Full Q&A with Ben Swank

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7th_son
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Full Q&A with Ben Swank

Post by 7th_son »

It is a great pleasure to present the latest White Swirl exclusive Q&A with Third Man Records' resident Ghost Rider, Mr. Ben Swank. Ben requested I run the following statement from him:
Ben Swank wrote: Hi everybody,
Thanks for your time, interest and great questions. Most of them were softballs, I appreciate that.
If I didn’t answer your query I apologize. By way of explanation I’ll defer you to Tom Waits.

“This is what’s wrong with the world. Everything is explained now. We live in an age when you say casually to somebody ‘What’s the story on that?’ and they can run to the computer and tell you within five seconds. That’s fine, but sometimes I’d just as soon continue wondering. We have a deficit of wonder right now.”

— Tom Waits

The full Q&A will follow below with links after each question to a thread devoted to discussion of the relevent question. We all very much hope you enjoy this rare opportunity.


1. What is the one musical phenomenon big or small that changed your life?

When I was in High School, I saw the Laughing Hyenas play in the backroom of Be Bop records in Toledo. Although we all want to pretend that we were super hip when we were teenagers, at that time my musical tastes was strictly 60’s and 70’s stuff and I was just starting to get into stuff like Sonic Youth and that… So I go to this record store (was an amazing shop by the way) and this completely bad ass scary as hell band is playing in this tiny room with body’s flying around everywhere and just this ungodly noise and screaming going on and it just rocked SO hard… I was kind of scared and completely changed by it and was desperate to find more stuff like it. Every time I saw them play (and I ended up seeing them A LOT) they never disappointed. One of the best live bands of all time.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=864
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2. Who were the musicians that influenced you early on and made you want to become a musician yourself? Favorite band/artist of all time?

All kinds of stuff. When I was young (obviously after the above related experience) I was open to just about anything and everything. I loved old blues, rock and roll, pysch, experimental stuff, heavy shit… I was all over the map. Now I’m just old and grumpy and I pretty much just listen to doo wop.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=865
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3. What is playing on your turntable/cd player/iPod right now? Who do you listen to that you want to talk about? Who do you listen to now (or in the past) that you'd rather not talk about? Please tell.

Dion, The Cadets, Treniers, Edsels,Jerry McCain, Don and Dewey…. If I listen to anything new, it’s rock and roll stuff mostly. Gonerfest is in a couple of weeks and I’m pretty stoked about that. There’s not much in my past I want to keep hid. If you liked something you must have had a reason right? Even if you don’t really dig it anymore.
I’d also like to add that I don’t have an Ipod. If anybody wants to donate one to the cause, hit me up.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=866
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4. How did you get involved in Third Man Records and what are your duties/responsibilities there?

I’m the official Third Man Records Janitor.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=867
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5. How many people work at TMR and what do they all do exactly?

There’s a few of us here and we do what most people do, which is work. We put out records and sell them.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=868
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6. Why no weekend hours for TMR? Most out of towners visit on the weekend so wouldn't it make sense to be open Saturday?

I like to sleep in on Saturday. Sunday too. Someday maybe we’ll find somebody to do the shop on weekends…maybe.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=869
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7. What has gone right with TMR and what would you change if you had to do it all over again?

Everybody here really believes in what we’re doing and we put a lot of love into everything we do. What would I do different? I might have got a bigger desk. Mines a mess.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=870
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8. I think it would be pretty fun to have no idea what was coming for round two of the Vault Platinum package. Any chance you guys will NOT tell us what the next items will be?

Perhaps… but it’s tricky to ask people to pay for something sight unseen.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=871
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9. Do you think that small labels like TMR are the future of the music industry, or will the big players always control it? Where do you see TMR 5, 10, 15 years from now?

Small labels are the PRESENT as well as the FUTURE. We always talk about what’s going to happen…this is all happening right now. There’s always going to be big players, but are they relevant? Smaller labels are able to connect more directly with people and if fans know what they like then they can find that pretty easy these days. It’s pretty simple to just ignore the rabble, no?
Where will we be in 15 years? Hard to say, hopefully still keeping on keeping on.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=872
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10. What has been your most memorable and/or bizarre experience while working at TMR? Who is the strangest person or persons to visit the store in Nashville?

Yeah… there’s been a few.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=873
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11. Is there any hint of a Swanky TMR release? Is there any chance of The See See recording a Blue Series single? Will you be doing anything else with David Viner?

Well, I’m here and they’re there, so to be honest it’s pretty unlikely. I did the inter-continental band thing with the Soledad Brothers for a few years and it wasn’t too easy. I do really miss playing and hanging out with all those guys. There is a See See album coming out really soon that I finished up right before I skipped town. Stay tuned…

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=874
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12. Why did The White Stripes "make it" when so many other bands in Detroit were doing similar things and failing?

This comes up a lot, and it’s been discussed in plenty of other places. Personally, I love a lot of those bands, but there was always something next level about The White Stripes musically and creatively. I mean, you’ve seen them play right?! They were special from day one.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=875
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13. What impact did The White Stripes have on the Detroit music scene?

For the Soledads, it opened a lot of doors for a lot of us and exposed us to audiences that most likely wouldn’t have even noticed us otherwise. They helped a LOT of us out either directly or indirectly. Some people won’t acknowledge that, because they are petty and small. But the Stripes helped people in that town out a lot.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=876
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14. How much do you charge for a short back and sides? Can you tell me how Jack managed to get his hair like he did in the Elephant/GBMS era? My hair kinda looks like his right now so I figure if he can do it, I can.

I’ll chop your hair for beer money. Far as Jack goes, It aint no man’s business how another man does his hair, unless you’re his barber.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=877
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15. Rapid fire:

a. Where am I able to buy a banana phone?
b. How rare is ICLAB 12"?
c. Favorite album, movie and book?
d. Favorite venue?
e. Favorite breakfast cereal?
f. Football, Soccer, Hockey or Basketball?
g. Are you superstitious?
h. What would your Feel-O-Meter gauge read right now?
i. Who was under the horse suit?
j. What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?
k. How do you like your steak? Burnt to a crisp or bloody as hell?

a. ask Blackwell
b. rare as buffalo teeth
c. Exile on Main Street, Point Blank, Wise Blood
d. I still miss the Gold Dollar terribly
e. Fruit Brute
f. Hockey
g. VERY
h. Are you hiting on me?
i. It’s a mystery
j. Don’t like the stuff
k. Bloody with a nice béarnaise sauce

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=878
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16. What is your opinion on Ben Blackwell. Who's the best drummer? You, Blackwell, or Jack? Have you three ever set up your drum kits together and played together at Third Man Records or wherever? If so, just how loud was it?

I love Ben Blackwell like a brother. I don’t even want to open this can of worms about who’s the best drummer…

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=879
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17. What are your personal feelings on some of the people you serve at the shop who are only there to flip the item an hour later? What does TMR as a whole think about it all?

Well, I can only speak for myself here, but me personally I don’t like it. I do make an effort to keep people from doing it. I ejected a woman from the store last time because I felt she was a flipper, and we keep it to one per person. Which obviously isn’t a flawless method, but you can’t just look at people and say yes or no, can you? But here’s the thing. Some people seem to have the feeling that because they can’t get these things that they shouldn’t exist (I assume we’re talking about Tri-colors). And I really disagree with that. I mean, I want a pet zebra, but I can’t have one. Doesn’t mean I want them wiped off the planet. We do these in our shop because we are a business after all and we want something special in our store that brings people in to a place that is not their internet machine.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=880
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18. Do you think Third Man is teetering dangerously toward being gimmicky or cheap by re-labeling singles and re-designing sleeves for old releases? And how do you feel about people spending $300 on these essentially mutton dressed as lamb singles?

I think this is a really cynical point of view. Your question is like a hot dog dressed as a one of those lollipops that tastes like corn.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=881
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19. What is your favorite item among those in your music collection?

I had a friend when I worked at a warehouse in Toledo, he was in his 50’s, had played all over the States in the 60’s and 70’s, was a big music collector. He played with all kinds of people like Ike and Tina and Jerry Lee Lewis back in the day. We used to talk about music, and movies all the time. When I quit my job and decided to move to Detroit he brought in a box of about 100 old blues and r&b records from his collection and just gave them to me. I love all of those sides, and it was one of the nicest things anybody’s ever done for me.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=882
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20. Having lived in both the UK and the US, what are the best and worst things about each place?

People in the UK are generally more rational and reasonable (ok, not the tabloids). You can get unbiased news, nudity and swearing on TV. There’s health care. The drinking age is lower… What I mean is they treat adults like adults and the whole society is not geared twords children. There’s more to it than that obviously, but you get the point… I missed a lot about America, it’s more relaxed, friendlier, all around cooler, but what I didn’t miss is this Glenn Beck prompted hysteria and gullibility of some (a lot?) American people. I could go on, but I’ll just get preachy and boring…

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=883
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21. Beatles or Stones? Why?

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=884
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22. Know any good jokes?

I do yes. But none that would be appropriate here…

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=39&t=885
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kevron6
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Re: Full Q&A with Ben Swank

Post by kevron6 »

Great interview bug thank you to Mr. Swank for agreeing to do it. Last but not least thanks to 7thson for facilitating the whole thing. Really fun interview to read.
I always said, if I had to fuck a guy... I mean had to, if my life depended on it... I'd fuck Elvis.
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