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RNW: You guys didn’t have a problem
the first time you landed a deal, you already had a hit
Warren: [There wasn't a problem]
The first time we got a deal until we realized what we signed was you know
a baby band contract. It was 1980-82 and I found out we had a problem about
nine years later when I understood what was going on in the business because
every Goddamn lawyer who was signing baby bands at that time were going
to lunch with the executives and going “Great…That’s your cut” but no as
far as the actual landing of the deal, um we forced it down their throats.
We would not take no for an answer. We would not accept the people who
said, “You’re not the direction for the 80’s.” That was every label in
Los Angeles basically, we would not accept that, we made our own record
with a little bit of borrowed money from my father, sent it out to all
the tip sheets, that’s what I mean by the ultimate DIY band, and started
playing around all the little clubs in LA. And we built it up, we built
up a live following where we went from 50 seats to selling out 2500 seats
and had record executives coming down and looking at it going “People are
clapping, people are singing, I guess we can take a chance with this. At
least we’ll sell records in Los Angeles, thank you.”
RNW: That leads up to another question
I have here. You are a music veteran so what is the thing you like the
least about the industry?
Warren: The business. The music
will always be great; the business sucks! You know it’s trend mongering,
for example where it’s like “This is hot, lets get another thing that sounds
just like this because this is working right now.” It’s a business
run by, you know every business needs to run in a profit, it’s all about
bottom lines. And it’s a sad thing because the business end of it has very
little to do with music. As soon as something catches on the people who
are earless but they are signing the checks, checking the balances to find
out who is going to merge with who next week and all they are worried about
is “We gotta get something that sounds just like that, because that’s really
working out!”
RNW: It’s a wonder anything
new comes out?
Warren:(laughs) yeah I know! But
thank God there are some talented people, there are talented people who
will never make records. That’s just the reality of it but at least there
are some bands who have an identity, that are really good, they’re entertaining
and they’re about songs or are really high concept. The high concept people
don’t have to be fucking genius musicians, you know. Who cares? They talk
about ideas and are entertaining people. There is too much crap out there,
that whole let’s get our choreographer and that’s the most boring thing
in the world to me. I did speak to one guy, one journalist, a couple years
ago and he goes “Don’t you think at least those people, those very young
people who are watching these prefab bands, don’t you think it is a good
thing that at least they are getting turned on to music?” I said, “Good
point”. Hopefully they will grow…..
RNW: Are you doing any Duran Duran
numbers in your set?
Warren: No
RNW: Strictly Missing Person?
Warren: mm hmm. I had a version
of “Hungry Like the Wolf” that I did a few years ago that I thought might
be good but I didn’t want to burden Dale with learning another lyric. She’s
got enough to remember as it is. Dale, has to sing in 9-11-13, here is
a girl who is not a musician and we’re making her sing in all these odd
time signatures, it’s enough to get your head around.
RNW: You guys are a very visual
band, who can forget Dale’s outfits?
Warren: You can’t, unforgettable!
RNW: Do you think image is an important
aspect to selling music?
Warren: Yeah, I think it makes it
a lot easier for the marketing people to have something behind it [the
music]. Anti-image is an image.
RNW: What do you think is the biggest
misconception that people might have about Missing Persons?
Warren: The biggest misconception?
Jesus? I think the biggest misconception that they have is that Missing
Persons has been touring America for the last 8 years. That was not Missing
Persons.
RNW: Oh there was another band out
there?
Warren: There was Dale and the promoters
were advertising it as Missing Persons. So other than that, I think we
were always taken for what we were. Our history will always follow us around;
people know the image. We were culty, kind of novelty because of Dale’s
image and it kind of got, the whole eye candy thing was a bit overbearing.
People would always ask about her Hustler modeling and Playboy modeling.
Why do you wear plastic fishbowls on your breast? (laughs) I can’t
blame somebody, if they are sitting there and someone is wearing plastic
fishbowls on their breast, it’s a good question.
RNW: Using 20/20 hindsight if you
had it all to do over again what would you do differently?
Warren: Nothing. Absolutely
nothing.
RNW: And the final question…
Warren: Final Question, I wanna
phone a friend..
(laughs)
RNW: What would you like to say
to your fans –old and new?
Warren: Do I win a million?
What would I like to say to fans older than me?
RNW: Your fans old and new?
Warren: Oh, old and new. You know,
they are so appreciated. The new ones, you gotta be very happy that somehow
we got their attention. The old ones that they are still there, they are
the ones who have been supporting us all those years. And I know how that
feels, to be a fan because I always will be a music fan. That’s why I play
music.
RNW: Alright!
Warren: Wanna talk about my dick?
(laughs)
RNW: Why does it have any strange
tattoos? (laughs)
On that note we concluded the interview
and Dale walked into the room, no longer on the missing persons list. She
was all smiles as she offered me a piece of her oatmeal cookie. “This is
absolutely fabulous!” Warren laughed and said “you two seem like
old time friends!” I didn't get to interview Dale because I was all out
of time and the band had to get ready for their performance. Maybe I'll
have the opportunity to interview her in the future?
The biggest thing I took away from my talk
with Warren was just how down to earth he is. He has been in the industry
for a long time, played in three successful bands, a lesser person would
have let it go to their head, not Warren. Perhaps that is the reason he
has been so successful? His feet are planted firmly on the ground.
From there, I went into a packed House
of Blues to settle in for the show, and let me tell you as soon as Warren,
Dale and Terry hit the stage there was magic in the air. Three eclectic
musicians returning home to where they belong, loving every minute of it,
that’s why people get into this crazy business in the first place.. to
quote a line from Almost Famous, it’s all about the “Buzz”, and let me
tell you with the return of Missing Persons there is a lot to buzz about!
Do
you want more?
Purchase
Missing Persons music online and hear samples!
Visit
the official Missing Persons site for all the latest
Check
out Cuccurullo.tv
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