I think we kind of freaked a bunch of folks out on that session, there was so much energy in the room and we had one of those massive American flags like you see at big automobile dealerships, and we would spread it all over the entire floor of the studio (or anywhere) and it was so big that we could drape it over most eveythang in the studio and still it would stretch out in to the hall. I mean, we were "The American Eagles," and that was way before there was ever groups called "America" or "The Eagles." Sometimes I think it's a terrible blessing to be ahead of your time. But how can a blessing be terrible ? Well, looks like I've done it again....but I can't help it when my train of thought collides with my stream of consciousness - down by the railroad riverbed!
Someone get the license plate of that train - either that, or fish me out of the stream! John, this is better than Satur- day night at the movies! What else have you got tucked away for us - how about your friend, Eddie Hinton? Yes, sweet Mamalama. Hinton knew and lived exactly what he was he was singin' about on that song and so many others. But my fa- vorite thang about Hinton and his music was that on most of his songs he sounds so opti- mistic and upbeat and positive in the face of what seemed to be a totally hopeless situa- tion. That's what's so great about Southern soul music and R&B that had its musical roots in black church, as opposed to that old wornout cry-in-yo'-beer-blues genre that gets so much attention these days - those kind of hopeless blues leaves me cold. Eddie Hinton was the real deal--his songs
were well-crafted, well executed and delivered with every ounce of soul on his body. I re- member once, Hinton and me were livin' to- gether in a house in Florence, right after I came off the road with Sailcat - 1972 or early '73 - and Eddie woke me up in the middle of
(Dick Cooper Photo)
the night to tell me about a dream that he had - he did that a lot - his dreams that happened while he was sleepin' were very real to him and they all had special meanings to us. This one night he woke me up and he was very ex- tremely excited. He shook me until I wrote up and he was just wild with joy, and he said, "Johnny, I just had this amazing dream and Otis Redding was in my dream and he taught me how to make his secret recipe for mayon- naise!" I knew exactly what he was talkin' about! I'm fretting about why Otis was con- cerned about mayonnaise, considering every- thing else that he was famous for - but Otis did do things his own way - God bless him - and the mayonnaise, too! I'll never look at a tomato sandwich the same wayagain. •
KUDZOO would like to also dedicate this story to the memories of Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, Delaney Bramlett, Otis Redding, and Ray Brand.
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