LS: When was the track recorded?
LM: The Burg was recorded in the spring of 1976.
LS: Who played on the session - were the other musicians people that you played with regularly at the time, or was it a scratch band?
LM: It was my regular band. We were called "The Boogie Band". "The Boogie Band" was the only group that ever played six weeks at Pittsburgh's famous "Crawford's Grill"!
LS: So who was in the band alongside you?
LM: In "The Boogie Band" Lamont "Monty" Ray played Rhythm Guitar and sang first tenor, Joe "Chipper" Gray played Bass Guitar and sang second tenor, Willie "Spiegal" Gay played drums and sang baritone, Keith Stabbler played electric piano and synthesizer and myself, Larry "Butch" McGee, played lead guitar and sang lead vocals. All the musicians except Keith played with me regularly for at least two years.
LS: The Burg was recorded at Pittsburgh's cult Asterisk studios, wasn't it. Do you have any recollections of the session? Was it a one-take hit, or did you work on it for some time?
LM: It took me two months to write the song, and two weeks to rehearse and record it with the band. The sessions were real smooth and angelic-like.
LS: Who were Boogie Band records - you recorded a couple of other 45s on that label - did you own the label or know the people behind it?
LM: I'm the sole proprietor of Boogie Band Records. I also released another single on Boogie Band called "We're Number One".
LS: Was The Burg a local hit at the time? Did it get airplay or distribution locally?
LM: The Burg did receive heavy local airplay on two local radio stations, WAMO and WYEP, so it did pretty well locally.
LS: Was The Burg a commissioned song, or was the celebration of Pittsburgh angle your own idea?
LM: The song wasn't commissioned, I thought it might bring attention to the city as well as myself!
LS: Did you play any regular gigs in Pittsburgh in the 70s? Where were the best music clubs in Pittsburgh in the 70s?
LM: There were many good venues in Pittsburgh. Some of the places I played consistently at included: The Tiger Tail, The Hurricane Bar and Grill, The Aurora Club, The Pennslyvania Bar, The Acee Ducee Club, The Loendi Club, The Hollywood Club, Wally G's, The Commercial Club, J C's Place, The Workmen's Club, The Hi Hat Lounge, The Fox Cafe, The Swizzle Stix, Karls Kork & Keg, The Rendezvous Lounge, The Paramount Club, The Downbeat Club, The 2001 Club, The Penn Avenue Elks... just to name a few! I played many more engagements outside of the tri-state area too.
LS: How do you feel about The Burg receiving so much attention, after 30 years?
LM: I think it is fantastic that "The Burg" has finally resurrected!
LS: Moving on to your own career, when did you start playing guitar, and how did you become interested in playing? Any family members who were musicians?
LM: I started playing guitar when I was twelve years old. I became interested in playing guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show. My mother Bertha played piano and my brother McKinley taught me how to play the guitar.
LS: Who are your key influences - who do you admire?
LM: So many. Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Jaco Pastorius, Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix were the important influences.
LS: Did you work with any other major Pittsburgh musicians at any time?
LM: Out of the Pittsburgh scene, I played with Jaco Pastorius and Quincy Jones.
LS: Do you play any other instruments?
LM: I do play bass, drums, and keyboards as well as guitar.
LS: How about other major artists - have you played tours or sessions with other major artists in the jazz, rock and pop fields?
LM: I've played with artists like The Marcels, Dr. Nathan Davis, Eugene Ludwig, The Altairs, Emmett Frizbi, Dr. Nelson Harrison, Roger Humphreys, Evelyn Childress, Jimmy Sapienza, Van Harris and The Vangards, Luther DeJarunett, The Wendell Byrd Trio, The MGM Trio, The LaRells, Del King, The Touch Band, just to name a few.
LS: How about other major artists- have you played tours or sessions with other major artists in the jazz, rock, or pop fields?
LM: The Norman Connors Starship Orchestra,The Winston Walls Trio, & Bill Easley.
LS: In the past few years you've been inducted into the Pittsburgh Jazz Hall Of Fame and have started working on new material now you're based in California.
LM: I relocated to Los Angeles, Ca. because, I want to expand my horizons: I feel greatly honored to be inducted in The Pittsburgh Jazz Hall Of Fame and I'm presently working on a new CD, and potentially a college tour too.
Thanks to Larry for his time with this interview and The Burg reissue.
Download Larry's video biography here [Windows Media]
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