NEWSLETTERS  The July 2002 Issue Hello again! I have some news to share with you all and have included an interview Chip did recently for those of you who missed seeing the link posted on the message board.  First off. Tom Feeley who has been the personal manager of the band since their 1998 Japanese tour is no longer managing the boys. They now have a new manager who is a close friend of Donnie’s wife Joni and his name is Obi Steinmann. Warrant is one of the bands that he manages at the moment. He will be working to secure tour dates and a label deal in the states here for the band and has been working for them for a couple of months now in some capacity. I would just like to say you will be sorely missed Tom!   Most likely Donnie’s solo release will be out here before the release of the bands 11th effort and for those of you who “can’t wait” your best bet for now is to purchase the Japanese release which Pony Canyon wants to get out on the market. They also want to get a hold of Donnie’s solo album I am told. The price will be quite a bit higher, but then the American and Japanese releases usually have a couple of differences on them anyway. I use: www.rammusic.com out of Wisconsin for overseas purchases and I’m sure you can all find many other online sites that will be supplying the disc as well. The title has also changed from “Welcome To Blue Island” to “The Sun” and by the time this newsletter goes out it may be something different but I’m pretty sure that one or the other should be the final title to their release… I hope! (haha) There is also a “hidden” track titled “July 1970” with an obvious reference to the breakup of The Beatles…  I spoke to Donnie by phone recently and the boys have the George Harrison tribute disc selection narrowed down to a few after Donnie said there were SO many he would like to record! The band has the go ahead from the “powers that be” and should be recording a song very soon. When I spoke to Donnie he said he was he was ready THAT day and was in good spirits! He was in the studio working on his solo disc and he told me he has become quite good at making his own jewelry. Also he makes and likes beads and for those of you looking for things to get him he likes reds, blues and gold colors the most. If you are looking for something to give him, those are the ones to look for first.  The band will be doing dates in Michigan in July at Pollstar for one and the July 3rd show at Sammy’s (ROCKFEST) is on for the holiday for those of us who celebrate the Fourth of July. Should be a great show!   I look forward to what the future may hold for the band and their relationship with Obi and getting to know him (I hope). And while it’s always sad when someone leaves the fold hopefully their new manager can take the band to new heights and some new blood once in awhile is sometimes necessary…   For those of you who aren’t already aware. Donnie was unable to make a plane flight to the bands latest show. They could have cancelled, as it may have not seemed right to perform without Donnie. They decided to play 3 piece and John took the helm and by all accounts performed EXCEPTIONALLY in Donnie’s absence. John thrives in those times and only proves his worth to the band that much more! Bravo Johnny!  *All tour dates are subject to change… Land of the Rising Peace Sign Enuff Z’nuff will be going on a Promotional Tour of Japan July 16th - 22nd  - A full Japanese tour is expected this fall. North American Summer Tour We’re still waiting for confirmed dates for the National Summer Tour with Budgie. It looks like it will kick off in San Francisco. As soon as we have the dates we will let you know! Album Title Confusion? Japan Gearing Up According to Chip, he turned in the album to Pony Canyon as "Welcome to Blue Island" but they wanted to call it "The Sun." Well, now the Japanese press is calling the disc, "Welcome to Blue Island."   We await clarification on what the official title will be but for now it’s between "The Sun" and "Welcome To Blue Island."   The buzz is building in Japan and the official Japanese site- EZN Peace Patrol Japan- is ramping up for a big release. It’s been reported that a couple of tracks are already getting airplay in Japan so things are looking positive for a successful release in Japan with the rest of the world coming next! Magical Mystery Tour Part II A full-fledged summer tour with Budgie should kick off on July 25th and is expected to run through Sept.  This is Budgie’s first North American tour since 1979! More details as we get them!  The popbang interview Enuff Z'nuff's Chip Z'nuff ___________________________________ What can I say about this amazing band?  10 consistently powerful CDs, years of hard work, and really a great bunch of guys.  They have fans all over the world, yet are probably the most underrated act of the last decade.  Do your self a favor and dip into this band's deep well of marvelous music.  I want to thank Chip for taking the time to answer a few questions, and we can't wait to feast our ears on their upcoming 11th album.  We Hail You, Enuff Z'nuff.  Q: Chip, first, let me thank you for doing an interview on Popbang.com. I have been a HUGE fan since I first heard "New Thing" back in 1989.  You’re welcome. Thank you! Do you ever get sick of playing a song like "New Thing" or "Fly High Michelle" in concert?  NO! We’re very proud of those contributions. They were hit songs and part of our catalog. Q: Looking back on your vast catalog of music, what album stands out in your mind as the very best Enuff Z'nuff album? What album do you like the least? It’s hard to say… We’ve made a lot of great records up to this point. My personal favorites? I really love Strength, and I really love the Tweaked album. And I think that Seven is very diversified too. Paraphernalia is a personal favorite also. I love ‘em all… really I do! Although, 1985 or Peachfuzz—early stuff—we just put out there for people to hear the early stuff. If I had to pick least favorites, those two would be the closest I could come. Q: Is EZN currently recording new material?  Yes. Just finished our 11th album. What is the timeline for some new music, and how is the record label situation? A couple of months probably for the release. Hoping to get it out by springtime. We’re talking with a lot of different people right now. Hopefully you’ll hear something as soon as I do! Q: What was your favorite band to open up for live, and what was your favorite band that opened up for you?  Liked playing with a lot of different bands… Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, The Kinks… those are a few of my favorites. Bands that have opened for us? Believe it or not, Billy Squier, Alice Cooper, The Fixx, Foreigner… That’s only because logistically it worked out that way…. They weren't really opening for us, they just happened to play before us. There were a few other bands we toured with that we had fun with. Deftones… were with them a long time ago in El Paso, TX. Or, at least they were a band called the Deftones. Mr. Big, Badlands, The Front. Q: If there was one EZN song that you thought had the most potential to be a big hit, what would it be?  I thought it was on the last record: “There Goes My Heart”. Who knows? I can’t pick ‘em… Donnie can’t pick ‘em… We write ‘em and record ‘em, and they’re hits to us. But that’s one that I thought would do better and reach more people than it did. Q: I want to get your opinions on the following bands... give me your gut feelings on the following artists.  Rage Against the Machine  Good! The Rolling Stones   Love ‘em!! They’re the Godfathers! Rob Zombie  He’s got a vibe! Talented cat. Staind  They’re doin’ real good. Prince  Love him! Superstar! Marilyn Manson The last record, “Holy Wood” is a masterpiece! Great production. Good songs. Manson’s the real McCoy. Learned a lot from Trent Reznor. Cheap Trick Love ‘em!! Great band… great songs. Yes  Great musicians. Classic songs. Timeless music. Foo Fighters  Loved the tour with them. Dave Grohl… great guy! They know how to write pop radio hits. Jellyfish  Wish they woulda stayed together, ‘cause that was a great band. One of the better ones out there.   Orgy  They got an interesting sound. Cool look. Barely Pink  Don’t know about them… Great name! Are they girls? The Szuters  Good strong pop band. Just recorded a great record with Paul Lani—who did Megadeth, Bon Jovi, Enuff Z’Nuff… Outkast  Well, if you’re into that trip, that’s good… because there’s some great beats there. He’s got some skill. Lit  Another strong rock band. Really know how to write good pop songs… sorta like Cheap Trick. They’re like a “baby Cheap Trick”. The Strokes  Yeah, they’re pretty good… they got some action happenin’ right now. They’ve got a very interesting sound… don’t sound like any other band. Real primitive recording. Their singer’s a star… so’s the rest of the band actually…. They’ve got a very hip vibe. You’ll be hearing more about them…. Q: What has been in your CD player lately? Sixty-Ten, Rabi Shankir(sitar player), the new Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory, Tesla, Replugged, a tribute record called “Lords of Karma”, featuring members of KISS, Aerosmith, Smashing Pumpkins, Dokken, Enuff Z’Nuff… And a band called Boards of Canada. Q: When Chip watches TV, what is the first channel he clicks to? The E-Channel… Howard Stern. Q: Do you ever see a solo album out of either you or Donnie?  Probably Donnie first… Q: For some reason I have never thought of EZN as a Glam/Metal/Hair band that the band seems to often get categorized in. I think the sound has always been closer to the power pop sound of Cheap Trick/Fountains of Wayne/Badfinger genre. Where do you see the band fitting into the "genre wars"?  I don’t! We just play… write these songs… To some people they may be dated; to others, they’re just good songs. Now for us to switch over and try to sound like Marilyn Manson or Pink Floyd right now… I’m not sure we would do a commendable job. We write, sound, and play the way we are, and that’s what it’s all about… that’s who we are. We always try to come up with different stuff. It’s pretty difficult when you have 11 albums out, to keep coming up with fresh stuff, and I would like to think that we have. Q: Why is it Japan seems to have a much bigger EZN fan base than here in the USA?  Can’t answer that, except that they welcome us with open arms in that country, and we welcome them back! They’ve always been very accommodating to the band and everything….the press. And when we’re just going out there playing shows, they really appreciate what we do. And therefore, we do a good job out there and give ‘em a great performance every time. It’s reciprocated a lot. Plus we’ve fascinated with their culture, just as much as they’re fascinated with ours. Q: Burger King, Wendy's or McDonalds?  None of ‘em!! If I had to make a choice, it would probably be Wendy’s. I don’t eat a lot of that stuff… I prefer just a good meal at home. Q: If there were one thing you wanted Chip Z’nuff and Enuff Z'nuff to be remembered for, what would it be?  A band that wrote songs that  people liked at the end of the day. Just to be known as a band with strong songs, and that are real good to their fans. Chip, thanks a ton!  You’re welcome. I wish nothing but HUGE success and longevity for you and the band.   Thank you! Thank you to Traci, Sue and Chip for taking time to talk to Popbang.com! We've got a new competition - this time a ENUFF Z NUFF competition. check it out it you like! greez MEDAZZAROCK Ralph www.medazzarock.com http://home.sunrise.ch/neverlan MEDAZZAROCK got a new message board: http://pub.alxnet.com/forum?id=1011165 ___________________________________ I would like to dedicate this issue to my father-in law who passed away suddenly on Father’s Day, which was also my 12th year wedding anniversary. He was a great man and will be sorely missed… From the staff at The Express… Chris, Jeff and Mike. www.eznexpress.com                    Monaco, Donnie, Chip and Ricky Visit www.enuffznuff.com, the official web site of Enuff Z'nuff                                       Click here to purchase their latest CD, 10.  A 5-star album from an incredible band.