Davy's On The Road Again Ch. 15

"Yes, Davy, I do understand. But...if I could set you up away from the house and hopefully capture you against the sky with an eagle flying by...then I have the picture, I mean, the perfect picture."

"Annie, I can't say no to you. But you have to promise that the picture shows no discernable place, you understand, right?"

"I do, Davy, and you know I love you and I won't fuck with you. Now, just stand over here and look handsome."

We walked out along the side of the house where the mountain peaks rose in the distance. As if on cue, an eagle swooped up and Annie snapped three shots before he was gone. "There, done. That didn't hurt, did it?"

We got back into the bus and quietly drove back down to the house. Everybody in the bus was humbled by the place, even Andy. He sat next to me as I drove and he asked about the Native American rites and religious services that were held there. I told him that I really didn't know about them because I had never seen them occur and furthermore, we were not welcome there as it was their private place. George said something about mescaline and peyote buttons.

When we pulled up to the house, there was a sense that the men were not welcome inside so I asked them to follow me to our private lake. We walked through the backyard behind Andy and a very playful Santo. Mark took the opportunity to light a spliff remarking that I needed it. He wasn't wrong. When we got to lake, we sat around the gazebo and talked about the spread. I explained that it was fifty-five acres in total with three streams and a lake. Danny was quite impressed and commented upon how well Amy and I had handled the building purchase in town. He liked the idea of the caretaker's cottage and the security gate saying that it would only increase the value of the place. He also felt that our high-end shopping village would make millions of dollars and was a shrewd use of lousy property. George reminded me that we had to be at the studio in an hour and that we should get back up to the house. I agreed and we all began to walk back. I pulled Jack and Danny to the side.

"Jack, I'm going to be making some changes to arrangements of my estate. Now, Danny is the person who makes all final decisions with me. I trust his advice and counsel like no one else. You know, many of the people you see around you this weekend have all turned to Danny to handle their affairs. He is the man. However, I'm telling you this because I'm going to set up Carla and Emma to operate and decide over my properties. I want to expand the trusts for everyone, especially the children. I want you to work with Danny in developing accounts with your firm. Basically, I want to expand access to each of you to the tune of about twenty-five million dollars a year." Jack's jaw dropped. "But you must understand...Danny is your guide. Trust everything this man tells you and follow his advice. When you get back to New York, Danny will arrange a meeting with all of you and help you to sort out my wishes. What is the purpose of waiting until I'm dead? Let's enjoy all this money today. Right, Danny?"

"Right, Davy. I promise that I'll make it easy and that everyone will be very happy."

"Davy, I don't know what to say."

"Look, Jack, just stay married to my Emma and do right by her and the kids and you'll have said it all...and just make sure there's room for Amy and me in East Hampton come August. I promised Jimmy I'd play at his benefit."

The house was bustling with chattering women. The staff was serving lunch. We had about a half hour before we left to go to the studio. It was past noon so I opened the bar and started serving up short ones. Soon, it was time to go. Since there was no place to park Big Chocolate, I suggested we pile into cars. Mark, Stevie and I piled our gear into the back of the Escape and Danny and George piled into the back. Comments about the car flew as I drove - everyone had seen the commercials. Danny commented that he thought Jack, who was following in the Jag, might have shit himself during our talk. George said he nearly shit himself when the eagle did a loop-de-loop in front of us. Passing a joint around the car helps conversation flow...at least, sometimes, anyway.

We pulled up to the Studio where our guests were crowded around and shooting the shit. As soon as I got out of the car, Shadow and Van Dyke pulled me aside. "Davy, my friend, everything is well and under control. Jamie and his people should have the studio set up in a few minutes. Now, if it's all right with you, Mr. Parks and I would like to run these two songs. We both know how you like to record and we want to do this around you. The first song we want to do is "Domesticity." Now Van really liked the autoharp and violin combination that you did last night so I'll turn this over to him."

"Davy, here it is. Gadd on drums and Hillman on bass. Mark and Stevie. I have a piano bottom I'd like to add under your guitar. I'd like you and Bob to swap some lines. Basically, Bob sings with you on the chorus and then you and he swap the lines, "With a sturdy wooden floor/And a solid wooden door/And a table with fresh baked bread/Made with five different types of grain" and sing the last line together. When we have that down, Graham wrote a counter-melody harmony part with David and Jackson. Linda floats over that. It's sort of reminiscent of "Our House" and it's pretty. What do you think?"

"I'm in your hands, Van. Let's do it."

The players congregated in the studio and we went over the music for about fifteen minutes. We nailed it in two takes. I remarked that it looked so good to have Shadow behind the glass again and everyone nodded. Bob and I recorded the vocal in two takes. On the second take, we were both having so much fun, you could hear the giggle in our voices as we nailed the verse. Then Van conducted the singers in their harmony part and that took three more takes before everyone was satisfied. It was a wonderful addition to the song: "There's an ottoman for my feet, there's a soft cushion for my seat, there's a fireplace throwing heat, There's a glass of cognac neat, Ain't this life sweet." As the counter-melody ends, it meets Mark's violin florish and Stevie's arpeggio chord. Sweet.

I called everyone in and we gave it a listen. It was good. I knew it, everyone else did, too. It brought a knowing smile to your face. Bob and I nodded to each other. It worked.

Shadow smiled at the response. He cleared his throat. "Now as long as I have you all together, I want to talk about "Big Chocolate". This is going to be a Shadow Morton production. I mean, full widescreen. I been thinking about this all night. Now I want to make this sound like there's a huge party going on inside this bus, like the bus is three hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. Everybody is on this song and I don't mean just the chorus. After we get the track down, I'll lead you all through your lines. When we're done, Jamie, Jackson, Jimmy and I are going to do a little magic. Okay? You got me? I need Gadd, Hillman, Crosby, Parks, Chuck D, you're on congas...Stevie, Mark,...where's Lukather? Begley? Give Begley the tambourine...Okay good, everybody else get out of here."

Mark showed everyone the rhythm and how the song drives like the wheels on a road. Steve laid down a beat that was reminiscent of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", sort of a loping steady roll of a trotting horse or maybe a slow train. Then we laid it down - three takes and done. Shadow had me add a tracking vocal. Then he kicked me out. Over the next hour or so, he called in different people to do their parts. All of sat outside and smoked joints, cigarettes and cigars, we drank thick shakes courtesy of the ice cream shoppe and talked about the tour. I was advised not to smoke anymore dope or Amy could claim that I was stoned when we got married and have it annulled. Not bloody likely. I posited that she might be smoking a joint too and therefore it would be a double negative. The street traffic was stunned by all the famous faces hanging out and several times we were too busy signing autographs to hear Shadow call for us. I also noticed that Laura was flirting a lot with Tim, Jamie's right hand and studio manager. I'd noticed earlier that he was a pretty good guitar tech. Finally, it was done. Shadow asked me to come in and sing the song again, this time like I meant it. Then he told us to get lost, to go to a restaurant and he'd send a runner over to get us when they were finished.

I led everyone over to the hotel where Stevie had all sorts of finger food served. About forty-five minutes later, Tim came in and announced that it was ready. We walked back into the studio and Shadow asked us to put our seatbelts on.

It started with the sound of a quiet humming diesel going down the road as the band kicked in and faded up. There were sounds of glasses clinking, people laughing and a fairly wild party going on. My voice came up.

"Got a full house, rolling down the street
Got my baby right beside me, our dog under her feet
Got my buddy and his fiddle by his side (an O'Flannery flourish), Got his missus looking sweet.

Then the voices began to take lines.

Got an upstairs terrace (Shadow), got a dumbwaiter, too (Danny),
Got a shower with a lot of heads, to hit you where want them to (Chuck D),
Got solar heated water (Van Dyke) and a cold box full of brew (Jimmy).

Everybody, in a raucous chorale:

Big Chocolate keeps rolling,
Big Chocolate keeps rocking,
Big Chocolate keeps reeking,
Big Chocolate keeps going and going and going and going...

Got a tilting bed (Andy) and big TV screens (Jack),
Got a clothing dryer and a washing machine (Linda),
Got a toilet that flushes into a compost machine (Ed).

Runs on diesel, lithium and solar cells (Elon),
With a smaller footprint (Graham), it's green to the extreme (David),
With all the extras, whistles and bells (Jackson),
It's the travelers' motorized traveling dream (George).
It's Davy (me), Elon (Elon) and Ed's (Ed) Big Chocolate Supreme (the three of us).

Now me alone.

Got a full house, rolling down the street
Got my baby right beside me, Santo's under her feet
Got my buddy and his fiddle (another O'Flannery flourish), Got his missus looking sweet.
And when I pull out my guitar, and light up a cigar (Bob), everything's complete.

Big Chocolate keeps rolling,
Big Chocolate keeps rocking,
Big Chocolate keeps reeking,
Big Chocolate keeps us going and going and going....easygoing and going and going and gone."

The track ends with the music fading down, the party fading down and the sound of the diesel moving down the road. Over the sound of the diesel, you can hear the "click-click-click" of Annie snapping pictures. Graydon says, "That'll work if we crop it a little." Annie replies in the fade out, "Crop it! My ass! Crop this!"

We were screaming when it ended. I mean rolling on the floor laughing and screaming. Jamie handed out CDs with printed labels to everyone, I told Shadow that Amy, Deb and Santo were going to want to get in there, too. Jamie said that Shadow assumed that and he'd left spots to add more voices on the master. There was a lot of high-fives and Ed was out-of-his-mind happy. But damn, it worked. It was funny and we all had a blast cutting it. And it worked!

It was almost five by the time I settled with Jamie and we were on our way back. We drove slowly so we could suck up the roaches. Andy had already raced into the house with his copy of the CD when we got there. "Domesticity" was ending to a round of applause as we walked in. Then "Big Chocolate" came on and by the time it ended, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. First, Emma led a rousing cheer for Andy, who was beaming. I told Amy, Deb, Sally, Emma, Carla and Angie that on Monday, we'd go down to the studio and add their voices as well as a Santo bark. That seemed to mollify them, especially Angie. I took her around and told her that I didn't forget about her and that I saved a place especially for her. Throughout the whole thing, Amy just shook her head.

I was punchy. I asked Amy if I could take a half-hour nap. Since we had until eight-thirty, she said I could have an hour but I couldn't have the bedroom so Mark and I fell out in his bed. Forty-five minutes later, I got my shaving kit and my clothes from the bedroom and brought them back to Mark's room. This turned out to be a smart move as Deb used our room to dress as well as help Amy, as if she needed any help. But, you know, this is what they all do, fussing with brides.

It really took me no time to shower, shave and dress. In fact, I think Mark, Stevie and I spent more time taking bong hits. I must admit, I did look pretty sharp in my Nudie suit, open collar and new boots. I was tempted to wear my cowboy hat but I just couldn't bring myself to go there, although the boys egged me on. At eight, the chauffered Rolls-Royce pulled up. It was a classic old Silver Cloud and it looked neat. I knocked on the bedroom door and Amy stepped out, radiant in a light pink gown and knock-out red lips. Damn if she didn't look spectacular. I handed her a bouquet of pink roses and lilacs. She attached a boutonniere to my collar. Our friends and family all looked beautiful and applauded us as we slowly walked to the limo. Amy asked me to make sure I walked slowly as it was years since she'd worn high heels. Fortunately, she packed a bag with flats so she could dance. I wanted so to kiss her but I didn't dare to mess with her make-up.

We led a caravan to the Inn. She babbled a lot and I teased her for being nervous. We talked about the afternoon's recording party and she said that listening to the tracks, it was obvious we had a blast. She really, really loved "Domesticity" and she suggested a harmony part she wanted to add under Linda. I agreed with everything she said, whatever she said. A few minutes later, we pulled up to the Inn and she ran off to the Bride's Room but not before the E.T. cameras caught her in flight. I spent five minutes with them and it was a funny five minutes as Jimmy, Jackson, Chuck and Mark kept interrupting and mugging for the camera.

I greeted our guests as they filled the cocktail room. I made sure to ask Stevie if he had the rings and he assured me that he did. Stan and Nancy were playing and they had added Jimmy Ibbotson on mandolin. It was a very mellow sound. Rabbi Mintz asked that I meet Amy in the office to sign the marriage license. Stevie and Sally joined us as our witnesses. Finally, it was time to get married. I looked in Amy's eyes and told her that all my life I'd waited for this moment, that I loved her beyond any love I'd ever dreamed about, that I would love her forever and beyond that, too. She told me that she was going to cry and it would fuck up her make-up so I should just cut it out and save it for later. We laughed and headed toward the chapel.

As Stan and Nancy played, Angie walked in first, all pink and girlie. She tossed flower petals as she walked and her smile was ear to ear. Listening to our guests "ooh" and "ah" just made her smile wider. Andy was next. He had Santo on the leash as they strolled down the aisle. Santo was wearing a white shirt collar with a black bow-tie. He seemed to be laughing as Andy led him to the front row. Stan and Nancy began to play "Here, There and Everywhere" as I requested. I was next with my daughters on either side. They left me as I walked to the chupah. Stevie and Sally escorted Amy down the aisle, Gasps filled the room as she proudly walked, beautiful, stunning woman that she is. I noticed that Annie was snapping away and I was glad that these photographs would be special. As they approached the chupah, Stevie came up to my side and Sally walked to the opposite side. I turned and took my bride's hand as we stood before the rabbi.

I don't remember very much of what happened next, it's all a blur. I remember turning to Stevie for the rings and him going through his pockets and not finding them. He dramatically snapped his fingers and ran over to Santo, who had them tucked in his collar. This brought great laughter. I remember us exchanging vows and placing the rings on our fingers. I remember crushing the glass. And I remember the Rabbi saying, "By the power vested in me by the State of Colorado, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Feeling our lips meet and feeling the glow surrounding us is a moment I shall cherish forever. And what a sweet kiss it was, too.

We turned to see our friends standing and cheering. Handkerchiefs were daubing eyes and everyone was beaming and shaking our hands. Annie was snapping away in front of us. It was all such a blur. I can sing before ten thousand people easier than I get married, that's for sure. I think I can still feel my cheeks stretched out from my wide shit-eating grin.

Annie pulled us to the side to take a portrait and then surrounded us with our wedding party and then our extended wedding party. Annie let E.T. film it, too. Santo sat happily in every shot, except the portrait, of course. Then we waited to be announced into the ballroom. Amy changed into her flats. I looked at Amy and asked, "Are you happy now, Mrs. Harper...making an honest man out of me?"

"And what about me? Now I'm an honest woman...and honestly, I want to fuck you silly...right now! Let's split this scene and get a room. I have connections."

I heard a voice introduce us as "Mr. and Mrs. Davy Harper" and the big doors opened. We entered to a very joyous party. Walking to the center of the dance floor, we were surrounded by everyone, shaking our hands and hugging us. I can tell you, there was a lot of love in that room. Much later, Amy and I agreed that it was one of the most unforgettably jubilant moments ever. It definitely was. Mark hit the bandstand and he and Nancy duetted on "Oh, How We Danced On The Night We Were Wed" which was Amy's choice reflecting an old family tradition. We waltzed around the room until people broke in on us. I whirled around the room with Emma, then Carla, then Angie, then Deb and finally Sally. Finally, we sat down at our table surrounded by the same friends and family. I told Angie that she was the prettiest flower girl I'd ever seen. Stevie stood up to make a toast and the room hushed, clinking their champagne classes with spoons.

"Welcome, friends. Davy and I met when we were eighteen and selected to share a dorm room at college. He's been my best friend and my inspiration ever since. Sally and I met a few months later and Davy was the Best Man at our wedding a few years later. Sally and I met Amy when she was a young woman fresh out of college looking for a summer job as a waitress in our first restaurant. She's been our best friend ever since. So we all go way back, if you know what I mean. It was not luck that brought these two together, it was Sally and me. We knew that Davy had driven his little camper across the country to meet the woman who would become the love of his life. We also knew that Amy, sitting alone in her mansion on the hill, was waiting for her Prince Charming, her Rock Star, to sweep her away. From the moment these two met, I knew that one day soon I'd be making this toast. So, here's to my best friends, to people I dearly love, and to the greatest love any of us have ever witnessed, let's wish the best of everything to Amy and Davy Harper!"

A roar went up and champagne glasses were raised. Amy and I blushed and kissed each other. We then got up and kissed Stevie and then Sally. Then the party started for real. Everything was perfect...the food...the music...the dancing...the camaraderie. All through the night (and, I might add, as the liquor flowed), there were more toasts. Danny spoke about meeting me in 1972 and how I became his first client. He thanked me for making him very rich and looked forward to many more big paydays. Mark toasted me calling me an artistic inspiration and with Amy, for making his own marriage to Deb more meaningful. Jimmy made a toast about how I taught him to get high like a true rock star and to still be able to finish a song. He concluded by saying, "Now that's a pro." Linda got up and made a toast to Amy saying that singing with her is as natural as singing can be, that she had the voice, the phrasing and the smarts of a seasoned pro and finally, that she'd be glad to harmonize with us anytime. Amy was blushing and she whispered to me that Linda was full of shit. Bob got up and said how he's always envied my ability to knock out a song and tell a story as if I was telling a story to my friends. He said that while he always suffered through his creations, it came easy to me. He repeated the line about sometimes when he was stuck, he'd think of me and how I would say it. I leaned over to Amy and whispered how full of shit he was.