Since this issue of The Hub is featuring Wichita Falls’ own Bowling for Soup, I think it might be appropriate for me to exploit my connection with this exceptional group of musicians! The first time I heard these guys (outside of my studio) was in a Dillard’s department store in San Antonio. They were blasting one of their songs through the speakers in the ceiling. This may not seem like the best scenario to hear someone for the first time, but surprisingly, it sounded great and actually had some volume pumping, too! I was tempted to buy two brand new suits right then and there!! Now, that’s some shopping music!
But on to my first encounter! A very young and pre-Bowling for Soup member, Jaret Reddick, came to me with a collection of songs that for some reason needed to be finished up in my recording studio. If I remember correctly, it seems he had recorded some of the tracks before he got there, but needed additional help. I remember that each song title was only one word (I remember one of those titles being Winnebago! Is that right, Jaret??), and my first thought was that this young man thinks things through! The music was tight, his singing was great, and the songs were quirky, but very musical, and brimming with a sense of humor. When Jaret finished, I told him how much he owed me and he looked kind of surprised and said, “I thought you were doing this as a hobby”. I explained that Outback Studios was actually a business that fed my kids, paid my bills, and allowed me to be a very snobby capitalist!! Somehow we worked it out (I think he paid me! Lol!), but I always worried that it got me and Jaret off to a shaky start. Hope all is forgiven…
I guess things weren’t too tense with Jaret’s new band and me, because on down the road Chris Burney, another Soup member, called and asked if I could digitally re-master their first album. Basically, I recorded their analog master straight to my Digital Audio Tape recorder (they were rare in those days) and then got credit right on the back of that album: “Digitally Re-Mastered by Johnny Divine”! I’m still very proud of that.
My next encounter was being at a gas station in Burkburnett when Jaret pulled up in a brand new van. He told me he had just bought it for Bowling for Soup and they were going to tow an equipment trailer behind it, hit the road, and see what happens! Well, it happened! Continued congratulations To Jaret, Chris, Erik, and Gary. You deserve it!
-Johnny Divine
