Thursday, August 12, 2010

Pheaturing Alumni Jeff Cameron



Hello, welcome back to the Alumni Month on the Phile. I am still using Logan's computer, so I thank him for stop playing Fusion Fall for a moment and let me do this little blog thing. The new Jackass movie will be in 3-D. That’s how you know Oscar season is here. Nothing says “Oscar season” like a midget getting blasted out of a Porta-Potty in 3-D. I don’t like the show “So You Think You Can Dance.” The title is kind of condescending. It’s like saying, “So that’s what you’re going to wear?” It was a big week for gays. There’s the gay conservatives thing happening, Prop 8 was overturned, and the movie Step Up 3-D came out. There’s a new iPhone app that lets you call your Facebook friends from your phone. Of course, I only got on Facebook so I wouldn’t have to call these people. Disney World is getting ready to open a resort for dogs and other pets. They’re already calling it the “Crappiest Place on Earth.” My cousins from England are in town and informed me a company in Britain has created a car that can be powered by human waste. It's cool, but it gets a little uncomfortable when your buddy asks you to "chip in" for gas. Speaking of human waste... Snooki from “Jersey Shore” was arrested and she apologized to her father for embarrassing him. This embarrasses him? Has he seen any of the show? Snooki says she learned her lesson and will no longer drink during the day. Unfortunately, that violates her contract with MTV. Naomi Campbell was forced to testify about blood diamonds given to her by former Liberian President Charles Taylor. She told reporters, “I didn’t want to be here. This is a big inconvenience for me.” Which is exactly what the slave that had to dig up the diamonds said. A new study found that Americans are becoming more honest about their weight. I guess people are starting to realize we can see them. Why couldn't this open while I was in new York a few weeks ago? A new Pop-Tarts cafĂ© is opening in Times Square. Finally, a way to enjoy Pop-Tarts without the hassle of making them myself. A man from California was arrested for trying to smuggle piranhas into the country. And you thought it was scary hiding heroin in your rectum. Levi Johnston is planning to run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. He really is trying as hard as he can to get shot by Sarah Palin, isn’t he?
Mel Gibson’s father is speaking out, claiming that the Pope is a homosexual. It might be a good time for the whole Gibson family to go to a monastery and take a vow of silence. My cousins also told me scientists in Britain unveiled the world’s first robot with emotions. That’s just what we need — a Rumba that’s too bummed out to vacuum. Justin Bieber has signed on to be the new spokesman for the acne brand ProActive. I guess we know what’s hiding behind those bangs. A man in West Virginia was arrested in a park with his pants down holding an armless mannequin. He told a cop, “This isn’t what it looks like.” And the cop said, “I have no idea what this looks like.” Supermodel Kate Moss is launching her own brand of homemade jams. The jars will come in two styles: low fat and empty. You know I like inspirational posters, right? Check out this one about video games.



And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...


Top Ten Lessons Lindsay Lohan Learned In Jail
10. Mean girls are much more mean in jail.
9. "Clubbing" has a different meaning in here.
8. How to make a nail file out of a shiv.
7. Real-life lesbians not as cute as movie lesbians.
6. Not all handcuffs have that furry padding.
5. Vertical bars make you look even thinner.
4. Wait until after release to disparage warden on "Entertainment Tonight".
3. Ninety days isn't nearly as long as it sounds.
2. They say that crime doesn't pay -- but it sure gets you a lot of free publicity.
And the number one lesson Lindsay Lohan learned in jail...
1. Like, whatever.


Dan Rostenkowski
January 2, 1928 - August 11, 2010
Holy shit. This guy is so boring even I can't find anything interesting to say about him. Mail fraud? Oh come ON.
Ted Stevens
November 18, 1923 - August 9, 2010
Gone down the tubes.
Patricia Neal
January 20, 1926 - August 8, 2010
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner now six feet under.






Today's Alumni guest is the first guest to be on the Phile three times. His new album "Bargofaxis: The Cosmic Love Story" will be available on iTunes in a few weeks as well as on Amazon.com and "Welcome to the Perfect World" an album from '89 will also be on iTunes soon. Please welcome to the Phile the always entertaining... Jeff Cameron!



Me: Jeff! Hello, welcome to the Phile once again. Do you realize you are the first guest to come
back three times? Are you proud?

Jeff: Hullo, Jason! Yes, I am proud and no I didn't realize I was the first three timer on the Phile. Let's celebrate with some cranberry juice and a ukelele jam!

Me: Last time you were here which was a year ago you mentioned you were thinking about moving to the pacific northwest did you do that?

Jeff: I have been looking around up there yes... seems likely.

Me: Do you miss California?

Jeff: Yes I do. I have been back for some extended and short visits... I go back periodically
to hang out or do music... but housing in LA is ridiculous I can't afford to live where I was born.
I am from a middle class neighborhood and houses now go for 800K more or less for an avaerage three bedroom house so I resent that, but yes, naturally I miss all those friends
and memories. But I can't see paying a million bucks for a house my father bought for
15 grand when I was young! How 'bout you, Jason, you got a couple extra rooms... do you have
a beach view?!

Me: No, I have a lake view. Okay, lets talk about the album which I plugged on the Phile for a few weeks. It has an interesting name, Jeff. Can you explain the meaning to the readers?

Jeff: Sure I can, Jason Do you have any more of that spinach dip and veggie chips? The album title... lemme see... uh, I was with me Dominatrix in the Argentine at the Dracula
festival and she was beating me on a rotating wheel with firecrackers going off and some
oom pa pa band playing "Rhinestone Cowboy" and I started blabbering Bargofaxis, Bargofaxis.
Ok, wait I lied... sorry....Um .....Bargofaxis is a character like Tommy or Jimmy from "Quadrophenia", or something like that... and uh... I sing the songs and its Bargofaxis singing. The album goes backwards and forwards in time like a Terry Gilliam movie like Brazil. Did you ever see that movie? Bargofaxis was this dude with a band from Haight Ashbury in the sixties
and he sang about peace and love and reefer and he was outlawed by the government and evil corporations as being bad for business with his peace and love message. The corporations and government didn't want any relics of the sixties singing about give peace a chance so decades and centuries later Bargofaxis comes back from outer space and sings love songs in the first sixties concept album of the 21st century!

Me: You've been working on the project for a long time. Are you glad its over?

Jeff: Yes. I had no record deal or money. It took several years to get it recorded. I finally
had to pay out of my own pocket it was a huge hassle and undertaking but I am proud of the
album and I truly hope people will be fond of it

Me: You wrote all the songs on it right? Do you play all the instruments as well?

Jeff: I wrote most of the songs. I co-wrote I think three with Gary Cambra.
I did not play most of the instruments.

Me: Who is on the album with you?

Jeff: Dave Sutton and Gary Cambra from the original Jeff Cameron group in the eighties!
A reunion album! Steve Klong our drummer had died of cancer so Gary played the drums
as well. Peter Kearns from New Zealand played keyboards and sang backgrounds on a few songs. Randy Gollard pitched in with additional guitar on "Gear", "Karma" and "Whatever Sunday" and Kim Foscatto sang additional harmonies and backgrounds on about half the album with Gary. And then just a few incidental things I or someone may have added like tamborine or handclaps. Chrissy Lomax, my old friend her, and her husband Joe Primeau... Chrissy sang a couple last minute harmonies on a couple songs. That's about it. Mike Finnigan the legend
sang harmonies on one song at the last minute just to help out. Just so I could have one legend
on the album! Took him about twelve minutes to lay three perfect tracks. I asked Chuck Negron
to sing on one but thats harder than catching a greased dolphin in the air at midnight with your feet on fire. Chuck gave me lots of help and reccomendations though. Kind of a secret friend offering a few suggestions, so did Mike. F. We were gonna have Shel Talmy the original WHO producer mix it but in the end even though he offered me a huge break I couldn't afford it. We did two complete mixes one by John Schell and one by Joe Primeau who mixed "Out of the Blue".

Me: Is this the last new album you are ever gonna put out ?

Jeff: Maybe. Something different, perhaps a folk album or blues or something. As far as another album of new songs if "Bargofaxis" meets with a positive response and sales
I may do another one but only if the people ask for it.

Me: You're going to re-release some of your past albums I hope.

Jeff: Yes, two are slated right now. "Out of the Blue" and "Welcome to the Perfect World", and possibly one called "Early Cameron". There is a fourth album called "Wonderland Road" in dispute because someone is holding the tapes hostage and I don't know that I care to litigate all that, have to wait and see on that one. I do have the demos however, I could release those I suppose.

Me: What about a live album? Or some live tracks?

Jeff: We'll just have to wait and see on that.

Me: I know you haven't toured in a long time, but with "Bargo" are you gonna be doing any shows?

Jeff: The original plan was to film one set at the Belly Up in San Diego and cull a couple live tracks from "Bargo" as a promotion but squabbling between me and one band member
effectively killed that. I may... I stress may do one show at the Belly Up with Dave Sutton and a pick up band to promote "Bargo"... possibly... is that a fly in the spinach dip ? Do you mind if I shave while you ask questions?

Me: Jeff, I have to ask you what you think about the gulf oil spill ? I know the enviornment is close to your heart. Are you boycotting BP?

Jeff: I think America should lead the planet in safe alternative energy like Solar, Wind, Wave and Geothermal. I think we should take the money we are currently spending to field armies in the Middle East on infrastructure for alternate energy. We are going broke buying petroleum for energy from people and countries who hate us when that money fielding armies in that part of the world would be better spent on alternate energy infrastructure. This would lower unemployment, protect the enviornment and deny funds to unfriendly countries who wish us harm and make us less dependent on them. I support the moratorium on offshore drilling and believe it would be better to give those unemployed workers benefits and retrain them to install windfarms and solar fields and that kind of thing. In Theory this BP oil spill may deaden an entire region of the planet/biosphere for decades even centuries... no excuse no excuse and its bad business and endagers America and the entire planet.

Me: What makes you madder? Lebron James going to the Heat or the oil spill? LOL.

Jeff: I'm not mad about Lebron James going to the Miami Heat at all. Cleveland had seven years to build a good team around him and they didn't do it. By comparison when Kareem Jabbar started with the Milwaukee Bucks (another midwest team) he won a championship and only stayed five years before jumping to the Lakers.

Me: Jeff, ever think of writing our memoirs? I could help, you know.

Jeff: Did I swallow that fly with the spinach dip something crunched? Memoirs? What? Walking down the beach with Brian Wilson? Me and him? Two stoned zombies in therapy Hanging out with seventies tv idols! Mannix Little Joe and Leif Garrett! The time Fred Astaire cornered me and started talking to me about impressionist painting! My experience with one of Charlies Angels? Gigging at the Roxy to a sold out crowd, playing the Whiskey standing where The Doors used to gig every night as the house band, my eccentric employment with MCA / Curb. Mike Curb might be a second Howard Hughes! Working for Three Dog Night as a thirteen year old kid with girls climbing through the windows and hanging off the walls, writing songs for an ex Beatle, the time Steve Stills pilfered one of my songs, talking with Yoko Ono? Gunfire in Mexico City after a stunning faux pas, recording with members of the Nazz, the Animals, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steppenwolf, living with Iron Butterfly in a Northridge Warehouse! Hoyt Axtons cherry red Mustang... why didn't I buy it? On the road with Hoyt and his mother Mae who wrote get this... "Heartbreak Hotel"! Nah, Jason, I don't have any interesting stories to tell! LOL. Unless of course you could get me an advance? Jason?

Me: We once spoke about how you saw Foghat play with Black Oak Arkansas. Was that the only time you saw Foghat in concert ?

Me: Yes, that was the only time I was at the show I saw them. In LA at the Shrine Auditorium which is a good venue maybe 6-7,000 seats great show, and on TV. I was a big fan of the albums particularly the fourth and fifth & sixth albums as I recall. They are "Rock n Roll Outlaws", thats the one with the lear jet on the cover, and "Fool For the City" and "Night Shift" In 74-76
I got to see your dad and the original lineup in I think 75 when I was a young teenager. Black Oak came out with long underwear and Jim Dandy would pull his teeth out wearing long underwear and they had three lead guitar players and they had that one hit. Jim Dandy to the rescue, just bizarre southern proto punk! And Foghat was just aces and they were great. I still listen to some of their classic albums to this day. I liked the addition of keyboards on the fifth album when that new bass player joined for awhile. Yeah, no brown nosing but I was and am a big Foghat fan especially Lonesome Dave, your poppa.

Me: Okay, Jeff, do you have anything to plug while you are here ? And if you re-release your other past albums or anything else would you come back to the Phile ?

Jeff: I want to plug "BARGOFAXIS", The first 1960's concept album of the 21st century available on Amazon and iTunes in the next few weeks. I sweated blood for that album. Some good tunes with vinyettes between songs telling the story of Bargo. And yes I would be happy to come back. Call me about the book of memoirs if you think its worth pursuing, Jason, and love to all call your local political representitive and tell them you want more electric cars on the road! Best wishes... peace!

Me: I wish you a lot of success. Take care and keep in touch. Bargo Forever!

Jeff: Thanks for having me, Jason, always my pleasure. Say, could I borrow your car? There's a
swift game of Three Card Monty behind the bus station and my fingers are itching. I can feel a winner! Oh, and some more dip. I love that dip... are these your keys?






Well, that's about it for another entry. The Phile will be back next Thursday with the second guest to be pheatured on the Phile three times... Tish Meeks from 3 Kisses. Thanks to Jeff for another entertaining interview. Please, please check out his album when it comes out. I heard it and it is one of my favorite albums of the year. Also thanks to you readers for taking time to read the Phile. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you, bye. Bargo Forever!




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