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Norm Prusslin

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From left, LIMEHOF board member Barry Fisch, Albert Bouchard, LIMEHOF board member Kelly Leung, and LIMEHOF co-founder and board member Norm Prussian. Photo by Steve Leung
Albert Bouchard playing the cowbell. Photo Credit Steve Leung
Norm Prussian hosts discussion with Albert Bouchard. Photo by Barry Fisch
Albert Bouchard, the former Blue Öyster Cult member who played the cowbell on the recording of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"reflects on the impact the Long Island band has had on pop culture. Photo by Steve Leung

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook hosted LIMHOF inductee Albert Bouchard on Feb. 22. The former Blue Öyster Cult member who played the cowbell on the recording “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” reflected on the impact this Long Island band had on pop culture. 

Bouchard spoke about the writing of the song, the famous Saturday Night Live skit “More Cowbell” which aired on April 8th, 2000 starring Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell, and how the expression “I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell” remains iconic!

“I love being a part of this organization (LIMEHOF),” Bouchard said. “Everyone’s like “How come you’re not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I don’t really care about that. To me, you look at what’s going on there it’s not all Rock and Roll and that’s a subjective classification anyway. This, you’re talking about music and entertainment. It’s exactly what it is. It’s properly named, and you have the real people. It’s not just a popularity cult contest. It’s people who really made a difference from Long Island so I think this is a fantastic organization to belong to and I’m really delighted to be part of it.”

Norm Prusslin, co-founder LIMEHOF and current board member organized and hosted the event. He said it’s an important part of the organization’s mission to host inductees and local artists to share insights and stories most people might not know about historical events they lived through and the ups, downs and pressures of the music industry.

“Albert has been a good partner of LIMEHOF since we started,” said Prusslin. “Clearly all the hoopla about the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary year and the fact that the ‘More Cowbell’ skit has been one of the top skits ever in their 50-year history I thought it might be fun to see if Albert was available to come out and talk about the recording of the song and about the skit and the impact that the skit has had to the band and to him and to pop culture itself. I knew that since Albert was a former member of Blue Öyster Cult, and that band was formed in Stony Brook, there’d be a lot of interest for people to come out and to share some stories that people may not know.”

Bouchard said he didn’t know SNL was planning on running a skit about the recording of the song at the time it aired, so it came as a surprise to him when he heard about it. He originally thought it was going to be terrible but after seeing it his reaction was one of delight.

“Oh my God this is so funny!” Bouchard recounted. “This is like just what happened… then I thought, how did he even hear the cowbell? To this day I cannot watch it without smiling. There’s always some little bit that makes me go ‘oh my God’ that was it.”

One major error that the skit made that Bouchard corrected was the producer. The SNL skit had Christopher Walken playing the famous music producer Bruce Dickinson. The original credits list three producers of the song — David Lucas, Murray Krugman and LIMEHOF inductee Sandy Pearlman. Of the three it was David Lucas who had the idea to add in the cowbell.

The back story about the producer mix up is that the writers of the skit saw a credit for Bruce Dickinson from a compilation album, not the original record of the song, which lead to the confusion.

Bouchard went on to explain how it happened in real life and that there were similar debates about including the cowbell at the time. At one point Bouchard wanted to play a triangle instead, but that was changed to a cowbell.

“David wanted to hear the cowbell in it,” Bouchard explained. “I never quite understood why he wanted it and then a couple of years ago he said … ‘I wanted some pulse, some quarter note pulse like a metronome but not a metronome to balance off all those eighth notes. Everything was eighth notes the whole song if you listen to it’… The cowbell balances that with a quarter note pulse. A brilliant idea when you think about it.”

“If it was up to me, it wouldn’t be on the song,” Bouchard continued. “I never would have thought to put a cowbell on it. It was David Lucas’s idea, and I just happened to be his tool to make that happen since I happened to be in the studio at the time…. It worked, that’s the bottom line. The cowbell riff worked, the cowbell skit worked, the song worked. It’s all about making people feel good.”

About LIMEHOF

Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook. To date, the organization has inducted more than 130 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.

To find out more about upcoming LIMEHOF events, check out https://www.limusichalloffame.org/events/

 

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Ernie and the Band perform on Dec. 1 at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook. Photo by Steven Zaitz

By Steven Zaitz

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) held a jam-packed, two-day 20th Anniversary Holiday Celebration Party, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, at its museum in the back section of Stony Brook Village.  

The event featured continuous Long Island-connected entertainment giants, including Mark Newman and his band, Kerry Kearney, DMC, with Johnny Juice, Stanton Anderson, Ernie & the Band and American Idol contestant Christian Padavan. During the two-day event,  music videos of LIMEHOF inductees played on the wall-sized screens throughout the museum, as visits from Santa Claus took place. The gala also did its part in community support by organizing a Christmas Toy Drive in partnership with Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church’s Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center, supporting 1,500 children in need on Long Island during this season of giving. 

From left to right: LIMEHOF board of director members Norm Prusslin, Jim Faith, Tom Needham, Jeffrey James and Ernie Canadeo discuss the evolution of Long Island music scene with the crowd. Photo by Steven Zaitz

On the first day, LIMEHOF board of director members, including Chairman of the Board Ernie Canadeo, Norm Prusslin, Tom Needham, Jeffrey James and Jim Faith waxed nostalgic about the origins of the organization, its trials and tribulations throughout the years, how it established its current home in Stony Brook and its association with Long Island music legends like Billy Joel, Twisted Sister, Mariah Carey and Blue Öyster Cult. 

“Long Island, the people in the area, and the artists of the area were so happy that we have established this organization and this place,” said Faith. “In the 1970’s and 1980’s musicians were told to say that they were from New York City, because the perception was that Long Island wasn’t “cool.” No musician has to say that anymore. They can say they are from Long Island because we helped change the perspective of music on the Island.” 

In attendance on Saturday was Larry “Duck” Dunn. Dunn was a disk jockey at WLIR, a station which introduced “New Wave” bands like Long Island’s Stray Cats, INXS, The B52’s and Depeche Mode, to area listeners in the 1980’s. He sat and listened as the LIMEHOF board of directors spoke of the past, present and future of the music scene on Long Island.

Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage being an important resource, which should be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook Village. To date, the organization has inducted more than 120 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships and awards to Long Island students and educators.

Photo by Steven Zaitz

Since 2004, the not-for-profit organization will now be able to be recognized in a permanent home. The space — covering 8,800 square feet — features a large exhibition area, theater, gift shop and an official “Hall of Fame Museum.”

“We always wanted a permanent home, but for a long time the organization never had enough money,” said LIMEHOF Canadeo. “We were using a 1998 Winnebago as a mobile museum for many years and now we are lucky enough to have this beautiful facility.”

Aside from original concert posters and promotional material that adorn the walls on both levels of the building — much of which is related to Hicksville-raised Billy Joel — the museum features artifacts, such as musical instruments, famous awards, apparel and other memorabilia from many of Long Island’s favorite artists. The wide variety of talent represented by the 120 inductees includes names like Joel, KISS, LL Cool J, Debbie Gibson, Louis Armstrong, Vanilla Fudge, Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond and Run-DMC, among many others.

LIMEHOF is also proud to partner with Steven Van Zandt’s TeachRock.

Launched by Van Zandt, who is not only Bruce Springsteen’s longtime guitarist, but also starred in the HBO hit series the Sopranos, created TeachRock, along with Bono, Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese and Springsteen, to provide free, standards-aligned resources, which use music to help K-12 students succeed in science, math, social studies and language arts. 

TeachRock improves students’ lives by filling every classroom with the sound, stories and science of music.

It aspires to keep the arts in the DNA of school systems, empower teachers with a methodology to engage a generation with the internet in their pocket, create inclusive spaces through the arts by providing teachers well researched, abundance-framed classroom resources, which feature positive representations of all Americans. This is done in the hopes of increasing graduation rates.

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Robin Wilson induction ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF
Robin Wilson induction ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF
Robin Wilson induction ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF
Robin Wilson induction ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF
Robin Wilson induction ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF

Valley Stream resident and Gin Blossoms’ lead singer and guitarist Robin Wilson was recently inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) at their new Stony Brook museum location.

“There are so many great musicians that are a part of this Hall of Fame and I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” Wilson said. “People like Joan Jett, Blue Oyster Cult, Billy Joel and the Stray Cats and Zebra and Twisted Sister so to be part of the same Hall of Fame as all of these great artists just means the world to me, I’m really proud to be inducted.”

Robin Wilson is the singer/songwriter/guitarist for the multi-platinum album selling and Grammy nominated band Gin Blossoms and guest lead singer for The Smithereens. Wilson is the voice powering FM radio staples ‘Til I Hear It from You’, ‘Until I Fall Away’, ‘Hey Jealousy’, ‘Follow You Down’, ‘As Long As It Matters’, Allison Road’ and many more.

A longtime resident of Valley Stream, Robin is very involved in community activities and events. He has done several benefit concerts for the Valley Stream School District PTA and has hosted – on his front lawn- neighborhood live streamed concerts featuring a mix of local young musicians along with established performers such as Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, Graham Maby of the Joe Jackson Band and Willie Nile.

When the late Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens passed away in 2017, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros invited Robin and Marshall Crenshaw to perform with the band moving forward as alternating guest lead singers.

“Robin Wilson’s vocals and many of his songs have powered Gin Blossoms to remain being one of the most important and iconic American bands to come out of the creative diverse and influential 1990’s music scene,” said Norm Prusslin, LIMEHOF Co-founder when introducing Robin on stage during the induction. “Gin Blossoms are only one of a handful of successful bands from that period that have remained relevant 20 plus years on.”

Jim Babjak, Guitarist for the Smithereens spoke to officially induct Robin. On stage, Babjak recounted a story how they first met Robin in 1988 when the Smithereens were touring in Arizona and met him when he was 21 years old working at a local record store.

Gray Wilson, Robin’s son also spoke crediting his father with his own interest in music saying he wants to be a musician like Robin, but he’ll be able to play all the instruments.

After the induction ceremony, Wilson was joined on stage first by his son Gray and percussionist Ryan Wall to rock out an acoustic set of several Gin Blossoms classics. After that Jim Babjak (Guitarist, The Smithereens), Dennis Diken (Drums, The Smithereens), Graham Maby (Bass, The Joe Jackson Band) took the stage along with Robin to perform several Smithereen hits.

There was a large turn-out of local music fans and LIMEHOF inductee Albert Bouchard (Blue Oyster Cult) was also in attendance to show his support.

“I am so honored to be in this organization,” Bouchard said. “People say it’s such a sin that Blue Oyster Cult isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I don’t give a damn about that! This is the real deal right here. I mean an organization with John Coltrain, Lewis Armstrong, Run DMC, Billy Joel… all these great people not just rock but everything and that’s what I’m into, not just Rock I like all kinds of music…classical, jazz, even country and rap… I like it all.”

To date LIMEHOF has inducted over 120 musicians from a range of music genres from across Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn and Queens (which LIMEHOF considers geographic Long Island). This latest induction marks the fourth in the new LIMEHOF museum location since it opened last fall. The new building offers LIMEHOF more flexibility in scheduling to induct new artists throughout the year. Wayne Robins, Roger Earl and The Fat Boys were all officially inducted at that location since it opened. LIMEHOF plans to induct and honor new artists including in the entertainment field including actors, comedians and more.

For more information about events and future inductions please visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/museum/.

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Roger Earl and Norm Prusslin. Photo from LIMEHOF
Roger Earl with his wife Linda and members of Foghat. Photo from LIMEHOF
The band Foghat performed at the ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF
Roger Earl performed with his band Foghat at the ceremony. Photo from LIMEHOF
The band Foghat

It was a very Happy Birthday for Roger Earl of the band Foghat on May 21. In a surprise birthday party and induction ceremony, Earl became the latest inductee to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) at the LIMEHOF’s museum in Stony Brook.

Foghat is a hard rock band that was formed in 1971 and had several hit songs including “I Just Want to Make Love to You” and “Slow Ride”. The band has a rich history of performing on Long Island and even opened a recording studio in Port Jefferson in 1979 where they recorded the album Boogie Motel.

“I’m totally overwhelmed and really surprised that my manager lied to me,” said Earl, 77, of East Setauket. “I was absolutely blown away. I had no idea and to see so many people here… I didn’t know I had that many friends… It was terrific, very moving, overwhelming and I’m just humbled by it.” The surprise party was an idea from his wife and manager, Linda Earl, who went to great lengths to set up and keep the event a surprise, even convincing Roger that he was going to be the one inducting someone else.

“It was really intense,” said Linda Earl. “We had so many moveable parts. We played in New Jersey last night. Roger thought the band and the crew all went to the airport when in fact they came out to stay at a hotel in Stony Brook. He thought he was inducting Jim Faith (LIMEHOF Co-founder). He’s been practicing his speech all week… I totally had him hoodwinked from the beginning.”

After a the surprise party greeting, LIMEHOF Co-Founder Norm Prusslin took the stage to announce the surprise induction and it was musician and Roger’s friend Bobby Rondinelli (who played with several bands including Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Quiet Riot, Black Sabbath and others) who had the honor of inducting Earl.

“Roger is a guy I met before I played with any big bands and he treated me as an equal. He was always kind and supportive, just the coolest guy in the business,” said Rondinelli. “It is a good thing this isn’t a roast because I really couldn’t say anything bad about him. It’s long over-due. Roger’s been a Long Islander for close to 50 years and Foghat was a huge band and it’s just the right thing to have him in.”

After the induction ceremony the band members of Foghat including Earl took the stage and played a few songs.

“We are pleased to honor and welcome Roger Earl as a 2023 Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee,” said Prusslin. “A 50-year resident of Long Island, Roger is recognized as one of the top drummers in rock, first with Savoy Brown and then powering the band Foghat throughout a legendary catalog of million selling albums and a career of sold-out concerts around the world. When not on the road or in the studio, Roger has a long history of giving his time and talents to a variety of benefit and fundraising events on Long Island and in 2019 he was awarded an Arts Festival Partner Award for his support of students at Stony Brook University as a mentor, guest speaker and panelist.”

About LIMEHOF:
Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall Of Fame (LIMEHOF) is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook Village. To date, the organization has inducted more than 120 musicians and music industry executives, and also offers education programs and scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.

 

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Sandy Pearlman lived in Setauket, graduated from Stony Brook University

Sandy Pearlman. Photo from Ronni Hoffman

By Susan Risoli

Who wouldn’t want more cowbell? Samuel “Sandy” Pearlman — who may or may not have inspired the classic “Saturday Night Live” skit about the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper” — had a fever for living the creative life. The former Setauket resident, Stony Brook University alumnus, and celebrated record producer-lyricist-executive, died last week in California at 72. His friends remember a man whose imagination raced ahead while urging everyone else to keep up.

“He was a philosopher-king,” said Norm Prusslin, an SBU professor who first met him on campus in 1969, when Pearlman was managing a local band he called Soft White Underbelly. In this bunch of guys he met at his father’s pharmacy in Smithtown, Pearlman found musicianship that could turn his stories and poems into records. He loved to write about astrology, architecture, mythical figures and all manner of futuristic things, Prusslin recalled.

Blue Öyster Cult recorded “Don’t Fear the Reaper” in 1976. The song, written not by Pearlman, but by the band’s lead guitarist Donald Roeser a.k.a. Buck Dharma, was a track on the “Agents of Fortune” album recorded at New York City’s Record Plant. Pearlman co-produced the album. So … was he in fact the record producer parodied by Christopher Walken in the SNL skit?

Bassist Joe Bouchard said it’s possible.

“Sandy had that look, yeah,” he said, with a chuckle, of the leather jacket and dark glasses worn indoors.

“He was always very happy in the studio — excited to get the band to do their best.”
— Joe Bouchard

More important was Pearlman’s success at pushing artists to go just a bit further.

“He usually said he wanted more energy during recording,” Bouchard said. “He was always very happy in the studio — excited to get the band to do their best.”

Pearlman worked with other artists, producing the Clash’s breakthrough 1978 release “Give ‘Em Enough Rope.” He also produced the Dictators — a punk band many consider to be a sonic link between the Stooges and the MC5, and bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols — and he managed Black Sabbath.

Pearlman lived on and off in a house on Main Street in Setauket, a few doors down from the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library. Prusslin said he had been hired to teach philosophy at SBU, but plans were curtailed by the cerebral hemorrhage Pearlman suffered in December of last year.

Longtime friends Robert Duncan, and his wife Roni Hoffman, saw Pearlman often. Duncan said Pearlman was especially proud of “Imaginos,” a project started as a poem and turned into a song circle album.

Although Blue Öyster Cult played on it, “Sandy always referred to it as his ‘solo record,’” Duncan said. “I think he would say that was his crowning achievement, when that record came out.”

Pearlman was always “the smartest guy in the room,” Bouchard said. “He knew that if you just do a pop song, it’ll be gone in a year. If you do a song with a little more depth to it, it’ll have some staying power.”

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