Only Child. Our first encounter was in 2012 when he recorded and produced the 1st Chasing Violets album. I think his heart is really in LA. You could always find him around the LA Hollywood scene when anything musical was happening. After a couple of albums in the 80’s, he left journalism and started his AOR all-star project in 2000. Of course, he was always a guitar player but now he’s in charge of recording and producing his albums along with so many great players and friends he made when he was writing about them as a journalist. When AOR started in 2000, he became unstoppable, churning out album after album and creating a huge fan base. To you, what are some of the highlights on the AOR - The Best of Paul Sabu album? Many others artists along with myself have been singing Frederic’s songs for several years now, but I honestly hadn’t realized we recorded so many great songs together. After his 20th AOR album, The Ghost Of L.A., he surprised me with this compilation. I had my first listen and couldn’t believe how much I loved it. It triggered so many great memories together as I listened to it. I always had great respect for his work but have to say some of his later songs he wrote during the time (when the world was falling apart) are among my favorites… 18 And Available, Wisdom of Eve, and Girl in the News to name a few. What was it like working on the Kidd Glove project with Motown Records? Well let me ask you… Who would have ever imaged Motown Records adding a rock division… It was just down right strange. I’ll give you some highlights but it happens that Rock Candy Records UK has just reissued 4 of my albums. I was blown away when I heard them because they were not remastered but mastered from the original tapes that I had in storage. But the Kidd Glove in particular has about a 1000 word essay on all the goings on. Lots of stories and pretty cool details. In a few words that kinda sets the mood: It was the first time anyone at the studio ever saw a Marshall Amp and why was this white guy singing at Motown. No one was unfriendly… just in shock. I don’t think anyone got the memo that a rock division “Morrocco Records” had been added to the label. Only Child is considered one of the most underrated AOR albums of all time. What do you think of that album in retrospect and why was there no second Only Child album? I think our ratings were OK… Only Child still is the highest rated album in Kerrang and a top 20 albums of all time. Not saying I believe my own press but it really boils down to the luck of the draw. Who knew we would get signed and the president of the label would leave a month later? In the late 80’s the fall of the music industry began. The teams that aided in promotion, touring, etc. were so important and your assigned representative at the label was the lifeline between you and everything involving the success of your album via HIGHWIRE DAZE
April/May 2021
the label just disappeared. And it wasn’t just us! There was never an OC II because the chaos of the music industry along with steaming truckloads of drama made it way too hard to keep the band together. Your whole mindset had to change from this point on if you loved music enough to stay in it. In addition to your solo work, Kidd Glove and Only Child, you have had some amazing production credits. Tell me about the Dance project you did with the legendary David Bowie and what was it like working with him? He was a soft spoken highly educated polite class act. Not anything like you might expect. There were several discussions with him on the phone explaining the process and how we would go about it. It wasn’t common knowledge that 12 inch singles were highly influential for sales and radio play with DJ’s. I began the project and was knee deep in it… But there was one time when the day started out normal. Began redoing some keys and guitars parts completely oblivious to my surroundings… reached over to grab my coffee and almost yelped… no idea Mr. Bowie had come in and was sitting behind me for the last hour. When I turned around, he just said “this is fascinating…I had no idea…is it OK that I’m here?”. I laughed and stopped everything so I could get some face time in especially since it was the first time actually meeting him. I introduced myself and had an amazing story telling experience. It was a double shocker since I was told that he rarely visits mixing sessions. Actually, he came down on 2 other occasions… No entourage and never any criticism. I was not use to that at all. Many artists would stop in with so many ridiculous questions and answers before I even got started. It got to the point where I actually started charging $1000 more if the artist was present… The worst part about that was, the labels started paying it… But these particular 47
