On August 17th, Ratt frontman and solo artist, Stephen Pearcy, was a guest on Eddie’s SiriusXM, Trunk Nation. Excerpts from the interview appear below (transcribed by blabbermouth.net).
When asked how the chemistry has been in the reunited Ratt since the band’s relaunch almost a year ago? Pearcy replied, It’s good. It’s getting your feet wet. It’s the same bicycle; you just learn to ride it again. We’re having a good time. It’s just trying to do the right shows to re-establish the footing. So we [stopped playing live] — Sturgis [in South Dakota] was our last show — and we’re gearing up for the next year. We want some time to do it — to do it properly. We’re talking about [making] a [new] record. We’ll see what happens. It’s been many years [since we released something new]…. We’re regrouping and preparing for next year, which is gonna take time, because, like I said, there’s a record we’re talking about. And we’ll see what happens. But we have to regroup and prepare for the next assault.”
On making full length albums, Pearcy stated, “…I have my own record label for a reason. I just love making records. A record, whether people buy it or not, it’s still this story. Otherwise, we can whip out singles all day long. Warren and I have been writing, so we can do it all day, every day. But a record and a concept is, to me, still important.”
Pearcy also confirmed that Croucier will be heavily involved in the writing process for the band’s next album, marking the bassist’s first appearance since 1990’s Detonator. And although the singer was reasonably happy with how Infestation turned out, Stephen said that “with Juan back in the mix writing and stuff, the next record will be quite a lot different.”
Joining Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini in RATT’s current lineup are former Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, White Lion and Megadeth, among others.
Original Black Sabbath drummer, Bill Ward, has posted the following statement on his Facebook page:
“Hi Everyone,
I hope this day finds you all in good spirits and good health.
Again, I feel in a position where I’m compelled to defend my actions in the period of 2011 up to, I suppose, today. Tony Iommi’s comments and some of Ozzy’s, remain in a place of disparaging remarks, which bring fault to my character as a person and a musician. I completely disagree with their comments. What they believe is quite opposite from my experience, especially in 2011 when no one spoke to me of being alarmed by my playing or my health. If they kept the info, which they so readily share now, to themselves in 2011, then let that be their shortcoming. How can I be judged that I could not do a tour when we were working on an album. How can I be judged in 2011 on health issues when none existed that would endanger a long term tour. They all know very clearly how well I prepare to tour. I did not know I was being judged in 2011, if that is indeed their truth.
Tony’s comment (and I’m assuming it was in reference to me touring) was, “I don’t think he quite realizes how hard it would have been on him” How can Tony say that? I know what it takes to tour. I’ve helped to set the physical and playing bar that was metal then and today. What an undermining, self-centered thing for Tony to say. What an inaccurate thing for Tony to say. I had played all the Ozzfests and Sabbath tours after the reunion. Keep in mind, they did one tour without me first, I think just to see if it could work without me. I’m sorry and mean no malice in saying this, but it was their fear, their mistrust, and their rationale that put back-up drummers on the stage at the reunion and other tours. I disliked that they did that, but understood they wanted to. I got on with my work, playing drums in Sabbath. Never once was a back-up drummer required, and no, I did not validate the fears of those who had fears.
I missed a European tour after my one and only heart attack in 1998. I can appreciate that Black Sabbath’s interests needed to be protected for the sake of future commitments to the fans, promoters, and all involved.
Ozzy said the saddest thing is that he/Bill needed to own up to that. Own up to what in 2011. What was I supposed to own up to, when I felt exhilarated, confident, and strong. Own up to, I’m not up to this, I’m sick and can’t play; those failings didn’t exist in me, they still don’t exist today. I had nothing to own up to, nothing to confess. The fact that Oz had reacted with sadness tells me he was already sold on his own judgement of me. And that is very sad to know.
Tony commented, “and it’s silly really because it was over nothing.” I have to confront that statement. I can’t let that wash into my life and my family’s life, and the lives of all those affected by an original band failure. It was something. It meant everything to thousands of people including me. It will always be something and it will always ring with truth, and actual correct accountability. By saying it was nothing, dishonours the credibility of our fans, and insults the very heart of what we all clung to, Black Sabbath.
I will have my experience in the time period of 2011 and Tony and Ozzy will have theirs. And, it’s plain to me, we’re as opposite and opposing as ever.
I won’t forget Ozzy’s last phone call of January 23rd or so 2012, asking when I would arrive in England to commence rehearsals.
Why would he say that if my performance level of 2011 had already been judged.
I regret the loss of Ozzy’s friendship.
I regret the loss of Tony’s friendship.
Finally, and I’ve defended this many times, I couldn’t play one gig or a couple of gigs here or there with a back-up drummer or no back-up drummer. To do that one gig would put me in an elitist position, and I can’t do that for all the other fans who couldn’t see that one gig.
I’m honoured to have been a part of Black Sabbath, and to have played with Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Geezer Butler.
A new video from Lynch Mob, for a song entitled, Mr. Jekyll And Hyde, can be seen below. Also, the video for the song, Main Offender, can be viewed at the bottom of the page.
The song appears the band’s new album, The Brotherhood, which will be released September 8th through Rat Pak Records.
The Brotherhood highlights the unique pairing of Oni Logan and George Lynch, and, along with Sean McNabb (bass) and Jimmy D’Anda (drums), the band has created a solid offering from start to finish. From the heavy guitar riffs of the opening track, Main Offender, to the melodic album finale, Miles Away, Lynch Mob has once again proven it remains on top of its game.
Logan comments, “After doing quite a few miles together with this latest lineup of Sean McNabb and Jimmy D’Anda, we consider ourselves a pack of wolves, and we came up with the name ‘The Brotherhood’ for the title of the next Lynch Mob album. It’s got more of an adventurous sound in part and maybe a darker, colder sound to it.
We are always willing to go farther. We come from the early ’90s and it’s when we released the first Lynch Mob album which set a sound and course for us. Here we are 27 years later [and] George and I are still able to keep on stretching. As a player, as a writer, that is very important to us. Otherwise, we would be fooling ourselves and fooling you.”
Lynch adds, “We wrote this album as a band and the name of the record reflects what the band is about and what all my bands have been about since I’ve been a kid. This is my second family. These are my brothers. You go through a lot together and have a lot of experiences together. And that then becomes a part of the music.”
The Brotherhood track listing:
1. Main Offender
2. Mr. Jekyll And Hyde
3. I’ll Take Miami
4. Last Call Lady
5. Where We Started
6. The Forgotten Maiden’s Pearl
7. Until the Sky Comes Down
8. Black Heart Days
9. Black Mountain
10. Dog Town Mystics
11. Miles Away
12. Until I Get My Gold (bonus track)
The third Annual Bowl For Ronnie Bowling Party, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, will take place on Friday, October 6th, 2017 at the Pinz Bowling Center in Studio City, California. The event, hosted by DJ, and TV personality, Eddie Trunk, will include a celebrity bowling tournament and a raffle drawing. Last year’s Bowl For Ronnie brought in $36,500 for the cancer charity, which is now in its eighth year of raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer research.
Bowl For Ronnie participants can anticipate an evening of fun, food, and, of course, bowling with rockers and celebrities competing for trophies in the name of raising funds and awareness for the Dio Cancer Fund. Among the raffle prizes will be a specially-designed bowling ball and pin featuring the Bowl For Ronnie artwork (see above).
The event kicks off at 6:30 PM with open bowling and a VIP pre-party for lane sponsors, celebrities and their guests. Previous Bowl For Ronnie events brought together entertainers and artists such as Grammy award winning duo Tenacious D featuring Jack Black and Kyle Gass, Tom Morello (Prophets Of Rage & Rage Against The Machine, John 5, members of Mastodon, Steven Adler of Guns and Roses, Lita Ford, members of the Grammy nominated group Stone Sour and many more. Last year, John 5 and Tom Morello, as members of Eddie Trunk’s bowling team, took top honors for the highest celebrity bowling team score.
Eddie Trunk will once again host the event and captain his own bowling team at the event. Additionally, L.A.’s rock station KLOS will sponsor a bowling team made up of on-air personalities and celebrity musicians.
100% of the net proceeds from the Bowl For Ronnie will go to the Dio Cancer Fund. Individual tickets and lane sponsorships are now on sale, and participants are encouraged to gather friends, family and co-workers for the ultimate bowling team. The Pinz Bowling Center is located at 12655 Ventura Blvd in Studio City, California.
Individual Spectator: $50 per person (includes pizza and general admission)
Individual Bowler: $75 (includes pizza, shoe rental and bowling from 6:30-9PM)
Team/Corporate Lane Sponsorship: $1995 private lane for 6 bowlers (includes team or corporate logo displayed on lane, 6 VIP party passes and access to Artist/VIP lounge, 2 drink tickets per team member, 6 “Bowl For Ronnie” t-shirts, pizza and shoe rental)
Who: The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
What: Bowl For Ronnie Celebrity Charity Bowling Tournament
Where: Pinz Bowling Center, 12655 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, California
When: Friday, October 6th, 2017 – 6:30-11:00pm /
VIP Pre-Party 6:30-8:30pm
Why: To raise funds for cancer research
KISS vocalist/bassist, Gene Simmons, has insisted that he has no regrets over his controversial attempt to take ownership of the devil horns hand gesture.
His bid to register it as a trademark with the US federal copyright office was withdrawn two weeks after it had been filed in June this year.
He’d paid $275 for the application, in which he claimed that “no other person, firm, corporation or association has the right to use said mark in commerce, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance.”
The attempt drew ire from many directions, including from Ronnie James Dio’s widow Wendy, who called it “laughable” and “disgusting,” adding, “It belongs to everyone – it doesn’t belong to anyone.” She’d threatened to sue “on behalf of us all” if the trademark was granted to him.
Simmons tells the Windsor Star, “I regret nothing. Wake up every morning and let your conscience be your guide. “Did you know I own the moneybag logo-the dollar sign with the bag of money? I own all kinds of things. I own ‘motion picture’ as a trademark. Anyone who thinks that’s silly, the silliest thing I’ve ever done is wear more makeup and higher heels than your mommy. People said, ‘You can’t do that.’ Actually, bitch, I can. I can do anything I want to do.”
Asked about the trademark bid, Simmons’ bandmate Paul Stanley told Loudwire, “Gene elicits some very strong reactions from people. What he does, he does for reasons that only he knows. It was something he wanted to pursue and the reaction was how people felt about it. I don’t know why he pulled it, and I don’t know why he started it. I haven’t asked him.”
Whitesnake had already released a string of Top 10 albums in England before the band conquered the world in 1987 with their eponymous record, also known in some countries as 1987, which was certified multi-platinum and featured the smash single Here I Go Again. The classic album turns 30 this year and Rhino is celebrating with four new versions, including an expansive boxed set.
Whitesnake: Super Deluxe Edition will be available on October 6th for $49.98. The 4-CD/DVD collection includes the original album with newly remastered sound, unreleased live and studio recordings, classic music videos, concert footage, a 30 minute documentary, featuring a new interview with David Coverdale, Whitesnake’s founder and lead singer. The music comes with a 60-page hardbound book that’s filled with rare and unseen photos from the era, an extended essay based on new interviews with Coverdale, plus a booklet of the album’s lyrics, handwritten by Coverdale. The audio will also be available via digital download and streaming services.
Three other versions of Whitesnake will also be available the same day. A Deluxe Edition will be available in both 2-CD ($19.98) and 2-LP ($29.98) versions, each including the newly remastered album expanded with a selection of unreleased bonus recordings. A single-disc version of the newly remastered album will also be available.
This also marks the first release under a newly signed catalog deal with Whitesnake and Rhino Entertainment, the catalog division of Warner Music Group. This new deal includes both the North American and Japanese rights, marking the first time a substantial amount of the Whitesnake catalog will reside under Warner Music Group worldwide.
“It gives me great joy to finally have so much of my Whitesnake catalog all under the same roof with the Warner family and I’m thrilled to be now working with this tremendous team on a worldwide basis,” says Coverdale. “I have great memories of being with Warner back in my days with Deep Purple then when I was with Geffen, when they were distributed by Warner, so it feels like coming home to now have Whitesnake there. This elaborate reissue is the perfect project to kick off the new relationship.”
“Whitesnake is one of the all-time great rock n’ roll bands, with David being an absolute icon as a vocalist and front man,” says Rhino President Mark Pinkus. “We are absolutely thrilled to now have so much of the Whitesnake catalog with Warner on a global basis and are excited for the fans to see what great releases we have planned for the coming years.”
Soon after its release in April 1987, Whitesnake became a huge success around the world, selling multi million copies. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard album chart and spawned four popular singles: Still Of The Night, Give Me All Your Love, Is This Love (which reached #2) and the #1 hit Here I Go Again.
Whitesnake: Super Deluxe Edition comes with an entire disc of unreleased live performances featuring Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell & Tommy Aldridge, recorded during the band’s 1987-88 tour. The music includes live versions of several tracks from “1987”, plus Whitesnake classics Slide It In, Love Ain’t No Stranger, and Slow An’ Easy.
An additional disc spotlights the creative process behind Whitesnake with a selection of 11 unreleased demo and rehearsal recordings, including early versions of nearly every song on the album called 87 Evolutions. The final disc introduces newly remixed versions the album’s four singles, and includes rare radio mixes, as well as songs from 87 Versions, an EP released exclusively in Japan.
The DVD from Whitesnake: Super Deluxe Edition includes music videos for the four singles, all of which have been carefully restored and remixed in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time ever. In addition, the DVD also features a new 30 minute documentary about the making of Whitesnake, a new promo video made especially for this set of the 1988 version of Here I Go Again and unreleased live footage from the 1987-88 tour.
Whitesnake: Super Deluxe Edition 4CD/DVD Track Listing:
Disc One: Original Album 2017 Remaster:
1. Still Of The Night
2. Give Me All Your Love
3. Bad Boys
4. Is This Love
5. Here I Go Again ’87
6. Straight For The Heart
7. Looking For Love
8. Children Of The Night
9. You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again
10. Crying In The Rain
11. Don’t Turn Away
Disc Two: Snakeskin Boots [Live On Tour 1987-88]:
1. Bad Boys/Children Of The Night*
2. Slide It In*
3. Slow An’ Easy*
4. Here I Go Again*
5. Guilty Of Love*
6. Is This Love*
7. Love Ain’t No Stranger*
8. Guitar Solo – Adrian and Vivian*
9. Crying In The Rain*
10. Still Of The Night*
11. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City*
12. Give Me All Your Love*
Disc Three: 87 Evolutions [Demos and Rehearsals]:
1. Still Of The Night*
2. Give Me All Your Love*
3. Bad Boys*
4. Is This Love*
5. Straight For the Heart*
6. Looking For Love*
7. Children Of The Night*
8. You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again*
9. Crying In The Rain*
10. Don’t Turn Away*
11. Crying In The Rain” (Lil’ Mountain Alternate Take Ruff Mix)*
Disc Four: 87 Versions [2017 Remixes]”
1. Still Of The Night-Remix*
2. Is This Love-Remix*
3. Give Me All Your Love-Remix*
4. Here I Go Again 87-Remix*
5. Standing In The Shadows-1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
6. Looking For Love-1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
7. You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again-1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
8. Need Your Love So Bad-1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
9. Here I Go Again-Radio Mix
10. Give Me All Your Love-Single Version
DVD:
1. Still Of The Night-Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
2. Here I Go Again 87-Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
3. Is This Love-Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
4. Give Me All Your Love-Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
5. Documentary about the making of 1987 Album*
6. Here I Go Again-Purplesnake Video Jam*
7. Crying In The Rain-1987 Tour Video Bootleg*
8. Band Intros-1987 Tour Video Bootleg*
9. Still Of The Night-1987 Tour Video Bootleg*
1. Still Of The Night
2. Bad Boys
3. You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again
4. Straight For The Heart
5. Here I Go Again 87
Side Two:
1. Give Me All Your Love
2. Is This Love
3. Children Of The Night
4. Crying In The Rain
5. Don’t Turn Away
Side Three:
1. Still Of The Night-2017 Remix *
2. Is This Love-2017 Remix *
3. Give Me All Your Love-2017 Remix *
4. Here I Go Again 87-2017 Remix *
5. Looking For Love
Side Four:
1. Bad Boys/Children of the Night-Live*
2. Here I Go Again-Live*
3. Is This Love-Live*
4. Give Me All Your Love-Live*
5. Still of the Night-Live*
1. Still Of The Night
2. Give Me All Your Love
3. Bad Boys
4. Is This Love
5. Here I Go Again 87
6. Straight For The Heart
7. Looking For Love
8. Children Of The Night
9. You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again
10. Crying In The Rain
11. Don’t Turn Away
Disc Two: Snakeskin Boots [Live On Tour 1987-88]:
1. Bad Boys/Children Of The Night*
2. Slide It In*
3. Slow An’ Easy*
4. Here I Go Again*
5. Guilty Of Love*
6. Is This Love*
7. Love Ain’t No Stranger*
8. Guitar Solo – Adrian and Vivian *
9. Crying In The Rain*
10. Still Of The Night*
11. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City*
12. Give Me All Your Love*
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