An Interview With Russell Javors, Formerly Of The Billy Joel Band

Feature Photo courtesy of Russell Javors

As a member of Billy Joel’s band between 1976 and 1989, Russell Javors provided rhythm, feel, and vibes. Albums like 52nd Street, Glass Houses, and The Nylon Curtain tell the story of an era of great music, huge success, and tours that saw Joel and his band land behind the Iron Curtain.

Of his role within Joel’s music, Javors tells ClassicRockHistory.com, “When I was with Billy, I had guitar picks that said, ‘Sultan of Subtle.’ Playing rhythm guitar with Billy is an understated gig. But I honestly believe that I was a part of Billy’s best-sounding bands.”

He explains, “I always thought, ‘What would John Lennon play here?’ And not, ‘What would Eddie Van Halen play?’ Our job was to frame those songs, not to show off.”

For these reasons, Javors was understandably upset when Joel split his band up in ’89. It led the guitarist to re-route his life, find a new profession, and eventually, an outlook that allowed him to reconnect with old Billy Joel bandmates, Liberty DeVitto and Richie Cannata, as The Lords of 52^nd Street.

Javors admits that revisiting the music he helped create has been cathartic, as he and Joel aren’t in touch. “I had no idea that Billy’s fans would embrace us the way they have,” Javors admits. “But we were an integral part of the most prolific and successful part of his career.”

“We still play with the same energy we brought to the studio and the stage back in the day,” Javors beams. “We play all the songs in their original keys—which Billy doesn’t do anymore—so when you come to see the Lords, you’re getting the real deal.”

“Plus,” he says. “We have a lot of fun doing what we do, and that comes across to the audience.”

What are your earliest memories of music in your life, and what drew you to the guitar?

We had a piano in our house when I was growing up. My dad wrote a song that he would play over and over. His song was king of corny, but I thought it was cool that he actually pulled a song out of thin air. I didn’t feel comfortable on the piano, so they got me a guitar, and I started making stuff up.

How did the scene you grew up in impact your outlook on life and as a musician?

Probably every musician my age will tell you the same story. When I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, I knew then and there what I wanted to do with my life. John Lennon was my favorite, so I decided that I was going to be a rhythm guitar player in a band. I loved the Rolling Stones too, so between John and Keith Richards, I had the blueprint for what I hoped to be.

I was very lucky that I grew up on Long Island, where there was a thriving music scene. I used to go to a club after school called My House that featured two house bands. One band was called The Hassles, who had a young keyboard player named Billy Joel.

The other house band was called The New Rock Workshop who featured a great drummer named Liberty DeVitto. Lib was a couple of years older than me, but I was determined to be in a band with him. I recruited Lib, Doug Stegmeyer, and a great guitar player named Howard Emerson to help me record and perform the songs that I wrote.

How did you form Topper, and how did that lead to your getting noticed by Billy Joel?

So, Lib, Doug, a great keyboard player named Dean Kraus, Howard, and I played around Long Island as Topper. We played a mix of my songs along with stuff we liked. What we didn’t do was play top 40, which is what people expected to hear in Long Island bars.

So, except for other musicians who liked us, the rest of the crowd did not. But we were grooming ourselves for bigger things, so we kept doing what we were doing. Around that time, Billy needed a bass player and asked Doug to work with him in Los Angeles. Doug was a great bass player and a great guy, and Billy made him his Musical Director.

When Billy decided to come back to New York to record the Turnstiles album, he asked Doug to find him a New York drummer. So, Doug brought Lib in. Then Billy asked Doug to bring in guitar players, and he called Howard Emerson and me. So, Topper essentially became The Billy Joel Band. Doug later brought in Richie Cannata on sax, and the rest is history.

What made the chemistry of the band special?

Touring and recording with Billy was an exciting time in my life. Billy was writing songs that would become the soundtrack to so many people’s lives, and we got to bring them to life both in the studio and on the road. Being able to experience this with your closest friends made it all the more special. I also think the chemistry we already had as a band was another element that contributed to our success.

What are your most poignant memories of putting together 52nd Street and songs like “Big Shot” and “My Life”?

I was doing a Topper album prior to Billy doing The Stranger. So even though I didn’t play on The Stranger, I wound up doing The Stranger tour. I only played on two songs on the 52nd Street album: “My Life” and “Big Shot.” Phil Ramone brought me in to do overdubs on both songs.

How about Glass Houses, which featured “You May Be Right,” which had a lot of your guitar handiwork in it?

Glass Houses was a fun record to do. It was a stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll album. Those were great songs to play live. Billy’s first number one single was “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” not “Just the Way You Are.” I was always a huge reggae fan, and that song features a lot of my reggae guitar feel surrounded by a rock ‘n’ roll beat.

The Nylon Curtain is a classic. Tell us about putting together “Allentown” and “Goodnight Saigon.”

I remember Billy taking me aside before we recorded “Goodnight Saigon.” He told me to picture being in the barracks, sitting on the end of my cot, strumming a guitar, surrounded by troops. He said, “The guitar is maybe a little out of tune…” and as I strum, the story will unfold.

Well, I kept the guitar in tune, but as we were recording, I got really caught up in the lyrics, which were incredibly powerful. There was a point where I got a little lost for a second and slid into a chord. After the take, Billy said, “I like what you did there…” Go figure. I thought I messed up the take.

You all toured behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War. That must have been a trip. What are your memories of that and the live album that came from it?

The Russian Tour was intense. My wife, Suzanne, and my son, Jesse was with me on that trip. The people we met were very nice, but it made you realize how important our freedom is and how it can’t be taken for granted. The Communist Party people were in the front rows initially and not showing us any love.

So, we thought the show might turn into a train wreck. At one point, the Party people walked out. There were people outside who really wanted to hear us, and when they let them in, that’s when we started to connect.

In 1989, Billy broke up what was a great band. Why did that happen, and how did you feel after it happened? Were you blindsided?

Of course, I was disappointed. Not only did I lose a great gig, but it was like being disowned by your family. It was a humbling experience. I never thought of myself as a session musician. I loved being a part of a band. Being a part of the band I played with since I was a kid meant everything to me.

When it was over, I needed to take a break from it all. So, I challenged myself to do things that interested me that I didn’t have time to do when I was in the band. I reinvented myself. The journey eventually brought me to Hong Kong, where Suzanne and I lived for many years.

Have you kept in touch with Billy, and do you think he regrets breaking up what was a hugely successful band that helped him create a lot of iconic music?

Playing Billy’s songs every night with the Lords makes it feel like we’re still in touch. I don’t know if he has any regrets, as he continues to have tremendous success. I would hope he appreciates what we brought to the table. We put our hearts and souls into those records, and we’re proud to have been a part of it.

What are your biggest regrets, and what’s next?

My biggest regret is that the Topper album never came out. The masters were being stored while I was on the road with Billy. The person who was storing the masters was in the middle of a divorce, and his wife destroyed all of the tapes he was storing.

I raised the money to record it, produced the tracks, and lost my shirt on that project when the tapes were destroyed. So, those songs never made it to market. What’s next? I’m going to release some solo stuff. I still have rhythm in these very old bones. And Richie, Lib, and I are still touring together as the Lords of 52nd Street.

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