Welcome to Part One of the Cowboy Mach Bell Interview
Here it is, as promised, the EXCLUSIVE interview with former JPP member Cowboy Mach Bell. Part one [of the five part interview] mostly deals with Mach's pre and post JPP days. I hope you enjoy it.
1] Crossfire: You have said that [around Boston] you are remembered much more with your work with Thundertrain with with The Joe Perry Project...but where do YOU feel more succussful?
Cowboy Mach Bell: I feel extremely fortunate to be associated with any rock groups, especially successful ones! I feel Joe Perry got what he was looking for [and needed] with the Project. I was Joe's lead singer starting 2/82 until 5/84. A super hard working, hard partying band, that could rock the small clubs as well as the arenas. We wrote and recorded quickly, travelled cheap and light, and tore it up. Earlier in my rock career, I sang with Thundertrain (1974-79). This band has since become a Boston rock legend. We were young and crazy -- and the "rock business" rule book hadn't been written yet. I love 'em both -- but truthfully -- without Thundertrain, I never would have had the opportunity to join the Project.
2] Crossfire: How do you feel about Thundertrain's "Teenage Suicide" album?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Well, for starters, when I see them selling for 50 or 100 or more dollars at auction -- I wish I still had a pile of them! That LP [Thundertrain- "Teenage Suicide" 1977] is a treasure. The bloody cover was shot by Oedipus (now Boston radio station WBCN's program director). Hot for Teacher!, the lead off track features Willie "Loco" Alexander [Billie Perry's ex-husband] on piano. The rest of the album was recorded live 2 track, in one insane night. Too many great bands break up, and never leave us an album to remember them by...for all it's faults, I'm proud of this one!
3] Crossfire: You have been called Boston's Sammy Hagar...Your Thoughts?
Cowboy Mach Bell: The Red Rocker beat the odds when he led Van Halen back to the top of the charts. It's not easy taking over as lead singer to a Guitar God! Ask Brian Johnson how he deals with taking over Bon Scott's post in AC/DC [20 years later!]. I'll gladly accept any comparison to Sammy, he's a terrific showman, singer and songwriter.
4] Crossfire: I read some stuff about you and [other Boston band] DMZ's J.J. Rassler...what was that about?
Cowboy Mach Bell: DMZ were a cool punk rock group I used to follow. I arranged for them to open for Thundertrain at the Rat, wild nights! Their drummer, David Robinson, left DMZ to join The Cars. We got kind of pissed when DMZ got a record deal [Thundertrain wanted one], then, when my pretty girlfriend [Lynn Ciulla] dumped me for J.J. I drew the infamous "How DMZ really got the Contract" cartoon [as seen on the net].
5] Crossfire: Are you in touch with any members of Thundertrain?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Oh Yeah! We last got together as a group in 1994, we met up in a Boston hotel suite and partied for 48 hours. Steven Silva (lead guitar) lives in L.A. and I'm visiting him this August. The others live here in New England and we're close friends. I just got a wedding invite from our drummer, Bobby Edwards! He's marrying a babe on Saturday, June 19, 1999!
6] Crossfire: I heard you were a big-time chef in and around Boston...Has cooking always been one your interests?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Joe Perry is a terrific cook. Last summer up at Sunapee, he prepared a feast for Julia, his family and me. He grilled venison and boar that he hunted at Ted Nugent's place. Joe makes a mean breakfast; everything he cooks is lean and flavorful. Cooking was always my hobby. After the Wild Bunch broke up in 1987, I moved to L.A. I apprenticed at The Beverly Hills Hotel working with a French chef in the Polo Lounge. In 1989 I married Julia in London and took a chef position at The Boston Harbor Hotel, I left in 1995.
7] Crossfire: I know you work at The Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts, what exactly do you do there?
Cowboy Mach Bell: SVS is a 200 student private day school, students range in age 5-19. Here, the students decide how to spend their school day. They are given responsibility for their own education and we trust them. The students elect the staff that they want at the school each year. My time is often spent in the music rooms, where we write, jam, record and rehearse for performances we stage throughout the year. I also cook with different groups of students -- sometimes to raise funds [new cymbals, a half pipe, and a computer solely for gaming] or to learn or just have fun. I do tons of other stuff, as there are only 11 staff members. I graduated from SVS myself, in 1971.
8] Crossfire: I read that [your band after the JPP w/Danny Hargrove] "The Wild Bunch" was formed on New Year's Day in 1985...how long did the band last, and when did it end?
Cowboy Mach Bell: The Wild Bunch actually got going before the last Project shows were played. On Wednesday, April 11th, 1984 there was a meeting held at Tim Collins office. The JPP had just returned from 2 weeks of great dates in California. At the meeting we learned that Aerosmith would be reforming -- and Tim offered to help Danny and me start our own new group. He paid for our initial Wild Bunch photo session, demo recording and got us a booking agent. The band was pretty cool, we returned to many of the places we'd gigged with Perry. We did shows with Lita Ford, Mama's Boys, Kix, Foghat, Extreme and Hanoi Rocks. We toured in a blue catholic choir school bus and partied like crazy. The band broke up in late 1986.
9] Crossfire: Can you tell us [if there is one that sticks out] the major highlight[s] that stick[s] out in your mind for Thundertrain, The Joe Perry Project, and The Wild Bunch?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Well, I work in a school that has an Internet room -- so I will answer this carefully. All the groups I worked in got along well and had a whole lot of fun together. I always loved stopping for lunch on tour, pulling into a real tough looking truck stop, and running up ahead, being the first one in the door. Everyone would turn to stare at this freak with long blond hair and weird clothes -- then BAM! The whole rest of the band and crew would pour in. The regulars wouldn't know what hit 'em!
Thundertrain highlights: playing New York in the seventies, Max's Kansas City and CBGB's were red hot and packed with celebs. I'll never forget the night in Boston at The Rat when one of our heroes, Phil Lynott, the late, great leader of Thin Lizzy joined us on stage to finish the night.
The Joe Perry Project was one stellar moment after another. Our trip to Caracas, Venezuela was mind blowing. We were given the key to the city, covered by all the media and played constantly on the radio. The concert was a 2 nighter in the humongous Poliedro Arena! Getting to meet many of my idols with/Joe was truly memorable. Drinking beer with Jim Dandy Mangrum, on his birthday, eating burgers with Bo Diddley and jamming with Steven Tyler.
The Wild Bunch was a party on wheels, but through the haze I'll never forget playing with Hanoi Rocks and getting to know their drummer Razzle -- only a week before he got killed in Vince Neil's car wreck.
10] Crossfire: Have you been in any other bands in your life?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Hell Yeah! I started out with "The Mechanical Onions" in 1966 [when] I was 13. Followed by "The Cynics," "The Effective," "Joe Flash," "Black Sun," "Love It Or Leave It" and "Piggies." I played lead guitar in all those groups. In 1972 drummer Bobby Edwards asked me to join his band as lead singer, that was "Biggy Ratt" followed by "Thundertrain," "The Hits," and "Mag4" then I joined "The Joe Perry Project," "The Wild Bunch" and currently "Last Man Standing." Visit our site and click on to the Joe Perry button at the bottom of the Mach page. www.lastman.net
