Michael Laine Hildebrandt Multi-Track Mixdown - MASTER

Fri, 3/11 4:25PM • 1:28:03

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

joey, song, album, played, music, bass guitar, band, called, people, listeners, orchestra, elo, backstage pass, record, hear, randy, thought, friends, brother, love, Michael Laine Hildebrant, Bubble Gum Orchestra, Fan Club, Steve Howard, Paul McCartney & Wings, Podcast, Interview, Awesome Interview, Backstage Pass Radio, Backstage Pass Radio Podcast, Randy Hulsey, Randy Hulsey Music, Randy Hulsey Podcast, Joey C. Jones

SPEAKERS

Randy Hulsey, Michael Laine Hildebrandt, Joey C. Jones, Adam Gordon

Randy Hulsey  00:00

Hey everyone, it's Randy Hulsey here with backstage pass radio. To the listeners that have us dialed in on the headphones today. Thank you guys for tuning into the show. I'm excited to be up here and Lewisville, Texas with my guest today. He's been in the music scene for years and started a project called bubblegum orchestra back in 2011. He's a bass guitar, a singer songwriter and the brains behind the melodic music of the bubblegum orchestra project. I will visit with the mega talented visionary Michael Lane Hildebrand when we return.

Adam Gordon  00:33

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 Halsey.

Randy Hulsey  01:02

Hey everyone, I'm here in the blue violin studios today in the home of Michael Hildebrand, and I'm super stoked about being here, Michael, thanks for having me here in Lewisville,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  01:15

thank you for coming. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  01:17

it was a it was kind of a a planning effort. And I knew we have a special guest on today that's gonna help me co host but we kind of work the schedule to where we could kill a couple of birds with you know, with me coming in from Houston to watch you guys track a song. So, again, I'm super excited to be here. And I'm also super excited to have a special co host on the show today. The inventor of styling and profiling Mr. Joey C. Jones. Yes. Welcome to the show. Joey.

Joey C. Jones  01:48

Thank you, Randy. This is my second one with you. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  01:52

And it's nice to be here with Hilde. And nice to be here with you as well. This is super cool. Thank you treat for me.

Joey C. Jones  02:00

Brandy, we appreciate it. Everyone. Check it out. Backstage Pass radio. Keep checking out to show

Randy Hulsey  02:07

yeah, I appreciate that. Now, Joey Joey's here today with you. Hildy, you guys are tracking a new song. Can you talk a little bit about the song? Sure.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  02:16

The song is called I found an angel. And I thought Joe would be the perfect voice to come in and do some tracking with me here today is he's been in the studio a couple times in the past working on previous songs on previous albums and it's been great he's a pop guy and I love him and and just love everything about him and what he does in especially in the studio here. So it's always a privilege and honor and I feel blessed to have him come in but the song is I found an angel. It's going to be on an a forthcoming album, a double album coming out in 2022. And I wrote it for my girlfriend. But Joey was gracious enough to come in and sing on it and and do his thing. And then our our friend Adam Hamilton is going to be cutting the drums on it. Yeah, you're awesome. Yeah. So we're looking forward to getting

Randy Hulsey  03:11

Adam Adams episode will be dropping in January. My show so we look forward to that great guy. So you guys have a have a rockstar. They're playing the drums for you. Right? Right. We

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  03:22

all have a history with me to certain degrees Joey more than me. But yeah, he is a friend and he's a good guy. And he called and offered to do it. So yeah. It's just a blessing to get him in here doing that. So yeah, so the song's called I found an angel and we've been cutting vocals today with Joey and sounding great and having a good time and a blast enjoying our Saturday.

Randy Hulsey  03:47

How did the the voice feel today? Joey

Joey C. Jones  03:50

ah, it's odd. I don't have a lot of high end right now. I've kind of lost the high end. And then I tried to do some screaming and ended up finishing that that track up to see me. It feels okay. Struggling here. You know getting over pneumonia dealing with this cancer crap. But, man, I've got a lot going on with the music and being here today with Randy and Paka Hildebrand great day, it's a beautiful day,

Randy Hulsey  04:17

you said that the screaming usually doesn't begin before. 10pm. Right. So so we're way before the time for screaming into a microphone, right?

Joey C. Jones  04:27

Yeah. Well, we'll grab some pizza first.

Randy Hulsey  04:29

That's right. I'm looking forward to that. I've been hearing about the pizza for a couple of days now. So I'm looking forward to that. Now, Michael, I know that you've been in here. You've been in Dallas for a long time, but you're not originally. A native Texan. Are you talk to me about where you grew up?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  04:46

I'm a damn Yankee. Are you a damn Yankee? That's

Randy Hulsey  04:49

not the one with Tommy Shaw and Ted Nugent. Fortunately different damn Yankee originally not

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  04:53

the original damn Yankee. I moved here to Dallas in 1987. I was born and raised in a small town in Iowa, Muscatine, Iowa, right on the Mississippi River, and spent all my youth and my teenage years up until I was I moved here in 87. So I'm, I'm an Iowa boy. I'm an Iowa Hawkeye guy, Joey's in Ohio, Buckeye Buckeye

Randy Hulsey  05:23

all you Yankee guys. It's crazy. Well, when the professional hockey team in Houston left in 2012, they went to Des Moines. So that's who we lost our hockey team to in Houston. So what brought you to Texas originally? What did you have a family member that got a job and transplanted that way or talk to me a little bit about that?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  05:47

A couple different things. I had a good friend, Tony Goldsberry. He had he had moved to Dallas. And one of the reasons was, I would call him in January when there was snow up to my you know what, my ass and in Iowa and he'd be out by the pool here in Dallas, like, Oh, it's 75 degrees. I was like, okay, living in the cold weather, which I grew up around, and I loved it, but I think it was time for change. Plus, there wasn't many bands getting signed out of Muscatine, Iowa. And, you know, I wanted to pursue that I got a late start music, you know, when I was like, 21, but I decided, Muscatine just not gonna cut it. You know, I was in some bands up there. And it was fun cover cover bands and everything that was good. But I thought, let's just move to a big city and, and see what happens down here. And I was blessed to, you know, a couple years after that, I went out to savvies and Fort Worth, that's where it was. Yeah. And I saw my first band in Texas, and it just happened to be Joey C. Jones. I don't think he knows that right now. But it was sometime after I moved here. I don't know the exact year. But anyway, so I met him during that and that's what brought me here was to, you know, get into the music and pursue it.

Randy Hulsey  06:59

So what variation of Joey's BAM was at pal Joey orange helicopter. I mean, do you remember?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  07:05

It was after savage. Maybe it was savage. Because you

Joey C. Jones  07:09

Savage was shocked to 8889 It was one of one of those two acts. I

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  07:15

think it was savage. Yeah, I think it was before shock too, but I can

Joey C. Jones  07:19

forward.

Randy Hulsey  07:20

It ruled a lot of places. Actually. All I saw

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  07:23

was a lot of blond hair up there, and I think just a jockstrap.

Randy Hulsey  07:28

I don't want to embarrass I remember that picture.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  07:31

I know you're sensitive guy. And I don't want to, you know, I want to want to get yo embarrassed here. But I think

Randy Hulsey  07:36

that things still floating around on the internet somewhere.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  07:40

I think it's in the museum. Now. I wouldn't clear up

Randy Hulsey  07:48

when it attract. I think that things should be in the Smithsonian by now. All right, something Oh, and the women

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  07:53

Oh, it was just I think it's a whole different world down here in Texas. All right. I'm gonna stay and I haven't left yet. So

Randy Hulsey  08:01

I had a mutual friend by the name. I'm not gonna call him out. But well, maybe I will. Stacy steel. I was talking to Stacy today. Of course, he was. He was a guest on the show earlier this year, but he was telling me a story about you. And it was I think the story was something and you correct me if I have the story wrong, but this is the gist of the story. I think you were coming in to audition for mind body and soul. And he was telling me that in walks this guy that was the most intimidating looking guy he's ever seen in his life. This guy had leather pants on he he had like 10 earrings and each ear and Stacy was like, What in the fuck just walked in the door like he he said I was actually spooked by this guy. Do you remember the audition with mind? Body and Soul and in his his story? corrector as a lion on Yeah,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  08:58

he's not lying. I think he's pretty corrector piercing that's for sure. I was into the period. Yeah, it was. I had him everywhere. Remember that one night Joe? Yeah, anyway, no, I

Randy Hulsey  09:10

don't he blocked that out.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  09:15

I don't actually remember the you know the audition for Mind Body Soul. I I thought we were kind of at a party one night and they were wanting me to do it. And but I'm sure that happened. But yeah, I had the Mohawk and the love. That's right.

Randy Hulsey  09:28

He did. He did mention the mobile and the

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  09:30

piercings free. It was basically that but yeah, that's why I looked and I went in and I'm sorry I scared you Stace. But

Randy Hulsey  09:41

he spooks easy though. He kind of spooky

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  09:44

but you notice now who has the Mohawk? Yeah. Mr. Steele right right. So I made maybe I wore off on him a little bit.

Randy Hulsey  09:52

Well, I don't like to tell stories that people I say this in fun and in love but he did say that the guy that Look, the scariest in the band, which was you, you were the guy that didn't drink. You didn't smoke. You didn't. You didn't do all of these things. And the guys, and the guys that looked a little more home homely than you like, like they were the ones that were out of control. Is there any truth to that? Joe? Joey, Joey didn't even have to let you answer the

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  10:22

question. Joey answered for me. Yes. So all the above.

Randy Hulsey  10:26

I guess if you're auditioning for a band, you have to, even if you can't play the guitar, you have to at least look the part. You have to look at that, that that is it. Now bass guitar is the go to instrument for you. Correct? Yes. Who influenced you to ever even pick up a bass guitar?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  10:44

A guy named a guy named Tim wallet. He was in Muscatine, Iowa, he played guitar. He was doing a video for the local, some PBS station, he wanted to do a video and he needed a bass player. And he goes, Hey, you know, do you play bass is? Of course not. I do not play bass. He goes, I'll teach you. I'll teach you some bass. And I said, Alright, he doesn't, you don't want to do a video and get you and your brother in there and everything. And I said, Yeah, I'll do it. So he had a bass and he taught me some stuff, some April wine. And I just learned by ear, you know, I don't read music or anything. But he taught me and he got me into and I blame him for all this. That's where that started that it just happened to be the bass, you know, and that's when charge takes it up. And the video never happened that we never did a video for some reason. But yeah, he got me started on that. And I'm thankful every time I talk to him, I thank him.

Randy Hulsey  11:40

It's interesting that you mentioned April wine for the listeners that are listening to the show. I'm here in the home studio of Michael Hildebrand. And he opened up a closet in the studio, and there's literally hundreds of concert shirts. And Sam, it's a museum. It's like the Smithsonian. And I will tell you that these are not the ones that you go to the store and you buy aftermarket, these are the actual tour T shirts, and he happened to pull out an April lion t shirt, the nature of the beast tour 1981, which is like, April, wine was just man like back, then that was good shit back then.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  12:18

I always pull out. So I pulled that out. And yeah, I've got just got hundreds of shirts. Every time I went to a show my I think my mom would give me $20. And like, what I want to do we'll go with a Coke, or do I want to get a concert shirt? So I bought the concert shirts. And then some of the shows that I went to that I couldn't get two shirts, I'd go back on eBay and find, you know, sure, sure. And then just kind of fill up my collection of what I would have bought in back in the day. But, you know, 90% of those are from me going to concerts.

Randy Hulsey  12:54

Well, I think it's the the amazing part of that is not just looking at those shirts and going back to a point in time. But it's the fact that you've kept up with them for 40 years now. Like that's the crazy thing. Like I don't even remember what I did yesterday, let alone where my concert shirts are from 81

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  13:15

Well, they're pieces of art today. You know, you go to a show, and it's just like back in the day when you get the album you know, it was the album or but it was on a shirt. And it was just beautiful to me. So I think I still wear I mean I wash them. I dry them. I don't I don't baby them. Yeah. And you know that that's

Randy Hulsey  13:30

what i Those are experienced shirts.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  13:33

If those shirts could talk, yeah, they'd have nothing to say.

Randy Hulsey  13:36

Well, I will have to say that. I'll get approval or ask for approval to maybe post some pictures of your place here. But this is like a rock and roll shrine in this place. I thought it's monsters of filmland. Yeah, it's, it's crazy. But we won't go into a rabbit hole with that. But I'll ask for permission to post a few pictures and you guys, the listeners can maybe understand what's going on in the room and in the house that we're sitting in. It's really really cool. A lot of history

Joey C. Jones  14:09

here. Yeah. Hildy is friends with Steven Howard. He was Paul McCartney's trumpet player and wings. And one of the first things when you walk in to Michael's house, the trumpet that Steven played on the tours, and on all those great wings albums, his trumpet downstairs for that. I found that fascinating.

Randy Hulsey  14:33

That is a cool piece of memorabilia hanging on the wall there. I mean, we could go home for hours about the stuff on the wall. Did you want to share a thought with

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  14:41

you? That's just a piece of history. You know, Steve, sent it to me with his blessing. And I told him one day down the road, I'll make sure that trumpet goes into the there's a trumpet museum, you know, and it's gonna go to where it needs to be with all the provenance and all the stories behind because it deserves that. I mean, I love it on my wall but nobody gets to see it. Yeah, she ate it. Yeah, you know, I feel it's mine for now. I'm just, I'm just keeping it for now. It's not mine ever be mine. I don't want it to be mine. That's Steve's that's his memories that says you'll pass the torch with Paul McCartney and Wings. So yeah, it's a cool thing. Yeah, for

Randy Hulsey  15:20

sure. Well, going back to the, the bass guitar. When I came off of playing classical piano, that's I was a classically trained pianist, if you will. That's kind of where my music foundations. Yeah, no, I'm not. There was a segue. I'm using that for a segue. But I always wanted to play the guitar and I was so I was, I love Nicki six. I love Geddy Lee, so I went and bought a bass guitar, but then I realized that wait, I can't I can't really play chords and sing with this because I was a vocalist too. So I wound up trade. It was a Pvt. 40 I believe I traded it for my first acoustic guitar. And I've always kicked myself for trading that bass now I bought a bass since then that I have in my studio, but that was kind of my my venture down the bass line. And I never really learned to play the bass. Very well at all. But were there Mainstream Rock people that you would call influences for the music? You played? Like? Does one mainstream person stick out to you?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  16:29

McCartney McCartney, you know, sure. Who doesn't like Paul McCartney's bass? Playing you know, so I didn't really learn a lot of Beatles stuff growing up because I was it was more 70 stuff like I told you, I mean, I started playing April wine song. Yeah, I get my old as cheap tricks as got my old kiss records out and, and learned that way or, you know, picked up some ELO albums. And I would just learn by ear and play it. And then like I said, I got into a cover band. And we played a lot of Skinner and a lot of Southern rock stuff. And that was my first experience with bass playing live, but to pick out, you know, probably some of my major influences, but you know, I like Geddy Lee too, but I can't, I can't, I can't do all that stuff. That just doesn't come natural. It doesn't come natural to me. When I first moved to Dallas, I went and I met Kinley, Wolf, Barney Wolf from Lord Tracy. And I'd go to his apartment. I took Bass Lessons from him for probably six months. And he taught me all the slap and stuff that I really couldn't utilize in what I'm doing today. You know, the cop stuff. But it was very fascinating. And you know, I retained some of that stuff. But he was probably the, the main guy that I learned from and I really I loved Laura Tracy and I, I followed them when they were Traci Lords and when I first moved here to Dallas, and but as far as like, you know, this, some influences can lay off. Yeah. Cool guy.

Randy Hulsey  17:56

It's my understanding. And I've kind of learned it since I've been in your home hear that there's a lot of stories that you have. I need to know the story about the Spinal Tap base. Can you share that story with Stacy, Stacy? Stacy is hard at work behind the scenes. It's hard.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  18:16

So when I was living in Iowa, I think it was the mid or early 80s Whenever. And I like BC rich bases and there was a town north of May the Quad Cities Rock Island, Illinois, there was a famous little music shop there. And I went up there to buy to get a bass. And I had a DC rich iron bird with the Cailler tremolo all the bells and whistles the 80s looking basis. Custom made for me Ferrari red, you know, hot, hot red. Anyway, so I was I was in their shop ordering that and in the window there is this strange looking bass guitar BC rituals, all this glitter tape on it and everything and I was What's that inquired about and they said, well, there's this movie that just finished shooting. It's called spinal tap. It's not out yet. And this, this bass guitar was featured in that in that movie. And they said, Now would you like to, you know, you'd have the opportunity to purchase that if you wanted to, since you're placing a custom order with BC rich guitars. I said, Yeah, you know, what's the price of like, oh, 600 bucks, you know, all we have to ask is put the down payment on it and you know, you can pay it out and it just has to stay here for promotion in our store. That's why it's here in the first place sitting in the front window even on the the movie wasn't released. Nobody knew what Spinal Tap was. They didn't know the movie. So I said yeah, let's do it. So anyway, I ended up buying it. And I moved to Texas, and I have many pictures of me. Playing live down on the rocks on with a spinal tap bass guitar, and I, it's a piece of history it shouldn't have been played should have been hanging on the wall. But I went, I played it and you know, I just did what Harry shear, you know, played in the movie, you know, and you see it throughout the whole movie. You guys became friends after a little while we did meet and later on in the story, yes. But I still had that base for a long time. And then after many years, I was like, you know, this needs to be in a museum. It doesn't need to be hanging in my, in my house. And so anyway, I got it. I got a hold of the Hard Rock Cafe and they said, Yeah, you know, we want to buy it from you. So Roger that I contacted Harry shear, I forgot how I got ahold of him. But he did answer and I said, Hey, I've got this bass guitar. I'm wanting to sell it to the Hard Rock Cafe. Can Will you sign up for me? And he lived in Santa Monica. I lived in Dallas. He said, Yeah, bring it up. So my brother did. And I did a road trip. We went out to Santa Monica. And we were staying with one of our other friends. Brian Vaughn lived out there at the time. And we're trying to get a hold of Harry for like four days. Like we're only out there for so long. And you didn't have cell phones. And so you had to go payphone or whatever and try to get a whole hair. Answering machine answering service answering service. Couldn't get ahold of them. We thought Oh, no. Is he gonna stiff us? You know, the old stiff pincer? Oh, no, we've been through it. Anyway. So my brother and I said, this is do one last call. It was in the morning time He answered the phone. Because the guys he goes, I'm sorry. Because I've been really sick. He goes, here's my dress is down right on the beach in Santa Monica. We went down. He could tell he'd been sick. And so we brought it in introduced ourselves and he opened the case. That's the base. He goes, I know that base. So really, he signed it. And I said, you know, we're we're going to give a portion of this to charity. My sister has MS. So his good friend, how God Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley. I forget his name. I apologize for that. But anyway, David Landers. And so he said, Yes, you know, I'll sign it. He gave a portion and I did. So then I ended up selling it to the Hard Rock Cafe. But yeah, I owned that base for 20 some years. Okay. Speaking of Stacy, I took it out to one of our just a little acoustic show we did once and he played it live up on the stage. Somewhere I think I forget what in Addison or Carrollton or something. And so he got a big kick out of that, but he really liked that bass guitar and all of its history.

Randy Hulsey  22:39

Do you have any idea if it's still in the hard rock?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  22:41

It's in the Hard Rock Cafe in somewhere in Alaska? I don't know the city and I've tried doing research on it. But the guy sold it to in Florida, the guy that worked, but did all the buying of their guitars. He said it was going to Anchorage, Alaska cafe. Interesting. I believe that's where it's hanging. And that's where it needs to be. Yeah, but you know, so the most people can see it not a lot of people are seeing it in Anchorage, I would think it'd be

Randy Hulsey  23:07

a little LA or something like that. Maybe, yeah, well, besides the bass guitar, I know. I know. You're a multi instrumentalist. Talk to me a little bit about other instruments that you play and maybe you're not as proficient with the others as you are the bass but talk to me about the creativity that you have with the other instruments.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  23:25

I can talk to you very little about being a multi instrumentalist. I do what I need to do to get buy in here. Thank God I've been given the gift to where I can get and you know, I can do that rock'n'roll stuff on the piano and this the stuff that you hear on the Biggio recordings don't put me on our concert stage with next to Randy and because you know that's not gonna happen.

Randy Hulsey  23:45

You're talking about a different random I'm talking about you. You're not talking about me.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  23:51

So yet the piano, some guitar, my brother, he's, you know, when I have guitars on albums, I don't I don't do it on every album because I want to kind of switch it up and beat along different and, you know, I can get my way through some, you know, nice George Harrison leads or whatever my songs. You know, need it. I don't you know, I can't overplay so you know, I write for the song. And I get by doing that and, you know, the vocals and everything like that, but multi instrumentalist, the the basis, the main thing? Yeah. And then just a few other

Randy Hulsey  24:23

well, we always have the one instrument that we're better at than the other. For sure.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  24:29

Unless excuse me, unless you're Stacy steel, and you can be oh, well

Randy Hulsey  24:32

yeah. Oh, yeah. We're all aspiring to be Stacy steel.

Joey C. Jones  24:36

This is album number. What for bubblegum more when you sang on today?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  24:40

Yeah, it's it's number 14. It's a double album. Wow. Yeah. And you're on you're part of my history again. And I appreciate you

Randy Hulsey  24:49

me. I'm not on it. But I was in the studio. So I I'm blessed to be here because now, when we talk about musical influences I know when you and I spoke if my old memory serves me correctly, there were influences for you Joey. Like jelly fish was one I think of course sweet was another cheap trick was a big one for you. You were you were kind of a bubblegum rocker kind of guy, right? That was your that was your thing. But when I asked you the same question, who was inspiring you as maybe a teenager like who was influencing the music that you were listening to?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  25:33

Boston, Boston or Styx journey toto April one

Randy Hulsey  25:38

all the all the T shirts that we that we've looked at

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  25:41

Kansas, you know, those type of bands and Electric Light Orchestra, of course and the Beatles. I mean, that's, I always say my favorite American band is Boston. And my favorite English band is ELO slash the Beatles. So of course I have many more but if somebody ever asked me just that one, those were the go to those are the Go twos. But it wasn't bubblegum pop for me even though I grew up in the 70s You know, in the 60s, like like Joe and I heard all that stuff and I really did love all that you know, loving spoonful Yeah, three dog night. Yeah, all these bands, but I'm not real well versed on some of these pop hits. I've heard you know, I really don't sometimes remember the name of the band. Yeah, but

Randy Hulsey  26:21

I'm here to help you with that my heads full of that kind of stuff. And it's amazing to me how three guys can sit in a room and we're all bound by the same thing the love of music and we can all agree on you know, these bands that we've decided like I remember Love is like oxygen by sweet like was one of my favorite songs in the late 70s Like how do you go wrong with that kind of music? It's it's what shaped me as a kid. The ELO is the Boston's you know, all the ones that you guys name.

Joey C. Jones  26:54

I was one of the sound like that I ended up being a hair rocker. But I was miserable. I just wanted to sound like my heroes. I just wasn't as good as them.

Randy Hulsey  27:04

Yeah. And I think you mentioned to in your interview, Joey that that's not I mean, the sweet savage days were huge for you guys. But that music was not really where your heart was, right? I mean, that was the thing to do for you guys at the time. And you did really well at it. But you know, you we talked about the influences that you had. You weren't up there playing jelly fish. You weren't up there playing sweet. I mean, well, actually, you probably guys be you covered a sweet song or two. But yeah, yeah.

Joey C. Jones  27:33

So Michael and I have a lot in common as far as we've always been in rock bands, and good good musicians around us and stuff. But our heart was always you know, to sound like Jeff LAN or to sound like Paul McCartney. And it's it's a nice goal, but I don't know if I'm the ultimate Dreamer or just delusional but I'm still going to get there. I think

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  28:01

you're there you're way past

Randy Hulsey  28:03

Oh, you guys are great musicians. I would like to feature a song that's called ELO forever. I'm going to let you guys hear a clip of this song and then we're going to come back and and talk to Michael about the song and this is also a song that Joey C Jones sang backup on correct and Wolf and we'll cover that in just a minute so we'll be right back knows no nuts no matter what cemetery the strange magic time where did the inspiration for ELO forever come from?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  29:31

La it came from it initially started from a friend Keith Jameson Claire he's over in the UK. He's been a big supporter of mine since since we started bubblegum orchestra in 2011. He's done many great reviews and he just enjoys my music you know that's what you want to do is reach people. You know the the Jeff Lin ELO Electric Light Orchestra. They had a double album in 1983 secret messages and the record label Cut back. So it was just a single album, they had all these extra songs and one song was called Beatles forever. And it was never released back then. Because Jeff Lynn just felt kind of strange about it from the stories I've heard that you know, because he mentioned Paul Ringo, and, and George in there. And he, I think he felt it just kind of kind of corny, after a while, he didn't ever want to release it, but it's out there now. But anyway, I always thought, well, I like I like yellow. You know, it's one of my favorite English bands. And I thought, why not do an ELO forever. So that's where that that idea came from was from from Keith. And I thought about it, you know, probably in the past before Keith even brought it up. And then once he brought it up again, I was like, you know, maybe I should do this. I've never heard it done. You know, nobody's done it. And I thought it would be a unique idea to construct the, the verses out of ELO song titles, not, you know, don't use their lyrics from anything but construct a storyline, with, with their song with their song titles. And I thought the perfect guy to come in and help sing on that would be joycie Jones, because he loves the ELO, and he loves the pop stuff. And so he was the first guy called, and he said, absolutely. So he came in, and we did that. But that's how that song got started. And I'm glad I did it, because I think I did it before somebody else did it. And John, I'm real happy with my great song. Thank you. And my brother, he played all the guitars on it all the acoustic guitar, so he's good. He's great. Yeah, he did a really good job on there. And, you know, Joey did too. And it, it just, it started that way. And it didn't, it ended well, and I'm very happy. I'm proud of the song. I think I'm more proud because my brother and and Jesse Jones is,

Randy Hulsey  31:46

is well that makes that makes us special. Even. Even if the songs wasn't as great as you thought it was gonna be just the fact that you got to play on it with these guys. It's, I mean, it's icing on the cake. Absolutely. Everything's gravy after that,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  32:00

if nobody else likes it, I love it. Because my friends are on it. And my friends and family, everybody loves

Joey C. Jones  32:05

that song.

Randy Hulsey  32:07

Well, and it's it's like you'd like like I was I was telling my wife, Terry, yesterday, or day before when I let her hear it. I said, it's so cool that, you know, Joey and Michael did the song together. And it's basically on, it's on record, like it's there forever. Like, it can be passed down to kids, kids and grandkids and, but it's something that can be passed on that torch can be passed on down the line right

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  32:35

here. It says legacy you know, that's, that's why I'm doing my music right here. Just cut away from that little topic. Real quick, you know, this, this is my legacy. This is what I'm leaving behind. You can't leave anything behind better, you know, other than, you know, family and children and then music to me. Absolutely. I

Randy Hulsey  32:51

agree with you know, so

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  32:53

that's, that's why I did that song. And I'm just very happy with it. People seem to enjoy the

Randy Hulsey  33:00

brother. Yeah, I agree. And that was all recorded right here where we're sitting right now right here. Yeah. And do you master your own stuff here too? Or is it sent somewhere else to master or can you talk a little bit about that?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  33:14

Sure. I don't master here. I do everything except the mastering I send it to Billy stole at masterpiece mastering in South Padre Island, Texas. And he's a great guy. He worked with the producer for Buddy Holly back in the day and he learned all of his tricks and stuff from him. And his good friend was Rupert Neve, and they designed some audio equipment together once called the masterpiece. That's his magic box. He has it in his studio, that when you send him your you know your digital studio, whatever, you know, record with these days. He runs it all through there and it analogs it out and gives it that nice warm sound. So yeah, I send all my stuff to Billy Stoll and he does really good work with my songs.

Randy Hulsey  34:02

I've really come to enjoy the music of bubblegum orchestra over the last few weeks when I kind of teed off this podcast project that was one of the visions of the podcast was to not only expose myself to new music, but to also give that music a voice to listeners that have maybe never heard bubblegum orchestra and I've really enjoyed it. And I think I mentioned to you before we started recording that I think I listened to three albums worth of material on the drive up from Houston today. So I got my got my Biggio fix and before I got here and I

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  34:37

think I said to you after you told me that and you didn't even crash

Randy Hulsey  34:42

and drive off a bridge or

Joey C. Jones  34:44

is three and a half hour drive home.

Randy Hulsey  34:48

I can listen to the other well I can't get them all in there's too many of them but I can get another three or four. No, no don't drive right now there's another song called Earth below. Made that's off the 2014 release titled beyond time Correct? I'd like to share a clip of that and then we'll come back and chat a little bit here she started with my mind gather now all three now this song featured a guy by the name of Pete Hackett on lead guitar. Yes. And it also, you also had Joey on vocals as well talk to us a little bit about the song Pete's involvement. Who is Pete? Where did he come from, of course, my listeners know, Joey from a past show, and probably even before that, but share a little bit about the background of the song. So the

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  36:42

background of Earth below me, the the album, the on time was a futuristic kind of dream I had about just where the world would be in the year 2395. And the earth below me was just part of that story. It came about where I actually had a dream, and I was up in outer space, looking out the window down at Earth. So Earth below me here was just kind of a logical title for a song. And I had met a guy, Pete Hackett, from the UK, he's in a band, his own band called colt of wedge, and I love his songs. And I thought this would be cool to get this guy involved and ask him if he'd want to appear and do a play some lead guitar on it. And I contacted me said, yeah, he would, he would love to do it. And that all worked out great. And he did some really tasty stuff that I love. And it that turned out fantastic. And then, when Joey was in the studio, doing yellow forever, I said, Hey, I want you to hear this song means a lot to me. I got another friend from the UK playing on it. You know, could you just sing it's just a little part that Joey did, but it's a very, very prominent part for me in the song. And so Joey came in and did that. But the guy one tag Jones, one tag, Jonas, that's that's we didn't coin that phrase that day. That was coined a few years earlier. And I forget her okay, I forget her name. I mean, I forget how that happened. But so yeah, Joey came into this thing and Pete did his thing and it turned out really good and it's it's just a nice little song. Well, it's

Randy Hulsey  38:30

when you're a great musician like yourself guys like one take Jones will come in and not charge you anything to do to do his part. Now if I called him and said, Hey, Joey, come on down to Houston buddy. We're gonna record some Rafferty, he'd be like, I'm 100 bucks an hour buddy. For you. When you pick a featured artist, for a song, or to be on an album in general, do you have do you envision something from the song like you, you have this idea in your head and you're like, This is how I think it's gonna sound and I think that this person would be the best fit for that. Is that kind of how the feature musician works for you. And it may not be it may be different for other people, but Is that how it works for you?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  39:22

Sometimes it does. Okay, that's that's the way I feel it sometimes with Pete Hackett. I didn't know him. I just heard his music. So I had no vision and I didn't have a solo in there. I could have had my brother come in, he would have done a great job. But I thought let's just try something different. I like this guy's work. So I sent it to him. And that's the way that happened. But there's been other people like Joey you know, I've known forever and I do have a vision you know, for like ELO forever. For example. I love him coming in and you know, you know, we both work off each other's you know what we're doing in here and sometimes I have suggestions, like when Steve Howard have wings came in. I had some stuff mapped out. And then Steve added some stuff. And I'm like, I'm always very open, you know if I like it, I like it. And he added some stuff to, you know, some of his contributions to a few songs that he's played trumpet on. And but for the most part, I half the time I have a vision for the artist, I call them friends Sure, come on and play and less Farrington from sugar bomb, and I was played with Joey for years. You know, I've maybe had a vision of just, hey, here's some piano parts it write something, you know, do something. That's all right. Let's do something. So it's it's sometimes.

Randy Hulsey  40:41

Yeah, and you mentioned less Farrington, I don't know less personally, but if my memory serves me correctly, less played in glory hounds with you. Right, Joey? And was in the video. wait all night? Yeah. And he was in.

Joey C. Jones  40:57

He was supposed to be a big part of mine and CCS ban, but that didn't work out. But then less stuck around and Adam Hamilton and Chris Torok crowd Craig Bradford and we do grounds together. Yeah, could have done a lot of stuff without less. He's brilliant. Yeah. And let's play it on some bubble gum orchestra. How many which records he has?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  41:22

The let me think here. So he's, he's he's played piano on the second album, Biggio, two on today's beautiful. He's came in on Sixth Overture and actually saying he didn't play any piano on that one or any keyboards but he sang a verse a couple verses with me or just by himself on a song called God is good. And knocked it out of the park. And I think he's been on a lovely days and lovely nights off of the discovery. He came in and played a really cool piano part on it, but he's been great. Yeah, just make a call to him. And yeah, sure. He's been very, very, you know, comes right over and does his thing. Well, he's

Randy Hulsey  42:04

a local guy, too, right?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  42:06

He is but he's busy. You know, he's he's, he's doing his own solo thing. And he you know, he's doing the sugar bomb thing back in the day. And that was that was fabulous. But yeah, he's coming in he I think he's been on three songs. Joe, correct. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Randy Hulsey  42:21

Now there's there's one more song I'd like to share with the listeners and it's a song called missing me missing you which is off the 2021 release. Angel dream. Do I have that? Yes. Okay, so I'm going to share that clip and then we'll come back and chat a little bit morning my name is me I will. When I hear that song, especially the chorus, I don't think Joey was on that particular song, but I could I could see him doing that song like that sounds like a joey C. Jones song to me. Sure. Like in his wheelhouse, right.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  43:35

I can hear it that Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  43:38

On that album, The the cover art for your stuff sticks out to me. Do you draw the cover art for the record yourself? Or is there involvement from other people talk to me a little bit about the the cover art like, specifically on ANGEL dream.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  44:00

Well, that's a whole different topic on ANGEL dream. But all the rest of the album's my brother Douglas, he's a graphic artist. He does great work. Either he'll come up, my brother will either come up with the concept or I will come up with a concept and I'll tell him what he wants or he'll throw in his ideas most the time. It's his ideas and they're great. So he does all that graphic stuff. Now on ANGEL dreams. My girlfriend Angie, that lives in Vigo Spain. She had when I first met her. She had some drawings. And she showed me her. She showed me her artwork, and I loved it and I fell in love. And I asked her Hey, you know I'm working on an album Can I Can we do something to where I use that artwork? And she she's very generous, loving person, of course. And she said absolutely. So she she did all that drawing on there. I just did some minor stuff by coloring it but to answer your question, my brother has done all the other albums The artwork They're great. I love him. I mean, and he's done all that artwork. Because growing up, like when we all grew up, we would sit down and look at the album artwork and listen to the

Randy Hulsey  45:11

album. That was a big part of the whole experience, right? Which we don't have today with digital music, half the

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  45:17

experience for me. And I love that. So I wanted to introduce that with my stuff. And I always wanted to have something interesting to me first, and if other people connect with it, that's great. But I do it for me first. So my brother has done mostly Amazon Angie did the one album. And so yeah, he's, it's, it's killer. I love all that stuff.

Randy Hulsey  45:37

I really do too. And it's one of the things that popped out for me. I saw the cover art before I even heard the music, right? And I'm like, Okay, this is this is interesting. And it kind of not really a segue into a story. But I started collecting Vinyl, probably about six months ago. And I haven't touched an album in 30 plus years. And when I got my first album, it was so surreal to sit down and hold that thing in my hand. And to pull the fucking liner notes out and read the liner notes. I am a liner note cash junkie, right? Oh, yeah. And it was this, it was like the hairs on the back of mine, it took me back to a point in time. We don't have those experiences, like or I hadn't had that experience in so many years. And it's almost like it took me back to in a time machine. And I think it's amazing, the thought and the work that's gone into your cover art. And I just wanted to let you know that that stands out to me. Thank you. And it's really cool. Thank you. And I was gonna say about your brother, just being here in your house and seeing all of the wonderful art and stuff that he does with Kiss and all that he's a whole show in and of themselves. So Oh, yeah, I'm gonna have to have a bonus episode with him. So we'll we'll get that lined up share. Sure, yeah, now you started bubble gum orchestra. And 2011, which was about 10 years ago, and you've put out or you're putting out your 14th full length record, right. These are not EPS. These are full length. That's a lot of material. Like that's very proud. To me. That's just prolific. Like, where did where does this stuff come from? I don't know where. And you guys amazing. Like, you're

Joey C. Jones  47:23

all about those great influences. Yeah, it is. And we mess with our era of centers. We can this,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  47:32

you can't miss it. I think the first thing is you have to be inspired. You have to love the music, you have to be doing it for the right reason. At least that's what I tell myself. You know, it's not for money. It's not for the glory or the fame, although that would be great. Wouldn't that be great? It would be great, you know. So you do it for yourself. And at the end of the day, you live with your product. And like I said, It's my legacy. So 14th 14th album will come out next year. And that'll be about 11 years. Three of those albums or double albums. So they weren't just saying

Randy Hulsey  48:03

I'd never Yeah, never mind the fact that there wasn't like 12 songs, right? There was probably at least 24 on this thing. Well,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  48:10

you start writing it out. For me anyway.

Randy Hulsey  48:12

I don't get in a groove, I guess, right? You start grooving.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  48:15

I don't write 50 songs and say I'm going to pick the best 11 It's just something happens. Like, I feel like writing music. I like Joe,

Joey C. Jones  48:22

he goes into it with a plan. My deal was I'm waiting on the record company or management or something like that,

Randy Hulsey  48:32

for different reasons. Yeah, sure. Mike, Mike has the luxury

Joey C. Jones  48:35

of if he's in the mood to spend a week or two, or however long it takes and probably less than that, to come up with these bubble gum orchestra records. He's always got a plan when it goes into this stuff.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  48:49

My plan is to start and hopefully, the well doesn't run dry, you know. So you know, I just started that way. And I'll write if it's 1011 12 songs, and I just something in me says, I settle I need or want to say, you know, I just I don't I don't feel like writing anymore because I produce an engineer and write all this stuff and usually perform 99% of the instrumentation on it. So it just takes if you write it in two months, three months, it takes me another year, just to do all the stuff that it takes to get it released because usually in between there I'm writing another album, yes, things start crossing over. And so I just do it that way. Go for it.

Randy Hulsey  49:36

I find it so cool to talk to guys like you, you and Joey and your brother that are so over the top creative I have my creative areas too but you know with with lyrics and with art and things like that, it's just everybody has their lane and it's so cool that you guys put it together and I mean, music is the universal language and I can understand why musicians are so revered. Sometimes they're so admired because out of 100 people in a room, how many people can write songs and play them? I mean, it's two three, right? I don't know. I mean, it's it's a low percentage is my point. Sure. And it's, it's an amazing talent. So So kudos to both of you guys. How many singles or do you know how many singles you've released since Biggio inception? Like not that matters? I'm just curious, because you've got a lot of following records. But I didn't know how many songs you've kind of released a single

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  50:37

usually three or four off each one but a single these days, it just means I released it. Yeah. Means I did it. Nobody else did it. It's just maybe a song that I like that. I think other people you know, will relate to. And you know what, maybe enjoy then another one off the album. But I like all the songs on every album. So like missing me missing you that just felt that felt good? Yeah. When I wrote it, it just felt right. Yeah, it just felt right. I wrote it for for Angie. As missing her. Are you missing me girl? Because girl, I'm missing you.

Randy Hulsey  51:08

I thought that was for me. That was for her actually.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  51:11

Later tonight.

Adam Gordon  51:14

We'll talk later.

Joey C. Jones  51:17

Randy Hulsey.

Randy Hulsey  51:19

I've been married for 33 years. But hey, that's never stopped. I mean, me. First thing.

Joey C. Jones  51:29

I want to take a second and congratulate Randy Hulsey and backstage radio, because you're coming up on your one year anniversary. Thank you. Thank you. You do

Randy Hulsey  51:40

Thank you. Thank you. It's always a it's always a joy to do that. And it was nice to get to meet your sweet girlfriend who's in Spain. Angie. Now, this is my understanding. And I might be off base. I could be on base but you educate me if I'm off base. There's a good following for your stuff. Bubblegum orchestra in Spain, does that correct? And don't be humble. Like just answered my question.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  52:09

I think so I have some people over there that love my music that is connected with it that maybe haven't in the United States. I don't know the the culture over there seems a little different to me. It's more relaxed more. I don't know if I want to say old school, but they'll actually listen to a song. You know, here in the United States. Everything's instant gratification these days. And yeah, people will maybe see something if it doesn't catch their eye. They won't listen, if they listen to listen for five seconds. And you know, that's a reflection on them. God bless them at the end of the day. But my music does well there. I've charted in the indie charts in Spain, many times and so it's, it's, it's better over there. I mean, I just, I've been blessed if anybody listens to my music and connects that that's a plus for me, no matter what country it's in. But to answer your question, Spain, yeah, it's a special place. For me. Now you

Randy Hulsey  53:05

have an official fan club over there. Correct? That's

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  53:09

correct. Official. It says the word official on it. So it's got to be true. So yeah, it is. It's it's a fan club and a couple sweet girls run it. And I'd known about it for years. And yeah, it's cool. I mean, it's it just it just, it just means that they've connected with my music and they love it. Yeah. And they want to celebrate it like I do. And they turn it on to other people. And they write nice things. And they, they just enjoy it. So

Randy Hulsey  53:40

well. They're doing they're basically doing what I do. But they're hyper focused on you, which I think is fabulous. So I was going to ask you in your case, these are just basically a couple of fans. Initially, that love your stuff that say we need to start you know, Michael Lane Hildebrand fan club. And that's how that develops. It's not like the artist or in your case. Michael says, Okay, I need a fan club, and I need to go employ a couple of people to spin up. I mean, that it's done organically, right? It's done.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  54:12

And that that's, that's cool. That's what's special to me. Absolutely. It's done that way. I didn't have you know, a lot of stuff this these days and music, self centered self and now they set it up and try to make it look like it wasn't you know, the that they didn't do it? And yeah, that means more to me than anything is that someone else did it because they enjoy my music. I mean, that's the bottom line. They enjoyed the music and what comes after that is awesome. But they did it all on their own. There was no anything. You know, on my end, I just found out about it one day, I was like, Are you kidding? That's that's that's cool. And I don't think about it much more than that other than it's cool. I'm grateful for it.

Randy Hulsey  54:49

Absolutely. You know,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  54:50

I don't go around, you know, telling the world about it or anything. Well,

Randy Hulsey  54:53

I think I think when you have an official correct me if I'm wrong, Joey when you have your own official fanclub. I mean, you've made it man You know, like, I don't have my own official fan club.

Joey C. Jones  55:02

And these things are taking place. That's

Randy Hulsey  55:05

good. That's that's really awesome. I say that tongue in cheek, of course. But how great is that? Somebody thinks that much about your art,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  55:13

and it's about the music. It's just about the music. Absolutely. That's all I want it to be about. I don't want to be about me. I don't want it to be about the songs somebody relates with the songs Great. Hey, I just happened to write it. Absolutely. That's that's, that means the world. Yeah, it's really cool.

Randy Hulsey  55:29

Now, bubblegum orchestra is not considered a live band. And there's probably a reason for that. Can you share your thoughts around it? I think I've heard somewhere too. I'll still a little bit of your thunder. I don't think you were ever. Like playing live was never a favorite thing for you. Correct? Right. And so now you have this project bubble gum orchestra. That's not a live thing. I don't know that. That's why you don't do it. But can you share in your own words why Biggio is not alive?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  56:06

Sure act. I'll never say never. If I get Mr. Josey Jones in the band and I get a less like three less Farrington for Adam Hamilton's. And it's a done deal. I think to bring my stuff to life would be very similar to the ELO current show out there. I mean, it'd be a lot of people to be in, there's just no,

Joey C. Jones  56:24

you're gonna need a dozen bandmates. Yeah.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  56:28

So I would need that. The playing live thing. I enjoyed it a lot. The camaraderie more than anything with my bandmates and the people I've met through the years playing live with other bands and you know, playing for with cheap trick and Loverboy and meeting all those guys that way. I liked it. But I didn't love it. I think I did. did well. I did the best of my ability I had fun doing. I think I did good. Right, live perform. But thank you. Thank you. But that's for other people to say.

Joey C. Jones  56:58

Sure. I said it's

Randy Hulsey  57:00

it's official. It's official now

Joey C. Jones  57:03

just just just like your fan club. Another official

Randy Hulsey  57:05

thing. There's a lot of official things going on here this evening. So I liked

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  57:09

it, but I didn't love it. And when it came to the bubblegum orchestra, I just got to a point with bands. I love all my bandmates. And I love the camaraderie I just sometimes when you're married to four other people, and maybe everybody's not on the same page. And things develop that way. And I just got to the point, or I think in the early 2000s I took off. I stopped everything live. I didn't even touch my bass guitar and 10 years, didn't touch it. And I thought I just I'd lost the love of music because the playing live just kind of it just burnt me out.

Randy Hulsey  57:45

It's like, is it because you were doing too much of it? Or yes, no, no,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  57:49

not too much. Just it was just just wasn't my thing. And I could feel that coming from deep within it. Well, it wasn't really my thing. And I always wanted to do my own music and I had you know my thoughts and dreams of doing it myself. And I just I needed to wait for technology to catch up to do the stuff I wanted to do because I love orchestration as you know. Sure. And as you know, I don't have a 40 piece orchestra playing in my band that's not cost effective. And it's just not practical. So luckily technology has caught up to where I can achieve what I want with that I can get the sound I want and it I just wanted to do it myself a standard follow my own up and nobody else no manager no record label, you know, possibly letting you down you know,

Randy Hulsey  58:38

live and die by the sword right?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  58:40

Do it It's my legacy. So do it myself. People connect great if they don't, they don't. And to do it myself has just been a godsend for me because I'd taken the 10 years off it's like am I ever gonna play again and then like I said techno technology caught up and I was able to pursue it. And I've not stopped yet the well hasn't run dry.

Randy Hulsey  59:00

I'll bet you I'm I'm not trying to put words in your mouth but I bet you your stress level is far less doing it the way you do it versus trying to answer to a label right? And having to sell so many of this or do so many of that right you do it at your own pace if and correct me if I'm wrong, you do it at your own pace. You do it how you want to if you don't want to trumpet in there, you don't put a trumpet in there because somebody else wanted the trumpet in there right? So the stress level just goes way down and now you're enjoying it and you're you can be more creative because I think when somebody puts you in a stranglehold those creative juices no longer flow. Yes they lock inside of in your you're only worried about a sale or you're only worried about doing it for somebody else. So speak to that

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  59:52

that's exactly right. You know, you Yes, the stress level of doing it myself is zero. I will honestly Say it's zero I'd like you said, I do it at my own pace, I do it how I want when I want. It's not about all me or you know, control or anything like that. It's just this is my time this is I want to do it, I get some guest players to come in and, you know, add their what they want to do, and that's great. But the stress as low level is nothing in the bands. I don't know, I can't speak for Joey. But, you know, he had far more success in his bands and with labels and you know, that maybe the higher stress, lower stress and I've ever had, but, you know, playing live for me, it was always fun. I just didn't like to travel that much. And at the end of the day, it wasn't, you know, the crowds weren't like, what Joey played in front of or anything like, yeah, it was cool and everything, but the stress level of some of that got, you know, kind of high at times. But to answer your question, yeah, to do it myself is just a godsend. You know, it's just it's meant for me right now, at this moment in my life. It's perfect. No complaints. Yeah, not yet.

Randy Hulsey  1:01:06

Nobody listened to you if you complain. Over days, not over. Now, you guys are both good friends with Adam Hamilton. His name is dropped a couple of times in the interview. Share with me, Michael, share with me first your connection with Adam.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:01:25

I met Adam through Joey. I don't know the exact year but I was in the band toured affair. We were a band for five years. Randy St. John on drums. Masten. Walker on vocals, Sean hooks, Fulton on keyboards, vocals, Bobby Stewart on vocals and lead guitar. I was killer. And then me doing my thing on a bass guitar. So we were cutting the album here in Dallas. And Joey came in he was he was working with our management if see if I get the story, right, work with him and helping us out giving us his expert advice for what he had, you know, lived in been through, in his career, his illustrious career up to there. And he was helping us out quite a bit. And I met Adam through there. And Adam came in the studio, and I think he's messed around on drums. And we were playing one day. And you know, we just got to become friends. And I mean, to that. And then, of course, I go see Joey and Adam and the glory hounds and that whole great band. And so I met him that way. And then it's just continued over the years. I mean, not not all the time. It's you know, we don't speak every day, but he's your, you know, well, he's he's gonna cut drums on one of my songs, and he asked me to do it. That's awesome. That's, it's great. I mean, it means the world to me to have Joey and Adam Hamilton on one of my songs. I mean, it doesn't get any better. Well, you get

Randy Hulsey  1:02:50

you got to a list guys there there are with you. For the listeners that that don't know who Adam Hamilton is. He will be dropped in on my show. I think it's like January 16, or some somewhere in the middle of January. Oh, yeah, for sure. So Adam is a list music producer in Hollywood and it has produced for gosh, William Shatner. Brad Paisley life, Garrett.

Joey C. Jones  1:03:21

He just finished up

Randy Hulsey  1:03:22

ZZ Top, I think was in there.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:03:25

Elliot Easton of the cars was in there. Yeah. And well, and

Randy Hulsey  1:03:29

he played he was the bass player for LA guns.

Joey C. Jones  1:03:31

Yeah, he's just finished up. Rick Springfield record.

Randy Hulsey  1:03:35

Okay. Joey refresh the listeners. What your involvement. Where did you run into Adam? Initially? Where did you guys meet? Jogging your memory a little bit? Yeah,

Joey C. Jones  1:03:46

no. CeCe called me wanting to put a band together. I'd already been out to his house. We talked about it, our drummer to Thomas Carmine apiece. And it didn't work out with him. And I remember telling CSEA go look, gotta find a young, unknown guy. Going through these older guys, there's going to want a bunch of money upfront, etc. So as you see brought in Adam, and I've never seen anybody play like that. I think it was about 21 at the time. And I just never seen anyone play like that. And when the CC thing did not work out, said, Adam, please stick with me. Give me a little bit of time. I'll come up with some kind of deal. And we we ended up getting a deal getting record video paid for blah, blah, blah. So I owe that to Cece. Thank you, Cece. And thank you, Adam. I love you.

Randy Hulsey  1:04:47

Yeah, and for the listeners that are not familiar just with the name CC Deville, lead guitarist for the band poison from the 80s Right. Big hair glam metal band from the 80s. So it's my under Standing there's another story and it involves mount kiss more talk to the listeners a little bit about Mount kiss more and what what does that even mean?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:05:10

Now kiss more is a toy it's it's it's a kiss product that my brother Douglas Hildebrand he's a he's a great sculptor and he sculpted a piece called Mount kiss more not Mount Rushmore mount kiss more.

Joey C. Jones  1:05:27

Sounds loved it, she loved it. Gene Simmons loved it.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:05:31

And so it turned into a kiss product. And into a toy. I think a limited run of 2000 was made. And you can buy it at Target, Walmart, all these places. And Simmons loved it. And basically it sits on a shelf and it's it, you know, kiss has a million products, but now they have kept now kiss more. And my brother did it. His name's on the box, and I'm proud of him. And it's cool. It is cool. It's badass man.

Randy Hulsey  1:05:59

Well, if you if you guys were able to walk inside this house, we talked about it in the beginning of the show there. It's kind of a kiss shrine. There's a lot of Kiss stuff here and a lot of it was designed by your brother.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:06:12

Sure, sure. He's done a lot. He's done a Gene Simmons bus that gene saw at Comic Con in San Diego, probably six years ago.

Joey C. Jones  1:06:22

And he's Star Trek stuff.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:06:25

The Star Trek stuff that my brother has done from the original Star Trek series life size Gorn. And just getting off topic here does a little bit when I met William Shatner, which is recorded with Adam Hamilton. We all tied together here. The six degrees of Adam Hamilton is what we're doing here today. So but anyway, my brothers on that and you know, we've got some Star Trek stuff signed by William Shatner, but my brother did the the mount kiss, mores worked on some other items. And it's cool stuff. And it is kind of a shrine around here. And I've got some cool guitars and some rare, one of a kind kids guitars autographed. And I had more kiss. I had a whole kiss room for the last 15 years. I mean, all the whole collection everything you can imagine the cars, the posters, the dolls, everything. And I just kind of got bored with it. So I sold it. I sold it cheap. I practically gave it away to another kiss fan just kind of passing it on to him. And so I grew up with Kiss and I love the the spirit of kiss. I don't you know, I've met him a few times. And I don't want to get into any negative stories about how they were when they're not getting paid to get their autograph. But anyway, some are cool, some work. But yeah, my brother's He's great. He's He's done the kiss stuff. And it's cool. It's very cool. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:07:47

I wish the listeners could walk through the house. It's very interesting to say the least. Especially if you are a rock and roll person. It's almost like coming to a mini. I don't I wouldn't say Hard Rock Cafe. But it's kind of along those lines where you go in and you're just kind of, you're kind of like, wow, look at that guitar. Oh, that was so and so's guitar. Oh, that was look at that picture. You know, that's kind of the first thing that kind of ran through my mind. It's, it's really cool. It's a treat to be here. And again, I appreciate you having me. I wanted to ask you and Joey a question. Because it's always good to know from a from a musician's vantage point. How would you as a musician, define success? I'll let I'll let you go first.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:08:33

To jump in on that. Yeah. Success for me is writing a song. me loving it first. Being able to record, produce it, engineer it and get it out to other people that could possibly hear it. And them say, Hey, I like your song. I listened to it. I love it. Maybe I want to start a fan club, like Spain, for example, that that's success. For me. I would love to say it's it is more than that. But I think if you're a purist and a songwriter, I would like to think they would tell you that first. And, but I can't speak I can only speak for me. And that's what it is, for me is just my love of the music and the love that I grew up with. All the bands I grew I feel like I grew up in the right era. You know, I don't want to back in my day, you know, we had the better music, you know, but I honestly believe that and I wouldn't if you got to live and die. I don't. I'm not going to change the years I was born to the end because I got the great music. I mean, I've got to I've got to hear and see the difference in music. You know, starting when I was in the 60s, my sister playing on the Beatles, you know, the bread, America, all the stuff I grew up with. Yeah, so I grew up with that in the 70s and even 80s I loved that stuff. And then it started changing for me and I didn't really like some of the 90 stuff. I like some of it but I just kind of grew away But but the success for me is to be able to write a song and have somebody enjoy it. And that's, it's pretty basic one on one for me. Yeah. And the other stuff in between is just fluff. Yeah. Just, you know, you just you hope somebody enjoys it.

Randy Hulsey  1:10:14

I agree. Joe, you want to take a swag at that question?

Joey C. Jones  1:10:17

Yeah. For me, success is knowing that as as we speak, there are people listening to songs that I wrote or CO wrote. There's people listening to me and my bandmates right now. That is success. And I think everybody gets in this business for the same reason when they start. He's just want to be working. You want to be out there. Michael, he didn't he didn't like to traveling. I love to travel. I love waking up in a different hotels, different cities. But for me, success is knowing that just people that love your stuff. They're listening to it right now. And also successes. Being able to look in the mirror and say it took a lot of years. But I finally got to the point to where I'm sounding close. Kind of close to my favorite artists of all time. That that was it for me. I just want somebody to say that song reminds me of a Beatle song or that song reminds me of a yellow. That was my thing. I want to sound like those guys. I was a late bloomer, and I'm wearing bloomers. I'm not wearing I was a late bloomer, but I got there dammit.

Randy Hulsey  1:11:41

I think what I love about that question is that everybody that I've asked that question of money has not ever come up in the answer. And, to me, that's what separates the musician's musician from the douchebags out there that are only in it for fucking money. Yeah, like it drives me. Money is not everything. Yeah, we all need money. We all have bills to pay. But you're doing it to touch people. At the end of the day. I

Joey C. Jones  1:12:09

love salutely. And you gotta love every aspect.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:12:12

So Joey, when you said you were a late bloomer, how late bloomer?

Joey C. Jones  1:12:17

I don't I can't listen to anything that I co wrote or wrote. Nothing until probably my mid 30s.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:12:26

But when did you start thinking, when did you say

Joey C. Jones  1:12:29

hey, I went to high school. I mean, Lang Sheridan. From sweet savage. We had a band called truce in high school. So I started when I was in high school. Okay.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:12:41

I think I knew that. But I didn't want to take over the interview here. But no, that's great question just kind of sparked my imagination. High School, when people asked me that's like, I didn't even pick up the bass guitar until I was 21.

Randy Hulsey  1:12:51

Are those girls stream and I go, that's all. That's all it took? Yeah.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:12:56

Are they screaming for the right reason or the wrong reason? I

Joey C. Jones  1:12:59

think it was right, I think, yeah, the volume in the van. Uh huh. Also, you know,

Randy Hulsey  1:13:04

I think it was the jockstrap, ya

Joey C. Jones  1:13:07

know, I grew up in a very small town little hillbilly town. We didn't get a lot of live music there. And it was just good timing.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:13:17

How what was the screaming like after the after parties from the women was to remember that a different show. I mean, okay. was a couple years

Joey C. Jones  1:13:29

later

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:13:30

that was a couple years later because I think I was I was there a couple of those. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:13:34

I was at many sweet savage shows. I know I can only imagine what the After After Party screaming was but we're not gonna go down that rabbit. We're not gonna go down there. Right. Joseph? humble guy. Yes.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:13:45

Well, thank God for no cell phones,

Randy Hulsey  1:13:48

right. What stayed at the club or what happened at the club stayed at what is coming up musically for Michael Hildebrand, and bubblegum orchestra. What can you talk about with the listeners a double

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:14:01

album out in 2022. God willing. It's 18 songs. I'm just finishing it up. But I realized just within the past few months of finishing it up. I have all all the music done and I have to sing one more song. It's the last song on the album. It's called Angie song. It's that's for my girl. And it's a it's a beautiful little tune. I hope she likes when she hears it. I bet she will. She will. So it's a double album. And like I was realizing that it's basically the follow up to sticky love songs that came out in 2016. That was a double album. I've been through a certain relationship and I don't always write about my own life. I just write what I think people want to hear or what I observe in life and write about those topics. But the sticky love songs long more than two was a majority of that was about kind of something bad and this thing God. I met Angie and this stuff's about good. stuff so it's like the the yin to the Yang. The McCartney wanted the McCartney to Yep. That's basically where I'm headed with this. And it's got a totally different title for the name of the album, which I'll reveal at a later time. But that's what's coming up in 2022. Is, is a double album. And I can't wait because the first single is going to be. I found an angel, featuring Josie Jones or Adam, Adam Hamilton. And I can't wait for all that to Anna

Randy Hulsey  1:15:35

studio rattling Randy Hulsey

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:15:37

Thank you, Randy Hulsey for doing this interview, and bringing this to people's, you know, to

Joey C. Jones  1:15:43

driving up here in Houston ran. Absolutely. That's a seven hour round.

Randy Hulsey  1:15:48

Seems like it. But now I'm glad to be here. Where can the listeners find you on social media,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:15:53

social media or purchasing your music anywhere? Well, I have a website. And that's the only place you can purchase it. I used to have it on Spotify used to have it on iTunes, and I don't like their policies and what they pay you. And I'm not going to run anyway. Anyway, you can get all my music off my album, you want to download the first five albums, I have CDs, I stopped doing CDs, just because it's that's another host. That's another show. But you can do it there. I just recently got on Facebook about a month and a half ago, I really the first time my girl got me was a beatdown. And I love it. And I just I'm not a super social media guy. Although I do love seeing some old friends and meet new people. Like you, Randy. And I have a Twitter page and just just your basic stuff. And I think the fan page has a they have their own Facebook fan page, they have a fan page, Instagram, and they have a fan page, Twitter. Okay. And then there's also just a fan page blog where they do interviews with me learn some rare stuff, ask me questions. Maybe they want to know stuff like that. It's just stuff that's not your normal stuff. Yep. And really cool stuff. And so you can find me on all those those places.

Randy Hulsey  1:17:12

Do you have a Patreon account? By any chance? Excuse Patreon? Have you heard of Patreon? So it might be something to look into with your with your fan club. Most people that have a good following, there's a they call it Patreon. And it's where your fans can pay like five bucks a month or whatever it's like a subscription, it may not be your thing, but I'm just sharing it with you. And then maybe some of the listeners out there that are thinking about something like this, but it's a place where it can be a residual income for the artist. And people can go in and see special videos from their favorite artists, they'll do special releases, or they'll give them a pre release of a song, you know, three days before it drops or you know, things like that for the money. So I didn't know if you had one or not. No, but anyway,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:18:02

it's an option. That sounds interesting to me. Sure. Um, but to get people to pay $5 a month. I think there's some good people that would but sure a lot of my stuff gets ripped off. Yeah, well, I you know, as

Randy Hulsey  1:18:14

it as that's everybody, that's a whole nother story in and of itself. Right.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:18:18

So but yeah, what you just mentioned sounds like a you know, good opportunity, and I'm gonna check into that. And thank you for bringing it to my attention. Absolutely. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:18:25

let's do a few quickfire questions. I know we've got pizza on our brain. We're gonna go have some pizza here. So I'm excited about that. Favorite ELO song of all time.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:18:37

need her love of discovery on 1979 It's a slow song. It's a B Cider.

Randy Hulsey  1:18:42

Okay, that's it. What about do you have a favorite Beatle song of all time?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:18:48

And I love her. I love that I love the song. I love the love songs man.

Randy Hulsey  1:18:54

Your summer or winter guy like US TV or radio and radio digital audio workstation of choice. I have Pro Tools comm Is there a reason why you chose Pro Tools? I'm always curious about that. I use Cubase but I didn't know if I think a lot of times for artists it's like that's what I started on and that's what I'm still on kind of thing is kind of like the whole I'm I'm a marble smoker. It was my first cigarette and I just stayed with Marlboro law my whole life right it's it's a religion thing right? Yeah,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:19:36

that's what I started with. You know, you get used to something and you know there's there's so many different ones out there and like I was telling you earlier you know, I can't even upgrade any I if I upgrade it, it's gonna cost me money. Right. So I just use Pro Tools. It works for me.

Randy Hulsey  1:19:51

Performing or producing, producing early bird or night owl early,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:19:58

but sometimes laid out

Randy Hulsey  1:19:59

I noticed I've sent some early messages to you and I get a pretty quick response from you. So

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:20:06

listen, you can either have my mom say it, you can either soar with the Eagles or fly with the turkeys.

Randy Hulsey  1:20:15

That's right. That's right. This is kind of a I wouldn't look at it as calling your baby ugly. But if you had to pick a favorite bubblegum orchestra song, do you have one? No. Fear that was the answer. Everybody's

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:20:33

gonna say that they're on my baby. No, okay, cuz I'd have to start thinking

Randy Hulsey  1:20:40

I didn't I just didn't know if there was I didn't. I didn't want that question. Thought about I just didn't know if there's one that just resignate that's kind of the one that's it.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:20:47

Love 101 off of mood swings, okay, it's a slow album, and it's loving 101 Love 101 took some time out of your rapid fire but

Randy Hulsey  1:20:57

it's level No, that no, that's great. I send that question over to you Joey like the songs that you've recorded in the years is there one that's kind of been the one that that's just your go to song?

Joey C. Jones  1:21:09

Yeah. And 1991 way back then. And this is when I finally started figuring out songwriting not not that I figured out anything but come close. He has a song called Kiss the world, I think is by far the best thing I've done. And due to God one the producer God verse so just passed away a few weeks ago. He slowed it down, turn it into a bluesy thing. Loss feel. When I've worked with the producers in the past, I've gotten my heart broke a few times. Rittenhouse Rob Zander, you know, Randy Nichols worked with a lot of big name guys and they put their stamp on it. But yeah, song's called Kiss the world. It's on. Best of Josey Jones volume on the great song. Demon dollar record stock calm. I love that song. Thank you,

Randy Hulsey  1:22:03

brother. Yeah, and I wanted to make sure that the listeners knew that your website was bubblegum orchestra.com. I don't think you've specifically mentioned the website name, but for the listeners. Bubblegum orchestra.com is where you can find the music for purchase. That would be great if you guys would visit that bass guitar brand of choice, Warwick, Warwick bass. I think I know the answer. But for the listeners. Was there another artist that that kind of not really made Warwick famous. But was there another musician out of the 80s that played Warwick? Do you remember?

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:22:43

I don't Jack Bruce. You know, he made more with famous the thumb bass. I like the thumb bass. Okay. I've had a couple endorsements with them over the years. So I played other bases starting out. And once I played that, my Warwick, no turning back.

Randy Hulsey  1:22:57

I thought it was really interesting. Even being a guitarist when you pulled that one bass down and click the switch and the fret markers lit up on and I'm like, What the hell? Like I've never. Yeah, I've been playing guitar for 37 years. And I've never seen that before. Maybe I just never came to Michael Hill to Brett styles. I don't know.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:23:16

It's just a thing. Yeah, it's cool that Warwick did for me that they they made that for me in their custom shop in Germany when I got my, my second endorsement within about 1110 years ago. And yeah, I designed it. They there's there's a video of it being made. It's cool. Very cool. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  1:23:35

If you had a podcast show, who do you think would be the first artist that you would ask to be on your show? Who would you like to pick the brain of

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:23:44

anybody? In the whole world? I'd probably go with I have to answer three things. It's either gonna be McCartney, C. Jones, or Jeff Flynn. One of those three. That's cool. Yeah. Chris, I know some of Joe's history, but I'd still like to. I just like to be in this company. Yeah. I'm fortunate. It's more it's more for that reason than anything.

Joey C. Jones  1:24:09

Yeah. And plus, he said, have a hard time getting Paul McCartney and Jeff learned to call him back and bastard.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:24:17

I can't get it down. I even had an end and I couldn't get it. I couldn't get it done. I couldn't close the deal. Hmm. Now I know his personal manager neck couldn't couldn't do it. Well,

Randy Hulsey  1:24:26

I don't know. Maybe there's maybe well, I guess. If you couldn't get it done that way, it might be virtually impossible. But maybe there's another avenue who knows.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:24:36

Right? I met the guys real quick. His name's Phil Hatton. And he's been Jeff Flynn's personal assistant for years. And Joey was at the show up maybe som backstages. And I'd got an email from Phil Hatton. After I release ELO forever, and he's an English guy, and it just said, Great job mate. I was like, wow, cool. Who's Phil hadn't really looked him up and it's like, okay, he's he's his right hand, man. So I have his email address. So when he came to play here, and I was like, Mr. hatten Is there any way I told him who I was reminded him of the email? Any way I could meet Mr. Lin. 10 seconds. Just a quick picture this before COVID Just a quick, quick picture backstage, you know, not gonna ask them any stupid question. Just Hello, big fan. And he said, I wish I could help you, but I can't. So, you know, I understand that a lot of people that like Jeff Lynn, that are really famous. They can't meet him either. So sure, it's hard to do. But anyway, I tried that. That was my end. And I struck out when I struck out

Randy Hulsey  1:25:38

had nothing you got to eat for effort, you got to go to the plate and swing the bat.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:25:42

I swung that fucker about 20 times before the ball even got there and

Randy Hulsey  1:25:46

corkscrewed yourself into the nerd. Well,

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:25:48

that's a different story. Well, good on the corkscrew. Right? Yeah, that's, uh,

Randy Hulsey  1:25:54

well, I want to ask the listeners to follow Michael on social media and also get out to the bubblegum orchestra.com site and purchase some of the music. Michael, i i Thank you for being on the show for being a gracious guest to take the interview to have me in your home. It's certainly a treat and an honor to be here with with the one and only Joey C. Jones as well. How else could the stars better align than to have Joey in the studio with you when I come down? But that's why I was saying earlier if the stars aligned and we kind of orchestrated that to kill a couple of birds with one stone because Joey and I have been talking countless times back and forth when you come into Houston when you come to Dallas, but you know, in the everyday grind. It's just hard to get away and and whatnot. So I'm glad the that this worked out. Yes. Dogs are shining. Absolutely. I also were blessed man. Absolutely. I also am hanging on listeners to like, share and subscribe to the podcast. As always, you can find the show on Facebook at backstage pass radio podcast, on Instagram at backstage pass radio, Twitter at backstage pass PC and on the website at backstage pass radio.com You guys make sure to take care of yourselves and one another and also continued to support local musicians. I'll see you right back here on the next episode of backstage pass. Merry Christmas.

Michael Laine Hildebrandt  1:27:25

Thank you, Randy.

Adam Gordon  1:27:26

Thanks so much for joining us. We hope you enjoy today's episode of backstage pass radio. Make sure to follow Randy on Facebook and Instagram at Randy Hulsey music and on Twitter at our Halsey 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