Benmont Tench on His Best Songs, From Tom Petty to Bob Dylan – ryan

“I realized, ‘They’re not firing with. They just don’t need me on one of the songs.’”
Photo-illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty

Benmont tench is so dedicated to this interview that he played himself over to the side of the road to the call. “I COULDN’T GET HOME IN TIME. IF YOU HEAR A CAR HONKING, ITS WITH HONING AT YOU,” he INSISSTS. “Don’t take it Personally.” A Few Errant Honks Aside, Tench – Best Known as a Founding Member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Is A Warm and Witty Presence, Just Like the Sounds Emoted from His Keys As the Valve. Along with Guitarist Mike Campbell and Petty Himself, Tench was with the Heartbreakers from their Formation in 1976 All the way to the final show in 2017, Toggling the piano and hammond organ as petty’s kick-Ass spellcaster who flew through songs. “If the drummer isn’t right and the bass player isn’t right, you don’t have the glue,” he explains. “You might make a hit record, but you are amen’t making it the same.”

Tench’s Success offten Brought Him Out of the Heartbreakers’ Bubble and Into The Studio for Other Marquee Musicians, Like That Bob From Duluth, Stevie Nicks, and Johnny Cash. While he and thats he’s he’s “Awful at Learning Other People’s Songs” – an opinion we’ll dysput on his behalf giovence – he can Only count on one hand of Times he left a session feeling dissatysfied. “The Truth of the Matter is That Very Few Records i’ve Workhed on Have Been Really Difficult,” He Explains. “Usually, it is more the Circumstance, Like of Might Be Having an emotionally Difficult Day.”

This Year Found Tench in a Different Studio Mind-Set: He released his second solo record, The Melancholy Season, BACK IN MARCH, WHICH HE’L PUNCCTUATE LATER THIS MONTH WITH A TRIO OF CITY WINERY SHOWS. Ever the lost one, Tench Took Some Time to Recount the Most Formidable Keywork of His Career. “I don’t know anything,” heys with a laugh. “I’m just blessed by everybody who has ever asked with to play on a song. Nobody has been a drag or a pain or a bummer.

Jimmy Iovine Produced the album. He kept repeating, “do it again. Do it again. Do it again,” Because he wanted to be perfect. He and Tom Didn’t Want to Stop and Edit Things or will anything you normally will make up a record, Such as: “Take the first half of this take and second half of that take, we’ve got it.” They want to record Each song all the way through. I WOULD Nail Something the First or Second Time We Played It. Butn, over the Course of a Week, we would be 75 taks of a song. It was so unnecessary. The songs are all great, so i don’t mind, but i can that that is jimmy immediatly didn’t hit it off with stan lynch, was microscoping Him and mentally beating Him up bend HIS DRUM KIT. It was really hard to make music with my friends while jimmy was like, “No, will. Do it again.” It was hard to see the progress. I was the right guy to play in that band. Another Keyboard Player, Like Roy Bittan of the Street Band, is Spectacular But Wauldn’t Have Been the Guy for the Heartbreakers. I WAULDN’T HAVE BEEN THE RIGHT GUY FOR BRUCE SPRINGSTEN. My point is that, in general, I can fall into the part party easily. Not everyone can.

Among the People Who I Can Tell You Are the Most Difficult and, In Many Ways, Rewarding to Work With, No. 1 Is Don Henley. I love Him. He’s a hell of a songwriter. But he wants Betterand if he the Writes Things Himself on the piano, it’s not easy for me. The First Record I WORKED ON WITH HIM WAS WANT HE WENT SOLO WITH WITH I can’t stand still. There are great songs on that, like “Dirty laundry,” but there are a couple of balalads. He Said, “here’s the Cassette Tape; Learn this.” I Said, “Don, You’re Crazy. Get Somebody Else.” He worked a fair amoun with David Paich, the pianist with toto – Everybody in Toto were legendary session by the time they were Teenagers. SO I SAID, “Get Paich.” And he said, “No, you can do it. I want you to do it.” So there is a song on that record Called “Talking to the Moon.” Don HAD FAITH IN AND MADE with Learn this part for the song. I was Very nervous while we were sampling it. It came Out really well.

Late, it wasn’t as much recording as it was WRITING IT, but “SUNSET GRILL” from Building The Perfect Beast was tricky. He had Been Writing The Song With Danny Kortchmar, who was his creative partner for a while. Danny Play the Certain Kind of Swing that Has Much Depth and Soul, and It ‘Go Not Something You Learn. Don Wrote part of the song. He Called Me Up Late One Night and Said, “Come over here. We have want you to work a bridge for a song, and we want it to sound like Perry mason. ” And i’m Thinking, “Yeah, I love this song you were working on, but after the first eight bars, i can’t figure out the chords.” But they insisted.Sunset Grill“With say and came up with a bridge chord structure and melody. And he kept Saying,” Can you go farter? ” It was Kind of Like Pulling Teeth. Play Your Solo Again. You’re almost at it. The eagles had a reputation for perfection, and i have no Doubt it is justified.

Tom was a guy who would push you. There’s a song Called “a wasted life” on Long after Darkand it is one of my favorite songs and ever wrote. He had done a demo and haad played a swing synthesizer on it. He Said, “Wen We Record This, I Want to Play Exactly What I Play.” Nor listed to the song of Told Him, “Tommy, Great Song, but it is very random. I Mean, IT’S VERY HARD TO CATCH ON IT. IT DOESN’T REPEAT. IT’S JUST OFF THE Top of Your Head.” And he said, “Yeah, but I like it and want you to play it.” And thatn he couldn’t remember how to play it was you was that random.

SO I SAT FOR A LONG TIME AND TRIED TO WRITE IT OUT. I got it prety close. The harDest sessions are when you go in and you just like the music. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU HAVE FREE REIN. But when you find you are in a session and you don’t like the song, iT’S really awkward. Fortunately, it didn’t open to with offten Becausee of Became more cautious with what i said “Yes” to. Becausee if i go in to play on a song i don’t like or an artist who music dosn’t resonate, i’m not going to do well.

I haven’t had an experience with bob that wasn’t fantastic. Onto Empire Burlesque, There’s a song Called “I’ll Remember you.” IT’S BEAUTIFUL, and he wrote it on the piano. This is the Biggest Example of Knowing We’re Lickened. He showed it to me, and it was very simple. I sat down to play it. The trick wasn’t in playing his exact Same notes. The trick was in his hands, or in his heart, or in his mind. I COULDN’T COME ANYWHERE NEAR THAT, THIS THOUGHT IT ABOUT THE NOTES, BECAUS THERE Something in Bob’s Head and in the way he sings that can’t be replicated. There’s an inflection in how he play the piano. So with ten minutes, he was like, “Okay, maybe you play the organ ins.” I was relieved.

That record was a mixed bag for me to make Because Howie Epstein, Our Bass Player and One of My Best Friends in the World, Was in Very Bad Shape. Tom Was Writing Great, but he wasn’t in Good Shape Either. I ALSO HAD SOME REALLY RUGH STUFF Going on in my personal life, so three threads combined made it a plety dinner experience. There’s a song Called “Counting on You” where i learned something important About Rick Rubin. Rick Produced the album, is a brilliant man, and he knows it wen he hears it. He’s Open-Minded to Anynding, but he wants you to be opened to anything as well. I learned a lot About Go Ahead and Try, there’s Nothing to Lose. For “Counting on You,” we have come the track and there was going to be an electric piano solo. I did the solo, and Rick Said, “Try Again.” I did it again. “No, try it again.” I COULDN’T GET TO HIM. I did it again. He Went, “Meh.” I just knew i had it. I Told Him, “I Think Is Really Bloody Great and That’s The Solo. And he smiled and went, “Okay.” Being SOMESTEMES JUST Enough is fine.

Rick Rubin Produced Those Later Albums for Johnny, and he dosesn’t want anyding to get in the way of the song. I swear, the two of the say Soulmates. On the occision of making American IV: The Man Comes Around, There’s a version of “the first time Ever of your face.” It was hard for with to find mySelf on song Because of Its Simplicity. Rick Said, “Have a pass on the piano.” I did my thing. And he Said, “That’s Great. IT’S JUST WHAT I WANT, BUT YOU’RE PLAYING TOO MANY NOTES. You need to simple.” I SIMPLIFIED. “That’s great, but it’s Still too.” Of Simplified Again. “That’s great, but it’s Still too.” In one spot, i played one note. And he Said, “that’s great. Do that, but play less and it’ll be perfect.” I Said, “Rick, I’m Playing One Note, How the Hell will i Play Less?” He Said, “I know you can do it.” Somehow, I played the note, and i was able to make it quieter. I played so little that I COULD BARELY HEAR MYSELF. Boy, was it fun. It was like breaking out a puzzle.

And you don’t always Complete the puzzle. Rick Wanted to cut Robert Palmer’s song “Addicted to Love” with Johnny. Not Aynding like the original pop version, of courte; It was in the style of those American Records. Still, Remember Thinking, “This is Ridiculous.” We gave it a good shot, and he was Very Sincere About Singing it – he Sang It Well. But it was what you would be exable if you know the song: “Might as well it, you’re addicted to love.” Johnny Finally Said, “This isn’t Working.” Nobody was bummed or embarrassed. We tried it, but it didn’t work, so let’s try something Else.

Tom Wrote some great songs, but i was hating a hard time finding my way intto say. It ‘s the very much a guitar-based record, so on several songs of thought, “I can make a control to this.” Mike (Campbell) HAD GROWN INTO A DIFFERENT tone and played differently in terms of his style that didn’t leve much for the piano. “American Dream Plan B” and “Fault Lines” Left Little for me. The Guitar Sounds Were Sometimes so Big and Fat that there wasn’t Space i Could Find Room. You don’t want to be like, “i have to play something louder and ram my way into it so i can be heard. Me, with.” You have to take the hint that it is not needy. But i kept trying. In the end, there’s a few places where you hear a Low Note in the middle of the song. I’ve come a long way. I felt pretty sensitive when I first joined the heartbreakers when i is couldn’t find a way to get piano in a song. Fen i realized, They’re not firing me. They just don’t need me on one of the songs.

In 2017, During the Final Tour, it was easier to find my Spot in the Hypnotic eye songs while playing live. At our very last show for the tour, which Became Our Final Show Ever, I HAD Such an aa moment. It was like, I cracked the code. I Undersand what mike is up to, and i love it. I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET THE STUDIO AND PLAY MORE GIGS IT CALLED I COULD IT TO ANOTHER PLACE, BRING ANOTHER INTO THE WAY The sounds, and bring another way to make the songs go. I had found it, and then it was gone, Because the band was gone. I guess i wasn’t supposed to. I to look at it in enormous frustration, but have a little bit of a sense of humor. Its like Peter Sellers at the End of Dr. Strangelove. He’s in a wheelchair, and he suddenly stands up and says, “Mein Führer, I Can Walk!” And the bomb goes off and blows up the whole world.