Murray McLauchlan New York

I invited Murray to come to New York with me for the July 4th weekend and the tall ships. I had to fly down to pick up the van for the SORC sailboat Bonaventure V. The boat was racing in the Onion Patch in Bermuda and coming into New York to go up the Hudson River and Erie Canal etc. back to Toronto and they wanted me to drive the van back. Besides July the 4th is my birthday and where else to celebrate? An added goody was an invitation from the Canadian Norwegian ambassador to have a sail on the Christian Radich. (This was compliments of my sister who worked at harbor-front in Toronto) we were using Murray's agent to book tickets. The trip got complicated, my bartender Laura wanted to go home to New York so I got a ticket for her and then Krash's girlfriend wanted to go to meet Krash who was sailing to New York, so I got a ticket for her. We no sooner were in the air than somebody phoned Murray's wife and told her Murray and Gary were going to New York with 2 women. (this caused serious problems) After much ado we got a hotel room and I went to pick up the van for transportation. As it happened I got a free parking spot around the corner from the Hotel. In New York on July4th weekend etc etc. so we never moved the van until we left and took cabs. Laura took us to her old studio and the bar she used to work at. It was right at the Manhattan side of the Brooklin Bridge which is a great place to hang out. This was beside the Fulton fish Market which was having a fair so we ended up spending the evening at the fair. Spending was the operative word for Murray he went a little crazy. One of the Hanky Panks had a life-sized stuffed bear as a grand prize. Murray decided he had to have it. After about 5 hours and 5 hundred dollars he finally won it. So there we were 2 o clock in the morning going back to the Hotel trying to stuff this giant bear toy into the cab. It wouldn't fit so after 15 minutes of trying Murray took a long look at the bear and said What the hell do I want with this and threw it on the street. As we
drove off the streets were empty.

So on the fourth, we went to see the fireworks

We get a cab he goes to The Battery but all the cars just stop in the road and he can go no further. he stoops gets out No charge lets go and see the fireworks. Street entrepreneurs have emptied the garbage bins and filled them with ice and selling beer. we buy a dozen and walk towards the grandstands set upon the banks of the Hudson. Some guy says "don’t pay follow me!" We go through a hole in the fence and walk through a swamp path of tall bulrushes etc. (thinking this is New York what are we doing?) But we come out on the best spot to watch the fireworks. We are right opposite the Statue of Liberty and the barges. The fireworks were spectacular and then for the finale a huge helicopter towed a monster flag up the Hudson and spontaneously 6 million people start singing The Star spangled Banner' It was something Murray and I actually cracked our heads together grabbing a beer and quickly chugalugging it to try and stop the chills up the spine.

WEIRDOS

funny I watched the movie Weirdos It takes place on July 4th 1976.

Nova Scotia. 1976. It's the weekend of the American Bicentennial and 15-year-old Kit is running away from home. Enlisting the help of his girlfriend Alice, Kit hitchhikes through the stunning maritime landscape towards a new home with his glamorous, artistic mother Laura in Sydney.  Kit struggles with his sexual identity as his mother wishes to go to New York and meet Andy Warhol. the last scene is a dance sequence to Murray Mclauchlan singing Down by Henry Moore. On that Day Murray and I were in new york city

Maclean & Maclean

MacLean & MacLean.
were two of my best customers and best friends for 5 years or so.
when they would come to Ontario I would go around and sing with them(or maybe against them - they were always amazed at how bad I truly was)I was the Lobsterman and sang the ancient lobster song. It was great fun and we had many adventures.
On Sundays my bar was invitation only and everything was free. I would cook my famous seafood chowder and we would invite who ever was in town for a massive jam session like Burton Cummings and Murray McLaughlin for example. the McLean's would always bar tend and it was great fun. When I closed my bar McLean's Invited me to Winnipeg for a couple of weeks. they said you have been so good to us we are going to treat you the way you have treated us.
"You mean you're going to charge me $3.50 a drink I asked."

My career with the MacLean's ended because Of Billy Joel. The MacLean's were playing the El Macombo and as I was coming up to do my song late in the last set. I saw Billy Joel and his band storm in to a reserved table.(He had been playing maple leaf gardens)
I sang it thus
I met a jolly fisherman down by the sea
Have you a lobster you can sell to me?
'Singing row tiddly over fart or bust
never let your bollocks dangle in the dust'
So I took the lobster home and couldn't find a dish.
so I put it in the pot where the missus has a piss.
'Singing row tiddly over fart or bust
never let your bollocks dangle in the dust'
In the middle of the night I heard a grunt
and there was the lobster hanging from her "front'
'Singing row tiddly over fart or bust
never let your bollocks dangle in the dust'
So I grabs a brush and the missus grabs a broom
And we chased that bloody lobster round and round the room
'Singing row tiddly over fart or bust
never let your bollocks dangle in the dust'
We hit it on the head and hit it on the side.
We hit that bloody lobster until the bastard died.
'Singing row tiddly over fart or bust
never let your bollocks dangle in the dust'
the moral to the story is very plain to see
always have a look see before you have a pee.
'Singing row tiddly over fart or bust
never let your bollocks dangle in the dust'
that is the end there is no more.
there is an apple up me asshole and Billy Joel can have the core.

The MacLean's looked askance they had no idea Billy Joel was in the audience.
After the show Billy Joel and band came to the dressing room and the El Mo supplied cases of Heineken's and we partied on into the night.
Billy Joel raved about the act but all he could remember was me. He thought I was really part of the act rather than just a guest.
I was never again asked back to sing with the MacLean's.
Even years later I would go to see them and they would say do the lobsterman and it just wouldn't happen. I never sang with them again They denied this but it is my story and I am sticking to it.