Chet Nichols

5 days ago to Kate Carpenter

Hey Mrs. Kate!

Thanks for the wonderful review of my song, "The Sands Of Time"...... You are one of the few who have "gotten" this song for what it was, is and can be....AKA a funeral song..... I also think it is a fine song to ponder when pondering the passing of life in general.

I put more time and re-writes into this song than any other song I have written.

I was inspired to write it after my brother died, three of my best friends of died....suddenly.

They ware a crushing losses.

When I finished the final mix and went and asked my wife to read the lyrics then I was going to have her listen to the song. She stopped me and said, "I have to tell you something, Leslie just passed away".

Leslie was my oldest brother's first wife who had been suffering for a while. She was like my older sister and a very good friend. She loved my music and encouraged me to keep writing. Anytime I was in Chicago playing a club or one tour, she and my brother were there. When I opened for John Denver, my brother Brought his camera and took picture of me playing the show.

Anyway, her loss was very hard to take. She and my brother moved to LA where he became one of the top film directors in town, but LA kinda ate him up and he died suddenly when he was 45. Same age as my dad. He was my main mentor, as I grew older. They had two wonderful sons, who still live in LA and I don't speak top them. They don't want to talk to me because I am a conservative Catholic.

Anyway, I would visit with Leslie when I went to LA. She was my buddy and an amazing lady. After she and my brother divorced, she started going out with a "musician and songwriter". She kept saying, "You know, Chester, you need to meet him". For some reason, I balked at it, over and over. Then during one of my production visits to LA, she invited me to a party at his house and insisted I come to it. I said, "OK", she gave the time and address and it was on a Sunday afternoon and drove over to the house. He lived in a part of LA that I had never been to. I thought I had taken a couple wrong turns as I tried to find the house.

I was shocked when I arrived at this stately, huge mansion. I thought I might have the wrong address. Anyway, I walked up and rang the bell and no one answered, but I could hear a party was going on outside in the back, so I just walked in. This house was like a dream. Huge living room that had TWO Steinway CONCERT GRANDS in the living room with room to spare. OMG....then I walked to back where they was a lively group having a good time. Leslie saw me and came over and introduced me to everyone. It was like a dream. I went into the house and had the bartender mix me a margarita....and then went back into the living room. I WANTED TO PLAY one of those pianos. So, I sat down and started to play a song, "Earth River". The piano sounded other worldly. I had my eyes closed and when I opened them, there stood Leslie's boyfriend, a dark-haired woman and Leslie...just standing there smiling at me. I stopped playing. Her boyfriend, asked, "Did you write that?" I said, "Yes".

"I told you," Leslie stated and she went outside.

Her boyfriend and the dark haired lady move over to me and asked, "Can you play another song?" So, I did.

At that point, they came over and we started to talk about songwriting, and what I was doing, and was I still writing....and then he said, "Well, Chester, I don't know what you are doing, but you should still be writing. If you stopped, start again and start now. You have it".

We chatted for awhile and then we went outside and joined the party.

The dark haired lady was a woman named, Diane Warren.

Diane Warren.

Leslie's boyfriend was, Michael Masser. He WAS famous for writing songs for Whitney Houston and wrote many of his songs for Leslie. Amazing story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha el_Masser

Anyway, when I got back to Chicago, I strung up my guitars with new strings, bought a Fender bass, bought a Yamaha workstation, some mics and a Tascam recorder and started to try and learn to write again.

It was a very emotional time for me....and a huge struggle because my film production business was thriving and Nancy and I had two sons we were dedicated to raising. Moreover, I had been royally screwed by the music bizz in my career and touring days.

But, still I found time to write and it all came back to me.

And I do it now everyday and whenever I can and I love doing it.

Sadly though, I have NEVER placed a song with another artist, and have had only one SYNC deal...ever.

ONE.

And get nothing back from it. Then, again, I loved it. I know my family thinks I am a little bit crazy, but the weird talent, voice and whispers haunt me. So, I just do it. I decided to beat back all the "can'ts" I hear on the outside and on the inside and just silence them with two words:

I CAN.

Anyway, I am so glad you like that songs and respond favorably to so many of my others. You are an inspiration. Keep up the good work

God bless you.....really.....God bless you.

Chester

Chet Nichols

3 weeks ago to Kate Carpenter

Hey Kate, thanks for the nice review of my song, "Judas Spy"! It WAS recorded "Live" at "Cowtown Ballroom in KC, MO back in 1972. That was last century! I went into my account and ADDED the lyrics. The song is about, well, SPIES! It was actually inspired by a guy I knew in Kansas, who worked for the FBI as a NARC....when I found out he was trying to entrap me.... he left town on the middle of the night, as I had fans who were out to "get him". I ran into once at a song festival in Crested Butte that I was playing at. he "excused" himself and went to the rest room and NEVER came back.... Later, I found out he went to Santa Barbara.... Spies, spies, spies.....

SKY HIGH MUSIC LABS

over 30 days ago to Kate Carpenter

Hello Miss Kate. I don't have the software for that But NCH software has it that can remove vocals from any song. Good luck Marvin