STEPHEN PEARCY & his band RATT made history in the 80’s with a string of platinum selling albums & huge arena tours.

 After leaving Ratt, Stephen formed ARCADE & a few other bands before returning to the Ratt-fold for 1 studio album & tour. His returning tenure lasted nearly 4 years, then after leaving the 2nd time Bobby Blotzer & Warren DeMartini won legal rights to the name Ratt & continue to tour with that name.

 Since leaving Ratt, Stephen has stayed busy with releasing new albums, running his own label (Top Fuel) & bringing his inimitable brand of Ratt & Roll   to the fans year after year. Songs like “Round & Round” & “Wanted Man” became classic hard rock anthems & Stephen remains a down to earth legend with an obvious love for creating new music & playing live.

I spoke to Stephen on August 20th & here it is.

 

METAL HELL: What’s going on?

STEPHEN PEARCY: The magic word (laughs) I usually just say go to the site. You can either go to Stephen-Pearcy.com or MySpace-StephenPearcy   Top Fuel Records is opening our online music store soon, which is a chance to give people some unreleased & early music.

MH: I heard you’re going to do some shows with Juan Crouchier.

SP: Actually, I created this Metal In America tour & he’s been instigating getting out & playing. He’s got a heavy power trio, he sings lead & plays bass & whenever his schedule permits he’ll come out & play on some shows and at the end of the night we’ll be slapping everybody around with some original Ratt N’ Roll.

MH: How did you end up getting back in touch?

SP: We’ve been talking for quite a while. Just cause people don’t think we associate, there is business that will go on forever regardless, there’s 2 of ‘em that go out & tour and don’t release CD’s, but they go out and tour. I do my thing, Juan does his and we try to help Robin’s estate & that’s about it. It’s been over jeez 10-12 years, a long time since we’ve played together. He came to one of my shows and sat in but he’s serious about it (when) time permits. Sometimes it takes a while. He has his own business & studio & we’ll throw down a couple Top Fuel Records bands & another band, which we’ll announce soon, that actually used to open up for Ratt in the early days. We’ll just go out and have a good time. We’re not going out to break attendance records or bring you the 4th of July. It’s just some ass kicking music. We’re gonna go out & dabble in a few shows and then I’ve got some other projects on the table; a compilation DVD history of Arcade, which has been coming into subject quite often in the past few months so I go where that subject takes me.

MH: Will it have live & touring footage of ARCADE?

SP: Oh yeah. We’ve wrote so many songs, the story will have a bunch of those songs that were never played, some big shows in Japan that we did & shows with Bon Jovi that we did, Arcade opened for Bon Jovi in 93 or 94, so there’s some good things there for the hardcore fans.

MH: I noticed on the Stripped CD you re-arranged some songs. Was it a case of certain songs not working acoustically or wanting to try something different?

SP: That instigated that VH1 acoustic tour I did & a lot of people asked me why don’t you put out an acoustic record, I have my own indie label & it didn’t take long to get somebody to come & record it. The next thing you know I’m back at Gazzari’s, where Mickey Rat & Ratt started. Which is the Key Club now, and we laid it out man. Those songs had never been treated acoustically. Even though we did MTV Unplugged back in the day, we only got to play a few songs so I was very interested in the outcome. It’s interesting how some people don’t like you to change your music but I’m always into trying something different & new. I gotta get off too, so we treated the songs a little differently & some went great & some turned out the way they did but I’m happy with the outcome of it, there’s been a great response on it.

 

MH: “Round & Round” was interesting.

SP: That was interesting. There’s probably 3 different versions of that acoustically. I’m always in the studio doing something. I have my 3rd solo record about to go & we’re always working. Right now I’m with Primary as the label & the new bands are The Anti Division & my lead guitar player Eric Ferrentino’s solo band. We have Gash Inc., an all-girl band fronted by Jailbait Kate coming out. It’s been a few years in the making. We take our time & make sure things are executed properly & not just thrown out there. Sometimes people go oh those are songs that are thrown out, well some of those things have to wait a time until they catch an ear. Timing is everything but nowadays it’s really not, we’d rather make sure the bands like what they put out there. I’m an advocate for letting any band do what they want & feel & hear. That’s why you have so many independent labels (now).

MH: Is your new stuff similar to FUELER?

SP: It’s gotten a little aggressive. I pretty much go with my surroundings. The new stuff has a lot of, I hate to say melodic, but there’s a lot of AM mentality. The songs aren’t long, over-played songs. They’re direct, deliberate, colorful & no statements. They’re just situations.   The music has gotten a bit aggressive but at the same time has a metal/hardcore pop approach.

Which is quite different from what I’ve been doing. I’ve tried industrial, hardcore, rock, Ratt & Roll, Arcade. Arcade is a really comfortable form for writing because we would literally throw down 4 acoustic songs & then go back to slapping you around.

MH: Would you ever like to re-release the 2 Arcade albums? 

SP: Those were done through Epic/Sony, I think once they see things come into play (they might), because there’s never been a DVD for Arcade. I would make sure the studio sessions were recorded & I would control the photo sessions. So we have some real good un-seen quality stuff. The studio sessions & then on the road, so it’s gonna be a good DVD full of Arcade (footage) which has never been out there unfortunately.

We had a top 30 single at the time & the band was a decent hard rock band. The bottom line is you put me in any form, be it my old band Ratt or Arcade or Vicious Delite or Vertex or the solo stuff, it’s still gonna be delivered from me so it’s interesting (with) the approach that I take when I’m in different projects because I can literally put myself very comfortably in any situation musically and get something out of it and that just comes with time.

MH: I read you did “Runnin’ With The Devil” with Jake E Lee. How was that?

SP: I did do a Van Halen song, that’s good. Jake was in an early version of Mickey Rat. On the topic Top Fuel’s getting ready to release, through the store, Mickey Rat-circa 1981 & that’s when Jake was in the band with Matt & what’s interesting is Jake was the one who set the foundation for the solos for my songs that ended up on the Ratt EP & some of the Out Of The Cellar songs. It’s called Mickey Rat-In Your Direction. It’s got “U Got It”, “Sweet Cheater”,  “In Your Direction”. When you listen to these songs, for the guitar kind of person, if they ever wondered where Demartini got those solos, well besides being friends with Jake & living with him, Jake was actually the first to play solos on those songs and you can literally hear where Demartini picked up those solos, it’s amazing. They came from Jake on a lot of those songs. The Ratt EP is literally all early Mickey Rat music so you can hear where a few of those solos came from. It’s very interesting. It actually caught my attention very clearly when I was putting the CD together

MH: Are these the same sessions as “Dr. Rock” from The Hollywood Rocks box set?

SP: Yeah, 100 percent.

MH: Were you happy with how the VH1: Behind The Music turned out?

SP: Yeah, it was just on a couple of days ago again. I like what Eric, the producer did. Of course we’ve always had an element, despite the bickering and public nonsense, about keeping some things to ourselves so we really didn’t give everybody all of the info. Although you saw a lot of realistic situations, I’m proud of the good, the bad & the ugly, I created it, but unfortunately with any real good success you’ll always have something bad that should humble you & we did. We had it and it was a terrible situation but all of us were in our own planet but it’s a good process what they did & it’s part of history.

MH: On the footage of Robin Crosby supposedly being out of tune at the Tokyo show. Do you think that was more the roadies’ fault?

SP: It’s interesting how they dwelled on such ridiculous matters on a couple of ‘em. Like myself oh he forgets cities well yeah, I’m not the only one. But on the topic of Robin his crew guy probably gave him a wrong guitar and it’s not his fault. We’re out there just doing our thing and you hire somebody & pay somebody to make sure that doesn’t go down. So that can’t be put on Robin, even though it was subject matter for that Behind The Music. There was no fault on his part. He was the King doing his job.

MH: Then there’s the shot of you falling off the stage like 12 feet. What do you remember about that?

SP: Not having a knee- cap (laughs). That was the first time (that) I actually saw that & fortunately I didn’t go head first because it wasn’t a matter of intoxication, it was a matter of walking down a plank at a big huge gig with tons of lights in your face & there’s no monitors at the end, no barrier except a little wooden lip & people thought what an idiot, he jumped. No, no! Even in my most intoxicated situations out there on the road I would always watch my step & have control but with that incident there was no barrier, there was no security out there, there was no stop sign & the lights in your face and that’s what happened. It was not good to see and not good to live but it was not at all intentional. It’s not just a job it’s an adventure. It’s war out there.

MH: Then there’s the quote you made about Metallica on the Heavy documentary. Can you elaborate?

SP: I give Metallica all due respect. They were the underdog in the so called 80’s hair gig & they stuck to their guns and became one of the biggest bands if not the biggest rock band in the world. Despite their opinions on the scene, it’s justifiable because they couldn’t get done what they wanted to until they decided hey we gotta get out of this (environment). It’s like when I first moved my band Ratt up to L.A. It’s like you’ve gotta make moves, you’ve got to do things. It probably pissed ‘em off, but we actually knew them a way long time ago and we actually played a show together; The Day On The Green (festival) in San Francisco years back. I can understand their situation. I would’ve done the same thing and had the same sentiments.

MH: Metallica & Ratt were both on the Metal Massacre compilation album too.

SP: Yeah, that song, “Tell The World” will also be at the Top Fuel record store. That’s interesting. It has a different bass player & drummer than the original members of Ratt.  It was done that long ago.

MH: I saw a Dokken video on Youtube with Juan Croucier from right before Out Of The Cellar.

SP: Mm-hmm, and when he joined Ratt he went back and returned to Dokken & then came back to Ratt, as did Demartini. Actually he left for a few months & then came back. They’re wishy-washy people but I just kept forging ahead.

MH: One thing I never knew was Michael Schenker joined Ratt for that last tour. How was that?

SP: Oh it’s insane, I’ve known Mike since the mid 80’s when we used to do these jams for motorcycle clubs & charities. We’d get out there & do “Lights Out” (UFO) which I used to do in my cover band back in the day & we became friends.  When Robin went back for another stint in rehab his name came up & I said yes of course, it’s Michael Schenker man! UFO! He was the first guitar player for the Scorpions.

MH: I read there was a Scorpions show recently where Michael & Uli played with ‘em.

SP: Ah that’s great. Uli came out too?

MH: Yeah, they played like the whole history of the band.

SP: Ah, that’s insane! That’s incredible. I wish I could’ve seen that. I saw Michael recently at the Key Club & it was great to see him. He’s looking a little hardcore these days. Michael Schenker actually did all the solos on (Scorpions) Lovedrive, a lot of people don’t know that. We used to have a great time on that tour talking.

MH: Was it ever considered to bring Michael in for anything after that tour?

SP: No, because when Robin actually (was out), with that whole scene a lot of people don’t know the real ends to stuff, but that was pretty much about it. It was a very hard situation to fire that band back up & instigate it in ’97 through 2000 when I did. It’s difficult when you don’t have your right hand man so anyways, no.

MH: What’s your take on the current state of hard rock?

SP: You’ve got all these new bands that are going back to the late 70’s rock, which is what I grew up on. Even my nephew plays guitar & these guys are looking for the real deal & that’s guitar solos, tunes & melodies. It’s not just the look but there’s one thing that the 80’s did have & that was a lot of image going down. Until it was over saturated but that was colorful, dangerous and exciting & a lot of that is missing now. We had to go to the depression rock mode through the 90’s & nowadays just open tune that guitar & write a song, you’re playing with one finger & you get a hit & you’re in. Well you’re in for a year or 2 & that’s about it. The thing in the 80’s & the 70’s is you had to do a lot of roadwork & home- work and that’s what gave you your audience. That’s what set your standards & nowadays it’s not like that & bands are coming & going. It’s unfortunate because there’s no real longevity, there’s no development. Now that everything is wide open bands can become very successful on their own & I’m all for that. You can only be directed to write & be a certain way for somebody else’s pocket (for a short time) & then eventually you’re gonna get pissed anyway. So now you’ve got all this freedom and that’s the way it is.

MH: Kids can punch up a web site & hear it right away.

SP: Sure, & it’s great. The majors weren’t prepared for it but there are a lot of smart kids. Youth brigade defending the faith, hey I might have a song right there (laughs).

 

MH: It’s like the 80’s stuff is the new classic rock.

SP: Of course, because there are no rock stars now,  I hated that word & I still do but it’s the entertainment business now, it’s not the music business. There’s a big difference, so you play a part. When we first got thrown into that video world, which was brand new, nobody tried to become actors. That’s why everybody looked so uncomfortable in those videos, not just Ratt, until you get the hang of it. Now it’s more-so like you’re gonna act. You’re gonna be this, you’re gonna be that & that’s business. It’s like well wait it’s supposed to be about music right? If you look like a total droog it’s like what are we gonna focus on? Okay grab a chick.

MH: Is anything going on with your Rat Tails book?

SP: The Rat Tails book finally found a writer & there’s a lot of legal stuff I was waiting on. There’s closure on a lot of things in the Ratt ocean so it’s time now & it’ll be an interesting read because it’s not just about the rise & default of my band that I started called Ratt. It’s about a trip through life & the good, bad & the ugly through that. I should be racing Top Fuel dragsters & funny cars hence my label name & me sponsoring race- cars over the years so it’s gonna be an interesting read. Of course it’ll have its rock debauchery. It’ll blow that Behind The Music out the door. But it’s real & like I say, love it or hate it, I was a part of this thing & created it & it’s not history, it’s part of history. “Round & Round” is played on the Rover on Mars for crying out loud. That made me the happiest guy on the planet (laughs). I don’t know if a lot of people know, but I heard that on the AP wire. I was like hey we’re one of the first bands to be played out there on Mars. Robin always said back in the day, jokingly, I wanna be the first band to be heard on the moon, well it was heard on Mars. He  went even further.

MH: I read you did some voice-overs for Comedy Central. What’s up with that?

SP: Yeah, I did a cartoon character. It comes out in a couple of months. I’m at some kind of an old convention or gig and I come down from heaven singing “Round And Round” as a cartoon guy, so it’ll be interesting to see (laughing). I do a lot of songs for movies & commercials. That was just another thing to do to establish the label. I don’t know what it is. I’ll find out more & put it on my site.

MH: Where does the inspiration come from to stay busy after all these years?

SP: I still like it. I don’t really have to get out and prove that I am someone or I did something, that’s why I have such a good time now when I’m on the road. But I’m so consumed with liking & developing & creating & directing. It’s good & it’s another step in the direction that I wanna take.

MH: Did you ever envision yourself running a label & pursuing these different things back then? 

SP: I knew. That’s why I started my label in 1995. I knew what was gonna happen. I was surprised that the Ratt journey lasted so long. You keep getting these platinum albums and we were doing these big tours & shows all over the planet and eventually it comes to an end. Any successful band will be thrown into disarray, like I said before. That’s why you’ve gotta watch your steps when you first initially start this adventure with success cause it’ll bite you in the ass & I knew it was here & there and I don’t re-live that, I don’t need to. I barely made it out alive.

MH: Anything else going on?

SP: I’m gonna do this Metal In America tour & get Juan out there with myself & have a good time. It’s got a lot to do with the label & that’s pretty much my priority and I’ll get out there every now and then & yell at ‘ya. I never claimed to be a professional singer. I’m a professional screamer.

MH: Do you know what you & Juan will be jamming on?

SP: Juan & I, when we get out there it’s strictly Ratt & Roll. Juan and I actually wrote a lot of songs. Even though we had an upsetting moment on one of ‘em.

We wrote “Lack Of Communication”, “You’re In Love”, the 2 of us wrote a lot of songs & I’m sure we’ll be laying those down.

MH: The covers, like “Draw The Line”, are cool too.

SP: Interesting. When I’m out there I’ll play everything and I still love playing those. I’m a fan of music. I’ll play a Priest, a Zeppelin, an Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, I’ll play it just to have a good time. Like I say I gotta get off too. You don’t wanna see me going through the motions. That’s why I’m doing those things, to keep me entertained. So we do the “Draw The Line”, we do the- this. We do the- that. We have a good time out there. That’s the difference between having something you have to do every day exactly the same, which can get monotonous, or like I’ve decided, to do as I please.

MH: That’s about it bro. Thanks for your time.

SP: Well right on. I appreciate everybody still being the hardcore fans and direct ‘em to Stephen-pearcy.com

Or TopFuelRecords.com soon and go to myspace/Stephen Pearcy & have at it.

* Interview by Joe D./Metal Hell 2006