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WASP / Steeler / Sin / Surgical Steel / Thunderball bassist
Rik Fox
"The 6 Degrees of Rik Fox" Part I
Exclusive photos, never published before, on the internet
FIBM: What's new, what have you been up to lately and what's in the future?
Rik Fox: Just promoting our Living History group "Suligowski's
Regiment of the Polish Commonwealth" Our *Prime Directive*
is raising Polish Historic awareness. It's personal for me,
since my Ancestry and blood is Polish. We have verified
Polish Noble Bloodlines historically, going back to around
1148, I think. Our Polish Clan shield is that of the Clan
of "Sulima" the same as Zawisza Czarny (Zah-visha-
Char-nee), a noble and chivalrous and very large and famous
black-armored Polish knight, who helped defeat the German
Teutonic knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. 'Google
it' and you'll see what I mean.
Our group, however, is the *Very First, in U.S. History, to
represent the Legendary and most beautiful and fearsome
cavalry in Polish (and European) History, the Polish Winged
Hussars. (Google it).
That is why this is *personal* for me. It means so much
more. This concept has never been done before in U.S.
History, and now, happily, other groups across the U.S.
have now begun to spring up and follow our path. we've made
U.S. History in N.Y.C. in 2002 in the N.Y. Pulaski Day
Parade. See:http://photos.yahoo.com/wngdhussr ("1st U.S."
Gallery).
I've also been awash in a recent wave of interviews, the
most I've done in some years. We'll be featured in a
magazine called "Swindle" (google it), in December, I
believe. You'll see me and our group in period armor and my
wings. I think there might also be an interview in
"Blender" magazine too. Recently, I got a call from Ron
Keel from our old band STEELER. He is releasing (in
October) a STEELER ANTHOLOGY album exclusively in Europe
and Japan. He asked me if it happens, and a STEELER REUNION
Tour is possible, would I be interested? I said "Of
Course!"
Unfortunately (or Fortunatley, depends on your point of
view) Yngwie won't be with us, and would be replaced by
another 'pistol' who can cover his tracks. Drummer Mark
Edwards sustained a severe back injury some years ago
motocrossing, I heard and we'd need to replace him as well.
I've got a list of some interesting candidates, however,
Ron has final call on everything. So, it would be only the
two of us as original members. I'm the only one out of
STEELER who never got to tour Japan and Europe, and meet my
fans there, so I'd be looking fwd to that. Our fans are the
BEST! Many bands followed the STEELER 'formula', and went
on from there, so, I know we set a mold for them to follow.
|
 |
FIBM: What year did you start playing in bands?
Rik Fox: About 1975. I played the infamous N.Y.C. club-haunt,
"MAX'S KANSAS CITY", and C.B.G.B's with a group called "THE
MARTIAN ROCK BAND", we were 'so' cool. Aliens from
different parts of the Galaxy. I looked like a green-scaled
lizard-version of GENE SIMMONS,(a friend of mine), and I
shot flames out of my hand instead of my mouth. We hung out
with all the cool bands: N.Y. DOLLS, THE RAMONES, THE
BRATS, THE PLANETS, LUGER and many of the bands that came
out of that great N.Y. Rock Explosion. Photographer BOB
GRUEN captured it all. He was the N.Y. version of famed
L.A. Photographer NEIL 'ZLOZ' ZLOZOWER.
I eventually wound up playing in a cover band named
"VIRGIN", in New Jersey, thru my good friend RANDY ROXX, a
fellow KISS fan. Eventually VIRGIN (which pre-dates the
L.A.-VIRGIN by Many YEARS!), became LUST (NOT the RON KEEL
band LUST, we pre-dated that one too!). LUST eventually
became "SIN", a name that I came up with, and originally
drew the logo for, since I'm an artist. I was heavily
influenced by the look of a group at the time called
"ANGEL" This was around 1976.(more on that later)...That
was how I wound up getting the gig with "VIRGIN", a local
fairly successful GLAM band.
We did covers of ALICE COOPER (complete with a HUGE boa
snake!), BOWIE, MOTT THE HOOPLE, KISS, AEROSMITH, LED
ZEPPELIN, etc...VIRGIN was a big attraction on the New
Jersey coast. Our biggest competition was a band called
"HARLOW", who did almost the exact same show as we did.
HARLOW were GREAT! They were THE hottest cover band on the
circuit, and Headlined and packed ALL the best clubs in
N.J. and Long Island. My friend bassist-Michael Harlow was
also a big influence on me. Eventually, some new, little
dive-band showed up on the scene called "PRETTY POISON",
who eventually became "TWISTED SISTER", wearing all girls
underwear and such, and found a new lead singer named "DEE
SNIDER". After that, they really rocked, and took off!
I was one of a small group of elite to actually get to
watch KISS form from the ground up! I used to date one of
PETER CRISS'S sisters in Brooklyn, before he was in KISS,
so when he got the gig, we all used to go watch them
rehearse. Then this weird guy in a grey pin-striped suit
and mis-matched sneakers showed up and was in the band.
That was ACE FREHLEY. So, I was there, from the beginning,
but, whenever these KISS authors write their KISS
history/biography books, I always seem to be forgotten
about, especially, when I, too, have stories from back then
that would have been of some value to their tomes.
One book, has some of my stories, David Konow's book "BANG
YOUR HEAD-The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal". I did like,
3-4, 90 minute interviews with David, and only a limited
amount of my stories made it into the book. Like my coming
up with the name WASP, verified by WASP guitarist RANDY
PIPER. (and Vehemently denied by Blackie Lawless). (More on
this later...)
|
 Rik Fox, as a Lizard |
FIBM: How long did you play in Steeler?
 |
Rik Fox:
Hmmm, I think, about 8 months. Enough time to do the
album and a bunch of cool gigs. we played with
HUGHES-THRALL, and even VANDENBERG (Adrian's pre-Whitesnake
band).
(I once met guitarist PAT THRALL when he was a member of
PAT TRAVERS's band, playing THE PALLADIUM in N.Y.C. I met
him back stage. Years later, then in STEELER, opening up
for him, I said "Hi PAT", We met back at...."and his eyes
go big as saucers! He says "Oh my God! THAT'S RIGHT! NOW, I
Remember you!" "Holy Shit"! I said I loved his post-TRAVERS
work with AUTOMATIC MAN, and he was flattered). He DUG
STEELER too. Really, really nice guy, PAT THRALL)...
Steeler at Perkins Palace
Rik Fox, Ron Keel, Yngwie Malmsteen, Mark Edwards
At this time, all of a sudden, Blackie Lawlwess, after
sacking me out of the band I named (WASP) (well, it *was*
HIS band), starts recanting, and wanting to be my friend
again. What a load of crap. NIKKI SIXX and I got to be real
good friends. Nikki was cool. He used to give me his old
Ampeg amps gear, and costume pieces. I have an old pair of
his burned thigh-high stiletto-heeled boots too. I wore
them in my first L.A. version of my band "SIN". Anyway, we
really made a mark on L.A. when we opened up for "QUIET
RIOT" at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, CA. This was right
when "Metal Health" went to No.1. We played a sold-out,
standing-room-only crowd! It was awesome! Some of that
concert will be featured on the upcoming STEELER ANTHOLOGY
album. Two songs that never made it to the regular album,
"Excited" and "Victim of the City" will be on there.
They're really cookin' songs, and represents more of us
writing as a group, beyond the songs that Ron already had,
when I joined STEELER. |
FIBM: What are some of your memories of the Steeler recording
sessions?
Rik Fox: COLD! VERY COLD! HA! HA! HA! By that I mean that we
recorded up northern California, in a town called 'Cotati',
up in the 'wine country', so, at night it was FREEZING!
It was on a farm, so there was NOTHING but cows and horses
for MILES around. When Yngwie's fans heard that we were
just north of San Frnacisco, they DEMANDED that we do a gig
there in the city. So, we took a break from recording, and
did the gig. It was hot, sweaty, and rockin' just as any
STEELER gig was. Back in the studio, I was having a problem
with the newly aquired Aria-endorsed Bass. The pickups
sucked and just weren't putting out anything that the board
could read. Real weak pick-ups, so, I HAD to use a Fender
Precision bass with 'really' old strings, which the
engineer-owner refused to let us change for new ones. So, I
was limited in what I could do, except to just play. After
sessions with Mark & I alone, I had to come back in and
re-do everything with the Fender, while Ron, and Mark
watched from across the room. I layed down some cool
grooves, I believe, and when done, they both smiled, and
said "Good Job". Yngwie couldn't play a lick until his
green-card paperwork arrived much later. Mike Varney was
pretty much responsible for all the recording
opportunities.
I wrote a short, instrumental intro piece, titled by Mark
Edwards: "Abduction". I wrote it, Mark named it, and Yngwie
got most of the royalties for 'claiming' that *HE* wrote
it! My influence for 'Abduction' was the instrumental intro
piece found on the "Y & T" album "Black Tyger". We had just
seen them play at the ROXY in Hollywood, (more later), and
I was inspired to have a piece like that. I said "We need a
cool opening theme too". After comparing the two,
side-by-side, you can see how my claim is the more
believeable one. Very easy, just an 'E'Chord, going to 'C'
chord, sounds very mysterious, under-water-like, also, very
powerful when combined together. I showed it to Mark when
we got back to the place where we lived together. Then
Yngwie came in said it sounded "really cool man, show me
what your're doing". and that's how it came about. Man, we
had tons of guitars overlayed on that track, and piano too.
I feel the finished piece is very complimentary, even if I
didn't receive the due credit for writing it.
|
-Steeler Recording Sessions-
Prairie Sun Studios, Cotati, CA
1983
 |
FIBM: How did you end up playing in Steeler?
Were you aware of them before you joined the band?
Rik Fox: I 'was' aware of STEELER alright...They were new in
town and making quite a big notice already. They were one
of the only bands who commanded their own truck, light show
and sound system (a true sign of a road band for sure).
I was at the Roxy Club on the Sunset Strip one night,
hanging out with my good friend, (the late) ERIC CARR of
KISS. (I had once played with a band that had his not-yet
girlfriend fronting it in Long Island, N.Y.).
He was interested in this girl who was a friend of mine
(and, who's life I saved one day). I was trying to set him
up with this girl (Bambie), that was eventually the model
for the POISON album with the Chick sticking our her tongue
("Open up and say ...Ahhh")
We were both watching STEELER, and Ron was screaming his
head off, getting really red-faced. But they were hot. Eric
said "These guys are Really LOUD!" I eventually put an ad
in Music Connection Magazine in L.A. looking for a gig and
availing my services as a Bassist. I got a call from Ron
Keel, and he said "Your ad looked the most professional
from what I've seen in there. Here, take this cassette
tape, learn these songs and show me what you can do."
At the time, Ron was also very interested to hear that I
was personal friends with one of his favorite bands, that
being KISS, so, when I came back to show him what I learned
on that tape, we kinda goofed around with the stage moves
that KISS did, and I showed him the moves that SEAN DELANEY
(former KISS 'road manager/teacher') showed them. Ron
really got into it, and we did those moves live. I knew
Sean from his days at Rock Steady Management. I used to
visit their offices quite often, and Sean turned me on to
two of his other 'creations'..."STARZ" (whom I was *also*
up for as bassist in later years), and a group that never
made it called "SPIKE". whom I wound up road managing for a
short time back in N.Y.). To this day RICHIE RANNO & I are
good friends, and STARZ is back playing the clubs. Anyway,
that was what happened with STEELER. One night just before
I made the decision to make STEELER my 'home', I was
invited over to sit with GREGG GIUFFRIA (keyboardist of
ANGEL). He was putting away some champaign, and re-opened
up our past dialogues regarding my interest in joining the
band of my dreams, ANGEL. NOW, I had a dilemma. Who do I go
with? Gregg said (my friend) RUDY SARZO was filling-in with
them for awhile, and was I still interested in joining
ANGEL? I thought about it for awhile, and felt confident
that my decision to join a new, hot band like STEELER was
the better decision, and I have never looked back. ANGEL
tried several times to make comebacks, all unsuccessful.
(More on that later)...
I was up as a potential replacement for Mickie Jones after
he was fired from ANGEL, however, FELIX ROBINSON was in a
better position at the time, and had already been working
with ANGEL in the meantime, as, ANGEL were in a touring
mode, and needed a fast replacement. PUNKY MEADOWS
(guitarist) knew of me, and I think he wanted me, but Felix
was more ready to just jump right in. My lobbying for ANGEL
was being handled by J.R. SMALLING, former Road Manager of
KISS ("YOU WANT THE BEST?, WELL YOU GOT THE BEST...KISS!"
*KISS ALIVE* album). J.R. was working out of Leber-Krebs
Management's office (formerly of AEROSMITH) back then, and
making the phone calls for me as I sat there listening.
So, I was rather 'connected' back then, before I came to
L.A. Before I did come to L.A. I hung with a friend who
worked at A & M Records, HERNANDO COURTRIGHT, who had TONS
of connections in the business. He used to ask me to come
to his office (in Manhattan), and listen to the demo tapes
submitted by bands looking for a deal. That's how I first
heard of MOTLEY CRUE. He had a copy of their first (Leather
Records)album. He made me a cassette copy and I had that
entire album memorized by the time I landed in L.A., LOL!!!
Hernando also hipped me to other hot L.A. bands like SNOW,
QUIET RIOT, etc., etc...Then I asked him about Blackie
Lawless. Hernando knew Blackie, and upon Hernando's advice
I accepted Blackie's offer to come to L.A. and 'audition'
for their then-named band "SISTER". Since there was already
a TWISTED SISTER, and a local L.A. band called "WHITE
SISTER" the name SISTER wasn't really going to go anywhere.
Blackie was looking for some new material...
That's when, as the honest story goes, that while on
Blackie's telephone outside his bungalow-home, in his
courtyard, I aimlessly kicked over the leaves of the
avacado tree there. I kicked over one leaf and a HORNET was
under it. I quick flipped the leaf back over on it, and
stepped on the leaf before it could attack me. I then
turned the leaf back over, revealing a dead Hornet. Because
it was semi-curled, it hit me! "The old T.V. show, GREEN
HORNET"!
I went back inside to Blackie, watching the N.Y.Yankee
baseball game, and said "Hey, I got an idea for a new band
name for us"...He looks up at me from his boredom and says
"What"...I said..."WASP"! Blackie looks off, thoughtfully,
as if he could already envision what the band eventually
became, and said "That's *real* good. I *like* that! Keep
working on that, it sounds like a cool name", and he went
back to watching the ball game on T.V. God's Honest truth,
THAT is EXACTLY HOW the name WASP came to be.
Next day at rehersal, Blackie says the new name of the band
is WASP. Drummer TONY RICHARDS, says "Who names their band
after a BUG?!" I said..."The BEATLES?" and Everyone
laughed. I followed with "SCORPIONS?" And it stuck,
"BLACKIE'S LAW". RANDY PIPER wanted to call the band
HELLION, because coming from texas, that's what bad kids
were called. However there already WAS a band in Hollywood
called HELLION, (with whom I later played with, for a short
time, while they were fronted by ANNE BOLYN. Later
incarnations became a group magaged by RONNIE DIO's NIJI
Management, called "BURN", to whom, I was requested to join
after SIN's demise and played with them, before I left to
record and perform with Arizona's one-time hot act,
eventually a failure, "SURGICAL STEEL". I wrote the text
for BURN's Video commercial)...
Digressing...
 
To this day, Blackie has denied that I ever had ANYTHING to
do with the WASP, and changed it to W.A.S.P. Well, I have
the photos to prove it, as taken by then-MOTLEY CRUE
photographer DON ADKINS. I have color AND, B & W
photographs, about some 10 or so pics.
If there was no WASP for me to be in, then why go to the
trouble to take band photographs, and make that
now-infamous live, 3-track demo???? It's all over the
internet now, and *my* personal copy was *Stolen* years
ago. That's probably HOW it wound up mass-produced. I even
titled my copy of the demo "BACK FOR THE ATTACK",
(pre-DOKKEN), and this was picked up and further
mass-produced. I now have a shitty multi-copied copy, from
who knows where. There was also a small group of friends
who used to come over to Randy Piper's rehearsal studio
"Magnum Opus" in Buena PArk, Ca. and watch us rehearse. One
of them was DAN STARR, who eventually became my Bass-tech,
and stage manager for my band SIN.
(Incidentally, RANDY PIPER's MAGNUM OPUS rehersal Studio is
where I met drummer Mick Brown playing in a band called
"EXCITER" with GEORGE LYNCH. Later Mick join DOKKEN, and
more later, whom I'd record with for SURGICAL STEEL at EL
CHATON Studios in Arizona, produced by ICON guitarist DAN
WEXLER). |
 |
So, NOW, there were WITNESS'S to the fact that I WAS, in
fact, a full-on member of WASP. (pre-periods). I still have
my original sketch artwork of the logo I drew up in my
files somewhere. So, actually, by right and legally,
Blackie Lawless owes, me quite a hefty sum of
back-royalties for my idea(s). (The Road-Warrior-look for
WASP was also one of my ideas too, which Blackie originally
shot down). In later years, one-time WASP drummer (and
former STEPPENWOLF / KEEL, eventually "L.A. GUNS" drummer)
and good friend, STEVE RILEY admitted that "Blackie became
violent at the very sound of my name, and that he
often-times stole the costuming ideas of fellow WASP
members after shooting down their original pre-touring
ideas, which Blackie later used for his own". Blackie told
me on my first night in L.A. at his house: "If you're ever
gonna lie about something, make it the BIGGEST lie you can,
the more OUTRAGEOUS the lie, the more believeable people
will believe it". Well, Blackie Lawless has lived by his
own philosophy for all these years, and OWES me *Millions*
in back monies. Well, Sorry for getting off on a rant, but,
SO many people ask me "What's your story with WASP?".
There's a few W.A.S.P. internet fan sites who claim me to
be a 'poser' and that the whole thing is a lie. If they
only could open thei star-filled eyes, and pull their
collective heads out of Blackie's ass, they'd see the
truth. Some have actually found my story truthful, asking
me, "Well if you came up with the name WASP, what does it
stand for (with the periods)?" I said, "when I named it, it
was more related to the GREEN HORNET logo, 'coiled, about
to strike'.
 
W.A.S.P.
1982
Tony Richards, Blackie Lawless, Rik Fox, Randy Piper |
In later years, considering all the many, many members that
have been 'sentenced' to play with WASP, I coined this
version now and say it means:
W(e're) A(ll) S(ide) P(layers), which, in retrospect, is
very amusing, and many laugh at it, including RANDY PIPER.
Well, that's it. True, top-to-bottom. I have no profit to
lie about any of it. Years later, Randy admitted to me,
"The reason Blackie kicked you out of the band was, since
you lived at Blackie's place, he got *real pissed off* when
you brought a girl home, after she had aready turned him
down earlier in the evening, when he tried to pick her up.
It was like you were unintentionally rubbing it in his
face. He got sick of it, and fired you. It had absolutely
nothing to do with how you played as a musician. We
couldn't defend you, because it was HIS band, and he'd fire
us too". (At one point, Randy and I bonded over his
favorite, Champagne, because he had misinterpreted my
quick-dry, N.Y. humor, and threatened to leave the band.
Blackie, of course never one to be accountable for anything
HE did, places blame on me, and says "If Randy leaves the
band..YOU'RE DONE!, now...GO FIX IT!". Randy & I wound up
getting toasted drunk, and we both 'ganged up' on Blackie
whenever he turned his back and we'd goof on him and laugh.
Ever-like the stern school-master, Blackie would yell
"What's going on here?!?)...Giggles...
Unfortunately, for *my* new education in L.A., this was
*how* things were done in the 1980's L.A. Rock Scene. TONS
of ego-driven insecurity by an over-populated Heavy Metal
"alpha-male' competing arena. Band members were summarily
fired for ANY reason, and the ever-flowing revolving-door
policy amongst bands was prevalently the norm. "Welcome to
L.A. Rik, now...get lost!"
FIBM: Do you still receive residual checks from the Steeler
sales, since it is still in print? How often are
payments made?
Rik Fox: Hey, that's starting to sound a little too much like
an IRS question, lol...Yes I still do receive royalty
checks, amazingly! Believe it or not, that STEELER album
STILL continues to sell! Although the royalties are
increasingly smaller, but still welcomed....They come when
the label's accountant sends them.
|
FIBM: What was it like working with Ron Keel?
Rik Fox: Interesting. Very Interesting. In the beginning, I got
the feeling that Ron was a 'guarded' person. Kept much to
himself. I really was looking forward to working with very
open, congenial people. That's the way that I am. I like to
be best friends with those I work with. It makes things
easier for me that way, I love to collaborate, and create
ideas together, work off of each other, y'know? Although he
was always there, Ron pretty much kept to himself, I
thought. I figured, well, he's the band leader, he's
probably got a LOT on his mind. (And he did). On occasion,
I got him to open up more, and laugh a bit more. I was
really lookijng for the more compassionate, human side of
him. Perhaps, since he had just sacked his previous
line-up, he was only looking out for his best interest, and
keeping STEELER alive on the scene, which, is perfectly
understandable. We had a Stage manager, named Mark Workman,
who had this Korean girlfriend. Every Sunday, we'd go over
to Marks apartment, and his girl would make us these huge
Korean-food dinners, which we soaked up like a sponge!
Lol...We were really a 'starving' band like many others at
the time. During the week, we subsisted from the likes of
'Top Ramen' and the many ways you can creatively come up
with preparing it, Like today's G.I.'s do with M.R.E's,
lol...That, and we lived off of the gratuity of whatever
girl(s) we were dating at the time, and could afford to get
us something to eat. We lived in what was, several
store-fronts linked togther, inside, and some of the walls
were re-cut so that all the rooms entered-exited into each
other. It was a pestilential hole, and the kitchen had
"armies" of roaches who went scurrying like Iraqi
insurgents, whenever we turned on the light or the stove,
Lol...
That was the room that Yngwie stayed in, on a big waterbed.
He had the idea that we lived in rich digs and had a pool,
etc., lol! Boy, was THAT a shock to his system! Lol...
I stayed in the farthest room, and fixed it up real nice,
because I'm always creating or building *Something*. I had
a stereo, raised bed off the floor, curtains like a
railroad coach bed, so less access by the roaches, but I
shared the wall with the rehersal room,so, if anyone wanted
to practice, Like Mark...woke us the hell up damn fast!
Eventually, this room became BOBBY DAHL's room, when we
moved out of there, some new, dinky little band just
arrived in Hollywood named..."POISON", found our place, and
moved right in! Bobby told me about it, and I said, "That's
our old STEELER place!" Bobby said he lived in the best
looking room there, made-up all real nice and comfy, raised
bed, curtains, shelves, and...a DOOR for privacy! I said,
"Yup! That's MY old room!" and we laughed big-time. That's
how I got to be good friends and hang out with
POISON...Pre-POISON, and then-barely legal, CC DEVILLE
reminded me that he was "the annoying kid who used to
pester me, by constantly grabbing my pants-leg & yelling
HEY! HEY!", when I was doing the light show, and
follow-spot, for many of the bands I worked with in the
former "HOT" N.Y.C. club named "THE GREAT GUILDERSLEEVES",
where many newly-signed, and mid-range touring bands came
thru...EVERYONE who was ANYONE hung out there, and we had a
special place of Honor right out front for the HELLS ANGELS
Club to park their "HOGS". My good friend "ZEUS" (Steve
Johnstadt) Former Lead singer for A & M Recording act
"MAYDAY" also doubled there, when not performing, as a
bouncer! ZEUS has worked with TONS of bands since then, as
a writer and musician.
Anyway, I digress, (see, lots of "Six Degrees" here,
WHEW!)...I learned a lot from working with Ron. He taught
me a lot of valuable lessons back then about his
experiences in a band such as STEELER. I was VERY lucky to
get the gig in that band, out of the TONS of players in
L.A. It was Fate. Kismet... |
STEELER
Mark, Ron, Yngwie, Rik |
 |
 |
Mark Edwards |
FIBM: What was it like working with Mark Edwards?
Rik Fox: VERY EDUCATIONAL! The MOST I ever learned about time,
meter, playing 'with' the beat, 'behind' the beat, etc. was
taught to me by Mark, for which I am indebted to him to
this day. I am pretty much a 'feel' player, and always
looked for the 'groove' to match the drummer. Mark taught
me how to 'LISTEN" and "Find that FEEL". The rhythm section
is what controls the songs, and the meter, is EVERYTHING.
Later years, FRANKIE BANALI verified this to me, when I
auditioned for QUIET RIOT, around 1985...Mark was also good
friends with DEF LEPPARD drummer RICK ALLEN and saw to it,
that when the PYROMANIA TOUR hit L.A. we all had backstage
passes to see them, and later, hang out with the band at
their hotel, and get to know them better. Rick used to
share some of his endorsement gear with Mark. Although
Mark, too, I found to be somewhat of a quite loner-type,
he, too had some fun moments. But the best, is when Mark &
I used to go together, alone into the rehersal room, and
play thru the STEELER set, JUST drums and bass, locking
into a real, great groove. We'd do this several times, take
a break for dinner, then the whole band would go back in
and we'd do it all over again as a unit. DAMN! was that
beginning to sound TIGHT! We really ROCKED, I have to say.
And, proof of this was obvious when we hit the stage, for
the live shows. Ron was Untouchable as a frontman, Mark was
Concrete in his playing. I did my best, as anchor between
Mark and Yngwie (and Ron). But I felt that Ron's
guitar-playing had MILES more actual feel that Yngwie's
did. Ron played the second lead in the cut "COLD DAY IN
HELL" and you can *really* hear the difference! Ron played
more to the song, while Yngwie played more for himself.
Granted he was a musical genius, but he never let you
forget it either. Yngwie's ego, as the world has eventually
experienced, is MASSIVE! And he turns everyone off when
dealing with him. If only he could control his personality,
perhaps STEELER would have stayed together and made BIG
records...It's too bad about Mark's moto-cross biking
accident. I really looked forward to the day when we could
play together again, if it ever came about...Now, if
STEELER winds up doing a STEELER REUNION TOUR, I'll have to
work real close, with whomever is the new drummer, and make
it a point, to have him play all of Mark's 'signature'
points exactly like they are on the record.
Why? Because what you hear on the STEELER album, are the
results of hours, and hours of Mark & I working on all
those little 'kicks & stops' and 'cymbal catches'. Mark was
professional enough to allow me to add little things in
certain spots, where I thought those kind of accents would
make sense. What you hear, was the final result of all that
hard work. I know musicians like to add their own 'flair'
on things, but, when it comes to the foundation of the
songs, I demand the best a player can do. It was demanded
of me back then, and I gave it. I expect others to be the
same way. I'm always 'listening' for those 'signature'
accents, for my cues, so, they're real important. As a fan
of my heros, I always listened for them in their songs as
well. That's why I was dissapointed in seeing a DEEP PURPLE
reunion tour years ago with the original line-up, sans
Richie Blackmore. Dixie Dreggs guitarist, Steve Moorse, who
is excellent in his 'own' right, just didn't do it for me.
He played whatever he wanted, to and, I felt, ruined the
overall feel of the presentation. Richie Blackmore plays
various 'signature' phrasings, and when they are not there,
the songs and band are just not DEEP PURPLE. I feel the
same way about songs I play on, whether mine or someone
elses. PLAY IT LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN! The only person who has
the right to alter a song is the writer themself!
. |
Steeler, 1983, opening for Vandenberg |
Mark, far left, in the band Lion, which featured, Whitesnake / Dio guitarist, Doug Aldrich |
FIBM: What was it like working with Yngwie?
Rik Fox: That's "Yngwee "J." Malmsteen, so as not to confuse
him with all the *other* Yngwie Malmsteens" (Derek St.
Hubbins/SPINAL TAP)...LOL!!!
Well I just touched on that in the previous answer,
however, I found that the ONLY way to 'level the playing
field' with Yngwie, was to relate to him on a non-musician
level. You bring up topics like UFO's, Dark things,
belief's, and he got like a big kid, really excited.
Nothing like the monster he was as a musician. When he
agreed with you he'd say "That's quite cool, actually".
He wore his Stratocaster around his neck EVERY waking hour,
constantly 'noodling' up & down the fretboard. One day, I'd
said to him "Hey man, the era of ALVIN LEE (TEN YEARS
AFTER) was over". Yngwie says "Who's that?" I just shook my
head....
But as a player, Yngwie'd have an entire song already
worked out in his head, saying to each player around him:
"You play this" (and he's show them the part he already
wrote 'for' them), "You play this", "You play this", etc.,
to each player, then he'd lay down his leads over it. He
was really gifted in that way. We really grooved when I'd
start playing an old DEEP PURPLE tune, and he'd 'Richie
Blackmore' out on it! For anyone who's seen Yngwie live,
you can see, that he's copied ALL of Richie Blackmore's
classic, 'signature' moves. Yngwie's also notorious for
taping off square boxes on stage for his other band-members
to "STAY IN" while they perform, this way, no one else gets
any spotlight time BUT Yngwie. Move out of the box, "You're
FIRED". Definitely not the way to run a "BAND".
Whomever is utilized to replace Yngwie on a potential
STEELER REUNION TOUR, would, in my mind, be expected to
copy what Yngwie played on the STEELER album exactly same
way, for the same reasons I cited above. I would be
listening for all those 'cues' for my parts to be 'there'. |
|
 |
FIBM: What are your 3 most fond memories of being in
Steeler?
Rik Fox: Well, I think I pretty much hit the mark on that one
in the other answers...Let me think on it some more...Oh!
When we did our FIRST show as the new line-up of STEELER,
we opened for HUGHES-THRALL at "THE COUNTRY CLUB" in
Reseda, CA. As the curtain was going up, it started to take
my mike-stand with it and it's half-way up in the air, and
we're calling to the roadies to stop, and get the mike
stand back, out of the curtain!, LOL!!! They had to lower
the curtain, and start all over again! What a way to begin
our new show with new members...Later, after the show, RATT
drumer BOBBY 'The BLOTZ' BLOTZER, walked by my dressing
room, and I gave him back "What For" and completely
embarrased him. He respected me after that and we became
good friends after that.
(Back Story: When I auditioned for RATT, and THE GREG LEON
INVASION, before STEELER, Bobby Blotzer had preferred bass
players who played with their fingers, over those who used
a pick. I stated that some of the BEST bassists used a
pick. Bobby says: "Like WHO?" I said" Paul McArtney, Pete
Way, Gene Simmons, etc...), He didn't like that, because I
was right. I said "Different players, different
preferences, besides, I can play either way". THEN, he
picks on my bass, because it wasn't a 'traditional' shape,
like "real players' use a Fender Precision. I was using a
more-exciting-looking Explorer-body bass made by a GIBSON
offshoot. Problem was, I overlayed the fret-markers with
those little 'prism-looking' stars, which were easier to
see, and (I thought) cooler-looking. 'The Blotz' always
dogged me on that, so, when I finally showed up in the
hottest new local act, STEELER, opening for a MAJOR act,
he'd asked Ron Keel's girlfirend (who booked acts for THE
WHISKEY AND ROXY), in the audience at the time, "Who's the
new guy with the 'Disco Stars' on his bass, he looks
familiar...".
Well, as Blotz passed me after the show, he looks in at me,
up close, THEN recognizes it was ME, that guy who didn't
get the RATT gig, and I say: "Not bad for 'DISCO STARS',
huh?!?" Blotz turned six shades of red, and ran up the
hallway, LOL!!! Now THAT was funny! He later relented, and
thought I was a 'decent' player...When we opened up for
VANDENBERG at the Roxy, the stage was recently re-built
higher off the main floor, and, subsequently, still a bit
wobbly. Every time I stepped up to the mike for backing
vocals, the mike-stand would wobble, and the mike would hit
me in the mouth, lol...
I'd been told that Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, and other
BIG famous guitarists were out in the audience to see this
new 'pistol' named Yngwie and his 'new style' of playing.
Later between shows, (we did two sets, BLACK N BLUE did the
previous night the same way), I was visited by NIKKI SIXX
and Blackie Lawless...Blackie, now thinking, that I was a
person to be reckoned with as a player in a hot, Sunset
Strip act, begins recanting his original feelings about
kicking me out of WASP. He NOW says "If there's ANYTHING I
can do to help you, you just let me know, and I'm there"...
I look over at Nikki, remembering what Blackie told me
about "the BIG Lie", and Nikki grabbed me and pulled me
into the upstairs dressing-room-men's room, and locked
Blackie out. He says Blackie is the BIGGEST liar and thief
he ever met. Blackie helped him out so he could get further
along for himself. Nikki was too smart for him, and since
they'd played together in LONDON, Nikki knew how Blackie
operated. He said "Don't EVER give ANY ideas or suggestions
to Blackie, he'll steal them fast as he can throw your
grandmother off a cliff and get away with it".
I say "Well then, why do you continue to hang out with
him?", and Nikki just goes "For laughs. And, because I'm
now a bigger star than he is, so he likes to tag along and
see what girls he can try and get by hanging out with
me"...Then he lays out some 'lines' (blow), and we do
them. (my first time)...Nikki tells me how proud he is of
me in STEELER, and that I was "kicking Blackie's ass all
over", with my look and performance. Meanwhile, Blackie's
banging on the door screaming "C'mon guys, let me in!
What's going on in there?!?"...Nikki looks at me and says
"Watch this"..."WHATTA YOU WANT OLD MAN?!?" And we both
crack up laughing hysterically...It was truly a bonding
moment, to be 'recognized' as a "PEER" by Nikki, who, I
think was well onto working on the "SHOUT AT THE DEVIL"
album by then??? (This was summer of 1983)...We eventually
opened the door and Blackie looks all 'left out of the
fun'. (he didn't do drugs, but, downed Vodka like a
fish!)...Nikki says to me "Have a great set, winks, and
laughs with me, as he heads back downstairs to the club,
Blackie looking like, "What'd I miss?!?" I'll never forget
it. I have a picture of the three of us together posing
that night backstage. "The Three Gods". All bassists, all
black-haired. All wild.
 
Rik Fox, Nikki Sixx, Blackie Lawless
Then...there was the night we as STEELER, were coming home
from that "Y & T" "Black Tiger" tour show we saw at the
Roxy club...
We're all packed into somebody's car, I can't remember
who's we borrowed, might have belonged to one of our
roadies. another car pulls up next to ours at a red light.
Gang-bangers.
(only that phrase wasn't yet coined). They say something to
us. I can't rememebr what was said, or, replied with. Next
thing, one of them gets out of their car with a gun, I
believe, and starts coming towards us. "FUCK THE RED
LIGHT...GO!!!!!" we punched it, I'm talking LIGHT SPEED!
Zero to Eighty in .1 seconds!!! These guys then tear out
after us, and now there's this chase, like right out of
Steve McQueen's film "BULLIT", all thru the streets, and NO
frickin' cops ANYWHERE!!!! Up streets, down streets, around
corners, tires squealing, burnin' rubber and all!
We finally ditched them by pulling and ditching into one of
those strip-malls between some parked cars, and killing our
lights. ZOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! they go right past us, doing
about 90 MPH...We all look at each other, in shock. "Man,
THAT was CLOSE!"
We were never so GLAD to get back to that roach-infested
dump, we called 'home' on the western edge of South Central
L.A. When we went up north to record our album, we loaded
up anything that wasn't nailed down, for fear that our place
would be broken into because we were the ONLY white guys in
an all-black neighborhood, and the kids were always trying
to probe our defenses, which would result in us chasing
them down the streets with baseball bats, boy can those
kids run, lol!!!! We loaded up everything into the truck
and the road crew drove it up north to the studio. Whatever
we needed 'from home' was conveniently located right
outside the studio in the truck!!! LOL!!!
Opening one night for us (STEELER) at the Country Club in
Reseda, CA, were SHRAPNEL RECORDS label mates "WILD DOGS".
at the time, this was of no special signifigance. They were
nice guys, and rocked the place.
Push on to...the 1990's...I'm a guest of L.A.GUNS, thru my
friend, Stage manager CORKY late of SWEET PAIN where KELLY
NICHOLS came from. (I was told by my ex-SIN drummer BASIL
STANLEY, that he 'groomed' KELLY NICHOLS to be another
version of RIK FOX)...Anyway, L.A. GUNS are opening/support
for BAD ENGLISH and ex-BABYS bassist RICKY PHILLIPS, now
with BAD ENGLISH calls and offers me backstage passes.
I used to hang out with RICKY and former DIO sound
engineer, (also from back home in N.Y.) ANGELO ARCURI at
RECORD PLANT Studios. So, after L.A.GUNS's show, I go
backstage to say hi to everyone, and I'm hangingg out with
TRACII GUNS who's showing me his new 'ocotpus dreds'
hairstyle, when I hear my name gets mentioned, I hear this
REALLY LOUD YELL from behind me: "OH MY GOD! MY FAVORITE
BASSIST! HOLY SHIT!...RIK FOX!!! Now, the entire backstage
area is all on full alert!
Rik Fox, Ricky Phillips, Bobby Omen
I just about get turned around, and I get lifted up in a
bear-hug by none other, than, ex WILD DOGS drummer DEAN
CASTRONOVA, now, playing with BAD ENGLISH! I never expected
that, and had no idea it was DEAN who was now drumming for
BAD ENGLISH...That guy is one AWESOME drummer!
What a commotion THAT was! TRACII GUNS was like "Who's
THAT?!?" And, by this time, PUNKY MEADOWS & I had identical
hairstyles for some years now...It was a GREAT show by BOTH
bands that night! |
FIBM: Why did Steeler break up?
Rik Fox:
Y'know? I'm not too sure. I wasn't there when it
happened. I think Ron would be the better 'go to' person to
ask on that one. I know, that by about July of '83, some
'wierd vibes' were starting to creep into the band. We had
just done a hot, sweaty, and successful STEELER
'annihilation' gig at a club in Orange County called "Radio
City", I think, and Ron was acting noticably wierd to me.
(There was no 'dressing room' that I recall, we had to use
the kitchen to get changed in). I truly have NO idea 'why'.
Mark was acting distant too. I figured, well, they must
have a lot on their minds. They did.
The next day, Ron was out doing something, I don't know
what. Mark comes over to me and give me that "We need to
talk" line...He tells me that Ron isn't here so we can have
the planned band meeting, so, it fell upon him to deliver
the goods. I was being 'let go' for "unspecified reasons"
(the usual "it just isn't working out routine" we all hear
about). Nothing that I rememeber specifically, just that a
decision was made between he and Ron, and that I was being
'let go'. All this after we just delivered an awesome first
album. I couldn't find the logic in the decision.
Later that day, A truck pulls up to the front of our place,
and Andy Trueman, manager of ALCATRAZ gets out, and says to
Yngwie, "OK, you'ready to go?" (Little to my knowledge did
we know, that Yngwie was already making "other
arrangements" to leave STEELER, and join ALCATRAZ...Boy,
were THEY in for it now...). So, with that, I began packing
up my stuff. In walks some 'new guy' named Mitch Perry
who hears me listening to a TALAS album by my good friend
BILLY SHEEHAN, and says "WOW! WHO'S THAT?!?...That
guitarist is AMAZING!" I said, "THAT is no guitarist. It's
my friend, Bassist BILLY SHEEHAN". Perry says, "I gotta see
this guy play!" Eventually, he went on to play with Billy
in TALAS...(Years earlier, back in N.Y. I had spent my last
Dollar on subway fare to see the original, 3-piece band,
TALAS, (from Buffalo, N.Y.), perform to a *completely
empty* house at GREAT GUILDERSLEEVES, where I did lights
for bands there. I sat right up front in front of BILLY
SHEEHAN, COMPLETELY mesmerized by a style I ahd never seen
before in bassists. BILLY had this awesome bass solo, that
he showed me later after the set, in the dressing room.
Imagine my suprise, at hearing the premier release of the
first VAN HALEN album... When I heard "ERUPTION" I said
"WOW! There's BILLY SHEEHAN'S BASS SOLO, only...it's on
GUITAR!!!!")...Years foreward, now, BILLY tells me VAN
HALEN wanted him in the band, and after seeing the band,
EDDIE VAN HALEN was *Very Impressed* with BILLY's Bass
playing. Yeah...I'll bet he was! What a rip-off act that
was...Anyway, digressing, STEELER went on after me and
Yngwie, with a VERY boring, Donald Duck-looking Mitch Perry
on guitar, and a new *very* un-rock-looking guy named RON
MURREY, late of a band called "DUTCH COURAGE", who had the
lead singer named RALPH MORMON, from a band called "BUX"
better known as "DADDY WARBUCKS", which, as we all know
wound up forming the nucleus of..."A-N-G-E-L"... (WOW, Six
Degrees or WHAT?!?)...I believe Ron Keel soon after canned
the whole idea of STEELER, and started from scratch again,
calling his new group, simply, "KEEL", and they went on to
some nominal success after that. Mark Edwards went on to
record and perform with "LION". Both KEEL and LION (and
ALCATRAZ) had toured Europe & Japan. Alhough my second L.A.
line-up of SIN was at the threshold of a major deal, I
unfortunately, never had enough success with the bands I
put together, to finally get over there and see my fans.
Bassist MASAYOSHI, of the Japanese band LOUDNESS,
confirmed that I had HUNDREDS of fans who were waiting for
me to get there and meet me. At this point, it is still a
dream. Most of them, by now, have no doubt, moved on from
their STEELER/RIK FOX fan days...We'll have to see what
kind of hand, Fate deals me...
Picture of Steeler's last performance, with THE line-up
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