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It Used To Be Such A Hassle To Make A Record

Interview with King’s X’s Ty Tabor and Doug Pinnick

Here’s an interview with Ty Tabor and Doug Pinnick of King’s X from late 2001 shortly after the release of Manic Moonlight. The guys discuss everything from the songwriting process and the decision to use loops on the album to the cover design and how the album was named. They also talk a bit about the rigors of touring, working in the studio, and what they see as the problems with the music industry.

At one point the conversation turns to the internet and using it to promote a band’s music. Here’s what Ty had to say:

The internet is important but highly overrated still at this point… It just doesn’t come anywhere close to reaching the market yet… It will someday, but it’s nowhere close yet… [at] being actually really effective.

Remember, this was 2001, and while MP3 players had been around for awhile, Apple’s iPod had likely just been introduced to the market, so there was no iTunes or Amazon music store to speak of. For that matter, there was no Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, or any of the other online and social media tools that bands use to market themselves these days.

I bet present-day Ty really wishes he could go back in time and have a talk with his 2001 self. Then again, after listening to him and Doug talking about being comfortable with where they are in the band’s career, maybe not.

Enjoy!

We accused each other of betrayal and thievery and lies and treachery. And it was all true. We were all guilty. Dig up the past, and it’s going to get all over everybody. And, man, do we have a past…
David Lee Roth on Van Halen’s turbulent past, “When David Lee Roth talks, it’s ‘A Different Kind of Truth’”, Los Angeles Times interview

Actually I Ruined A Lot Of Old Guitars

In late December 1979, Eddie Van Halen phoned Guitar Player editor Jas Obrecht to catch up. Van Halen had just wrapped up the eight-day recording session that became the band’s third album Women and Children First, and Eddie wanted to see how his friend was doing and give him the scoop on the album. Upon learning Obrecht was working on a DIY guitar-building piece for Guitar Player, Eddie offered to impart his unique insight on the subject. He called back a couple of days later to discuss homemade guitars as well as to rant a little about copycat builders and blatant knock-offs of some of his innovations and playing style. Read the full transcript of the conversation, only part of which eventually ran as part of the Eddie Van Halen cover story of the April 1980 issue of Guitar Player.

Enjoy!

There’s Just Something Between Us

King’s X - Then…

Then… is a long-out-of-print retrospective of the genesis of King’s X. Originally released on VHS, this backyard interview finds Doug, Ty, and Jerry reminiscing about how they repeatedly crossed paths as part of the Springfield, MO music scene and how they finally decided to form a band together. The trip down memory lane includes discussions, videos, and photos of the guys slogging away in the Springfield club circuit first as The Edge and then as Sneak Preview before deciding to pack up and move to Houston, following the promise of a record contract and a gig as the support band for Morgan Cryar. The interview concludes with the band having finally changed its name to King’s X, formulating its signature sound, and signing with Megaforce Records after getting the attention of Jon “Jonny Z” and Marsha Zazula by way of Memphis of all places.

Enjoy!

Dimebag said there would be no Pantera if it wasn’t for King’s X. We were one of his favourite bands.
King’s X’s Doug Pinnick, Planet Mosh interview
King’s X is one of my favorites. They should have been as big as U2, but life is not fair, but they were that groundbreaking.
Billy Sheehan on being asked what groups from the late ’80s to early ’90s moved him most, The Sun News | Kicks! interview

KISS, Inc.

“KISS, Inc.: The Band and the Brand” on CNN Presents

CNN’s Poppy Harlow takes an inside look into the business workings of KISS for CNN Presents—everything from the merch booth at concerts to the huge licensing deals to coffins and condoms. I really hate I missed this last night, but you get the gist of the show from the above clip and some of the interview clips on the CNN Presents blog.

Enjoy!


Ty Tabor and dUg Pinnick of King’s X discuss their experiences with Seymour Duncan pickups for the company’s 35th anniversary celebration

We created this new program called Metal-Tune. It’s like Auto-Tune. You just push a button, and it makes your album awesome. Pretty soon all the bands are going to be using it.
Scott Ian, ARTISTdirect interview
Sorry to say it, but that whole Lollapalooza sh*t, crock of sh*t, was all about making money. It wasn’t anything to do with what they claimed it was.
Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, 2010 BrightestYoungThings.com interview
Cliff was in heaven the entire time.
Kirk Hammett, on touring in support of Ozzy Osbourne’s 1986 tour, In the Studio interview with Redbeard
We just kind of figure that our fans would rather see us up there with our technology rather than see us fill up the stage with sidemen.
Rush’s Geddy Lee on the prospect of bringing in extra musicians rather than playing keyboards, working foot pedals, and triggering sequencers while singing and playing bass, The Costco Connection interview
I’d have to say that the 1994 Woodstock completely destroyed anything that came after it. I think people became mindless, and whereas Woodstock of the 1960s changed the way people thought in a positive way, Woodstock of ‘94 totally took everything and just said ‘F*ck You. F*ck You, we’re gonna burn this place down.’
Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante on why there are no new bands like Public Enemy, 2010 BrightYoungThings.com interview
We’ve never walked off a stage and not had the crowd on their feet.
King’s X’s Doug Pinnick, Planet Mosh interview
It’s a combination of honesty, selfishness, and therapy for us.
James Hetfield on why Metallica makes music, In the Studio interview with Redbeard