DENNIS DUNAWAY (ALICE COOPER)

DENNIS DUNAWAY Comments On ALICE COOPER's Evolution From Rock To Shock Rock

www.RocknWorld.com recently hooked up with former ALICE COOPER BAND bassist Dennis Dunaway to discuss the new DENNIS DUNAWAY PROJECT album, Bones From The Yard, and to take a look back at the early years. The following is a brief excerpt:

antiMUSIC: Looking back, what are your memories of the first few years of the original Alice Cooper? What events or shows particularly stand out?

Dennis: Before we named the band Alice Cooper, we called ourselves THE SPIDERS and we had a regional hit called, 'Don't Blow Your Mind', which landed us a booking at an air force base in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, near Mexico. When we arrived, the troops were ready for entertainment but the honchos took one look at us and said we couldn't go on because of our long hair. As the crowd grew increasingly restless, and as the honchos realized they had no alternative, they finally gave in and let us play. The troops recognized 'Don't Blow Your Mind' and everything turned out fine. Even the honchos liked us after that. Early on, Alice Cooper got several gigs because the club owners thought we were a girl folk singer. We got used to showing up and having people freak out before we even went on."

antiMUSIC: Alice Cooper as a band has its place in rock history. So much has been made of the stage show which obviously influenced thousands of followers such as KISS, NEW YORK DOLLS, etc. Do you feel that the band has got enough recognition for the songs themselves, many of which you wrote?

Dennis: "Considering the original Alice Cooper group has soared way beyond my wildest dreams, nope."

antiMUSIC: Do you recall how the evolution began from rock band to shock rock band? Was there a lot of experimentation in terms of costumes and your stage show or did everything sort of present itself fairly clearly?

Dennis: "In 1964, Alice, Glen Buxton, and I played our very first gig as a real band at the Halloween dance at Cortez High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Our show featured spider webs, a coffin and a guillotine. We always loved gimmicks of one kind or another, even if it was a fake stage riff, fight and all. Alice went through a period where he kept his back to the audiences. We had stopped doing covers and he wasn't sure about what he should do. I suggested that he imagine a different character for each song and that helped. One of Alice's was a dark one that he had was developing on a song called 'Fields of Regret', which we recorded for the Pretties For You album. The audience members, who hadn't left our show in disgust, liked that character the best so I urged Alice to expand on it, which lead to me writing, 'Black Juju'. Once that ball was rolling it gained momentum and Alice took it to phenomenal heights."

To read the entire interview go to this location.

Former ALICE COOPER Bassist DENNIS DUNAWAY: "It's Hard To Believe That Everyone Buys That We Only Drank"

Sleaze Roxx has issued an interview with former ALICE COOPER BAND bassist DENNIS DUNAWAY. The following is an excerpt:

Q: We've all heard about Alice's battles with alcohol, but how much of a factor was it for you?

A: "Alice and Glen drank a lot of whiskey and beer. The severe stages of that was a detrimental factor for the whole band. It was the 60's and 70's and we were at the top of the game. It's hard to believe that everyone buys that we only drank. It makes me realize how easy it is to lead people by repeating over and over what you want them to believe. Exhaustion and hordes of fans offering to turn us on made up our waking lives. Surviving all we did is a miracle."

Q: I was going to ask that. You guys came from the experimental 60s, drugs had to have been a part of the band.

A: "Like Dennis Hopper said, 'If you remember the 60's you weren't really there.' Music was always the ultimate elixer though. Michael, Neal, and I learned to exersize moderation in the arena days. That was more professional. I would have a beer during the encore and a couple after the show but that was about it. Days off, which were rare, were a different story."

Q: Your website says you are working on a memoir, is this going to be a full-blown biography?

A: "I got the inspiration and began writing during my hospital stay. It's a detailed account that focuses on the early years of the band and up until the Hollywood Bowl concert. It's not detailed in the respect of listing every tour date or redundancy like that. The detail is in my intention to put the reader in the station wagon, the rehearsal room, and on stage with the band. I was the quiet observer and have discovered that I noted details about things that nobody else remembers... things that I find to be insightful and entertaining. It's been a slow process because I want it to be a smooth read and ring true. It is nearing completion."

Read the full interview at this location.