Frankie Banali (QUIET RIOT)

QUIET RIOT Drummer Frankie Banali - Ahmet Ertegun "Was A Giant In The Music Industry"

QUIET RIOT Drummer Frankie Banali has issued the following update:

"My heart goes out to the family of Mr. Ahmet Ertegun who sadly passed away on December 14. He was a giant in the music industry and his presence will be forever missed but his contributions never forgotten."

As previously reported, Ertegun died in New York on Thursday, December 14th. He was 83. Atlantic said the tireless socialite and deal-maker had been in a coma at Weill Cornell Medical Centre since October, when he slipped backstage at a New York concert by THE ROLLING STONES, who recorded for the label during the 1970s.

MySpace Interviews QUIET RIOT Drummer FRANKIE BANALI

The MySpace Interview recently conducted a one on one with QUIET RIOT drummer FRANKIE BANALI. Highlights include:

How did the members of Quiet Riot meet and how was the name Quiet Riot decided upon?

"Quiet Riot existed in various forms before I joined the band around 1981. I believe that a member of the British group Status Quo suggested a variation of the name which then became Quiet Riot. I met (vocalist) Kevin DuBrow through (bassist) Rudy Sarzo who was in the band at the time. I later suggested to Kevin that we should enlist (guitarist) Carlos Cavazo who was then in the local LA band Snow."

Who came up with the iconic image of the man in the metal mask on the cover of Metal Health and your other albums?

"That was a combination of our collective thoughts. Rudy suggested to use some sort of a mask based on the book, The Man In The Iron Mask. I wanted to have the character wear a red leather straight jacket fashioned after a red leather motorcycle jacket that I wore at the time. Kevin suggested to have buttons which each of our faces on the jacket to make the character a fan of the band. Carlos nodded agreement. The final result was artist Stan Watts' version of our ideas."

What has been your most memorable performance in your career?

"Probably the 1983 US Festival playing to over 350,000 people and our first headlining show of the Metal Health tour at Market Square Arena which we sold out that 13,500 seater venue."

To read the rest of the interview, click here.

QUIET RIOT Drummer FRANKIE BANALI - "When We Started Seriously Working On The (New) Record There Was No Line-Up"

RockEyez.com recently caught up with QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali. The following is a brief excerpt from the interview:

RockEyez: You brought in some fresh blood for the writing of (new album) Rehab, yet the musicians all gelled wonderfully. Please tell us about the process and why wasn't the previous year's touring line-up featured?

Frankie: "I had already been working on sessions with Neil Citron engineering, as well as playing and recording the drums for Neil for a future release of his. So we were already in tune with each other musically and had been writing not only for Quiet Riot, but also for other artists. Neil is a dear friend of mine, and a great guitarist. The song 'Old Habits Die Hard' was a song that Neil and I had written the music for, for another artist. Kevin heard it and said, 'No you don't; this is for Quiet Riot. A great number of the songs that I wrote the music for with Neil were foreign in styles to what Kevin was used to. This is when he enrolled Glenn Hughes to write lyrics and melodies for those songs. It doesn't get any better than having Glenn write lyrics and melodies, he's the best.

Kevin had been writing on his own and with Michael Lardie and Alex Grossi separately, so all of these different ingredients make for a different Quiet Riotrecord.

When we started seriously working on the record there was no Quiet Riot lineup, just Kevin and I. There were some unresolved business and personal issues that were eventually ironed out between what Kevin and I needed and what Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi needed to do. Chuck could have done a great job on the record, and while there is no doubt that Alex can play, he's got a ways to go before he can understand and relate to styles of music that came before him. Both Chuck and Alex are back with Quiet Riot now."

RockEyez: What can we expect, touring wise in 2007?

Frankie: "More of the same as in previous years but we are trying to develop international interest once again with the release of Rehab."

Go to this location to read the complete interview.

QUIET RIOT Drummer Frankie Banali - "Playing The Sweden Rock Festival Has Been One Of The Best Experiences We've Had In Europe"




QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali spoke to Sweden Rock Magazine recently following the band's recent appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden on June 7th. A few excerpts follow:

Sweden Rock Magazine: How did you like playing at SRF? The reception from the audience, this being Quiet Riot's first concert in Sweden, the festival as a whole?
Banali: "Playing the Sweden Rock Festival has been one of the best experiences we've had in Europe. The communication between the festival's responsible parties and myself on behalf of Quiet Riot were outstanding. It was a very enjoyable and well planned event. The response of the audience to the performance by Quiet Riot was simply outstanding and very rewarding. I appreciated that the audience responded favorably to the new material from the "Rehab" release and they really welcomed us with enthusiasm when we played 'Cum On Feel The Noize' and especially for 'Metal/Health/Bang Your Head', so very much a really wonderful audience!"

Sweden Rock Magazine: Was it in any way different for you to come here with QR in comparison to W.A.S.P?
Banali: "When I played Sweden last with W.A.S.P., that was in 1989 during the Headless Children tour, so a long time ago and time has changed many things. The venue at that time was much smaller but the audience loved the set and everyone there were very nice to me. But no real comparison as both the bands, Quiet Riot and W.A.S.P., are very different musically and stylistically."

Sweden Rock Magazine: Rehab seems to be the best received QR-album for quite some time now. Do you think this signals a new beginning for the band, and is this the direction you're planning on following in the foreseeable future?
Banali: "I am very happy that Rehab has been embraced by both critics and fans in a positive manner. I think that it is a different sound for Quiet Riot, but in a style we have longed to do for a long time, and if we record another CD, it may well be an extension of this style but not the same."

Sweden Rock Magazine: Will Chuck (Wright - bass) and Alex (Grossi - guitar) participate on the next QR-recording?
Banali: "I would like that to happen if it's right, but that is difficult to say as one never knows what is in the future."

Sweden Rock Magazine: I hear there is a new HUGHES/THRALL album in the works. Will you be playing on that one?
Banali: "I've heard nothing about it, so you would have to ask the voice of rock, Mr. GLENN HUGHES! LOL!"

Sweden Rock Magazine: What are your feelings towards this ongoing Randy Rhoads book-dispute between Kevin (DuBrow) and Rudy (Sarzo)? Are you to be considered involved or a spectator?
Banali: "I understand the motivations on both sides of the disagreements, but I stay out of it because it really has nothing to do with me. I was asked to be interviewed for the film which I initially agreed to do, but decided to decline when all the issues and arguments started."

Sweden Rock Magazine: To round it off: is there anything in particular you and/or the guys will remember from your trip to Sweden?
Banali: "Sweden is great, the Sweden Rock Festival was great, the Swedish fans and the European fans in attendance were great, and I did not eat one single Swedish Meatball!"