After just buying a digital multi-track recorder, I noticed it had the effect "tremolo". I thought to myself, "Self? Ya know, John Fogerty made about a gaZILLION dollars with tremolo and catchy pentatonic riffs." So I sat there, and put the tremolo on pretty thick and came up with the basic riff; and didn't get out of the chair until the song's structure was written, the guitar and bass tracks were recorded, the words written, and the vocal track was recorded- all to a click track. I think the whole process from noodling around to that point took about 3-4 hours A couple of days later, I went to long time friend and part-time Lion Dog Billy Gray's studio; and he put the drum track down while I stood at his shoulder with a cabasa (one of the cylindrical things on a handle with multiple rows of little metal beads wrapped around it). Billy caught the groove immediately (as usual); and with me cueing him, we had the drum track done in two takes. The Hookman (we've all heard the old campfire story, right?) seemed a natural topic for the kinda semi-spooky sounding tracks. Live, we get some jamming in at where the studio version ends; and return to the head for a closing verse before we end it. Lots of fun! This song has received quite a bit of attention- getting FM airplay in the US, 5 countries in Europe, and even down in Argentina! Back in the days of mp3.com, it reached #7 on the Worldwide Rock chart; and stayed in the Blues/Rock Top Ten for 18 months!

I think we made a big mistake, I knew this was a bad idea; Got a bad feelin' I can't shake, We got no business bein' here. "Did something move over there?" "He's prob'ly watchin' us right now." "If he catches you, just say your prayers, 'Cos you ain't gonna make it no how." "There it is again! Better run for your life! The Hookman's out tonight!" P. Cummins © 1999