Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post

charlene · 04-04-2016, 09:53 PM

part 2 of 3
Congratulations for that. So... the 70’s and early 80’s, when Captain and Tennille had their hits all over the charts, was actually a very heady and hedonistic time in American culture. What was it like being a pop star and a public figure during that time?

The honest answer is that it was overwhelming to me— to have that fame and recognition. I’m just going to tell you the truth: I didn’t go into it for that reason. I went into it because Daryl and I made great music together. We made great records. Things just kind of came to us. We worked for two years in little clubs in Los Angeles, and some of them were just dives! But we worked, and we learned, and he and I just sparked each other musically. Because of this crazy love thing that I had for him, I wrote some great songs. I can write children’s songs like Butterscotch Castle, but I can also write very sensual things, like Deep in the Dark. But anyway, we sparked each other— and we got a record deal. We got the interest of four or five major labels in L.A., and we signed with the one that would let us produce our own first album. All the others wanted us to use the staff producer. We both knew that it was Daryl’s producing that gave us our really unique sound. Then Love Will Keep Us Together came out, and went to number one in the summer of 1975, and then we won the Grammy, and all these things started coming our way. But Daryl has never been the kind of person who is comfortable in social situations, so it was hard for me because of that part. A lot of people think, “Oh boy! Fame! Isn’t that fun?” But no, it wasn’t that fun for me. That wasn’t what I was looking for. It came, and I was grateful that it did, with all the good things that came with it. But it was hard for me.

When people watched you on TV, or were lucky enough to see you perform live, your love of performing was so obvious. It really shined through.

I loved that part. It’s the other part that I’m not comfortable with— the part that comes when you’re off stage and you’re just trying to be a regular person, and you can’t be a regular person anymore. That was hard for me. That’s actually why I laid low in Prescott for eight years. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t accept interviews from anywhere except the local paper, who did a piece on me and my dog Smokey. We worked at the hospital as a therapy team. Basically, I just did “regular stuff”, and kept to myself, and had a nice quiet life. I see that soon happening again. My plan is that once we get this book done and Caroline has her shot as a published author, I am just going to drop below the radar again. Honestly. I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but that’s my plan!

(Laughs) A lot of your fans will want to know if you will be performing again any time soon!

(Laughs) No!

Gotcha! So, in a way we touched upon this already: Usually, in a relationship, one partner is the more outgoing, gregarious one, and the other is usually more reserved. In your case, there was no mystery which of the two of you was which! But when we watched the variety show, for example, we never really knew if Daryl’s reserved nature was an “act”, or if he really was content to let you have the spotlight...

He preferred it that way. When we were alone together, he had no trouble telling me what he thought or what he wanted. But in social situations, he was very uncomfortable and very awkward. What you saw was what he is. When we were on stage, I never quite knew what he was going to say— if he even said anything. My job was to try to relate Daryl to the audience. Sometimes it was like, “What in the world did he just say? What does it mean?”... because I never even knew. It was like walking on a tightrope all the time on stage with Daryl. When we had our TV show, I already had experience. My mother was a TV talk show hostess— one of the first ever to have her own show in the ‘50’s in Alabama. I was around television my whole life. I did theater. I was very comfortable in front of an audience. Daryl had never even seen a cue card, much less read one. In those days, there was a guy sitting on the floor holding up a card with what you were supposed to say on it. He was just really uncomfortable with that. But what happened was: By him just being himself, he became a character— and people were just fascinated by that and loved it. I was like, “OK. Fine!” We did a couple of concerts in Prescott, just for the people there... and Daryl came on stage after I finished doing 90 minutes of really singing my ass off, and then I said, “You asked for him. Here he is!” He walked out, looked at the audience, and said, “PRESCOTT!” That’s all he said! And the audience jumped up and gave him a standing ovation. (Laughs) Whenever I did a concert, I tried to get him to come on stage to say “Hi!” or even do a song with me, and he would. But then he just quit doing it. No amount of coaxing could get him out there. But then again, I never knew what was going to do once he got out there.

(Laughs)
As Captain and Tennille, you and Daryl brought us some songs that are cemented into pop culture forever. I still believe that Do That To Me One More Time...

... which I wrote!

Yes! I believe that it’s still one of the most feverishly romantic songs ever!

Thank you. It was my number one of my number ones! It was about Daryl. But it wasn’t about the reality. It was my fantasy of what I always hoped would happen but never did. Go online and read the lyrics for a song I wrote called Deep in the Dark. That’s about a sensual experience. I’m very proud of those lyrics. I think they are almost poetic by themselves. But that’s one side of me, and the other side is, “Come on along to our butterscotch castle!” I can write just about anything, but I did my best writing— and was inspired the most— when I was with Daryl. I’m glad that you like Do That To Me One More Time. I really am!

Well, it’s timeless. You can put it on, decades later, and still get “in the mood”! So, back to the book. What was the hardest thing about writing it? Was it having to revisit some painful memories?

Yeah. But, you know, a lot of people have painful memories... and some people have much, much worse things in their life than I did. My life was just a life of hoping that this man who I adored so much would love me as much as I loved him, which never happened. So, I can’t complain. I really can’t! But the hardest part for me was sitting in my little house in Prescott and remembering all these things: the frustration, and the dashed hopes that I had. And, I relived it again when I did the audiobook. But there are some funny things in there too! I am not saying that it’s all gloom and doom and Toni’s frustration. We have some wonderful experiences, and some very funny experiences that I write about. Those were good. Those were fun to revisit!

04-04-2016, 09:53 PM	#27
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,001	Re: Toni Tennille's Blog: Gord Memories part 2 of 3 Congratulations for that. So... the 70’s and early 80’s, when Captain and Tennille had their hits all over the charts, was actually a very heady and hedonistic time in American culture. What was it like being a pop star and a public figure during that time? The honest answer is that it was overwhelming to me— to have that fame and recognition. I’m just going to tell you the truth: I didn’t go into it for that reason. I went into it because Daryl and I made great music together. We made great records. Things just kind of came to us. We worked for two years in little clubs in Los Angeles, and some of them were just dives! But we worked, and we learned, and he and I just sparked each other musically. Because of this crazy love thing that I had for him, I wrote some great songs. I can write children’s songs like Butterscotch Castle, but I can also write very sensual things, like Deep in the Dark. But anyway, we sparked each other— and we got a record deal. We got the interest of four or five major labels in L.A., and we signed with the one that would let us produce our own first album. All the others wanted us to use the staff producer. We both knew that it was Daryl’s producing that gave us our really unique sound. Then Love Will Keep Us Together came out, and went to number one in the summer of 1975, and then we won the Grammy, and all these things started coming our way. But Daryl has never been the kind of person who is comfortable in social situations, so it was hard for me because of that part. A lot of people think, “Oh boy! Fame! Isn’t that fun?” But no, it wasn’t that fun for me. That wasn’t what I was looking for. It came, and I was grateful that it did, with all the good things that came with it. But it was hard for me. When people watched you on TV, or were lucky enough to see you perform live, your love of performing was so obvious. It really shined through. I loved that part. It’s the other part that I’m not comfortable with— the part that comes when you’re off stage and you’re just trying to be a regular person, and you can’t be a regular person anymore. That was hard for me. That’s actually why I laid low in Prescott for eight years. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t accept interviews from anywhere except the local paper, who did a piece on me and my dog Smokey. We worked at the hospital as a therapy team. Basically, I just did “regular stuff”, and kept to myself, and had a nice quiet life. I see that soon happening again. My plan is that once we get this book done and Caroline has her shot as a published author, I am just going to drop below the radar again. Honestly. I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but that’s my plan! (Laughs) A lot of your fans will want to know if you will be performing again any time soon! (Laughs) No! Gotcha! So, in a way we touched upon this already: Usually, in a relationship, one partner is the more outgoing, gregarious one, and the other is usually more reserved. In your case, there was no mystery which of the two of you was which! But when we watched the variety show, for example, we never really knew if Daryl’s reserved nature was an “act”, or if he really was content to let you have the spotlight... He preferred it that way. When we were alone together, he had no trouble telling me what he thought or what he wanted. But in social situations, he was very uncomfortable and very awkward. What you saw was what he is. When we were on stage, I never quite knew what he was going to say— if he even said anything. My job was to try to relate Daryl to the audience. Sometimes it was like, “What in the world did he just say? What does it mean?”... because I never even knew. It was like walking on a tightrope all the time on stage with Daryl. When we had our TV show, I already had experience. My mother was a TV talk show hostess— one of the first ever to have her own show in the ‘50’s in Alabama. I was around television my whole life. I did theater. I was very comfortable in front of an audience. Daryl had never even seen a cue card, much less read one. In those days, there was a guy sitting on the floor holding up a card with what you were supposed to say on it. He was just really uncomfortable with that. But what happened was: By him just being himself, he became a character— and people were just fascinated by that and loved it. I was like, “OK. Fine!” We did a couple of concerts in Prescott, just for the people there... and Daryl came on stage after I finished doing 90 minutes of really singing my ass off, and then I said, “You asked for him. Here he is!” He walked out, looked at the audience, and said, “PRESCOTT!” That’s all he said! And the audience jumped up and gave him a standing ovation. (Laughs) Whenever I did a concert, I tried to get him to come on stage to say “Hi!” or even do a song with me, and he would. But then he just quit doing it. No amount of coaxing could get him out there. But then again, I never knew what was going to do once he got out there. (Laughs) As Captain and Tennille, you and Daryl brought us some songs that are cemented into pop culture forever. I still believe that Do That To Me One More Time... ... which I wrote! Yes! I believe that it’s still one of the most feverishly romantic songs ever! Thank you. It was my number one of my number ones! It was about Daryl. But it wasn’t about the reality. It was my fantasy of what I always hoped would happen but never did. Go online and read the lyrics for a song I wrote called Deep in the Dark. That’s about a sensual experience. I’m very proud of those lyrics. I think they are almost poetic by themselves. But that’s one side of me, and the other side is, “Come on along to our butterscotch castle!” I can write just about anything, but I did my best writing— and was inspired the most— when I was with Daryl. I’m glad that you like Do That To Me One More Time. I really am! Well, it’s timeless. You can put it on, decades later, and still get “in the mood”! So, back to the book. What was the hardest thing about writing it? Was it having to revisit some painful memories? Yeah. But, you know, a lot of people have painful memories... and some people have much, much worse things in their life than I did. My life was just a life of hoping that this man who I adored so much would love me as much as I loved him, which never happened. So, I can’t complain. I really can’t! But the hardest part for me was sitting in my little house in Prescott and remembering all these things: the frustration, and the dashed hopes that I had. And, I relived it again when I did the audiobook. But there are some funny things in there too! I am not saying that it’s all gloom and doom and Toni’s frustration. We have some wonderful experiences, and some very funny experiences that I write about. Those were good. Those were fun to revisit!