On 8/13/98, we held a live chat in the GDF Conference Room with Bill Champlin, to celebrate the release of Live.

Geoff Gould: Tonight the GDF is proud to have Bill Champlin here in the GDF Conference Room. Welcome Bill

GG: so Bill is in Atlantic City, and I'm in SF

Bill Champlin: But we're still close

JREISTETER: it been a while since I've heard Sons of Champlin.

Bill Champlin: Me too

Lioness ll: When did you cut your live CD?

Bill Champlin: In Santa Rosa, CA. Jan. 24.

SDG513: Why so long for a live album????

Bill Champlin: You mean length of CD?

BeCk3468: What do you do besides play music?

Bill Champlin: Record music and watch TV.

Lioness ll: When will you guys play on the east coast?

Bill Champlin: Hopefully in the next year sometime. No plans yet

LlZZIR: You know, my life was garbage until I got this cd

Bill Champlin: Meeeeeeeem...My lil' sister

LlZZIR: Beeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuu

GG: For those late arrivals, I'm Geoff Gould, the GDF host, and Bill Champlin is Bill Champlin. Are there any Sons reunion plans cooking?

Bill Champlin: We want to play in Dec. and Jan.

BeCk3468: How long have you been playing?

Bill Champlin: The Sons played from '65 to 77. Then again last year.

Ddhd8098: Whats your favorite color? do you know david cassidy?

Bill Champlin: Owsley Purple and Panama red

Wholemtn: How about a gig in the Bay Area?

Bill Champlin: Where...When?

SDG513: Do you think top 40 radio is killing the grand music scene???

Bill Champlin: Video is doing a quicker job of it.

BeCk3468: Bill-do you have any siblings?

Bill Champlin: Look above your name. My Sister

LlZZIR: Hi Beck....shhh.

Headwack: Any plans for a Mid West tour?

Bill Champlin: Love to. Maybe soon.

Lioness ll:?Did you reform with the original members of THE SONS?

Bill Champlin: The 5 piece is close to original and then the horns are new but MIGHTY.

Headwack: Been a fan since I first saw you guys at the Kalidascope in Hollywood.

Bill Champlin: WOW With Sly and Canned Heat?

Headwack: That's the one, followed you to the bay area and was fortunate to get in

GG: for those of you familiar with the original Sons album, they've still got it on this live CD

KeyGordo: Speaking of horns, was the Happy Trails quote a first that nite? Or did you have to add the laugh??

Bill Champlin: You had to be there.

HornCoolio: Gordo inside nasty joke. That night live.

GG: When they bust into "Freedom" you start movin and groovin big time.

Bill Champlin: That's always been a burner

MelanieCAR: By the way, this is the best Sons recording

Bill Champlin: Mel, I think so. We shoud have done a live album a long time ago.

GG: The thing about it though is that it doesn't sound dated, which something that old easily could .. it sounds "right now" to me.

Lioness ll: Do you have a website so we can keep up with you?

Bill Champlin: Yeah. I bet Mel knows the url

LMR121: www.sonsofchamplin.com ... www.dead.net for the CD

GG: The CD is also available here as well, keyword: gdstore

SDG513:?HOW WAS THE ALBUM RECORDED (I.E. SOUNDBOARD, BOOM.

Bill Champlin: Both. We also added a little to fix up some wrong track assignments.

Bill Champlin: Wow. You guys are so informed.

BeCk3468: Bill-what inspired you to play music?

Bill Champlin: It runs in the family.

SDG513: seemless recording........

Bill Champlin: Dick Mithune did a lot of working on it. He's really organized and is a good producer.

Kevgret: Bill.. how hard was it to pick the set for the cd?

Bill Champlin: We put on what sounded best and what I hadn't already done on my live album.

Cyainmaui: Bill, is it true there is enough music still in the can from the January show to put out another live album?

Bill Champlin: Maybe a short one but I'd rather go in the studio and cause some real damage.

LlZZIR: So, what do we do as citizens to get the Sons more air play and get more of you.

Bill Champlin: LlZZIR: Tell a friend....at radio.

GG: If you want to help the Sons, it's probably good to get people to buy CD from stores that feed sales ratings that way BMG will pay more attention.

Wholemtn: Where is Tom tonight, Bill?

Bill Champlin: Teesav's not here? I'll get that guy

HornCoolio: Hey Bill, where the heck are you?

Bill Champlin: Mic, Atlantic City ...Day job

HornCoolio: LOL

Amyjoy23: Hi dad, how ya doin? We have a ton of e-mail from people wanting your radio interview with Ardos.

Bill Champlin: Hi Amy. Say hi to my daughter. Amy...everybody

Jockfun788: Bill: Are you famous?

Bill Champlin: In certain circles.

Jockfun788: Do you do road tours Bill?

Bill Champlin: I also play with Chicago and we're always out in the summer.

Jockfun788: Bill: Cool. Where are you origninally from?

Bill Champlin: SF Bay Area

BeCk3468: Bill:what is your one wish in life?

Bill Champlin: Just one? Peace

HornCoolio: peace of what?

Bill Champlin: Now Mic. Be good

Jockfun788: Bill and whoever is with him in the little box I see above this writing, don't you miss home?

Bill Champlin: Sure do. But all God's chillun' got rent.

Jockfun788: How old are both of you?

Bill Champlin: I'm older at the end of a tour than at the start

Mrjams7: What have ya'll been doin since 78?

Bill Champlin: Sessions and road gigs.

Jockfun788: is that over 30?

Bill Champlin: Oh yeah

GG: Bill, can we talk a bit about the interplay, if any, there might have been with the Dead in the old days?

Bill Champlin: Me and Terry Haggerty did a few things with Mickey on his solo album and I worked on Bob's Heaven Help the fool album. Nice, huh?

GG: Did anyone ever sit in with each other?

Bill Champlin: Not that I can remember. But then they were Dead gigs so my memory is a little hazy

GG: Terry really burned on Rolling Thunder; what's he up to these days?

Bill Champlin: Terry's playing with Vince on the road this week. I did a bunch of stuff with Vince when he played with the Tubes

GG: Wow! Terry and Vince? great!

HornCoolio: I remember doing Rolling Thunder at Mickey's ranch

WTF24: You sang backup with the Tubes, correct?

Bill Champlin: Yeah 2 albums. I was the LA session ringer. They'd have me. I was from up north.

WTF24: Really?

GG: Kinda funny being the LA session ringer from up north!

BeCk3468: Can you say bye to me i have to get off : (

Bill Champlin: Bye, Thanks for comin' to Geoff's back porch. Ya'll come back now.

LookAway19: Any chance Mic doing any locals?

Bill Champlin: Mic's all over the backgrounds on the CD.

NCoren: Bill, who do you think has been your biggest influence?

Bill Champlin: Originally Lou Rawls but after that anyone who's good. Stevie Wonder.

GG: Lou Rawls? Makes sense

Bill Champlin: Lou wrote the book for loose phrasing.

Jockfun788: Bill: What has been you major favorite song that you have played?

Bill Champlin: Cold Sweat.. James Brown

HornCoolio: we did Daytripper too

LlZZIR: So, really, Bill, what do we have to do to help make it possible for the Sons to get all over the place touring??? Host, Jock

Bill Champlin: Help get a snowball going with this CD. If it gets a groundswell thing....thing's will change.

Amyjoy23: BJK wants to know if you would ever do a cover of the Chicago song "Free" Its so Sons

Bill Champlin: Doubtful

SwanMuse1: Hard habit to break is one of my favorite songs

Bill Champlin: SwanMuse1: Mine too.

DankSaxMan: Better yet..do "West End" Or"Saved By the Grace"

Bill Champlin: Hmmm. West End. I forgot that one

HornCoolio: Wet End?

Bill Champlin: Now Mic ... It's all about the Micmeter. A growing religion from the East....Bay

HornCoolio: sorry

AzoffRules: ooooh... I luv West End :-)

DankSaxMan: Mic you naughty boy!

MelanieCAR: West End was always followed by Big Boss Man

DankSaxMan: I got the 45 version, Bill. Want a copy?

SwanMuse1: I've had a few hard habits to break in my life :)

Bill Champlin: You too?

Jockfun788: :oO

LlZZIR: Swanny=knows what it means to rise up from hard times

LMR121: How's the non-smoking going, Bill? Speaking of habits.

BScott1415: Mic is not the band's barometer of behavior...or is he?...:-)

LookAway19: mic did you bring the micmeter tonight?

HornCoolio: the meter has risen

Bill Champlin: Such an Altitude..Mic

DankSaxMan: now thats a visual

AMJKAP: Hi bill...does the gum work??

Bill Champlin: Kinda'. I still like cigars but I'm off the lil' white ones

Jockfun788: Have you really sang with Amy Grant?

Bill Champlin: Yeah. 3 albums

LMR121: Any places in particular I should visit while in SF?

Bill Champlin: The Fillmore Auditorium

HornCoolio: I sorta remember the Chateau

GG: The Chateau was classic

Bill Champlin: I wanna' go to that one. God Is Green

GG: It's a date Bill!

Wholemtn: Gosh Mic, I sure hope that you remember the Chateau

Bill Champlin: Maybe Rita can get us a ticket for that show.

GG: Rita?

Bill Champlin: thanks for hangin' get the album. All your questions will be answered by Micmeter.

DankSaxMan: MicMeter..official PR voice of the Sons

GLDCO: Hey Bill, Tell us about "tobacco Rd"?

Bill Champlin: Lou Rawls's first hit. John D. Loudermilk wrote it.

CDAEHLERB: Tell us about Time Will Bring You Love.

Bill Champlin: Me and Pat Craig wrote it in '75 and it's still a cool acoustic kinda' thing

Aikoanne: Bill, i was wondering if you remember Sundance on Mt Rose, at Tahoe?

Bill Champlin: Yes I do. I still remember driving home in a snowstorm

Aikoanne: Tahoe loved and loves you !

HornCoolio: Well, not all of us

Aikoanne: It was a fun era

HornCoolio: Happy Trails

Aikoanne: I’m an elderly fan ... mark, thats redundant : )

Bill Champlin: That's cool. I'm an elderly artist

Cyainmaui: Bill, any truth to the rumors there might be a studio album in the works down the road for the Sons?

Bill Champlin: I hope so. We kinda' need a record deal to make that happen.

MelanieCAR: What do you all think are the best single possibilities on the CD?

Bill Champlin: I think Time Will Bring You Love has the best shot at AC radio. My voice has been there a lot lately and this may work.

HornCoolio: But how will they ever hear the horns... if thats the single?

Bill Champlin: Mic, You're singin'.. What do you want?

HornCoolio: uh

HornCoolio: um

HornCoolio: never mind

KeyGordo: BTW, Bill - I sold five copies of the Sons CD on Little Feat chat over the past two weeks...

Bill Champlin: I caught Little Feat in Chicago a month ago. Awesome

KeyGordo: Bill -always wondered if you thought about doing something with them? They're one of the few bands. I consider in your league..

WTF24: Craig Fuller (ex-Little feat) is my hero!!

Bill Champlin: I love Shawn Murphy's voice. She's BAD

KeyGordo: WTF - remind me to introduce you to DaFeatz!

Bill Champlin: KeyGordo: When...Where??? I'm there

LookAway19: Bill how the new solo cd coming along?

Bill Champlin: LookAway19: I'm thinkin' about using the tunes for the Sons

Bdw319: Bill, how did you have time for the chat with all that touring? What a busy guy!

Bill Champlin: The road's easy in a way. Only 2 hrs. a day and a lot of laptop time

GG: I'm home listening to Freedom

HornCoolio: Tom Saviano's solo on Freedom is a classic

Wholemtn: Yes, Tom is fabulous on Freedom

Bill Champlin: How 'bout that alto solo. REAL

Bill Champlin: Let's all thank Geoff for putting up with us. Thanks Geoff.

Bill Champlin: Everybody.. thanks for coming and thanks for the ears. Tell a friend. This music is worth hearing.

GG: Personally, I'd like to do this again; this is more than just a PR stunt

Bill Champlin: I know that the Sons fans are really just a group of friends who have fun. And that's what it's all about.