How did you get interested in drums? Do you play any other instruments?
CA: I started playing drums because my cousin played. And I liked playing his drums….I majored in Music in High school so I learned some music theory and harmony …..I play a little guitar,bass and keyboards….enough to write songs ….
When did you decide you wanted to make your own band? Who came up with the name King Kobra?
CA: I was forced into doing my own band when Sharon Osbourne fired me off the Bark at the moon Ozzy tour…she said my name was to big …I needed to start my own band….I came up with the name king cobra …and spelled it with a k….KOBRA
How'd you get all the guys together? Did you become better friends with any certain members than others?
CA: Well I was already working with Mark Free ….He did vocals on some songs that I had recorded as a demo for a solo cd I was planning ….while I was with Ozzy….so, after I was Fired we went full steam getting a band together me and Mark…after Mark we got guitarist Mike Wolfe….then I saw Dave play with Keel or someone(maybe Icon)…so I asked him to join …I already had the deal with Capitol ….I think….Anyway we where writing songs the three of us …next Johnny Rod sent me a package from St. Louis…after talking on the phone he had a great attitude and cool image, he was next to join…..after John joined …Mike didn’t work out…..we heard about a good looking guitarist working at tower records…..we went to see him and Mick was in….that completed the line up….The blonde hair and Kobra Kolors came from me… as I had Black and Purple hair and when I was with Ozzy…Motley Crue was the opening act…I reversed their hair colors…they had 3 black hair and one Blonde…I had all blonde and I was Black & Purple….
I had Dave living in my house for a while before the band was complete…so me and dave were close…but me and mark were close also…..then as the band progressed I was not close to anyone member…I tried to keep it even as I was the leader ….
Ready To Strike is most people’s favorite King Kobra album. Tell us how it came to be, the record deal, the recording process, etc.
CA: Well I was hooked Into Spencer Proffer/Pasha records…he had just produced QUIET RIOT…which sold millions….he helped us get the deal….Most of the songs where written in my house in my home studio where we worked everyday…most of the first album was put together by me, Dave and Mark as the band wasn’t complete yet….Spencer brought in a guy named Randy Bishop and Spencer rewrote some lyrics and a couple of musical changes…but has a whole ALL THE MUSIC WAS THE SAME AS WE WROTE AND A LOT OF THE LYRICS……after we decided what songs were going on the album …we went into rehearsal for about 2-3 weeks and started playing the songs together as a band….we went into Pasha studios and recorded the album….it took maybe 2 months to finish…meanwhile Mark was going to Karate Dance school to learn cool kicks etc…we paid for it, we bought thousands of $$ of stage and Just cool ROCK STAR clothes for everyone….everyone was on a salary….we bought the stage set that was in the HUNGER video …we bought a big truck,motorhome…we did it up 1st class…KING KOBRA WAS 1st class….
Why did Thrill Of A Lifetime take such a different direction than Ready To Strike? A lot of it is similar to the stuff Mark Free did solo. Was this his idea or what? Do you think it was an improvement for the band or was it the beginning of the end? What about all the stuff with the movie?
CA: Well that was capitol records fault….they blew the first album…we gave them a great heavy rock album and they couldn’t sell it…..so, they said before they do the next album ..( we had a 2 album deal) they wanted to hear singles because they did that well get singles going….so, we HAD to do that direction or lose our record deal…if we lost the record deal all momentum would stop…including the band salaries etc. so, we had no choice…I thougt some of the singles where great ….but as a hole the first album was better…but thrill worldwide sold more….because of IRON EAGLE….Iron Eagle came about from my good friend and co producer of Thrill …Duane hitchings….they had the song and needed someone to do it…we did and had LOU GOSSETT JR. in our video it was cool….
How'd you get the opening act for KISS? Did this have any relation to the work you did on Paul Stanley's solo album in 1978?
CA: I’ve known Kiss for many years…I was managed by AUCOIN MGT…at one time KISS’ managers….My Manger Alan Miller at the time was in AUCOIN from the beginng…and between both of our relationships with all the KISS guys they gave us the tour and gave us enough money to support ourselves on the tour…CAPITOL wouldn’t give us any support so we did it ourselves…
Any good touring stories or anything like that? Were any shows ever done in support of King Kobra III?
CA: No tours were done to support KKIII…I joined Blue Murder at that point….We had great times on the road….we used to have many breakdowns with our motorhome on the KISS tour…but no matter what we never missed a gig….Our gig in mexico was amazing …we took all the major magazines with us..gerry miller,metal edge, andy from hit parader…photographers…we were brought in by the government of mexico to play ACOPULCO ROCK Festival,US,Quiet Riot, LaToya Jackson(strange bill)…we had police escorts everywhere, hotel suites , limos…it was crazy….we played and the Mexician Police started beating people who were standing up and rockin’ with us…That started a Riot…we had to get out of the venue fast….it was nuts…but we had a great time and got lots of press from it worldwide….
Do you think that if you guys would have stuck with it that you could have ever made it?
CA: Well it was hard to stick it out because there was not one label that would sign us at that point…that is why KK III came out on my own label….
Did you have any favorite King Kobra songs or any songs that you hated?
CA: Yes I like BREAKIN’ OUT it was one of my favorite KK songs….Raise your hands to rock, shadow rider….I did not hate any of our songs
Why did you leave King Kobra and join Blue Murder? Did you regret leaving King Kobra when Blue Murder didn't turn out to be very successful? Did you ever think of getting the band back together after you were done in Blue Murder?
CA: As I said before KING KOBRA was over by the time the BLUE MURDER thing happened..I was beating a dead horse…the label who distributed KK III ripped us off and BLUE MURDER was on Geffen,produced by BOB ROCK,John Kolodner Was our A&R guy…SYKES ,,Tony Franklin(Both who’s playing I loved)…it looked like the best …cool rock trio….. I would have bet my HOUSE on the fact that BLUE MURDER was going all the way…great songs !!!…it did leave a great album that people still talk about now…we did some great concerts in the US and Japan…Japan BM was really big….And no I never thought of getting KK back after BM….MICK was in Bulletboys,John in WASP….Mark was doing stuff so…I went on with my career…..
The Lost Years was just released last year and it’s a collection of a few tracks from King Kobra III and the rest unreleased material. Is there any other unreleased material that might be surfacing in the future?
CA: Well there are some more tracks in the vault…like TAKE IT OFF from KKIII with Mark Free on vocals, some more tracks with Marq torien & Lonnie Vincent, Some tracks with Earl slick, me and Mark…maybe Johnny is on it…stuff like that…will it surface…at this time I don’t know….we are looking to do a new KK cd for 2001….
About how many albums has King Kobra sold worldwide, including The Lost Years?
CA: Maybe 400,000 ???? I don’t have numbers for KKIII or Lost Years…I think LOST YEARS did nothing on CLEOPATRA RECORDS
What's next for King Kobra? The people keep asking, is there ever going to be a new album or tour?
CA: We are working on a new CD…for MTM RECORDS in EUROPE….we hope to sign confirm the record deal by DEC 20th 2000…..If there is a cd then we maybe can do some shows in Europe….
