"Every time I walk away it feels so wrong Tell me why I never stay where I belong Ohhh - Take me home I dream of the town and the blue of your eye Ohhh - Take me home What keeps me loving you It's easy to know when we touch What keeps me loving you It's easy to know when it's love."
XYZ was (and is) one of those 80's hair bands that broke through at the same time as powerhouse acts like GNR and Def Leppard. They were heavy duty enough to become the official house band for The Whiskey A Go Go but never ranked quite well enough on the charts. Not that it matters anyway because lead singer Terry Ilous' band was produced by Don Dokken and their debut album was truly great.
It also holds up. I remember listening to "What Keeps Me Loving You" on repeat back in 1989 and I found myself doing it again just now. For me, it's the kind of power ballad the rivals the best. It's right up there with Whitesnake's "Is This Love" or Def Leppard's "Love Bites", in my opinion. Ilous just takes me there. You know, to that place where you just know you're in the wrong relationship with the wrong person? Of course, you know what I mean.
XYZ as a band, still to this day, rivals some of the best that the late 80's brought us. If you're really lucky you might catch them at a hard rock festival or on a rock cruise! In the meantime check them out below!
In this episode, Mojo interviews Janet Gardner. The Best of Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey playing the best in hard rock & metal airs each Wednesday at 9pm EST on Boom Radio found exclusively at DailyBOOM.net.
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I'm going to be really honest and tell you that I don't remember New Edition's "Can You Stand The Rain" when it was first getting radio play in early 1989. I think that I was firmly committed to hair bands by then. The song is from the quintet's album Heart Break, their first venture without Bobby Brown. It introduced us to Johnny Gill who does a fantastic job sharing lead vocals with Ralph Tresvant on "Can You Stand The Rain".
So anyway, I heard this song several months back during BET's three part special on the band (which really IS worth seeing) and couldn't tell which era of New Edition it was from. That makes it pretty timeless in my eyes and it also has all of the components of a top-notch slow jam. Check out the video below and tell me, who is your favorite of the guys!
Patrick's Deep Dives airs each Saturday 11am-1pm EST on Boom Radio. It features deep cuts, lost hits, & everything that falls in between. Listen at DailyBOOM.net. Boom Radio is your old school music authority & streams 24/7 with genre-based programs each evening.
When my crimes Will seem almost unforgivable I give in to sin Because you have to make this life livable
Do you guys love Depeche Mode as much as I do? Their Violator album helped to usher in a super successful run on Billboard's charts in 1989 but I actually prefer some of Depeche Mode's earlier tracks more. Back in 1987 they released "Strangelove" which I think is a bit of a lost track here in the states. It was the band's 18th single in the UK but it took them a little longer to catch on here.
"Strangelove" is off of Music For The Masses album and it eventually became the group's very first number one dance track on Billboard's dance charts back in 1987. The video has been shot and edited a few times. I think the one that I found is actually the edited edition for MTV. It features the guys performing and also a model romping around in various stages of undress. The backdrop is Paris and I can't believe how young lead singer, David Gahan is here. Check it out below. Do you remember this song? Was it a big club hit wherever you lived back in 1987?
The Best of T-Bone's Prime Cuts airs each Saturday 1-3pm EST on Boom Radio found exclusively at DailyBOOM.net. Boom Radio is your old school music authority & streams 24/7 with genre-based programs each evening
"I'd like to know more than just your name Did you come here alone or with someone If only you would open up And let me know just where you're comin' from
Are you lookin' for a new love Or does commitment seem to bring you down Is that a look of yes or is it no Please don't tease me, ho...oh..."
Way back in the summer of 1987 Jody Watley's self-titled album was in heavy rotation thanks to a string of catchy singles. "Don't You Want Me" was the third one to be released and it achieved some pretty amazing crossover success. More importantly, it proved that "Looking For A New Love", which had been released several months earlier, was not a fluke. Ms. Watley had arrived, hoop earrings and all.
This song was totally my jam way back then and to a certain degree, it still is thirty years later. "Don't You Want Me" makes you move, which is one of the reasons why Watley lands in the 21st spot on Billboard's Top Dance Artists of All Time list.
When I say "metal cowboy" the first name that springs to mind for veteran rock fans is singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ron Keel. Not only has he been a constant on the rock scene with bands like Steeler, Alcatrazz and of course, Keel, but he has sold millions of records and had two albums produced by Gene Simmons. While his resume is impressive it's not complete yet.
The Ron Keel Band released their first album, "Fight Like a Band" back in February to rave reviews. The eclectic mix of metal, southern rock and a bit of country may make the music tricky to categorize but the quality of the music will keep you listening on loop for quite a while. I had a chance to catch up with Ron earlier this week and his stories behind the making of "Fight Like A Band" make its success that much sweeter. Check it out below.
Ron Keel Promo Shot
Ron Keel on his current band:
"The Ron Keel Band formed four years ago when we were all hired to be the house band for a major midwest entertainment complex. It was a $70 million dollar business with a pawn shop, a radio station, and a concert venue. As the house band, we would travel around the country representing that brand and we would back up major acts like Paul Stanley and Jack Blades from Night Ranger. The money was fantastic and I was able to put together my dream team. We had one hell of a ride for about a year with the tour bus, the crew, even the pyro (laughing). Then it imploded and we were left with nothing. They pulled the rug out from under us, pulled the plug and we were left with nothing but each other.
The band was so strong and the chemistry was so great that we decided to stick together and rebrand it as The Ron Keel Band and just keep going. Within weeks of that decision, my wife was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Most peoples' lives have been touched by cancer and so everyone knows that it's a life changer, you're going to war and you've got to be ready to fight. So I had to be there with her through chemotherapy, radiation and seven surgeries. Everyone always asks how she's doing and Renee is great, we had a happy ending to this story but it was hard. The band was my support group and they stuck with me even though we were looking at a year of not many gigs."
Ron on digging in and creating new music:
"We decided since we couldn't tour that we would get together and write. The songs on "Fight Like a Band"are what came out of that time of hanging tough and hanging together. We were able to create songs that I believe are my best work. I know that I'm supposed to say that with every album you know it's the, 'my kid is the most good looking kid' thing (laughing). In this case, though, it's really true (still laughing), it's my baby and I'm so proud of the end result. I still listen to it every day in my truck because I make music for myself so that I can listen to it and enjoy it. I put it all in perspective a long time ago. I've sold 3 million records and so if you love music as much as I do then come along for the ride.
We spent a long time on the arrangements and how the guitars work together and a bunch of other things that you do to prepare for a session, but I had never sung the vocals on that lead track before with the band. The whole first verse is about fighting like a girl and it was all about my wife getting that diagnosis and deciding to fight and so there I was in the studio just losing it, an emotional wreck while trying to sing that verse. Once I got through that then the rest was fine but it was really an emotional experience singing that song for the first time in the studio. The second verse goes on to tell the story of my life back in the 80's so it's all very autobiographical and personal.
"Good Songs Bad Times" was the first song that we wrote and I don't know how you'd classify it (laughing). It's not country and it's not southern rock, it's just good. These days you kind of have to label stuff so that people know what they're getting but with this new record, I can't tell you exactly what it is other than hard rocking, hard-partying good old rock and roll. I grew up in a time when the term rock-and-roll encompassed everything. I listened to Black Sabbath and The Eagles and both were the same, they were rock-and-roll."
Ron Keel Promo Shot
Ron on how his audience has grown:
"I love that we've got 25-year-olds in the audience just eating it up and loving what the new band is doing without knowing my history or what I did before they were even born. They get to go back and visit where I've been and then they can go along for the ride to wherever we're headed. The old fans have been very tolerant as well. Those people that have followed me since the '80s, that have been around for all the twists and turns that my career has taken and that are still there, just enjoying the music, I'm so grateful for them.
This record really resonates in the heart of all kinds of people. Rock fans, southern rock fans, and even country fans will enjoy it. It's hard and heavy arena rock, but it is also cowboy rock with screaming vocals, screaming guitars and those thunderous drums. It has a little bit of the wild, wild midwest in there too. We had absolutely no preconceived notions of what the album would be or what it would sound like or the direction that the songs would take. We just got together and wrote the best songs that we possibly could. Some of the songs are very reminiscent of the commercial rock that I was known for in the '80s.
There are always predominant themes in my lyrics and one is the struggle to survive and the right to be who you are and to express yourself. "Fight Like A Band" is really about the struggle to survive and then the struggle to succeed. We're all in the same boat. We all want to be happy and there are so many songs on this record that embody that."
Ron on his extensive love of music:
"When I first heard the term heavy metal, as it pertains to music, I thought it sounded cool and I wanted to do that. It sounded so exciting and wild to me. The music that I was listening to at the time was Van Halen, Led Zepplin, Sabbath and the other first generation of metal bands. They really struck a note with me and I wanted to hear the music louder, faster and stronger. I love the excitement and electricity of metal and arena rock in general.
As I matured I needed to explore different musical landscapes. I grew up playing the blues, jazz and even classical music. I was classically trained and listening to all of those British bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I just love music. I'm never going to write a jazz album or a classical piece, that's not me (laughing), I'm a regular guy. I'm making music for the common man and the common woman. Songs that mean something and make you feel something, and also entertain you. This is entertainment and it's supposed to be fun. You want to make them feel something but you also need to take them away from the daily grind. Music can be an escape and for a lot of us, it's a sanctuary."
Ron on what keeps him making music after all of these years:
"The same burning desire that I had when I was 2 years old, or when I was 17 years old, I'm the same guy. I'm a little more mature, a little smarter and I've got a lot more experience, but that drive to succeed has always been there. It's what I'm all about. The business has changed completely, it's not the 80's and we're not selling millions of records anymore. It's much more difficult to sell music because people think that it's free. They wouldn't even consider spending a dollar on a song so it's a really tough business to make a living in. What drives me is the desire to succeed, not the desire to sing and play because I can always do that, I can go right downstairs and grab my guitars and sing and play. I always will do that, but success is the thing. Success for me right now is having a record like this one out, being able to touch the media and the fans, and then still travel the world. I still believe, even at this age, that the best is yet to come. I've got to believe that. I know that father time wins every day and one of these days he's going to catch my ass, but not today. I know that there is more time behind me than there is in front of me at this stage of the game, but I'm happy, healthy, I've got a great band and we've got great opportunities in front of us."
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There was a point in time when I was in tenth grade where I couldn't escape Motley Crue, nor did I want to. I probably saw the Video for "Home Sweet Home" a thousand times in 1985 and my reaction was always the same. I stopped whatever I was doing to watch it as if I'd never seen it before. It's not like they were MY group and like I had a low key obsession with them because I didn't. But I loved Theatre of Pain and at the time I appreciated every cut off of the album.
I wasn't alone either. Not only were the boys extremely popular but they really did help to usher in the whole hair band thing. Groups like Motley Crue helped to grab our attention and then Def Leppard, Whitesnake, RATT and a bunch of others helped to hold it. The video for "Home Sweet Home" features a look at life on the road for the band back in 1985 and it gave the MTV generation a clue about just how many people were being turned on to the idea of glam rock- enough to drop money on tickets. Check it out below. Do you remember the first time you saw it?
Even if the name Starpoint doesn't exactly ring a bell I'm going to bet that if you're an 80's music fan then at least one song by the funk band will be familiar. "Object Of My Desire" first cracked the charts back in 1985 and it enjoyed tons of radio play as well. Starpoint was originally from Maryland and gradually shifted a funk sound in the early 80's to more of an R&B vibe by the time they released their 1985 album Restless.
Starpoint's Renee Diggs might just be one of the most underrated female voices of the decade that focused on the likes of Whitney Houston and Madonna. Sadly, Diggs died in 2005 at the age of 50 due to a heart problem and complications from her long-running battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Check out the video below to catch Starpoint at their very best!
"I feel so unsure As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor As the music dies Something in your eyes Calls to mind a silver screen And all its sad goodbyes
I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool I should have known better than to cheat a friend And waste a chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you"
I miss just about every radio friendly song containing a sax solo. It's like the calling card for any 80's song that still gets airplay. A great sax solo can turn a song into a bonafide hit. "Careless Whisper" is one of those songs. It is unmistakable. Twenty seconds in you know exactly what song it is. I remember my dad first bringing the single home all kinds of excited. It was by this new British group called Wham and I HAD TO listen to it, immediately. He insisted and I couldn't understand his overwhelming need to share it.
Then it started and I totally got it. It really WAS different and it really was a musical moment for me. One of the first songs that I remember really hitting me on a deep level. It wasn't superficial bubble gum pop. It wasn't a great synth beat with no meaning. It was deep and it was the first time that I ever had a song show me just how music connects people.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley had written it years earlier and while it was technically released as George's first solo single, it's known as a Wham song. It appears on their Make It Big album and was performed by them from the very start. I know you already know the song, but how does it make you feel?
You told me goodnight's not enough for you I'm sorry, baby I didn't mean to turn you on No, I didn't mean to turn you on You read me wrong I wasn't trying to lead you on Not like you think I didn't mean to turn you on"
I think when most people think of Robert Palmer they almost immediately picture his "Addicted to Love" video, with him looking suave as several cloned women pretend to play instruments behind him. It's a visual that, even 30 years after the release of his Riptide album, is still etched into pop culture's history. It's classic, timeless, and back then everyone absolutely loved Palmer. While I really liked "Addicted to Love", my favorite song off of the album is actually the single that followed it.
"I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" hit the charts in early 1986 and I loved it immediately. Instead of girls with slicked back hair, this video featured women that looked like they were runway ready and the song itself has always felt a bit tongue-in-cheek, especially with Palmer singing it. It fit his image back then and the extended dance mix can still crush a lot of other 12" tracks out there.
Ironically, Palmer wasn't the only one to record "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On". Cherrelle did it first and Mariah Carey had a version decades later, but it's Palmer's that is the best known of all.
"We are strong No one can tell us we're wrong Searching our hearts for so long Both of us knowing Love is a battlefield
You're begging me to go Then making me stay Why do you hurt me so bad It would help me to know Do I stand in your way Or am I the best thing you've had
Believe me Believe me I can't tell you why But I'm trapped by your love And I'm chained to your side."
Pat Benatar is a female rock legend by probably just about anyone's standards, but believe it or not my favorite song by her features that nifty drum beat. Of course, I'm talking about "Love Is A Battlefield" (which is still fantastic to this day if you're lucky enough to hear it live). The 1983 hit is one of Benatar's best charting songs and it also earned her a fourth Grammy. The video also helped to put her into MTV's record books because it is the first one ever aired that featured a real storyline, with speaking parts.
Now the video is really well down but watching Benatar dance has always seemed a bit odd to me. But the song itself is really pretty fantastic. A great rock song with a beat that makes it hard to stay still and lyrically, well, we have all been there. Love is hard. Check out the classic video below!
"Don't put your head on my shoulder Sink me in a river of tears This could be the best place yet But you must overcome your fears In time we could've been so much more But time is precious I know In time we could've been so much more The time has nothing to show because Time won't give me time And time makes lovers feel Like they've got something real But you and me we know We got nothing but time"
When Culture Club's "Time (Clock Of The Heart)" was first released back in 1982 it was basically a stand-alone single that just so happened to really take off. It eventually hit number two on Billboard's Hot 100 and that paved the way for the London new wave group to break through in the U.S. Culture Club went to have numerous hits such as "Miss Me Blind" and "Karma Chameleon" but I think that "Time" might be the one that has held up the best. As for the group itself, Culture Club does still perform with lead singer Boy George and they are spending this summer touring the states.
I have to admit absolutely nothing could have truly prepared me for my lengthy recent conversation with Jack Russell. I mean, technically I came prepared because Great White's "Once Bitten" cassette lived in my Walkman for a nice chunk of my junior year of high school, plus my connection to the music came with a head full of details. As a fan, I am aware of Jack's troubled past which includes things like drugs, comas, death and of course, that horrific fire. If you're a fan then you're likely aware of these things as well. I decided that I needed to learn more about Jack Russell the man, not the headline and so we talked.
What unfolded was well over an hour of kindness, insightfulness and a deep understanding on Jack's part about how hard life can be and then how beautifully it can unfold for you if you hang on long enough. He carries with him a depth that only comes from a life that has been saved at the last minute. He is still here, making music, loving his wife Heather and giving back everything that he can muster to those who have supported him through everything.
Jack's transparency and intelligence are quite beautiful and I can only hope that his words resonate here the way that they did in person.
Cate Meighan: You have one of the most supportive fan bases that I think I've ever seen!
Jack Russell: They're really great people and they've stuck by me through thick and thin. Through all of the trials and tribulation, drunk or sober, falling down and then getting back up, they've all really been there. I've been sober for over three years and my voice is doing great so now I get to give back to the fans every night. I've watched the audience grow and it's cool to see the younger fans now with our t-shirts on, down to their knees (laughing). They'll know every word to songs that I wrote before they were even born and that's really amazing to me, to see that generational transition. I remember it used to be all high school kids when I was on stage and just five or ten years older than them. Now you see them plus their kids- and then their kids, so to have three generations come to a show just makes you feel great, a little old (laughing) but great.
Thank god that the fans come out to the shows because our business really has completely flip-flopped. As an artist, you used to tour just to support your album and you didn't care if you broke even. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on tours back in the day and if we broke even then that was cool because it promoted your record. Now it's exactly the opposite and you make your money off of touring, so thankfully the audience is there and they're still following us. When people ask me now what advice I'd give to a young musician I tell them to get a real job (laughing) and I say that half jokingly because I do believe that if you really want to do it, then you can accomplish anything. Go for it but understand that it really is a lot more difficult now.
CM: I think that a lot of people have misconceptions about the streaming services and how much artists are actually paid by them. 100k streams are worth little more than a large cup of coffee now, right?
JR: Oh we get paid nothing on those things really at all. You can go on YouTube and see that we have a million views but it's not even worth a cup of coffee in terms of getting paid. People wonder why their favorite bands break up and maybe it's because everyone steals their music and doesn't go to the live shows, so they couldn't afford to feed their families. Artists need people to buy the albums and buy the cd's and then even when they want to there are very few outlets left actually selling them in person. So many people want the instant gratification and they don't want to wait for their music to come in the mail. They don't care about the cover art, the liner notes or the lyrics and it's so sad.
When I was a teenager growing up I was listening to bands like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple and we would literally go down to the record store with blankets and stuff and wait for it to open. We wanted to be the first ones to race back to the display and get that brand new, just released album. I'd race home on my bike and take a razor blade and gently remove the shrink wrap from the record and pull the vinyl out with reverence. I'd pull out the sleeve and read every single liner note and credit. Even though I didn't know who any of these people that wrote it or produced it were I still wanted to know who did it. The album covers were beautiful works of art and I used to have this little shelf on my wall that held an album cover and it said 'now playing' on it. I used to put the album cover up of whatever I was listening to at the time. There was a ritual to music that has been lost in the age of streaming and you had something tangible. You could hold it in your hands and it made the music physically real too.
The technology is great but it's also a curse depending on the moment or the situation. I believe it'll eventually be our undoing because we've become so reliant on it and eventually it's going to fail. Then what, we're not going to know what to do. People are streaming their whole lives and what's going to happen when they can't? How will they deal with it? It's a whole different world now, some of it's cool and some of it is ridiculous. Music though, that'll always be there. The kind of music that we grew up on and the kind of music that I still make will always have a place in the world, even long after I'm gone. I want to leave that as my legacy and to have people be able to say, "Yeah that Jack Russell was a great singer while he was alive". What more can I ask for?
CM: Your latest album 'He Saw It Comin' feels like Great White evolving into something modern while carrying with it undertones of influences by some of the rocks' most noteworthy heroes. Was that the goal?
JR: Yeah there's a little Beatles, Queen, and the Stones vibe is thrown into it. We wanted to make something reto modern. We didn't set out to sound like anyone in particular but when Robby (Lochner) and I sat down together to write it was amazing. When we came up with "Godspeed" it was initially a ballad but Robby wanted to take it and make it acapella, like a 50's doo-wop. I wasn't too sure about that (laughing) but he put it together and played it for me and it was just brilliant. Everything on that song is just our voices, I mean everything and I was just blown away when I heard it.
To me, it's the best record that the band has put out as an album, as a whole. Yes, the "Once Bitten" album is just a beautiful record with great songs on it but "He Saw It Comin" has real substance and the songs on it have lyrics that mean something. I'm more mature in my writing and the lyrics are a little deeper now because I'm trying to get more transparent. I want people to know who I actually am now as a human being and as a soul.
CM: Do the honesty and transparency come easier as you get older?
JR: They do and I let my guard down more and more with every record because the older I get the less I care what people think of me. I've got a book coming out at the end of the year and it's basically naked and unafraid because I put it all out there. This is who I am, this is what I've been through and I've had a very full life. I give all of the credit to god because I see his signature all through my life. My voice is a gift, every song that I write is a gift and I have to give credit where credit is due, at least that's what I believe.
One of my main reasons for doing the book is because I want people to know that no matter how far down the ladder you fall you can always climb back up. You don't have to stay down. Whether you have a drug an alcohol problem or anything else for that matter, you can pull yourself out of it. You can accomplish so much in life if you just believe in it and visualize it.
Nothing happens by chance and I believe that everyone that you meet has some sort of message for you, if you listen closely enough. It might be a stranger that says something random to you that you shrug off, but if you sit and think about it, maybe they said something that you were supposed to hear. You just never know when you are being used as that voice of encouragement for someone else. I don't believe that anything happens by coincidence, it's all for a reason both good and bad. Life isn't random, it's very well choreographed and we're here to learn.
CM: Did you always know that music was going to be your life?
JR: When I was five years old I wanted to be an archaeologist, it was my dream. I wanted to go to Africa and dig up bones or discover a new species. For my sixth birthday, my parents bought me The Beatles "Help" album and I remember this day like it was yesterday, I can tell you I had my pajamas on and I had this little record player that was black with a motif of silver knights jousting and the inside of it was gray. I put this record on and I literally had a spiritual experience that I couldn't explain then because I was six years old. I just felt this power and I was given this information that my life was going to be in rock n' roll and I didn't even know what a rock star was. I knew who The Beach Boys were and I loved them and The Beatles blew me away, but I didn't understand how grand of an idea it was to be a rock star (laughing). That was it though, from that point on I abandoned archaeology in favor of music.
CM: Ah, and then it all began for you.
JR: Yeah, I started my first band when I was eleven years old and then I met Mark Kendall when I was seventeen and I joined his band, but I ended up going to jail. I got eight years for shooting somebody in a drug robbery, I was on PCP and blacked out. Through a series of events, I ended up doing only eleven months and a year later I signed my first record contract. My life has truly been a series of moments where God has literally pulled me out of the pit.
I remember being at my first concert at The Forum in Los Angeles watching Blue Oyster Cult play. I was sitting with my friends and I said, 'One of these days I'm going to be on that stage and you guys are going to be asking me for tickets' and they looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my head (laughing). But on April 6, 1988, I walked into my hotel room, I opened up the curtains and there was The Forum all lit up right across the parking lot. We were playing and the place was sold out. I sat there for maybe an hour in my chair just thinking, you pulled it off dude, you pulled it off.
My dad used to tell me that I needed to have something to fall back on in case I didn't make it in music and I refused. Nature dictates that when things get hard if I have something to fall back on, then I'm going to fall back on it. For me, it has to be, do this and be successful or starve. I left myself no choice. The universe has a way of turning things to accommodate you and your goals if you believe in it. People don't realize how powerful they are and how powerful our mind is. You can manifest anything, good or bad if you really want to. You have to trust your inner voice because it usually knows what you're capable of doing. If you're happy serving french fries, then you're successful. If you're miserable making millions of dollars a year then you need to change something.
(Jack Russell's Great White Promo Shot)
CM: You're onstage almost every weekend now, how are the shows going?
JR: The shows have been great. The band is getting more and more popular and people realize now that there are two Great White's on the road. Jack Russell's Great White is the actual, real voice of the original band that you know from the albums. I was a really big part of the sound and totality of early Great White, regardless of what has been said. I know the truth and I know what was what.
I actually heard (for the first time) one of their more recent songs about a month ago and I have to admit that Terry Ilous' voice sounded really good on it. I was really surprised that they (Great White) let him go recently and so I got in touch with him because I've heard he's a really nice guy. I have a feeling we're going to end up being friends. We're both singers and we've both got lead singer disorder (laughing) and I don't blame him for anything. He just took an opportunity that was offered to him and it was a good career move so why not? He wasn't being deceptive at all, it was my dear friends that were.
They turned around and did this lousy thing to him and he was totally blind sighted and I feel really bad for him. I saw the video of them with their new singer and Terry onstage together, showing that it was in the works for months and to me that just made it such a despicable act. They couldn't tell him in person or even make a phone call and that was exactly how it happened to me. That was what upset me. It wasn't the fact that they didn't want to play with me because I get it. I was a mess, I was a total wreck, but rather than have that conversation, they kept dodging me. I know what that's like to be treated that way and I felt bad for him. Terry is a good guy and I wish him the best. I have no ill will towards anyone at this point and I wish them all the best, but Terry maybe just a little more success than the others now.
CM: You have so many great things going on, what are you most looking forward to?
JR: I love that the music of Jack Russell's Great White is getting great reviews. Honestly, I'm looking forward to the day when I can just be billed as Jack Russell. That's the goal. I actually accepted an offer next year to do one of the rock cruises, something that I never wanted to do, but they persuaded me. It's a legends cruise in February with people like Roger Daltrey and the caveat was that I get to steer the ship because I'm a certified captain, and I'm billed as just Jack Russell and not Jack Russell's Great White. Sure, I'll steer the cruise ship (laughing) and sing a little, it's going to be a lot of fun.
The Hair Nation Tour this fall is another thing. Especially since Enuff Z'Nuff is going to be playing with us. Chip Z'Nuff and I are really good friends and I love that band. They have such amazing music and it saddens me that they've never had the opportunity to be as big as they should be. They're like a modern day Beatles and the album that they released in 1999 has some of the most amazing songs that I've ever heard, from start to finish. It was a brilliant record and Chip is just the sweetest guy and I love how he keeps that band going.
My first solo album, "Shelter Me" was just released last month and it's doing great. It was released in 1996 in Japan, but it was never released in the rest of the world until now. It features some really great musicians and has gotten rave reviews. It's probably one of the best sounding records I've ever done and it was cool because I got to sit and control the production side of it too so it came out sounding the way that I wanted it to. The drums are really upfront and in your ear which is cool.
CM: Looking a little further down the road, what is next for you?
JR: I'm gonna go pick up my laundry and (laughing)... We've got this tour coming up and a lot of shows this year. We're doing a tribute to Zeppelin starting in December based on the record that we did back in 1996. I've always wanted to bring that collection into different cities and so this year I said, just book dates for it, book away! I just want to be out playing because god knows how long I'm going to be able to use this voice. It's on loan ya know, God can take it back whenever he wants to so I want to use it while I still have it. I'm pretty beat up, I've put my body through a lot of stuff over the years so it's amazing that I still have it at all. The drugs and alcohol, falling down here, breaking this and that, I've really learned the hard way how important it is to treat your body well. Somehow I'm still here and so while I am I'm going to keep making music and hopefully helping people to forget their problems and have a good time for a little while.
CM: What would you like to tell those fans that love you so much?
JR: I want them to know how much I love and appreciate them. They've been so kind and supportive over the years and I owe them a debt of gratitude. If it wasn't for the fans I would never have been able to accomplish my dream and that is so precious to me. It's everything. When people come up and say that my music is part of the soundtrack of their lives you know, something was a wedding song or another song helped them to get off drugs, it's just everything. It means my life has meant something and I've somehow helped somebody and that's a gift that also gives me purpose. I'm here for a reason.
Please be good to each other because we're all we've got. We don't need to be haters or bullies or to treat each other badly, we need to help each other out. Life IS hard and everyone needs a helping hand at some point so you need to be there for your brothers and sisters.
(Jack Russell's Great White Promo Shot)
Check out tour dates for Jack Russell's Great White here, pick up some official merch here, and head over to Jack's official site to check out videos and more!
Thirty years ago this past summer Van Halen's "Dreams" was holding pretty steady on Billboard's Hot 100. It was the second single off of the band's 5150 album and it was performed during the Sammy Hagar era of the band. Nearly 20 years after the release of 5150 Hagar finally admitted that "Dreams" is one of his very favorite songs from his days in Van Halen. That might explain why he is prone to perform it in his solo gigs.
There were actually three different videos made for this song but the MTV generation heavily favored the one that featured the Blue Angels so that became this songs' visual calling card. Do you agree with Sammy? Is "Dreams" really one of the best songs that Van Halen has in their catalog? It has actually always been one of my very favorites. I can remember listening to the album when it was first released and thinking that this song was IT. How about you?
The Unsigned Artist Mixtape airs each Thursday at 9pm EST on Boom Radio found exclusively at DailyBOOM.net.
Boom Radio is your old school music authority & streams 24/7 with genre-based programs each evening.
This episode includes music by The Underground Vault, The Rapturous Nothing, Fieldcrest, Griffin Tucker, Wicked Wayz, The Pauley Lane Band, Tough on Fridays, Rebel Kicks, Taming Sari, The Delerium Trees, Drawing on Scars, Kambridge, Copperworm & The Gear.
DailyBOOM & Boom Radio is about to light up the summer of 2019.
If you are an unsigned artist or an unsigned band that knows how to rock out then we are looking for YOU to join our battle of the unsigned bands.
What is Boom Radio's Battle of the Unsigned Bands?
A tiered competition that will pit competitors against each other. Votes via social media will help to decide who moves on in each round of the competition.
Who is eligible to compete in Boom Radio's Battle of the Unsigned Bands?
Anyone that can rock out. We don't care if you're metal, hard rock, classic rock, alt rock, indie rock, prog rock... you get the idea.
Why is Boom Radio hosting a Battle of the Unsigned Bands?
Because your response to our requesting music from unsigned artists has been so great. We think you guys are pretty awesome & would like to help you gain some more exposure. Plus we wanted to give our listeners a fun way to get involved while supporting new music.
Also, why not? We want to help heat up your summer!
REGISTRATION FOR BOOM RADIO'S BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Space will be limited so if you are ready to rock then here's what you need to do-
You must include:
1. Short band/artist bio with all members listed
2. Band Photo
3. 2 (Two) songs that best represent your work on either an MP3 or Wav file
4. A registration fee of $10 will be collected. No, we don't really need your cash but this is the best way to make sure that entrants are as serious about this Battle as we at Boom Radio are!
5. Let your followers & fans know that you've entered and start rallying your troops because you're going to need them. Always use #BoomRadio & #BoomRadioBattle in posts on Twitter.
Send the first three of those things to
Cate@dailyboom.net and then you'll be directed on #4.
REGISTRATION CLOSES on June 10th
PRIZES
Well, of course, we are going to have lots of stuff for you. Details will be announced soon, but on the line will be an exclusive interview with a music outlet that reaches millions of people each month, plus a bunch of other special goodies.
"Allow me some time to play with your mind And you'll get there again and again Close your eyes and imagine my body undressed Take your time cuz we've got all night, oooh You on the rise as you're touchin my thighs and Let me know what you like If you like I'll go Down da down down down da down down I'll hold you in my hand and baby"
The early 90's were pretty damn emo. If you weren't walking around in a state of chronic melancholy you almost didn't fit in. Not that any of us really ever felt like we fit in. Douglas Coupland's Gen X novels reminded us that we were born into confusion so feeling like a misfit was par for the course. I had traded in my hairbands for Bush, Pearl Jam, Afghan Whigs and just about anyone else that was closer to Seattle or Portland than they were to the east coast. And then Janet Jackson reinvented herself and her sound.
Her self-titled album from 1993 stayed in my cd player for probably months straight. I was obsessed with the music, the videos, her abs- just everything. It was all so well-packaged (flannel shirts included) that it probably helped pull me out of my self-induced funk within a week or two. It was all so slick and between the videos and MTV's behind-the-scenes footage I really wished that I was one of her "kids" (dancers). I mean really now, they were just awesome. Check out the video for "If" below. It is still my fav and dear god, 25 years later I still remember the choreography!
I have to admit, I had completely forgotten about Lisa Fisher's "How Can I Ease The Pain" until MTV Classic played it's stunning video the other day. Whatever I was doing at the time, I stopped to watch every second of it. This, is easily one of the very best ballads of the 90's. When it was released back in 1991 Fisher kind of skyrocketed to success. She was the IT girl and was expected to follow "How Can I Ease The Pain" with years of equally gut-wrenching ballads. Her Grammy win for the track only reinforced that notion.
So where has Fisher been for the last 25 years? The answer is everywhere. She has toured, dueted and provided backing vocals for Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan... you get the idea. She also does tour on her own and sounds even better live. Few songs from the 90's connect with heartbreak quite like "How Can I Ease The Pain".
