No Bullshit, and Ol' Bessy

It's a good night to be in Los Angeles. Tonight at 11:00 at one of my most beloved watering holes- The Kibitz Room, the band Ol' Bessy is playing. Ol' Bessy is fronted by one of the most all around talented musician (with moves that rival Paul Stanley) Mr. Mac Dunlop. Check out my link at the bottom of the blog for more info on the band. I, along with half of the underground music community will be there tying one on.
And finally in response to my last post regarding Aerosmith and American Idol, it was pointed out that no T-shirts from 'Get your wings' had the bands faces without the name Aerosmith stamped on the front. Well thanks for the support, and for calling me a bullshitter. Mostly I do enjoy stretching a story to color it in my favor, but a response is necessary just to cover my bases of storytelling.

One: The shirt does have their faces on the front, and the logo on the back. No, it is not a official concert T-shirt. I got it at a thrift store years ago, I'm a musician and have been broke most of my life and an Aerosmith T-shirt for a buck or two was right up my ally.
Two: If I would have said that the cashier was a middle aged Asian woman, the story would not have been any fun at all would it?
Three: I am not insulting your favorite show American Idol.

And finally Four: This is my damn blog and I will sometimes say things that don't agree with everyone's liking.. and from now on, I will not apologize for any of it.

Now, bring on the Kibitz and Ol' Bessy!

It's just a TV show

So the other day I was out and about doing this and that, when I realized I was a bit parched. I found a little store to quickly run in to pick up some water, and as I brought it to the counter the cashier looked at my shirt and smiled. She said "I just love him on American Idol!" Granted I was taken off guard, and I glanced down realizing I had on my Aerosmith 'Get your wings' T-shirt on. Smiling warmly at the cashier I replied "I like him in Aerosmith."
Now the woman was a bit confused by my reply which further confused me until I realized the woman had no idea what her favorite American Idol judge's band name was. Wow I thought, after selling over 100 million albums I guess what really put's you over the edge is being on a TV show.
Now, truth be told I have guiltily watched about 20 minutes of the show this season- all in broken minutes, a bit here and there, I really was curious what Steven Tyler would do on national television. He did not disappoint in those minutes, and I did crack up when he was flirting outrageously with a sixteen year old girl.
But I still hold true that I like him better in Aerosmith, I am a musician remember, and I don't really watch much television anyways.
So all that being said, I smiled again at the confused cashier and said "It's his band- Steven Tyler's band 'Aerosmith'. You should check them out, it's great music." She thanked me as I walked away and said she would definitely look them up, and I smiled to myself and began to hum a tune... you can fill in the blanks.

Shameless Promotion

You gotta do it! So I created a facebook page to help promote this blog!! Check it out on facebook under 'The Walls of Tom' and give the ol' page a 'Like'. Every little bit helps. I will use this facebook page to post when I have new blogs and when I update my weekly picks. Thank you all for all the wonderful support! xxo, Tommie

Music, Life and Lyrics

Seems I have not been around lately. Yes, it seems that way since my last post was over a month ago. Where have I been? Oh, I've been around. It seems that when one of my creative juices are flowing, that is the only juice I drink. It must be a time management thing, because I do think about writing a little blog now and then... I find myself smiling to myself about some witty banter that I have moving through my mind, and I think- 'Oh I must write this down because it is so funny and would make a lot of people laugh.' And then the moment is gone and I am on to the next day.

I have been writing though, just in other ways- right now I am writing songs. I realize it must work like that for me... especially now that I am a Mommy. Time Management. This Mommy thing is really different and I am realizing that all the things that I used to do effortlessly must now be done with a lot of effort. The baby is getting so active that I am chasing or playing with him from dusk till dawn, so when I get a free moment I need to focus on the task at hand, and as of right now that is music.

We have 11 songs that we are recording at home as pre-production before we send them off to the drummer and begin tracking them for reals. We had a huge spurt of writing, and I had lyrics for songs just flowing like water, so that being said it is really all I have time for right now, but it is making me immensely happy. It feels so good to sing and play again, and I realize how rusty I am too. Your voice needs to work out, just like your body, or else you get rusty and dusty and very squishy- and I am enjoying getting all the kinks out once again. These songs are different too- we are in such a lovely space that our music is really reflecting all of it and I cannot wait until the album is done, even though I know we are at least 3 or 4 months away from all that, but I am just enjoying the process.

Our son is helping in every way with the recording too, he helps pick out Mic's, wrap up cables, play the bass, I even had to hold him while I sang vocals yesterday, what a trip that was for me- but I didn't hold back and I just belted it out and he fell asleep in my arms while I did take after take... every time I tried to put him to sleep in his crib he would cry until I would hold him and sing again- he is very stubborn and does not want to miss out on any of the action. What a funny little guy he is.

So that's it, that's the update. I cannot believe I got to type this much, and I am sure I forgot to say something witty or funny, but hey I added a funny photo instead.

Dreams and Sonny Bono

I met the man last night. No, not that man. I met Sonny Bono. Yep, that's right, the one and only. Yeah, I know he has passed away, but in my dream last night I could see and hear him perfectly. It is odd now, in daylight to think that I dreamed of Sonny Bono. My friends have dreams of Joey Ramone, Janis Joplin, or even Jim Morrison visiting them in the flesh. But me? I get Sonny Bono.

He was really cool actually, and all I can remember of him was the sound of his voice as he sat in the backseat of my old 68'Mustang, as we drove down a curvy road together. We were musing about life, and how precious it can be, to cherish what you have, when you have it, and then we began humming a tune. The humming was in perfect harmony (Sonny is very easy to harmonize with) and soon the hum turned into lyrics, and a song was born. It was more of a chorus, but as we sang together the words spilled over into my conscious, and I was awake with a perfect melody still fresh, and Sonny's voice floating in the air from somewhere far far away.

Music comes to you in so many ways and it is not the first time I have awoken from a dream with a song buzzing in my brain, but from Sonny Bono? It is a true first. I actually have been going through his vast catalog of songs this morning just to be sure that I am not outright plagiarizing his work, but so far nothing.
It's funny because I never knew how talented Sonny Bono was until I was digging through his songs, I of course know lots about Cher- but now I know the man that stood beside her on their old comedy shows was so much more than the butt of her jokes, he was actually the writer of almost all their songs and produced their records too.
So thanks Sonny, I appreciate the backseat driving, the sentiment and the song... Now the hardest part is going to be getting Tony to sing like you.

Hollywood, Good Friends and Schnecking...

When I moved to Hollywood I was so afraid of this big city. I grew up in a very small town...I had heard stories, I had watched the news and my mind had spun this place into a massive house of horrors.
But still I had my dreams in my pocket and so I took the leap despite my fears. What happened? Well, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I love this place so damn much and I owe most of it to the fantastic friends I have.

You see I met my people here, a colorful array of struggling artists, and we banded together with our backs to the cold winds of the music industry and Los Angeles to walk through what ever life was going to throw at us. I call them my 'chosen' family, and through it all, the heartbreaks of life, love and music... we are still together.

Sure, all our lives are so much different now than ten years ago, when we didn't have enough money to buy food but we could scrape enough change together to buy a bottle of booze and pass around an old guitar because our creativity knew no bounds and laughter was free.

The years may have passed, and we have the scars to mark our passage through time, but we all seem to remain exactly the same when we get together. We tell a bunch of lies, share raunchy stories from the road, talk about who's screwing who, a guitar gets passed around with a song to sing, and my face hurts from all the laughing I do in my friends company.
And the best part of it all? Our guitars are new and plentiful, our voices are strong and clear, and we finally have enough money to eat.

Excerpt from 'This Rock in my heart' by Tommie Vaughn

While Frankie unpacked her life into the tiny studio apartment in the middle of Hollywood, her mind was lost in thought as to how she got there...


“Hello?”
“Oh! Uh yeah… This is Cherokee Studios.”
“Hi I was just calling to see…”
“You calling about the job?”
“Uhhhhh”
“Hold on.”

Frankie sucked in her breath and looked down at the Music Connection Magazine in her hands. Sprawled across the top it read ‘ Top Recording Studios Issue #310 for May 2002- From A-Z’. And her third phone call into the C’s came to Cherokee Recording Studios. It read like a dream. Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Motley Crue- to name one tenth of the talent that had passed through the doors and onto the page shaking in her hand, while the other held the phone pressed against her ear...

Frankie sighed. “Shit”
“What?” A voice at the other end had finally picked up.
“Huh?” She stammered
“Are you calling about the job?”
“Yeah, I was just wondering if you were hiring?”
“ I like your voice”
“So I’ve been told” she smiled into the phone.
“Sexy”
“Uhh, Yeah… well I guess it might work for you.”
“Who is this? Are you fucking with me?”
“Nope. I am looking for a job.”
“We are hiring.”
“I was hoping…”
“Ok well can you come in?”
“Now?”
“No, but when? Tomorrow?
“Sure…what time?”
“Do you play? I mean. Do you have any experience in Receptionism?”
“Well, I made it this far.”
“Ok so yeah make it one o-clock tomorrow.”
“Great. I’ll be there.”
“Adrian.”
“No. My name is Frankie, Frankie Spencer.”
“I… great, really? Great… No, I mean, Adrian. I’m Adrian.”
The line went dead in her ear.




Box after box she unloaded from the car and truck to the little studio apartment. All the while the young man whistled and watched her move. Her strides were long and confident and her blue jeans were so tight he could swear she lived in them because they fit her every lanky curve. She would smile at him every once in awhile, or brush his arm with hers as she passed by. His heart would race at the thoughts running through his mind as he watched her long chocolate brown hair swing from side to side as she walked in front of him down the long hall. He held the box he was carrying low to cover the front of his jeans.


The drive alone was surreal. Just knowing where I was going. Holy Shit. Don’t panic- you can do this. Come on! If you can get up on stage you can get a job as a receptionist. Just think of it as your stage. Yeah… my daily stage.

Fairfax was backed up and she could smell the roast beef as she passed Canters Deli on the left. She looked up and smiled at the bright neon sign. Just past Melrose she pulled into the pot-holed filled lot. There were two young boys painting over some vandalism tags on the side of the building. They looked over at her with open interest. She waved a half salute as she closed her car door and walked to the wooden security door at the front of the sign less building. There was a tiny button that she lightly pressed and a buzzer rang from somewhere inside. The door cracked open and she caught it quick and opened it enough for her to step inside. It was so dark compared to the bright outside it took her eyes a moment to adjust.

“Frankie?” his voice called
“Yeah? Oh I’m sorry Pauley I didn’t hear you.” She shook her head to bring her back to the present moment. She was standing in the small kitchen looking out into the courtyard of El Cerrito. There in the middle of the courtyard, a fountain had been bubbling over into her memories.
Pauley looked deep into her eyes and took a step forward. “Do you want me to stay?” His eyes burned into hers and he tried to steady himself on the archway with his shoulder. Casual, but earnest he thought to himself.
“No Pauley. Thank You. You are so very sweet. I need to do this alone, and while I appreciate your help today- I have no intention in beginning anything with anyone but myself.”
Her frankness almost seemed expected to him, even if his fantasy was slightly crushed, he smiled and opened his arms. She gave him a brief hug then began pushing him out of the kitchen and walked him to the front door.
“Enough Mush! I have a lot of work to do!” She was laughing to make any tension that may have entered the studio slip out the door along with Pauley.
He laughed easily at her. “Are you sure you don’t want to go out? Go celebrate or something?”
“Go do something and enjoy it for me! All I wanna do is be right here alone in this little apartment.” She gave him the thumbs up sign as she began to close #4’s door.
“Oh Wait… FRANKIE!” He pushed on the door. “I forgot to say Happy Birthday!”

He was Asian and he was pretty. Like a china doll with charms he sat smirking behind the vast front desk of Cherokee Studios.
“You nervous?” He asked.
“No. Are you?” she smiled right back at him.
“Never.”
“Are you Adrian?”
His eyes danced with laughter and he kicked his feet down from the desk to pick up the phone that had begun to ring in front of him.
“Cherokee front desk?” Adrian paused to listen. A slow smile sprang to his lips. “No. No. Shhhhhh listen, I can get him.” Pause... “Ok. Ok. Let me make the call” and he hung up the phone. His eyes sprang to meet hers.
“Are you cool?”
“Uhhh. Last time I checked.”
“Great hang on.”



Frankie surveyed the room and sat down on the over sized beige couch that he had pointed to as his other hand flew to the Rolodex on the desk. Flip Flip Flip the pages flew as her eyes flickered to the gold and platinum records lining the walls. Steely Dan, Journey, Rod Stewart, The Cars.


“Hey Chris. Yeah it’s Adrian at Cherokee. Yeah…” he paused and she could hear another voice low through the receiver. “Yep just the same for George. Cool. Yeah. When you can get here is cool… Yeah. Ok see you soon.” He hung up the phone with his eyes on Frankie.
“Weed?” Frankie asked trying to sound nonchalant.
“Coke” Adrian said and stood up.
“Cool” She looked at her boots then back at his face.
“Come on.” He smiled like the Cheshire cat as he picked up the phone and pressed some buttons.
“Frankie’s here for her interview.”


Thank God she thought to herself as she locked #4’s front door at 1800 N. El Cerrito. I saved my life that day.
All the years growing up with such big dreams- and then when I turned twenty-three, I finally did it. I answered an Advertisement in the San Diego paper for a lead singer and met the guys… and we started writing songs together. I was so happy back then, with those long hot days in that stinky hole of a rehearsal spot in our little beach town of Leucadia. With Scott, the guitarist, looking off into the distance out the window… smiling at his reflection every once in awhile, picturing some unseen audience in his daydreams. The rest of us would all try not to watch him so we wouldn’t pee our pants laughing and forget what verse we were playing. I knew then the feeling- of being truly alive- of being truly myself.

It wasn’t until I walked into Cherokee Recording Studios in Hollywood California that I knew I had found my place. Somewhere that I could call home, or my school, the school I always wished I could have attended. My Dad had wanted me to study business. BUSINESS? What the hell? Didn’t he know me? Couldn’t he see? Yeah I guess he could. He knew better than most… that I was a dreamer. He said I needed a little reality, reality in the form of a business degree. Thanks Dad. All that time and all that money just landed me a job at one of the greatest and infamous recording studios in all of Los Angeles.
I swear I could have gotten the job on sheer personality and bullshit. But that business degree got me a whole $2.50 more on my hourly wage- rounding up my pay to $9 bucks an hour, so I could finally get myself out of a bad marriage and into a new life. My life. Hello Hollywood- My name is Frankie Spencer.