The Editor's Desk

By Dean Blinkhorn

Alvin Ross is a storyteller at heart. Every time we asked him about a picture on the wall, we were gleefully treated to a typically extended narrative about all the details behind his association with some of the biggest musicians and recording artists of the last 30 or 40 years.

The one of him standing with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS in full makeup? (Of course them not him!) Well, he helped manage one of the band’s early tours to Japan while they were still establishing their hard rock credibility and working out their now-legendary stage antics. And the jacket he’s wearing? Specifically made for him for that tour.

The framed signed letter from Stan Lee, the creator of all those Marvel superheroes—the Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man, etc.—that we’ve grown up with both onscreen and in print? “We’re pretty good friends,” Alvin says without pretense. He then launches into a remembrance of how the two worked together to bring KISS’s comic book to life. The two men stayed in touch well after that one project.

And what’s up with Megadeth, the lone metal band in a sea of Georgiabased alternative and rock acts? Well, by then Alvin hadshifted his business from PR to merchandising sales and he and his business partner had won the lucrative contract for this new group that had been formed in the shadow of the even-bigger Metallica. His partner called from the road just a few days into the tour, Alvin remembers, and he kept shouting numbers from an early cell phone. Reception wasn’t great. Finally, Alvin figured out that the demand for shirts and posters and programs with the now-infamous Megadeth logo was so strong that they’d sold all their stock. Thankfully, an off day on the tour allowed them to rush a bigger order to keep up with the demand, and—more important—their contract!

What about the one with Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the worldwide Virgin records and airline empire? “Oh, we met on his houseboat,” Alvin casually remembers. “He wanted to buy our merchandising company, but his offer was too low. I turned and left until his assistant ran out to get me so we could work something out. He ended up being a really nice guy.” As a magazine editor, I’m a sucker for a good story and Alvin had them to spare. And as a big-time music fan, I love hearing behind-the-scenes information from the people who lived it. I could never pass up an episode of “Behind The Music” or “Pop-Up Videos” and I certainly wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity to listen to Alvin’s great stories, so I volunteered to ride shotgun on JoAnn’s assignment under the pretense of taking pictures just so I could hear what he had to say.

Check out the Good Start item in the pages to come and be sure to browse our Plan Ahead pages in the next few issues for Alvin’s next music-related lectures at nearby venues. You won’t be disappointed

All the best, Dean

Everyone who knows me well is aware that I love music of all kinds, so...

What’s Dean Playing?

(Alvin Ross Edition)

KISS, “Love Gun”—From the iconic cover to the 10 tracks that cemented their hard rock reputation, this is one of the band’s best albums. Check out “Christine Sixteen,” the title cut, and Ace Frehley’s killer “Shock Me,” his vocal debut.

The Black Crowes, “Shake Your Money Maker”—In a year of hair metal and manufactured pop, somehow this Southern rock masterpiece found its way into a lot of CD players. “Hard To Handle,” “Jealous Again,” and “Twice As Hard” are frenetic rockers, but perhaps the best cut of all is the ballad, “She Talks To Angels.”

David Lee Roth, “Skyscraper”— The Van Halen singer’s full-length follow-up once again featured Steve Vai on guitar. His sonic embellishments spice up the whole album, including favorites like “Just Like Paradise” and “Stand Up.”