Danny Kortchmar stopped by for a Something Else! Sitdown with Preston Frazier that delves into his new all-star project, the Immediate Family, as well as key career moments with Don Henley, Neil Young and Toto:
PRESTON FRAZIER: Thanks for taking the time to talk about your current single with the Immediate Family, “Cruel Twist.” Why are you now focusing on a group project, after two solo albums, and EP?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: It sort of fell together. It started when I was offered a record deal in Japan. I thought, “How would I do an album?” Then I realized my boys were in town – Russell [Kunkel], Lee [Sklar], Waddy [Wachtel] and Steve Postell. So, I thought this was the way to go. They all agreed to work with me. We looked at each other and thought, “This is a band.” I was offered a tour in Japan. At that point, I gave it the name, “Immediate Family.” We’ve known each other forever. I always wanted to be in a band, and it was great to be one with my dear pals.
The album was called Honey Don’t Leave L.A., under Danny Kortchmar and the Immediate Family. It went from that to a deal here in the states with Quarto Valley Records. Our new album, with all new original material, should be coming out in the fall. I call us a cover band that plays all original material, since we play songs we wrote that were performed by other people.
PRESTON FRAZIER: The single “Cruel Twist” was written with Harvey Brooks?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Yes, the famous bass player. We wrote the song more than 20 years ago. It was originally from the album Slo Leak, a blues project a while ago. We made three albums. Harvey came up with the title of the album. Those albums were fun to make and “Cruel Twist” has a great feel which fits the Immediate Family well.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You coproduced the album with Steve Postell and Fred Millan?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Yes, it was recorded at Groove Masters studio with the band together. That’s something you don’t get a lot of today. Of course, that’s how we came up. Those records we made in the ’70s and ’80s were musicians in a room. That’s a novelty today.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You have produced a series of greats, including Don Henley, Toto and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, among others. Let’s talk about when you started bringing in programing and sequencing.
DANNY KORTCHMAR: In the ’80s, a lot of the stuff I did with Don Henley reflected the technology that was coming out at the time, and we embraced it. We loved it and wanted to do it all. Don also wanted to go a different direction than the Eagles.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Niko Bolas engineered “Cruel Twist.” You’ve worked a lot with him. How many songs are you releasing on the upcoming album?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: We think the album in the fall with have 12 songs. It will be available digitally and on vinyl.
PRESTON FRAZIER: The songs are group collaborations?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Some are. Waddy and I have worked together for so long that we are good collaborators. He and I worked on several of those songs together, and we worked with Steve as well. Russ Kunkel contributed to the songwriting too. He has a lot of experience as a writer. Some of the tunes I started by myself, then Waddy would finish them up. He always has great ideas.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Do you keep a deep bench of songs?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: I usually like to write songs for a specific project. I like to feel truly inspired. I want to know the project will come to fruition and the songs will be recorded and the song will come out. When I was working with Henley, if I came up with a piece of music he liked, we would start recording right away. I was constantly trying to come up with new stuff that he could use for his projects.
PRESTON FRAZIER: How did Steve Postell become involved with the Immediate Family?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: I met Steve 14 or 15 years ago in L.A. We had a mutual friend and when I moved to LA, he had a studio in his house and is very talented, so we enjoyed collaborating. Steve contributed a lot to pre- and post-production of the albums. He’s invaluable, and he has a strong tenor voice and is a great guitar player. We have three guitar players, but we don’t spend time deciding what we are going to play. It falls together. Waddy and I have really different styles, but it melds very well. He and I have done a lot of projects together for many, many years. Our styles are different, but we both play loud.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Waddy, Lee and Russell tour a lot, but you not as much.
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Well, I toured a lot in the ’70s, but once I started working as a producer with Henley, I gave it up. I wanted to be in town for projects and taken more seriously as a producer. At that time, you couldn’t do both. Now it doesn’t matter.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Did you tour with Slo Leak?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: No, not really, just a few shows.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You have performed a number of iconic guitar solos, including “It’s Too Late” by Carole King and “Hurt So Bad” by Linda Ronstadt, among many others. Has your approach or style changed over the years?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: No, my playing is still based on blues and soul music.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You’re done some really great overlooked solos on Henley’s albums. The one on the song “Long Way Home” is an overlooked classic.
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Yeah, that’s a beautiful song. I think it included Jeff Porcaro on drums, Leland Sklar on bass and Benmont Tench [of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers] on organ. Benmont is one of the best you’re ever going to get.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You handle the lead vocals on “Cruel Twist.” Has your vocal approach changed?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Yes, I have focused on my singing. I started using an app developed by [James Taylor backing vocalist] Arnold McCuller. That really helped me build my voice up, and helped me perform my own songs. I’ve gotten to work with some of the best vocalists around. I aim for presenting my own material the best that I can. The recording of the vocals and the entire album was a breeze. With that band, you don’t need more than one or two takes to nail a song. We have a telepathy. Niko Bolas is an amazing engineer. He used Pro Tools and captured the band perfectly, with a great live feel.
PRESTON FRAZIER: The album is coming out in the fall. What’s it going to be called?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: It going to be called Can’t Stop Progress. We are very proud of the songs, and our playing. It’s rock in roll.
PRESTON FRAZIER: As a change of pace, you’ve worked on so many albums that I love. What can you tell me about Toto’s Kingdom of Desire?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: I produced one song that I wrote [with Stan Lynch], “Kick Down the Walls.” I do a lot of writing with him. He’s a very, very bright guy. I also wrote the title track. I was doing a session with Jeff Porcaro and I played a cassette of the song to him. Jeff said, “That’s great; Toto has to do it!” I was in the studio when they laid it down. It was an honor.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Tell me about what you remember from the sessions for Neil Young’s Landing on Water?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: I’ve known Neil for a long time. Everyone knew everyone in those days. It was a big family in the ’70s. Neil got a Synclavier [programmable synth] and was experimenting with it. He heard the stuff I did with Henley and asked me to coproduce with him. The first thing I did was call [drummer] Steve Jordon and Niko Bolas to work on the album. I love that album; the album stands the test of time. It’s a terrific album. It got lost in the shuffle because Neil went to war with Geffen records. Neil is a force of nature.
PRESTON FRAZIER: How about Don Henley’s I Can’t Stand Still?
DANNY KORTCHMAR: That was the first one with Henley. He wanted to make a powerful solo album because Glenn had made a solo album. In fact, I played on Glenn’s album (“I Volunteer”). My style is rock ‘n’ roll and soul music, so it was different than the Eagles. We went a different direction and used a lot of new gear. “Dirty Laundry” is a good example of utilizing the technology.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Thanks for your time. Before we go, tell me your Top 5 favorite albums.
DANNY KORTCHMAR: Oh, boy! Muddy Waters – Live in Detroit; the Beatles – Revolver; the Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St.; Miles Davis – In a Silent Way; and Jimmy Reed – The Best of Jimmy Reed.
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