Batttttty interviews
Barry Sparks
( and actually lets him get a word in! )

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Heyyyy Barry!

Welcome home from Japan! Drop your suitcase over there in the hall and before you take your coat off, tell us all about what you've been up to.

2003 was a crazy non-stop year for you. It started off with the Dokken tour which led straight into the Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers tour with Ted Nugent. How come you got to play with Uncle Ted? Playing with Ted was amazing! Marco Mendoza, who has played with Ted the last few years recommended me, and Ted came down to the last show of the Scorpions/Whitesnake/Dokken tour to check me out, and liked what he saw, i guess. A few weeks later I was on tour with him.

And he let you sing, too! That just proves Ted is as crazy as we all guessed he was. I bet there were some surreal moments on the Nugent tour - tell us about all it! Any moment with Ted is surreal! He is an awesome person - someone I really look up to. If he isn't playing guitar, he is hunting or writing a book or something. He has so much energy! It's amazing!

From the reports I've read, you got a great welcome from the B'z fans. Tell us about the tour, and the fans, and the gigs, and working with Shane again. It's always great playing with Shane, I swear we are brothers! We play together so well, really tight groovin rhythm machine! (one of the reasons I think MSG was so good around 1996-97!)

I'll drink to that! How was the travelling? Travelling in Japan is great because its so easy!! Bullet trains go about 180mph or something like that, so there's no long bus rides - it was really like a paid vacation! As for the fans, they are the most devoted you will ever find! There were some I even saw that went to every show on the tour, even here in the States!

Japanese fans are very dedicated - I've met some wonderful people who've flown over to the UK and Europe, and some have come all that way to see a one-off show.

In between the American and Japanese B'z gigs, you hot-winged it over to Germany to do some work for The Scorps, yeh? How did it come about that you were asked to play bass on the new Scorpions album? I was in Los Angeles rehearsing with The B'z when Rudolph Schenker called me one morning and asked if I could come to Germany for the month. It was amazing and sad! Sad? Because I had to tell him I could only do a week, because I would have to be in Japan... but it was great! I love the Scorpions and I can't wait to hear the album!

What were the personal highlights of the year for you? Any scary moments or dodgy moments? I guess the scary moments might be dodging arrows from Ted Nugent every night!!! Or waking up in some hotel, who knows where, and not having a clue as to where I was!! That happened alot! When you do so many shows, like I did last year, it becomes one big blur, and you don't really know what day it is or where you're at. Well I don't, I should say, hahaha. Darlin, you never did.... That's true!

OK, now... what's gonna happen in 2004? Are the official rumours true that you're setting up a Cheerleader Training College? Or is it, according to the speculation which is running rife, just a front for a more sinister operation where you will actually be running a clinic for errr.... let's call it 'the ancient art of shape-shifting'. With yourself as the first patient, huh? Barry, it's ok to talk about it. Lots of people would love to be more feminine. It's just that most of them are women, that's all.

Hahaha good question, but I think I like the cheerleading training camp idea the best! I am sure I could whip those girls into shape!!! Oh my! What am I saying... my neices are cheerleaders!!!

OK, moving swiftly on (you'll have to take those stillettos off if you're gonna move swiftly, pet) let's talk about the next big thing that's happening for you in 2004, which is..... your solo album! How long ago did you start to put it together? How did you manage to get it done while you were on the road with such a hectic touring schedule? What input did Billy Gibbons and Ted Nugent have? How high up and how big is my name in the thank-you credits? Did you make sure you spelled it right? What is the title of the album? How many tracks are there? What style of music is it? Do you have a favourite track? Can we stop talking about this damn album now? Blimey, anybody would think you'd never made a solo album before, hahaha. Yes, I have finally finished my album! Some of these songs have been in the works for 3 or 4 years, I have never put so much work into something as I have with this - I am very proud of it! There are 12 songs. I think all of my influences are there, but it's not a heavy metal album at all, it's very pop-sounding to me. I just tried to make an album that was true to me, something I really believed in. Every song on it is like my little baby, lots of loving care.... and sleepless nights. And drool? And dribble? Yeh! Some of it was recorded on tour with Ted Nugent, in hotels, dressing rooms, on the bus! I really drove certain people crazy I think - including myself! Ted plays an amazing solo on a song about 911 called "Liberty". He is the most patriotic guy you could ever find! And Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top plays some great stuff on a song called "Breathe". I am really proud that they liked it enough to add their own signature sound to it!

Glimmer Of Hope is now released in Japan and has an extra bonus track. How is it being received over there? Well, I think I have a knack for doing exactly the opposite of what people think I am gonna do! Everyone thought I would do some kinda Cosmosquad-sounding bass solo album, and instead I come up with an all acoustic instrumental album, that has not a single bass note on it! Go figure? anyways I am also really proud of that one too, I think it takes a certain amount of guts to lay your heart and soul on the line and come up with music that is straight from the heart - that is as real as it gets. in my book at least. With Glimmer Of Hope and my new album "Can't Look Back" I can honestly say I have succeeded!

Do you foresee any more gigs with Jeff and Shane as Cosmosquad? I would love to! They are my blood brothers!!! I am positive we will do more things together.

OK, now the biggie...... wossgoingon with Dokken? People are gonna want to know (especially Don, hahahaha). So.... are you actually recording any part of the new Dokken album? Have you had any involvement in the writing? Well come on boy, spill the beans. Are you still in Dokken? Enquiring minds want to know. OK, well as it stands, I am supposed to play on a handful of tunes - the ones remaining. I really love those guys, I would have loved to have been at home to be a part of it, but it would have meant like 6 or 8 months of sitting around, not working! Realistically, it just wasn't possible, so we shall see, I would love to contribute and tour as well, I guess we will find out soon enough!

Well Barry, thanks for taking part in the interview ( like you had a choice??? ) and congratulations on a spectacular year last year, and good luck with everything you'll be doing in 2004. No-one deserves happiness and success more than you do - apart from Me of course! But good luck anyway, and I'll be there on the sidelines, shaking my pompoms at you and cheering you along as usual. Now go and take your coat off, and make yourself a quick welcome-home cup of coffee while you load up the washing machine, cos you're off out again soon! Have a fantastic 2004!

This interview was carried out for The Official Barry Sparks Website
© Batttttty 7th January 2004