This years Rock and Pop 2019 Auction is an event unlike any other auction we have done in the past. With over 1,200 auction lots this is a true celebration of music memorabilia in every imaginable way. Every decade from the 1960s on-wards is represented with mementos from all the genres; Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Punk, Grunge, Pop, Rap, Jazz, Blues, Country and R & B.
This auction is a parade of highlights and historic collections of David Bowie, KISS, Van Halen, Queen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sex Pistols and The Rolling Stones that will resonate with fans and collectors for years to come. It covers main festivals from Woodstock 1969 through Monsters of Rock, the California Punk scene from the 1980s and the early days of Rap with artists such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys.
KISS 1976 Destroyer Stage Model
You will have a chance to own Queen’s first ever American demo reel or the actual stage models built for David Bowie and KISS. But there are plenty of historical memorabilia to choose from. Featured Items
Original Queen American Demo Recording
Alice Cooper 1974 Recording Reel
LL Cool J 1987 Tour Worn Suit
Elton John 1976 Tour Worn Helmet
Paul Stanley 1978 Guitar
Gene Simmons 1981 Bass Guitar
Jackson 5 Tour Jackets
Eddie Van Halen's 1993 Custom Converse Sneakers
Special Collections
Van Halen Memorabilia spanning 12 years,
Collection of 1980s West Coast Punk Memorabilia
1969 Woodstock Memorabilia
KISS Original RIAA Record Awards from the 70s
Original Stage Models from the 70s & 80s featuring KISS and David Bowie Tours
British 80s & 90s Tour Memorabilia
David Bowie Collection of Tour Memorabilia
Vintage Stevie Ray Vaughan Crew Memorabilia
With a dazzling depth of collectibles ranging from the AC/DC through ZZ Top, you will find gem after gem. Loads of autographed memorabilia, rare concert jackets and shirts, beautiful record awards, hard-to-find posters, impressive film and photo lots, unique picks and passes, it's all here!
Original Queen American Demo Tape
And as always, the provenance is rock solid with the majority of memorabilia coming from the private collections of musicians, managers, photographers, record company executives and crew members.
Fans and collectors worldwide can participate in the auction online, the bidding will run from October 19, 2019 through October 27, 2019.
For more information and to register for your VIP All Access Pass for The Rock and Pop 2019 Auction visit: www.backstageauctions.com
Backstage Auctions is proud to The Rock Gods & Metal Monsters 2019 Auction, the most anticipated auction event of the year!
We are so excited about this year's Rock Gods & Metal MonstersAuction and we are positively sure that the items we will be presenting in the auction will excite fans and collectors all over the world! The auction catalog will showcase over 1,000 auction lots of rare hard rock and heavy metal music memorabilia featuring;
AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, The Cult, Deep Purple, Def Leppard, Dio, Dream Theater, Gary Moore, Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, KISS, Megadeth, Metallica, Michael Schenker, Motley Crue, Motorhead, Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Poison, Rainbow, Ratt, Rob Zombie, Runaways, Rush, Saxon, Scorpions, Slayer, Stryper, Testament, Thin Lizzy, UFO, Uriah Heep, Van Halen, Venom, WASP, Whitesnake, White Zombie, Y&T and so many more!
Fans and collectors around the world will be blown away by the historical and rare pieces of music memorabilia including; Artwork, Artist Signed Items, Record Awards, Instruments & Gear, Concert Tour T-Shirts & Jackets, Concert Handbills, Movie Props, Tickets & Passes, Tour Programs & Itineraries, Picks & Sticks, Photos, Posters, Promotional Swag, Vinyl and more!
This year’s Rock Gods & Metal Monsters auction will showcase some very spectacular and rare collections. Highlights include:
•A selection of notable Metallica collectibles from the 1980s.
•Hundreds of pieces of KISS memorabilia
•Collection of very rare U.S. and European metal concert posters.
•Early day Black Sabbath, Ozzy and Randy Rhoads memorabilia.
•Huge collection of vintage concert t-shirts and jackets!
•Rare movie memorabilia direct from the creators of “Detroit Rock City”.
•A historic collection of vintage Bay Area thrash metal concert handbills.
The auction will be live and open for bidding May 11 - 19, 2019 with a special VIP Preview beginning a week before the bidding goes live. So mark your calendar, this is definitely "the" auction event of the year!
If you are not already a VIP, we invite you to register for your VIP All Access Pass sign up today! SIGN UP HERE
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We look forward to seeing you at the auction block!
Backstage Auctions Presents The All Access David Frangioni Collection
Featuring hundreds of pieces of rare music memorabilia, including historical drum kits, drums, gear and more
Terry Bozzio Drum Kit
Houston, TX - February 12, 2019 – Backstage Auctions, Inc presents the upcoming “All Access David Frangioni” auction event which will feature a host of impressive and historic rock and audio memorabilia including drums and drum kits, audio equipment, and more, from award-winning audio engineer, author, and collector David Frangioni. The auction will go live on March 16, 2019 with a special VIP preview of the entire online catalog beginning on March 9, 2019.
Complete, historic drum kits will be up for auction, including those from legendary drummers such as Carl Palmer, Carmine Appice, Eric Singer, Terry Bozzio, Gregg Bissonette, and Mike Portnoy. There is an overwhelming assortment of Carl Palmer, Asia and ELP road cases, gear and equipment, as well vintage road cases that belonged to Cozy Powell from his Black Sabbath years. Dozens of collectible snare drums and an exciting offering of vintage recording studio equipment will be up for auction.
The exclamation point to this auction will come in the form of a broad selection of A-level memorabilia related to KISS, ELP, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, RUSH, AC/DC, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne, U2, Van Halen, Metallica, Motley Crue and many others.
Frangioni is a music industry veteran who amassed this collection through years of professional drumming and audio expertise. After beginning his career working with Aerosmith for 13 years, Frangioni received many gold and platinum albums as technical consultant, engineer, and/or programmer, who later worked with industry icons including the Stones, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Sting, Bryan Adams, Journey, Styx, Phil Collins, Shakira, Rascal Flatts, Ozzy Osbourne, and Chick Corea. The majority of his unmatched collection of historic drum kits, equipment, and memorabilia, which have been either acquired at auction or through his music industry relationships, was on display in his book “Crash: The World’s Greatest Drum Kits from Appice to Peart to Van Halen.”
Backstage Auctions owner Jacques van Gool comments: “David’s collection is a fascinating mixture of historic drum kits, snare drums, recording studio used equipment, legendary road cases, and an impressive offering of traditional music memorabilia. Whether you’re a drum enthusiast, gear head, or straight-up collector, this auction will offer something for everyone. David Frangioni is a top authority on everything drums, and his private collection is second-to-none. Combined with his credentials in the recording and music technology arena and you know that you’re hosting a most intriguing auction.”
“Working alongside many of these legends has been a dream, and I’ve been fortunate to have and appreciate many of these amazing pieces that are monuments of the rock industry,” said David Frangioni. “I wanted to give back some of the music history that I’ve collected to the audio, music, and drumming fans around the world.”
The All Access David Frangioni Auction beings with a preview of the catalog on March 9, 2019, and is open worldwide from March 16 to March 24, 2019. The auction will be accessible here: Backstage Auctions
For more information and to register for your VIP All Access Pass visit: Backstage Auctions
David Frangioni is an award-winning veteran of the music industry, with expertise ranging from being a drummer and producer himself, to an audio consultant, technologist, integrator, and recording engineer. Starting out as a drummer at age 2 and then established his own audio consulting business put him on the map with Aerosmith and led to his work with music icons including the Stones, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Sting, Bryan Adams, Journey, Styx, Phil Collins, Shakira, Rascal Flatts, Ozzy Osbourne, and Chick Corea, to name a few. David has authored two books under his company Frangioni Media including his books Icon and Crash published by Insight Editions, and continues leading the industry at his company Audio One as well as All Access IDA and his non-profit Frangioni Foundation.
BACKSTAGE AUCTIONS is a boutique online auction house specializing in authentic rock memorabilia and exclusively representing legendary musicians and entertainment professionals directly. Every auction event is unique, reflecting the artist's legacy and chronicles their legendary career. Backstage Auctions has represented dozens of notable and very talented musicians, producers and managers in the music industry.
Backstage Auctions Press Contact:
David Frangioni Press Contact:
Laura Shubel
Caster Communications
frangioni@castercomm.com
401-792-7080
CD Review: Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 1 eOne Music All Access Rating: A-
Ace Frehley - Origins Vol. 1 2016
Seeing the Who and Cream open up for Mitch Ryder at the RKO theater at his first-ever rock concert was a life-changing experience for a young and impressionable Ace Frehley. That, perhaps more than anything else, convinced him that his calling was to conjure rock 'n' roll hellfire for the masses, who would worship him like a god.
On Origins Vol. 1, with its big, beefed-up production and pristine, powerful crunch, the revered former KISS guitarist pays tribute to the artists who influenced his career, performing a clutch of cover songs and old KISS tracks with immaculate precision, blazing energy and a whole lot of muscle.
In fact, the old Rolling Stones classic "Street Fighting Man" has never sounded so polished and heavy, becoming an arena-rock dynamo in Frehley's capable hands. Trading searing guitar licks with Slash on Thin Lizzy's "Emerald," Frehley seems born again, clearly enjoying the competition and beautifully sculpted twin leads.
While the world doesn't need another version of "Wild Thing," this savory remake by Frehley and Lita Ford captures the raw vitality and untamed spirit of the original, and the furious, groove-mongering locomotion and stop-on-a-dime direction changes of Led Zeppelin's "Bring It On Home" bursts forth with bluesy urges, proving that Frehley has lost none of his chops. Packing an even greater wallop is a rugged, gutsy version of Free's "Fire and Water," which finds Frehley and Paul Stanley – putting forth a commanding vocal performance here – of KISS mending fences.
Working alongside acolytes John 5 and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Frehley injects some modern sonic testosterone into KISS favorites "Cold Gin" and "Parasite," reveling in their darker qualities and punching them around some. Origins Vol. 1 isn't essential, and sometimes, Frehley is too faithful to the source material. Nevertheless, Origins Vol. 1 is a fun, nostalgic trip with an array of stinging riffs and piercing solos that attempts to explain how Ace became Ace. And because of all that, it's not a bad placeholder for the next Frehley solo record.
– Peter Lindblad
New blog feature lists highest auction prices realized for vinyl records, concert posters By Peter Lindblad
David Bowie - Low U.K. 1977 Original
Factory Sample
The fallout from David Bowie's death continues to impact the record-collecting market. That story and more are highlighted in the first installment of a new feature here at the All Access blog, which takes a monthly look at the best-selling vinyl records (classical records have been omitted) and other musical memorabilia on eBay.
Not found among the most expensive items sold in March is this U.K. 1977 original factory sample version – considered one of the first ever printed – of Bowie's Low photographed at right. Considered one of the first ever printed, this piece, described by the seller as "impossibly rare," went for $1,234. And yet, it did not even come close to sniffing the prices realized by three other Bowie lots that lead March's top-selling listings for records. A listing of top-selling concert posters for March is also included below:
Records
David Bowie - Deram Japanese Stock
with "Both Obi's"
1. David Bowie – David Bowie ($12,911.54): It doesn't get much better for collectors of David Bowie records than this. According to the seller, this Japanese version of David Bowie's self-titled album is in mint condition, having never been played, and is said to be the "the rarest David Bowie Deram LP on earth." Going further, the seller writes, that it is an unprecedented Deram stock copy DL-44 "in it's absolute complete day of release form" with the original strip OBI DL-44 – "the unfathomably rare mini OBI." It comes with the original lyric sheet and advert sheet. "I have owned five of these stock copies along the road, none with an OBI," continues the seller. "And nobody has even heard of this secondary mini OBI before." To read the complete backstory to this item, check it out on eBay.
David Bowie - Hunky Dory Preview
Pressing Only Four Copies Exist
2. David Bowie – Hunky Dory ($10,783.26): More from the Thin White Duke, there are only four known copies of this preview pressing. What makes this one special, according to the seller, is that it comes with the very first Hunky Dory sleeve ever printed. Previously used, the seller includes a detailed description of its flaws in the eBay write-up; however, the lot also comes with a handpicked stack of paperwork, a 12 1/2 x 12 1/2-inch promotional gatefold wraparound sleeve with pouches to house all the promo photos and paperwork that goes with the record.
The Beatles - LP Please Please Me -
Stereo First Pressing - Black And Gold
3. The Beatles – Please Please Me LP ($6,526.71): The 1963 release, catalog No. PCS 3042, is a stereo version of the Please Please Me LP. According to the seller's description, "The first copies of this record, like this one, were pressed with the elusive black and gold labels. This was due to Parlophone changing the label design to the more well-known black-and-yellow version. It is estimated that only 600 copies were ever pressed, making them extremely difficult to find." Adding to the unique character of these versions is a mistake, namely the publishing credit given to Dick James Music for the songs "I Saw Her Standing There," "Misery," "Do You Want to Know a Secret" and "There's a Place." Later pressings corrected the error, crediting Northern Songs. Furthermore, there is other evidence of this being housed in an original first pressing sleeve. It has an Ernest J. Day cover, with STEREO writ large on the front top right corner. A photo credit for Angus McBean is located on the front right bottom corner.
The Parliaments - This is My Rainy Day/
Getting Ready for the Summer
Cabell 115
4. The Parliaments – This is My Rainy Day ($5,324.55): An original Northern Soul rarity, this 7-inch single is in very good condition. Issued by the Cabell Records label in 1966, it is an original 1960s pressing, a first edition now out of print. Considered "the rarest of all records by The Parliaments," one of the groups featuring Archie Himon, aka Little Archie of Huntington, West Virginia, there are very few known copies of the single. Some say the reason is that the owner of Cabell Records wasn't happy with it. At least two known copies were out there, before this one was unearthed, according to the seller. They sold for between $4,400 and $6,400.
David Bowie - The Bowpromo
5. David Bowie – The Bowpromo ($5,188.73): In mint condition, this piece is thought to be among the most collectible David Bowie records around. Bowie sings all the songs on Side 1, while Dana Gillespie provides the vocals for Side 2. It contains different versions of songs on Hunky Dory that never made it on to the album. Descriptions of the songs here are said by the seller to be included on a number of web sites and of great interest to Bowie collectors due to their rarity. The seller claims to have purchased the record from Gillespie.
Concert posters:
Sam Cooke Five Royales Original
1958 Pre-Fillmore Boxing Style
Concert Poster
1. Sam Cooke – Five Royales Original 1958 Pre-Fillmore Boxing Style Concert Poster ($2,550): Soul/R&B legend Sam Cooke headlined this show at Chattanooga City's Auditorium in Tennessee on Sept. 29, 1958. Future Rock & Roll Hall of Fames the Five Royales opened for him, along with other acts. Measuring 21 5/8 x 28 1/4 inches, the original poster is on thick cardboard, similar to boxing-style posters. While it does show some damage, the poster is still highly prized by soul collectors, considering the profiles of these iconic soul and R&B artists.
Pink Floyd - Concert Poster 1970
Boston Tea Party
2. Pink Floyd – Concert Poster 1970 Boston Tea Party ($2,200): Extremely rare concert poster for Pink Floyd's show at the Boston Tea Party April 12, 1970. In very good condition, with sharp corners and no folds, the piece measures 17 x 17 inches. The Boston Tea Party was a concert venue at 53 Berkeley Street in Boston's South End neighborhood and played a role in the psychedelic movement.
Grateful Dead - VTG 1970
Grateful Dead Tour Concert
Poster Psychedelic Art
MIT Armory Event
3. Grateful Dead –VTG 1970 Grateful Dead Tour Concert Poster Psychedelic Art MIT Armory Event ($2,100): An authentic Grateful Dead poster for the band's May 7, 1970 show at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Armory, this piece is printed on thick card stock and measures 11 x 14 inches. A pin hole, corner creases, smudges, stains and scuffs mar this poster, but the seller said the artwork "appears to have been hand-painted onto the poster since the art almost has a felt-like feel rather than what a screen print would feel on paper, and the opposite side shows a 'blueprint' of the finished poster." Additionally, two artists signed their names in the two bottom corners.
Tom Wilkes 1960s Rock
Concert Psychedelic Poster
4. Tom Wilkes 1960s Rock Concert Psychedelic Poster ($1,800): Here's a Tom Wilkes 1960s rock concert psychedelic poster from the Monterey International Pop Festival, one of the biggest events in rock history. Wilkes served as the art director for the festival, and between 1967 and 1969, he was the art director A&M Records. Responsible for many award-winning designs, Wilkes won a Grammy award for best recording packaging for Tommy performed by the London Symphony Orchestra & Choir. He also designed covers for legendary records, such as George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, Neil Young's Harvest and the Rolling Stones' Beggars' Banquet.The poster's framed dimensions are 26.75 x 41.5 inches.
KISS - Original KISS Blue
Oyster Cult New Year's Eve
Nassau Coliseum NY
Concert Poster
5. KISS – Original KISS Blue Oyster Cult New Year's Eve Nassau Coliseum NY Concert Poster ($1,336): Legendary rock acts KISS and Blue Oyster Cult were on the bill, with special guest the Leslie West Band. The poster was promoting a Dec. 31, 1975 show for KISS. It was the first New York area concert for the "ALIVE" North American Tour, the initial stop at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island. The seller claims to have received the poster from promoter Phil Basile, a Long Island promoter who worked with another legendary promoter, Ron Delsener. Not a copy or reproduction, this is a rare, original concert poster that has some creases and edge wear.
In April, Backstage Auctions presents its annual Rock & Pop Auction packed with many irresistible items for collectors. Make sure you mark your calendar for April 23 to May 1, 2016.
Backstage Auctions owner Jacques van Gool was on hand to explain to Goldmine the significance of this upcoming music auction.
GOLDMINE: Tell us about the highlights of the Rock & Pop auction.
JACQUES VAN GOOL: The auction as a whole is one big, glorious fest of collectibles! We are still processing collections but in the end I anticipate that we will have in the vicinity of 1,000 auction lots. As an auctioneer it’s always hard to point at your favorite child. There are obvious highlights, such as the Beatles’ album-used Vox organ or Johnny Cash’s album-used recorder. At the same time, one might find Paul Stanley’s stage-worn boots or an interview cassette with Glenn Frey the highlight of the auction. For me, I just look at the event in its entirety, and what I see is a spectacular celebration of Rock & Pop memorabilia.
GM: Many of our readers will be interested right away in The Beatles collection in this auction. Please detail it for us.
JVG: Indeed, it is a remarkable collection, coming from the estate of a former Florida-based DJ. Safe to say that this individual had a legitimate man-crush on The Beatles, as the collection alone consists of nearly 1,000 individual pieces, ranging from massive amounts of books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and current-day merchandise all the way to an impressive collection of 1960s memorabilia, vinyl and reels. Among the eye-poppers are a Beatles turntable, rare Vee-Jay records, a Butcher cover and a fantastic collection of Bag One artwork, including two original portfolios, five John Lennon signed lithographs, 1970 exhibition programs and many other official prints.
John Lennon Bag One
GM: You mentioned that a Johnny Cash recorder.
JVG: That’s a good one, too! In the late 1960s, Johnny Cash bought an Ampex MM-1000 recorder for the recording of several of his albums. In the mid-1970s, Johnny then sold the recorder to the SmithLee Recording Studio in St. Louis, who subsequently sold it to a Kansas-based recording studio owner. It’s been in Kansas ever since. Not only does this 2-inch recorder (the “Rolls-Royce” of its time) come with the original paperwork from Johnny Cash, but the Kansas studio owner wrote Johnny and received a letter back confirming that, indeed, this was the recorder he used for a number of his own albums. Not only are working 2-inch recorders hard to find for those who want or need one, but to potentially own one with this level of music history is an exceptional opportunity. Heads-up though; this is a 700-pound behemoth, so proper space and reinforced floorboards are required.
Rare Pressing of David Bowie's "Heroes" Album
GM: You also have Bowie memorabilia up for auction. Does a rock star’s death make memorabilia more sought after? Is that merely a mainstream assumption? Or does it depend?
JVG: Good question and I think it’s a little bit of everything you mentioned. Sure, there’s always the immediate wave of demand and with Bowie that was no exception. But in general, it’s just a small spike on the longevity chart of an artist’s overall degree of collectability. Bowie was already collectible and will remain collectible long after his death. The prices are a little higher now than usual and with time, let’s say a year or so from now, it’ll swing back to where it was. And yes, we do have some cool Bowie collectibles. The one piece that deserves upfront mention is that we have literally the only one existing multi-color vinyl pressing of “Heroes”, coming directly from the L.A.-based pressing plant that was commissioned by RCA Records at the time.
KISS Paul Stanley Used Boots
GM: Is there a favorite lot that you are personally excited about?
JVG: Oh man, where do I begin? Maybe I stay close to home. It’s no secret that KISS was the band that made me a collector back in 1975, so I’ve always been partial to KISS collectibles. We’ve got some great stuff this time around, including record awards, vintage 1970s shirts, passes and cards, autographed items and so on. There’s even the original light board controller used to light up the massive KISS logo on the 1979 Dynasty tour. But of all pieces, it has to be the pair of Paul Stanley tour used boots. There’s just something magical about these crazy platform boots.
GM: Anything else you’d like to add about this upcoming auction?
JVG: Yes, there are a couple things I would like to add. One is an amazing collection of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia that includes signed items, rare promotional material, vinyl, concert CDs, record awards, jackets, you name it. There is even of rare college magazine from the 1960s that published Bruce’s first poems. Bruce Springsteen collectors will be thrilled and impressed with the depth and width of everything.
Another fantastic collection features original Fillmore East negatives, mostly from the late 1960s. There are all the usual suspects, but I’m partial to the set of “The Wind in the Willows” negatives from 1967, featuring none other than Deborah Harry.
And speaking of 1967, remember the band The One Percent? Probably not, but it eventually morphed into Lynyrd Skynyrd and we will feature the original management contract for this band containing the signatures of the likes of Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington ... and their parents! None of the band members was old enough to enter into a legal contract, hence all the parents’ signatures.
Fleetwood Mac Fully Signed Set List
We have a fantastic collection of original interview cassettes that comes from the private collection of a Japanese journalist who interviewed American and British rock stars for a host of Japanese magazines. These are intimate recordings with the very first lineup of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and an hour-long discussion at the Aspen home of Glenn Frey — great stuff.
I can go on and on. There are hundreds of fantastic concert shirts, tour itineraries, backstage passes and tickets, collectible vinyl, Alice Cooper-used stage and album props, more autographed items than one could hang on a wall and an equal number of impressive record awards. There are posters, promotional jackets, and just about everything else.
This is hands down one of the most comprehensive Rock & Pop auctions we have ever done and we couldn’t be more proud. Come to our site when the auction preview goes live and feast your eyes on all this amazing music memorabilia and history.
A PREVIEW of the Rock & Pop Auction will be live on April 16, until its official opening.
The auction will be open for bidding from April 23 to May 1. For more information, or to bid, visit: www.backstageauctions.com.
— Patrick Prince - Editor / Goldmine Magazine
Reposted from Goldmine with permission. All Images are property of Backstage Auctions.
Ex-Kiss guitarist reunites with Paul Stanley on new album, leaks version of Cream's "White Room" By Peter Lindblad
Ace Frehley - Origins Vol. 1 2016
Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley have KISS'd and made up, or so it seems. Not that there ever was much of a feud, at least according to Frehley.
"We've always been friends," said Frehley, in talking to Rolling Stone magazine about recording with Stanley again, as they did on Frehley's upcoming album of cover songs Origins Vol. 1, slated for an April 15 release. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."
Some, if not all, of the rancor that sullied the band's 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame must have subsided somewhat, as the two joined forces to remake Free's hit "Fire and Water," marking the first time they've collaborated since the KISS 1998 reunion album Psycho Circus. Frehley has announced a release date and track listing for Origins Vol. 1, featuring re-imagined versions of 12 classic songs that influenced the legendary former KISS guitarist. It's the follow-up to 2014's Space Invader, which at the time had been his first album in five years. The record debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, making it the highest charting KISS-related solo project ever, propelling Frehley back to the Top 10, a place he hadn't visited since Psycho Circus.
Today, Rolling Stone magazine debuted Frehley's new version of Cream's "White Room," which can be heard here: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ace-frehley-announces-new-lp-white-room-cover-paul-stanley-reunion-20160210. Faithful to the original, Frehley's take on "White Room" flashes an orgy of wah-wah guitar effects behind strong, clearly articulated vocals and powerful drumming. Capturing the psychedelic whirl of the original, Frehley brings the song out of its late-'60s haze and reintroduces it to a more contemporary audience, enhancing its melodic character.
Stanley is just one of the big-name guests appearing on Origins Vol. 1. Slash and Frehley trade leads on Thin Lizzy's classic "Emerald," while Lita Ford sings and playing lead on The Troggs' staple "Wild Thing," and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 plays guitar alongside Ace as he sings his classic KISS composition "Parasite" for the very first time. The two also give their rendering of Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic," with Frehley finally doing his KISS Alive I mainstay "Cold Gin" with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready also on guitar as Ace as sings.
The track listing for Origins Vol. 1 can be found below:
1. White Room (Cream)
2. Street Fighting Man (Rolling Stones)
3. Spanish Castle Magic (Jimi Hendrix) *John 5
4. Fire and Water (Free) *Paul Stanley
5. Emerald (Thin Lizzy) *Slash
6. Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin)
7. Wild Thing (The Troggs) *Lita Ford
8. Parasite *John 5 (KISS)
9. Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf)
10. Cold Gin *Mike McCready (KISS)
11. Till The End Of The Day (Kinks)
12. Rock and Roll Hell (KISS)
Ace and crew will be active on the road in 2016. Three weeks worth of tour dates in the U.S. have been announced, including two nights at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. His band features Richie Scarlet (rhythm guitar and vocals), Chris Wyse (The Cult) on bass and vocals, and Scott Coogan (Nikki Sixx's Brides of Destruction) on drums.
His youthful infatuation with old horror movies continues unabated to this day, and the kid in him still worships at the clawed, platform-soled feet of KISS, whose Kabuki-inspired make-up and carnivalesque stage theatrics never fail to amaze and delight the ex-Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie guitarist, known for creating his own creepy facial masks.
In a matter of days, John 5 and his band The Creatures – with Rodger Carter and Ian Ross – will kick off the "Mad Monster Tour" with a special show in Ramona, Calif., on Nov. 4. To get tickets, go to www.john-5.com. Some of the dates will be supported by Doyle, the band led by former Misfits member Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein.
Remarkably versatile, with audacious fluency in a variety of genres – having recorded everything from bluegrass and country to Flamenco music and metal, rock and pop – John 5 is a demon on guitar, an incredibly smooth player whose speed is almost supernatural. Along with scoring the Rob Zombie film "The Lords of Salem," John 5 has collaborated with a wide range of artists, working alongside everyone from Ricky Martin to Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth and Lynyrd Skynyrd, in addition to his more well-known gigs with Manson and Zombie.
Since 2004, John 5's burgeoning solo career has yielded eight diverse studio albums spotlighting his virtuoso skill. On "The Mad Monster Tour," John 5 and company will be promoting an upcoming greatest hits album, paired with a live DVD of John in concert. Three brand-new singles will be released, a series that began this month. Recently, John 5 took time out to talk about the tour, how the new Rob Zombie material is coming along and a career that has taken him further than he ever thought possible. (Tour dates follow the Q&A).
How did the tour with
Doyle and his band come about and what are you looking forward to most about
it?
J5: Well, I
always thought Doyle was like a real-life superhero, and I just really think
he’s amazing. He looks like a real-life superhero, like he could fly over a
building and knock it down. You know, he’s got the guitar and he grabs it, and
he’s a great, great musician. So, I always wanted to do something with him; he was my first choice for someone I wanted to do a tour with. And I just said,
“Hey, are you available around this time?” And he said, “Yes,” so it came
together pretty easy and we start the fourth in Ramona, Calif., which is the
San Diego area. And then it’s the Whisky in L.A. So it’s going to be a blast
running through these shows, because it’s all my crazy instrumental stuff and
it’s crazy and it’s fun, and we’ll just go nuts.
Mad Monster Tour poster
When were you
introduced to the Misfits and what were your initial impressions?
J5: Well, it was, like for everybody, just a natural thing. Everybody loves the
Misfits and punk rock. Everybody was just into them. It was just the thing. It
was just how it was. And I loved the horror-rock thing. I’m so into that as
well. So it’s just the perfect fit and yeah, with Alice Cooper and The Misfits
and Ozzy, I love that stuff. It’s fun. It’s a blast. And KISS, of course. KISS,
yeah. It was like monsters with guitars, and when I was 7 years old, I was just
blown away. This was just the greatest thing ever.
Reading your bio, you talked about where you grew up and being the lone rock kid, but did you
have friends who felt the same way?
J5: Oh sure. I
was always the one that had the stuff. Like, I had the first Van Halen when it
came out, KISS Love Gun … I was that
kid that had the stuff. So I think I showed it to a lot of people, but I
remember someone bringing over Kill ‘Em
All by Metallica. I listened to that, and I go, “Oh, wow!” I remember
having times in my life where friends brought over music, and I remember it. I
remember it so vividly, because it made such an impression on me.
Was there one that
made the biggest impression?
J5: Well,
obviously, KISS and Van Halen, because I remember I got the KISS album in the
early years when I was super young. I think Love
Gun had just come out. And I was shocked because I loved that Monsters of
Filmland magazine. And then I loved The Monkees and “Hee Haw,” but when I saw the
monsters of guitars in KISS, I was blown away. I was just like, “Oh my God.
Here we go.” So it just changed my life, and then I remember my guitar teacher
brought over Van Halen I, and it was
just another epiphany. It just changed my life completely.
Kirk Hammett I know
has a massive horror collection. Do you collect horror movie memorabilia?
J5: No, mostly I
just collect guitars … Telecasters. I’m really into that kind of thing, really
into loving my “Teles,” but there’s so much. I mean I have a lot of horror
stuff, but it’s mostly stuff people have given me. And I like that stuff from the
early- and mid-‘60s and ‘70s, when the monster boom really, really happened. So
I like a lot of that stuff. And you know fans give me stuff, so I have quite a
collection, but nothing, nothing, nothing in the world of Kirk Hammett, of
course.
Have you ever seen
his collection?
J5: I haven’t,
but me and Kirk talk, and he’ll tell me stuff, and I’m like, “Jesus,” you know?
And he always says, “You’ve got to stop over and check it,” and all that stuff.
Hopefully, one day I’ll get there.
I wanted to
talk about other stuff going on with you, and you have a greatest hits album
coming out. Did you ever think you’d have a greatest hits album and what goes
into making one? Is there more to it than people think?
J5: Well, yeah.
What it is really is just a collection of my favorite songs. Not one of them
was a hit, but it’s a collection of my favorite songs that I’ve recorded over
my catalog of doing instrumental stuff and the fans’ favorite songs. So
I put them all together, and then I put a DVD with it, which is so cool. The
DVD’s really great, and I’m going to be selling that at the shows, so people at
the shows will be able to get the CD and DVD. And then after the tour you’ll be
able to buy it on my website, and also it’ll be on iTunes, but you won’t be
able to get the DVD, obviously.
So much has happened
over the span of your life to bring you to this point, but I wanted to ask you,
where does the open-mindedness with music come from? Because you do country,
you do all kinds of things. Does that come from your family?
J5: You know, for
some reason, I’ve always appreciated someone who does something really, really
well. And it could be someone that rides a bike and is a bike expert, or
juggles or … I just always appreciate someone who does something so well,
because I know how much dedication and practice it takes. So when I hear some
Western swing music or bluegrass music or great, great, great, great horns, I’m
like, “Wow! That’s amazing.” So I appreciate all of that stuff. I’m so inspired
by anyone who does something really, really well and who is an expert and at
the pinnacle of what they do. And I totally, totally appreciate that. So that’s
where I think a lot of that interest comes from, that they can actually … you
know, the greats. I just am really influenced by people like that.
Is there a style of
music you haven’t worked with yet that maybe you’d like to?
J5: You know,
jazz is such a huge thing, but I’ve never really studied, studied, studied
jazz. I don’t know why. It just hasn’t bitten me yet, but it will. I will get
into it. I think I really love the really super, super fast, aggressive stuff.
Like the bluegrass stuff is so fast, you know. It’s like Slayer with no
distortion. It’s crazy with bluegrass. And then the same thing with flamenco
music, it’s a Spanish style of music. It’s so fast, you know? It’s like Slayer
on acoustic. It’s that kind of thing, and I really enjoy that stuff, but also
I’d like to get into jazz at some point, I believe.
Could you do a
bluegrass version of “Welcome to the Violence”?
J5: Well, that
might be tough (laughs). Yeah, that’s possible.
What impresses you
most in a guitarist or a live performer?
J5: Someone that
is fluid and clean and no effort. It’s just like drinking a bottle of water.
It’s effortless, and there’s a small amount that are really effortless. If you
ever see a classical violinist or piano player, it’s just effortless, you know? I appreciate that, but I also appreciate any guitar player also getting up
there on the stage and doing a great job, because it’s a lot of work and a lot
of stress and a lot goes into it.
What goes into your
live performances? You’ve got the makeup and everything going on. What’s the
day of a performance like for you?
J5: Well, the whole day is about the performance. The whole
thing is prepping. It’s getting your fingers warmed up, it’s doing
meet-and-greets and meeting people, and making sure everything is right. Sound
checks … the day all leads up to the show. It’s very important. I just want to
give fans the best show we can, so it’s just playing, warming up, making sure
the playing is right, getting ready and giving the best show we can. It’s very important
to us with Rob just getting just a great show together, and then we always talk
about the show after the show – make sure this is right, that is right, how we
could make it better. So, it’s great. It’s a great life. I cannot
complain.
I was reading about
your history and you were robbed in L.A. when you first moved there. Did you
ever come close to giving it up?
J5: No, no …
never did. I was so determined and I was so driven and determined. Just
imagine, you get to L.A. when you’re young. I was so young. I didn’t know
anything, and then the first night I got all my money stolen. I didn’t know
what to do. I was lucky I knew one other person, and anybody else; most people would have just gone home and said, “Let me try this in another couple of
years.” But no, I was so driven.
By the same
token, was there a moment when you felt, “I’ve finally made it”? Or were there
many moments like that?
J5: I mean, yeah.
You know, I’m just happy to be playing guitar and making a living, but I never
wished to be a known guitar player. I just wanted to be a session musician, and
this is all just an incredible, incredible gift, because it was too far away. I
never really thought I’d be able to do this, because it was just so like
wishing you were Superman or something. It just seemed so unbelievable. So I
really appreciate it and love it, because it just happened. I’m so happy it
happened, because it was never my goal, it was never my thing to become a
famous rock guitar player.
What influenced you most as far as stage shows
and how you make up your face? Was it a love of KISS or was it more than that?
J5: I use myself as the audience and what
the audience would like to see. I think the audience wants to see a show, they
want to see a … it’s called entertainment. So they want to be entertained, and
it’s just if you put on a show like that – meaning you’re not going to walk
around the streets like that, but if you’re onstage, you’ve got to give them
something to look at. And when we go into our dressing rooms, we’re in our
normal clothes, there’s a couple of camera flashes and stuff like that, but
when we come out of our dressing rooms, when we’re all made up, you can hardly
see where you’re walking because there are so many flashes, because we’re all
made up. Would you want a picture with Ace Frehley with his make-up off or in
his whole get-up? You’d want it in his whole get-up. So that’s why. It’s just a
couple things I think about to say, “Okay. This is what make sense,” because
some people take a different course about it.
Why does it work so
well between you and Rob?
J5: I don’t know.
It’s hard to explain. I really look up to him a lot, because he does so much.
Now a lot of people can do a lot of things, but to finish them and to make them
really great, that’s the hard thing. And that’s what he does. Whatever he
starts, he finishes, and I really like that. He’ll start something and then
he’ll finish it. And that’s what I really like. He’s always finished it, and I
really respect that. We really enjoy the same things. We love the Universal Monsters. We have such a love for those Universal Monsters, those monster
movies, so that’s a great thing. We both have the same hobbies. We love music
and movies, so it’s just like being in a band with your best friend. It’s
amazing.
In what ways were
your experiences with Marilyn Manson and Rob similar?
J5: Well, they’re
both two different animals, of course. With Manson, it’s different every day
and every night, so you never really know what’s going to happen. With Rob,
everything is scheduled – we’re going to meet here, we’re going to do this and
we’re going to do that, and we’re going to be on the bus and here we go. So,
with Manson, you don’t know if we’re going to be backstage until three in the
morning and if we’ll make it in time for the next show. It was that kind of
thing. You know, both are amazing artists, both are amazing performers, so
that’s how they’re similar.
Did that chaos with
Marilyn translate to the live show and make that a different experience?
J5: Absolutely.
Sometimes, we’d play only three songs and we’d be done. Sometimes you wondered
how long you were going to play.
What was your greatest
moment with Marilyn and then with Rob?
J5: Well, that’s really, really tough. You know, the
greatest moment between those two, there’s some many, great, great, great moments
that have happened with both bands. Getting a No. 1 record with Manson, that was
a great moment. Doing the "MTV Video Music Awards," that was a great moment. That
was my very first gig with Manson. Getting awards and getting to play all these
great places, and then having your friends at these great moments, and getting
to travel the world and playing the greatest venues, having great records that
come out and having these great friendships that will last forever. There are
so many great moments, you can’t just limit it to one, because there are so
many and I’m lucky for that.
Of all the projects
you’ve done, was there ever one you went into thinking, “I don’t know about
this,” and then it turned out to be a better experience than you thought?
J5: Well, no,
because I tend to be pretty careful about what I take on. You know, I’m very, very
careful about the reputation of my name, so it’s not like I’ve ever gotten into
a situation where I'm like, ”How am I going to get out this?” No, I’ve never done
that.
I know so many people
have helped you along the way. Rudy Sarzo played a big role in helping your
career. What do you remember most about meeting him that first night?
J5: Well, meeting
Rudy helped me tremendously. He introduced me to Irving Azoff, who is a master
in the music business, and a manager of record people and taught me this, that
and the other thing about the business ... He let me into his
home. He helped me out, and he’s a wonderful, wonderful talent, and taught me a
lot of things. So I owe a lot to Rudy Sarzo.
And you’ve stuck with
people and worked with them over your entire career, like your producer Bob
Marlette.
J5 : Yes. You
know, it’s funny. Everybody I’ve worked with I’m pretty much still in contact
with. Everyone … because they’re good people, and I never leave anything on a
bad note, where it’s like, “Screw you!” So it’s good, because you see everybody
because it’s such a small, small world, and you don’t think you being in this
world of, “Oh, I’ve seen this person. I’ve seen this person. I’ve seen this
person.” It’s wonderful, and I’m so happy that I don’t have any bad blood.
You’ve worked with
some amazing guitar players, too, including Lita Ford. That must have been a
blast for you.
J5: Yeah, it was a blast. I see her every once in a while and
she’s such a great, great, great talent. And she’s a great songwriter, great
performer and singer … luckily, I had the privilege to play with her and play
some songs with her. I really respect her. She’s great.
Probably underrated
as an artist …
J5: Oh sure, she’s
great. And she’s been doing this forever. I mean, The Runaways? Come on … just
awesome. She’s so great. And then all of her solo stuff – what a career.
How did you get this
band The Creatures together?
J5: Well, I was
recording my instrumental stuff. I had recorded so many records, but I never played
live shows. The drummer that I use said, “You should do some live shows.” And I
said, “Well, it’s tough. The Zombie schedule is so busy,” but I said, “I’d love
to do it. We’re going to have to get somebody. Let’s do it. Let’s do some
shows.” I was really nervous because I’ve never done these kinds of shows. I
didn’t know if people would show up, I didn’t know if people were going to
care, I didn’t know anything about it. But we went out there, and it was such a
huge success, and I was so happy. It just really changed my life, and we just
said, “All right. Let’s do this.” And it’s so much fun. I’m so happy that the
drummer, Rodger Carter, kind of pushed me to do this. And it was wonderful. It
really changed my life.
Does it continue to
evolve, this project you’ve got?
J5: Yeah,
absolutely. We’re doing another tour starting in November … we’re just going to
keep doing it, keep doing it, and whenever I have time away from Zombie, I’ll
be able to do this.
What did you enjoy
most about working on the last record working with Rob? Was it different from
any other records you worked on with Rob? Or did you like the songs better and
do you think he’s underrated as a songwriter?
J5: Well, the record we have coming out with Zombie
now, that will come out next year, it is so good. We went up to his place, and
it is very secluded, and there’s nothing out there. There are no distractions –
really, really a great place to make great music, and you really have the time
to live with it. And that’s what I think is very important, because you have
the time to say, “Oh, let’s change this or make this better, or I can play it
like this.” And I think that’s important, because a lot of bands they do these
records and they have to deliver them at a certain time. We took our time and
this record that’s going to be coming out … I mean, the songs are amazing. It’s
great, it’s heavy and it’s just … you know, I was a Zombie fan before being in
the band and this one’s going to be great that’s coming out.
Do you remember
hearing White Zombie for the first time? What did you think of them?
J5: Well, yeah,
it was seeing the video of “Thunder Kiss ’65” … yeah, that was rad. It was the
look, it was the sound and it was just cool. It was just something that you saw
that made you say, “That’s got something special to it.” So, yeah, it was just
a great, great, great thing.
"The Mad Monster Tour" dates:
Nov. 4 – Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Nov. 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Whiskey A Go Go**
Nov. 6 – Las Vegas, NV @ Count's Vamp'd**
Nov. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theater**
Nov. 8 – Ventura, CA @ Discovery**
Nov. 10 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge**
Nov. 12 – Orangevale, CA @ Boardwalk**
Nov. 13 – Fresno, CA @ TBD
Nov. 18 – San Antonio, TX @ Sam's Burger Joint
Nov. 19 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
Nov. 20 – Tyler, TX @ Click's
Nov. 21 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
Maybe it'll be their cataclysmic firestorm of a sophomore effort, Hallowed Ground, that kicks open the door for these ferociously rugged, melodic heavy-metal mercenaries, thrown together by fate to wage war against musical charlatans that dishonor everything metal stands for.
It's happened before for the guitarist, a founding member of the testosterone-fueled, epic metal heroes Manowar, as well as The Dictators, whose 1975 debut album The Dictators Go Girl Crazy was recently deemed by Uncut magazine as the "Greatest American Punk LP" of all-time.
"I have a feeling I right now like I had in 1981, like before (Manowar's first LP) Battle Hymns came out," said Ross The Boss. "I mean, I have that kind of a feeling. People don’t know what’s about to hit. And I have that feeling, and I hope it does. It took Manowar a while before everyone realized how original it was, and I have that same feeling. I’m confident about Death Dealer. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in it. I’m not into a slog. That’s not what I want to do. I’m into doing positive, good work."
Appetites whetted for Hallowed Ground by the powerhouse debut album Warmaster, as well as the fiery video for the song "Break The Silence," seen below, Death Dealer – featuring fellow guitarist Stu Marshall, vocalist Sean Peck, bassist Mike Davis and drummer Mike Bolgnese – has designs on world domination, even if such grandiose dreams seem far-fetched in this day and age. With a force of nature like Ross The Boss in the fold, however, anything seems possible.
Soon, Death Dealer will make landfall after being a part of Motorhead's Motorboat Cruise, which also included Anthrax, Exodus, Suicidal Tendencies, Hatebreed, Slayer and Corrosion of Conformity. Then comes the business of reaching mass audiences with extensive touring.
Made up of veterans from metal acts like Lizzy Borden, Rob Halford and Cage, not to mention Ross The Boss's impressive credentials, Death Dealer is ready for the next level, as Hallowed Ground blends aggressive speed metal, ambitious orchestrations and pulse-pounding bombast in an explosive package. Ross The Boss talks about Death Dealer and the highlights of his career in this interview:
What do you have
going on now that the album is done?
RTB: The album’s
done. It’s coming out Oct. 2 on SMG, Sweden Music Group. Our video dropped last
week. We have 12,000 hits on it, and we’ll just roll along.
How happy are you
with the recording?
RTB: Absolutely
thrilled with it. Once we finished the first record, after Warmaster, our first record three years ago, we started … well
actually before, it was like two and a half years ago. Once we finished with
that, we started writing immediately for the second record. So we’ve been
living with these songs for quite a bit. I mean, we did the Metal All-Stars
arena tour. We opened for that, which I was a part of. I was an All-Star. And
so I was opening for myself. The band really became a true band, played in
front of 80,000 people, so we worked on these songs and we’re so very happy
with it. I mean, our songwriting really matured, I think. It’s the
natural evolution of things, and here we are waiting to release the second
record.
Maybe you already
answered this, but in what ways does Hallowed
Ground build off what you did with Warmaster?
RTB: Well, as I
said, it’s just the natural evolution of music. It’s deeper, it’s … well, you
know, everybody says it’s better, but I think this actually is better. Not to
belittle a really good debut, but the songwriting has more rounded approach.
You obviously haven’t heard it?
No, I have. I love
it. I really like the production of it. I think the production … man, it hits
you.
RTB: It does hit
you. It’s loud. It’s clean. I’ve actually had someone say that it’s too loud.
Really?
RTB: Yeah, I go,
“What?” I mean, you live long enough you’re going to hear everything in this
world. I don’t know. It’s too loud for a heavy metal fan. I mean, people pay
hundreds of thousands of dollars to get it like that. I don’t know. I’m braying
with smoke coming out of my ears, I don’t know (laughs).
Death Dealer - Hallowed Ground 2015
Was it an easier
process this time around, or were there difficulties you encountered?
RTB: No, actually
no. The songwriting … Death Dealer is a song-rich environment. I
mean, when you have actually three guys that can really write songs, and then
Mike and Steve, they’re going to start, I mean we’re dealing from strength
here. These ideas … we have stuff for the third one already. It just
never stops, the process of songwriting for us. It’s an amazing thing because
if I send a riff to Stu, and he’s in Sydney, Australia … if I send a riff to
him, I don’t even have to play it. I show it to him … "Play it like this, right?" And he does like eight bars, 16 bars, and then, all of a sudden, he writes a part
to it, another part. So then we have that part. He does the demo, and we can
have a demo that sounds like that album, Hallowed
Ground. We have that, he masters it, and he has the whole thing. So, we’re
already hearing it like people are hearing our music on our CDs, so that really
rushes up the creative process. And then Sean gets it in a nanosecond and he’s
on it. And everybody stores their stuff. Everybody passes everything along, and
I think it’s an even better process of writing songs than if you’re in the same
room.
I was going to ask
you about that. You obviously like doing it this way, but because everybody
talks about the immediacy of recording live in the studio, and how that sounds, do you get that still with this method?
RTB: Well, we would love to be together all the
time as a band practicing. Would we love to say, “Let’s go practice and knock
shit out?” Of course we want that. Everybody wants that, but in today’s world,
today’s day and age, I mean not many guys live in the same spot, except The
Dictators, who are all from the same city. So bands that live apart, it’s the
only way to go. It’s the only way to do it. And we’ve mastered that. We have it
down to a science where everyone … and Stu’s in Australia, so his time zone is ... forget it. So we manage to do Skype with the whole band, so everybody’s on the
same plane with the songs, everybody’s contributing. Mike and Steve contributed
greatly to the arrangements and all the stuff that has to go down to it.
There’s no “I” in Death Dealer, so … I mean, the proof’s in the pudding.
One of the best songs
on the record is “Break the Silence,” and you did a cool video for it. Talk
about the making of video and the recording of that track …
RTB: We were in
Europe last month on our tour. We had festival shows, promotional stuff. So we
drove up to northern Sweden to our director’s house, Owe Lingvall. And he had
everything set up. It was unbelievable. We got there and it was like, flame
towers, flame throwers, drones … he had drones ready to go. I mean, this was …
those giant lighting things, I mean it was quite a nice production to this
video. And flame everywhere like you wouldn’t believe. He’s one of the finest
directors in the business. I mean, the result is obvious. I think the video is
just incendiary (laughs).
It matches the song.
RTB: Uh huh. No,
really. I mean, we’re really happy with the final product. He puts his name on
something and it’s really great. SMG loves it, everybody
loves it. So far, the 12,000 hits we got love it. We want to make that 12,000
into 120,000. That’s the goal of the band. When we’re at 120,000, this band is
going to be all over the world, and I truly believe that is going to happen.
What guitar parts are
you most proud of on the record? I really like the guitar work on “Total
Devastation” – great power, speed and a variety of leads.
Death Dealer consists of guitarists
Ross The Boss and Stu Marshall,
bassist Mike Davis, singer Sean Peck and
drummer Steve Bolgnese
You’re quoted in the
press materials as saying, “ … this is what metal should sound like.” Between
Death Dealer and Manowar, you’ve been responsible for shaping and influencing
heavy metal. What’s different about the metal you’ve made with Manowar and
Death Dealer, as opposed to the metal of today’s artists? What are they
missing?
RTB: Well, I
think that the accent on songwriting, the accent on divergent, diverse
songwriting. I mean, you could listen to our stuff and we’re really not
repeating ourselves. Some bands have like their songs, their main song, that’s
1A. And then they start going to 1B, 1C, 1D … it’s like the same song. They’re
repeating themselves through the whole CD and the ideas get very tired. I mean,
I’ve heard some really good records, but I don’t think a band can sustain a
record like we have on 13 tracks here.
There’s a real
rawness and power, not to mention great hooks, to songs on Hallowed Ground like “K.I.L.L.,” “The
Anthem” and “Break The Silence,” and a galvanizing energy and spirit to “I Am
The Revolution.” And then there’s the speed of “Plan of Attack.” There’s a lot
of variety to Hallowed Ground, but to
me it’s the aggression and energy that really stand out. How would you
characterize the album?
RTB: Oh, there’s
absolutely an incredible energy level to Hallowed
Ground. People compliment us a lot on our live show saying, “That’s the
highest energy band I’ve ever seen.” And then people are mentioning how high
energy it was. The band is high energy, right from the get-go. We are a high-energy machine. It’s incendiary. That’s what it is. We are that. You can’t deny
it.
How did you guys get
together?
RTB: Well, about three and a half years ago, I get
a message on Facebook from Sean Peck, who I knew. I wasn’t very familiar with
Cage, because I don’t listen to a lot of other bands. I never did. So I get
this call from him and he goes, “Ross, I really admire you and what you’ve
done, and blah, blah, blah, and I’m putting this thing together with this guy
Stu Marshall, who’s this really great guitar player, and we’re interested in
having you play on a couple of songs." And you know, we took it as far as that.
“Okay, all right. Send me some songs then.” Okay, and then the next day, I get
a message from Stu. And it was like, “Oh hi, mate. Battle Hymn is my favorite.
It really changed my life,” and all that. And he goes, “You can’t believe how
influential all that stuff was,” and I go, “Okay. Great.” And he said, “I’m
working with Sean and I think we either want you or K.K. Downing (laughs).” And
I said, “What? Huh?” He said, “You or K.K. Downing.” And I said, “Okay, all
right. I’m very interested.” So later, after about an hour, I get some tracks,
unfinished tracks, and I go, “This is incredible. This is really incredible.” It
took me a day, and I said, “I’m in. I’m in with this. Whatever you guys do, I’m
in.” And so Sean gets back on the thing and says, “Well, we have the name of
the band set, and we have a bass player, we have a drummer, blah, blah, blah …”
Sean is just so flipped on this, and I go, “Wow!” And then we started working
on the songs. It was great, and the rest is history.” And in three years, we’ve
taken the band from idea to completing Warmaster
to opening for the Metal All-Stars on the arena tour, to doing all the other
stuff, getting a label, putting it all together – SMG is putting it out Oct. 2
– to doing three tours to doing the video. In three and a half years, this is
what we’ve done. We self-financed the first record, but not this one, so I
think … it’s good, it’s good.
I know it’s a whole new world out there, but have you found
that you’ve been able to build an audience the same way you used to or are you
having to go to different avenues?
RTB: Well, it’s
not as easy as it once was. I mean, bands … if they want be on a big tour they
have to buy on, which SMG is going to do for us. In one way, you’ve got the
Internet helping, which spreads the word faster, but you really need to get out
there and win over heads and turn heads, which we’re going to do. We’re doing
the Motorhead boat tour Sept. 28, which has a thousand people on it. We’re
excited to do that. The whole plan is just being laid out, but it’s a different
world we live in.
Have you done a boat
tour before?
RTB: Uh, no.
What are you most
looking forward to with it?
RTB: I am looking
forward to it. Hanging with Lemmy. Hanging out with my friends in Anthrax. It’s
going to be great. It’s got to be great. It’s a load of fun.
Yeah, because you worked on Anthrax’s demo,
producing it.
RTB: Yeah, I got
them their first kind of deal and all those Marshall cabinets, and really
helped out.
What did you think of
the band back then?
RTB: I thought
they were great. I mean, I liked their ideas. I thought their energy was … I
could definitely relate to that. I liked their songs, and Neil Turbin and Danny
Lilker, the other guitar player. It was cool.
Did you believe that The Dictators Go Girl Crazy, which turns 40 this year, had a lot of commercial potential at the time?
RTB: Coming out?
Yeah.
RTB:Go Girl Crazy? Yes, I did. You bet. I
thought songs like “Weekend” and “Cars and Girls” definitely could make it on
the radio, but the radio was so screwed up with Boston and Foreigner and all
this other stuff that was coming out then that … I mean, I thought good American
records, good American rock ‘n’ roll would always win out, but CBS couldn’t
figure it out at the time, you know. There were no visionaries there. It was
just, it’s got to come out and sell … typical story, but strange,
though. How many records from back then are still being hailed as great
records? Not many. The Dictators Go Girl
Crazy has just got legs. It’s got a life of itself. It’s got a super cult
following, and people have responded. And finally, people are saying this is the No. 1 greatest American punk rock
record of all-time.
That’s amazing,
considering all the great punk records that came out. You guys really were
influential.
RTB: Yes. I mean,
I would say that, as in Manowar, all the original fans became musicians that had bands and made records, especially with The Dictators. So
many people around the world that got into Go
Girl Crazy when it came out were all musicians, like Radio Birdman, The
Ramones, and all these bands from all over the world. Yeah, so the band was
really influential.
Going back to the
origins of The Dictators, what brought the band together and what were early
rehearsals like?
RTB: Oh, well, we
created the band up at state college in SUNY New Paltz. After high school, we
were all pretty much not going to college (laughs) … going to college, but not
going to college at the same time, like “Animal House.” That was exactly what
it was, and New Paltz was like the No. 2 party school in the country. It was
insane, and it was that kind of environment, and I was in a band called Total
Crud in New Paltz. It wasn’t that good, but it was wild. And Andy Shernoff was
there and going to New Paltz, and he goes, “Listen, do you want to form a band?
Do you want to form a band?” And I go, “Yes.” Yeah, and I said, “Yeah.” And he
was a rock ‘n’ roll journalist, writing rock reviews. And he had his own
fanzine, Teenage Wasteland Gazette. (Laughs) And he said, “Let’s start a band.”
So Andy and I started The Dictators, and we got Scott (Kempner) and we found a drummer up
there and kind of was messing through it – couldn’t play worth shit, except me,
actually. But he had a bunch of songs, and we kind of got the band together.
Manitoba wasn’t the lead singer yet. He was our breakfast chef (laughs). So
Richard Meltzer was Andy’s friend, a rock writer, and Meltzer’s buddy, Sandy
Pearlman, was managing the Blue Oyster Cult. And he got Sandy to come up and
see the band. And Sandy fell in love with us and that was it. We went down to
New York. We recorded a demo and we were signed to CBS.
What was it like
working with Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman.
RTB: Well, very
interesting guys, I can tell you that. They have very different production
values than what I was using. I don’t know. They had some very strange things
that they did in the studio, but it seemed to work out. Sandy just had his way
of doing things. I mean, I worked with Sandy on a lot of records, including
Shakin’ Street. Listen, when you’re
working with a producer like that – and he did The Clash – when you’re working
with a producer like that, it’s what he wants. He was good with us in that if I
suggested something to him, he was definitely into it, but he definitely had
his own vision (laughs).
Did that clash with
what you wanted?
RTB: Sometimes,
sometimes … yes – especially working with Mark Mendoza. Oh my God. Oh my God.
Like when we heard Manifest Destiny
in San Francisco, we wanted to kill him. The whole group said, “We hate this. Go fuck
yourself, and we hate you.” You know what that did? Nothing (laughs).
What is your favorite
Dictators record?
RTB: Mine is Blood Brothers – just because the band
was more musically together, and we had a real drummer. I can imagine
if we had Richard Teeter for the first record, I think the band would have been
superstars. Seriously, but that’s the way it is. We were who we were. It is
what is. And it hasn’t died. It lives bigger and better.
What was the New York
City music scene of the early 70s like? Describe some of the places you played
back then.
RTB: What was the
early scene like?
Yeah, was it pretty
gritty? I imagine it was.
RTB: When we got
down to New York in ’74, and there was really nowhere to play. There was a
place here in Queens called The Coventry, where KISS was playing and the Dolls
would play. No Max’s Kansas City yet. No CBGBs yet, but there were other bars
to play at. There was Popeye’s in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. That’s where
Manitoba sang for the first time – got up on stage and sang “Wild Thing.” It
was like a dead Tuesday night, and the bums were there and we’re playing.
Here’s an interesting story. We’re there, and we’re just playing along. Andy
was the lead singer, and people are going, “Yeah, they’re nice. They’re good …
The Dictators … yada, yada, yada.” You know, it’s like, Manitoba was our
roadie, but he was a terrible roadie, because he was breaking signs and shit.
In the clubs, he was back and just destroying shit. So they couldn’t keep up.
That couldn’t keep up, because we couldn’t afford it, breaking awnings and
stuff. So we go, “Richard, you want to sing a song with us?” Looking up, he’s
drunk and shit. And I go, “Well, what song do you know?” And he goes, “Well, I
know ’Wild Thing.’” Oh, okay. We know “Wild Thing.” So we proceeded to do “Wild
Thing,” and he started singing, and every bum, every person in the club, their
heads perked up. It was like, “What the fuck was that? Who was that? What the
hell?” The reaction he got was shocking. It was shocking that he woke this
whole club up like the place was on fire. And after that, I go, “You know what?
I think we found our lead singer.” So that night, at Popeye’s in Sheep’s Head
Bay, Handsome Dick Manitoba was born. And, you know, a guy from Blondie was
there … the guitar player?
Oh, Chris Stein …
RTB: Yeah, Chris
Stein. Yeah, he was there and Eric Emerson. But now, of course, everybody says
they were there. You know, like Game 6 of the World Series with The Mets.
Everybody was there, and everyone was at Woodstock, too, but it was an amazing
night.
Talk about meeting
Joey DeMaio for the first time. How did the idea of forming Manowar come about?
RTB: Okay. Shakin’ Street was supporting Black
Sabbath on the first Ronnie James Dio tour, and their comeback was playing in
Manchester … one of those cities. And Ronnie Dio comes up to me and goes, “Oh
Ross, I love your guitar playing. I love the history of The Dictators and New
York rock. I love it.” And I go, “Well, thank you.” And I’m like Ronnie Dio … love it! He goes, “Great fan of yours.” And I
say, “Thanks. Thanks, Ronnie.” He goes, “Oh, by the way. You should check out this
guy Joey on our crew. He plays bass. You should check him and check each other
out.” And I go, “Okay.” So the next thing I know, Joey and I are like in Black
Sabbath’s dressing room when they’re on making music and going through ideas
and stuff like that. So, as the days went on, we decided that I was going to
leave Shakin’ Street, issue my replacement and we were going to go off the road
and form [Manowar]. And I already had a guy on EMI that really wanted to
do a project very badly with me, Bob Curry, who was a friend, a personal
friend, and a very great guy. So that was the stage for Manowar.
The music of Manowar
was pretty different than that of the Dictators. What excited you most about
the potential of Manowar and what attracted you to play metal?
RTB: Well, it was
different. Culturally, it came from a different place. It was Norse mythology,
Wagnerian moments, street rock and roll, of course, and me, and it was
different. I don’t think anyone else was doing stuff like that. We were ready
from the beginning. We had the epic songs. “Dark Avenger” that I had written,
and Joey had “Battle Hymn,” so it was different. No doubt about it. It was
different. I mean, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden weren’t writing songs like
that.
What were the early
days of Manowar like? What were the shows like? Were you received well from the
start by audiences, or did it take time for them to get what you were doing?
RTB: Yeah,
wherever we played we were … yeah, because no one else would play with us.
Why was that?
RTB: Because
that’s just the way it was. Whitesnake said, “Well, you can come out with us,
but you can’t wear your clothes. You have to be in jeans." And we said, “No
way.” And it’s like, we kind of did it to ourselves: “We’re the best, we’re the
loudest, we’re the fastest … we’re this, we’re that. ‘Death to false metal.’”
We kind of made it like a members-only club. And as much as it helped the band,
it hurt the band. We had big mouths.
Talk about some of
the Manowar albums, starting with Battle
Hymns. What was recording that like, especially compared to your work with
The Dictators?
RTB: Oh, well. We
were still doing everything in the studio together. We were very, very
well-rehearsed. And you know, Criteria Studios (Miami, Fla.), it was basically the same –
get everything set up, mic everything up and go through takes. It was the same.
It was the same up until Fighting The
World.
But you got Orson
Welles on that record …
RTB: Yeah, Orson
Welles did the first record, right. Our manager … well, Bob Coury from the
label found his manager. He was living in Las Vegas, he was going to be in New
York for a couple of days, and we sent him the lyrics, and he absolutely loved
it. He agreed to do it, it was the coup of a lifetime, and amazing. It was an
amazing thing that happened to me, and it was Orson Welles.
Was Into Glory Ride another step up from that
record?
RTB: Well,
listen. By the time of the Into Glory
Ride period, we’d gotten dropped from EMI. They gave us a buyout, and from
the money we got from the buyout – because EMI and Liberty Records, Kenny Rogers’ label, had
absolutely no idea what we were doing; I mean, they couldn’t relate to us – so
with the money we got from the buyout, we recorded Into Glory Ride, and it was the most hateful, angry we could come
up with. And that was Into Glory Ride, and that’s what it is – another record
that still stands the test of time.
And so does Kings of Metal. Did that really feel
like the pinnacle for you guys?
RTB: Well, it was
the pinnacle recording it. And then, of course, Joey thought it was a good
decision to ask me to leave right before the release of Kings of Metal. So I put that in like the top two of the worst moments in rock ‘n’ roll: Mick Taylor quitting the Rolling Stones and
Ross The Boss leaving Manowar before Kings
of Metal. Like maybe after that tour? You know … it totally put that band
into confusion.
Was there ever a
reason given?
RTB: Yeah, we
weren’t getting along … blah, blah, blah. But there was no reason for that, no
reason for that. We could have worked out our problems, but a certain someone
needed complete control – complete control of the money, complete control of
everything – and he wanted to work with a band of puppets. I wasn’t about to be
a in a band of puppets, so …
What seems to me to
tie Death Dealer, Manowar, and The Dictators is a real sense of integrity and
that really comes through. You’re really making music that’s true to that
genre. Is that kind of the sense you get to?
RTB: Well, that’s what we have to do. Only the
true bands will go through. A band that’s full of shit will be outed easily.
They will be outed. Like an all-star band, like a one-off tour … some of the
songs, light songs. You know what I’m saying. Our music, all that stuff was
from the heart back then, and to this day now. It’s just the way it is. We put a lot of effort and love and work into our music and it shows. It
showed between ’82 and 1988 and it shows now, and it showed on my two solo
records, too.
Outside of those main
two bands, what are some of your other favorite projects?
RTB: The Ross The
Boss band – New Metal Leader and Hailstorm I think are very, very fine
records. We had a band called The Spinatras, and we did a record for CMC, which
no one knows about because they just went to hell, the label just went to hell,
but they gave us a whole bunch of money. The Spinatras were good, my work with
the Brain Surgeons – Albert Bouchard from BOC … there’s a lot of them.
Any of those records
you feel should have gotten more publicity than they did?
RTB: The
Spinatras for sure. There was some real strong songs on that record.
With everything
you’ve got going on, what are your hopes for The Dictators going forward and
Death Dealer?
RTB: Well, The Dictators are getting bigger and bigger. Our
tours are getting more well-attended. The single’s coming out. We’re going to
have it for November. We have 12 shows in New York for November, ending in the
Eindhoven Speed Fest [in The Netherlands]. And you know, as far as Death Dealer, we have
the [Mothorhead] Motorboat cruise, and the day we get off the ship, our album is going to be
released on the second of October, and we’ll take it from there. I mean, I’m
sure it’ll start attracting a lot of heads. I think 2016 is going to be an
incredible year. I mean, if it’s not, something’s really off on this planet,
but I think we’re setting ourselves up – both bands – and I got the Titans of
Metal in Israel on Dec. 17 with Sean Peck and the girl from Nightwish, and Uli
Jon Roth and the two guitar players from Mercyful Fate, and all this. So we’re
going to do that, Tel Aviv and Cyprus on the 17th and 18th
of December. So I’m kind of busy, you know. Things are all really going to be good,
but Death Dealer and The Dictators for 2016, put your money on it.
