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The Feelies: How I (Accidentally) Found Bill Million
I didn’t as
k Bill about this final Feelies chapter during our inaugural conversation on I-4. For some reason, it struck me as something rude to inquire about (like, say, the end of a marriage or the death of an infant). It never came up any other time we were in the same room/car/parking lot together; hence, whatever else was on Bill’s mind at that time remains a mystery. One can assume burnout probably played a part. After relocating, Bill Million didn’t speak to any of his Feelies buddies for years (mirroring the “break the scream with a silent void” line from his riveting number “Fa Cé-La”). The strum maestro settled into a nice Floridian life, focused entirely on raising his family and toiling nine-to-five at Walt Disney World (though not in a traditional locksmith position as most bios would have you believe; working in a more computer-
oriented environment, it seems the tales of Bill Million’s dead-bolting are greatly exaggerated).
Unfortunately, Bill didn’t properly utilize his quiet time to develop any truly strange proclivities or habits, the kind generally associated with rock ‘n’ roll recluses (excuse me —“great post-punk disappearing acts,” as that Village Voice article put it). Brian Wilson he is not. There are no sandboxes or preserved fetus collections in the Million home—just regular furniture and the requisite amount of understated wall adornments. The man drives an economy-sized car around town instead of, say, a pink Power Wheels. Not once in the five or so years I regularly encountered Bill Million did he ever sport a Rip Van Winkle-type beard, wrap himself in soiled bed sheets, or claim Regis Philbin was commanding him to kill raccoons again. Bill also still had (and still has, I imagine) all his teeth and toes.
This isn’t to say the fella who wrote “Loveless Love” isn’t without his quirks. For instance, Bill Million prefers his V8 warm. He’s not a fan of having his picture taken (“You just set a whole bunch of shit into motion,” he said coldly after I snapped a photo of him once at a Christmas party). He still uses a typewriter. Most interestingly (and perhaps least surprisingly), Bill Million is extremely protective of his art. Tales have been relayed to me about his controlling nature in the studio, demanding everything be played the way he wanted it to be played. He flat-out refused to go along with Jonathan Demme’s original idea for his band’s appearance in Something Wild, which involved the Feelies covering Survivor’s 1982 hit “Eye of the Tiger.” The long-awaited reissues of Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth have been held up for a while now because Bill and the record company are allegedly going back and forth on the issue of bonus tracks (he’s vehemently against them, claiming they throw off the balance of the original listening experience).
I can describe firsthand Bill Million’s strange reaction when a younger musician friend of ours once proposed covering a Feelies song. The Garden State songster froze for a second, perturbed ever so slightly at the idea anyone else could or would play his music. He then quickly turned to this wide-eyed protégé and deadpanned the following timeless quote:
“You’ll never figure it out.”
To Mr. Million’s credit, he was right: the kid never did figure the song in question out. Too much action above the 13th fret, I guess.
Occasionally, I’ll come across a brief passage on the internet praising the Feelies that alternately wonders where Bill Million is/when he’ll come back/why he left in the first place. None of the answers to those queries really matter, and no one knows that better than Bill himself. He’s not Bigfoot or a UFO. He’s just a normal guy, a Disney employee with a wife and three kids and a cat and a regular life. He used to be in a band, a damn good band, but one that will probably remain a nice little pop secret for years to come—lest one of his children’s friends attains musical superstardom and actually does figure out how to play that one tricky Feelies number. Then, I suppose, it might be time to check for sandboxes and jarred fetuses in Bill Million’s otherwise sedate one-story enclave.
Watch: The Feelies [at youtube.com]
25 Comments
The Feelies were an unbelievable breath of fresh air back in the day. To say they set the template for REM is an understatement. If you can find any of their CD’s, grab em. The music is driving, yet hypnotic. Those guys knew how to drive a groove….Thanks for the article!
Wow. I was sitting here, listening to “Only Life,” when i came across this article. How funny.
Yes indeed, they were a hell of a great band, and I pull their stuff out e few times a year to give a listen.
I never should have sold him that coke.
just listening to time for a witness in the car today-weird…
I first read of the Feelies in the listsing in the back New York Magazine. It referred to “while hot” guitar work. I never missed them at Hurrah, the best rock club in the city. Loved this article on Billy.
I was lucky enough to catch the Feelies in early ‘91 when they opened for Lou Reed (the “New York” album tour) at the Berkeley
Community Theater and they were so incredible that I took my girlfriend to see them at a small club in the South Bay a few months later. The Feelies put on a really exciting show and we were disappointed to find that they split up shortly after.
Now we know why ! Thanks !!!
For more Million brilliance try and get a hold of The Trypes s/t EP or Yung Wu’s “Shore Leave” both on Coyote Records, featuring the Million/Mercer combo that made The Feelies so f’ing listenable. Crazy Rhythms never gets old for me. Disney, huh? Nice article.
I loved by dad’s Feelies records (yes on vinyl). Would’ve been nice if the writter could have spent time talking about the Feelies instead of his stupid band flops. –janet
A few things I remember about the Feelies are that they always put on a good show, and I have never seen a band break so many stings during a set as they did. They are sorely missed.
Strings that is, hahaha
I remember seeing The Feelies at Mudd in NYC in ‘81 or so, then in SF at Oasis in ‘85…one of the most exciting music based bands ever! No b.s, just total, pure rock with a unique harmonic sound. They looked like nerds but so did Buddy Holly.
I saw the Feelies play the 8×10 in Baltimore 3 times………great band. I even got to talk to Brenda………M.
There is a song called “Late Birds” on Speed the Plough’s masterpeice album “Marina”. The song which was written by John Baumgartner contains the lyric “Meanwhile I don’t hear you calling, meanwhile you’re not heard from ever” (in the chorus). Could this be referring to Bill? One listen to Glenn Mercer’s new solo album “Wheels in Motion” and you might just feel the ghostly absence of Mr Million as I did/ do hearing it. Not that the album is lacking, it’s just that, while he beleives he is finished musicly, others feel remissed for the chemistry of the quartet, all of whom apear on the Mercer album except Bill.
To TJK:
Thanks for the kind words…and the close listening. Those lines from “Late Birds” were not about Bill. But they could have been. They were actually about another old friend who disappeared in the ether.
Health and Happiness to you,Bill you are Missed
Wow…does that bring back memories.
The Feelies were a remarkable live band. I interview them a couple of times in the early ’80s…at the house in Haledon (I forget if it was Glen or Bill’s). That quote in the article may have been from one of the things I published in NY Rocker. That was a long time ago.
OS FEELIES SÃO A MAIOR BANDA DO MUNDO
What a great article. Bill, I had the privelege, yes, PRIVILEGE, to see the Feelies in Virginia and DC 3 or 4 times, including a show where you openned for Lou Reed in DC. However, the shows at the now-defunct Library in Richmond, VA will remain strongly in my memories. You are missed, yet honored.
Saw The Feelies at Max’s Kansas City!
Top that!!
Million , Mercer, Saughter, Weckerman and Demenski.
Maxwell’s , June 30 and May 2nd. 2008 and Battery Park NYC with Sonic Youth! Can you beleive it? See you there everybody!
Nice interview!
I’m actually traveling from Chicago to Hoboken for their July 1st show (I’m promised myself I’d see them live should a reunion including Mr. Million ever occur).
Thanks for the great story. I just saw one of the reunion shows at Maxwell’s in Hoboken and it was mind-blowingly wonderful. It was as if these folks were playing for the last 17 years – super tight and in top form. Even the new songs fit right into the set. I can understand (some of) the band members desire to drop off of the pop music treadmill, but I hope the new songs the Feelies played point to a new recording in the future. And then maybe a few more shows?
One of the few bands I would see every chance I got. I still do, saw one of the Maxwell’s shows and the 7/4 outdoor show. They have lost nothing, tremendous energy and spirit. Thank you Bill for being willing to do this again. I hope there are more shows coming, but I will take whatever they are willing to do. There are recordings of a couple of the recent shows up at http://www.myctaper.com.
Great story. Often there is value in spending a little time with an older person – and then the coolest stories and … Good thing, someone gifted you that book and Jon was still around
The Feelies were the reason that I started writing music in the ’80s. I was fortunate to see them at the 9:30 and a few other places, and they were as great live as their recordings were. I never really got into the Crazy Rhythms album, but the three following were and are some of the best songs written. Thanks.