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VH1 host Eddie Trunk alleges Atlantic Records won’t license Badlands music because 80’s metal singer Ray Gillen infected women with AIDS
YouTube — Radio host and Vh1 personality Eddie Trunk recently talked on his show openly about Atlantic Records and the music of Badlands. Trunk talks in depth with his guests from Red Dragon Cartel, guitarist Jake E Lee and bassist Greg Chaisson. Both were members of the Atlantic Records recording artist Badlands in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Badlands also featured the late Ray Gillen (ex Black Sabbath) on vocals and Eric Singer (drums) who now plays with KISS.
Lee and Chaisson discussed many related career topics on the near 2 hour show (listen below) but it was Trunk who offered up allegations of their former singer’s illness as the reason why their (Badlands) music is not available to the public.
The THAT METAL SHOW host goes onto say; ‘I would never make something like this up but have been told it by a number of people who have tried to license those (Badlands) records. And quickly have had the license pulled in a matter of a couple weeks. It happened just recently, less than a year ago. There is a label in England called Rock Candy Records, that remastered and reissued the first two Badlands records. Before that it happened with a label called Koch.”
Trunk says emphatically, “I know the A&R people who did the licensing. And within 2 weeks after them (the music releases) coming out, the licenses were pulled and it’s suspended. And I was told, that the reason they were given, is because Ray was very sick, and in the end, (he) you know he died of AIDS, and he had infected some women. And it was as a concession to the families that were impacted by this, they were told those records won’t be on shelves anymore.”
Jake E Lee immediately comes to Gillen’s defense and states: “I don’t understand how that helps them. In anyway.”
Chaisson agrees, “Exactly.”
Lee continues: “I would say, give me proof. Anybody can say they were infected by Ray. I mean, how do we know?”
According to an All Music biography (here), “Gillen was diagnosed with HIV and on December 3, 1993, he died at his New Jersey home due to AIDS-related complications.”
During the interview both Lee and Chaisson seem to be a little uncomfortable with Trunk’s allegations. This seems to be clear that they’re not exactly happy with the topic and within a few short minutes of Trunk’s comments Lee announces, “I really got to pee.”
To hear the Atlantic portion start to listen around the 1 hour 34 minute mark.
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