CMH Records
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1975, CMH Records is a Los Angeles based independent country and bluegrass label with several subsidiary labels, including Vitamin Records
, Crosscheck, Dwell, and Rockabye Baby!
, which release diverse styles of music including string quartet tributes, punk, metal, and lullabies, respectively.
In 1975, Haerle formed CMH in Los Angeles with Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, the renowned guitarist who wrote both the million-selling “Guitar Boogie” and "Dueling Banjos
," the bluegrass standard made famous by the movie Deliverance
. By the mid 1970s, major country labels including RCA and MCA had dropped all of their bluegrass acts, with the notable exception of Bill Monroe
. CMH was one of a small number of independent labels that cropped up to fill the void.
Haerle and Smith signed many major first-generation bluegrass artists, some contemporary bluegrass groups, and several important country artists. Writes Jonny Whiteside in LA Weekly, "They churned a slow but steady series of albums by out-of-fashion geniuses, like Merle Travis, Joe and Rose Lee Maphis and Grandpa Jones, carving out a corner of the market for marginalized and ignored country stars (much the way his mentor Pierce did at Starday Records in the 1960s)."
Between 1975 and 1988, CMH released albums by Lester Flatt
& The Nashville Grass, The Osborne Brothers
, Jim & Jesse
, Mac Wiseman
, Carl Story
, The Stonemans, Josh Graves
, Don Reno
, Benny Martin
, The Bluegrass Cardinals, IInd Generation featuring Eddie Adcock
, Grandpa Jones
, Merle Travis
, Joe Maphis
, Johnny Gimble
, Carl & Pearl Butler, and the only studio album by legendary songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
.
When Martin Haerle died in 1990, his son David Haerle stepped in to run the label, and created the “Pickin’ On” series, which consists of bluegrass tributes to rock, pop and country artists including Jimmy Buffett
, Kenny Chesney
, Led Zeppelin
and The Offspring
. The first title in the series was Pickin' On The Beatles (1994), but it wasn't until three years later that the concept took off with the success of Pickin' On The Grateful Dead.
CMH continues to release bluegrass tributes, compilations of traditional bluegrass and country, and studio albums by well-known artists.
Labels under the CMH umbrella include Vitamin Records
, Rockabye Baby!
, Dwell, Crosscheck, Scufflin', PanAm, Urabon, Rockwell, OCD International, School of Rock, and Open Mike.
Features songs the Beatles wrote but never recorded. Brian Gari, a musician and Beatles scholar, approached CMH with the concept of recording these songs with vintage instruments, similar to those that the Beatles used. The album was mastered at Abbey Road Studios
, where the Beatles recorded most all of their albums.
Van Halen
tributes performed by renowned bluegrass bands such as Blue Highway, Mountain Heart, The John Cowan Band, Iron Horse (band)
, and David Grisman
and Sons. David Lee Roth
sings on two tracks backed by the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band.
Bluegrass-tinged covers from the former lead singer of the Mavericks
and several top country and bluegrass instrumentalists.
Studio album from Grammy-nominated rockabilly pioneer with special guests The Cramps
, Rosie Flores
, Elvis Costello
, Lee Rocker
, and Dave Alvin
.
Performed by Iron Horse (band)
, a bluegrass band from Muscle Shoals Alabama.
Performed by Nate Leath (Fiddle, Vocals), Darrell Muller (Bass), Jess Harper (Guitar), Ben Krakauer (Banjo), and Pete Frostic (Mandolin).
CMH Records
Wanda Jackson
David Lee Roth
Lester Flatt
Merle Travis
Grandpa Jones
The Osborne Brothers
Mac Wiseman
Jimmy Martin
Jim & Jesse
The Stonemans
Don Reno
Carl Story
OCD International
Kool Keith
(Dr. Octagon)
Dwell Records
Behemoth (band)
Mayhem (band)
Crosscheck Records
Street Dogs
U.S. Bombs
Electric Frankenstein
Hammer Bros.
Scufflin' Records
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Reuben Wilson
Bernie Worrell
Vitamin Records
Vitamin Records is a Los Angeles based record label founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of CMH Records. The label is home to the Vitamin String Quartet, who are best known for performing string quartet tributes to popular rock and metal acts such as Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead...
, Crosscheck, Dwell, and Rockabye Baby!
Rockabye Baby!
Rockabye Baby! is a series of CDs geared toward infants and newborns, containing instrumental lullaby versions popular rock bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin...
, which release diverse styles of music including string quartet tributes, punk, metal, and lullabies, respectively.
History
CMH co-founder Martin Haerle grew up in Stuttgart, Germany during World War II, where he heard American country music on Armed Forced Radio. At the age of 20 he moved to Nashville to work in the mailroom at Starday Records, where he learned the record business from legendary label president and A&R man Don Pierce. Haerle was promoted to vice president by the early 1960s, and later worked in country radio. In 1968, he became general manager of United Artists Records' manufacturing division.In 1975, Haerle formed CMH in Los Angeles with Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, the renowned guitarist who wrote both the million-selling “Guitar Boogie” and "Dueling Banjos
Dueling Banjos
"Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by...
," the bluegrass standard made famous by the movie Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
. By the mid 1970s, major country labels including RCA and MCA had dropped all of their bluegrass acts, with the notable exception of Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
. CMH was one of a small number of independent labels that cropped up to fill the void.
Haerle and Smith signed many major first-generation bluegrass artists, some contemporary bluegrass groups, and several important country artists. Writes Jonny Whiteside in LA Weekly, "They churned a slow but steady series of albums by out-of-fashion geniuses, like Merle Travis, Joe and Rose Lee Maphis and Grandpa Jones, carving out a corner of the market for marginalized and ignored country stars (much the way his mentor Pierce did at Starday Records in the 1960s)."
Between 1975 and 1988, CMH released albums by Lester Flatt
Lester Flatt
Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
& The Nashville Grass, The Osborne Brothers
Osborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne , were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s...
, Jim & Jesse
Jim & Jesse
Jim & Jesse were an American bluegrass music duo composed of brothers Jim McReynolds and Jesse McReynolds...
, Mac Wiseman
Mac Wiseman
Malcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass....
, Carl Story
Carl Story
Carl Story was an influential bluegrass musician and leader of his band the "Rambling Mountaineers". He was dubbed "The Father of Bluegrass Gospel Music" by the governor of Oklahoma.-Biography:...
, The Stonemans, Josh Graves
Josh Graves
Josh Graves , born Burkett Howard Graves, was an American bluegrass musician. Also known by the nicknames "Buck," and "Uncle Josh," he is credited with introducing the dobro into bluegrass music shortly after joining Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1955...
, Don Reno
Don Reno
Don Wesley Reno was an American bluegrass and country musician best known as a banjo player in partnership with Red Smiley, and later with guitarist Bill Harrell.-Biography:...
, Benny Martin
Benny Martin
Benny Edward Martin , was an American bluegrass fiddler who invented the 8-string fiddle.-Biography:Born in Sparta, Tennessee, his father and two of his sisters played music professionally...
, The Bluegrass Cardinals, IInd Generation featuring Eddie Adcock
Eddie Adcock
Eddie Adcock was born in Scottsville, Virginia, USA, on June 21, 1938. His professional musical career as a 5 string banjoist began in 1953 when he joined Smokey Graves & His Blue Star Boys, who had a regular show at a radio station in Crewe, VA. His exposure with Graves led to jobs with other...
, Grandpa Jones
Grandpa Jones
Louis Marshall Jones , known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer...
, Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
, Joe Maphis
Joe Maphis
Joe Maphis, born Otis W. Maphis , was an American country music guitarist. He married singer Rose Lee Maphis in 1948....
, Johnny Gimble
Johnny Gimble
John Paul Gimble , better known as Johnny Gimble, is an American country musician associated with Western swing. He is an award-winning fiddle player and considered one of the most impressive fiddlers in the genre's history....
, Carl & Pearl Butler, and the only studio album by legendary songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant were an American husband-and-wife country music and pop songwriting team best known for songs such as "Rocky Top," "Love Hurts" and numerous Everly Brothers hits, including "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love".-Beginnings:Boudleaux was born Diadorius...
.
When Martin Haerle died in 1990, his son David Haerle stepped in to run the label, and created the “Pickin’ On” series, which consists of bluegrass tributes to rock, pop and country artists including Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
. The first title in the series was Pickin' On The Beatles (1994), but it wasn't until three years later that the concept took off with the success of Pickin' On The Grateful Dead.
CMH continues to release bluegrass tributes, compilations of traditional bluegrass and country, and studio albums by well-known artists.
Labels under the CMH umbrella include Vitamin Records
Vitamin Records
Vitamin Records is a Los Angeles based record label founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of CMH Records. The label is home to the Vitamin String Quartet, who are best known for performing string quartet tributes to popular rock and metal acts such as Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead...
, Rockabye Baby!
Rockabye Baby!
Rockabye Baby! is a series of CDs geared toward infants and newborns, containing instrumental lullaby versions popular rock bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin...
, Dwell, Crosscheck, Scufflin', PanAm, Urabon, Rockwell, OCD International, School of Rock, and Open Mike.
Partial discography
A discography of LPs released between 1973 and 1988 can be found here.- Lost Songs: Songs the Beatles Gave Away (2007)
Features songs the Beatles wrote but never recorded. Brian Gari, a musician and Beatles scholar, approached CMH with the concept of recording these songs with vintage instruments, similar to those that the Beatles used. The album was mastered at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, where the Beatles recorded most all of their albums.
- Strummin' With The Devil: The Southern Side of Van HalenStrummin' With The Devil: The Southern Side of Van HalenStrummin' with the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen is a tribute album released on June 6, 2006. It features artists performing covers of Van Halen songs of the Roth era, done in bluegrass style music...
- A Tribute Featuring David Lee Roth (2006)
Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
tributes performed by renowned bluegrass bands such as Blue Highway, Mountain Heart, The John Cowan Band, Iron Horse (band)
Iron Horse (band)
Iron Horse is a Bluegrass band from Killen, Alabama. They are known for performing and recording bluegrass cover versions of rock songs, particularly their bluegrass treatments of heavy metal songs popularized by Metallica. The band has two tracks on the tribute album Strummin' with the Devil: The...
, and David Grisman
David Grisman
David Grisman is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music.-Biography:Grisman grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey...
and Sons. David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
sings on two tracks backed by the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band.
- The Nashville Acoustic Sessions: Raul MaloRaul MaloRaúl Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. , known professionally as Raúl Malo, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He was the lead singer of country music band The Mavericks and the co-writer of many of their singles, as well as Rick Trevino's 2003 single "In My Dreams"...
, Pat Flynn, Rob Ickes & Dave Pomeroy (2004)
Bluegrass-tinged covers from the former lead singer of the Mavericks
The Mavericks
The Mavericks is a country music band founded in 1989 in Miami, Florida, United States. Between 1991 and 2003 they recorded six studio albums, in addition to charting 14 singles on the Billboard country charts...
and several top country and bluegrass instrumentalists.
- Pickin' on Modest MousePickin' on Modest MousePickin' on Modest Mouse is a bluegrass tribute album to Modest Mouse by Iron Horse; a part of the "Pickin' On..." series.-Track listing:# "Polar Opposites" - 3:27...
: A Bluegrass Tribute (2004)
- Heart Trouble: Wanda JacksonWanda JacksonWanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
(2003)
Studio album from Grammy-nominated rockabilly pioneer with special guests The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, Rosie Flores
Rosie Flores
Rosie Flores is a rockabilly and country music artist of Mexican American heritage. Her music blends rockabilly, honky tonk, jazz, and Western swing along with traditional influences from her Tex-Mex heritage...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Lee Rocker
Lee Rocker
Lee Rocker is an American rockabilly double bass player. He is the son of the classical clarinetists Stanley Drucker and Naomi Drucker. His sister Roseanne is a country music singer-songwriter...
, and Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
.
- Fade to Bluegrass: The Bluegrass Tribute to MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
(2003)
Performed by Iron Horse (band)
Iron Horse (band)
Iron Horse is a Bluegrass band from Killen, Alabama. They are known for performing and recording bluegrass cover versions of rock songs, particularly their bluegrass treatments of heavy metal songs popularized by Metallica. The band has two tracks on the tribute album Strummin' with the Devil: The...
, a bluegrass band from Muscle Shoals Alabama.
- Corporate Love Breakdown: The Bluegrass Tribute to RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
Performed by Nate Leath (Fiddle, Vocals), Darrell Muller (Bass), Jess Harper (Guitar), Ben Krakauer (Banjo), and Pete Frostic (Mandolin).
Artists
This is a list of artists who have recorded with CMH Records and their associated labels.CMH Records
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
Lester Flatt
Lester Flatt
Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
Grandpa Jones
Grandpa Jones
Louis Marshall Jones , known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer...
The Osborne Brothers
Osborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne , were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s...
Mac Wiseman
Mac Wiseman
Malcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass....
Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".-Early years:Born James H. Martin in Sneedville, Tennessee. Jimmy Martin was born into the hard farming life of rural East Tennessee. He grew up near Sneedville, singing in church and with friends from surrounding...
Jim & Jesse
Jim & Jesse
Jim & Jesse were an American bluegrass music duo composed of brothers Jim McReynolds and Jesse McReynolds...
The Stonemans
Don Reno
Don Reno
Don Wesley Reno was an American bluegrass and country musician best known as a banjo player in partnership with Red Smiley, and later with guitarist Bill Harrell.-Biography:...
Carl Story
Carl Story
Carl Story was an influential bluegrass musician and leader of his band the "Rambling Mountaineers". He was dubbed "The Father of Bluegrass Gospel Music" by the governor of Oklahoma.-Biography:...
OCD International
Kool Keith
Kool Keith
Keith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York. A founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is the self-proclaimed inventor of...
(Dr. Octagon)
Dwell Records
Behemoth (band)
Behemoth (band)
Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground, alongside bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Vesania and Hate....
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
Crosscheck Records
Street Dogs
Street Dogs
Street Dogs are a punk rock band originally from Boston, Massachusetts. The band's current line-up includes Mike McColgan, former lead singer of Dropkick Murphys, Johnny Rioux, Marcus Hollar, Tobe Bean III and Paul Rucker.-History:...
U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs are an American punk rock band, formed in 1993 in Orange County, CA. U.S. Bombs consist of vocalist Duane Peters, guitarists Kerry Martinez and Jonny "Two Bags" Wickersham, bass guitarist Wade Walston and drummer Chip Hanna. Vocalist Duane Peters is a legendary professional...
Electric Frankenstein
Electric Frankenstein
Electric Frankenstein is an American band from Whippany, Clifton, and other areas of New Jersey. Their music is generally considered punk rock, but includes elements of hard rock and Heavy Metal as well...
Hammer Bros.
Scufflin' Records
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Reuben Wilson
Reuben Wilson
Reuben Wilson is a jazz organist. He performs soul jazz and acid jazz, and is best known for his title track "Got To Get Your Own"He was born in Mounds, Oklahoma and his family moved to Pasadena when he was 5....
Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
Reviews & Press
- During a videotaped interview (in English) on a Norwegian media site, MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
guitarist, Kirk HammettKirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
, answered a question about the CMH-release, Fade to Bluegrass: The Bluegrass Tribute to Metallica, performed by Iron Horse (band)Iron Horse (band)Iron Horse is a Bluegrass band from Killen, Alabama. They are known for performing and recording bluegrass cover versions of rock songs, particularly their bluegrass treatments of heavy metal songs popularized by Metallica. The band has two tracks on the tribute album Strummin' with the Devil: The...
and calls it "pretty cool." He also mentioned that they even played a song off the CD during one of their live performances.
- According to David West, a producer for the "Pickin 'On" series, the label strives to create the highest quality tributes possible. “The rule laid down for us is no muzak. It’s got to rock. The emphasis is on hot licks," says West.