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Playing with Paul Stanley -
Imagine if you could grow up and play
with a real life Luke Skywalker?I did. When
I was a kid, I used to play with toys. Star
Wars figures, Hot Wheels cars, Legos, Silly
Putty and KISS dolls. I also used to listen
to records in my Grandma’s basement and
play air guitar to my favorite songs. I had a
real drum set and keyboard and my friends
and I would put on the lava light that we
bought at Spencer Gifts and rock out to
KISS records.
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We would gaze in the full length mirror
perfecting our rock moves all day and
night; we were kids having fun and we
loved it. What I didn’t realize (as I’m sure
no one else did), was that I was actually
preparing for a job that I would have later
in life. I was going to say a “dream job,”
but I ended up living it.
At 21, I moved to L.A. to pursue a career in
music. While spending time writing songs
and working on my own music (shameless
plug for my record … available on my
website), I got a call from a friend of mine
who worked at a management company.
He said there was a female artist
(Rebekah) there who needed “someone
like me” – a guy who could play keyboards,
guitar and sing like a lead singer.
As it turned out, I got the gig; ten years,
several world tours with various artists
(Michelle Branch, Cher, New Radicals,
just to name a few) and a hit international
T.V. show later, I got another call.
It was from Paul Stanley.
When I checked my voicemail that early
September day, I was shocked to hear
that smokey, distinctive voice. He had
left a message telling me that he had a
solo record coming out, and wanted to
talk to me (and the House Band) about
playing with him. I immediately called
my childhood friends and told them
about the call. Growing up in the South
Jersey/Philly area, rock n’ roll was our
upbringing. KISS, Bon Jovi, Cinderella,
etc. They were the soundtrack of our
high school days. When I finally spoke
with him, he was as cool and down to
earth as anyone I have ever met, let
alone someone who has sold around 80
million records.
After a few phone calls, Paul and his
manager, Doc McGhee, invited us to dinner.
It was over a meal that they offered
us a job to be Paul’s band for a monthlong
tour to promote Paul’s new record,
Live to Win.
The timing was such that there were
a few weeks left on the second season
of Rock Star. After the last show,
we only had a week before we had to
start learning KISS/Paul songs. It was
bit tight, but we learned about twenty
songs and started rehearsing right away.
One thing we quickly learned about
Paul is that he is an incredibly hard
worker. When we first started to play,
Paul Mirkovich (keyboards, vocals) said,
“Paul, you don’t need to sing with us
every time. We know all the singing is
in a really high register.” Paul Stanley
said, “This is what I do. If you play it,
I’m gonna sing it.” During rehearsals, he
was the first one there and the last one
to leave. You rarely see that in a singer,
especially one that has had the success
that he has. It was really great to see
someone that I admire live up to all the
expectations and surpass them.
It’s always an odd thing to play music
that you’ve heard on a record so many
times. You have to take something that
is so firmly established in your head
and play it live in a way that is true to
the original spirit, but also bring a fresh
look on it. At least that’s how I look at
it. To me, that was our job in rehearsal. I
wanted us to give the new songs a live
feel, and bring the same approach to
some of the older material.
One thing that was interesting was that
three of us played guitar. Though Paul
may be best known for being a charismatic
front man, he is also a great guitar
player. He does it so effortlessly that
you almost don’t even realize that he’s
playing. When we first got together, he
was showing us a lot of the guitar parts
for the songs. It’s crazy to think that he
wrote them. Having three guitar players
in a band gives you a lot of freedom and
confidence. You know that all the parts
from the record are being covered and
you can take some liberties to be musical
that way.
During the rehearsals, I also had one
of the coolest days of my musical life.
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“It’s always an odd thing to play music that you’ve
heard on a record so many times. You have to take something
that is so firmly established in your head and play
it live in a way that is true to the original spirit, but also
bring a fresh look on it.”
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About a week or two into it, I got a
call from my friend Chad Gilmore, who
plays drums for an artist named Marc
Broussard. He said that they were playing
the Roxy and asked me if I wanted
to sit in. I have played on Marc’s records
and done some touring with him in the
past, so knowing that I would be out of
rehearsal in time, I agreed. I went from
playing KISS and Paul Stanley songs on
guitar, to playing soulful pop songs on a
Wurlitzer (piano). To do that in the span
of ten hours was one of the best musical
days I could ever ask for. And one I
won’t forget anytime soon.
Of course, after all the rehearsals came
the live shows. Our first show with Paul
was in Atlanta, GA at a great theatre
called the Tabernacle. It has a huge old
pipe organ and a great rock n’ roll vibe.
Most first shows can be a bit troublesome.
During any show, a lot of things
can and will go wrong. Everything from
getting a good mix on stage, to just
plain remembering the songs and transitions
can be a challenge. But this one
went off without a hitch, and I think it
was the best opening show I have ever
been a part of.
Having a front man like Paul Stanley
gives you a lot of confidence. This guy
has been killing it for 30 years and
you know that he won’t be the one to
mess up. It was also very different for
us because there were no cameras
rolling. For the past two years, working
on Rock Star, every time we played a
song, we knew it was being filmed and
recorded. Every little note and nuance
is picked up. That can be stressful.
Working with Paul was a return to the
live roots that most of us are used to.
That made it fun.
Speaking of fun, one of the best things
about working with Paul is watching
how he commands an audience. He
literally has them eating out of the palm
of his hand. Most nights, people in the
crowd will yell out song names for him
to play. Sometimes he will acquiesce,
but we usually stick to the set. It is a
set that he created to have a flow – and
it works. However, one night in Portland
(or was it Seattle? I’m not really sure…)
there was a woman who would not
stop yelling out the title of a song that
we don’t normally play. After repeated
requests, Paul said, “How much did
you pay for your ticket?” She replied
“$45,” and he said, “You’ve gotta pay
at least $50 for requests.” She then
outstretched her arm with five dollars
in it. He went over to her, took the five
dollars and started to play the song she
asked for. With no accompaniment from
the band (as we hadn’t rehearsed it), he
played almost the whole song. When
he finished and the crowd calmed their
cheers, he said, “I’m keeping the five
bucks!” The place exploded with laughter
and we went on to the next song.
Though it was only a three and a half
week tour, it was one that I will always
remember. For a kid from Philadelphia
who used to fantasize about being a
rock star, this experience was very close
to a dream. Thanks, Paul for asking, “Can
Jimmy come out and play?”
Jim McGorman
jimmcgorman.com
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