Carla Olson behind the scenes at Dylan's "Sweetheart Like You" video, new Gordon Lightfoot tribute, hanging with Jimi, jamming with Mick Taylor, more

Still from "Sweetheart Like You" video (Bob Dylan VEVO) 

Hello and welcome to the Boston Harold Video Podcast. 

Carla Olson interview, September 7, 2021

(If  not available, click here)

My special guest today is singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Carla Olson. Among her credits are starting two bands with future Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine, forging her own career with the Textones, appearing in Bob Dylan’s 1983 video for “Sweetheart Like You” (miming Mick Taylor’s guitar solo), then covering “Clean Cut Kid” (with Ry Cooder) one year before Dylan released it.* Olson went on to record with Taylor, and has collaborated with many other artists over the years, including Gene Clark and John York of the Byrds, Percy Sledge, Ian McLagan (who played, along with Taylor, on Dylan's 1984 European tour), the Electric Flag’s Barry Goldberg, John Fogerty, lyricist Pete Brown, Joe Louis Walker, Manfred Mann’s Paul Jones, Allan Clarke of the Hollies, Don Henley, and Poco’s Rusty Young, among many others.

(*Dylan’s previously unreleased versions are included in his new box set, Springtime In New York. My review here.)

"Sweetheart Like You" with Carla Olson on guitar

(If blocked, view here)

Some of the subjects covered:

• Helping Jimi Hendrix replace stolen guitar cases, then accompanying him to an after hours gig. 

• Behind the scenes at the video shoot for Dylan’s “Sweetheart Like You,” including how the original concept changed, how the musicians were chosen, and there's even an Elvis Presley connection!

• How Carla and the Textones were able to cover Dylan's unreleased song, "Clean Cut Kid.”

• Dylan and Taylor seeing the Textones led to Olson’s collaboration with the former Rolling Stones guitarist.

• Current and future projects.

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, some of the audio of Carla talking over the "Sweetheart Like You"  video has been restricted. Here's what Carla said:

 

What was the mood like on the set - Was it business like? Was it fun?

It was a combination ... Obviously the crew that was there was extremely professional.

The funny thing is that I was so short that they had a tightened crane that was doing the overhead shots. I was too short for the tightened crane to catch me so they put me on a box - like a crate - that was probably, maybe, a foot high. We called it the Alan Ladd box, because if you know anything about Alan Ladd, he was about a foot shorter of all his leading ladies, so they used to have a box that Alan would stand on. …They would have shots with the crane, 'cuz he was too short … I was standing on the box for quite a few hours, because anytime they needed a shot of me, they had to put me on the box (laughs).

Can we see the box in the video?

No … you definitely cannot see it … When I'm doing the tight shots with the solo, yeah, I'm on the box. When they pulled it back, then they didn't want to show the box, so it didn't matter, since I wasn't compared with anything … 

I would say the atmosphere was very cautious. They didn't want anybody talking to Bob - that was a big deal … So unless I'm spoken to, I didn't talk to anybody. I was lucky that, like I said, I got the cassette (of the song) two days in advance, and I learned all the parts - That was the clincher! Plus I had my beautiful 1955 Les Paul Special, which I had since 1970, in the video. And people would call me when they premiered it on MTV, they'd go, "Is that you?!? I recognized your guitar!" … And I'd say, "Yeah, that's me, all right!" …  I got calls from all over the country because of that guitar  … (Looking at the video) … Still got my hair ..still got my guitar! (laughs)

Like I said, it changed my life, it really did. It was a talking point for(The Textones') album "Midnight Mission" (with "Clean Cut Kid") when it came out. "Did you pay on that record?" No , but my guitar hero Mick Taylor did, and I was able to try and kinda cop what he was doing. 

What can I say? Everybody was nice to me, and we were all cautious. And (director) Mark Robinson ended up directing our "Midnight Mission" video (See below). And that led to some doors being opened for me in a lot of ways..

Olson's most recent activities include her two volume collection of duets, Have Harmony, Will Travel, with a third one on the way. Among her duet partners are Juice Newton, Peter Case, Richie Furay, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, Timothy B. Schmitt, Terry Reid, Mare Winningham, and again, Percy Sledge and Gene Clark.

She also sings lead on the b-side of the new single by Brian Ray, guitarist and bassist in Paul McCartney’s current band.

The big news is the upcoming celebration of the music of Gordon Lightfoot, to be released October 1, titled Ladies Sing Lightfoot, which features Olson who also produced the album, singing lead on two songs.

Below is the Ladies Sing Lightfoot track list:

• SUNDOWN BY DARLING WEST -  A married Norwegian duo

• COTTON JENNY by THE KENNEDYS - Another married couple

• STEEL RAIL BLUES - Natalie Noone - daughter of Peter “Herman” Noone , who appears on Have Harmony, Will Travel Volume 2

• SUMMER SIDE OF LIFE - Hazeldine’s Shawn Barton Vach

• RIVER OF LIGHT - Arwin Lewis - with her father - Peter Lewis of MOBY GRAPE

• EARLY MORNING RAIN - Carla Olson and the reunited Textones 

• IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND - Susan Cowsill of the legendary Cowsills 

• THE WAY I FEEL - Ilsey Juber - with her Father Laurence Juber of Paul McCartney & Wings (Ilsey has written songs for Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, and Beyonce.) 

• BEAUTIFUL - Brazil's Ana Gazzola (known for her Portuguese covers of Bee Gees songs.)

• CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY - Katy Moffatt

• SONG FOR A WINTER’S NIGHT - Kristi Callan with her son and husband

• CAREFREE HIGHWAY - Shayna Adler

• RINGNECK LOON - Carla Olson with Todd Wolfe

Order LADIES SING LIGHTFOOT: AMAZON US 

 

 

• Bob Dylan Inducts Gordon Lightfoot into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame 1986 JUNO Awards

                                            

Carla Olson and the Textones with Ry Cooder cover Bob Dylan's "Clean Cut Kid" in 1984.

                                                Whiskey Train - Brian Ray (feat. Carla Olson)

Early version of the Go-Go's hit, "Vacation," by the Textones

featuring Carla Olson and Kathy Valentine

The Textones - Midnight Mission

Nick Lowe & Rockpile,"Cruel To Be Kind,"  featuring the Textones' drumkit

Carla Olson available on Bandcamp. 

Have Harmony Will Travel label on Instagram

Album cover art credit: Have Harmony, Will Travel

(C) Harold Lepidus 2021