Roadtracks Interview with David Munyon


RT: On which projects are you working at the moment?

DM:  I am working with Gunter Pauler and Stockfisch Records on a new project  The Title of the CD is  "Tunes for Vina's Boy's:  New Avenues. Gunter Pauler and Wolfgang Hess flew here to Dothan Alabama  where we live and Filmed a new DVD and we recorded a CD, some new songs and a couple old ones  at our home Church Mt. Enon Baptist Church, it was a beautiful event and Gunter is the BEST Recordist I've ever met, along with Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab in Los Angeles  , they are really dedicated to "the song" and presenting "the song" with the best possible sound , for the Folks to enjoy.  Gunter Pauler mixed and mastered all of our CD's so far on Glitterhouse and Stockfisch Records. I'm very , very greatful to Stockfisch and Glitterhouse Records, and all that they do  for all of us.I'm very blessed to be on their Labels, and I'm happy to have them as my dear friends.
   And, I'm rake-ing alot of leaves for my Mother -in-law Dora Sheffield and trying to keep the lawn mowed and take-ing care of all of these cats and dogs we have on our farm here, we call it "Om Field", my wife Dixie Blue and I have a old trailer that used to belong to Hank Williams Sr., and we have a garden.

RT: How important are the geographical surroundings (desert, sea...) for an artist?

DM: The geographical surroundings for  any Artist are , I guess  "create where you are", and write about the things that are around you.....everyone is unique, everyone is a Artist.....The World dispite what some  say, is still a beautiful Planet  and  I dunno, I remember my Teacher in the Fourth Grade, she said that , the main thing is to create  and draw  and sing and write and paint  and help people, help each other, to try and contribute somthing for your family or your neighbor or your friends, and "the more you give, the more you get"  it's a "Spiritual World" and I ask God everyday for a Super-Heart of Love  and if there's anyone I can help.....there are Artist in Santa Fe  and Alaska and Florida and Tennessee and Ireland and Germany and Russia  and Hawaii......I personnally love the change of Seasons   , I really love Germany I always have, and I love Europe, I love America too......I dunno  did I answer the question?  I've written songs pretty much  everywhere, and recently I'm sculpting and painting and writting poetry......what I do  is  simply ask God, to help me in whatever I do.....He's always there.....He's the generous Creator, I just hold the pencil and the guitar, or the paint brush......God is really wonderful, and compassionate and works miracles  all the time , I'm one of God's miracles.

RT: Are you still touring? Is it still fun for you?

DM: Yes  , we have a new Tour starting on October 4, 2003 the first gigs are being planned and booked.....I love playing on Tour, I'm very anxious to see everyone again, and what can I say  it's OctoberFest, Again! Yee-Haww !     I'm totally excited , you  know  for my age, I'm almost 55 years old.....I'm happy to be doing anything, after everything I've been through.....Boy Howdy  what a Year this has been , huh? Geez, and what about last year?  Dang..........I dunno  I've been praying alot, I guess everyone is praying.....things are getting better  though I think  , don't you?  I'm personnally glad  that I'm not having to avoid Dinasaurs  and Angry Cave Men  with no Cable T.V.  or Coffee!  Yes Touring is fun and I love to play Music for our fans and friends.

RT: Is there a chance to see you in Germany again (you played the Aschaffenburger Kommz festival a few years ago and I was hoping that you would play "Coffee in Duluth" but you did not. Maybe the chance for me to hear it live will come again)?

DM:  Yes, I'll be playing some gigs in Germany  around October -November 2003  for any info  you may E-Mail   Stockfisch Records
info@stockfisch-records.de   and if you would like theres a "friends and fans" site   you may E-Mail  Wolfgang Hess at  Hess_Cadenberge@t-online.de  I hope to see everyone in Germany in October and November. Thank YOU!   Coffee in Duluth is a great song  mostly written by the very famous songwriter  P.B. Seebert  who wrote several "smasheroonies" and the song "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You"  P.B. Seebert is a Beautiful Generous Lady. I promise to play Coffe in Duluth  if you ask me,  I'll try my best.  You know I'm a bit "Dis-abled"?  But I still try my very best.  And, did you know that the song "spiritually speaking" is for Bob Dylan and Joan Baez...

RT: There are a lot of Indian references in your lyrics, where does that come from?

DM: The Indian References  are from The Book , "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda  , George Harrison's GURU.......years and years and some days ago, I was "home-less" in Los Angeles..and it was a difficult time for me.  And this guy who  worked at a Picture Frame-ing Warehouse gave me this book, and it really changed my life  for the very much better, I used to go to The Hare Krishna Temple in Venice Beach, they have free food on Sunday there,  and I fell in love with "The Little Hare Krishna Boy"........years later  I wrote "Stealer of Hearts"  Lord Krishna is The Supreme Personality of God-Head, and He has worked many miracles for me and my family  and for everyone,  He usually likes to work in Secret, and has a wonderful ability to hide  himself,  with His duelistic veil,  though many writers and Poets and Artists  write about Him, I happen to be one the least, and Vishnu and Shiva  all part of THE LOVE of The Hindu Faith,  very similar  to The Christian Faith  and All Faiths  , for that matter......check it out  you will not be dis-appointed  I guarenttee this there's a WEB SITE   at  www.yogananda-srf.org   Lord Jesus and Lord Krishna  they work hand in hand helping  eveyone  everyday,  someone  said to me at The Temple, one day  "you just ask Him" "He won't hurt you"  so  I asked   and  Boy Howdy  here I am on my way to Tour Beautiful Germany, Again......The Lord  is  so beautiful, and kind and generous and benevolent and has miracles for everyone,  He get's  some bad press from time to time, but I can testify that  from where I was in 1975  to where I am now, in Life, is truely The Miracle Working Power of God, The Lord,.Our Lord....."My Sweet Lord"  Uh-Oh, there I go preaching again......"simply ask Him, He has many names,  if you want or need any help, He won't hurt you, this I promise" Guarenteed.

RT: A few words to the situation in the world in the moment, especially about your government?

DM: The World situation?  We  should all love, and love each other,  and Bless each other and help each other.  My Government?  I, 100% support my U.S.A. Government and I respect All Governments,  Geez.....where would we all be if we didn't have any Government?  Yikes!.......the thing is,  to my point of view, everyone   should  do as Lord Jesus said  "Love Each Other" , and I would add maybe  play Frisbee with each other for about a hour a day.
   To be honest,  let's get out there and  help feed the  poor, and "one on one" help the home-less,  and let's  clean up the Water and Air, unfortunitly  there's a War now,  and I , 100% support the U.S.A. and , I also agre to accept and support the decision of any Government who doesn't want to be any part of , any War.  This is what Freedom is, The Freedom to choose.   I'm very proud of our Armed Forces, these people and their families  have sacrificed everything to help set some people, who they don't even know, to set them "FREE" , so they can have a better life ......I'm a Veteran myself, I volunteered to go to Vietnam and I volunteered  again in 1980, for The U.S. Army.  One thing I could add  if this is O.K........Jesus Christ told us, that there would be "Wars and Rumors of Wars"  and Lord Krishna said  that "people have different qualities, all of which represent Me" , I dunno  some people  are just angry, and some are cunning and baffeling and powerful, and some  are very kind and loving  and some  write songs and some sell cars, some are happy, some are drunk some are hooked, some are in Recovery, .......I won't ever forget The Love and Kindness and Generosity  of all of my friends and family and fans........and Thank God, He helps us to forget the bad stuff. I don't think it's a "Government problem", or a  "Political Thing"  I think it's a Spiritual Problem, that can be solved  with a four letter word ............LOVE or  Liebe, Liebe or LOVE, and some good Coffee! Me?  I love everyone, and I like everything.  Somthing still, causes me  to spank the dog when he is bad, or if he attacks a innocent cat.

RT: Our magazine is called roadtracks, what are your roadtracks when you are on tour? to which kind of music do you listen to?

DM: RoadTracks is a Cool name.  I listen to The Allman Brothers Band, and Warren Haynes and    The Beatles, I still listen to The Beatles,  everyday. And I like , Gene Gillespie  he  is  alot older than me, this gives me "New-Hope", I've been going through some changes  with this getting older thing.  I love The Dixie Chicks, and I listen to my wife  Dixie Blue.  I also like to listen to the sounds of the birds  singing every morning  and I like The Choir  at our Church.  I go to The Assembly of God, and I also listen to the Music of Self-Realization Fellowship, Meditation Music  and Chanting  you can order some of these CD's and Cassettes  at  the WEB SITE www.yogananda-srf.org   these songs and CD's are very relaxing after a hard day of watching this World and everything on T.V.  and everything, and I like John Prine and Bob Dylan  and I still listen to Joan Baez "Diamonds and Rust",  I hear that James Taylor has a new CD,  I hope to hear it soon.......and I like Johnny Cash, his new CD  with Rick Rubin ......and I like Terry Lee Hale and Joe Parsons.

RT: You were a great friend of Townes van Zandt, what kind of guy was he?

DM: Townes was our friend.   Jeneane Van Zant also,  Townes was a great Poet and Songwriter, and because of his loving "belief" in Our Lord Jesus Christ, he is indeed in Paradise/Heaven  where he probibly is writing some more great TVZ Songs, I hope to hear them someday.  TVZ  was and is one of the greatest songwriters of all time, along with Bob Dylan and John Prine and The Band and Guy Clark and Johnny Cash  an' Lucinda Williams

RT: What kind of relationship have you got to the internet?

DM:  I like The Internet,  my Cousin gave me a Computer and my Brother -in-law gave me a Computer, I love E-Mails   everyone can E-Mail me at JDvdMnyn@aol.com

RT: Are you a record collector? What are the most precious nuggets in your collection?

DM: The only "Nugget" I have is a Album Judy Collins singing "Amazing Grace"  and I have a Terry Lee Hale and Joe Parsons CD  and all of  my "Beatles, CD's and  Sir Paul McCartney.  I hear Ringo has a "smasheroonie Tour going on, as we speak", and I love Elton John, and I love some of the German Artist's , and I love Sara K.and Werner Lamberhert "sorry me I may have mis-spelled" and I like David Qualey and Klaus Weiland,  I like the sound -track from the movie "Oh Brother where art thou"?  and I LOVE  Dolly Parton.  I really like the songs my wife writes  S.P. Standley  "Dixie Blue"  she is so humble,  she is a brilliant writer, and together we write some cool tunes.  I like Barbara Striestand (sorry me, I maybe mis-spell name)   and  I likeRock Radio also, and The Rolling Stones.

RT: To what kind of music did you listen when you were a teenager (you know, that rebellion stuff)?

DM:  I grew up listening to Johnny Cash, and David Blue, and James Taylor and Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins  and  Bob Dylan

RT: You told me about paintings you are working on, what kind of paintings are you talking about?

DM: I'm currently painting  some "POP Art"  if you know of anyone who would like to buy a painting, and my neighbor 's   dog's  just had  14 Puppies. And  two of our cats are having kittens,   AGAIN!   If anyone would like to buy a Original POP Art Painting by David Munyon   E-Mail   JDvdMnyn@aol.com and I'm writing a Book of Poems  and  I'm always writing songs. And I work in our garden, and I read   Books and Magazines   I don't watch T.V. very much , anymore, after last year.....I don't watch much T.V., at all, anymore...so I apply all of my energy to feeding Pets, and Painting and Playing Music etc.

RT: What do you think, what is the best record you ever made?

DM: My opinion of the best record would have to be  "everyone of the David Munyon CD's"   LOL    "LOL is Laugghing out Loud", I learned this from a Chat I was on. If it wasn't for Dixie Blue and Greg Humphrey and Glitterhouse and Stockfisch Records  , I don't know  where I would be......and God's Amazing Grace and Love and Forgiveness......I like "Acrylic Teepee's" and "Poet Wind" ,  I really like the song  "In India" from the Poet Wind CD,  it is a song  Lovingly Dedicated to Mahavatar Babaji.

RT: How can a man get such an impressing voice like you have (whiskey and cigarettes?)

DM: I keep asking My Jesus and My Krishna and My Divine Mother and my Heavenly Father  to keep healing my Voice and my Body , mind and Spirit......I dunno   it may have been the Whiskey and The Cigarettes, of course  we shouldn't  drink or smoke,  but   .....some do, don't they.......I've pretty much quit smoking cigarettes  for the most part.

RT: Thank You, I'm happy that you like our songs and our CD's and my Voice, and we love  you in Germany  and England and Holland and France and The U.S.A. and Canada and Italy  and everywhere......And May God richly Bless each and everyone of you  with healings and blessings and love and wealth and JOY and good stuff and neat things, and Peace   everyday  always  in The Lovely Name of Our Savior:  Jesus Christ  , with The Majestic Love and Blessings from Lord Krishna, and May Divine Mother and Lord Buddah and The Holy Spirit  Bless yer socks off, everyday   "Om"  Peace  LOVE, Coffee, Coffee  Coffee