"Something is wrong as I hold you near Somebody else holds your heart, yeah You look at me with your eyes in tears And then it's raining, feels like it's raining Oh no, tears are falling Oh no, tears are falling, whoo oh Oh no, tears are falling, whoo oh I saw you cry And now it's raining (yeah) Looks like it's raining (someone stole your heart) And now it's raining, feels like it's raining."
1984 was a monstorous year for KISS. Their album Animalize spawned the hit "Heaven's On Fire" and for the first time the hard rock icons were performing and shooting videos without their infamous makeup. It was almost strange to see them all glammed up. Big hair, lipstick and colored spandex replaced their old painted face look and the MTV crowd kind of ate it up.
By the fall of 1985 the boys were back with their 13th studio album, Asylum, which didn't do as well as its' predecessor. However, it brought with it one of my all-time favorite KISS tracks, "Tears Are Falling". The video was filmed earlier in the year in London and for whatever reason I was kind of obsessed with it. My uber religious mother believed that anything connected to KISS was leading fans down a path of imminent destruction, so I really had to keep my love for the band on the low.
Instead of watching MTV after school and out in the open like my friends I'd get up super early to watch it before mom crawled out of bed. There was a point in time when the "Tears Are Falling" video played at 6:40am for about a week straight and I was up and out of bed to see it.
Thirty-plus years later, I still love it so check out the video below!
We are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM. ICYMI Vivian Campbell is arguably one of the busiest men on the rock landscape right now. He just wrapped up playing a string of dates with his Dio-inspired bandmates from Last in Line and he will barely have a chance to catch his breath before joining Def Leppard for the European leg of their current tour. His year is booked solid and at least for right now, the iconic guitarist would have it no other way. It seems that he is quite content to be literally revisiting and honoring his early years with Dio while embracing younger generations of fans that show up night after night to hear the Def Leppard classics.
I caught up with Vivian the other day for a quick chat and discovered a man whose search for inner acceptance seems to have made his current joy that much more palpable.
Last In Line Promo Shot
Vivian on making the juggling of Def Leppard and Last In Line look easy:
"It's not easy I've got to say that, but I've always enjoyed my work and I think now I'm enjoying it more than ever. Over the last couple of years, and for the first time in my career, I'm happy with my guitar playing (laughing). It has always been a struggle for me because I've never really been content with what I did and finally after all of these years I realized that it's okay. We're all individuals and we all bring something to the table and while I may not be the worlds greatest guitar player, nobody sounds like me. We all have a unique voice and I'm happy with mine so I'm really enjoying my work.
I've also realized that while the Last In Line project is a side project, it's a very serious one to me. Especially in this day and age, you can't just phone it in. You really have to manifest it and do live shows to make it a real thing, so I've been committed to doing their tour. I am quite literally working all the time- I'm either working with Def Leppard or working with Last In Line. It's work that I really enjoy but it has also taught me another life lesson (laughing) and that is that I do finally see the importance of scheduling time off. I am intending to do that next year (laughing) because this year is already booked with both bands but next year I will plan a vacation."
Vivian on the differences between playing in both bands:
"I really enjoy both Last In Line and Def Leppard because they are two incredible bands filled with incredible musicians that I get to play with. I also get to exercise different muscles because, with the Leppard thing, it's the vocals that we're really known for. It's a high production show and very well oiled machine with two guitarists and Phil Collen really does all the heavy lifting. It's the vocal aspect there for me and being a rhythm guitar player, something that a lot of guitar players don't focus as much on, so I'm very proud of my ability in that. In Last In Line I'm not just the only guitar player but I'm the only melodic instrument in the band, we're not even touring with a keyboard player. That puts a lot of pressure on me as a guitarist but it's also very rewarding and it challenges me.
It brings me back to the origins of Last In Line, which goes back to the original Dio band. We took the name from Dio's second album and so this band is a great way for me to reconnect with that part of my life and that band. It's a challenge to play like that and I take pride in trying to nuance my performance night after night. Some of those guitar solos from those early Dio albums, in my mind I still haven't played right (laughing). I've played them 96 or 98 percent right but I'm still looking to get to a hundred percent. It's not even big things, it's tiny little things (laughing) but I need to challenge myself. I think that if you're not moving forward then you're standing still in life so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel but I am always trying to make things better.
The same is true with Def Leppard.Joe (Elliott) and I talk about it some nights right when we come off stage. I really do think that sometimes it's only us guys in the band that notice the details. As professionals, we all do have that desire and goal to make things better rather than just phoning it in and taking the easy road. I think that is the difference between bands that are successful and bands that maybe aren't doing well. It's a matter of professional pride."
Vivian on the creativity that still is running through his veins:
"A lot of people ask why Def Leppard even bothers making new records in this day and age when people just want to hear hits from the '80s. It's important to us. We make them for that percentage of our fan base that is really excited about new Def Leppard music but more importantly, we do it for selfish reasons. We do it because there is a creative element to what we do. We want to get better at the songs that are decades old but at the same time we have a creative muscle that we all need to exercise and so we still strive to make great new records too.
It's a strange time because back when Def Leppard or even the old Dio band were first starting out we had the ecosystem of MTV and of FM radio that actually programmed their own music nationwide and even worldwide. The digital age is so different and even with all of the media, it's actually very difficult to get new music out there. There's a percentage of fans of any band that really want that new music but struggle to find it."
Def Leppard Promo Shot
Vivian on watching the Def Leppard audience evolve over the years:
It's interesting and also a good situation for a band like Def Leppard that has been growing our audience for years now. There's a strong percentage of that audience that is like our children's age now and they come to the shows all excited to hear the hits of the '80s (laughing). It's so nice to reach beyond your own generation and see your audience grow. It's such an exciting thing and it has been happening for us for the last decade or so. We really feel the energy and as our audiences get younger they also are more energetic and we feed off of that and it makes our performance more energized.
Def Leppard was obviously very big in the '80s and then the '90s were rough because the musical landscape changed so much that we were playing live just for our core fans. The late '90s brought a change in the wind and more people started showing up and we noticed that a lot of them were younger. Last year we did 60 dates in North America on a co-headlining tour with Journey and probably 40% of that audience was younger. The energy that young people bring to the show is very palpable and we really feed off of that. Especially when your playing songs that are thirty years old (laughing), we are playing them for the audience and their excitement fuels us to make things even better. It's such a good thing and it makes us really happy."
Vivian on The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction:
"It's a great honor to be in the hall of fame and I definitely think Def Leppard deserves it. I'm happy because now I get to vote and have a say from the inside (laughing), but personally, I've never put a lot of stock in the industry awards. Being the new guy in the band (laughing) and it has been 27 years for me, but as a fan first, I remember buying the Hysteria album. I wore it out on cassette and then I bought it on cd, and I can remember being amazed that this landmark rock record wasn't even nominated for a Grammy. It had seven hit singles on it! That kind of framed my whole reference point for industry awards and I just don't think that they're totally reflective of merit. I will say that the thing that resonates with us is the fact that we got the biggest ever popular vote. The fans are very loyal and they made that happen. The people who have been with Def Leppard since day one are really the ones who put us here. I believe they're the ones who brought us to the attention of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
Vivian on the fans:
"The audience is vital. If there's no audience then there is no band and so that means there's no show. They are like an extra member of the band and if they aren't excited about the show then we're not so excited about playing it. We're kind of like vampires now, we feed off of that energy and if they're giving us a lot when we're giving even more back. There are certain cities all around the world that I really love to play because of their energy. There's really no such thing as a bad audience it's just a matter of how excited they can get, and then in turn how the can excite us."
Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words
I can't let go
If we take some time to think it over baby
Take some time, let me know
If you really want to go
Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song."
How can you not love a good power ballad? I mean, even if you hate hair bands, how can you not love a power ballad?? Aside from tugging at the heartstrings and connecting to people on a gut punch level, they were also a brilliant marketing tool back in 1980-something. Heavy metal bands already had guys liking them but women were often a tougher sell- until the power ballad came along. Love songs appeal to women and one 4 minute song could easily sell tickets to that demographic.
Picking a favorite is really tough because there were so many great ones. In the case of Cinderella, one of their ballads was their top charting hit of all time. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" seemed to speak to our teenaged generation just as much as it still speaks to a fortysomething going through a divorce now. Up until that point, the Philly-born band was firmly rooted in the hard rock scene and their videos were loaded with big hair, bright lights and a string of half-dressed chicks. This time out Tom Keifer sat down at his piano and just poured his heart out and boy did it work. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached number 12 on Billboard's charts.
More importantly, it's a ballad that still resonates to this day. Check out the video below!
There are so many misconceptions that go hand in hand with being a bonafide rockstar. One of the biggest is the notion that once you "make it" in the music industry and score a platinum record or some other oddly shaped trophy, you're set for life. You know, money just keeps on flowing while difficult doors are magically opened for decades on end. The real truth is that any end of the music industry is a really harsh place to exist, even on the best of days. You can be on the road playing sold-out gigs now and in six months time, you can be back to waiting tables with zero musical options. It's a scenario that Kip Winger knows well, as he went from riding the late 80's hard rock wave with his own band (Winger), to having his career all but buried by MTV- the same network that had made him a household name. The only solid guarantee in music is that you're going to hit bottom far more often than you strike gold and it takes talent, timing and unshakable determination to pull yourself back up again.
That sitting on the bottom feeling is something that Winger has dealt with on multiple occasions and it's likely a big part of what has helped to transform him into a man that is comfortable in his own skin, flaws and all. He carries with him a depth that only comes from a life that has been fully lived and transparency that is quite beautiful. While the rockstar days aren't totally behind him, composing symphonic music and simply striving to be better, is what captures the majority of Winger's attention these days.
I caught up with Kip Winger recently and quickly realized that he is the kind of man that carries with him a great deal of wisdom, the kind that can rub off if you're ready and willing.
Google the lyrics to any of the songs on some of Winger's solo albums like, "Songs from the Ocean Floor" or "This Conversation Seems Like a Dream" and half a verse into it you'll understand that his writing is deeper than most.
Kip Winger on writing rock, progressive and symphonic music:
“I'm a believer that if you want to be a good writer then you have to sit down and write every day. You can't just expect it to hit you on a sunny (or a cloudy) kind of day. I'm the kind of person that believes that you just sit down and make it happen. One day is good, one day is bad and one day you might get to an idea that you'll work on in a month. Organizational skills are key when it comes to inspiration because the inspiration will hit you and it'll leave you just as fast as it hits you. I have to have a recorder or something with you because the inspiration for music for me usually comes from my subconscious being almost in a state of a trance or I can be doing something like grocery shopping. I sit down and write every day when I'm home. I tour a lot and it's harder to do it when I'm on the road, but I do carry tools to write when I'm on the road. When I'm home I write every day and I try to keep the projects that I'm working on very organized. Now I have these big projects that take much longer than just sitting down to write an album, but even still an album will take me a year.”
Kip on his own personal writing style:
“I do a lot of stream of consciousness writing as well as pursuing specific ideas. I know what I like so I don't just meander around and hope to get struck by a great idea. I do get struck by great ideas and all of the best ideas are purely by accident. You can't just sit down and write a great idea and I challenge any artist in the world to say that their ideas came because they thought of them. It just doesn't happen like that. Those ideas come because you work, work, work and then the universe will show you something that you weren't seeing and it'll show it very clearly so that you think, 'Oh my god, that's amazing'. You spend a little time getting high on that feeling and then you try to develop it and realize you suck (laughing) because the idea alone was its' greatest fruition.
I don't think I'm different than many other artists and I think that my process is probably pretty similar to most people. I may just be more dedicated to it than most people and I'm probably less dedicated to it than some people. I'd say I'm in the more dedicated category and I know what it means to be an artist. Having that understanding is about all that I can hope for.”
Kip on what influences his solo work:
"Well in my solo stuff when you hear world music it's a direct descendant of Peter Gabriel. I never dug down into authentic world music, it all came from the generation of Peter Gabriel and other English artists that were introducing that stuff into their music. If you listen to a song like "Don't Let Go" off of This Conversation Seems Like a Dreamyou just have to know that I was heavily influenced by Peter Gabriel. There's no way around it and I'm proud of it because he is a towering genius among us, the guy is incredible.
Photo: Kip Winger & Robby Rothschild by Aline Narducci
Kip on the creation of "Sure Was a Wildflower", one of his favorite songs:
“I wrote that song for a movie. I read the script and I don't remember the name, but the movie came out and they didn't like my song (chuckling). I really like that song. I was working with a very well-known television composer named Dominic Frontiere, who did old school stuff like Outer Limits and The Flying Nun, plus he was a jazz guy. He was working on the film when we both lived in Santa Fe and so he asked me if I was up for writing a song for it. So, I wrote the song for the movie and they didn't like it so I put it on my album instead. The lyrics come right from reading the script and that's one of my favorite songs out of everything I've ever written."
Photo: Kip Winger- Official Facebook
Creative people generally aren't too quick to admit their fear of failure. Musicians and artists need to make money and admitting that you're insecure can prevent you from landing gigs, but that doesn't mean that the fear doesn't exist. In fact, it usually is just left unspoken, but festering beneath the surface. Making platinum records and earning Grammy nominations apparently won't chase these fears away either.
Kip on admitting his creative fears in spite of finding success:
“I mean it's terrifying, I'm not going to lie. I'm working on symphony number one for Nashville Symphony and I'm scared to death, it is terrifying. I don't think you ever get over that kind of fear. The only people that I know that have gotten over it are people with giant egos and those same people usually aren't the better artists. I don't think you can get over the fear if you know the difference, I mean, how can you? You've always got Beethoven looming over your head. In my case, there are great composers that I'm actually friends with now that crush me. I can call them up and ask what they did in bar nine million of their fifth symphony so I'm in a really strange situation. All you can do is one note after the next, or if you're a writer you put one word after the one before, after the one before that and pretty soon you've got a novel.”
If life is intended to be a journey then it's only fair that we would need some help along the way. Winger learned years ago that he is wise to watch and learn from the steps, and the missteps of others.
Kip on the importance of mentors:
“I actively seek out mentors. I grew up reading this book that my dad gave me, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. In it, he talks about shadowing those who are doing what you want to successfully do, and so finding a mentor has always been a big thing for me. Even at the ripe old age of 57, I still have a couple people that I consider my mentors. I'll call them up and ask for advice on all sorts of things like how to get out of problems, or I'll ask them to look at my music, or I'll ask them why I suck (laughing).
I don't think that need for guidance should ever go away. I think that if you believe your own gospel too much and think that you’re all that, then you become a fraud or a parody of yourself. You have to have the humility to look around you to see and understand that people are as good or better than you. The people that I'm looking at are usually better than me and so I just keep trying. There's nothing else you can do but keep trying to get better. You can't not be you, that's the other part of the equation.”
He has spoken often about taking ballet in his teens and how it was the key to unlocking his love of classical music and yes, Winger does still dance.
Kip on the importance of dance class, even still:
“I like to stay in touch with dance because when I compose music, I consider dance even if it's not something that's going to end up being choreographed. My last ballet class was maybe nine months ago. I recently did a tango class and I'm kind of interested in that. That was just last week actually.”
Photo: Winger Promo Shot
Kip on that new Winger project:
“Reb (Beach) and I are going to start writing and we'll try to knock something out in August. He's out with Whitesnake now and I'm very busy, so we've got some time set aside in August for us to get together and try to do something. I don't know what we're going to do and I don't like to preplan it. I like to sit down with Reb and see what the mood of the day is. It's impossible for Reb and I not to sound like Winger because the combination of us is the sound of the band, no matter what song we do.”
Kip on why he can’t just coast on Winger’s early success:
“I think human beings, in general, tend to be lazy. A lot of people can find success at one thing and be like, okay I did it, I'm done and I can live off of that credential for the rest of my life. I don't even feel successful in many ways, all of that stuff sort of passed by me and it never sunk in. I'm not the kind of artist that can repeat myself and so I don't just sit around and think of the glory days. The glory days for me are still ahead of me, in terms of art. For me, it all comes from a very artistic point of view. I'm not interested in the commercial aspect of it, to my own detriment by the way, because I'm not a rich guy. I don't have tons of money but what I leave behind, that's the most important thing."
As if the rock and symphonic worlds aren't keeping him busy enough, Winger has teamed with Damien Gray to create a piece of musical theater. Kip on Get Jack, a Musical Thriller:
“The Get Jackconcept album is coming out in the next couple months and then we're hoping to do a lab later this year. We've got a great director, Kelly Divine, and we just signed a producer so it's moving along but it's a very heavy lift. Hamilton took ten years before it was up and successful. This has so many moving parts and the scheduling is difficult but it's moving forward and I'm happy with the progress given what we've been able to put together.”
It only makes sense that a man who values mentors to facilitate his future growth would still have a pretty impressive list of things to do.
Kip on what’s next:
“Honestly, more of what I'm doing but I need to try and make it better. I'm done seeking out new genres. I'm not going to do that anymore and I'm actually going to try and reduce all of the different directions. I'd like to reduce everything down into my solo records because that's a place where I can do it all. I know who I am and I know my limitations very well. I don't have any pretenses about who I am. I keep moving basically, and I adapt and overcome. I've experienced tons of obstacles. My big thing is time and I don't have enough time to do all of the things that I want to be doing. I'm comfortable with who I am but I'm not comfortable with my ability, especially with my orchestral writing, I'm just not good enough yet. I might do another musical and I'd like to write an opera. Yeah, I'd really like to write an opera.”
By the look in your eyes You give me the feel, I've been longing for I wanna give you my soul All my life Cause you are the one I've been waiting for I've been waiting for so long When you came into my life It took my breath away And the world stopped turnin' round For your love
When you hear "The Scorpions", songs like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "No One Like You" probably first come to mind and why wouldn't they? The Scorpions are considered heavy metal royalty and they are one of the longest-running bands to still grace a stage. Rudolf Schenker and lead vocalist Klaus Meine first teamed up all the way back in 1965 and every album that the German group has released in the last FIFTY years has had its unmistakable imprint on it.
The Scorpions have found success by mixing ballads in with their rock anthems, most of which have been penned by Meine. He admits that many of these songs have been inspired by his wife of 40 years. "When You Came Into My Life" was first released back in 1996 and I think it's one of their best even if not the Scorpion's most popular power ballad. Check out the live unplugged performance of it from 2013 below.
We are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.
ICYMI:
KIX wasone of the hardest rocking bands to hit the Baltimore music scene in the late '70s and they eventually had a few solid hits like "Don't Close Your Eyes" and "Cold Blood" that were in heavy rotation on MTV. In the '80s, being on MTV every four hours meant that you were part of the crop of rock bands that sold out huge venues and raked in cash from (actual physical) record sales. A lot of people still believe that once you "make it" in the music industry you're sort of set for life if you handle your money properly. The actual truth is that the music business is at best, a harsh place to try and exist. You could be at the top of the charts and playing sold-out shows now and in six months you're back to waiting tables or washing dishes. The only solid guarantee is that everything changes, rising stars inevitably hit some sort of bottom and then it takes talent, timing and unshakable determination to get back up again.
KIX (Steve Whiteman, Jimmy Chalfant, Brian Forsythe, Ronnie Younkins, Mark Schenker) had a great initial run before deciding to call it quits in 1995. They took some time apart, enjoyed a little breathing room and eventually reunited with a fresh perspective on how to do things. For the last decade or so KIX has done things their way, playing only by their own rules and the payoff has been pretty sweet. I caught up with lead vocalist Steve Whiteman recently and he told me that they're booking as many gigs as they can juggle and new music may even be on the horizon. Check out the interview below!
Cate Meighan: How are you?
Steve Whiteman: I'm doing good, I'm having a pretty lowkey week. Just doing a little teaching and then this weekend we (KIX) fly out to do the Mohegan Sun in CT and then The Greasy Luck in MA and then we'll fly back home again. We're weekend warriors at this point in our lives and the traveling is really all I've ever known. I have to say, the momentum that KIX has had in the last ten years or so has pretty much blown our minds because we never expected it to come back this big and to have this many dates. The fans still care and they come out to the shows and at this point, we just feel blessed. We really couldn't be happier and I don't know what we've done to deserve it all but we sure do appreciate it.
CM: How do you balance teaching regular students with all of the traveling that you do?
SW: I'm home during the week so I teach two days a week, which occupies me and gives me something to do. Plus I'm helping people who are really searching for help from someone that has been out there and has chosen music as their career. I've been teaching for over 23 years now and when I get a couple of really good students with loads of potential then it's just so rewarding. Every once in a while I'll find a diamond in the rough and that talent is what is really fun to help develop.
(Photo: KIX Official Facebook)
CM:Was teaching always a goal or is it something that you sort of fell in to?
SW: It was more out of needing something else to do. When KIX decided to call it quits back in 1995, I was like now what the hell do I do? I can sing, I can play drums, and I can play guitar but I really can't do anything else. I figured all that I really could do with these things is take them and share them with other people and at first, it was difficult. It was also a little humbling coming off of the success of KIX, to go to a music store and sit down with a bunch of people that truly were there just to get an autograph and take a picture. It took a while to settle in and have serious people start coming to get vocal training and I also taught drums, guitar, and harmonica. I figured whatever the hell they want, I'll show them (laughing). Sometimes taking a break from a band like KIX gives you an opportunity to do something different with your life and fortunately for me, the band did come back together stronger than ever leaving me feeling extra blessed.
I was actually reluctant to get back into KIX too because I was really pretty happy teaching and doing my other band, Funny Money. That project allowed me the chance to write all the songs and to really perform my own music finally. I didn't get much of a chance to write in KIX so I was enjoying the experience of Funny Money. We were playing really small clubs but I didn't care because I've never had much of an ego, I just wanted to be out there in front of the fans. Some of those shows were so intimate that we were basically playing on footstools because the venues were so small and it never really mattered to me because I love music. Between that gig and teaching, I was really doing just fine and it took some coaxing to get me back on an airplane and flying all over the country with KIX again.
CM:KIX currently plays everywhere from small clubs to casinos and then huge rock festivals. Is there a type of gig that you prefer?
SW: I always look at what is in front of me. Like this weekend we are playing at the Mohegan and that's always a great venue. It's a free show so people can't complain (laughing). I also love the hometown gigs where the people that were there 30 years ago still come out and still support us like they did way back when. You can't beat a good loud Baltimore crowd or a good central PA crowd and to play in front of those people will always be very special.
Back in the day, we were claimed by Washington DC because DC 101 played us. We were claimed by Baltimore because 98 Rock played us, we were also claimed by the Harrisburg area because of the radio station that was there playing us, and then our hometown also claimed us. We had four different areas that claimed KIX as their hometown boys (laughing) and playing in those areas to this day is just really special.
CM: It has been a few years since your last new material, is there anything in the works now?
SW: In 2015 we did put out a record called Rock Your Face Off and it was for our diehard fans. We know at this point in life that new music does not have a chance in hell of getting on any radio stations because corporate radio is not going to play new music. The only way the fans hear it is by coming to the live shows- or the diehard fans will share it. I think artists in our genre have pretty much accepted the fact that if we're making a record it's for ourselves just to stay creative and for those diehard fans. Aside from that we really can't have high expectations for it.
We do it anyway though because you've got to keep those creative juices flowing so yeah, we are talking about getting together and seeing what we have. We've written music over the last several years and so now is as good a time as any to go back and see if we've written any gems and if we have some then we'll get together and make a record. Plus it's fun! It's fun to create something from nothing, from just a spark in your imagination to be able to turn that into a story with a musical accompaniment. You listen and hope that other people will like it and most of the time they don't (laughing). I mean for every ten songs you write you might have two gems but those gems are precious. I guess we'll probably start talking about the possibility of a new album soon.
(Photo: KIX Official Site)
CM: You really are loving this phase of KIX, aren't you?
SW: This is nothing but fun for us now. We're too old to have a lot of pressure (laughing) and we get along like brothers. We like being together and we like being on stage together. Since reuniting there has been such a great feeling within the band. We've matured so we know what's important and we focus on that. We also won't allow ourselves to be burnt out. We do what makes sense for us and we do it at our pace. As a singer, I have my limitations now. I can't go out and do 4 or 5 nights in a row anymore and I wouldn't want to. Everybody takes it nice and easy now and that's why we are happy and healthy.
CM: You have so many fans excited to see you at upcoming events like the M3 Rockfest (Columbia, MD May 3-5), what do you want all of those people supporting you guys to know?
SW: The whole reason that I got into music was that because as a kid loved it and I couldn't get enough of it. I would wear out records and cassette tapes. I spent 8-10 hours a day in my room playing drums and guitar. I mean what are the odds of being one of those few people that pick up these instruments and then actually gets to put out records? I never did it to be famous or to make money, I did it because I love music. Everyone in the band is the same way and that's probably why we are all so grounded and don't have attitudes or egos. It's all about the fans and without them, we wouldn't still be here. We are blessed to have them and blessed because of them.
Check out KIX's official site for news, tour dates, merch & more!
Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words
I can't let go
If we take some time to think it over baby
Take some time, let me know
If you really want to go
Don't know what you got till it's gone
Don't know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It's just this song."
How can you not love a good power ballad? I mean, even if you hate hair bands, how can you not love a power ballad?? Aside from tugging at the heartstrings and connecting to people on a gut punch level, they were also a brilliant marketing tool back in 1980-something. Heavy metal bands already had guys liking them but women were often a tougher sell- until the power ballad came along. Love songs appeal to women and one 4 minute song could easily sell tickets to that demographic.
Picking a favorite is really tough because there were so many great ones. In the case of Cinderella, one of their ballads was their top charting hit of all time. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" seemed to speak to our teenaged generation just as much as it still speaks to a fortysomething going through a divorce now. Up until that point, the Philly-born band was firmly rooted in the hard rock scene and their videos were loaded with big hair, bright lights and a string of half-dressed chicks. This time out Tom Keifer sat down at his piano and just poured his heart out and boy did it work. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached number 12 on Billboard's charts.
More importantly, it's a ballad that still resonates to this day. Check out the video below!
Gang fights Fatal strikes We lie on the wild side No escape Murder rape Doing time on the wild side A baby cries A cop dies A day's pay on the wild side Wild side, wild side Tragic life on the wild side Wild side, wild side Kickin ass on the Wild Side
Motley Crue's "Wild Side" always takes me back to high school- on one day in particular. When I was in 11th grade I'd spend my morning cramming in all of my academic classes so that my afternoon could be spent at a vocational school. Cosmetology seemed like a dream job for a 16-year old girl that spent plenty of time teasing her own hair and being in beauty school meant that I had a little card that gave me access to every professional beauty supply store around. My supply of Apple Pectin shampoo was endless and eventually, I traded in a big can of Aqua Net for an even larger can of Vavoom which cemented your hair in place AND made it smell like coconut.
Anyway, the afternoon bus was filled with headbangers that had zero desire to go to college when they could be learning how to take a car engine apart, cook like a pro or even become a medical assistant, all while in high school. This bus ride was the high point of most days because we truly became a family and had each other's backs, no matter what. Most days the same 3 people sat in the very last row trying to hide the fact that they were smoking a blunt. It was normal. We kept the windows open in the dead of winter and usually had an ancient bus driver that was more concerned with how loud the boom box was than anything else.
On this particular day, there was a fill-in, much younger bus driver, one who didn't care if the music was blaring. Motley Crue had just released Girls, Girls, Girls and the song "Wild Side" was our new anthem. Since the driver told the guys to play it as loud as they wanted to, our bus was rocking, with that one song playing on repeat. The guys decided to be extra brave and they lit up a bowl in the back seat. We figured that might be pushing it and halfway to the school the driver pulled over and came storming up the aisle. We thought we were dead. Since no one would dime anyone out I was expecting to go down for pot that I hadn't even touched. The guys hit the switch on the radio as the rest of us braced for hell. Instead, the young driver had come to the back of the bus to smoke with the guys!
After a minute or two, he galloped up the aisle, sat back down in the driver's seat and delivered us all to school, with Motley Crue still blaring, of course. Talk about taking a drive on the wild side!
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One of the coolest things about music is the way that it provides each and every one of us with the ability to travel through time. You know what I mean, a twenty-second song intro and for just a flash of a moment, you really do feel like it's 1990 all over again. FireHouse always takes me back to the tail end of high school, when graduation was imminent and I still had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with my life.
If you haven't had an opportunity to check this band out live then you really owe it to yourself to grab some tickets and just go. Back in the day MTV really pushed the power ballad side of FireHouse but one of the keys to their continued success decades later is the fact that they really know how to rock a live set.
I recently had an opportunity to speak with one of the driving forces behind the bands' continued success, founder/guitarist Bill Leverty. He brought me up to speed on all things FireHouse and more!
Cate Meighan: How have you been?
Bill Leverty: I'm good and I've been busy! I like being occupied and it's fun to be busy. I've never really liked being bored and I'm a type-A personality so I've got to get stuff done (laughing). It's great to be in a band like FireHouse that gives me the latitude to artistically do what I want to do. It's a group of four people (Leverty, C.J. Snare, Michael Foster, Allen McKenzie) so if you get your way one-fourth of the time then you've got pretty good odds (laughing). We all get along really well so it's a lot of fun
CM:You guys are in your 29th year together too. Could you have ever predicted that the success would continue for so long?
BL: I had sure hoped so. I really thought that we could last because we all come from the same personal life backgrounds. We all had good parents that taught us good values and how to respect one another. I think that's a fundamental thing and you've got to be able to do that in any business or art form, and so I always felt like we could do it. The odds were against us, but here we are 29 years into it and we're still playing and having fun so we're definitely lucky. We have our debates and at times heated discussions but in the end everyone is professional enough to be able to say, okay I lost that vote and it's no big deal let's just move on.
We all love playing live and we love to work and that's what it has been about for us. There isn't a lazy person in the band or the crew which is good because it can be really tough out there. We're up at 3 am to catch a 6 am flight, to end up somewhere that we'll have to wait for a couple of hours before flying on to the next place. Then we hop in a van for a few hours to arrive and set up a show that'll have a soundcheck if we're lucky. Then we grab something to eat and we get out there and smile and have a good time playing our songs. Sometimes there's no sleep, but we're so passionate about what we do. We love to get up there and play.
CM: You've released quite a bit of solo music. Do you struggle to balance that with the band?
BL: Juggling both is very easy because FireHouse is first and my solo career comes second. Actually, even other things can get ahead of the solo stuff, like if I'm mixing somebody's record then my solo career is on the back burner. I don't think that I ever made a conscious decision to go solo and I really take my time with it. I don't tour with it, all I do is write and record. My first solo tunes record came about because I had written a bunch of songs that didn't really fit FireHouse. I put them out there for the guys and ultimately they didn't get voted onto the record so I just kept my little pile over here. Once I had enough or even close to enough, I figured I'd go and finish them off and put them on a cd. That was a good learning experience for me because I'm trying to become better overall as an artist, not just as a guitarist. Although I think that being a guitarist is my main thing (laughing), I also want to become a better writer, singer, mix engineer, and producer. I want to learn how to make the drums and the bass work together better and harmonies work together better, and how to put in a string section- things like that. So it has been an educational thing and I've partly done it for that reason. Plus it's mine so I can do it all my way with no pressure or debate which makes it a great outlet.
I've put out four cd's now. One was a little too bluesy for FireHouse and another was of cover tunes that I had always wanted to do. They're songs that influenced me even before I started playing guitar. I started playing at the age of fifteen which is kind of late compared to most guys, and I was heavily influenced even as a listener by things like 70's funk. I wanted to do some things like that and cover some tunes that hadn't been done to death. I learned a lot about how those guys from the 70's worked by putting out those tunes and so again, it was really educational for me. Plus it was a lot of fun!
I'm about nine songs into my fifth solo album now. It's a therapeutic thing for me and anytime that I'm inspired to work I can come down into my basement, turn on my computer and I can write and record.
CM:How about FireHouse, is there any new music coming from the band?
BL: The way of thinking about releasing new music certainly has changed with the times. Having said that, we all want to do something else. I think the way to do that, just to get it started is to do the one-song-at-a-time approach. We've all got ideas and we all do want to do it, which is a good thing. What's really slowing us down is how busy we are on the road. Last year we did 57 shows and to do a show we usually leave the day before, play, and then fly home the day after that. Most of the time we're out for a few days and as the summer rolls in we'll be playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then flying home on Sunday. When you've been on the road and haven't slept much you need time to recover and then you do it again. We've all got families and personal lives to take care of too. Taking off for three months to write, record and mix an album doesn't make fiscal sense or even band sense for our crew to take off that kind of time.
Photo: FireHouse Promo
We could probably squeeze out a song on our days off if we knew that we had the right song to use. Right now we've got a lot of good ideas and I'm sure that we'll get around to figuring it out. I bet we have two CDs on our website right now that a lot of people don't even know that we've put out. They're "Prime Time" and "Full Circle" and you can always go to FireHousemusic.com to get those. We're really happy with the way that they've turned out so if you haven't already, go and have a listen.
CM: Were you excited when you learned that FireHouse is part of the M3 Rock Festival lineup again this year?
BL: I love festivals because they're such a great experience for all of the people that are out there. It's such a unique thing and with a festival like M3, I probably get excited a month in advance knowing we get to play it (laughing). They have such an A-list team behind the scenes to make it go smoothly. It's so good for the audience, and that makes it even better for the band. I mean even when little things go wrong like your guitar cable isn't working, if you blink your eyes you've got a guy handing you a brand new one. They're just that on top of things and everyone involved is just such a top-notch professional. The rotating stage they added last year just makes it truly a perfect event and there is no other festival that I've played that even comes close to it in my opinion.
We're going to play some songs in our shows this year that we've never really played before. We always try to add some deep tracks when it's a longer show. If it's an abbreviated set like M3 then we play the songs that ended up in Billboard's Hot 100 because that's what people want to hear. Otherwise, we try and mix it up and not make it a cookie-cutter show with the exact same songs in the exact same order
CM: The fans are so supportive of you and the rest of the band. What would you like to say to them in return?
BL: Thank you for making it so that we can still be doing this 29 years later. We're one of the luckiest bands because our fans have such an emotional connection to our music. The fact that we can still go out and play and make this our bread and butter is just wonderful. We're doing really well and I think that the band sounds better than we've ever sounded. The band is firing on all cylinders and we're having a lot of fun playing and we owe it all to the fans.
"Life goes on while you're miles away And I need you Time goes on as night steals the day There's nothing I can do You heal up my wounds I tasted your tears You spilled out your heart So I let out my fears
But one fear that I kept to myself Was how I prayed that you'd love no one else Like you're saying you love me"
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You already know how much I love hair bands (and if you don't know then just click the link at the bottom of this post to view the archive) but Poison has never been a favorite. Not even a little. Sure everyone around me was obsessed with them especially in the late 80's, but it took me a little longer.
My turning point came in 1990 when Poison released "Life Goes On". That song was and is even to this day, a pure rock ballad. It includes one of the best guitar solos of that era. It was also a turning point for the band because they were starting to trade in some of the glam elements for a more masculine vibe.
"Life Goes On" is almost like a lost hit because of so many of Poison's earlier tunes out-selling it. The thing about lost hits is that they are always a gift to rediscover, so enjoy this one!
My kids have a really hard time imagining what life was like back in the 80's, when patience and waiting were both the order of the day. We're all so used to YouTubing whatever video clip that we want to see when we want it that's it's almost hard to think of life before the internet. Back in 1984 our lives revolved around MTV and the fact that they seemed to repeat popular videos every 4 hours or so. Believe me when I say that my friends and I did the math and would come running inside when we thought that a favorite video was going to air.
One of the first ones that I can really remember planning my life around was Ratt's "Round and Round". It was before hair bands and glam metal had really hit the mainstream so they were really different. Plus they weren't just playing their song onstage somewhere, there was actually a freaky storyline that included an attic dinner with real rats and Milton Berle. It was really just a taste of what was to come because a few years later hair bands like Ratt were ruling the charts.
"Round and Round", off of Ratt's debut Out of the Cellar album ended up being their most popular song. It climbed to #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1984.
Every time I walk away It feels so wrong Tell me why I'll never stay Where I belong Ooh, take me home
XYZ. Do you remember them? They officially joined the glam metal scene in the late 80's and aside from being hot, they could really play. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1989 and "What Keeps Me Loving You" was the most successful track off of it. While it didn't crack Billboard's top 10 it did get an awful lot of airplay, especially on rock stations. While the 80's gave us lots of power ballads to connect with, this song is one of my personal favorites.
I think that most people believe that once you "make it" in the music industry you're sort of set for life if you handle your money properly. The actual truth is that the music business is at best, a harsh place to try and exist. You could be at the top of the charts and playing sold-out shows now and in six months you're back to waiting tables or washing dishes. The only solid guarantee is that every star eventually falls from the sky and then it takes talent, timing and unshakable determination to get back up again. That's why I love to see an old school band with a plan get another real shot to reclaim their spot amongst those stars.
Enuff Z'Nuff is the latest group to do just that. The band first formed back in 1984 with Chip Z'Nuff leading the way on lead vocals and guitar. They had a few solid hits like "Fly High Michelle" and "New Thing" that were in heavy rotation on MTV. Back in the day, being on MTV every four hours meant that you were part of the crop of headbanger heaven bands that sold out huge venues and raked in tons of cash from (actual physical) record sales. Enuff Z'Nuff may have fit into that mold but their sound has never actually just been straight metal. There also include pop, rock, blues and a touch of soul stylings in their songs and they have a catalog which runs 20 albums deep. Not bad for a band from Blue Island, Illinois.
While band members have come and gone, Chip Z'Nuff's positive determination to continue writing and performing has not only remained, but it continues to flourish. Enuff Z'Nuff is not only back with a new album, Diamond Boy (due out on August 10), but its' first single from it, "Metalheart" is already catching fire. Last week it was announced that the band (Z'Nuff, Tony Fennell on guitar, Troy Stoffregen on guitar and Dan Hill on drums) will hit the road this fall as part of SiriusXM's Hair Nation 2018 Tour.
Clearly, it's a rebirth for the band and Chip couldn't be happier. I had a chance to speak with him this week and his excitement is infectious. A few minutes into the conversation I found myself really rooting for his band to take these new opportunities and turn them into something even better.
(Photo: Dave Steckert)
Cate Meighan: Enuff Z'Nuff seems to be experiencing a bit of a rebirth and the fans are thrilled to see you guys back in a big way. How does it all feel for you now?
Chip Z'Nuff: The fan loyalty level is just amazing, I mean let's face it, things change and as an artist, I'm still out here trying to figure out what will trip their trigger. So for our band to still have that kind of base after so many years, it feels really great. There's a lot of groups like us still out there pulling in great attendance at their shows and it's because the music is strong and has lasted the test of time. That really says a lot There aren't a lot of radio stations really supporting rock-n-roll, however, any of the big bands that are out there, they're selling out arenas and stadiums. I think guys like Guns N' Roses have really given rock the shot in the arm that it needed. If you put all of those bands from the 80's and 90's together, they sold hundreds of millions of records. I'm really rooting for the newer bands out there like The Struts and Greta Van Fleet. I'd like to see some of them get a big break because it's such a fleeting and difficult business right now.
CM: Record sales used to be the biggest part of the business!
CZ: Yeah and you're never going to see that now with groups because people don't always buy the music, they get it for free. It's something the fans need to realize, that it takes hundreds of hours to create the music and then it costs a Brinks truck full of money to actually pay for the record. It's a different business right now and while bands love to go out and play live shows and do meet and greets, they also HAVE to do these things in order to stay alive financially. You play a two-hour show and then you rush back to the merch booth to say hi to the fans. It's something you really have to do now and it's important to the fans because back in the old days they couldn't get near their favorite musicians. Thankfully I love meeting the fans and I appreciate them. Steven Tyler says it best, "If you want to be successful in this business you've got to want it 24 hours a day." and I think that's true so meeting those who support the music is really important. I also think that Enuff Z'Nuff fans know that they are a huge part of our existence and that's why they're still supporting our music.
CM: I know that you're excited because your twentieth album, Diamond Boy, drops on August 10th. Has your writing process changed over the years and what inspired you this time around?
CZ: It has changed a little bit. There are so many great songs already out there, how many times can you say the same things? That's the biggest fear for any musician, just running out of material. When you look at bands like Aerosmith or Cheap Trick it's amazing how they keep coming up with songs and material. But there really is inspiration everywhere if you pay attention. Whether it's lipstick on a glass or something that someone else says that catches your attention as it slips off their tongue. The world is full of inspiration and you just hope that the songs come to you. For me as an artist, I might go a month without anything and then bingo, I'll write 3 songs in one day. I can't always explain what triggers it but I'm grateful that the songs still come to me.
This record was no exception. When Frontiers Music said that they were going to up our deal to include three records, that made me so excited and I just started to write about everything going on in my life. It's like an autobiography of things that I've been through and things that I've seen. The way the world has changed gave me tons of ideas for songs and we hashed out this record in about 17 days. It was incredible and we recorded it fairly quickly on two-inch tape like the old guys did. In the early days Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Queen and all of those great bands recorded on two-inch tape and so we decided to do the same. We played it live, had no room for error, no pro-tools stuff, and very minimal overdubs. We didn't want to overproduce this record and go crazy on it because we wanted to be able to go right out and perform it live. We wanted to sound just like the album live and so that was a big challenge, to not go overboard with production and I think we nailed it.
CM: That worked out pretty perfectly since you'll be performing on the SiriusXM Hair Nation Tour from September through November.
CZ: This is the first time in twenty years where we have just made a record and the label has us already set up to tour. Usually, you make the record and watch for the first 4-8 weeks to see if there's any traction. If the spark doesn't cause a fire then maybe you'll do a few shows but you're going to be making another record sooner rather than later, and that's if the label even still has confidence in you. The last record, Clown's Lounge, did well enough for them to tell us to make another one. We gave them the new album Diamond Boy and right away they got us on the Hair Nation Tour, which made us realize we actually have a chance again.
In the old days you had to sell 50,000 albums to make Billboard's top 200 album list, now with our album coming out in August and this tour starting in September, there's actually a chance for Enuff Z'Nuff to see a little bit of action. We hope that people will buy the record and it'll make them want to come and see us play live. Maybe we'll make some noise, move some units and get to do another tour after the Hair Nation Tour wraps up.
(Photo: Dave Steckert)
CM: I love your excitement right now, it really feels like a fresh start, doesn't it?
CZ: This is a real test for Enuff Z'Nuff right now because it really is a new chapter in our band life. Everything is new and some great things are happening for us. If you told me ten years ago that this would happen for us again I would never have believed you, so I'm determined to work my ass off now to make sure that we make the most of this opportunity. This is our 20th album and there's never a guarantee that you'll get to do another, so it's truly amazing to get to keep doing this. I give so much credit to the band for wanting to continue to make new music with me. A lot of the guys our age are living in the past and playing their songs from a long time ago. It's an honor to be able to play stuff that's decades old, especially when you know that people still love it, but it's risky and a real challenge to put out something new. I give my band credit for being bold and brave enough to do it.
CM: As a band, do you plan ahead or do you just go with the flow and let things unfold for you?
CZ: Obviously, I'll have ideas or a template for what I hope to do but some things just come to you. There's no way to plan things out to perfection so as I sit here, the glass is half full. It's a positive vibe every single day and I wait for the team (laughing). The inmates are no longer running this asylum. I listen to my management team, the booking agent and anyone else that is truly looking out for our best interests right now. I look at what they suggest and generally go with it and it seems to work out well that way.
Obviously, some things come in at the last minute because this business is predicated on friendships and years of business relationships, so we'll show up and support each other. You can never plan completely what you're going to do because we're living in a time of too much product and not enough demand. So when someone asks, you get on that plane and go. If you want it then you better get out there and hustle for it because no one is just going to hand it to you.
We're going to make the most of things right now. The band is sounding stronger than ever live and we have a ton of shows happening, aside from the Hair Nation tour. We're going to take this new record and bring it to South America, Mexico, Europe and wherever else. We know that there are fans all over the place and I want us to really reach them.
(Photo: Dave Steckert)
CM: The first single from Diamond Boy, "Metalheart" has been well-received by both the fans and the critics. That has to make you feel pretty good.
CZ: "Metalheart" is doing really well and I never would have guessed that it would (laughing). I write the songs but I don't pick what comes out as a single, the record company basically comes in and tells us what will be the first song. We can give a suggestion but that's it, they do have the final say and they were really smart to put that one out first. "Metalheart" is getting some real traction because the pop fans like it as well as the rock fans. We're not really a metal band, or just a rock band, or a pop band. We end up with all three of those elements in our music, which is great for us, but I think it's hard to actually categorize Enuff Z.Nuff's sound. They say you are what you eat and we definitely have moments of resembling the sound of those groups that we grew up on. You might hear something Beatles-esque in our music, or a riff might remind you a little bit of a Zeppelin song. That's what we were raised on and those stylings have stayed with us. It's not just metal or just rock for us. We love it all and to not fall into just one category for our music is really a compliment that we love hearing. Sounding unique is what keeps people interested.
CM: So, the album is out on August 10th and the tour starts in September. Are there any other surprises coming for us?
CZ: Actually, we just finished shooting videos for two singles with Paul McCartney's videographer here in New York, which was amazing. The guy is terrific and he has a wonderful sense of things and so I'm really excited to have these videos come out in conjunction with the record. I think the fans will love them!
(Photo: Dave Steckert)
CM: What would you like to tell those fans that are so excited to see Enuff Z'Nuff thriving again?
CZ: I hope all of our fans live to be 100 years old (laughing), I really do. I also hope that their worst day of this year is like the very best day that they had last year. Nothing but great, positive things for our fans. To say thank you is not nearly enough. I'm going to keep writing the best songs that I can and putting out the best music possible. I want our fans to know that it's a new chapter for Enuff Z'Nuff, we're back and we can't wait to see you all at the shows.
Head over to Enuff Z'Nuff's official site to keep up to date on everything that the band has going on. Check out upcoming tour dates here and support the band by buying a copy of Diamond Boy here!
