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Acclaimed Keel (ex-Steeler, Black Sabbath, Iron Horse and Sabre Tiger, among others) frontman and namesake Ron Keel, always a man of many words and interesting stories, was kind enough to speak with us regarding, among many other things, his recent collaborations with ex-Aerosmith axeman Jimmy Crespo and the group’s highly-anticipated 2009 reunion…
Todd: What led to Keel finally reuniting? Taking into consideration how many of your contemporaries have already opted to reconvene, what eventually led to the reunion becoming a reality?
Ron Keel: “We’ve been talking about it for a number of years. (Guitarist) Mark (Ferrari), (guitarist) Brian (Jay), (drummer) Dwaine (Miller) and I have remained friends. There’s no bad blood, no axes to grind and no hatchets to bury. We had talked about it more and more in recent years, but we wanted to do it right. As most people know, I haven’t gone out, even though Keel is my last name, with a band named Keel in over twenty years. I didn’t feel it was appropriate or right without those guys with me. …The festivals that have been happening in the Summers of the last couple of years have enabled bands like us and our contemporaries who have normally been stuck touring clubs to get back out on the stage and perform for large crowds. That’s something that’s happened within the last couple of years that’s made this more feasible for us. Plus, we’ve finally assembled a great team of people on and off the stage to help us get this deal done. (Promoter) Sullivan Bigg, who represents people like Great White, Kix and some of our other contemporaries from our genre is a big Keel fan and is really fired up and excited to make this happen with us. He really got behind us and is actually the one responsible for getting us out on some of those big stages this past Summer. Our Publicist Nancy Sayle, all the guys in the crew and everyone else involved. …There’s a great team of people around us on and off the stage that are givin’ us their support and workin’ hard to make this thing happen in the right way. …We’ve wanted to do this for years, the opportunity is right, so now’s the time.”
Todd: What are your current touring plans? Is it safe to assume the group will be playing as many dates as humanly possible in an attempt to reestablish itself?
Ron: “It’s not going to be a tour, so to speak. We’re not gonna get into a bus and pound the pavement for months at a time like we used to, although I love that. I’ve remained a travelling musician for most of my career and still do two hundred and fifty shows a year. Some of the other guys actually grew up and got a life. I’ve never learned how to do that and have continued to tour incessantly. Mark and Brian have a very successful business in the music industry…a licensing and publishing library business and Bobby has a family and commitments in Phoenix, so getting out on the road, so to speak, isn’t an option for us. But what we are going to do is play a select number of high profile special events and dates starting with our debut reunion concert on January 31st in Hollywood. Keel will be returning to Hollywood for the first time in twenty years at Club Vodka/The Knitting Factory. It’s going to be our ‘…break out…’ party where we get the show on the road. We hope to do some of the major markets where we have a lot of support. Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, Columbus…I know there will be a couple of New York shows in there. A lot of these will be fly-in dates where you fly in, do a Friday and Saturday show and then fly home. Then of course there’s the big Summer festivals that occur anywhere from June to August and we plan on hitting as many of those as possible, so they’ll be some quality shows. The offers are coming in and it’s very hard to be selective because I just wanna go out and sing with these guys. I’m ready to say ‘Yes. Let’s get on a plane’, but we have to figure out what’s feasible and what’s financially possible. We’re not doin’ this for the money, but you have to make enough money to do it right with your production and crew and pay your expenses and get home with a couple of dollars in your pocket. …It’s not about the money. It’s a about the music, the friendship and the fans.”
Todd: What led to (original bassist) Kenny Chaisson not being involved with the reunion? Have you been able to maintain a relationship with Kenny since his departure from the group?
Ron: “Kenny is always going to be part of the Keel family and we all wish him well. We’ve had some distance between us over the years…over the last decade. While Marc, Brian, Jay and I have managed to stay close and jam together on occasion, Kenny has his job and his life in Phoenix. I’m not even sure how involved he is in music anymore or if he’s even played in years. We all wish him well, but we’re welcoming aboard my bass player Geno Arce, who’s been onstage with me thousands of times in the last ten years. Nobody, besides myself, has played the Keel material onstage more than Geno. …Marc and Brian have already jammed with him. We all got together and did a Keel set about six years ago in L.A. and it was absolutely magical. Geno’s a great performer and a great musician and one of my best friends in the world. He fits right into the family, so it’s going to be exciting getting onstage with all four of those guys behind me.”
Todd: At this point, do you have any idea what type of set list the group will be working with?
Ron: “I do. We start rehearsals in a couple of weeks. We’re fine tuning the set list. It’s going to evolve. We’re gonna have fun with it…whatever works. …Of course we’ve gotta play the hits. You’re not gonna get away without hearing “The Right To Rock”, “Because The Night”, “Somebody’s Waiting”, “Tears Of Fire”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw”…everybody’s favorites. Some of my personal favorites, songs that have worked for me that I’ve continued to perform for years like “Evil Wicked Mean & Nasty” off of (1989’s) Larger Than Live. It wasn’t a hit or a single, but it just always seems to work and the crowds eat it up. We’re going to do something off of every Keel album, by the way. There’s going to be at least something from every album from (1984’s) Lay Down The Law to (1998’s) VI: Back In Action. There’ll be a couple of surprises that I’m not exactly sure about. We’ve got a few things worked up and we’ll see how they work in rehearsal. We’re gonna have fun with it and we’re gonna change things up from time to time, but the fans are going to hear all the hits and all the favorites played just like we did back in the day.”
Todd: What were the main motivations behind the group opting to record a cover of the (Bruce Springsteen/Patti Smith/10,000 Maniacs staple) “Because The Night”? Was it initially viewed as an odd choice for a Hard Rock or Heavy Metal group?
Ron: “We originally wanted to include a cover recording on every album and I’ve pretty much stayed with that tradition. I’ve done forty three albums now in my career and I’ve tried to stay true with that and do a cover song on each album. We had done (the Rolling Stones classic) “Let’s Spend The Night Together” on the The Right To Rock album and were looking for a cover to do for the follow up. I heard “Because The Night” one day when I was drivin’ through Hollywood. I had heard it a thousand times before, of course, but on that day when I heard it, it hit me. I immediately heard a Rocked-out version of it in my head and just went home and kinda played with it. …I did it in my home studio. I did a rough demo and then it was time to meet with (legendary Kiss frontman) Gene Simmons, who was our producer on that album. So we got together for a production meeting at Gene’s house. We were talkin’ about what cover song we wanted to put on the new album, so I played it for Gene and Gene loved it. …I played it for the guys in the band and they loved it and I played it for the guys at the record label and they loved it, too. Everybody was really excited about the tune and was probably a little bit too excited because they made it the first single off that album which I still feel was a big mistake. I believe that your first single off an album should be something that really establishes your identity and that song didn’t do it even though it’s a great song and a great treatment and arrangement of a Classic Rock song. It just wasn’t what Keel was all about. It was just one side of the Keel personality. It wasn’t a song like “The Right To Rock”. “The Right To Rock” was what we’re all about. …“Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal”, “Raised On Rock”…any song with the work “Rock” in it apparently (laughs). The record company thought “Because The Night” was a slam-dunk first single even though both Gene and I disagreed with them. MCA (Records) demanded that we release it as the first single and it backfired. The fans were like ‘What the hell is this? Is Keel selling out?’. Keel wasn’t selling out, but that was the only representation they had of us. It was a mistake to release it as a single, but to this day, it still works live. I’ve played it every show I’ve done ever since. I still enjoy singin’ it and the fans still enjoy listenin’ to it. It’s a part of the Keel history and I’m lookin’ forward to playin’ it again in ‘09 with the boys.”
Todd: What prompted Lay Down The Law to not be released domestically on CD until 2008? Looking back, I can remember being surprised that it hadn’t been available sooner…
Ron: “When it first came out in 1984, CDs were not the primary format for releasing records. In fact, (1985’s) The Right To Rock didn’t even come out on CD in the United States. It came out in Japan, but the US was kinda late catchin’ up to that. We had vinyl records and cassette tapes. When Lay Down The Law came out in November of 1984, we were already signed to our major label deal and were already deep into the sessions for The Right To Rock, which came out in January of 1985. So it happened real quick for us, man. Within a matter of months, we were in the studio recording Lay Down The Law, and all of a sudden we got a deal, and then all of a sudden Gene Simmons was involved. …We were rushed into the studio to get The Right To Rock ready for release. Lay Down The Law just got lost in the shuffle. It’s a great record, a fan favorite and I’m very fond of that release, but it did get lost in the shuffle. When The Right To Rock hit the streets and sold ninety thousand copies its first week, everybody kinda brushed Lay Down The Law to the side and forgot about it for years. It’s a highly bootlegged release. We’ve been inundated with bad, bad inferior bootlegs over the years. It’s just irritated us because not only were these various bootleggers making a lot of money off of us, the quality of releases just weren’t any good. Our fans were forkin’ over high dollar for scratchy vinyl transfers that sounded like crap. We continued to forward these, when we’d see them on eBay or elsewhere online, to our label Shrapnel Records, who owned the rights to Lay Down The Law. (Shrapnel Records founder) Mike Varney and I are good friends and I was like ‘Look, Mike…this is what’s happening. We gotta get this out on CD’. We tried and tried for years and finally got the deal done, dug out the original master tapes and digitally remastered them. The Lay Down The Law release sounds absolutely incredible. I’m really proud of it and am glad it was finally released on CD earlier this year.”
Todd: In retrospect, what was the proverbial ‘…straw that broke the camel’s back…’ in regards to the disbandment of Keel? Was there a particular series of events or scenarios that fueled the break up?
Ron: “Well, it was personnel changes, really. That core group of guys that was the classic Keel line-up was very special. …We were a novelty. We were one of the few bands that didn’t break huge. We had enough success where our legacy and our music lives on, but we’re not Mötley Crüe. We never got over that hump. And when that doesn’t happen after three albums, people start to point the finger and they start to scratch their heads and wonder ‘Why isn’t this happening?’ or ‘Why is this happening to us?’. We can look back on it now because we’re mature, intelligent, we’ve grown up and we know a bit more about the business. Now we can point the fingers in the right directions as to why it didn’t happen, but at the time, it was everybody’s fault but yours (laughs). The creative differences, nobody being able to agree on what steps or approach we should take led Marc to leave the band and with good reason. Marc went on to do an album with a band called Cold Sweat, which was an awesome record. It was his band and he was callin’ the shots. He took his band, got a record deal and had a great release. …And Keel went on to do an album that I was very proud of, Larger Than Live, which was release in ’89. But it just wasn’t the same, ya know? And that’s why I haven’t gone out or onstage with a band called Keel. Because without those guys, it just ain’t the same, man. You can call it whatever you want to call it, but it ain’t Keel. …It wasn’t Keel after Ferrari left and it certainly wasn’t Keel after Ferrari and Brian Jay left. It wasn’t long after that…that I realized ‘Hey, this isn’t working. This isn’t right. It’s time for me to move on’. Dwaine and I were the last two standing at the last video shoot where Keel filmed the “Too Much Is Not Enough” video and we called it a day. I’m real proud of the fact that I didn’t continue to beat that dead horse and put a bunch of guys behind me and call it Keel and tarnish our legacy, so to speak. In the ‘90’s, it was tough for everybody, man. You had to have balls of steel to stick it out. Some bands did and I have the utmost respect for acts like Aerosmith and Bon Jovi that at least stayed the course and released albums. Some bands that took a break and are still going strong like Judas Priest, the Scorpions, AC/DC…everybody kinda had to ride that decade out. The ‘90’s we’re brutal on all of us. …I wish we would have stayed together all these years, but now we’re back together and we’re going to make up for lost time.”
Todd: What ultimately led to your departure from Iron Horse? Would you describe your departure as amicable?
Ron: “…It has run its course in my opinion. In a band, a project or any type of working situation, people have to agree, ya know? They have to lead, follow or get out of the way. Iron Horse was a true labor of love for me. And the truth of it is, the personal differences had nothing to do with the other guys. I love those guys. We’re like family. We were Best Men at each other’s weddings and we’ve shared too many miles, too many high fives and too many hugs. The guys in Iron Horse are my family, but you’ve got to separate family and business. There comes a time when if you’re not going to be successful and accomplish your goals, you need to find a vehicle that will help you accomplish your goals. And the truth is, those guys fell in love, got married and settled down and have different lives now. I wouldn’t change a thing for them. They’re my dearest friends, but they chose that path and I’m very proud of them for doin’ that because the music business is a crapshoot. You never know if you’re gonna make it or break it, so I think they made the right decisions by settling down with their significant others and getting married and starting families. I’ve always put music and my career first. …And I’ve made a few mistakes along the way. That’s probably why I’ve been married three times (laughs). I wish those guys all the best and I’m glad Geno, my long-time bassist, he was with me for six years in Iron Horse, is onboard with Keel and we can work together again with this reunion.”
Todd: At this point, what is the status of K2? I would imagine that at this point, the majority--if not all--of your resources are being focused on the Keel reunion…
Ron: “K2 is on hiatus very reluctantly. …Man, I sure could use a few K2 gigs right now to tune up for the Keep reunion because K2 is a very powerful Rock band and in my opinion, the best Rock bad in Vegas in a long time. We were doin’ all the Keel material, all the stuff from my career. …Black Sabbath, Fair Game, Iron Horse, Keel. The band is incredible and the guys are great. We’re good friends and we have a lot of fun, but I’ve gotta focus on Keel. At this point, I’m going to make a wholehearted attempt to have the only Rock gigs that I do in ‘09 be Keel gigs. I might do a few solo gigs, but I’m not sure. K2 is a strong band. In fact, it was meant to be the next incarnation of Keel. …All the guys have given me a high five and a pat on the back and have wished me well. They understand that opportunities like this come along once in a lifetime. This is our 25th anniversary and it’s been twenty years since we played together. You’re not going to have milestones like that every day or every year, so we’ve got to grab this opportunity while we can. I’d love to do some K2 gigs, man. That would help me keep my chops up and get me back out on the stage workin’ up a sweat. It would be like a Keel rehearsal that I wouldn’t have to travel to Phoenix or L.A. for (laughs). But I’ve gotta put it on hiatus and focus all of my energies on Keel at this time.”
Todd: How did you initially become involved with (former Aerosmith guitarist) Jimmy Crespo? Once the touring aspect of the Keel reunion has been completed, can we expect to see any ‘Keel/Crespo’ dates?
Ron: “Jimmy and I are working on a show here in Las Vegas that will probably get off the ground sometime in the spring. We’ve been wanting to work together for a long time. I love Jimmy to death. We usually get together every Tuesday. We just sit and jam. We play Aerosmith songs, a bunch of Keel songs… We’ve developed a really great friendship. I was like ‘Hey Jimmy! You wanna do some shows with K2?’ and he was all for it. We kinda put it out there, but we’ve haven’t actually performed on stage together yet. I was tryin’ to get Jimmy onboard just because I like workin’ with him, but now the Keel reunion has come about and we’ve had to put that on hold. Jimmy and I are still workin’ on a show that I can’t really announce yet. It’s a major Las Vegas production with, well, I can’t really say. I’m really excited. I can’t wait to work with Jimmy, but we’ll have to wait for that announcement when the ink’s dry.”
Todd: Overall, how did Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing aftermath impact your career?
Ron: “That’s a tough one. Of course I wasn’t directly involved because I wasn’t there, but at the time, we had a tour booked and our agent was based in New Orleans. When Katrina hit, the tour was obviously cancelled for various reasons and our agent certainly went through hell putting bodies on the trucks and sitting in a flooded room for days waiting to be rescued. ...All kinds of horror stories. That tragedy affected our entire nation and our entire culture, so in terms of what happened to me, it was nothin’. I was in Tennessee. But I certainly feel for all the people that had to endure the effects of that tragedy and that are still enduring the effects of that tragedy. My cancelled tour was nothing compared to what those people had to go through.”
Todd: In hindsight, how would you describe your time, albeit brief, as a member of Black Sabbath?
Ron: “You know what’s the coolest thing about it? I still get to sing Black Sabbath songs at my gigs because I was a small part of their history. It was three days that’ll live on forever. It’s pretty well documented now on
the internet and in books that have documented the history of Black Sabbath. It was a cool three days, man. Black Sabbath is a legendary icon of Heavy Metal. Even though we didn’t take it to the next step and I never did an album or a tour with them, I was in the band for a few days and got to hang out with them and feel what it was like to be a member of Black Sabbath. …It was a great experience. Plus, it still gives me a little bit of a legitimate reason to include those songs in my show. In the K2 sets and in all of the Rock shows that I’ve done in recent years, I’ve done “War Pigs” and “Heaven And Hell”. I love doin’ that stuff, man. ...Especially the (Ronnie James) Dio stuff. Singin’ “Heaven And Hell” is a lot of fun for me. I even did it on my acoustic tour. It was just me. I was openin’ up for Quiet Riot, Y&T and these other Hard Rock and Metal bands and I would walk out there with my acoustic guitar and do my Alone At Last show, which was great. It was a blast…a great experience. At the end of the show, I’d do an acoustic version of “Heaven And Hell”. It was just a lot of fun. So I’m glad that I was a very small thread in that very large tapestry called Black Sabbath.”
Todd: In addition to the forthcoming Keel reunion, K2 and your various solo excursions, what other projects are you currently involved with? I understand you’ve also become quite successful as a promoter and manager…
Ron: “…The Country Superstars Tribute show. It is the only Country music tribute show in Las Vegas. I’m the producer of the show and I do perform in it on a limited basis, but I’ve been producing it from day one. Last night, we celebrated three hundred and seventy eight shows in a year and a half. We go seven nights a week. It’s an unqualified success. My company, Keel Entertainment, produces the show and manages the acts that are in the show. …Seven nights a week in Vegas when a lot of shows are shutting down because the economy is putting the squeeze on everybody… We’ve got a great show and it’s not the typical Vegas show with showgirls and backing tracks. This is a live concert event with live musicians, great entertainers and a lot of audience response. It’s a really quick paced, energetic show and I’m really proud to be a part of it. My company Keel Entertainment produces and manages that show as well as a couple of other tribute shows. …The Spirit Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which features impersonator tributes to Elton John, Pat Benetar, Joan Jett, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart on lead vocals, Ringo Starr on the drums… It’s an absolutely incredible act that we’re really excited about. We’ve got our fingers in a lot of pies. I’m trying to build my little entertainment empire, so to speak. I’m a licensed and bonded Nevada Booking Agent now and my company is doing great. I’ve got a lot of opportunities to entertain people, have fun and make money, so I’m excited about all of that.”
Select Ron Keel Discography
Keel VI: Back In Action (1998) **
Larger Than Live (1989) **
Keel (1987) **
The Final Frontier (1986) **
The Right To Rock (1985) **
Lay Down The Law (1984) **
Steeler (1983) *
* as a member of Steeler
** as a member of Keel