Quotes by Michael Davis

Back at that time, we played the songs pretty much the way we heard them on the records. We streamlined them somewhat. We even had band uniforms that we wore and that was one of the first things I had to do. I went out to the department store and purchased black slacks and a black vest and a green corduroy blazer. That was sort of our official uniform at the time and we used that for a while.

I attempted to liberate some sunglasses from the corner drugstore. It wasn't a good idea. So they came charging out of there with ball-bats. I guess they thought I was a pretty vicious individual.

I didn't think I was wasting my time. I thought I was in the right company. Those guys were so good. The more we played, the more it became obvious that we had something special. No other band was... I didn't think any other band was capable of what we were doing.

I had just broken up with my wife so I was searching for another way to live.

I started out with nothing. I still have most of it.

I think some time after 1969 or so, the band started to lose its light. But I'll tell you what, boy- on the way up, it was happening.

I was not a musician at the time. I had an acoustic guitar and I used to sing folk music and Bob Dylan songs. I loved rock and roll though.

I went over to say hi to Rob and he introduced me to Wayne and Fred. I had made a radical purchase of some brown Beatle boots. Wayne was like 'Where did you get those boots! Who is this guy?

Nothing ever sounds quite the way it does when you're standing right in the middle of it.

There was the movement on the West Coast and there was just a general consciousness that was coming about with all young people, unifying them- being against the war, being for the legalization of pot and the liberating of sexual taboos and restrictions and (against) ignorant points of view that we learned growing up and learned to hate. So it was like one big happy family.

We had all these things to deal with- houses full of people and John going to jail, guys from New York saying 'don't worry about anything.' So it was really confusing.

We had all this kind of freedom and 'get out of your head' kind of stuff and at the same time, we were trying to establish ourselves in the business. These two things are really difficult to bring together.

We just kind of lost our spiritual togetherness and the confidence that we had each other. There was some things going on that seperated band members more than just musically. We didn't live together any more. It was just like breaking up. It wasn't pretty. Everything just kind of fell apart and we just lost our communication with each other.

We were like a bouncing ball. We didn't really have any direction or management. We were trying to be organized from within. We didn't have anyone saying 'keep going with this' or anyone that was out promoting us with any effect. We were doing it ourselves and we were not getting anywhere. Trying to make our own little singles and what else can you do? We didn't have any kind of patrons.

When I joined the band, being that I was going to take this up as a profession, I realized that there were no two finer guitar players in the world that I'd rather play with.