(The legendary bassist of the original ALICE COOPER group)

by

Serge Nadeau

CFOU 89.1 FM (Trois-Rivières, Canada)

Introduction

In 2004, I realised a dream. It was an interview with Mr Neal Smith (the legendary drummer of Alice Cooper, the original group). Now I’ve accomplished another dream, talking with his alter ego in the rhythm section, Mr Dennis Dunaway, who is reputed for his innovative melodic lines on the bass guitar. In my opinion, Mr Dunaway is very arty and the most experimental player (avant-garde) at the time of the original Alice Cooper group. His own composition « Black Juju » (Love it to Death, 1971) was ahead of it’s time, and maybe the last form of experimental music from the first two albums (Pretties for You, 1969; Easy Action; 1970).

Please step into my time machine for the next five weeks. We will dig the past like an archeologist and we will explore the present as well. It is time for him to receive all the recognition he deserves because he played an important part in rock’n’roll history.

This radio program will be divided into five episodes (one hour each) with emphasis on his compositions with and without the original Alice Cooper group. And we will play the new Dennis Dunaway Project CD, Bones from the Yard (2006).

Who is the quiet man…

1. Would you like to draw a self-portrait of the man behind the musician (i.e. your personality, your interests, your family and your profession) ?

People say that I’m quiet but I’m quiet at a high volume. My thoughts are loud. The songs in my skull are already finished. They’re produced and have stage presentations, but, at times, I have difficulty explaining those songs to other musicians. And then there’s the technical hurdles of the recording studio, which can easily change the outcome of a song. That’s why Bones From The Yard is such a satisfying album for me. The bandmembers are all in tune with each other and we all move as one toward the same goal.

Back to the 60’s at Cortez High School …

2. How did your history in rock’n’roll music begin ? And why did you choose the bass guitar instead of another instrument ?

In 1963, I went to the Fox Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona to see the movie : « Hercules Unchained ». In those days they had double features with an intermission between the two movies. I had spent all my popcorn money so I stayed in my balcony seat during the intermission and Duane Eddy and the Rebels did a surprise performance, yakety sax, go cat go, and everything. I thought to myself (loudly), « That’s what I want to do » ! And when I got back to Cortez High School and told Vince Furnier about it, we decided to do a Beatles spoof and we called ourselves The Earwigs because it was an insect like a beetle and we planned to wear wigs. We enjoyed performing so much that we decided to become a real band, Glen Buxton included. I ended up with bass because everyone else chose their instruments first.

3. During The Spiders years, did the song «Don’t blow your mind» become a local hit ? Would you explain how the context of the song was born ?

« Don’t Blow Your Mind » was a hit in the southwestern states of Arizona, New Mexico, Southern California, and Mexico. The title came from a slang term that was popular among teenagers at the time. It had a drug connotation but we didn’t intent to use it that way. Vince’s boy/girl relationship lyrics focused more on rhyme than content, which was the garage-band style at the time. The song took us a week to record. We worked every day and slept on the studio floor. Glen Buxton had a new gadget called a fuzz-tone and we decided to feature it, so the song came out like Buzzz…Buzzz…Buzzz…Buzz-buzz. I twas thrilling to hear our song on the radio.

Going to west coast…

4. What was the psychedelic scene on west coast like at the time of The Nazz ?

It was more colorful than a circus sideshow; Music, Hippies, Freaks, and gorgeous girls everywhere. It was fashionable for girls to wear see-through blouses and no bra and I thought to myself : « Man ! I arrived at a good time » !

5. How did you escape from the military service at the time ?

Besides not being able to talk, hear, see, or pee in a cup, I had a hernia.

6. Why did The Nazz suddenly decide to change their name to Alice Cooper ? Why Alice Cooper and not Lizzy Borden for example ?

Before we were The Nazz, we called ourselves The Spiders but we had to change our name when we heard about a Japanese band called The Spiders. We thought nobody would think of The Nazz but then we heard about a Philadelphia band called The Nazz, we decided to come up with a name nobody else would ever think of.

Why not Lizzy Borden ? If you listen to the early music you will understand that it made too much sense.

7. Did Hammer horror movies influence the concept of Alice Cooper’s stage act ?

We drew a lot of ideas from movies and television. Barbarella, 2001: A Space Oddity, Night of the Living Dead, The Bowery Boys, and West Side Story to name a few.

A fabulous album…

8. Your first album Pretties for You was misunderstood at the time.

Are you suggesting that somebody understands it now ? That person must be a genius ! Perhaps he could explain it to me…

Did that have a link with the Stockhausen ideas that we find in the album ?

I loved Stockhausen’s approach as far as eliminating traditional scales in composition. I called our rock excursions « sound collages » and Pretties for You only scratched the surface of where I wanted to take it. I imagined ever-changing « sound collages » that would be free of notation. Free of any pre-conceived thought. Even free of thought. The « sound collages » were to be combined with total spontaneous abstract visuals. Our visuals were spontaneous but, to me, that album seemed commercial in comparison to my vision. « Lay Down and Die, Goodbye » from Easy Action came closer. I’m currently composing a CD of « sound collages » with, and don’t flinch, midi sound modules. My favorite one is called « Kruster ».

9. What are your own compositions on Pretties for You (For example : 10 minutes before the worm) ?

« B.B. On Mars » was one but the majority of the tunes were chewed up, ravaged, raped, spit on, groomed and then befriended by all of us.

10. Why was the painting by Ed Beardsley that you used on the cover censored ?

Because the major record seller, Woolworths Department Store, said, No, and the trunk of our manager’s Cadillac Hearse couldn’t compete. But in keeping with rock n’ roll’s obligation to get kids to want what their parents forbid, the sticker actually caused a boost in sales.

11. What was the stage act for Pretties for You ?

Extreme on unbridled energy and sparse on budget. As we headed for the stage, anything we could grab became a prop. We would have yanked your grandma’s false teeth out of her head if we thought they had entertainment value. But we would have treated her to a Budweiser after the show.

12. Why did the people at your shows walk out after a few songs ?

Because our image shattered boundaries and they felt threatened. Hollywood was shocked, New York was shocked, so you can imagine what the Warden thought when we showed up to play at a prison in New Mexico. But that audience already wanted to leave before we arrived !

13. Is that when you met the lovely Miss Cindy Smith (Neal Smith’s sister) ?

I got off to a rough start with Cindy. In 1965, there was a Back to School Bash at the Arizona State Fairgrounds and, to expidite the show, all the bands agreed to share the same equipment. It went smoothly until a drummer from a surf band called the LazerBeats decided to have all the equipment moved so he could set up a drum riser. During the long lull, I was in the audience ranking on Neal. I was saying stuff like : « He’s stopping the whole show, and for what : Wipe Out » ! The girl in front of me turned around and said : « He’s the greatest drummer in the world and he’s my brother » !

14. When she began to work for the band, did she design the clothes on the back of the Pretties for you album cover ?

Yeah, most of them. That picture is the first documented example of Glitter Rock, which Cindy invented.

A weird movie…

15. The Alice Cooper group performed very shortly at a private party during the movie «Diary of a madhouse wife». How did you get that job ?

The Director, Frank Perry, had heard about the chicken incident in Toronto so he hired us.

What is the name of the song that you’re playing during the mess of the pillow ?

I think it’s « Come Ride », or something like that, but Mars Bonfire was contracted to write the music and Born to be Wild was the only other song we liked and we didn’t want to play Steppenwolf‘s Hit. We played a required verse or two of the other song and then went into a hysteric sound collage.

The success is near…

16.  After the first two albums, the band decided to move to Detroit. It seems that the move was salutary. In retrospect, did that have a link with the popularity of the hard rock music in the mid-west ?

Absolutly. As soon as we arrived, the Stooges and the MC5 started wearing metalic outfits and our music took on a hard edge.

17. Love it to Death (third album) became more popular than the others because you got a smash hit : «I’m Eighteen». I know that success had something to do with a certain canadian DJ. Could you tell me the story ?

« I’m Eighteen » broke from CKLW in Windsor, Canada. The DJ was Rosalee Trombley and she fell in love with the lyrics on « I’m Eighteen ». She went against the warnings of the other station Jocks by playing the record but on the third day, they all came to her office to insist that she stop playing it. The phones were ringing off the hooks and so the other DJs had no choice but to give in. Rosalee said « I’m Eighteen » became the most requested song in the station’s history. It was in heavy rotation, every fifth song.

18. In my opinion, Bob Ezrin was the 6^th member of Alice Cooper group. He assumed a role like the producer, George Martin, did with The Beatles. Would you give me an example of his work with the band during the recording session of Love it to Death ?

We called him the Boy Wonder because he was young and confident. I liked working with him because he understood my goals and allowed me to pursue them wholeheartedly, eventhough, at times, my approach was disruptive to what the others were doing. Each part that you hear on the records represents a thousand parts thrown out. Bob understood that. He knew that what appeared to be abstract meandering was really a relentless hunt for the ultimate part. He could tell when I hit on the right part because I would smile, and then he would jump into action and co-ordinate the bass drum and perhaps have a guitar double my line.

19. Your own composition «Black Juju» seems to have strange similarities with the song «Set the control for the heart of the sun» (Pink Floyd : A saucerful of secrets, 1968). Did that song inspire «Black Juju» ? What was the stage act for that song ?

Pink Floyd stayed at our house on their very first U.S. Tour. They came to see us play an audition at Gazzari’s on the Sunset Strip and, you’re right, I think Roger Waters copped a bass lick from me. However, Michael blatantly stole Rick Wright’s keyboard part for the « Black Juju » intro. « Fields of Regret », from Pretties For You, was the first song that Alice developed his character to, and « Black Juju » etched it in stone.

Sprint questions about the saga of Alice Cooper group…

20. Who shouted «Order in the court…» at the end of Dead Babies ?

Our burly roadie, Artie King. He used that same voice to get our stages ready on time.

21. How did you get the inspiration for the bass melody (beatnik groove) on « Blue Turk » ?

It’s what I call my pseudo jazz. Kind of like a beatnick’s puttering bongos through a stack of amplifiers. I’m not schooled at jazz, I just like to pretend that I am. Michael shared my enthusiasm for pseudo jazz.

22. Why was the Alice Cooper group so scary at that time ?

Not scary to me.

23. What exactly did the title « Billion Dollar Babies » mean ? (Those words have a different meaning in French).

I don’t know what the meaning is in French but it’s probably naughty so I preferre your interpretation. The title referes to our rise to excess and our newly found ability to get anything we wanted because we had become famous by thumbing our noses at what society dictated, and how that infuriated parents.

24. You have an average of four credits per album except for the B$B album (only two). How do you explain that? (You would have had another credit for Slick black limousine but that song was not released on the B$B album).

It’s because I was so quiet that I chose to do the spaces between the songs, and my writing credits are invisible !

25. Why did the other members (except you) drink a lot during the glorious days of the Alice Cooper group ?

I drank but I waited until after the encore of the show. Our road crew were the best in the business and when we returned to the stage to do an encore, an arm would pop out from behind my amp with a cold Bud. In contrast, Alice and Glen started drinking before breakfast. I find it curious that some people criticize Glen’s drinking as a musical handicap, but they say that Alice’s strengthened his stage character. They were both drunker than skunks. That’s rock n’ roll !

26. Why was Mr Buxton behaving strangely (according to Bob Greene) during the B$B tour ? Was he unhappy with something or someone ?

We were all unhappy because we could see everything we had worked so hard for being swept out from under us.

27. What is your opinion of the Muscle of Love album ?

I love it, but let’s face it, I took part in making it.

28. What is your favorite song on the Muscle of Love album ?

« Hard Hearted Alice ». Especially on stage.

29. What do you think about the movie « Good to see you again, Alice Cooper » ?

Besides the music, the only part I like is the scene where I say, « Down big fellow », to the fucking elephant.

30. Did the members of Alice Cooper group possess all the publishing for the past albums ? (That’s not the case for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones).

No !

The final chapter of Alice Cooper group…

31. The break up of Alice Cooper group is still a mystery after all these years. The public doesn’t know the exact reason. For example, Alice said in the DVD Prime Cuts (first edition) that the band broke up for three things : touring constantly and not having fun, the solo albums, and the theatrics.

We were touring constantly because somebody wanted to make a lot of money. We weren’t having fun because we were overworked. My first solo album is Bones From The Yard (2006) and if it weren’t for me, Alice Cooper never would have done theatrics in the first place. The facts have been distorted for so many years that the truth sounds like fiction !

During B$B tour, the press reported that Alice travelled in one limousine and the musicians in another one. If that’s true, it shouldn’t have broken the band apart, but it couldn’t have helped the band spirit either. What really happened to break up the band ?

The Limo story is true and that is only a small example of the problems that the band were forced to deal with. Neal lost his temper over that issue and he was depicted as being unreasonable. During the filming of the concert for « Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper », while walking to the stage, I was shoved into a wall hard enough to bend a tuning peg on my bass. They didn’t want me to be in Alice’s camera shot. I retuned my bass, composed myself, and went to the stage. The stage lights were dim. I remember wondering why they would want less lights for filming, especially since it was such an important part of our show. Later, when I attended the « Welcome To My Nightmare show » at Madison Square Garden, it struck me that the replacemant band was also in the dark. The limousine was just the tip of the iceberg. Things went down but the more we rebelled, the more we were painted as the bad guys.

A walk into the desert…

32. Between 1975 and 1976, you seemed to disappear from the face of the earth, except the fact that you helped Mr Smith for his solo album. So, I was surprised at that time that you didn’t realise a solo album because you like music so much. I always considered you to be an intellectual (your arty side)… Have you been so demotivated after the dissolution of the band that you decided to quit the music world ?

I was shattered by betrayal of friendships, the record industry and, frankly, I was heartbroken that our fans didn’t seem to care. I do love music. Neal asked me to play on his album so I did, because that’s what friends do, but as far as my own creativity, I became a recluse in my basement and I had a blast writing hundreds of songs and thinking of stage presentations that Alice Cooper would have done. Bones From The Yard is a small sample of the songs that I wrote. If I never write another song, I have enough for twenty albums : « Hey, that gives me an idea for a song » !

The reborn of the phoenix…

33. In 1977, you were back with another band called Billion Dollar Babies. In that project, Messrs Bruce and Smith were there but not Mr Buxton…

Glen beat me to the punch concerning turning a cold shoulder to the music business. He and I still jammed for the fun of it, but gearing up for an album and tour had lost it’s appeal for him. I have tapes of some of our sessions and you can tell that were having fun because we weren’t taking it too serious.

34. Battle Axe is considered to be a cult album (I have two copies). Recently, I saw two reissues on CD (one made in UK and another one made in Russia). Why wasn’t this album successfull at the time ?

I like « Rock Me Slowly », « Battle Axe », « Winner » and « I Miss You ». The stage presentation was massive. We did four shows and got a great review in Rolling Stone. I guess the bootleggers are making money from it now.

35. Sadly, I have no LP or CD of The Flying Tigers. What kind of music did you play with that band ?

Mostly Baroque Minuettes! Actually, we had lots of good pop songs and a couple of heavy, theatrical numbers. We recorded a demo with Jerry Wexler, who is a giant in the music industry, but eventhough we had built a following, we couldn’t sustain it.

36. During the 80’s, you played with Deadringer (Electrocution of the heart) and Buck Dharma (Flat Out). You seem to have an allegiance with some guys from Blüe Öyster Cült…

I enjoy their friendship and their genuine enthusiasm for music. BOC toured with Alice Cooper group in 1972 and we’ve been friends ever since. Joe Bouchard plays cowbell on « Little Kid (with a big, big gun) » from the new Bones album. He also plays shakers on « Subway » (Bones From the Yard). Joe, Neal Smith, and I played at a tribute benefit for Helen Wheels in New York City and Buck Dharma joined us for the only live performance of « Born To Rock » from Buck’s Flat Out album.

37. I like your bass medley on the BDS–Live in Paris CD. Would you tell me if I have identified the songs correctly ? 1) Gutter cat vs Jets 2) Elected 3) B$B 4) Desperado 5) The Ballad of Dwight Frye 6) No more Mr Nice Guy 7) My stars 8) Dead Babies 9) Sick things 10) Street fight 11) Return of the spiders (for Gene Vincent) 12) End of Black Juju

I play different versions so I would have to listen to the CD to say for sure but I think that I began with Generation Landslide. I think you’ve identified the rest. (NDLR : After a verification, the bass medley is beginning with Gutter cat…).

And now the present…

38. What did it take to play bass in a formula trio like BDS ?

It’s more challenging to maintain a full sound whenever the rhythm guitar drops out to do the lead but Neal and I kick into overdrive and Joe Bouchard’s enthusiasm is infectious. When all three instruments, and the vocals, were mixed well, like they were at the BB King Bar and Grill in New York city, it sounded bigger than three instruments.

39. You had a smash hit single on the first album, Back From Hell. Did «Having the time of my life» get any airplay in your area ?

Back From Hell is still selling despite the lack of mainstream airplay here. Word of mouth is a powerful thing among music enthusiasts. The internet helps as well.

40. Many times, I tried to book BDS in my country but the promoters are afraid to gamble on new bands these days. Is your song «The Real Thing» about that situation ?

« The Real Thing » is about cover musicians vs originators. It’s about the difference between a reproduction and the genuine deal. A bassist once asked me to show him what notes I played on a song, and I said : « If you want to play like me, don’t copy anyone » ! When music comes from the heart, it’s the real thing.

41. Will BDS release another studio album ?

I wrote five new songs intended for the next BDS album : « Rattle Your Bones », « On The Mountain », « Rendez-vous in Pale Moonlight », « Death, War, and Destruction ». Also I finished a song that Neal had started as a tribute to Glen Buxton, which became « See You On The Other Side ». I negotiated studio time and booked two different recording sessions but everyone had other commitments so I started the Dennis Dunaway Project.

42. Now you are accomplishing a cherished dream for all musicians, you have your own band : Dennis Dunaway Project. How did the project begin ?

Rick Tedesco (guitar and vocals) had a new recording studio and needed a band to help him get the bugs out of it. I told him that I had about two hundred songs so we agreed to do it. It began as a solo album, but as soon as all the members were in place, the chemistry was so good that I made it into a group.

43. Would you talk a little bit about your new musicians? How did you meet these guys ?

I met Rick through Ian Hunter when Ian had just finished his Rant CD. I really liked what Rick had done on a song called « Morons». We all became friends and when we began recording my songs at the Guitar Hangar Studio, Rick brought in a drummer, Russ Wilson, who he had worked with for years, so their communication was tight. I would play guitar and sing one of my songs to show them how it went and by the third run-through, Russ would nail a recorded drum track. At first I thought it was sheer luck but it happened time after time. Rick would record over my guitar tracks and I would add the bass and the bed-tracks quickly rose to the level I had imagined, and beyond. At that point, I questioned my vocal ability to do some of the songs justice. Ian Hunter, having been attracted to the creative energy level of what we were doing, urged me to sing all the leads, but I didn’t want to take a chance on compromising the music. Rick and I had heard a keyboard player, Ed Burns, who had a killer voice so we got in touch with him and he agreed to stop by the studio. At that point, we had a finished instrumental track for « Kandahar », but were’nt sure what we should do with the feel of the vocal melody. We told Ed to make something up on the spot, which is a tough thing to do. We joked around to make him feel at ease and he hit on an emotional melody right away. He also came up with a keyboard part. Everyone was on the same wavelength. We all got along great and we all loved music.

44. Is it difficult for you playing with another drummer than Mr Smith ?

Neal and I created a style and honed it for decades. We are at home with each other. You can’t duplicate that, however, Russ has a jazz background, which adds a complex swing feel to his heavy rock style. At first, that presented a challenge for me, but I rose to the occasion and have expanded my craft because of it.

45. What is the main topic of your new album ?

Bones From The Yard encompasses a wide variety of topics and song styles. The subjects are as diverse as the evening news. It’s a dreamy impression of worldly matters. We address the subject of war in « Kandahar », and then in « Me and My Boys », we talk about musicians who have survived the music industry and have managed to maintain their enthusiasm. The Project are willing to explore, which has always been my interest. I was afraid that the songs wouldn’t fit together on the same album so Rick used a similar rhythm guitar sound on the majority of songs, and that became the glue that held everything together. Enough so that we can have three lead singers.

46.  What does the picture on the cover of Bones From The Yard mean ?

Everyone is guessing about that picture. I like mystery so when people figure out what it is, I will reveal the symbolic meaning. And then they might wonder what the plant is on the back cover and the mystery will start all over again.

47. Your daughter, Renée, is credited for the art direction and design. In a certain way, Bones From The Yard is a Dunaway family project...

48. What kind of label can I give to your new music ?

I’ll make one up. « Progressive Enthusiasm Rock ». That’s too long. How about « Roller Coaster Rock » or « Deedle-Doop Rock ».

49. You received some precious help from your friends Messrs Hunter and Bouchard on « Little Kid…, Satan’s sister and Subway ». Would you talk about the contribution of these musicians ?

We played a joke on Joe and his writing partner, Patty Gesmondi, when they came to the studio to play shakers on « Subway ». We told them that we would play the song so they could get the feel but we didn’t tell them that the song was almost 8 minutes long. When they finished, Joe said his arms felt like Popeye the Sailor’s and then I pushed the Talk-back button in the control room and said : « Are you ready to go for a take » ? They groaned and then I informed them that they had gotten the take on the first try. Eventually, the song was edited down to 4 :24. Joe also played cowbell on « Little Kid (with a big, big gun) ». Ian Hunter played piano on that song as well. Ian knows how to play rock n’ roll with the proper feel. He also created and sang the background part on « Me and My Boys ». He is a master songsmith and his suggestions and guidance were invaluable to this CD. Joe and Ian are great friends. Patty too.

50. I like your progressive-metal song «On The Mountain». Do you have any comments about it ?

As I said before, I wrote « On The Mountain » for BDS. I thought it would be a good follow up for « Joke’s on You » but it didn’t stir any interest so I decided to do it. I sang the intro verse and then Rick Tedesco takes over.

Ian got the idea to have a woman’s voice saying, « Help me », so he called his wife, Rick’s wife, and my wife, into the vocal booth and had each of them audition by saying, « Help me ». He pointed to Trudi, and then to Cindy, and then to Stephany. When each of them had finished, Ian looked at Trudi and Cindy and said, « You two, get out » ! We died laughing. Trudi and Cindy said they were going to go work on bookings and costumes and Stephany has been bragging ever since.

51. The song «Kandahar» has something to do with the Afghanistan war. Is there a political message behind it ?

I saw a National Geographic magazine from the thirties. It had an article about conflict in Afghanistan. The pictures were in black and white but it could have been what we see on the news today. Humans seem to be instinctively tribal. We have a tendancy to mistrust and differentiate ourselves from strangers. There are regions of the world that have had peacefull periods in their history while other regions seem to be overdue. The whole world is overdue.

52. Your new music hints at the glorious years of the Alice Cooper group. For example, «Me and my boys» (Under My wheels), «New generation» (Caught in a dream for the intro guitar riff) and «Stalker» (Levity Ball). Do you do that for the fans ?

Michael Bruce recently mentioned that « Me and My Boys » sounds similar to « Under My Wheels ». I wrote both songs so I jokingly told him that I’m suing myself but both lawyers are on a contingency so I guess I’ll break even. The guitar riff on « New Generation » was originally a bass riff, but at the last minute, I decided that it would sound better on guitar. I never associated it with « Caught in a Dream ».

I’m not sure how you’re comparing « Stalker » to « Levity Ball », except maybe the descending bass line may remind you of the vocal line. It’s just that you’re recognizing my writing style. « Me and My Boys » was the only one with any pre-conceived notion and I wrote that for Alice Cooper group.

As for the last part of your question, I don’t sit down and say, I’m going to write a song for the fans but ultimatly they’re all for the fans.

53. Dennis Dunaway Project is obviously a studio band but have you played any live shows to date ? (NDLR : The interview was made in September 2006).

After our very first rehearsal with Ed Burns in the Project, we played a benefit show and that’s when I realized the chemestry was solid. It just felt right. That live energy followed us back into the studio when Ed recorded the vocal track on « Kandahar » and « Me and My Boys » as well as every recording the Project has done since. I think recordings should have a live feel and that’s what I like about Bones From The Yard. It’s as raw and urgent as a live performance.

54. What’s next for the future ?

The Dennis Dunaway Project just recorded « Big Bottom » for a Spinal Tap Anniversary Tribute radio show. We’re writing for our next CD and we plan to increase the number of our concerts. Now that Guitar Hangar Studios is tweaked, we’re shooting for a masterpiece, but that’s always the goal isn’t it ?

BONUS QUESTIONS

The bassist corner…

55. Have you ever played a Rickenbacker bass (aka Lemmy with Motörhead or Paul Mc Cartney with Wings) ? Do you prefer a Fender bass over a Gibson bass ? Is there a big difference from one brand to another ?

I used a Rick during the Coops Billion Dollar Babies tour. It sounded great on stage but it was a bit boomy for recording, so, in a moment of tarnished brilliance, I sold it for peanuts. I love my 1970 Fender Jazz because it growls. And it’s so reliable that you could commit an axe murder with it and it will still be in tune. My Gibson EB-O is on display in the Rock’n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. There is a difference in brands but even the crummiest instrument has a great song in it.

56. What is the principal thing to consider when a bassist plays with a new drummer ?

I haven’t really done that until recently but I would say go with the flow. Within a day or so, the connections should begin to fall into place. If they don’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the drummer isn’t good, but most likely, something is wrong with the chemistry.

57. Is it difficult to play bass and move your body at the same time ? (John Entwhistle and Bill Wyman were always static, but that isn’t the case for you.)

It comes natural for me. Rock is a physical thing. To play it right, you have to stomp your feet and break into a hot sweat.

58. Did you know that Kim Gordon (female bassist for Sonic Youth) did a cover of «Is it my body » on the Dirty deluxe edition (2003) ?

I didn’t know that but I am honored. She also wrote a song that is like one of my basement treasures. Mine is called « I Hate You ». I won’t do mine now because her’s is so similar. I love Sonic Youth’s experimental stick-to-it-iveness.

Thank you very much, Mr Dennis Dunaway, for your precious collaboration on this interview.

Thank you Serge, I’ve enjoyed it.