Alice Cooper talked longevity and inspiration as well as other deep-cut topics during episode 1, season 5 of the “Rock & Roll High School” podcast with host Pete Ganbarg.
The veteran shock rocker, who plays Las Vegas in March, said his stage shows are “healthy” for him, particularly given his long time sobriety. The 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer continues to welcome fans to his “nightmare” with a range of dates.
The Alice Cooper lead singer, born Vincent David Furnier, chats with Ganbarg on a wide range of stories and anecdotes. For one, he said it was “My Generation” by The Who that spurred an idea to create an anthem about the end of school. Thus in 1972, his famous “School’s Out” was born.
“We understood what an ‘anthem’ was after hearing ‘My Generation,’” Furnier said. “‘My Generation’ was an anthem because 100 years from now, a 16-year-old kid hears that song and goes ‘Oh, he’s talking about me!’ At the same time, everybody hated school. We thought, if you can capture the last three minutes of the last day of school before summer vacation, that would be a joyous song.”
Furnier said his very first meeting with future manager Shep Gordon was a pot-induced haze alongside Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
“Everybody was there … Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin,” Cooper recalled. “Everybody went to Shep’s room to get high. We were elated. We used to be able to make a joint last for a week because that’s all we could afford. And then here we were.”
Alice Cooper’s latest album is called “The Revenge of Alice Cooper” – read the US Rocker review and listen here.
Hosted by award-winning producer and music executive Ganbarg, the Rock & Roll High School podcast tells the story of contemporary music one artist at a time. Upcoming episodes will feature Al Jardine (The Beach Boys), Darlene Love, Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers/The Dead/Gov’t Mule), Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Suzi Quatro, Harry Wayne “KC” Casey (KC & The Sunshine Band), Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary), Richard Thompson, Don Was, Howard Jones and others.
What started as an internal class at Atlantic Records to help young A&R staff understand the roots of contemporary music, has grown into a global podcast featuring intimate conversations with the legends who shaped the soundtrack of our lives.
Past guests have included Clive Davis, Nile Rodgers, Peter Frampton and many more. Across each episode, Ganbarg brings the unique perspective of someone who signs today’s biggest new artists, while preserving the stories of the pioneers who built the foundation for the. The result is a one-of-a-kind conversation bridging generations and filling in the gaps of music history.
Check out the Rock & Roll High School podcast here and here.
https://lnk.to/rrhspodcast | https://www.rockschoolpodcast.com/
– Edited by Donna Balancia