Page 40 - ISSUE 14

PAGE 40 ROCKNATION ISSUE 14
TONY HARNELL

Interview with Tony Harnell - By David Felix, Special thanks to Brian at Rockeyez.com

Rocknation: Well the first thing you I was like, “Oh my God! I know why I your voice is at and there are a lot of and said, “Let’s just see if this will work
notice when you look at the track listing am doing this!” It was because these factors that come into play but for some and how crazy we can get.” So we did
is that a lot of the titles seem very, very are my songs too and I very carefully reason, that one screwed with me a little it and when I started doing the vocals,
familiar. What made you decide to re-do chose songs that I felt didn’t get enough bit until I finally got the vocal. I really went off on all the crazy, weird
some of your old material as opposed to attention their first time around. Even Rocknation: I’m an “old-school” TNT/ back-ground stuff and when I played it
putting out a brand new studio release? with like “Northern Lights.” That should Tony Harnell fan. In some cases such for people, they were like, “This is really
Tony Harnell: If you had asked me to have been a single back in the 80’s and as “Song For Dianne” and “Northern fun. You gotta put this on there.” As for
do something like this three years ago, I actually think that had it had been a Lights,” I absolutely LOVE the new “Intuition,” it has a bit of that “country-
I would have been like, “What are you video back then, our lives would be very versions and even think they came out folk” kind of feel to it but I have to
crazy? I don’t wanna do that!” But there different today. It’s hard to believe that better than the original recordings. But admit, I feel a little bit obligated to put
was a demand for me to play shows. I on just about every TNT album, there in other cases those songs on
had this great group of musicians who were at least one or two ballads and such as “Intu- there or play them
are friends of mine in New York whom NONE of them were ever videos back ition” or “10,000 “live” because
I admire very much and I wanted to in the 80’s when everybody was releas- Lovers,” I kind “Intuition” was a
play a small, intimate place and here ing ballads and those were the “break- of miss that big hit in Japan
in the city, they have all these small, through” hits, they never put one out for heavy, edgier and a pretty-good
prestigious little venues with a really us. So I resurrected that song and really side to the sized hit all over
cool vibe and I wanted to see if I played changed it giving it a more contempo- songs. Do you the world and
there and really changed the flavor and rary feel to it and it’s actually one of the find you’re get- “10,000 Lovers”
color of my songs if they would work, if songs I think works the best which is ting that kind of became almost
they would stand out or if I would just why we did the video for it. When we got reaction a lot? like our “signa-
look like some “buffoon” from the 80’s! into the later material, I really though we Tony Harnell: ture song” almost
So we did a couple of shows and got were writing some great material back in Surprisingly… everywhere but if
an absolutely amazing response. Then the 90’s/ 2000 period and they just never ya know, I tell I had it my way, I
it turns out Serafino (Perugino, CEO got enough attention because they were myself NOT to would never play
Frontiers Records), heard about it be- on “Indie” labels and not a lot of people read reviews those songs again.
cause, thanks to the internet, everything knew about them so that was the other but I always end It’s horrible for me
Interview with Duff McKagan
you do nowadays is “out there,” and thing. I just wanted to draw some new up doing it any- and I know there
he asked if I wanted to do a live album attention and be like, “Hey, these are way or at least are people out
with these guys? And I really didn’t pretty good songs even in a stripped- have someone there who don’t
want to do that but I was really digging down, different sorta fashion.” So when tell me about wanna hear that
By: Jeffrey Easton
the way these guys were playing my I got back into it with these guys, I really them. I mean and I don’t mean
songs so I thought we could do like a dug-in and just started to play around I get like new to hurt anyone’s
“live spirited” studio album. We won’t with the vocals a little bit and it became emails of new feelings but it’s just
take a long time recording that music; a really cathartic experience which re- reviews dropped in my mailbox almost that I don’t have a lot of attachment to
we’ll get a very live sound and so on. ally helped me spiritually put that part of every day now and I would say that nine them right now. What I’ve learned from
So that’s what we did and that’s really my life to bed and honor the songs and out of ten of them are great! Of course playing my show in Norway a few weeks
what spawned it but it’s a very interest- take a little of the leadership of those there are a few that thinks it’s like… back is that even though I stuck “Intu-
ing project because originally I was like, songs back. I love the old recordings… whatever, but the majority of them are ition” and “10k Lovers” in there, I really
“Should I do this? Is this really a dumb they’re AWESOME! I’m not trying to really super-positive! I totally get what don’t think I needed to do that. In fact,
idea?” But as it developed, first of all compete with those. I mean Ronnie’s (Le you are saying and I can’t argue with one of my brand new solo songs… well
we recorded all the music in just two Tekro) a world class guitar player… one that but the point I am trying to make maybe not “brand new” since it was
days. It was a real quick thing and I was of the best guitar players on the planet is that you still have those old records on the cinematic-demo EP, but I played
supposed to jump right in on the vocals but this album was about showing how and you still have those versions and one song off of that and I swear to God
and have the whole thing knocked out good the songs were, how good the to be quite honest with you, I almost it got the best response for the audi-
in a couple of weeks. But right after melodies and the lyrics were and just didn’t put either one of those songs on ence and that was a real “wake-up” call
that two-day session, my Mom got ill showcasing and exploiting that part of the release at all. But I think that what for me. Promoters are the ones who’ve
and a couple of other things happened these songs. But this CD and playing I’ve learned since I released the album been telling me things like “The only
in my life that were pretty serious and with these guys was just a way for me to is that… first of all, I think “10k Lovers” reason we want you to play is if you
I had to just shut down this thing. It deal with all that turmoil and just finally is really fucking cool on this record do the old TNT songs.” And here I am
got to the point where I had to sit down put this whole thing to bed. (chuckles)… thinkin’, “But TNT is out playing TNT
and write Serafino, “Look, I really don’t Rocknation: Was there any song in Rocknation: (interrupts laughing) Don’t songs!” I know I’m the original guy and I
know when I’m gonna be able to come particular that you found a little bit more get me wrong, I DO like the new version, absolutely LOVE some of the songs but
back to this record. It could be a year, challenging as far as the re-recording it’s just that it’s “different” from what I there’re other songs that I want to play.
it might be six months but I really can’t process? am use to… That’s why in my set over there, I played
say. So if you want your money back Tony Harnell: Yeah, there were a couple, Tony Harnell: Yeah! It’s a little more “bi- some of the 90’s stuff, I played some of
and we’ll just cancel the thing… fine, actually… a couple that didn’t even zarre” and a completely different song, the 2000’s stuff… but some of the stuff I
I don’t care.” And he said, “No, no… make the record. We had recorded a almost. I don’t think that if it hadn’t had wanna play and some of the stuff I don’t
that’s ok. Just take your time and come song called “Heart is a Heavy Load” come out so “weird,” it would be on the wanna play but I feel a bit obligated
back to it when you can.” That’s actu- from WESTWORLD’s “Skin” and it just record at all. I literally told these guys to do them. But I think at this point…
ally one of the really positive things wasn’t interesting enough… it just originally that I didn’t want to put it on at least for a while or at least until my
about working with them because being wasn’t different enough from the origi- the record but then finally decided, viewpoint changes again, as long as I
Italian, they’re really into the whole nal and it’s not that all the songs that “Let’s see what we can do with it.” I had do a good job and the band and I really
“family comes first” thing. But it turned are on the CD are “drastically” different this idea and feel for this rhythm for it perform well together, I can pretty much
out to be a real blessing, actually, when from the originals. I’d
I finally returned to the album because say at least a third or
what I thought it was going to be and maybe even half of
what it ended up being and since the the songs are “fairly”
reasons for me doing the record actu- close to the original
ally changed during that time away and but there’s always
evolved… it ended up being something something different
almost completely different. or something about
Rocknation: Was it a little odd at first these new versions
playing most of these songs with an- that I felt was strong
other band other than TNT? enough and made it
Tony Harnell: There was a lot of stuff worthy of being on
going on behind the scenes with TNT the CD. But challeng-
when I left. Some of it publicly… not so ing? Yeah… there
much over here but in the press over were a few that I
in Europe and it was pretty nasty. I couldn’t even figure
was enduring some pretty nasty at- out why they were
tacks… a lot of lies and crazy shit I challenging. Take
tried to ignore mostly, but it really left “Month of Sundays”
a bad taste in my mouth and made me for example. When
feel really a bit disgusted at my whole I started to do the
twenty-something years in the band. All vocals, I think I tried
the sacrifices I made for the band, all to sing it like, I don’t
the blood, sweat and tears, pouring my even know how many
heart into the songs, ruining marriages times and I kept put-
and all that crap that ends up happen- ting it aside and put-
ing when you’re in a band. I wanted to ting it aside, moving
just take all my records off my walls… on to something else
all my gold records and just sell ‘em or then coming back to
put them in the basement or something it till finally one day,
and even during the recording of this I just put it on again
album, there was still some shit going and suddenly I could
on. There were emails, and some more do it. I have no idea
nasty, ugly stuff going on behind the why that happened.
scenes and I was just like, “Uuughh!” That’s the funny thing
But then I understood, finally… when about making mu-
I came back to the album why I was sic… it’s where your
doing this. It just hit me suddenly and head is at, it’s where