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Page 10 Valley State Daily Sundial November 6, 1370Grass Roots. . .(Continued from page 7)until they walked up onto the stage. When we went on to tune up, wesaw 2G000 freaks and really got uptight. We had to prove ourselves “We played really well, and it was a gas. They accepted us for what we were In our own heads, we knew we were all right after thatMStill, the band has had some low times, particularly before one of their biggest hits, ‘ ‘Midnight C on -fessions,” brought them back into the public spotlightEntner remembers a time they played in Louisiana, which marked the low point of their existence “We got $3S0 for the gig/’ he says, “and we were billed as “The Grass Roots, the biggest group to hit coon-ass country.' We said then we were never going on tour again, that we would stay home and spend more time working out material.”Since that time, the group has recorded several singles and albums, Their producer, Steve Barri “has progressed with the group” Entner says.However, he adds, “I’m not proud of several of our last releases,” He added that this was partially due to the peculiar demands of AM radio, which is dominated by the Bill Drake chain of stations.As an example, Entner cited “Walkin’ Through the Country,” which he described as one of the best songs the group has recorded.“The song should have done better,” he says, “but most AM radio stations wouldn't give the song air-time because it wasn't the ‘old' Grass Roots sound.” Enter says that with the addition of Provisor and Furlong, the group has a funkier, fuller, more expanded sound. “ITve noticed that pepole are getting into our music more when we play at concerts.” he says.Regarding concerts in general, he feels that the higher-priced groups such as Led Zeppelin and others may eventually be the death of rock, since promoters must present expensive, big-draw acts in order to meet the costs of putting on such a concert.“Most promoters won’t take on good middle priced goups who might only charge a third as much as the bigger groups, because they’re afraid they might lose money/' he says.As a result, he says, rock concerts are more and more beingheld in large halls and sports arenas that were never designed as concert halls, with resultant poor visbility, poor sound and very expensive ticketsAll but one of the tracks the Grass Roots have recorded have been studio cuts, and Entner says that he prefers studio work, because of the ability to record and overdub. “When you re cor da live album, you lose quality in an effort to gain atmosphere wrMch really can be transplanted to the studio anyway/’ he saysHe doesn't rule out the possibility, though, of a live album, provided the sound on the album was good.He also said that although the majority of the group’s single hitshave been authored by other people , the group plans to use only their own material in the future, except when they “feel another person’s song could be a big hit” He also says the group’s next album will have more unity between cuts, as in their earlier “Feelings” album.This unity has been missing inrecent releases, he saysThe group was also involved this past summer in a politcal hassle with the White House, Entner explains it:“I got a call at seven in themorning one day from the social secretary at the white House, asking me if we would like to playat a lawn party for Prince Charles and Princess Anne.“At that time, our agents pushed us to take the job, since it wrould signify that we weren’ta “radical” band, which mighthelp us get college jobs. That kind of work was hard to get, due to all that happened after Kent State and Jackson State,“Everybody hates what's happening right now with this ad ministration--they’ve been hassling Ricky about the draft for the past three years-so it was a question of morals versus business, * “Then they told us we had to wear tuxes, and they had to see what songs we were going to play, which made the whole thing out of the question.“We then wrote Nixon a letter, telling him how stupid it was to have a garden party for Trishand the kids, when people were being killed in Southeast Asia.“Anyway, the Guess Who finally played the party, and told us it was a far out experience/1 he laughsThe Grass Roots have had their share of heartbreaks--personnel problems, and the discovery that they had been bilked by a former manager, w-ho left them entangled in a web of unsettled contracts— but any group that lasts for as many years as the Grass Roots have will obviously be around for a long time to come.Keep our leaders coming!GIVE TO THE COLLEGE OF YOUR CHOICE.©/■COMMITTEE ON FINE ARTS ■itj PRODUCTIONS PRESENTSone performance onlyLGWUKDCOHENa ltd The ArmyIn a program of nowpoetry and music for beautiful losers and saints of all agesSat., Nov. 14-8:30 Royce HallTICKETS NOW; $5,50, 4.75, 4.00, 3-25; Students $2.50 at UCLA Concert Ticket Office, 10851 Le Conte, Westwood; Mutual Agencies; Walitchs and Liberty Agencies; and thru Ticketron. For info 825-2953.Family Fun NightatDisneulandSUNDAYNOV. 224PM-M1DNIGHT$425ADMISSION TO DISNEYLAND AND UNLIMITED USE OF ALL ATTRACTIONS “SSTDANCING-BANDS SHOWS AND UVE ENTERTAINMENTFREE PARKINGTICKETS ON SALE AT CAMPUS BOX OFFICE
Newspaper Details
Los Angeles Daily Sundial
Los Angeles, California, US
Fri, Nov 06, 1970
Page 2
Full Page
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CT, USA 11 Jan 2022
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