Kiss Army Argentina fick en en intervju med Karl Cochran om Ace och ESP, den är översatt med Google.

Exclusive Interview With Karl Cochran:

”No I wanted to play bass, I did just for touring with Ace”

KARL COCHRAN HAS BEEN RELATED TO THE ”WORLD KISS OF DIFFERENT WAYS. Has toured with Ace Frehley IN YOUR STEP ABOVE TO RETURN TO KISS, ACE SONG HAS MADE AND IS ALSO MEMBER OF ESP, with Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick. LITTLE IS NOT WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AND DO IT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW TO KISS ARMY ARGENTINA.

Karl, firstly, thank you very much for this contact KISS Army Argentina. Please tell us how did you get started in the music world. What bands and musicians you listen to when you were younger? When you formed your first band?

My father had a huge collection of music, and was a DJ for Armed Forces Network in Germany, so I was exposed to music since birth. I grew up in Staten Island, New York and Plainfield, New Jersey, places where there was a great music scene of jazz, funk, blues and rock. I hung out with musicians at the time when I started playing. I was nine when my mother bought me my first guitar, and that’s how I started playing. At 11 I started taking classes seriously, and the 13 who taught me was the great jazz musician Harry Leahey, who took classes for 20 years until his death. Professionally, my beginnings were at 14 years, and since then never looked back.

What are you doing today? Are you in a band? Do you work as a producer?

I am currently working at the beginning of a project with Flavor Flav (Public Enemy), and we have a couple of ideas for which I have already preliminary recordings. I am also preparing for some shows in New Jersey and New York, 11, 12 and 13 February, with Joe Lynn Turner (who worked with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple), in what will be his first presentations in the together after a long time. I also participate regularly in shows with a tribute band to Led Zeppelin Hindenberg, involving Zebra Felix Hanemann and Stevie ”Budgie” Werner, who was touring as part of Ace Frehley’s band the Bad Boys Tour 1994-95. I also give weekly classes over 30 students, and I have presentations with my cover band, Far Cry, which has Terkildsen Bruce on bass (Bruce played with me in the EP Voodooland) and my friend Richie Rodriguez for acoustic. I am also preparing a few shows with Kenny Aaronson, a phenomenal bass player. And as always, I have work as a session in my own studio, with several customers. Also start working on a small movie with a friend, Rich Starucha. He also co-wrote and played the theme song and much of the music for several episodes of the first season of Disney’s ”I’m in the band”, which is doing quite well, especially in abroad.

Let’s get to your days with Ace Frehley. In the ’90s, the bass was very unstable, in fact you were the last bearish before the meeting with the original members of KISS. Please tell us how you came to the band, ”was through an audition, or already knew to Ace straight ahead and offered you the job?

At the time, to be honest, I did not play bass. Mine is the guitar is what I enjoy doing. Had just completed a tour with Joe Lynn Turner, and audition for the band Ace coincided with a lull in my work. Did not even have a bass, so for the audition I had to ask a friend lent. Steve Werner practically had to beg me to introduce me to audition, and it seems that I was the last person they had in view. After my presentation, I asked if he could be ready to tour fairly soon, to which I replied: ”I’m ready, when do we start?”. The rest is history.

That training which were part did not last long, but overall, they had a great sound, as if they had been playing together for long! What are your memories of those days?

I have great memories, and the bands that I belonged, was one of the most enjoyed. In fact, this training lasted several years, and that’s how I co-wrote ”Into the Void”, which ended up as part of the album ”Psycho Circus” and several subsequent compilations. The album was released in 1998, and I was with Ace since late 1994. We also participate in the New York Steel Benedit Show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, and an unscheduled show, with lots of fans gathering at Don Hill, New York, in 2002.

1995 was a year of much work for you. You went on tour with Peter Criss solo band, in what was called the Bad Boys Tour, and played several songs together on stage (we have some unofficial recordings), and it was great! If I am right, I think even left to play bass guitar …

Yes, I remember, was very entertaining.

By now you’ve already started planning to record a new album that was supposed to include songs like ”Sister”, ”Take Me to the City”, ”Do not Want to Lose You”, how did you get involved with those songs? ”were based on ideas that Ace already had before you join the band?

It was I who introduced her ”Sister” Ace, and had written in advance. In ”Do not Want to Lose You” was not involved in the authorship, and as for ”Take Me to the City”, I remember I had a small role, but honestly, it all happened like 15 years ago, what my memories are somewhat vague in this regard.

The fans have only recordings of those songs, are there any that have not seen the light of day?

Yes, but only on tape recordings. Each time a group of musicians together in a studio to record ideas and preliminary cuts provided some ideas are dismissed at the time of publishing, either because they are in accordance with sound or because they are looking good.

Plans recording of that album, what came of them? Why was Ace promising album every year and promise never seemed to materialize?

Well, one reason for the delay was, of course, the return of KISS Ace. For the time that it had completed a few years later, Richie Scarlett, Steve Werner and I were with other projects. As for the delay after I left the band, you should ask Ace.

Following the meeting for the MTV Unplugged I guess they imagined that the meeting was almost a given. How did you hear that Ace had decided to put an end to the band? Have they previously reported, or were caught by surprise?

Ace called us and told us back to KISS. There were no surprises or resentment, because we saw it coming. Ace was frank about it.

After Ace left the band, what do you do? We have edited an EP called Voodoo, with a great rock sound. What other projects we’re missing?

The name of the album is actually Voodoo Land, Eric Singer and participated in the first three issues, and Ace with a guitar solo. We also publish another album in 2004 called ”Give Me Air” with Joe Lynn Turner, Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne worked with), John Corabi (among others worked with Motley Crue) and Brent Fitz (of the band of Flash) in battery. Also participated in an album by Joe Lynn Turner called ”The Usual Suspects.” Also had other interests with Joe Lynn Turner, in his song ”Holy Man” and another song from her album ”JLT.” Then, in 2007, I began to do the entire album ”Second Hand Life” in my studio for 22 days.

You were also part of ESP, with John Corabi, Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer, but gave up a few years ago, why?

Actually I did not quit. Part of the reason why I went was obviously the return of Eric with KISS, but the main reason was purely geographical: I live in New Jersey, on the east coast, and the rest in California, on the west coast, for As always fly 5,000 km really, in terms of economic returns, not worth for any of those involved.

After a few years, touched again with Ace in 2001, in memory of firefighters who died in the tragedy of the Twin Towers, along with Twisted Sister and anthrax, and if I am right, you played the guitar. Ace then was no longer in KISS, ”emerged at some point a new opportunity to work together?

At the time, was said to reunite once again that formation of Ace’s band for a festival in Jacksonville, Florida. They also offered us a tour. However, Ace at that time wanted to carry out the project if it met all the training, including Steve, Richie and me. Richie Scarlett was playing with Sebastian Bach, who also played in some shows, so those shows planned with Ace never took place.

After this introduction in 2001, Ace took a long break and resumed his musical activity as recently as 2007, with a new solo band with a completely new formation, will you join it offered?

I knew for some time that Ace was trying to meet new people for some shows and record an album. I know that at some point Steve was involved. But by then, I had already decided that I no longer interested in playing bass for Ace, since everyone knows I’m a guitarist in reality. Also in 2007 he started writing ”Second Hand Life” with Joe Lynn Turner, a job that eventually co-wrote many songs for which he also did production and engineering work in my studio, and recorded most of the sections bass and all guitars. Combined with my regular teaching duties, and my cover band, was blocked from working.

Some time ago I bought a live CD Joe Lynn Turner, and was a great surprise to discover that you were part of his band on guitar. How did it all on that tour? How did playing those great songs from Rainbow? For Ritchie Blackmore has written amazing songs …

I always enjoyed playing with Joe Lynn Turner, because it is a great singer and a good friend of mine. We get along very well, and work with me is easy. As for playing songs by Ritchie Blackmore, always an honor to do so. He is one of my main influences on guitar, and always will be. I remember hearing in 1973 small chords of ”Smoke on the Water”, from a neighbor’s house, and I freaked riff. I rushed to buy ”Machine Head”, and could not believe how good it was. It remains one of my favorite albums of Deep Purple. So many years later, playing some of these great songs is an honor and a pleasure.

now keep in touch with Richie Scarlett, Steve Werner or Ace Frehley? Have you heard ”Anomaly”?

I’m in the band playing covers of Led Zeppelin Hindenberg (www.hindenberg.com) with Steve Werner and Felix Hanemann Zebra. I also keep in regular contact with Richie Scarlett, whom I consider a good friend. As for Ace, I spoke with him last year to settle a matter of appropriations ”Sister,” which ended up as part of ”Anomaly.” Not heard the album yet, I’ve heard it’s good.

What is your assessment of your days with Ace? What are your best and your worst memories?

Honestly, I have bad memories of my days with Ace. It was a great experience, and lots of fun on tour. As always, we wish the best for Ace.

Finally, could you please leave a message for fans of Ace and KISS in Argentina?

I would like to thank everyone for so many years of support, and support for good rock in general. I just could not do what I do, nobody in the rock could, if not for the fans. America has always been a huge KISS fan base and related topics. God bless you all, and that by 2011, will send you the best. Thanks!

Karl has been a pleasure to have this contact with you and again thank you very much!

Our thanks to Karl Cochran for their time, dedication and kindness in granting us this exclusive interview.

Interview: Marcelo Ferreyra and Diego Garcia to Kiss Army Argentina

Källa: www.kissarmyargentina.com