"Beck's Lawyer" is the third of twelve extra tracks which were first released on the 2012 two-disc "Expanded Anniversary Edition" of the album Longmont Potion Castle Vol. 4, originally released in 2001 on D.U. Records.
In this track, Longmont Potion Castle (in the guise of "Ben Claypaper", supposedly the bassist for the band Collective Soul) has a friendly conversation with Brian McPherson, a music attorney who represents the musician Beck and who has had a minor conflict with the sound collage band Negativland.
Like other extra tracks from Vol. 4, this call likely dates from around the time of the KGNU FM appearance by LPC with Negativland.
List of releases[]
- Longmont Potion Castle Vol. 4 Expanded Anniversary Edition (2012)
- Ultimate Session Bundle (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)
- as part of Longmont Potion Castle Vol. 4
- Official Compact Discography box set (2016)
- as part of Longmont Potion Castle Vol. 4
- Official Longbox Discography box set (2019)
- as part of Longmont Potion Castle Vol. 4
Transcript[]
Longmont Potion Castle Vol. 4 Expanded Anniversary Edition (2012)[]
| [dial tone] | |
| [picks up] | |
| Brian: | Hi, who's this? |
| LPC: | Hi, this is Ben. |
|---|---|
| Brian: | Ben...? |
| LPC: | Uh, from Collective Soul. |
| Brian: | Oh, hi, how are you? |
| LPC: | Fine. Sorry, I... was just returning a page. |
| Brian: | Oh, I didn't page you. My name's Brian McPherson. |
| LPC: | Brian McPherson? |
| Brian: | Yeah. |
| LPC: | Ohh. You, um... you're the attorney, right? |
| Brian: | I am... I am a attorney, yes. |
| LPC: | Ohh. I say "the" attorney because I don't... I don't know any. But I know about you, so... [unclear] |
| Brian: | Oh, really? How do you know about me? |
| LPC: | [clears throat] Um... I... I was, uh... talking to, uh... somebody from that... that band Negativland, actually. |
| Brian: | [laughing] Ohh. I'm sure they had lots of nice things to say about me, right? |
| LPC: | Oh, yeah, yeah, it was all good. So... |
| Brian: | [laughing] [unclear] |
| LPC: | ...but, that's doesn't explain... the page I got, though. |
| Brian: | No, it doesn't. Uh, you know, that's funny, I heard from those Negativland guys, and I didn't even... say anything to them. It's like, they just felt compelled to... send me an email because I represent Beck, and because I said... copyright infringement is wrong, you know? And it... |
| LPC: | Oh. |
| Brian: | And I was like "hey, who asked ya?" You know? [laughing] It's like, mind your own business. |
| LPC: | Well, I'm sure then, you wouldn't, uh... want to be part of their camp. |
| Brian: | Oh, I don't give a shit what they do. And, it's like, you know, fine. And... but... you know, if... if I represent somebody whose work is being ripped off, and... and they're mad about it, the client, then I'll do whatever the client asks me to. But in this case, Beck said "I don't care". So, I'm like, well, okay, I don't care either. |
| LPC: | Okay, well... |
| Brian: | You with me? |
| LPC: | Yeah, it's... but as far as, uh... Collective Soul is concerned, um... and, you know, while I've got you on the phone. Um... I mean, do you... do you know what our problem is? I mean, can you...? I mean... |
| Brian: | No, what... what do you guys have going on? |
| LPC: | Nothing. I mean, we just don't seem that good, you know, so... |
| Brian: | [laughs] Who is this, man? |
| LPC: | Ben. |
| Brian: | Ben from Collective Soul? Ben what? |
| [pause] | |
| LPC: | Claypaper. |
| Brian: | Ben Claypaper. Who is this? |
| LPC: | [sighs] |
| Brian: | The guy from Negativland? |
| LPC: | No, that's... no, that's... [sighs] |
| Brian: | What-- |
| LPC: | I don't know, what do you want me to... |
| Brian: | What's your number? |
| LPC: | Do you want me to... don't you have caller ID? I mean... |
| Brian: | No, what's your number? Let me call you back, Ben. |
| LPC: | Yeah, that's... that's certainly no problem. |
| Brian: | Okay. Well, do I need to call you back? |
| LPC: | Yeah... oh, I mean, if you'd like. I just wanna know, you know, what can we do? I mean, you... you're the music attorney, right? Well, this is so weird, that I got... |
| Brian: | What, you're-- |
| LPC: | ...your number, and I think... |
| Brian: | What... what can you do about what? Being good or not good? |
| LPC: | Yeah. I mean... I d... I... we just seem to be riddled with, uh... a lot of mediocrity late... lately. |
| Brian: | What do you do in... in Collective Soul? |
| LPC: | Bass. |
| Brian: | You play bass. And you don't think your music is good? |
| LPC: | No. I... I'm kind of apprehensive to say anything to the other guys. |
| Brian: | Why don't you quit the band, then? |
| [pause] | |
| Brian: | Who's your attorney? Don't you guys have Jonathan Haft, or something like that? |
| LPC: | Yeah. |
| Brian: | Yeah. The bald guy, right? |
| LPC: | Yeah. |
| Brian: | Right, yeah. |
| LPC: | Uh... I... |
| Brian: | Why don't you ask him? |
| LPC: | Well... you know... but I got this page and everything, I'm not really sure... |
| [scream sound effect] | |
| LPC: | I'm not... |
| Brian: | Well, this is the strangest call I think I've ever had, so.... I... |
| [acoustic guitar chord] | |
| Brian: | You know, I don't really know the music that well, it seems like it's pretty successful... |
| LPC: | It's not good. I mean... |
| Brian: | Well, you know, it's not the kind of music I like, that doesn't mean it's not good. But, um... you... you know. I've seen some of the videos, it's kind of mainstream, melodramatic, uh... you know. Very catchy, very commercial. Bet you guys sell a lot of records. |
| LPC: | We have. |
| Brian: | You know, probably got real big houses and stuff, and everything... |
| LPC: | Well, we broke up, you know? |
| Brian: | Oh, you did? |
| LPC: | Before... before... before the record, the first record even came out. |
| Brian: | Oh. |
| LPC: | [sigh] And th-- |
| Brian: | But, uh... now you're back together making millions, huh? |
| LPC: | Well, they wanted it... to be... to be, you know... it was kind of a... po... post-mortem... you know, notification or whatever that we got. Because we weren't even a band, and we hadn't seen each other in some time, but then... you know, they wanted to make us an offer, and we did it, and, um... kinda tried to... bury it... bury it... give a burial to all those things that were going on, problem-wise with the band. But I just still think it's... I just think it sucks, really. |
| Brian: | Yeah? Well, you should quit, then. |
| LPC: | Alright. |
| Brian: | Alright? |
| LPC: | But, uh... you didn't page me, your office didn't page me? |
| Brian: | No, I didn't page you. Um... so, uh, you know... don't know what that means. |
| LPC: | I haven't started... I have started this, like, side project. Um... Interscope is thinking about... doing something with it. It's called Buttock. |
| Brian: | But doesn't, uh... Atlantic have your, um... uh... your leaving member rights if you quit your band? |
| LPC: | No. |
| Brian: | Why not? |
| LPC: | Because I... I was the last to, um... to join. They actually, well, we rejoined. They had briefly had, uh... another bassist... |
| Brian: | Uh huh. |
| LPC: | ...when we reformed, and then... somehow when I... when... when he split the band shortly thereafter, my... part... didn't require... any kind of, uh, restrictions on that. |
| Brian: | Oh, well, that's cool. Good for you. Well, uh... you know. Good luck with that project. It's called "Buttock"? |
| LPC: | Yeah. |
| Brian: | Oh, good. Terrific. |
| LPC: | Well, you know, I... uhh... appreciate it. |
| Brian: | You got my number. You know? |
| LPC: | I-- thank-- |
| Brian: | If you ever need a real good lawyer, here I am. |
| LPC: | Okay, so... I... |
| Brian: | Uh, I didn't page you though. |
| LPC: | Hm. |
| Brian: | Somebody's playing tricks on you, man. |
| LPC: | You got room in your roster, though, huh? |
| Brian: | Oh, sure. I'm always looking for a good new talent. |
| LPC: | Huh. |
| Brian: | You know? |
| LPC: | Should it... can I send you a... uh... a... a... |
| Brian: | Sure, sure, go for it. |
| LPC: | ...a s... uh, a... em... CD? |
| Brian: | Sure, man. That's Brian McPherson. |
| LPC: | With an I or a Y? |
| Brian: | With an I. So, send it along, I'll give it a listen. |
| LPC: | M-A-C or M-C? |
| Brian: | M-C, capital P. |
| LPC: | That's what I thought. |
| Brian: | That's right. |
| LPC: | Thank you! |
| Brian: | Alright, man. |
| LPC: | Bye. |
| Brian: | Take it easy, man. |
| [hangs up] |