World-Class Guitarist and Studio Engineer/Producer, Founder MU Records, Long-time Colleague and Friend of Thomas Chapin
"I originally met Thomas at [Rutgers]. He was ahead of me; we were both in the jazz program. I saw him play my first year, and I was really impressed when I heard him in the jazz ensemble. The next year, in the rehearsal room, I would see him wandering around, checking everybody out, wearing this button that said ""I can read."" And his reputation in the band was that he could read around corners.
We became friendly because we both were interested in music other than jazz. We were both in a learning stage, and had gone through the don't listen to anybody but Bird. or Coltrane, phase. I had started going to record shops and asking people to turn me on to something great. Thomas was doing the same thing, but with ethnic music. I'd turn him on to Wes Montgomery Smokin' at the Half Note, he'd turn me onto Indian flute music.
We stayed in touch after graduation, and I think we met at a gig a year or two later. He dropped off his album, The Bell of the Heart, the next day; I thought it was cool, and stayed in touch with him. Then, when I got the idea for the band Machine Gun, he was the obvious choice. We did our first gig at the end of '86, beginning of '87, and soon after that I helped him record Radius. I didn't like the sound he was getting on tape, had some free studio time, and told him to get some good guys and come in. From there, he started getting involved with the Knitting Factory.
It was always a blast playing with Thomas [in Machine Gun], and I know he had a blast playing with us because there were no restrictions. I know he really enjoyed pushing the envelope, which he couldn't really even do on some of those albums he made. He tried to incorporate more and more of that energy toward the end; I always encouraged him to, because I knew his fans loved it.
We were all joking about all of the pop stars with one-word names. Thomas said,"" I'm going to be called Rage - not The Rage, Rage."" It was a joke. And it expressed some of the rage the band let him show.
We remained good friends. I don't think he was happy with the way all of his recordings turned out. He played me some things, and I could contribute some studio magic or sequencing things to make them a better record. There was certainly interest from record labels at the time he passed. He was such a close friend, and such a constantly musical element I could count on. Plus a sweet guy. An amazing person."