Gene Vincent

Alice Cooper co-founder and Hall Of Fame inductee Dennis Dunaway answers your questions!

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pitkin88
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Gene Vincent

Post by pitkin88 » Sat Mar 06, 2021 3:43 am

I can't imagine a band worst suited to back up Gene Vincent in Toronto at The Rock n Roll Revival. The Spiders could have done it easily but Alice Cooper was pure Freakbeat in 69 and looked like aliens next to Gene Vincent.

1) Who chose you As The pick up band to back him up?
2) Was there any rehearsal?
3) Do you remember what songs you played?
4) Did you get paid?
5) How did it go down with the crowd?
6) It's reported that Gene left the stage in tears. Is this true?

Thank you Dennis!

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by Dreary » Sat Mar 06, 2021 4:47 am

The festival was in trouble and Joe and Shep said they would help pull it off providing Alice Cooper be on the bill. Hey, wait! It's a Rock and Roll Revival, not a freak fest. Okay, how about having AC back up Gene Vincent? We rehearsed with Gene and had planned to be the Spiders posing as the Blue Caps wearing jeans and t-shirts. That plan derailed when Alice tossed Pecker into the crowd and caused the festival to screech to a shocking halt. We were supposed to back Gene up later in the show when we had time to change our clothes, but the festival organizers insisted that Gene come out immediately after the chicken incident, in order to validate our rock and roll inclusion. Gene was known to have stage fright in his glory days, and he had never performed for 70,000 people, but now, here he was being pushed onto a stage covered in feathers looking at us like, you aren't the guys I rehearsed with. Gene was our hero and we did our best but the forced timing was far from ideal for him or us. It was still an honor for us. - DD

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by Daggers & Contracts » Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:14 am

Thanks, DD
It gives a lot of perspective into the situation.
Did Frank Z. have anything to say about your
backing of GV?
I've Got The Answers To All Of Your Questions...

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by Dreary » Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:42 pm

It's long been disappointing for me that nobody, including Zappa, talked about us backing up Gene. It was a major highlight for us. The chicken thoroughly overshadowed it.

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by pitkin88 » Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:23 pm

Gene Vincent was a major talent and had a hard life. I have often wondered why his set with you was not filmed or could it have been. Is there even a picture of you guys with Gene? It's almost like it didn't happen.

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by Si » Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:52 am

pitkin88 wrote:
Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:23 pm
Gene Vincent was a major talent and had a hard life. I have often wondered why his set with you was not filmed or could it have been. Is there even a picture of you guys with Gene? It's almost like it didn't happen.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Vincent specifically refused to be filmed for some reason. Can't give a source though, just a vague memory. Think it was maybe some article about the film years ago, interviewing people involved with it.

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by pitkin88 » Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:24 am

Interesting. He was in health for many years with chronic leg pain from the crash. He was also a little bloated from the alcohol maybe that had something to do with it. You would have thought maybe Lennon who was a big fan would have wanted to back him up. Sad that such an influential artist had to resort to pick up bands.

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by Si » Tue Mar 09, 2021 7:56 am

pitkin88 wrote:
Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:24 am
You would have thought maybe Lennon who was a big fan would have wanted to back him up. Sad that such an influential artist had to resort to pick up bands.
Didn't Lennon and Yoko only turn up very late in the day? Could be why. And wasn't Toronto his first "solo" performance?
Again, no idea where this is coming from, just reading stuff over the years.

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by pitkin88 » Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:37 am

Imagine Gene if Lennon backed him up with Yoko on vocals!

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by Dreary » Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:34 pm

I watched John Lennon's set with Yoko screech-yodeling in a bag. It would have fit into our show better than John's.

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Re: Gene Vincent

Post by pitkin88 » Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:46 pm

Dreary wrote:
Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:34 pm
I watched John Lennon's set with Yoko screech-yodeling in a bag. It would have fit into our show better than John's.

Very true Lol!

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