tandish913.com has been blessed to do an exclusive interview with...
"RICHARD BARONE"!
Let's get into some exclusive questions...
STANDISH: Can you tell Standish913 about a hidden gem in NYC...
New York City is filled with hidden gems. That's one of the things I love about living here. The hidden gems are often in plain sight, waiting to be discovered. Like the Museum of the City of New York, way uptown at 103rd Street on Fifth Avenue. Unless you're already uptown, it may require a special trip, but it's always worth it. The exhibitions, focusing on the art and culture of New York itself, are always fresh, vibrant, and relevant. And, it's a great place to learn about other NYC hidden gems!
STANDISH: What is your favorite genre of music to work with?
I love all genres of music. I've been fortunate to work with so many different artists. But, when I write a song, I don't usually think in terms of genre. A song is a thought or idea and can take many forms. I like mixing genres and coming up with something new.
I think people who listen only to a favorite genre can be trapped by it and will miss out on a lot of great music.
STANDISH: Who came up with the idea to have "All Fall Down" in 4 different genres?
We both did. I started out writing a rock riff. I wrote my verses and then sent a rough track to Darryl (Darryl "DMC" McDaniels), who wrote some amazing verses that blew me away. Once we had recorded the song together, I mentioned we could do an acoustic folk version, and Darryl immediately suggested we needed to also do a country version, and then suggested Johnny Juice from Public Enemy to do a hip-hop one. It's the first single ever to be released in four different genres simultaneously by the same artist.
STANDISH: What do you prefer the most? Recording, Performing, Producing, Teaching or Writing?
Ahh, I love it all. I have a special love for the recording process because I love records. As a child, they mystified me. I love sculpting and shaping sounds in the studio. But performing on stage for an audience is so incredibly energizing. I love the way it feels. And producing is so mentally stimulating. Teaching is a great way for me to share what I've learned, and that's big part of my job as a musician, too. And writing books and articles brings out the true nerd in me! I loved the process of writing Music + Revolution: Greenwich Village in the 1960s during the pandemic, as there were no shows to do, so I could focus 100% on researching, interviewing, and writing. And I love writing for Tape Op magazine.
STANDISH: What have you learned from teaching at The New School’s School of Jazz & Contemporary Music?
I have learned that I constantly learn from my students -- through their questions and comments, and by hearing them interpret the songs and music we study. They inspire me with their talent and how they process the material we cover. I can tell you that I learn as much from them as they learn from me.
STANDISH: Who were the Bongos members to you?
The members of The Bongos are my brothers. Frank, Rob, James, and I are all very close. Like all bands, we've gone through a lot together. This year, 2025, we will be releasing a live album that was originally recorded for RCA Records in 1985 but never released until now. I went into the studio with producer Steve Addabbo and we made a new mix using the original 24-track analog tapes. We're happy to have it come out because it's been a missing part of our catalog for so long. It will be available on CD from JEM Records and on streaming services on RCA Records/Legacy Recordings.
STANDISH: If you could be a child again and choose your career, would you be going down the same path you currently are today?
Ha! Of course. Even knowing what I know, I'd probably be going down the same path. Why would I want a different path than the one I am on? Mine began when I was a child. At age seven, I was obsessed with listening to the radio, then ended up on the top-40 radio station myself as "The Little DJ." I got my first electric guitar that year. I don't know any other life than the one I live, which has always been filled with music.
Just the way I like it.
STANDISH: As you may know, DMC is the face of Standish913 so were curious when did you meet DMC & where?
Well, we had first crossed paths briefly in the 1980s, when we were both starting out. I was a Run DMC fan and loved their first singles and albums, and the Bongos were also just getting started. In 2018, Darryl and I were on a panel together discussing creativity and collaboration at an event sponsored by Record Store Day. Right there on the panel, I mentioned we should collaborate sometime. He said Yes! Darryl came to speak to my class at The New School several times. Then, when I came up with the music for "All Fall Down" a few years later, I knew it was a song we could collaborate on. I can't tell you how excited I am about the way that it all came together.
STANDISH: What is something you'll never forget from your time with The Bongos?
Well, we still perform, at least occasionally, so I don't look at it so much as something from the distant past. But, as far as the early days with the band, I'll never forget the first time we played at Maxwell's, our home club in Hoboken. I will never forget when we were asked to join the B-52s on their first American tour. We were all big fans of the B's, and it was a thrill to tour with them. And it was unforgettable when we were nominated and attended the very first MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall.
STANDISH: If you could tell younger you something what would it be?
I'd probably say It's easy to get lost, so always follow your own path, trust your intuition, stay true to your purpose and intentions, and not be seduced by the trappings of celebrity.
But, then again, tonight I watched an episode of the original Twilight Zone TV series from the 1960s and, in it, a man went back 25 years to try to give advice to his younger self. Both got injured. So, I might reconsider.
STANDISH: What is your favorite instrument to play?
Guitar, of course. There's nothing like a Gibson Les Paul. But I love playing Mellotron, various analog synths, Waterphone, Stylophone... anything that lets me express the sounds a song needs.
STANDISH: What was your inspiration behind Sorrows and Promises?
Sorrows & Promises came about because I wanted to take a deep dive into the history of the neighborhood I live in, Greenwich Village in New York City. In the 1960s, over two decades before I arrived, the neighborhood was in the midst of a creative explosion that sparked the singer/songwriter movement. It was a style that was personal and political, led to other genres, and opened the door for all that followed. What happened there is the basis of the music that I play, and I wanted to go back to the beginning. Although some of the history is hinted at in the current movie A Complete Unknown, that film focuses on only one of the artists who came out of that movement. There were many other important figures, and on Sorrow & Promises, I performed their songs. The idea came to me from writer Mitchell Cohen, who pulled me aside after a show and suggested the project. It led to a series of lectures and panel discussions, teaching a fifteen-week course at The New School, now in its seventh year, which led to me writing Music + Revolution as its textbook, producing concerts in Central Park and the Museum of the City of New York among other venues culminating at Carnegie Hall in 2023. All celebrating Greenwich Village in the 1960s. Thank you, Mitchell!
STANDISH: What made you want to write the song "Cool Blue Halo?"
[Note, Cool Blue Halo is an album, not a song]
At the end of the eighties, as The Bongos began going our separate ways, I reevaluated what I wanted to do with my music. Instead of the four-piece rock band I had been part of, I started performing with just a cellist and guitarist, later adding a percussionist, in a much more acoustic and moody setting. I wanted to make it as different as possible from The Bongos. The resulting sound was unique, and people seemed to like it, so I phoned my friend Marty Scott at JEM Records and asked if the label would like to record a live album. It was quite a departure for me, but it was well-received and was the beginning of my solo career.
STANDISH: What are you most proud of in your career thus far?
I'm proud of recordings I have produced for other artists, most recently the young band Eater Life, whose debut E.P. was just released. I'm proud of my students and of my work as a professor. And, I'm proud of my book Music + Revolution because I feel it's important to hear about music history in a factual and deeply researched way from a musician who actually plays that music, not a critic or a historian, but someone who lives it and loves it.
STANDISH: Standish913 is firm on creating the younger generation into giving opportunity, do you have any advice for younger people?
Both of my two books were written with younger readers in mind. My first book, Frontman: Surviving the Rock Star Myth, is especially filled with advice. The most important advice I can offer is a thread through all my work, and was well-stated in a famous quote by the great Oscar Wilde: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
STANDISH: What's a memory you have from years ago you might want to share?
Around 2010, Pete Seeger calling me to chat in the late afternoons. I miss talking with Pete. Truly a mentor and role model for me.
STANDISH: What has been the biggest opportunity for you in your career?
The Bongos' first record deal with Fetish Records in England, and the freedom they gave us, really gave our career a kick, as did our signing with RCA Records three years later. Having the honor of producing Pete Seeger's last single in 2012 was a very special opportunity. But maybe the biggest opportunity was helping to start the Hoboken music community of the 1980s at Maxwell's with its owner Steve Fallon. I think, for me, that led to everything else.
STANDISH: If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would they be?
That's a tough one. The first three that come to mind at this moment are Andy Warhol, John Lennon, and President John Fitzgerald Kennedy because I bet the conversation would be interesting. But if you ask me in ten minutes, I'd come up with an entirely different three.
STANDISH: What is something on your bucket list you haven't completed that you wish to do?
I've never learned to swim, but I'm taking lessons this summer.
STANDISH: What are your social links?
@RichardBarone - IG, X, Bluesky
@RichardBaroneOfficial - Facebook, YouTube
STANDISH: Anything else you'd like to include?
I'm fortunate to have had opportunities to work with so many of my heroes and favorites, and none of them have ever let me down. I don't take it for granted. I'm grateful for all of it, and I always strive to give back through my own work.
Thank you for your questions!
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