Re: Let's Keep It Between Us

Hi Bob,

It's so sweet to read this all these years later. 

I did Planet Waves with Bob Dylan and The Band in 1973. Bob and I connected and stayed in touch after Tour '74. I called him and told him Bonnie and I were doing a record and asked if he had a song that he felt would be good for her. He sent "Let's Keep It Between Us'.

I had no idea about Carolyn Dennis at that time. Robbie Robertson said when he heard Bob's demo: "That's the ultimate Bob/Sarah song Bob's ever written". That surely made sense at the time as they were in the middle of their split then.

There are two versions of Bob's that I know of. The demo he gave me had 7 verses. We used 4 on Bonnie's version.

When you say you don't know what she was singing about, she was very faithful to Bob's demo he gave us. I think Robbie was right, that version is about Bob & Sarah's split.

I met Ian McLagan when the New Barbarians came to Shangri-la. I had worked on Goat's Head Soup and that  started a life long relationship with Keith Richards & that's how I first met Ronnie Wood who I had also worked with on Eric Clapton's No Reason To Cry.

Green Light was the middle album of a triumvirate that started with Ian McLagan's Bump In The Night and finished with Reneé Geyer's So Lucky.

I had met Ricky Fataar while working on the last ? of the Beach Boys Holland album which brought us Sail On Sailor. I felt I had met the South African Charlie Watts. To this day, one of the finest drummers of all time. And Keith and Charlie felt the same way about Ricky. He's still with Bonnie 44 years later. I also met Blondie Chaplin, the voice of Sail on Sailor. He sang some backing vocals on Green Light. 

I was working on The Basement Tapes one night at Shangri-La and on my way to the kitchen I found Bobby Keys sitting at the bari n the pool table room. He said, "Rob, here's a man you've gotta meet and you'll never get enough of, Johnny Lee Schell". He was right. Also Johnny wrote I Can't Help Myself on Green Light. Johnny and I met up again when Mac did Bump In The Night at Shangri-la.

We were recording Mac's record when I suggested to Bonnie to come check out Shangri-la. Mac, Ricky, Johnny and Ray O'Hara were in the middle of a take cutting a rocker called Judy, Judy, Judy when Bonnie came into the control room. Her eyes opened wide and she exclaimed "I want these guys to be the band on our record!". They finished the take, came into the control room and I introduced them to Bonnie. I asked them if they wanted to make a record with her, to which I got a resounding, "Hell yes!"

A month later in June 1981, we began recording Green Light at Shangri-la.

Bonnie had become good friends with NRBQ often playing shows together which led us to their songs on the record. 

It is true that Green Light allowed the rough edges to be seen, and Bon, who is three-dimensional...what works with a woman like that? ...you've got to sell both your body and mind, and most guys are not up to that. It is so true that Bonnie Raitt was never surface...

I'm not so sure about future generations won't be listening to Green Light.
It's holding up well. It was an important step for Bonnie. Bonnie, the Bump Band and myself are happy with the results. I also disagree with the magic being absent. You pointed out a number of standout tracks and Bonnie's vocals are heartfelt and soulful.

Rob Fraboni 


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