I recently mentioned on Facebook that it was on November 17, 1980, that Warner Brothers Records released the Clint Eastwood movie soundtrack for “Any Which Way You Can,” which has my song on it, “Any Way You Want Me.” Here’s more of that story.
I was very honored when the famous producer, Snuff Garrett, said he’d received a call from Clint Eastwood to personally request that I record a song for his movie. The song was “Any Way You Want Me” – written by Leo Ofman. Warner Bros flew me out to Hollywood to record at the famous Capitol Records studio in the Capitol Tower near Hollywood & Vine. I was excited to record there because I knew big names like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, and The Beach Boys had made many famous recordings there.
One great musician I met that day who is still a friend is the incredible pedal steel player, Jay Dee Maness. Jay Dee has received the Academy of Country Music’s “Steel Guitarist of the Year” award 18 times and is in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. He’s known for his work with The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Buck Owens and The Desert Rose Band, and more.
I also had never worked with the producer, Snuff Garrett, but liked him immediately and we became friends. I don’t think that the LA crowd had ever worked with a country boy like me. The orchestra leader for the band used one of those wands that conductor’s use and he kept pointing that thing at me until I finally came out of the recording booth to tell him politely (as politely as I could), that he didn’t need to continue pointing at me with his stick since I knew very well when I needed to come in on the song. He got my message. He had asked earlier what key I sang the song in and I told him I don’t know, I’ve never sung it. I then said can’t you just transpose from one key to another and he said “we don’t transpose…”. I only wish I’d had the thought to bring out a chart written in the “Nashville short-hand” to see how that went over with him. If you don’t know about that from Nashville, it’s a number system to figure out chord progressions super fast. Despite that silly stuff, it was a great day in the studio and I’m proud to have a song on the soundtrack.