Billy Sheehan Interview
BigMusicGeek.com recently conducted an interview with legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth, Talas).
BigMusicGeek.com: What ultimately led you to your decision to no longer work with David Lee Roth following the release of (1988's) "Skyscraper"? Was there the proverbial "creative differences," or was it something on a more personal level?
Billy: "Dave took a chance. He decided to try a new direction with the music. In a way, he was right because he wanted to mix dance beats into the music. He was like, 'We need to be more dance-orientated.' And I was like, 'That's great', but it just wasn't me. I just couldn't get up there and do that kind of thing. So I was gone, but in a way he was right because dance music did become the next giant thing and now that's pretty much all there is. I call it karaoke aerobics. It's basically people doing karaoke because they're singers who don't really sing on their records and just get pitch-corrected. And then they get eight to twelve people to do aerobics next to them and that's ninety percent of the music that you see on TV now. So in a way, he was right, but the problem with doin' a switch like that when you're a rocker guy is that the rockers are going to hate you because you've turned on them and the dance guys are going to hate you because you were once a rock guy. So unfortunately, he fell between the cracks, but in a way he was right. He accurately predicted that dance music was going to come in. It did, but at the same time, we had a lot of other great music by a lot of other great bands. I just think he threw the dice and they just didn't come up with the number he needed."
BigMusicGeek.com: What were the main motivations behind MR. BIG reuniting? I had always assumed, based solely on the rumors and half-truths that circulated in the press, that a full-fledged reunion simply would not be realistic.
Billy: "One of the beginnings of that was when (guitarist) Paul (Gilbert) played on (my solo record) 'Holy Cow' on the song 'Dynamic Exhilarator'. It was the first time we had worked in a studio together since we had been in MR. BIG together. We jammed a zillion times and we hang out together a lot because we're both here in L.A., but we never actually thought about working together. When he came in to do the solo on 'Dynamic Exhilarator', we had a blast. It was awesome. He did a great, great solo. The first one is amazing and the second one somehow tops it (laughs). So after that, we had a little more organized jam here in L.A. when he played with his band. Richie Kotzen was there and Pat Torpey was there and we played a couple of MR. BIG songs. The crowd went out of their minds and we were like, 'The only thing that could top this is if (vocalist) Eric (Martin) was here.' So a couple of e-mails started floating back and forth and the next thing you know, we said, 'Well, let's get together and have dinner just to hang,' and right at that point, we just said, 'Yeah, let's just do it.. The good thing about it is that nobody dangled cash in front of us. It didn't come from outside of us. It wasn't where someone had an idea and said, 'Yeah, let's put your band back together. Let's put you on a bus somewhere for six months before you break up again.' So it actually came from us, from our desire to really want to play together again and how much we loved the band. It was self-generated and organic in that respect, so now it's going to happen again."
I think the bigger question is, does anyone care about Mr. Big besides the Japanese? Billy is a kick ass bassist, but his American audience will always remember the cringe worthy song "To Be With You."
Instead, they should remember him for this:
BigMusicGeek.com: What ultimately led you to your decision to no longer work with David Lee Roth following the release of (1988's) "Skyscraper"? Was there the proverbial "creative differences," or was it something on a more personal level?
Billy: "Dave took a chance. He decided to try a new direction with the music. In a way, he was right because he wanted to mix dance beats into the music. He was like, 'We need to be more dance-orientated.' And I was like, 'That's great', but it just wasn't me. I just couldn't get up there and do that kind of thing. So I was gone, but in a way he was right because dance music did become the next giant thing and now that's pretty much all there is. I call it karaoke aerobics. It's basically people doing karaoke because they're singers who don't really sing on their records and just get pitch-corrected. And then they get eight to twelve people to do aerobics next to them and that's ninety percent of the music that you see on TV now. So in a way, he was right, but the problem with doin' a switch like that when you're a rocker guy is that the rockers are going to hate you because you've turned on them and the dance guys are going to hate you because you were once a rock guy. So unfortunately, he fell between the cracks, but in a way he was right. He accurately predicted that dance music was going to come in. It did, but at the same time, we had a lot of other great music by a lot of other great bands. I just think he threw the dice and they just didn't come up with the number he needed."
BigMusicGeek.com: What were the main motivations behind MR. BIG reuniting? I had always assumed, based solely on the rumors and half-truths that circulated in the press, that a full-fledged reunion simply would not be realistic.
Billy: "One of the beginnings of that was when (guitarist) Paul (Gilbert) played on (my solo record) 'Holy Cow' on the song 'Dynamic Exhilarator'. It was the first time we had worked in a studio together since we had been in MR. BIG together. We jammed a zillion times and we hang out together a lot because we're both here in L.A., but we never actually thought about working together. When he came in to do the solo on 'Dynamic Exhilarator', we had a blast. It was awesome. He did a great, great solo. The first one is amazing and the second one somehow tops it (laughs). So after that, we had a little more organized jam here in L.A. when he played with his band. Richie Kotzen was there and Pat Torpey was there and we played a couple of MR. BIG songs. The crowd went out of their minds and we were like, 'The only thing that could top this is if (vocalist) Eric (Martin) was here.' So a couple of e-mails started floating back and forth and the next thing you know, we said, 'Well, let's get together and have dinner just to hang,' and right at that point, we just said, 'Yeah, let's just do it.. The good thing about it is that nobody dangled cash in front of us. It didn't come from outside of us. It wasn't where someone had an idea and said, 'Yeah, let's put your band back together. Let's put you on a bus somewhere for six months before you break up again.' So it actually came from us, from our desire to really want to play together again and how much we loved the band. It was self-generated and organic in that respect, so now it's going to happen again."
I think the bigger question is, does anyone care about Mr. Big besides the Japanese? Billy is a kick ass bassist, but his American audience will always remember the cringe worthy song "To Be With You."
Instead, they should remember him for this:
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