the word on bob

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Reminiscing on Bob Switzer, March 2006, by Robert Hutchings:

I met Bob Switzer in July, 1969 when I was 18 and between my freshman and sophomore years at Dalhousie (and oh, the future looked so bright then!). I wanted to be a radio announcer like my big brother, Bill, and Dal Radio seemed to be the way to pursue my quest, so I showed up at the student station at the "SUB" one summer day. Working in the record library was a short guy in jeans and bucks, with a stubby nose and the biggest stack of hair on top of his head that I'd ever seen (and remember, those were "long hair" days!) He introduced himself, stuck out his little hand to shake mine, and asked me what kind of music I liked. (I didn't know, of course, that it could be a dangerous question, depending on the answer!)

So I enthusiastically told him that I was a big rock fan, especially the Beatles (my faves!), the Stones and C.C.R. I’m sure he groaned internally, but said nothing, only rolling his eyes a bit. When I added that I also wanted to learn something about baroque classical music, jazz and blues, he brightened considerably, and this was the start of a wonderful 35+ year relationship with my friend and mentor. The key thing here, of course, was wanting to learn...being open to new ideas. (That and Switz's friendship were the two best things I took out of Dalhousie…much more valuable than my B.Sc.)

Because I started out as an operator in the radio control room (they're now called "producers"), learning the wonderful new equipment there, and because Switz was deathly afraid of all thing mechanical beyond turntables, but needed an operator to spin his records for his Tuesday night blues program from 8-10 p.m., I volunteered for the job, and so I started learning about the blues…and oh, there was so much to learn! The masters…Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Mississippi John Hurt…the list was seemingly endless. He showed me how groups like Led Zeppelin had ripped off the old blues riffs and lyrics, electrified them, and became wealthy, while the old guard was still out paying their dues, playing stuffy little Chicago nightclubs to get enough money to eat, and to travel to play at other stuffy little clubs in the Delta.

Our friendship built over the years at Dal, and he taught me enough that I gladly became his regular operator; he showed me enough about jazz for me to do a Tuesday night "Ear Party" radio show just before his blues show. He even showed me how good the old 50's rockers were…young Elvis, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis (his fave), Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly….wow, what I found out that I didn’t know!

Now that Switz is gone, I can also tell you that we young horndogs at Dal Radio were very impressed that he was keeping time with three (yes, three!) young women at the same time...and they all knew about each other! Wow, were we envious!

When I moved to Montreal in February '73, we continued seeing each other regularly, because now he had a place to "crash" on buying trips to the many used-LP shops here. (He usually slept on my floor, to avoid having to spend any precious record-buying money on something as silly as a hotel/motel room).

Ah, memories of those good days in the 70's...how Switz would demolish a whole roast chicken by himself, how he would always ask for a few extra-special coffees (laced with Scotch), and how he would ALWAYS pick up the tab for food for his helpers.

Yes, I've known Bob a long time...back before the failed "Rubber Soul" store, when he sold LP's out of the cafeteria of the Dal SUB, then when he set up his tiny, jam-packed first Taz Records store on Queen Street in Halifax. And the stories he told me about his dealings with customers! Here are three good ones, as best as I can recall (and maybe John Graham or Bob Lawrence can verify/correct the details):

Just a few of many years of great memories of my very good friend...R.I.P., Switz.

Hutch
March, 2006

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