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Dennis Dunaway (original Alice Cooper)
- Thread starter Space-Man
- Start date
I heard he never even played most of the parts on the recordings and that it actually Bob Ezrin. But regardless of who played ... the Alice Cooper Band (on the records) was AWESOME .. I loved the bass parts
Thanks for the link ... in FAQ question ...someone asked him the same question .. according to him he played all the parts!!!
You know what ... I'll take his word for it ... !!! So am I fan of playing ...ABSOLUTELY!!!
Greetings from the North,
What is this, old home week? 'Love It To Death', 'Killer', and 'School's Out' showcased some more great unorthodox playing that was Dennis. The stuff after the first 3 albums I couldn't get into. But he sure did rock the first 3. When I saw them in Detroit in 70,71 & 72 he sure knew what he was doin.
Rezdog
What is this, old home week? 'Love It To Death', 'Killer', and 'School's Out' showcased some more great unorthodox playing that was Dennis. The stuff after the first 3 albums I couldn't get into. But he sure did rock the first 3. When I saw them in Detroit in 70,71 & 72 he sure knew what he was doin.
Rezdog
Yeah, I'm just giving my age away! Here's some more neat tidbits:
Bob Greene (Chicago journalist) went on tour with the Alice Cooper ban back in the early 70's and wrote the book "Billion Dollar Babies". Don't think its still in print. The Amazing Randi (magician and debunker) also coordinated a good many of the onstage stunts (beheadings, hangings, etc.).
Glenn Buxton (deceased) was the "trouble child". I believe Mick Mashbir was brought in to cover the second guitar parts.
The Pointer Sisters and Liza Minelli did the backing vocals on "Teenage Lament '74".
I used the Muscle of Love "Institute of Nude Wrestling" bookcover on my high school Spanish textbook.
Riis
Guitarist Mike Marconi who was from my hometown, also was in Alice's band in the hey days.
Hey Riis, You missin Wally??
Hey Riis, You missin Wally??
I saw the original Alice Cooper band a few times around 70-72[they came through NY a lot], Dennis always sounded great!
Alice might have had better players in his later bands, but that first band was special.
A few threads bringing back the old days around here lately.
Alice might have had better players in his later bands, but that first band was special.
A few threads bringing back the old days around here lately.
The Alice Cooper band also does a cameo (club band) in "Diary of a Mad Housewife" starring Carrie Snodgrass (deceased).
Riis
Riis
Heck yeah! Went to a good home, though. Still have the maple "Mabel".
Can you believe Kip Winger played with the AC band? What the h*** happened there?!?
Riis
I was a huge fan of the AC band back in the day...more recently, I am re-reading Michael Bruce's book (No More Mr. NIce Guy)-
Nowhere I have ever heard anything about Bob Ezrin playing bass...piano, yes, but bass?!
Now I would say Ezrin's production really made the band & the bass sound good on the recordings (IMO, School's Out is a great sounding record). That is, on record, the AC band sounded pretty polished. Live? They almost sounded like a Punk/garage band.
Anyway, from Bruce's book, I learned that DD was the "leader" of the early daze of the band (The Spiders, The Nazz, etc). It was DD that was into the 'Avant Garde' (art/theatre)...DD woulda preferred AC being more of an early Pink Floyd-type of group.
"Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets" is great!
Greene's book is OOP. Used copies are available for mucho funds.
In Bruce's book, he sez Greene was writing about a bad period in the band's life. I guess the book is like a giant tabloid of the Coopers?
I had heard rumors in the Muscle Of Love daze about Buxton being replaced with someone named Mick Mashbir. In Bruce's book, he confirms this...the band told Buxton his playing was no longer cutting it: He needed to take guitar lessons & practice the new material. Mashbir, meanwhile, was rehearsing the new material with the band as Buxton was off attempting to get it back together. Well, he did not get it together & so Mashbir played Buxton's parts LIVE...Buxton's guitar was not in the house system...he was only in the band's on-stage monitors. Bruce sez they did let Buxton listen to any tapes from their live shows.
Ronnie Spector, too, IIRC.
Cool...I still have all of those original LPs (pink panties still on the School's Out record)...for some reason, the book cover from MOL is missing.
I agree...School's Out was my first...then a month or so later, Killer...then Love It To Death.
Some will say Billion Dollar Babies was the AC groups' best...for some reason, it did not do it for me like the earlier 3.
And Muscle Of Love, IMO, was not as bad as everyone else said it was.
That said, Dunaway's pedal on "Hello Hooray" threw me ("Why is he not playing the changes"?!).
"No More Mr. NIce Guy" & "Billion Dollar Babies" are nice DD cuts.
From MOL, "Crazy Little Child" & "Never Been Sold Before" were cool.
Love those 3 albums. I can even throw in Billion Dollar Babies to that mix. A little "nicer" sounding but still had a lot of cool tunes and interesting playing.
Ya I don't think Dennis gets his fair dues. Underrated.
Ahhhhh the good old days..........
Another big Dunaway disciple here. I recall reading that Ezrin pushed him to think outside the box during the recording sessions. Dennis is one of my friends on MySpace. I wrote him, and told him that he influenced me as much as Jack Bruce and Chris Squire. He wrote back a nice reply, basically saying that he didn't think he belonged in such elite company. I told him that I thought he did. I've got an autographed copy of his last project, Bones From The Yard.
