My brother gave me the MARQUEE MOON Rhino re-issue as an early birthday present last night. Planning to pop it in the player at work later on today, but I was skimming the liner notes & came across this interesting tidbit:
With the recording deal in place, the next step was to find a producer. Verlaine wanted to work with Rudy Van Gelder, who'd recorded dozens of classic Blue Note jazz records in his small studio in New Jersey. This was perhaps too out of left field for even a CBGB band...
Richard Lloyd also provides an anecdote about auditioning for Atlantic Records. As he went to use the bathroom, he overheard Ahmet Ertegun say to Jerry Wexler, "Jerry, I cannot sign this band; this is not earth music." Lloyd says he thought, Wow, what a compliment!