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THE JOURNEY ZONE
http://www.journey-zone.com
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Kevin Chalfant Interview with GetReadyToRock.Com
Ricky Philips Interview with GetReadyToRock.Com
Randy Jackson Interview with JoJoWright.Com
Kevin Chalfant Interview with GetReadyToRock.Com
Date of Publication at Jrnydv.Com: July 5, 2003
Date of Original Publication: July 4, 2003
Kevin Chalfant is the vocalist with Two Fires, who have released two albums so far, the latest being 'Ignition'. He was also vocalist in the Storm, which also featured ex-Journey members Neal Schon/Ross Valroy/Greg Rollie and is a bit of a classic! He can also be heard singing on 'America Greatest Hits Live', the live CD just out by Jim Peterik & World Stage. A truly great voice.
1. What are you currently up to?
I have a new touring group called Two Fires. We are doing Midwest dates. You can keep up with Two Fires by visiting http://www.CliqueRecords.com I am also producing several new artists, Jenny Way, Aria Skye, JuJu Kings, and David Bowling.
2. Who were your influences?
Several: I must say that Herbie Herbert has left quite an impression on my musical carreer. He taught me that you are only as big as the effort that you put forward. Also, Gregg Rolie for showing me kindness and direction. Jim Peterik for helping me hone my writing skills. I have some other important people that I can credit for making a difference in my life. Lorretta Condon was my first grade teacher and neighbor. She taught me to sing at a young age. Dorothy Benckendorf for helping me grow closer to God. My wife Judy and my children Jayson Joel and Melinda for being my inspiration to keep movingforward.
3. Which band would you like to see reform?
The Original Storm.
4. The Storm is a classic album and rightly so. Are there any unreleased tunes? Any plans to re-release the CD with bonus material?
That has been discussed. There are unreleased tracks yes.
5. You do a great version of Survivor's 'I Can't Hold Back' on 'Rock America'. Who decided on who sang on what? Was this a one-off or are there possibly more shows in the future?
Thanks for the compliment. I told Jim which Survivor tunes that I liked and we decided together. Yes, I have a gig slated with Jim Peterik in October. I just spoke with Don Barnes of 38 Special a couple of days ago at his Ottawa Illinois show. He is a great guy. He is going to try to make that show as well.
6. How do you find time to write so many classic tunes? Have any ever been covered by other artists?
Thanks again. They come to me from outerspace, I guess. Cher has covered "Who Ya Gonna Believe" on her Love Hurts CD. Mickey Thomas covered "Keys To the City" on a greatest hits CD. Axe covered "Love Changes Everything" on a ballads CD. I like writing with seasoned writers, then taking them to the band already constructed for execution live or on record.
7. Any plans to bring Two Fires over to the UK/Europe? I would imagine it's cost that puts a lot of US bands off, although Z Rock and The Gods have been very successful with a large band line-up.
I enjoy Europe very much. I have participated in several godfest's. We came in 1999 and 2000. The problem is that the business has changed and it takes a promoter with deep pockets to make a show come off right. Lights, sound, travel, hotels, food and profits are needed to make such a trip possible. In the past, Godsfest would not pay groups for the show, just part of the travel and accommodations.
8. Who would you like to work with in the future?
Paul McCartney, Steve Smith, Jeff Beck, Gregg Rolie, Brian May, Jim Peterik, The Dream Team.
9. What was the last thing you read?
My ProTools Manual...why?
10. Message for your fans...
Fans are my most valuable resource. I can not stay in music for a day without "real fans". Real fans buys records and merchandise and come to shows. Listeners download for free. Real fans stay in the loop to support artists. Keep supporting your favourite artists, they need you...you know who you are!
God bless.
Ricky Philips Interview with GetReadyToRock.Com
Date of Publication at Jrnydv.Com: July 5, 2003
Date of Original Publication: July 4, 2003
Ricky Phillips has played bass with the Babys (who also featured Journey's Jon Cain and John Waite) and Bad English, who had US top 10 singles and two great albums out in the late 80's/early 90's. He has also worked extensively with ex-Toto vocalist Fergie Frederiksen and appeared as session man on many albums (inc. Coverdale/Page).
1. What are you currently up to?
Learning material for a Ronnie Montrose tour in November, finishing mixes, learning keyboards for Creedence shows in New Zealand, writing songs for a couple projects, starting to write the score for a short film and pleading with my dog to stop digging holes.
2. What has been the highlight(s) and lowpoints(s) of your career to date?
Highpoints? Their are too many to list really. No bullshit... I feel very fortunate to have played and shared musical ideas with so many incredible musicians. All the guys in The Babys, Bad English and sessions with so many others. Playing and Creating music is its own reward and there is a silent brotherhood which comes as a direct result. I enjoyed talking with Jimmy Page about the old Yardbird days and wild adventures with Led Zeplin as much as I enjoyed the months we played music together. There are so many more great things that have happened to and for me as the result of my involvment with music that I am forever indebted. The only lows are when good things come to an end...and they all do.
3. The Babys - how did this band start out? What was the highlight of your time in this band?
Jonathan and I joined the band after they moved to the States from England. That was the first taste of success I had experienced with a recording band. We were constantly working, whether it was in the studio or on the road. We were a very close unit. The highlight was being on stage together. We rocked. .
4. You were a member of the 'supergroup' Bad English, which featured fellow Babys' member John Waite. Why do you think that Bad English had the success that the Babys didn't?
It could have been the record company or management or timing...probably a combination...hard to say. I think The Babys were much hipper than Bad English. Lets face it, although a killer band, Bad English was a flavor of the month band. It fit in with everything going on at the time while The Babys had its own little niche. Which went against the New Wave and Punk music of the time.
5. You did a very good album, that does get sadly overlooked, with ex- Toto singer Fergie Frederiksen. How did this collaboration come about?
I've actually done two albums with Fergie. The first was called Frederiksen/Phillips and the second was Fergie's solo album "Equilibrium" which I produced. Fergie and I had done a few unsigned projects together and enjoyed the camraderie. We were approached by Magnus Soderkvist to do a CD as a duo for Empire Records. We were both in between bands so it sounded like a great idea. I had been writing songs with no home for them and We'd been wanting the opportunity to do a CD together so this seemed perfect.
The Frederiksen/Phillips CD was a studio project for most people but Fergie and I have worked and colaberated together on material for 14 years. We still do. Remember there were some 20 musicians and singers who joined in on that record.
6. Any band you would love to play in? What artists would you like to work with still and who have you enjoyed working with most?
I wish I could have worked with Jimi Hendrix and Phil Lynott. They were very influencial in my twisted development.
7. You are currently producing and working with some new artists. Could you tell us some more about them and your future plans in this area?
I'm always looking for new artists.
8. Outside of business, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Golf has been a constant throughout my life. Walking on green grass and focusing on your game takes the world's troubles away for a few hours
9. The last thing that you read?
The warranty on my new NIKE driver.
10. Message for your fans...
Don't do what I do
Randy Jackson Interview with JoJoWright.Com
Date of Republication at Jrnydv.Com: July 5, 2003
JoJo: Ladies & Gentlemen in the studio...Randy Jackson
Randy: Yo, you, what's up party people, what's up.
JoJo: The deal with Simon and you, is it like a real tension or not?
Randy: Listen, we go in and out. I just talked to him on the phone, we're cool right now. But if he says something crazy, he's been saying a couple of crazy things that's kinda been getting on my nerves. He's got this whole weight thing going on.
JoJo: This huge show, American Idol, when you first started doing it, any idea it was going to be so massive, out of hand?
Randy: Dude, I never thought. I don't think any of us ever thought. We thought, let's do this show, we don't know, it might be cool. Could have a little fun, maybe, maybe not. We were really just kind of checkin it out and then, whoa, I guess the industry needed something man.
JoJo: The round of contestants you had overall, good talent in the U.S., weaker than you thought?
Randy: The first show I thought the talent was weaker than I thought it would be. I think better people came out this time, so I think, on the whole, talent's better this time but we saw 60,000 people.
JoJo: What's the most people you saw in one stop?
Randy: We would get to see the top 200 in each city and we had other associate producers go out and see a cross section of everything else.
JoJo: So some of those people we saw you guys talking to on tv that were really bad, they were in the top 200? Like that dude who was singing like Enrique?
Randy: Yeah, he was rough dude. He came back to L.A., can you believe that? He changed his hair, just moved it up. I was like d**n, what's going on?
JoJo: What was he thinking? How did he get in the top 200 though, hate to see 203!
Randy: I think...you've got to get a good cross-section.
JoJo: What about that chick that showed up singing "Baby Got Back"? It was entertaining...I don't know what was in her head
Randy: You know what it is, I think people come up and say 'listen, I need to be unique, I need to be different, I need to like wow the judges, you know. I need to do something hot.' And they think "Baby Got Back" is hot, I don't know where she lives, but whatever
JoJo listener Laura from Calabasas: What's the funniest thing that happened on American Idol off camera that we haven't seen?
Randy: Last night was pretty hilarious for me. After we finished taping the live show, this Mom came up to Simon and kind of cursed him out, let him have it. I think it kinda shook him for a second.
JoJo: Does he get that alot?
Randy: You know, he thought she was just coming up to say hi or whatever, but she kind of let him have it.
JoJo: After the auditions, especially after the first one when they didn't know what to expect in the auditions, things we don't see on tv, anybody ever try to dive across the table?
Randy: When we were in Atlanta and it was just Simon and I, I think there were quite a few people that were trying to maybe come at the table. In fact there was one dude I thought I was going to have to take out. He kept coming up to the table and we were like 'dude, back, back' and he kept coming closer with this angry look on his face.
JoJo listener Amber: I wanted to ask who you thought, without the wild card contestant, has a pretty good chance of winning American Idol?
Randy: I think its hard. I think we've seen some pretty good people. This week coming up is going to be good and I think there's going to be a lot of good wild card people. Of course, Ruben's definitely one of the favorite....but I think we'll see. I think somebody's still going to come out of the shadows that nobody thought was going to do it and make it happen.
JoJo: Who did you think was going to win it last year about this same time?
Randy: Well listen, we all had this thing going on, Simon & Paula always say 'no it didn't happen', when we were in Dallas I remember Kelly because we switched seats and I actually sang for her...I thought she was good and I thought she could definitely go all the way if she worked on her confidence 'cause she didn't have it when we first saw her. I thought her and Tamyra would definitely go all the way.
JoJo: Where is Kelly's project at right now? Where's the album at? It's way overdue
Randy: I think it's coming along pretty good. I hear that it's almost done. Her and Justin's been working on this movie in Miami; 'From Justin to Kelly', so that's almost done and I think they're working on the soundtrack from it.
JoJo: What's happening with Frenchie?
Randy: She's still with 19 Management which houses American Idol which is Simon Fuller's management company. I think they're going to take care of her and give her a deal. She's really good and I think she'll be fine
JoJo: That's cool
Randy: Yeah, I always say if you get that much exposure and you've got it goin' on, things will happen for you
(50 Cent's "In Da Club" finishes playing)
Randy: Love that 50 Cent
JoJo: Would you have signed him?
Randy: Definitely dog. 50's hot, 50, Dre, Eminem, come on how can you lose?
JoJo: This dude, not only is he on American Idol, big dude in the music industry. I'm just going to talk you up a little bit here. Responsible for signing a ton of people, working with Mariah - that's a huge name right there. What's going on with Mariah, what's your involvement with Mariah?
Randy: I produced about 4 songs on the new record and I've also been consulting for her forever and her musical director. When I was doing A&R at Columbia, I was an A&R guy for 3 or 4 records....now we're working on the next single which is "Bringing on the Heartbreak"
JoJo: And you've actually played in bands before, toured with bands
Randy: I've worked on like 1200 records - *NSync, Journey, Springsteen, Dylan, Elton John, Aretha, Celine
JoJo: What did you do with Elton John?
Randy: Played bass
JoJo: Did stuff with the *NSync fellas too?
Randy: Yeah, mostly on record 'cause I was a studio musician, like a session guy. Except for the Journey thing, I toured with the band and worked on the record for the last 3 years of the band.
JoJo: How did this American Idol thing happen?
Randy: A friend of mine, my agent, said 'hey listen, we're staring this show, the show is coming over here, you think you might be interested in doing it 'cause I know a couple of the guys on the show that you know so you should come and check it out.' And I was like 'dude, I can't do no tv dude. TV's all corny, cheesy, music never works on tv.' I went down and checked it out and met Fuller, Kyle, Nigel, all the guys and I really got on with them and really liked them and it sounded like it was something fun to do....I signed on baby, I'm happy, no regrets. I feel so blessed.
JoJo: Randy, thanks for hanging out. Everything good?
Randy: Dude, so good man, so good
JoJo: Raise your right hand and say 'I'm coming back to hang with JoJo before the end of the show"
Randy: 'I'm coming back to hang with JoJo before the end of the show"...I swear
Last Updated 02 July, 2007 (DHG)
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