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The state of BCC
More dirty laundry is being aired in the Black Country Communion camp. Joe Bonamassa spoke to the Music Radar and made his frustrations public:
The state of things is the same as it was a month ago. You know, if everybody gets on the phone or gets in a room – and most likely it’s going to have to be me and Glenn to hash this thing out – then I don’t rule out ever doing it again. At all. I’m actually particularly proud of this facet of my career. I just rule out doing it in the short term and next year, because at the end of the day, I’m not going to be bullied into doing something that was never on the table from day one because some cat changes his mind and figures out that it’s the best thing he’s got going on – thus it’s going to drag us all into it. That’s not fair. It’s not fair to me.
Meanwhile, Bonamassa’s manager Roy Weisman takes responsibility for the decision to cancel Wolverhampton gig in January:
When BCC was created almost three years ago, everyone knew Joe had a full-time solo career. This project was ‘modern Travelling Wilburys,’ bringing four individual artists with their own careers together to make a great record.
Both Joe and I were always above board about the touring. It was always meant to be from time to time. However, especially with Glenn, this idea seemed to go in one ear and out the other. His manager always knew the deal, even though Glenn wouldn’t stop pressing on the point.
The fact is, Joe’s solo career takes precedence over BCC, and always has. Everyone has known that from day one.
When Glenn started speaking about Joe the way he was in the press, revising history on the spot, it became overwhelming. It got to a tipping-point where it was no longer comfortable for either Joe or I to want to Wolverhampton.
In the end I am the one – not Joe – who made the decision to cancel Wolverhampton. So there it is. All fingers can point to me!
Bonham Jr. also chimed in and he is frustrated about the lack of touring as well:
When I started this project I didn’t know what we were doing. As it took off I thought we were bound to start working more. I’m not blaming anybody in particular – but we should tour. I love everyone in the band and I’d love to take it on the road. Certain powers-that-be are holding us back.
All I know is, when we did the album there was talk of touring to promote it. I thought there would be.
I can go on the internet and I can see Joe’s schedule – he’s booked up throughout the whole year. So I felt: what was the rush to start the album when we did? Surely we should have done it when we had time, and Joe had time, to promote it?
It’s very fucking frustrating: I absolutely adore Joe to bits. He’s one of the best guitar players around. But I just wish we could tour.
I know he’s busy; I get it, I do get it. But Glenn, myself and Derek Sherinian, we’d love to tour. Maybe we’ll figure out some way to do it. Who knows? I just hope we can work something out.
Sources: Classic Rock (here, here, and here) and Music Radar.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Big stretch calling themselves the modern Travelling Wilburys. LOL
October 20th, 2012 at 18:08Helllllllllllllo Ritchie ….. they (the BCC guys) need your heeeeeeeeeelp !!!!!!!!
They need an awesome banjo player who came from the black country … 🙂
It’s your chance to get in, so come on and take it.
LLR’n’R
kraatzy
October 20th, 2012 at 18:20This whole BBC, BCC, whatever… fiasco is just time consuming or so to say. Both Glenn and Jason are talented renouned musicians who actually happen to be caught in a trap. Might as well put an end soon. Us, the respectable audience, deserve something better than this. We are being deprived of the gifts of two talented musicians by an ego-tripper wanna-be 70’s musician. We all know who he is.
October 20th, 2012 at 18:44This is bad.
October 20th, 2012 at 18:52Looks like the final personal press releases from a band about to disband.
October 20th, 2012 at 19:29Enough. Already. It’s clear that JB is not and will not be available for the future of BCC. We’ve had enough of crap like this in the media this year–Queensryche and Great White, anybody? Other bands have replaced founding members and soldiered on, Hmmmm, Deep Purple, perhaps? Return To Forever? If BCC wants to tour, get a different guitarist. I love JB’s work, but move on already–it’s not like there aren’t singing guitarists available.
October 20th, 2012 at 20:32The picture at the top says it all.. to bad.
October 20th, 2012 at 20:59Jimmy Page should come on board.
October 20th, 2012 at 21:01Very unfortunate indeed….Joe continues to take less than gentlemanly jabs at Glenn. I think the rift is now well beyond repair – there is some serious resentment there. Best that other members of BCC start looking for a new guitarist, one who subscribes to a team approach.
October 21st, 2012 at 00:26#2…
Keep on dreaming. TMIB isn’t a session player and won’t step into a band whereby he has to play somebody else’s drivel…..(hmmmm reminds me of JLT). They’d have to scrap all the old stuff and come in with new. Then they would have to change the name to “Blackmore’s Country Communion”.
CheerZ
October 21st, 2012 at 02:42This is what is expected people, three and out, you know, like in movies and in some albums, we should be thankful in what we have experienced in this great band and hope for some promising new material of future projects of the members of the band.
October 21st, 2012 at 04:02It would be a pity to disband if the problem is just the schedule of one guy. So what? Isn’t there a way to find another guitar player for Christ’s sake? Please, carry on guys – that can’t be it. As Jason mentioned, you should work it out – the one way or the other.
October 21st, 2012 at 11:08Just get a couple of young guitarists for each tour they plan to do, JB is the guitarist for the band but use different guitarist for tours. The reason I say use different guitarists is to give some young player an opportunity to play some seasoned professionals. Good luck.
October 21st, 2012 at 12:37Bored now. It nearly went tits up at the beginning which Kevin Shirley mentioned and commented that Joe has the biggest career and doesn’t need BCC like the others do, but entered into the whole enterprise as a side project as it would be fun to work with the others. Glenn bemoaning the fact that they can’t tour due to Joe’s solo career is daft as he’s just managed to push Joe away and probably shot himself in the foot in the process. I’d love to see them tour together but we all knew that realistically BCC was never going to over-shadow Joe’s solo work, which has a broader appeal.
As a result of Glenn this will no doubt be the last BCC album featuring Joe. It doesn’t have to be the last album by the band, the spirit of which could be carried forward by the the remaining three and with another guitarist. I was watching something yesterday with Richie Kotzen, who has the chops technically coupled with the feel that Joe has got, plus he has a great voice, even stronger than Joe’s, he would be an excellent choice (check him out at richiekotzen.com, where there is a video (part of something called ‘Two Tone Sessions) near the bottom right hand side).
BCC is the most success Glenn has experienced since Purple and naturally wants to embrace it but he’s in danger of crushing it beyond repair. Joe is saying that if him and Glenn got together for a chat then the might be able to salvage the band and continue at a later date. In the meantime surely there is no reason why Glenn can’t resume his solo career and then record with BCC and play some live dates later on?
PS. As for Ritchie replacing Joe, well that’s never going to happen, and geographically I don’t think that the West Country qualifies as being part of the Black Country.
October 21st, 2012 at 14:46@ Tracy (Zero the Hero) Heyder
Hey Tracy… These are the jokes I like very much: “BLACKMORE Country Communion”
hohohohohohoho ….. 🙂 great joke – very very funny 🙂
LLRnR
Kraatzy
PS.
hohohohohohoho ….. 🙂
October 21st, 2012 at 17:00LoL 🙂 Blackmore Country Communion = BCC LoL 🙂
I think, Ritchie will laugh too … LoL
Glenn Hughes: just make a call to Jimmy Page if you want to go on with BCC and having more success…
October 21st, 2012 at 17:38@ 13
I never knew Joe Bonamassa came from the Black Country : )
Btw…..
” At a later date” ?!
Glenn does not have that kinda time anymore.
October 21st, 2012 at 19:06We re not talking about a FULL schedule for the next month. Joe planned big tours in advance for 3 years.
Kotzen or john Norum would fit perfectly in the mould and there are so many great guitar players around.
October 21st, 2012 at 19:19Question is..is BCC a band or Glenn’s band?
Forget about Kotzen or Norum guns for hire guitarist,Glenn and Jason call Pagey,he night getting bored trying to figure out his next move and hi might have some riffs under his sleeves.Cmon!
October 21st, 2012 at 22:09Go get brian tatler from “Diamond Head” or john sykes both would be good choices.
October 22nd, 2012 at 02:32Bernie Torme
October 22nd, 2012 at 08:13As much as I like Bernie. forget post#19. In reality the main, (not the only,) reason that BCC works is its star pulling power, with Joe arguably the biggest, followed by Glenn. To get in the likes of a Norum,Kotzen or any other “B” lister, not exactly house hold names would, in my opinion would defeat the purpose. Remember BCC1 went Billboard top 40 if my memory is correct. This band needs a BIG name guitarist that can get them back in the charts, and I think Page is the one to do it. But, he wont. Not according to those in the know. Besides he just is not interested in working that hard anymore. Its a real shame because I think after listening to Bonham’s words, I doubt if Joe will play with them again. Its now Joe vs the Rest and that aint good. If they don’t pick a BIG name, then they are destined to end up in the $1 bin at WalMart. It certainly sounds like to me they are wanting to go on without JB though?
October 22nd, 2012 at 08:35Ritchie come home….all is forgiven.
@ 18
I always perceived BCC as Glenn’s solo material but now adding some so called(…) bigger names.
I ve said it countless times : Peopl;e who like BCC should listen to Glenn’s solo material from the 90’s and early 2000’s.
For example ” Standing On The Rock” is a blueprint for the fast BCC songs IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfmE2Cm8vNc
What is intersting for the naysayers as well : On this album and as well on the RETURN OF CRYSTAL KARMA cd there is a great part for the keyboards.
I once said to Glenn after the SOULMOVER cd gig in Zoetermeer that I preferred the keyboarddrenched albums instead of SOULMOVER’s ” basic approach” .
He replied : Yeah, me too.(….)
I ll never forget his smile he exchanged with me during a moment he was vividly moving around on stage : )
October 22nd, 2012 at 09:59Bonham got it as simple as it is. Bonamassa is good, he wants solo, we’d like to play BCC, we need to figure it out how to continue without Bonamassa, we love you Joe, we’ll continue BCC.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:22Kotzen, if available, could be better solution for BCC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz2HJIwXE7E&feature=related
Unfortunately Glenn did not make more albums with John Norum.
I played this album to pieces
Dont think Norum will step out of Europe for Glenn : (
Damn, I wish the whole band, excl Tempest, would reform with Glenn.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:26http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNtyHG-or-U&playnext=1&list=PL89D0CF2C545F6F6B&feature=results_video
And Mel Galley is no longer with us to help out Glenn. : (
So sad about about all these passing greats.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:32What about John Sykes (ex-Whitesnake, ex-Thin Lizzy, ex-Blue Murder, ex-Tygers of Pan Tang)??……excellent guitarist and a great voice too.
October 22nd, 2012 at 12:50I do not understand all the fuze. These records are almost solo Glenn albums with just a little bit better (more famous) musicans that he usually has for his solo records. Performance is really good but the compositions are like solo Hughes stuff from poor to good but nothing to be really exited. If, Bonamassa was not involved, who for some strange reasons enjoys big status as guitarist, no one except hardcore puprle/hughes fans, would give it any attention.
October 22nd, 2012 at 13:12Get Ritchie Kotzen!! I agree with Byron. Lose Bonamassa if he can’t do it. If you can replace in Purple, you can replace in BCC!
October 22nd, 2012 at 13:23Wow. I like a lot of Glenn’s work but he does seem to have a problem or two with his personality. Bonamassa just played here (Melbourne, Florida USA) solo. I don’t know if BCC — even with Bonham. Hughes and Bonamassa — would have the same name recognition, at least in the States, Joe Bonamassa already has. Why would he want to tour clubs with BCC when he can sell out decent size venues himself? With all due respect to Glenn and the others, Bonamassa is probably most of the draw. I don’t know if BCC could succeed (or even sell tickets) without JB.
October 22nd, 2012 at 15:41Glenn needs good riff-master, and person to know how to deal with him, to utilize his voice. His solo stuff is good, but with riff-master it could be great. Blackmore managed to force him doing what he wanted on Burn (but Blackers is legend), Iommi on Seventh Star, so if Page was to get in, it could be interesting, but it’s highly unlikely not to say impossible. Page is even more “rock-lazy” than Man In Black himself.
When I saw that most of tunes are done by Glenn himself, I knew that Bonamassa isn’t in 100%. Well he is more blues oriented, still a lot of attention for it in USA, he isn’t a hard rock player we wish him to be. I love his work, but for BCC they need Page-Blackmore-Iommi kind of bird, someone that will contribute with fresh ideas and make them played alive.
I agree that they need someone with “fame” image. I wish for Glenn to make the most of BCC, he deserves it (Bonham and Derek also), as well it is so small number of good hard rock bands that we have today, BCC breakdown would be shame indeed.
October 22nd, 2012 at 21:32seems ideal for a reality TV show, win and you replace JB in BCC.
October 22nd, 2012 at 21:52“Search for a guitar god” ©
I just seen Jason live touring with his band. The tribute to Led Zep was awsome. He is a great drummer in his own right.
Glenn is fantastc, BCC brings the heavy Glenn out and I love every song they did.
John is new to me and I quickly learned to appriciate his Gutar mastership.
All in all we have to gain if they stay together longer.
October 24th, 2012 at 00:17Not to many nabds out there like BCC.
Prior to all of this news I noticed that Joe is performing as a solo artist in my small town theatre in Nov. My thought was that’s weird with BCC doing a new album. Now it makes sense, but I wish it was BCC playing in my small town theatre next month.
October 24th, 2012 at 00:29You know, it’s bad enough when we constantly hear about the politicians fighting and arguing, what with the elections here in the States coming up very soon…and to escape from it all I turn to my favorite musicians and find they are fighting and arguing just as much. Come on guys, get it together! Glenn, go do a solo CD while you are waiting for Joe to become available. You are acting like your solo career doesn’t exist anymore. What’s the problem?
October 24th, 2012 at 14:27without bonamassa, they aint gonna be nothing!! Glenn hughes lost it a long time ago. He has no respect within the touring community. He is being a real dick about this (apparently nothing new!!) Joe doesnt need this shit-hes a name in his own right. Hughes is a typical ex junkie-stuffed so far up his own ass he cant see the wood for the trees, or the talent that someone is sharing with him. Basically joe is gonna say, fine, go fuck yourself-Im fine-Im a big draw. who the fuck are you?!!
October 24th, 2012 at 22:10you talk about replacing guitarists…. from what i knowthough, most people dont wanna work with Glen. He has a VERY bad rep!!
October 24th, 2012 at 22:12I kinda agree that within the confines Glenn’s rockabilities come to the fore and in his solo work there is more (….)versatility.
I know not all people are crazy about his funkleanings but persoanlly I LOVE the blend he made his own on his solo albums.
As long, it happens that mainly happens on stage, as he does go into needless screaming or what ever one should call that ” shrieking and painful” sound Glenns work is KILLER.
His last solo album was the FUNK Kitchen.
Personally I prefer most of his albums before that.
I ve seen Glenn a couple of times in the last 10 years and that was NOT a complete joy as what he delivered after 1993.
The tours between 93 and 2000/2002 were unforegettable, since then the volume is way to loud and ” that sound” becomes a dominant factor.
Who am I to judge Glenn?
But I do feel sad about that development.
Fortunately the albums of the 2000’s still gave us plenty of high quality stand out tracks. : )
October 25th, 2012 at 08:51Within the confines of BCC
October 25th, 2012 at 08:51Well – the guy to replace Bonamassa (at least for a tour) could be Pat Travers. I think his style very much fits the music of BCC, he’s also a singer and a songwriter. Plus, he knows Glenn very well and could add some of his songs to the tour set list.
Roland
October 26th, 2012 at 09:16Yeah , PAT TRAVERS, that s the man!
Btw, today I encountered the heavy rock/METAL magazine Aarschok from Holland in my local shop.
BCC/Glenn Hughes interview from which I expected nothing ne, but oh boy, was I wrong!
Just a few snippets from memory, I very rarely magezines anymore, and noticing that very regularly ” incorrect stuff” gets printed in this magazine.
1 DO was a hectic period in which WE used dope.
2 He seems to have a Plan B for if BCC definetely fells flat(maybe it was already known but somehow that did not stay with me, sorry is This plan B is tagged with the wordSUPERGROUP.
Forgot(…) the names but Joe Elliot from Def Leppard seems to be involved.
Damn, what were those other names?!
I should have known that going for a swim would not improve my memory…..
3 He calls Blackmore completely crazy/mad as a hatter, or something like that.
4 He thinks Ian Gillan has about 6 or 7 personalities.
He met him but did not meet the friendly one(…)
5 Again he suggests to a split within the BCC camp if concerts do not surface on a scale he thinks it should.
” 5 days a year is NOT a band, in my idea.” (Glenn)
6 I do NOT have much contact with the members of DP anymore.
7 He once sold a very old Fender guitar to Geezer Butler, but later he thought that a mistake and asked if he could borrow(….) that same guitar from GB. GH denied!!!
GH then asked if he could buy back the guitar and the same reply followed.
WOW!!!!
Maybe I ll check the mag later to see if I missed something.
October 26th, 2012 at 12:43DO= DP….
October 26th, 2012 at 12:44http://www.deflepparduk.com/2012newsapr62.html
Appearantly I read something like this way back and forgot all about it.
Duff McKagan?
Joe Elliot?
Supergroup?
Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhh : )
October 26th, 2012 at 12:47Purple Priest….you are correct, the super group is called Kings of Chaos, has Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Duff McKagen and Matt Sorum of Guns and Roses and somebody else I cant remember right now.
Pat Travers would be a good choice for BCC, he has a similar blues base as Joe Bonamassa. Glenn contributed backing vocals to Pat’s song Stevie way back in the late 70’s.
Personally I think John Sykes would be an excellent choice, great singer as well as a spectacular guitarisit.
October 28th, 2012 at 03:25Add. In the Aar(d)schok magaazine Glenn also tells the interviewer that his biggest sadness is that he has got no children.
And that he wanted them, but his misses did not!
Ouch! : (
I feel for him.
October 28th, 2012 at 12:43My Uncle….”TED Friggin’ NUGENT”!!!!! At least he would keep Hughes in line….Sings too.
CheerZ
October 28th, 2012 at 22:21I’ve seen Glenn Hughes as a solo artist. I’ve seen Joe Bonamassa as a solo artist. I was in San Diego for the first date on the band’s BCC 2 Tour. Joe Bonamassa may be a great guitarist, but Glenn Hughes is a Rock Star. Who wouldn’t be intimidated?
Reality: The band may have been Kevin Shirley’s idea, but almost from the beginning it became Glenn Hughes’ band, and Joe seemed to be OK with that. But was never an equal partnership.
As Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian have increasingly asserted themselves in the band, Bonamassa’s profile has receded. And who can keep up with all of his various other collaborative side projects? A guy with that much to prove is inevitably going to reach a point of diminishing returns.
When I caught Glenn’s solo show at the Whisky in 2008, and he told us he “had to find a way” to tour in the USA, I immediately thought: JOHN SYKES. I Still think so. John’s hometown–Reading, England–is a heck of a lot closer to the Black Country than Joe’s, anyway.
They obviously have something in common. Each contributed in no small way to David Coverdale’s success in Deep Purple and Whitesnake, respectively, and he owes them a debt he has no inclination of ever repaying. So shouldn’t they finally collect by doing something together? The prospect of Coverdale’s most talented and prominent former band mates playing and SINGING together is just too delicious to pass up.
October 29th, 2012 at 22:47http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPX3UUqV-cg&feature=relmfu
Why would Uncle Ted loose all this fun?
October 31st, 2012 at 10:13Hey Priest:
That’s a damn good bill. Though personally I’d prefer they replace REO with Night Ranger which would set the stage for an awesome “Damn Yankees” finale.
CheerZ
November 3rd, 2012 at 01:34I m trying to DL their Japan gig now on DVD>
Up till now I never tried hard to get into their stuff, althoughit made apositive impression on me, the day I first had their first output.
I always reckoned : why bother,? They ll probably never tour overhere.
Yeah, that is a bit silly.
November 7th, 2012 at 14:41I think Warren Haynes is only working 25 hrs a day at present so he could probably find time to do it cause Warren does everything with everybody and he could sing some pretty good harmnonies with Glenn, failling that Rickey Medlocke, but he’s making too much money where he is to be interested in BCC
November 20th, 2012 at 14:50I just found this in 1 of the many emails that keep flooding my inbox.
Way back I eagerly subscribed to some of them.
Talking about a PR MACHINE!!!!
In the end I just stopped reading them, getting enough of too much.And I felt annoyed by his behaviour in regards to the BCC investment.
Anyway, I thought THIS might be of interest :(Svante, maybe this better be a new thread?)
Eddie Trunk – Black Country Communion’s Glenn Hughes And Joe Bonamassa Talking Again
Glenn Hughes says he and Joe Bonamassa are on speaking terms after the fall out that derailed the launch of latest Black Country Communion album Afterglow.
His comment comes as the record became their best ever chart entry, landing at Number 48 on the US Billboard list for its first week sales.
Over the weekend Hughes tweeted, “Joe B and I spoke last nite of the love for our band and our dear friendship. We hear your voices loud and clear. BCC lives in the Afterglow.”
Read the whole article at http://www.eddietrunk.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/NAA/cdid/439210/pid/400512
December 9th, 2012 at 10:54PS. Just one of the many ironic remarks over time :
Glenn Hughes :
” Listening to the lyrics I wrote in the 80s and 70s I go, ‘What a shower of shit that was!’ Now I feel I have something to say. I feel I found myself as a songwriter. I’ve become a better musician and a better person.”
December 9th, 2012 at 10:58Yeah, yeah, I know, that was OLD news.
But I could not remember having read a ” patch-up” report on here, so :
THIS IS RECENT :
http://www.eddietrunk.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/NAA/cdid/439455/pid/400512
December 9th, 2012 at 11:00John Sykes is the perfect man for the perfect job in the new perfect Blue Country band. (Blue Murder and Black Country) John is even better than Joe. Even John once said Glenn is one of his favourite singers. There will be no band like this in a million years. Led, Deep and now is time for Blue Country (Black and Blue does not sound that good).
June 3rd, 2013 at 22:38