DICK WAGNER
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 23rd June 2010.
You only have to look at the website of Detroit rock God Dick Wagner to see what the man has achieved in his career. His work has been featured on more than 150 albums, 14 of which went Platinum, 16 Gold, and 5 Silver, He’s won a plethora of BMI Songwriter Awards to boot.
He’s best known for the partnership with Alice Cooper which led to him co-writing tracks including ‘Only Women Bleed’, ‘You and Me’, ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’, and at least 50 songs overall. Add in work with Lou Reed, Kiss, Aerosmith, Peter Gabriel, Hall And Oates, Air Supply and more, and you’ll get an idea just how important this guy is.
Hi Dick, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. How did you originally get into playing the guitar, and how quickly did you realise you had a real talent for it?
Dick: My Dad bought me a Harmony acoustic guitar for my 16th birthday, after I’d been lobbying for months to learn to play.
Who were you early inspirations, both musical and otherwise?
Dick: Elvis, Duane Eddy, BB King, Buddy Holly, Link Ray….all the usual suspects for the 1950’s.
Was there one moment when you realised “musician” was going to be your day job, or was it more the case that you drifted into it over time?
Dick: I realized from the first day of owning my first guitar that Guitarist/Musician was going to be my profession.
Do prefer the actual playing or the more creative side of music...or do they both give you a kick?
Dick: I don’t discern…It’s all the creative side of music to me. I love it all.
You have worked with a lot of big names over the years, and a lot of other people besides. Are there any collaborations/projects that stand head and shoulders above others?
Dick: My years with Alice Cooper really stand out in my mind. The great creative flow between Alice, Bob Ezrin and myself - and the Welcome to My Nightmare band and tour - was beyond belief.
How did you end up working with Alice Cooper, Kiss and the other big acts you’ve got ties with?
Dick: Each artist was a completely unique situation and experience. I have had a blessed career, quite obviously. I had two bands in Detroit that were tremendously popular: The Bossmen and The Frost. We had crowds lining up around the block to see our shows. Alice Cooper came to see one of my shows and came backstage to say hello to me. I guess he, Bob and Shep (Gordon) were really taken with my song writing. I ended up going to Greenwich Connecticut to the Alice Cooper mansion where I hung out with Alice for a little while and we did a bit of writing. The first Alice Cooper album that I played on was School's Out. I think with Kiss I was sort of replacing Ace Frehley at that point in the recordings, but I didn't know that. I was just playing my parts... I was being hired as a session player, I just had to come and do what I needed to do, to the best of my abilities. With Aerosmith, it was either Ezrin or Jack Douglas who called me up and asked me to come over. For that session Jack called me up at like ten o'clock in the evening and I went in and did it...and that was it.
Is there anyone you’d still love the opportunity to work with?
Dick: Right now I am happy to work with anyone or everyone...or by myself...which I do every day.
Are there any funny stories from your tours of duty with Alice?
Dick: “Tour of Duty” sounds rather militaristic...and funny is so subjective a concept...that I refuse to answer on grounds that I might be subject to extraordinary rendition!!
Your latest solo album Full Meltdown was released last year. How long did the album take to create, and was the whole process an enjoyable experience?
Dick: The songs and the recordings were made over a period of 10 years or so. I loved every minute of the process.
Who else worked on the record with you?
Dick: So many great players... They are all credited on the CD, and I thank them all and every one of them individually right here and now. Here is the list of credits: Dick Wagner: Vocals and Lead Guitars, with my great musician friends... Fred Mandel, Gregg Bissonette, Jack White, Matt Bissonette, Ian Gardiner, Greg Schroeder, Jay Henshall, Norman Jolly, Mark Williamson Jeff Morley, Chuck McKenna, John Sands, Dave Branch, Brad Hallen.
How does it compare in terms of sound and style to past Dick Wagner solo albums?
Dick: It is more of an all out rock ‘n’ roll album than my previous releases. That was purposeful on my part; like tying the bow on a package.
Do you have any favourite moments on the album?
Dick: I like it all, but then who am I to judge? If I had to pick something, it would probably be the guitar solo on ‘I’d Take The Bullet’.
Do you do anything unusual in the studio to get your sound, or do you prefer a more traditional recording regime?
Dick: I am pretty “Old School” in my approach to recording. Les Paul standard, Marshall 100 watt, Phase 90 chorus, and an Echoplex tape delay was my usual setup. It’s the same setup as I use in my live performances.
What other projects are you working on at the moment?
Dick: I’m working with Alice Cooper on a horror film in Detroit in August, producing and managing Adam Smith - a contemporary alternative country artist from Nashville - and I've been producing and writing with a great girl singer, Wensday. I'm also working on a couple of film projects... I’m having a great time making music every day!
Are there any up and coming guitarists you really rate at the moment?
Dick: I’m addicted to Jeff Beck. But I need to add Derek Trucks, Bobby Flores and Alan Holdsworth.
What is the best bit of advice you can give to anyone starting out on the guitar?
Dick: Five to Ten hours practice per day.
Roughly how many guitars do you own, and what would you list as the finest in your collection?
Dick: I currently own around fifteen guitars, down from thirty five at the peak. My favourite is my 1968 Les Paul.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Dick: I like being asked if I’d sign someone’s program or autograph book. I really enjoy interacting with fans.
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Dick: I have three songs I am currently working on, so I’ll probably get back to work on my music.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Dick: Yes…I want to mention my true appreciation of my fans; many of them have been with me and followed my musical career for the last 40 years. I’d like to mention them, and my fellow musicians and collaborators who have been part of the many, many wonderful moments onstage and off, for all these years. Thank you!
Thanks again to Dick for his time..
http://www.myspace.com/dickwagnermusic
