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Schwartz Stories #3: Stephen Michael Schwartz and The Race For His Coveted 1923 Martin Guitar
bradkyle.substack.com

Schwartz Stories #3: Stephen Michael Schwartz and The Race For His Coveted 1923 Martin Guitar

Plus, his 1975 touring band finally revealed!

Brad Kyle
Apr 16
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Schwartz Stories #3: Stephen Michael Schwartz and The Race For His Coveted 1923 Martin Guitar
bradkyle.substack.com

This Schwartz Stories #3 is a bit of a grab-bag, as we’ve uncovered some more info from two events that were large parts of previous Exclusive Interview sections. The first one takes us back to Exclusive Interview Pt. 4, where Stephen Michael Schwartz found himself opening a concert gig with Paul Williams in Bellingham, WA. For a refresher, that episode can be found here:

Front Row & Backstage
Trust, Money, & Guts, 1975: Recording The 2nd Stephen Michael Schwartz Album-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW PT. 4
In Part 3 of the Stephen Michael Schwartz Exclusive Interview with Front Row & Backstage, Stephen was auditioning musicians for a proposed tour following the release of his debut, self-titled RCA album. Songwriting and direction for a follow-up album had begun, as well…
Read more
2 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Brad Kyle

RCA Records had released Stephen’s self-titled debut album in August 1974, and feeling the need to hit the road, he began auditioning and rehearsing prospective musicians who could travel. You’ll recall that Stephen’s album had employed all the best LA studio musicians, none of whom could (or wanted to) leave their cushy studio gigs for a road tour.

It took weeks of auditioning, choosing, and then rehearsing his new road band for the March 9, 1975 Williams/Bellingham gig. Stephen wracked his brain, recently, to try to recall just who ended up hitting the road with him!

Just as it was in the studio for Album #1, and back at RCA Studio A for the first four songs of aborted Album #2, Stephen’s one-night touring band was (if not at the time because of their youth and inexperience), a stellar collection of talented and eventually-celebrated musicians!

Click on their respective blue links below, and you’ll notice that while building star-studded playing resumes over the decades since, many have won recording awards, and some have even become award-winning producers!

Load the Bus: Roll Call!

“This is a tough one given I couldn’t find any solid notes or even pay stubs to verify the musicians I used, so I’m going by memory. But this seems right. Realize we only did one performance, but lots of rehearsals. Crazy!!!!

  • “Me on guitar and vocals

  • Robbie Buchanan on keyboards

    Home - RobbieBuchanan.com
  • Richie Zito on electric guitar

    Biography | Richie Zito
  • Jeff Eyrich on bass

    Jeff Eyrich – The Work
  • Willie Ornelas, drums  

    Willie Ornelas - The Sessions
  • Carmen Twillie, background vocals” (A gal named Afrika joined Carmen on back-up vocals, but Stephen couldn’t recall her last name)

    Carmen Twillie - IMDb

“Carmen Twillie,” Stephen informs, “went on to glorious fame making her mark on the world. ‘Circle of Life’ is a song from The Walt Disney Company’s 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King.

“Composed by Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice, the song was performed by Carmen Twillie (the deep female lead vocals) and Lebo M. (born Lebohang Morake), with opening vocals (in words he wrote) in Zulu as the film's opening song:


Race For the Mint Martin: The One That Got Away

Another from the Schwartz archives, 8 1/2 years before signing with RCA: “A rare photo of me (age 12) and drummer, Craig Cohen, performing our hearts out at a local talent search at an outdoor LA-area shopping center (November 1965). We called ourselves The Naturals, and we won First Prize performing Petula Clark’s hit, “Downtown,” one of my favorite songs at the time!!! As the winners, we were invited to appear on the local TV show, FUN FOR ALL (KCOP, Ch. 13), later that month! I have no photos from The Naturals’ performance on the actual TV show, but I recall seeing an 8 millimeter film that my father shot. God knows where that reel is today!”

“Funny you should ask about that guitar.” Stephen was responding to my question about a special axe he once described to me. “There is a great story behind it: 

“Back before we had ‘Craig’s List’ or even the internet, there was a weekly paper called The Recycler. Every city had their own version. It was chock-full of used items for sale in all sorts of categories. I would diligently grab mine each week, and thumb through the ‘musical instrument section’ in search of great offers on guitars. 

“Along with McCabe’s Guitar Shop, which was west of Los Angeles, near the beach in Santa Monica, there was another guitar store in Tarzana, near where I lived, in the San Fernando Valley, Norman’s Rare Guitars.

“Norman’s was very well known by the elite musicians of the time living in Topanga Canyon or Laurel Canyon: Stephen Stills, David Crosby, James Taylor, Neil Young, among others.”

“The owner was Norman Harris. I knew Norman pretty well, as I frequented the store many times to see what new (old) inventory he had. The vibe in the store and the guitar collections hanging on the wall were similar to McCabe’s in that they catered to vintage, expensive and rare musical items...thus, the name Norman's Rare Guitars.”

Normans-Rare-Guitars-(guitar.com) | POP!

“OK, I’ve set the stage for the story: 

“As usual, I would buy my Recycler, which came out every Thursday, turn to my favorite section, and suddenly there it was: An ad for ‘a 1923 Martin guitar w/case, price $175 obo (or best offer).’

“I call the number, speak with what was clearly an elderly woman, and asked her a few questions about the guitar. She knew very little about it, but said it had been under her bed in its case for many, many years. ‘It was small and dark brown,’ she said. 

“I told her I’d be right over to look at it.

“It turns out she lived in the city of Downey, a good hour away from my home in Canoga Park. If the guitar was in great shape, for that price, I would have driven to the moon. 

“I hopped on the famous 101 Freeway (made famous in song, ‘Ventura Highway,’ by the group, America), for the long haul to Downey. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a car and a face I'm all-too-familiar with: It's Norman, and he's looking determined to get somewhere!

“I know exactly where he's headed...Downey!! Suddenly, he recognizes me, and the race is on!  We bob and weave through traffic. Suddenly I lose him. Don't know if he's ahead of me or behind me.

“I finally make it to the address I was given and pull up to the house. No sign of Norman’s car. I rush up to the door and knock. I’m greeted by a lovely older woman, maybe 70-plus years old. She shows me the guitar. It’s in pristine condition. I give her the exact amount she was asking for...$175. No need to haggle down. She was satisfied that I met her price without quibbling.

“I shook her hand, and as I turned to leave, Norman pulls up, seeing me walking out with a 3/4-size guitar case. He’s pissed, but gives me a ‘congratulatory smile.’

“‘Can I see it?’ he asks. I oblige him, opening up the case to reveal a treasure of a guitar: A mint condition, 1923 Martin 0021 Koa wood.  

“Every time after that, when I saw him, Norman would ask me, ‘How's that guitar doing?’

“Norman had tons of great guitars in his shop, but I think this was the one that got away!”

Stephen (from his personal collection), playing his 1923 Martin 0021 Koa wood (with distinctive and rare interlocking grain) acoustic guitar, circa 1978, four years after his debut album was released. “No, it wasn’t bought at McCabe’s,” Stephen explained recently, recalling the race with Norman to obtain it, “Although it would have been so much easier if it had been!”

Schwartz Stories #1 & #2 here:

Front Row & Backstage
Schwartz Stories #1: Viva Hilton! Stephen Michael Schwartz Meets RCA Label-Mate Elvis Presley, Las Vegas 1974-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
The Las Vegas Hilton: Setting the Stage “I had just finished recording my debut album [Stephen Michael Schwartz, about which more can be read here], and RCA asked me if I would like to fly to Las Vegas and attend an Elvis Presley show at the 30-story Hilton, August 27, 1974. It was a nice perk recording on the same label as ‘The King…
Read more
3 months ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Brad Kyle
Front Row & Backstage
Schwartz Stories #2: Jackson, Joni & Stephen Michael Schwartz, 1972-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Front Row & Backstage is proud to welcome Stephen Michael Schwartz, former 1974 RCA Records singer/songwriter/guitarist. If you’re new here, welcome; Stephen’s telling his story about those mid-’70s days wading through the turbulent waters of the record biz, and…
Read more
2 months ago · 4 likes · 3 comments · Brad Kyle
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Gayle Rees-Miller
Apr 17Liked by Brad Kyle

A true musical icon!

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Writes Deplatformable Newsletter Apr 16Liked by Brad Kyle

Fun...lucky!

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