VHS Archives

VHS Archives #119: Rik Emmett of Triumph’s Solo MuchMusic Debut

The final of my three epic Rik Emmett interviews in the VHS Archives.

August 1990:  It was the Magic Summer Tour and the Perfect Gentlemen were opening for New Kids On the Block at the CNE in Toronto.  That was the big news.  With all that teenage hype looming outside the big glass MuchMusic windows in the form of young girls, in walked Rik Emmett with his first solo material since leaving Triumph in 1988.  Nobody knew what to expect!

Interviewer Steve Anthony is his usual goofy self and loosens Rik up with a few joke questions about New Kids, Perfect Gentlemen and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, before diving into the big ones.

Topics discussed:

  • What artistic expression was he not able to fulfil in Triumph but now can as a solo artist?
  • The new album Absolutely and the response from Triumph fans and the music industry.
  • The writing process.
  • Hair production.
  • The Judas Priest trial.
  • His (awesome) new six piece band.
  • Being a guitar player vs singer/songwriter.
  • The new song and video “Big Lie”.

That’s it for my Rik Emmett treasure from the Archives, I hope you enjoyed them.

 

VHS ARCHIVES #25: RIK EMMETT OF TRIUMPH – THE HOLY GRAIL OF VIDEOS – POWER HOUR 1987 LIVE PERFORMANCE
VHS ARCHIVES #109: RIK EMMETT – THE AXEMEN COMETH (1988)

VHS Archives #118: Ray Gillen & Jake E Lee of Badlands (1991)

Badlands made a great second record together, but the timing was all wrong.  If coming out in the summer of ’91 against Van Halen, Metallica, Skid Row, and Guns N’ Roses didn’t mean certain doom, then Kurt, Eddie, Layne and Chris would finish them off. On the road to promote the Voodoo Highway album, Jake E. Lee and Ray Gillen dropped by MuchMusic to chat.  The former Ozzy guitarist and former Sabbath vocalist might have had a sense that the album wasn’t getting the push that the debut received, but they don’t let on in this interview.  A goofy Jake plays with Ray’s head while Ray tries to answer a question.

Topics:

  • Jake not being very good at returning phone calls (the formation of the band)
  • Diversity in music
  • “The Last Time” music video

VHS Archives #117: Fred and Tom from Cinderella 1990

Fall 1990!  Cinderella were in Hamilton Ontario to sign autographs and meet up with Dan Gallagher from the Pepsi Power Hour.  Fred Coury and Tom Keifer chatted with the Dan Man about their new album Heartbreak Station.  Other topics:

  • MC Hammer
  • A side project with Coury, Stephen Pearcy, Tracii Guns, Kyle Kyle and Taime Downe
  • Touring
  • Talking to the fans

Not a long interview but certainly a glimpse of times!

 

VHS Archives #116: Joe Elliott and Rick Allen of Def Leppard in June ’88

On June 10 1988, Def Leppard rolled into Toronto on their massive Hysteria tour.  Michael Williams of MuchMusic was on hand to ask them about Rick’s accident and remarkable recovery.  They also discuss writing with Phil Collen for the first time.

VHS Archives #115: Erica Ehm talks to Bret Michaels about Native Tongue while Richie Kotzen just sits there

1993:  Native Tongue was not doing well on the charts, but MuchMusic dutifully had Bret Michaels and new guitarist Richie Kotzen on hand for an interview with Erica Ehm.  It’s a pretty solid 10 minutes, touching on the following topics:

  • Getting “serious” lyrically
  • Safe sex
  • C.C. leaving the band, Bobby breaking his hand
  • Reasons for being in a band, still
  • The “Stand” video, and the Bill Clinton inauguration
  • Critics
  • Bret writing “country music”?
  • Toning down the image

Richie Kotzen utters one complete sentence the whole time.  This interview is remarkable not because Bret Michaels is always entertaining, but because Richie Kotzen didn’t fit in and it’s painfully obvious.

VHS Archives #114: Alice Cooper – The Trash Hour (1989)

September, 1989:  I raced home from school to watch the Pepsi Power Hour’s big Alice Cooper interview, called the Trash Hour.  Alice picked the songs, but they are edited out for YouTube.  You can see what he picked for yourself, as Alice literally takes out the trash.

Host Laurie Brown had a great rapport with the Coop.  Driving a brand new Trash Truck, Alice is funny and informative on the following subjects:

  • Trash rock
  • New album and signing with Epic
  • Writing 22 songs with Desmond Child
  • Saving the Hollywood sign
  • Cameos in Prince of Darkness and Shocker
  • Horror as comedy, staged violence
  • Band alumni gone solo

The Trash Hour works out to a tidy 15 minutes without the music and ads.  Make sure you catch the ending.  Have a good Sunday!

VHS Archives #113: Eric Martin & Paul Gilbert – July 1991

Happy birthday to Paul Gilbert!

This video is from 30 years ago:  in the MuchMusic studios with Eric Martin and Erica Ehm, talking Mr. Big!  “Thank God for Pat Torpey!” they say as the praise the (late) great drummer.  Lots of ground covered here:

  • Formation of the band
  • The blues and their roots
  • Touring as a “long camping trip”
  • Singing lessons and demonstrations!
  • More carrots, celery and radishes

You’re gonna love this.  Also note, it’s one of my few non-Power Hour recordings.

BONUS:  Today’s appearance on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions’ Mr. Big special

 

VHS Archives #112: Russ Dwarf & Dee Cernile at Phase One

Another short one from the Power 30 with Teresa Roncon.  At Phase One studios, a quick visit with Russ Dwarf (Killer Dwarfs), Dee Cernille (Sven Gali) and Gord Prior (Blu Bones).  At the time Sven were in the middle of touring with Def Leppard, and the Dwarfs were “takin’ ‘er easy for the summer”, but the new album mentioned by Russ never came to be.

You can see what I have been saying all this time, about the Power 30 having shorter content than the superior Power Hour.  Sure, there were technically more minutes of metal per week, but not the kind of extended content that I’ve brought you recently, such as The Axemen Cometh and Waltzing With Helix.

VHS Archives #111: Slash Puppet rock the Power 30 in summer of ’93

Toronto’s Slash Puppet are back in the speakers, with a new “best of” CD called Studs & Gems, featuring classics and unreleased material! To pre-order your copy, contact MIF Entertainment ASAP, as this is a limited edition. Studs & Gems includes favourites like “When the Whip Comes Down”, “Slow Down” and the amazing ballad “Eyes of a Child”, one of the most intensely emotional ballads you’ll ever hear. Studs & Gems also includes the unreleased “Stranger Danger”, a live track previously unheard elsewhere. Finding original copies of their first two releases can be an expensive prospect, so Studs & Gems makes it easy to get some of these unsung classic songs.

For the occasion I’ve dug up this VHS tape of Teresa Roncon of the Power 30 talking to Mif, Dave and Franklin of Slash Puppet. It was summer of ’93 and the band were going the independent route. Teresa questions them on the pros and cons, and their musical influences. Wisdom is offered and bands are praised. Brief, but terrific interview with the band!

Studs & Gems track listing:


When the Whip Comes Down
Rippin’ On a Wishbone
Eyes of a Child
Evil Woman
Hard on Love
Stop Tellin’ Me Lies
Hitch a Ride (On a Train)
Slow Down
Squeeze It In
Overload
Stranger Danger (Live)

VHS Archives #110: Waltzing With Helix (1991)

Not the only version online, but probably the best version for Helix fans! This is longer with more live footage (“The Storm”) and it also includes the opening MuchMusic “A True Story” sketch, depicting the moment that the Much studios got the invite to join the band in Vienna from Helix “roadlife specilist” Kenny Heague. All this version is missing is some of the interview with Sacred Reich, but for Helix fans, this is the one to watch.

“Waltzing With Helix” aired on the Pepsi Power Hour in early 1991. It depicts five days of life in the road with Helix in Hungary and Austria, opening for Sacred Reich and Ian Gillan. Supporting the excellent Back For Another Taste LP, this special includes loads of great live music, and chats with all the hilarious Helix boys.

New in the lineup was American guitarist Denny Balicki, and “Waltzing With Helix” was his introduction to fans nationwide. Drummer Fritz Hinz, bassist Daryl Gray, and singer Brian Vollmer are entertaining fellows to watch as they tour countryside and cathedrals. Late guitarist Paul Hackman gets the honour of interviewing both Ian Gillan and Sacred Reich.

Yes, this includes an Ian Gillan interview and some live footage of his band (including guitarist Steve Morris) playing “Black Night” and “Demon’s Eye”!

Food, culture, turnips, street music, beer, bus breakdowns, laughs, sandwiches and sweaty rock and roll!

On a personal note it’s really heartwarming to see Brian Knight, a kid from our neighbourhood who I went to highschool with, and later went on to roadie with Helix, standing right next to my hero Ian Gillan. What a cool thing to happen. Brian Knight died earlier this year. I still have his original Kenner Star Wars Slave I toy in perfect condition. I paid him $5 for it.