The best way to assure a list of accomplishments in the future is to reflect on the wonderful experiences and difficult challenging times you've had and overcome in the past!
Humility is not something you can pretend to have in you or its entire purpose of keeping you grounded, humble and hungry are all lost.
I never think of myself as special and certainly not better than anyone, simply fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and prepared enough to deliver when given the opportunity to do so.
I can remember receiving a phone call from Al Cory, certainly one of the greatest promotion men of all time, who ran promotion for Geffen Records who said to me, "Luongo we need your help on this new Aerosmith record because we can't get enough stations on it to allow it to cross over to the pop charts and get it to become a crossover CHR hit!" I listened to the record he sent me, told him I thought I could do something, and went into Electric Lady Studios in New York City where I proceeded to work nonstop to make a two day deadline I had to get this record out so the band and producer, Bruce Fairburn, in Canada could listen and approve it.
There was no room for screw ups here. One day was to do overdubs with my great keyboard player Phil Ashley, and the next day was to mix nonstop right up to the deadline as the FedEx man sat in the studio waiting for the tapes to be handed to him!
This was real pressure as I wanted to get it right because of my love of the band and the amazing opportunity that I had within my grasp. it can be very lonely when you know with rides on your every move and no one can take the pressure off of you for being responsible for the final outcome but you.
Thank God, that "Dude Looks Like A Lady" skyrocketed to the top of the charts and got Aerosmith an extra 140 stations they could not get before my mix and was responsible partially for making a seven times platinum album!
Here I am pictured with Steven Tyler backstage at one of the first performances in years after the conclusion of the album. Steven told me he loved what I did and called me a "Crazy Mother Fu#ker!!" Music to my ears then and now!
Me and Tommy Hamilton, the great bas player with Aerosmith, back stage after I'd just finished mixing Dude Looks Like A Lady which went #1 in the country.
Great guy and an amazing career!
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