Pheaturing Brinsley Schwarz From Graham Parker And The Rumour

Hello, kids, and welcome to the latest entry of the Phile, for a Sunday... Super Bowl Sunday! Are you excited about the Super Bowl? The pregame coverage, of course, began on Labor Day. Both teams are coached by Harbaughs. I'm sick and tired of hearing about Harbaughs. They're now getting their own shows, "The Harbaughs" and "Keeping Up With the Harbaughs." If you don't know what I'm talking about, you have Jim Harbaugh coaching the 49ers and you have John Harbaugh coaching the Baltimore Ravens. I mean, can you feel the electricity? The Harbaugh brothers were very close in college. As a matter of fact, they dated imaginary twins.  49ers wide receiver Randy Moss told his teammates that they are in New Orleans on a business trip and they’re not there to have fun. Then he went back to his job: catching a ball for money.  Are you going to a Super Bowl party? I'm not. Super Bowl parties are a lot of fun. It's also a really great way to give your friends all the flu at once.  A study conducted by a religious research institute says 27 percent of Americans believe God has a hand in determining which team wins. So if you're praying for a new kidney this Sunday, sorry, God has the Ravens and the 49ers. Of course God cares about football. He created a girlfriend for Manti Te'o out of nothing. If God really is influencing NFL games, that would mean he isn't in church on Sunday, so why should I go?  The big news is that Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis may have used a performance-enhancing substance called deer antler extract. That explains how Lewis has been preparing for the game... staring into a set of headlights. Lewis once again denied using the banned substance deer antler velvet extract. He says these accusations are nothing more than a trick of the devil. Today Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, "Why am I getting dragged into this? I had nothing to do with it."  There's a petition going around asking President Obama to make the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday. That's a good idea. After a long, exhausting day of sitting on the couch watching TV, I need a day off. The petition has almost 12,000 signatures. Do we need a day off after the Super Bowl? Isn't that kind of disrespectful to our real holidays?  To compete with the Super Bowl on Sunday, TNT is airing a marathon of “Law & Order.” Now viewers have two places to see Ray Lewis.  In other football related news, former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino has admitted he fathered a child while having an extramarital affair with a CBS production assistant. And today Manti Te'o said, "See, that's why you have imaginary girlfriends." I don't know why people are surprised with this news... the Dolphins never gave him good protection. Remind me one day to tell you my Dan Marino story.  There's other news going on apart from the Super Bowl. In a big meeting of the Republican National Committee, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal told the GOP to "stop being the stupid party." Then Texas Governor Rick Perry gave the rebuttal.  According to the New England Journal of Medicine, smokers lose at least one decade off their life compared to nonsmokers. However, the cost of living has gone up, so it's cheaper to buy cigarettes now and die sooner.  According to a new report, it now costs $351,000 to raise a child for 18 years. And you can double that again waiting the next 18 years for that lazy kid to move out of the basement.  Subway has officially apologized to any customer who was served a foot-long sub that didn't measure a foot long. Is that how fat we've gotten in this country now... where we're threatening legal action if our subs are an inch too short?  Women serving in the United States military will now be serving in combat. Finally there will be somebody in the tank who will stop and ask for directions.  The price of a stamp goes up a penny, to 46 cents. To make sure everyone received the news promptly, the U.S. Postal Service announced it by email. This cent-by-cent thing by the post office is annoying. It's how Disney gives me raises. Some people think email has ruined the art of letter writing. I disagree. Email has us writing more than ever. But email has ruined the art of licking. Most stamps these days are self-adhesive. You don't even need to lick them anymore. So now I've got all this extra saliva. Stamps are something that the pilgrims used before we had the Internet. It will now cost you 46 cents to mail a letter. Some people are complaining about the price even though it's a penny more than the old price. You're not allowed to spend $4 on a cup of coffee and complain about a cent.  Yesterday, kids, it was Groundhog Day. I am not sure if the groundhog saw his shadow, but he was holding a sign.

Cheeky bastard.  Nine years ago there was an infamous wardrobe malfunction in the halftime show at the Super Bowl. If you don't remember it, here's a picture of what happened...

This year at the Super Bowl the halftime show will be done by Beyonce. She released this poster to advertise it...

This is sad, Former President George W. Bush announced Friday that his dog, Barney, passed away. I don't have a day or time of death for poor Barney, but let's just say the nice, cute little critter, not a bitch, apparently, got Huxleyed by an 88-year-old Koch. Here's a picture of George and Barney, kids.

Barney's the one not extending a finger...  As you probably know by now, the Phile is running a campaign to get Kelly Clarkson on the Phile. Spread the word, people. It will be done.

And now let's see who recently ate it.

Ed Koch
Dec 12, 1924 - Jan 31, 2013
When asked about his sex life by the press in his early 70's, his response was "Fuck Off". I like this guy.

Patty Andrews
Feb 16, 1918 - Jan 30, 2013
She was a famous singer chick from Minnesota way. Both her sisters thought that she might be gay. She was plenty old at 94. But then her number came up and now she's here no more. She's in the ground now, placed there carefully. She the crusty, dusty singing chick in the cemetery.

Alright, it's Super Bowl Day, and as you probably know all through the football season my good friend Jeff and I have been doing our football picks. I won last year and this year he is kicking my ass. Anyway, please welcome back to the Phile, Jeff Trelewicz in a pheature called...

Me: Hey, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile. How have you been?

Jeff: It's great to be back on the Phile. Things here are going really well and I hope all is well with you and your readers as well.

Me: Okay, I take it I can't win. I picked the Patriots and some other team to make it to the Super Bowl and I was wrong.

Jeff: Yes, you can't win this year. There will be no Dynasty for you. Instead I won, because I at least picked the 49ers to win by three and they won by four. So I am now up by five points with only one game to go. I am sure you are waiting for me to gloat about my victory, and you would be wrong! I will gloat when I win back to back seasons next year.

Me: Smooth, Jeff. LOL. Okay, let's pick this final game, and put me outta my misery. I say the Ravens by four. What do you say?

Jeff: I think this year's Super Bowl is too close to call. But I will agree with you that the Ravens will win. I say they will win by three points though. Every time I pick against the Niners they seem to win, so who knows. It will be a great game with hopefully lots of great commercials too.

Me: So, are you looking forward to Beyonce in the halftime show?

Jeff: I really could care less about Beyonce. I'm not a big fan of her music. I don't think she is bad, but it's not anything I am truly looking forward to.

Me: I feel the same way. Alright, I'll have you back next week to talk about the Bowl, and I'll officially announce you as the winner this year. Where's the fucking Kleenex?

Jeff: Talk to you next week!


Jeff Trelewicz, everybody. So, it's February and in a few weeks it's the Oscars, so I thought I will give you some cool Oscar facts over the next few weeks so you can show off at an Oscar party you might find yourself at. So, here's a new pheature simply called...

The Hurt Locker sets the record as the lowest grossing movie to win Best Movie in the Oscars. The 82nd Academy Awards winner of Best Picture, The Hurt Locker has broken a new record in the movie industry. The Hurt Locker bagged 6 Oscars out of nine... a remarkable feat considering it is the lowest grossing movie ever to win the Oscars. Word has it that it only earned $21 million, that's less than 2% of what Avatar has made in domestic ticket sales. Woody Allen's Annie Hall, which made $38 million after its 1977 release, or about $130 million when adjusted for inflation, held the previous record.

Okay, he's singer, surfer, patriot, renaissance man, and good phriend of the Phile. You know what time it is.

Good morning humans... up and out, Super Bowl Sunday. Go Ravens! So, I'm stuck in NYC traffic a bit ago. This woman behind me leans on her horn (as if THAT'S gonna help). I wave at her in the rearview mirror and she screams, "Very funny, asshole... MOVE IT!" So I put my car in park, got out and began pretending I was a mime trapped in a box. She now really leans on her horn... a cop come over, points to a sign that reads NO HONKING $300 FINE and then writes her a ticket. I took a bow, got back in my car and left the scene. Sometimes, these things just work themselves out...

Laird Jim, everybody. Thanks, Laird.

The 23rd book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club is...

Phile Alum and author Jim Korkis will be a guest on the Phile next Saturday.

I am so excited about today's pheatured guest. He is an English guitarist and rock musician. He formed a band named Kippington Lodge in 1965, which evolved into the eponymous band Brinsley Schwarz. He is a member of Ducks Deluxe and Graham Parker and the Rumour, whose new CD "Three Chords Good" is available on iTunes and Amazon. He is also the fourth guest to be on the Phile that was in the movie This Is 40. It's a great honor to have him here, please welcome to the Phile... Brinsley Schwarz!

Me: Hello, Brinsley, welcome to the Phile. I can't believe you are here, I am a huge fan. How are you?

Brinsley: Okay, thanks, a bit jet lagged right now.

Me: I don't know where to start, sir. What part of England are you from? I was born in Balham, South London myself.

Brinsley: Born in Sussex, by the sea.

Me: Do you remember the first time you came to America? What was the first state you visited and what was your first thought of America?

Brinsley: Landed in Washington DC, played first gig there, first thought of America ... 'it's hot here'. Of course that would have been followed, later in the year, by 'bloody hell, it's cold here!'

Me: We moved to New York in '74, and my first memory was going to Jack In the Box through the drive-in. My dad was Dave Peverett from Savoy Brown and Foghat. Did you ever cross paths with him?

Brinsley: 'Fraid not.

Me: There's one thing I always wanted to ask, how did the band Brinsley Schwarz go from Kippington Lodge to a band with your name? It's similar to Bon Jovi and the J. Geils Band, bands named after people. Yours though, had the whole name. Did anybody in the band say, "I want the band to be named Nick Lowe." or "I want the band to be named Ian Gomm?"

Brinsley: Not my idea to call the band Brinsley Schwarz, we were to have a meeting to discuss a new name and by the time I got there, it was a done deal! Ian was not in the band at that time.

Me: Of course he wasn't. Duh. I have to be honest, sir, if I was in the band, I would of said, why does it have to be your name. Has anybody complained?

Brinsley: Only me.

Me: When the band broke up, did you follow Nick Lowe's career?

Brinsley: Not really, too busy on the road and recording with GP and The Rumour.

Me: You met Nick Lowe in school, right? And Martin Belmont, who has been on the Phile twice, you met him when he was a roadie for you, am I right?

Brinsley: Yes, met Nick at school. Met Martin before he became our roadie.

Me: When did you first meet Nick Lowe?

Brinsley: 1961?

Me: I interviewed Sean Tyla about Ducks Deluxe, another band you are in, and asked him where that name came from and he couldn't remember. Do you remember?

Brinsley: No, they were already formed for several years when I joined for a short time in 1975.

Me: Brinsley, one of my favorite albums is "Silver Pistol" by the band Brinsley Schwarz. What is your favorite album you played on?

Brinsley: "Max" by the Rumour, and the USA released version of "Purity of Essence", also by The Rumour, which has just been released on CD for the first time in the US.

Me: I ask everybody from England from that pub rock scene if they hear from Dave Edmunds as he is not on Facebook, or doesn't have a website. Do you see or hear from him often?

Brinsley: No, not at all, and he wasn't really involved in the 'pub rock scene'. I don't have a website and not on Facebook either!

Me: You know, that's a good point about Edmunds not being in the pub rock scene. I saw this great photo, and Edmunds is not in it but you, Nick and Martin are.

Me: I asked Martin if there's ever gonna be a Brinsley Schwarz reunion and they said something like that will never happen. I am sure people said that about Ducks Deluxe and the Rumour. Do you ever see it happening?

Brinsley: Martin's right, that will never happen.

Me: How is everything in Ducks Deluxe? It must be cool playing in that band again, sir. You guys are working on a new album, right?

Brinsley: Yes, I'm enjoying playing with Ducks Deluxe at the moment.

Me: Okay, let's talk Rumour. If anyone asked you a year or two ago if you think that band and Graham Parker would ever get back together, what would you of said?

Brinsley: Probably not.

Me: What was that first gig you guys did with the Reunion at the documentary screening like?

Brinsley: I wasn't present at that gig.

Me: What did you think of the documentary?

Brinsley: I haven't seen it yet.

Me: You guys, in the Rumour are now movie stars. When you heard about the movie This Is 40 what did you think?

Brinsley: I don't think you could call us movie stars, we appear in the film for just for a few seconds, and we're not acting, just playing ourselves. 'Mmmm! just what I need at 65 years old, where was this when we needed it?'

Me: Did you like the movie? What was the premier like?

Brinsley: I liked the movie. We turned up at the theatre, hung around inside for a bit, went to our seats, which were comfortable, Judd said a few words, then we watched the movie which was good, then we went across the road to the after premier party which was a lot of fun!

Me: How hard do you think it was to get everybody involved in the band? Was there anybody hesitant at all?

Brinsley: I don't know, I said yes pretty much straight away.

Me: Let's talk about "Three Chords Good". Graham wrote all the songs on it, right?

Brinsley: Yes.

Me: The tour you just did was a big success, was it fun?

Brinsley: Most of it was. Some of it, like the flying, wasn't.

Me: How many songs did you have to relearn or learn, Brinsley?

Brinsley: Twenty-nine. Graham decided that it might be good to change some of the keys, so I had to unlearn what I'd played and known like the back of my hand for 35 odd years, forget it completely, and then relearn in a different key. Don't know why he did that, maybe it was just his way of having fun or perhaps he felt he needed to keep us on our toes!

Me: You played on my favorite GP album of them all, "Mona Lisa's Sister". Was that the first time you played and worked with GP after the Rumour broke up?

Brinsley: I rejoined Graham in 1981/1982 for the tour that promoted his first album without the Rumour, "Another Grey Area". I stayed with him until 1989, played on all the albums , producing/co-producing "Mona Lisa's Sister" and "Human Soul" and played with him on all tours through that period. We parted company amicably and I retired from professional guitar playing, and continued my work as a luthier, which I began in 1981, and later turned to guitar amp modifying/building and guitar effects pedal building as well. I still am a luthier/amp/pedal builder.

Me: So, I asked Martin this, and when GP comes back on the Phile, I'll ask him... do you think they'll be another Rumour tour and album? With the movie it'll give you guys some juice.

Brinsley: Lips are sealed at present.

Me: So, I have guitar techie people who read the Phile so I have to ask, what type and model do you play, Brinsley? Do you like playing lead or rhythm best?

Brinsley: I play a made in 2000, Gibson Les Paul 1960 classic reissue, that I have reshot, refretted and pretty much completely refurbished, and which is fitted with Monty's Guitars pickups. A 1957 Gibson Les Paul VOS reissue. Both are gold tops, I have a self built Stratocater with Fralin pickups and a built in Mad Professor Forest Green compressor. A Fender Roadworn Telecaster Deluxe with Monty's Guitars humbuckers. A 1971 Gibson 335, a 1958 Gibson Les Paul Junior, and a 1966 Martin D18 and a 1972 Guild M20. I play through a Roadrunner amp, which I built myself, which is a 40 watt, 2 x 10 combo, although I rebuilt it as head for the tour in the US and used it with rented twin reverb speakers. I also use three Roadrunner overdrive pedals (built by friend Andy Eales and myself), an Analogue Man Prince of Tone, a Mad Professor Deep Blue delay, a Mad Professor Golden Cello and two Wampler Ego Compressors, all powered by a Pedal Power 2. For recording, whenever I can, I use my own 16 watt Roadrunner 1 x 10 combo, play in a separate room with at least three mikes placed well away from the amp. My rented choice of recording amp would be a real Vox or JMI AC15 or 30.

Me: Wow. I didn't understand hardly any of that. LOL. Do you prefer playing live or recording?

Brinsley: I just enjoy playing the guitar.

Me: Brinsley, please come back when the next project comes out. Thanks so much for being here, it is an honor. Go ahead and plug any website and take care.

Brinsley: Thanks. Go to Monty's Guitars website for pickups and facebook.com/RoadrunnerPedalCo for Roadrunner Overdrive info.

Me: Thanks again, Brinsley.

Well, that does it for this entry of the Phile. It was about as long as a game at the Super Bowl. Thanks to my guests Jeff Trelewicz, Laird Jim and of course the great Brinsley Schwarz. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Phile Alum John Bentley from Squeeze. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Enjoy the game. Strawberry Blondes Forever!