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1. Hallo Steve…Many people don’t know about your music carreer before Autograph, can you tell us a few info?<\/p>\n
1. Hallo Steve…Many people don’t know about your music carreer before Autograph, can you tell us a few info?<\/p>\n
I played in several bands in the Los Angeles area as well as Seattle leading up to Autograph in 1983. Most were professional recording and touring bands that didn’t quite make it.<\/p>\n
2. What was experience from working with Savoy Brown and Greg Lake before Autograph?<\/p>\n
Holly Penfield,The Word,Silverlode,Ross Taylor Band,Outlawed,etc.,etc….<\/p>\n
3. Would you like to tell us about the first days of Autograph?<\/p>\n
We were all friends who just got together to jam,until one day Andy Johns who had worked for Led Zepplin heard us and decided to make a demo of us which is what David Lee Roth of Van Halen heard. Then David asked us to go on tour in 1984 opening for them when RCA offered us a record deal and the rest is history.<\/p>\n
4. The band also appeared in a movie as far as I remember , right? I remeber watching you playin’ live in a scene of a teenage American movie.<\/p>\n
Yes,the movie was ‘Like Father Like Son’.<\/p>\n
5. Do you have any numbers to share with us about your sales with Autograph in USA & overseas?<\/p>\n
I think the total for all three albums internationally was 5 million.<\/p>\n
6. How was your relationship with RCA back then, any other good or bad experiences from the music industry?<\/p>\n
It was a pretty good relationship until they changed owners in 1986,then everything went to hell because the new personel didn’t know what they were doing.<\/p>\n
7. Why do you think Autograph didn’t make it in reaching big success in a mainstream level even if you were signed in a multinational company and all the musicians in the band were technically very good?<\/p>\n
It was the promotional efforts (or lack thereof of RCA),like I said they really didn’t know what they were doing. Some of the best bands out there you’ve never heard of because of the record company,so we weren’t alone.<\/p>\n
8. What led to the break up of the band and what did you do after 1988 – 1989 till Missing Pieces album in 1997 ?<\/p>\n
Missing Pieces was material we recorded in 1988-89,it just wasn’t released until 1997. I did a solo cd in 1991-92 which wasn’t released until 2004 due to record label tie-ups.<\/p>\n
9. Is Autograph still active, any plans for a new album?<\/p>\n
Autograph is not active nor will be in the future.<\/p>\n
10. What are the other members of Autograph are up to now?<\/p>\n
I know Steve Plunkett is writing for television and movies but don’t know what the rest are doing.<\/p>\n
11. It’s been along time since we saw a release from you or Autograph, what are you up to now?<\/p>\n
I own a music school in Seattle and am recording a new cd in my home studio.<\/p>\n
12. You are a talented guitar player, wold you like to talk us about your techniques and your guitar books?<\/p>\n
I developed those techniques while attending the Musicians Institute in LA during 1978 and wrote down my “hammering” ideas during that time which turned into my first book. After that I kept writing down my ideas until I had enough for books 2 and 3. Emmett Chapman (the guy who invented the Chapman Stick) is the one who inspired me to do this technique when he did a clinic at the school in March of 1978.<\/p>\n
13. Do you have any plans for an instrumental album or a new band?<\/p>\n
The next album will be mostly instrumental.<\/p>\n
14. Are you still in the sountracks biz ?<\/p>\n
Yes,I have done a couple of indie film scores that haven’t been released yet.<\/p>\n
15. Do you have acontract or are you in touch with any labels?<\/p>\n
Not yet,I’m waiting until the album is finished,although a couple have shown interest with out hearing any matrerial. I’m sure that won’t be a problem when it’s done.<\/p>\n
16. What’s your next move?<\/p>\n
To finish the cd and start another<\/p>\n