I’ve been a devoted follower of the Michagiac Motor City Madman Ted Nugent for more than 20 years, so when the opportunity came up to interview him on his recent lightning one-stop visit to London, I was determined to interview him. We met in an overheated, Olde Worlde London hotel, where I was given about 45 minutes with The Nuge before he went off to soundcheck at the Astoria Theatre, where later that night played a blinding gig – one of the best hard rock R&B performances it has been my pleasure to experience. If his forthcoming album Craveman contains one tenth of the power and energy of that show, we’re all in for some fun.
The following is an unedited transcript of our interview. Nugent’s legendary powers of conversation are as outrageous as ever. My first mistake was introducing myself using two words – “English” and “journalist”. Enjoy!
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TN: My mind is having an argument with my mouth right now because my mind is going “they’re not really journalists!” – based on their ineptitude, unprofessionalism and bent for misrepresentation. That being said, I find – and here’s a perfect example – I find it absolutely astonishing that journalists who ask me questions accuse me of mouthing off. Let’s just see if I’ve got this right. When you ask a question, it’s actually expected that the right thing to do is to give an answer. I don’t have many opinions – what I have is 53 years clean and sober, where that radar has worked real good – in fact I have specifically aspired to radar goals. My quality of life will be based on my level of awareness, which will be determined by my capability of observing, identifying, responding, cataloguing certain radar information that I intentionally seek. There’s no right issue or wrong issue – it’s whatever life has – and life has it all, does it not? So, I love it when my observations are poo-poohed by our liberal brethren in the media as opinions. And as I did research for God, Guns and Rock and Roll – my New York Times bestseller – I’m bragging, yeah, I’m bragging, I brag when my kids get As in their report cards too – I think that’s part of this wonderful thing that people are scrabbling for – self-esteem. But when you attain self-esteem, then you’re egotistical. Shut the fuck up! My point being is that it’s not my opinion that I have the right to defend myself. Nothing could be more obvious to me. And it’s not my opinion that when you disarm the public, the predators now can not be resisted. That’s wrong. That’s not my opinion. Good guys should not be helpless. That’s not my opinion. That’s the overview of the truism that right is right and wrong is wrong. Who’s to say? Let’s just refer to the Golden Rule, for starters, that seems to be reasonably universal. Or the 10 Commandments – they seem to be reasonably acceptable. So I take my interviews as a grand opportunity for Number one, overt entertainment and One (a) because it’s not quite secondary, it’s still part of the driving cause – Because I really know that things aren’t perfect. That I have total confidence in my radar information, that my observations can help change the world’s flat tyre. Because this gift God gave us is a wonderful pick-up truck. It has a wonderful paint job. It’s got an incredible racing suspension. It’s got an incredible steering geometry and the tyres are wonderful – but one of ‘em’s flat. And I’m not going to keep walking past the flat. Because it doesn’t matter how wonderful the truck is – it ain’t going anywhere until we change the flat! And a lot of people …
JW: I’ve gotta jump in here, because they told me time was tight … I don’t have an agenda …
TN: In an honest overview I don’t have an agenda either. My agenda is … I don’t consider it an agenda. We are born with an intellect and I believe the proper use of that is for good – it’s for your happiness and peace and health because you can’t have happiness without those two things. And who are you to say that? Because I know it’s true. People take this as a Ted Nugent ramrod agenda …
JW: OK … there’s a couple of things I want to ask you … I was listening the other day to On The Edge from the Amboy Dukes days. And I thought it would be perfect on a soundtrack – to a Tarantino movie or something – it seemed to me that all that material, that period, was ripe for a kind of revival…
TN: Fun stuff … You know, Journey to the Centre of the Mind is actually on the TV all the times in the States for a singular telephone ad and it’s fascinating – my son comes running in shouting “Dad, dad, your guitar’s on TV!!” We actually perform JTTCOTM in the set right now and it’s a fucking riot. I was 17 when I came up with that amazing guitar lead – I didn’t have any right to be able to know that worked, but it fucking works!
JW: So where did that come from? FromJames Brown?
TN: No question. If you listen to the notes … in fact Paul Shaeffer (musical director for the CBS orchestra – David Letterman’s band) said “Your guitar lead captured my musical dream,” or some words to that effect – pretty profound statement for such a technical musician. He said “That flatted major 7th was just awesome – it was so unexpected!” And I just went “What flat major 7th?” I didn’t know what it was – but I learned it from a combination of Stax Volt horn lines and I couldn’t tell you why, or which notes they were. I just found them. And Junior Walker sax riffs as brought to me by Jimmy McCarty (lead guitarist with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels) because Jimmy was playing all the Motown licks and James brown horn parts on his Byrdland guitar and as a young boy – I think I was 11 the first time I played with them, and when I saw him play it, the depth of tone, the crystal clear tone of that Gibson Byrdland. My band opened up for that band and a lot of the Motown groups played there, at the Walled Lake Casino in Novi, Michigan -
I can’t believe I remember this – and when I saw him play, the depth of tone, the crystal clear tone of that Gibson Byrdland…that was 1959, 1960 – I was going on 12 or 13. And my band opened up for that band. A lot of the Motown groups played there. I remember I saw Martha Reeves and the Vandellas when they were just kids. So the soul of black music has done nothing but increase in intensity in my understanding of why music has an impact and why it emotes as it does.”
JW: Was that the first time that you saw the Byrdland said ‘Shit – that’s what I want. I want one of those’ ?
TN: “Its tone … it has a life of its own. It’s a beautiful guitar.”
JW: How many of those do you have?
TN: “Twenty? 22? They’re all awesome.”
JW: Have you had any made for you?
TN: “Yes, uh-huh. For my 5,000th concert – I believe it was 1999, at the House of Blues in Chicago – Gibson presented me with a beautiful … what I call Champale – not Champagne and not blond – almost satin in colour. Since then I had them make me another one, which is almost unfinished. It just has a slight protective coat because the more that spruce breathes, the richer the sound. I’ve also got a horror story, a very painful story to share with you. Back in ’73 Gibson made a three-pick-up white Byrdland with my name in the neck, as specifically designed and requested by me, that sounded horrible. It was when Gibson and Chrysler couldn’t make a guitar that played of a car that started. And when I got the guitar I was so let down and it sounded so bad that … are you ready for this … I gave it away. In Sweden. Or Oslo. I gave it away in Oslo. In 1977. Do you know what that fucking guitar is worth? The only one that says Ted Nugent in the neck in pearl?”
JW: $50,000?
TN: “I’d say $25,000, $30,000? Three pick ups? AND I GAVE IT AWAY! WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING? But I’m having a Great White Buffalo Byrdland made right now. A white one, that I will use to perform Great White Buffalo. It is being meticulously made with a stunt double that I will shoot on stage. It’s fantastic. I don’t have any fun at all!”
JW: Baby Please Don’t Go – you’ve always played that. It’s a soul, rock and roll record really…
TN: “Let’s give credit where credit is due. For the egotistical monster that I am, I always have celebrated the names Jimmy McCarty and Mitch Ryder. Equally impacting was the black portrayal as accurately projected by Van Morrison and Them - and all those English bands - that’s what made ‘em … the Stones? Black. The Beatles? Originally? Black. Yardbirds? Black. You name the bands that touched people’s soul – it wasn’t because of Jeff Beck’s playing per se, it was because of Mick Jagger per se – it was because they were overwhelmed by the blackness of it all. Let me tell you right now Jay – use this as you will – because my being lives in the primal camp fire right now, because of my hunting with a sharp stick today and because I am still obsessed, possessed and driven by the primality of the rock and roll banging, clanging, uninhibited, rhythmical, naked dance around the figurative and literal camp fire of my hunting life, I assure you that it all came from and started with the twang of a bow – that’s the first musical note – and the thump of a skin - that’s the first beat, the skin being dried around that fire for clothing or whatever … celebrating sex and/or the killing of the enemy and/or the killing of food. That was it.”
JW: So it’s a primary function?
TN: “Yes. And today I don’t believe anything has changed, although Dave Mathews might struggle to relate that to you, that’s what’s going on with his band. That’s why he’s got Buford playing drums. I guarantee it. That’s why the black translation of the unprecedented emotional horror of the black culture being ripped savagely and violently from this ultimate independent, self-sufficient hunting lifestyle into the most soulless, slavery dependence caused Howlin’ Wolf to play the music that he did. I guarantee it. Which is why I crave it. When you hear my new CD, when you hear the song Crave (“A simple life I will not have/It doesn’t satisfy me/I don’t believe in the status quo/It kinda leaves me weak”). I have that attitude that is even more pronounced and purer – less baggage than I had when I was 10. It’s alive and more emotional today than it has ever been. There is an accumulation of capabilities – emotionally, physically, spiritually, intellectually, irreverently, offensively. The good, the band – the good gets gooder, the bad gets worse … the uglier is more like Janet Reno every day – if you play your cards rights and if your radar is working good. And that’s why my music is more savage than the Sex Pistols could have ever imagined. That’s why my music is more rebellious than the Damned could even comprehended and it’s as authentic as James Brown and the Fabulous fuckin’ Flames. All rolled into one.”
JW: What do you think of Eminem?
TN: “Eminem is one I don’t get. I listen to his lyrics … and I’m afraid to say … I love Enimem and I hope he sells a gazillion records and he’s well on his way … but there’s one artist that I can’t tell you that I GET. I understand the veneer - I understand the feeble, confused scramble by all those white consumers to latch on to a ‘wigger’ – a nigger wannabe …”
JW: But what’s the difference between them and people who bought Rolling Stones records in 1965?
TN: “The authenticity that can only be conveyed … the effort that Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman and Brian Jones and Keith Richards and Mick Jagger put into the cultivation of their dream of excellence – being the best that they could be in representing Howlin’ Wolf, and Lightning Hopkins and Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. They actually worked at it. I don’t think anything he has ever done could be construed as busting his ass.”
JW: OK. Back to you. You look at people like Aerosmith who had a real career boost with the Run DMC collaboration, you had John Bonham’s drum beats being sampled by an entire generation of hip-hop artists – I just can’t understand why your riffs haven’t been used. Would you object to that? A mighty riff like Great White Buffalo or Cat Scratch Fever…
TN: “I find it fascinating – and as a journalist you might want to investigate it further – and this once again confirms my proven claim that the liberal journalism community is overtly dishonest, manipulative and conspiratorial. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of incidents there have been where people have contacted me and told me how they – including artists – read an interview in Creem or Rolling Stone (I think Rolling Stone has been cited more often that others) and claimed that one of my songs influenced them to become a player. James Hetfield told me that he had told Rolling Stone how influential I was on his career…”
JW: And they subbed [edited] it out?
TN: “Absolutely. And I’ve had people write in to numerous rock and roll publications to say what I’ve meant to them – and it’s never included. I think Angus Young did an interview with Creem, or something, and he went on and on about the influence my guitar playing had on him, and it was all deleted from the interview. It IS fascinating. I know that Rolling Stone magazine has had press releases about the different charity work that I have done, yet they’ll run a Bono press release about something that didn’t do anywhere near as much… I’m not knocking somebody who doesn’t do as big numbers as I do, I think all charity work is just wonderful, but it should all be recognised to encourage other people to become involved. But I know that because of my politics, that when the Aerosmith tribute show on MTV was being produced, and Kid Rock said ‘Ted’s gonna come in and do Train Kept a Rollin’’ – and I know they nixed it. Not only do they hate my politics, they can’t stand how good I am… hence this control factor – even by this write for Classic Rock magazine. He so overtly and dishonestly misrepresented a statement – and this was the part of the article that angered me so. When Dusty Hill from ZZ Top came into my dressing room in Houston – what I said, I said “Dusty!” I don’t hug men, but I hug Dusty because we go way back. I said “Dusty, don’t you think for a minute that the ZZ influence goes uncelebrated in the Nugent camp” and we broke into La Grange. Now does that sound like I was competing for attention in the interview? What the fuck does the interview have to do with anything? He [the interviewer] wasn’t trying to communicate – it was Dusty and Ted, playing La Grange! What a wonderful gesture! That’s not being a prick! That’s paying homage! You couldn’t have more misrepresented what occurred than what he said in the magazine. I read that I thought it intentionally made me out to be a creep, when what was overtly apparent was a gesture of hospitable goodwill. And you know, it’s typical of limeys. Limeys have such an inferiority complex. You gotta know it’s true. Especially in the journalistic community. I’ve never seen people so driven to find negatives. I’ll never forget when I was here in the 70s and I was doing a photo session. They LOVED my hunting, they thought ‘oh, he’s the REAL rebel – he’s REALLY independent’ and the anti-drugs thing was al wonderful. Next year it was ‘WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? Killing innocent wildlife – nobody wants to hear about your fucking guns’. Nothing changed – they just decided to do an about-face trend move. My feelings aren’t hurt, because as you can tell it hasn’t deterred me one little bit. I find it wonderful fuel, because I know I’m right and the more assholes I offend, the more driven I am. I get great joy when people say to me ‘Ted – I stopped drinking because of what you said in Des Moines last year’ or ‘Ted, my son and I finally have a relationship because we started shooting together’ or ‘Ted, I quit smoking dope and my life has never been better’. I’m not out to do this, I’m out to say ‘this is what really works for me, it brings me so much joy it’s insane’.”
JW: But like they say, it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you deal with it.
TN: “Absolutely.”
[I get the ‘watch-finger’ signal from record company dude Darron, so I throw in a few quickfire questions]
JW: Did you ever open a restaurant or did that plan go on the back-burner (ho ho!)?
TN: “No … years ago I was thinking of opening a restaurant called Red Meat, because it’s good food.”
JW: Have you had any decent TV or film offers recently?
TN: “Yeah. In fact I just accepted one. I’m offered something every week but I’m a master of one thing and that’s priorities. I know what brings me health and joy and family celebration and those are how I steer my schedule. I don’t have the information in front of me but I’m playing a sherrif. I said ‘yeah’ let’s do this’ because I can do it in one day. I crave my music – I crave the creative collaborative effort of the incredible world-class musicians I surround myself with. Marco Mendoza is just so compelling. Tommy Clufetos is a 21-year-old, he goes ‘oh you think you’re pretty energized, don’t you Ted? Well try this shit out for size!’ I find it wonderfully challenging and invigorating and I would never compromise that, as I would never compromise family time – hence my family is on the road with me. My hunting season is a spiritual necessity, not to mention a barbecue necessity but I will accept things that I can get done in a reasonably expeditious fashion.”
JW: Is this going to be a movie?
TN: “I think it’s going to be a movie. I play a redneck sherrif – I don’t wanna be typecast or anything – and I got a few dozen lines, and it’ll be fun. But I turn down stuff all the time. I don’t know if you ever saw me in Miami Vice – that was pretty good. I’m game for that kind of stuff and I oftentimes see roles where I think ‘oh man, I could have killed in that role’. You mentioned earlier Tarantino – what was that movie –Reservoir Dogs? I would have just … you wanna cocksucker? You wanna dirty,evil, soulless de-ethic’ed bastard? I could play that. I could also play a super good guy.”
JW: You recorded In The Midnight Hour, didn’t you?
TN: “It never surfaced, and it’s an awesome version. We play it on my radio show all the time. I’d like to see that surface. It was recorded during Little Miss Dangerous and it’s a beast. It’s like a Little Miss Dangerous meets Bite Down Hard. [To Darron] We probably should consider that as a bonus track on Craveman. It’s a killer version because I flexed my Wilson Pickett inspirations. You’d enjoy it. Monster drums and over the top guitar noise. Plus I sang it like … “I’m gonna wait ‘till the midnight hour…”
ENDS
Jay Williams
72 Point PR
Ltd
The Media
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Emma-Chris
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jay@swns.com