84 was a big deal, no matter how late at night they aired it! Our first video was for Silver Strand, the single from the RCAEP. I certainly saw it before it hit the waves, but when it’s actually being broadcast, you really get a rush—although I must say hearing your song on the radio for the first time is a bigger one. I think I had a pretty good hair-day for that one, too.

LARS: 

I agree your hair was great. Now those shoes you were wearing…

BAXTER: 

Shoes make the outfit!

LARS: 

You know, I have to say you are right on with that.  So what was it like making a music video?  Did you have any say so in what we as viewers saw in the end or did some director come in and tell you want to do and that was it?  

BAXTER: 

That’s opening a can of Pandora’s Box (mixed metaphor)! On Silver Strand my manager had wangled TimNewman (ZZ Top, Gimme All Your Lovin’, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs) to direct. We considered ourselves lucky and let him go to town; naturally he want a hot chick in there with moi, and no, he really could care less about my artistic vision. On subsequent videos, we had more say about content.

LARS: 

Well at least he got the concept of the song.  She even looked like an imperson-ator.  But if I remember correctly you both didn’t find a common denominator.

BAXTER: 

She was a really beautiful airhead. I probably would have exercised the 70% rule.

LARS: 

I’m sure your better off then. So how many music videos did you make and what where they?

BAXTER: 

Three. Silver Strand, Green Light, and No Simple Cure.

LARS: 

This is an unfair question but you have to answer, which is your favorite album?

BAXTER: 

I really can’t say I have a favorite, the experiences were all great and there are stand-out performances on each.

LARS: 

Another one!  Which song is your favorite and why?  

BAXTER: 

The songs which write themselves are my favorites. Panorama from the EP, Green Light and Sleeping Dogs (great guitar solo by Alan Maggini) from Vanishing Point, Turn of the Tide and Time and Again from Mere Mortals.

LARS: 

It’s rare you get to ask a song writer what inspired songs, more specifically lyrics. I’ve found that no bad or good you are at writing, if you have a good inspiration, great words can just flow.  What inspired Firewalk?  The song really has a mysterious vibe to it when you use words like “village” in this modern world.   You paint an electric atmosphere with the simply verse “the people are gathered there.”

With all that is said in the song and the powerful music behind it, I have to know just what inspired you to write of a Firewalk. Spare no detail!

BAXTER: 

I was reading about people who practice a leap of faith literally walking on coals for about 10 feet. I figured if every in the world had even a fraction of that amount of faith (in anything!) the world would be a little better off. The music is constructed from the retrograde of Street Fighting Man by the Stones.

LARS: 

I’m not a Stones fan, go figure.  Now I have to go check that song out to hear how you drew from it.I’d like to stay with song titles and inspirations for a moment.  I met CyCurnin of the Fixx years ago and he said that he much preferred to steer away from love songs because the world has plenty of them.  And I agree 90 percent of all songs are about love.  I noticed you too have been able to explore other concepts.  How do you draw t hat inspiration?  Songs such as Mile Zero, No Simple Cure, Time and Again, Panorama View, Greenlight, Firewalk, Turn of the Tide, Scatter the list goes on.  Most artists can’t get away from love songs.  So how do you choose your subjects?

BAXTER: 

Every single song you mention above was started as a title alone. In those days I’d collect titles, then when I had time to write I’d choose one, see where it took me, and also check my “bank”(journal of phrases and short word combos) to see if any applied to a particular song. About half the time I had a piece of music or chord progression first and try to shoehorn the lyrical idea in. I eventually changed my whole approach to writing more of a story first, then writing the accompanying music and editing lyrics.

LARS: 

Now that was great answer.  I wish all artist were as candid as yourself.  I understand you have great respect for the guys that played with you.  They were more than just professionals.  Did they influence your style during the Baxter Robertson albums era?

BAXTER: 

And how! When I finally had a few steady guys and we developed a sound, I started writing TO that sound and player dynamic. In rehearsal I would insist on some things, while trusting Al, Jay, Tom (or Gary) to make up the rest of their parts.

LARS: 

Do you still make money from sales of your albums?

BAXTER: 

That would be a “no”. There was never any money made from them in the first place. They were all losing ventures for RCA and Atlantic.

LARS: 

So if a song was played on the radio you’d get no royalties?

BAXTER: 

Good point!  Radio, TV, or movie play generates royalties for the writer. I still make money from having a song in the original “Karate Kid” (one of my least favorite songs).

LARS: 

I didn’t know that!  What song was it?

BAXTER: 

Feel the Night, co-written with Hollywood Theme Maven Bill Conti

LARS: 

What is that design on the Vanishing Point II cover?

BAXTER: 

That’s a random “Rohrshak” ink design. “What do YOU see?

LARS: 

I don’t think I can say that!  Let’s just say I can’t get my mind out of the gutter!

BAXTER: 

Funny...I always saw a goat.

LARS: 

That’s funny; you got me, set me up nicely there.   I understand you want to reunite the band for a gig in 2006.  Do you plan on playing everything straight or are there songs you plan to re-work a bit?  If so which ones?

BAXTER: 

I wouldn’t rework anything too much, except for my pretentious and self-absorbed vocal approach on some tunes. Actually, I think most of the tunes will benefit from a second coming so to speak.

LARS: 

Which songs can we expect to hear?