More Laughs About Life And Times

It was 1974 and I was very excited about my first full time job after graduate school. Not only did I find a position at a music company but it was headquartered in Sunnyvale so I did not have to move to Southern California where most of the entertainment industry was based. GRT stood for General Recorded Tape and they were the largest independent producers of pre-recorded 8-track and cassette tapes. The tape format was still the stepchild of the music business with sales that lagged far behind records. GRT made the cartridge tape version of vinyl albums for record labels that did not want to bother with those formats themselves.

Early ‘70’s schwag was crucial to maintaining hip branding in the crazy music biz.

The good news was that I was a market research analyst working in the coolest department of the company. The bad news was I knew absolutely no one there and it felt an awful lot like the first day of school. So I decided to join the company bowling team in hopes of making some friends. One of the record labels we recorded for was Arista Records. Under the great Clive Davis they were on fire with a rising pop band called, "The Bay City Rollers" which was the obvious choice to name our bowling team.

One of our best bowlers was a guy who worked in the mastering department named Marty Rudnick. Marty once rolled a perfect 300 game which is a rare feat for amateur bowlers. Our connection was instant but it wasn't over bowling. Marty and I quickly realized we were musical kindred spirits. We shared a bonding over the music of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The early seventies were a strange time for popular music. Lots of cultural changes were happening. The sixties were not yet nostalgic. The Beatles were focused on solo projects. The Beach Boys had hit their lowest popularity ever. Marty and I were grateful to find each other because we felt like we were in a dinghy adrift on an ocean of strange post sixties pop.

We simply couldn’t get enough of the The Beatles and The Beach Boys.

Fast forward ten more years and we still felt like yet another decade of music could not live up to the greatness of the sixties. It was time to make some of our own. By then Marty had gotten really good on guitar. He was so talented he taught himself how to play left handed guitar forever inspired by his hero, Paul McCartney. Marty always thought I would make a good lyricist and was constantly telling me just to write down things that popped out of my mouth. So we started tinkering with songwriting. Our first song ever was called, "Those Days" and was an obvious nostalgic look in the rear view mirror. For years we laughed about our songwriting skills which did not always come naturally. I learned that if you have to force it, forget it. Marty loved the movie, "Ishtar" starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman as struggling songwriters who head to Morocco seeking a new audience for their tunes. It is tongue-in-cheek to the point of now reaching cult film status. Marty thought is was so funny that their self perceived talents far exceeded their actual abilities and it completely reflected us. Our references to Ishtar never ceased making us laugh at ourselves.

Another ten plus years passed and we had written enough original songs that Marty wanted to put out an album. Digital recording had hit the mainstream now so self-recording and releasing a compact disc was feasible in your own home studio. In 2006 Marty finished his project which he joked only took him three decades to make. When people ask me to describe it I tell them "More Songs About Cars and Girls" is Beatles meets Beach Boys meets Everly Brothers meets Hollies. All of these influencers are not only covered by Marty on his album but obviously strongly present in our original songs. I was vacationing in Hawaii on the day our first shipment of CD's arrived. Marty overnighted a copy to me in Maui so the world radio premier took place on 91.5 KEOA with radio personality, Michael McCartney, interviewing me live in the control room. I was completely honored to be Marty Rudnick's lyricist and songwriting partner. I truly loved every song we wrote with "Julie" being my favorite.

Marty Rudnick. Always Classic.

Air Personality Michael McCartney and I poised for the world radio premier of “More Songs About Cars and Girls” on KEOA Radio, Maui, Hawaii. Summer 2006.

I was always flattered but also a bit embarrassed that Marty would praise my wit and wordsmith skills. I constantly called him the King of Clever. He would always stop to remind me that Tommy Dunbar of The Rubinoos fame owned that title. As many times as we talked about Tommy our hands down favorite Dunbar line came one night at a Campbell night club called Boswell's. In between songs Tommy was joking about how little the band earned and said they would normally get a percentage of the draw. He went on to say, "A draw is when nobody wins." Whenever I would compare Marty and Tommy in terms of humor Marty would always remind me that he was just a valet in the parking lot at the Tommy Dunbar Comedy Club. Self deprecation was truly part of Marty's humility and comedic genius. His appreciation for Rodney Dangerfield was immense. One of my favorite Marty quips was when he would boast, “I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it.” One of our other favorite Tommy Dunbar moments came from a story he told of watching two very young girls in front of a wall of televisions at a department store. Each TV was displaying the same Beatles' performance. One of the young girls turned to the other saying loud enough for Tommy to hear, "I never liked anything they did." Even though we weren't there to see the look on Tommy's face it will forever be implanted in our brains as the ultimate eye roll. That comment reached metaphor status for Marty and I. We never stopped cherishing and using it whenever a Fab Four song played.

Marty also performed live shows although he was always a bit shy about it. He was in several bands and formed the duo Ken and Marty where he partnered with Ken Carmassi. They performed at many clubs, restaurants and private parties. This photo is one I took of them at a birthday party in our backyard. They covered classic rock, folk and obviously favorites from the sixties with a great blending of vocals. Fortunately, they also recorded so I have many versions of their songs that will keep Marty's voice alive forever.

Ken and Marty Live! (Fall 2006)

In August 2014 Sir Paul McCartney was performing the final concert before they took a wrecking ball to Candlestick Park. This concert was historic on many levels. The Beatles performed their last concert at Candlestick in August 1966. I was thrilled when Marty expressed desire in going and asked me if I would be his caregiver. They have special tickets for fans who are wheelchair bound and a caregiver ticket for the person assisting them. I didn't hesitate for a second. Even though I am older than Marty I have no big health issues. I was proud to push Marty through their vast parking lot and up all the ramps to get to the special area for wheelchairs. It was billed as "The Last Pick At The Stick." It was a truly magical evening I will never forget as you can easily tell from this photo.

Two Seriously Sir Paul Pals at the “Last Pick At The Stick” (August 2014)

As the last few years passed Marty's health began to further decline. I feel it was due in part to his sedentary lifestyle and the resulting health issues. When he passed away at just 65 the tributes came pouring in on social media. What struck me the most was how many people were praising him and yet they had never met in person. Marty was very generous with his mastering and engineering skills. He helped so many musician friends get their songs recorded. Technology enabled him to do all of his work without leaving his house. Even his album, "More Songs About Cars and Girls" was produced entirely in Australia by Michael Carpenter without Marty and Michael ever meeting face-to-face. The advent of digital music enabled them to e-mail files back and forth all that distance to get the sound they wanted remotely. That project was one of just so many where Marty made major contributions without ever meeting the artists. I now feel so fortunate when I meet these people that Marty and I were such great friends for forty-five years and not just connected by technology. I love sharing first hand stories with them about one of the funniest people I have ever known.

On July 10, 2019 my phone rang at 6:30 a.m. with MARTY RUDNICK on the caller I.D. I leapt for the phone because I was worried. Marty never called me at that hour. He was in rehabilitation and hurting really badly. The timing of the call was particularly awkward because I was planning a really long day which would culminate with seeing Sir Paul McCartney perform that evening at the SAP Center. I so wanted to tell Marty about the concert but I was much more concerned about his health. I also could not share my excitement as positive as it was while he was so blue. He was calling to tell me he loved me and goodbye for the last time. He was hurting so much that I think he was ready to give up this life and leave the pain behind.

Marty lived a few more months but his condition never really improved. I keep going back to his razor sharp wit that was simply innate to him. I will never forget our phone calls when towards the end of the conversation he would say, "I'll let you go" and pause. Then he would start laughing and say "You called me but I'm letting you go." Mixing metaphors to whimsical wordplay we found irony and humor at just about every turn. Thanks for the memories Marty but especially for so many laughs that so often brought me to tears.

Now I'll let you go Marty only because I have no other choice. But I'll never let you go from my heart.

– Brother Carl

Marturo Making Music