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All is not well in BCC camp
The upcoming Black Country Communion’s new album might be the band’s afterglow indeed. Glenn Hughes has voiced his dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in an interview to ABC News Radio:
This may be the [band’s] last album. I hate to break it to you, but it just may be, because I need to be in a band that tours on a regular basis.
He went on to explain that due to Bonamassa’s own heavy solo touring commitments, BCC has no solid plans to hit the road in support of Afterglow:
If I had a magic wand, I would wave it over everybody’s head and go, ‘Hey, you guys, we’re gonna go and do 200 shows [in 2013] and we’re gonna be a huge rock ‘n’ roll band globally. It’s not gonna happen.
I figured that if this was to be the last album…then I need to come in with some pretty wild and epic tracks. So, I’m really proud of this album.
Apparently, Glenn sees his post-BCC future in connection with the Kings of Chaos project — Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) on vocals; with Duff McKagan on bass and Matt Sorum on drums (both of the Guns N’ Roses fame); and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) on guitar. They have contributed Never Before to the ReMachined tribute album (albeit separately from Glenn) and have toured together with him in the Rock’N’Roll AllStars package:
[Kings of Chaos will] tour pockets of the world — the exotics, if you will, and the tropics and even America.
We’re gonna do a series of EPs. On those EPs there will be three covers and one original song. And…the lineups with the Kings of Chaos, vocally, will change. The core band will be the same. So, it’s gonna be always moving and changing.
Joe Bonamassa responded with a message posted on his forum (registration required to view the original):
I think this is unnecessary drama and a wind up by the Voice of Rock… I also think the conversation should be redirected to the band’s history as well as its the future that includes a record release in October.. I have said it here before I do not appreciate being cited as the reason of the bands lack of touring or the bands lack of future in this manner. I am 1/5th of this entity that is all. Kevin is family to me, Jason is a dear friend of mine, so is Derek as is Glenn.. Glenn is free and with MY FULL BLESSING to ring up one or all of his famous guitar player friends and take it out on the road BB King style.. Chickenfoot does it with Chad Smith while he is out with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I hope for everyones sake that as Glenn embarks on the press tour for “AfterGlow” that he doesn’t taint in his own words ” His Masterpiece” by dragging us all into a TMZ moment..
What more can I say other at this point..
Thanks to Yvonne Osthausen and Daniel Bengtsson for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
How about that. All these years sober and Glenn still needs to self-sabotage. Only my opinion, but I’m thinking this is something that should be discussed within the confines of the band rather than publically behind their backs. This is similar to someone complaining about their spouse on Facebook instead of talking about the problem/situation personally.
BCC was a good band and a band that could have been great. All Glenn had to do was be an adult and work nice. He decided to not.
September 4th, 2012 at 02:57Glenn the Diva.
September 4th, 2012 at 04:32oh oh oh ….
Please please no splitting …
They are so wonderful …
LLRnR
-kraatzy-
September 4th, 2012 at 08:01uh oh
September 4th, 2012 at 10:06Oh Damn! This band is imploding. Joe has every right to forward his career which continues to expand. I just hoped that this BAND would be able to do more than a few albums and some random touring. I really thought it was Hughes that was holding them back on the touring front but it appears that it is Joe and his (RIGHTFUL) commitment to his career. If BCC came to my town with a replacement banjo player would I go? Most certainly, but it wouldn’t be the same.
September 4th, 2012 at 10:32No! I don’t like reading those comments from Hughes and Bonamassa. Im a fan of BCC and I would like for them to continue a few more years. I want to see them live on stage too! I was hoping for four or five studio albums altoghether, not a trilogy.
September 4th, 2012 at 11:01If he’s not careful, it’ll be Glenn’s own impatience and inconsiderate ramblings to journalists and fans that’ll break this band up.
September 4th, 2012 at 11:31I had a feeling that this was coming! There is no way that Joe can sustain the kind of schedule he is keeping. Hughes wants to make up for lost time as well. I hope they can co-exist. The one needs the other. Really looking forward to this new album.
September 4th, 2012 at 13:10I respect Glenn but he is really overreacting I think.His ego is clouding his judgement.
September 4th, 2012 at 15:09This would be a shame if it happens, and even though it wouldn’t be quite the same without Joe, I like his idea about someone else on tour if that’s what it takes to keep the band together. I was lucky enough to see them on the 2nd show of their brief U.S. “warm-up” tour before they went over to Europe to make the DVD and it was great. The only thing that was a shame was that there was so few people there, not at all like the crowds on the disc. Even though they sound (to me) like a great rock band teleported from the 70’s they get no airplay here in southern California on what they like to call Classic Rock Radio around these parts (even though there were commercials for the show I have yet to hear even a single song). I think that they really need to tour to build up their rep, at least here in the states. The folks that like this kind of music are most likely of my generation and all the Twitter traffic in the world wouldn’t make a difference to most of us, I believe.
September 4th, 2012 at 16:29What I find odd is that neither party are making any attempt at message control. There are ways to say the same things so that they are positive, not passive aggressive and leave doors open. This must have been simmering for a while to get out in the open in this way.
September 4th, 2012 at 19:24HOW ABOUT JAMMING WITH THE OLD DP FRIENDS AFTER GILLAN RETIRES?
September 4th, 2012 at 19:28YOU’RE ALWAYS WELCOME GLENN!
I’m inclined to think JB needs to go back to school as well. Hard to believe people who can’t find spell check. I say get a stand in at his own advice, but stay away from the guitarists he’s already worked with. No thanks anymore than JB himself, the king of mediocrity. Can’t find who’s the worse between them in this, both acting up a bit indeed. Cheesefare!
September 4th, 2012 at 20:04Glenn, “me, myself & I” Hughes! Ha! How predictable! Note the”huge rock n roll band globally” drivel! Still hoping to be a star! Fade away, please! They were very ordinary indeed BCC, hugely over rated by certain people, no quality songs written! Good players do not make a great band! Enough!
September 4th, 2012 at 21:19Joe is playing in my neck of the woods in Nov. No fair. I really want to see BCC. I didn’t understand why Joe would tour as a solo act just 1 month after releasing a new BCC album. These interviews make it clear that Joe has split.
September 5th, 2012 at 00:04Don’t forget that Glenn isn’t in his thirties anymore. The voice is an instrument that can work one year and next year it’s almost gone when singers are in their 60ies. This is the bare truth. I don’t think that Glenn will lose his voice pretty soon but I understand that he wants to keep going as long as he can, maybe he won’t be able in few years – no one knows. A singer with his abilities and age has to think differently. BUT he should talk to his guitarist first before complaining in public behind his back, acting like a false bitch (excuse me for that). Because that’s the outcome of the interview bits above. There is something unique to BCC as it is and this is what matters. Glenn, with all due respect, but you can switch between bands like you do with underpants if it this is what makes you happy. Get your shit together, man, seriously. It’s the quality and not the quantity.
September 5th, 2012 at 00:21I think Glenn is selfish, if Joe is busy touring on his own, The Voice of Rock should look for a replacement, could be Jake E. Lee or Kee Marcello, for example. Both are gifted players!!! Black Country Communion should stay!!! C’mon Glenn, don’t give up!!!
September 5th, 2012 at 01:12I think you are all totally over-reacting to what Glenn is saying (and the headline is a bit misleading). Glenn is simply stating the fact that Joe’s touring schedule limits the possibilities/future for BCC. It doesn’t appear to be a criticism of anyone, it is just recognising the facts of the situation openly and honestly.
September 5th, 2012 at 01:21Well there is always two sides of the coin. Here it seem like Glenn is getting the blame. I do not know what is going on behind closed door.
However, on the GH fan-forum there was an interview with Joe in which he basically said “I dont want to play frigging rock music – I want to play British blues”. (Not exact citation but the bottom line is pretty clear.)
September 5th, 2012 at 08:13I have been following BCC closely in all the various music and guitar magazines since the inception of the band. A year ago in one guitar mag Glenn cited Joe’s heavy tour schedule as a possible impediment to BCC going into full flower. As such I really I have to think that Joe and his people would have been well aware of Glenn’s thoughts on this topic well before this latest incident…..it surely is not news to them and I am quite certain that it must have been discussed internally at some point.
Honestly, unless there were some real barbs in Glenn’s comments that were omitted here in the Highway Star summary, I think that Joe is over-reacting…..his comments have a lot more fire to them than Glenn’s and tend to suggest some resentment…..whether this resentment is a long time simmering, or is a spontaneous reaction, Joe’s seemingly petulant tone does disappoint me…..I really would have thought he would have taken a higher road in his comments.
All this to say that unless there is a major internal airing of the issues and a reconciliation, this does not bode well for BCC’s future….. a shame really….the band had such potential.
st I don’
September 5th, 2012 at 11:28I don’t care if BBC will stop, that band is not for me but it is always sad to see Glenn trying to re-building his career (a thing which He did wrongly from 1976 on)…I think it’s better to select just one project and to bring it on trough the years (and to be remembered for that) than to face so many collaborations…He will not be as famous as when he was in Deep Purple and the man seems not to accept it (while JLT seems did it as I spoke with him recently)…
September 5th, 2012 at 12:30Well, after that outburst ‘Afterglow’ will definitely be their last album, nice one Glenn! Why can’t he resume his solo career and tour regularly with his own band as well as record with BCC? He needs to reconcile his desire to be globally successful again with the fact at his age it’s highly unlikely to happen for him.
PS. I wish he’d refrain from the “I’m wearing sunglasses indoors therefore it must follow that I’m a rock star” look as he just looks like a tool!
September 5th, 2012 at 13:33I don’t know how much he contributed to the band, but I always thought Joe B. was an odd choice compared to the others in the band. Maybe they need to continue with another guitarist who is more rock oriented. I’m not sure who might be available right now, but Glenn has worked with John Norum before – that might be worth a try.
September 5th, 2012 at 14:11Sorry folks but never liked any of JB albums,I think he is a great guitar player,but musically I never got into him.BBC was an opportunity for everybody to play some kick ass rock music.Then again we don’t know exactly what is going on behind all this,but it looks to me is the old conflict between singer and banjo player.Their first album was so so and didn’t sound much like a band,the second had a lot potential and has some gems in it,I hope the third ( and the last one ) is a kick ass good conclusion of this.I respect Glenn but don’t care much about his solo stuff and funk music,therefore I was excited when this guys got together to play some rock and roll music Only my opinion.
September 5th, 2012 at 15:48Go Glenn go!!
September 5th, 2012 at 17:17Glenn’s just trying to keep the BCC ball rolling.
I wonder if Joe B. is getting a big head, cause he’s overrated by the PR machine.
No wonder all is not too well in BCC. A follower of Mr Glenn “Huge Voice” Hughes for almost four decades already, one of my biggest disappointments has been listening (aka buying, wasting my money) the BCC Live in Europe album. GH should stick to what he knows best, straightforward rock, blues and funky soul and leave experiments to experimenters themselves. 95% of BCC is (rather say “was”) GH and the rest were a bunch of wannabes musicians born during or even apres the 70’s yet making 70’s music. GH should get together with DC and restart a sort of DP MK III version mais sans Messieur Blackmore. The rest is just rubbish…
September 5th, 2012 at 19:24@12: No he’s NOT!!
September 5th, 2012 at 19:31LRT @13, “king of mediocrity”?!?! What planet are you from? Holy shet, you easily make the top ten list of nonsenscial musings on this site. But dare I digress….
Flying Colors and THE KING OF BANJO PLAYERS tonight in Times Square. It’s all good…. purplepriest1965, just having fun re: KING…. :>
Peace,
Ted
September 6th, 2012 at 12:59Black Country Communion has produced three studio albums and a double live CD/DVD in a very short amount of time. The critically-acclaimed band has generated a great deal of enthusiasm among fans and gave a much needed proverbial shot in the arm for the hard rock genre of music. Should this great band suddenly implode, it would be very sad indeed.
The recorded output is excellent and frequent. The application of social media is second to none among this band’s peers, keeping fans in close touch with current events. The culprit in this case, however, is a lack of commitment to the band itself. The promise of this line-up demands each member’s full attention.
With various personnel doing solo tours and having more interest in individual careers, the band will not be able to connect with prospective fans and will lack the live reputation required for a “great” band for which this group certainly holds a lot of potential. For a relatively new group, making this connection is vital–particularly in the United States–a large country with great sales potential but lacking in the enthusiasm and dedication of European and South American fans. A successful wide-scale tour here would elevate BCC’s status.
This situation is not unlike the current Deep Purple. While the various members went on solo tours or recorded solo albums–sometimes producing more than one project between Purple albums–the mother group was unable to produce a product for years–and the promise of a new record has yet to come to fruition. Deep Purple’s problem, however, is the opposite of BCC’s in that Purple over-tours and under-records. Like BCC, on the other hand, Purple is often a vehicle used to finance solo projects at the expense of the mother band.
In BCC’s case, Bonamassa is replaceable. He is an extremely adept player but stylistically anonymous, lacking the fingerprint of other guitar greats who are instantly recognizable. While I would prefer the current band remain intact, a replacement in the guitar department would not kill off this band. I suspect that plenty of candidates would line up for the opportunity to play with the remainder of the group–individuals whose reputation is well-known. That said, I reiterate that the best course would be for BCC to get its act together and work out their petty issues. The language remains relatively civil and does not contain barbs sharp enough to shred the relationships within the group. In short, a mutual respect appears to be intact.
With the passing of Dr. Lord and Ronnie James Dio, Purple being in its twilight, Blackmore in “retirement” from hard rock music, and a break-up of BCC a possibility, things do not look promising for fans of the extended Deep Purple family.
The new Black Country Communion and Deep Purple albums cannot come soon enough.
September 6th, 2012 at 14:33This all seems tipped a little too hard against Glenn. A large cog in a bands existence and a bands evolution is touring and playing together nite in and nite out. thats where it gels. If JB is too busy that fine but I can understand Glenns point and frustration. It is probabaly seeing a great band not come to its full potenital is my guess. All in all they do some great stuff together and hope they can work it out!
September 6th, 2012 at 18:59From Joe’s comments, you can only read some form of antagonism and a hint of sarcasm. And rightly so, GLENN….you cant constantly s**t in your own nest and expect to be taken seriously, not at your age anyway.
September 6th, 2012 at 19:00@29 you are absolutely right about the point you make about JB but never got into his his playing,and he lacks that special unique thing that sets apart all the greats ones.
September 6th, 2012 at 20:42@ 16: Excuse me for my harsh tone, I’ve just been frustrated about the news. Sometimes I make the mistake of writing a comment too fast. Like others here, I think at least Glenn, Derek and Jason should stay together and find a guitarist that wants to play rock music.
September 7th, 2012 at 17:34Anyone that calls himself the VOICE OF ROCK, certainly has no ego problem. So ego is certainly not a factor. Glenn was great with Thrall but there is no wonder why Ritchie decided not to put up with the childishness and funky blues music.
September 8th, 2012 at 07:35Let JB go his own merry ways, find another guitarist who actually is a hardrock player and not a bluesplayer. There’s quite a few great players out there who could replace JB in BCC.
September 8th, 2012 at 20:17Glenn give the man in black a call,he might want to get out of retirement and make a last rock album !( noooot)I don’t think he cared about Glenn’s music since his Purple days.
September 9th, 2012 at 03:49If Joe B. isn’t available, how about calling up John Sykes (ex-Whitesnake, ex-Blue Murder, ex-Thin Lizzy). According to Classic Rock Magazine, John Sykes was recently removed from a new project involving members of Dream Theatre, Poison and Mr. Big…………Sykes is an excellent guitar player (hard rock and melodic metal), and is an excellent singer as well. Who knows, maybe he would be a good fit for BCC!?!?
September 9th, 2012 at 13:03Bernie Marsden or Uli J.Roth, Vvian Campbell or Jhon Sykes…there are some very good guitar players out there if Glenn wants go on…
September 9th, 2012 at 15:29I hope they will stay together, but YES there can be another guitar player in the band and YES I can see Glenn back in Purple when Gillan says goodbye. Glenn is, today, the best singer in the Purple family.
I understand Glenns wish of making BCC a fulltime project, but I also understand Joe’s wish of doing his own things. This is much like Joe Satriani.
NOW: Glenn and Joe – sit down talk. And be happy. Life is to short for this nonsens.
September 9th, 2012 at 20:12@33 – You are 101% right if they cant get some peace in the currect band.
September 9th, 2012 at 20:14Of course Bonamassa will prioritize his solo career. He is just as big an artist alone as BCC is as a band.
September 11th, 2012 at 18:16But, since Bonamassa suggests that BCC replaces him live when he is not available, I think they should call Doug Aldrich – he is a BIG fan of BCC.
It would make the band a bit more hard rock, but he is really good at giving what is takes to make it sound right…!
Just a thought.
Can’t see Glenn fronting Purple at all. Paicey has said that he prefers having Roger’s playing as Glenn can be a little too busy. Yes, we’d get some Mk3 material but live he tends to murder Mk2 songs, and he has said that he doesn’t like Mk2 Purple as it doesn’t have a groove (what an idiot!). When Gillan has had enough then rightly so that’ll be it. I really hope Purple can bow out in style with a great album as I think the band has run its course.
BCC should continue without Bonamassa if he isn’t able to tour (I don’t blame him as he’s enjoying huge success as a solo artist).
September 11th, 2012 at 20:46It all seems kinda ironic that when Glenn was in Purple he wanted to steer the group in a ‘funky’ musical direction and away from their signature hard rock blues / classical oriented style and now in BCC he wants to play hard rock and JB is not suited or perceived to be suited to that style…poor Glenn…I am sure Blackers sympathies with him totally!!
September 12th, 2012 at 07:03@42 – That’s a good point, but if Purples wish to continue the legacy they’ll need to move in a different direction. Something like Perpendicular. I think we had enough of Mk2 songs with the Mk2 guys in more than three decades now after the “silence break”. I’t’s time to change the record a little bit and bring Purple back to heavy rock, and I think Gleen is contributing to BCC with some great ideas!
September 13th, 2012 at 11:36Yeah that will be a very very great deal … :
After some trouble in the BCC house, Joe leaves the BCC guys and nobody else then
Mr. Banjo Man – The Man in Black – Sir Richard Hugh Blackmore will come in and will rock the other Purple guy away from this planet earth …
ups – the bell rings – what is going on … oh now I realize … I just wake up in the morning it was
only a dream … 🙁
Too bad.
-LLRnR-
*kraatzy*
September 13th, 2012 at 17:23What do you think about Glenn joining Whitesnake? That would be big. Lot’s of good songs, good singing and good playing.
If I dream a little more, start over with Page, Jason, Hughes, Coverdale, Keith Emerson. (that will never work, but would be HUGE!).
July 20th, 2013 at 10:40