Rewind with Jamie Rowe, 7/22/04

 

REWIND WITH…

London Calling’s Jamie Rowe

We first did 20 Questions with Jamie Rowe back on May 16, 2000. It’s 4 years later
(2004 – 2000 = 4) and a lot has happened to Jamie since then. Well, actually, we don’t really know that, we’re just assuming in the last 4 years he had some shit going on. One thing we do know he had going on is his band London Calling, who just so happens to have a song on that new Metal Sludge CD that’s taking over radio! Anyway, Jamie is always a good sport and knows how to hang just as good as anybody. Enjoy!

1. What are you currently up to?
London Calling!!! Our cd “You’re So Lucky” is available through Atenzia Records in Europe and we will release it here very shortly. It’s a re-release of The New Sensation with some new songs added and some songs dropped. www.thelondoncalling.com will have ordering info soon. I also have a solo record available that I talk about later in the rewind. Other than giving London Calling most of my time..I have also been doing alot of session work- I just did some work for Fox 6 in Milwaukee and UPN 45 in Phoenix, my final Adriangale cd, sang on the Liberty n Justice project, co-produced a few tracks for my brother. Plus I sing at my Church alot. I’ve been blessed to stay busy…keep it coming!
Oh yeah..thanks Sludge for the great review of The New Sensation..it was appreciated!

2. Of course, London Calling has a song called ?Chasing The Satellites? on our CD, ?Hey, That?s What I Call Sludge? that?s out now. Tell us about that song, how it came to be, and how great our CD is.
I am pretty stoked you asked us to be on the disc..thanks much! As far as the track goes..it’s a bit different than the rest of our material and we weren’t sure it would fit on our disc..then Sludge came along and presto..gave it new life! It started as a song that Jon brought in and it was slower and a quite a bit different…we just toyed with it in practice enough to where we were all feeling it..the chorus had about 5 different versions to chose from…Both Jon and Derek like to jam things out so the outro was a total blast for them. Lyrically, the song means absolutely nothing..but there are a couple subtle thoughts thrown in for good measure. I have no idea what Chasing The Satellites means..it just sang well.

3. We heard that you recently visited Russia. What the daylights were you doing over there and why would you visit the one place in the world more depressing in the winter than Indiana?
I was getting a mail order bride for Floyd!
I have a solo disc out now that is in Spanish and English called “Songs For Heaven and Earth /Dios De Amor” and since It’s in Spanish and English, it made perfect sense to go to Russia in the middle of Winter and shoot music videos!!
Actually, the Latin label found a really great video production company that did strong work for a fraction of the cost. We shot 4 videos and they are included on the DVD that goes with the album. Russia was an awesome place to get to go..my wife and I had a blast! The people were inspiring.

4. You’re releasing a solo album in which 1/2 of the songs are sung in Spanish, yet your Web site claims that you don’t speak Spanish at all. How can you sing 10 tracks in Spanish without speaking one lick of the language? How do you know you’re not really singing lines which literally translate into English as “steal money from your mom’s purse” and “drink goat’s blood ’cause it’s tasty?”
I have a rather large Spanish speaking audience becuase of Guardian’s success down there. I do the records phonetically with help from a few GREAT Mexican transplant living in Nashville. I trust them fully for the translations…so far so good. BTW- the album/dvd is available at www.jamierowe.com and if you have cash left after sludgendise..maybe you could check it out. It is a Christian themed cd..It’s not preachy…that’s not my stlye..it’s more about confessing my spiritual weakness and need for Christ. There’s some humor in there too…I have a song about people who cover their car with Jesus bumper stickers that’s pretty fun in a tounge in cheek way. It’s more pop/acoustic based stylistically..Bon Jovi’s solo stuff maybe. It’s Spanish and English with 4 music videos and a video biography on the DVD.

5. Rate the following singers on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being someone who’d get thrown out of a karaoke bar for sucking so bad and 10 being worthy of joining a choir of Archangels:
Jizzy Pearl = 8 based on the “Blackout In The Red Room” disc which was great back in the day.
Bret Michaels = 5 for voice..but it’s not about the voice. 10 for the complete deal as an 80’s rock frontman.
Jeff Keith = 8..I got compared to him alot back in the day..Funny, I never really was a big fan..but he’s got a strong voice.
Kevin DuBrow = 7.. it’s not my particular favorite vibe..but can you imagine any of those classic QR songs with another singer?
Stephen Pearcy = 5 for actual voice..but again, it was very unique and you knew who it was the moment he sang.
Dee Snider = 8…Once again..not my particular brand..but I can tell he knows how to sing and he has power behind it.
Donnie Vie = 8 I always liked Donnie’s vocals and songs. Send a prayer up for Ricky.
Michael Sweet = 8..I love Michael and he’s great. He’s been singing a bit differently lately too which is cool.
Doug Pinnick = 10..Doug is an awesome vocalist! He came to a Guardian show and hung out and was a very cool dude. I know he’s been through some valleys in his life and I think he lets that show in his voice.
Paul Stanley = 9 check out the power his voice still has after all these years of touring. (BTW + Name Drop – Gene Simmons was interested in London Calling… He was intimidating over the phone but was way cool to us in person.)

6. What time did you wake up today, and would you kindly describe the first 3 hours of your day to us?
Well today is Saturday and I just returned home from Spokane, Wa….. I woke up around 8 when the kids jumped on me…I spent some time showing them some television footage of me on the local news in Spokane…(London Calling’s “SONG ABOUT NOTHING” is used for the NBC affiliates American Idol type show “GIMME THE MIKE” the song has gotten popular just from their commercials) ..checked my e-mail…found this rewind among other thingys…took my two daughters to Subway for breakfast…came back home and here I am answering this question.

7. Ok, what are your thoughts on the ?Passions Of The Christ?? Is it anti-Semitic, totally true, or just a bunch of hype?
I thought it was great…obviously there was some “Hollywood” along the way..but for the most part, right on. As a Christian I was moved and was very happy to see the story on the silver screen. I don’t feel it was anti-Semitic…I don’t understand why some people have that whole..”the Jews Killed Jesus” thing going on..to me, we all killed Jesus….and through His sacrifice..we can have Salvation. I mean “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son”..the word is GAVE..not “they took”
My favorite part of the film was actually at the end when it showed him walking out of the tomb..I about lost it. Christ rising from the dead…This is very real for me. I do believe!

8. Which do you prefer and why?
Genesis or Exodus = The bands? I used to have Bonded By Blood..so I’ll go with Exodus.
Touched By an Angel or Highway to Heaven = Highway to Heaven because in one of our first photoshoots for London Calling..Matthew our bassist unintentionally has the same hairstyle!
Whitecross or Barren Cross = Whitecross because I knew those guys better.
Individual glasses or a communal chalice = I have never drank out of an individual glass…I always imbibe from the communal chalice…usually rasing it to the air while shouting in a MANOWAR approved howl..”This pleases me”
The Earls or The Kung-Pow Fugitives = Wow you guys are good! I’ll pick KPF..EMI bought the name and concept and shelved it..bummer..cool name though I thought.
Tony Palacios or Eddie Campbell = Eddie’s really good…but Tony is a more diverse player.
Men At Work or Duran Duran = DURAN DURAN RULE!!!! One of my all time favorites.
“One Of Us” by Joan Osborne or “All You Zombies” by the Hooters = I love both of these songs…I wanted to cover “All You Zombies” once upon a time.
Mohammed or Buddha = The Risen Christ
Ratt or L.A. Guns = Ratt

9. Among the following, which would you say is the most momentous event in your life:
a) Doing 20 Questions with us, posted May 16, 2000
b) Having “7-Eleven Isn’t Too Far Away” voted as the best song of the year in our 2001 Sludgeaholic Choice Awards, January, 2002
c) Meeting Jim Bob Dwarf in person at the MSX show in Battle Creek, Michigan, June 29, 2003
d) Performing at our Metal Sludge Extravaganza 7 at Billy Morris’ club in Cleveland, December 27, 2003
e) Having a London Calling track appear on the inaugural Metal Sludge compilation CD, released May 11, 2004
You have asked the question that can’t be answered by one choice. It’s a BOX SET…The combination of all of the above equals not only the most momentous event of my life…but also the lives of all others.

10. Yes or No, has Jamie Rowe ever:
Used a racial slur = I did at a public swimming pool when I was 10 and was promptly beat to a pulp by the other party.
Killed ants with a magnifying glass = Yes..and a few Uncles!
Snorted a line of blow = Never… and since I am allergic to most every kind of drug you can imagine..I would be a prime candidate for a Len Bias experience.
Read one of those “Left Behind” books = I have never read one..My wife has and loves them..but I did do a track for the LEFT BEHIND cd they were putting out a few years ago..the project got shelved..but the Authors really liked my song. It was me and Stacie Orrico producer Mooki. doing total 70’s skating rink style funk.
Flipped off a Jehovah’s Witness = No, but I flipped off a diving board.
Drawn a pentagram = Yes, I was into Motley Crue when I was a kid. It’s required to draw a logo on your notebook of your favorite bands during study hall.
Paid for a lap dance = I have never been offered one. The closest I have ever gotten was yesterday on DELTA when a lady slid out of my aisle to use the restroom when I was in the middle seat in coach class.
Made the ‘metal horns’ sign on stage = Yes…to me it’s the metal and “RAWK” sign..I took a pic one time with a Guardian fan..and I was doing it in the picture and I got “concerned” e-mail afterwards..lol.
Considered a personal trainer = Considered? Yes…Followed up..No. That’s what Extreme Makeover is for anyway.
Witnessed a miracle = Yes, I saw a certain Geocities website transform into one of the most popular websites around.
But to be serious..Seeing my children born qualified to me. Have I ever personally witnessed a hand grow back or something? No. Do I believe God performs miracles today..yes. Life itself is a miracle.

11. Who’s the most overrated band today and why?
I’m not into Thursday like every self appointed hipster in the world. I’ll put them on the list. It’s pretty hookless to me..but I know lots that like em…maybe it’s just me.
I would love for London Calling to be considered the most overrated band today..that would mean most people have heard us!

12. Just to be dicks?..
The Bible says homosexuality is a sin, along with a list of other things called the 10 Commandments, blah blah blah, and we know all that stuff. But it also says:
Deuteronomy, 18-21: Says it?s ok to stone to death stubborn and rebellious sons
Exodus 21, Verse 7: It?s okay to sell your daughter into slavery
Exodus 35, Verse 2: Anybody who works on the Sabbath should be put to death.
Ezekiel 22, Verse 14: Says a man should not go near a women when she is on her period.

Granted, that last one might be true but how is it that people pick and choose what parts of the Bible they want to believe? If you believe in the Bible, shouldn?t you believe in all of it and not just some of it, because if you do believe, then shouldn?t we be stoning rebellious kids and killing people who work on the Sabbath? Explain.
Ya know..those are valid questions and I’ll have to admit..I am not as soaked in the Old Testament as I probably should be…But my first response would be..I would think alot of those were Levitical Law and as a believer in Jesus, I believe the law was fulfilled through Him.
I do think you need to absorb the entire Bible and not just parts of it. It’s meant to be read as one cohesive work. You have made me want to dig in a find the answers for myself. I don’t wanna give you a pat answer just to answer..Wars are started over this kind of stuff.

13. On that note, isn?t it safe to say that those teens movies from the 80s like St. Elmo?s Fire, Valley Girl, and Breakfast Club actually suck?
Nah..anything from the Molly Ringwald era is pure nostalgic love to me. It wasn’t about the art..it was about the time.

14. You?ve heard our ?Hey, That?s What I Call Sludge? CD by now. What are some of your other favorite tracks on the CD?
I really really like the Wildhearts track..I liked all the more punky/pop influenced tracks like Lit, BFS, Jizzy, 40FT, Billy M. and Gloryhole U.K…But my favorite track is the one I don’t play when my kids are around..Death To All But Metal. I’ll give it an R-Rating, but If you don’t laugh..you just wanna be miserable.

15. Which would you rather have happen (and you have to pick one):
a) While on a transatlantic flight, the plane on which you’re traveling inexplicably loses altitude and crashes into the ocean. Everyone but you is instantly killed on impact. You survive not only the initial crash, but somehow manage to stay alive by hanging on to buoyant pieces of wreckage, drifting about the crash area while waiting for a rescue team. Unfortunately, a strong current sweeps you far, far away from the plane’s black box and GPS tracking devices, and you’re hopelessly lost in the middle of the Atlantic. You begin to realize that without food or potable water, you will surely perish. Suddenly from the ocean’s depths, a giant Sperm whale swims up to the surface and swallows you in one gulp. You don’t die a slow death from digestive acids; rather, you remain inside the whale’s stomach for three days and three nights, keeping yourself alive by feeding off the other contents of the whale’s stomach. At the beginning of the fourth day, the whale swims to the shore of France, where it vomits you on the beach, then swims back to the waters’ depths. After being spotted by topless French sunbathers, you are rescued by local paramedics, and though you are nearly dead (and covered with a nasty fish-smell that will take months to get rid of), you do eventually recover and return home, physically OK but emotionally scarred for life;
- OR -
b) Without forewarning or any explanation, your brother Mick announces his conversion to Judaism.
Well, since the first part has already happened to me twice in the past few years and I HAVE to chose one…
I’ll chose b..just so Mick can have some free publicity here for his new 80’s rock band NINETEEN 88. www.nineteen88.com
Since Christ was Jewish and Mick’s “down with the king”.. I’d like to say he’s an adopted Jew anyway. Follow The Rabbi

16. Why didn?t you guys have a CD booklet for your CD ?The New Sensation?? Why so cheap?
That’s just it….we cut costs everywhere we could along the way..we wanted to get our music heard without delay..we did what we could afford. We have no debt as a band and plan to keep it that way..no credit. London Calling pays for London Calling. If we would have waited to raise money for more of a package..it would have delayed getting heard. It was only a 1,200 unit pressing and is sold out…The Atenzia version has a full booklet!

17. The Last of Jamie Rowe:
Last new CD you purchased = Sugarcult “Palm Trees and Powerlines”..one of my favorite bands!
Last movie you saw in the theater = The Passion..I usually wait for DVD’s..Big Fish is a current favorite!
Last present you bought for your kids = Salt Water Taffy from the Salt Lake City Airport last night.
Last old-school metal album you jammed out to = Adriangale “Crunch”
Last really nasty thing you stepped in = Some canine mud while cutting my lawn last week.
Last time you listened to Stryper = When London Calling played with them last fall…it was a killer show too.
Last time you were in a gym = I stopped by last week to ask the reception where the nearest Krispy Kreme shop was.
Last temptation you overcame = To stop by the gym for something other than directions.
Last sin you committed = The darkest of all..it’s simply known as “a rewind”
Last time you threw up from drinking = When I was 15 years old. I typically don’t drink..but I am not a legalist and will have a beer socially every once and awhile.

18. What came first: The Chicken or the Egg?
Le Pollo

19. After having shot the film “A League of Their Own” on location in southern Indiana, Madonna described the city of Evansville as one of the most boring place on Earth, and compared it to being exiled to a city in Eastern Europe. So why on earth did you decide to relocate there? Did you give up civilization for Lent or something?
I moved here because of all the music industry opportunities for London Calling It’s an A&R mecca!………not!
This is where my wife and I grew up…It’s home. I have to be real though..If I didn’t get to travel it could get pretty miserable. There was some truth in Madonna’s comments. Especially at that time (Which by the way..was when I was living in LA so I am faultless.lol) But I wouldn’t paint with such broad strokes about it. It’s grown over the past decade on a social and cultural level. A plug for Evansville’s cd store of choice Joe’s Westside Records is in order..Joe’s a Sludgeaholic and understands exactly how important that Helix record is to some folks and will go out of his way to get it in stock. He also carries the mighty L/C! He should carry the Sludge Disc too don’t ya think?

20. Time for Metal Sludge’s Word Association. By now, you should know how this works.
Oz Fox = My hero…such an awesome guy..the loudest speaking voice ever…has no volume control whatsoever when he gets going..I absolutley think Oz is a quality person and a great musician. The type that asks “How are you” and you know they mean it.
Scott Stapp = Ex-Creed singer from what I hear..welcome aboard Miles.
Derek D. Sorrells = The best drummer in the world as far as I’m concerned! I am stoked to be in a band with him…a great friend..he deserves to be heard. Do some questions with him soon!
Vic Rivera = My friend and simply one of the best melodic rock songwriters out there…He could do wonders for alot of the 80’s bands who want a kickstart.
Billy Morris = Billy is cool too! L/C get’s on well with him and his whole band musically and personally. HI-FI was a fun show..we should do it again.
Ted Nugent = lol…Nothing comes to mind other than the 10 minutes of his VH-1 show I saw a week or two ago.
Randy O = “You know who I am…I’m the writer” …..classic.
Keri Kelli = I haven’t chatted with him in awhile..keep meaning to..we play phone tag. I know he’s always working for others..But he deserves a shot to for his own music too. It’s pretty good.
John Elefante = The best vocal training I ever got was recording with John…He and his brother Dino are both family to me.
Alice Cooper = I plan to be his neighbor someday.

Thanks to Jamie for the entertaining Rewind!

For more info on London Calling, you can visit www.TheLondonCalling.com, and if you’d like to hear their wonderful song on our Metal Sludge CD, you can visit our Sludgendise Store!