Life Beat Slippery When Wet  by Scott Quinn

Make the most of any musical situation you find yourself in! I can’t overstate the need to be practical and yet creative. While working in the music store back in the early 80’s, I had the chance to meet many a fine musician and take advantage of many a musical situation. By listening, I learned a lot from local musicians.

Living on a Prayer

I can recall one time a gig opened up to play bass guitar in a working country and western band. I needed the money, so the next thing I knew, I was two stepping with the best of em! Yee-Haw! And, those gigs led to other gigs. Some time later, I  filled in for a guitarist and did a wedding gig! Wow, what an experience that was. I made good money, but the tunes were simply terrible to play! So, I needed to get back to the music I wanted to play. I met and played with a great local bassist named Gerald Carboy who did many albums with the David Sancious Band in the 70’s. Gerald taught me a lot about how to play my own music, and be true to myself. Needless to say, I haven’t played traditional wedding tunes in quite some time.

Wanted Dead or Alive

Being in the music biz can mean a lot of things! Like being a roadie for instance. Now, I never actually was a professional “roadie,” but I did help a “then unknown” act buy their equipment and set it up for their first gig! They had just got signed to a deal and needed some stuff for their first tour. So they ordered all kinds of keyboards, PA stuff, drums, cables and whatever, and needed it all delivered to their first gig. So, I made em a deal, I would give them all the stuff at a great price, personally deliver it and set it up for them at their sound check. In return, all I asked was that when and if they ever got big and famous, they would remember me and let me play one solo on one of their albums. They all agreed and it was done. Well, to make a long story short, which is totally impossible for me, they did go on to become rich and famous. So I waited by the phone for them to call to live up to their end of the bargain. Guess what, it never happened.

Runaway

So years later I am in California at a NAMM show walking around taking in the show, when who do I see walking down the carpet right at me? Yep it was them, Jon and Richie along with the rest of the band. I stopped, they stopped and then Jon said… “Scott?? Wow fancy meeting you here in California, you know we were just about to call you about playing on our next record…..” I said “sure you were.” They laughed, and quickly departed to some prearranged meeting somewhere. And I never heard from them again. Oh yeah, it was Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambura and band. Funny how fame changes folks.

You Give Love a Bad Name