Jonathan Daniel
Bass for EA, THE LOVELESS record producer
JDLoveless@aol.com
Pic donated by silverchairlinda, interview by the The mysterious LADY in Black
The Loveless... The Interview... for the lost, lonely & vicious.. By: Chri$tiAnA {Shane-vox, Jonathan Daniel-bass, John Schubert-drums & John Ceparano-guitar... respectively} FORWARD: This interview with Jonathan took place in 1994-predating the Loveless CD-A Tale of Gin & Salvation... (I was still in my 20's at the time). Read on... feel the love...
Ode to Jonathan Daniel... ..."he must confess, he's one of the loveless"...
Chri$tiAnA: Since the Loveless' inception, do you think this particular arrangement, above Candy & Electric Angels, is the best outfit you've been in, created, etc.. why?
Jonathan Daniel: The old adage, "the whole is greater than the sum of
its
parts" is never more apparent than in a rock group. It's impossible to
compare the 3 except for my participation in each since it's the only
constant. And of course I think these are my best songs and John
(Schubert)
& myself are much better than in our previous incarnations. I'm sure
others
will disagree, but then more people liked Porkys than House of Games &
Whitesnake than Generation X.
C: You've been through a few guitarists since the transition from
Electric
Angels to the Loveless. You now, and gratifyingly, sport new guitarist
John
Ceparano to the line-up. Is he a "permanent" member or is he just
helping
out with shows & the like? If so, are you looking for a permanent
guitarist?
C: So, you're looking for that "right" person, although John would be
ideal.
JD: In a way I am "looking"-yet not at all actively. I suppose I'll
always
be searching for the perfect "fill-in-the-blank" until the maggots
start
feasting on my innards.
C: And just as an aside, if he does join permanently, you may change
the
band's name to "John", right?
JD: Shane is a "John" derivated name, you know.
C: Just to get this seemingly trivial question out of the way, many
people
love to speculate what "really happened" with Electric Angels. What
with the
politics of record companies, crooked management & so forth; what's
your
story in a nutshell?
JD: What really happened? Nothing, that's why I'm in the Loveless. We
felt
like Atlantic Records didn't give a fuck about us so we asked to leave.
Then
everyone who had liked us before we signed, treated us like box-office
poison-we couldn't get another deal, so we ended it. Of course, there
are a
million little things, but if we had sold a zillion records we'd still
be
together. I hate to sound so callous
C: but you will.
JD: But it's like asking me what it was like to fuck my old girlfriend
when
I'm with my new one-I loved Electric Angels, I don't think about it
anymore.
C: I don't think this question was like asking you "what it was like to
fuck
your old girlfriend when you're with your new one". It's not that
literal or
similar to me-I could careless-my point was, you had a deal with
Atlantic and
in the end they "fuck YOU"; you had management & they failed you &
there was
hardly if any promotion. I just basically want people, who really
liked
Electric Angels, to know that it wasn't your faults; that the band
hardly
ventured beyond 1 record & 1 video, & to inform them now, that you're
all
back in a new outfit called the Loveless. Simple. What, if anything,
would
you like to say to those who treated you like box-office poison? Be as
callous as you wanna be.
JD: The music business is best summed up by the Graham Parker song
"Mercury
Poisoning" -he was on Mercury, but it applies to any label = "the
geriatric
staff think we're freaks-they couldn't sell kabobs to the Greeks-I've
got a
dinosaur for a representative, he has small brains & refuses to
learn" You
are correct in that bands break up because there's nothing else for
them to
do viably.
C: I think Electric Angels' video for "Rattlesnake Kisses" was aired
only
once on Mtv. Do you agree that Mtv is a worthless, elitist mass of
pseudo-creative/innovative bull pucky?
JD: I'm not a fan of TV; I think it's an imagination killer. I think
Mtv
demystifies pop stars and takes the magic out of rock n roll-it also
magnifies its disposability. Everyone is now famous for 4 minutes & 20
seconds. Bands that were "Mtv darlings" 2 years ago are being laughed
at by
Beavis & Butthead hypocrisy rules.
C: With the knowledge that you were in London at the height of the 1977
"punk
revolution", in what way did the event affect you besides the typical
"it
made me want to play music", etc Back then, do you think, in my
opinion,
you'd be in perhaps one of the better, newer bands of today?
JD: If you told me in 1977 that I would be alive & broke & living in
NYC in
1994, I'd have told you to put the tarot cards away for good. On the
other
hand, I've recorded with Tony Visconti, toured the country several
times,
been praised by every hack-music critic, etc I can't believe my life
has
been this good & this bad. I guess I'm all I even wanted to be. I
just
thought it would be better than this. As for London in 1977: Punk rock
made
me what I am today bitter & wrinkled god bless Starjets!
C: I'm a 'lyrics person', & I particularly like yours. Do you draw
from, or
are you inspired by personal experience, people you know, or do you
make up a
situation. I notice "The Color of Hate" is perhaps the most socially
conscious thing you've written next to perhaps "New York Times". I'm
assuming politics doesn't have a place in the Loveless?
JD: I suppose I too am drawn to the literal, as I prefer books to TV,
vocals
to instrumental and Faith Daniels to Cindy Crawford. I write to amuse
myself; everything from personal experience as told by the big fish
storyteller-I live in black n white but my songs are in color. I've
never
written a political song; I have no jones against them; I'm not
political. I
think my social commentary is slightly irreverent and is better suited
to
louder, angrier music than the Loveless. The Loveless is more Heaven;
Electric Angels was Hell.
C: Since you're not a fan of TV, how do you know who Faith Daniels is?
JD: You caught me!
C: Ok, perhaps Electric Angels was hell for whatever reasons, however,
I
still hear a "bitter, done me wrong, I'm still in hell I just deal with
it
better now" kinda thing in The Loveless. I don' t think you as a
songwriter
can get away from subversive in whatever you write about.
JD: If to be subversive is to not fall into cliché' trappings, then
you're
right, I don't think I can get away.
C: As Tyla says, "the sad & the lonely, they're the only ones with
style"
However, being in that state long enough, you'd probably wanna commit
suicide
or listen to Whitney Houston; I guess they're the same. Even if The
Loveless
is Heaven, you still in some way project a pessimistic view.
JD: Hopefully as my writing ages like a fine cheese, I'll be able to
write
some happy ditties that won't make you wanna vomit. I haven't been able
to,
so far.
C: The band's name is classic to me. Does "loveless" describe the
band's
outlook, make-up, music, lyrics & such?
JD: The name was between "Wreckless Asians and "The Loveless", but the
logo
of the Chinese guy driving real fast was politically incorrect
(::insert loud
laughter from yours truly-C.::) so we became The Loveless. It's not a
dissertation on my nightlife, it's a matter of choice.
C: And for those who don't know, do you prefer cynicism to "flowers &
sunshine"?
JD: I don't prefer cynicism to 'flowers & sunshine'. I'd rather not
love a
world of shit-at the moment I have my wading boots on, though. Hope
for the
best; expect the worst, the glass is definitely half empty & I'm
drinking
"Wrey & Nephew" if you're asking.
C: Well I've been drinking Gallo Burgandy (::cos just the smell of
hard
liquor gets me dizzy::) "Hope for the best expect the worst" sounds
quite
cynical to me. I guess you wouldn't have a song worth listening to if
it
wasn't. You said you're "bitter & wrinkled"; eventhough cynicism isn't
a
preference, isn't it more interesting?
JD: Yeah, who wants to listen to some incredibly cheerful twat talking
about
his high cheekbones & his perfect skin? I guess E! Channel is for
those
people. I rather hear someone intellectually tear someone or something
to
pieces.
C: I'm particularly intrigued by the band's "suit & tie-punk gangster"
look.
Did this just happen or was it a conscious decision for a broader
'image'
unlike many bands today? I also notice a pop-mod thing going, in my
opinion.
JD: Sooner or later, 'the bigger the hair, the bigger the paycheck'
theory
goes the way of the buffalo & you've gotta stop posing & write
something
worthwhile. I'm baffled by the punk-gangster comment. I just thought
we
looked respectable, which, as rock n roll looks today, is pretty
fucking
cutting edge.
C: Respectable? I'll buy, I guess, however the "punk gangster" thing is
what
I got at first glance. I'm ½ Italian & that side is Mafia it's just
a
fixation I s'pose & with the music & especially the attitude, the punk
element was brought in by my avid imagination, hence "punk gangster".
That'
all.
C: Speaking of punk, as the singer, Shane, in my opinion, exudes the
right
amount of intolerance, aggression & innocence. What has his presence
brought
to the Loveless (& even back in Electric Angels)?
JD: For me, Shane is the quintessential pop star. I don't understand a
world
where Howard Stern is news; so if there is a God, I thank him for
Shane
because he doesn't either.
C: What do you think of Guns N' Roses attempted punk extravaganza "The
Spaghetti Incident"? What the fuck is the deal with that Soundgarden
song at
the end of "Buick McKane"?! Bolan's turning over in his powdery
grave.
JD: There's an ambivalence I have towards the Spaghetti Incident. I'm
glad
all those punk bands are gonna get some royalties on the one hand; on
the
other hand, I don't like metal. I haven't listened to the record, so I
don't
know about any Soundgarden song -I'm sure I'd hate it. It's Gilby's
1st
record with them, so I hope it sells a billion..
C: So I take it that you & Gilby still keep in touch?
JD: Yeah I know a famous guy.
C: Famous??!!!!!!
JD: I played on his solo album & wrote a song with him for it called
"Let's
Get Lost"-yes it's ripped off from Chet Baker; it's very T. Rexish.
Gilby did
a great job with it.
C: And for the people who care, has he "changed" much since he joined
GnR?
JD: When you go from making $50 a night to buying a house, you change,
but
besides his restaurant choices, he's still the same old Gilby.
C: What was working with legendary producer Tony Visconti like? Did
you hear
any stories from him about his experiences producing Marc Bolan & David
Bowie? If the opportunity arose, would you work with him again?
JD: Tony was brilliant, a far more accomplished musician than I knew
about.
I think his strings on "True Love & Other Fairytales" were the finest
moment
I've had on record & would unequivocally work with him anytime. Shane
& I
did a home demo-Dead or Alive meets Banana version of "Color of Hate"
with
him. It was great fun. His son Morgan is also an engineering whiz and
recorded most of the Electric Angels demos. His Bowie/Bolan stories
are
tremendous.
C: Speaking of producers, as you said earlier, you've been producing
yourself. Are Beat Positive & The Characters the only bands you've
worked
with so far?
JD: I've done some other production, but it was mostly demos. I
worked with
Morgan Visconti on the Characters, & Dae Bennett on both. Dae is
terrific,
I'd like to do more with him. He'll engineer the Loveless album for
me.
Beat Positive should be out in May. The Characters are on Blackheart,
Joan
Jett's label; they're a cross between Candy & Electric Angels. I also
played
bass on their record. Any bands that want to make records, send me
your
demos - let's go!
C: The Loveless for now, are virtually unknown, I doubt through any
fault of
your own. What plans, if any, do you have for the future & what's on
hand
presently?
JD: Sadly we have no plan. We work on songs & play them live; isn't
that
what bands do?
C: Yeah, smart-ass!
JD: I'm a songwriter, not a marketing genius!
C: Well that's obvious. But aren't you the one who says "If you're
starving, go where the food is"? So consider you're 'starving'; you
seem to
be where the 'food' is, you're not just gonna stand there staring at a
plate
of Linguini just because you don't have a utensil. Y'know what I mean?
What
are you doing besides "writing songs & playing them live"?
JD: Actually, I'd like to record an independent record imminently and
start
presenting the Loveless to the good folks of Mayberry. I guess I have
some
plans.
C: Is there anything you'd like to add in closing?