Lift | Interview | Chip Gremillion

From a commercial standpoint, the US didn’t have many well-known Progressive Rock bands, with perhaps the exception of Happy The Man. However, when we delve into the underground scene, we find numerous groups that strayed from the psychedelic and blues-oriented sounds typical of the era. Instead, these bands drew heavy inspiration from UK Progressive acts like King Crimson, ELP, Yes, Genesis, and others who were gaining popularity in the early ’70s.

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Lift was undoubtedly one of the finest US Progressive Rock bands, crafting remarkable, organ-driven Prog of the highest order. While their production quality didn’t match the polish of the aforementioned UK groups, this was largely due to their circumstances. Some collectors might argue that the band’s “raw” sound adds a unique and special vibe.

Although Lift never officially released an LP, their work was unofficially circulated in small quantities, and thanks to dedicated collectors worldwide, it has endured over the years. I recently had the chance to connect with one of the band’s members to discuss the Lift years, the influences on US Progressive Rock bands, and what they’re currently working on. Chip Gremillion, still an active musician, has something special slated for release in the coming weeks.

When and where were you born?

Chip Gremillion: A long time ago, when the galaxy was in a far, far different place. I was born in 1954, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

How old were you when you began playing music, and what was the first instrument you played?

I was about 9 or 10 years old and started playing guitar.

What inspired you to start playing music? Do you recall the first song you ever learned to play?

I was always fascinated by sound, particularly musical tones, even as a toddler. Ironically, when I was about 8 years old, I saw the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The scene where Captain Nemo (James Mason) played Bach’s ‘Toccata and Fugue in D Minor’ on the Nautilus pipe organ mesmerized me. I suppose the truth is I was always destined to become a keyboard player.

The real inspiration that triggered my interest in playing music occurred on Mardi Gras Day in 1963. My family was visiting friends, and the family we were visiting had two teenage sons. All day, they played albums on an old console Hi-Fi. Elvis and various Doo-Wop albums were the music of the day. Then I heard something that literally spun me around. I sat in front of the speaker for the next 15 or so minutes. It was the first three chords of I Want To Hold Your Hand by the Beatles. The sound of Meet The Beatles was so different—it was like magic to me.

My parents always wanted me to take piano lessons. I wanted to play the guitar, so as much as I hated piano lessons, I took them to get guitar lessons. The first song I learned on guitar was ‘Walk Don’t Run’ by the Ventures, followed by ‘Please Please Me’ by the Beatles.

Were you a member of a band as a youth? What types of music did you play? Who were some of the artists you shared the stage with?

I formed or was a member of a number of bands from the time I was 12 through 18. Every band I was part of at the time was strictly a pop cover band. I actually worked in several cover bands with Lift drummer Chip Grevemberg and Lift bassist Cody Kelleher years before we formed Lift.

At first, I played guitar, but around 1967, organ became a main instrument in many popular songs. It was always easy to find guitar players—most of them better than me—so with a few years of piano lessons as my credentials, it was easy to guess who the “organ player” was going to be. ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,’ ‘Light My Fire,’ ‘House of the Rising Sun,’ along with ‘Born To Be Wild’ and ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ were among the first rock keyboard songs we performed.

By 1968, the combo organ sound had given way to the mighty Hammond B-3. The Farfisa I had just couldn’t replicate that sound, even with a single-rotor Leslie and light use of a distortion pedal. So, in late 1969, I acquired a Hammond L-100 and a 122 Leslie. That was heaven and all I thought I’d ever need—until I heard King Crimson, ELP, and Yes.

At that stage, we didn’t often perform with other groups, local or otherwise. There weren’t many venues or events back then to accommodate multiple bands in a single space, except for occasional weekend jams in the park. One version of a group I was in played one or two of those. Chip and I had been playing together for a while by then, and Cody was on bass, but it was still a couple of years before we formed Lift.

When did you begin writing music? What was the first song you wrote? What inspired it, and did you ever perform it live or record it?

The first song I wrote was when I was about 12. It was more folk rock, with my sister and me on guitar and singing. It was strictly for family gatherings and never recorded.

The first songs I was truly inspired to write were the four that Lift recorded. The inspiration came from a desire to prove to myself that I could do it, and from the growing influence progressive music had on us as a band. We wanted to compose and play something other than the blues, rock, and jazz so prevalent in New Orleans.

By the time Lift was performing the four tunes on the ‘Caverns of Your Brain’ LP (I hate that title), we were the only band playing progressive music and one of the few bands doing original songs in New Orleans at the time. I remember giving a ride home to the lead guitarist of a popular local rock band. He asked me why we played such “crazy music.” Before I could answer, he said I’d grow out of it and get back to good blues-rock. I guess not.

Just to be clear, there are many blues artists I love; we just didn’t want to be another Southern rock band.

What’s the story of Lift?

As I mentioned, I had worked with Chip and Cody in other groups before forming Lift. From late 1970 to mid-1972, I lived in Pensacola, Florida, where I met and played in a couple of cover bands with Courtenay Hilton-Green, our lead vocalist. I moved back to New Orleans in the summer of 1972, fully immersed in ELP, Yes, the Moody Blues, and Pink Floyd.

Once back, I contacted Chip and Cody. They weren’t working with anyone, and we realized we were on the same wavelength regarding progressive music. Sitting around Cody’s kitchen table in early June 1972, Lift was born. Our only goal was to cover progressive tunes and write our own, aiming to “make it” as a progressive band from the South.

From 1972 to 1973, I wrote the four tunes on ‘Caverns of Your Brain,’ but we didn’t perform them until after recording. We called them our “album set.” We thought we’d sign with a label and go back into the studio to properly record the songs for our first release. That didn’t happen.

Lift grew a fan base and remained popular in certain circles. To this day, some people in New Orleans are still fans of the band.

In the fall of 1975, we relocated to Atlanta, hoping for a broader platform. Rumors circulated that Eddie Offord was building a studio there, and we thought our unique style would stand out. Things quickly went south—pun intended.

We managed one final studio session with the original lineup. We drove to Philadelphia and, in one night, recorded Simplicity, ‘Tripping Over the Rainbow,’ and an instrumental titled ‘To Undulate Rapidly.’ The producer seemed blown away, and we heard a rough mix that sounded promising. But we never received the tapes.

Shortly after, Cody and Courtenay left the band. It took almost a year and a half to find replacements. When we did, the new members—Mike Mitchell, Laura “Poppy” Landres, and Tony Vaughn—brought about a creative explosion during early rehearsals.

Who were members of the band?

Lift had two distinct lineups. For simplicity, I’ve always referred to these as the “New Orleans version” and the “Atlanta version.”

The original lineup in the New Orleans version of the band, which recorded the Caverns LP, was:

Chip Gremillion: Hammond B-3, Mellotron 400, RMI Electric Piano, Moog Sonic Six & Arp Odyssey synthesizers, Yamaha 9′ Grand Piano
Richard Huxen: Electric guitar, steel guitar, six- and twelve-string acoustic guitars, JRH custom pedal board
Chip Grevemberg: Rodgers drums, gongs, temple bells, and assorted percussion
Cody Kelleher: Rickenbacker bass & Fender bass pedals
Courtenay Hilton-Green: Vocals & flute
The Atlanta version of the band was:

J. Richard Huxen: Lead, steel, and acoustic guitars, JRH custom pedal board, & vocals
Chip Gremillion: Gulbransen Paragon Organ, M-300 Chamberlin, Vako Orchestron, RMI Electric Piano, Minimoog synthesizer, Roland SH-3 synthesizer
Chip Grevemberg: Rodgers drums, Paiste gongs, temple bells, chimes, woodblocks, assorted percussion, & vocals
Michael Mitchell: Electric six- & twelve-string guitars, Mellotron 400
Tony Vaughn: Fender bass, bass pedals, & vocals
Laura (Poppy) Pate: Lead vocals, Arp Pro Soloist synthesizer, & assorted percussion

What label did you sign your first recording contract with? What songs, if any, did you record? Were any of these songs released?

We never signed with Guinness Records, despite their release of the bootleg LP. I suppose you could say we “signed” with Synphonic, as that was a sanctioned release. But officially, we never signed with any label.

Is there a story behind the name?

It’s simple, really. The evening Cody, Chip Grevemberg, and I were sitting at Cody’s kitchen table deciding what we wanted to do as a band, we realized we needed a name—something that would reflect the enthusiasm we felt for what we wanted to do and how we wanted our music to make people feel.

We were having a few beers, and I went to the plastic trash can to toss in an empty can. When I lifted the lid, I noticed the word Lift printed on it. That name was unanimously and immediately chosen. We also appreciated the irony of the fact that we were playing a European style of music, and Lift is synonymous with elevator in the U.S. Hopefully, anyone familiar with the artwork on the 1990 Synphonic CD will see the tie-in.

Who were some major influences?

Early on, I would say the Moody Blues and King Crimson. They really stirred my desire to move toward melody and orchestration. I don’t think those influences are obvious on the ‘Caverns’ CD, but with the forthcoming release of my composition Inception, performed by The Samurai of Prog, those influences may be more apparent.

I was also heavily influenced by Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, and always loved Tony Banks’ composing and chord structures. It was all sort of a “gumbo,” as there would always be a bit of Gregg Allman in there, too.

Did you play many gigs? What were some of the venues you played? Who were some of the artists you appeared with?

We played extensively around New Orleans, from small private clubs to concert clubs and college university shows, but always as a single act.

What was the writing and arranging process within the band? Did anyone else in the band write?

For the ‘Caverns’ LP and CD, I was the only composer in the group. By that, I mean I would have the fundamental structure of the song and the name. It varied a little, but Cody and Chip Grevemberg would create a basic drum and bass track to the song structure, sometimes with my input and sometimes they would just nail something down on the first go. Richard would basically follow the chord structure and then stylize the part based on his intuition. If I remember correctly, we worked closest on ‘Caverns’ and ‘Tripping Over the Rainbow.’ Courtenay wrote the lyrics for ‘Buttercup Boogie’ and ‘Tripping Over the Rainbow’ on his own. Chris Young wrote the lyrics to ‘Simplicity’ and co-wrote ‘Caverns’ with Courtenay and me.

In the “Atlanta Version” of the band, we recorded three songs. Richard Huxen composed two songs, ‘Perspectives’ and ‘The Masque.’ Mike Mitchell wrote ‘The Waiting Room.’ Both also penned the lyrics to their respective songs. Greg Walker used ‘Perspectives’ as the opening track on his ‘Past, Present and Future’ double LP. He was always a big supporter of Lift’s music.

Would you share some recollections from the sessions?

The sessions were very intense. I remember I was on crutches because I tripped and dislocated my right knee. There’s a picture somewhere of me at my B-3 standing with crutches. We had three days to actually record and mix. The other two days were spent setting up, breaking down, and dubbing tapes. I noticed that many comments from listeners and reviews mention the energy level and speed of some of the playing. Looking back, I’m fairly certain it was in part adrenaline, but also a keen awareness of the clock. Our producer, Sonny Fox, as laid-back as he was, kept us aware of the need to keep moving.

How pleased were you with the final product?

Well, at the time, we were recording a demo tape to submit to record companies. We never intended this to be a finished album. There were additional vocal overdubs that never got recorded due to the limitation of time. Overall, I think we are all happy with it. I certainly was very pleased when I learned it even existed from Greg Walker’s phone call to me in 1989.

At the time of Greg’s call, my wife Anne and I owned a video production and marketing company in Palm Springs, CA. I got paged, and I didn’t recognize Greg’s name, but thought it might be a new production project, so I took the call. When he asked me if I was Chip Gremillion from the band Lift, I literally thought it was a joke. He proceeded to explain that he had tracked down my parents, who were still in the New Orleans area, and they gave him my phone number. Greg is the one who informed me about the 500 bootleg LPs and how those had been bootlegged yet again. “Lift is a cult hit,” he said. That phone call definitely qualifies as one of the strangest moments of my life. Long story short, I drove to meet him and agreed to let him remaster the tapes for CD. He did a superb job!

How did the distribution work out?

I don’t know… You’ll have to contact Guinness Records for that. All distribution before the 1990 Synphonic CD was technically illegal. However, if not for the original 500 LPs being pressed by Guinness Records, Lift, as of today, would not exist at all except in the memory of the band members and fans in New Orleans. The part that is the most humorous to me is that there were only 500 of the original LP, and a bootleg LP of that was made, and a second 500 LP was released. I’d say that proves the staying power of our music as there is a bootleg of a bootleg of a virtually unknown band. Perhaps I titled ‘Inception’ properly, as with the release of The Samurai of Prog, the arrangement could be the beginning of a much larger awareness of our music. Now that would be a story!

Do you think that bootleg reached any critics?

I have no way of knowing how many critics were aware of the release of the bootleg LP. Since Greg Walker released the CD in 1990, critics have largely been very kind, if not enthusiastic about our music. It’s the same for the 2001 release of The Moment of Hearing CD that contains both the New Orleans and Atlanta recorded material.

There seem to be more reviews of the 1990 release of the Caverns of Your Brain CD by Symphonic, recorded by the original New Orleans lineup. Just from my reading of the critics’ reviews and the number of them, I would say there is a slight preference for the music of the original New Orleans group. It seems that is mostly due to the raw energy of the music. Also, that CD was released in 1990, versus The Moment of Hearing, which was released in 2001 and features Lift music from both the original New Orleans band and also studio recordings made by the Atlanta lineup in 1977. For me, it’s all Lift, and while the later music is not as “energetic,” it is more sophisticated in its arrangement and depth, all largely the result of a more diverse talent pool brought by new members Mike Mitchell, Tony Vaughn, and Laura “Poppy” Landres.

Was there any special concept behind the album-making?

Not really… Just play your ass off! We were there to record a quality demo in order to pitch to the labels. The truth is we were just excited to get time in a studio of the caliber of Studio in the Country. It was a state-of-the-art Westlake Audio-designed facility. As I mentioned, we had five days in heaven as far as we were concerned.

It was pretty much a “1 or 2 take” deal except for a couple of overdubs, and a couple were never done that should have been. Courtenay never got a chance to do harmonies on most of the tracks, and I know he would have liked to have additional time. Vocals are the last thing to record, and when you’re up against a hard wall as far as time goes, when time is up, it’s up. Those five days included setup, including all mics, recording, mixing, tape dubs, and teardown. Ironically, Kansas came in on our heels and recorded their Grammy-award-winning Leftoverture album. I always joked with engineer Lee Peterzell that he cut his chops on us and won the Grammy with Kansas… We were fortunate to work with Lee again when we recorded three of the four “Atlanta version” songs at Pyramid’s Eye Studio in 1977. Perhaps there is no such thing as coincidence.

What do you think about the artwork that was used?

The EYE has it… It’s pretty bad in my opinion. But I can see some poor graphic designer trying to determine what to put on a “psychedelic relic.” Find some tacky 1970s clip art and there you have it. When Greg Walker approached me with the idea of releasing the CD, I provided him with the original artwork we had intended to put on our first album. It was conceptualized and drawn by artist friend and Lift fan, Elis Bullock, from Pensacola, Florida. I remain grateful to this day for his work. That cover art captured the idea and music of the band.

Would you share your insight on the album’s tracks?

We played our asses off and had fun!

A1: ‘Simplicity’ (Combined with Caverns, my favorite piece on the album) Would have liked to complete the synth overdub in the first part of the synth solo and the vocals on all songs.
A2: ‘Caverns’ (see above)
B1: ‘Butter Cup’ (Fun to play)
B2: ‘Tripping’ (Yes, it was a nod to Genesis)

There weren’t so many progressive rock bands in the U.S. What do you think was the main reason?

There are people with far more expertise in musicology and the history of rock in America than me. That is a great question for a University Music Appreciation Class. My first thought would be that America is such a large country, with each area having its own style or type of rock already firmly established. I mean, in the South, it was Southern Rock, like the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, or Blues Rock like B.B. King, Johnny Winter, etc. The West Coast had The Beach Boys, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Starship, etc. The Northeast seemed to adopt Progressive Rock with the greatest enthusiasm. Also, there was a great deal of other musical styles coming from England, so Progressive Rock had a lot of “air play” to overcome.

Have you been involved in any musical endeavors following the dissolution of the band?

Chip Grevemberg and I teamed up with a New Orleans keyboard player and worked up a set of “Heavy Pop.” But by that time, I was done and felt I needed to get on with my life. My wife Anne and I had been great friends for quite a while, and she had been a part of the early New Orleans years, and I wanted to get married and settle down for whatever was next. By the time ‘Inception’ is released by TSOP as part of their ‘Lost & Found’ double CD, Anne and I will have been married for 36 years.

Would you discuss some of your most memorable moments that happened to you as a musician?

That depends on who is going to read this… For the most part, it was all a wonderful experience.

Thank you very much. Last word is yours.

Let me thank you for your interest and appreciation of our music. It seems a true blessing to me to have Lift remembered because of a bootleg release of a studio session. And now, with ‘Inception’ being part of The Samurai of Prog’s upcoming CD, it is almost unbelievable. Inception was, to me, my best compositional work with Lift, and because of a dedicated fan’s recording of a live performance 40 years ago, this work is being professionally produced and released—it seems almost miraculous. I still don’t believe in coincidences.

Thank YOU very much! This has been an enlightening last few months for me musically. Just the exposure to and work I did with The Samurai of Prog to bring Inception back into the light of day after 40 years of non-existence has been a phenomenal experience for me. The exposure to the current vibrant world of present-day Progressive Music has been a delightful shock. I had no idea any of this existed.

Time to start practicing again.

Klemen Breznikar

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Headline photo: Lift | Cody Kelleher (Rickenbacker Bass & Taurus Pedals)