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When you think of the 80's, one band that helped establish Heavy Metal with their controversial attitude, catchy melodies with their unique brand of Ratt and Roll were RATT. RATT has a legacy that has survived over 25 years and their timeless hits such as "Round and Round," Lay It Down" and “Wanted Man" will go down as true Rock and Roll anthems.
RATT went on to become one of the most popular Glam Metal acts to emerge from that time period, led by one of the most dynamic front men of the 80’s, Stephen Pearcy. Stephen has a Rock and Roll style that is all his own. His unique, distinctive vocal style was pure Ratt and Roll. Stephen Pearcy captivated his audience with a raw, animal-like appeal that was truly breathtaking to watch in concert. RATT was all about SEX, DRUGS and RATT AND ROLL. The 80's knew no boundaries, and RATT lived life to the extreme, never looking back, full speed ahead, going "Round and Round."
Pearcy will be in the limelight again when VH1’s “Behind The Music - Ratt” premieres on May 6th and then on May 9 when his new acoustic CD "Back For More,” will be released.
Our own Ratt-n-Roller Deb Rao recently caught up with Stephen to get his insight on these new projects, his tour plans and much more. So kick back, crack one open and read what Stephen had to say.
Stephen, Last time we spoke you were embarking on the Metal In America Tour. Tell me how did the tour go? 
Yeah, it is what it was. I created that thing just to get out there and we did 30 cities and did them fairly quickly I might add. We went out there and had a good time and came back and now I started work on this live record.
Let's talk about your new live acoustic CD "Back For More." Last Monday night you performed at the Key Club in LA, and the show was recorded live for the acoustic CD which will be released on May 9 on Sidewinder Records , hot on the heels of the VH-1 “Behind The Music”- Ratt on May 6. Tell me about the making of the CD, what songs did you perform?
Yeah, I did all of the RATT hits. I did my arrangements and how I heard them acoustically. Just the idea and thought of doing them acoustically has thrown everybody. But ya know, a song is a song. You can get any hard rock song out of a acoustic song, and you can get any acoustic song and make it a hard rock song. We did it. We did "Wanted Man", “Round and Round," which is on the VH1 Metal Mania Stripped Cd, "You Think You're Tuff", and it was strange because I grew up at Gazzaris when I first moved to Hollywood , with my band Mickey Ratt and a lot of those songs were cutting my teeth in that place so it was interesting to play "Lay It Down, "Back For More." Way Cool Jr." It was good, it was pretty decent, we had a good time.
RATT has so many hits. I noticed when you performed on the Metal Mania Stripped Across America Tour that your songs had a bluesy feel to them? Growing up did you listen to the blues?
No, not really, and I still have the blues for nothing ya know. You got to live and have the blues to be a real blues player. I can tend to go that way, I am versatile in music, I am not just a complete 110 metal-head. Even though those are my roots. I mentioned to one of the label guys I think I am going to do a record , because the Metal Mania Tour was so great, and he jumped the chance in doing with me.
On the Metal Mania Stripped Across America Tour, I thought your set showcased how timeless RATT's music really is. I really enjoyed the different arrangements of the songs.
You can take the songs elsewhere. I mean we did, we played Hindu sounding intros, we had a great time, that is the hard part, to take those simple metal riffs or songs and give them a different treatment. I am from the old school Zeppelin, Sabbath, Aerosmith, where you get on a song, and you just keep jamming, and then you are finished. People do get older, there are certain ways that artists or musicians , or whatever you want to call it, me I am a professional screamer, like taking a different approach. It is like me doing that Vertex project, it was like industrial thrash metal. I try different things.
Another one of the exciting parts of the Metal Mania Stripped Tour were the impromptu singalongs that took place doing the sets. Were you inspired by this, to have everyone singing to "Back For More"? Was that the same kind of vibe that took place at your concert Monday night at the Key Club?
I was surprised actually, at the amount of people that showed up. I was there with the attitude, I was just there cuz I am making a record and kind of forced my way into the Monday night, which was cool for the club to let us do. The audience is also younger, they were not just 30 or 40. Music lives, that it does do.
Now on the Metal Mania Stripped Volume 2 you perform, "Round and Round." Where was that recorded? GlamMetal.com TM has been very supportive of the CD and recent Metal Mania Striped Across America Tour. The GlamMetal.com TM staff worked very hard in getting all of the latest reviews and updates online for the fans.
I recorded that at MT Studios in Burbank is where I do a lot of my work. I did "Ratt Attack" there which was recently released there on Cleopatra, Records. "Fueler" I've done there , themes for movies, drag racing for ESPN I do there , it is pretty much my base. We went there and set up shop for a few days, it just came out that way. I remembered an arrangement, that this band the Tories actually did "Round and Round." They had me sing backup on it. I just remembered somewhat of their arrangement , and went hey I'm gonna rip them off, for ripping me off, so I ripped them both off.
"Round and Round " is your song, you made it your own. Why do you think the VH1 Metal Mania Stripped Across America Volume 2 The Anthems CD is so popular? it seems like there is such a great demand for 80's music these days?
Well like I said in our other interview , the 80's were colorful and exciting, it was a dangerous time. You didn't have that in the 90's, it was bummed out, what did you get in the 2000's? You got a lot of cookie cutter bands. You got the labels falling apart. You got the introduction to the Internet. People are wondering, it was like me when I was younger , when you wanted to find out about your favorite band Uriah Heep, or Blue Oyster Cult, you had to go look at Cream or Circus Magazine. It is almost like word of mouth again. It is the time and what does come around goes around. RATT did set some standards for ourselves. We constantly went platinum, constantly played arenas, we were very fortunate, people remembered it , we did a lot of road work, so we made a lot of friends. Laughter!
Stephen, when you wrote these songs 20 years ago, did you ever think they would be so timeless today and still have such an impact in 2006?
You hope that, but I am a compulsive songwriter, I write all the time. I write constant riffs, stories, words, images, I am always writing. I am getting ready to do the next solo record and move on I gotta keep moving. I mean I am not Mozart over here, but I like to write songs. If it works for me and it gets me off I have done my job. I have a different approach to my music now, it is more honest, there is nothing pretentious about it. There is a little a debauchery a little kick and shove.
There is also the Metal Mania Stripped Live DVD that you appear on doing "Back For More". Where was that recorded?
Yeah, that is pretty interesting, the end of that is pretty funny. That recorded was somewhere out in Florida..
Now Stephen, you must be getting excited VH1 Behind The Music- Ratt is going to air May 6. You are going to tell the whole story of RATT. Will their be special concert footage?
Well I gave them personal footage , I gave them personal photos, it is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I was part of every moment. Not pleased with some. Everybody makes mistakes. You live life on your own terms. We are in that Rock and Roll circus, I am very honest, I never claimed to be the angel. I stuck it out and I want people to know exactly what is on my mind, the history of that band, and how I felt. It is Rock and Roll, alot of people don't understand a lot of the insight. That is why I am trying to get this book out. My Ratt Tails. I finally found a writer to work with me, it is the rise and fall, it is about Ratt, the people and places, a couple of years I don't remember. Laughter!
That is awesome. Now is Robin Crosby in the Behind The Music- Ratt Special?
Of course, I think they have footage of him, they got a hold of him when they were going to do it first , a couple of years back. I gave them a lot of footage backstage, I hope there is a lot of Robin. He is the king.
I can remember back in the 90's when RATT played Boston at Avalon and RATT did a special in-store appearance at Tower Records. I met Robin and all of you guys , and the thing that struck me about Robin and really impressed me was the warmth of his personality.
Robin is a big, giant angel. He was a sweetheart.
What is the most important thing that Robin Crosby taught you as a musician and friend?
As a friend, Robin taught me a little patience. As a friend, he taught me you live life. He did live life. I had to put the brakes on because I was enjoying life to much like him. But he lived. He knew the rights and wrongs, and be prepared for what is to come, whether it is the good, the bad or the ugly. He was our mediator, he was my right hand man, when I started that monster. He was the first one to pull in when Jake E. Lee pulled out.
You are lucky he pulled in, it was the perfect line-up.
Oh yeah, Robin brought a lot of great melodies to the band, arrangements and parts, riffs, he was a totally underrated guitar player.
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But the fans all know how great Robin was. Behind the Music will also help show what a great impact RATT had on metal.
Sure, we had to have that look and flair , we didn't want to be metal and studs, so we decided we wanted to be pirate cowboys, a dash of Adam Ant, a dash of Priest, a dash of this and you got RATT. I got the name of RATT from Aerosmith ,"Toys in the Attic." I grew up on Steven Tyler. The crazy thing is when you meet the people you looked up to and idolize like Robert Plant or Eric Bloom from Blue Oyster Cult, or even jamming with them is like OK I think I just lost my mind.
You mentioned that you have already begun working on your next solo CD?
Yeah, I have started work on my new solo album, I'm already eight songs into it, musically down, you would be amazed. We have been working , every chance we get into the studio, we go in and write stuff.
Will you be touring this summer?
I hope to start something up, hopefully we can pick up some tours somewhere that would be the ideal situation. I am cutting down the touring a bit. I got more things to do with my label that will be taking up the majority of my time, and maybe just pull out for the summer. Maybe I will fire up Bastards of Metal or see if anyone wants to have some Ratt bastards up at their party.
Will you tour Europe this year?
Yeah, we were going to have a stint out there, but nothing was right on paper unfortunately so the two records will be released out there, so I am going to get out there eventually to support those records.
I know you are really into race car driving. You have down a lot of work for ESPN. Were you surprised to learn of race car drive Paul Dana death over the weekend?
I knew of him, I watch a lot of Indy, he was part of the Letterman team, that was unfortunate, any kind of mishap like that at any motor sport is a wake-up call just to make everyone aware that it is fast, exciting and dangerous, it is colorful just like Rock and Roll.
Do you still race car drive?
I put that in the back burner. I am more comfortable sponsoring the Top Fuel Dragsters or the funny cars. That is our main objective for the summer and involve Top Fuel Entertainment.
Well Stephen, you have a lot of products on the market including the release of your new acoustic CD Back for More" on Sidewinders Records on May 9, The VH1 Ratt Behind the Music on May 6, Metal Mania Stripped CD and DVD, "Rat Attack", and "Fueler." What else can the fans look forward to from Stephen Pearcy in 2006?
Well in 2000 Sex keep your eyes and ears open at www.stephen-pearcy.com for pleasure and business, and Top Fuel Records for releases. I will get out there every once in a while and yell at ya and hope you want to yell back.
Thank you so much Stephen for your very special in depth look and preview for GlamMetal.com TM of your upcoming acoustic CD, "Back For More", to be released on May 9 , Metal Mania Stripped CD and DVD, your special thoughts on the VH1 Ratt Behind The Music airing May 6 , and life as one of the most influential voices in Metal.
Thank you for the support , I really appreciate it.
www.metalmaniastripped.com www.stephen-pearcy.com
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