RONNIE JAMES DIO (DIO, Ex-RAINBOW, ex-BLACK SABBATH)

2/19/01

By Brian Coles

RONNIE JAMES DIO has kept himself quite busy over the last year. Upon releasing his critically acclaimed return to full-on fantasy metal, Magica, last Spring, he embarked on a seemingly endless touring, with special guests ranging from UNIDA to YNGWIE MALMSTEEN to DORO! The latter part of 2000 saw Rhino Records release a CD retrospecting the best of the DIO band, called The Beast Of Dio.  In 2001 he continues touring in support of both the last studio album and the hits disc. He is currently gearing up for a tour with ARMORED SAINT and a reunited LYNCH MOB in support for North America, while also eyeing a double bill with ALICE COOPER in Europe in a few months. All this and he plans on working with former ELF guitarist/bandmate David Feinstein again and working on his sequel to the Hearing Aid project which gathers all star musicians to record material benefiting Children of the Night, a charity for abused children. Ronnie spoke to us about all this and more!

I really enjoyed speaking with you back when Magica was first released. I can't wait to talk about your feelings on it now, being that a year has passed. But before we get into that, explain how the Armored Saint/Lynch Mob tour got put together.

The last tour we did of course, was with Yngwie [Malmsteen]. And that was a really nice package. It worked from the putting people in the seats perspective to just being an interesting show. So we wanted to have something that was going to be at least close to that ilk so the same kind of presentation could be there and so again we can put as many people in the seats as possible...they tell me that's what it's all about from a business stand point anyway. I try not to deal with that but I guess I have to. We had some opportunity for some acts and it seemed like an interesting package. We had been touring a lot here in the States anyway, so it's nice to bring something different the last time your gonna be around...and we are playing places we haven't played before as well.  You know Armored Saint, who've been around for a long time of course and the Lynch Mob, they've got kind of a cult following, especially now that they have the original singer back in the band, so it should be an interesting package. In answer to your question Brian, things are proposed to you...here's some choices...people who are want to tour at the time and have a new record out etc. etc.  And those seemed to be the best choices out there.

Now Rhino released a "best of" collection a few months ago. Was that something you had heavy involvement in?

You know, it was something I never really thought about. I've never been one to very retrospective. I don't really listen to a lot of the things I've done before. Therefore, it's not something that's in my mind...I'm always trying to think forward to the new album we have to do...the tour we have to do...whatever project comes up, so I really don't have time to think about that. But when it was proposed, we were contacted...they said they'd like to do this, there's never been a greatest hits album from Dio, is it okay if we do one. Knowing they do a good job, we said sure. So we had minimal control. We could have had all the control we wanted. One thing they did say to us was, "Is this okay to put this track on it? Would you prefer a different track?" So they were real nice about it.

Yes, it's a killer collection. I can't imagine how hard it would be to narrow the best tracks down to one disc. I know I couldn't. Now will the new tour focus more on the best of disc? Will Magica get less playing time? Or will it be a bit of both?

For us it will be the same as it always is. Magica was the piece upon which we embarked for this year...and even more really. You know, it's the centerpiece of what we do at the moment. It's gonna be hard on the next tour, unless the album is a blockbuster it will make it easy. But if there's not another Magica it makes it hard because then you divide things up between greatest hits and Magica, which is what we do now. But we'll continue to do Magica because it's the flag under which we're touring. It's a piece we are very proud of and we think it's helped us gain some more notoriety anyway. For those reasons we certainly will do it. Next year of course, we'll trim it down. I don't think we are gonna bludgeon people with it for another year. In this particular case, our show is what you suggested anyway Brian. It really is Magica and greatest hits. 

Now I've been reading about all these projects and potential projects you're involved in.  Now how is the Hearing Aid 2 coming along?

Well, again because of time problems, we haven't been able to go and attack it the way you have to...you know, head on until it's finished. I really didn't expect we would be touring again for this long of a period of time...because we are not only doing the American tour, but I have to go to Japan at the end of this tour and do 2 shows with DEEP PURPLE. Then I come back I think I have one day and then we go to South America where we haven't been this year...I was there with Purple, but not with Dio [The band]. Then we do a tour with ALICE COOPER in EUROPE that starts at the beginning of April and lasts all the way through June which I am not too happyabout...it's gonna be a long one (laughs). But your silly if you're doing well and you don't take the opportunity that's there.

Regarding the Angry Machines tour, you've said that fans would discuss the album with you and you sensed they weren't as receptive to it as you'd hoped. How have they responded to Magica?

Absolutely wonderfully. Just incredible....because it's the kind of music they wanted to hear again. Also, I think they wanted to hear it with some of the people that are playing in this band again...with Jimmy [Bain], with Craig [Goldy] and of course Simon [Wright] is always great. I think early on your feelings are, well, we want to do the whole piece because that's what we feel that it is...it's a concept album. To break it up is really destroying what we've set out to do. We really want to do the whole piece, so the consternation there is, is how is it going to be received. There's gonna 55 minutes of music [from Magica]...and a lot of it had never been heard before. The album had been released probably on the day we began the tour. So you're out there doing things, and to watch the slack jaws when your finished and it feels great. You expect to hear a roar and people are going "What the Hell was that?" I think they do that because they are stunned we had just gone and done all that. I think the beauty of the piece is that if you didn't hear it before, it's so Dio-ish, I think you say to yourself "What album is that from?" For that reason the reaction was always good. Now once the album got to be heard and the people that came there had had it in there hands, it was even much better than that. The reaction was one of familiarity which is really nice.

I know this is a long ways down the road, but being that Magica is a concept album and you've been presenting it as a whole, for the most part, will it be represented on the next studio album tour, or will you break it up and allow, say, "Fever Dreams" and a couple other tracks in there?

Of course we will. There is always a couple strong things in there that we could always do and "Fever Dreams" is certainly one of them and there are a few others. That will just re-familiarize people with songs from that album...as we always do. You know, when we do "Holy Diver" we re-familiarize them with that particular album.  So we will continue to do it, yes.

I know you've been ask this a million times, but there was some talk of you working with David Feinstein again. Is that something that is still out there waiting to see what can be done?

Exactly. That's another one of those "When is there going to be time to do these things?" I mean, my first consideration always has to be Dio. Because these are the people that not only do I owe my present allegiance to, but they have to eat as well. Work is wonderful and I love playing with them, so that has to be my first concern. So when there is time for it we''ll do it. I spoke to Dave about 2 days ago as a matter of fact. We're still "all go" for it. He's writing furiously but he has the time to do it fortunately. 

In fact, when I heard is One Night In The Jungle album, I thought, man, there's some Dio-ish riffing on there!

That's right. Well, when he came here. When we first decided to put it together, we started to talk about how we wanted to do things. He played some things for me and they were very reminiscent of older ELF things...a little bit honky tonk and blues oriented. And then of course, I am not that person anymore. It's hard for me to regress to being that. Although, that was a fun time and some of the songs we did were fun to do because I got a chance to play them and not just sing them. I think that I've either matured or metamorphed into something else and that is a lot darker side, with more riff kind of writing...the RAINBOW, SABBATH, DIO kinda stuff.  And I think was what I told "Rock" [David Feinstein]. "I like your stuff but we need to make it a bit darker because this band, that's what we are gonna be known for. Just to color it a little bit more." Some things on the Jungle CD that he did are kinda Elf-y. The intent is still there. It's just a really hard process because you're dealing with this real anachronistic thing that you're trying to drag back into the modern world, so where does it find its place? You know, you can't be what you were, but yet you can't be too much of what you are because then ELF doesn't become ELF anymore. But we'll figure it out. 

I know recently you've mentioned that the follow-up to Magica would be more straight ahead to balance out the fact that Magica was so vast and intricate. Have you begun writing for the new album at all?

Well, I've done a little bit. Jimmy's done a little bit. Craig's done a little bit. But [we haven't written] the way we really work, which is to get together and sift through all the ideas and use the good things and throw out the bad and then create some more things. I think we've all just dabbled a little bit. But we're pretty much of the same ilk...it gets presented to everyone and especially until it gets presented to me...non one's gonna go "Here's a song." We're not quite that kind of band. I am a lot more introspective about the songs. I really examine them very closely...and because having done this for so long with this band and having kind of created what this band is all about, I think I know what's right and wrong for it. So they'll just wait and say, "Hey I've got this...what do you think?" Most of the time we'll go "Great! Now where will we take it?" Anyway, little bits and pieces of writing but nothing concrete yet.

In Europe there has been a surge of power metal bands over the last few years. Most, if not all have been significantly influenced by RAINBOW and the like. What is your take on the new bands? I for one, don't hear the same soulfulness as the earlier bands. Some of the power metal bands are good though.

Well, I'm kinda like you. Some of it's okay and some of it has no soul. European metal, most of the time, unless it's done by the English, won't have any soul anyway. German metal has no soul whatsoever. It's just shouting about  [makes growling noise] whatever it may be.  When you've been so influenced by bands like RAINBOW or even METALLICA and combinations of things, you're not creating...not really stepping forward and trying to so something with the product that you have. And you know, they haven't been brought up with R & B like people in America have, or the English who love it. And because [The Germans] are very thoughtful and meticulous over there, then that's what you are going to get. And it's a language thing. Even though they speak it a lot better than before, it's a language thing. You know, slang is important in American language and English language. We don't understand their slang so they have to sing in English and they don't quite get it. And then there's the Scorpions...I love the Scorpions. They are so charming. I know that seems to be a strange word to put to a metal band, but they are. And what they do, they do really well. There's sort of a charming innocence. They aren't forceful. They don't kick you in the balls. They say, "We love this music and isn't it happy what we're playing and aren't you happy?" And then there's some others that well, we don't need to go into them all. And then you take Italian rock...again...a real reach to be RAINBOW, because of their romantic solos. And they sing very well of course. But there's a drastic English problem there too. So they're copying certain things. Those are kind of my feelings on what goes on there. But like you said, some is good, some is bad. But isn't that how everything is...there's a good apple and a bad apple.

One thing you haven't done for awhile is release a live performance video. Would you consider doing that again?

Of course I would. Absolutely. It's a different game than it was before. You know, all the years we were at Warner Bros. churning out all these videos, there's was this big machine in place that didn't seem to care how much money they spent. Then you get to the point when you're with an independent label and what are you going to spend that money for? There are some more important things to spend the money on first. And if it does well, then you spend it on other things and if not, then you spend your own money. I still have plans to present Magica, at some point, for a DVD...like a live stage presentation, with props...the best of both worlds. You know, it's a matter of time. It has to be done after this tour. We couldn't let it wait any longer because it would be a dead issue by then. So that's always been the plan, but then again you're not dealing with a giant conglomerate who'll just go, "Sure, here ya go!" But because of the touring we've done and the time considerations, it's been a problem. 

I imagine, with your writing capacities and style, you'd do well putting together a whole soundtrack for a movie. Would you ever consider doing something like that?

Absolutely. I really think doing this last album really cemented that in place. That's something that Craig and I would be good at, because Craig and I did all of the last album...you know, all the orchestrated parts and theme parts and things like that. And we found out how good we were at it. I'd love to collaborate with Craig on something like that. It is something I'd like to do. But once again, we're talking about time constraints. When you've got a job...and we've got a job...our job is to play...you know, you put and album and tour and unfortunately all those [other] things kind of go by the wayside. If you're gonna do a soundtrack, you can't just do it between tours. So it's either something you decide you are going to do and not do anything else...but at this point I am not ready to do that.

Okay, now what about your biography?

Still pending. But once again, it's a matter of time. It's unbelievable (laughs), I wish had done a lot of this when I was a lot younger. 

It must be a great feeling to be so busy though.

Well it's good to know that you have things to do. You at least feel wanted. When you feel wanted you want to be more productive. So it's been great. I just wish I could stretch out and do more things. And when you're dealing with individuals they too have their own private concerns. Our guitar player is married to a Danish girl. He goes there [Denmark]. She's hasn't moved here. He's got to deal with all the legalize of it all. So I try to be as understanding as I can about that.  He's always at our beck and call when we need him, but there are some things I have to give him leeway for. And that's the same with everybody in the band. It's not just a matter of black and white unfortunately. I think a lot of people think, "Oh, they can do that, then they can do this." 

In the last few years we've seen a thinning of mass mediated coverage of metal music in America.  My concern is that this most recent generation won't have a link to the metal heritage and metal in general will be endangered in the years to come. Do you think that is a realistic concern?

You know, I think that there is probably an answer on television for that one.  The answer is there has been a program called "Jazz". It's about 12 episodes and it finished last night. Absolutely fascinating. You know, jazz started probably in 1920 or 1912 or something like that and with Louie Armstrong who was The Man...and always will be. He's the man who taught instrumentalists how to play right down to guitar players now...and singers how to sing...every singer that there is. Without Louie doing it, there wouldn't have ever been anybody else. Louie was like God. He should be one of the most important men because he did that. But as you watch the program you see the rise and the fall. And you see the music starting to go into a different direction. Jazz does because it gets bludgeoned by rock 'n' roll. Rock 'n' roll comes in and just goes "WALLOP!" and stamps on top of it. But jazz lingers on. It is still played but in different forms...you know, from people playing fusion to going back to playing jazz again. So you know, it will always be there. But your concern is a good one because if you're not subjected to the game, you don't wanna play soccer. You wanna play football and baseball. In England, you don't wanna play baseball. You don't wanna play football. Unless you're subjected to it and unless it surrounds you a lot then you're not gonna be influenced by it. It seems to me the way the music is going now...it seems rock is gonna go the jazz way...not quite as bad...because there is still too much naturalness in it and it's a much more oral kind of art than jazz was. You know, jazz had Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and a few other great singers. But until it had an oral medium then you didn't have someone like Frank Sinatra break off and have to be a part of a jazz band. And it was just an individual. And that's what happened. Singers became singers. Then in rock bands, guitar players became guitar players and everything got broken up. There still is a lot more opportunity to hear the music than there ever was when jazz was king and rock hadn't started yet. So I don't think I'd be too concerned. I just don't think it will ever be as massive as it ever was before.  I think there is enough people out there. There is enough people like you and a lot of people that are always gonna be metalheads who are gonna tell somebody about their music.  If it ever gets to a point where all the metalheads are suddenly squeezed into one tiny little place and there are only three of them...and everyone around them gets sick and tired of the music they've been hearing for the last 20 years, someone will go "That's great!"

A big thanks to Ronnie James Dio for taking the time to do this. It was a blast!
- Brian Coles -