Jimmy Goings is a musician, singer, songwriter, and producer currently working in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a career spanning over 50 years, he began his musical journey in South Dakota at age 14 playing in bands in the Midwest during the heyday of Live touring Ballroom Bands. After arriving in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1973, he played an active part in the vibrant Bay Area music scene, playing with Power House, Dorothy Morrison and the Family Drive, Loverde, and Sylvester. Goings went on to record six Albums and tour the World as the lead vocalist and cowriter with his band, Santa Esmeralda, from the late 70s to the early 80s and recorded, sang, played on, and produced albums for Phillips, Polydor, Arista, and Warner Brothers Records. He is a three-time inductee into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Association Hall of Fame, including most recently the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. I recently reached out to Jimmy to chat about his career….

Your album Late Check-In begins with a track “We Were One,” whose opening line is “Once upon a time, things were so uneven.” There’s something nostalgic about that line, particularly in the context of a song — not to mention a career —that places analog songs front and center when the world at large tries to flatten everything out at every turn. Assuming there’s some validity to that interpretation, what draws you to the uneven?

I’ve always been drawn to the uneven, ha. That’s a really great question. I think it’s because I’ve always been more drawn to the quirky, not normal scene, and approach to things. The way I was raised, coming from a background of always having to be the new kid in school and not being raised in the same environment all the time, then reinventing myself later in life and choosing to give up my career. The line “Once upon a time, things were so uneven” pertains to growing up in the late 60s and 70s, things were really uneven at that time. People from my generation who choose to live in the even world where everything’s fine and normal, they seem to want to be old or want to be safe, they don’t want to be challenged.

You’ve been playing music professionally for fifty years. How did you get your start?

This year actually marks 58 years! I got started playing in my basement with friends, forming bands, then going through that world, doing the battle of the bands thing, and getting seen by professional musicians who wanted me in their band. I booked my very first professional gig myself in my band, Soul Redemption, in 1968. I was 14 years old. Went on from there touring with bands in the Midwest and eventually came to California in 1973.

How has music changed in that time, particularly in terms of writing and production?

It’s become instantaneous. You can make music on your phone. With the advent of technology and Band-in-a-box, DAWS such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton, you don’t actually have to be a really good musician to make music. In the past, you had to be good enough to record live.

You were capturing the best moment in your recording instead of being able to cut it, pitch correct, or assemble a performance. Writing has been homogenized down to an accepted chord progression, or two. There was a lot more freedom and experimentation going on in writing when I was starting to write.

That being said, I do think now it’s much easier to get your ideas down immediately with voice memo capabilities being a lot easier to write without a notebook. There are so many more

opportunities for production now, with all the plug-in capabilities and ability to go back and forth in time and into the future with experimental synthesizers and soundscapes.

How have you adapted to changes in the music industry over the years?

I’ve adapted by embracing new methods and the new tools that are available to me. I am learning how to navigate the new marketing and streaming processes thanks to the help of people I’m working with, like Gwyneth Forrester.

Your latest album is called Analog Dinosaur Vol. 1, and you’ve described it as “an ode to classic songwriting, utilizing a collection of vintage analog recordings from the 1970s and ‘80s.” Are the vintage recordings tracks that you recorded, or are they recordings by other artists?

I recorded and produced all the tracks and co-wrote two of the songs with a writing partner, Michael Perisich aka Mikel Paul. I also have a cover version of one of my favorite Harry Nilsson tunes, “I’ll Never Leave You” on the album.

You’ve also mentioned that the album was mastered on analogue recording tape. Why is that an important distinction?

It brings a genuine analog sound to your ears as opposed to a plug-in algorithm trying to emulate analog sound. I’ve always believed that the “warmth” of analog, magnetic tape, and vinyl brings a natural sound that is still trying to be produced by programmers creating plug-ins. I prefer that sound.

In addition to being a musician, you’ve been involved in comedy. What’s the story there?

Well, funny you should ask. Back in the early and mid-80s, when I gave up my touring and music career for a reinvented career in food and beverage and entertainment from the other side, part of the entertainment process I was fortunate enough to get into was stand-up comedy. I worked at a venue that was presenting local SF Bay area comedians, and as I progressed through the industry, I became an entertainment director for two venues and decided to add comedy to the roster.

In 1989, I went to work at a comedy club and ended up as an owner, leading me to work with comedians directly. I became involved in management and representation through a partner who was working with comedians, and she got me into working with an organization called NACA, the National Association for Campus Activities, which books talent on college campuses. I also began representing a comedian who was involved in the recovery community. Then I went on to book comedy in several venues for many years and still work with comedians to this day.

Is there any crossover? Do any principles from the comedy world apply to music — or vice versa?

Yeah, another great question. Talent. And the lack thereof is consistent in both music and comedy. Now with social media and streaming, both art forms have changed considerably. A person who considers themselves to be a comedian and gets more likes and clicks than a comedian on a more traditional path might find themselves becoming more successful without going through the stages of growth and craft. On a positive note, it’s easier for people to get into the talent pool these days.

With your companies GFI Entertainment LLC and GFI Studios, you’re producing new music with independent artists, developing new talent, and producing live events. Is there anyone you’re excited to be working with in this capacity?

Yeah, there is!

I work with a great Grammy Award-winning 20-piece mambo band called Pacific Mambo Orchestra. I work with great singer-songwriters like Hank Harris, Lee Shupp, Kimberlye Gold, Kari McAllister, Gigi, hither, and Mak Nova. I’m also always excited for opportunities to work with new artists.

What’s on the horizon for you?

Making art on a daily basis is my New Year’s resolution.

I’m working on a collection of songs that my writing partner, Michael Perisich, and I wrote. Analog Dinosaur Vol. II is on the horizon, and producing new albums for Hank Harris, Lee Shupp, and Kari McAllister, Kari & the SweetspOts are all coming up this year.

I’m also playing gigs with a couple of local bands, and my company, GFI Entertainment LLC, is producing some major events this year for the cities of Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and South San Francisco.

I want to stay busy and try not to get old! I want to be a creative man, not an old man.