FIB MUSIC: First off, I apologize ahead of time for the ass-kiss session, but I really feel that you
had one of the great voices of rock. It is very hard to pinpoint your influences. I was thinking maybe Jagger....
Brad: Actually, it's just like a big rock n roll blender. But if
you listen close, you'll hear Roger Daltrey...like around the Quadrophenia era; mixed with Jagger, mixed with one of my all-time
influences, Eric Burdon.
FIB MUSIC: I love Eric Burdon, we tried to hit him up for an interview when I first created the site, but
never got a response.
Brad: Oh, he's great. I'm an old mutherfucker, I'm about to have my 52nd birthday, so
my influences go WAY back. What's great about the Animals stuff, back in the mid-60's, things like the Monkees were out there and there
was all this MAMBY PAMBY, HAPPY, NICE stuff out there, but the Animals talked about women & sex and all that interesting stuff, so I
picked up on that immediately. My hat's off to that guy. There is also a little bit of Zeppelin influence.
FIB MUSIC: Well, you did a great job of making it your own voice.
Brad:
Well, there is a big jump between where I was on the first TKO album, which I was making up as I was going. But I remember distinctly having the
thought, "Boy, I sure hope they don't notice that I suck". So I kind of fake my way through the recording and then I learned an
extreme amount from all the touring, that I was later able to use on the "In Your Face" recordings.
FIB MUSIC: Like what? What were some of the things you learned?
Brad: I had developed into who I was at that point. And then if you listen to the War Babies
album, which is roughly ten years later, you can see what it developed into. I was real happy with that album, I wasn't really happy with
the label.
FIB MUSIC: But it came out in '92, right?
Brad: Yeah, bad timing.
FIB MUSIC: But ironic that the movement that killed that type of music all came out of Seattle and
it was, more than likely, all guys that you had influenced.
Brad: But that's the nature of the game.
FIB MUSIC: Yes, but you guys were kind of lumped in with that group. I never really considered
TKO to be a glam band. Maybe Scott Earl looked a bit glammy, but for the most part....
Brad: Yeah, he brought the Madonna influence into the band at that time and the guy is a
power performer, there's no doubt about it. I think the whole "hair thing" had to do with we just wanted to get out and get touring, so
you kind of When if Rome.....and at that point you had to have a can of hairspray, or you didn't get on the freakin' tour. Unless, you
wanted to go the hardcore route and play 200 seat bars, which I really didn't want to do at that time.
FIB MUSIC: Was the band really popular in Seattle when "Let it Roll" came out.
Brad: Oh yeah, we did a couple of headlining things. Got a ton of airplay, but you know
they still didn't get us. Seattle was really kind of a hippie town at that point. They even thought that album was too hard....what can
you do?
FIB MUSIC: Now when Scott came in, there were Culprit fans that were pissed and there were TKO fans
that were pissed.
Brad: But they came to the shows. (laughs) Which worked, my plan came together. Basically,
what I had to do, with Adam, Evan and Gary gone, I had to throw a band together. So, I was friends with Scott at the time and frankly I was
tired of hearing him bitch about how he couldn't stand his band, so I said, "Quit, let's go tour" and he did. But I think he got a lot
of heat from his personal fans and the band members that didn't come along.
Scott Earl & Brad Sinsel 2001
FIB MUSIC: So that is how Scott got his nickname, because he bitches all the time.
Brad: Yes, you name it and he's got a complaint. He called himself a perfectionist in
your interview with him....honestly, truth be known, he loves to complain...nothing is ever right. And it's always what about this and
what about that. It's funny....We actually did a show together, a reunion gig, Experience Music Project in Seattle and we brought
players from all the three major line-ups. We didn't bring Adam on board, because he doesn't like to play with other guitar players. But it
was Rick Pierce, Kjarten (Kristoffersen), Evan and Scott Earl came out. At one point, we ended with two bass players playing....it was
fun. This was in 2001....Gary Thompson played drums which was a kick.
FIB MUSIC: So you really didn't ask Adam to come out because of his dislike for
playing with other guitar players?
Brad: UMMMMMMMMMM. In all honesty, I've spent enough time with that guy and I just wanted
to have fun, which we did, we had a good time.
FIB MUSIC: Well, then you'll love my next question. How was it working with Adam Bomb (Brenner)?
Brad: It was great for awhile and while it was great, it was tremendous. But at some point,
he walked away from being the guitar player and decided he needed to sing and more power to him. I had no interest in sharing
the microphone, kind of like how he doesn't like playing with two guitar players. I just really wasn't into a duo singing kind of thing.
FIB MUSIC: He wanted to sing in TKO?
Brad: Yeah he did. We did some shows together back in probably '94 and we shared vocals. And his style is
a bit eclectic. Our styles just don't gel. But he brought out Bobby Chouinard before he died. He was the drummer for
Billy Squier, who had also played quite a bit with Adam. Tremendous drummer. Drug habit.
FIB MUSIC: He died of an overdose?
Brad: I think his heart just finally gave out, he
was pretty deep into it.
FIB MUSIC: Who is the label Retrospect Records and who gave them permission to release "Let it Roll"?
Brad: That's a good question, if you find the answer to it, please
let me know. I actually sent an email to them and never got a response.
FIB MUSIC: They look like they're a bootleg label and probably tied to the user Vegascds on Ebay, who also
does a lot of bootleg stuff. But you emailed them?
Brad: Yeah, I wrote something like, So very pleased to see that "Let it Roll" is finally
being put out there again, by the way could you please explain to me who put this together. And I never got a response. I don't even
know where they're out of.
FIB MUSIC: They have also released "In Your Face"?
Brad: Oh, Jeez. You know, I just have to remind myself of why I released this stuff in the first place.
And that was to get the music out there, that's my peace. Because if you try to keep up with all
the piracy on the internet, it will drive you nuts.
FIB MUSIC: Do you know who owns the rights to those masters?
Brad: I am pretty sure by now, there is enough dust on the contract, that the masters
have reverted back to the artists. But they are in safe keeping with Rick Keifer. I'm still in contact with him.
FIB MUSIC: Adam Bomb says he has the masters for "In Your Face".
Brad: No. Keifer wouldn't do that. In fact, he & I were trying to do some business with this
gentleman from North Star, basically they place songs in movies. The guy had said he wanted the catalog and would that be ok. This was
a couple of months ago and Keifer was doing some remixing on them. I think Adam has master cassettes of different mixes. But you
got to watch it with him. He can be a bit of a schyster. He released that "In Your Face and Up Your Ass" cd.
FIB MUSIC: That was going to be one of my questions, what did you think about that?
Brad: I expected it. Nothing he does, good, bad, or indifferent, surprises me. It seemed to
be all about him, the pamphlet.
FIB MUSIC: I read some reviews of it and every one of them says it sounds like shit.
Brad: Yeah. I wouldn't have put that out. I mean there's live stuff from small venues......
I wouldn't have put that out. I think these guys need to understand, I am about ready to.....if I get rubbed the wrong way long enough.....
I've got my collection of stuff too......I could pretty much bury them and their efforts.
FIB MUSIC: Adam said he had found the guy on Ebay, who was selling "Fatal Attraction" and
contacted him. Apparently, the guy was selling bootlegs. Anyhow, Adam contacted the guy
and, after Adam calls him out, the guy makes a deal with Adam and sent him a couple of grand and also sent him 200 copies of the cd.
Brad: Man.
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