aynsley dunbar interview

I could play million notes a minute and get away with it. God bless him, Aynsley [Dunbar] came in and redid it all. By Howie Klein, BAM, 16 Feb 1979. "It's just me and [drummer] Aynsley Dunbar, pretty much, with this big, wide-open space for phrasing on the guitar. I look at people like BB King and I go, man, God bless em. I just wanna quit. Aynsley was also a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Was that a hard pill to swallow at first? The one thing that was good was that it allotted me some time to get some personal issues in order with myself. Sometimes in the paper they'll write, "He played a boring, 20-minute drum solo," and I know perfectly well the guy just doesn't like drum solos, because I never play anything that long. They had Gregg Rolie, and that was enough. Next night. RM: Who were the drummers you were listening. Which made me, inevitably, want to put it back together, without Steve. Theres nobody who plays like Neal Schon, to this day. Pete writes these big, off the wall, sort of English rock songs, with big dramatic openings and classical-type things. I had that group The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation] for about three years, and we built a following around the country. Im serious. I dont want to be in the band anymore. You dont seem to understand how much I wanted to sing in that band. I remember by the end of that tour [pause], feeling musically toasty, feeling emotionally toasty, feeling vocally toasty, and, um, [pause] telling the manager, I just dont want to stay out here and keep doing this. And no contracts were really binding me to have to be or do anything anymore. You had millions of fans and sold a ton of records. RM: The Starship rhythm section is really solid. How do you go about working up new material? The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation is the 1968 debut album by The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, a vehicle for drummer Aynsley Dunbar after stints in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and The Jeff Beck Group. They just wanted some songs to get on the radio. Look, youve got to remember, they didnt want to make it with a lead singer. We were all sitting in a room and Frank said, "Whoever comes through that door next will play bass in the movie," and Martin [Lickert] walked in. There was a time that the press, and especially Rolling Stone, decided to call usand by us I mean Foreigner, Journey, Styxthey called us faceless bands. AD: It's the difference that's required by the song. Because it reminds me of so much. The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation music, videos, stats, and photos - Last.fm Ive read three reviews in my entire career, and they were all so painful that I decided not to read em anymore. It was really intense. They werent sure about any of it. But when you had that conversation, did you get the sense that they thought you were just going out on your own? So it was the best of all worlds, I think, when I got into a band that had the ability to play in a progressive way but was open-minded about writing songs. At first it was, yeah. Theyre all magical to me. I've been collecting material for it. No, I'll leave that to somebody who can do it professionally. You broke out of prison, and immediately started thinking about how to get back in. And then, there's Cynthia Albritton, known now as Cynthia Plaster Caster, who collects a somewhat different kind of keepsake: plaster molds of famous rock and roll penises. I had very mixed emotions I thought, Heres a good opportunity for me, but under the worst conditions. Asked whether the possibility of being offered the job had occurred to him, he said: Did I have a feeling it was going to go that way? Do you have any idea what that feels like? Did that tension persist throughout your tenure with the band? I wanna let go. And Im sure they thought, Oh, there he goes. Ive come to find out that theres a generation of kids who think its classic and wish they could find the arcade version. All rights reserved. Drumming Up Support For Dash Dunbar - SFGATE I guess I was just in denial about it, like, You gotta be kidding me. [Journey had] just reworked our partnership. NOTE: This interview was after the Gary Moore death. Yeah. I wanted to play violin when I was seven, but my parents wouldn't buy me one because they thought I would just waste the time and money. He said he was having health issues, and he needed to have hip replacement, and this and that. And I had always been a big fan of Jan Hammer, the keyboard player that was playing with John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra, and was doing all the Miami Vice themes at that time, the music for the show. Yeah. Lets roll. Aynsley Thomas Dunbar was born in Liverpool, England. CGC 01 401132 in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. [laughs] Of course! Aynsley Dunbar had played with everybody. AD: I am. It was getting annoying. If you crack itits got so much integrity. I cant speak for them. Interview conducted on Monday 27th February 2023. I use Ludwig cymbal stands and Zildjian cymbals. 'This is how it is and this is the God's truth and believe me, this is the way you should do it." You must put that in there, the preface, because its important. They love the band enough to lay down on the sidewalk? I thought, Okay. I was supposed to talk to him for thirty minutes, but he had a lot to sayabout how he joined the band, about why he left, and about the pride he still takes in the work they did togetherand we ended up talking for almost two hours. I went down there and sat in with him, and boy, it was horrible! I've still got a set of vibes at home that I play, but it's not the same. I called Jonathan around 95, and talked to him on the phone. So I'm setting up a situation now where I'm going to be wearing headphones and have a live mic in the room, and also have a click track. I could never tune it properly, but then I put one of the cast rims on it and it made such a big difference, it's unbelievable. Interview With Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Gary Moore) Part 1 But I appreciated the musicality, the ability to jam. Read the best writing on rock music here. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-ready videos to electric live events, GQ meets millions of modern men where they live, creating the moments that create conversations. I use traditional grip when I'm playing anything other than rock and roll, because rock and roll doesn't call for a lot of notes. Another thing: I used to race bicycles when I was a kid, so I know about second wind and going into overdrive. RM: You seem to have definite ideas about these things. He was a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, along with Peter Green & John McVie who would form Fleetwood Mac. Anything worth anything goes down the path of discussion, disagreement and greatness, I think. And a lot of time spent together can chew on a friendship. When a drummer gets calluses on his hands, they no longer chafe and they no longer blister, and thats fantastic. His playing always has a bit of a flair to it, but I think he's always a supportive musician and he doesn't overplay. This first album from the group would prove the most successful of the four issued under the Retaliation banner, entering at least one of the charts that existed at the time. I don't like to have every- thing I do so organized that I spend all of my time reading every little note. I look over at the bar, and they're all sitting by the bar drinking! When he was touring behind his solo record? This has to do with Kiss having a certain sound and style. It would really slow me down." And fall back into my life. **. There was one guy who really gave me a hard time taking apart everything I did. I was a Journeyman. I was in Hawaii. Lets go have some pizza. I worked my whole frickin life to get to this point with these guys! I stll perspire a lot, but it's just from my body working. Search instead in Creative? The video is a one-camera move. Yknow? So it can make any singer a little crazy. Shortly after that, I disbanded Retaliation and formed Blue Whale, but I could never get the same brass section to stay in the band. You understand what Im saying? Aynsley Dunbar | Drummerworld Forum What happened? It was actually overkill for me, but it was interesting because it was so different. After that, I'm on a different continent and David and John take an absolute eon to do the vocals and all the guitar tracks and they use all kinds of different studios. Because it was such an amazing use. Dunbar (who wrote the song "Warning", covered by Black Sabbath on their debut album) led The Aynsley D read more View all tracks Remains to Be Heard Yeah., He knows he wasnt the only drummer considered for the role but he was surprised when Bruce Kulick later told him that one of his heroes, Aynsley Dunbar, had been auditioned and then ruled out. That lineup of Journey ended up becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. I think they thought I was just going to leave the group and go solo and tell everybody to gowhatever. That was pretty interesting and he was a great help. In front of all these people walkin around em and shit? I live just above San Diego, in Del Mar. And so I think Ill play, probably until the day I die. I imagine the band had become a huge business, given all the records youd sold. Aynsley Dunbar Age 2022. Aynsley Dunbar, Gregg Rolie, Steve Smith, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory. RM: You've done quite a bit of recording. Location: Columbus, Ohio. Because if you do, you will fracture the stone. And I said, I am _not _gonna tour and sit on a stool. Nowadays I get complaints about long drum solos, but in those days they wanted me to keep on going so they could go over to the bar and have a drink. _[laughs] _I cant believe that this is news. But thats okay. Which was, I gotta get signed before its too late. [laughs]. You work on something for so many years, and you attain what you attain, which was an amazing feat, and then its sort of like the rug is pulled out from under you. I couldn't leave the people in my band just to do some wandering around the country, although it would have led to the Led Zeppelin gig, which was offered to me as well. STEVE PERRY On His Appearance With JOURNEY At 2017 ROCK HALL Induction We argued over every second of it at one point. I think in the end we all took Herbies advice, and it ended up being great advice. So everything was really out of date. With what you make off the old stuff, could you afford to retire at this point? Except once in Dallas! Then we'd go out on the road again and when I'd get back, I would have to start over again because I wouldn't have the chance to practice on the road. But I don't feel I want to jump on that particular bandwagon. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Thats a tough question. Im sure I was a bitch to deal with. The group released many albums from 1969-1970, including a self-titled work, Doctor Dunbar's Prescription, also to Mum From Aynsley . I suppose the first Journey album was interesting as well. I go there, from time to time, when Im in town. Together they were an all-star group. I think anything beyond a 5 or 6-minute solo is a waste of time. [laughs] Please. How Journey Took the Next Step With Aptly Titled 'Evolution' Its like I saidI didnt crack the stone. Do you think they wished they didnt need a charismatic singer out front to succeed they way they did? I got to the top of this hill, and I was in trouble. When you see a Journey song turn up on a movie soundtrack, or on TV? I Thought Mentalphysics Was New-Age Nonsense. Aynsley Thomas Dunbar : British drummer, band leader. Because Id never met the singer, Id never met their drummer. It's fun while you're there, especially if you're building something you want to build-like a song that you will be performing on stage. Rebel. Until you walk out there and open your mouth, and you see what you got, and then it tells you if its gonna be a fun evening or not. This is what I wanna do. Okay. Because they said we all sounded alike. And it was really, really great to see everybody. The iconic singer appeared onstage with his former bandmates as they each gave speeches, but did not perform with the group later in the event. If you're playing nice and relaxed in front of 20,000 people, they're not going to pick up any energy from that. Fuck Steveyknow. But he was nice enough to call me, so I thought I'd go on down and listen to him. But they went on to make a lot of money. On 1987, The former was transformed from surly blues rock strut to an impossibly glossy radio-metal anthem, replete with a suitably over-the-top guitar solo from guest musician Adrian Vandenberg, whose own titular band had had a big hit with the ballad Burning Heart in the US in 1984. I'd like to sit at home and work on that sort of stuff. Have you considered doing any teaching? "Just waking up in Vegas," he says. RM: Didn't you use Ludwigs with the Mothers? And the theory coming from Steve, and I kind of understood it, was that everybodyll go out and be able to express themselves musically in some other areas, and then when we reconvene, perhaps we will have discovered or found things that we can bring to the group to help the group evolve. And lo and behold, all of a sudden you started hearin Lights on the radio. In England, at that time, American records were about four years behind. Weve always had a difference of opinion in that area. This past weekend I began my re-read of all Carl Sagan's books + his video series and interviews. **Did you just realize at some point that you needed a frontman? doing all these great solos, but the band was always playing the same level of intensity behind him. Id had some pain in my left hip area before, but I didnt think nothin about it cause it would come and go. And life just said, I think youve got to go deal with this. Cause I was not happy with things in my life. I really, honestlyand you must print thisI really dont want to respond to what theyre doing, because what theyre doing is none of my business. They don't understand it. CGC 01 401132 in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. For the time being, Dunbar also produced a blues-rock music group known as the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, which highlighted guitarist/vocalist John Moorshead, bassist Alex Dmochowski, and organist Victor Brox. AD: The only times we would actually play together was maybe when she would be playing vibes. There is only so much you can do before it bores everybody to death. They wanted to get on the road, and I said Well, lets just get the video done. So we got the When You Love A Woman video doneI was packing my whole left side in ice between takes. But I didnt. And I was not gonna be part of that. I moved over there. Then I got a call from Bob Ezrin, the producer, and he asked me if I would do an album with Lou Reed. DUNBAR,AYNSLEY - Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation - Music Ronnie Wood paid tribute to former bandmate Jeff Beck, saying he was untouchable when at his best.. I went along with it. . Bye," I left London and went to San Francisco to check out Journey, because they had been calling me up ever since l had been with Bowie. I was also looking after Jeff as far as that was concerned. And then, boom, Journey starts, and I was like, Oh, my God. I just couldnt believe it. We finally got Aynsley Dunbar. It seemed completely right to megiven Tony Sopranos age, he would totally have grown up listening to Journey. I was the new kid. That was the one that had Oh Sherrie on it? And occasionally when I get up to Los Angeles, sometimes Ill go out on the weekend, and some of these clubs, manthis new generation in the clubs, man, theyre playing this song, and when it comes on theyre screaming it out to each other. Aynsley Dunbar 5 Audio CD 7 offers from $6.66 Editorial Reviews Digitally remastered edition of this 1968 album from the veteran British drummer and his band Retaliation. I had not opened that up in over ten years. We all put our lives and sweat and blood and tears into this thing. Then I had trouble with Bowie 's management. So I held out a little bit, cause I wanted to know. She's the most amazing reader-very disciplined. And then it felt terrible._ [laughs]_. At some point, in all our lives, wed all contributed to that star on the ground. I was a free man then. That way, when I go on stage, there's no sloppiness. _, **GQ: The first three Journey albums sound like the work of a completely different band. Is it just that people can relate to the sentiment in that song? Well, Steve came out with us and started hangin outhe was hangin with me, actually, and we were roomin together, and I pulled out an acoustic guitar, and one of the first songs we wrote, in about a half an hour, was Patiently. And that just kinda came out of nowhere. He went out on a solo tour, a solo Steve Perry tour, where none of us were invited. Live From My Drum Room With Aynsley Dunbar! So my drum solo lasted about 20 minutes. So I went out with Flo and Eddie, working as the opening act for Alice Cooper. Although it may not have been a good idea at the time, there is nothing wrong or demeaning with using a click track. I love his playing. GQ: Journey had already made three records by the time you joined the band. So in retrospect [laughs] maybe it wasnt the smartest thing I ever did, because he went, Well, Neals doin one, why cant I do one? And everybodys goin, Well, Neals not doin anything thats gonna conflict with Journey, yknow? I told him what my deal was and he agreed to it. Id be comin off it, and probably didnt know that I was probably just jonesing for a drink. Otherwise we dont think that we can ever get anything on the radio. They wanted us to get on the radio. The topic initially came up when Rolie was. In my mind, he cracked the stone when he went out and did our stuff without us. All the other guys were about 40 and were married. AD: The guys in the Starship know how to lock in and play as a band. I got my review at the end of the night. So I was about ready to crash and didnt know it. Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue Super Deluxe Edition; 2019 Remaster. **. RM: What kind of music was Blue Whale playing? Sopranos! Its like, What the fuck? It was unbelievably cool. But I don't think there are too many people in San Francisco that I want teaching me. I love playing. Are you not allowed to talk about him on the record? Then I was playing lead lines on the violin. ), blues, rock, and hard rock. Im sure they werent sure about Robert, either, you know what I mean? Now, have I perjured myself? I said, Im gonna get it done. And theyre all good. Aynsley Dunbar's age is 77. So I thought, Well, maybe Im not supposed to be there.. I had to spend some time doing something which didn't take too much mental thought-something I could just have fun with. He has worked with some of the top names in rock, including Nils Lofgren, Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, Michael Schenker, UFO, Flo & Eddie and Journey. Aynsley was very disappointed, but Bruce said, Aynsley, f it! I imagine its really easy to be a functioning alcoholic when youre on tour with a rock band. But it's hard to teach kids that. But he puts the drum track together one drum at a time, so it can sometimes be very abstract. But he didn't really extend my feelings-he just helped me understand something I wanted to be doing, which was reading music. I like to do studio work for people who want me-where they respect what I'm doing and why. After talking to Jon and Neal, I went back to my home town for a while, and I started doing things that people didnt understand. But Im wondering if you felt that way. Now I wanna go home for a while., **As a singer, were you dealing with a different set of demands? I think he disliked Bowie so he was giving him a hard time, and me too. Im not whining. I find studio work less fulfilling, actually. He will just come in with an idea of what he wants to hear, and we'll all work it out. John DeAngelis, Jun 9, 2011 #13 ParloFax Forum Resident Location: Montreal North Shore, Quebec, CANADA Theres definitely some decisions, that are pretty personal, that I wouldnt have done the way I did, because I was not thinking clearly. I could go out and I could have eight, nine, ten vodkas, and then I wouldnt drink for another three or four days. Cant you just, yknownot do that? And, he asked me again: We wanna know when youre going to surgery. But in January, Jon told me on the phone, I just wanna know. And I said, Dont call it Journey. The next day Jeff Beck called me and. There are different ways you can work it. Solo career. Thousands of articles, interviews and reviews from the world's best music writers and critics, from the late 1950s to the present day. They couldn't see any further than where they were at. I only sing in the shower! LINKS | johnmayall Was that frustrating for you, that he sort of pulled out like that? I used to play with a group called the Merseysippi Jazz Band. Or east of Highland. I was a Journey member. Journey got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a few years ago. Would you ever be interested in doing regular studio work, such as commercials? We amalgamate our ideas and that usually gets Craig going. So, yeah. . What happened was, I guess Jon and Neal had signed off way before I did. His wife told me he was in a golf tournament, I think in Florida. MR View topic - Why Did Smitty Replace Aynsley Dunbar? By just having the snare drum first, I spent more time practicing the basics. Aynsley Dunbar was born in Liverpool, England on 10 January 1946. And it rolls around, and halfway through the song it starts rolling back out. In December 1964 he joined Merseybeat group the Mojos, who were renamed Stu James & the Mojos, with original members vocalist Stu James and guitarist Nick Crouch and bass player Lewis Collins (later an actor in The . This button displays the currently selected search type. And their friend was kind of hovering over them with a camera. Bassist Neil Murray Reflects on His Career, Discusses Drummer Cozy It sounds progressive, and Neals singin on it, he obviously doesnt sing like you. But that was his open door, to go do it, and that was sort of the beginning of the demise. *** ReallyI stay away from it, because its really none of my business now. Aynsley Dunbar Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | AllMusic When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. But at the same time, the difference between a voice and fingers, or hands, is neurotic at best. Maybe I should just speak for myself. Well, disagreements are part of life! It was a nightly thing for me when I was on tour. I just dont hang out in that environment anymore. Journey's Rock Hall 2017 Induction Was Short, and Not Sweet - Vulture Which singers will do a lotbut I only had to do it once. Many great drummers use them, both in studio and live. You were able to function, so you never really addressed any of that stuff. I like to do it when I'm not on the road. instrument. I didnt do that. Pete also has a lot of input when he's playing bass. In a new interview with ABC Audio, Perry reflected. What was the deal with that? Because Journey had made a conscious decision, along with Columbiaswhats the correct word hererequest [laughs] that they become a little more song-oriented. They all worked in the daytime and they'd come together at night to play jazz. 94. You can play quietly in a small area and it doesn't matter, but in big areas, people have to see movement on stage. As a result, Revenge was recorded in two stages between legs of Coopers world tour. Nothing was more important than being part of this huge family called Journey. I didn't know who the hell John Mayall was, so I asked my wife, and she said she thought he was a. country/western singer. Gretchen H v. Aynsley Dunbar, Court Case No. The following are excerpts from the interview with Singer by Ultimate Classic Rock: Theyd tried to work with Eric on two separate occasions, but he wasnt well enough. You wont catch me in a bar, you wont catch me anywhere around that. RM: Where did you learn traditional grip? I dont wanna see that get damaged. RM: Not too many rock drummers use 20" bass drums. That, to me, is completely amazing. And I said, Come on, we gotta take a picture. And I laid down, and I said, Aww, girls, this is too sexy. So we took a picture laying down on the sidewalk, by the star. I loved touring. David Frieberg, our bass and key- board player, had been going to Nautilus for about a year, so I decided to go along and try it and see what it was like. Before that, it's hard for me to remember which would be the most interesting. Journey Settles Lawsuit with former Band Members. Then the band's ego got too much for me to cope with and I had to dump them. On the next take, I know what should be happening. **Do you think thats why the press didnt like you? They wanted to make it on their own goalposts. When I did the "Stable of Stars"' ad for Ludwig, I was talking to a lot of people l didn't know, and they were the drummers for certain bands. It sort of gives a rush in the feel, without actually rushing. Definitely. Liverpool drummer Aynsley Dunbar had been working with Merseybeat hitmakers The Mojos (their "Everything's Alright" reached no.9 in 1964) in their later incarnation as "Stu James & The Mojos," and recorded two singles with them before the group disbanded in 1966. . AD: I never had any problem. Its been painful. Yeah. Its a very fine line. Most of them are in L.A. RM: How did your professional career develop? While all of that was going on, Zappa came to town and left a message for me to talk to him. And, then after that, I continued looking for doctors, maybe hoping Id hear what I wanted to hear. Aynsley Dunbar - Wikipedia AD: Tone quality , more than anything else. I was always on the edge of being what I expected out of myself, and what people wanted me to be, and I never wanted to settle for anything short of what it should be. Don Ellis, who was running the west coast side of Columbia at the time, heard the tape and really liked the group. I gotta go out there and try to get in this business. _[laughs] _Before its too late! Id gotten back in touch with parts of the life I had before I was successful. Whenever I do a session, I'll usually play a million different feels on the first take. Okay. Aynsley Dunbar: Let There Be Drums! - Rock's Backpages Reviewers can curse about them and reconstruct their ideas about them or give you a lousy write up, but as long as the solo went down well that night, you can't believe anything a critic says. See, if you price yourself as an average session man," you get every Tom, Dick and Harry calling you up for sessions, and I'm not into doing just anybody's session. Oh, yeah, cause it was so successful. Drummer for The Mothers of Invention, Aynsley Dunbar was living in a guest cabin on Frank Zappa's property when he first met Ayres and de Strulle. I didn't want to do that, so I decided to leave. You think they would have been happier if theyd made it in that prog-rock incarnation? One huge mag, with not one edit. I was writing for the people who might want to listen to it. I just sort of rid of a lot of demons that were inside of me. After the tour, they got back in touch and asked me about being in the band, because Eric had unfortunately passed on. It was crazy. I mean, I didnt say anything inflammatory to him. AD: I have a snare drum with a vacuum pad over it-the old Gladstone pad. The traditional grip is more complicated, but it's easier for me to play. And so I was always livin on that edge. I don't feel I'm perspiring my energy away, like I used to. It's one of those political things, part of the business, and I really shouldn't complain because I've been on a lot of records that have been hits. Youd think that after a while, everybody would grow up and be able to talk, one on one. Even while I was doing the solo album, even after it was successfulin my heart of hearts, I was never gonna leave Journey. RM: It looks as though you are singing to yourself while you solo. For about six months, I worked with just a snare drum. He started playing violin, but he later changed to drums. And theres been some that I wasnt too pleased about, but my feet had been held to the fire, slightly, so I had to. I know that sounds intense, but I had to take care of myself. Can you unpack that for me a little bit? What are you talking about? And they would show me on the X-rays, and the MRIs.