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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 f***ing 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!
 
 

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