BUCK DHARMA ON WHETHER HE THINKS THE BAND GHOST SOUNDS LIKE BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, “I WOULDN’T SAY THEY’RE REALLY COPYING US”
Greg Prato for Ultimate Guitar spoke with Blue Öyster Cult‘s Buck Dharma, the interview appears in its entirety below.
Ultimate Guitar: With many veteran rock bands calling it a career as of late, how much longer do you see BÖC going for?
Buck Dharma: I think we’re throttling back from the years of heavy touring. Eric [Bloom] and I are getting on in years, and we just want to do it at a more comfortable pace. We’re still booking shows in ’24. I haven’t thought about ’25 yet. But it could go on as long as we can do it. I can still play and sing, I still enjoy it. I don’t much like the grind of tour traveling. But other than that, it’s great to have a job that I can still do, and have been doing it for 50 years.
Ultimate Guitar: Touring plans? Future projects?
Buck Dharma: We are still adding shows for ’24, but we probably will not do more than 25-30 shows this year. As far as the band goes, we’ll see what happens next year. At this point, it’s very much what comes out of the ether a little bit, rather than having a demanding schedule. I’ve got a song that is going to come out this year streaming, The End of Every Song. I’m working on a video now. It’s a one-off, the first Buck Dharma song since my solo album in 1981. So, it’s a long time coming.
Ultimate Guitar: I’ve read about comparisons between BÖC and the band Ghost. Are you familiar with them, and what are your thoughts about their music?
Buck Dharma: To the degree that there is a similarity, I think they’re welcomed to it. I think Ghost is certainly paving their own way as far as how they’ve gone down their road. I wouldn’t say they’re really copying us. To the degree that there are some similarities, that’s fine.
As previously reported, Blue Öyster Cult released a new single today (March 12th) called Don’t Come Running To Me. To listen to the song, and to read more details about the band’s forthcoming release, Ghost Stories, please go here.
Never connected it before, but since Greg posited the question, I can understand the Ghost comparisons.
I never understood the comparisons between Ghost and B.O.C.. I love Ghost, but aside from a rudimentary occult theme, I don’t think Ghost and B.O.C. have similarities.
Listen to the vocals on any Ghost song, and then BÖC‘s Don’t Fear The Reaper, I totally get it.
Saw BOC on the Black & Blue tour 1980 !! Ronnie James Dio singing his first tour with Black Sabbath. I like Ghost and the gimmick. Kind of wish he had kept that dark, spooky, anti-christ vibe going hard for longer. Like their heavier riffs most.
Silas, I agree, and also wish, that Ghost kept the dark, spooky image. IMO, it stopped after the “Meliora” album. My favorite Ghost album is “Infestissumam”. And that’s my favorite “papa”…..Papa Emeritus II. I loved his scary, mean looking skull face. Ghost, nowadays, while I still love their new albums, don’t nearly have that scary anti christ vibe…maybe they had to “turn it down” due to their rise in popularity?????
I’ve seen them live 4 times in clubs…great shows.
Well if their using elements of B.O.C’s sound then why not have them open for them on their arena tours?
It’s amazing how young Buck and Eric will become once they start playing in big arenas again instead of small/mid size theaters. Plus it would bring older fans(like me) to the concerts who aren’t really familiar with Ghosts music. Win/Win