Danny Beirne
Keyboardist;  Silverlake, Los Angeles


I have always been curious whatever happened to Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers in the early 1990's.  After a minor hit with "I'm Seventeen" on the sophomore effort, Guitar Trouble, the Rumblers were swiftly dropped from MCA Records.  Veteran rock and roll keyboardist and songwriter Danny Beirne sheds some light (and humor) on his experiences in the Young Rumblers from 1991 to 1993.

The gravelly voiced Danny Beirne has lived the life of a nomadic musician with stints in the Skip Castro Band, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, and a potpourri of bands in L.A. including the Mau Mau Kings, Alligator Stew, and Venus Envy.  After nearly twenty years on the road as sideman, lyricist, and showman, Danny Beirne has released an independent of original recordings titled, "Danny Beirne Sings Everything + 12 Other Big Hits."  
Tommy Conwell has always had a formidable reputation as a high-energy live performer.  Tell me what you witnessed?

I loved Tommy the first time I heard him play Steve Miller's "Space Cowboy."  He looked like Billy Idol and his original music was real strong.  I have stellar memories playing with Tommy.  There was one show when Tommy yelled, "Hello Charlotte, can I get a hell yes?"....the trouble was that we were in Portland.  During the bluesy intro to "Guitar Trouble", the string on his beat-up Gretsch popped out....He sounded like Frank Zappa! I remember the puzzled look on Tommy's face.  Finally, I remember a gig when Tommy poured a beer on his head and nearly got electrocuted.  Now that is rock and roll!

When did you join the Young Rumblers?
I had recently left the Skip Castro Band, who happened to be managed by Steve Mountain (manager extraordinaire for the Hooters, Tommy Conwell, and WMMR's Pierre Robert).  I was standing in the front row when Tommy played a club Charlottsville, VA.  We talked after the show and he mentioned he was writing material for a hard rock album.  I was real surprised when Tommy called about six weeks later and invited me to join the Young Rumblers.  I joined about six months after guitarist Billy Kemp around 1991.  


Did the fans accept the "new" Young Rumblers?

No doubt that there was a negative reaction.  Who is this clown on keyboards?  Who is the new drummer?  It was tough.  It's a rule in show business that nobody likes the new songs until they hear them on the radio.  There was probably a bit of betrayal involved with the new band and the new songs.


Young Rumbler fans unfortunately never got to hear the songs on the MCA recording sessions.  Tell me about the songs?

There was a song called "You've Given Up" that was a gem.  Let's see... "Punktuality", "That's What I'd Say", "Strobe Light", "I Wish", "Devil's Touch"... I'm recalling from memory. The tapes from that time in my musical background are in storage right now. They were all original. I really liked the songs. And yeah, we did a hard rock version of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain."


What are your impressions of the L.A. music scene?

There are real differences between East Coast and West Coast.  I think the East Coast is more tuned into art and creativity, whereas in L.A. it is all about the "Industry."  In L.A., your band is limited to play one set and oftentimes you have to pay the club in order to play.  On the East Coast, the band can rock all night!  There is a real pop culture in L.A. which is driven by fame and celebrity.  I understand why artists feel like pawns in L.A.

Which CD's are you listening to these days? 

Cake's FASHION NUGGET, Liz Phair's WHITE CHOCOLATE SPACE EGG, Buddy Guy's newest album--I forget the name of it, but a friend played it for me over the holidays and I was just knocked out!, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane's MONK/TRANE, Stevie Wonder's MOSIQUARIUM, George Jones' GREATEST HITS, Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons' 25TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION. I know--you asked for 5 and I gave you 7.