FIB MUSIC: Why does it take so long to release your next album, "Over the Edge"?
Robert: Actually it didn't really take that long. What happened was....we were touring
for so long, we kept getting asked to do different tours and we just kept playing and playing and playing.
FIB MUSIC: How long did you tour?
Robert: We were doing 300 shows per year. We were always on the road....constantly. I was
never home. When I did come home, I would do laundry and leave.
FIB MUSIC: So you guys were touring the entire time, nearly three years?
Robert: Yeah, the whole time. Then I dragged my recording gear on the road with
me and was writing for the second album. By the time we got home, we had already been doing pre-production on the road and we
just jumped right into it. Like the next one (Over the Edge), when we started working with Bob Ezrin, we already had a lot
of ideas.
FIB MUSIC: You also worked with Mike Clink on "Over the Edge", right?
Robert: Yes, Mike Clink worked on it, but Mike Clink comes from more
of the engineer background. Bob Ezrin's more of a musical background. They did worked together. Bob did all the
pre-production with us in the studio. We were working on tempos and arrangements. He got pretty creative with us and we
got to know him pretty well.
FIB MUSIC: But Mike Clink had just produced "Appetite for Destruction".
Robert: Yeah, he had just done that album.
FIB MUSIC: That's a question I was going to ask. You guys must have been the first band in line to work with
Mike, after he produced the Guns n Roses debut.
Robert: Yeah, we were. He and Bob were working with us together. It took about
ten days to get drum sounds. After that, we were kind of rushed to finished the album on a deadline. I do remember that
Bob Ezrin had just got through working on the Pink Floyd album (Momentary Lapse of Reason) and Mike Clink had just finished
working on "Appetite for Destruction". I actually used the Gallien-Krueger that David Gilmour used on that album; I used it
on some of the tracks for overdubs.
FIB MUSIC: When you guys were working on the album, Guns n Roses hadn't even blown up yet, right?
Robert: No. Actually, "Appetite for Destruction" didn't even take off
until about nine months after it was released. You know, sometimes it just depends on the right tour, or the
right airplay. If it isn't playing on the radio, or MTV you are kind of stuck.
FIB MUSIC: What was it like working with Mike Clink?
Robert: It was very precise; he knew what he wanted to hear. He was very
humble and patient when getting certain moods or vibes. It got to the point where it took like ten days
just to get the drum sounds. Then when Jay (Schellen) was recording his part, we had to play with him over and over and
over again. I had done it that way before when I worked with Jimmy Iovine, with either Tommy Price, or the guy
from the Young Rascals that we did sessions with back in New York, or Mike Beard, who would pretty much nail in
on by the second take. I don't really know what was going on, but after we got through recording the drums, I
felt like I needed a vacation. (laughs) I needed some time off. Then we did the bass.....it seemed like it took
a long time to record "Over the Edge".
FIB MUSIC: How long did it take to record it?
Robert: It felt like it took a year, but I know that it didn't take that long because
we didn't have the time to do it; we had to go out on tour. It probably took three to four months, not
including pre-production. That's what I think.....time can be tricky and I didn't keep a diary or anything back then. But it
really seemed to have taken a long time. But when I was working on my guitars, doing my solos and overdubs, sometimes I was just
working with Garth Richardson, the engineer......, or I would work with Garth and Mike Clink. What happened was
Kelly (Hansen) had to do his vocal tracks at another studio because we fell behind on time. He was doing vocal tracks
at one studio and I was doing my parts at another with Garth Richardson. I would be there all night with the
producer, or the engineer and I would just turn the lights off and burn candles to get the vibe. I don't like
producers to be watching tv in the control room and you're in there recording your part.
FIB MUSIC: What was it like working with Bob Ezrin?
Robert: Very creative, very experimental, he would like to
try different things out. He knew what he wanted, it was great, it was great working with Mike Clink and
Bob Ezrin. They come from different backgrounds, obviously. Bob did some keyboard work on
"Over the Edge". Very precise.
FIB MUSIC: Was Bob sober at the time?
Robert: Uhhhh. He seemed to be. Maybe he was hiding it and I
didn't see anything. I think all that happened afterward because I read about it later, but, at the time, I
was not aware of it. You know how some people hide things where even their spouse doesn't know. (laughs)
FIB MUSIC: What kind of work are you doing now?
Robert: I own a company and we do marketing; we do business with companies
worldwide. I also have the production company, in the one building. We're right here in Topanga Canyon and
Woodland Hills.
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FIB MUSIC: What kind of production?
Robert: Writing production. I am working with Vida Guerra, she was on the
cover of Playboy. She's a Cuban model. She's always on TMZ. She does hip hop stuff. Kind of funky, hip hop stuff. and I
am writing the material with her.
FIB MUSIC: Wow. So you're a rap star now.
Robert: I worked with several rap artists, writing production and other credits. It's just
music. I got into it about nine years ago, but I still do both...the heavy metal stuff, the rock.......jeez, Jimmy Iovine
opened up Interscope Records and he's had Eminem and everybody else, so why not? (laughs)
FIB MUSIC: Who did you guys tour with on "Over the Edge"?
Robert:
Ummmm. Let's go back.......Stryper, Gary Moore, Rick Derringer. Enigma wanted us to
take advantage of the momentum by putting out the record and hitting the road immediately. We
had toured so long for "Take What You Want", then came home and recorded the album and immediately hit
the road again. And they got it on a movie soundtrack......some good songs on there......a lot of
great stuff.
FIB MUSIC: Were you not pleased with "Over the Edge" or something?
Robert:
Uhhhhhhhhhh. Sometimes I feel that it's just a little too safe..........yeah. I like being
more radical.......on the edge.
FIB MUSIC: Over the edge.
Robert:
That is funny because I thought of the
title "Over the Edge". (laughs)
FIB MUSIC: So less predictable.
Robert:
Yeah. I like things to be in your face. Not so predictable; I sometimes think that it may be
too polished, that's just my opinion.
FIB MUSIC: Where was "Over the Edge" recorded?
Robert:
That was recorded in North Hollywood. It used to be the old Warner studio and it was the same studio where
Van Halen recorded their first album, then it was bought out by someone else. (Sunset Sound Recorders)
Somebody just sent me a vinyl copy of "Over the Edge". I'm holding it right now. I don't want to
open it; it's still sealed. Original pressing. One of those left over ones. I got them both here.
FIB MUSIC: Nice find.
Robert:
You can still get them on Ebay.
FIB MUSIC: Have you ever bought any Hurricane cd's on Ebay?
Robert:
No. I refused to pay those prices. (laughs) I wanted them for free dammit!
FIB MUSIC: Do you have copies of the new remastered versions?
Robert:
Oh yeah. They sent me a few of them. Sounds great....sounds very good. It was mastered very
well. I like what they did with it. I'm glad because people can finally get it and not have to pay
those high prices.
FIB MUSIC: Why do you leave the band after "Over the Edge"?
Robert:
Actually I never left the band......uummmm, they actually fired me.
FIB MUSIC: What happened?
Robert:
Well.....ummmm....I guess Kelly didn't want me around....and everybody else
went along with it. To this day, we haven't talked about it.
FIB MUSIC: Did you guys not get along?
Robert:
I thought we did, but things were going on behind my back. I found that out later. Before we were
family......I put this whole thing together from scratch and I gave everybody an equal share. A quarter of
the profits....of everything. I came up with the name; I registered the name. I got the drummer an endorsement with
Tama because Tama was a part of Ibanez, so whoever was the next drummer got a ten thousand dollar drumkit. The manager
was fired first and then I was fired. They were auditioning people behind my back. Some of the people they asked I knew.
I was told later by some of them.
FIB MUSIC: They never gave a reason?
Robert:
Right. Never apologized, or never gave a reason.
FIB MUSIC: How did you find out?
Robert:
I just went in one day and.....I don't really remember.....we're replacing you, or something like
that. The drummer wasn't even there. It was just really weird. They kept a lot of my gear also. I was
just left out on the street.
FIB MUSIC: You haven't talked to any of them since then?
Robert:
No. As in talking, no. I've said hi, you know, at the NAMM show or something. It was just a lot of immature stuff going on, stuff
that I don't even want to get into. Silly stuff. It happens to every band. Unnecessary egos. It's a
business.....a business that you love doing.
FIB MUSIC: I read somewhere that you were going to reform Hurricane?
Robert:
I was putting a new Hurricane together.....it was Hurricane 2. I explored it and had some different players, but it
just hasn't felt right yet. I had new songs and I just decided to put it on the back burner and release these
other songs first. The new stuff is going to have a lot of low end; it's going to have a lot of balls.
FIB MUSIC: What do you do after you leave Hurricane?
Robert:
I put a new band together and it was going to be called Sarzo. Enigma picked up the
option; they wanted to release the album. I was doing all the pre-production and I started
to notice some strange things happening at the label. I had them buy me out of the contract and then
right after that the label folded. The timing was just right. (laughs) Then after that, BMG wanted to
release it. We were going to release it to Latin America and then bring it in as an import and also do
it in English because we had recorded it in Spanish and English. I was going to do the laser shows with
African dancers, candles on stage. Like an African, Cuban, Voodoo opera. I was shopping it and it was
around that time that my wife came down with cancer. So I just gave it a break. Around the same time, I started
studying more of the engineering and the production of rap music.
FIB MUSIC: Rudy is playing with Dio now?
Robert:
Yeah, he's playing with Dio. He's out on tour right now.
FIB MUSIC: Any chance of a Sarzo brothers release?
Robert:
Yeah. I think it would be a smart move. He's got a lot of writing ideas and so
do I. We've talked about it.
FIB MUSIC: How would you describe Rudy Sarzo?
Robert:
As a brother, he's a good brother, dependable, he's always there if you want to talk to him. He's very loyal to
my parents. Creative. Very solid. He's the kind of guy that does what he says. If he says he'll be there, he'll be there.
Musically, I think he is one of the best bass players. As a showman and as a player; he tries his best and he's very
creative. We always had a blast jamming together. We did a lot of crazy stuff together. Off stage and on stage.
FIB MUSIC: Have you heard Foreigner with Kelly Hansen on vocals?
Robert:
Yeah. I heard a little bit during a Christmas show. When I met Kelly, he was doing those songs in a top 40 band. When I heard
Foreigner, I thought, oh yeah, he can do those songs.
FIB MUSIC: He sounds great. I never really thought of him as that kind of singer, back in the day, but when
I heard it, it sounded like Kelly Hansen, but also sounds perfect in Foreigner......and a lot like Lou Gramm.
Robert:
Yeah, well that's his style. That melodic style.
FIB MUSIC: Aren't you into collecting cars now.
Robert:
Oh yeah. I love cars; that's my hobby. I have had Jaguar's and Maserati's. Right now I own a Fleetwood Luxury Coach. It looks
like a tour buy. It's all Italian leather inside. It's got a flat screen in rear and front, satellite, everything is electric. I also
have a 2007 Escalade.....the real long one, with the grill.....all the bling. I also have an '07 Lotus. It does 0 to 60 in
4.0. It only weighs 1700 pounds. It sits lower than a Lamborghini. The Lotus always gets first place, it looks really cool. When
you do a 100 mph or more the it the body sucks down to the ground, so you can take corners very well. It's an English car, the Lotus.
FIB MUSIC: Who doesn't remember the James Bond movies?
Robert:
Yeah, exactly, but the new ones look really crazy. This one is only a two seater.
FIB MUSIC: What do those run?
Robert:
About 85 grand and then I dumped another 15 grand into it because you can't see the rear, so you have
to put in little cameras so you can see. It also has a navigation system. I souped-up the engine and it also has
a cold air intake. The exhaust was upgraded to get more horsepower. It weighs nothing.....and do you know
what's crazy Adam? I'm getting 36 miles to the gallon.
FIB MUSIC: How are you getting that?
Robert:
It's only a 4 cylinder.
FIB MUSIC: Robert Sarzo is transported back to the year 1984 and must do one thing differently. What would
that be?
Robert:
I would have said that we credit the songs correctly and whoever is working on the songs is going to get the writing credit. I would
not share everything equally, if they did not participate. I would have had more control over the organization. I was very
nice and very eager to share my ideas and creativity and reasearch with everybody else. I would even tell kids doing it now, if
you wrote it, keep it because later on it might bite you in the ass. If you create something, keep control of it and make sure
you at least keep 51%. I should have never gone through what I went through; it was unnecessary. If we would have kept it
together we all would have done very well.
-THE FAST 5-
FIB MUSIC: What is your most disgusting habit?
Robert: Drinking coffee.
FIB MUSIC: What is the most feminine thing you do?
Robert: Let my hair grow; put makeup on stage.
FIB MUSIC: If there is a God, what is the first question you would ask God when you arrive?
Robert: Where are we going?
FIB MUSIC: Greatest Rock band of all time?
Robert: Led Zeppelin.
FIB MUSIC: What were you doing 40 minutes before you sat down to do this interview?
Robert: I was paying bills.
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READ PART I with Robert Sarzo
If you found this interview first, make sure to read the first part of our
interview with guitarist Robert Sarzo.
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