Wait Until Tomorrow

They say you should never meet your heroes, but being in radio made it easy. I first met Steve Walsh backstage in 1996 when I was the Music Director and later promoted to Program Director at Classic Rock KSLX in Phoenix, market number #13. We we interviewing Steve and Phil Ehart, they were both kinder and more down to earth than I could have imagined. Our station sponsored the concert. Here's my ticket from that night:

In 2004 I decided I wanted to thank all my heroes via email as I was feeling my mortality and thinking my radio career was ending. Of course I didn't have Steve Walsh's email so I sent his record label at the time my thank you email. Much to my surprise the very next morning he comes an email from the man, the legend himself thanking me! I'll never forget that day! My roomate was another person who ran for office like I did, Representative Debora Norris. She said, "Laurie you are glowing - I've never seen you this happy" she had known me for years. It became an "Endless Thank You Loop" as now I had to thank Steve for thanking me, so I made a website for him. I needed photos for it, so I asked him if I could take photos at his next show in Phoenix. I was in luck he said he wouldn't mind and there I was in the front row with a rotating stage, how could I miss:

A photo of mine of Steve Walsh in Phoenix, his fingers were flying on those keys, you can see that in the photo:

Steve said he liked the photos, I was so honored! A few months later in 2005 after I saw his show in London and since he was emailing me I got the courage to ask an outrageous dream come true question...

"Hey Steve, I'm a musician too, not just a radio person, would you play/and or sing on a song with me?"... Debora my close friend said... "Are you crazy? His stuff is hard rock, your stuff is like, I don't know... America, Bread ha ha soft rock. Have you ever written a hard rock song? Have you ever even recorded a song since you've been in Arizona? Your first album was done years ago. What the hell are you going to show him when he says yes???" "Don't worry I'm sure he'll say no, it's such a longshot, hopefully he will just take it as a compliment" I told her. Debora was right as usual, Steve said, "Sure, send it along". Now I'm in full panic mode and Debora in "I told you so" mode. What's the best studio in Arizona, I've got to go there and record a song and write one like overnight. Debora's just shaking her head. Off to Jim Brady Recording Studios I go, luckily he had an immediate opening. Out of sheer panic I record a tune I just wrote in panic mode, Architect of Dreams. Debora was like "This is even softer than your 1st album, no way is he going to play on it!" It's all I have to send though... so off it went. Steve was so gracious in his response, exactly as Debora had predicted, he said, "It's really soft, not that soft is a bad thing". So I called Jim Brady up for another session for a harder rock song I just wrote again in full panic mode: Light of Freedom -

In fact my whole 2nd album Aquila was a blatent attempt to get Steve Walsh to play on one of my songs. Instead he let me cover his songs, and was always kind after I sent each demo. I covered his songs So Many Nights, The River, All the World - that all made it onto the Grammy ballot and now... Wait Until Tomorrow - but this time it's different. I originally did the vocals and tons of super cool harmony parts. But then got his permission to use his vocals, wow... now I can finally sing with Steve! I had to wait a long time for this dream. O.K. I have to go to the best studio in Los Angeles now! But here's the problem... I have a really good ear for music... as much as I want to sing with Steve, he just sounds best just by himself, so I blew out all those cool harmony parts I did and left a whisper of me in the background. It's still an amazing dream come true and I paired him up with my other favorite heroes, Johnny Echols (best guitarist ever!) and Ed Cassidy (best drummer ever and we share a birthday, May 4)... & by God I'm playing the bass! So I finally got to jam with Steve long distance over the ether. I'm glad it's finally Tomorrow! What a Wait!

A photo I took of Steve and David Ragsdale in Las Vegas

A selfie with Stargazer lillies Steve sent me to thank me for the website & cover tunes.

Wait Until Tomorrow

Words and Music by:  Steve Walsh

Originally recorded in 1980 by Steve Walsh off the album Schemer Dreamer

Lead vocals: Steve Walsh

Lead Guitar: Johnny Echols

Bass, Backing Vocals: Laurie Larson

Drums: Ed Cassidy

Arrangement: Laurie Larson

I pulled my shades to see the day

After sleeping way past noon

An ache inside my head was burnin'

The sky was gloomy, full of grey

And I knew I'd woke too soon

But far too late to be returning

The night before I lay in bed

And I thought of many things

Oh, how the world was full of sorrow

How people here still mourn their dead

Where the grip of war still clings

How they must wait until tomorrow

The buildings here conflict in style

And the church bells never ring

The statue's face is full of sadness

And no one laughs, no one smiles

And no one says a thing

So nothing lifts the air of madness

Ain’t gonna wait until tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow