ROBERT BERRY
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 22nd January 2009.
Robert Berry is a singer/bass player/guitarist/drummer/all round talented guy who played in the band 3 with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. More recently he was a big part of the stunning Alliance release Road To Heaven and has unleashed a solo album, The Dividing Line.
Hi Robert, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions for the Rock Realms Interrogation section.
How would you describe your style?
Robert: Well Jon, I have a few different corners to my style. I became known as a progressive rock musician in the 80's when I played with guys like Steve Howe, Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. I love progressive rock and have done quite a bit of it. But I also have a side to me that loves the straighter, harder rock like I did when I was with Sammy Hagar. So I have managed to split my career between my two favourite styles. The music I do with my band Alliance is what I call straight ahead American Rock with a little Led Zeppelin influence thrown in. My solo music has a little more of a European sound to it. It is what I consider the perfect blend of guitar and keyboards. I like the sound of both in the music but it isn't always easy to have them compliment each other on a recording. And that is exactly what I've tried to accomplish on the new CD.
Who are your biggest influences?
Robert: I have many. Starting with the Beatles. Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Yes, Genesis, Sting. And then so many of the new artists. All the way from the Goo Goo Dolls, Fall Out Boy, Tool. Too many to list them all.
Did you grow up in a musical family?
Robert: Yes I did. First off my dad had a dance band that toured the US playing hotel gigs. That was the thing in the day. My mom was the singer in that band. After they had me my dad decided to settle down and open a music store. He sold Tomas organs and eventually imported Vox Guitars and amps like the Beatles used. I was surrounded by all the fantastic trade in instruments when I was very young.
You’ve worked with some pretty famous musicians through the years. Is there anyone in the music industry you would still love to work with?
Robert: I have always wondered what it would be like to have Jeff Beck come into the studio and write and record with me. I am just blown away by his playing. I'm also, believe it or not, wondering how creative it might be to work with one of the female pop stars like Madonna or even Pink. It seems that they are very open to finding something new every time they come out with an album. I work with artists like that everyday in my studio Soundtek. I'm always looking for something new.
You’ve written songs for a few movie soundtracks. Is that something you’d like to get into in a big way?
Robert: I do enjoy that. I have found that it usually works better if you have a song that sort of fits the parameters of the movie but not exactly an advertisement so to speak. So really I think it would just take getting attached to a good publishing company that knows the movie business. I have lots of songs I've written that nobody has ever heard because they either aren't appropriate for the current album or I'm saving them for other reasons.
Huge apologies, but Rock Realms hasn’t had a chance to review your latest solo album Dividing Line yet, mainly because we're as useless as a cat flap in a submarine. What’s the story behind the album? Sell it to us!
Robert: I like the cat flap thing. I got asked by Frontiers records to do a new solo album for them. The only criteria was that it contained the kind of music that I am known to write and produce. So that was an invitation to just be me. And I think I have matured in my lyric writing and also as a drummer. I did all the tracking myself so this is really a solo album that no one else is to blame for. LOL It's all my fault. There is one song that my Alliance band mates joined me on called A Life Worth Livin'. What I tried to do is put all my experience into this album. I have worked with some of the best musicians in the world and I have learned things from each one of them. And since I am a multi instrumentalist I think you will hear a definite progression in my playing and production. But most of all in my song writing. I feel I have come to a place where I can really put pen to paper and let my inner self out. In the past my albums haven't been quite as personal.
Does the music industry reinforce or destroy your faith in humanity?
Robert: There are many things in this business that destroy it. The way the illegal downloads are stripping away the potential to make a living by releasing a CD. The amount of crap that the American companies push down our throats. And the way the record companies have cheated us financially. But, on the other hand, where can you have so much fun doing what you love, have a corporation promote you, and set up these fantastic tours where you can reach thousands of people with the original music you have created?!
Do you seriously own all those guitars on your website? The future Mrs Rock Realms (a budding guitarist) is ridiculously jealous. Tell us about a few of your favourites...
Robert: Oh yeah my addiction. Well I have a few favourites. One is a Music Man Eddie Van Halen that Eddie signed on the wood before the guitar was made. They then assembled the guitar and finished it over his signature. It's one of about 5 he ever did that way. My Brian May was given to me by my good friend and Alliance band mate Gary Pihl. That guitar is very dear to me. I have a Stratocaster that Steve Howe gave me and signed. And a very special Rickenbacker 4001 bass that Chris Squire told me was the only real one he had ever seen that was just like his. Then I asked him to sign it on the wood which at first he refused to do because he didn't want to mess up the finish. But I convinced him that it was better off with his signature than without. I could go on but I'd be up all night. I have 5 I got last year that aren't on the site yet. A new Sammy Hagar signed Yamaha that is quite nice. Sammy drew a little Cabo scene on it for me. And my latest acquisition is an old Gibson Melody Maker. Very cool little guitar. (See them all here)
What’s next on the Robert Berry horizon? Are there any more solo or Alliance albums in the pipeline?
Robert: Alliance has already started writing for our next one. It will be a year and a half until it's done though. I am always writing solo stuff. Every day I work with singer/songwriters in my studio. I have a package deal that I charge 1k per song for. I help them with any writing problems the song may have, I arrange it, produce the music track and then I do the final mix. I usually have them do their vocals with my vocal engineer just to get me some space before the mix. So I have the greatest job in the world.
One day I'll be doing a song that's 'new rock', one day a Britney Spears pop track and then someone wants to do a progressive song. I have a really good time in the studio. Everyday I get up ready to get to work with plenty of ideas and the focus to get a song done. Check out the testimonials for a few of the people on the Soundtek Studios web site. www.Soundtekstudios.com
Do you get to do much touring/gigging?
Robert: So far Alliance hasn't been able to find time to tour. With Gary in the band Boston touring every summer and David still with Sammy Hagar playing all the time we just can't find a window that works. I have joined the Greg Kihn band here on the west coast so I can play concerts and keep on stage. I love playing on the big stage. With any luck Boston isn't out this summer and we can get over to Europe and play some dates. I already know that Sammy has a new band out this summer so David is free.
Do you make a decent living out of music... and more importantly, do you live the rock ‘n’ roll dream?
Robert: I make a decent living because I work all the time. I record in the studio 5 days a week 10 hours a day. And I do an album ever other year or so which brings in some income. The live thing varies depending on which band I am with. When I played with Ambrosia we toured the states quite a bit and that made some decent money. You wrap it all up and balance the check book and it's just like they say. A real musician needs a wife with a good job. LOL
Which song are you most proud of working on/writing?
Robert: My song Talkin' Bout' from the 3 album with Emerson and Palmer made it to #9 on the Billboard hot 100. I'm proud of that. And it built me my house. One of the songs I like the most is on the new album. It's called One Good Man. It represents my own views on being a good person and how we should all step up. I do have a song on the previous Alliance album Missing Piece called It's A Long Way To Go that I am really proud of. I think it has a good lyric about what it is like to earn freedom.
Are there any bands we might not have heard of you think people should check out?
Robert: I work with a guy named Jack Foster (see his website here). If you are into the more complicated music then he is really a good listen. The albums are called Jazz Raptor. We've done 3 of them now and they are co-produced with my friend Trent Gardner from the band Magellan. I have a band on MySpace called the Schleptones that you might get a kick out of. Talking about my music that no one has heard before. Schleptones is kind of weird stuff. Polka meets Cheap Trick. (See the site here)
Who’s the most well-known person on your cell phone, and do you have a good ROCK ringtone?
Robert: No ringtone. I barely have time to talk on the phone. Keith Emerson is the most well known on my cell phone. All the Alliance guys are on there and they are in some pretty big bands. Fitz our keyboard player was recently out with Bruce Springsteen on a two man show. He played keyboards for him. But Fitz is always out with Van Halen playing keyboard behind the curtain whenever they are on tour. Which I believe is still going on right now.
Anything you want to plug?
Robert: Two of the artists I produced last year are having some success right now. Dazz aka Darcy Andersohn just won singer/songwriter of the year at the LA Music Awards. I have produced two albums for her where I do just what I mentioned earlier. I played her instruments and arranged her songs. She is starting to take off. Her new album will be out soon and it's called Life Lessons Learned. (see her website here)
The other is also a female artist that is on something called Stereofame. Aprylle Gilbert is her name. She is getting some really good comments and her fan base is growing quite rapidly. Kind of a folky, pop rock thing. Very good song writing. (see her website here)
I have just written a new album for Anna Taylor who is an English artist. Anna writes only poems and I turn them into songs. We are going to be producing her new album in the middle of this year. I meet all kinds of interesting people doing music. Anna is an Angel Therapist. Very interesting stuff.
What question do you hate interviewers asking you?
Robert: How old I am. Why do you think 3 failed. (it made me 1/2 a million dollars, built me a house and had a fantastic tour) How many guitars I have. OH no I actually like that one. You know no one has ever mentioned all those guitars in an interview before. Your future Mrs. is the first to get on that. Don't forget after you're married you have to give her one room in the house just to hang up all her guitars. She'll start with 3 or 4 and by the time the kids are in high school she'll have 50. Yeah. I like the sound of that.
What are you up to once you’ve finished being interrogated?
Robert: Well Jon it's late right now and I'm going to go to bed. I've been working all day with a new client. His name is Scott Mathes and we are doing 5 songs this week for the first half of his album. This is his first album. I love working with new comers. They are so willing to let me help them produce their songs to their greatest potential. So I have very full days.
Thank you for your time sir, you are free to go...
Robert: Thanks for the 'spanking' and, Jon, thanks for taking the time to help me with my music. It's guys like you that make music successful these days.
Thanks Robert!
Check out Robert's MySpace page and his web site, www.robertberry.com for more info. It has links to the Frontiers Records site so you can check out some of the MP3's from the new record. There's also a film strip at the top of the page if you'd like a little history on the bands Robert has been in.
Don't forget to check out the testimonial clips at www.Soundtekstudios.com. There are comments from artists he produces and clips of their songs. You'll be surprised at the different styles of music he's involved in!
