JOHN SLOMAN – The Riverman Of Rock n Roll!
1. How did you join the Lone Star?
Three of the Lone Star guys were from Wales. And the band based themselves in Wales while they were writing material for the demo recordings they were going to play to record labels.
One night my band Trapper were playing a club in Cardiff called The Moon Club, when Tony Smith walked in with some friends. That night he heard me sing for the first time. Trapper, who were much younger than Lone Star were managed by one of their friends.
A year later, Trapper had split, and Lone Star were looking for a vocalist. The audition was ridiculous. Most of the band wanted this other vocalist. But the band manager overruled and I got the gig.
2. Do you remember the Reading Festival appearance of the Lone Star on 26 August 1977?
Reading Festival was pretty exciting. 30k people. I travelled there with drummer Dixie Lee and his girlfriend in an old Morris Minor, that broke down outside the festival site. Rock ‘n roll!
3. What happened with the band afterwards?
After Reading, we did two British tours, the 2nd one opening for Frank Marino’s Mahogany Rush. Meanwhile punk was happening. At the end of ’77, we parted company with guitar player Tony Smith (big mistake!) We spent several months in Wales, writing material for a follow-up to ‘Firing In All Six.’ But it was downhill from there. And in April, I left.
4. How did you join the Uriah Heep?
I’d been over in Canada, playing with a band called Pulsar. I came back to UK while issues with Canadian Immigration were resolved, to find that Uriah Heep had been trying to contact me.
Heep had been on the same bill as Lone Star at Reading Festival, and Trevor Bolder had watched our set. So when Heep were looking for a vocalist he suggested me.
5. How difficult was your duty to take over for John Lawton?
When I joined Uriah Heep, previous vocalists were the least of my problems.
6. Why did you leave the Uriah Heep in 1981?
I left Uriah Heep because I wanted to do my own thing.
7. Is it true that you joined the UFO on the album “The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent” but never received any credit? What happened?
The UFO involvement is a confusing story. At first I was asked to join the band. Which I declined. Then I was asked to play Reading Festival with them. I also declined that offer, as I didn’t want to cause problems within the Heep camp. I ended up playing piano on a couple of tracks. One of which was the single ‘Lonely Hearts’. But I am told I was never credited. And I’ve never seen the sleeve of the album in order to check it out.
8. How did you join Gary Moore’s band?
The Gary Moore band happened because I’d been working with Neil Murray. And when Neil joined Gary’s band, he asked me if I’d be interested in touring with Gary. I said ‘Maybe.’ Soon after, I got the call. But I should never have done it. It was a backwards step.
9. Todd Rundgren produced your album “Disappearances Can Be Deceptive”, how was that collaboration?
Working with Todd was a dream come true. However, it didn’t work out. And I had to rework the recordings back in London. The eventual album was called ‘Disappearances Can Be Deceptive’. I should’ve called it ‘Brain Damage’.
10. Please let us know about your latest solo album “Two Rivers.
Two Rivers is my latest album. It’s kind of autobiographical. I was born in Wales and moved to London when I was 22. The album was inspired by the tug of love I feel between the two cities…one where I was born…and the where I now live…personified by the River Taff which runs through my home town of Cardiff…and the River Thames which runs through London.
11. Why do use the “river” as a concept for your new album?
I used the ‘river’ as a metaphor to describe my internal dialogue. I grew up close to the river. The docks, where I briefly worked, were ten minutes walk away. People have been singing about rivers forever. The cities they flow through are always changing. But the river still flows along the same path as before. The river is the Collective Unconscious. Sometime shallow…sometime deep. We are all rivers…heading to our inevitable rendezvous with the ocean.
12. Where and how did you record your album “Disappearances Can Be Deceptive”?
Disappearances was initially recorded at Todd Rundgren’s studio in Woodstock. The recordings were then reworked at a studio in London. Recording the same album twice in six months was an emotionally draining experience. And I was lucky to survive it.
13. Any plans for live shows in the near future?
I would very much like to do some live shows this year (Putin and NATO permitting).
*John Sloman photo by Jeff Moh.
To pre-order: https://music.apple.com/album/two-rivers/1607563545
For more information:https://www.facebook.com/johnslomanofficial/
