|
WHAT do The Cowsills do in the recording studio? Work, of course. What do they do while on tour? Perform, of course. What do they do in school? Study, natch, and learn. They swim on the beach, eat in restaurants, sing on television, watch movies and drive in cars. But what do they do at home? When the doors are closed, the shades are down, the drapes are drawn and they’re all alone? That’s another story …
SUSIE COWSILL
When Susie’s home alone, with nothing important to do, she likes to sneak into the kitchen and cook up something! Hamburgers, eggs, steak, lamb chops – that kind of stuff doesn’t interest her. They’re too simple. Susie’s the kind of cook who likes a challenge!
“I started by making cakes from a mix,” she explained. “But that wasn’t much fun because they always came out good. I like to make things that really need cooking. The kind of things you have to think about before you add this or that. I don’t even mind if they come out horrible – I just like the fun of whipping them up and experimenting!”
Susie now makes cakes from scratch, bakes muffins, makes fudge, brownies and cookies. She’s working on a recipe for bread.
How do her “cooking days” work out? Well, she’s not saying for sure. But as long as Susie’s willing to eat her own concoctions, we suspect they might be pretty good!
JOHNNY COWSILL
Catch Johnny at home alone and, nine-and-a-half times out of ten, you’ll catch him playing basketball out in the back where Bud has put up a court for the kids. For Johnny, playing basketball isn’t a strenuous sport. On the contrary, it’s a way of relaxing.
“I like to play basketball with myself,” Johnny said. “I like the idea of playing all the positions myself, of trying for the basket when I want to. It’s fun just to fool around, try different trick shots without having to worry about the other team getting the ball away from me. Besides, practicing alone has improved my game a lot.”
Johnny does more than just fool around, just practice, just have a few hours of fun. Playing basketball by himself is his way of unwinding. He is, of course, very young to have so many responsibilities, to have his career to think about, to have really important commitments to follow through on. So sometimes he just has to be the young man he is, forget about work, recording, doing appearances. And what’s more natural for a boy his age than a good game of basketball – with or without other players?
BARRY COWSILL
When Barry’s home alone on a lazy day off, one place you’re likely to find him is in the Cowsill swimming pool. And one thing you’re likely to find him doing is (no, not swimming) floating like a log on top of the water!
“Floating is a groove,” Barry said. “Really, once you get the hang of it, you can do all sorts of things while you’re floating on the water. I like to close my eyes and just think about things. I can hear the water lapping on me as I float around, feel the breeze on my face, hear the birds and all that kind of stuff. It’s like being in cotton, really. It’s great.”
Since The Cowsills have a pool right in back of their home, it’s easy for Barry to hop in whenever he can. Sometimes, after a recording session or a particularly hard day, Barry spends an hour or two in the pool if it’s warm enough.
“I sometimes think I could fall asleep in the water,” he admitted. “But I haven’t done it yet. It’s probably not such a good idea, is it?
Indeed it’s not!
PAUL COWSILL
Since Paul’s taken more and more of an active part in the Cowsill work, he really loves it. So even when he’s home alone, with no pressures, no worries, no family around, he works! You can often find him in the studio Bud Cowsill has made out of the garage that came with the Santa Monica house. There’s not that much equipment in it, but The Cowsills’ instruments are kept there. And Paul likes to fool around with them.
“I’d like to be able to play just about anything,” he said. “But there’s no time for formal lessons in this family. So if I want to learn how to play the piano, for example, I have to teach myself. The only way to do that is to practice.”
If you’re ever in the Cowsills’ neighborhood and hear music coming from nowhere, you’ll know where it’s coming from. Paul.
BOB COWSILL
Bob likes to spend his free time up in his room. And most of the time, he’s working, too. Since Bill has sort-of left the group to go out on his own, more responsibility for songs has fallen on Bob. He’s not complaining, of course, because he loves writing songs. But it does take work and concentration and real effort.
“There are times when song ideas come so fast,” Bob said, “it’s as if a faucet was turned on inside me. Then there are other times when I just sit there and stare at the wall. I suppose that happens to everyone, but it really gets me down. It’s a drag when I want to write a new song but just can’t.”
Bob’s the kind of guy who works at it, though. And sooner or later, you can be sure he comes up with just the things he was waiting for. Fans will agree, we’re sure, that the results are well worth the wait.
BARBARA & BUD COWSILL
Would you believe it? While the Cowsill kids are busy doing things in their lazy moments, Barbara and Bud just sit!
“It’s a rare time in the Cowsill home when we’re alone,” Barbara said with a smile. “It seems there are always kids around, asking for things, forgetting things, being hungry or thirsty or worried, needing help, anything. So when they disappear, the only thing we can do is sink into the nearest chair and sigh with relief!”
Does it sound like Mom and Dad don’t appreciate their kids? Don’t believe it for a minute.
“Sitting around for too long isn’t our way of life,” Bud confided. “It’s nice for about ten minutes. But after that, we begin to wish for the sound of two of the boys yelling at each other from upstairs. And then the fun starts again.”
That’s what it is at the Cowsill house – fun, fun fun!
|
