GB29 (Lizzie Grey interview)

Glambone comes out of hibernation, the glitter chestnuts have been stored and ready for sharing.  It’s a party in Hollywood, and just having a good time as we kick off the new year with an exclusive interview with lengendary L.A. veteran Lizzie Grey.

Listen as he recounts tales of the early days at the Starwood, and meeting Nikki Sixx for the first time, describing him as a John Waite look a-like with red spikey hair.  In addition to all the heavy hitters Lizzie played with back when... “The Blackie project (London II) didn’t last long, maybe five or six months, nothing really came of it.  It was another step of London slipping down another notch.  And then when Blackie left London, whatever the reason, it wasn’t happening anymore.  So that’s when things shifted, for me anyway.  I said to Blackie ‘you’re great at being a monster, use your devil voice and do your best.’  He took my advice and Wasp was everything that was.”

Lizzie sums up his own career by saying “I gave it everything I had, and I still do.”

Get your free download of the new GB29 episode here

GLAMBONE!

It's A Cat Dragged In

Poison found inspiration for the back cover photography on Look What The Cat Dragged In from none other than 1980's sitcom It's A Living.

GB28 (Tom Werman interview, Myki Lash, Lizzie Grey's Roxy Roller)

“Blessed undercover...blew the world to bits.”  That was the tagline for Ruby Rockets, an L.A. band that was a lil too late on the scene, catching the tail end of the glam days along side Swingin’ Thing and Big Bang Babies.  Ruby Rockets’ image was more on the darker side of

glam, a tinge of goth, kinda like the 2nd incarnation of fellow LA-sters The Brats.

It was only after the demise of Ruby Rockets that singer Myki Lash would try a more pop approach.  Can you blame him for nickin’ part of the title of Lions & Ghosts debut for his own song?  Well... anyhow...

his tune “Velvet Kisses” comes off more like the Soupdragons than anything else, and that isn’t neccessarly a good thing.

How many Tom Werman records are in your collection?  I’m willing to bet you have a handful.  Tom produced what are now considered classic rock albums by Cheap Trick, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Poison, Ted Nugent, and a whole slew of others.

I phone him up at his boutique Bed & Breakfast in Mass for a good chat.  While he’s traded in his analog tapes in for linens & things, Tom definitely sheds light on what those legendary recording sessions were like and what he actually thinks of the Steve Albini produced version of his Cheap Trick “In Color” record that’s been floating around the net.

We’ll also hear his thoughts on “Dr. Feelgood,” the Crue record that followed his consecutive 3 Motley releases.

Sometime after the Nikki Sixx incarnation of London, Lizzie Grey put together a band called Roxy Roller with Leslie Knauer, who later went on to Precious Metal.  Taking it’s name obviously from the Nick Gilder song, Roxy Roller had plenty of pop sensibility.  “Ups & Downs” shows off cool character and catchyness... after hearing this track, it would certainly have been interesting to see just what else the band would’ve come up with... but no, Lizzie had to go all METAL and find Nadir for what, a 4th version of London?!  

Download: GB28 

FOR SALE: Demolition Gore Galore 12" vinyl, ultra rare!

From Glambone's private collection, ultra rare vinyl of Kery Doll's obscure L.A. band Demolition Gore Galore.  Bid now by clicking here.

GB27 (Jennifer Gottlieb of That Metal Show interview, Nick Gilder, Sammy Serious)

When you think 70’s glam, the obvious names come up... but one of the most under rated has got to be Nick Gilder.  Often thought of as a “one hit wonder” for his “Hot Child In The City” song, which hardly sums up just how great of a songwriter he actually was capable of being.  Most fans of his will tell you “Frequency” is their favorite record by him.  But I disagree.  His best moment came after that with 1981’s “Body Talk Musik” released on none other than Neil Bogart’s Casablanca label.  It’s a solid collection of songs from start to finish, showcasing the midas touch collaboration between him and guitarist James McCulloch.  “Can’t Stop (Wanting The Good Times)” is a gem.  Consider that a tease...the one you’re gonna hear on GB27 is a song later given to Kix to record on their 1983 “Cool Kids” record.  Oddly enough, I’d have to say Kix tried to “pop” it up even more... but Nick’s

original stays ballsier.  The great thing about this record is, you get the feeling he finally found his voice.  At times grittier than the androgenous tone that made him famous on earlier releases.  Both “City Nights” and “Frequency” were reissued together on CD a couple of years ago.  Hopefully “Body Talk Musik” will follow suit.

Those of us that tune in regularly for VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show have surely recognized “Ms. Box of Junk.”  Jennifer Gottlieb is the girl who smiles brightly as contestants who have “stumped the Trunk” dig their hands in to the mystery chest and pull out (more times than most) some band’s CD that they never would’ve bought in the first place.

We chat with Jen on this episode and learn about her acting background, having come off a year long national tour of the Broadway show The Wedding Singer, in which she played a ‘rocker chick’ loosely based on Lita Ford.  We know how good she is at the chalk board with those top 5 lists, listen as we find out what her favorite films are as well as music artists.  “I hate to be a sell-out, but I really like pop music.  I like anything that I can dance to, anything that gets me motivated, anything that makes me feel...’cause I’m a dancer, and I love to express myself.” 

What can we say about The Zeros that we haven’t already?  Sammy Serious continues to keep the torch blazing, but let’s face it, the classic

line-up was the “4,3,2,1” era for the band.  The upside is Sammy (pictured right looking very Alice Cooper like) has released various CD’s compiling loads of cool tunes from the day, such as the one we spotlight on this ‘cast, in the form of “Over You.”  If you think Juicy Miss Lucy or any of the countless clones who’s names I forget were capable of crafting such a timeless melody as this, you are sadly mistaken.  

Vanity Theft is an all-girl band of twenty somethings that came to my attention having witnessed them take the stage at Jimmy Quill’s ranch

during South By this past March.  While the CD over extends its usage of filtered synth trickery, the band is best when they embrace pop simplicity without trying to over think the trends.  Why the catchiest 

song (“End Scene”) is featured towards the end of the CD, I couldn’t tell ya... would be much cooler to have opened with it.

Download GB27 (here)

GB26 (Michael Des Barres interview, Plastic Fantastic)

We all know the start of the 90’s was in a terrible state of style.  It’s no wonder really that 6 years into the decade we would see bands longing to bring back a sense of flash and excitement.  Usually it’s a 15 year cycle before what’s old is new again.  But in a pool of flanel and matted down unwashed hair, sprouted young twenty-somethings to study the sound and design of Roxy Music, Adam Ant, & Japan records.

Plastic Fantastic (pictured above) were among a group of a handful of bands leading the way in this movement labeled ‘romo.’  Which was a hybrid of taking “new romantics” and merging it with “modernists.”  As the music also suggested, it was not just a rehash of 80’s, no no, that would come later in 2004 with some very lame bands that deliberately set out to be retro while forgetting to put their own spin on it.

The romo bands had personality.  Plastic Fantastic’s singer, Stuart, with his golden glam charisma, hell, he could be the mascot for Glambone!

“Complementary Electron” shows a tip of the hat to Roxy Music, while

injecting their own character in to it.

You’ve probably heard enough about SXSW right now, but let it be said again that Jimmy (Thrill) Quill’s end of bash at his Red Horse ranch was a blast.  Moments upon arriving, I was unexpectedly whisked away to the house to talk privately with rock legend, singer/actor Michael Des Barres.  For being in his young 60’s, the man looks and sounds great.  Exuding class, coolness, sex appeal, and hunger for rock ‘n roll.  Listen as he recounts the time when pal Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame patched up a few loose ends when the Powerstation suddenly decided Michael wasn’t going to be the singer, only to rehire him immediately after Don’s intervening.  He also tells us about coming to the States for the first time.  “I came to America in ’72 with Silverhead, this glam rock band which was a classic case of a band that collectively weighed 150lbs and was addicted to every drug known to man, every sexual experience possible, and completely oblivious to anything other than three chords and velvet.”

The ‘cast closes with a guy outta Vegas by the name of Gigli.  His EP was produced by Ron Mancuso of Bang Bang/Beggars & Theives noteriety.  No clue what he’s done since this 2000 release, but the track featured “Katherine Miller Seriel Killer” is one of those gems that

should’ve garnered him lots of attention, maybe the fact that his image was too Bob Mould-like had something to do with him going unnoticed, now had he thrown a feather boa around his head and applied heavy eyeshadow to his mug like Angie Aparo, then maybe his chances at that point in time would’ve served him well.

Download GB26 (here)

Glambone!

GB25 (Jaime St. James interview, Agent X)

Ready for the world, or R U just ready to gitcha Bone on?!  Let me love you till the morning comes.  Alright, nevahmind the urban spoon... GB25 opens up and says ahh with a rare treat from Billy D’Vette and his old posse’ once upon a time known as Agent X (pictured right with Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney Bingenheimer w/the penis-head hair-do).  The band also featured Danny Simon (aka Simon Daniels, aka “Brazilian Recording Star”) on vocals.  GB6 showcased their gem “Rock & Roll Angels,” but what we didn’t tell you then is the roots of how that song came about.

Started out being called “Sheila.”  It was under the advice of the Runaways brainchild Kim “I wrote King Of The Nightime World” Fowley,

that suggested the later title of what the song became.  With recording engineering twiddling of the knobs from Candy’s Jonathan Daniel, who happened to be chumming it up with Fowley at the time, as evident on the god-awful songs he contributed to on the Runaways “Young And Fast” slab of shite, Jonathan recorded “Sheila” on his 4-track in his bedroom.  Billy tells us a small label known for releasing CD’s of L.A. band demos is currently discussing the possibilities of releasing all the Agent X recordings sometime in the near future.  We’ll keep you posted, in the meantime, fix your ears on this.

Summer of ’11 hard rockers can expect the long awaited return of Black N Blue with their first studio record in 20 years.  Jaime St. James phones in for cool convo as we ask him about the new release, the early days of Movie Star featuring Julian Raymond (Dear Mr. President), and the story behind being part of one of the first Kiss tribute bands (Cold Gin) that really ignited the fire in loads of bands to follow, all paying homage to the masked 4-some.

“Basically, Tommy said (to the other guys) well you know Jaime can play drums, he knows all this stuff, and he would be perfect.  So they called me and I said ok I’ll come in and I’ll sit in with you guys. But there has to be one thing understood, I’m not playing in a Kiss tribute band unless we put the make-up on and get full costumes, otherwise it doesn’t make any sense...just gonna walk up there in jeans and a t-shirt that would be stupid.  And I said, let me tell you something guys, we’re either gonna be the heros of L.A. or we’re gonna be the goats, and I aint no god damned goat.”  Jaime goes on to say “not only did it start the tribute thing, it also I think influenced Kiss to put the make-up back on, to be honest with you.”

The packed half-hour show closes with one of the last of the good ones  that Jonathan Daniel penned.  “Lies My Father Told Me” surfaced as a tune on The Loveless cd.  The version here actually sounds closest to what we would expect, a song that could easily have been from the end of the Candy/Gilby days.  With Ryan Roxie’s guitar playing, you can not go wrong.  Untill of course the band re-recorded the track with guitarist John Ceparano on “A Tale Of Gin & Salvation,” who’s style would’ve much better paired up with a jazz trio.  Way too much over usage of the Roland JC120, but thankfully this version exists.  Now we can just take the piss out on the current pic of Jonathan... what ever happened to fun?  I got a better question... what the fuck happened to you?!

to the Bone!

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