The Answers: “It’s OK” | The Che Underground

(Answers guitarist Dave Fleminger shares a rockin’ track and the axe behind it.)

“Ode to a Jazzmaster”
Back in ’83, you could walk into Guitar Trader on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and pick up a vintage Fender Jazzmaster for $249. That was the tag price. Although the guitar had a neck of questionable authenticity as it had no headstock logo, it played great, albeit a bit buzzy with worn frets, and sounded BOSS (no, not in reference to Boss pedals … it was an authoritative-sounding axe).

That summer the Answers went into Soundtrax studio to record four songs. When it came time to track “It’s OK,” a fun, throwaway rocker that was my sideways ode to talking to myself and Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say?,” my Jazzmaster was deemed too grotty-sounding, and I was offered a spanky Telecaster that happened to be on hand at the session. I caved in even though I couldn’t play the Tele for crap, and the results sound way too clean on the recording … resulting in a version of the song that evokes the B-52’s, right down to the agitated, Fred Schneider-esque vocals, rather than the original garage-rock intent.

Read more about the gear that fueled the music!

On this version, recorded at the Che Cafe [July 29, 1983], we got it right, even if I do obviously have a cold or some other sort of incapacitation going on. Jeff Lowe and Dave Anderson were just the dream rhythm section … driving, melodic, inventive and funky …

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t know squat about setting up a guitar back then, and as the Jazzmaster obviously needed some routine maintenance, I figured it just wasn’t for me and sold it to a friend of [Hair Theatre guitarist] Paul Allen for what I paid for it.

In retrospect I wish I had kept it, but it’s OK.

— David Fleminger

Listen to it now!

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