Permanent Record Podcast: In Conversation With Billy Vera (Part 1)

In Conversation With Billy Vera (Part 1)

Jul 15, 2024

Episode 173: In Conversation With Billy Vera (Part 1)

Sarah usually writes these show notes, and on the rare occasion that I fill in for her, I do something silly - I either make them really short or I have ChatGPT help me by doing most of the work. This time, I asked to do them because I am still in shock that this episode exists and because it was a true thrill to speak with an artist who has been a favorite of mine since I was 16!

After discovering Billy Vera, along with many others of my generation, thanks to the hit comedy "Family Ties", I would go on to collect his entire catalog, with the exception of "Queen of Diamonds / Jack of Hearts" by Evie Sands & Billy Vera which I haven't been able to find yet. I will one day though! I would watch him on TV shows like "Wiseguy" and "Into the Night", where he served as a late-night bandleader and often performed his wonderful songs. I would occasionally be surprised and excited to spot him in movies throughout the 80s and 90s. He was doing so many great things, and doing all of those things at a level which should have made him a Super Star if there was any justice in the world.

With all of his various talents, songwriting and singing are where Billy truly shines, so getting to talk with him about his career and his music was an amazing experience. In this first episode (of two), we touched on so many topics, even going back to the mid-1960s and some of his earliest songs. I really hope you will enjoy this discussion on some of my favorite music.

Topics that we cover in this first episode:

· Billy's upcoming trip to Italy to perform and to receive an award at the Porretta Soul Music Festival
· Working with Jerry Wexler
· Writing songs professionally in NYC in the 1960s
· A song he wishes he wrote
· Writing "Room with a View" with Lowell Fulson
· Working with Bonnie Raitt
· Recording "Storybook Children" with Judy Clay
· Playing the Apollo Theater
· Thoughts on songwriting
· Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era and "Don't Look Back"
· His 1988 Capital album "Retro Nuevo"
· The three styles of Production
· Working with Lou Rawls and George Benson
· Working with Arif Mardin
· How did Jim Keltner become a Beater in 1988?
· Working on the Blake Edwards movie "Blind Date"
· Hanging out with Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Kim Basinger
· Meeting L. Russell Brown
· Being "inspired" by Loni Anderson
· Writing his biggest hit "At this Moment" and the story behind the song
· Writing Brian's favorite BV song "Here Comes The Dawn Again"
· Releasing his biggest album on Rhino Records
· Doing promo work in the 1980s
· Advice from his mother