Daniel MacMaster Interview
DANIEL MACMASTER INTERVIEW:
January 25, 2006
Bonham raced up the charts in 1989 with the hit album The Disregard Of Timekeeping and its single “Wait For You”. Now Bonham’s vocalist Daniel MacMaster has returned, releasing a teaser album called Rock Bonham before finishing work on his solo album Never Ever Done. With a new website, www.danielmacmaster.com, and a renewed musical drive, Daniel talked to Sleaze Roxx about his past and future.
SR: You’ve been out of the limelight for a few years now, what prompted you to make your return at this time?
DM: My kid’s, Kaleb an Aryanna, are a little older now and can handle the away time…as well could be a good time…
SR: Your new CD Rock Bonham is pretty cool, tell us how it came together.
DM: My manager had the idea of a span of time through my years away, of getting that feel for the music on the CD, from then till now sort of thing. As well the Bonham tracks we thought would be a nice touch for the Bonham fans…
SR: Your new material reminded me a lot of Tesla, how do you feel about that comparison?
DM: Excellent, love the band, toured with them , great guy’s all around…and comparison’s are a natural way for people to explain what they hear…
SR: How close is your upcoming solo album, Never Ever Done, to being completed?
DM: Well, very close now, it’s in the work’s being worked on in the US as we speak, as well here so …at any rate soon to follow. Bruce could give you a ball park estimate though…
SR: You were asking for people to send you music for possible inclusion on your album, how was the reaction to that and will any of the submitted songs make the final release?
DM: The reaction was slow in coming as we need to do more media to create the traffic on the web site, to get the idea’s out , and yes there will be track’s on the release that were sent in …
SR: Do you plan on putting a band together and hitting the road to support the CD?
DM: That would be ideal if we get into a good situation for touring, if radio pick’s up on play on any of the tracks off of the release. That will be a deciding factor here, as to any offer’s to tour as support so it’s really based on what opportunities arise…
SR: Do you ever worry that new listeners won’t give you chance simply because you were part of the whole ‘hair band’ scene?
DM: Well I must say that I’m a firm believer in a song is a good song and if so it carves out it’s own path for you…if anyone listening to the music like’s maybe one or two track’s that is a great start …
SR: Last year you were supposed to go on the road with Stephen Pearcy, what happened to that?
DM: I had to get my family in order as I was away for ten month’s. By that time, Stephen was waiting for me to go to the US. I chose to keep my family tight and grounded, needed the time at home …but I do see us working together soon…
SR: You and Stephen seem to be good friends, can you see the two of you working together in the future?
DM: Yes I do over the next few years, as we have kept in touch all this time over the years…so when the opportunity present’s itself, I’m sure you’ll see that…
SR: You are also making an appearance on Emerald Monkey’s upcoming album, what can you tell us about that band and project?
DM: We have been working together on and off over the last few month’s, back and forth over each other’s releases, and Jimmy’s is due out now very soon, song’s are being mixed down now so …anytime now it will release…
SR: Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you get into music and who were your early influences?
DM: By listening to music early on, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, Elvis Presley, were among many artist’s I listened to growing up. At around the age of say 17 or so, I tried out for a band as a singer…
SR: Your first major band was Scorcher, give us a history of them.
DM: This was the band I tried out for as a singer, stayed together for three year’s then left to join Bonham…we played the club scene around the Toronto area, worked from the bottom up to the “A” circuit as it was deemed then… We recorded original music from time to time, actually if Terry Baker ever gets the tracks out, we had planned another release of song’s as there are many…I won’t hold my breath though, he’s like the absent minded professor…
SR: Did Scorcher ever release an album, and if so where could someone find a copy?
DM: Yes, one called No Thanks and you’d have to speak to Bruce on that one…
SR: How did a Canadian guy end up in the same band as the son of a rock legend?
DM: Hey, we Canadian’s are made up of extra special stuff ya know, see you wouldn’t normally know this, but I’m telling you now so you know…ah…actually it was Chris Michaels, the local radio guy at the time in Barrie Ontario, he had some recorded original’s that he was playing on the radio then of ours. He got to talking with Brian Howe of Bad Company, Brian called me up and mentioned that Bonham was looking for a singer and presto there you go…English band, Canadian singer…
SR: The legendary Bob Ezrin produced Bonham’s debut album, how was it working with him and what are some of your favorite memories of recording that album?
DM: Well me and Bob fought over everything – a rather love hate relationship, but in the end, he may even of liked me a little bit…maybe not …he made thing’s happen for us …we all came out happy I suppose…
SR: Did it get overwhelming when Disregard Of Timekeeping started to become a big hit and did you get sick of hearing the Led Zeppelin comparisons?
DM: Well, no as they are an icon so as a comparison, which we were not, it sound’s good but just talk. Led Zeppelin is Led Zeppelin…
SR: Three years later Mad Hatter was released, how had things changed for the band and musically in general in that time?
DM: We seemed quite enthused about our writing, and were anxious to get music out, however it would be three years for that to take place…we were more in tune with each other as well at that time…
SR: Sharon Osbourne became Bonham’s manager later on, how did you get along with her and what were your thoughts on her Iron Maiden attack at Ozzfest?
DM: Sharon was really great for the band, she kept us in check, if she had of continued on with us things may have turned differently…
SR: Why did Bonham break up?
DM: Well, really I was the first to leave and was just replaced anyway. The band continued on, the later changes, how Ian Hatton came to leave I do not know, or for that matter as to how the break-up began…
SR: Were you asked to be a part of the Motherland project and what did you think of that album?
DM: Haven’t heard it so can’t really say, and no I was not asked anything about that release…
SR: Do you still keep in touch with your former bandmates and can you picture a Bonham reunion at some point in time?
DM: Talk with Ian now and again, have no clue what the other guy’s are up to. I wish them well though, as to a reunion, …I suppose anything is possible here, I believe Jason had said if the money was right, but then again, it still comes down to all the guy’s input here and how they feel about it – if there’s a market for us out there, do the fans want this? Who knows.
SR: How big of a part did drugs and alcohol play on your career?
DM: Oh I suppose we all go through our bout’s with this and that, but really who care’s, if you make it through alive, learn, and press on, continue to put out music you end up the winner in the end…I don’t believe anyone should be bashed for these setbacks, it happens in all walk’s of life, the good is still in you to give…
SR: What sort of expectations do you have regarding your new material?
DM: Be nice if it was received well, if it gets a chance at radio, some touring to get out there more, would be good as well, suppose it all depends on you listener’s, if the allowable space is given for me to keep on in this “man I gotta be crazy” business…
SR: What can we expect in the future from you?
DM: More tunez I’d say, and if all goes well to maybe see me out live, on TV, on radio, magazines, all media forms, videos even though I hate doing ’em…as Bruce would say “it’s a crap shoot Dan” and you know what? It is, but I’ll try and stay with the shoot…
Thanks to Daniel MacMaster