Interview with Gary Burger of The Monks

After the recent death of Monk Dave Day, I recalled that I'd interviewed Gary Burger and Eddie Shaw from The Monks some time ago...

Catching him just before the Cavestomp and London gigs, Gary Burger was in fine form and talking about shocking the public, plans for a solo LP and, quite potently, talking about how Dave's banjo "defined The Monk sound".

Consider this part one of the interview... Eddie Shaw's interview will come later (you'll have to stay tuned to find out when). So let's quit the yappin' and make it happen... bow, kneel, show some reverence... it's the greatest voice from the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world!

How are you and what are you up to these days?

I live happily with my wife in northern Minnesota where I am owner of a recording studio and also a video production service. I record bands, folk artists, orchestras, choirs and wildlife sounds. As in the Monks, I'm still writing songs and do record them from time to time. I have plans to release a Gary Burger solo album sometime this winter. Life is good.

You are playing in the UK in October...

This will be the first time the Monks will play in the UK and I am excited that we will be there. We have a few old friends living there who we are out of contact with and I hope they show up for our concert and identify themselves. We've always wanted to play London and now our time has arrived.

Does it ever surprise you that there are many young people going crazy to your records after all these years?

I am always amazed at the great number of young people who show up for our shows and that Black Monk Time continues to sell. In the 60s, it seemed nearly impossible to get attention from a substantial number of younger people.. if I could have stopped the clock and put my age on hold in 1966 until today, I believe the Monks could make a very good career out of our singular brand of rock and roll right now. It's very gratifying to see that our sound and our song's meanings still carry good weight today.

You were all originally in The Torquays, which was a more traditional beat group... what happened to make you mutate into The Monks?

The Torquays were a group that played more traditional beat music but we were always experimenting with sounds and lyrics even as the Torquays. We met our managers in Stuttgart one fine day and they proved to be the catalyst that transformed us from a common beat band into The Monks and help us develop our very individual sound. They could see that we had potential and they simply pressed the right buttons to speed us up in the direction we were already travelling. They introduced the banjo to us which I love to this day and still use in some of my own songs. It set in so well with Roger Johnson's fantastic drumming and gave our rhythm section a truly unique sound. Roger's drums and Dave's banjo defined the Monk sound. Incredible. Sorry that many fans of those days couldn't see it our way.

What are your memories of recording Black Monk Time?

Very late at night after our Storyville gig in Koln, we'd pack our gear and head for the studio. We'd had some very, very good rehearsals and experience playing the Black Monk Time songs and we were indeed ready to record. The sessions were tiring because we'd played our gig and now were starting the recording sessions around 4:00 a.m. in the morning. We did the band tracks in a very large studio. We were spread out around the room and it was difficult being in musical contact with one another. I think we eventually moved closer together to ease the problem. Our producer Jimmy Bowien of Polydor, was a very cool guy and we all liked him and his terrific enthusiasm for the project. We wanted to sound good and do a good job for him, the managers, and of course we wanted to please ourselves.

One of the managers (Karl Remy) had brought a bottle of whiskey. He told me that I had to sing rougher, press harder and that the whiskey would help me along in that direction. I suppose in hindsight that he was right but I know I had an incredible hangover after the vocal session was complete. Black Monk Time turned out pretty good considering how quickly it was recorded. These days, I find myself appalled when I hear that bands are taking months or even years to record albums. Overdub this, overdub that, clone the chorus with protools, midi this, midi that, all manipulative stuff... I like bands that can get on stage and sound like their album sounds.. simple and straight ahead. I don't think we are hearing enough of that sort of thing these days. When the Monks recorded, except for the vocal overdubs it was all done in one tape pass. One. Pretty cool.

What was the response when the LP came out? Was it too edgy for 1966?

I can't remember that there was much response at all! The Monks were pleased that we had an album out but I don't remember getting much feedback from fans or press at the time. I think it was ignored and quickly buried. Maybe it was too edgy for 1966. I know that there wasn't a single sweet note in Black Monk Time and I'm glad of it to this day. We made many of our audiences nervous.. I think our album did the same.

In '66, many bands were looking away from songs about 'boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love' and were starting to get a bit deeper... then you unleashed the ferocious sentiment of 'I Hate You'... were you aware of how different and shocking that would have been at the time?

Personally, I had the feeling that many of our songs had the possibility to insult and shock people. I thought then and I still think now that it was a good thing. When I listen today to 'I Hate You' it comes across as to me as a bluesy love song with the lyric.. "I hate you baby.. but call me." Hell, that's how a lot of relationships are. Love-hate.

The Monks' image was vital to gigs. How did the shaved monk hair and black outfits with rope come about?

The Monk "look" was totally our manager's creation and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of crapola. I confess that I didn't like it at first but as time went on and I became used to it, I enjoyed the shock value that it carried.. whether walking down the street with my robe and rope tie or taking the stage as a Monk in full regalia. It was a great look, we got used to it and became our own.

You played in the big clubs in Hamburg... how important was that to developing your sound?

Hamburg had nothing to do with developing our sound. We came to Hamburg with the Monk sound already under our belt. But, we ended up loving the Top Ten Club and the people who came to hear us there. The Hamburgians had a broader worldview and they weren't so shocked with the Monks as folks elsewhere in Germany were and they adopted us as their own. We made many friends there and to this day it is the best venue the Monks have ever played or ever will. When I think of Hamburg, I do yearn for the old days.

Speaking of the old days, you must have got up to quite a bit of mischief in Hamburg?

Yes.

You sang "Why do you kill all those kids in Vietnam/ Mad Vietcong!/My brother died in Vietnam." How was this taken by the crowds, and how did it feel singing it after being G.I.'s yourselves?

As the lead singer on Monk Time, it felt just fine to me. I still had friends in the U.S. Army who were being shipped to Viet Nam and I didn't want to see them killed because of stupid government policy. Some G.I.s were taken aback by this song (Complication also) but I saw them as people who would do what their government wanted without question even if it was obviously wrong. The German crowds supported the song as did the Swedes.

The band have been quoted as saying "The English bands thought they were big time... Until they heard us play". Did you try and annihilate the 'wet cloth' frontmen of the Brit Invasion boys?

I don't know where you came up with that quote but it is totally false, incorrect and pure bullshit. I had much respect for the English groups.. there were a lot of them and they were such good players and singers and fun to hear. I think I liked their cheeky attitudes best of all which sometimes could be downright insulting but usually was so funny and full of humour that I'd be laying on the floor laughing myself into a puke.

We had a number of English friends who we'd see every now and then on our circuits... The Image, Casey Jones and the Governors.. there were more but names have faded for me. I hope some of these people show up in London when we play there. We had friends from other parts as well... Ricky Barnes and Isabella Bond from the Top Ten Club. Please set the record straight, the Monks DID NOT and DO NOT bad mouth the Isles groups. Much respect. I bow my Monkish head to their accomplishments.

Is it true that you were thrown out of a monastery whilst on tour in Sweden?

Ahh.. the Monastery story finally comes out. Something to do with smoking something, girls and alcohol. That's all I can remember. Very sad.

What next for The Monks? Retirement homes? Rock'n'Roll onslaughts?

I'd going to play and sing until I can't any longer. I have opportunities now to work with some very cool international folks on recordings and hopefully on stage as well and I plan on doing that. Who could ask for more? I've never really experienced the 9 to 5 job situation and I'm certainly too set in my rock and roll ways to think of going that way now... yes... I'll play and sing myself to death. A fitting way to commit suicide.

(Article originally appeared in PopJunkie)

Mof Gimmers