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Rock heavyweights Sammy right. Some big labels that we had all been
Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe on before too had turned us down, they
Satriani and Chad Smith weren’t even interested in hearing the mu-
released their debut album sic - they just had preconceived ideas that
under their quirky moniker we’d be some superstar group that would
Chickenfoot in early June. take money from them and then never go
Debuting at #4 the album is out and do it again but they were so wrong.
already a success but don’t Mary: You played live on the record which
label these guys a “super seems to be a bit of a lost art in this day
group” because they’ll prove and age. What are the advantages to that
you wrong. Super groups, approach?
notorious for being put Sammy: Well if you’re good players you
together in a boardroom and feed off of each other. And if you have good
never lasting longer than an chemistry, which we do, then you feed off
album are usually fueled by the of each other. If we had just done it one
industry; Chickenfoot is fueled instrument at a time we would have had
by the foursome’s passion for nothing to play off of, nothing to feed off of,
what they do. Sammy Hagar it would have been just a sterile drum track
took some time to talk to us and then you put a sterile bass track on top
about the organic approach of that and then you put a couple of sterile
the band took to putting it all guitars on there and then a sterile vocal.
together from the bottom up. The guy that would have the best shot at it
would be the vocalist who when everything
Mary: So I think one of the things people is finished he at least is singing to a band
are surprised to see is how you were able but we didn’t want to do it that way. That’s
to take your four larger than life personali- usually for bands that really can’t play that
ties and mold them to create a band that well or use a lot of gimmicks in the studio
has an identity all of its own. Did you have and cut pieces up and make the track out
to work on that or did it just come naturally? of nothing. We knew from the beginning
Sammy: There was a little work to it I that we played well together and every time
would say because I was so use to being we’d play a song, for example “Sexy Little
a leader in a band and Joe was use to be- Thing” it was a little different so we thought,
ing a leader in a band so I think for mainly this is outta sight. So when we started play-
he and I it was a little work. First of all the ing together on every track we’d go in and
chemistry has to work, and for us it does listen and then we’d all decide which take
so we didn’t have to work at that but what we liked the best and then we’d put it away
I had to do was I had to stop myself from and move on to the next song. We just
knee jerking all of the time and being the Photo by: P.R. Brown knew we had the magic. When you start
guy who as soon as there was a question, building a track from the bottom up you
to answer it or as soon as there was a don’t know if you have the magic until it’s
problem, to solve it. Instead I’d just sit back done and it can be a bummer if you finish
and let everyone kick in and we’d all dis- Photo by: LeAnn Meuller it and then are like “geez, that aint it, I was
cuss it and then it would be a unanimous hoping it would be better” but we knew we
decision based on everyone’s input. It was Interview with Sammy Hagar had it before we moved on to the next.
real easy to let go of the leadership reins, Mary: When the band was starting to fall
both Joe and I talked about that and we’re into place and you needed a guitar player,
so happy to let it go. We’re tired of being By: Mary Ouellette you immediately thought of Joe Satriani.
the boss, let someone else do it. And in a He seems to be the most reserved of the
funny way the guy that’s taken over a lot of four of you, what does he bring to the band
the decision making and comes up with a other than being a true guitar hero?
lot of the ideas is Chad Smith. He’s becom- Sammy: He does bring a mellow person-
ing outspoken in this band. So we kind of “We weren’t trying to be a “super ality. Chad and I are crazy, we’re on fire
turned the whole thing upside down and and frantic. We’re just always doing crazy
in a funny way it’s so much more exciting stuff and Joe is always the serious guy who
that way. It’s become so much more fun to group”; we’re just a band that started always keeps an eye on things while we’re
run with Chad’s ideas or Mike’s ideas who screwing around sometimes and maybe
haven’t had a lot of a voice in the past, so it overlook something. When the music is
was easy. from the bottom up” - Sammy Hagar playing back in the room and Chad and
And like I said, if the chemistry wasn’t right I are screaming and yelling and jumping
in the first place – chemistry is just one of over couches, Joe is sitting there really
those things, you don’t know what you’ve said “hey let’s get together and play” and much pressure. I was over the pressure concentrating. We’ll say “hey that one was
got until you get in the same room for about everything else just followed. We weren’t by the time I finished with my little ten year great” and Joe will be the first to say “no
a month and you realize you either don’t trying to be a “super group”; we’re just a stint with The Wabos, so by the time this no no, wait wait wait, this part here…” and
like each other or this is cool and we were band that started from the bottom up. And band came around, at this we’ll all be like “oh yeah, he’s right”. He’s
lucky that we had the chemistry and the that’s part of the reason that we did the stage of my life and as much really the
ability to allow each other to make those nine city club tour that we just finished up, success that I’ve experi- intel-
decisions. If you’ve got bad chemistry we did it before the album even came out, enced, the fame and fortune lectual of
when that other guy makes a decision you the tickets sold out in about four minutes. has already come ten times the band
start back stepping and it’s just a matter of They weren’t giant places but there were over so there’s no reason and its
time before it’s not going to work anymore. thousands of fans that came out. to stress here. I thought, awesome
Mary: You’ve said there’s a distinction Mary: You’ve said that the recording you are who you are, you because
between super group and band and that experience for you was the most fun you’ve have what you have to offer he’s
Chickenfoot is the ever had recording because there was no and that’s all you’ve got, so really
latter, can you explain? agenda, no label, no pressure, can you talk don’t stress. So the four of musical
Sammy: That’s exactly right, we’re a band. to us a little bit about that because I would us came into this with no and quite
A super group can think there would be some record company, thank God hon-
have chemistry but pressure going into it con- because they would have estly the
usually a band’s sidering the expectations? been stressing us out telling music all
concern is for the Sammy: No, we didn’t us what people expect and sprung
band, it really is. take it that way. I felt so telling us about the money from him,
The reason we much pressure when I went they have invested and the he’s our
don’t like the term into the studio for the first hits they need, you get all spring.
“super group” is time in my life in 1972 with that crap going and man We say
because usually that Montrose. I was so pres- you don’t need that. So we Joe,
is someone that a sured because I had never intentionally did it the other way around. come up with an idea tomorrow and that’s
record company, been in a studio, I had We wanted to go and make the music the way it works. Joe will come in with the
some management never sung into a micro- we wanted to make and see who wanted guitar and say okay here’s are some chord
and some attorneys phone with headphones it. And ironically, we got turned down by changes and a riff and Chad will start play-
have decided to on to a track and recording three or four major labels. They didn’t even ing a beat and I’ll sing to it and once I’ve
put together and to something that the whole know how much money we wanted, we got my melody down to what Joe’s original
pick and choose the world would hear – that didn’t even get that far, they just thought chord changes are then I go write lyrics. I
players because was pressure. Then, as a ‘these guys won’t last, they’ll do one album have to figure out what I want the song to
they think they’ll be solo artist after that, I had a and break up’, they all had pre-conceived be about and that to me is the hardest part
huge, but it doesn’t little freedom and felt a little notions about us. And thank God for that of the whole songwriting process. Everyone
always work. This more at ease. Then I joined because they would have ruined us, or at in this band is so capable of playing every-
band is like a garage Van Halen and came into least tried to. So, long story short, when thing and anything but to figure out what
band, a bunch of a band that was already we found the label that wanted to do this you want to sing about in a song is the only
guys that knew each established and I felt huge the way we wanted to do it and we came thing that takes extra thought. I have to
other and called pressure again. After I left in on the charts at number four, we have take it home, maybe go down to Cabo for
each other and Van Halen, I didn’t feel big smiles on our faces. We did something a weekend, get away from everything, and