If you read Phil Chen's article in GR17, you were probably amazed to find out that he was in the first ska band to go from Jamaica to England in the '60s. Then you probably coughed up a lung when you saw the picture of him cheek-to-cheek with Rod Stewart on the last page of the article. Here's the scoop.

GR: How did you wind up in Rod Stewart's band? PC: In 1973 I was jamming with the Doors in Jamaica. This was after Jim Morrison died. Robbie and John wanted me to join, but I had commitments. After that, Rod broke up with The Faces and needed a band. I auditioned and joined. GR: For how many albums and tours were you with Rod? PC: I did three albums with him. Actually four with the live one, but they didn't give me credit. I did two-and-a-half world tours. Then he fired us. GR: What was the best tour? PC: Blondes Have More Fun. Everywhere we went we were like kings­Japan, New Zealand, Paris, Belgium, Ireland. I think we played 12 nights at the Forum in Los Angeles.

GR: Did you make decent money? PC: Well, decent, but not for what they made. You know? Coming from London, you get paid in US dollars which is like half. It was what I'd say is okay. For me it was a stepping stone. GR: What did you eat on tour? Was it hard being macrobiotic? PC: I usually ended up going to Chinese and Japanese restaurants. I'd get up at 6:00 am when those guys would be going to bed. I'd jog, take a book, take my gi and find a dojo to practice, then I'd go to a museum.

GR: Were there a lot of drugs and girls around the shows? PC: Always drugs, drinks, girls, and groupies. In those days it wasn't something you had to contend with. I didn't partake in the groupie thing. It wasn't kosher. GR: Was there conflict between Rod's early rocker fans and his later disco fans? PC: Rod was very smart to have gone into disco. He had a hit, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" People said he was selling out, but Rod was very smart to change with the times. GR: Where did you get the cool clothes? PC: Well, we didn't have personal dressers like Rod. I went to Fiorucci in London and got this jumpsuit outfit made of satin. I told them who I was and they gave me different colors. With satin, after the show I could turn on the shower, shut the doors, and steam out the wrinkles. Later on, Rod got one, too, but it was much more expensive. GR: Do you keep in touch with Rod? PC: Not really. There are so many people who want to work with him, so many bass players who will do it for cheap, and I guess that's his choice.