S2: E14: Chip Znuff (Enuff Znuff) - 4 Strings & Rose Colored Glasses

Chip Znuff Mixdown master

Tue, 4/26 1:17PM • 1:29:57

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

band, record, play, songs, great, day, good, musicians, tour, solo record, put, fabulous, music, fans, single, backstage pass, bass guitar, big, chance, rock, ChipZnuff, ChipZnuffMusic, EnuffZnuff, BlueIsalndIllinois, MTV, AtlanticRecords, PerfectlyImperfect, FrontiersRecords, JoelHoekstra, FenderGuitars, BassPlayer, Podcast, Interview, MusicInterview, backstagepassradio, backstagepassradiopodcast, randyhulsey, randyhulseymusic, randyhulseypodcast, itunespodcast, spotifypodcast, iheartradiopodcast

SPEAKERS

Chip Znuff, Randy Hulsey, Adam Gordon

Randy Hulsey  00:00

Hey people, I hope you all are doing great today. It's Randy Hulsey with backstage pass radio, and I am back for another chat with a staple artist in the music business. My guest today was the founding member of a mega popular Grammy nominated rock band that bust on to the Hollywood scene in the mid to late 80s. The band hails from the south side of Chicago, and has over 20 albums to their credit, and have been featured in Rolling Stone and shows like David Letterman and Howard Stern. I will visit with the charismatic lead singer and bass player chips enough of the band enough's enough when we come back. This is backstage pass radio, the podcast that's designed for the music junkie with a thirst for musical knowledge. Hi, this is Adam Gordon. And I want to thank you all for joining us today. Make sure you like subscribe and turn the alerts on for this and all upcoming podcasts. And now here's your host of backstage pass radio. Randy Halsey. Chip was shaken man, how you doing? Welcome to the show. And thanks for being here.

Chip Znuff  01:11

Thank you, Randy. I'm doing good. I'm here in Chicago, Illinois, a little town called Blue Island. Blue Island, Illinois hills. Yep. Nice little town. Nice people.

Randy Hulsey  01:22

And that's the lot of

Chip Znuff  01:24

artists out here.

Randy Hulsey  01:24

Okay. And that's the You said that's the South Side of Chicago. Correct?

Chip Znuff  01:29

Yeah, right outside of Roseland. Pretty tough neighborhood right there. Right, right across the street from Beverly. Okay, Beverly Hills, Illinois. Beautiful place nice.

Randy Hulsey  01:37

Well, I tried to make probably three or four trips up that way. I have a really close friend of mine who was a fighter in the UFC for a while and he resides in Chesterton, Indiana, which is right on the lake there, Lake Michigan and Indiana. So when I come up that way, I usually fly into midway and then make my way around the lake there and hang out with those guys. So very familiar with Chicago and love the city for sure.

Chip Znuff  02:04

Now, it's not from Midway all the time, all of our tours. We're flying out of Midway, once in a while O'Hare, but Midway is where to go. It's a nice airport, they've refurbished the whole place. Looks good, it's easy to navigate out of there. Oh, here's a little bit packed. When it comes to people traveling around the country, it gets a little more difficult. So yeah, Midway is where to go all the time while you're doing the right thing. And Chester is not far from

Randy Hulsey  02:31

there. Yeah, and I was gonna say it's, it probably is a little bit easier to maneuver with midway than it is O'Hare because that is probably pretty busy. It's kind of like our airports here we have a bigger important use and and then a smaller one, the smaller ones a little further away. But it's so much easier to get in and out of that thing. Right. And I like my age. I like easy, man. I don't want like contention and I gotta get where I'm going kind of thing. My patience is not what it was, you know, 20 years ago, that's my point.

Chip Znuff  03:00

Well, I'm was clear. So I just walk right through there a show my mug. Get right, didn't have to wait in line or anything. So that's pretty cool. That's awesome. It just makes it much easier to get around the airport. And clear is by the way is an app that you can use as opposed to like, if you don't have to wait for TSA or anything you know, if you want to global stuff where you can go around without being smashed in and squeezed in by all the all the people that are going to travel around the country. There's a lot of them out there right now, please, you know, we're pretty much free again. Oh, yeah. Or we can travel around the country without without many mandates or restrictions. Exactly.

Randy Hulsey  03:40

It sounds like a great app. I think you probably do a little bit more traveling than than I do. So expediting yourself through the airports is probably very near and dear to your heart right?

Chip Znuff  03:52

And I never get bummed out about people have it's always nice to be recognized. That's for sure. Yeah. Especially what's my career? Oh, well I will do for a living I'm a musician. So if anybody comes up wants to talk to it's fine. It's always good to be recognized. Absolutely. In both areas. Both airports. It's packed was action. And I guess I got a kind of a look where it's instantly recognizable. So I guess that's okay. Yeah, well, I was gonna say if you don't want to be recognized you pick the wrong business to be in chip. You know what I mean?

Randy Hulsey  04:24

Well, it's my understanding that you guys are going out on tour in April correct me if I'm wrong on the dates like I always like to stand corrected. But is that correct? You guys have a little tour starting up here shortly.

Chip Znuff  04:38

The tour doesn't really start we have dates already. We've been working on since the beginning of the year. Okay. We don't have any dates or concrete there. You know, where it's substantial until gamma was the London choir boys. They're called the choir boys now from England and see Ramon band, along with the midnight devils who are on payment records or new records come out soon. and tourism start until May I think it's May 3 or may 4 I'm all in May and then I jump on the creatures Fest was the Spaceman as freely along with Peter Criss around a couple songs and then there'll be a couple other bands that are on the bill as well. I Bruce colic and I think Vinnie Vincent is actually going to show up there they must have paid him a Brinks truck full of money to go to bed. All those bands are going to play his creature specials John Turabian and a bunch of other artists as well see quiet writes on there my buddy Alex Gracia can't wait to see him. And death is going to be a three day event at the end of May and June, early June is when they go out on tour, which is a pretty big one is called the Gulf slam metal jam. June 4, it starts it's enough's enough. Pretty Boy Floyd. Midnight devils is called the glam slam metal jam tour. And they'll go through all of June, into July. And it'll be in there. We'll go out there and we'll play songs off all the records. Okay. And then hopefully, I think July and August we have some good stuff coming up. And the big big tour for us would be in September. And that's a long run and that swift side Nashville pissy? Where will that one start, though? No. Okay. Artists worldwide, our agency puts it together. Gotcha. My agents suck. Burnett has a good sense of humor. He'll keep us out. We'll be out there probably probably doing 30 or 40 shows it's gonna be a good long run because that tour runs right into our European tour. It starts in November

Randy Hulsey  06:42

okay. So basically they just tell you chip get your glasses and your your hat and your your go into these places is how it works right

Chip Znuff  06:51

now along with our record company frontiers, we have a new solo record out right now possibly have me to an interviews and to be one press. Yeah, every single day. So it's not it's a job, bro. Absolutely. Where you work really hard. It's all day. You know, you do interviews all day you get to soundcheck at five. After soundcheck, it's getting ready for the show. But you're on stage by 839 o'clock. And it's a two hour show. And then I'm out with the fans that come out me at the merch booth and take pictures shake hands kiss babies, and it's Wash, rinse repeat. Yeah, every day. It's very challenging. But that's what we do for a living. Yeah, to quote Rick deal. So we're not all built to do this. But there was an article do it. Yeah, that's right. You know, it's funny how the, you know, you mentioned that about doing the merch booth kissing the babies and all that it's funny how the music scene has changed over the last 3035 40 years, right? Maybe maybe not as far back as 40 years. But let's say 30 years, when I was a teenager, listen to music, and you'd buy that ticket to go out and see the band's play. It's like, man, you could never get close to the band. You know, it was it was an us and them kind of thing. There were no video cameras, there were no photography. And it was just like it was a mystical thing, right. And now, you guys are really getting into the mix with the fans wanting to meet and greet the fans. And I think that's, I think that that's a badass. I think that's the way it should be because I think you grow your fan base so much more by touching the audience, right? How do you feel about? Yeah, we've done it always. I've never stopped doing every single show I've ever played. I've come out and say hi to the fans, because they're very important. And they've been waiting for years to me. And we're not we're very transparent band. We've always been very accessible. I remember in the early days, it was I think 1974 I went to see queen and they were playing at the Aragon ballroom. The Aragon ballroom was a place of day where they had all kinds of like movies and theaters and plays and stuff back in the 20s and 30s and 40s and stick around the 60s and start changing where it started having music was getting ready to do as well for a while. And they started putting rock bands in there around late 60s, early 70s. I remember going to see queen, the opening act was Kansas middle band was Frank Marina mahogany rush. It was $5.50 to see queen with Freddie Mercury. And at the end of the show, obviously the band's not gonna go into merch booths and beat the fans because that was unheard of back then. Absolutely. But it did come out to the alleyway when he got in their cars to go back to the hotel and say hi to the fans. Remember Brian came out first out of the dressing room. He had a towncar waiting from any wave to replay we're 510 feet away from him. We are way back at Tom great show and he got to the car and split he was a little shy. And then Freddie Mercury came on gave everybody the peace sign and where to place went nuts. I thought man, that's the way you got to do it. Yeah, absolutely. Now is defense to me. It's nice to do it on stage. But boy, what a wonderful sense of balance step being here. And I think I've taken that template. He used it.

Randy Hulsey  10:01

That's a good thing. So I want to talk about, you know, your solo effort coming up in just a minute. But I wanted to go back in the time machine just a little bit in the early days of chips enough. When When did you get interested in music? Was it at a really young age? Or was it later in life? I mean, talk talk to the listeners a little bit about where the love for music came from. And how old were you when that all came about?

Chip Znuff  10:28

came about from my mother and father had a wonderful record collection. They played all the old stuff for me from Woodstock. No Beatles, Stevie Wonder. Black Sabbath. Suez is a very good potpourri of different kinds of materials and bands. And I think that that started everything off for me, Randy in the early days. And then when I started to get a little older, my parents let me stay up late at night. Watch. Don cursor's rock concert and a Monday special Nick Yeah, that debt right there. That's that was blip. Everybody gets get a chance to see bands like Alice Cooper. Oh, yeah. And of course, you know, I'm a huge Cheap Trick man. And Aerosmith. loved all the American stuff that was out there. There's a lot of bands I listened to in the early days that are that were really big, like crack the sky. There was a group John Palermo that was a great band and about to Hoopoe was another band of loves from over across the pond. Yeah. Camp to be had great band fantastic, was Bobby Caldwell. Okay, there was so many good groups out there that didn't see a ton of successful were a big influence on my life as well. But I found I navigated those waters. I listen to everything out there for me, I played the punk rock band, the early days, called degeneration, we toured around the country, we opened shows for boss gags, and the Grateful Dead as a young kid, went out on tours in a bread truck, it really got a chance to experience different cultures and meet all kinds of people. And that was the catalyst I think, to me continuing the bull bias and artists. Enough's enough was something after after numerous chances of not getting a chance to reach the people that wanted to, and I didn't have a chance to record records out, I was lucky enough where I sit in, I'm going to do it on my own. This time I put together a band and instead of just being as a guys, I want to be in the forefront where I can help out in all different ways. And dial enough's enough was very challenging in the beginning, record that four tracks little Fostex machines with a drum track and putting the songs together. And does that was that started everything off a start the trial by error. Yeah, luck is when preparation meets opportunity we've heard all heard up before, the great adage has had an opportunity to make music. That's what I think every artist should do nowadays, go in and start doing on your own listen to first of all the cell styles of music, they really enjoy, learn everything. And then you'll find something out there that will stick to your palate, absolutely move forward. And then you know, once you got something where you see you got some songs, and you got an idea to etch a sketch of what you're going to do as far as playing songs in having your own image, then you go out and try to find people that can help you bring that to fruition. And, you know, it's always, it's challenging for all the musicians out there, especially in this day and age to listen while we were doing it. Randy, in the old days, there was no Internet, there was no social media, it was really about meeting people face to face and get a chance to, you know, move the needle a little bit. And nowadays, you can just make a record in your bedroom and put it on the internet and social media and you can read some fans, but I think at the end of the day, people want to see live shows. So once your bands play and sing, and guess what you need to do you need to hone your chops and get your crap together at your pad, and then you can take it from there. Absolutely. Now when did you determine that? You could or you were going to make a living as a musician, like Did you know that early on as well? Probably the first tours I went out, you know, as cool going out. We weren't making any money at all. We just wanted to reach an audience. We'd be playing parties opening for Van Halen, in backyard parties and stuff. This is we're talking mid 70s You know, when I was living at my Evelyn's house, that's when I knew that I was probably going to do this. It was going to be a full time gig. Because when I first started, I was going to be a pitcher. That's what I wanted to do. I love playing sports. And when I didn't have a fast enough fastball, I threw a lot of junk. curveball, sliders, footballs, I was good dad, but Major League Baseball was looking for guys who throw in the 90s that was, you know, 15 years old, 16 years old thrown in and in the mid 80s It wasn't quick enough, I guess. Nowadays maybe it'd be different because you can get away with having a lot of junk and baseball now you're gonna have to throw in 100 miles an hour, but that's what they wanted back then. I was challenging and I was put hitter in a runner too. And I can play different positions. So I wasn't a one trick pony. But I think you have to watch those Kershaw rock concerts in American Bandstand. And of course, I'm in a special with Wolfman Jack. Oh, yeah, that was the catalyst of me. I, I know I can do this gig could take some hard work, and it was challenging at first. But once you get your foot in, you're gonna be okay. But more than acing for any musicians out there. If you don't dedicate yourself 24/7 to this gig, forget about it.

Randy Hulsey  15:50

Find something else to do, right? Yeah, just because there's a

Chip Znuff  15:53

lot it's there's so much people, when it comes to music and making a living doing what we do. The playing fields packed, okay. It's there's just a lot of people that are trying to do this. So you really got to, you got to fight yourself and work hard. And like grandpa used to say you, if you work hard, the money will follow that it was necessarily true. But for the most part it is. And failure even though it it works really that in my vocabulary, I just said just now is a good thing for everyone. Because look at Michael Jordan, a great example of a superstar as a guy's taking over 800 shots. It's the last shot of the game. And he made 146 of them. And so everybody talks about it. So it's 146 chance. That's right, that won the game for him. So don't give up. Oh, you have to be

Randy Hulsey  16:46

you have to be passionate about it. Right. I mean, I think a lot of musicians these days are maybe in it for the wrong reasons. Not all of the musicians but there's a there's a handful of musicians out there that they want the fame, or they want this or they want that but the love for the music is not quite there. I mean, you got to have a love for the music first and then everything else grows organically around that. Tell me if I'm wrong.

Chip Znuff  17:15

No, that's for everything in life ready, noxious music destinies to you to go direct. And he give it 100% Do what you do work hard. And be honest to yourself and to the people that around you, you have an opportunity to reach heights that you could never have imagined. I'm from a small little town called Blue Island. Now a lot of stuff happens out of here. Although there's wonderful artists and people that really work hard a lot of blue collar casts out in this in this part of town. But unless you're doing it every day, dedicate your life to it. That's going to be an uphill battle either way. So if you get everything you got you got a good chance. I looked at I look back at a lot of the people that have worked and lived around here all these years, and they're still pushing their agenda every single day. And I think that we're just one of those bands. We we worked hard and we got a lucky break. Okay. It was but it was because we worked hard. And we had tenacity that we weren't gonna stop enough's enough not the only bit it's it's had some success out of Chicago. There's quite a few real big ones out here Sure. pumpkins and cheap trick in the follow up wise and locally and urge overkill.

Randy Hulsey  18:30

You got an REO Speedwagon, viver, REO Speedwagon,

Chip Znuff  18:33

he just great bands. Those bands are huge. I went to high school with Kevin Cronin, by the welded Yeah, although he's 10 years older tonight. I mean, we both went there brother rice High School. There's a lot of bands out here that have really done really well. And Jim Peter, could survivor fat fabulous. And how did they do it? They wrote songs. They usually locked himself sir pads. They got together they worked in rehearse, sticks, the snap, forget about six soups. I love JY, buddy, right. Those guys they really worked hard every single day at their craft, and they were able to survive the onslaught of what this business provides to it's very difficult. And we did it all. Most of those bases. Mason did it all without social media. Yeah, they went out, learn the songs, hone their craft, and when I'm playing shows

Randy Hulsey  19:24

work their asses. Better and better. Exactly. And I don't want to go back down a rabbit hole. But you mentioned earlier, you know, you were a pitcher as a kid, you know, and I think I was gonna say you have the frame to be a great pitcher because they look for the pitchers to be really tall, right to have that that lean. I and I know a bunch of my son in law played professional baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And a lot of those pitchers, man, they're like 646566 You know, they're tall guys. Right? And though that seems like those are the ones that You can really throw the heat those guys with the long lean frames you know?

Chip Znuff  20:04

Yeah well nowadays you got Kaiser throw a knuckleball so you know you can be a real small cat exactly and control your pitches and get them over to play you got a good chance to thrive. So listen, there's there's members nine positions and bass. There's a lot of stuff you can do an honest not counting being a coach or correct on the field manager. So there's there's a lot of opportunities out there. But the playing field is just jam packed full of cats hasn't changed. Everybody's still in there because it's big money playing baseball and the salaries more like they are now it's ridiculous. You get a major league deal now. As a rookie, you're making 100 grand a year. It's not more so sailors were a lot different than they are right now. But I didn't get into it for the money just like I didn't get the music for the money. I got it because I love play music. I love the art, right? I love being creative brought on in and of course later on down the line, you'd like to be able to supplement that with some kind of income. So you can stay alive.

Randy Hulsey  20:59

Absolutely. You got to have a cheeseburger from time to time, right. Or ham sandwich. Exactly. So I was gonna say of all the instruments to pick from on the planet. You chose the bass guitar. What drew you to the bass guitar?

Chip Znuff  21:15

I love Paul McCartney and vetted by job. And I just say the foundation, a band. A big part of the sound of bass guitars, a huge overlooked instrument, a lot of ways of growing up and you listen to Chris Squire and John John Paul Jones and John Deacon. over and watch from the hoopoe, there's a scene over there some prints chock full of great bass players that are out there right now just the Rock and Roll fantasy camp and play with a couple of greats. Billy Sheehan was there, of course, and Tony Franklin, Rudy sarzo. There's so many good guys out there that inspired me. I believe. It's just an instrument that I taught most of the people in Chicago, when I was first getting into playing, we're all gravitated to being the singer or the drummer and a guitar player. So you know, bass may be a good opportunity. And I've always loved the sound of the instrument. And I just took a chance. And I'm glad I did. Because, you know, for years and years, I've worked hard at it. I've been playing for almost 40 years. And I play other instruments too. But bass was the catalyst for me to get into the game. And I think it's a fabulous instrument and you show me a band without a good bass player show up? And why don't dig?

Randy Hulsey  22:32

Yeah. Well, you got to have the rhythm section. You know, I mean, you got to you got to have the rhythm section. It's very interesting. Very important. Absolutely.

Chip Znuff  22:40

All the rock record sales started, Ron would say to me, Well, you can't make a rock record unless you have, unless you start off with the drums and bass. He's right. That's what it's all about. Yeah, that just sets the foundation for every single song and the sound of the band.

Randy Hulsey  22:55

It's kind of interesting chip, because, you know, I grew up on the piano. And I played classical piano for many, many years. And somewhere down the line, I said, you know, this is not cool anymore. You know, you can't pick up chicks by playing classical piano because first of all, you can't take a piano to a party where all the girls are hanging out, right? So you got to buy you a guitar. So I went out and I bought the first guitar I bought was a Pvt. 40 bass guitar, because I loved guys like Nicky six, and, you know, these kinds of guys, but then I'm also a vocalist. So real quick, I learned, okay, maybe maybe bass being a vocalist, maybe the bass guitar was, and you're kind of an interesting exception to the rule because you sing and play bass. But I'm talking about more from, you know, you want to go to a campfire, you want to take a guitar along and sing along with it. It's kind of tough to do that with a bass guitar. Unless you're in a band unless you have a band backing you right? Would you agree with that, that it's tough to just kind of sit around and doodle on the bass and sing songs to it.

Chip Znuff  24:03

But it's a little easier to have an acoustic guitar with you if you're gonna do something like that. Right? For sure. Yeah. But that's not taken away easy for the bass, important instrument. But yes, I think that if you're gonna do anything where you're playing a piano or you're playing guitar, those are two instruments that you can go to your so called outdoor force fire party, right and be able to strum along the people that are there hanging out with you. I like those camp player parties. By the way, there's a lot of fun. Absolutely. But the best way to navigate those, that's for sure, was an acoustic guitar or electric guitar with an amplifier. But if you're out in the wilderness, there's no electricity, the acoustics the way to go, folks.

Randy Hulsey  24:45

Yep, I agree. And you talked a little bit about some of the people that you know, inspired you in the younger days when you you know, picked up the guitar and started getting into the whole bass guitar thing. Who would you say? Do you have any players these days like current players that are really inspiring you. Some people are inspired by others. Some could care less like, I just wanted your take around that. Like, is there anybody today that you say, Wow, man, that guy is just, he's sick on that bass guitar,

Chip Znuff  25:16

right? Well, there's just so many fabulous players. But nowadays it's more about the whole unit the band that I listen to. I love the struts. I think they're fabulous band from across the pond. Gotta love Greta Van Fleet. Rival sons, dirty honey vinesh Trouble. There's quite a few of us who are wealthy Van Halen with mammoth WBA scrape band. There's a lot of good GCS a bass player too, by the way. There's a lot of good casts that are out there, but I listened to music and bands is more than the individual talents. When it comes to the old school stuff, though. Those guys were left an indelible mark deadlies it doesn't go away. Yeah. And not only were their bands iconic, but their their playing was a big part of that whole sound. It's like I brought the older guys so it's especially Paul McCartney, who invented my job and most of these other guys to it, whether they want to admit it or not. But now it's more about just listening to bands, individual musicians and great and there's wonderful guys out there. But when I think back to guys who left their mark with me, it's those bands that I mentioned earlier in the Overwatch for about the hobo and John Deacon queen and a lot of stuff over in England. I have always been attracted to the bands across the pond. Geezer Butler fan I'm fabulous. Alisha, even though going to Canada Geddy Lee just wonderful bass. They're great singer. I those are the ones that I have to give a nod to put that takes nothing away from the newer bands that are out to be fabulous players out there.

Randy Hulsey  26:58

What do you think the what do you think the I have kind of listen intently to you talk about a lot of bands from across the pond. What what do you think the draw is for you there? What Why? Why did those do those resonate more with you than American bands? Talk to me a little bit about that.

Chip Znuff  27:16

Here. They didn't it's probably because of American Bandstand, Midnight Special. Manchac. Yeah. Because they would always focus on that even at Silva in the early days, I was barely born, but he played a lot of stuff from across the pond. I led those bands to get a chance to get their own sound their own timber. And I think they were really influenced by a lot of stuff that was over here in the United States. They just took a different approach to a desktop. me listen to Led Zeppelin stuff. It's all blues from the old days. It was Hound Dog Taylor and

Randy Hulsey  27:48

Robert Jonathan guys.

Chip Znuff  27:52

Early blue stuff over Paul Butterfield and then he turned it into their own. And I think that's what musics all about. You show me a band without influences. I'll show you a band as in Britain, one note. And over in England, I just loved their approach. You know, I listen to the early Bowie stuff what was he listened to? Probably Beatles. It was a big arty rexine so I absolutely love that kind of stuff, too. But you know, bands like squeezes fabulous. Or anything that's Pink Floyd, another band, where they find their influences from I don't know, but boy is a really somebody other had a good sense of humor. Wonderful stuff. I love the way they read the records. Back then it was all analog recordings. Everybody was recording on two inch. So it wasn't your Pro Tool records ready to make everything perfect and cut it up. It was really about performances, and getting great songs together and recording them the best to your abilities. Absolutely. I think just one thing I loved about the bands in England, they knew they didn't have a second chance to the first impression. They came right out of the box with a great sponsor chilla performances and dance resonated

Randy Hulsey  29:02

with me. That's cool. That's that's a cool background like what what drew you to that? Initially, but do you have a bass guitar manufacturer that you play exclusively? Or are you endorsed by anybody? Or do you kind of have different manufacturers that you play? You know, you can see I'm a I'm a local musician here in the Cypress area and I have my favorites right so I didn't know if you could speak to the listeners a little bit about you know, your go to instrument of choice manufacturer wise, or, or is it just kind of all over the place?

Chip Znuff  29:39

I used to be endorsed by quite a few companies and it's changed through the years. We do endorse Mesa Boogie amplifiers that we have for years I've been with Mesa Boogie since 1988. But for bass guitars with waterstone for a while, got a bunch of 12 string waterstone bass guitars I'm Joel over at I hammer guitars. I was with them for years they Hamer built a 12 string bass for time period since you track and of course I'd dug Pinnick at Kings X. Stein. A lot of guys have played puffy bass, but the ones that do they get something calluses on those hands. Let me tell you though, these instruments navigate, but I've been playing fenders for the longest time I got an old fender 1963 fender hybrid. I've been using that bass and all the records through my whole career. So partial set of all fender basses, so they're all the precisions or jazz basses are ones that really will be great instrument play with flat wound strings. Now I play around rounds. But I'm really not endorsed by anybody other companies have asked me and I've showed their bases and play them through social media. For the most part, I stick with that four string fender hybrid which is a TS and Precision Bass Mix together. She has precision neck she has body with the split pickups and then he has picked up in the back. All original except for the brace where I was on tour back in 1990 was Mr. Big we toured together around the country we shared the same manager to great Herbie Herbert and Billy Sheehan, after one of the shows, changed a bit, took my bass and tweaked it and put a badass bridge I didn't probably get places original bridge because it was so brittle. I thought it was kind of interesting. And I've had it forever. I haven't changed it at all really at the base shows up every single gig. It sounds great. Sounds wonderful on the records. I played so many records I've played in over 100 albums. And every producer an engineer that I was I plug in they go sounds great. We're not doing anything to it. So I think I like to believe it's all in the fingers. But those bass guitars are built to last for a lifetime and I'm gonna have to endorse anything that's gonna be fender because they always do me well.

Randy Hulsey  32:06

It's funny that you say that it's all in the fingers. And I think there's a lot of truth to that. And the reason I say that is because I I've seen multiple people do this, but the one that kind of sticks out to me is I think it was Zakk Wylde who is playing maybe some Sabbath songs on this little bitty Hello Kitty. Toy guitar, right? And it sounds just amazing. This is probably not even a $50 guitar, right? It's a piece of shit buddy of mine. But you know, he can make anything sound good, you know, just like a good deal.

Chip Znuff  32:44

On the tour buses. Jackie came on our TV show we're doing the Vanco show. He came on there to push his record. By the way that record went number one F three went on our show to expanse loves him. And we jammed on a television show. And then afterwards, we're on the buses gig at nighttime. And he was singing fairies were boots right into my face on the tour bus. And he sound executive Ghazi Osborn. He's the best mimicker in the world. Unbelievable. But fabulous guitar player. And most musicians you see I just play with Joe Perry recently at the Rock and Roll fantasy camp that they have every single year youth leaders in Florida or Los Angeles or Las Vegas. As soon as Joe plugged in and hit a chord, you knew immediately. Not even looking at him. You could have told right away oh, that's the guy in Aerosmith. Yeah, I mean, these guys have their own timbre. Absolutely. Singers and the players exactly was in a certain way they play and you just saw immediately it stems so it's very distinctive figures. It's nice to have a good amplification to push this stuff through but even give them an acoustic guitar. It was solid Joe Perry guys amazing.

Randy Hulsey  33:46

I agree. And I don't want to and this is another thing I don't want to go down a rabbit hole on because this I want to talk about you. But Todd told me a little bit because I've always had I've been intrigued by the whole idea behind the rock and roll fantasy camp. I think it's a cool ass idea. To allow you know, your run of the mill, everyday musicians to go out to wherever, right California, Florida and get to be you know, write your own songs, get to, you know, perform some cover songs and be mentored by guys like yourself in the industry. Tell the listeners a little bit about the fantasy camp and what that whole experience is like, yeah, the Rock and

Chip Znuff  34:30

Roll fantasy camp was was founded by a guy named David fish OSS, David used to manage Ringo Starr. He also had the monkeys he managed the monkeys in the early days. Very sharpened. dividuals been in the business for a long time. And he wanted to find something that were to fan so average listeners, music lovers around the country can live their life vicariously through their favorite rock stars. So he put together his camp and he fits what he does. He's got some best players in the world, whether it's slash or answer from Guns and Roses or cheap trick. Joel Hoekstra, Allison chains. Joel Hoekstra was fantastic. Deploy sir called, grabs all the old bands Aerosmith, of course. And he brings them in to his beautiful facility. And then what we do is regular everyday fans, as we pay a certain fee, we come in there for three days hanging out with the rockstars learns the songs of the of the musicians that are going to be counseling the camp. And then after three days of strenuous rehearsals, you cannot stay to play with these guys, one show in front of a jam packed audience full of few music lovers that are not only happy to see their favorite rock star up on stage, but see you up on stage playing with them as well. Yeah, that's really good. Sesame Street really works out well. He's been doing it for years and years. I'm a counselor there. I just did. The one I just did was great because Joe Perry just played on the embargo record and Cleopatra records. And then they asked me to sing and play with and as well. Wow. This business is predicated on friendships and relationships. It's nice to get in there, rub elbows with your favorite guys. But coincidentally, I share the same birthday with Joe Perry September 10, two Virgos and I love the fact that we that we play together we get symbols song and dance at my class and they weren't great. After three days of me beating those guys up I really did came up with a great performance file to get a chance to do a record with them. I mean, I've I've never would have had this opportunity. If I didn't do the record. Well fancy can remember, I'm a fan before anything else. Just like everybody just like all you people out there. I love those musicians. I grew up with our music. It's part of my vocabulary.

Randy Hulsey  36:52

interesting that you bring up an Margaret's name. I did an interview. Not too long back with a guy named Adam Hamilton. Out of La producer. Yeah, and producer and hammy played you know with Josie Jones and the glory hounds and also played with CC Deville when CeCe left poison Adams, a wonderful guy. He was a wonderful guest on my show. But when you when you mentioned that I'm like, oh, probably knows Adam Hamilton then Right?

Chip Znuff  37:20

Oh, yeah. Love him. I remember we used to play with elegans. Yep, that's right. Yeah, for sure. He's He's really He's really awesome. found his niche. He's a wonderful producer, a multi instrumentalists. He does a lot of good things for a lot of nice people. He's He's a real citizen.

Randy Hulsey  37:38

Yeah. And he spoke really highly of and because I know that she's been in his studio, doing some recording as of late. So I think Adam had a good hand and producing some stuff that she has coming up to. So I look forward to hearing that. Now. If you take the listeners back a little bit, I think 1984 enough's enough form. Do I have my date? Or my year? Correct there? 84 sound right to you? That's correct. Yeah. Okay. Tell the listeners a little bit about where the name came from. Can you talk about the name of the band and who thought that up and where it was the rocker. Hello,

Chip Znuff  38:15

we are playing in in North South Chicago, a tiny V and myself, the original singer enough's enough. And we were just navigating the waters, we're just starting out. And we all put together names into a bucket. And whoever picked out the straw would do with a great name, though that was a name that we're gonna go with. So we all had different names that we put into this. This little contest that we're putting together as a gang, trying to find a name for a band, and we pulled up enough stuff, but it was spelled ENOUGH is ENOUGH, e n, o u, t, h, n, I S and N en ough s. So is that enough is enough? And we thought, You know what? That's okay. Name and, but then it started sticking with us. And Danny says to me, he goes, you're going to be shifted up, bro. And I go, Yeah, you go ahead and do is I'm going to be daddy v. And on the way home from the rehearsal, and we said, Well, that's it. Let's let's do that. And we lucked up. And we used to name with us the truth, interesting. Nothing else. And then, of course, we refined the band sound. We changed the name to the press on that we are that we have right now. Because we when we did, we had to come up with a name. We changed the last of it to see any US bath. So it was enough is enough. Yeah. And that we ended up switching it over. And it seemed to fit in and the record company came to us and said you know we want to change the name of the band. The guy name was Derek showman. He was a singer of a band called gentle giant. And he was now running the APCO Atlantic Records. He came from hologram he was one of the guys discovered by Jovi and signed them along with Cinderella and he said, Well, I want to change the name of the band to flies on fire schoolyard or, or trick or treat and we're, I wasn't into it all the guys in the band were just happy. We had a legitimate record company that was interested in the group and the dinner that we had together and he was fascinated with what we're not going to be enough stuff anymore. We're gonna change the name, it's probably going to be Trick or treat. I went back home, I was pretty bummed out. I told the record company so listen, I'll change my name. I just want to keep the name of this chip, how many bands How many people think know about enough stuff I sent 10 20,000 people have heard of us now. He says when I'm through with you, millions are gonna know who you are. So I went home that night go well, you know, it was a nice little run here. But we got a great opportunity. We're gonna be with a major label. And the name said change and we'll just leave it as to this and enough stuff. It will be it will just be just sat. And about 83 in the morning, I got a telephone call. I was living in Beverly Hills, Illinois, where we record all our demo tapes. Picking the phone it was Derek showman. He said he goes, you win. And he hung up the phone. No kidding. I guess I took that as I guess we're seeing enough's enough. Gotten was lucky. So those 10 or 20,000 fans a guy chance to see us in Chicago open his shows for a BTO or cheap tricks. Were in for a rude awakening because we came out of the box with a single new thing. And nothing was the same ever since.

Randy Hulsey  41:21

So he acquiesced to your demands. And the rest is history. There sounds like

Chip Znuff  41:25

certainly didn't throw my way around. Randy, when a record company's talking to you listen. And debate was back in the old days. You can debate it was okay. You weren't vilified for that. So I want to be a girl. Yeah, I'm a girl. And that's it. The asleep that no, no question, right? So when we came with the name and our cinema, record company, they knew that we had a passion for that. And then we were pushing that narrative for a couple of years before they even met us. I think he just went home and he realized, you know, maybe this been after hanging out with them and their personalities and, and their disposition. Maybe enough is enough, maybe we would keep that name. And he was happy because we came out of the box, broke the Billboard Top 200. Our buddy Rick Chrimbo heard MTV Allah with Les Carlin were kind enough to play our video. For new thing. It was a smash hit there. And we went right on tour of Mr. Big. And then we went out with Badlands and started touring around the country. And we're moving units every single week. And that's how you sold records and you got a chance to play an MTV back then you were able to move some units in radio followed. And it really helped us out it was a it was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to spread our wings and reach a lot of people. And those early tours were out of control. We were touring in a van in the early days. Then we got a tour bus and then we found out we found drugs. And so that was a tough obstacle to be able to navigate what was Hanro at that time, on a tour bus that costs 1000 bucks a day. We didn't know about the word recoupable Back then we just flipped the record company was selling records. So we're gonna put you out on a bus. So you're more comfortable in that elevate, raise your perception and every venue we're playing. But at the end of that tour after sell over a half million records, you know, the great reviews and other you know, the couple of times on Letterman and doing the Howard Stern Show and all those big, big performances, we still find ourselves three quarters of a million dollars in debt. And we've no one knew about that one of the word countries is recoupable. So any single record company puts them in a band for promotion. You got to pay it back first before you see any money as well. Yeah, we actually didn't see much money to separate the beginning of the deal. We signed with them. And then the publishing deal Louis COVID co publishing deal with ACTA. So we were able to have make a little bit of chips to hold us over. But it was basically enough setting up the four band band members our manager Bob Brigham, or other manager Doc McGee the time he didn't come out with us because he was managing bad Jovi and Motley Crue Orleans and Motley Crue. So he kept getting the tour buses, of course. Then we had three or four crew guys, so as nine of us on one bus, and that's how we did the first you know, four or five years of touring, all of us together. No, everybody has their own bus. You're separated. Yeah, so that was that was pretty challenging as well. But we had some great stories that came out and when I come out with my book, I think people will be pleasantly surprised when the hero has some of the stuff that we went through as a band as a team. I can imagine years. One tour bus nine guys piled in there. Wow. And that's that calm. The fans that we brought out every single day as well. Right was a real racquetball party. It was like, We dumped a bus yellow submarine. There was a reason why

Randy Hulsey  44:38

I was gonna say doc probably had his hands full managing motley crew, right? I mean, those guys were kind of out of control back in those days, you know, on a lot of touring with Ozzy, and, you know, putting those guys together in the same room. I'm sure I'm sure he had his hands full, wouldn't you think?

Chip Znuff  44:58

Yeah, well, he had fun Jovie two and Shawn wanted his undivided attention. So between just those three, it was tough. And of course the scorpions, he has Skid Row. Enough's enough. A lot of bands him and his brother, Scott McGee, were managing machines and a deal out of stuff that was going on. And they just didn't have time for anything that wasn't hitting home runs.

Randy Hulsey  45:21

Yeah. When did you guys abbreviate the band name? When did you take it from the true spelling of enough is enough to the to the zenith part was that early on in the, you know, the infancy stages of the band, or did it come later or when did that

Chip Znuff  45:36

came on later on? It came on later, right around 1988, I think is when we actually started use the apostrophe. And we don't even use it now. Just enough, enough's enough en UFSC. And you people know who it is, we own the copyright, we own the name. We went through a bankruptcy to get out of our deal with ATCO records is signed with Clive Davis, an aerosol, that cost us $70,000 Back then just to get the name rights. So that was very important. But for anybody it sounds to you, you got to brand yourself. Yep. And you got to go out there and you got to own the name and you got to own the copyright the trademark. We didn't know any about that. Anything like that nearly days at all. But we were able to find a way we had good management to around us. After Dark McGee said he didn't have enough time to manage enough stuff anymore because he had devoted it to devote most of his attention to the other bands he had. He chose I'm gonna turn you on to I think it's the greatest manager in the music business. His name is Herbie Herbert. He's very interested in taking over. We didn't know a lot about her, but we knew about Germany. And we knew we had bands like Mr. Big and rock sad and Europe, Steve Miller. We didn't know he was going to be interested in doing anything with us, especially after he met us but after the first show was a debacle. He said Where's the fucking band that I was signed? Where's the band? This cassette tape that I have my hand right now. This is Kirby. That was a rough day for us. We didn't have the stage room. No soundcheck. Please come out to the next gig and when I promise you'll see that band and he took a ride with us we tell stories all night going from singles Minnesota to Milwaukee. The next day came on scene so it was packed wow it's just so much action so much TriMet the shows and people were catching the MTV videos last minute they were prominent in the band showed up on fire we very flamboyant colorful Banbury glitter rock and there was no tape so sequences no guys backstage just us to sing and play the songs. And after that performance Herbie came on the bus he goes now that's the bad side. And then we knew we had a chance right there having him on our corner to help move us through and push the needle and we got some good tours after that. Herbie did a lot of great things for enough's enough. And we were probably the most difficult band that he ever had to manage. But he told me out of all the bands he's ever managed, we're his favorite and I'll never forget that meant a lot to me love the songs and we did a lot of stuff together. I produced a couple of Cyclops blues band records, which is on guitar recordings and that was members of the tubes slide the Family Stone journey Steve Miller Band and that's a really bad Herbie and I really bonded during those records right there. Cyclops blues band get a chance here those records are fantastic. Yeah, Herbie Herbert who went by the nickname side he was the guy that sang on all this stuff. He sounds just like Steve Miller great songs all blues I'll have

Randy Hulsey  48:30

to check that out. I haven't heard of them but of course I had seen label for from the tubes on my show not too long ago and he's a really cool guy to talk to the

Chip Znuff  48:39

principal on our record was wonderful to great artists. Yeah, for sure. wonderful artists and solid drummer night we opened a bunch of shows in the nearly deserve his matches for the tubes. So I play with freewill quite a few times. In those settings how he walked around those eight inch high heeled boots. What a real rock star no songs and stuff that he wrote with Steve looked at her from toto Yeah, man. Tell ya what a real Rockstar has a great band where hands are tight. Oh,

Randy Hulsey  49:08

yeah. And you know, it was it was kind of funny because we talked about his solo record that came out not too long ago. And I forget how he mentioned in the show how old he was, he's in his 70s, right. And the guy still has a fucking great voice, and still has the range that he's always had. But which is crazy, because a lot of times vocalists, we lose that over time, we lose that that high end over time and and we have to start the tuning down and do all these tricks to get the vocals or rekey the song or whatever it may be but, but fee still sounds great. After all these years, I was really impressed with that solo record.

Chip Znuff  49:49

It'd be nice for seaway bill to get back out there and do a tour supporting a solo record put a band together but it's different time different days right now. When you stay away for too long. It's hard to get back to And then again, I agree they've taken a lot of breaks he's got a wonderful reputation there's about that but he's been out of the game for a while and to get back in it with all the agencies and everybody vying for a spot to go out there and work and do shows it's it's pretty difficult out there but it'd be nice to see feet yeah go back out and support that solo record get some good guy maybe go on copier and pre prints some of his constituents and get those guys to go out and do a month run that would be cool but it's expensive nowadays look at the buses are 1200 bucks a day yeah fuel seven bucks a gallon diesel maybe more hotel rooms costs money to get the equipment and get a crew together it's very very challenging to go out I don't care who the artist is unless you're massive it's hard to go out there and tour support your releases Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  50:47

I mean if you're on the ground driving around in a van or a bus or some of the swords Yeah, the gas prices are are stupid right now and it's like you you're just eating in the profit of the band you know it's it's a kind of I mean, it's a necessary evil but it's it's almost can be looked at as poor business to like there's just so much cost going out and not as much possibly coming in is there's a lot of thought process that has to go into it. You know, you go

Chip Znuff  51:12

into holder you can if you have a backer that can help you that certainly makes things a little easier and softens the blow but for the most part it's really difficult for any of those bands to go out there and tour without having some kind of tour support. sec I get that right now. It's just too much. There's too many bands out there. We're at a time right now. There's too much product not enough demand. That's it. So he is sad to see these older artists that in fee made some money in the early days with those white pomp sent up and one of the million girls

Randy Hulsey  51:41

Oh yeah, talk to you. Listen,

Chip Znuff  51:43

it sounds it right. Terry's he lent his fabulous pipes to but for any of the artists that are out there, I don't care who you are, especially the newer ones out there. It's a van. You get in a van you're gonna go out there and tour you're gonna play like that and get used to it. Hopefully you guys can you know, somebody keeps it together and keeps it straight and doesn't drink and throw that one guy is behind the wheel all the time. So be safe, and you got a chance to make some inroads exactly what I just did a tour bus on the last tour enough's enough faster pussycat run, live and quarantine tour, which happened in June and July and August of last year. We had a tour bus in front of our sled and lowness the bus and we broke down in the middle of the tour. We ended up to the van had finished on the tour so they're not as reliable as everybody thinks as well. Yeah, but a lot of we a deal, Journey tour bus 1989 eagle or maybe it was a primo but it man was fine. I found early picks in there. Dave Lee Ross used to Buster calm Steve bike picks in there. Why did REO Speedwagon it was one of those old buses the guy had in his in his house, and he goes, I'm not using guys go take it out on a tour. And it still cost us about 800 bucks a day just in fuel just to get around to chase. Wow. You know, we'll take the bus out and really elevate our perception of fans will love it. They'll want to come on and hang out. And it was like dead within a month of buses broke down at costs of Brinks truck full of money. And I recommend any of the new bands out there. Unless you got tour support and got somebody with you. It's got some deep pockets, you just put her get ready to go out and tour. He's a flying and doing the weekend warrior or getting the van and taking that out there. That's that's the only way to really do it again. If I was managing a band, that's what I would tell him to do. You want to go to our guy staff. We have five, six days a week here in the van. And that's it. Yeah. And you get one or two hotel rooms. Everybody piles in there, like a slumber party. And it's Wash, rinse, repeat. Absolutely.

Randy Hulsey  53:37

You gotta do more with less, I guess is what they say. You know, you got to do more things with less money. And anyway sometime around 89 You guys were signing you mentioned you were signed to add CO Atlantic and I'm sure that changed things for you guys at that time. Talk to the listeners a little bit about how you go from unsigned band status to signing with a major label what changes in the band?

Chip Znuff  54:03

Well, we're like Steve was consonant roll recorders deal Americana hotel. And we're doing a lot a lot of my sister rock was coming through at the time, solid bands and plays to Van Halen, the doc ends and the letter Skinner was a really a wonderful time for music and radio was really embracing it too as well. And Doc McKee came in there West Skid Row was to win their first record doc was sold catalysts and everything He's my manager by Brigham gave him a couple of cassette tapes and Doc listen to many thought it was good. He came to me and says, ah, ship I got three cassette tapes in my car. Two of them are your band tag. That's great. Thanks. So you got a friend of mine who's got his own imprint over a hologram or given his own label at ad CO which is a subsidiary of Atlantic think you'd be setting your band so once they came down seeing the group and then they were impressed with our debacle rehearsal spot, okay, we're just girls were in their party knows tons of oil Call loudmouth soup we're smoking pot not taking it serious at all musically we were but not you know it was a big party for us but the label see was smart enough and intuitive enough to know that these guys have something here I want to I want to look into it a little deeper. So when we signed our deal that we're all living in apartments we had no money at all we're barely live surviving it's it's 300 bucks a month to live in a part one bedroom apartment it's we did all our demos and recordings. So the record company or their deal was a quarter million dollars. We had nothing at all we worked construction jobs every single day during the afternoon just to get thrown out of the gate. And so yeah, we finally got somebody that changed a little bit because we go pay our rent we get some we buy some equipment. And then we signed a publishing deal as well a co publishing deal with corrections which was called ACTA music. And as a Protestant some pretty good should be post soon so we were able right away to not only get some new equipment but recording equipment and musical equipment. We got some threads tubes we can survive and look the part that was so important because we are stealing stuff by robots and sister's bedroom closets to save the look because the Iraq clam we really want to clamp down we are more of a pop rock band who still are Yeah, but we are colorful, flamboyant and because MTV brace the first video the first single new thing and we had we had Paul start doing our makeup lipstick and fix this up. They kind of put us in a hole we didn't think about it that we just like looking colorful. We had no ideas at once people see you like that. Well that's the way they're gonna expect to see all the time. Absolutely do what we're getting played on MTV. The bands that were on there were were flamboyant as well. Motley Crue. Obviously Pandora came out there and they were total glam before they started with salutely, smart poison, poison and winger really good bands,

Randy Hulsey  57:05

Cinderella, Eros, Eros, Eros Lambo

Chip Znuff  57:07

flamboyant, and without us being colorful and flamboyant, we probably wouldn't have got playing MTV, they were looking for something that was that would push the needle a little bit. And we just came out a little bit late of a time we would have got signed around 8687 I think to such trajectory of an upset would have been much bigger. But we're grateful to get recognized whatsoever because so many bands that were out there, but we weren't paying attention to those bands I just mentioned to you but other great bands. We were still living in the past with the music we listened to as I mentioned earlier to you, the Beatles and Queen and Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd squeeze. That was our wheelhouse to be acid Bowie and Mott the Hoople. So when we came out of Box Hill, everybody goes, Well, these guys are glam rock band, but we've only because of our luck because of MTV. And we knew that that that's what we needed to put us over and we would have came out in jeans and T shirts. Maybe we wouldn't you wouldn't be talking to me right now. Or maybe we'd be like a YouTube different No, no. And that's a chance to take when you're in the music business. She just so put your best foot forward. And I guess we're more comfortable dressing like, like trim as opposed to shirts as opposed to guys. It lasted pretty long for me because look, I'm still here talking to you. So that's what the good Lord is blessing. I've done some pretty good things right there. Yeah, but I've always loved bands that weren't afraid to push the envelope.

Randy Hulsey  58:35

Well, you talked about it earlier. You know, it's you got to build the brand. Right. And the brand for enough's enough is the look that you have. That's part of it. The name is part of it. You're part of it. The look is part of it. I mean, this all is the thing that makes you guys who you are, right, so

Chip Znuff  58:53

if we came out with MTV with that colorful video, that's one thing when people see us and they get turned on every day we're in a top 10 for you know, the whole year maybe longer with dead when those again with sly Michelle Wilson were very successful for us. But we knew when you turn the radio on, you put a record at turntable you put a CD in or cassette tape and listen to music. You don't see makeup and lipstick and smoke machines and people shaking their asses. Music. That's right. And I think this has kept us alive all these years because the songs have been strong. And that's first and foremost.

Randy Hulsey  59:23

They have to hold up for sure. Now when you guys signed with that CO Atlantic were you based in Hollywood at that time or in Southern California? Or were you still in Illinois at

Chip Znuff  59:34

that time? No, or Chicago we'd never left Chicago. We went to California because we had to meet our constituents to label one to meet qualia, Derek showman from the ICO flew us out to Los Angeles and we're gonna do some recordings out there as well. We're doing most of our stuff here. Midwest and rural recording studio lakes NEMA and oakbridge pago recording company. So went to Los Angeles, we had to meet the people that ran the label out there. And I'd already in our check and the people that were helping us with our career and moving us forward so that's why we went to Los Angeles here in Dubai by the way was the a&r girl openers kindness for I've seen her in years. She was so fantastic. She used to live with Nicki six really she went through Nikki's closet and got me all the clothes that I needed for that first coverage to come from Nikki and Nikki six nine sort of try to spell to say we both six two tall guys and and I even put on the record I said, Thanks Nikki six for unwittingly supplying the threats,

Randy Hulsey  1:00:37

and unknowingly That's awesome. Yeah,

Chip Znuff  1:00:43

those are good to read with California because the Labor wants to see what was happening. Back in 89, was unparalleled as the whiskey to Rambo, the Roxy, the Viper Room. All that stuff was happening in troubadour the Euro Liam was a rock was was predominantly the big music of that era. The streets were packed full of a ton of punters, you know, all kinds of girls and guys that just lives and breathes hard rock and heavy metal was a great time to be around there and to be recognized. I got be asked to play some fabulous shows out there all our gigs were sold out in the couple hours. We're playing that to us places with 1000 2000 seat venues. But all the rock stars come out and see us. Movie Stars actresses lives. It was a really wonderful time for all of us. And we took in that party like you wouldn't believe till we weren't very disciplined. Unless we got into studio start recording and it was 100%. Yeah, serious. Outside of that, though, and we had a propensity to get in trouble in a single moment. Yeah, well,

Randy Hulsey  1:01:50

you know, before we smashed the record button on this interview, we talked about a little bit about the late great Josie Jones. And when I talked to Joe on my interview, I asked him about the Sunset Strip back in the day and he said, Randy, man, you couldn't tell the performers from the street people alike. They all look the same. Everybody was all I mean, it was just that time where everybody had the big hair and were made up going out and it was just a scene man, you know, like it was a vibe and you couldn't hardly tell the actual musicians from just the people that were coming to see the musicians, right.

Chip Znuff  1:02:24

No, you couldn't. Because everybody's living their life vicariously through each other Absolutely. be strange to walk down Sunset Strip and see the castle the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Guns and Roses, or even cheap trick for that matter when they're making records out there. We have was all about Yeah, we lived at the Oak woods on fire from all the businesses was stay there and are kind of where we lived at the alkalis would be metal church. Badlands Stevie Wonder. T sweat. chastened bottom. There's a potpourri of different musicians, everyone out there. The common denominator was a speaker, great record. It was great. It was a wonderful time out there. I go to studios and see all the different bands play. I sit in there jellyfish, fantastic Allison chains. The whole scene was great for years and years. It didn't really start changing until the mid 90s where there was a real change of the guard. You know, we had the whole grunge scene happening with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nelson, Shane's Nirvana bunny, all that good stuff. And that was great stopped. I love those suck bands that came out of the box with a fabulous sense of style. But a lot of the rock bands like us, they got pushed to the wayside. And it was the the ones that were tenacious enough to move forward. And hang in there were the ones that survived and the ones that said that said, I'm gonna go back in a day job. Well, that's what they want to do. And maybe perhaps that was what was meant to be. Yeah, but I'll tell you those. Definitely Kelly in those early days in Alaska for quite a long time, I could imagine what it was in the 70s. When I was, I was out there to 70 spaded spent a lot of time there. I lived there when I was in my punk band degeneration, but I missed a lot of that stuff. When I remember when Van Halen came out. That was a that was a pretty big scene that certainly changed the whole complexity of the music business sent to ballistic guitars and radio was important with that, you know, they embrace that kind of music, but for the most part, I didn't get a chance to see a lot of this stuff until I went out there in the late 80s With enough's enough. And I got a chance to suck in some of that wonderful rock and roll attitude that Tinseltown provided. Oh yeah, for all those years, man. It's got so many great stories in there with all the bands and things that we've done together. It's incredible. I really wish that the fans could see that right now be a real ticket as for rock and roll because now there's no MTV you don't hear that push radios. Were there just to weigh in the old stuff. Yeah, except for Sirius XM and for Dash radio, which is the program I'm on six days a week. I know masses Iraq it's just don't get what you got back in those old days. Yeah, we live our lives. We're living in the past when it comes to love that music but we still mix it up. Yeah and I'm hoping that the newer bands out there like the Greta Van Fleet submit its trouble the rival sons attorney on his destress the hope to carry that flag Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:05:19

well we need it for sure because it's a different time and a different music business for sure. You know back I guess you guys released 20 Plus records over the over the years have begun together and that's certainly a lot of music. Did you serve as the primary songwriter of the band talk to me a little bit about the music that was written by enough's enough what was it a collaborative effort was the you who was the driving force behind you know, behind the writing was a driving force

Chip Znuff  1:05:49

between Danny V my brother, singer and myself. We came up with it wrote and produced all of a sudden so if you look at all the left sub elements to where the producers and the writers of those songs because there was nobody around we didn't need anybody to help us. We know how to make a record now. Stein has been gone since 2013. On the primary songwriter in the band, although Tony fennel might guitar player fabulous photos to be in the band called ultravox play with Edwin Edwin start to for years playing bass with him. He's a fabulous songwriter. I Tory staff Reagan new black seven, black Balis he had he's also got another project right now he's just put new record out he's fabulous songwriter as well, great singer. Look, I was a dilemma. LeBeau Daniel Benjamin Hill is another guy who fantastic too. I forgot Tori Sue, right. He's got a brand new record out right now. I sold the record, print crap. But he's a fabulous singer songwriter. Mike, my drummer, same thing, right, great record producer. orchestrator plays different instruments. These guys are all great writers. Don't need me. But I've been writing most of the material since 2013. And putting these records out of enough stuff as you hear. Awesome. It's always nice to have a partner and I go, I get ideas from these cats all the time, because like I said, they're great songwriters. But for the most part, I get a Brinks truck full of songs. And just a lot of fodder out there to write about tons of subject matter. And I've been lucky enough to capture some of this stuff and put it to tape.

Randy Hulsey  1:07:24

Yeah, I wanted to talk about your solo stuff. But I wanted to jump back just for a quick second because you know, I did some homework and whatnot before the the interview but I didn't know that you're in the process of writing a book. Is there something that we can talk about? About the Book anything you want to plug about the book when to look forward? Or do you want to just skip that subject and move on?

Chip Znuff  1:07:48

No. The book will come out when it's ready. It's listening. We don't write a book for one year no been working eyes for five years, okay? It's not enough. If you find yourself a we come up with some great ideas. And I record everything by the way, so I don't forget him. And then you love you're waiting to get it all together. Were you ever chronological order of everything is happening through your career up to a certain point and then you can really set so I'm hoping next year or two I can have the book because I think it's a movie I really do. Sure. Okay, but there's so many ups and downs in the globe. Really, really slows all the wars scars and tattoos. What enough stuff wasn't what this business is done to us and and for us. I hope to get the book out when it's ready to be released. In the meantime, I focused on making records. Yep. And that's what I've been doing and we put out six records in the last six months. The box set rarities which is on Cleopatra for boxset. The Beatle record that we just put out of hard rock night which is frontiers my solo record as well. solo record just came out last week folks my love letter to the new generation. It's called perfectly imperfect and features Joel Hoekstra from Whitesnake Trans Siberian Orchestra along with deaf seals from from cheap trick and Daniel Benjamin Hill playing with me on it. And then the brand new enough stuff out which I'm just turning into frontiers next week. I don't want to give you the title on it because I don't want to wait to pillage it. They have fabulous right now that will be our 25th or 26th release. He can't call us lazy. Dad. I want to I don't want to sign on modise they certainly provide records on this time and count the other guys Danya Benjamin Hills working on three records right now set a country record a rock record a pop record coming out. Tony used to have suffered when in Rome. Yeah. And then, of course, Tory stuff Reagan's got that he's got to black Molly records. He's got a couple of new black southern records and sneak into his new band he's putting out right now, which is fantastic. So that Everybody's staying busy making an album. And that's all common denominator right now. Who cares? Who drives this bus? Let's get to the picnic.

Randy Hulsey  1:10:06

Exactly. You got that right. Do you find it difficult? Like as you as you go through your days and you're thinking of material for this book, do you have a hard time recalling things like man, what did I do? Like, there's something like on the tip of my tongue that I did 22 years ago, and I can't I can't think of all the details. Do you struggle with some of that? Or is the memory still really vivid like with all of the things that you're writing about?

Chip Znuff  1:10:33

I'm pretty blessed. Okay, good Lord works in mysterious ways. I remember country statistics great stories that have anything that I have trouble recalling I just go to my old manager Bob Brigham, okay. He's got tons of stuff in a night when it when Herbie was alive, he gave me a lot of stuff to talk about, bring up a lot of memories about the labels as our business relationships. And I wrote it all down, but all on a diary. So we're in pretty good shape with dad and my nice suit and pretty good memory. I got to remember all I have to remember all their songs that are the teleprompter, like a lot of the bands to which I wish I did have that band makes things a lot easier. But brain power, you know, you just work every day and go out there and sing and play the songs and try to keep yourself sharp that way. Yeah, but I've done yeah, memories been pretty good. So far, knock on wood.

Randy Hulsey  1:11:24

Well, I found that that's a, you know, the whole teleprompter thing is a blessing and a curse all at the same time. Because it's you it becomes an umbilical cord. If you get used to it. It's hard to get off the tip, so to speak, if you know what I'm saying. Right? So you've probably done it the right way, by just using the brain power, like you said, to remember the songs. I was at an Aerosmith concert years ago. And I noticed Steven Tyler was using one and it's like, that was interesting to me, because this guy has been singing the songs that he's written for 40 plus years now, how do you forget those but, you know, there's not as much elasticity in the brain as we get older. And you know, who knows what the reasons are, but in granted, in Steven's defense, he wasn't standing there reading off the teleprompter, right. It just kind of keeps him on track and like, okay, that's the third verse, not the second verse kind of thing, right?

Chip Znuff  1:12:18

Yeah, I've never had anything against those guys. I give him credit because I know the setlist are 20 Plus songs, a lot of bands do it. He's still singing, he's still playing. He still wrote those songs. If anything to help it make it a little easier to navigate. And I can credit to be able to take us through those shows. It's a difficult task to remember a lot of responsibility not only to stay in shape and keep our pipes in the tip top condition, but the fans they want to hear those this first time they ever fell in love. First time they ever had sex first time they ever partied. You know, they heard the songs. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  1:12:54

I wanted to shift gears again, I wanted to talk a little bit about the solo stuff. You released an album Back in, I think it was 15 2015 called strange time. But then we fast forward. Do the math seven years. And it's now 2022 You just released a brand new solo effort, and you spoke about earlier, perfectly imperfect. Tell the listeners about the record

Chip Znuff  1:13:21

that says it's another tense on excursion in the eyes behind my purple rose colored glasses. I didn't want to put a solo record out enough snuff records are like a solo record to make it I'll get the chance to say what I need to say with my gang, which I love that. But the record company insisted on the record deal that we signed with frontiers to have three new records in six months. The first one was the Beatle record hard rock night. Second one is perfectly imperfect, which was released last week, and then a new enough snuff album, which comes down the pipeline a few months ago. And as I said earlier, it's my love letter to the new generation. All the songs perfect of what's happening right now in the world. You know the songs are like embryos. It's like a beginning of a relationship. And the approach I take on these songs is let's just get the idea down there and see where it goes from there. I surround myself with some good people I got a great producers name's Rob Posey does lead a punk rock records, but he's got a good sense of balance and then I go on every single one of my records in the last 15 years. I go to a guy named Chris assignments over at a studio here in Chicago called stone cutter studios. Chris Simon's responsible for doing kiss revenge. Did Alice Cooper Safi work with size he is four to six records does Hip Hop stuff and cupcake a lot with twist sunny skies fabulous and I go to him and he mixes the records up I leave. Once I wrote the songs that lead up to the guys are engineering and producing and I mixing the album to bring it to fruition. That's another rock record. It's a good stoner rock record and a lot of ways. It's a little different than the last record. I did that solo record, which was in 2014 on Cleopatra records when I had guys like Steven Adler and Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, feel bassil for missing persons. bifilar these are brothers came from apartment 26 I had some good players on it. For sure. This record done so many guys on there. I just might as I guess these are songs to my eyes at this day and age of our country. I got to make you feel good. If it gets you away from all adult Trump's for an hour to a day. It's I did my job and serve my purpose. But there's still more songs on the pipeline. It's just a brief Lilz small little nugget on what I have at this time. Hopefully, the next record will be just as good if not

Randy Hulsey  1:16:00

better. Yeah, I know. I'm looking forward to hearing the new stuff. Now when you go out on tour with enough's enough, is it safe to say that the solo stuff that you've done? Does that not get played and enough's enough sets? Do you keep those separated? How does that work? Yeah, I

Chip Znuff  1:16:17

do. Because when I go on these tours, and people see enough stuff, they want to hear the songs they know they want to hear. Sing fly, Michelle, Baby love, she's a hiss. And I mixed them up with a potpourri of the newer stuff that's in there too. But as far as the solo stuff goes, if there's interests I'll go and play those songs supply for sure. In the meantime, well you can get as I give you a solo record, and I do a bunch of videos. And we put them out there and we'll see what kind of interests it tries. I love doing solo stuff and and listen, if one of the songs in his solo record was had a significant run a movie, a soundtrack, a TV show commercial, something really good. Of course, he'd throw in the set, but I didn't want to let the fans down. They want to hear the enough's enough songs that Dave went out and supported and followed from his years. That's That's my job.

Randy Hulsey  1:17:07

I like the mindset. I have an interview coming up. I don't have an exact date set yet. I'm working with John on this, but it'll be probably around the June timeframe with Joel Hoekstra, who who played you know, God who has he not played with you mentioned a couple earlier Trans Siberian Orchestra is with Whitesnake, but I know that but I know that he played on Welcome to the party on your solo record.

1:17:37

Oh, yeah. Tell tell me how that collab came about was

Randy Hulsey  1:17:41

it because of the frontiers records connection or talk to the listeners a little bit about how Joel came about and some of the other players that you had on on some of the songs.

Chip Znuff  1:17:53

I grew up with a friend of mine here in the blue while they're in a randy Matheson show that shifts here So play with Randy in a band, enough stuff in the first sub came out. Critical acclaim, the first single dosing was doing great for us MTV was playing we're not top 10 but by Shelby abhaile crew and poisoned all those bands. And we're really busy. They didn't have a lot of time to do a lot of stuff. But Randy reached out to me as drummer and said, Will you come out and CRP and play live and I went out to go see him. It was a big deal for them because they got a chance to is somebody on the music business that was doing well come out and support them at their show. And we find the dead days. 50 year old guitar player was straight down to by the way. And I think did relationships just blossom from there. So when it came down time to do the solo record, I call them on the fly. So I'm doing a solo record. I'd love you to plan he goes I'd be honored. It was great. to plan the whole record. He played on three, three or four tracks but surely I'm on the whole lot because he's a fabulous player in the I didn't tell him anything. Play everything was done in one or two takes just a great musician and he really brought the songs out. And there were good songs that I brought to him. They were great when it was all done otherwise, son I'm not It's okay. No, I was happy. I was happy with his contribution and to have the Axelsen on the record to with us Cheap Trick. That certainly didn't hurt. That's a pretty formidable team right there. Yeah, keep track Whitesnake enough stuff off playing together. Oh yeah. And you know, the first video came out there and 10s of 1000s of people have got on there and he liked the video and be nice to play somebody songs live in concert one day, we'll see what happens. But yeah, Joel I looked at him as a real brother every year we do my Surat cruise together you could stop at 10 o'clock in the morning I don't know it doesn't have to drink at all allow stupid hanging out with the fans on the guys goes out there and play so shows and one of the better musicians out there a great guitar player put her way up. There was all my favorites like slash and those killer guys out there who really has a nice sense of balance as a player and you can play any kind of cuts Are any instrument any style of music? I want to It's interesting

Randy Hulsey  1:20:04

you brought up the Monsters of Rock cruise and I've also often thought as a maybe a consumer of that cruise sometimes, you know, I've considered going on that cruise. In your opinion how accessible are the musicians to the cruisers? Right? The just the people that have bought the tickets that are there to be on the cruise or do the musicians really make their selves? Are they out amongst the people are they only you know, did they only surface when their shows, you know, when they're playing punk talk to me a little bit about that.

Chip Znuff  1:20:37

Most of the musicians that are on the masks rock crews, spend time with fans, there's really nowhere to hide. You're on a huge ship. There's 3500 people on that boat. And the common denominator is let's reach everybody great shows and bring them all into concerts. So yeah, you're gonna be on you're gonna see him when you're going out to dinner. In the afternoon walking around the boat como pool. Maybe the boats gonna dock over and CocoCay are over in Cozumel, Mexico. Somewhere in the Bahamas. Everybody gets softer. Yeah. Most musicians are nice guys. And I think they're grateful to be recognized. I know Alice Cooper was on it with us. He was taking pictures with fans Island. That's awesome. I'm not sure he's the biggest fan of those boats. Because he doesn't like being trapped. But we all make time there. That's what it's all about. Those fans have waited their whole life to go out and see shows and be available. The band's Let's go. Yeah, so that musicians out there learn are free to do that. It's a good it's a great experience, I think for anybody and every band member I've talked to about it. Absolutely. A Cale said. It's wonderful that they have this every single year and shout out to Larry Moran, who puts those shows on every day. He's not a singer. He doesn't play guitar play bass. He doesn't have long hair. But he certainly knows how to live his life vicariously through his favorite rock and roll heavy metal bands. And he gets the ball on there every single year and he gets the best ones. He's a wonderful promoter and a good friend to

Randy Hulsey  1:22:08

bring the listeners up to speed on the band today and instruments that each plays and enough's enough.

Chip Znuff  1:22:17

Sure. Daniel Benjamin Hello start drummer plays all different instruments is just a matter of fact and I know enough sub LBC did all do look orchestral arrangements because he played keyboards and mela trance and harpsichord. Great singer, really fantastic musician and a very underrated Tory staff Reagan the guitar player. Like I said earlier Mother Love Bone. He had a black Bally's Of course, new black seven, motherlode nine but the Lebron Motherload was this new record that he just put out there and it's a record of material 1520 years ago he did he went we sing all the songs it sounds like Allison chain speeds Saigon kick. He's the guitar player plays all different instruments. In fact, he plays bass as good as I am. And then of course, Tony fettled guitar player singer in a band. Tony, who I mentioned earlier, I had an illustrious career with playing with Edwin Starr and and of course, everybody knows him from his past Lee threesome, Birmingham, England. And ultravox was the big band then they're a huge fan over and he's a great producer as well as a guitar player. So that's decibel enough snuff right there it's for guys who show up every single night no tape so sequences no synthesizers no guys backstage is for guys playing live and I think the fans have spoken the band sounds great as we are right now we show up every single night there's no funny daddy there's no and he's and he sucked up behind closed doors will be considered as promiscuous or far no smoke and mirrors problems in the past yeah, there's no you know the worst scars and tattoos have been expose. We are we are as a rock band. We show up every single city we'd love the fans are grateful to be able to make records every single year and go on tour. Absolutely. And we got some good stuff coming up down the pipeline. Whether it's enough stuff or our other project that we have, which is called the Beatles Rock Show we played just about Beatles songs and etc. Now a lot of bands can say that we just got some good opportunities on the pipeline. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for enough's enough. Yeah, for sure. I know that we have some good records and we're all putting solo stuff out there. By the way, I want to mention Tory's other project to a snickerdoodle and that's like a almost like a country pop record that is fabulous. So along with Tony doing his stuff, when in Rome, we all get a little small things that we do and aside that are gonna have potential to be big. But when At the end of the day, we all focus our attention on our Navy which is an absolute awesome yeah.

Randy Hulsey  1:25:05

Well you have to you can't put all your eggs in one basket so you're smart business people It sounds like at the end of the day

Chip Znuff  1:25:13

what we love playing music we didn't just get in is to make money on the record but we did it because we enjoy our company and playing with each other in a band that said we'd like creating together it's it's really it's a it's a real formidable team. But it's certainly nice to get compensation for all the time and devotion that we put into our craft wouldn't that be nice if all the guys doing stuff on the side just makes us club enough stuff even that much more?

Randy Hulsey  1:25:38

Absolutely. Where can the listeners find you in the boys on social media these days chip,

Chip Znuff  1:25:43

real simple enough's. enough.com en UFFC en UFM enough's enough.com, Jess and Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram also chips enough on Facebook and Instagram as well. And then you can check me out on my program. I'm on radio six days a week. It's called the masters of rockets on the dash radio network. It's the other satellite station besides Sirius XM. It's simply get just download dash radio.com Download the app. It's free. Go to channel fibo toolbox. AraC dash radio emits a new formidable way to listen to radio. You got Snoop Dogg on there? You got to be real from Cypress Hill, Kylie Jenner. Rudy SARS was on my program. It's a it's a massive 30 million subscribers. Just like Sirius XM, cool, except probably more songs, we have about 75,000 songs to pick from. And it's a big celebration of like a through sees a whole alphabet of hard rock and heavy metal. Check us out. It's really good. I think he really enjoys commercial free by the way.

Randy Hulsey  1:26:47

I love that chip. And you know, but this is this is one of the reasons why I started the show. Because it's really a learning thing for me. I've been a music junkie and a musician all my life. And I love I love learning more about guys like you the music that I grew up with the music that I love. And like I knew nothing about Dash radio before this. So I'm educated. I feel like I've learned something today. So thanks for sharing that. With not only myself, but my listeners. I did have I did have one last question for you. And in your own words, can you define success? For me? What does success mean to

Chip Znuff  1:27:26

chasing? Success? To me, it's real simple, to be able to stay focused and put music out every single year. And people out there listen to you. That's it. You know, it's not about the actual money. It's about the people you reach. At the end of the day, sometimes it's more important to keep people happy than it is to your coffers. I agree. I've

Randy Hulsey  1:27:50

asked that question to a lot of the guests on this show. And money has never come up one time and I love that answer more than anything. You're doing it for the love of why you started doing it to begin with, you know, the love of the music and if you happen to be able, like you said to to buy a ham sandwich or a cheeseburger at the end of the day, the it's just gravy at that point in time. Right. Chuck? Thanks again so much for spending time with me today. It's it's been a super cool treat. I know that we had a little debacle earlier but we persevered. We're here we got to chat. Thank you for, you know, figuring it out the time and everything. And so again, thank you for your stories, and sharing your thoughts and whatnot with the listeners. I asked the listeners to like, share and subscribe to the podcast. Also, don't forget to follow chip on all the social media platforms as well as WWW dot enough. xh enough. That's e in UFFZNU F f.com. I want to thank you guys again for tuning in and remind you that you can find the show on Facebook at backstage pass radio podcast on Instagram at backstage pass radio, Twitter backstage pass PC, and on the website at WWW dot backstage pass radio.com You guys stay safe and healthy. And thanks again for tuning in to Backstage Pass radio.

Adam Gordon  1:29:21

Thanks so much for joining us. We hope you enjoyed today's episode of backstage pass radio. Make sure to follow Randy on Facebook and Instagram at Randy Halsey music and on Twitter at our Halsey music. Also make sure to like subscribe and turn on alerts for upcoming podcasts. If you enjoyed the podcast make sure to share the link with a friend and tell them backstage pass radio is the best show on the web for everything music. We'll see you next time right here on backstage pass radio