Dana Strum speaks about Vinnie / July 31 2012

strangeways · Post by **strangeways** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:17 am

THE EARLY YEARS WITH VINNIE VINCENT

Metal-Rules.com: The next obvious question is about Vinnie Vincent…

Dana Strum: Oh, Vinnie Vincent, really interesting person. Needless to say I haven't talked to him since 1988, I've never even said “Hello” but I don't harbor it anymore. I did for a long time. I just didn't get it but I don't harbor it anymore. I almost feel bad for him.

Metal-Rules.com: Right...

Dana Strum: To have that interesting talent but not know how to...

Metal-Rules.com: How to use his talent?

Dana Strum: Yeah, in my opinion, very important, this is only my opinion, it's not a fact – in my opinion he's never been able to capitalize on what I do know is some really serious talent that he has. And I never talked to him again. The early days with him were interesting, those were interesting.

hope this wasn't already posted
the rest here @
http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/2622/1/

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:42 am

That is a first for my eyes. I have never heard nor seen Dana speak of Vinnie before. I've had a few chances to ask and always forgot because Dana was joking around. Seems to be a funny guy...

erg2 · Post by **erg2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:45 am

Robert Fleischman disagrees...

erg2 · Post by **erg2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:07 am

That was a really interesting interview. I wish the guy would've dug a little deeper on a couple of things:

- They originally signed to a different label and had to get out of it to go back to Chrysalis? They figured it out over dinner without a lawyer? Does that make sense?

- Tim Kelly had been kicked out of Slaughter for a while before he passed away? I'd never heard that.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:36 am

look its clear Dana is a player BUT he could get his shit together some how and he did say some cool things about VV about 10 years back. To be honest all the ex VVI members from the ASG line up have never said too much about VV apart from the lyrics to burnin' bridges. VV still holds a grudge but I think until VV went after Mark last year on his youtube they were all cool with him to be honest. They all obviously feel sorry for him because he can not get past his own self.

Portillo · Post by **Portillo** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 2:56 pm

Pretty much what Vinnie fans say. Lots of talent but...

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:55 pm

like i've said in the interview section where i poste d the whole thing, don't trust dana, he tries to look like he was always a a gift to the mankind, and often he has proven wrong about his statment.
Why people still have to revison past history to look good is beyond me

PinkWiz · Post by **PinkWiz** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:08 pm

sorry to say, but as much as a douche as dana may be, he's right on the money here.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:19 pm

I would say he is not accurate on introducing vv and msj to kiss. But its interesting to have it confirmed that their was trouble on the asg tour . Danas last gig with vv was vv's last ever gig. Sad.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:22 pm

Interesting that two of the three original members of vvi speak out in the last few weeks and I spoke with bobby last night. All have similar stories.

metatron · Post by **metatron** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:19 pm

I heard a new one this week. It must have come from an early Slaughter interview in Kerrang. Dana saying that he knew it was all over when he saw VV arguing with Bobby. VV was saying he was the owner of everything, even Bobby's drum sticks.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:37 pm

That is totally what vv would say. He said stuff like that to me in his final email. Where's that kerrang interview? Funny all the vvi interviews after 24 years

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:38 pm

Vinnie is all about owning things and musicians.

metatron · Post by **metatron** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:20 pm

doublev2 wrote:That is totally what vv would say. He said stuff like that to me in his final email. Where's that kerrang interview? Funny all the vvi interviews after 24 years

I'll ask my friend Paul which Kerrang it is that he read it in.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:52 pm

I can imagine vinnie telling bobby i own all your equipment.

1031 · Post by **1031** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:10 am

Booby Rock is a BS artist , he says that he decided not to use computers on the invasion album that was being recorded in 1985 ? I believe the only thing reliable was the Atari ST and was just a synth ?. He just makes it sound like he had been using full computer production for Rock albums for ever and had to convince them he could work in analog in 1985. I am surprised he didnt take credit for introducing beethoven to salieri.

He is right the only difference between him and V is he capitalized on his BS and Vinnie didnt.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:41 am

i think you mean Dana Strum. I was talking about Bobby Rock. Yeah Dana sounds like he was running the shop which I believe Robert kind of touched on in the pod cast. But the stuff about VV telling Bobby he owned his drum sticks is true. Obviously taken out of context it may sound odd but its gone past the point of giving him the benefit of the doubt aND BR has backed this up too.
As for Dana some people say he barely knew Randy but he was just a player using names to get gigs etc. More like a heavy metal socialite.

1031 · Post by **1031** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:43 am

Yea sorry right Dana... just got a bit excited calling BS to most of his claims

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:21 am

doublev2 wrote: As for Dana some people say he barely knew Randy but he was just a player using names to get gigs etc. More like a heavy metal socialite.

Dana and Randy were just members of the same scene and didn't really know each other. Dana was rehearsing with Ozzy and helping him find members then was cast aside in favor of a better bassist/songwriter.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:22 am

mind you rockmom said that she met up with VVI in the studio and Dana was on his own mixing the album without Vinnie so I think Dana did handle a lot of the recording stuff, sometimes even without VV. I always had a theory that Dana had some partial ownership of the band or had a contract where he gets paid good money to co-produce. This was also hightened when Capital records released both VVI albums and the first two Slaughter albums at the same time and used Dana for some press work on the releases of all 4 records.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:23 am

also the keyboard player from Impelliteri that was brought in by Vinnie for ASG said he went in to the studio and Dana was running the shop and VV wasn't even in the studio.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:32 am

i knew they were fighting on the tour but i didn't realize how bad. You can tell from VV's behaviour in interviews and when Mark laughed at the european tour. I also guess thats why Dana and Bobby were not involved in the headbangers ball thing and all the ASG interviews.
It also makes sense why Mark and Dana were trying to get Tracii Guns to join the band and why they were in different busses. I knew from what Bobby had said it was bad but I didn't know just how bad.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:35 am

I also forgot that Goran was set to replace Mark. I wonder if Goran would have lip synced Boyz are gonnna rock also? Mark more commercial and good in the studio, but I think Goran would have been a better live choice but maybe not as commercial.. who knows. He also has said some less than positive things about VV just like JSS as well.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:52 am

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:54 am

Dana looking very mid-1970's Rocker there.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:58 am

the band is Badaxe. I was trying to find pictures of him with Ozzy and Randy etc.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:58 am

if he was such good friends with Ozzy why has Ozzy never brought him into his band?

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:05 am

Who said he was friends with Ozzy ?

Ozzy was in L.A. after getting the boot from Sabbath and was having a band put together for him from L.A. musicians.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:48 am

Ahhh now I get it.

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:12 am

and btw, if the story is true, he was offered 5000 dollars by Paul to find Vinnie replacement between the european and american LIU tour.He came with kevin Carlson,rhytm guitarist in Aldo Nova's band, and also-judging by what Enfer mag said back in the 80's- Kiss asked both Mick mars and jack starr, both turned the offer down.Funny he didn't mention that.

i think Vinnie was right when he called dana "slick talker" in the Kerrang interview............

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:04 am

Funny, mark st John said Kiss asked Grover Jackson and he suggested mark.
So Dana got vv the gig in kiss also ?

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:21 am

no, dana was asked to find Vinnie's replacement in between the two legs of the lick it up tour

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:13 am

PinkWiz wrote:sorry to say, but as much as a douche as dana may be, he's right on the money here.

WORD

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:14 am

ok, so now I get it. Dana was trying to get someone in for the US leg of the Lick it up tour. That would have been sad to hear those VV solos played by someone else. I am surprised they didn't find someone. VV must have upset them real bad on the euro tour.
I heard they tried to get Ace back which I would have enjoyed just out of weirdeness and hearing how Ace would play the fits like a glove and young and wasted solos (I guess Paul may have attmepted them instead).

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:16 am

if Dana didn't get VV and MSJ into Kiss then why didn't he set the record straight. I do think Dana is on the money apart from that and I have no idea if he had that much influence on the production sound of the VVI albums like he seems to say.

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:09 am

as far as i know, Ace was asked back during the creatures tour, he did state that in different interviews,and jeannette did confirm that.

Dana always tried to look like he was the best thing since sliced bread, to the point of lyng.He helped Ozzzy find Randy and jake,both were already famous in LA at the time but no link whatsoever with VVor MSJ.he even clamied tha t he ghost wrote alot of songs on Blizzard of ozz.Weird that nobody mistakes him for paul Mccartney

,or Ted templeman

The fall out between kiss and Vinnie was about the contract, like later did happen,-as far as i know- and they worked things out since the uS tour was imminent.

It would have been nice to have Vinnie set the record straight , but he did say his version and Kiss said their's.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:45 pm

Ohh, so kiss were thinking of replacing.vv with ace as early as the creatures tour? I know kiss say its because vv didn't sign and other things they didn't care for.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:59 pm

Vv and Dana were first time producers on vvi album. Pretty impressive actually. Vinnie has never produced on his own. Even euphoria had Phil kenzie credited as producer with vv.
With vvi they did have a top engineer though.

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:13 pm

Ace stated that gene called him from the road and said it wasn't the same without him,and jeannette seems to have confirmed that gene called.I think it ws a combination of money-Ace was still part of that millionair contract that Kiss had to renegotiate because of his departure some time later-and musicianship, because vinnie wa s a different musician, and they were still early in the tour.Vinnie himself said that Ace had the kiss signature sound down cold.Even mark St John said tha t when he was playng his style he was commanded to play more " the way Ace would do it", meaning slowing down and more pentatonic.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:20 pm

5.15 mark, Mark says how he got into Kiss. No mention of Dana. He does mention Mike Varney and Grover.
Bad interview by the way.

[youtube][/youtube]

erg2 · Post by **erg2** » Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:04 am

I don't think we'll ever hear the true story. It's clear that over the years everyone has slowly convinced themselves that their version is correct and added detail based on "iffy" recollection.

I've read the MSJ story on many different sites from many different people being interviewed and Dana was never mentioned.

jesternjeff · Post by **jesternjeff** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:21 am

The way I remember it at the time is Kiss was calling Dana for a replacement ( to replace VV ) but, I dont think it was he who recommended MSJ. Dana is a scum and would take acknowledgement for opening doors for little old ladies when in reality the doors are automatic. !!!

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:55 pm

I have heard gene say Eric singer is a much better drummer than Carr and I also heard him say he hated vinnies playing in vvi. I think he just says what he feel at the time. I really don't think.kiss ever considered bringing vinnie back. I do know that vv demanded more money than first agreed while writing hearts of chrome and other things . The were going to write more songs with him until that happened. Also lots of stuff vv was saying about kiss got back to them.

erg2 · Post by **erg2** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:09 am

doublev2 wrote:I have heard gene say Eric singer is a much better drummer than Carr and I also heard him say he hated vinnies playing in vvi. I think he just says what he feel at the time. I really don't think.kiss ever considered bringing vinnie back. I do know that vv demanded more money than first agreed while writing hearts of chrome and other things . The were going to write more songs with him until that happened. Also lots of stuff vv was saying about kiss got back to them.

I think you meant to respond to this thread:
http://vvforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3485

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 4:06 am

That is one of Dino's specialties.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 9:06 am

Ooopps . Been doing this more than I should recently.

KissMyAss · Post by **KissMyAss** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:50 pm

Hmmm....I heard a band broke up with lots of "fuck yous" exchanged...huh...kind of a surprise. I was expecting them to exchange hugs and cry, "I'll think of you always."

PinkWiz · Post by **PinkWiz** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:52 pm

doublev2 wrote:Ooopps . Been doing this more than I should recently.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:16 pm

Yeah vinnie telling bobby he owns his drum sticks. Anyway its over. vv had two chances like robert said. He's a great musician but even better at ruining his career and burnin bridges.
I am going to quit with this stuff now. Only so many times you can say it.

Portillo · Post by **Portillo** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:53 pm

metatron wrote:VV was saying he was the owner of everything, even Bobby's drum sticks.

Did VV own Fleischmans vocals aswell?