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| e-top >> featured >> john corabi interview | |
| Last update: Jul. 9, 2005 | |
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...and "the winner of an autographed promotion picture signed by John is..." |
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There are people in the music business you can count on whenever something troublesome happens and there are people who always say "yes" when they are asked for help. In such cases, it's not just their talent, but their character that is important. You wouldn't want to work with an ill-natured person, even if he or she were talented. Whom would long-time rock fans think of as talented good-natured musicians? I think you would imagine Simon Phillips first. Then, as the third or the fourth, this guy, John Corabi's name would come out, wouldn't it? It was when he had joined MOTLEY CRUE when I heard his name for the first time because I had not known THE SCREAM at all. I thought, to tell the truth, what a scary looking man he was, when I saw him for the first in a MOTLEY CRUE video. His voice was deep and husky, his face was almost hidden behind his particularly thick, brown hair, and the video itself was in black-and-white, having changed drastically from colorful ones with the previous singer. He looked cool, but looked intimidating. That was my first impression on him. However, an event which had changed the impression happened after that. Alternations of vocalists always stir up controversy (oops, I dropped a bomb on myself, didn't I?) and John's case was not an exception. When he was in the middle of various types of bashing, the METAL EDGE magazine printed an article of dialogues between John and MOTLEY CRUE fans. I remember there were some rude questions from the fans, but John answered all of them very faithfully. Furthermore, I heard that the article was realized because John had suggested that in the beginning. The impression I had by reading the article stayed in my mind for a long time after that, and the way I felt about John has not been denied yet, when I saw him playing in RATT during their 2001 tour and when I talked with him for this interview which you are about to read. John is obviously too good just to play the guitar on the road in a band, but if I were in Warren's and his bandmates' position, I would ask John for his help, too. He even looks awe-inspiring when he is singing, but being a fan of RATT and selfish, I will be glad if John is playing in RATT for their upcoming tour. |
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THE RATT GANG (TRG): What has happened to your beard? John Corabi (John): Well, I grew the beard. See? When I was in MOTLEY CRUE, I had this, right here (chin), just this (beard). And I never could grow anything here (cheeks). So, this is just a test to see if anything will ever grow from here to here (from one of his sideburns to the other), you know, so, I'm trying to get it to grow. When it grows in, I'll shave. (laughs) TRG: How many projects are you involved in at the moment. John: Um, I've just been playing with RATT, when I can do the tours with them. This thing with UNION was just for Japan. We just came over for this trip. And I've been working on a solo record of my own. So, basically, for the most part, my solo record, and for fun, I've been playing with JERRY CANTRELL from ALICE IN CHAINS and BILLY DUFFY from THE CULT, with the band called CARDBOARD VAMPIRES, which is just a... like covers, all covers, old BLACK SABBATH, and some ALICE IN CHAINS, THE CULT, MOTLEY CRUE, you know. It's fun. TRG: We are impressed by your voice. What do you do to maintain the condition of your voice? John: (mimics lighting a cigarette) TRG: (laughs) John: (laughs) No, I don't know. Like last night, we went out and I did a radio interview with Bruce and we had dinner. Everybody went out to dinner and afterwards I went to this club called... "CURRENT" and KUNI and I and his brother had some drinks. I don't know. I don't warm-up. I don't really do anything. No lessons or anything. I just sing. TRG: UNION played in Argentina a couple of years ago...
TRG: But before that, UNION were not doing anything at all, were you? John: No, we actually did about... probably three or four tours in the United States, we played in Argentina twice, and we also went to Scandinavia, like Sweden, Norway, Denmark and we played there twice as well. And Australia as well. But never, for some reason, in Japan. TRG: But the ARGENTINA show in 2001 looked so sudden to us. How did it happen? John: Actually, it was kind of like this. Through some people that Bruce
knew and they brought us down and we did really well, so then we went back
again in 2001 for the second time. TRG: Are you interesting in having your own band, being a band leader? John: Yes, yes. I love playing with RATT, but I don't sing, so, I'd like to do my own thing with new guys, kind of like younger, unknown, you know what I mean? And just go out and do some new material and some maybe more MOTLEY, more SCREAM and some UNION stuff, but I want like unknown guys because actually when BRUCE and I would tour and go to radio stations, everybody wanted talk to us about KISS and MOTLEY CRUE, so... TRG: If you form your own band, what kind of new material would you like to do? John: Probably kind of like some MOTLEY stuff, UNION, SCREAM... It's the same, the same, but I'd like more aggressive, younger people that are still hungry to just play. Pretty much the same, like the MOTLEY record, you know. TRG: What has happened to "24-7"(an album)? John: I don't know. That was BOBBY's solo record. He originally asked me to maybe sing two songs or three songs and JACK RUSSEL was going to sing some, but JACK said "No," so, I ended up singing the whole thing, but BOBBY had a fight ...disagreement with the record company, so, I don't know what happened afterwards. TRG: METAL MAYHEM has released the album, but BOBBY is saying "Don't buy the record." John: Right. That was the record label that he had the disagreement with. TRG: What kind of plans do you have for this coming summer? John: Well, I'm going to work on my solo music, and I haven't heard from anybody yet in RATT, but they're supposed to tour in The United States in the summer with CINDERELLA... CINDERELLA, RATT, QUIET RIOT and FIREHOUSE. So they haven't asked me to do the tour, but we'll see... I may do that, if I have nothing else happening I may do that tour. But I will just wait and see. They said they are definitely doing it, but I have never spoken to Warren or Bobby about anything yet, so... TRG: Who is your favorite guitar player? John: Probably JIMMY PAGE... and... Eric Singer (passing by): My favorite drummer is BOBBY BLOTZER... John: Yeah. I like JIMMY PAGE, and I liked the guy from... well, he is not alive anymore, but the guitar
player from FREE; PAUL KOSSOFF. He was great. TRG: How many guitars do you own? John: Well, I actually just... Cos I had all these guitars, so I just got rid of them all. I would give one to... my son has a band so I gave one to his guitar player and sold the rest. So I have, one, two... like five. Five guitars. TRG: What kind of music is your son's band doing? John: Very very heavy. Heavy, heavy. He plays drums and very much like, er... like PANTERA, KORN, you know, that kind of stuff. Nothing like dad. TRG: Do you go to see him play live? John: Yeah. The singer, my son's singer, is; you know AMIR from ORGY? TRG: AMIR DERAKH? John: Yeah, yeah. It's his son. Their band is called FATAL EMBRACE. (This interview was taken on January 29, 2005) |
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Interview by: Nao Japanese to English translation and tape dictation by: Lieju (Lieju, I can't thank you enough!!) Special Thanx to: Manny-san at Spacewalk to the comet
Copyright © 2005 Nao. All rights Reserved. |
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{ my apology & note } I have to apologize for the delay to share this interview... My apology goes to John first, who accepted the offer to interview with me and shared his time even he was in tight schedule... And, my apology goes to my fellow RATT fans, too... I hope you enjoyed this short interview with him... (This interview was taken at the venue called 'Club Phase' in Tokyo when UNION came to Japan for KISS mini expo '05.) (Nao) |
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Thank you for the applications to the contest for the autographed picture of John Corabi. I'm pleased to announce that the winner is... Mark from Ontario, Canada! Congratulations!! .:. Q & A with the winner .:. Q1. Your name (or pseudonym) and the state you live in? My name's Mark (CaptainKPrime or MurrayFiend on the internet) and I live in Ontario, Canada. Q2. What was the song you listened to John Corabi singing for the first time? I'd say it was probably "Hooligan's Holiday" on the self-titled Motley Crue album. Great song. Q3. Your #1 favorite song from among of ones John has sung? I like "Every Inch a Woman" on The Scream's "Let it Scream" album... just an awesome hard rock song with great vocals. Q4. Your #1 favorite album or song from among of ones RATT has released? Without a doubt, the debut, Out of the Cellar. Q5. Have you ever attended RATT's shows since John has toured with them? If you have, when and where was it? Did you enjoy the show? Not yet, but I hope I get to see them this August in Toronto. Q6. A message to John or RATT, if you have? Hey John, I'm a huge fan of your singing and guitar playing and I hope you continue to tour and play great music with various bands. Say "hi" to the guys in RATT, hopefully I'll catch a show or two this summer! -- Mark .:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:. Thank you, Mark! Hope you would love the picture!! -- The RATT GANG.com |
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John: Yes, 2001.
