Gary James' Interview With
Steve Morse



What a diverse musical career Steve Morse has had! He just happens to be the founder of The Dixie Dregs and now he's part of Deep Purple. Along the way he also played with Kansas. When we caught up with Steve Morse he was Mexico with Deep Purple.

Q - Steve, it wasn't that long ago that you were touring Russia. What is the Russian marketplace like for Rock groups? Do they have radio stations that play American/British Rock music?

A - Well, as a visitor it's hard for me to generalize what it'd be like to live in Russia, but I can tell you they have a very vibrant black market for CDs and music. It started back when it was illegal to have Rock 'n' Roll. And so, there are a lot of countries we have gone to with Deep Purple where you see copies of albums that are obviously done in a copy shop and nowadays with digital music is just taken electronically so you don't see it as much any more. Back when we first played there almost every album you noticed the color was wrong. It was different.

Q - How then does Deep Purple make any money? Through merchandising and concerts?

A - Yeah. In many, many, many countries including Russia there's an underground market for merchandise and it's much cheaper out in front of the venue where they basically counterfeit the stuff. So, the way you make money is only at the gigs. Just like in the U.S. almost. The bottom line is the people, because they were repressed about music, they're really into music. They're very emotional about that. They really embrace bands from the era where it was illegal. There's just a huge passion for it. Russia is a very capable country. There's many just awesome musicians in there. So, it's not like they need more people to come in there to play for them. I think they just appreciate the way the period of time has evolved from Soviet to The Wall coming down and music sort of tells the story of that.

Q - Are there any Russian Rock groups?

A - Oh, yeah. We see them. We often play with them. They have just like us, the old timers who've been around and seen it all and done it all and are really great, experienced player and then you have the young, flashy up-starts with incredible technique. It's just not so different from the U.S. at all.

Q - You actually worked as a commercial airline pilot from 1987 to 1988. What airline was that?

A - It was an Atlanta based, regional airline that did the Delta connection.

Q - Sounds like a pretty good job.

A - Yeah. It was hard to get at the time. There was not a pilot shortage. There was a job shortage. I had lots of friends that were pilots that gave me advice about what ratings to get and how to write your application. My idea was I was going to keep writing and recording music, but just not ever have to depend on the music business for a paycheck again (laughs) That didn't last too long because I really am more of a musician than an airline pilot in terms of holding my interest.

Q - I suppose it could get monotonous flying to and from.

A - That's what you do as a regional pilot. You work hard and of course you start with no money and you slowly work your way up. Looking at the big picture, I just realized that every business has its ups and downs and things you don't like about it and maybe I should just try a little harder in the music business to deal with the things I don't like.

Q - If you hadn't studied guitar at the University Of Miami School Of Music, would you still have had the career you've had? You did have a knack for playing guitar, so what did they teach you?

A - Oh, boy. That's a big question and kind of open-ended because, alright, I'm making a long answer out of a simple question, but that's what I do. First of all, you can't split yourself into two different people and go back into time and say, "What would it have been like if I hadn't done this?" But, I can tell you being able to look at any chord progression and see what are the key notes and what are the diatonic notes and non-diatonic notes for instance in just a few seconds, it enables you to see lots of possibilities quickly. The idea of what's a melody going to be and where does that really come from, obviously that doesn't come from schooling. But just having tools in your tool belt that are not rusty, I think it really helps. It's really helped me.

Q - I look at a guy like you and think you're almost too good for the bands you're playing in.

A - Nobody thinks that. (laughs)

Q - Thank God for that, right?

A - Yeah. There's nothing easy about being on the road and playing in a band because of the travel. The travel is in close quarters with the other guys and when you're writing or traveling together or doing an album you have to have good chemistry and be able to get along. So that's what I think is my most important quality. I do like people. I like projects that are bigger than the individual. I like being a part of something where I would never have thought of the stuff that's in the song. Somebody else thought of it and added to it. After years of writing my own music with the Dregs, it's been a nice challenge for me to embrace more of a group culture, writing wise. So, I do my best to carry my weight and never stop learning. You never stop trying to improve.

Q - When the Dixie Dregs signed with Capricorn Records, it was what, 1976, or a little before that?

A - About that, yes.

Q - Okay. That was just about the time Southern music was its peak. And when Skynyrd's plane crashed in 1977, that was probably the tail end of that era. That's how I see it anyway. Is that how you see it?

A - Well, I guess you could think in terms of big bands and everything, but then again there were Southern players like Jimmy Herring. He was just a kid then. So, there was a lot more to come out of the South to contribute to the music scene, but I guess you're right. The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd of course, those were the glory days when they had the biggest records and all of the original members and nobody had died. I don't think something had to be at the very top of the charts in order to be valid. I've lived my life that way. If you look at the music I write, none of it's aimed at being number one on the chart. It's all about just how the music makes you feel and how close it comes to expressing yourself.

Q - That sounds nice, but how do the guys in suits feel about that?

A - Say if I was at a party and there's guys in suits there, they'd be talking to other people. Nobody would be talking to me. I didn't expect to be running toward the nearest trend. That's not what I got into this for. That's kind of what drove me out. I tried various jobs because I quit the music business twice once the Dregs broke up.

Q - What did you end up working at?

A - I baled hay for people. I had a little bulldozer. I would knock over trees or clean up brush or dig ponds and also had a big mower. I would cut people's fields.

Q - That's about as far away from a stage as you can get.

A - Yeah. My point is the music; I was hoping to have music be at this totally reverent place that I could go that was immune from any business considerations. I sort of begrudgingly got back into it. Then I went full board into it. Whatever it is, whoever I'm writing with, I'm going to write the best I can to try and fit whatever the gig is. I'm gonna jump in and give it my best. Whether something sells or not is usually not the best indication of how good it is in my book. Yes, every big name artist is very talented. No question about it. There's so many people in hidden parts of the world that are just playing their butts off and they're having trouble just getting a gig. Yes, it is a big deal to be number one in something or to have your fifteen minutes of fame, but it's a long, long, long road if you're blessed enough to have a normal lifespan. I think what you accomplish in that lifespan is the most important thing, not how many awards you have for sales or whatever.

Official Website: www.SteveMorse.com

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