Question: Hi Johnny, at 1st many congratulations for the wonderful new album: I really love it! "Leaving The End Open" sounds closer to the Hardline debut "Double Eclipse" than the previous album "II". Was it a declarated choice or did it become out naturally? A: This record was as natural as can be. A great continuation of Hardline. Q: How long did it take to compose the material for the album? A: It didn't take long actually... a few months and then I wrote things last minute... it just sort of happens that way. I just shelved it for a few years because other things in my life got in the way. Q: The album has killer songs and catchy refrain. Do you think it could be a radio friendly record? A: I think it is... yes! Especially some of the lighter songs like "Start Again". Q: Any song you are particularly proud of? A: I really love "Voices"... it's power, it's positive feeling, it puts me in a "I can do anything mood... I love this track. Also, "Start Again"... purely radio... I love singing this track. Q: It's more than ten years since you join A.R.Pell. Do you think this experience with him has somehow influenced your songwriting. For example, "In This Moment" is a wonderful ballad which could remind to some ballad you sang for Axel. Do you agree? A: My involvement with the ARP band actually had no influence on this record at all... I don't hear an similarities at all... not even with "In this moment" Am I missing something here??? Sorry... can't agree with you on this one... Q: Josh Ramos is a fabulous guitar player. Did he contribute also to the songwriting? A: Yes, he and I created most of the music together at my studio in California. And yes, he's a fantastic player. Q: You first got started with Brunette‌ Why didn't that ever come to fruition? Timing again? A: Probably. I think from a songwriter's point of view we weren't there with the music. We were a little dated. Although we were packing them in Hollywood, we were 22 | MRF
breaking like The Doors records at the Roxy and the Whiskey on the strip. The record companies were just thrilled but they didn't quite get the music. Now I look back I can understand. It wasn't right for that period. We were a little dated. In my opinion I think that group had a serious chance because it was incredibly marketable. We had 17 feet of hair and everybody looked like a brother. It was a good looking band I think. Almost the entire audience was girls and not that I minded that at all. I don't think we brought in a good mix of people. Q: After the releasing of "Double Eclipse", did you have any problems with Neal Schon and Deen Castronovo? I read that you had composed material also for a second album with them: is it true? A: Never had any problems of importance.... Neal and I had music on the back-burner... it wasn't recorded or finished but we would have been ready should that line-up continued. Deen did not participate in writing, he usually chose to drive around in his exotic cars and talk on the phone... I love him... funny guy... great talent... all of them are... I miss them all. We had a lot of great times... those were also musical transitioning times making it hard for us to except grunge and the changing times... Q: Is there any unreleased material lying around recorded by the original band? A: There's tons of shit! As a matter of fact a song that I'm doing on this album, 'Face the Night', was completely recorded, and along with another called 'The Gift' were both recorded for MCA. We also did a bunch of extra tracks: 'I will Survive' and 'On and On and On'. Will they make this record? I don't know. 'Face the Night' definitely, but the rest of the tunes... I don't know. I'm flushing out all the ideas that have been running through my mind since 1995... that's a long time man. Q: Are you still satisfied of "II"? I think it's a great album of modern melodic hard rock, but perhaps the old fans were a little bit disappointed of its very heavy sound. A: I think it's a cool record... I
like it a lot... It's funny, you detune a guitar for a few songs and shit sounds heavy... Hey guys, Double Eclipse was fucking heavy... listen again. I'm at the point in my life where I really don't give a shit how people compare... if you like my work, then great! If you don't... fuck off. Of course I prefer you do... haaa. Q: Double Eclipse" is considered a classic of its genre, and that's my opinion too. What do you think now of it? And don't you think that, if it were published some years before, it could have reached the top of the charts? Q: I agree with you 100%... I often think when Bon Jovi peaked, we would have been right by his side in some fashion... Cinderella who? We could what if all day huh??? Q: Are you touring to promote "Leaving The End Open"? If so, do you think you're coming also to Europe and Italy? A: I 'd love to tour on this record... as I've always said it's a matter of economics... these days it's hard for fans to spend money on tickets let a lone the costs involved in touring... we'll see if we can somehow pull this off. The hell with playing in Italy, I want to LIVE in Italy!!!! Q: Hardline nowadays is you and Josh. Do you think that there will be a chance to see again a proper line up with a more "band" concept? A: Good question... I'm really not sure, hence the title "leaving the end open" I don't want to plan anymore, I just want to see where life takes me. Q: This is the third Hardline release for the italian label Frontiers: how do you find with them? And don't you feel strange that many AOR/melodic hard rock artists, a genre which is american by definition, are still around with an italian label? A: Call it my Palermo heritage... I don't know... but I have a connection with all at Frontiers... a friendship... it's not just about business... it's about making music with them not for them. A shit load of melodic bands should thank God, the moon and stars for this label and it's constant attempts to resuscitate melodic rock music.