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Maine Sunday
Telegram, October 7, 1979 Camden’s
favorite son – Chuck Kruger At about this time last year, Chuck Kruger was thinking about singing with RCA Records for $25,000. The sum would have made him one of the wealthiest singers in his hometown of Camden. But, naw, Kruger wouldn’t do it. He didn’t want it to happen that way. It is noon on one of those warm fall days that makes living in Maine so worthwhile. Chuck Kruger is having coffee at Camden’s Bayview Street Garage, valiantly passing up lunch. Kruger is always avoiding meals, it seems, and thus one of the puzzles of the local music scene is why he remains 30 pounds overweight. Kruger has journeyed all of 20 feet from his harborside apartment for an informal gathering with the press. He is discussing the RCA deal, and has an attentive audience. Listeners often lean forward to hear why one has turned down $25,000. “Sure,”
Kruger is saying “the deal with RCA looked good. But the thing
was, they weren’t guaranteeing anything. I mean, they’re signing
me to an exclusive contract, but they’re not doing anything for
me. “Say I just take the money. What do you do with it? Put some down on a house? Buy a car? OK, then what? You might never get the album out, and never get your music out like you had planned. That isn’t the way I want to do it.” Kruger is not always pragmatic – in actuality, he hails from Jimmy Buffet School of Serious Thought. But on this issue, the likable 29 year-old artist seems to have moved in the right direction. Instead of taking an identification number with mammoth RCA, he signed with a small but ambitious Massachusetts label, Sail Records. His “Windy and Warm” album was cut, released, and promoted regionally. The artistic success of the LP has greatly expanded Kruger’s reputation. It has, in fact, helped Kruger to step up to a new plateau of music. His single, “Windy and Warm” has been picked up by an English music house, and is scheduled to be released in Europe this fall. So Chuck Kruger, the laid-back talent who sometimes seems to be ducking a rendezvous with the big time, seems to have done the right thing. Kruger’s decision to go with the smaller label is not uncharacteristic of his approach to life. He has a meandering way about him, a “don’t worry, it will somehow work out in the end” kind of slant. He has utilized this frame of reference as he has developed into one of Maine’s top pop artists. A native of Morristown, NJ, Kruger went to Solebury Prep in New Hope, PA – and was expelled for smoking marijuana. (“And I’ve never smoked it since,” he asserts with a straight face). Kruger’s prep school difficulties didn’t hold him back from higher education, however. Despite the fact that fall term had already begun, Kruger was accepted at Nasson College in 1969. One gets the impression that the easy-going artist spent as much time with his Mirror Lake Band as he did with on the books. But not matter. Kruger graduated in 1973, joining the unique ranks of those who have college degrees, but lack one from high school. Since leaving the hallowed halls in Springvale, Kruger has been involved in theatre in Europe as well as in New England. But his most recognized work has been in the pop music field, where he excels. Putting forth a Buffettesque blend of tunes like “Windy and Warm, ” “Back to Maine,” “Good Time Jones,” and “Happy Sam,” Kruger has captured the hearts of many a New England music fan. His lyrics are loyal to New England and the sea. His tunes are mellow enough to draw a wide range of followers, but pack a punch to create a pretty lively party. When Kruger is playing a small club, he will likely appear solo. He adds players to suit the specifics of the gig. By participating this form of accordion administration, Kruger has become an act that can be engaged for all occasions. And when his Cruisin’ Confusion band (composed of Bruce Boege, guitar, sax, flute; Michael Bird, bass; Larry Luddecke, keyboards; Gene Tourangeau, drums; and Michael Abbott, sax) is all together, it is one of the top half-dozen groups in the state. Most of these members played on the “Windy and Warm” album released last fall. The appearance of the LP put them in the select circle of Maine bands which has been selected by a label to put forth a major commercial effort. But unlike some groups which have attempted to jump into the big time with both feet kicking, Kruger’s group has stayed low key. Kruger still lives in Camden- his band, scattered throughout central Maine. They continue to entertain Maine rooms like Mr. Kite’s in Camden, the Red Barn in Monroe, the Red Stallion at Sugarloaf, and Yesterday’s in Portland. Some raise the question of why Kruger’s doesn’t move to New York or Boston – or at least Portland. But seeing Kruger’s comfortable water-view apartment, his support in the community, and his proximity to the Maine rooms he has opted to play, suggests that he might be wise in remaining on the coast. He is not on the tinsel path to stardom, anyway. Rather, he seems to be taking a measured approach to a tricky business. “I was in Appleton first because a friend lived there,” Kruger commented. “Now it’s Camden, and I like the town and the people. That’s one of the good things about it – you can have your music, and live well (in Camden) too. “My business has grown every year. If I was in New York I’d be pounding the pavement, and spending all my time in elevators. I think it is important to live well. “I might move down to Portland sometime, though. I’m working on a deal to play once a week this winter in Florida. If that works out, I’d have to be near the airport.” For now, though, Kruger remains in Camden. Residing with Bonnie Wheeler, a waitress at nearby Harry’s Restaurant, he is living comfortably in two worlds. He has an album on the street, and a wealth of bookings throughout Maine. When things break his way, he can grab performances at Boston’s Paradise, or New York’s Lone Star Café. And while he pursues the elaborate maze of competitive music, he lives peacefully in beautiful Camden. He doesn’t even have a phone. If success is coming, it will come on Kruger’s terms. “Sure, I’d like to have big national record deal,” Kruger commented. “One of the problems with ‘Windy and Warm’ was that it didn’t have the big distribution – it would get air play in other parts of the country, but there was nowhere (in those markets) to buy the record. With a national label, you get national distribution.” “But for now I think things are working out for the best. I don’t spend all my time tramping around New York city, and I don’t spend a lot of effort shopping tapes around or working on album hype. “By staying in Maine, I can spend that time playing, and writing, and enjoying life. “I’m as serious as anyone about music. It’s just that I think this is as good a way as any to go after what I want." |
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