...About Eddie Levert

Got time for a quick story. Sometimes you wonder like, wow. This is what the universe kind of wants to have happen. So this is February of 2026. Last month, was I work at greatest hits, 98.1 radio and I'm clear Wisconsin, we have a classic hits format. So we play pop songs, rock songs, R&B songs, dance songs. I'm like the late '60s in the early 1990s. And I popped in my mind, I wonder which songs we play from before MTV had music videos. Those videos tend not to be viewed as frequently because they came out pretty MTV. So they didn't have MTV to make those videos legendary, like your sledge amers, money for nothing, take on me, et cetera, et cetera. So I went through the list of songs and I came across a music video that I did not know existed. Maybe you listening did for love train. This is going back to 1972. This is well before MTV. This isn't the early, early days of anyone making something that could be called a music video. Like, is the Beatles called There's Promotional Films. And there are the three OJs dancing around and outside winter coats on with a whole bunch of kids with winter coats on. It was a fun video to watch. I'm like, wow, this is a ways back. This is pretty cool. Then a few days ago, I stumbled into another one from the OJs, pre-MTV, Forever Mine. It was typical of a lot of the videos that were in this case taped, videotaped, around 1980 or so. Cool to see all of that. And then lo and behold, just after I see that video, get an email that Eddie Leveritt of the OJs has a new song. Well, OK. What timing on this? I got a chance to talk to Eddie Leveritt. This is really cool. Music legend. And still putting out new music this far into his career. Here's my chat about the new music. And about a couple old videos as well. And more with Eddie Leveritt. Say it on loop. Pretty good. How are you doing? I'm good, man. That's good. That's good. That's good. Yeah. I've been listening through the song, the brand new release. Listening through, let's go to my place a few times already. Just just lock it in and lock it in and lock it in. So on this particular-- What do you think? I like it. I like it. I mean, the thing that I always like to hear-- whenever I hear-- because we're a classic at stations, we're playing OJ songs. And whenever we play one of those, it's always neat to pick out whose voice in particular-- any particular song, and of course, OJ songs. So your voice has a distinct sound. Like, OK, well, that's Eddie Leveritt's voice right there. So what I like hearing is tying it over from then to now and hearing the tone in your voice, the same one that was on those songs that everybody knows, and it's still there. So that in particular, also the-- I guess the organic nature of it. It sounds like there's a group of musicians that are playing and singing all together and whether that actually happened in real time that doesn't matter. It actually sounds like people that are making some music and really trying to create something in a studio. That's vibrant that way. So I definitely like it. That's what's happening. That's what that is. That's a real band, real piano, real organ, real drums, real bass, real guitar, real singers, you know what I'm saying? And we're at Dan's studio doing the thing. Who all is playing-- give us the rundown of the credits. Who are the musicians that are backing you up on that? Well, we got Tony Nicholas on keys. We got Dennis Williams on keys. Then we got Darren Daltry on guitar. Then we got a pretty holiday on drums. And then we got Willie. Willie, what is Willie? Mike Nolan's on organ. We got Isaiah on the long day. And then we got Benny. Benny, what is Benny's last name? Benny, consult. No. Benny, because I was a big fan of being engineer. It's well done. The whole process is well done. When you came up with-- how does the creative process for-- I mean, we'll take this song right now, because this is the highlight. This is the topic right now, the one that's being promoted. So when you're coming up with, let's go to my place. When you're putting this all together from lyrics to arrangement to all of that, how does the creative process work for you? Today, you can compare it to another time, whether it does or not, but how does it all come together for you? It starts with me in my little studio. And me playing might be as much as I can play, because I'm not really a piano player, but I can punch out the sound that I want. And then I put the lyrics to it. And then I call in the musician. And then we go in the studio. And then we sort of figure out what the music should be. And after that process, then I come and put the lead vocal on. Then we get Shereena Winn, Tony Nicholas, and Dennis Williams to do the background vocals. Every then we do that. And then Dennis Williams coming into the arrangement. Very good. How-- I guess easy or hard is it to come up with the right message when you're coming up with lyrics. And now you're talking about that hard part. What to say. What to say. What the record should be. What the record should be saying. And that to me is the hard part. You go-- I go through so many scenarios that when I finally get to the one that I really like, you know, it's like I did maybe a hundred times before I really liked it. How many songs do you usually write in-- I'll just say it in a given year. How often are you writing songs? I might write maybe 20, 30 songs. And only other than I might get 15, 15, that I really like. But I still got a deviant song that I just haven't been able to finish yet. It's still looking for that-- in those cases, like you were just mentioning a moment ago, that trying to-- like you're drafting, you're trying to come up with something that makes sense. And is that where those songs are kind of in that waiting period of getting the right thing down? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's like the trumpet player that's looking for the right note. Yeah. What is it going to be? Either in that. Yeah. And you don't know when that is going to happen. But you've got to keep punching. And keep trying to find it. And eventually it may become-- it might come to-- it might not come to everything that you expected. But it come to completion, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. At least you come to the final of the other. Knowing exactly what it's supposed to be. Yeah. What-- and sometimes I'll ask musicians that have been around a while, like what's inspiring you, what songs on an artist or whatever, but maybe broader than that? What of anything, whether it's something in life, whether whatever it may be, what inspires writing music today for you? This desire to want to be-- to want to please your public and your fans, and then your certain matter can come from anywhere. It can come from a conversation that you had with your brother or your sister or your wife or your daughter. And it can come from just going out to dinner with somebody. And they'll say something that gets you here. And you say, that might make it that strong. Like in the case with-- [BLANK_AUDIO] It was like that's been said so many times. So I had to figure out how to say it and say it different than many times that it's been said. It does. You had an interview. I was watching this morning. I was doing the prep on this. And I'm forgetting it was from a few months ago, but you discussed this song and also I want to love on you. And there's kind of a flow of this like one is one set and then the one is the next set. So almost sequential, if you will. Do you have like several, like almost a story. I'm not getting quite to a concept album. Not necessarily that, but maybe that's what it is. But do you have like a plan of like this song tells this in this song and then maybe another song that's going to come out a few months from now is that or is just like, okay, this song is ready to go. Here we go. And the public's going to get to hear it. Yeah, because you know, some days you feel like I got to say something like that first song that I released, "Office of the Albums Call" in "Ain't Easy." But that was a message song, you know what I'm saying? But it also ties into what the relationships are not easy, but the world getting along in the world is not easy too. So combining the two, you know, it's an easy and getting the woman that you love and then easy getting the job. You know what I'm saying? Going corporate, and all of things. And that one song leads to the net. The other day, and I'm going to, actually, I'll come back to this question in just a little bit. I'll say this for a little later. Is there a whole album that you have coming out with these songs, and it is EP or what's the overall release plan? I'm going to probably release this album probably within the next three months, or either I'm going to release another single. Because I have another single which I did with my late, my late daughter who passed away at 22 from Lucas that we did fall in love with. So I was going to call this album Time Traveler. But the amount of time that I've been in the business and how much is it that I had experienced, I was going to call that Time Travel. But I tried, I changed my mind because I lost my two sons and I lost my daughter. So I'm going to change the name to I'll never forget you. What would you say of your, and I'll focus more on your solo material, but you could also throw an OJs or any other project you've done anything with your children of any of the. collaborations. What is the most underrated song that maybe does not get attention as much, but you think it's particularly especially you almost wish more people would know or listen to any given song in particular from your entire discography? Oh man, great question. You know, we do, we do, we do, we do, we do so many great records that I thought that should have been played or should have been heard. That's a great question. I had a record that we did without that I did with my son, Gerald, called already missing you. I don't think that the public got a chance to really hear this song. And so, and I think it would have been a big song because you know the message was great and we sang it great and the music was great and all the production on it was good. But you know, it didn't get there play that you know because radio was then a transition and trying to you know they were going from from radio to internet to this MP3s and all of that. So we couldn't get on the radio like I thought we should have. So I think it was two or three days ago I came across the music video for forever mine. Yeah, I'd never seen the video before. I'm always curious to find old like pre MTV videos. Okay, let's find the video. Found the video and there are you three guys yellow suits doing doing all the routine of that. I know there's not that many OJ videos could for obvious reasons this was pre when everyone did videos for everything. Does that video, I mean you said yeah, so I wonder do you have recollections of that it was a pretty simple shoot. But of doing a video for a song like that one from 1979, 1980. It was very simple you know because there was no elaborate production behind it. It was just they were just showing the us three and three mics and us doing the clarity which was taught to us by Charlie Akkins. And you know I don't know whether that sort of overshadowed the success of that record. But that record is now a great record that we do during our show. They loved this song. And that video was very cheeky made. And that was what was done at the time. Yeah, this was before big video budgets or anything that's just what got out there. And it's sufficient. But it shows the what when I was coming away as I'm watching that. And I've seen this with other ones with like the spinners or the Manhattan's and others that they were starting to delve more into video at the time that I'm thinking. I mean, they're still putting out all the talent. It's still regardless of if it's a set piece. They're still the inherent creativity of they got to put on a show. They got to look good. They got to dance. They got to do this all right. And it's all there. Absolutely. And the dogs it was there to show the emotion and the feeling. And the this is the way we're going to do it live. And this is the way you're going to see it. And this is the way it is. And that no extra added attraction, no dance, because these three guys singing this song and doing the choreography and making you love it. You mentioned performing this to this day. Forever mind in particular. Have you found any songs of again from any part of your career doesn't matter what. But if you found any songs that have become I guess more popular fans seem to like them more as years have gone on. This is different generations come up and they seem to be taking to different songs. And are there any particular that for which that applies? I'd have to apply that to darling darling baby. And and living for the weekend. Because they are darling darling. The baby is a classic. And the melody and the presentation that we did on it is really great. Living for the weekend is a great dance song. So now you got kids who are doing line dances. And you know these dances where they put together an old group is dancing to it. You know that's that's what I think about that song. I think that's a great thing. That people are able to gravitate to that and create a dance move that of the dance. or people can get in on. The other video and as long as I get a chance to talk to you, I have to ask about this and this is another one that came across a few weeks ago going through again older songs and I'm like, okay, other videos and I came across the love train video and it's it's struck me different from a lot of the other ones because a lot of the other ones from like rock acts that we play are again similar from that time. They're performing on stage and that's totally fine. And in this case, it's a whole bunch of kids with their winter coats on in an open field holding hands and then you guys and the OJs going around like a train station and dancing while you're walking upstairs and then and I felt good at after watching that. I've heard the song in numerous times, but that video in particular, I went this 1972. This is the early days of trying to do something like that. Why what was the idea to come up with that idea for something that was essentially a promotional film to talk about the song and get a whole bunch of kids and just have fun? Where did that idea come from? At that time we were involved with this school project that was, let me see, what the hell I can't make of the name of it, but it was about getting kids to go to school. And so now we had the love train that was going to be able to take them to make sure that they get there and learn what there was about, you know. Next up that we make will be England, all of that and that we got to do it together. So this was, I can't think of it, but this was working with school kids and going to different schools. So we were going all over the country to different schools and so we were taking turn around school. That's what I think it was. It's got turn-about turn around school system and we were going around to different schools and different cities and filming them. And so this was one of the times that we were able to get a lot of kids together and film love train while doing it. And I think it was a great message. It was. It was a great video. It absolutely was. Do you happen to remember which one? I mean maybe it was an edit of a whole bunch of them, but do you happen to remember which one that was, where which city that was? No, I can't, I can't really. You know, listen, it's been so long so many times. What are you trying to do with me? But put it this way. It's somewhere, it's somewhere cold. We know that. But it was, it was, it was, it was, it was doing the weather, man. Yeah. It was a fall course. And then they, they, they, they turned around schools. They were, we were trying to get the kids to go to school. It might have been New York. It might have been, might have been New York. That's, that's regardless. It's still, it's a, it's a, it's a cool video. And again, a lot of, a lot of pre MTV ones don't get the exposure because for obvious reasons. And I would encourage anyone who's hearing this right now, go look it up. And it'll, it's three minutes. We'll make you, like I said, it'll be, be feel a little better, make anyone watching it feel better. Absolutely. Because it was a great year. It was a, when I felt good about it, because what we were doing, we're trying to go to schools and educate these kids that, you know, the school is important. And the love train is important. And here we are. We all get on this love train. So wrap up back to the current project. And you said the next single is coming. And then the album. What's the time frame on those are you and and or are you planning to hit the studio to record other new music? What's kind of on what's on the agenda? We have now, you know, planning on going to studio to record some new stuff. But if the next single will probably be the one called Never and it's featuring Ryan Lever and me. And it's a great song. And this is one of the last things that she passed away. And so probably you will add that within the next three to four months. Okay. We'll keep our eye out for that and the upcoming album. Eddie Lever. Let's go to my place. The current single has a lot of other music to listen to. It's been an honor to get a chance to talk to you. Thank you for doing all that you've done in your career and and all the music that you continue to make and all the best going forward. I thank you very much. Well, that was a great interview. It really wasn't honor to get to talk to Eddie Lever. And you can keep up with what he's doing. He's on Instagram @ Eddie Lever. Senior. So that's Eddie Lever. SR is the handle. Also keep an eye online. Keep an eye on YouTube and other streaming platforms or new music to come because it is coming from Eddie Lever. This has been the latest edition of greatest interviews. You can find this particular interview at greatest hits 981 dot com, which is the website of greatest hits 98.1. Radio station where I work in a clear Wisconsin. Thanks to them and Midwest family. Oh, clear for providing the facilities to do these interviews. You can find all these interviews. Like I said, at that website, greatest hits 981 dot com at the top of the page says features click there. You can find a lot of the interviews or put your mouse over features. They'll be a drop down. And it'll take you right to greatest interviews. You can also find a lot of these interviews. Listen to them. And in some cases watch them at the greatest hits 98.1 YouTube channel. Big thanks to Joe Mason for arranging this interview with Eddie Lever. This podcast greatest interviews. You can find that the sister website of greatest hits 98.1 that would be around the 715.com. Around the 715.com. There we have a lot of podcasts from the 715 area code in western Wisconsin. Also, this podcast, you can find it a lot of the usual podcast platforms. Subscribe to it so you know when new episodes arrive and rate it preferably higher. So words spread around about it. At time for a quick story. And Luke Anthony.