Diane: Hey Marc!

Marc: Hey Diane!

Diane: So Marc, there are a lot of exciting things happening in the Bolan-Beaty Boogie camp huh?

Marc: Yeah Diane, if you say so. (He is teasing me yet again…)

Diane: Stop! First off, we are celebrating five years together Marc! Yay! For our readers who don’t know our story, this is how it started. I had been channeling various energies for a while but wasn’t working with anyone in particular. Then for two weeks straight I kept hearing over and over “Listen to T-Rex! Listen to T-Rex!”. It was non-stop and was starting to get on my nerves. I had, of course, heard of the band but knew nothing about who the members were or where they were now. I thought well whoever this is, is certainly persistent.

Finally, I said, alright already I will! The rest is history (at least our history). When Marc first arrived, I wasn’t sure how long he was going to stay with me – a week? A month? At first, I was curious about why Marc Bolan would be visiting me. He seemed to know me very well. I asked him three questions that I could verify. I knew nothing about him at this point. I found the answers for two quickly.  The third answer took about six months to verify and that was only because a friend of his happened to mention it in a documentary. Otherwise, I couldn’t find any trace of it at all.

Marc told me about the past lives that we shared and how close we are in spirit and then it all began to make sense. We’ve had a blast the past few years with many laughs, tears, and patience learning (on my part). Now I tell Marc that he is stuck with me till the end and he seems happy about that as am I.

So Happy Anniversary Marc!

Marc: Yeah Diane. Happy Anniversary to you as well!

Diane: On another note…I just read that they’ve come out with a tribute album to Marc featuring bands like U2 and Joan Jett doing T-Rex covers. When I mentioned this to Marc he said: “Yeah that was a long time coming wasn’t it”. (Marc is so funny!)

I asked him if it bothered him when people did tributes to him, you know, putting their take on his music. He said that he doesn’t have a problem with other musicians redoing his songs and is interested to hear what they come up with. He said it’s a creative flow and if the energy is good, he said go for it.

What he isn’t happy with are people who take his master tapes and rearrange his music as he isn’t here to tell them “that’s shite”. I have a song on my iPhone that I believe was remixed in 2006. Every time it comes on, he starts saying the tempo is too slow and he won’t let me alone till I turn it off. The only reason I listen to it is that it’s much clearer than the demo recordings that are out there.

I asked him if he has heard the tribute album and he said that it isn’t always clear to “hear” music from where he is. He said that he can pick up better if I listen to it since we are so connected now that he can hear it almost as well as if he was in a physical body. Right then, Marc, we’ll have to listen to it sometime and maybe I can get your opinion?

Moving forward, Marc I believe that we have a guest tonight?

Marc: Yeah Diane, that’s right…we do.

Diane: I’ll give our readers a condensed version of how this all came together. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a cafe waiting for a take-out order. “Wichita Lineman” came over the sound system and I felt like I was transported back into a time warp. Yes, I admit that I’m old enough to remember when it was on the radio but it was more than that. It’s as if time stood still. I had to not freak out because there were other people around me, but I knew there was more to this than met the eye.

Soon afterward, Glen started tapping me on the shoulder asking very politely if Marc and I would interview him. Then I started hearing his songs going through my head over and over again. That’s a sure way of my knowing that they are around and want my attention. I can’t get them out of my head until I speak with them. I remember when Marc and I first started Andy Gibb was around me for weeks! He was a sweet guy but we weren’t at the point where we were doing afterlife interviews and he moved onto another medium who posted an interview with him a few days after he left me. Robin Gibb – the same thing. And again, after he left me, the same medium interviewed him. I guess that at some point, they are interested in telling their stories and will find the person who is ready to do it.

Marc, we are going to the studio right to meet Glen?

Marc: Yeah Diane, he’s already there waiting for us.

Diane: Oh gosh, here I am chatting away and he is waiting for us!

Marc: No time remember Diane.

Diane: Yeah I know. Okay, Marc let’s hit the trail! Marc grabbed my hand and away we go! When we arrived at our studio, the set was dark with just one light shining on Glen. He was standing to my right and seemed very tall with a smile on his face. His energy is very kind and giving but then I knew that as he has been around me for several weeks. Glen motioned if he could sit down. I always sit across from Marc and the guests to take everything down and to have the best view.

Marc, we need some more lights in here! Marc snapped his fingers and the set lit up. I told him I wished that he could do that at my house as well!

Okay, Marc, I think that most of our guests are familiar with Glen so we’ll get on with some questions. Marc take it away!

Marc: Yeah sure Diane. I usually start by asking each guest why they wanted to come on the show.

Diane: Yeah Marc, as you know, Glen has already mentioned that to us. Whereas some guests we ask to be on the show, Glen was hoping that we would take him on. He said that he isn’t interested in speaking about himself although he had an amazing career. Just to give you a hint of his accomplishments:

“Glen Travis Campbell was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, television host, and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on television from 1969 until 1972. He released 64 albums in a career that spanned five decades, selling over 45 million records worldwide, including twelve gold albums, four platinum albums, and one double-platinum album. He passed over in August of 2017 from Alzheimer’s disease.”

Marc: Glen is there anything that you would add to this?

Glen: Yes Marc there is. Like Diane mentioned, my main objective to be on the show isn’t to talk about myself. Rather it’s to pass along some of the knowledge that I have about the disease to help any of your readers who might be diagnosed with the same or who have a family member or friend afflicted with it.

Marc: Great man! That sounds worthwhile for sure doesn’t it Diane?

Diane: Yes it does! My father passed away from complications due to Parkinson’s. It is very hard for family members to watch loved ones with these kinds of conditions so I was interested in what Glen has to tell us. My family and I did everything we could to support my Dad and make his last years as pleasant as possible, but I know it was very difficult for him to not be able to think clearly, speak or eventually eat for himself.

Marc: Okay yeah, very hard times, it sounds like there. Glen, I think that you want to say there are some positives right? But first man, can I get the scoop from you about your life as a musician?

Glen: Sure Marc. What did you want to know?

Marc: Well man, like I knew the scene in the UK but you were based in the States and it was a whole different ball of wax there.

Diane: Yeah Marc you both have something in common right? Glen played on some of those Beach Boy songs that you loved. He was also a member of “The Wrecking Crew” a group of session musicians who played for Elvis, The Monkees, and Frank Sinatra.

Marc: Yeah Glen so what’s your take on that whole scene?

Glen: Well Marc, it was exciting times, but hard work, long hours, and not much pay.

Diane: Glen what did it feel like playing on albums where you weren’t given any credit? I mean those in the business knew you guys were on it but others were technically being given credit for your expertise.

Glen: Well it was the times that we were in wasn’t it? We weren’t the front headliners.

Diane: There were a few women or at least one woman I read about in The Wrecking Crew right but not many.

Glen told me that many women could have done this kind of work but they weren’t given the chance. It was a “man’s world” and men tend to be competitive when a woman could show that she could do just as well if not better than them. It wasn’t going to happen back then and probably women are still having a tough time with it.

Glen: So basically, it was work. Sometimes I could be more creative with what I was doing than others. Sometimes, I was told what they wanted and I just did it. I think that the songs were more successful when we were able to put a bit of ourselves into them but it was what it was. We were there to make sure that whatever bands we were backing sounded the best that we could.

Marc: Yeah but it was your dream to become a solo artist wasn’t it?

Glen: Well let’s just say that I was very happy when I started to get noticed. This was a very small world back then. Everyone knew everyone else and their reputation. Everyone knew who was trouble and who was easier to get along with. I was pretty easy to get along with and had the reputation of a solid player so I got work. Yes, sure it was my dream to be recognized as a solo performer. It was a relief to finally step into the limelight after all those years. I knew other guys who didn’t care anything about that. They were there to put their eight hours in (he kind of chuckled after that because the session hours were a lot longer than that usually) and they were content to go home.

Marc: Well man, you had a string of hits didn’t you.

Glen: Yes I did Marc. I was very fortunate to record many wonderful songs written by amazing creative artists. Some of the best in the business.

Diane: Did you write many of your songs?

Glen: I wrote a few but not many. That wasn’t exactly my forte but when I had something to say, oftentimes, I would write it down. (I think Glen might be a little humble here. I have a feeling he wrote more than he is letting on.)

Diane: Well I remember watching your TV show as a kid so you were mainstream TV that’s for sure. What was that like?

Glen: Having your TV show is, of course, every entertainer’s dream but it is a major commitment. It was long hours and although I was used to that, having an entire show riding on your back is pressure. Sometimes I could cope and other times not so well.

Diane: But you enjoyed working with others though you are telling me?

Glen: Almost all the time yes when the energy was right and positive. That doesn’t always happen in the music business let me tell you. There is a lot at stake because there is money involved. You couldn’t waste time because you wasted money and eventually, you would stop getting the gigs.

Diane: Glen was telling me that he really enjoyed working with other musicians and he always tried to find a way to enjoy whatever he was doing, even if the circumstances weren’t always ideal.

Glen, you are mentioned to me that, of course, there was a lot of substance abuse in LA, especially during the 1970s right?

Glen: Yeah Diane that’s right. It was everywhere and everyone was doing it. Many people lost their homes, their families, and careers and once they did, it was rare for them to make it back on top. Once you start on that slide, it isn’t easy to head back up.

Diane: Marc any questions from you?

Marc: Yeah so what was it like working with the Beach Boys?

Glen: Well Marc working with them had its ups and downs as you can imagine. Mixed emotions were going on between them and tempers would flare. (He kept showing me Brian Wilson usually in some form of angst.). They knew the sound they were after and went to some lengths to get it. It was fun at times but just a stepping stone for me.

Diane: Marc where you saying something? I missed that.

Marc: Yeah man, I was just saying to Glen that I believe it’s public knowledge that he had some difficult times with taking things that people probably shouldn’t have been taking (myself included), and did he want to say anything about that or let it slide?

Glen: Well Marc, you are right. It wasn’t always public knowledge but everything came out in the end and doesn’t it always? Would I do it again differently? Probably not. Sometimes forces outside of yourself or you feel they are outside of yourself take a hold of you and it’s hard or even impossible to shake it off. You can see how it is affecting your life and your work but you just keep going. It’s the human element.

Marc: Yeah man, earth is the place to experience experience right?

Diane: Okay Marc so I think it’s time for us to segway over to what Glen wants to say about his illness. I know that this is very important to him to talk about this because he wants to help others. First of all Glen, what does it feel like when you are experiencing diseases like this? I know that once it got a hold of my Dad, he wasn’t able to express what he was going through. Sometimes he could tell you what year it was but at others, he would say it was 1963 and Kennedy was still president. Can you help us try to experience that a bit?

Glen: Yes Diane, I would be honored to as I would like to be able to speak about what I experienced in the hopes that it will help relieve the pressures that someone else might be going through. At first, when you are diagnosed, it’s as you can imagine, a very scary feeling. They can tell you what to expect, but you can’t grasp truly what it means.

Diane: Right I think that Glen is going to speak with me and I’ll just type it out. Sometimes it’s easier for them to communicate this way especially when it’s something that means a lot to them. Okay, Glen go ahead.

He is saying that it’s surreal when a disease like this starts to take hold of you. You realize that something doesn’t feel right and you appear to have lost time. You pick up at a later point in time and don’t remember how you got there. He is showing me a spirit stepping in and out of vibrations. He remembers seeing the confused faces of his family and friends when he talked with them but didn’t understand why. I felt that’s what my Dad did as well. He slept a lot and I was just praying that he wasn’t in that body all the time.

Glen: Well Diane, towards the end, that’s pretty much what it felt like for me as well. As much as you know that you will miss your family and the life that you had as a particular individual, it is a relief to step out of that body for the last time. You realize that you are no longer bound by what a body can experience.

Diane: You’ve been telling me for the past few days how important it was for you to have your family around you and how much they meant to you. I know that you are a private guy but if there is anything else that you want to say about that, please do.

Glen: I did mention this to you often Diane because I did want you to bring this up. Even though I know that my family already knows this, I did want to thank them with all my heart for their support and they love that they gave me and for seeing me through till the end even though it got to the point that I couldn’t express this to them in “normal” ways.

Diane: Yes I think that what you want to convey Glen is that even though the person may not be able to remember who you are or be able to speak as they used to about events that you’ve shared, don’t let that stop you from talking with them. You are saying because, on some level, they know what you are saying to them. I think that sometimes when people can’t respond, you tend to give up because you think it’s falling on deaf ears right?

Glen: Yes Diane, this is a very important aspect of debilitating diseases like these. You can’t imagine how much the person needs physical affection, a hug, a smile from you. They don’t want to be treated like they are no longer part of the world. Even though they may have lost their cognitive abilities, they can understand on some level what you are saying.

Diane: Well on a spirit level for sure.

Glen: Yes that’s what I am saying.

Diane: Glen I’ve heard from several people whose spouses went through this, that they no longer felt it was the same person whom they married. It was as if another person took over their body and they couldn’t relate to them anymore. What would you say about that?

Glen: Well it is the hardest thing to come to terms with the fact that the person whom you have probably spent the best times in your life with isn’t the same anymore. You feel that you no longer recognize them.

Diane: Yes so can you explain what might be going on here? Maybe on a soul level versus medical because I’m not going to be able to get that easily. I remember that my Dad would be riding in the car with my Mom and he would tell her about the blonde man who was sitting with him and he wasn’t friendly. Then he would tell us about the people standing out in the garden. He could describe them in such detail, I felt that he was accessing other realms and he was truly seeing these things.

Glen: That’s a very good explanation for it Diane, and yes, you are right, this can happen. Right now, every one of you can tap into, as you put it, other worlds, frequencies, vibrations – whatever term you want to use. It isn’t readily available to most because you were taught that it isn’t “normal” at some point. When the body starts breaking down, the spirit self can take over and make up for the part of it that it feels is missing.

Diane: Someone else told me once that they felt that these long illnesses were a soul’s chance to give their loved ones time to adjust to their passing. So on some level, illnesses like these help pave the way for all parties to adapt. For instance, a spirit may know that it’s time for them to go home, but they don’t want the break to be fast. You choose the fast route out right Marc?

Marc: Yeah I did.

Glen: As you said, Diane, it’s what the soul wants to experience and that will have a rippling effect for those around them. Each and everyone will grow from the experience and as we all know, we are all going to be alright in the end.

Diane: Marc any more questions for Glen?

Marc: Yeah man, are you playing any music where you are now?

Glen: Now and again Marc…now and again.

Diane: Are you doing anything else, Glen?

Glen: Well I’m traveling Diane.

Diane: Glen started singing the words to “Rhinestone Cowboy” to me:

“Like a Rhinestone Cowboy. Riding out on his horse in a star-spangled rodeo”.

I get the impression that cowboys and westerns meant a lot to him. I think he found some of his heroes in them. So, Glen, you are saying that you are having some adventures then right?

Glen: I am Diane.

Diane: I think that your songs were mainly about everyday kind of people Glen?

Glen: Yes Diane they were. I thought of myself as an everyday kind of guy. I didn’t think of myself as being more important than anyone else. I had my times playing the star, I’m sure, but I knew that I was good at what I did. I took a lot of pride in my music. It fed my soul.

Marc: Okay Glen, I think that’s about all the time that we have for tonight. We want to thank you for coming to the Bolan-Beaty Boogie show right Diane?

Diane: Oh yes! I’ve enjoyed this so much, Glen! Thank you for sharing with us!

Glen thanked us and took his leave.

Later on:

Diane: You know Marc, earlier today, Glen was saying to me that he truly appreciated that we wanted him to come on the show. He said that we could have chosen someone who had a more recent high profile. He knew that his heyday had come and gone and our readers may not be that familiar with him. He really is a humble guy because he truly is an American legend.

I told him that isn’t our priority here. What’s important to use is to have someone sincere to tell us whatever part of their story that they want to share. They always come to speak with us – not to toot their horns – but because they feel that sharing their experiences will help and inspire us.

Glen is one of the most sincere guys I’ve ever met, that’s for sure, and it was a pleasure meeting him. I wish him happy journeys wherever he goes now!

© Bolan-Beaty Boogie

October 15, 2020