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let my mind go clear and get some new one of us has ever had. So I played it for
inspiration and go “ooh, this song is about him and he said “Oh I don’t know, it sounds
Mexico, or this song is about…a single too commercial” and I said “Joe, first of all,
mom..like “My Kinda Girl.” So that was there’s no such thing. It sounds like a hit
probably the only thought process through right?” He said “Yeah but almost too much.”
the whole thing. Everything else was Joe So I said, nope, no such thing. Joe’s been
bringing in some music and an instrumentalist all of his
us jamming until we wrote life so he’s never had a hit
a song, so that’s what Joe really except for the one he TV
really brings. Even if he wrote for Coldplay, hahaha.
had no personality or if So he was nervous, he
he had a crazy personal- thought it was too pop for
ity what he really brings us so we went back in, we
artistically is he brings us roughed it up, took some of Rocknation TV is a weekly 30 minute music video
the music, the inspiration the layers out. We put the program airing weekly in many cities nationwide.
for the music and we all run vocals deeper into the track
with it. Mary : Let’s dig into so it wasn’t so out front with Watch ROCKNATION TV online at www.rocknation.us
the songs a little bit. You’ve these big four part harmo-
called “Learning to Fall” nies like The Beach Boys Featuring videos from HALFORD, HELIX,
the best love song you’ve and we rocked it up and BABYLON A.D., JETBOY, ROXX GANG, LIZHARD,
ever written in your life. toned it down but after that
Chad said that he thought he still had some apprehen- CHERRY STREET, MAD MARGRITT,
your vocals were the best on this song and sion because it was singing about a girl STAMPEDE QUEEN & ADRENALINE FACTOR.
Michael also calls it a favorite, can you tell and he just though Oh man, the women are
us a bit about it? going to be mad. And I said, Joe, you don’t Also cameos appearances of members of KISS,
Sammy : I love the song and Joe played get it, women are going to love this song, SALIVA, DIO, BLACK SABBATH, OZZY & WARRANT.
me some music the first day we got to- it’s an ode to a single mom and it’s a big
gether and that was one of them. I thought deal. My kids in school, half of their parents
“Ooh that’s good, that’s a ballad, that’s spe- are divorced. Probably 35 percent of the EXCLUSIVE TV INTERVIEWS WITH:
cial.” I didn’t go to work on it right away but kids in this country have a single mom or a
I kept it. It was kind of the oddball song of single dad and they deserve a little credit
the whole album. While we were recording, for the workload, that’s pretty tough cake
“Learning to Fall” was kind of like ehhh I to have a job and raise a kid so I thought it
don’t know, let’s not work on that one today, was a nice tribute to them. Joe finally came
we don’t want to put a power ballad on this around and again our wives and friends
record and it was always kind of the odd and radio guys like it. That’s how serious
man out. Then the day we finally decided to Joe is, he thought people would feel like
do it in the studio, Joe had this idea that it we were copping out but I said, this is not a
should be big productions and synthesizers cop out, this is as sincere as hell, this is as
and strings and I thought no no no let’s just sincere as “Learning to Fall.”
make it a real raw song and Chad agreed MARY : You’ve been friends with Michael
so Joe said okay let’s try that approach and for a long time, a lot of people feel like he’s
I’ll just try the solo live. So we played it and been very underrated through the years,
it was so awesome and I saved the vocal what are your thoughts?
that day. It was so soulful and it gave us all SAMMY : He’s been underrated because
goose bumps. It transcended any situa- playing bass with Eddie Van Halen it’s
tion, it made you feel like it was four in the like…when I played guitar in Van Halen
morning and it made you have these kinds no one even rated me. Eddie’s this great
of emotions and every time we played it we guitar player and that makes it difficult for
another guy playing on an instrument with
felt the same way and everyone we played bar and so he never got credit. Jack Bruce JUDAS PRIEST
it for agreed so we decided it had to go on four strings very limited compared to some-
the record. It’s become one of our favorite one playing with six strings and a whammy
songs. All of our wives love it and it’s just
special. It’s almost dated, you could almost never got that much credit when he played
say, man this is an 80s power ballad but with Eric Clapton in Cream and anybody
it’s not, it transcends that because it’s so that ever played with Joe Satriani. You nev-
honest. I think the lyric “Once as a child er hear about Joe Satriani’s bass player,
in my mother’s eyes” is maybe one of the that’s the last thing you’re going to hear
best lines Ive ever come up with, it’s saying about so Mike was always shadowed like
I love you more than anything and that I that. He is probably the best rock and roll
would die for you in a much more sensitive bassist today in my opinion. There’s him
unique way and I think that’s the line that and there’s Flea and a couple of others and
brings it home for me. he’s a great vocalist too. I think in this band
Mary : Satch had some misgivings about we’ve exploited the two part harmonies that
“My Kinda Girl” in the beginning but in he and I have always had and are able to
reading all of the reviews thus far, it’s bring them to the front. Mike is the most
been pegged as a favorite on pretty much valuable player, MVP, in any rock band he’ll
everyone. Why was he so hesitant about ever be in. He’s one of the all time great
this song? guys, the first guy there, he’s always sober HEAVEN & HELL SHINEDOWN
Sammy : You’ll never believe this, this except for after the show, remembers his
is so oddball that you’re going to think is parts, carries the flag so high, he’s the
Joe really that anal? Yes he is! Joe was in banner boy for whatever he’s doing, he’s
the studio finishing some guitar parts and the greatest and he’s just never got his due SALIVA, BUCKCHERRY, MXPX,
I was in another studio doing the vocals credit. He’s getting it now because I don’t
on that song with Mikey. Joe really had no think I would be in this band without him.
idea what I was going to sing yet because I mean, with all the guys, the chemistry is STORY OF THE YEAR, TESTAMENT,
we wrote that song in the studio and put so right but Mike came with me, there was
it together as a band without really know- never any question that if I was going to be
ing what I was going to sing and I was in another band Mike was going to be the
very hoarse because I had been singing bass player. DREAM THEATER, ROYAL BLISS,
ten days in a row so I really
couldn’t express how I was
going to sing the song. So no
one had really heard me sing it CAVO, BLUE OCTOBER, STATIC X
yet and that’s one of the ones
that I didn’t record the vocals
live on. So I went over to my
studio and worked on it all day AND MANY MORE.
and I knew it was great. Mike
and I went over the moon with
the chorus, if you had heard plus NAMM 2009 interview footage at ERNIE BALL booth
it, it sounded like Crosby Stills Bands now submit your videos for possible airplay. All details at
and Nash, it was big four part
harmonies and I got so excited website. Every city hosting a TV show has a separte myspace site
and the engineer was excited with all shows details and updates for that city. If you live in any of
and Mike was excited and I these cities please become a friend there. You can find all the
said, let’s call up Joe and play myspace pages at the main Rocknation site at:
it for him over the phone be-
cause this is beyond a hit. This www.myspace.com/rocknationtv
might be the biggest hit any