Although we never formally recorded David’s recollections (he wasn’t always eager to talk about his recording days) , I remember a few things he mentioned over the years…

Taj Mahal - David knew Taj Mahal when Taj worked as a cook at The Troubadour; this was before David’s recording career began. David said Taj told him that if he wanted a career, he should pay less attention to the old blues guitarists, and listen to James Burton, who was Ricky Nelson’s guitar player at the time.

“If I Were a Carpenter” (Bobby Darin) - This was his first recording session. Don Peake had heard David play at The Ashgrove and brought him in. David was always grateful to Don and credited him for his recording career.

Frank Zappa - David said he met Frank once when the two of them attended a guitar class taught by Brownie McGhee.

John Lennon/Phil Spector - David was hired for the LA sessions for the Rock n Roll LP, produced by Phil Spector. When Lennon arrived, David eagerly approached him, saying “how ya doin’?” Lennon curtly responded “same as you” and kept walking. David recalled Spector bringing guns to the session and refused to work with him again.

Henry Mancini - David was on a session conducted by Mancini. When everyone broke for lunch, David overheard someone asking Mancini if he wanted to go get lunch, and Mancini replied, “Lunch??? I’ve got an empire to run here!”

The Wrecking Crew - David said the name “The Wrecking Crew” was never official or widely used at the time; it was little more than a passing joke. David remembers Hal Blaine on one occasion saying “more like the wrecked crew…”

Glen Campbell - David said Glen would frequently show up at sessions he wasn’t booked at, popping his head in the door asking if anyone needs another guitarist; the response was always an enthusiastic “yes!”

“I Am Love” (JACKSON 5) - David said this was an overdub session - only he and arranger James Anthony Carmichael were present. He said Carmichael had been up all night working and kept falling asleep in his chair during the session.

“SUGAR” (Stevie Wonder) - David said Stevie said something approvingly to David about his playing - “keep playing those sixths, man!” (Or something along those lines.) As I’ve listened more and more to David’s playing, I’ve noticed he does play a lot of sixths…

“Feelin’ Alright” (JOE COCKER) - Unfortunately David is pretty much inaudible in the final mix. I remember David being extremely complimentary about the piano player, Artie Butler.

Favorite guitarists - David said his favorite was Jesse Ed Davis. He also really liked Mike Deasy’s playing.

Simon and Garfunkel - David was booked on a session, but ultimately he wasn’t needed. Union rules dictated that David had to get paid anyway, and David continued to receive royalties. (Unfortunately the royalty sheet I saw did not specify which song or album David played on, and despite research at Local 47, I have not been able to get any more specific details yet.

“I Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In” (THE FIRST EDITION) - David didn’t know until he heard the finished record that they had turned his guitar parts backwards, and this caused him great annoyance. Out of curiosity, I put the part into my DAW and reversed it, and was surprised to find that this iconic psychedelic part was in fact some basic blues licks played on an acoustic guitar.

Ry Cooder - David and Ry were close friends, and frequently played together at places like The Ashgrove, but apparently they had a falling out and permanently lost touch.

“Somebody’s Gonna Off the Man” (Barry White ) - David said he remembers playing a lick in the key of B; we listened for it and couldn’t find it. (The song is in C# minor; a lick in B major would work)

Toto - David said he was approached by David Paich about starting a new band, but my uncle wasn’t interested. Intriguing as the idea is to me, I don’t think David would have been the right fit for Toto (and he couldn’t be more different stylistically from Steve Lukather).