Andrew Paul interviews DOUG ALDRICH (BURNING RAIN) for us
1) Burning Rain finally sees a release outside
Japan.How did you link up with Z Records? And did you expect such
interest outside of the Far East?
"Well I guess we just got very lucky! But really, Over the
past few years, while getting Burning Rain together and writting
songs, I was hoping to get this band out in Europe because I knew
there was a cool music thing happening in much of Europe, and the
UK.
I think that there are alot of music fans that would truly
aprieciate what we were doing, but I just was waiting for some
good contacts. I think Z records is one of those labels with
their fingers on the pulse, and they had been awhere of some of
my other bands as well.
So via the internet network, I was contacted by the head of the
label. A very savoy chap I might add.. Also there were some other
friends and fans that were instumental to make this thing happen,
Anyway, It is a long story, but we are just really excited to
have this oppertunity."
2) I believe that you will be palying the Z2001 show,
alongside Enuff Z'nuff & Shy. Granted it's a little way of as
yet, but how do you view the prospect? Will it be your first UK
visit?
"It is a great chance for a new band like us to come over
and make some noise. This will be the first Burning Rain visit.
We are gonna bring some of our friends from Japan with us too, so
it is gonna be a big ass party I guess."
3) Burning Rain seems to mix classic hard rock, with
technique, a commercial edge, into a tasty, organic, timeless,
stew. Fair comment? And was that what you were aiming for?
"Ha Ha, that is great. We really were aiming for a kinda
soupy mash pie thing. But I guess we took a wrong turn and ended
up in stewsville. Yea we are a big stew! I knew what type of band
I wanted, but I just needed a singer to write with. With the
first record, I think we acomplished what we were hoping for. The
sound is like a new band with somthing to prove. I wanted the
band to sound hungry, and I think it does. Now we got a sound
that we can build on and expand on later with the second record.
On the new record we are going for that elusive 'gumbo'
sound!"
4) Was the album a direct response to Bad Moon
Rising's "Opium for the Masses" opus, which was
somewhat 'angry'?
"Not at all. I just wanted to get back to the type of sound
from some of my earlyer records. Keith St. John did really good
job with what I gave him. He is not as angry as Kal Swan was. Kal
used to be a happy guy, but I think working with me must have
pissed him off! No just kidding. I love Kals singing. I really
owe alot to him. Opium was a little darker or
somthing, but it had some cool stuff on it."
5) So, how did the band get together? Which came
first, the songs of the personnel?
"I had a bunch of really basic ideas,and I had planed on
finishing them with Kal. I told him I wanted to get back to the
earlier sound, but has wasn't really into it. Then I met Keith
and we wrote three songs. I guess it all happened kind of at the
same time."
6) Keith St. John sounds like a singer who has grown
up on a diet of David Coverdale, Paul Rodgers et al- Is that your
ideal in a singer?
"Acually, yes a little bit. I mentioned to Keith about what
I was looking for and he was into the same thing. He has many
other influences too. He is very diverse in what he likes and I
think he has a bit of all the great singers in him."
7) Has Burning Rain toured Japan? And what is your
status there? And how do you explain the way, in general, Japan
has, up to now, maintained a place for the pre-grunge bands? And
what kind of profile do you have in the States?
"Yes, we toured in Japan in summer 1999. We had the best
time. It had been awhile since I was there with Bad Moon Rising,
and we just went crazy. Some of the guys, it was there first time
there so I was kinda experiencing all of their positive energy.
Japan is really a magical place. I love it there. Our status is
really good. We were voted one of the 10 best new bands for '99
in Burrn!! mag. I can't really explain anything about why grunge
was not so popular in Japan,
but I think that grunge is a bit deppressing and down in some
ways and maybe that was not what Asia in general was into. Also,
grunge was a bit anti-techneque. In Japan, I think the kids
really dig technique. It is interesting that now there is a new
wave of hard rock/metal starting and gaining some support. I'm
pretty fuckin glad about that!I get alot of email from people who
have heard about us in the US, but we are new. We have a great
support team in Japan that is helping get the word out via the
Burning Rain Web Page. I know there are alot of people in the US
that would enjoy this record. We just gotta get it to em..."
8) Was there ever one moment that decided you on the
wanting to be a musician? And who were your influences?
"I was drawn to music from the first time Karen Carpenter
dropped moon-dust in my hair! Ha.. No I can't ever remember
myself with out a guitar. I started playing when I was 11 years
old. Since then, my Dad took my guitar and locked it in his trunk
one time when I was around 15. I decided to quit talking at all
to anyone untill I got it back.I mean no speach whatsoever. After
three days of that he gave it back. At that point I told him, you
do anything you want to me or take anything away from me EXCEPT
my guitar. Since then I have always had it with me. He gave it
back I really don't remember anything of my life before that. My
older sister had Jeff Beck "Blow by Blow" I had Zepplin
II. I love Blackmore, Schenker, Gary Moore, RHoads, Hendrix,SR
Vaughn, Van Halen Gilmour, Travers, Richards, Duane Allman. When
these guys play you know it, cause it rips through you. That is
what I wanted to do. I liked pop am radio too. I like Frank
Sinatra and Barbra Streisand."
9) How do you view Bad Moon Rising now? What is Kal
Swan up to and could you ever envisage working with him again? Oh
and could you get him to release the Tytan album on cd (hint! my
vinyl copy has passed away)?
"I don't know how to descibe BMR. We had some great times
together. Me and Kal worked together for 10 years. I think it is
still to recent to really comment on now. I think we had some
great songs. Kal and I have talked about doing somthing sometime,
but right now we are both happy doing or own thing as well. I am
sure oneday we will do some writting at least. He is a really
talented singer songwritter. He is a real artist. Anyone who
knows him will attest to that.
He also makes the best fish tacos on the planet. His secret is in
the tomatos that he uses for the salsa. (His dog Archie likes to
piss on the tomatos before he picks them!) But they taste great
on the tacos."
10 ) Your name crops up on the House of Lords
album, "Sahara". What was your involvement in that, and
was there ever a possibility of you joining them?
"Well that is kinda interesting. Gregg Guifria asked me join
the band but I had just finished recording with Hurricane. It
would have been really uncool of me to quit at that point. But I
told him I would play on some demos. I did a couple of tunes
including the cover of "Can't Find My Way Home" After
that Gregg said that I HAD to play on the next record
Sahara. Well I did all of the guitars and solos except for the
solos on "Lay Down" and "American Babylon".
Also James Christian played the steel string acoustic. They got a
guitar player to take his picture for the record and gave him
those two solos. Rick Nielson played some fills on "Heart on
the Line" I played everything else. All the rythym guitars
and 8 solos and fills. It is a long story but they burried my
name cause they were afraid it would be weird that I wasn't in
the band. Then after I got home from the US Hurricane tour 3
months later. Sahara was just coming out. I had just
started recording with Kal the first BMR. We went to Germany to
mix it for a month. While I was there, Gregg called
me and said they fired the guitar player cause he couldn't play
my parts. They had a big tour booked in the US so I ended up
doing 2 months with them. I never thought much about joining them
cause I was more into BMR at that point. Anyway, not many people
know the truth about that so I am glad sombody finally asked. I
was really proud of that record."
11) How do you view the hard rock scene at the
moment? Is there light in the tunnel ahead? Will we see, albeit
in probably a different form, the return to values of good
singing, good playing etc? And where do you hope to be, musically
speaking in, say, three years time?
"I'm not the best guy to ask about that. I am kinda in my
own world. I listen to my own records cause I don't like much new
music. Like not to piss of fans of Moby, but I just don't enjoy
that sort of thing. In LA, one of the radio stations plays all
cool hard rock at night. When we were recording the new record.
We would come home around 5am and Keith was
staying with me. We would sit around drinking wine everymorning
just chillin with Sabbath and Ozzy, Black Crows, VH, Old Scorps,
etc.. In three years, I hope we are in a little dark stone and
wood pub somewhere in Scotland drinking, and hanging with all our
new friends from the UK on a day off from a MAJOR TOUR! Three
years musiclly, I hope I am working on Burning Rain IV in AIR or
Olympic Studios! I hope there is light. I mean, with our fans in
Japan and the start of some new Burning Rainers in Europe and the
UK there is light. With Pony Canyon and Z records there is light.
With all the people we know there is light, so we can't all be
wrong I guess."
Thanks for your time, and all the luck in the world
to you and the guys in Burning Rain.
"Thanks Andrew so much for helping keep our music strong.
You are doing a fucking GREAT job.
See ya
Doug"