Bryan Adams Interview Part 2 - "Reckless Deluxe" + new album in 2015

BRYAN ADAMS TO RELEASE THREE ALBUMS 

IN THE COMING 15 MONTHS (part 2)

ROCK´N´TALK: NEXT NOVEMBER 5^th IS NOT ONLY YOUR BIRTHDAY, IT´S ALSO 30 YEARS TO THE DAY “RECKLESS” CAME OUT AND YOU´LL BE RELEASING A “DELUXE” EDITION. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT PROJECT? 

 

Bryan Adams: It’s got 7 bonus tracks, some songs were covered by other artists,

LET ME DOWN EASY

TEACHER TEACHER

BOYS NITE OUT

DRAW THE LINE

PLAY TO WIN

DANGEROUS (RECKLESS)

but this will be the first time you will hear my versions of them, there are some other unreleased tracks too, maybe it will be apparent why I never did proper recordings of them, but listening to them all now, there was another album waiting to be released and it was completely ignored. Instead we wrote “Into The Fire”…

R´N´T: LOOKING BACK NOW, IS THERE ONE PARTICULAR SONG YOU THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE PUT ON THE ORIGINAL LP?

BA: Probably all of them. I left "Diana" off the album out of respect for her. (NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: For that same reason, I will not post that video, either).

R´N´T: I THOUGHT “EDGE OF A DREAM”

ALMOST ENDED UP ON “RECKLESS” AND IT GOT LEFT OFF AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT IT´S NOT ON “RECKLESS DELUXE”. IS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON FOR THAT?

BA: I tried to find the demo, but it doesn´t exist sadly...

R´N´T: YOU´VE ATTRIBUTED THE SUCCESS OF THE ALBUM TO MANY THINGS: ALL THE TOURING YOU HAD DONE IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, TIMING, THE HELP OF MTV… AS FOR THE SONGS THEMSELVES (WRITING, PRODUCTION…), DO YOU THINK THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THEM THAT MADE THEM STAND OUT FROM BOTH YOUR FIRST THREE ALBUMS AND ALL OTHER ALBUMS RELEASED IN ´84-´85?

BA: It was as if the other albums were practice runs leading up to Reckless, and there was a great team behind it, Jim, Bob Clearmountain (engineer and co-producer) and even Bruce Allen my manager. Bruce pushed to make it rock harder.

R´N´T: YOUR PREVIOUS WORK, “CUTS LIKE A KNIFE”, WAS THE FIRST ONE RECORDED WITH YOUR TOURING BAND (KEITH AND DAVE DID NOT PARTICIPATE ON “YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT” YET). COMING TO RECORD “RECKLESS”, HOW IMPORTANT WOULD YOU JUDGE THEIR INPUT AS FAR AS THE SOUND OF THE ALBUM GOES, SONG ARRANGEMENTS, ETC.?

BA: Certainly Keith was majorly important, he was such a great ally in the studio and worked hard to get good sounds, we were both into the equipment and getting great gear, that helped a lot. 

Mickey Curry and Pat Steward played drums and they took the ideas that Jim and I had and worked them out with me in the studio. 

 

I just wanted to have a band that was the same on the record as the albums and it was good for a time. 

R´N´T: DID YOU HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANTED THE RECORD TO SOUND LIKE, OR DID YOU TAKE SUGGESTIONS FROM BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN? WHAT WAS YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH HIM DURING THAT PROCESS?

BA: He’s amazing and was the most important part of the team in making the record itself. He would always start off by getting a great drum sound, and from there it was making sure we had a great performance. But he wasn’t involved in the arrangements, that was all Jim and myself. He was there to make sure we made our songs into ‘records’ and there was no one in the world better for what we were doing than Bob. The guy is a master sound maker and still is. 

R´N´T: DO YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES SHOW ON “RECKLESS” OR WOULD YOU SAY BY THAT TIME YOU HAD ALREADY DEFINED THE BRYAN ADAMS SOUND AND THAT´S WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE?

BA:  My sound is just my voice.

R´N´T: WERE THERE OTHER SONGS RECORDED FOR THE LP THAT YOU HAVE NOT INCLUDED IN THE “DELUXE” EDITION?

BA: Yes and they are all coming out.

R´N´T: RIGHT NOW THERE´S A “RECKLESS 30^th ANNIVERSARY TOUR” PLANNED FOR THE UK AND EUROPE IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER (I´LL BE SEEING YOU IN LONDON MYSELF) AS WELL AS IN CANADA IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2015.

R´N´T: ANY PLANS TO KEEP DOING THAT DURING THE REST OF 2015?

BA: Yes it will carry on for a while I would imagine. (NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Check the tour dates at www.bryanadams.com)

R´N´T: IN 1988 YOU WERE ASKED TO LOOK BACK ON YOUR CAREER AND SAY IF YOU THOUGHT ONE OF YOUR ALBUMS SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER AND YOU ANSWERED “YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT” (I AGREE 100%). IF I ASKED YOU THE SAME QUESTION NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

BA: It’s not fair to say one should have done better than another, they all did pretty good, some better than others. That’s the way it is.

R´N´T: ANY PLANS OF RELEASING ANY MORE “DELUXE” EDITIONS OF OTHER ALBUMS?

BA: There are no plans, it was tough enough to find the material for Reckless, A&M records lost all the original artwork and master tapes.

R´N´T: I HAVE TO TAKE THIS CHANCE TO ASK YOU TWO QUESTIONS. MY FAVORITE ALBUM EVER IS “INTO THE FIRE”, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED ALBUMS IN THE HISTORY OF ROCK´N´ROLL, IN MY (AND MANY OTHERS´) OPINION. WITH THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE 27 YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SINCE ITS RELEASE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? 

BA: I like that album too. It was the beginning of a new way of working, technology was starting to weed it’s way into our work, there were some good songs too.

R´N´T: ALSO, I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO LISTEN TO WHAT JIM CALLS “THE LOST ALBUM”, THE ONE YOU WORKED ON WITH STEVE LILLYWHITE IN BETWEEN “INTO THE FIRE” AND “WAKING UP THE NEIGHBOURS”. I´VE LISTENED TO “AFTER THE THRILL IS GONE” AND OTHER SONGS YOU GAVE AWAY DURING THAT PERIOD LIKE “ROUGH TOWN”

OR “NATURE OF THE BEAST”.

I LOVE ALL THOSE SONGS. WILL YOU EVER CONSIDER RELEASING THOSE DEMOS, MAYBE INSIDE A BOX SET ANTHOLOGY OR ANY OTHER FORMAT?

BA: I´m not sure, maybe.

R´N´T: AS I MENTIONED EARLIER YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON AN ALBUM OF BRAND NEW SONGS. PLEASE TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT.

BA: I´ve been working with Jeff Lynne. Jim and I send a demo to him and he sends back a master tape. It´s amazing. If all goes well, it will be one of the best records I´ve ever made.

R´N´T: YOU JUST MENTIONED TWO VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE YOU CHOSE TO WORK WITH ON THIS ALBUM. THE FIRST ONE IS JEFF LYNNE, WHO IS PRODUCING IT. 

HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ACHIEVE BY HIM PRODUCING YOUR SONGS? 

BA: We met in the 1980´s when I played up in Birmingham, I should have asked him to produce "Into The Fire" now that I think of it, but anyway, we met again recently and he asked me if I wanted to do a track together. We´ve done 7 so far.

R´N´T: THE OTHER ONE IS, OF COURSE, JIM VALLANCE, WHO´S CO-WRITTEN ALL THE SONGS WITH YOU. 

I KNOW THAT NOWADAYS YOU DON´T EVEN HAVE TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER TO DO THAT; YOU´D EXCHANGE IDEAS VIA EMAIL AND YOU´D HAVE THE SONG, SO THERE´S ONE BIG CHANGE FROM WHEN YOU TWO FIRST STARTED OUT. BUT WHAT I´D LIKE TO KNOW IS: 

IN ALL THESE YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED, ESPECIALLY AFTER GETTING BACK TOGETHER TO WRITE, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES IN HIS SONGWRITING METHOD, WHETHER AN EVOLUTION OR A DIFFERENT APPROACH? AND THE SAME QUESTION GOES FOR YOURSELF: HAVE YOU CHANGED THE WAY YOU WRITE SONGS OVER THE YEARS?

BA: It´s all changed but it’s all the same. We can still work the old way of sitting together, and we can use the internet to send files and ideas back and forth, it's working well.

R´N´T: NOT THAT LONG AGO, ONLY A FEW YEARS BACK I THINK, YOU SAID YOU WERE NOT PLANNING ON RECORDING ANY MORE ALBUMS BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND THAT YOU´D RATHER PUT OUT INDIVIDUAL SONGS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. NOW YOU´RE GOING TO RELEASE THREE ALBUMS. WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND?

BA: I tried to get everyone interested in the one song at a time idea, but the record company people are only interested in things the old way, so I carry on as I always have.

R´N´T: IS THERE ANY OTHER PROJECT IN SIGHT FOR THE NEAR FUTURE, IN MUSIC OR ANYWHERE ELSE?

BA: The only thing that comes to mind is the duet I did with Diana Krall of the Randy Newman song “Feels like home”.

R´N´T: HAS PARENTHOOD CHANGE YOUR CAREER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? DO YOU PLAN TO “ROCK ´TIL YOU DROP” OR WILL THERE COME A TIME WHEN YOU´LL SAY: “OK, I´M GOING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY FAMILY NOW”?

BA: I’m really not sure, and if you had asked me this question 30 years ago, I would have said the same thing. Eventually everyone ends up as Voltaire describes in Candide, in the garden.  

R´N´T: OK, ONE FINAL QUESTION AND IT´S A PERSONAL ONE. YOU´VE PLAYED MY HOMETOWN OF BILBAO, SPAIN THREE TIMES: 

JUNE 1988

DECEMBER 1991 AND FEBRUARY 2005. I´D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR MEMORY OF ANY OF THOSE GIGS AND THE CITY.

BA: Not really, I should have stayed longer when we came through there on my way to England in the 60´s to see my Grandparents, and we all had to endure the ferry on the Bay of Biscay, which even today was the worst boat trip I´ve ever been on!

R´N´T: WELL BRYAN: I CAN´T THANK YOU ENOUGH. NOT ONLY FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, FOR WHICH I WILL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR ALL THE JOY YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THROUGH YOUR MUSIC. SO THANKS AGAIN AND HOPEFULLY I WILL BE SEEING YOU VERY SOON. TAKE CARE AND GOOD LUCK IN THE FUTURE. KEEP ON ROCKIN´!!

BA: De nada (sic), thank you.

P.S: You can follow Bryan on:

Twitter:               www.twitter.com/bryanadams

Facebook:          www.facebook.com/bryanadamsofficial

YouTube:            www.youtube.com/user/bryanadams

And on:               www.bryanadams.com

Bryan Adams Interview Part 1 - Talks about "Tracks Of My Years"

BRYAN ADAMS TO RELEASE THREE ALBUMS 
IN THE COMING 15 MONTHS

The Canadian rocker is planning to release not one, not two but THREE albums in the near future. He talks to us in the following conversation via email. 

ROCK´N´TALK: First of all, thank you so much for doing this. I´ve been a fan of yours for almost 30 years now and it´s a pleasure and an honor to be able to have this conversation with you. 

Now, for people not following you on a daily basis, some may think you haven´t been very active recently since your last studio album, “11”, was released in 2008. Could you tell them what you have been up to ever since, both in music and other fields?

Bryan Adams: Touring, writing and starting a family. This year alone, I’ve been working on 3 albums: Tracks Of My Years, Reckless (reissue) and a new album of music with Jeff Lynne producing.

R´N´T: Ok, so today, October 6, you are releasing “Tracks Of My Years”, an album of all covers except one brand new song, co-written with Jim Vallance.

R´N´T: How did this project come about?

BA: I was approached by Verve Records and David Foster who wanted to make an album of covers. It was interesting in some respects as it's the first record deal I’ve had in the USA since the 1990’s.

R´N´T: Why did you choose these songs in particular?

BA: They weren’t necessarily the songs that influenced me, they were just popular songs that were around when AM radio was big in the 70’s around the time when I decided to make music.

R´N´T: Was there a concept behind these choices?

BA: The record company wanted songs that made the top 10 and I just wanted them to sound like me.

R´N´T: I know you grew up listening to hard rock. Did you ever consider including songs by Humble Pie, Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin, for example?

BA: Yes but those songs are mostly untouchable recordings. I did do the Muddy Waters classic “You Shook Me” which is as close to any of my Led Zep roots as I could get.

R´N´T: Let´s talk about some of the bands. Being a Beatlemaniac myself, I have to start with the Fab Four. Why did you choose “Anytime At All”?

BA: I needed to do one of their tracks, as it was their fault I even started to sing, but couldn’t really touch the big ones, so I did one of the lesser known Beatles' songs, if that is possible. 

R´N´T: Some of the songs you´ve written in the past sound very “Beatlesque” or even John Lennon influenced (“I Was Only Dreamin´”, off the “Room Service” album is the first one that comes to mind).

Have you ever done that on purpose like thinking “I want to write a tune that sounds like The Beatles” or did you just write it and thought that kind of arrangement would fit the song?

BA: Not really, but Beatles' songs and their arrangements, influenced me and hundreds of musicians all over the world…it's still going on.

R´N´T: You met Paul McCartney at the Prince´s Trust concert in 1986

and have been in contact with him after that. 

I suppose you don´t get starstruck anymore but, being a fan, do you still get nervous like, the day before, thinking “I´m going to be with Paul tomorrow!!”?

BA: Oh you’d be surprised,  it’s easy to get star-struck when you meet someone really influential.

R´N´T: Speaking about the Prince´s Trust, you met George Harrison in 1987

and he asked you for an autograph for his son. Have you met Dhani after that and talked about it? Have you listened to his music?

BA: I don’t remember George ever asking that, but you might be right (NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: I AM right 😉) . Dhani is doing really well with his music, he’s working in film now.

R´N´T: Getting back to “Tracks Of My Years”, another band you´ve covered is Creedence Clearwater Revival. one of the first albums you ever bought was “Willy And The Poorboys”. Is that why you decided to cover “Down On The Corner”?

BA: Yes that is the reason, I love John Fogerty’s songs.

R´N´T: What was it about CCR that attracted you in the first place?

BA: Probably the hair.

R´N´T: Moving on, you´ve also covered Kris Kristofferson.

Do you like country music? Who else besides Kris?

BA: There are lots, Hank, Dolly, Willie, George, Waylon…Alan Jackson, amazing songwriters

R´N´T: Your love of music includes hard rock bands, bluesmen, the singer-songwriter-guitarist figure, soul singers, even reggae or flamenco. Have you ever considered DOING a project of one specific genre?

BA: I think I’ll stick to what I’m doing.

R´N´T: “Lay Lady Lay” is another one, from arguably the best songwriter ever. What does Bob Dylan mean to you?

BA: I’ve done shows with Bob, he’s incredible, what can you say that hasn’t been said?

R´N´T: Of course, you couldn´t make a covers album and not do a song by one of your heroes, Ray Charles…

BA: Can’t Stop Loving You was the first song recorded for this album, the idea was to do it without the choir and all the reverb. Even so it’s still not as good as Ray.

R´N´T: Do you think he would have liked “The Right Place”, the song you wrote for him but never got to hear? 

BA: I like to think he would have…

R'N'T: YOU SAID STEVE MARRIOTT COULD HAVE SUNG "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO HARD TO LOVE", THE FINAL SONG ON YOUR "ROOM SERVICE" ALBUM. I THINK YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB YOURSELF

but who else would have done it justice? Etta James, maybe? Can you imagine that song in her voice?

BA: Etta could have sung anything. Steve was amazing, it’s really too bad he’s gone.

 

R´N´T: Most people who haven´t followed The Beach Boys associate them with “Surfin´ USA” and that kind of stuff. However, there´s much more to them than that. In fact, you´ve recorded the song that Paul McCartney once defined as “the best love song ever written”.

What can you say about that band?

BA: Great band, really unique, they influenced the Beatles if you can imagine that.

R´N´T: What´s the best love song ever written, in your opinion? (in Mine, it's “Heaven” 😉)

BA: Everything I Do, I Do It For You!

R´N´T: i LOVE YOUR COVER OF "MANY RIVERS TO CROSS"...

R´N´T: To finish off with “Tracks Of My Years”, there´s a brand new song by Adams/Vallance…

BA:  Yes, She Knows Me

aFTER YOUR SPLIT IN 1989, YOU STARTED WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN SPORADICAlLY A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT NOW YOU TWO HAVE WRITTEN A WHOLE ALBUM TO BE RELEASED SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, ABOUT WHICH I WILL ASK YOU LATER BUT, WHAT'S THE SITUATION BETWEEN YOU TWO RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU PLANNING ON WORKING AS A SONGWRITING TEAM AGAIN ON A REGULAR BASIS?

BA: Yes we write all the time now, and I think it's safe to say I think we will continue to write a lot more. Next year I hope the album will come out that we’ve been writing, and it’s being produced by Jeff Lynne. 

Interview with Share Ross (Vixen)

Vixen is about to embark on a Spanish tour and bassist Share Ross has been cool enough to answer a few questions about these shows and her projects both with the band and other bands, as well as outside music.

ROCK´N´TALK: LET ME START BY THANKING YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS. I´VE BEEN A FAN OF THE BAND SINCE THE FIRST RECORD CAME OUT AND IT´S A THRILL TO BE DOING THIS. 

I´D LIKE TO START ASKING YOU HOW YOU GOT INTO ROCK´N´ROLL. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT HUNDREDS OF BANDS FORMED IN THE STATES WHEN THE BEATLES APPEARED ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. DID YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF "LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE" BY LISTENING TO A CERTAIN BAND, GOING TO A CERTAIN CONCERT, ETC. OR WAS IT MORE LIKE A LITTLE BY LITTLE THING?

Share Ross: Thanks so much Iñigo. My start was not really down to one band but more down to one person... my mom! She was a musician and a piano teacher, too. From the time I was 8 years old, I knew I would be in a band. 

R´N´T: WHAT BANDS DID YOU LISTEN TO AS A TEENAGER? WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO NOW?

SR: As a teenager, I was really into a combination of what my older brothers liked and what was on the radio. My brothers got me into Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Cream and The Beatles. And the radio got me hooked on bands like Cheap Trick, Sweet, ZZ Top, ELO and Aerosmith. 

I still listen to all of them! But I also love Nikka Costa, The Hives, Mott The Hoople, Miles Davis, Count Basie, and I have a big love for Cuban music. 

R´N´T: WHAT BANDS DID YOU PLAY FOR BEFORE VIXEN AND WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DID THEY PLAY?

SR: Oh my. I played in a LOT of bands before Vixen. I was a jazz bassist for a few years so that kept me busy. But my first band was in high school - Broken Arrow. We played straight up rock. 

After the jazz stuff, I went back to rock music and was also gigging as a session player. I played with everyone from The Drifters, The Coasters, Helen Reddy, Del Shannon, The Temptations .... and a lot more that I don't remember now. 

R´N´T: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY BASS AMONG ALL OTHER INSTRUMENTS?

SR: For some bizarre reason, whenever I played duets on the piano I always wanted that left hand bass part. And again, my mom played an upright bass for a while and I really loved the sound and feel of that instrument.

When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to switch from piano to either bass or guitar and quite frankly... I was just a whole lot better as a bass player than a guitarist! 

After Vixen, in Bubble, I did finally become a guitarist but I did it my own way... on a 5 string open-G tuned Les Paul!!!! 

R´N´T: IF I´M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU WERE THE LAST ONE TO JOIN THE BAND AFTER JAN, JANET AND ROXY. HOW DID YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF VIXEN?

SR: Jan Kuehnemund had seen me playing bass in one of those bands I was hired in. We were playing The Central (now The Viper Room) on the Sunset Strip. She came up to me afterwards and we chatted about her band, Vixen. She wrote her number down on a napkin and I didn't really think anything more about it. 

A few months later, I wanted to connect with bands and get out of being a session player and dug her number out of my bag. (Thankfully I still had that napkin!!!) I called her up and after a few moments of small talk, she asked, "Did you hear something weird about Vixen?" 

I replied, "No. Nothing! Why?"

She answered, "It's just odd that you called right now. We just fired our bass player about an hour ago." 

The rest is history. 

R´N´T: THE ONLY SUCCESSFUL ALL-GIRL ROCK´N´ROLL BAND I CAN THINK OF BEFORE YOU GUYS IS THE RUNAWAYS. BECAUSE OF THAT, DID YOU FEEL YOU HAD TO DO AN EXTRA EFFORT TO BE TAKEN SERIOULSY BY THE MUSIC BUSINESS, THE MEDIA OR EVEN THE ROCK FANS?

SR: It's crazy, isn't it? There's sooooo many talented female musicians around and yet… not a lot of successful all-girl bands. We simply refused to focus on any extra efforts and concentrate on our fans support. That's who made us and it's still who we thank on a daily basis. 

The music business is run by a bunch of corporate suits who don't give a shit about music for the most part. So personally, I never gave a shit what they thought about me or any band I've ever been in. 

I'm a music fan at heart ... so I only care about the fans 😊

And ... by the way, we've been doing a few shows with Lita Ford and she is really fuckin' awesome. 

R´N´T: DO YOU THINK IT´S EASIER NOW FOR ALL-GIRL ROCK BANDS TO SUCCEED? OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE BARRIERS YOU ENCOUNTERED WHEN YOU WERE STARTING OUT REMAIN OR ARE THEY GONE BY NOW?

SR: I certainly hope so!!!! The one thing that's different is the internet has made it easier to get your music out there. The other thing that's changed is people used to be shocked that we were playing our own instruments. That is not shocking anymore!!!! Just look at YouTube. There's legions of amazing, REALLY amazing chick players out there now. 

R´N´T: FOR ME, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "VIXEN" AND "REV IT UP", YOUR SECOND ALBUM, IS THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND WROTE 10 OF THE 11 SONGS ON IT, WHEREAS IN THE FIRST ALBUM MANY SONGS CAME FROM OUTSIDE WRITERS. WERE YOU FEELING MORE CONFIDENT AS SONGWRITERS AT THE TIME OF MAKING THAT RECORD?

SR: Ha! I think it was more like we were way more pushy about using our own songs on the second record. We were just as confident on the first record but we were still proving ourselves. 

R´N´T: WHEN GRUNGE APPEARED IN 1991 IT SEEMED TO KICK EVERY ROCK BAND OUT OF THE MUSIC SCENE. WAS THAT THE REASON WHY WE DIDN´T HEAR FROM THE BAND FOR A LONG TIME? WERE THERE OTHER REASONS?

SR: That definitely contributed. But like many bands, we sort of imploded at the time. There were a ton of factors and the change in the music scene didn't help!!!!

R´N´T: WHAT DID YOU DO ALL THOSE YEARS UNTIL YOU REJOINED VIXEN?

SR: At first I threw my bass in a closet and locked the door. I was mad at the music business!!! But then I got over that attitude and started playing in a band called Havana 3 AM. 

(NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: in 1991 Share also played in Contraband with Richard Black, Michael Schenker, Tracii Guns and Bobby Blotzer. Check out “Loud Guitars, Fast Cars, Wild Wild Livin´”):   

After that I started fronting my own bands until eventually I switched to guitar and formed Bubble with Bam from the Dogs D'Amour. We released 3 full-length cd's and 3 eps and toured the States, Japan and the UK.  (Check out “Deadender”):

 

As many of the fans in Spain might remember, I also played bass for The Dogs D'Amour on an album and toured with them when they opened for Alice Cooper in 2002. (Check out “Firework Girl”):

R´N´T: WHOSE IDEA WAS TO GET BACK TOGETHER AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

SR: I am not sure whose idea it was at first. But we all liked the idea and we missed each other!

R´N´T: NOW THERE´S ONE THING YOU PROBABLY WON´T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. IN FACT, I DON´T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT EITHER, BUT I THINK IT´S INEVITABLE THAT I ASK YOU ABOUT JAN (FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE, LEAD GUITARIST AND FOUNDING MEMBER OF VIXEN, JAN KUEHNEMUND PASSED AWAY LAST OCTOBER AFTER FIGHTING FUCKIN´ CANCER). JUST SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ABOUT JAN.

SR: Thank you Iñigo. Yes, it's been very sad and it's still difficult to believe that she's gone. We were all set to reunite in 2013 and we were shocked to find out about her cancer. She asked us to keep it quiet and respect her privacy. So 2013 was a very challenging year. There were so many moments where the fans asked about her and we could not reveal what was really going on. 

It seemed like she was getting better and better and then all of a sudden, in a very short span of time... she took a turn for the worse and then she was gone. Still doesn't seem real. 

We talked at length with her most recent lineup of Vixen and her boyfriend of many, many years and everyone agreed that it made sense to carry on the legacy so people will remember her.  

R´N´T: THE FIRST TIME I CONTACTED YOU, IN FACT, WAS TO SHOW YOU THE TRIBUTE I DID FOR HER ON A FRIEND OF MINE´S BLOG SHORTLY AFTER SHE LEFT. IT WAS VIXEN´S TOP 10 VIDEOS AND AT NUMBER ONE WAS "DESPERATE", NOT BECAUSE OF THE SONG, BUT BECAUSE OF THE VIDEO THAT WENT WITH IT, WHICH WAS A TRIBUTE ITSELF. HERE IT IS AGAIN:

http://thekidswannarock.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/top-ten-33-vixen-tributo-jan-kuehnemund.html#more

SR: Thank you so much Iñigo. It helps to know people care. 

R´N´T: GINA STILE IS THE CURRENT LEAD GUITARIST IN VIXEN. HOW IS SHE DOING AND HOW IS SHE BEING RECEIVED BY THE FANS?

SR: Gina is doing fantastic. It's a tough path to take because she's her own person and is not trying to 'replace Jan'. I think the fans receive her very well and appreciate her loving spirit. Gina is an incredibly talented musician and I think her upbeat personality makes her irresistible to the fans!

R´N´T: WHAT KIND OF SHOWS ARE YOU GUYS DOING RIGHT NOW AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR THREE GIGS IN SPAIN? CAN WE EXPECT A LONG SHOW?

SR: We have been doing a variety of gigs. Sometimes we're part of a festival so our show is tailored to what the promoter wants. But in Spain? We're gonna give you all we got. 

R´N´T: DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO WORK ON A NEW VIXEN ALBUM?

SR: Heck yeah!!!! We're hoping to release a new record in 2015!!!!

R´N´T: YOU PLAYED A ONE-OFF GIG WITH MY FAVORITE BAND OF THE PAST 25 YEARS, THE QUIREBOYS



AND IN DECEMBER YOU WILL BE JOINING GRIFF, PAUL AND KEITH ON JOE ELLIOTT´S DOWN N´ OUTZ TOUR OF THE UK. THAT´S FUCKIN´ AWESOME!!!! I WISH YOU CAME TO SPAIN WITH THAT BAND AS WELL. (Check out the video for “Rock and Roll Queen”): 

SR: Thank you Iñigo. Yes, I've known Griff for a long, long time and playing with the Quireboys was a blast. When I got the call about the Down N Outz I was really excited!!! It's gonna be amazingly fun and it's really cool music. 

I wish we were coming to Spain too. But one thing at a time! This will be my first time meeting Joe Elliott and playing those songs! So hopefully, it will be well-received and there will be many more dates. 

R´N´T: THESE LAST FEW YEARS THERE SEEMS TO BE AN 80´S HARD ROCK REVIVAL. AS A PART OF THAT SCENE, DO YOU NOTICE THAT YOURSELF OR IS IT JUST MEDIA HYPE?

SR: There's definitely a revival going on. Hope it lasts a long, long time and we can keep rockin' for our fans and keep making new fans! 

R´N´T: SPEAKING OF MEDIA, NOWADAYS THERE ARE SO MANY PLATFORMS TO GET YOUR MUSIC ACROSS TO YOUR AUDIENCE, WHICH IS GREAT BUT I PERSONALLY FIND A DOWNSIDE TO IT, I DON´T KNOW IF YOU´LL AGREE: WHEN IT COMES TO THE LIVE GIGS, THERE´S TOO MUCH INFORMATION PRIOR TO THEM. BACK IN THE 80´S, YOU´D GO TO A ROCK CONCERT AND EVERY SONG WOULD BE A SURPRISE. TODAY, BANDS PRINT SETLISTS ON THEIR WEBSITES AND THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTUBE YOU KNOW WHICH SONGS THE BAND WILL PLAY AND THE ORDER THEY WILL BE PLAYED IN. THAT SUCKS AND RUINS THE SHOW FOR ME. WHAT´S YOUR TAKE ON THAT?

SR: Ha ha! You love the mystery Iñigo. And social media has erased all mystery from a band's identity. It's all about 'transparency' now and for new fans, they expect that. But for fans who remember what it used to be like... yeah, it takes away the mystique of a band. 

I just accept it and go with it. But I'm also an 'open book' type of person as you probably know. 

For the bands that I adore.. (Like Cheap Trick) ... I admit that I love the social media aspect so I can get more more more more about them. 

R´N´T: WHAT MANY PEOPLE PROBABLY WON´T KNOW IS THAT YOU´RE MUCH MORE THAN A MUSICIAN. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR OTHER PROJECTS OUTSIDE THE MUSIC BUSINESS.

SR: Ah yes. Somewhere along the way, people began coming to me for advice. I turned it into a coaching practice and now have a few brands. Video Rockstar University is where I coach people to create engaging videos. 

One of my brands is called Make Epic Shit Happen and it's about creating a life and lifestyle that is what you truly want. I believe we're all here to do more than just sit around and watch tv and play on Facebook. We're here to leave legacies and to inspire other people. 

That's what MESH is all about. Getting that driving force lit up in each and every one of you. 

I'm proud to say I've had clients double their income, finish 2 novels, create e-books and build lifestyles that suit their heart's dreams. 

R´N´T: A FEW SHORT QUESTIONS AND WE´RE DONE:

FAVORITE BAND EVER: THE BEATLES

  

 

FAVORITE SINGER: Sarah Vaughan

FAVORITE BASS PLAYER: Jaco Pastorius

FAVORITE VIXEN SONG TO PLAY LIVE: Edge of a Broken Heart

FIRST ROCK CONCERT YOU EVER ATTENDED: Black Oak Arkansas and Rick Dillinger

A SONG YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE WRITTEN: Imagine

SONG YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO WHEN YOU´RE DOWN:  

Shining Star by Earth, Wind & Fire

A GIG YOU PLAYED THAT STICKS ON YOUR MIND:         

SR: When Bubble performed for the first time in Tokyo.... all the Japanese girls were crying and singing the words to our rock ballad, Sparkle Star. I almost fell over on stage when I realized this.     

 

BAND OR SINGER YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ON STAGE FOR A DUET: 

SR: Paul McCartney. I'd be happy just to meet him!!!!!! Or to share a pint with him. 

R´N´T: WELL SHARE, IT´S BEEN AMAAAAZING TALKING TO YOU, I JUST CAN´T THANK YOU ENOUGH. TAKE CARE, KEEP ROCKIN´and I´LL SEE YOU IN BILBAO!!! If you see some freak losing it and singing along to every song, THAT´LL BE ME! Thanks again, cheers!

Vixen is playing Madrid (September 25^th), Bilbao (September 26^th) and Barcelona (September 27^th).

You can follow Vixen on:

www.facebook.com/Vixen

www.twitter.com/OfficialVixen

You can follow Share Ross on:

www.facebook.com/ShareRossOfficial

www.twitter.com/shareross

www.youtube.com/user/LurvAndRespect