In 1978 MARY JANE opened to warm reviews in New York City at the Park Royal Theatre. It was a simple story about two would be pot dealers who got beat every time they tried to cop. They finally end up buying from an undercover cop and get arrested ....shattering lives all over the place. All this around songs dealing with the history of hemp.

  Within a few months Alan Kline had optioned the show. It was closed to be turned into a big Broadway musical and everyone was very excited. Derek Washburn (author of THE DEER HUNTER) was brought in to write the book. All of a sudden this innocent little review about the history of hemp became AMERICA, The Love It Or Leave It Musical with a murder in the first five minutes. It was all about 1969 and very violent: the first draft had six deaths in the first act. I lost all my excitement.

  When Alan Klein's option was up, I tried to remount the original but was met with an indifference that only suggested how long it was going to be before hemp was decriminalized. I packed up the lead sheets, stuck them in the back of the file, and was onto the next project.

  In the mid nineties, friends began asking, "what ever happened to that MARY JANE thing"? The fire was rekindled and it wasn't long before I was trying to sell it as an unplugged concert on MTV. I saw a house band with really great players, and different known singers for each song. I really believed it could be great and, as they passed me a joint, the execs all told me I was nuts.

  One day I was lamenting to Hal Willner about my inability to find anyone interested in doing my dream and he said, "Ever think about doing it as a CD? Like a political thing"? I said I'd do it if he produced it, and he requested a listen. Hal's reaction was positive, I wrote four new songs, and we were on our way to NEW PROHIBITION.

  Recording was a long and tedious road. Two years of canceled sessions and juggling schedules, frayed nerves and frazzled brains, but well worth the wait, and, in retrospect, a whole lot of fun. Every time I listen to NEW PROHIBITION I feel the excitement.... I hope you do too.