An Interview with Chuck Cleaver
The Ass Ponys were one of the strangest bands to come out in the '90s. Full of songs about people carving 'I Love Bob' into their arms and boys thinking about having their peckers sucked by a guy who only wants a cigarette under a bridge are not normally things you'd hear on the radio. But by God they pulled it off with 1994's memorable "Little Bastard." Life was not very kind to the band in the next few years with lineup shifts, closing labels and the whatnot and ultimately, the band disbanded in 2003. Their legacy exists in the eyes of the those who were there. Chuck has started an excellent new band, Wussy, who just their third record. Mr. Cleaver took some time out to answer some questions and here they are.
When did the band get started?
Late 1988, early '89...our first show was in Newport, KY at a now defunct club called The Tophat. We made $15.00 cash.
What happened with Dan, I remember reading that he left to become a glassblower or something?
At the time he quit, Dan said he wanted to learn to blow glass. I'm pretty sure he didn't follow through. Not sure what he's doing these days.
When did Okra/Safe House shut down and how did you guys deal with that?
Dan Dow, Bela & everyone else at Okra were and remain the salt of the earth. A completely wonderful, honorable experience. The guy at Safehouse was/is a fucking crook. Nuff said.
How did you get signed by A&M and were you expecting it at all?
We'd recorded the album and were gonna put it out on our own. A friend of ours at a local radio station said he knew some "label people" and wondered if he could send a cassette to a few of 'em. We said okay so he did. a few weeks later this guy Jeff Suhy from A&M called me (all that was on the cassette was the band name and my phone number). He said that it had been laying around on his desk for a couple weeks and that he was intrigued that there was no press material, photo, etc. - just a cassette with a name and number. So he finally listened to it and continued to do so for the next 10 days or so. He said he liked it the way it was and had pitched it to the big wigs at A&M and that they'd given it the okay and that he wanted to meet with us. I thought it was a joke and didn't pay much attention...but we actually did end up meeting with him and it came out exactly the way we recorded it.
What was "success" like and how did you deal with it?
Not sure we were a success. Hard to say. We were pretty much confused the entire time we were there but in retrospect I'm glad to have done it.
Why did John leave and how was the transition with Bill?
John had a baby daughter at the time and we were gone so much that she didn't know him when he came home. Understandably it freaked him out so he hung it up. It was tough but we understood and supported his decision. Dave knew Bill, so the transition was relatively quick.
Did you guys know you were going to get dropped and how did you deal with it?
Getting dropped was always a matter of when so it was no big surprise. We were all bummed at different levels but eventually everything settled back into obscurity.
How did Checkered Past come into the picture?
Interestingly enough, good old Jeff Suhy got us in touch with the Checkered Past guys and we were able to make the best two records we ever did. Again, a totally wonderful experience.
When did the label close down and how you guys deal with that situation again?
I think they quit right around the time Lohio came out but I'm not completely sure. We were accustomed to closing labels down so it wasn't all that big of a deal.
When did John come back and how did that work out?
We kicked Bill out for being a douche a year or so after Lohio came out and John came back shortly thereafter. It worked out really well but I was so burned out on AP and everything else at the time that it never really found legs.
Finally, what is the official status of the band, is there any chance for a reunion?
We're pretty much done. Shake-It will eventually re-release all of our stuff at some point + a live thing. Don't know about a reunion. Maybe.
How did Wussy get started and how it is going?
Lisa and I played a few shows as a duo and liked it so we found Mark and Dawn and Wussy is the result. It's going very well at the moment, thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpMGvRWZ4gs&feature=channel_page (Earth to Grandma)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VTBam8YzQg&feature=channel_page (Little Bastard)
When did the band get started?Late 1988, early '89...our first show was in Newport, KY at a now defunct club called The Tophat. We made $15.00 cash.
What happened with Dan, I remember reading that he left to become a glassblower or something?
At the time he quit, Dan said he wanted to learn to blow glass. I'm pretty sure he didn't follow through. Not sure what he's doing these days.
When did Okra/Safe House shut down and how did you guys deal with that?
Dan Dow, Bela & everyone else at Okra were and remain the salt of the earth. A completely wonderful, honorable experience. The guy at Safehouse was/is a fucking crook. Nuff said.
How did you get signed by A&M and were you expecting it at all?
We'd recorded the album and were gonna put it out on our own. A friend of ours at a local radio station said he knew some "label people" and wondered if he could send a cassette to a few of 'em. We said okay so he did. a few weeks later this guy Jeff Suhy from A&M called me (all that was on the cassette was the band name and my phone number). He said that it had been laying around on his desk for a couple weeks and that he was intrigued that there was no press material, photo, etc. - just a cassette with a name and number. So he finally listened to it and continued to do so for the next 10 days or so. He said he liked it the way it was and had pitched it to the big wigs at A&M and that they'd given it the okay and that he wanted to meet with us. I thought it was a joke and didn't pay much attention...but we actually did end up meeting with him and it came out exactly the way we recorded it.
What was "success" like and how did you deal with it?Not sure we were a success. Hard to say. We were pretty much confused the entire time we were there but in retrospect I'm glad to have done it.
Why did John leave and how was the transition with Bill?
John had a baby daughter at the time and we were gone so much that she didn't know him when he came home. Understandably it freaked him out so he hung it up. It was tough but we understood and supported his decision. Dave knew Bill, so the transition was relatively quick.
Did you guys know you were going to get dropped and how did you deal with it?
Getting dropped was always a matter of when so it was no big surprise. We were all bummed at different levels but eventually everything settled back into obscurity.
How did Checkered Past come into the picture?
Interestingly enough, good old Jeff Suhy got us in touch with the Checkered Past guys and we were able to make the best two records we ever did. Again, a totally wonderful experience.
When did the label close down and how you guys deal with that situation again?
I think they quit right around the time Lohio came out but I'm not completely sure. We were accustomed to closing labels down so it wasn't all that big of a deal.
When did John come back and how did that work out?
We kicked Bill out for being a douche a year or so after Lohio came out and John came back shortly thereafter. It worked out really well but I was so burned out on AP and everything else at the time that it never really found legs.
Finally, what is the official status of the band, is there any chance for a reunion?
We're pretty much done. Shake-It will eventually re-release all of our stuff at some point + a live thing. Don't know about a reunion. Maybe.
How did Wussy get started and how it is going?Lisa and I played a few shows as a duo and liked it so we found Mark and Dawn and Wussy is the result. It's going very well at the moment, thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpMGvRWZ4gs&feature=channel_page (Earth to Grandma)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VTBam8YzQg&feature=channel_page (Little Bastard)
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