TP on Mudcrutch

[Mudcrutch]

Looks like Danny and Charlie get some clarification:

TP on Mudcrutch History

Let me tell you how it went: Mudcrutch, when it first existed, was simply the Epics with a new name. That was probably 1968 or 1969. The lineup included Dickie Underwood on the drums, Rodney Rucker as lead singer, Ricky Rucker on the guitar, me on bass, and Tom Leadon on guitar. Then, very quickly, by late 1969 or early 1970, everybody left but me and Leadon. So we joined up with Jim Lenehan, who was going to be the lead singer. That version of the band didn't really work because there were only three of us. We played a coffee house or two, but that was it.

Then we ran into Randall Marsh, who had a roommate named Mike Campbell. That was quite a package deal. By, I think, '72, Tom Leadon left and moved out to California. Of course Jim Lenehan had already left - I think he only stayed for two months or so. He wasn't there very long at all.
Now Benmont comes on the scene, I think, a few shows before Leadon left. But he would go back and forth to college. While Ben was in school we played as a three-piece for a while. We were always waiting on Benmont.

Then we met Danny Roberts, and he came in - sometime in late '72 or early '73 - and was with the band, on guitar and bass, until we came out to California. We came to California in April of '74. Danny stuck around for a few months, maybe a little longer while we were out there and then just split. He didn't think we were going to make it. He left, and we never heard from him again until recently.

So then we had another version of the band, with just Mike, Randall, Benmont, and myself. Then, two months before the band breaks up, we brought in a fellow to play the bass. We decided I'd switch over to the guitar, and Charlie Souza came in - and he was there only for a couple months before the band called it a day.

[KansasPettyFan]

That clears it up! Where did that come from, Mud? Thanks for posting it!

[Mudcrutch]

The bottom of the Zanes article. Looks like they added that section on the official site.

[jonjen]

Confirms a lot of the points I made in my earlier posts.

[Wildflower]

AHA! I wonder how Danny will comment on that.......................

[surfnburn]

Sounds like natural selection; what worked survived. It was quite a package with Mike!

[Flower]

Yes I wonder what Danny will say.. he hasnt been around here for some time has he?

[Mudcrutch]

Yes I wonder what Danny will say.. he hasnt been around here for some time has he?

I think he took a break from the net.

[Wildflower]

Or he has nothing more to say........:rolleyes:

[Mary Jane 49]

I hated hearing Danny`s side of the story without hearing Toms too ,so i`m really glad you found this
I`ll be very surprised if we ever hear from Danny again

[martin03345]

More lineup changes than the Byrds and Fleetwood Mac combined

[jonjen]

Or he has nothing more to say........:rolleyes:

What more IS there to say?

Tom Petty acknowledges Danny Roberts was with the band for a few months, from late '72 or early '73 to a few months into '74, contrary to Danny Roberts' version of a 3 year stint (implying he was with the band a "full" 3 years). The "official" band (upon signing a contract) disbanded in 1974, before it even got off the ground.

And, contrary to Danny Roberts' recollection that the band kept calling him to return, Tom Petty states: Danny…just split. He didn't think we were going to make it. He left, and we never heard from him again until recently.

It is my opinion Danny Roberts is making a big fuss because, firstly, he doesn’t like the way he was represented in the book, Conversations. That is evident from his own account where he tried to make a scene at the Gainesville concert:

When I went over to see the guys last year at their Homecoming Show that's a major portion of the DVD, I brought Tom's book, "Conversations With Tom Petty" with me, along with a black Sharpie. I finally found Jim Lenahan, who got me in back-stage. I went back to my car and got the book, and hid it in the bushes outside the loading area. After I saw Mike and Benmont for about 10 minutes, I went back out and got the book and stuffed it down the back of my jeans and went back in. (People must've thought I had a flat-ass!!!) I went back in and hung-out, thinking that someone would tell Tom that I was there and that maybe he would come out to see me for a minute. I fully intended to ask him to mark out the one mention I got in his book, "And Danny Roberts had a van, so we drove."

Secondly, and most importantly, I believe Danny Roberts is peeved, angry, and jealous that he wasn’t asked to participate in the RDAD movie or the Mudcrutch reunion.

He chose to burn the bridges.

In one of his posts, he wrote:

There was a certain member that just wasn't pulling it off in the studio, which drove me crazy. When the other guys in the band wouldn't do anything about it - even after our producer lost interest for the same reason - I said "See Ya!"

Well, ‘see ya’ it is. Bye bye!

Thank you for allowing me to share those thoughts with you.

[jonjen]

P.S. Danny Roberts got the recognition he deserved. The same amount of recognition as the notice he gave the band of his intention to split.

[Babydoll]

Was Danny perhaps one of the "weak links" referred to in the movie?

[PumpkinBumpkin]

Well,I'm glad we got to hear Tom's side. Makes sense to me. :)

[Mudcrutch]

Was Danny perhaps one of the "weak links" referred to in the movie?

seems like the drugs were the weak links.

[Danny Roberts]

Dear Mudcrutch, along with MOST everybody else,
I think you might've gotten it correct. Perhaps it was the drugs, like the heroin that seemed to be making the rounds a few years back, like when Howie checked-out. He wasn't the only one experimenting within the band. I never went that way. Smarter than that! I'm recuperating from an accident that happened back on May 2nd, where I died twice getting to the hospital, then again from a blood-clot in my left lung during 8 hours of brain surgery. Apparently not even THAT kinda crap can hurt me for very long, so if you think some small-minded thinking and yelping is gonna bother me, well...Sorry, but you've mis-identified my character. And I must've been one of the 'weak links' Denny Cordell was pointing out, since he moved me and my family out to L.A. AGAIN to play with Phil Seymour a coupla years after leaving Mudcrutch. Might've been simpler to have left me in Florida. But I'll let you wonderful peeps do the anal-izing. Funny, but I was led here to pick-up an Eeee from an old friend and stumbled upon this hefty turd. Be very proud of yerselves. I am. Danny Roberts

[Danny Roberts]

Hey Mudcrutch,
Whatever happened to JonJen, everybody's favorite arse-hole. I heard through others that he finally drove other people a little - let's say 'irritated', he doesn't seem worthy of much more than that -after his constant non-intellectualizing about things of which he knewith knot jack-B.S. I see that he disappeared about a month before my 'hospital adventure'. If you hear from him, hand him the middle finger on my right hand, or left, if that works for ya'll. I'd pay several Euros for his American address on a cold & dark night, just for one good opportunty to see if he/she/it has half the testicles that he/she/it seemed to have whilst seated behind a computer. But, to all others, good luck. You'll figure it all out some day. Me, I'll go back to my Zsa Zsa Gabor site and try to keep her legend alive. She was the greatest. You people have yer fun. I'm goin' fishin'.

[Mudcrutch]

Jon Jen? not sure.. banned maybe.. I forget.

[gatorhugger]

There were quittings and firings. Tom was not an innocent, neither was Danny.
However, I don't think Danny Roberts was the weak link. He seems to have quit before Cordell and Tom disbanded Mudcrutch.

Also what's with the Robert's bashing? I don't think he should be bashed for stating his opinion he was snubbed in The movie of the bands birth.
He was.
Was it intentional on Petty's part? Who knows. Probably.
But no doubt Danny Roberts was correct in saying "hey I was there, why the snub?"
The man was in the band for a couple of years and was whited out of the movie of the band's beginnings. That is the truth.

[Frankie from the Adults]

danny a weak link? you gotta be on farging crack!
i played with danny for about a year in the early '80's in a band called The Adults.
he's one of the best, soulful, thoughtful musicians that i've ever heard, much less played with. if anything, he might have ruffled some feathers along the way by demanding a higher standard of musicianship. this whole thing is so far down the pike that i know that he's found peace in the priviledge of being a truly gifted musician without being a mega-wealthy household name.
note to danny: we still have to record that tony bennet(esque) version of whipping post that you alway talked about doing. love ya bro!

[gatorhugger]

Well the weak link was one of three people
Benmont Tench
Charlie Souza
Randall Marsh
Cause Tom (through Cordell) fired all three when he broke up Mudcrutch.
Definitely wasn't Danny cause he had already flown the coop.
Now which one, who knows. Danny may have an idea.
And Danny would definitely have an idea about who he was talking about having a disagreement with and nobody would stop it, so he said "see ya"
So Danny, out of the three fired who was the weak link. My guess is Marsh because Souza just came on?
And who were you having a disagreement with that made you say adios?
And just how pissed was Benmont Tench that Tom convinced his Dad to let Ben drop out of school only to Fire him!!!!
Danny we need some answers here Bro.

[Danny Roberts]

Dear Hugger of Gators,
Yer correct, as Randall forgot that he was a drummer after we got signed, although several years later, he was in an excellent trio called "Code Blue", during which he realized that he was a drummer, started practicing, concentrated on good, strong and steady grooves. He and Marty Jourard, from the Gainesville/Motels era, came to Shelter Studio in Hollyweird and cut some little R&B grooves. Randall, by that point, was playing like a proper drummist, just several years too-late. Apparently T.P. did enough funny white-stuff to wipe-out his memory-banks of when he called me about an hour or two after I moved back to start playing with Phil Seymour. We went to the Roxy to hear the Alpha Band,who had T-Bone Burnett, David Mansfield and others who'd just quit playing with Dylan in the Rollin' Thunder Revue. We had an excellent time. And apparently Michael forgot about when he invited me and my wife over to their house for dinner. They were so busy sneaking away to do silly white-stuff that we sneaked out of their house and said...nada. Oh, and who did TP call when he realized that a very preggers Jane couldn't fit inside their little toy-car? Me. This is so silly. I just got over brain-surgery and what am I remembering? Some very un-important stuff that happened over half my life ago. At least the surgery seemed to have worked. Or, is it all just a hallucination? Let's just stick with the hallucination approach and have a little chuckle about it. Don't anybody say anything to T.P or the Homewreckers about this crap. They might get mad or leave me out of some other money-making scheme/scam they've got set-up for this year's Xmas stocking-stuffer period. I might've become an adult while in the hospital. And I must say, I REALLY miss JonJen, that good-natured bastard! I think of him/her/it every time I flush my toilet, which I've re-named my JonJen. What a guy/girl/thing-a-ma-bob. Well, must go start packing for the hurricane that's now approaching. Must pack several joints in a water-proof container, along with several lighters. Take Care, Danny Roberts

Pee Ess-Thanks like a Bruther to Frankie. Hell of a singing bassist! Come to Florida some time after the stormy-season. I've got a studio in my home, which I just got into - AGAIN. Quite strong therapy for one with an extremely challenged brain. But it's all working. Just played a gig last night with a new combo. Went quite nice. I'll tell you more about it as we get it a little more prepared.

[gatorhugger]

Wow, I knew it was Marsh screwing up!!
Also sounds like Mike and Tom were major Blow heads.
Funny the story about Jane not fitting into the Toyota and Tom calling you. He did that after you quit? So much for never hearing from you again. Sounds like at a minimum you were friendly.
Not sure why he hates you now, except for laughing at him at the bowling alley must have pissed him major. That must be it.
Looks like your memory is doing well after the accident Danny, hope you mend well and fast.

[jonjen]

I'd pay several Euros for his American address on a cold & dark night, just for one good opportunty to see if he/she/it has half the testicles that he/she/it seemed to have whilst seated behind a computer.

Small man with a big mouth. That's why you are where you are, today, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are where they are, today, roadie!

[Mudcrutch]

Don't be offended... I think he meant Canadian address.

[jonjen]

Don't be offended... I think he meant Canadian address.

Would geography change the gravity of my comment; that being Danny Roberts is ‘a small man with a big mouth, etc.’?

And, are you suggesting I should be offended at being American?

And, are you always this indiscreet about divulging that which you think you know about people’s personal information, even though they expressly choose not to divulge it (or have it divulged) upon registering?

Danny Roberts can go bark up a tree. He doesn’t intimidate anyone. But, his pathetic, juvenile threat DOES speak to his character and juvenile delinquent behavior.

And, that’s why he never ‘fit in’ as an ‘integral’ member of Mudcrutch. I’m certain Tom Petty would have given Danny Roberts the boot had Danny Roberts not pulled the pin, himself.

[emmie]

What have the Canadian's got to do with any of this?

[Mudcrutch]

I took a wild guess jonjen was from Canada. I guess it hit a nerve.

[Wildflower]

I'd pay several Euros for his American address

EUROS?????:eek: - In America???:confused:

[emmie]

Lots of confusion here.

[pettyfreak94]

oOoOooO
Great info!
Thanks :)

Lots of people involved.. haha