My Good Ol' Days

Vaughn McMillan

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A group of seasoned veteran Albuquerque musicians got together a while back and decided to put this song and video together to celebrate the heyday of live music in Albuquerque. The song is new, but the photos shown in the video are from the good ol' days in the '80s and early '90s. My band, Off The Wall, was at the beginning of that era, but my OTW bandmates (particularly the bass player and lifelong friend Jeff) continued to play professionally through the '80s and into the '90s. (I got out out of the biz in the early '80s, but stayed connected to the scene through the rest of the '80s. And I'm once again playing in a band with Jeff.) In addition to an old Off The Wall promo shot, this video has several shots of Jeff in other bands, as well as some of Donnie, the drummer in my current band. Among the many great guitarists shown in this video are some that were students of mine, some who were equals, and others who I looked up to. Many of the people in the photos in this video are still great friends of mine. There are a few in this group who have gone on to bigger careers in music. Most of us eventually got real jobs and started living relatively normal lives. Some of us are still weekend warriors, playing much simpler gigs for fun and pocket money. And a few were lost along the way to illness, addiction, or poor lifestyle choices.

Michael Tinker, who spearheaded this effort, played in a band called Sassy Jones back then. They were one of the best of the "A" list bands. (All the bands featured in this video were "A" list bands.) Here's what Michael posted to describe the video. Being a part of this scene was one of the best times of my life:

There was a time when you could walk into any number of nightclubs throughout Albuquerque, NM and see and hear some of the best Rock-n-Roll and Pop Music in the country. I know what you’re saying, “Albuquerque”? Yes my friends, Albuquerque. And that time was the 1980’s.

Night after night for more than a decade, in smoky rooms filled with desire, the people would storm the doors, flood the dance floors, and howl at the moon all night long. On any given night you could stop by anyone of these clubs to see and hear world class musicians along with hundreds of fans out for a great evening of music and entertainment. This was our world, our passion, and our playground, and play we did. The energy and passion produced on, and off stage, was returned a thousand fold by the fans, friends and family who came out. We had band mates who would go on to conquer the music world on a global level and some who conquered the world in other ways. There were also those who could not go on, and to those brothers and sisters we pray they rest in peace. Our mutual love of music is what brought us all together at that special time and place. We lived, loved, laughed, and even fought with each other. We grew up and grew apart, but never too far apart as witnessed in this short video. Breaking Band is an attempt to capture and share those wonderful and incredible times in a way that has a special meaning to all of us who were there. It is not about reliving glory days or rewriting the past, in fact quite the opposite. This is about new beginnings while recognizing our shared time, and oh what a time it was. Now on to the future and the next generation. The stories we tell are true, even though no one believes them, and that my friends makes them even more special. There are far too many bands and individuals to mention, but I want you all to know one thing. We love you, we love the time we have spent together, and we love that we are all still in touch, and still a part of each other’s lives. One thing is for sure, “We were shadows of the radio, and it all felt so right”.Much love for all

Breaking Band


 
Great video and a nice tribute to the bands of the time. Assuming you are the handsome devil on the right? Hard to tell by the tats because more recent pics of your arm are all in a cast!!!:D

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