ROXX GANG AND THE RETURN OF THE VOODOO YOU LOVE

Interview

by Ken Morton

Perris Records recently reissued The Voodoo You Love by the almighy Roxx Gang, features a bonus track Magic Carpet Ride The Voodoo You Love would be their much anticipated followup to their major label debut Things You’ve Never Done Before - and it would be originally released in 1995 and become a best seller for Perris Records. Times were changing along with the musical landscape, but Roxx Gang founding member Kevin Steele would keep the rock and roll dream alive with The Voodoo You Love as well as with his other band The Mojo Gurus. Highwire Daze recently interviewed Kevin Steele to go behind the scenes of The Voodoo You Love, their collaboration with Perris Records, an update on The Mojo Gurus, and other rock and rage topics! Read on...

How did your collaboration with Perris Records and the re-release of The Voodoo You Love come about? Our collaboration with Perris Records goes back to the original release of The Voodoo You Love. After the release of our first record, Things You’ve Never Done Before, we negotiated our release from Virgin Records

March/April 2023 HIGHWIRE DAZE because we felt that we weren’t promoted properly. We recorded The Voodoo You Love but because of the rising popularity of Grunge Rock it didn’t find a home till several years later at Perris Records.

Back in the day, did Roxx Gang and Cherry St. (featuring Perris Records’ founder Tom Mathers) ever do any shows together?

No, we didn’t. Too bad, it would have been a fun tour!

What was the state of Roxx Gang and the music scene when The Voodoo You Love was initially released? Grunge was at its height. Radio programming changed overnight and a lot of the big rock clubs were closing. It was a dark time for us that resulted in a complete lineup changes. Stacey Blades (LA Guns) joined the band, but he and the band pictured on the Voodoo album cover only played on two of the songs. The rest were recorded by the original Things lineup. Still we forged on!

What was it like working with Carl Canedy of The Rods on the production of this album, and have you kept in touch with him over the years?

Carl not only co-produced most of the album with the band but he had previously produced our full length demo album, Love ‘Em And Leave ‘Em which along with our live show got us signed to Virgin Records.

Carl was responsible for taking a raw and unruly young band that he saw a lot of potential in and whipping us into a professional recording act. Frankly, we had a little falling out with Carl after the Voodoo sessions but we have since rekindled our friendship.

Select two songs from The Voodoo You Love and what was the inspiration behind the lyrics. Daddy’s Farm and Hot For Love are two of my favorites. Daddy’s Farm is a song about too much too soon. A boy leaves his simple life in the country for the bright lights and big city only to find he’s bitten off more than he can chew and finds himself longing for home. The inspiration for Hot For Love was the many girls we met on the road, all looking for a good time at any cost.

Where did the bonus track Magic Carpet Ride come from? What is the background behind that particular song?

It was an outtake from the Voodoo sessions. At the time we felt it didn’t get a proper mix and that was the rea- son for its exclusion. But it’s a great song, great lyrics. Magic, opium trails and beautiful harem girls are the theme.

How much touring did you do in support of The Voodoo You Love?

As much as we could without the support of a major label. We toured the southeast and the northeast.

When you look back on the Things You’ve Never Done Before album in 1988, what do you think of it now in retrospect?

It’s a great album, but a couple of the songs were a little too ‘metal” for my taste. By the time we recorded Voodoo my songwriting had advanced to the point where I was contributing most of the music as well as the lyrics and melodies. I always wanted a rock-n-roll band as opposed to a metal band and I think that was achieved on Voodoo. It’s my favorite Roxx Gang record.

What was it like to be on a major label for the first album?

It was great, big budgets, big name producer (Beau Hill – Ratt, Alice Cooper, Kix), big name video director (Nigel Dick – Gun’s & Roses), tour support, etc. but as Virgin’s first hard rock signing there was a lot left to be desired in the marketing and promotion of the band.

Is there any new Roxx Gang music on the horizon? No, just a reissue of Things You’ve Never Done Before later this year on Steele Records that will include not only the original recording but also demos of each song and the No Easy Way Out and Scratch My Back videos.

Is your other band The Mojo Gurus still active and how did that band differ from Roxx Gang?

The Gurus are on permanent vacation. They differ quite a bit from Roxx Gang Roxx Gang was glam rock-n-roll band and in my opinion that is a young mans’ game. Or at least it should be. As I grew older and my musical tastes matured I started to explore the roots of rock-n-roll: blues, rhythm and blues, rockabilly, and old school country. I tried to encapsulate all of these elements in the Mojo Gurus

The Mojo Gurus did a show supporting Joe Perry. What was that experience like and did you get to meet and hang out with him?

First let me say, as a teenager Aerosmith was one of the altars at which I worshipped. My expectations and excitement were high for this gig. Having said that, it was a nightmare. Joe left us about two feet of stage in front of his drum riser and he had the biggest pedal board I’ve ever seen which took up even more of the stage. The group was tight but they were no Aerosmith And no, Mr. Perry did not hang. www.facebook.com/RoxxGang www.facebook.com/KSteeleRoxxGang

Any messages for Roxx Gang fans who are reading this now?

Thank you, for all of your support over the years. Whatever success we’ve enjoyed, we owe it all to you! Keep on rockin’ and don’t let anybody tell you what kind of music you should be listening to. Trust your own taste.