S5: E13: Ted Poley (Danger Danger, Tokyo Motor Fist) - Melodies & Animal Rights Mission

Randy Hulsey: 0:45

I have a super cool guest that I have been listening to since the late 80s joining me in the studio. Hey everyone, it's Randy Hulsey with Backstage Pass Radio, and today I am joined by one of my favorite vocalists on the scene. He has been in a multitude of bands over the years, including the ever popular band Danger Danger. He is a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, a charismatic frontman, but, most importantly, he stands up for animal rights. We'll talk the headphones and we'll talk with Ted Poley when we return.

Adam Gordon: 1:19

This is Backstage Pass Radio, the podcast that's designed for the music junkie with a thirst for musical knowledge. Hi, this is Adam Gordon, and I want to thank you all for joining us today. Make sure you like, subscribe and turn alerts on for this and all upcoming podcasts. And now here's your host of Backstage Pass Radio, randy Hulsey.

Randy Hulsey: 1:48

The man, the myth, the legend it's Ted Poli. What's up, my man?

Ted Poley: 1:53

Randy man, it is an honor to be here with you on Backstage Pass Radio. I want to thank you and everybody whose head I am now inside.

Randy Hulsey: 2:02

Hey, everybody thanks for being here. You're in their heads, man. Welcome. Good to see you, man.

Ted Poley: 2:07

It's good to be seen and again I appreciate you.

Randy Hulsey: 2:09

Yeah, and I appreciate all the texting back and forth. We've done a lot of it. Like we had a little bromance going there. It seemed like right, all the texting back and forth, but you got to get things right, man, you know what I'm saying.

Ted Poley: 2:20

You know, it can be an interview or it can be a relationship.

Randy Hulsey: 2:22

So I'd like to do that a little bit about it.

Ted Poley: 2:24

I'd like to be a get a personal.

Randy Hulsey: 2:26

There you go, I like it, I dig it, man. Well, listen. Thanks again for being here and if it's cool with you, I'd like to go maybe on a little bit of a chronological stroll with the listeners today, so 19.

Ted Poley: 2:41

I would place your hand in mind and walk with me, and talk with me, let's go, let's go.

Randy Hulsey: 2:46

So I think let's see 1962. Inglewood, new Jersey, this is where you came up right.

Ted Poley: 2:53

That's where I popped out, and actually you must have gotten that from either me or more reliable source, because Wikipedia still has me as 1964, unless somebody has changed. Oh really, thank you, that is correct. I will be 62 years old in January.

Randy Hulsey: 3:08

Well, the good thing is, wikipedia is making you younger, then right.

Ted Poley: 3:12

No, actually my friend said the good thing is the older I get. If I really screw up, at least my life sentence will be shorter.

Randy Hulsey: 3:19

They have a point, man. They have a point like it's less present time, right?

Ted Poley: 3:23

I know that's what's so horrifying about it. Umber is only funny if it's true. I get it.

Randy Hulsey: 3:28

Well, tell the listeners a little bit about Ted Poli coming up in New Jersey. What kind of kid were you coming up, man? Were you a music kid early on? Were you a sports kid? What was going on with you?

Ted Poley: 3:39

You know what I was sort of like not a sports person, I don't like watching sports. I kind of played a few things. I played soccer for 10 minutes until somebody bigger than me, he is a soccer ball.

Ted Poley: 3:51

That career we go over before it started. But then I didn't have to take gym class for the rest of eternity and then I was actually a varsity tennis player. I enjoyed playing tennis but the whole time, you know, music was my great love. I started at three years old and by the time my tennis coach gave me that ultimatum of listen man, you have to get serious and practice every day or, you know, go to band rehearsal. So make your choice. And by the time he got to like in choice, you know he saw the back of me and I was out of there. That was it for sports. I was a music kid. I just love music more than anything. I guess my earliest influences were I think I cut my first album off of a cereal box in 1968 or something like that. I think it was sugar, sugar by the Archies. So, yeah, yeah. So I've always been into music and cereal.

Randy Hulsey: 4:37

You know, you know, you know. What's sad about what you just said is that I very well remember the records on the back of cereal boxes.

Ted Poley: 4:45

So I still have a panel, I framed it.

Randy Hulsey: 4:48

That's super cool man I still have the sugar by the Archies.

Ted Poley: 4:50

I think it's on the back of sugar crisps or something.

Randy Hulsey: 4:53

It was, it was. It was sugar crisps was the one that we're putting those out.

Ted Poley: 4:57

Yeah, jackson 5 also did it. I remember I had a Jackson 5. That's how I got most of, that's how I still get most of my music. I cut them off from commercial bagging Too funny. As a matter of fact, would you believe I'm putting out, my next release will be on a. It's not CD or cereal box cardboard, right cardboard.

Randy Hulsey: 5:14

It's the new format.

Ted Poley: 5:16

Yeah, no more vinyl for me. I'm directing direct to cereal box.

Randy Hulsey: 5:20

Just think of all the money you're going to save in that endeavor there.

Ted Poley: 5:23

And all the calories people will have to consume.

Randy Hulsey: 5:26

Exactly. Well, yeah, it sounds like you were kind of destined to be a musician because I understand you come from a very musical family. Share a little bit about the family roots and music.

Ted Poley: 5:40

Half of my family is sort of like Bach from Star Trek, very like legal and logical and all that kind of stuff, lawyers and things like that. And the other half, well, my aunt was Jeannie Burns. My anti-gene was very famous musician in the 1930s. She had hit songs back then that still make more money than all of her ever see and she passed away 20 years ago. But she wrote things like a song that they use for food network and think everybody eats when they come to my house. A lot of things she wrote with Cab Calloway and a lot of the Cotton Club people Of course Just really cool scene.

Ted Poley: 6:13

And was married to well, if you've ever heard of a guy named Harold Arlen, he wrote the music for the Wizard of Oz and Jerry Arlen, which is brother and band leader, and that was my aunt's husband and they were all a team and so a little bit of a loose tie to the Wizard of Oz stuff. But she was real famous and she sat me down on a piano when I was too young you know to have my feet touch the floor and you know I just love music. I was around it on that side of the family anyway and I miss her, but she would have gotten a kick out of. Yeah, she would have been right here with this interview.

Randy Hulsey: 6:41

Yeah, that's cool, you know, set down at the piano as a young kid. It kind of reminded me of reading Stephen Tyler's memoir, where he kind of grew up under the grand piano. His dad was a concert pianist and that's where he grew up was underneath the piano, listening to his dad play.

Ted Poley: 6:57

That's cool. No, I grew up, you know, underneath, you know sort of like probably vacuuming underneath the piano. I hated it. When I first started I didn't know I could like music that way. My exposure with the piano was with a really mean classical piano teacher who made me curl up my fingers and I wasn't even allowed Like. His big reward was that I could touch the grand piano, otherwise I had to play the upright piano, which was supposed to be some sort of insult.

Randy Hulsey: 7:22

But I didn't care.

Ted Poley: 7:23

I wanted to do my 30 minutes and get the hell out of there. So he was mean. So it was classical music and I couldn't relate. So actually that was my first hands-on with instruments experience. But my first love of music sort of fell into place when a neighbor who I can't believe like actually was not a child, unless it sounds like a story that starts off all stories.

Ted Poley: 7:43

Well, my neighbor showed some interest in me one day and took me into his basement and the rest was history. Yeah, yeah, no, here we are, yeah right. You're not doing what Ted does.

Randy Hulsey: 7:56

Well, I think, coming up you know you were talking about the back of cereal boxes and what not, but coming up I think you and I probably share some of the same inspirations. Bands like the Monkees and the Partridge Family.

Ted Poley: 8:09

Actually I have a Partridge Family tattoo. Some friends with Danny, I love the Partridge Family, exactly right, and the Monkees love them, exactly. When people say what are your music influences, I say somewhere between the Partridge Family and Metallica, which is kind of a wide range. Good one, partridge. As a matter of fact, I want to paint my new tour bus like in the Partridge Family paint scheme and on the back how they say caution, nervous mother driving, I wanted to say caution, nervous rock star. But I will do that in the spring, hopefully. I'm going to do it in all the colors, just like that.

Randy Hulsey: 8:40

That's super cool man. So weren't those shows the best back in the day? They were so cool back in the day.

Ted Poley: 8:46

I still catch one every once in a while just to relax. So great, yeah, I love you know. I mean Danny was the best. Yeah, chief was kind of a star, but I always I love Danny and in real life he's a really funny guy.

Randy Hulsey: 8:56

Danny Bonaducci, that's him.

Ted Poley: 8:58

Yeah, he's insane, but we had a fun dinner once and he just I the stories he told. Just a great guy, danny, for listening.

Randy Hulsey: 9:04

I'm not going to put you on the spot, but if, if I challenge you to sing the theme songs from both of those shows for ten bucks, would you be able to take my ten bucks from me? Come on out. I didn't say you had to see him.

Ted Poley: 9:21

There you go. I mean, look, you kind of was a pop quiz and I was not. I told and by the way you know, that's fair. I did make him sign my Partridge Family Lunchbox. So I do have my Partridge Family Lunchbox signed by Danny. And yeah, you know I you couldn't stump me on that theme song, good stuff. I'm really good with lyrics.

Randy Hulsey: 9:42

It was funny because I remember a lot of the great theme songs from back in the day. I'm not going to go down a rabbit hole, but you know Gilligan's Island and all these shows that we grew up on, right. I, like I never forgot those theme songs, for some reason.

Ted Poley: 9:54

I gravitated more towards like the well, like the ones you said, monkeys and then things like HR, puff and stuff. Oh yeah, and like you know, really like I was way off the. I was way off the chart even as a kid while we grew up, during you know the times when, yeah, you know, things were, you know psychedelic mushrooms were talking on television shows like witchy poop and this bill and HR puff and stuff in the monkeys and, yeah, the Beatles, you know that was.

Ted Poley: 10:16

You know the yellow submarine. I sort of based my life loosely on that. Yeah, yeah, that's, yeah, that's my decor of my house. It's sort of that, that colorful Peter Max. The decor of my living room can best be described as a cross between Peter Max and like an 80s porn movie. That's cool.

Randy Hulsey: 10:35

I mean I think that's funny how a lot of those shows have that psychedelic slant to them back in the day the Scooby Doo and things like that Interesting.

Ted Poley: 10:44

The color and you know what the? I was just watching Scooby Doo as a matter of I'm so busy, but no, as a matter of fact I was watching. Watched five minutes of Scooby Doo the other night and colors are still better than new cartoons, the purples, oh yeah. The greens. It was something about that time which I mean maybe it's just because I'm old and that's what I like, but of course I still think. I still think it's fun to watch and, yeah, it's definitely Of that period you can tell. That's so great, yeah.

Randy Hulsey: 11:08

Well, it's interesting to learn that you came up as a drummer and later moved to vocals, even though you're better known for being a vocalist, right? So when did you, when did you step out from behind the kit?

Ted Poley: 11:21

Um, actually okay, I started out on piano, went behind the kit later on and stepped right out from behind it for a little while. It didn't grow rude. I did it. My first album as a drummer in a band called Profit was a progressive rock band really cool stuff. As a cover band we used to play things like you know, like yes and rush, and every night I'd open up with yours is no disgrace by rush and we played I mean beers, that by yes, and we would play 2112 by rush and all sorts of really cool stuff. We we ruined lots of proms. We play high school proms and play things like by tour of the snow dog and people would just stand there with a blank Look on their face and we didn't care. We were at concerts. That was their only promise that we didn't do too many of those.

Randy Hulsey: 12:00

Nobody wanted to hear Prague rock at a prom right.

Ted Poley: 12:05

We didn't care, we would do 22 minutes to the full side of 2112, like. Well, people just did there in gowns like in just horror. You know, we didn't care, we were in concert man, we had a PA system like stand there and take it like you know, we're ruining that their youth.

Ted Poley: 12:19

But but we got to play 2112, exactly, but yeah, yeah, we had lights and flash pots and I mean, you know we didn't care, you know we didn't care, but anyway. So I love drumming. I was always hitting things anyway, and I still can't sit, still, and I loved it and, believe it or not, I'm a little bit shy and I liked having a wall of drums in front of me and so when people say what are your influences, most of them are drummers, not singers, although People obviously like Steve Perry and Lou Graham and Steve Walls and all those guys are, of course, influences. Most of my influencers are sort of like, you know, it's all drummers, yeah so, but I loved it. And then actually I came out, came out, came out of the drum closet for danger, danger. We did some demos. I did them as a favor to Bruto and they see they worked and I figured, well, I try it. I'm still trying it on, we'll see how it sticks. If not, I can always go back to drum who did you gravitate to From a drum perspective?

Randy Hulsey: 13:13

who were your go-to drummers? Who did you love then and now?

Ted Poley: 13:16

Oh, my gosh, ainsley Dunbar and Steve Smith from Journey back then. And I mean, honestly, I gotta tell you Rod Morgan student, who's a friend now from the guy's to love the Drake. You know stuff like that. Feel the heart from Kansas. You know that kind of really, really, you know good drummers and there were a lot of them back then. Now it's you know a lot of the drum machines.

Ted Poley: 13:35

It's sort of a lost art, but that's what I loved, just real tasteful. I mean listen, emerson, like a Palmer, I mean kind of any you know anything really. Or for me, and of course, john Bonham, I mean you know, oh my god, like Bill Bruehler and Alan White from. Yes, you know, that was the stuff I love, that's the stuff I listen to and that's the stuff I gravitated towards, you know, with profit when we were, when I was drumming and that's what, and those guys were amazing musicians and they could duplicate and then, you know, surpass a lot of that stuff. Really fun. It was sort of like boot camp and training. They were serious, serious musicians and I was more of like a guy who liked to twirl my sticks and sing a little bit, but I had to get my my stuff together with them and yeah, then I stepped out for danger. Danger. I thought it would be Something to try and we'll see how that goes. Otherwise, I picked up the guitar now, so I have a few options, have you?

Randy Hulsey: 14:26

thought about Futures. Would you ever go back to the kit, you think, or would you always remain kind of the? And we'll talk a little bit more about the Acoustic tour and the guitar, but do you find yourself ever, maybe, going back to the?

Ted Poley: 14:39

drums like that. You know what, with the career, with the illustrious career in life that I have led, I don't like to think so far into the future that I would even think past the end of this interview.

Randy Hulsey: 14:48

I.

Ted Poley: 14:49

That's the nice. The ice gets thinner and thinner, the further away I think. I like to say I like to keep my my focus, my scope, kind of small. Now, my greatest new passion is I just love playing guitar, especially acoustic guitar, which is surprising. I started playing electric about two years ago and found that I just love acoustic. It's a different way, different. That's why each one and I just actually love it was really hard for me to learn. I was not at all. If I was natural at anything, it was probably drums, not guitar. So I play guitar a lot like a drummer, but but I finally, after two years I can play enough where I can really express myself.

Ted Poley: 15:26

It was hard enough. I'd put hundreds of hours in. There's no faking it. You have to get the calluses you do. I started it about 59 years old and it is tough to teach an old dog a new trick. But I really, really I collected guitars and I wanted not be fake. I want to really learn how to play them.

Ted Poley: 15:41

And, boy, I'll tell you what it's like a bucking bronco, a guitar does not want you to play it. If it hurts, then you're doing it right, and if you're doesn't hurt, you're doing it wrong and I just kept saying this isn't for me and I would try and it hurt and I suck and I would give it up and then I'd go back to it, back to it. Then one magical evening something sort of happened and it let me get away with something. And once I saw that I could do it, it let me get away with a few more things. And then I earned it and now I Sort of can ride. It allows me like a, like a wilder, it allows me to ride it as long as I stay, I don't do any tricks, don't make it jump too high, but I broke it.

Ted Poley: 16:19

I finally I busted that bronco. I'm so proud of that because I really have not tried so hard at anything really I maybe I was more natural at a lot of almost anything else but that and I just wanted it so badly and it threw me off so many times. And it will again, probably this evening when I but really I learned how to do it. Then the hard part was trying to sing and do that at the same time. Of course that took another a few hundred hours and now I'm finally getting the hang of it. I sort of did a world tour doing that, which forced me to get it right. It's sort of like building the plane while you're flying it, yeah. So I said, well, I'm either gonna get this right or I'm going down in flames. And it forced me to get good or acceptable real fast.

Ted Poley: 17:01

Yeah and I had a great time and and I just love it I it's the one instrument I used to be able to walk by my drums and say, hey, those look pretty cool. I'll be back later. But when I pass a guitar, I can't help but pick it up and it's just a love that I have never felt. Guitar players you know what I'm talking about. You fall in love with this thing like Like nothing else. I just really surprising even to myself at this age even late at night, my hamster wheel never stops turning. My Thoughts aren't always healthy for me, but let me tell you, when things are down, I can pick up a guitar and it's almost literally saved my life, save several times. So I love it and you don't have to be good at something to love it. I'm not saying I'm great at it, I'm just so enjoy it.

Ted Poley: 17:39

I'll never be great at it, I'm just not naturally talented. I you know I think I'm doing something right. And then you put on YouTube and you see some For your four-year-old kid. They can play bass. You know better than anybody that you've ever seen. Yeah, you just sit there, go okay. Well, I was not born like that, but I do love it and it's kind of neat to discover something at this age where Now I can even have some more fun in life that I could never do.

Randy Hulsey: 18:01

I agree if.

Ted Poley: 18:01

I ever wanted to sing, I would have to have somebody else play some. So now at least I can walk in a room and I Can show them that what I can do, whether they like it or not, but I can do it all by myself.

Randy Hulsey: 18:11

I think, yeah, and I agree with you and I'm sure you're humbled by just kind of learning the guitar how great the great players really are, right.

Ted Poley: 18:23

Not the brilliant ones. I always knew how good the brilliant ones, the ones who I kind of thought, suck, oh my god, like not everybody, was Eddie Van Halen. Let me tell you what a brilliant observation and a brilliant question, because now I am fascinated by even just Everybody, even just any kid they play. I am fascinated because I really can't do what they can and like the worst guitar player that I ever didn't appreciate, now a whole new appreciation of music, even songs I didn't really love.

Ted Poley: 18:54

I can now listen with new ears, of course, and I can listen to those guitar parts and say you know what? That's not as easy, you know, not as easy as I thought it was.

Randy Hulsey: 19:02

I agree. Well, in your own words, do you prefer one? Say, you know, if you had to pick one, like, would it be the guitar, would it be the drums? Would you be a vocalist, like if you got to be really good at one of those things? What do you think you gravitate to?

Ted Poley: 19:18

You know what I love singing so much because it's the one thing I can. You know I was a pretty good drummer but I couldn't maybe do everything in the world. I see these guys now on the internet that are magical. Singing is the one thing I do Better than other people, but it's unique. When I do it I love it. But if I could have started from scratch and had all the talent in the world either a piano player but an insanely brilliant piano player, or somebody like in va mouth Steve, who is just so I just can't even imagine. You know they say you use about five percent or ten percent of your brain. I think people like that use a lot more percent of their brain because you can't learn to be an in va. You know in va was gonna be an in va whether you know what I mean, like me I can go play guitar for another 50 years, god willing enough and he could.

Ted Poley: 20:04

He was better in the first four minutes. He picked it up, he was born with it, like so, and that's the kind of magic that it also fascinates me. But I think it must have something to do with either magic or re-incarnation, or using more of your brain than most Regular people have. They can sit on the other side of the stage and appreciate those people, because I know all the tricks, but that kind of stuff.

Randy Hulsey: 20:24

I know what he's doing, but to do that I can't imagine it's amazing and I agree with you there the vocalist, or being the vocalist, is your sweet spot and I wanted to do just a quick touch and go. I want to be respectful of the danger, danger stuff but you did have some really good success with them and I will have to say that the debut album for you guys Probably falls in my top 20 of all time, from a front to back record. So congrats on that, congrats on that success, and I mean yeah, I mean obviously I owe everything.

Ted Poley: 20:58

You know it's my life. I mean I'd love that and thank you for that and it's a cool album. But I have to tell you, when bands got back together and they do their new album, it's sort of like saying, here's a new song. That's the equivalent of saying time to go pee or get a beer or something and we'll come on back. When we did, I think with 2009, when I got back in the band, we did a album called revolve, which I think that was our best album. I appreciate with that first album and I think it's almost about a time in your life as well when you live it, because you can't replace feelings.

Ted Poley: 21:27

That's the one thing we're grandfathered in with people's lives and what people made babies to some of those. Lots of people made babies. A lot of boobs were felt to my. You just can't. You can't replace that with the greatest song in the world. But but I, of all of our albums, believe it or not, I truly believe that was, that was a great album. If people haven't heard that, I really think that was the best one of all. But Desert Island, just sort of placement that I'm very honored and I do. Thank you.

Randy Hulsey: 21:52

Yeah, you're welcome. And you know what's interesting that you say that I agree with you wholeheartedly in 19 I've made this.

Ted Poley: 21:59

You touched a lot of boobs to like my tune and maybe let that's, we'll talk off the record.

Randy Hulsey: 22:03

Okay, let's talk off the record. I'm not going on record with any of that kind of shit, all right, but I will say that I've always made this joke. But it's so true for you guys. The debut came out. What 89? I suck with dates, but somewhere around 89, right.

Ted Poley: 22:18

Yeah, if you look to your watch, mickey's hand said it was a quarter to grunge.

Randy Hulsey: 22:22

Okay, yeah, 15 more minutes and I was gonna say I got married in 1989 and I've made this joke that I turned the radio off in 89 and I didn't turn it on until about 10 years ago. So I don't not not like, I don't not not like grunge, but I didn't listen to it. It wasn't my thing. So when you say you know, your favorite record was this one from danger danger, I didn't hear that back in the day. It was like I just left music for a while, not really left it, but I just stopped listening like that.

Ted Poley: 22:55

So well, the reason I did mention that one, because in 2009 a lot of people were on your flight, you know. So it might have fallen, you know, under the radar, flown under the radar, but it's a really good album. But yeah, that was the time when there really wasn't anything, you know, going on, we just it was smaller and we put that out, but it was a really good album. But I know what you mean. I mean you could have turned off your radio in 89 and turned it back on in 93 and you wouldn't have recognized anything.

Randy Hulsey: 23:22

No, nothing, nothing at all. Yeah, yeah. Well, if we fast forward to around 2016, you formed a band with former trickster guitarist Steve Brown. Right, Tell the list yeah tell the listeners a little bit about how this effort came about.

Ted Poley: 23:40

First of all, that was a cool band. That was a band that I think Cumulatively sold like 150 million records, of which I sold probably four million and three million were probably. While I was working at a record store called Harmony Hut in Paramus Park I saw I do some tell people I sold a lot of records but they were other people's record right. I worked in a record store at least just sold some.

Ted Poley: 24:05

But this band amazing I mean the players just were amazing. Of course Steve Brown and I mean the whole story is not as interesting as you think. I got a call from Steve Brown and pretty much it was his idea, the name was done and they asked me to do it. And when I found out all about it, of course I actually who wouldn't? But again, and then it was Greg Smith on bass, who's been in, probably and isn't, most bands. I think the law of music says that Greg Smith must play bass, for you at least saw at some point in any band's career. He's sold a hundred millions by himself with Ted Nugent and with, I mean, I just the countless band Rainbow and Amazing. And then his partner in crime in Rainbow happened to be Chuck Berge, who's Billy Joel's drummer. So I hear a foot. Now I'm in a band and I have Ted Nugent, billy Joel's rhythm section, I have. I have Steve Brown, talented guys in music on guitar, and what a band. I mean I loved it.

Ted Poley: 24:56

We got together to do one album for frontiers, sort of like a project, and but more than a project, because we really liked it. It was fun that the music was really good, we did care about it quite a bit. It wasn't for the money Well, for me, it was not for those guys but they did let me. They paid me a little extra to clean up the studio after, literally, we did it. And then it was one of those things where you know you, sometimes you try so hard and doesn't happen. And sometimes you do something that you love but you're not, you don't plan much for it, and and it took off and all of a sudden we're playing around the world and we did festivals and we and we had so much fun and as a live band at the time Billy Joel was off the road and Ted Nugent was off the road and we were able to do these things.

Ted Poley: 25:36

And then we did another album. What is it called? Who knows? I've done 40 albums on my. It's called Lions, which we even had. We had. It was just a success like I didn't even realize was coming and we started playing. It was great. And then COVID was over and Billy Joel went back on the road and Ted Nugent went back on the road and I was left standing in the middle of the road and nobody put you in their suitcase huh, no, no, no.

Randy Hulsey: 26:00

Somebody put a crossing guard sign in one hand and said, like, make yourself useful.

Ted Poley: 26:06

And I waved it. I waved it to the other guys as their tour bus was all pass by, I tried to stop by throwing a couple of the smaller kids. Too funny man, but anyway. No. But a great band, great albums if anybody you know gets, a chance.

Ted Poley: 26:19

You know it's. You know Google that stuff and, however you get it, beam it into your head. I don't know what format you use these days, but really cool and really fun to have an Like a band and albums that sort of sounded like they might have been big back then. Yeah, you know, now technology they don't sound dated at all, but it's not something that really comes out. I mean, it was almost like a new, different, like a death liberty, of course, something that sounded big. You know something already sounded big.

Ted Poley: 26:44

I loved it because because the sides of the band were so big and I loved it because because, aside from me, it really was already big. You can't deny those guys. No, you can't and I love that. I mean gosh having Chuck Berge at my house. I mean, it's just. You know, I still get goosebumps when I think I love to, and, by the way, he's one of the nicest people in the world. Every time I see him on TV, I waved to him.

Randy Hulsey: 27:06

Whether he sees you or not, right.

Ted Poley: 27:09

We know, seriously, really one of the one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to work with, I mean amazing drummer. Of course Billy Joel is quite nice. Billy Joel is no slouch, he knows me good guys. But yeah, as far as a human being, I Just I Chuck, I just love him. A hug from Chuck is worth, is worth it all.

Randy Hulsey: 27:24

Yeah, well, I'll tell you, Ted, that I started this show for two reasons. I'm a local musician here in Cyprus, texas, which is northwest of Houston, just on the outskirts of Houston, and I said I want to start this podcast for two reasons. Number one I want to help expose my fellow musicians in the area. That's kind of where the mindset started. The other part of it was to expose myself to new music, right to open my ears to new music and listen to things that maybe I normally wouldn't listen to, and I'll have to tell you that Tokyo motor fist is really cool, man. That's some really cool stuff, and I didn't get exposed to it until Three days ago four days ago when I started doing my homework on you man. So I appreciate that really.

Ted Poley: 28:09

In all sincerity.

Randy Hulsey: 28:10

I do yeah.

Ted Poley: 28:11

Oh, thanks, mate. They take a little dive into that stuff for sure I have and I will more. I think that it's a really cool record some great musicians on there, some great guests and, yeah, thank you for that. I think you'll enjoy it.

Randy Hulsey: 28:23

Sure Well, you mentioned something about lions earlier. Was that the only record, or were there multiple records? Or was lions the last one that came out on frontiers?

Ted Poley: 28:34

Um. The lions was the second one second and the first one was just I don't know if it had a name. I just, I don't know Tokyo water fist. I don't know. I do them and then I move on to the next one, but it was a really good record. I don't know which one's better. They're both a little different, but actually I mean, you can play them all in a row and they're cohesive. I just really good stuff.

Ted Poley: 28:53

Yeah, it is good stuff and they and they're recorded well and, like I say, you can't beat. You know the drumming on that stuff and the musicianship is is real, of course. Well, you also think it would be brown to. We live and we harmonize them and we do a lot of things together as well. We do acoustic. When he does trickster, I do my acoustic, we combine, we, we do Tokyo motor fist together. We do. You know I'll hop up on stage a lot. He's a good friend and I just love way he's saying we sing really well together. It's a good album.

Randy Hulsey: 29:21

Well, you also collaborated a bit with June Sunoi to work on stuff for Sonic the Hedgehog, correct? Oh yeah, and how did you and June come together?

Ted Poley: 29:32

He contacted me. He must have been a fan of danger danger and we needed to do some work and originally he had me. I don't. I guess I was contacted. The first thing I did was the theme for big the cat and that was Just a singing job. I believe it was mostly done and I did I guess I did a good job on that, and then the job evolved more until later on, actually writing the lyrics and then actually producing the vocal track.

Ted Poley: 29:55

So, more than just singing, june and his guys would do, yes, oh, an insane bunch of musicians and they would do these crazy, you know that crazy video game music. It's so hard to play and then I would have to put these vocals to it and really impossible to sing, very tough stuff and you could do it in a studio and he's how you never have to play it live, don't worry. And you do your best and it's amazing. And then, of course, the day comes he says you have to play it live, we're gonna do a big convention and guess who's gonna. And so in New York City I never realized how big the music was. They had a table with my name on a card and I said nobody's gonna. Who's gonna come here? They said no, after you're gonna have a meet and greet, people are gonna want you to speak to you, have your autograph. I said nobody's gonna know I am. And so we did the thing and it was amazing. This whole screen in June came and they played live to the tracks. You had to. You had to sink your vocal. It had to be perfectly done and they was hard. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do live and if you look on YouTube I think it was called the sonic boom convention, sonic boom and you can see that it was a great, great convention. Afterwards I couldn't believe it.

Ted Poley: 30:55

There was a line of kids, young adults around the block who almost couldn't have cared less or had no idea about danger, danger but knew me from. One of the biggest songs we did was escape from the city. It was almost like the stairway to heaven. A video game, really, really, really big. I probably sold about Gosh 30 million of those. I don't know. If they give him my address, maybe somebody will send me a check out.

Ted Poley: 31:16

But yeah, I had no idea what I meant to these people because I wasn't into video games. I when I grew up. You know it was like Odyssey and like Atari exactly Atari. So I was a real video gamer and I didn't have enough money to go to the arcade and play anything and then I was busy playing in Bands. I didn't know a thing about it, but there was this culture of people that really they were a lot like me but I didn't have a lot of. You know, I didn't like to go out and do parties and things like that, but there was no other thing to do. If you sat at home, you know there was nothing. But apparently there was this whole culture of people that grew up on these games and gaming and I had no idea they loved it and I enjoyed meeting them so much and I it had changed my whole outlook. I had no idea they were telling me how much these songs meant to them.

Randy Hulsey: 31:58

It's almost a cult thing, isn't it man? You know what I'm saying.

Ted Poley: 32:01

I was so happy to have done it and to have met these people and now I really get a kick. You know, if I do a show and a few hundred people show up, there's always two or three, just like Sonic people that just come with. You know the Sonic shirts and they're the Sonic.

Ted Poley: 32:14

That's interesting from that and they didn't be in. They didn't grow up with the danger stuff. And I like that because of course I love danger, danger. But I think it's really cool that somebody likes me for something else of course, of course.

Randy Hulsey: 32:24

Well, I have a buddy who was also on my show a while back, who was still very active with June and crush 40 and his Johnny Golly.

Ted Poley: 32:34

Johnny's great, that's right. I was gonna say absolutely, yep, crush 40. That's well, that's june's Rock-and-roll day job. You might say does the Sega music? He does crush 40. I mean talented guy to just really, and a nice guy too.

Randy Hulsey: 32:46

Yeah, and I spoke with Johnny yesterday and he had really nice things to say about you. By the way, I told him that I was gonna be talking to you today and he's like, yeah, it's a great guy right there. So oh man, yeah, yeah you know, you Yankee boys stick together. You know what I mean.

Ted Poley: 33:01

You know, I'm like hyper I'm crazy. He's mellow. He's a lot cooler. You know what I mean. He's laid back Not me, I'm shot out of a cannon in the morning, but Johnny's cool, he's a good dude and I'm glad he yeah. Yeah, get back to him. Tell him I said hey and thank you.

Randy Hulsey: 33:13

I will and, speaking of Johnny, I love the song that you guys are that you did, specifically called higher. That was off the 2016 solo record called Beyond the Fade, and that song you did that with Alessandro Devecchio and Anna Porto loopy right, and all of those guys are in his band hard line right.

Ted Poley: 33:34

Oh, yeah, absolutely my Italian mob.

Ted Poley: 33:36

Yeah those guys. That was down to a straight one of the most talented guys in music. I mean, he's probably on a million albums and that was my go-to band and that was sort of I mean, that's a combination, sort of a crush 40 and they were like as well what was the other band? I forget that they were so well a lot of band names because they were great and I actually got to play with those guys live. It was what we did was, I believe, when we finished that album.

Ted Poley: 33:59

We did the video for that. If you look up the video for hire, a lot of those scenes. We actually did a show or two before I went home. I actually recorded that at Alessandro's studio in some of Lombardo, italy, and before I went home we did a couple of shows around Malawa area. I don't remember, but really cool shows and those shots are real. The live shots are from those shows and that band off. What I'd love those. I miss those guys every night. Oh, I do must again. 10 pounds, 20, I would go. I wait all day we work in the studio and then, oh my god, the food in Italy.

Randy Hulsey: 34:34

Yeah, wow well, I love the song, man, and it was. It had a great hook. It was one of those songs that just you know it's. It's very catchy and you know we talked a little earlier about Guitarist and how we're in awe of great guitarist and I saw a couple of videos of Ana Porto loopy the other day and that that chick can play that. Damn for that fucking guitar dude.

Ted Poley: 34:57

I've never seen a bass guitar. Look so giant. Yeah, beat the crap out of that thing. Yes, it's like a giant guitar in her hands and boy could she strangle the hell out of it. Oh, yeah, she's.

Randy Hulsey: 35:09

I said, man, either her guitars are twice the size of the ones I play or she's a little bitty chick man.

Ted Poley: 35:15

It's got to be one of the two, she's little, she's cute and she will tear your head off if you make a mistake. Musically. I'll tell you what. What? I was there, of course, before a show, before anything I would. Everybody rehearses. We'd be in a room rehearsing and there's always that one guy in the band when there was a mistake. You hope that they don't doly know. Yet Look at, yeah, and I'll tell you what. If they made a mistake, she, she was perfect, she played perfect and she was great and she didn't want to get yelled at by her, she was the tough one and she could play, yeah but boy.

Ted Poley: 35:43

But she was perfect. Oh, she's perfectly and boy. I'll tell you, they were scared to death of her.

Randy Hulsey: 35:48

Well, when you play that good man, you demand a certain performance from your bandmates. You know what I mean.

Ted Poley: 35:53

No, guys are all other level. Let me tell you they, on their worst day they're some of the greatest musicians.

Randy Hulsey: 35:58

Well, that was, that was good stuff, good, good, good stuff.

Ted Poley: 36:01

Now you thanks for mentioning that. Yeah, yeah, our fun drugs. Great man, we did that. We had a lot of fun.

Randy Hulsey: 36:06

Well, you had put out, think, at least six solo efforts that began sometime around 2006 with collateral damage, and the last one, I think, was somewhere around what was it? 18 with modern art and my pre spot on with the dates there.

Ted Poley: 36:23

I was already 2018. That's a long time ago, yeah, and I mean I had a lot of stuff in between bone machine and melodica. Those are all eventually sort of solo, you know same kind of thing. I just came up with band names because it sounded cooler. Then eventually I just gave up because it was hard to remember all of them. I called it me, but yeah, man, collateral damage. Really cool record. On that one, actually, I pulled in favors from all of my favorite guitar friends at the time. Really interesting, because I have leads on there by Andy Timmons and Bill Leverty and Pete Lesperance. It's just some really really cool guitar players on that out, really, really fun out Well.

Randy Hulsey: 36:57

Andy's a phenomenal player, isn't he?

Ted Poley: 36:59

Oh, Andy's still a friend. Andy's insane. Yeah, Andy's one of those guys that you can't learn to be. Andy was born like that.

Randy Hulsey: 37:05

He was one of those right. He's an Invei junior.

Ted Poley: 37:14

You can't learn to play like that. You can try, but you have to be that. Yeah, one of those.

Randy Hulsey: 37:19

I did it, those guys? Hey, let's, let's talk. Talk to the listeners about the acoustic van tour. What? What is the acoustic van tour for you?

Ted Poley: 37:28

Oh man, it's actually officially my Ted Poli's fantastic tour 124, because I'm an idiot mess, I have to name everything. So here's the deal with that would. People may or may not know. Yes, I mean danger. Danger a major part of my life and I'm so glad everybody enjoyed it. And I really appreciate everything and still do the song, still love it to death, still appreciate and respect is very much. However, never made a fucking dime off. It's sorry if I can't curse on the show, I'm gonna come all over curse. I deserve to make something off my life. Never made a dime off a danger.

Ted Poley: 37:59

Danger, nobody will believe it, but not a penny. Live a little bit when you, when I show up there, people have to pay me. However, not a penny of the royalties, not a penny of publishing, not a penny of mechanicals. Every time you hear it Nothing. I did it for the love and I still keep it alive for the love of it. You don't see the other guys in the band around. I miss them also, but they don't love you like I love you. So, as far as the danger stuff goes, basically I mean a major part of my life, but I've got a lot of other stuff going on too. So what I did was at this point they don't tour as much as I'd like or at all. I haven't seen anybody in about four years. Pretty sure I'm not even in the band anymore. I'm usually the last to know, but it's okay, it's my relationship has always been myself and the fans directly.

Ted Poley: 38:41

Danger danger was a vehicle to get me out there and but I won't give up and I'll still be, you know, out there. So basically, when I fly to work, united Airlines is my partner and they get most of the money. I also can't fit a whole lot of merchandise and t-shirts in the overhead compartment, can't bring guitars and and I can go. I just went around the world this year. Actually, I did the Ted Poli's last lap around the Everything has a name one, my last lap around the earth tour, which turns out that I had so much fun. So many people showed up that I'm gonna do the kiss thing and it's not gonna be my last lap. However, I did a oh my god, how many countries, lots of countries England, ireland, scotland, wales, belgium, lots of things. I won Best international frontman by the HRH of sweet people like.

Adam Gordon: 39:25

Thank you guys.

Ted Poley: 39:28

And my point being I'm not bragging that I toured the world. This story goes sideways. I toured the world and I owe eleven thousand dollars. That's how it goes when you can't bring t-shirts and you can't do it the right way and you have to pay bands and you have to fly to work. So that had to figure out a better way, because before the pandemic there used to be a little bit left over for uncle Ted here, but now basically between Visa, mastercard and United Airlines, like I'm still working for last year for you guys. I hope you enjoyed the shows, because that's my Christmas this year I'm paying for it. So I said let me think of something better than that.

Ted Poley: 39:58

So I learned how to play guitar, which this is a two-year plan. This was not a quick thing. I learned how to play acoustic guitar. I learned how to play well enough where I can entertain and be me and you're not getting in vain Malstein, but he already exists and you can go see him. But you're seeing me now I can support myself. I can also now.

Ted Poley: 40:16

My plan was I need a way to get to my fans now. So I invested in a tour bus. I have a small tour bus. They cost about a third of a million dollars, now that this thing is about two hundred thousand dollars. So of course, I bought an old one and I fixed it up and I spent a lot less, and that's why I need your support. Everything I touch on this thing is four thousand dollars. I call the place up hey listen, the air conditioners, but four thousand dollars. Hey, listen. Now they pick up the phone, he's like four thousand dollars.

Ted Poley: 40:42

I think I didn't even tell you what's wrong with this thing yet. So you know how it is. You want to save a little bit of money. I thought I'd be saving about a hundred seventy thousand. Instead I I saved about a hundred thousand.

Ted Poley: 40:53

So anyway, now I have a working tour bus that's the good news and I will be filling it with merchandise and awesome new shirts which you can preview and purchase now at Ted dash poly calm that's Ted dash poly calm. You can get a jump on next year's merchandise and a portion of that always goes to support your, my local no kill animal shelters. And while I have your people listening You're all awesome people Please help support your local no kill animal shelters. That's the main reason I do these interviews. Randy's an awesome guy. I mean he probably would pick me up at the airport but he's not gonna lend me five bucks so I need. But he will give the money to the animal and I want you to give the money to the animals and that's why I do this and we will talk a little bit more about that.

Randy Hulsey: 41:35

And, just for the record, I am the guy that would give you five bucks, ted, so I'm that guy.

Ted Poley: 41:41

And I would give it right to the end. You would actually, I don't anyway. So that was the plan. By a van, fill it with t-shirts, go meet the fan. I love, you know, meeting the fans, that's the best part and sort of you know I can. I can do an hour of acoustic songs, sort of as an excuse to go out there and have a big meet and greet, sure, which is always free. I don't charge for meet and greets and and I love it. So next year, at 62 years old, I will be driving around the country and doing the shows from everywhere, from your living room to Anywhere. That'll have me in between the big stuff. I'll still be doing full electric stuff all around the world, doing festivals, but no more super cool man.

Ted Poley: 42:15

I thought again we sat around long enough in the pandemic and I'm 60, I'll be 62, so it's, you know, not a whole lot of time left. So I'd like to get out there and thank everybody some more. So that's the fantastic tour to be me in a really cool, hopefully all working tour bus with lots of t-shirts to sell you and we do an hour of acoustic and we have fun, do lots of hugs and hopefully and that's the idea- so you're literally this is a deal that you do by yourself.

Randy Hulsey: 42:40

You're not carrying a lead guitarist with you or anything like that, it's just Ted Poli, the guitar and a microphone. Right?

Ted Poley: 42:46

Nope, no thanks to love it here. No, thanks to making zero money in my entire life from the music business. At 62 years old, yes, I will be out there driving Parking. Hell yeah, yep, that's my retire I love that everybody, so come on out and share the fun.

Randy Hulsey: 43:02

Listen, you know you, you've made a name for yourself and you're a great vocalist. And would you say that the guitar chops are top of the heap? No, but you know what? I think that a lot of people that are great vocalist you don't. You don't have to be a great guitar, so you just need a little accompaniment. You know what I'm saying?

Ted Poley: 43:21

like let's just be honest I'm never too far from a guitar.

Randy Hulsey: 43:35

You were so.

Adam Gordon: 43:37

Playin' a game.

Ted Poley: 43:40

You playin' a game. Anyway, I say, you pick it up, it practically plays itself, man that's a lot of fun and, literally, I couldn't be happier.

Ted Poley: 43:50

You know what? It's not all about the money I have enough money to last me until I don't the end of the week. It's about making money for the animals. I've never had a bad time. I love meeting the fans. I truly do love this and, yeah, I'm in good news. I'm still working on the first million, so I'm still excited. I got the eye of the tiger. I'm gonna come around, I'm gonna see everybody. I'm not gonna give up until I die in a city near you. So that's it. At 62 I can be happier to come out and meet everybody. And now I have this acoustic guitar and that's my means to do, and this van and, yeah, and these two shirts.

Randy Hulsey: 44:21

So what music are you gonna play like on this van To a right? Is it all original, all old danger, danger. You gonna cover stuff like what's your thoughts there?

Ted Poley: 44:31

All of that. Oh yeah, it's a pride, even I don't know yet.

Randy Hulsey: 44:33

I don't know my favorite songs.

Ted Poley: 44:35

I might play some I heard that day. I just figure out I'll play classics, I'll play the stuff that enables that. You know that's worth the price of admission that you know you have to hear. Yeah, and then I love to play and it got me there and I got some stuff. I'll do a deep cut or two for my solo stuff. I do some covers. When I do covers I do a my way, so hopefully you enjoy them as well. But it's a good show actually. I have a lot of fun and I joke around. We, we ask questions, we answer questions within reason and we, you know, whatever nude selfies, whatever it takes, man, but that's the point. It's gonna be Ted Poli's a fantastic tour and it would be fantastic if I had it all thought about. I think if I think too hard I'll tear the crap out of myself and I won't do it. Yeah, looking forward to getting out towards you and you know I'll take you up on hell yeah, hell yeah.

Randy Hulsey: 45:17

And you know it's interesting, ted. I just had this conversation with my wife, terry, the other day, who, by the way, loved danger, danger, and I told her just that. I said you know what would be cool, because I have a full-time job, that I don't have to be in an office, I can work from the road, right. So it would be cool to have like a van or a Little, some kind of win, a bago or something like you speak of, and just and just drive, man, you know, drive for a day in this park and then I could work and then we just go to the next place. I think that would be cool. I don't know that I'd want to do that full-time, but I think it would be great to see the countryside, meet new people, take the guitar.

Ted Poley: 45:58

Ten days a month, you know I think.

Ted Poley: 46:00

I wouldn't want to live. I wouldn't want to get thrown out of my house and have to live in a big. No, I do have a toilet in my car now, so I feel that made it in some way and I might as well get out there. I'll tell you through, and that's why I was a little late for today's interview. I apologize again. I had to put a satellite TV into my tour bus there and let me tell you it's not like satellite TV at home, because at home your house sort of stays where you left, so that was a little frustrating. It was one of those really easy five-minute setup things. I believe I started at two in the afternoon and it was seven ten by the time.

Ted Poley: 46:31

Exactly because what do you believe? All day it didn't work and I said, okay, I'm doing this interview. And literally at five minutes to seven or I got a signal. I said, oh my god.

Randy Hulsey: 46:43

Where can the listeners go to find out more about this tour? Would they go to Ted hyphen policom, or is there another place where they can go?

Ted Poley: 46:53

Yeah, here's the story with that used to be Ted policom and I lapsed on a payment for like ten minutes and literally the next day Somebody hijacked the site, tried to sell it back to me for 1800 bucks, so I put an $1800 dash. I said like screw that. So it's Ted dash poli. Okay like.

Ted Poley: 47:07

I said if you go on there, there's usually there'll be an updated blog and I have a little helper now who helps me. So I have a youthful person that knows about social media. Because I'm sort of doing decimal system, you hit me up on my space.

Ted Poley: 47:23

So I have, like an Instagram account, which I'm looking forward to checking out soon, and I'll be on patreon. So I have a link tree. I don't even know what a link tree is, but I have one and I believe you can go on there and go To all of my various things. I mean, if you were, if you were 12 year old, you would know exactly what to do. But I'm 62 years old.

Ted Poley: 47:41

I grew up with three channels of black and white TV, so a link tree is something I honestly I said I'm just making that up, but no, I have that on there. So now I'm gonna be socially conscious as far as media. So, yes, people will be made well aware of where I will be, as well, as there will be a section, because Half of the fun will be. I don't even know where I'm going. I want to aim for something and then, like I say, make two or three living room stops along the way and hey, I don't care, I'll play for you and your grandmother. If you're gonna give 200 bucks to the animal shelter, I just, you know, you know not all night, oh yeah, okay, 20-minute version of free bird at the end, but we will do something. And if grandma's a good cook, you know you'll get an encore and that's part of the adventure and, honestly, I couldn't be happier as long as my satellite TV holds out, because that's seven hours of my life, I'm not getting back.

Randy Hulsey: 48:28

Exactly. Well, you truly are a fan-loving performer and I've picked that up about you and that's genuine and I think Time's the only reason.

Ted Poley: 48:39

Man, I'm serious, I never made it time in this business. I sell my stuff every day to stay in this business. I do love the fans, man. I do anything frog, I'll visit anybody in any house. Well, you know, people that know me know me and that's, that's the best part of this whole thing. That it matters to somebody, makes them happy that I'll show up somewhere when they're down and I do it and and again and it helps the animals. You know what there's a there's a big upside to it.

Adam Gordon: 49:01

I'd love a check but listen.

Ted Poley: 49:03

Aside from that, I think I'm pretty happy.

Randy Hulsey: 49:05

When did the animals become important to you, ted?

Ted Poley: 49:08

I'm always. You know I never really thought I'd have a thing. You know I don't have to tell you that you don't have the money to have a thing. My things should be eating regularly and paying, you know. Keeping me eat on, however, and I wish I could save the world. And I can't save the world, yeah, but people, I feel. You know God bless them. You know I have to get a job. Hopefully they're in it. You could get a job, do something. But an animal, you know you have to help them. They can't agree 100% and.

Ted Poley: 49:33

I don't know, it's something about them. Maybe I relate, I don't know. I don't know what it is with their helpless. If you don't help them, may are helpless, I agree, and if you can't help them, there are people that will do the dirty work for you. Just give them a few bucks, that's all, and I love you and people out there for doing that. And and that's the best thing that I do, and I'll tell you, it feels like Christmas, when I can be, when it's my birthday, and on Facebook you can say what you want. I can say I want to, I give, like you know, pick it out of my shelter and they'll make $12,000. I can say, hey, I'd like it's a birthday present. They wouldn't give me five bucks, I don't care, I give them $12,000. I love these people. That's why I keep doing it, because actually I just think it's the greatest thing in the world and I just believe it or not.

Ted Poley: 50:14

I mean, I've got I don't want to say a number of rescues and I was under the orders from the real boss around here no more cats and a friend of mine found we rescued a tiny little kid, 1.8 pounds, a little black cat. We broke that rule, so now I have a brand new little rescues. His name is Chino, he's one. Well, now he's actually almost three pounds. They grow really fast. So I practice what I preach. I'm all full up. I do what I can, and otherwise I donate. But it's a joy and he's been such a joy. So if you have room in your heart and in your house, please adopt. Don't buy a pet. Go out and go to a shelter. There are so many really, really wonderful pets that really need your love and, if not, people will do the work for you. Give them a couple of bucks and thank you for that. That's the best part of this whole interview just getting that out there.

Randy Hulsey: 51:00

I love your message and I love your heart there and all sincerity, and there are so many humans that don't deserve pets of any kind, and I say that because just-.

Ted Poley: 51:10

They're not gifts. Pets should not be gifts, that's number one. And a pet is a lifetime. I can't imagine, I don't wanna figure out, what it costs you if you take care of a pet the right way, with the right food and vet. It's like a kid probably have to send to college. Although my new black cat is very, very smart, I'm thinking he may be a doctor, he may have to go to college, but otherwise it's an expense and it's a commitment for your whole life. And so thank you for that point, because be responsible out there and just don't dump them off.

Ted Poley: 51:35

If you find that your life changes, say stuff happens, man, life is what happens while you're making plans. Just don't break it out on them. Drop them off somewhere. Make sure they're okay, you know. Just don't. You know, it just makes me cry. If somebody would like they left this little guy, he was 1.8 pounds and they left him somewhere and I not found him, I don't know what would happen to him. And he's the greatest little guy. He sleeps on my throat at night. He's the greatest guy.

Randy Hulsey: 51:57

Well, I was gonna tell you. We have a little park right by our house. I was sitting here in my studio one day and I looked out and I saw that my wife was in a little bit of distress, like she was really angry about something. I really didn't pay too close of attention to it, but later she was out talking to a neighbor and her hands were kind of doing this. I'm like okay, something's going on. So I went out there and she was telling me that a man pulled up in a truck at this park and his little girl gets out of the truck with a box full of cats there was five of them and dumped them off and she jumped back in the truck and the dad took off.

Randy Hulsey: 52:38

Now, what kind of precedence, ted, does this set for a young kid, where a dad tells her to get out? Disown your responsibilities as a pet owner. Throw these cats out at the park. If I could have strangled this motherfucker, I would have strangled this motherfucker, right, it pissed me off so bad I could cry listening to that story.

Randy Hulsey: 52:57

Yeah, it sucked.

Ted Poley: 52:58

There's no need for that and that's probably what happened to this little guy and he's the greatest little guy in the world. And you know what that story breaks my heart and that's why I do what I do, because if not I couldn't live with that story. I do all I can and if anybody out there heard that story, you know what you wanna sleep better tonight. Five bucks to your local animal shelter. And I'm sorry for those people because they're unevolved people with no feelings and certainly I hope that daughter couldn't even have understood what was going on, because that's a family without feelings and I just hate that story. But if that story made somebody out there donate a couple of bucks, then I'm glad we told it.

Randy Hulsey: 53:33

Is there an animal shelter in your area, Ted, that the listeners could support on your behalf?

Ted Poley: 53:38

Honestly. You know what, when I sell my things and I bring home money and I actually take tips for them I donate to the places around here. I've done forgotten felines and phytoes. I'm currently doing the Pomeranian cat rescue. Of course, I love dogs as well. That just happens to be the charity I'm doing because they're really they do the tough cases. They'll go in there. Like you say, somebody abandoned 50 cat. They will find homes. They won't let them go. But I really hope that somebody would do it. I would like the money to go to where the people are. So, wherever you are, there's always an animal shelter in me, and I'm not talking about the big ones that advertise on television. If they can afford to me, why don't they save a million bucks and give it to the animals I don't?

Ted Poley: 54:12

know, why they're spending all that money. You know Saturn McLaughlin Tunes and making you cry on TV between whatever Hope or but. For now I would say if I had my wish you would take and a dollar. You can't believe. If a million people gave a dollar, it'd be great. If you can give five, 10, 20 bucks, not to me but to your local. No kill animal shelter, that's better because I'll take care of the ones around here.

Randy Hulsey: 54:32

So thank you for that, yeah fair enough and for the listeners that are tuning into my show, find a local, a good local, no kill shelter and, like Ted said, I come over the top of him on that and say donate five bucks. It's five bucks If you're in my area, the Cypress Texas area we've always adopted from special pals so you can check them out over on Greenhouse Road. So yeah, ted, thanks for the PSA there. On the no kill shelters, I love the message man, I really do.

Ted Poley: 55:01

It's the best thing I could. I feel like Christmas for that. You give me that opportunity.

Adam Gordon: 55:04

That's the best Right on.

Ted Poley: 55:06

It often claps to you, for you even do the name of that. But I love you, man, you know what? And welcome to Saving the Animals, that's right With Randy and Ted.

Randy Hulsey: 55:13

That's right, right. Well, listen, man, let's start wrapping up here. So you talked about the van tour, right? What else is there anything?

Ted Poley: 55:21

Thanks, hey, hey, nobody. Bring me any kittens. Don't bring me any kittens, don't bring me any pictures of kittens. No puppies, no, nothing, no food for me and, like I said, bring me a pastrami sandwich or something.

Randy Hulsey: 55:31

There you go.

Ted Poley: 55:32

Yeah, but, yeah, so but go ahead.

Randy Hulsey: 55:35

So, short of the van tour, anything else that you can talk to the listeners about as it relates to music tours, any new stuff coming up like anything that you can talk about that you want. You got the platform here, man.

Ted Poley: 55:48

Yeah, and thank you. I mean pretty much. I mean it's been consuming most of my time is, you know, like I said, preparing this tour van, getting all the songs together, getting stuff together, that instruments and things like that. Of course I'm still doing, you know, the odd festival here and there, full electric. I love showing up in different states. I'll be doing the monsters of rock crews, which is one of my favorite things in the whole world that's sailing this year. I believe that the when is it going out? Gosh, I don't have a thing in front of me, but it's one of the best experiences you could have. I would check that out if I were you as well, as I mean got still touring the world.

Ted Poley: 56:20

This year is not over yet. I'll be in Peru December. Oh gosh, I don't know December or something, but you know your listeners are not in Peru today, so that doesn't matter. And my Christmas show I say holiday show and that is December 9th in Clifton, new Jersey, club Devinair Social Loan whatever it's called now, I don't know. I love it. Look it up, it's my holiday show.

Ted Poley: 56:40

Always lots of surprises, such as if I knew the name. It's a surprise to me, but you've been great and we and my mind's still thinking about that horrible story with the cats in the box. See, I just went sideways with that one. I know, man. But yes, see, I'm not important compared to that. See, that's important. But if you want to come to the holiday show, that's a charity thing too. And, like I say, I'm going to come out to see you sometime this next year. Everybody out there look for a silver van with my logo on the back and me on the inside, somebody looks like me driving and, randy, thank you so much for I mean the whole platform and letting me talk about the animal on the tour.

Adam Gordon: 57:16

Like.

Ted Poley: 57:16

I say anything out there, anybody wants some awesome Christmas presents? You can go to ted-polycom and otherwise I don't know what else to say. Man, Just thank you and thank all your listeners. Man Backstagecast radio.

Randy Hulsey: 57:28

Yeah, and you guys can Google Ted. I know there's an Instagram. I think it's Ted Poli official. Is the handle Facebook as well? I'm not sure the exact name, but Ted Poli, you can go on there and thank you for that.

Ted Poley: 57:42

Yep, hit me up on my space. Yeah, yeah.

Randy Hulsey: 57:45

Exactly.

Ted Poley: 57:47

Hit me up on my landline.

Randy Hulsey: 57:48

Yeah, exactly. Well, ted, listen. Thanks for making the time for myself and the listeners today. I've always been a Ted Poli fan, so thank you for all the great music over the years, and to say this was a treat would be an understatement and I wish you continued success now and in the future, and in the Partridge family bus when you get that son of a bitch on the road man.

Ted Poley: 58:12

We're going to do it in the spring, man. Oh yeah, the world and the world of music are both better off place because of you, Randy.

Randy Hulsey: 58:19

Thanks, man.

Ted Poley: 58:20

And I really do thank everybody. And yeah, man, I'll see you out there with my van and Randy. You're the best and keep rocking. Backstage Pass Radio. I love you guys. Thank you for listening.

Randy Hulsey: 58:29

Yeah, and if you're ever in the Houston area Ted holler at me, you got my number let's grab a coffee or a beer or a water or whatever. Whatever floats your boat, man, oh you know be in your driveway.

Ted Poley: 58:39

I have this extension cord. I'll be in your driveway If you have a 30 amp.

Randy Hulsey: 58:42

I'll hook you up. I got you I got you.

Ted Poley: 58:45

I need to run my air conditioner while I'm living in your driveway. But yeah, that's going to help.

Randy Hulsey: 58:48

All good man, all good. I look forward to it. Thank you for seeing the world together Right on, man. Well, listen for the listeners. Go check out wwwted-poliecom for all things related to Ted. I ask the listeners to like, share and subscribe to the podcast on Facebook at Backstage Pass Radio Podcast, instagram on Backstage Pass Radio and on the website at backstagepassradiocom. You guys remember to take care of yourselves and each other and we'll see you right back here on the next episode of Backstage Pass Radio. Play us out, ted.

Ted Poley: 59:24

Oh, you look so ready. It's all right, yeah, good night.

Adam Gordon: 59:31

Thanks so much for joining us. We hope you enjoyed today's episode of Backstage Pass Radio. Make sure to follow Randy on Facebook and Instagram at Randy Hulsey Music and on Twitter at R Hulsey Music. Also make sure to like, subscribe and turn on alerts for upcoming podcasts. If you enjoyed the podcast, make sure to share the link with a friend and tell them Backstage Pass Radio is the best show on the web for everything music. We'll see you next time right here on Backstage Pass Radio.