Well, I got a chance to write a review of Richie Kotzen's Forty Deuce record, he offered to do an interview. The condition he'd want the questions emailed to him prior to the phoner. So the knucklehead emails the answers back, well sort of. Anyway, he refused to do the phoner, he stood by the answers he emailed... Fuck! What I am to do? I expected on the interview being a bonus after all the dude was nice enough to send the disc and all... Here's the end result, this will not go up on the site though....
1.) Where did the name Forty Deuce come front? Sounds like it was inspired by something big?
IT IS A REFERENCE TO FORTY SECOND STREET IN NEW YORK,,,,, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THAT WAS A SEEDY PART OF THE CITY AND THE BANDS MUSIC SEEMS TO GO WITH THAT SENTIMENT
2.) How would you best describe the sound of Forty Deuce? HARD ROCK ALONG THE LINES OF GUNS AND ROSES, AC DC... WE WANTED TO MAKE A REAL ROCK AND ROLL RECORD.... NO ROCK/RAP, NO SAPPY FALSCETO VOICES.... JUST A REAL ROCK AND ROLL CD LIKE THE STUFF WE GREW UP ON....
3.) I know you have this eclectic music background, what band or artists have been your biggest influences?
I GREW UP LISTENING TO BLACK SABBATH, AC DC, LED ZEP BUT ALSO I LOVE OLD SCHOOL R AND B LIKIE CURTIS MAYFIELD AND SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE
4.) You have been mainly known as Richie Kotzen the solo artist, but you've been in bands before. What's been the difference between solo artist and band member?
WELL WHEN YOU WRITE WITH OTHER PEOPLE THE OUTCOME IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU GET ON YOUR OWN..... I LIKE BOTH SITUATIONS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.....I LOVE MAKING MY OWN RECORDS AND DOING IT ALL.... IVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS AND IM REAL COMFORTABLE THAT WAY.... THE BAND THING IS ALMOST LIKE GOING ON VACATION...
5.) The split with Poison has been well documented, how did you come in contact with them? Native Tongue is a fantastic record, I would have loved to have heard more.
THEN LISTEN TO IT AGAIN.... DO YOU HAVE A CD PLAYER?
6.) On the Forty Deuce record, which tracks came easy and which tracks gave you fits?! And Why?
NONE GAVE US FITS... HA HA HATHAT IS A FUNNY EXPRESSION ALL THE MUSIC CAME VERY EASY.... NO TROUBLE AT ALL HONESTLY ALL THE SONGS REALLY WROTE THEMSELVES WE HAD A GREAT CHEMISTRY ON THIS CD..... IT WAS LIKE A BIG PARTY..... WE WOULD GET DRUNK TOGETHER AND WRITE 3 SONGS IN ONE NIGHT.... A LOT OF FUN
7.) Who plays in the band? Where did you hook up with them?
I PLAY LEAD GUITAR AND SING, TAKA PLAYS GUITAR AND SINGS BACKGROUND VOCALS, ARI BARON PLAYS BASS AND THREE IS OUR DRUMMER....
TAKA IS FROM KYOTO JAPAN, THREE IS FROM ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA, ARI IS FROM BOSTON AND IM FROM PHILADELPHIA
8.) Do you forsee this project being a long standing band or just a porject?
IT IS A PROJECT BUT IT IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT WE COULD RETURN TO IN THE FUTURE... YOU NEVER KNOW....
9.) Any truth to the rumors that you will be taking part in the nesxt Whitesnake incarnation? It was on the internet, so it must be true right?! Where did this get started?
GOD WHAT A STRANGE RUMOR.... IVE HEARD THIS BEFORE.... NO IT IS NOT TRUE.....IM DOING MY OWN THING
10.) To this point, what has been your most memorable experience in the studio? Live?
IN THE STUDIO DOING MHFR WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE.... IT WAS MY FIRST SOLO CD ON A MAJOR LABEL AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS REALLY IN CONTROL OF WHAT I WAS DOING.... BEFORE THEN I DIDNT FEEL LIKE I HAD COME INTO MY OWN BUT I DID ON THIS CD.... I THINK LIVE MY LAST TOUR OF SOUTH AMERICA WAS REALLY GREAT.... I HAD A GREAT BAND AND WE REALLY CONNECTED
11.) I know most musicians have stories about when everything that could go wrong, did. What's been a Spinal Tap type moment that you've had?
YES.... WHEN WE WERE GOING TO BRAZIL TO START OUR TOUR WE MISSED OUR CONNECTING FLIGHT IN DC..... WE WERE FORCED TO SLEEP IN THE AIRPORT OVERNIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MORE FLIGHTS AVAILABLE TILL 24 HOURS LATER AND ALL THE HOTELS WERE BOOKED..... THERE IS A PICTURE OF THAT ON RICHIE KOTZEN.COM
12.) Anything in the works for 2006? It's just around the corner you know?
IM MAKING A DVD OF THE SOUTH AMERICA TOUR AND IM WRITING FOR A NEW SOLO CD
13.) When you left Poison, it was over a woman. Did you get the woman in the end? Any songs inspire the break up with the band?
WE DONT DISCUSS THIS.... ITS OLD NEWS.... ITS SIMPLY NOT THE WAY FORWARD
Thank You. Hey anything you'd like to say to the readers of Pivotal Rage?
1.) Where did the name Forty Deuce come front? Sounds like it was inspired by something big?
IT IS A REFERENCE TO FORTY SECOND STREET IN NEW YORK,,,,, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THAT WAS A SEEDY PART OF THE CITY AND THE BANDS MUSIC SEEMS TO GO WITH THAT SENTIMENT
2.) How would you best describe the sound of Forty Deuce? HARD ROCK ALONG THE LINES OF GUNS AND ROSES, AC DC... WE WANTED TO MAKE A REAL ROCK AND ROLL RECORD.... NO ROCK/RAP, NO SAPPY FALSCETO VOICES.... JUST A REAL ROCK AND ROLL CD LIKE THE STUFF WE GREW UP ON....
3.) I know you have this eclectic music background, what band or artists have been your biggest influences?
I GREW UP LISTENING TO BLACK SABBATH, AC DC, LED ZEP BUT ALSO I LOVE OLD SCHOOL R AND B LIKIE CURTIS MAYFIELD AND SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE
4.) You have been mainly known as Richie Kotzen the solo artist, but you've been in bands before. What's been the difference between solo artist and band member?
WELL WHEN YOU WRITE WITH OTHER PEOPLE THE OUTCOME IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU GET ON YOUR OWN..... I LIKE BOTH SITUATIONS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.....I LOVE MAKING MY OWN RECORDS AND DOING IT ALL.... IVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS AND IM REAL COMFORTABLE THAT WAY.... THE BAND THING IS ALMOST LIKE GOING ON VACATION...
5.) The split with Poison has been well documented, how did you come in contact with them? Native Tongue is a fantastic record, I would have loved to have heard more.
THEN LISTEN TO IT AGAIN.... DO YOU HAVE A CD PLAYER?
6.) On the Forty Deuce record, which tracks came easy and which tracks gave you fits?! And Why?
NONE GAVE US FITS... HA HA HATHAT IS A FUNNY EXPRESSION ALL THE MUSIC CAME VERY EASY.... NO TROUBLE AT ALL HONESTLY ALL THE SONGS REALLY WROTE THEMSELVES WE HAD A GREAT CHEMISTRY ON THIS CD..... IT WAS LIKE A BIG PARTY..... WE WOULD GET DRUNK TOGETHER AND WRITE 3 SONGS IN ONE NIGHT.... A LOT OF FUN
7.) Who plays in the band? Where did you hook up with them?
I PLAY LEAD GUITAR AND SING, TAKA PLAYS GUITAR AND SINGS BACKGROUND VOCALS, ARI BARON PLAYS BASS AND THREE IS OUR DRUMMER....
TAKA IS FROM KYOTO JAPAN, THREE IS FROM ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA, ARI IS FROM BOSTON AND IM FROM PHILADELPHIA
8.) Do you forsee this project being a long standing band or just a porject?
IT IS A PROJECT BUT IT IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT WE COULD RETURN TO IN THE FUTURE... YOU NEVER KNOW....
9.) Any truth to the rumors that you will be taking part in the nesxt Whitesnake incarnation? It was on the internet, so it must be true right?! Where did this get started?
GOD WHAT A STRANGE RUMOR.... IVE HEARD THIS BEFORE.... NO IT IS NOT TRUE.....IM DOING MY OWN THING
10.) To this point, what has been your most memorable experience in the studio? Live?
IN THE STUDIO DOING MHFR WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE.... IT WAS MY FIRST SOLO CD ON A MAJOR LABEL AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS REALLY IN CONTROL OF WHAT I WAS DOING.... BEFORE THEN I DIDNT FEEL LIKE I HAD COME INTO MY OWN BUT I DID ON THIS CD.... I THINK LIVE MY LAST TOUR OF SOUTH AMERICA WAS REALLY GREAT.... I HAD A GREAT BAND AND WE REALLY CONNECTED
11.) I know most musicians have stories about when everything that could go wrong, did. What's been a Spinal Tap type moment that you've had?
YES.... WHEN WE WERE GOING TO BRAZIL TO START OUR TOUR WE MISSED OUR CONNECTING FLIGHT IN DC..... WE WERE FORCED TO SLEEP IN THE AIRPORT OVERNIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MORE FLIGHTS AVAILABLE TILL 24 HOURS LATER AND ALL THE HOTELS WERE BOOKED..... THERE IS A PICTURE OF THAT ON RICHIE KOTZEN.COM
12.) Anything in the works for 2006? It's just around the corner you know?
IM MAKING A DVD OF THE SOUTH AMERICA TOUR AND IM WRITING FOR A NEW SOLO CD
13.) When you left Poison, it was over a woman. Did you get the woman in the end? Any songs inspire the break up with the band?
WE DONT DISCUSS THIS.... ITS OLD NEWS.... ITS SIMPLY NOT THE WAY FORWARD
Thank You. Hey anything you'd like to say to the readers of Pivotal Rage?
