A while ago (in ‘dude time that would be after Foonspeeders but before the other bands that came later) Mike and I recorded and played with a great songwriter and brother-from-another-mother named Thomas Reed Smith (find the first TRS record “I Need A Change” in the iTunes store).

The remnants of Foonspeeders (Scott Haumesser, Mikey and myself)  recorded “I Need A Change” with Tom, serving as the backing band. It was my first effort at producing songs for someone other than myself, and I tried to stay away from changing the song structures.  Instead I suggested instrumentation or harmonies, and we worked on arranging the tunes and getting different sound textures for his songs.

The project was a major learning experience for me, and for Tom as well.  I introduced Tom to recording in the home studio, and to recording at commercial studios.  Tom introduced us to Mike Sells spicy pork rinds.  We all already knew Mickey’s Malt Liquor.

We had a great time.  For a while would do “iron band” gigs with Tom.  First Scott, Mike and I would play for about 90 minutes, then we would take a break before backing Tom for about an hour doing his songs.

It was during this time that Mike and I started evolving from the more pop-oriented Foonspeeder style to the amalgam of rock and funk and other stuff that comprises drunkdude69.  Much of that evolution was a result of playing relentlessly.  In fact, we were at the top of our live performance game at the time, even pulling off songs like Liquid Soul‘s “Threading the Needle” and “Fried Grease” by the Greyboy Allstars.

Based on our rehearsals we have a way to go to get back to that level as a band.  The only way to do that, of course, is to play a lot.  Playing in Skinny Moo has made it abundantly clear to me that when you play all the time with the same guys, everything eventually becomes greater than the sum of the parts.