Jim Sclavunos

TRIBUTE TO GEORGE SCOTT

July 2007

George was a big lovable wild man and a shining inspiration to me. The eccentric scope of his rock knowledge and his down-to-earth idiosyncratic take on all matters musical permanently altered my way of listening to music. His unabashed enthusiasm and his brutal finesse on bass were a real spur to me as a drummer. George was the heart and soul of both The Raybeats and Eight Eyed Spy and one of the best parts of every band I saw him with, from Jack Ruby to The Contortions.

Jim Sclavunos and George Scott, 1980

It’s been many years since his passing, and I confess I don’t really think about him much anymore; but every now and then, when I’m listening to some obscure Dion & the Belmonts b-side or Gary U.S. Bonds or some Nancy and Lee duet, a rush of George Scott memories rise up, like the effervescent whiff of a freshly popped can of cold Bud ….