Joey continued on to play in bands like Shock Tu, Joey C. Jones & The Glory Hounds, Crabtree, Orange Helicopter and others…one that included C.C. Deville of Poison. Joey spread his “artistic wings” to explore different directions musically with each band and album and was featured on radio, MTV and toured with many of the biggest bands of then and now. He and I spoke on the phone about what he’s been doing to keep himself busy and the musicians that influenced him so greatly that he still adheres to their advice today, The Entertainment Nexus- So what have you been doing for the last twenty years? Joey C. Jones- I spent ten years in a Turkish prison. (Laughs) Uh, what have I been doing…where do we start? I’ve really gotten into the publishing end of the business. I’ve written some songs for a couple of other people… “Ghost writing” and not “ghost writing.” I’ve went on some tours and played some big shows, played some small shows…kinda done it all I guess. I love music! Music is my passion! Whether I’m doing my own stuff or working with somebody or helping young people develop song writing skills or helping young acts to get gigs or whatever…I’m all for it! I take money out of my own pocket constantly just to try to help a young band here or there try to get something going. I’m not a wealthy guy but I’m not broke either. Ya know its funny cause Eric Moore told me something when I was eighteen years old when I was fortunate enough to open for The Godz one time. I had no talent…I had no business being there but for some reason the guy liked me. He told me he goes; “Someday, you’re gonna be forty years old and you’re gonna know a lot about this business. Your job is to turn around and give everything that you’ve learned back to younger musicians. And, don’t you ever ask them for anything!” I always remembered what Eric Moore ever said to me because he was like my first influence. I’ve tried to heed his words. Eric Moore had so much more depth than he’s ever been credited for. You know, it’s amazing because when I first went out to Hollywood Gene Simmons (KISS) was at one of our shows at the Troubadour in 1986. Afterwards, he came into the dressing room to meet my band cause he was interested in putting us on Simmons Records…and thank God that we didn’t get involved in that mess! (Laughs) Anyway, he said “You guys are from Columbus, Ohio, right?” and I go “Yeah” and he goes “Well then you know Eric Moore and The Godz!” It blew me away because one of the first things that Gene Simmons talked to me about was The Godz. I said “This is great!” We sat there for ten minutes talking about The Godz. Gene Simmons is a HUGE Eric Moore fan…yeah! I’d have to bring you the twenty-five people that were in the room then to verify that. In fact, Mark Chatfield (The Godz, Rosie, and Bob Seger) was one of the top three people that they wanted to audition in 1983 when Ace Frehley (KISS) left and they brought in Vinnie Vincent. Chatfield was heavily, heavily considered for the KISS gig. I remember Chatfield telling me a story about when The Godz played up in New York with Angel, he looked over to stage right and there was Simmons standing there watching him. Believe me; Chatfield and Moore are not liars! They never had to be. They were fuckin’ talented out the wazoo. Again, the only reason that I’m still working today and have had the moderate amount of success that I’ve had…which is nothing to brag about…I credit every damn bit of it to watching The Godz and watching Rosie. It was about professionalism. A professional road crew…a professional presentation…all the songs in their set was segued. I hadn’t seen anything like that before. I was just a kid hanging out at The Alrosa watching those guys. I was their understudies and every damn thing that I do…every gig that I do…you can see some Godz and Rosie in every fuckin’ thing that I do. They were my influence and I wouldn’t have known shit about this business and would have still been in Athens, Ohio…rotting right now…had I not gone up to Columbus and the Cautela family basically fed me and I watched The Godz and Rosie and learned about professionalism. I certainly feel that some of the songs that I’ve written in the past…you can hear a definite Rosie influence. I was never a bluesy guy like The Godz were but I was definitely the “pop rock” guy like Rosie was. Chatfield was great. Bobby (Boos) was great…all of them were great…all except Carl (Shelor) who was a “rudy-poo candy-ass.” I never liked him but he taught me a lot. Sorry, I’m just blatantly honest… TEN- What have you been doing lately…any new cds? TEN- What types of movies? JCJ- I’m joking! (Laughs) TEN- I figured some type of porn. (Laughs) JCJ- Well yeah only ones with transsexuals and she-males. Ya know…you obviously haven’t seen me in a while. I’m really not sure which way I’m swingin’ so I went ahead and got breast implants. When I see you next month, do not be surprised…‘cause I have beautiful breasts! (Laughs) Comedy is not my bag but I give it hell anyway. TEN- What’s so special about the Alrosa Villa show coming up on November 24, 2007? JCJ- I haven’t played there in eleven years and that was where I learned how to “Rock N Roll.” Ya know…watching The Godz and watching Rosie when I was a kid. That place will always hold a special place in my heart and I’m lookin’ forward to getting back there and seein’ some friends. TEN- What did you think about the tragedy that happened there in 2004? JCJ- (Long pause) it ripped my heart out like countless others. I was very close to those guys. When I left Ohio, I came down here in 1985 and they were some of the first friends that I made…Vinnie and Darrell. I played a bunch of shows with them. We weren’t “best of friends” but we were always close and respected each other. It certainly is a horrible tragedy. I just wish that a lot of people in Columbus, Ohio and throughout the nation knew a little more details of the events because I feel really, really horrible for the Cautela family. They literally took me off the streets when I was homeless and fed me when I was eighteen years old and I know what wonderful people they are. I know people in the “Texas area” certainly don’t have a great feeling about the Alrosa Villa and I just feel that if people really knew the details of the events that led up to that…there would be no one who could say nothing but wonderful, wonderful things about the Alrosa Villa…all the great entertainment that they have provided the central Ohio area for nearly thirty years. I honestly think that a lot of people don’t really know what led up to those events and I think that the Cautela family has had to endure a lot of unnecessary pain. My heart goes out to the Cautela family as well as the Abbott family and all the Pantera fans…I just think there’s a lot of misunderstandings. I really, really believe that. TEN- Did you read “A Vulgar Display of Power” by Chris A? JCJ- He did a fantastic job and I think the best thing about that whole book was; rather than dwelling on the tragedy…I think it was fantastic how the book also gave a lot of details of again…how wonderful the Cautela family was to a lot of artists and a lot of fans for thirty years. When I got the book, I immediately thought “Okay, this is just gonna be nothing but talking about how horrible the whole event was.” I was really surprised after I read it; I really thought the author did a fantastic job of informing the readers of what a great venue that is and the history of the venue. It was a horrible thing and there’s no question in my mind that whether Darrell passed early if he was still alive today…his name in history, will be right up there in my opinion, with Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and all those guys as far as being not only a great guitarist but an innovator as well. It was amazing cause when I came down here, I was nineteen and Darrell was eighteen and I kept hearing his name and he won every guitar competition. Then, when they played some shows with me and I saw the kid play…I was like “This kid is destined for greatness!” I am so, so happy to see Vinnie out there with a new project because I think the strength and courage that Vinnie has, is displayed by choosing to honor his brothers’ memory by getting right back out there and playin’ some good rock n roll. TEN- Let’s talk about when you went to L.A. and the music scene back in the day. JCJ- I tell ya what. We were extremely lucky because here’s basically what happened. When I left Columbus, the plan was to go to L.A. myself and the Sheridan brothers. We stopped by Dallas for a while because the Sheridan brothers’ father lived there. What I was able to do when I got here was that I started meeting all these wealthy people and I would invite them out to see Sweet Savage play. The next thing I knew…I was securing investments like crazy. So, we showed up in L.A. and we weren’t like all those other bands that showed up out there that were sleeping on the floors, no food, sleeping in cars and all those bullshit horror stories. We showed up “loaded” and we purchased our own big ads…big “pull out” ads in all the rock papers and from day one…we sold out every room out there. Our name still stands with many who have sold out The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Troubadour, and Country Club. Ya know, capacity is capacity and it has been filled five thousand times but I feel fortunate that my name is on that list. When we arrived out there because we certainly didn’t have any talent and our songs sucked but we were so fucking driven…we refused to lose and please put this down…this can be verified we were the first “Sunset Strip Hair Band” bottom line! Everybody copped our trip! We showed up out there and we had money…we had the biggest amp line…the biggest hair…best make-up and we were the “best lookin’ mother fuckers in town!” We packed every room from day one! Then, we decided to do that record and we made a horrible mistake by asking Dana Strum (Slaughter) to produce it. It was the first record that he had produced. He didn’t have a clue then…and he has less of a clue today! He fuckin’ made me sound like “Alvin and the Chipmunks!” Everything was analog and two inch back then. I tracked all my vocals and they sounded as good as they could for a kid and we go and start mixing and the play back and he “vary speeded” the two inch and sped it up. All of a sudden in stead of sounding like a young singer who has some natural talent…I ended up sounding like “Donny Osmond on helium.” I heard the play back and I go; “We’re fucked!” We went ahead and released it and the thing was number one for sixteen weeks in the U.K. I’m sitting there thinking “This is a joke. We just recorded the worst album in history of the music business!” We are kids and this shit just hit over there and then everything started blowing up over here. Again, it was just good timing…we got up there at the right time…we had some money behind us…we were the best lookin’ guys in town and we learned how to make everybody love us. I’m sorry that it just didn’t work out because I feel that that band could’ve been legendary because as we grew, we would have gotten better at song writing and all of that. It just sucks that the whole thing completely imploded. Some people say it was my fault…I say it wasn’t. I’m proud of everything that I’ve done with that band and it’s really cool because in the last couple of years there has been interest in that “Sunset Strip 80’s” era. A lot of the young bands are emulating that. In fact in Dallas, there’s a Sweet Savage tribute band. I will always be grateful for those times; I just really, truly wish that I would’ve been a better song writer in those days. But, back then, it was all about style and substance didn’t matter and nobody could style a profile like Sweet Savage. I really think that band could’ve gotten over internationally and it really bums me out because Laine, Chris (Sheridan) and I all grew up in Athens and it was just wonderful to go out there and be the “A Boys” representing Ohio. It just sucks that the whole thing just blew up and it basically blew up over just disagreement about directions and the songs. I wanted to bring other songwriters into the fold and a couple of the other guys didn’t. But, I love those guys so very much, I think of them everyday. I’m still in touch with Chris and to any Sweet Savage fans in Ohio; Chris is doing much, much better. He’s standing up and he can walk somewhat on his own and in fact that he’s over in Japan right now with James Kottek from The Scorpions in the band Kottek…and they’re over there doing really well. I’m so thrilled for Chris. He’s certainly an inspiration for any person who has a handicap. You know, he did a nose dive in an airplane and they said that he wouldn’t live. They literally had to “cut him in half” to put his spine back together and he was in a wheelchair for over ten years. Now, he’s standing up and playing guitar in Japan! Bless his heart he’s an inspiration to anyone alive especially anyone who has a handicap. TEN- That’s the power of music! JCJ- Absolutely! TEN- The Sweet Savage self titled ep was one of the biggest selling consignment in the U.S. at that time. JCJ- The reason why is because hands down it is still the best album cover in the history of the business. That was a great album cover and when we got distribution for it in the U.S. there were people that might not have known who we were but when they saw that album cover people bought it. Hey, big hair…lipstick…it worked! TEN- It’s safe to say that you didn’t have to do the “Pay to Play” gig then… JCJ- Oh no…no…no because you see we were fortunate because we just took these photos and we had a good agent and the next thing you know…we were selling out two thousand seat places in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and everywhere regionally so when it came time to L.A. we just used the same agent to book us that was already helping us kill everybody back here. The clubs out there saw the numbers that we were doing back here so when we arrived we were welcomed. It certainly wasn’t any of that “Pay to Play” bullshit! TEN- Do you think there will be some type of “Sweet Savage Reunion?” JCJ- Chris has certainly been excited about doin that. I’m still in touch with Randy St. John…he lives down in Houston. He just played on the new Ty Tabor record…the King’s X guy. It’s a great record! I don’t think Laine has played in years. I don’t know, certainly if there was some money and some interest…yeah we would do it because hell…I’m even better lookin now than I was back then! (Laughs) TEN- There’s a big resurgence of the “80’s L.A. Hair Bands” which is really cool. JCJ- I’m certainly glad that that is back. And, I’m certainly glad that I have earned the title of: “The Godfather of Glam.” It’s just so fun to look as good as you possibly look and dress as good as you can possibly dress and just get out there and make it fun for everyone. It’s fantastic! I think the young people really, really enjoy that. I think the reason why it came back was…well you know… again…the music business runs in twenty year cycles anyway…shit comes back. I think the young people just saw how the bands really gave it their all as far as again…doing as much as they could with their hair and some make up to look good…making sure that they had an amp line and doing all of those things. That is why it’s come back around. I think people got kinda tired of seein’ bands up there with a bit of a bad attitude and the slow, mundane, “heroined out” songs and all the prima donna bullshit. A lot of young people jumped back on cause they just saw how fun it was to truly dress up the music. I can say this; all this resurgence of the glam thing…these young kids that aren’t concentrating on their song writing skills as much as their hair their career will be very short lived because a lot of these young bands now are too worried about “image” and really not honing in on some of their song writing skills. I would love to see a combination of both. I would love to see a young band “break out” that looked like Sweet Savage used to look…which is nearly impossible. You know…to have that look but actually have some substance to their song writing…actually have some stuff on radio that may last. TEN- We need a new “Hero!” JCJ- Absolutely! TEN- “Grunge” killed the L.A. Hair Scene… JCJ- But actually that was a good thing and let me tell you why. Because, you had your original “Hair Metal” bands…your “Savages”…your “Poisons” and “Warrants” and all those guys. Then by about ’87 you had version “B” of those acts. Then by 1989 we had version “C” of all those bands and it was getting really…really bad. Something had to come in and kill that trend because it was getting really bad. The bands and the songs were getting worse and worse. When “Grunge” came in it stopped us from having to endure a version “D” of some of that stuff. TEN- Let’s shift gears a moment. Tell me something disturbing about yourself that you’ve never revealed before. JCJ- I’ve always wanted to be a woman and in two more operations I’ll be the woman that I’ve always wanted to be! No...I’m joking. (Laughs) Something disturbing…okay here we go. There has never been anyone that’s more under achieved than me. There has never been a musician who has more doors opened for them…and then find some way to fuck it up more than I have! I have had some success and I thank the Lord for every bit of it but…I’m the “Classic under achiever.” When I was young I was a “Prima Donna” I was lazy. I only worried about how damn good I looked. I didn’t hone in on my song writing skills. I signed contracts that I never should have signed and I got the fuck sued out of me and I passed on deals that I should have signed. The most disturbing thing about me is that I am the most under achieved musician in the history of the business…how about that! That’s as fuckin’ honest as it gets! I’ve never told anyone that but you’re from Ohio so I don’t mind spillin’ my guts…had I been doing an interview with someone from New York or L.A. I would have just lied! TEN- I appreciate the honesty, bro. JCJ- No problem… TEN- Do you have anything else that you want to say?
JCJ- Yeah, I can’t wait to come back there to Ohio and I hope that everyone comes out to The Alrosa. We are keeping the ticket price low to get the people in there. I’m TEN- Are there any “guest surprises?” JCJ- Well I’m definitely NOT coming out in a “G string”…I can tell you that! (Laughs) All that I can say about that is the fact that I’m an artist…I’m very sensitive and I will certainly be fightin’ back tears because I’m so overjoyed to be coming back to my “Home club” and my “Home town.” I just wanna hug as many people as I can and say: “Thanks for buying the discs that I put out and sayin’ nice things about me.” The people that are willing to lend a hand; the Cautela family…you and any other people that are lending a hand…I will be grateful for the rest of my life. I look forward to showing my appreciation always. One thing that I would like to add is please invite as many guests as you want and everyone will get in free and I’ll buy everyone beer the whole night or run you a bar tab or whatever. I’m just thankful for all of the support. For more information on Joey please check out his link in the Artists links. I want to thank Joey for taking the time to talk with me and keeping in touch!
|
JCJ-
gonna be bringing all kinds of stuff to give away…the “Best of” cd…some “Crabtree” cds and some “Glory Hound” cds. I think that the set that I’ve put together for the show the people are really gonna enjoy because it’s kinda like my “Best of” cd. I’m gonna be playin a variety of stuff. I’ll try to throw in as much stuff from the past as I can. I’ll be throwin’ in some new stuff and I have some friends of mine from Columbus that are backing me up. I really didn’t want to show up with the band that I’m in at the moment because my friends offered to back me up. I said “If I’m comin’ home I wanna play with home.”