Band Interviews MThru Z
All entries here are archived by last name or subject heading (M-Z). Put another way...there's more than one page of content here, so just click the "Archive" button under this message. Then click on the relevant link to read the entry that interests you.
YOUR BAND INTERVIEW HERE
This space will stay as a placeholder, so I can move content around more easily.
RAY MANZAREK: A TRIP THROUGH BLEEDING PARADISE (4/19/07)
"People are afraid of poetry. Poetry's OK if it's rap, but we're not rappers, we're 'Beat Existentialists.'" Ray Manzarek explains how he defied those expectations on BLEEDING PARADISE, his improvised spoken word collaboration with proto-punk pioneer Darryl Read....and his secrets of working with other topflight lyricists, including Michael McClure, and Jim Morrison, of The Doors.
"I FEEL NATURAL WITH THE HORSE I RODE IN ON": 15 QUESTIONS FOR KENNY "STINKER" GORDON (PURE HELL) (9/4/12)
Kenny "Stinker" Gordon, lead vocalist for Pure Hell, touches on the band's contributions to the first wave of punk, his earliest musical influences, associations with Curtis Knight, and recollections of Sid Vicious...among other topics.
DARRYL READ SOUNDS OFF ON RECORDING (THEN & NOW) (11/05)
"If you film on 35 mm, then you can achieve some cool and stunning effects when the film is processed and the chemicals mix in. Now people spend hours mixing and digitalise film and sound recordings to get a 35 mm-looking film or '60s sound in the recording studio." --Darryl Read, on the differences between '60s recording technology and today...one of many observations that he shares in this email chat.
"OUR SONGS WERE ABOUT OUR REALITY": OLA (SPACEMAN) NILSSON RECALLS THE RUDE KIDS (12/15/10)
"We only played one and a half gigs in England..." Former Rude Kids bassist Ola ("Spaceman") Nilsson recalls the band's beginnings, wars with Sweden's infamous Raggare, best-known records ("Raggare Is A Bunch of Motherfuckers," "Stranglers (If It's Quiet Why Don't You Play)", and how they hold up today, among other topics.
"PLAY LIKE YOU FEEL IT": AN EXTENDED CONVERSATION WITH RICK SHAFFER, PT. I
"I've been obsessed with the Joe Meek production style...For the last couple years, I've been listening to a lot of it -- just fascinated by his approach, and getting into his style." In this first installment of his conversation with Chairman Ralph, Reds guitarist Rick Shaffer touches on his recording philosophy...among other topics.
"IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE, AT SOME POINT": AN EXTENDED CONVERSATION WITH RICK SHAFFER, PARTS II & III
"Robert Palmer used to write about us all the time. And he really, really liked the band." Rick Shaffer dishes on recording techniques, how the "hill country" blues sound influenced his approach, the inspiration behind some of his key tracks, and why having a work ethic is so important.
"IT'S A COMBINATION OF OPPORTUNITY, AND PREPARATION": AN EXTENDED CONVERSATION WITH RICK SHAFFER, PARTS IV & V
Chairman Ralph sits down for the final installment of his talk with former Reds guitarist Rick Shaffer, who touches on why the Reds aren't hitting the road, his motivations for working, why he'll never grab the rock 'n' roll brass ring...and why he couldn't care less.
"PUNK FELT PERFECT AT THE TIME": ALAN LEE SHAW REMEMBERS (9/17/06)
Former Damned, Maniacs, Physicals and Rings guitarist Alan Lee Shaw answers Chairman Ralph's questions about his musical background, the dawning of punk and his experiences at the Mont de Marsan Punk Festival in this brief email interview.
"PUNK WAS NEW TO MOST PEOPLE THEN": PETER STRIDE SPEAKS OUT (6/11, 7/03+7/11/10)
“We did our whole set in 10 minutes and when we finished there was a kind of shocked silence…” Former Lurkers guitarist Peter Stride dishes on his musical inspirations, stories behind the best-known Lurkers songs, and his new band, God's Lonely Men.