By Shawn Perry
It’s one of those riffs that has succinctly ingrained itself into the consciousness of classic rock and beyond. But when you ask Edgar Winter about his all-instrumental monster, “Frankenstein,” the veteran musician, in his own self-effacing manner, downplays its initial impact. “I was surprised it was successful to begin with,” he says via telephone from his home in Beverly Hills. “It wasn’t even intended to be on an album. It was just something I used to do with my brother Johnny.”
While it ended up closing out the Edgar Winter Group’s double-platinum, top ten album from 1973, They Only Come Out At Night, “Frankenstein” takes the lead on The Best Of Edgar Winter, a new retrospective from Epic. The 15-track disc documents Edgar’s years with Epic and Blue Sky records, touching on seven of the eleven albums he cut for the labels from 1970 to 1981.
“I’m real excited it’s coming out,” Edgar says. “It’s made me re-examine what I’ve done over the years.”
Straight out of Texas, the Winter brothers have never lost sight of their musical ambitions. In the 70s, they definitely stood out, with their flowing white hair and light skin. But it was all backed up by their abilities as musicians, performers and professionals. Johnny, the eldest, remains one of the most influential blues guitarists to ever strap on a six-stringer. Edgar, of course, is the definitive utility man, perfectly able to squeeze a sax, tinkle the ivories, bellow out a soulful and funky vocal, and even put in an appearance in the most unlikely of places (more on this later).
Little wonder since both were brought up in a family awash in music. Their father John played alto sax in a swing band and sang in a barbershop quartet. Their mother Edwina played classical piano. Edgar fondly recalls his upbringing. “My earliest memories of music are of me sitting in my mother’s lap. I was just big enough to peak over the keyboard and watch her hands. I associated that with what I was hearing. I think that security and that love, being cradled in my mother’s arms, affected my feeling towards music.”
Johnny and Edgar, unique in so many ways, didn’t waste any time when it came to playing music. “We started out when I was six-years-old,” Edgar says. “We played ukuleles and sang Everly Brothers songs.”
The Winter brothers formed countless local bands. Johnny eventually signed on with Columbia and shuffled off to New York. Eventually, he called on his little brother to join him. To this day, Edgar is thankful for the opportunity. “I’m really indebted to Johnny,” he says. “He was my first musical hero. Were it not for him, things would have happened quite differently. I can envision myself as maybe a starving jazz musician. I never had any inclination towards fame or stardom. I just love music. Johnny was more ambitious and outgoing. I was the weird and quiet guy who played all the instruments.”
As it happened, Edgar’s unheralded talents would not go unnoticed. “When I was playing with Johnny, he used to play the first half of the set with his trio and then he’d say, ‘I wanna bring out my little brother Edgar.'”
One night Johnny asked him to sing a song. Edgar, who never really considered himself a singer per se, accepted the challenge. “It was at a club in Chicago called the Kinetic Playground,” he remembers vividly. “I decided to do ‘Tobacco Road’. I knew the band could play it, even though we had never rehearsed it.”
The reaction was immediate. Edgar’s soulful rendering of the John D. Loudermilk classic became a highlight of the shows. After a while, during an extended interlude, Edgar and Johnny would regularly partake in a show-stopping vocal and guitar trade-off. “When I did it with Johnny, it was almost a telepathic kind of communication,” Edgar says.
Now an established presence on the concert stage, Edgar released his first solo album for Epic in 1970. With the appropriate title of Entrance, Edgar took full advantage of his vision, touching on variations of rock, funk and jazz throughout. Along with “Tobacco Road,” the title track and jazz-flavored “Fire And Ice” made the cut for The Best Of Edgar Winter. Edgar couldn’t be more pleased. “I’m really happy they included some of the material from Entrance. I didn’t expect it to be there. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Never one to rest on his laurels, Edgar subsequently put a number of bands together following his solo debut. First up was White Trash, replete with a spiffy horn section and second vocalist. For a solid year, Edgar and White Trash turned out some of the funkiest blue-eyed rhythm and blues you could find in the early 70s (they reunited briefly in the late 70s). The Best Of Edgar Winter features seven tunes with White Trash, including “Give It Everything You Got,” a live rendition of Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light,” and the classic Top 40 hit “Keep Playin’ That Rock n’ Roll.”
But it was with the Edgar Winter Group that he became something more than just Johnny’s little brother; he became a bona fide hit maker. The group initially featured the stellar line-up of Chuck Ruff on drums, Dan Hartman on bass and vocals, and Ronnie Montrose on guitar.
Even as he played the part to the till, brandishing mascara, rouge and eyeliner, and coming off sheepishly androgynous on the cover of They Only Come Out At Night, Edgar admits that stardom was never in the cards. “I really had little interest in becoming famous,” he states emphatically. “When I write my book, it will be my guide to avoid becoming a rock star.”
Nevertheless, Edgar Winter became a force to be reckoned with. Throughout the 70s, he continued working with the nucleus of the Edgar Winter Group, enlisting long-time collaborator and producer Rick Derringer to replace Montrose on guitar. Even though his success on the charts never quite matched They Only Come Out At Night, Edgar went on to make albums with his brother as well as forays into more experimental terrain, notably with his second solo album Jasmine Nightdreams.
During the 80s, Edgar went out even further on the limb by issuing Standing On Rock and Mission Earth, two sci-fi inspired albums that more or less got lost in the shuffle. Since the 90s, Edgar has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts. He’s collaborated with some amazing musicians like Leon Russell and Dr. John. His legacy has also presented him with some strange and unique opportunities.
By the looks of things, “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride” have both become entrenched in American pop culture via movies and commercial jingles. This has opened a number of doors for Edgar. He has gone on to contribute original material for such feature films as “My Cousin Vinnie,” “Wag The Dog” and “Duet.”
Aside from writing the music, Edgar has also appeared in several films. His best known role, however, is probably the part he played in a popular and long-running commercial for Miller Lite beer. Appearing as suave actor and professional tanner George Hamilton’s twin brother, the bit was anchored by Edgar’s easy going and likeable demeanor. How the idea came about is just another one of those cool and crazy show biz stories you always read about in one of those tell-all books. “My wife Monique and I went into the Hamilton Room and there was George,” Edgar happily muses. “He was just great, regaling us with all these great inside Hollywood stories.”
Once they left, Monique turned to Edgar and remarked that he and Hamilton should do something together. In his wildest dreams, Edgar couldn’t imagine what he and the distinguished actor could ever do in the professional arena. Two weeks later, the musician received a call for the commercial. He didn’t have the faintest idea that Hamilton was involved until he showed up at the shoot. Edgar laughs at the notion. “They labeled me as ‘Edgar Winter — Rocker’ and George as ‘Tanner’…”
The commercial garnered a lot of attention, all of which Edgar has welcomed with open arms. “It definitely has had an impact on my career. To a lot of people, I’m no longer just Edgar Winter the musician. It’s like ‘Hey aren’t you that guy in the beer commercial.'”
Make no mistake, Edgar Winter the musician is still very much in demand. Amidst recent tours of the States as well as Japan, Edgar was called upon late last year to take part in the Volunteers For America Benefit Concerts to help benefit the firefighters, police, and victims’ families of the September 11 tragedy. Edgar performed a stirring rendition of “Save The Planet,” a classic from his days with White Trash. Although the song deals primarily with the environment, its gospel flavor gives it a much wider and universal appeal, which made it an appropriate choice. Edgar sites the inspiration. “I used to go to these old tent revivals and listen to the gospel singers,” he says. “If you think rock and roll is energetic, it pales in comparison to a Pentecostal tent revival.”
Now, with The Best Of Edgar Winter out, Edgar has a newfound sense to press forth even further. “It has caused me to reflect back on what I’ve done. I think it really ties in with what I’m doing currently.”
Indeed, the retrospective has apparently sent a creative lightening bolt through Edgar’s bones as he outlines his latest project, Jazzin’ The Blues. He explains how he is in the process of assembling the pieces for a conceptual piece called “Keys Of The Kingdom.” He’s looking to include a barrage of legendary keyboardists such as Leon Russell, Dr. John, Michael McDonald, and Billy Preston. It’s a little bit of jazz and a little bit of blues, all refined by Edgar’s own inimitable spin. “As far as I’m concerned, blues and jazz are the great American contributions to music,” Edgar says, mentioning that the record should be out by the end of the year.
By all accounts, Edgar Winter is a satisfied and content man. When he isn’t on the road or in the studio, he cherishes his time with his wife of 23 years, Monique. “She has been a great supporter throughout all the years we’ve been married,” Edgar says. “She’s really showed me what love is.”
If anything, the musician is balancing his private life and a career with the greatest of ease and temperament. For that, he is eternally grateful. “I just want to thank all my fans for their loyalty and support — for coming out to the shows and buying the CDs.”
He pauses to reflect for a moment. “I can’t imagine anything more worthwhile than doing what I most love,” he laughs. “And they pay me for it.”
June 3, 2002
