VIVA ZAPATA!
"I've never quit a band before and I want to do it right," said a breathless Corky Laing over the wire from his hotel room in Cleveland. He went on to spill his guts about his then-imminent departure from the Leslie West Band. "There's no hostility or anything.
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VIVA ZAPATA! Corky's Seven Year Bitch
Susan Whit all
"I've never quit a band before and I want to do it right," said a breathless Corky Laing over the wire from his hotel room in Cleveland. He went on to spill his guts about his then-imminent departure from the Leslie West Band.
"There's no hostility or anything. The group is riding high and in the middle of a big promotion for the new album. I couldn't leave them at a down moment. So I'm finishing off the gigs Until they find a new drummer."
Corky explained that he was very unhappy with the management of the group; he feels that Leslie has been on the brink of superStardom for too long and something should be done about it. Musicians are lazy, he admitted, but not stupid as the business and management end of the record companies seemed to think. But he hastened to add that he wasn't tied in any way to the West management, so:
"I finally said, why am I busting my balls when it's Leslie's image, anyway."
Corky has been drumming with Leslie for seven years, from Mountain through West, Bruce and Laing to the
present setup. He describes the new musicians in glowing terms, but adds that they've been in the business for only about six months as opposed to his seven years, and he feels it's time for him to move on.
"Rock 'n' roll is a very quick business. You only have a very few years to do everything. I figure I've got maybe another five years to play the way I do. I don't want to be locked into an image."
The effusive Corky is determined not to let this parting leave a sour faste in anybody's mouth. But he allows for the possibility that it will.
"I want to go out feeling good about it. Leslie and I have never let each other down onstage. I don't want to get into a whole 'drummers are shit' thing, but it is true'. Nobody does give a shit about drummers. Drummers are the Mexicans of the world. Really! Look at Ginger Baker [Wot, has Ginge gone Mex?]. Or it's like women. You've got them, they're around. But if they're not you just look for somebody else.
"I guess you might say I've got the Seven Year Bitch."
