SKANEWS Webzine - BUFORD O'SULLIVAN Interview

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN
Interview of 9th January 2001

Buford O'Sullivan is one the best Ska musican in the U.S.A. He played trombone, sung and wrote songs with the great band The Scofflaws. A few month ago, he left the band and released his second solo album called "The Sexy Eye". It is not possible to find this record in the shops. You only can buy it and download it on the excellent e-label http://www.7wow.com run by Steve Shafer. Buford also play trombone with The Toasters. He played with Buck's band in USA and Europe in 2001.

SKANEWS : Buford, can you tell us how you discovered Ska music.

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I discovered Ska when my friend played me some Madness and Specials records, way back when two tone was still happening. I sort of lost it in the eighties when all of those bands tried to write radio friendly stuff like "Save it for Later", and I didn't really like Fine Young Cannibals, so I started to look for other things, until I joined the Scofflaws in 1989.

SKANEWS : When did you learn trombone ? Before or after you discovered Ska music ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I've been playing trombone forever. My memory blanks out before that, so I can't remember anything else. That was even before I heard of Ska. Man, I almost moved to London in 1977, but the opportunity fell through. I should have done it, and joined Bad Manners.

SKANEWS : You are one of the Scofflaws founding members. Can you talk to me about the Story of this marvellous band ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : The Scofflaws are Richard Brook's band. He met me right before the NYC Ska Live recording in 1989, and I joined the first gig after that. Before me, they were called The New Bohemians, and they were a crazy performance act. Scotto, the big insane manager that some may remember from the European tour a few years back, would stand onstage and eat spaghetti, stuff like that.

SKANEWS : I remember a tape I received before the first Scofflaws album. It was a live Scofflaws tape featuring songs from the first album and some unreleased tracks such as "James Bond Theme". Was it a demo that you sent to a record company ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : That was a demo they recorded with Doug Russel on Trombone. That's the guy who I replaced.

SKANEWS : Can you talk to me about the first Scofflaws album (recording, musicians, production, first meeting with Moon Ska...).

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : It was the Mike Drance, Carry Lafferty, era. I rode the train out from NYC, and rehearsed and played shows out on Long Island. Victor Rice had long braided hair, and he was still in music school. Richard was a school bus driver, and we would rehearse in his kitchenette. The neighbors upstairs were these drug snorting rednecks, and we would practice each song over and over, until they would yell out of the windows for us to shut up, and then they would turn on Fleetwood Mac full volume to try and drown us out. The Scofflaws had always opened for the Toasters, so Buck knew of the band, so he offered a licensing deal. We took it and financed the record ourselves. We all had an equal part in making the first CD writing and arranging the songs, though Victor was the only one who really knew what he was doing, so he got the ultimate credit for producing. Mike and Richard were the two singers.

SKANEWS : There are no "O' Sullivan" compositions in this first album... why ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I was just the trombone player back then.

SKANEWS : On the second record, you started to write songs and there are more songs with lyrics, can you talk me about this "Ska in Hi Fi" record. Was the Scofflaws line up the same ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Mike Drance couldn't do all of the shows, since the band was beginning to tour. At the same time, he and Richard were not getting on very well. There was a rivalry between the two that I think they both can share equal credit for, but Richard was the leader, so he just fired him. This pissed off the drummer Tony Mason, so he left and close friend and fan John Souldo was hired to take over. When the time came to make 'Hi Fi', the songs that Mike had sung didn't really work anymore, so I wrote a couple to fill in the gaps. And, since Mike was gone, several people were called to play baritone sax, namely Freddie Reitter, Regina Bellantaesie (of the band Orange Street), as well as Paul Gebhardt (the guy with the big chin, who played with the Toasters later on). Ben Klingberg was brought in to play guitar, because the former guitarist Brian got a full time job with the phone company. Kerry Lafferty (the girl with the lunchbox on the cover of the first CD) had left earlier because Mike had called her a 'Ho-Bag' or a 'Stupid Bitch', or something like that, so Carrie Brown of the NYSJE was called in. He played that wonderful organ and piano. Man, he's the best keyboardist there is. As well, 'Hi Fi' was one of Victor's first official production spots.

SKANEWS : Can you talk me about the lyrics you write. What are the messages you want to tell to the people ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I don't really write significant lyrics. I write about simple things, like watching TV, drinking beer, or asking you girlfriend what she wants to do. I guess the only message is that these simple things are just as important as politics, race relations, or anything 'important' like that.

SKANEWS : Scofflaws line up changed for the third studio album (Record of Convictions). Why the line up change ? Exept you and Richard Brooks, all the musicians changed...

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Every band has line-up changes. The Toasters, Mephiskapheles, the Ska Jazz Ensemble, they all changed their members almosts entirely. I guess it's because some people get disapointed, mad, or they just feel that it's time for a change. I think the only band who has stayed pretty much the same, is the Slackers, but even they have changed people. It just happens.

SKANEWS : What do you think about the releases of Victor Rice and Mike Drance after they left the Scofflaws.

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : The Bluebeats are a great band. They have all of the soul that Mike took with him when he left. And Victor's band is great fun because his songs are the Drummond-esque instrumentals that The Scofflaws stopped playing when he left. The bummer is that, since I play with Victor, I can't do some of his shows while I'm on the road with the Toasters. Sucks, but what am I gonna do? I wish I could split myself in two.

SKANEWS : Scofflaws live album was great ! Can you talk me about the recording. Do you think a volume 2 will be out in the future ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : It was recorded at a local Long Island club where the Scofflaws had been playing for years. It was really fun to do. It was a small club, and there was this huge mobile recording truck parked outside, with like 48 tracks of D-88's or something like that. Steve Remote got a great sound.

SKANEWS : You have released your first solo album for Ska Satellite Records / Moon Ska. Can you talk to me about it ? Who are the musicians playing with you on this record ? Describe to me the music, production, etc...

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : It was my own home-brewed project. I would have done a bigger studio production, but Ska-Sattelite was a label just for licensing deals. They did not give advances for recording, so I had to pay for it myself. I used a hard-disk recorder, and went to different studios like Version City to get drum sounds, and then brought everyone in to my appartment to record them. There's Victor, Eddie Ocampe, Agent Jay, Ben Klingberg, John Souldo. I just called all of my friends, because I knew that they'd do it for free! That's what friends are for!

SKANEWS : Why have you recorded this first solo album ? Don't the rest of the Scofflaws want to record these songs or do you just want to do your own thing?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Yeah, I just wanted to do my own thing.

SKANEWS : Why did you leave the Scofflaws a few months ago ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I was in the process of getting married to the most beautiful girl in the world, and the Scofflaws wanted me to go on a month-and-a-half tour of the USA in late summer... for no money at all. I mean, absolutely no money at all! I couldn't leave town for that long less less than two months before I was to get married, so I told them I couldn't do it. It was really hard for me to to, but I had to. I had been in the band for ten years, and I had done countless tours, made records, stood by and supported Richard through a lot of inter-band dissention, and suddenly I had to cancel at the last minute. I had no choice. So, I just him called up and plead my case. This pissed him off as you can imagine, so he fired me. Oh well. That's that.

SKANEWS : Did the Scofflaws split up ? What is the future of the Scofflaws without their leader (you !)

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : No, I was not the leader of the Scofflaws. Richard Brooks (you know, 'The Big Daddy') has been, is and always will be the leader of that band. I was just kind of a songwriter and second singer. I think the Scofflaws are still playing on Long Island, but since they went on that free tour, I think their road days are over. Maybe not, but I don't really know. I hope the best for them, though.

SKANEWS : Can you talk to me about your brand new album "The Sexy Eye" (style of music, line up of the musicians, production...).

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Kind of like 'Club of Hopes and Fears,' but maybe better executed. I've learned a lot about recording, so the songs sound a lot cleaner. The songs are still about life's issues, like girls and food. There's a song that's vaguely about Noah Wildman ('Mr. Yes'); listening to a stray cat yowling in the alleyway; there's a song about commuting out to do shows with the Scofflaws ('Regular on the Rails'). There is one song, with a guest vocalist T.B. Conn, called 'The Only Customer'. I think the whole thing is quite excellent, but that's just my opinion.

SKANEWS : People can only find this record on the 7 Wonders e-label. Any chance to find it in the shops ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : For now, it's just on the net. I have to get a deal, then maybe I can put it out on a CD.

SKANEWS : Why have you choosen to sell this record with an e-label and not on a "traditional record company" ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Traditional record companies in the US kind of hate Ska, right now. These companies are very commercially motivated, of course, so they don't want ska because they don't think that it can sell. They only want Back Street Boys and Creed, crap like that. I know this girl who works for Sony, and whenever I ask her about the stuff they have, she talks about sales, not music. I guess that's the bottom line right now. Even though I can sell a bunch of copies, I guess I'm just not commercial enough.

SKANEWS : Do you think e-labels are the future of the music industry ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I think so. Right now, its in a state of transition. People still want to go out to the Virgin Megastore and buy up all of that N-Sync and Brittney Spears shit, but what has happened is that the underground has gone on-line. That's what I think is cool about it. If you want the mainstream, go to the store. If you want the non-major label stuff, seek the web.

SKANEWS : What do you think about such websites as Napster ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : It's great, but no matter what people say, it takes money away from the musicians. As soon as something is released, the kids go and put it up for free, so they don't have to buy it. This doesn't really affect the major label stuff, but it does affect the smaller acts, because they are the onles who rely on whatever sales thay can get so they can avoid getting a day-job. Still, it is good for publicity, and I appreciate anyone who downloads anything that I've written, even it if is for free and I don't get paid for it. I still feel loved.

SKANEWS : Why is your album called "The Sexy Eye" ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : The sexy eye is a look. When you see a skinny and blonde 19 year-old girl wearing a skimpy bikini walking down the beach, you give her a Sexy Eye. You know, raise your eyebrows and bat your eyelashes. Try to exude a calm and sophisticated sexuality.

SKANEWS : How can you describe this record for people who have never listened to it ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Funny and emotional songs about the simple life.

SKANEWS : Cover versions on this record ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Nope.

SKANEWS : Have you written all of the songs ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Yes.

SKANEWS : Do you have some plans to play this record (and your songs) live with your own band ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I have done a few shows with the 'High Fashion Rockers', which is John Souldo's band. Right now, I'm busy playing with other bands.

SKANEWS : You play trombone with The Toasters in the USA and soon on their European tour. Are you a guest musician or are you now in The Toasters band ? Will you play on any future recording from The Toasters ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I have played with the Toasters, off and on, for about ten years. I subbed for Eric Storkman, and for Rick Falkner, so when they needed a trombonist, I accepted the job since I was between bands. It's really fun. Buck runs a good ship. His is like a ship of pirates, going from town to town, feasting on the local fruits and rocking hard for the crowd in return, whereas the Scofflaws were a like a tribe of nomadic hippies wandering around in suits. It's an interesting change, and I like it. I hope to play lots of Toaster dates.

SKANEWS : What do you think about the end of Moon Ska USA ? What are your reactions ? Why, for you, did Moon Ska stop ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Moon's closure came about because the American music business is ruthless. People who owed Buck money did not pay it, so he could not afford to keep in operation. Basically, he was ripped off by almost everyone who had once been his friend. I've heard a lot of slag aimed at him from a lot of sources over the years, and all I can say is that ultimately, he is the one who made the third wave happen, and not just on the US East Coast. No Doubt used to open for the Toasters in L.A. He signed the Pie Tasters when they were just playing the Black Cat in DC. Bah! Take THAT!

SKANEWS : How can a fan find your first solo album and old Scofflaws albums ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : The Scofflaws are responsible for their own product, but I will hopefully be taking some copies of my stuff on the road to sell at shows.

SKANEWS : What do you think about Ska in the USA and around the world ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : I like the Hotknives. They kick ass! A band 'Tihuana' in Brazil covered 'Nude Beach', and that made me feel very loved. Ska is definately still happening worldwide. It's just that the Sony's and the TIme-Warner's and the EMI's are all trying to sweep it away to make room for Hip Hop and Boy Bands and commercial stuff. I'm definately a little bitter about that, can you tell?

SKANEWS : Have you some other things to say about your solo career and your brand new album ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Download it! It's fun, hip and wow, man! Great! Absolutely the best album to come out in, God knows how long! I mean, 'The Sexy Eye' is so incredible! It really is! Go listen to it, and see what I mean. Definitely, definitely a great thing.

SKANEWS : Have you a message for your fans ?

BUFORD O'SULLIVAN : Don't drink Budweiser; don't eat at McDonald's; and don't go to Disney World. Otherwise, you can do what you please.
Many Thanks!
Buford

Interview released by Jean-Pierre Boutellier / Skanews

More infos : http://www.7wow.com.