Ex-TWISTED SISTER Drummer Joe Franco

Ex-TWISTED SISTER Drummer Joe Franco Talks About Illustrious Career

www.RockPages.gr recently conducted an interview with ex-TWISTED SISTER/WIDOWMAKER drummer Joe Franco, in which he discusses his long, illustrious career. An excerpt follows:

RockPages.gr: What do you remember from the very early days when you were struggling to break through in the music scene and build a career? I am talking about the late 60s and the Long Island gigs before the GOOD RATS days.

Joe Franco: "In the early days, it was never a struggle. You simply had a band and you practised after school. I've played in bands since I was twelve years old. The most notable was a band called HARLEQUIN. We played all the cool gigs in NYC at the time- The Electric Circus, Café Wha, Café Bizzare, Central Park's Bandshell. The band I was in just prior to The Good Rats was a band called HAYSTACKS BALBOA who had a record on Polydor."

Rockpages.gr: You joined Good Rats in the early 70s. How did you meet Peppi Marchello?

Joe Franco: "Actually, I joined in 1972 and the first record I recorded with them was Tasty, which was released on Warner Brothers in 1974. I met Peppi in a round about way. I was taking drum lessons from Carmine Appice in '72 and when he was on the road with CACTUS and later JEFF BECK, he had this cat Joe Markowski filling in for him. Joe was an amazing player who I owe a lot to. He really helped get my technique together. Joe was at the time starting a new version of the
Good Rats with Peppi & Mickey Marchello and need a bass player and lead guitarist. I was playing in Haystacks, so I recommended Lenny Kotke and Mike Raffinello (both of whom I played with in Harlequin). After they played for a while with Peppi & Mickey, they suggested that I would be a better fit with The Rats, so I actually replaced my Teacher in the band!"

Rockpages.gr: How was the Long Island music scene back then and which were the differences in comparison with nowadays?

Joe Franco: "In the 70s, the Music Scene in Long Island was booming! There were a ton of clubs to play and the clubs were packed every night. The drinking age was eighteen at the time, so anyone sixteen and up with phony proof could get into clubs. In 1980 when the drinking age went to twenty-one, the scene died. There are still a few places to play out there, but pro venues with nice stages are few."

Rockpages.gr: A five-year hiatus followed until the release of the excellent Tasty. What took you so long to release a new album?

Joe Franco: "Again, after the 1969 album, the band lost their deal with Kapp and went through a series of personnel changes until I joined in 1972."

Head to this location to read the interview in its
entirety.