Brent Spiner (BSS #233)
Brent Spiner is most recently a producer and performer on the album, Dreamland.
Condition of Mr. Segundo: Ducking his head and dodging paranoid crooners.
Guest: Brent Spiner
Subjects Discussed: Natural reverb, conversational limitations, co-owning a recording studio with Dave Way, being a control freak, the shaky profitability of the music industry, self-distributing a CD through Bellarama, David Byrne’s DIY article, the lack of response from magazines and newspapers vs. the response from blogs and online sites, being restricted by self-production, the distribution for Ol’ Yellow Eyes is Back, getting mechanical rights for the songs, merging “I Love You” with “Nice and Easy,” the difficulties of getting Cole Porter’s “Let’s Fall in Love,” DJ Giagni, tap dancing and footfalls, sound effects, maracas that appear on the left speaker, arguments for and against the older man-younger woman musical trope, certain elements that are holding back Dreamland from being transposed to a live performance, the belting quality of Spiner’s voice, wrestling, Spiner’s extraordinary claims as an opera singer, Mark Hamill as a figure to help smooth over the rancor between two popular science fiction franchises, growing up in Houston, the demolition of the Shamrock Hilton in June 1987, Cecil Pickett and the brothers Quaid, Randy Quaid and Actors’ Equity, Spiner’s complex feelings for Rutger Hauer, Hauer and Whoopi Goldberg, taking umbrage with YouTube commenters, working with Maude Maggart, signing on for a six-year contract for a show that rhymes with “car wreck,” committing to a project without knowing when it will end, Threshold, negotiating the limitations of television, the relationship between art vs. commerce, why Spiner moved to Los Angeles, Superhero Movie, living like a college student vs. an adult lifestyle, and the trappings and consistent struggles of being an actor.
EXCERPT FROM SHOW:
Correspondent: I should observe that you grew up in Houston.
Spiner: Yes.
Correspondent: Of course, for a long time, the Shamrock Hilton was there.
Spiner: Right.
Correspondent: And what is rather unusual is that it was demolished in June 1987, which almost exactly coincides with your big break on the show that shall not be named. I was wondering if you ever contemplated this connection, and whether the hotel [in Dreamland] may have jumped out because of this. Why did you choose the hotel? And what of the Shamrock Hilton?
Spiner: You know what, Ed, I’m not sure what the question is really. And I’m not even sure you know what the question is.
Correspondent: No, no, I’m just throwing associations at you.
Spiner: Yeah, you know what?
Correspondent: I figured that you can handle this.
Spiner: Let me say, and I will say the word, I did Star Trek purposefully because of the demise of the Shamrock Hotel.
Correspondent: Yeah. I knew it.
Spiner: There was no other reason that I took that job. When they told me…
Correspondent: …that Houston was dead to you.
Spiner: Yeah, Houston was dead to me once the Shamrock Hilton was gone. But let me just say this. How do you know about the Shamrock Hilton?
Correspondent: I just am curious.
Spiner: Are you from Houston?
Correspondent: No, I’m not. I’ve never actually been in Texas, aside from, I believe, a layover. But I just knew about it. I knew that big people came through there.
Spiner: Yup. Oh! Please.
Correspondent: And so I figured you hung out there.
Spiner: I did.
Correspondent: When these big people made their way through there.
Spiner: I once saw Mel Torme at the Shamrock.
Correspondent: Really?
Spiner: At the Shamrock pool. Walking fast. And even more importantly, I once saw Jock Mahoney doing chin-ups outside by the Shamrock pool.
Correspondent: Did you talk with these folks when you were there?
Spiner: You know, I didn’t. I wish I’d talked to Jock Mahoney, which is another story altogether.
[...] Spiner appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #233. Spiner is most recently a producer and performer on the album, [...]
Gods man, why would you interview Brent Spiner and NOT talk about the thing that rhymes with Car Wreck??
Hold on there a sec, tiger. Have you listened to the whole thing? Just because the words weren’t UTTERED doesn’t mean it wasn’t TALKED ABOUT.
Yeah, you sort of glided past it. Still seems strange not to handle it head-on.
Nevermind, got to the part where you talk about it head-on.
Gee, Ed
I just read these respones to the show. The words were UTTERED, by me. Sheesh, talk about paranoid.
By the way, enjoyed our talk.
[...] album “Dreamland.” As the incomparable Ed “Bat Segundo” Champion already revealed in his amazingly demented interview with Spiner, the actor is a little obsessed with his presence online. Apparently he reads the comments people [...]
I used to associate with Brent in regards to selling his last CD. Turns out we were doing all the hard work and someone else was getting the credit for it!!! I had wondered why he went with someone else to sell the new Cd, hence the least popularity.
I am sorry but I loved Brent and his work to bits but I decided to move on and leave all this in the past.
With the constant publicity on his new music and the farce website and myspace which assuming is all to plug the new music, I would say that Brent is trying to damn hard for sales. I always thought Brent was far better than this.
Dawn has made a valid point and I agree with her. The website, myspace etc etc was all created to plug the new album. Now there is this upcoming documentary. Are things really getting that desperate for Mr Spiner? I personally think he should’ve made a sequel to Ol’ Yellow which is wonderful by the way. This new one does nothing for me and I have read reports that suggest many feels the same.
Dawn and Cindy, I don’t get what you trying to say.
Should Brent have made thousands of cds and put them in his carage and never tell to anyone about them? Of course he must do some marketing and nowadays a web page is the way to do it.
And by the way, Dreamland is awesome and for those who don’t agree, think it as just a something new, an interesting experiment.
I really appreciate it that Brent has started to do his own projects. He obviously has many talents.I am really looking forward to the documentary.
Trekkiegirl…..cute name btw:) Sorry if I offended you but I was just stating the obvious. For someone who once was public shy where did this need to suddenly publicise his projects come from if he wasn’t so desperate? As for the latest album I agree it is interesting but it has got to be said, it is far from awesome.
I am not offended and of course you are entitled to your opinion.
Every little store that sells something has a web page nowadays so why wouldn’t Brent have?
And I think it is nice that I, who do not live in USA, have a chance to get the cd, because, I think, Dreamland would never have been sold in my local music store.
Of course he could have put it straight to Amazon but it is not really a good place for marketing.
What you mean desparate?
Is it desperate that some big record company does some aggressive marketing for you?
Far from awesome? Well, you are totally entitled to your opinion.
It seems I have developed a habit of putting my foot in it…sorry once again if I have caused offence. You too are entitled to your opinion and I respect that so please respect mine. My opinion states that Brent Spiner has publically shown he has gotten desperate…maybe lack of work in the acting business has caused this to happen? Who knows:) Dreamland is c**p to be frank but I do respect that there are those few who actually enjoy it. I have listened to it once and then threw it at the back of the cupboard. It isn’t worth the money spent on it. I live in the uk, like you, and I wouldn’t expect our local HMV to stock this album or any other store for that matter. It just wouldn’t sell.
….just to add. Maybe if Mr Spiner worked on keeping his wesite updated regularly it probally wouldn’t show he had it created just to promote the album. Getting arsey with interviewers as he did on here doesn’t help either:/
I do respect your opinion.
But I really do not understand what you are talking about. Which way Dreamland was c**p?
…and could be more spesific about that arsey-thing too?
And by the way,there are some other countries in the world but USA and that where you live.
Don’t you agree that Dreamland is c**p? In which way is it any good? Don’t you realise that Spiner clearly has an attitude? That is what is known as being arsey. I see another desperate attempt to promote that rubbish is on the cards. Hmmm, Would you join in the doco? btw, which part of the uk do you live? What makes you think I live in the us?
Dear Cindy,
I live in some european country you probably never heard of. No, I don’t think that you live in usa.
About Dreamland…story was good,beautiful,very romantic,funny. Music wasn’t bad either even there was only one of my favourite standards. I have listened Dreamland a lot and it hasn’t gone bad. So I would say I made a good purchase.
That arsey-thing: I haven’t noticed that he had been recently any more arsey than he usually is.
So,please, give an example.
“Cards”? What?
No,I wouldn’t join the doco. I guess you wouldn’t either?
Hey, what european country could you possibly live in that I have not heard of before?
About Dreamland…still think it is c**p:)
Cindy says:
“Hey, what european country could you possibly live in that I have not heard of before?”
I won’t tell.
Why didn’t you like Dreamland?
Why won’t you tell?
trekkiegirl says:
Why didn’t you like Dreamland?
Because I don’t wish to waste my time listening to such rubbish:)
I have started to suspect that you haven’t even listened the cd.
trekkiegirl says:
I have started to suspect that you haven’t even listened the cd.
Why would you say that? Because I disagree with you that it is any good?