Frankie Banali | Quiet Riot | WASP | Heavy Bones | February 2005 |
Frankie Banali has been in the biz for a lifetime, played with some of the greatest,
and is still pounding away..
Quiet Riot has reformed with new players, and released a c.d. of live rare stuff,
and are now hitting the road..
Here is Frankie to go through his career... past present, and future...
J-First off., thanks alot for doing this Frankie.. Ive been a fan since day one, I play drums, and am really excited about this chance to interview you...
Thanks for taking the time!
Now onto the good stuff... first off wayyy back in the day.... how did you hook up w/the guys in Quiet Riot?
F-I used to go to a Hollywood club called the Starwood in Hollywood, California. QUIET RIOT were a staple of that club and Rudy Sarzo who I had played with in Florida and later Chicago was by then the bass player who replaced the original bassist Kelly Garni. I would go to see them because Randy Rhodes was hands down the best guitarist on the scene and an amazing showman and QUIET RIOT drew the biggest female audience. Their shows were the ones to go to. Rudy would invite me to the shows and put me on the guest list. From there he introduced me to Kevin who didn't know what to make of me! But shortly after we began playing together we became friends. From there, it all became part of rock history with the eventual release and success of Metal Health.
J-What is one of your favorite memories from the good ol' 80's hair days?
F-Actually being successful doing something I love, playing the drums. No one particular event because there were so many good and bad times that went along with the success. I think if I had to choose, that would be Metal Health reaching the top of the heap.
The "Metal Health" tour began at the Roxy in Hollywood upon the release of the record on March 18, 1983. From there it was a long haul first traveling in two rental cars and a rental truck for dates in the San Francisco area opening for Dutch rock band Vandenburgh. From there we moved up to a Winnebago and rental truck when we got the opening spot with Scorpions. We opened for everyone from Z. Z. Top to Iron Maiden.
In November of that year. It was around my birthday and we were opening for Black Sabbath on their "Born Again" tour. Just before show time we were told that "Metal Health" would hit #1 in the Billboard charts the following week. No one can take that moment away.
J-How important was the "hair band" look back in the day, and do you ever look back and think "what the hell was I thinking"?
F-It was all part of the package.
J-Biggest crowd you ever played for?
F-Over 350,000 fans.
J-and where?
F-The US Festival, Sunday, May 29th, 1983 at Glen Helen Park, San Bernardino County, CA.
J-Favorite Quiet Riot song to play live?
F-Probably Condition Critical.
J-Least favorite?
F-Battle Axe.....
J-Least favorite Quiet Riot album or just didn't turn out as well as planned?
F-QR III, too many keyboards, poorly produced, but I do like "The Wild and the Young" from that release.
J-How was it working on the "Hear n Aid: Stars" album with all the different musicians?
F-I had received a call early on from former Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell about the then unnamed project. He came up to my house and played me the basic song and told me if it came together he would like for me to be involved. I was flattered. As it turned out, the session for the backing track was booked for the day after I was to return from a QUIET RIOT South American tour. I returned to LA late the evening before and had my drums taken to the studio early the next morning. It was great to essentially be in Dio for one day. The band was Dio plus myself. We rehearsed the song and there was a break for Vinny and I to each do solo drum fills. Much to Ronnie Dio's annoyance, Vinny and I would just keep playing well after everyone had finished the song each run through.
J-What led to you joining W.A.S.P...
F-Actually, I was never a member in that band. We had all had known each other for a long time and had talked about working together even before I was in QUIET RIOT. It just never came together. I was more interested in playing with a lot of different musicians, getting sessions, improving as a drummer.
When QUIET RIOT were recording the fourth album, I was asked if I would be interested in joining W.A.S.P. and recording. I declined because I had my hands full with QUIET RIOT with two new members. They were very persistent, so I told them if they didn't find a drummer they liked to record what would later become "The Headless Children" that I would try to work out my schedule to record with the group. At the end of the QR 4 sessions I was asked again if I could do the record and I agreed. I would finish the end of the sessions with QR and commence rehearsals and then the sessions with W.A.S.P. in the evenings.
Recording "Headless" was one of the best experiences I had in a long time. I had known Chris Holmes for years and he really is a good guitar player, much better than he's given credit for. Johnny Rod was great to work with musically. He has one of the biggest vocabulary of playable rock songs I've ever seen. We finished the "Headless" session and I was asked if I'd be interested in touring, but I explained that I still had my QR commitments and were getting ready to tour South America. Before leaving for Columbia I did participate in the video shoot for the Who's "The Real Me" which was a long shoot but a lot of fun. After returning from South America I did the W.A.S.P. video for "Forever Free" which lasted late into the evening, went home packed, showered and went to the airport to leave for Japan and what would be the end of the QR 4 version of the band. I called them when I had made my decision to leave QR and management suggested I stay in Tokyo to do press for "Headless" in Tokyo. From Tokyo, Chris and I flew to London to begin rehearsals for what was to become the year long tour to support the "Headless" release.
J-How was it working w/Blackie?
F-I just went in, listened to the songs, played what fit best in the musical mould that he created, got paid, thanked him for the sessions and went about my business as usual. It was really just business. He would only call me when he needed me.
J-Would you ever join up w/the WASP guys again?
F-No, I have no desired to because I have gone as far as I could with that framework. I have participated in whole or in part on the following W.A.S.P. recordings:
W.A.S.P. Headless Children (1988)
W.A.S.P. Crimson Idol (1993)
W.A.S.P. First Blood/Last Cuts (1994)
W.A.S.P. Still Not Black Enough (1996) Drums
W.A.S.P. Best of the Beast 1984/2000 (2000)
W.A.S.P. Headless Children w/Bonus Live Tracks (2000)
W.A.S.P. Crimson Idol w/Bonus Tracks (2000)
W.A.S.P. Unholy Terror (2001)
W.A.S.P. Unholy Terror - Japanese w/Bonus Tracks (2001)
W.A.S.P. Dying For The World (2002)
W.A.S.P. Dying For The World - Japan w/Bonus Tracks (2002)
W.A.S.P. The Neon God Part I (2004)
W.A.S.P. The Neon God Part II (2004)
I think that's enough, don't you?
J-Then you also were in Heavy Bones.. (which by the way is in my 10 ten favorite cds EVER).. how did that come about?
F-Glad you liked it! The band was initially put together by Joel Ellis the singer, and Gary Hoey on guitar. They had a bass player at that time but was later replaced by Rex Tennyson. I knew Joel from his Cats & Boots band. They were looking for a drummer and I auditioned like everyone else and they asked me to join. Gary Hoey is a brilliant guitarist. One of the best I've had the opportunity to work with. Besides Heavy Bones, I recorded two of Gary's solo records, as well as bits and pieces ending up on several other of his releases.
J-What happened to that band?
It fell apart for all the usual reasons with all the usual suspects.
J-Still talk to any of those guys.. or know what they are up to?
F-No, I haven't seen Rex since the band broke up, ran in Joel for about a second about a year or so afterwards and haven't really had any exposure to Gary since recording his second solo record in 1998.
J-You also played with alot of side bands, and studio sessions... Billy Idol, Julliet, etc. any of them really stand out as some of your best work.. or that someone should check out that hasn't?
F-If you check out the discography section on my Website you can see some of the sessions I've done.
If I had to choose one largely unknown record that I participated in it would be the classic "Hughes/Thrall" record. I got a call to audition for the band. I was very excited at the possibility of just auditioning for a band that had Glenn Hughes in it. I was already for many years a fan of Glenn's since he was in the English group "Trapeze" and I knew all their songs. I was excited about Glenn. Glenn Hughes is the best singer in the world, period. I already knew all about Pat Thrall because of my love for progressive music. I went down with my big sized Ludwig green sparkle 26" kick drum set and the first song we played was "Hold Out Your Life" which came so easy to me that the parts I played that first time were pretty much what ended up becoming the drum parts for the recorded version. Right after they got over the sound of my drum set and realized that I could actually play, we just started running down songs. I didn't get the position right away. I had to come back and play two more times before they offered me the position. I think it was a combination of not knowing what to make of me or my style. My involvement with the band and the Hughes/Thrall record is something I am still very proud of.
J-What was your favorite package tour through the years? any good road stories....
F-I think the dates with did in the UK with Judas Priest in 1983 were great as were the dates with Iron maiden in the US the same year, but we were never really part of what has become "package tours" other than the Poison tour which was fun to do.
J-Least favorite? and why...
F-Opening for Black Sabbath on the "Born Again" tour was unpleasant because we were given very little stage room.
J-Favorite video or videos you made through the years.. ?
F-Probably "Metal Health" and "The Wild and the Young."
J-and Least favorite...
F-"Twilight Hotel."
J-Now onto the present time... you are back in Quiet Riot.. again, with yet another line-up.. Tell us how that came about again... and where is Rudy and Carlos?
F-Like most bands, QUIET RIOT has had a lot of member changes over the years and change is inevitable. Rudy is playing in Dio and Carlos is working with Vinny Appice.
J-Touring plans?
F-We begin the 2005 tour year with dates in England in early February, followed by additional dates in Europe including a festival in Spain, then off to Mexico, Latin and South America. We will tour this summer in the Rock Never Stops package that includes Cinderella, Ratt and Firehouse as well.
J-Your also releasing a new cd... or old rare live tracks... tell us about that release?
F-While QUIET RIOT was on hiatus I was approached by Cleopatra Records wanting to know if he had any live and studio demo material for a release. I contacted all the "Metal Health" era members to let everyone know of the offer to release some of the archival material. My thinking was that since there was no active QUIET RIOT at that time, it would be an interesting retrospective release for QUIET RIOT. I had no idea that it would be released just at a time when QUIET RIOT had been resurrected by Kevin and I as well as giving "new" product for us to promote and tour. It was not a premeditated release based on our getting back together musically. It turned out really well but Cleopatra added a gap delay between each song which was not how the masters were delivered. They were supposed to recall the incorrectly manufactured discs so that the gap delay between songs can be corrected, but the first pressing has already sold out, so the new pressings will be corrected. This CD will also be released in Europe and Japan sometime in 2005.
J-Any "new" music planned to be recorded this year?
F-We are all currently writing collectively and individually to that end. We hope to record new material this year for release late 2005 or early 2006.
J-Any other new bands or side projects your working on currently?
F-The odd session here and there. One for a future record with guitarist Neil Citron and another for guitarist Steve Fister.
J-Do you have a website people can keep up with you on?
F-Come one, come all to www.frankie-banali.com
J-How do you feel about Mp3 sharing?
F-I think it's OK up to a point. I understand how the fans feel when they buy a record that only has one or two good songs, it's not fair. At the same time, if bands are putting the energy and expense of recording and can't even get their expenses back through sales due to file sharing, the industry will die out because of loss of income. A tough issue on both sides.
J-How do you feel the internet has changed how bands are promoted these days?
F-It's a wide open promotion medium because it reaches far more people than any other communication technology to date. Almost everyone has a computer and everyone is on them day and night.
J-Any new bands your into?
F-Not really......
J-What would be in your cd player right now?
F-Led Zeppelin
J-How do you feel about what happened to Dimebag? Where you guys friends?
F-I was fortunate enough to play a song live with Darrel at a Randy Rhoads memorial concert years ago and he played wonderfully. Darrel was one of the nicest people in music and a great guitarist. He was always great to me each time we saw each other, as was Vinny. Such a waste and so disturbing. My thoughts and prayers are with Darrel and my sincerest sympathy to Darrel's family, loved ones and all of his fans and the fans of Pantera and Damageplan. No one deserves a violent death, and certainly not Darrel. God bless him.
J-Do you think it will change how people will feel about going to hard rock concerts.....?
F-Possible at larger events, but at the club level it will probably change little if at all.
J-Thanks so much Frankie.. is there anything you would like to say to your fans reading this?
F-I hope that if you are a fan of QUIET RIOT, you will come out to see us when we are on tour and I thank you for your years of support!
J-Good luck.. and hope to see you on the road soon!
