Steve Luongo Interview

December 2003

When my friend returned from the United States after seeing the John Entwistle Band’s gig, he told me “JEB was more like The Who than recent The Who. It reminds me of The Who in the 70’s.”
His words remained in my head and I wanted to confirm it by my own eyes and ears for years. Unexpectedly, the chance had come when John Entwistle came to Japan for the 4th time with the Beatles’ tribute band called “Abbey Road.” The main members of Abbey Road were Todd Rundgren, Ann Wilson, Alan Parsons and John Entwistle, but the band who played behind them were Steve Luongo and Godfrey Townsend from JEB.
Among the Beatles’ tunes that were played mainly during the concert, John had only one song to play. That time, only the members of JEB were left on the stage to play “The Real Me.” The power, the perfection, and the tension of the song played by only three men on the stage was much better than other songs played that night.
Steve Luongo played drums with JEB and wrote songs and produced albums with John Entwistle. As he delivered an eulogy at John's memorial service which was held on October 2002 in London, he was the one of closest friends of John’s last years.
We had this great opportunity to interview Steve Luongo. He told us a lot of episodes with sincerity, which are only he could tell.
I’d like to send my sincere appreciation to Mr. Luongo and all staffs at BITSA TALENT to make this interview happen. Also many thanks to Mr. Hideaki Kondo and Ms. Chiho Kato (holidaycamp) for translation.
Yoichi Maezawa (Ex President of The Who Fan Club Japan)

--- The eulogy you dedicated to John Entwistle was very moving. You described the combination of John’s bass and your drums as a “musical marriage.”
Can you share your favorite memory of John with us?
Steve Luongo:
I don’t think I could pick one memory. But I do have several memories of bass and drum battles that went on and on almost forever. John used to say that we pushed each other. We did push each other for sure. I know he pushed me to the very edge of my abilities and I became a better drummer as a result of it. We were free to explore new ground through these solo exchanges and if we tried something that didn’t work we just laughed it off and tried something else the next night. John loved taking musical risks.
So I guess the memory of taking all of those wonderful musical excursions with John Entwistle would have to be my answer.

--- During your time as a member of John’s Band, did you ever compare yourself with Keith Moon?
Steve Luongo:
I don’t compare myself to anyone because I strive to be my own player with my own sound and style. Keith was an early influence as were Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker and Barrymore Barlowe. I learned from all of these guys by listening to them and watching them. Most importantly Keith gave all drummers permission to break the rules. I have been breaking them ever since. Keith Moon was a one of a kind and a genius in his own right.

--- In your eulogy, you wrote that John liked to give presents to his friends. Did you ever receive any presents from John? If so, can you tell me any stories you have regarding any of these presents?
Steve Luongo:
Over the years I have received all sorts of gifts from John. Some very expensive some very funny but always appropriate for the occasion. I remember that we were on a tour of the states in 1998. Our tour merchandiser had to leave the tour. We needed someone that we trusted to sell the merchandise so John agreed that we should bring out Laurie (my wife) to sell the CDs and shirts on the road. The only way Laurie could join the tour was if she was able to bring our dog Cody along. John loved dogs and he knew and loved Cody so the dog’s name was added to the rooming list and he got his own bunk on the bus. During the tour Cody would bark out the window every time we passed a herd of cows. This amused John and he would call out saying “Cody look at the cows.” Cody would jump up on the seat and bark out the window as John laughed. One day we stopped at a truck stop to refuel and browse though the shop. John returned to the bus with a 7-inch plastic cow. Of course it was a present for my dog. That’s the way it was. When John saw something that made him think of someone. He bought it and usually bought one for himself too. However, he did not buy himself a plastic cow.

--- I learned that you first met John in 1987. What was the occasion? How and where did you meet him?
Steve Luongo:
We were introduced to each other on June 27th 1987 by a mutual friend named Joe Berger. It was at a NAMM show in Chicago. NAMM is a musical instrument trade show that is held at a convention center. All the manufacturers have there endorsing artists come to the show to play or demonstrate the new instruments. When we met I asked John if he would like to jam and he said “anytime” so we wound up playing as a trio with Mark Hitt on guitar at the Limelight. I went after a bigger place for us to play the following night. Kramer guitars was holding their annual NAMM jam at the Vic Theater and I managed to get us a prime spot in the line-up. The members of my old band Rat Race Choir were all in Chicago so I assembled them and we actually did a quick 4-song set of “Who” material. Pinball Wizard, My Generation, Won’t Get Fooled Again and Summertime Blues. My old band used to do those songs when we were young so our bassist put down the bass and sang while John took over on bass. I think John was pretty impressed that we knew the stuff as well as we did. We performed the Live At Leeds versions. After the performance John said “You guys even learned the mistakes.” From that point on John and I became a rhythm section because, as he said, we had telepathy and chemistry. It was my honor to perform with him and be his drummer of choice in various projects over the 15 years the followed. Joe Berger wound up being the front of house soundman for The John Entwistle Band years later.

--- What was your first impression about John Entwistle?
Steve Luongo:
I was impressed at how natural and down to earth he was. He didn't make a big deal out of the rock star thing so I didn't either. We were just 2 musicians with a common love of music. It was very comfortable and it felt like I had known him for years.

--- You are very active, not only as a musician but also as a producer. In the past, who have you worked with? What types of artists have you worked with?
Steve Luongo:
I have produced a variety of artists. I’ve worked with Leslie West, John Entwistle, Rat Race Choir, TorQue, Billy Squier, Mark Ford and a whole host of others including a lot of unsigned talent. I like to stick to rock based music but I’ll take on anything. I love a challenge in the studio. I’ve done a lot of live recording and that has a whole different set of rules. IÅfve even done some TV stuff that was a lot of fun. Producing a CD is like directing a movie. I have this vision in my head of what the artist wants and I have to create a roadmap of how to get us there. I love it.

--- Whenever John produced his own albums, he always co-produced them with other artists such as John Alcock. You also co-produced an album with John Entwistle. How did you and John divide the work?
Steve Luongo:
It wasn’t really divided. It was more like shared. In the evening John and I would decided on what we wanted to accomplish the following day. I would get up early the next day and start running down the things that John and I had decided the night before.
Over dub guitars, vocals and so on. Basically we would set up the schedule together and I would carry out the tasks. John would approve or make changes to what I had done and we would move on from there. I think John liked producing music with people that saw the music the same way as he did.
When John changed something there was no question that it needed to be changed. I never felt like I disagreed with any of his choices and I think he felt the same way about mine. That is why we liked producing and writing music together. John gave me a lot of freedom as a producer and I learned a lot from working with him. Of course Bob Pridden made things very easy in the studio. He is an excellent engineer.

--- You and John co-wrote several songs. What roles did each of you fill for these songs?
Steve Luongo:
It was always different. In the case of Horror Rock I had written the main theme and the “B” & “C” sections 10 years before I played it for John.
When he heard it he wanted to add an entirely different “C” section and rearrange some of the other parts. Once we had agreed on the format of the song we would do the orchestration together and teach it to the band. Most of the writing we did together started with a piece of music or a lyric written by me (but not always). If John liked it we would take it from there. Sometimes he would work on the lyrics and sometimes on the music.
Most times he would work on both. I think he knew what I was after and he always helped me get it. I remember thinking more than once, “Is he reading my mind?”

--- John’s former house in England is currently being rented as a studio.
Can you describe the environmental surroundings of this house? What kinds of musical equipment is this house furnished with?
Steve Luongo:
I don’t think it’s being rented as a studio at this time. The estate is trying to sell the property and the studio goes with it. At the time it was a state of the art studio.
John used to buy all the latest gear in order to keep his studio up to date. The studio was both analog and digital giving us the best of both worlds. It would be impossible for me to list all the gear but he had great tape machines and a classic mixing desk with automation and great monitors. John love technology and remained on the cutting edge. It was a great place to record. From the recording room you could look out though a huge window and see the hills of the Cotswolds spreading out before you. It was simply a magical place to write and record music. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to be a part of it.

--- When The John Entwistle Band came to Japan as a part of the Abbey Road Tour in November 2001, you came to Japan along with Todd Rundgren and Ann Wilson. How did you like Japan? What aspect of Japan impressed you the most?
Steve Luongo:
Japan is a beautiful country. I saw a lot of the country from the bullet train and I was amazed at the landscape. However, I think the thing that impressed most about the country was the people. Everyone was very kind and did whatever they could to make us comfortable. I was also impressed by how well the people spoke English. Japan was the last place I ever played with The John Entwistle Band and the last place I saw John alive. It was the night before we left the hotel for home. We were in his room having a small end of tour party with some of the band and crew. I had an early flight so I gave him a hug and casually said “I’ll talk to you in a couple of days.” I had no idea that would be the last time we would be in the same room. Of course I spoke with him almost daily until his death but that was the last time I saw him alive.

--- In some interviews, Roger had said he was aware of John's health for a few years. Did you notice anything?
Steve Luongo:
I'm not sure what Roger was referring to so I can't comment on that. I knew that John had some health issues but I don't believe anyone including John knew just how serious they were. We all felt he should quit smoking and get more exercise. I will say that he was in good shape and taking care of himself for the Abbey Road tour.

--- I have heard that during the Abbey Road Tour in the United States, The John Entwistle Band played a lot of songs originally performed by The Who.
However, in Japan, “Real Me” is the only song of The Who’s that the The John Entwistle Band performed. Was this because The Who was not as popular in Japan as it was in the United States?
Steve Luongo:
I don’t think so. I believe that it was because of the length of the show.
For some reason we had to cut it down and play less songs. In the states we performed My Wife and My Generation along with Real Me. We would all play 3 Todd Rundgren songs, 3 Heart songs 3 of Alan Parson’s songs and 3 Entwistle/Who songs. However when we did Real Me everyone else was asked to leave the stage and we performed it alone as the JEB. The show was done in 2 parts. The first part was a set containing each artist’s 3 songs. The second part was the Beatles set.

--- Many Japanese fans are of the opinion that The John Entwistle Band played exceptionally well during the Abbey Road Tour. Some even believe that The John Entwistle Band’s performance matched or exceeded some of The Who’s performances during its peak. How was the Tour viewed in the United States?
Steve Luongo:
I think the tour with Entwistle was received very well in the states. At first people were a little unsure about John Entwistle playing Beatle songs even though he had done a tour with Ringo’s all-star band in the mid 90s.
Once we hit the road the fans showed their support by showing up at concerts and with favorable reviews on the internet. We never compared our band to The Who. I don’t think we should be compared with The Who.
We were a completely different band. We never tried to be anything but ourselves.
However, it was always difficult for us to get out of the shadow of The Who.
John was a powerful presence in The Who and that carried over to any band he played with including ours.

--- Tell us about your experience as a member of the John Entwistle Band at Woodstock 1999.
Steve Luongo:
Woodstock was an amazing show for us. We were added to the bill at the last minute.
I will always remember that as a great day. Entwistle spent the day remembering his 1969 appearance at the original Woodstock. We all heard lots of great stories. John did not seem to have a good time at the original concert but we all enjoyed the 30th anniversary show. We played in a giant airplane hanger and there were hundreds of thousands of people that heard us play that day. After the concert we talked for hours with reporters from all over the world. We (John and I) were asked to jam with The Red Hot Chili Peppers but it didn’t work out so we left early to avoid a traffic jam.
Since the entire band was from New York (John is from the UK of course) we were all able to return to our homes and watch the event being reported on VH-1 and MTV.
By the time we got home John’s 30th anniversary appearance was overshadowed by the violence that occurred in the crowd. Very little attention was paid to the fact that a true legend from the original performance in 1969 was there for the 1999 show. We were all a bit disappointed. But, we did play at Woodstock…with John Entwistle!

--- In “Bogeyman”, a song from the Album “Music From Van-Pires,” many fans were ecstatic to hear Keith Moon playing the drums. Did John Entwistle have more recordings of Keith Moon playing the drums?
Steve Luongo:
I’m sure he did. We never used any of them except for Bogeyman because it fit a need we had at the time. We came across that track by accident. The band had been recording all day. When we stopped for the night we went into John’s bar to relax. I pulled out some fusion music that I had been working on and we listened to it. Then the guitarist started playing tapes of things that he had done. The keyboard player began playing tapes of commercials that he had done and we were all laughing and having a great time.
John decided to join in the fun by playing a funny song that he had written a long time ago for The Who. The Who turned down John’s song saying that it was not what they were looking for at the time because it was sort of funny. In the end of the song there were some drum fills being played that caught my ear. I asked John if it was Keith Moon. He listened closer and said “yes I think it is.” The song was exactly what we were looking for and I suggested that we use Keith’s performance and finish the song ourselves for the Van-Pires soundtrack. We did and it turned out to be a favorite for many fans.

--- I read somewhere that Todd Rundgren was going to join JEB UK tour. Is that true?
Steve Luongo:
There was a time when we were discussing joining forces with Todd for a UK tour.
It never happened but I think it would have been great. Todd is a great guy and a very talented musician. We all got on well with him.

--- For the George Harrison tribute album “Songs from the Material World,” you and John recorded “Here Comes The Sun” together. When was this song recorded and why wasn’t the John Entwistle Band listed as the performer?
Steve Luongo:
That album was recorded after John passed away. We were asked about being on the album and agreed but John died before we could record the song. I had a track of John playing Here Comes The Sun so I took his bass off that track and recorded a new one around it. The reason I didn’t use the JEB was because after John passed the guitarist went on to play with other people. However, Chris Clark who appears on that track was the last keyboard player for the JEB but I still didn’t feel right calling it The John Entwistle Band because it really wasn’t. I used the members of my new band TorQue. Our bassist at the time, Mark Clarke, sang the track and left the bass part to John. It was a very difficult track to produce for a number of reasons. The hardest thing was working with John’s bass part without John really being there. It was a very emotional session for me.

--- In “Songs From the Material World,” you played with both the band, “Torque” and Leslie West. What kind of band is “Torque?” Can you elaborate?
Steve Luongo:
In November of 2001 John and I had a writing session at his home in the UK for a new album by The Who. John and I wrote several songs for The Who to pick from. After that writing session we did the tour of Japan with the Abbey Road show.
In 2002 John was scheduled to tour with The Who. He was going to spend the summer on the road with The Who and the plan was for them to go into the studio in the fall to begin recording their first new album in many years.
They would record in the fall, take time off for the holidays and tour the following year to support the album. This would leave very little time for the JEB. I decided to form a band called TorQue to keep myself in shape and to indulge my love of progressive rock music. I called Mark Hitt who was my old guitarist from Rat Race Choir. He agreed that doing a project together again would be fun. Then I called Mark Clarke to play bass and sing. The band started out as a trio. Mark Hitt and I had already written 6 songs together and we all learned them. After a few gigs we decided to add a keyboard player so I called Chris Clark from the Entwistle band. He joined us and we went into the studio to begin recording our first album. That is also when we recorded the George Harrison album. Shortly after that Mark Clarke got a call to do a very good gig and we did not want to hold him back. Clarke left. He was replaced by Jeff Ganz. Jeff plays an 8 string bass and he was the perfect musician for our band. The vocals were now left to me since I sang them on the demos. We have completed the writing and recording for the album. As I do this interview we are mixing and getting ready for the album’s release. Samples of our music can be heard at www.bitsatalent.com. There is also a link from www.johnentwistle.com.

--- You said you and John were writing some songs for the Who's new album. What happened to those songs? Are we going to have any chance to hear them?
Steve Luongo:
We did do a few demos and I have them in my studio. I completed the songs that were unfinished when he died. I hope you will hear them but I'm not sure how that will happen. If The Who show any interest I will make them available to them first. If they don't I will figure out some way to share them with the world. They are good songs and should be heard. John would want them to be heard. As you may or may not know I have been asked to be the executive director of the John Entwistle Foundation.
Maybe if The Who doesn't use the songs I will make them available though the foundation.

--- We have always been amazed by your multi-talented activities as a drummer, singer, songwriter, producer, and photographer. How did you develop such versatility? Can you tell us about your future plans and where you want to go from here?
Steve Luongo:
I can tell you that I love those activities and still indulge in all of them. I have been taking pictures almost as long as I have been playing drums. Now that we have digital photography I can do a lot more with a lot less gear. I shoot pictures as art as well as for documenting memories of people and places.
Touring takes me all over the world and the world has become my canvas for photography. These interests all developed because my musical career allowed me the time and resources to discover and participate in new things.
I enjoy all sorts of sports including skiing, motocross racing, surfing and skateboarding. As for my other interests I am writing more music than ever.
I am still producing albums and of course playing drums and singing. I am continuing to write stories and develop scripts. In addition to all of this I started The John Entwistle Foundation. The JEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to doing charitable works in the name of John Entwistle. I have been elected to the position of executive director by the board members. John’s mother and son fully endorse the foundation. I am very honored to be heading up such a worthwhile organization.

--- You said you like taking photograph. You must have quite collection of Johns. Do you have any plan to show those photos?
Most of my pictures of John are personal photos of us working of just having a good time. I don't have any plans to show them at this time. But, that could change.

--- Finally, can you please give me answers to the following questions?
(1) What is your date of birth?
I was born on September 21st, 1952.
(2) Where were you born?
I was born at the United Hospital in Port Chester, New York.
(3) Who was your favorite artist when you were a teenager?
Jimi Hendrix. I loved his experimentation with music and his vision not to
mention his groundbreaking talent.
(4) Who is currently your favorite artist?
TorQue. We are writing and playing the music that is closest to my heart.
I never thought I’d get a chance to be in another band with so much talent and chemistry. I am truly grateful for that.
(5) What was the happiest moment of your life?
I have been very blessed with a happy life. I have a great marriage, wonderful friends and I have the privilege of playing with some of the finest musicians in the world.
It would be impossible for me to pick one happy moment over another and I thank GOD for that.
(6) What was the saddest moment of your life?
It would certainly be losing John Entwistle. I recall my grief very clearly from his
funeral. I am still very sad about John and I miss him daily.
He was a huge part of my life that can never be replaced. He was my best friend and I loved him like a brother.
As you know I was asked to write and read the eulogy at his memorial service in London. It was one of the biggest honors ever been bestowed on me. And it was truly a very sad time in my life. As I said I miss him daily.

Thank you very much for answering all of our questions. As a fan, I am looking forward to your future activities. On behalf of fans of John Entwistle and The Who, we would like to ask you to please continue “The John Entwistle Foundation” and johnentwistle.com for many years to come.

* A part of this interview is on a Japanese magazine called “DIG (No. 35)”. Also you can read Japanese version of this interview at holidaycamp (http://members.shaw.ca/holidaycamp/).