The NY Subway System and an iPod shuffle make for a great couple. I love when something comes up I haven’t heard for a bit, and it sounds so good you play it a bunch of times. Of course, in the subway, there’s no phone, no email, no distractions really from the music – not that I’m telling you anything you don’t know. My iPod rule is, only songs I love. At the least one I take on the subway. It’s filled with my favorites. So the other day, up comes ‘Battleship Chains’ from The Georgia Satellites first album. Now the two front guys of the band, Dan Baird and Rick Richards, they made a great couple as well. Danny pretty much sang lead on the songs, but occasionally Rick would, taking the roll of Keith if you will. And it’s Rick doing the singing on this one, with Dan’s signature harmonies making it very ‘them’. This band could set fire to any stage – that never failed – ever. I love this song, and their performance on it, so fucking much. It brings back the most incredible memories of great, fun times. I have a picture of the band and I on stage at London’s Marquee Club (during soundcheck) which is like the alter of life for me. I remember the second time I went down to Nashville to check them out. They were looking for a deal, and a bunch of labels were after them. Howard and I had pretty much decided we were signing them to Elektra, but for whatever reason, I made that second trip down as I think Epic were trying to close in on us. They played a bar, a restaurant really, called Margaritaville. Something was going wrong with their amps, and the guys were quite nervous probably thinking they’d blown their record deal. As the Epic fellows stood arrogantly at the bar, I just jumped on stage and offered everyone a valium. Jaws dropped (the courage you muster up on a valium is amazing). It probably clinched the deal. Even though Dan never did a drug, I’d bet he used his pill to negotiate something out of Rick relatively soon. I must remember to ask Dan about that next time we talk. Luckily, I still see both guys if I’m down south, or when they come to NY. Friends for life. Oh, an important piece of trivia: the natural wood coloured Strat that Dan played, and can be seen holding on this sleeve, was originally owned by Steve Marriott of The Small Faces. It’s the guitar he played on ‘Tin Soldier”.