As part of our Desert summer special, today I have a special guest who is very close to my heart. I met Ted Quinn 11 years ago after I arrived in California from my native France. We were just starting Yard Of Blondes, our band, and we dreamed of playing in the desert.
This trip was sparked by one particular place, the Rancho de la Luna. The legendary studio has been the home of numerous amazing artists including Queens of the Stone age, Kyuss, Arctic Monkey, Earthlings, Mark Lanegan, Victoria Williams, and many more. We also all remember QOTSA's Josh Homme's infamous Desert Sessions with guests such as PJ Harvey, Twiggy Ramirez, Dave Catching, Nick Oliveri, Josh Freese, Chris Goss, Alain Johannes, Les Claypool and more.
That night, we had no idea we would bump into someone very close to that universe. Ted Quinn was hosting an open mic at Pappy And Harriet's, which would become one of the country's most beloved venues. He was kind enough to sign us up and we ended up having one of the most memorable nights of our lives. In addition to finding a haven for art, we also found an amazing community that revolved around Teddy Quinn.
While growing up, he spent time in Hollywood and Laurel Canyon, acting in movies and TV series like Land Of The Giant, but also playing in bands like Telekin and Ministry Of Fools. It was during those formative years that Ted met Fred Drake, a Texas transplant drummer who was to establish the now iconic Rancho De La Luna. They played music together and often traveled to Joshua Tree to escape the noise of Hollywood. Fred founded the Rancho in 1993 after they decided to stay there permanently. Dave Catching, who would become the guitarist for Eagles Of Death Metal, joined him soon after. Unfortunately, Fred was HIV positive and got brain cancer. He passed away twenty years ago on June 20th, 2002. The week prior to his passing, Teddy and Fred looked through his tapes and he personally selected about 60 unreleased songs he loved.
To commemorate Fred Drake's 20th passing anniversary, Teddy reached out to his family and Dave Catching (who still runs the studio) and together they decided it was time to release new music from Fred.
Here we are today, discussing Teddy's journey, how he became friends with Fred, and how the Rancho was founded. The story is beautiful, at times sad, but it is an important story that must be told. With this 20 year-old album, we can see how Fred Drake touched so many lives and continues to impact the high desert even today. Proceeds from "I give you life" will go to LULAC - the nation's oldest Latino civil rights group - which has created a special fund for the victims' families and survivors. Take a listen to the episode and check out the bandcamp page to purchase the album.
- Vincent Walter Jacob