Here is an interview I did via email with Davie Allan in 2004. Note the fancy fonts above!
MuzikMan: Where are you from and how did you get your start in the music industry?
Davie Allan: I’m a California native, born in Los Angeles. I became
interested in music quite young but it was seeing Elvis on TV that really got
me thinking about a possible career. In high school I met and became friends
with Mike Curb who would be my producer in the early years. We started doing
demos in school and then the first of two big breaks came when Tower Records
(Capitol subsidiary) released the first Arrows’ single “Apache ‘65.” The second
break came when we joined forces with A.I.P. (American International Pictures)
and started doing their movie soundtracks. “The Wild Angels” led to a couple
dozen biker and “B” movie scores.
MuzikMan: You decided to release your first Christmas
album after over 40 years recording, what prompted this decision?
Davie Allan: Two years ago I found
out that Little Steven was closing his Underground Garage radio show with
“Blues Theme.” I wrote and thanked him and a friendship was born. In June
of this year, he said I should do a Christmas album and that he would pay for
it and release it on his new label Wicked Cool Records. I picked the
tunes, arranged them,
recorded them, and then he came out here to oversee the keyboard overdubs.
MuzikMan: Little Steven has done a lot of great work
exposing worthy artists like yourself and I applaud his work. What was it like
working with him in the studio while producing the Christmas album?
Davie Allan: I had already
recorded all the tracks when he had an idea for the Christmas With The
Kranks film. He wanted a takeoff on “007” to go into “Hark The Herald
Angels Sing.” I put together an arrangement, Steven flew out, and fine tuned it
and played rhythm guitar on it. He then came out for three days for the vintage
keyboard overdubs. He is an absolute pleasure to work with and honest…what a
rarity today! That track didn’t make it into the film but we had a blast
recording it, however, "Feliz Navidad" did.
MuzikMan: At what point did you decide not to become a
rock star and concentrate your energies on movie soundtracks and instrumental
recordings?
Davie Allan: Actually, it all tied
in together. The soundtracks led to a few hits and a great U.S. tour in ’67. I’m still
trying to be a rock star! Kidding!
MuzikMan: Has the Sundazed career retrospective "Devil’s Rumble" help to define your career and gain you new fans?
Davie Allan: As thrilled as I am
for settling with Curb and getting the 60’s recordings re-released, I still put
my music of today on the front burner. Also, I have not seen a statement to
know how it has sold. There’s another part to the Curb/Sundazed story
coming up in the spring. Three of my albums from the 60’s (Apache ‘65, Blues
Theme and Cycle-Delic Sounds Of…) will be re-released on CD and Vinyl.
MuzikMan: Who would you consider to be the most
influential musician you have worked with?
Davie Allan: My early influences, bedside Elvis, were
Duane Eddy and Nokie Edwards of The Ventures. As far as someone I have
worked with being an influence, one name comes to mind from the 60’s-Billy Strange.
MuzikMan: What kind of music do you listen to leisurely, besides
other instrumental and surf bands?
Davie Allan: I don’t listen to
other instrumental bands and not much of today’s music but I love 50’s and 60’s
rock ‘n’ roll (especially Elvis and The Beatles), plus ELO and Heart from the
70’s and the big bands from the 40’s, especially Glenn Miller. I’m also a big
fan of Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra but my all time musical hero is Henry
Mancini.
MuzikMan: What do you see as the future of music delivery in lieu
of traditional brick mortar record institutions such as Coconuts, Sam Goody
etc.? There is a lot happening right now that wasn’t a few years ago. Can you
tell me what are some of the major changes you have witnessed since the 60s?
Davie Allan: I wouldn’t be
surprised if record stores almost become obsolete. The internet is definitely
taking over and unfortunately, it is affecting my Christmas album in a negative
way. It was released too late for the label to get it into the stores so for this
year it’s only sold through Little Steven’s
online store. Steven plans a big re-release next year.
MuzikMan: Are you or do you plan to actively tour to support your
recordings?
Davie Allan: We did a European
tour in '96 (it was my first since 1967!) and in 1999 we went to the east
coast. There haven’t been any other tours but we played at three festivals this
year (in NY, Atlanta and Spain) plus a big Halloween show in San Francisco.
MuzikMan: What kind of life style do have now opposed to when you
were young and restless (in LA)?
Davie Allan: Not much of a
difference if at all. I’m still trying to make some sense of my career, I love
movies as I did then and much of the same music. Also, I still stay away from
drugs and alcohol. Sadly, I have no faith in people today. I was naïve and
trusting back then and I sure paid for it. As I said earlier, Little Steven is
a rarity .
MuzikMan: What are your plans for recording in the immediate
future? Do you ever want to reach far beyond the realm you are accustomed to
working in-I mean totally shock your audience with something so different that
they will not believe it?
Davie Allan: We already have
another album in the works that is along the lines of Restless In L.A.
in that we’re adding vocals. The new album (working title: Moving Right
Along) has more vocal tunes and remakes of “Apache” and “Blues Theme” to
coincide with the 40th anniversary of The Arrows’ first recording
and first chart record (“Apache ‘65”).
MuzikMan: Is There Anything you would like to say in closing?
Davie Allan: I have to go back and
mention Steven Van Zandt again because I was quite close to hanging it up
earlier this year. Besides closing his show with “Blues Theme”, playing my
newer recordings and producing the Christmas album, he placed one of my tunes
on The Sopranos (“The Loud, The Loose And The Savage” from Restless
In L.A.) and had us open his “Underground Garage Festival” in New York on August 14th.
I now plan to submit the new album to him after the first of the year.
© Keith
"MuzikMan" Hannaleck
December
21, 2004
Visit Davie's Website @ http://www.davieallan.com
