DOKKEN - Exclusive Chat With Bassist Barry Sparks

DOKKEN - Exclusive Chat With Bassist Barry Sparks




DOKKEN is getting ready to embark on a Defenders of Rock co-headlining European Tour, with KINGDOM COME, which is slated to kick off September 26th in Ludwigsburg, Germany. The tour will run till October 21st and the trek will include stops in Budapest, Czech Republic, Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy. Dokken is currently putting finishing touches on their upcoming Lightning Strikes Again release for Rhino Records. Boston-based scribe Deb Rao recently caught up with Dokken bass player Barry Sparks, when he was on his way to begin recording for his upcoming solo release, Summerland. In December 2001, the former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN bassist joined Dokken. TED NUGENT also discovered Barry, while performing with Dokken in Michigan in 2003 and asked him to join his co-headlining tour that summer with ZZ TOP. The established bass player has taken the summer off from touring with Ted, and is performing with Dokken on their summer tour. In this Interview, Barry discusses the upcoming Dokken European Tour, Lightning Strikes Again, Ted Nugent and his upcoming solo release, Summerland.

Deb Rao: Tell us about the recording studio that you are starting the recording of your new solo CD, Summerland?
Barry Sparks: "I am at this really awesome recording studio. We are starting today to lay down the drum tracks. I wanted to get the drum tracks down because I know I am going to be out on the road in Europe and stuff for a while. I am going to be doing a lot of this stuff, actually out on the road in other places. But I got to have the drums first. So right now, I am at this killer studio called Gary Nieman Studio. Roger Cardillo, my drummer is playing all of the tracks. I got a good 14 songs. If I can get twelve of them for the Cd, I am not sure, what I will leave off yet. I have a whole new album, I have been gigging. I have been playing all of these news songs for about a year. So a lot of the stuff, we have played a bunch of times. We are more than ready to start recording."

Deb Rao: What is the name of the album going to be? Have you decided on a title yet?
Barry Sparks: "It is going to be called Summerland."

Deb Rao: Will is resemble Can’t Look Back or is it heavier?
Barry Sparks: "It is hard to say when it is finally done. Song writing wise, it is going to be similar. Production wise, if I can reign myself in, I really want to keep it more raw. A little more band sounding with not so many guitar layers and stuff. The tricky thing is to know when to not do that. It is hard not to want to put all kinds of stuff on tope of everything. It is hard not to make it huge sounding. But we really want to try and keep it really 70's kind of raw classic rock sounding."

Deb Rao: So are you playing both guitar and bass on Summerland?
Barry Sparks: "Yes. It is hard to say, because I am going to be out on the road. I am going to be doing a lot of it myself because of that. It might have a little bit of everything. I am sure my other band guys Kevin and John will make an appearance on there too. Kevin, my brother plays electric and acoustic when we are out playing gigs. It is hard to tell this time, because If I am out on the road. I am going to be spending some time in Italy and stuff. I might end up doing a lot of my stuff over there. If I have time here, it depends on who is there at the time."

Deb Rao: Is the CD all written or you will you continue to do more writing over in Italy?
Barry Sparks: "It is all written and ready to go. I have more than enough material. It seems to me that some CD's are great, if they would have cut it back. I don't think we need fourteen or sixteen songs for a great CD. My favorite albums
had ten or eleven songs tops. Look at "Hotel California", that wouldn't have been the classic it is, if it had five more songs on it. I don't think. I want to have enough material but I want to leave the listener going, 'Bam this is a great record.' I wish there was more. That is my goal."

Deb Rao: Tell me a little bit about the song writing for Summerland. Is it about personal experiences? Anything about the war? I remember, Can't Look Back had a song called 'Liberty' on it, in which Ted Nugent made a guest appearance.
Barry Sparks: "A lot of them are personal experiences. I don't know the ratio to what is not. There is a couple of them, where I put myself in a position to where is it a of type story telling thing. Most of the time, when I write, I pick up a guitar and something’s comes out and then it is usually a week or two later, I look at the lyrics and to wow! I can't believe I just wrote that. So it is usually something I don't plan on doing. It just comes out with the music. Sometimes, it is very personal."

Deb Rao: Any release date. Do you think, it will be out by the end of the year?
Barry Sparks: " It is hard to say, because I am not sure how I am going to put it out at this point. I would like to have it all recorded and mixed by December."

Deb Rao: Do you think over in Europe, maybe you can get a European deal? Is that the goal?
Barry Sparks: "That is the goal. Also, Japan and stuff like that. I am hoping to get it out there. In The States, I am not sure what I am going to do yet. It is hard to say."

Deb Rao: In The States, you can release it yourself, and maybe do a tour with the help of my space.
Barry Sparks: "That is my plans, we will see."

Deb Rao: Getting back to September 11th and your song, 'Liberty'. I know Ted Nugent made a special guest appearance on the song 'Liberty'. Tell me about the special gesture that you did for the US troops, last year to show your appreciation.
Barry Sparks: "We did a really cool thing. We went to Fort Bliss in El Paso. What we did was, we had a t of people that visited my website and a lot of Dokken fans, they all pitched in and we printed up a bunch of "Liberty" CD's that were kind of like a gift for The Troops and say,"Hey I appreciate what you are doing." The whole world seems to be against what these people are trying to help us do I believe. Everyone else is always anti, how dare they? I am one of the few people, who think they are doing well. (Laughter)"

Deb Rao: How is the Dokken album coming along? Do you think, you will contribute a song on the new album?
Barry Sparks: "We are almost finished with it. So I don't know how much song-writing I am going to get to do. It is going to be done, probably in the next month or two. Jon has been working with Don for so long. I was out with Ted. But, I tell ya this record is going to be my favorite Dokken record that I have done with them. I think it is the best record since, "Erase The Slate", in which I thought that was a great record. It is going to be a fan favorite for sure."

Deb Rao: Would you say that Lightning Strikes Again goes back to the early Dokken roots?
Barry Sparks: "I think so; I mean it is definitely heavier. Dokken fans are going to be going, this is the record that we have been waiting for. Finally, this is the one we wanted."

Deb Rao: Are all of the bass parts and guitar laid down on Lightning Strikes Again?
Barry Sparks: "Yes, we are done. Don just has to do vocals and some other things like that. We are getting close. I know the record company is really waiting for it. It will be finished soon."

Deb Rao: Tell me about the upcoming Dokken European tour. Don said the band is touring, Budapest and Czech Republic. Has Dokken ever toured these countries before?
Barry Sparks: "I know we played Budapest before. The first tour I ever did was in the Czech Republic, a long time ago. I never have played there with any other band; I am looking forward to going back there. I had an apartment there. I stayed there for almost three months. I loved it. It is an amazing city. We always skipped over it, every time in Yngwie or whomever I played with. So I am really looking forward to the Czech Republic gig."

Deb Rao: How is the music scene in Czech Republic?
Barry Sparks: "I don't know. When I was there last, it was 1992. It was with a Czech guitar player, Milos Dolezal. I was playing with him, and a guy names Guy Mann Dude. We did a big tour, and he had a hit song. It was my first tour. where I was actually doing some real thing. It was my first tour of flying over to Germany. It was an amazing experience."

Deb Rao: Now Dokken will be heading over to Europe for a month beginning on September. 26th Is it harder to tour Europe? What are the touring conditions over there like?
Barry Sparks: "It is going to be a little rough. But is always fun. The buses in Europe are not as quite comfortable as America tour buses here. They are double deckers and a little different. But, it is not a big deal. You get in the swing of things, and once you get in the groove of sleeping on the bus, it is all fine and dandy really. You see so many different places; it is going to be cool."

Deb Rao: Dokken has played so many great shows this summer, including Rocklahoma. Tell the fans about your experience there.
Barry Sparks: "That was really one of the great big gigs that we've done. I know we did really well. I thought we played really tight, as a band. We got really good reviews. It was a blast. I think Dokken gained some ground at how well; we did at that one gig. It helped the overall view of the band. It let the fans know, we are still alive and kicking."

Deb Rao: What it is like playing with Vikki Foxx (ex-ENUFF Z'NUFF) versus Mick Brown?
Barry Sparks: "Vikki is doing a great job. He is awesome. Obviously, We miss Mick, and I miss playing with Ted this summer. But, at the same hand, Vik is a great guy and he is doing a wonderful job."

Deb Rao: Is Mick Brown slated to do the European Dokken tour?
Barry Sparks: "Yes, that is going to be Mick Brown."

Deb Rao: Do you think you will be playing with Ted Nugent next summer? I know, this summer you are touring with Dokken.
Barry Sparks: "Yeah, I plan on being back next summer. That is how I left it with Ted. I needed to do some things this summer. We have talked about me coming back next summer. I love Ted. Actually, his record that I played on,” Love Grenade" comes out September 4th. So that is another killer record that I am very proud to be on. I think, it is some of Ted's best work. Definitely, some of my best bass playing is on that Ted record. I think that and the new Dokken record is really good. It is funny; I haven't been doing anything new for the past couple of years, because I have been touring so much. I did the Scorpions thing and since then, it is has been kind of on the road. These last two records, the Dokken and the Ted record, I think my best tracks that I have ever laid down on record. I am really proud of both of them. I play on being back next summer with Ted."

Deb Rao: Are they’re any US Dokken tour dates, after the European run?
Barry Sparks: "I am assuming so. I haven't heard anything."

Deb Rao: Barry, you joined Dokken in 2001. I remember your first Dokken gig. It was on New Years Eve, up in Maine. How do you feel your bass playing differs from Jeff Pilson? Do you feel Dokken, has evolved into a whole new band since the early 80's?
Barry Sparks: "Yes, I remember. That is hard to say. Jeff was great, and his harmonies are awesome. I think my style, as a bass player is a lot different. I try to keep the classic tunes sounding like Dokken without adding too many chops in there. Because I want to sound like Dokken. I adjust my style so the Dokken fans can appreciate it and still put my stamp on it."

Deb Rao: Barry, Is there anything else that you would like to say to the fans about the upcoming European Dokken tour?
Barry Sparks: "As usual, I would just like to thank everyone for sticking behind us bands that have been around awhile. A lot of people don't go to concerts. It is weird. Even younger people, don’t go to concerts. The people that do and still stick by bands that they loved back in the day, we appreciate it. I