BraveWords.com: When anyone speaks of Michael Monroe's solo career, they always mention DEMOLITION 23. An incredible record produced by LITTLE STEVEN and do you think you will work with him again?
Monroe: "Well, I would love to but Steven is very busy. I hope he's gonna show up tonight. He was going to. I would not say no to that, he was great! That's one of the best albums I've made, if not the best one I've done. It was supposed to be my solo album but Sami came up with the full name for the band, from William Burroughs right?"
Yaffa: "Yeah."
BraveWords.com: Is the Japanese home video of Demolition 23 going to be released on DVD?
Monroe: "That's on DVD in Japan. Or...at least on VHS."
BraveWords.com: I have the VHS.
Monroe: "I have a DVD ...but maybe someone burned me one. The album was only out in Japan I guess."
(Editor note: was released in the UK also on Music For Nations.).
BraveWords.com: Is it still in print?
Monroe: "Probably out of print."
Yaffa: "I don't think so."
Monroe: "I don't think so. Little Steven and I own it. And Steven has been talking about releasing it in the States because it was never was released officially here. That might happen though as now that we have a band playing those songs, he might do it for real."
BraveWords.com: In
SLASH's (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) biography he called you, and I am paraphrasing, "an incredible talent who doesn't get the credit you deserve." Care to comment?
Monroe: "That's very nicely said. Warms my heart. Well, its a great compliment. I love
Slash. He's a real, real sweet guy and its sweet of him to say that."
BraveWords.com: You also covered 'Magic Carpet Ride' (STEPPENWOLF) with Slash for the Coneheads soundtrack - how did you end up working with Slash back then? I think this was Slash's first collaboration where he was the artist working with another artist as opposed to him guesting on another album.
Monroe: "He called me back then before that and said he wanted to do a song. They were finishing their European tour (Editor's note: June 93) at Milton Keynes in the UK. Around that time, my grandmother died, she was 99 and she was my best friend. I went to the funeral in Finland and Slash called. He told me to be prepared as he may call any day to do the project. So he called and said, lets do it now and I said Sami should be the bass player. He'd be the best and we got tickets and flew to London to do the song. It was a lot of fun, great session. Kenny Aronoff on the drums."
BraveWords.com: Great track.
Monroe: "Yeah, killer band. We did two versions. Slash wanted to do a version like the original but there was another arrangement we had worked out. I mentioned to Little Steven that I was going to do that song, so me and Steven worked on it a bit beforehand. I suggested the new arrangement to Slash and he said we should do both. And leave it to Warner Brothers to decide which one they think is best. They ended up picking the new arrangement."
BraveWords.com: And the other version?
Monroe: "I have it at home on cassette and I have not put it out anywhere and I won't. We agreed back then not to put it out. So far, its only for Slash and mine's personal pleasure. (laughs) That would be cool to release it but Warner Brothers probably owns it as they paid for it. I don't know..gotta ask Slash. Both versions were great."
BraveWords.com: Have you heard Slash's new CD?
Monroe: "I heard it once. Sounded good. Great production and everything."
BraveWords.com: You are playing the Summersonic Festival in Japan, which you also played with Hanoi Rocks, who are huge in Japan - how different is it to play as a solo artist?
Monroe: "Great...with this band I feel even stronger. More my bag!"
BraveWords.com: I have to agree. According to what I've seen on YouTube, the crowds are really into it.
Monroe: "Yeah! No point in comparing the two, but really I feel more at home with this band. These guys are so great, so much positive energy that I really feel much better. I'm not worried at all, about anything. It's gonna be real interesting to see. It's a great way to get out to the Japanese and present the band at the Summersonic Festival in both Tokyo and Osaka. The same way we did with Hanoi back then. So yeah, I'm really happy we are doing those gigs."
BraveWords.com: There seems to be a wealth of Michael Monroe TV appearances over the years - any chance you will be releasing a DVD like AC/DC did with Family Jewels? For the fans?
Monroe: "That would be great. Maybe one day. No concrete plans for something like that yet, but there's a lot of stuff yeah. Would be great to do something like that one day."
BraveWords.com: For example, whenever you go to Japan, there seems to be countless video footage of Michael Monroe floating around the net and YouTube. Everything seems to be filmed...
Monroe: "Everyone has cameras nowadays. Everything's documented everywhere. You cant get away with anything..."
BraveWords.com: Well, at least what's being documented it all meeting positive feedback.
Monroe: "At least people are not saying - what the fuck is this? They are saying this is great. Gotta go see the real thing. You can't control that and I wouldn't want to either. It's nice to know we have the goods to deliver. No matter how it's documented."
BraveWords.com: Do you have a favourite album that you have been a part of?
Monroe: "The Demolition 23 album, Not Fakin' It - are my fave solo albums. Warrior Soul - Chill Pill."
BraveWords.com: I love that record.
Monroe: "I was proud to be a part of that. Also Sun City with Little Steven. Was a great honor to be amongst all those people, all those names. From Miles Davis to Keith Richards to Joey Ramone, Stiv Bators. Plus, ya know, working with Stiv and JOHNNY THUNDERS on his album Que Sera Sera. Its a cool record. Maybe the first one was better, So Alone, but I was still proud to be a part of that. Working with Johnny in any capacity is a great honor. Working with Stiv, I was in the studio when the LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH were doing Like A Virgin, kind of producing the vocals. Stiv never thought he could sing that high. (sings high - 'You're So Fine And You're Mine' from Like a Virgin). So I told him to sing like that. It was Miles Copeland's idea to do that cover. And singing backup with SEBASTIAN BACH on Motörhead's 'Born To Raise Hell' (which appeared on the the Airheads soundtrack). I didn't get a credit because the record company got that guy from UGLY KID JOE (Whitfield Crane). Lemmy told me the last time I saw him that I was on there, but I never got the credit. Because we did some killer backing vocals. But the record company was so carried away with the Ugly Kid Joe guy, as he was the flavour of the month then. However, I was proud to say that I sang on a Motörhead song."
BraveWords.com: It's funny how you mentioned Warrior Soul as I was told once that Michael Monroe joined Warrior Soul. And I said no he didn't but you are credited as being part of the band on that album - Chill Pill. Which I thought was their best record. Loved the song
'High Road'.
Monroe: "'High Road'. That was the first time I ever did a harp solo, not only in one take, but without even hearing the song before. Kory (Clarke, singer for Warrior Soul) was just playing the song to me in the headphones in the studio and pointing out where the harp parts were. (hums the song). At the same time I was playing along to it, as I was getting a feel for the song. After that I said 'OK, lets do it, I'm ready.' But then Kory said (mimicking Kory) 'That was killer man! That's it, you're done!' I was like, 'Wow, I've been known to do one take but that was like without even hearing the song before.' I thought that was remarkable. It was a killer album and there was 'Ha Ha Ha' which had some insane sax. That was their 'Fuck You David Geffen let us go' record. Kory just wanted to get off the label. Someone at Geffen pulled the plug. That's probably why 'Ha Ha Ha' has one minute of noise at the end. I could just imagine the folks at Geffen listening to that and going 'What the hell is this?' I loved being part of that album."