Α quite interesting interview from Desmond sharing his thoughts about Alice, the huge success of trash and the possibly huge missed opportunity with Hey stupid. Worths a listen as he also mentions Bob.
My thought: He should definitely do an album or at least some songs with Alice. I am made of you is magic.
https://youtu.be/1erUz0swWhU?si=P-viw3tbU-3qIJWG
Desmond Child Thoughts
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Re: Desmond Child Thoughts
I don't think there was any missed opportunity with Hey Stoopid. That ridiculous success of Trash was a perfect culmination of timing and commercial capitilisation that wasn't going to be reproduced in 1991 no matter who was producing or co-writing.
Hey Stoopid was a far better record regardless IMO.
Hey Stoopid was a far better record regardless IMO.
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revinkevin
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Re: Desmond Child Thoughts
Not a big fan of Desmond and that interview didn’t change anything. Glad he didn’t take Alice into that industrial keyboard direction he wanted to if he produced the album after Trash. I preferred Hey Stupid to Trash.
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jacknifejohnny
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Re: Desmond Child Thoughts
Prefer Hey Stoopid by a country mile over Trash, but it does show Ezrin’s controlling behavior eh’.
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cooperrocks
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Re: Desmond Child Thoughts
I watched the video and thought Desmond Child came across as very arrogant frankly. He seemed to almost brag about all the guests he brought in for the Trash album. In other words, some name dropping going on and it is kind of ironic that Bob Ezrin (And yes I think the Ezrin creative well has run dry with Alice) gets criticized for all the session players and outside talent he brings in for Alice albums, so Child shouldn't get a pass.
Second, he liked mentioning how well Trash sold compared to other Alice albums. Okay, it is true, Trash did very very well and to Child's credit, the album sounded exactly like it should sound during that era to be a potential hit. But he claimed that albums before it (I am assuming the 80's) were only selling like 15,000 copies. That is completely false. Constrictor and RYFAY and Yell sold a few hundred thousand copies hardly 15,000 and even the poorly promoted early 80's albums, while not hits sold more than 15,000. Flush the Fashion had the song Clones which cracked the Top 40 so it actually sold a few hundred thousand. And the Hey Stoopid album that followed sold a whole lot more than 85,000 copies. It has sold over 500,000 here in the States and from what I understand over 2 million worldwide. While not the mass hit Trash was, it didn't totally tank like many people seem to think. It did fairly well, just not Trash level well but definitely not a bomb.
And Child mentioned the show he did and how Alice played a couple of songs and the crowd when nuts and he realized how iconic Alice was. First of all, he didn't already know that? Plus and maybe I am just looking for things to find fault with but can't help but notice he brought up the songs played were Poison and Bed of Nails sort of name dropping once again the album he was involved with. Was that necessary? Couldn't he have just said Alice came up and did a couple of songs? I guess after the arrogance he had shown earlier in the interview, it just struck me that he had to sneak in one more mention that it was HIS produced album that they played a couple of songs from.
Second, he liked mentioning how well Trash sold compared to other Alice albums. Okay, it is true, Trash did very very well and to Child's credit, the album sounded exactly like it should sound during that era to be a potential hit. But he claimed that albums before it (I am assuming the 80's) were only selling like 15,000 copies. That is completely false. Constrictor and RYFAY and Yell sold a few hundred thousand copies hardly 15,000 and even the poorly promoted early 80's albums, while not hits sold more than 15,000. Flush the Fashion had the song Clones which cracked the Top 40 so it actually sold a few hundred thousand. And the Hey Stoopid album that followed sold a whole lot more than 85,000 copies. It has sold over 500,000 here in the States and from what I understand over 2 million worldwide. While not the mass hit Trash was, it didn't totally tank like many people seem to think. It did fairly well, just not Trash level well but definitely not a bomb.
And Child mentioned the show he did and how Alice played a couple of songs and the crowd when nuts and he realized how iconic Alice was. First of all, he didn't already know that? Plus and maybe I am just looking for things to find fault with but can't help but notice he brought up the songs played were Poison and Bed of Nails sort of name dropping once again the album he was involved with. Was that necessary? Couldn't he have just said Alice came up and did a couple of songs? I guess after the arrogance he had shown earlier in the interview, it just struck me that he had to sneak in one more mention that it was HIS produced album that they played a couple of songs from.
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VinceLeeRose
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Re: Desmond Child Thoughts
jacknifejohnny wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2023 1:02 pmPrefer Hey Stoopid by a country mile over Trash, but it does show Ezrin’s controlling behavior eh’.
Desmond is talking about Bob Pfeifer from Epic Records, not Ezrin
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Saint&Sinner
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Re: Desmond Child Thoughts
I don't know that he is that arrogant. He did a seminal album with a one of the all time top rock singles ever made. He is clearly proud of what he did and a bit frustrated about being chucked off the second album, while i love hey stoopid i think he is justified in being bemused at being thrown off the second album. I get he exaggerated the numbers but he is telling a story and if we call someone arrogant for making the numbers/facts fit the story i think we would have all fallen out of love with alice by now!
Desmond is an incredibly talented song writer, while i appreciate allot of people on this site dont like him, he knows how to write good pop/rock tunes that stand the test of time.
I am Made of you (a co write between exrin/cooper/desmond) is a phenomenal track and i think alices last truly epic songs. (so far)
I would love a deep dive into trash, making of and all the B-sides etc. but sadly will never happen (or not while alice is alive anyway).
Desmond is an incredibly talented song writer, while i appreciate allot of people on this site dont like him, he knows how to write good pop/rock tunes that stand the test of time.
I am Made of you (a co write between exrin/cooper/desmond) is a phenomenal track and i think alices last truly epic songs. (so far)
I would love a deep dive into trash, making of and all the B-sides etc. but sadly will never happen (or not while alice is alive anyway).