From the Tiger Beat Archives, June 1969.
Q. What would you do if you were Richard Nixon, the President of the United States?
Well, the Paris Peace Talks are a major thing, but I think that’s just a matter of time that it will be settled. Peace in Vietnam is a very real need, but that’ll pretty much take care of itself. It’s going to be a long process, the President can’t change that, he can’t make other nations speed things up.
I think the major problem facing our nation with which the President should concern himself, is the racial situation in the country. The lack of understanding black people have for white people and white people have for black people is so bad that I think something must be done.
I think human relations clinics should be set up to help the problem. It would be hard and it would be very expensive, it would take a lot of tax money, but I think it’s one of the most important things to hold this country together. Everybody really should be equal and people should recognize that fact. I think clinics should be set up with human relations programs so people could get together and so everyone would understand that this is the biggest need in America – – to get along with each other.
Q. What would you do if you were Tiny Tim?
Tiny Tim? I would save every penny I have! If I were Tiny Tim I would put every penny I made in the bank, every dime, because with the preestablished image I have as Tiny Tim I would realize that I was never going to be able to play the leading role in the remake of “Gone with the Wind,” so I would content myself with doing comedy bits or campy humor in songs.
Q. What would you do if you were the son of Aristotle Onassis?
I would probably be so spoiled, so jaded, so out of touch with the real world, that I don’t think I’d give you the time to answer this question.
Q. What would you do if you were Howard Hughes, one of the richest men in the world?
I wouldn’t be answering this question either because I would be afraid of being this close to you. If I were Howard Hughes, if I were in his position financially, only with my mind, I’d have a great time. But Howard Hughes is more intent on personal financial gain than I am, because I don’t have that much of a head for business. Now if you were to ask Uncle Paul what he would do if he were Howard Hughes, he give you an answer that would fill a telephone book, but I’ll have to pass on Howard Hughes.
Q. What would you do if you were Jim Webb?
If I were Jim Webb, I’d sit back and say, ‘Hey Jim, you’re a pretty fine writer and you’ve done pretty well for yourself. You have to be satisfied. Why don’t you give a song to Mark Lindsay, now, he needs one.”
Q. What would you do if you were Lyndon Johnson?
If I were LBJ I think my first official act after leaving the Presidency would be to throw a barbecue and I would like the whole world to my ranch in Texas. I’d have a big barbecue and just be neighborly!
Q. What would you do if you were Elizabeth Taylor?
I would lose 30 pounds and propose to Dustin Hoffman.
Q. What would you do if you were Sammy Davis Junior?
If I was Sammy Davis Jr., I would go on doing what I was doing. Sammy Davis is doing an awful good job. He’s one of the hardest working cats in the world, very talented.
Q. What would you do if you were editor of Tiger Beat Magazine?
I think I would start a new magazine called “Raider Review” and I would feature some groups like Paul Revere and the Raiders. No, if I were seriously the editor of Tiger Beat, I think I would expand the magazine to twice what it is now and devote a section of the magazine to review records. I’d have a record review section and be very honest about it. If I didn’t like something I would say so. Also, I’d have a new section in the magazine to devote to new talent, maybe some group nobody ever heard of – – at least give them a chance, tell people the facts about them, like here they are and if you dig them, fine. Give groups a chance. Other than that I couldn’t think of many improvements – – it’s just the grooviest right now!
Editor’s note: While transcribing my interview from 1969, I couldn’t believe how many topics Mark touched on that still are prominent in today’s world, 52 years later! Quite a visionary!
Comments on this entry are closed.