Welcome to Part Two of the Cowboy Mach Bell Interview
Here it is, as promised, the EXCLUSIVE interview with former JPP member Cowboy Mach Bell. Part two [of the five part interview] gets more into his JPP days. I hope you enjoy it.
11] Crossfire: I also heard you are an accomplished cartoonist [doing a comic strip called "Rockin' Tomatoes"]...could you tell us your background in that?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Joe Perry was the model for "Buzz" and I was "Flake", the two characters in the "Rockin' Tomatoes" strip. I got that name from Stiv Bators, the now deceased singer of The Dead Boys. He once told me that his first group was called "The Rockin' Tomatoes." I always love to sketch and cartoon. That strip ran in Boston's "Beat" magazine and in a L.A. musician's magazine. I also drew the storyboard that became The Joe Perry Project's "Black Velvet Pants" video, and the hawk and snake sketch that artist Brian Penry turned into the JPP logo.
12] Crossfire: What is your opinion of Tim Collins?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Tim took a chance with Joe and a much bigger chance with me as Joe's partner, and I'll always remember him for that. My first contact with Tim was around 1977, he was a booking agent then and he called my band Thundertrain on a holiday weekend, at the last minute, asking us to play that night at a biker convention for $300.00. We pulled it together and drove a hundred miles to the fairgrounds -- and found some other band playing the show! The next day we called Tim's office, he asked us to stop by. When we got there he apologized and paid us the $300.00 on the spot. I'll never forget it. This biz is full of irresponsible crooks, but Tim had a heart and did the right thing. I have to say though, reading Walk This Way, Tim has a bad memory, and I don't remember things happening exactly as he says they did. Joe, on the other hand, is right on in that book.
13] Crossfire: Can you tell us your current relationships [if any] with Joe Perry, Ronnie Stewart, Danny Hargrove, and Joe Pet?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Ronnie Stewart is the one I haven't seen at all. I try to keep tabs on him through my various drummer friends, who tell me Ron is alive and well playing the occasional gig or giving drum lessons. I see Hargrove and Pet sporadically, but we keep in touch via phone. Even though Joe and I have moved many times since we were kids, we still just live a town away from each other. Joe visits us on Halloween with his kids (as does Steven) they all dress up to the max. Steven was a wizard last year, Joe was Indiana Jones. Julia and I have been invited up to Sunapee the last couple of years, where the Perry's water-ski and live in a grand style. Last 4th of July eve, Joe brought us all out in his boat, and as fireworks were launched over Lake Sunapee, he stood on deck and played the Star Spangled Banner on his Chandler Strat through some battery powered Fender amps. It was pretty decent.
14] Crossfire: What is your favorite JPP song?
Cowboy Mach Bell: It pisses me off when Howard Stern laughs at The Project and when music writers and critics write The Joe Perry Project off as a failure. I think all the albums hold up well, and many of the live shows were classics. "South Station Blues", "Let The Music Do The Talking", "The Break Song", Charlie Farren's "East Coast, West Coast", David Hull's "Buzz Buzz", "Never Wanna Stop" and "King Of The Kings" are a few of my faves. There are many more.
15] Crossfire: Could you tell us what the recording of "Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker" was like?
Cowboy Mach Bell: That was very memorable and well managed by Tim and Joe. Brad Whitford told us about Blue Jay Recording Studio out in Carlisle. He had done some work there with Aerosmith or Whitford/St. Holmes -- I can't remember which. Any way the studio was built underground like a fallout bunker and outfitted with a Neve board, Scully decks, a big tracking room and tons of gear. A car and driver came to pick me up at my Cambridge apartment every morning and dropped me back off every night. We were well fed, and entertained guests in the extremely comfortable lounge area. Joe produced the album and worked hard at it. Production started on Monday, June 6th, 1983. Basic tracks [and several lead vocals] completed by Saturday June 11th. We took a couple days off. Wednesday, June 15th -- I returned for more lead vocals -- finishing them all by Saturday, June 18th. On Monday, June 20th, Jimmy Biggins came in to blow sax on "Crossfire", "Adrianna" and "Black Velvet Pants." The next day Joe started cutting his lead guitar parts. On Wednesday, June 22nd, our 17th day in the studio, WBCN DJ Mark Parenteau dropped in and "played chains" on "Women In Chains." We took a few days off to play Quebec City, Canada with Frank Marino and do some out door festivals. Then it was time for final mixdown Friday, July 1st to Monday, July 4th. We delivered the master tapes to MCA on Thursday, July 7th, 1983. One month total, not too bad.
16] Crossfire: What was your favorite JPP song to play live?
Cowboy Mach Bell: It was a great relief to finally release our "Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker" LP. I had been touring with Joe for over two years. And singing every one else's songs! The "Once a Rocker, Always A Rocker" numbers were all heavily road tested and I loved performing every one of them live. Standouts for me included "Crossfire", "Walk With Me Sally", "Never Wanna Stop" and "4 Guns West" which was incredible in concert.
17] Crossfire: Many JPP fans like the songs "First One's For Free" and "Goin' Down"...why were they not included on "Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker?"
Cowboy Mach Bell: Those songs both go back to my audition, Friday, February 26th, 1982. I arrived at the Cambridge rehearsal studio and met Brad Whitford and Joe Perry. I watched as they got warmed up -- they hadn't played together for a long while at that point -- then we jammed on the audition songs. "Discount Dogs", "Life At A Glance" and "Rockin' Train." Bassman Danny Hargrove had joined the day before and Ronnie Stewart was on drums. It sounded good, so Joe asked me what else I knew. I named off some Yardbirds and Jeff Beck tunes -- and we ripped into Jeff Beck's "Goin' Down." That rocked pretty nice and we kept on cranking. During a break, Joe started playing "First Ones For Free", I think it was left over from the "I Got The Rock & Rolls Again" sessions. Great song. We recorded them both as part of our first demo on March 24th, 25th and 26th, 1982 at Blue Jay. Those are the versions that are around on bootlegs. Joe sang lead on "First Ones For Free" and we featured it in our 1982 shows. Anytime Brad Whitford joined the Project on stage we always rocked on "Goin' Down."
18] Crossfire: How did you feel singing Aerosmith songs...knowing that you would be unfairly compared to Steven Tyler?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Joe Perry was between a rock and a hard place with the Project. At the time it was important for him to stand on his own and play his own music every night. The Project was having a difficult time being heard because everyone around us was still hung up on Aerosmith. We were being promoted as ex-Aerosmith Joe Perry's band. When we rode into town, radio would greet Joe by playing his old Aerosmith songs. Reporters would brush by me and the others to ask Joe Aerosmith questions, rarely did anyone ask about his new band. Of course -- I couldn't blame them, but it sucked that Joe couldn't get out from under the Aerosmith blanket that was smothering the JPP. Nevertheless we would never let the fans down so we did continue to play 2 or 3 Aerosmith songs at each performance. I felt odd singing these awesome hits. During my Thundertrain days in the seventies we'd get a lot of requests for Aerosmith songs -- but I would never think of singing that stuff -- hell, Aerosmith were the competition! Here I was 4 years later standing on stage between Whitford and Perry singing "Back In The Saddle." It was the bomb, but it sucked, it was awesome, but it was a nightmare, it was a dream come true, but it was f*cked. Thankfully many of the fans understood my plight and cheered me through these awkward performances. Actually on a good night I can do a kick ass rendition of "Same Old Song And Dance" & "Walk This Way" -- but baby, those songs belong to Steven Tyler!
19] Crossfire: You have said that Joe Pet was hired on March 3rd, 1983 and the next day, you played a gig!...how did he learn all the songs in 24 hours?
Cowboy Mach Bell: Whoops! You're right Scott, I did say that and I think you caught the Cowboy stretching the truth a tiny bit on that one. The real story is that Tim Collins, Perry and I went out to see Pet play a gig with his band "Berlin Airlift" on Thursday, February 24th, 1983. He was great, and we made our minds up to steal him. On Monday, February 28th, he rehearsed with us at Glen Ellen Country Club (our friend Michael Striar owned the place, more on him later). We were set to rehearse the next day, but our roadie lost the keys to the JPPmobile and we had to cancel. So the second Joe Pet rehearsal was Wednesday, March 2nd and he officially signed on that day. The next day we left with Ronnie Stewart on drums and did 4 concerts in New York and New England. Returning home, we squeezed in another Joe Pet session. Then back on the road for the final 3 Ron Stewart Project shows. The day after Ronnie's last show, the crew set out for California with our gear. We followed and played the first Joe Pet date in Monterey on Thursday, March 17th, 1983. Pet was really tight with the arrangements and rocked solid; we even gave him a drum solo that first night. Too bad for him, when he finished his solo, we left him stranded alone on stage -- and let him sweat for a couple minutes with the bewildered crowd staring at him, waiting for something to happen. That was Joe Pet's initiation into the Project.
20] Crossfire: Why did Ronnie Stewart quit The Joe Perry Project?
Cowboy Mach Bell: I can only theorize on why Ron resigned. Stewart was the Project's drummer for well over 4 years, making him the longest running member of Joe's group. When the first Project toured they rode in limos and had a private jet. After Joe left Leber/Krebs, who managed Aerosmith as well as the Project, he hooked up with Don Law, who is New England's premier concert promoter. The Project benefited from this and was playing all the top concert halls in the area but, money was tighter, they traveled in a tour bus now. After the second album, amid accusations and financial disputes the band split in two -- but Ron decided to stay with Joe. Don Law and Joe ended their management deal and the Project was no longer welcome at the prestigious venues controlled by Law. Now the money really ran out. Joe was trying to escape a bad marriage and the bill collectors. Tim Collins enters the picture. Joe and Tim put together the third Project on zero budget and we hit the road in a used van owned by folkie Jonathan Edwards [he had 70's hits "Sunshine" & "Gonna Lay Around The Shanty" and "Put a Good Buzz On"]. Through this downward spiral, Ron hung in. Ron was 100 percent committed to the music. He didn't smoke or drink. He didn't chase women and raise hell. He was the complete opposite of Hargrove and me. We would be riding through Texas, Doc, our road manager at the wheel, Perry always rode shotgun with a case of Jack by his side -- Hargrove and I shared the bench seat. We would be twisted and blasting AC/DC and the Sex Pistols on the stereo. Meanwhile Ronnie sits alone in the way back seat. Drum pad out, headphones on, working out patterns as he listened to Asia, King Crimson and other progressive bands. I roomed with Ron a lot. Sweet guy, awesome power player -- but he'd never stop drumming. I'd be getting ready for the show, downing a few and watching a monster movie on the cable -- Ron would be sitting in the corner endlessly working out fills on his drum pad. After the late parties got over I'd stagger back to the room, and find Ronnie fast asleep, but still pumping out kick drum accents under the sheets and tapping out paradiddles with his fingers...He never stopped drumming! After a year of touring, the Mach Bell version of JPP still had no record deal in sight. We had no money. The songs Joe and I were writing were not "progressive" or particularly challenging to an advanced drummer like Ron. Finally, during a January JPP road trip through the Midwest, playing road houses and small clubs for beer money, Ronnie met a girl. I forget her name, but it was in Burbank, Illinois. After that he didn't ride with us in the van anymore. He rode with her. A few weeks later on February, 22nd, 1983, Ron gave his notice. He played his last Project shows at the Channel in Boston. We played 2 shows that day, a matinee and an evening performance. It was very emotional, we loved Ron. He left for Illinois the next day.
