By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
There was a little bit of musical serendipity back in 1976.
A young musician, born John Mellencamp, later to be temporarily dubbed Johnny Cougar, was in the studio with his band recording some demos.
There was a young intern at the studio who played the guitar by the name of Mike Wanchic.
When John’s band left after the recording sessions, knowing Mike’s skill with the guitar, the budding rocker would turn to the young intern and ask if he could sweeten the playing recorded by his band.
Eventually, Mike would join John’s band, playing his axe-wielding sidekick through the Johnny Cougar years, the John Cougar phase, then finally landing back to the singer’s original name—John Mellencamp.
Three decades later, Mike is still playing with John. And, as Mike explains it, he’s the one guy John can turn to for the unvarnished truth when the singer asks for an opinion on his work.
As Mike explained it, “There has to be someone you can trust in the studio.”
“I’ll never lie to him,” said Mike, calling while he was on the road to the airport in Indianapolis to begin John Mellencamp’s tour, which comes to Hartford on April 19. “That’s my role.”
Mind you, he said, his opinions might result in a bit of a tussle between himself and his longtime musical boss.
“He’s a determined and opinionated songwriter,” said Mike.
“The bottom line comes with John… When push comes to shove, he wrote the songs,” said Mike. But, “input from all of the council is vitally important” even in a “benevolent dictatorship.”
For both Mike and John, the guitarist said, their musical relationship has lasted longer than their own marriages. The chemistry between the both boils down to “musical commonality,” said Mike.
“We’re both the same age,” said Mike. “We’re the same basic demographic.”
Although John grew up in Indiana and Mike grew up in Kentucky, Mike said they both actually listened to the same radio station.
“Our musical vocabulary is the same,” said Mike.
There are some slight differences, he said. John might veer more toward touches of Iggy Pop, said Mike. For himself, Southern rock creeps into his tastes.
But, after all this time, said Mike, he knows what John is thinking and John knows what he is thinking.
John Mellencamp’s music definitely evolved over the years—starting off as a pop singer to straight ahead rocker than to embellishing the guitar, bass, and drums with acoustic instruments. And his music, including his latest effort “Plain Spoken,” always demonstrated the songwriter’s willingness to explore and push himself.
For some artists, however, three decades on into a career, they are more than willing to record essentially the same album over and over again to give the fans what they want.
That particular approach irks Mike. If that’s where you have ended up, he said, that’s the time to hang it up and retire.
“What you’re doing is underestimating your audience,” said Mike, “and you’ll be stagnant musically and people will be bored with you.”
Mike said after John had his string of hit albums—“American Fool,” “Uh-Huh,” “Scarecrow”—he and the band felt they had pretty much explored the guitar, bass, drums sound as best as they could. So, they decided to take a break. Mike began learning how to play other instruments, like the dobro. John started playing with the idea of adding the fiddle. The band started taking the roots of music and injecting it back into the spine of John’s music.
“We were expanding musically,” said Mike. And you have to do that, he said. “For the fans, and your own artistic satisfaction.”
For this tour, John is touring behind his most recent effort “Plain Spoken.” It’s an album that Mike loves.
“John always has been a great songwriter,” said Mike. “But the refinement of his lyrics has reached their pinnacle. It’s outstanding.”
Mike said the best thing for John’s writing has been his gradual exit from the world of hit records. He no longer worries about what radio wants or what the record company wants.
“We’re not bound by anything but our own intuition,” said Mike. And what arises, ultimately, is “out of our control.”
When John Mellencamp arrives at the Bushnell in Hartford, “Plain Spoken’s” follow-up is waiting in the wings.
Mike said the new record, which hasn’t been named yet, is in the mixing stage. Fans will hear two of the new tracks in concert. And both songs will find John’s opening act, Carlene Carter, joining in on vocals.
Carlene Carter is the daughter of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. And Johnny Cash looms large in Mike’s and John’s canon of linfluences.
“We knew Johnny Cash a long time,” said Mike. “We attended his funeral. We have infinite respect for Johnny Cash and the whole Carter familiy and its legacy.”
And, as Mike explained it, he is not too far removed from the world of the Carter family, who trailblazed in the genres of country and bluegrass music.
He said his mother used to work at a radio station. That radio station gave legendary bluegrass pickers Flatt and Scruggs their first big radio break. And when Mike was born, Flatt and Scruggs gave his mother a teething cup for her newborn.
“So I tell people I cut my teeth on Flatt and Scruggs,” quipped Mike.
With new music in the wings, a current album to promote, and a back catalogue that spans 40 years, Mike said when drawing up a set list, John tries to represent the totality of his career as best as he can.
“We’re not going to hit everything,” said Mike. Instead, they will try to pick John’s better and best songs—and they may not have been hits.
But, again, not being on the hit parade train has its advantages, said Mike.
Now, when the band plays, they are performing for the true fans, said Mike. “They know the music. They’re not going to come and be bored. And we know they’re not going to want to hear the same 15 to 20 hits.”
John Mellencamp comes to the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford on Tusday, April 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.50 to $115. For tickets, go to Bushnell.org
John Mellencamp comes to Hartford’s Bushnell next Tuesday.