CHAPTER 63 - Vinnie Vincent post-KISS

“Vinnie Vincent Invasion” Album Notes:

Produced by Vinnie Vincent & Dana Strum. Recorded at Baby ‘O Recorders, Hollywood, California, January – March 1986. Assistant: Kevin Smith; Mixed at Cherokee Recording Studios, Hollywood.

63.01. Boyz Are Gonna Rock

One of the three demos Vinnie Vincent recorded to secure a record deal with Chrysalis Records. The band used to record the demo would include Vinnie, Dana Strum, Robert Fleischman, and Pat Benatar and former Derringer Band drummer Myron Grombacher. “Boyz Are Gonna Rock” had started off as a Warrior demo in 1982, prior to Vinnie being recruited by KISS during the “Creatures Of The Night” sessions, but due to parts of the original being used on “And On The 8^th Day” on “Lick It Up” it required reworking into the distinctive Invasion recording.

According to Vinnie after listening to just 45 seconds of this first song on the demo tape Chrysalis wanted him on a plane to fly to New York to negotiate a deal. On the album version the feedback part of the introduction was an accident which Vinnie decided to keep, though he was unable to replicate it. There would be very minor arrangement and lyric changes between the demo and album versions. A video would be filmed for the song, directed by Jeff Stein, with Mark Slaughter lip-synching to Robert’s vocals. A pink vinyl promotional single would be released backed with “Animal.”

63.02. No Substitute

The second of the Invasion demos, the album version of this recording would be released as a promotional single in some markets. The song was also considered to be a follow-up to the album’s first single, complete with video, though the band later opted to record a new studio album instead. According to Bobby Rock, “we were going to do ‘No Substitute’ as a video. We just came off the Maiden tour and we had a decision to make whether we wanted to do the video or just get started on the new record. From a business standpoint it would’ve been smarter to do the video and try to harp on the first record, but by that point we’d grown so much. We had Mark in the band and we would’ve been promoting a record that had another singer on it” (KISS Klassics #6).

63.03. Shoot U Full Of Love

The final of the “Invasion” demos, dubbed such by Vinnie’s then manager who said something to the effect that it wasn’t music, it was an “Invasion.” Vinnie would spend some $30,000 on studio time in the period following his departure from KISS recording much more than the three tracks which were included on the demo tape. Vinnie would recycle the music, bridge and a verse from Warrior’s “I Need Love” for the song: “Well tonight you’re all I want to own / I’ll disconnect my telephone.” The third verse from the Warrior track, “The speed of sound / Is driving me insane / Sweet, c’mon, break my candy cane” would become “At the speed of sound / She drives me insane / Turn me on and break my candy cane” for the second verse of the Invasion song.

63.04. Animal

“Animal” was written while Vinnie was still working with KISS. The song probably provided some of that band’s inspiration for calling their post-Vinnie album “Animalize,” according to Dana Strum. “Animal” would contain elements of the Warrior song “It’s Not Pretty,” notably the lyric “With the queen of my dreams” becoming “Angelic creation queen of my dreams.”

63.05. Twisted

63.06. Do You Wanna Make Love

One of two songs co-written by Robert Fleischman on the album.

63.07. Back On The Streets

Written by Vinnie Vincent and Richard Freeman, this song had previously been demoed by Vinnie both solo, with his pre-KISS band Warrior, and with KISS, in addition to having been recorded and released by the band 3 Speed in 1984. For the Invasion recording Robert and Vinnie would perform a duet.

63.08. I Wanna Be Your Victim

63.09. Baby-O

While “Baby-O” had originally been demoed by Warrior the basic underlying style of the song would remain for the Invasion recording, though with substantial lyrical rewriting. The original introduction of the song would be replaced with an excessive guitar intro more in line with the excessive nature of the album. The first verse would be changed from: “You make my love like rollin’ dice / I’m tired of your airtight alibis / Your lips caress the velvet lies / And heartbreak me down to size” to “A fox, love toy, she’s candy sweet / Hot little strutter, wild bitch in heat / Mercy angel, voodoo child / You gimme fever, girl you’re drivin’ me wild.” More minor changes included “Baby, I’m on fire you / I’m on fire for you” being added to the end of the chorus.

Where two lines of the first verse had survived the whole of the second verse would be rewritten: “You could be nice, but there’s blackmail in your eyes / Someone collides, we’re over over-drive / You took my love that’s riding in your bed / Here, I gave you love, you’re after me / You traveled all your midnight tracks / You thought of some angle I can’t” became “Metallic angel workin’ that midnight run / Pull the trigger, pistol-whip me with your pleasure gun / Let all of your honey drip down on me / With a passion so willing, so wicked and free / Spread your love and make my dreams come true / Like wild fire, honey, I’m burnin for you.” Essentially, with the guitar solo being updated so as to not sound like the guitar work Vinnie had done with KISS, only the first two lines and chorus remained from the Warrior version. A second Warrior song, “It’s Not Pretty,” would provide the “shoot me with your pleasure gun” lyric which became “pistol whip me with your pleasure gun.”

63.10. Invasion

The second of the songs Robert Fleischman would co-write with Vinnie for the album. Both of the Fleischman co written tracks date from 1986 whereas the rest of the material had been written by Vinnie well before the recording of the album commenced. The last 2:40 of this song is a repetitive electronic noise loop combined with Bobby’s cymbals.

63.11. I Wanna Love You

Running 4:53 this song would be written by Vinnie Vincent. It is the only out-take from the “All Systems Go” sessions, currently available to collectors, which was not used on the album. The tempo and style of the piece put it firmly in the Vinnie Vincent ballad category. The demo circulates with scat vocals revolving primarily around the “I Wanna Love You” lyric, which seems to essentially be the only lyrics figured out for the piece. For the first minute or so the song has acoustic guitars before going electric with a style similar to the rest of the “All Systems Go” demos.

“All Systems Go” Album Notes:

Released May 2, 1988; Produced by Dana Strum and Vinnie Vincent. Recorded at Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, California, and The Sunset Landmark Theatre, Hollywood, California.

63.12. Ashes To Ashes

63.13. Dirty Rhythm

63.14. Love Kills

63.15. Naughty Naughty

63.16. Burn

Vinnie considered that this song was “so heavy it’ll make the stuff I’ve already recorded sound stupid” (Kerrang #174).

63.17. Let Freedom Rock

Uses part of Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” in the introduction which runs 1:29. Already used by Jimi Hendrix, most famously, KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick would also do a version of the “Star Spangled Banner” while with KISS. According to SIN guitarist Rik Fox, this song “borrows” quite heavily from the SIN song “On The Run” that had been released in 1983. Rik would later be named as a creditor during Vinnie’s bankrupcy hearings.

63.18. That Time Of Year

According to Vinnie this song is “a ballad with a real nasty attitude, it’s about being a musician and having to deal with girlfriends” (Kerrang #174). The live performance video for the song would be shot on June 26, 1988 and was Directed by Nigel Dick and produced by Lisa Hollingshead.

63.19. Heavy Pettin’

63.20. Ecstasy

63.21. Deeper And Deeper

63.22. Breakout

63.23. The Meltdown

1:59 drum effect solo.

63.24. Ya Know – I’m Pretty Shot

3:50 acoustic instrumental which morphs between classical, blues, and country, including parts of several other songs. Ends with, “Hey, tell your friends about us!” Vinnie had wanted to include something with a classical tinge prior to starting work on “All Systems Go.”

63.25. Love Kills (Freddie Krueger Edit)

This 5:31 edit of the “All Systems Go” album recording simply adds a Freddy Krueger introduction for the song: “Hi, this is Freddy Krueger. Next up, Vinnie Vincent ‘Love Kills’ from ‘Nightmare On Elm Street IV: The Dream Master.’” The song would be issued as a single and included on the movie’s soundtrack album.

63.26. Young Blood, Young Fire

During late-1987 Vinnie Vincent put together a tape of publishing material which he hoped could be offered to other artists to record. This song, as the title might suggest was not written with the Rob Lowe film “Youngblood” in mind, even though it would have fit quite well. It is simply a matter that the film had been released prior to the song ever being recorded (though not necessarily written).

Written solely by Vinnie the 4:25 song would be recorded on Vinnie’s 12-track at his house with Jeff Scott Soto on vocals and old Warrior chum Jimmy Waldo on keyboards. The recording actually make Jimmy more of the primary player because they are somewhat more prominent than Vinnie’s guitar on this version. Vinnie registered the copyright of the sound recording in April 1988 (PAu-1-083-862) as the first selection on a demo tape. Vinnie’s vocals are prominent on the chorus: “Young blood (young blood), young fire / Young warriors will never die / Young blood (young blood), young fire / The world is out it’s burning in your eyes / In our eyes.” This demo features a soaring Vinnie guitar solo.

63.27. Forbidden

Registered (PAu-1-083-861) in April 1988 as selection two on a publishing tape. This 3:41 song would be the second of 5 songs recorded with Jeff Scott Soto and Jimmy Waldo. The song is administered via BMI (435051) and features strong keyboards which nearly totally hide Vinnie’s guitars.

63.28. I’m On Fire 4 U

Registered (PAu-1-083-860) in April 1988 as selection three on a publishing tape. The third of 5 songs recorded with Jeff Scott Soto and Jimmy Waldo. This song also has a lyrical relationship with “Baby-O” with the “I’m on fire for you” title and chorus line. Primarily acoustic the song is a very light ballad: “Long hot summer nights / Thunder raging in our hearts / Stranded lovers on the run / Old desperate dreams that shine / Like angels in your eyes / Just one more kiss and I’ll be yours / ‘Til time’s no longer time.” The demo recording runs 3:40.

63.29. My Love Goes With U

Registered (PAu-1-083-859) in April 1988 as selection four on a publishing tape. The forth of 5 songs recorded with Jeff Scott Soto and Jimmy Waldo. As is the case with the other songs recorded at this time the guitars are hardly noticeable on this demo. The demo runs 4:25.

63.30. Gypsy In Her Eyes

Registered (PAu-1-083-858) in April 1988 as selection five on a publishing tape. The final of the 5 songs recorded with Jeff Scott Soto and Jimmy Waldo. This recording of the song would be one of the longest with a 0:48 second guitar outro section at the end which brings the total length to 5:37. Lyrically very similar to the various other recordings of the song with a nice (read as “appropriate”) guitar solo.

63.31. More Than Friends

63.32. Tears

63.33. Mama

Registered (PAu-1-083-855 - 57) in April 1988 as selection six on a publishing tape. Whether this was a re-recording of the song or simply a re-registration of his earlier recording, is unclear. Please refer to the “Vinnie Vincent pre-KISS section” for details on the original recordings.

63.34. Thrill Of The Chase

Registered (PAu-1-083-854) in April 1988 as selection eight on a publishing tape. Nothing else is currently know about this track, except that it was written solely by Vinnie and is published via BMI (Work #1509486).

63.35. Make A Play For Her Now

Written by Vinnie Vincent and Vicki Peterson this song would be recorded for the Bangles’ album “Everything” released in 1988. Vinnie would also play 12-string acoustic guitar on the recording. The Bangles had performed the song live during their 1987 “Bitchen Summer Tour.”

63.36. Turn Yourself Around

63.37. Innocent Eyes

Copyright registered (PAu-1-154-637/38) solely in Vinnie’s name in October 1988 on a collection of material as the first selection. It is not clear whether Vinnie re-recorded these songs which had originally been released on the 1977 “Treasure” album. Please refer to the “Vinnie Vincent pre-KISS section” for details on the original 1977 recordings.

63.38. We Belong To The Night

63.39. She Kissed Me

Copyright registered (PAu-1-154-639/40) solely in Vinnie’s name in 1988 on a collection of material as the third selection. The songs would be administered via BMI (Work #1613461) through both Chrysalis and Vinnie Vincent music and was written solely by Vinnie. Nothing else currently known.

63.40. Maybe It’s The Rain

Copyright registered (PAu-1-154-641) solely in Vinnie’s name in 1988 on a collection of material as the fifth selection. It is not clear whether this was a re-recording of the earlier registered Mitchell/Cusano composition from 1981. Registrations 637-641 were undertaken by the Rare Blue Music, Inc publishing company which was administered by Chrysalis. See Vinnie Vincent pre-KISS section for further details and lyrics.

63.41. Metal Tech

“Metal Tech” is technically neither song nor demo, it is a jam piece that comes in three sections on Vinnie Vincent’s 1988 REH instructional video: “Metal Tech - Style, Speed, & Phrasing.” Essentially, it is 7 minutes of Vinnie letting rip with numerous licks, demonstrating his unique picking style and phrasings, elements he would go into on the video. Accompanied by a drum machine and canned bass line, the piece, nonetheless, is an excellent demonstration piece of Vinnie’s skill and style....

63.42. Over You

Vinnie had wanted to get vocalist Goran Edman in his band prior to Mark Slaughter, and had Goran lay down his vocals to the tracks which had appeared on the first Vinnie Vincent Invasion album. It would take several years for him to get the chance to try and snag the vocalist again. Following being dropped by Chrysalis Vinnie brought Goran to Los Angeles to record demos, including this track which is one of the more obscure post-KISS Vinnie songs. Goran would also cut new versions of “Youngblood” and “My Love Goes With You” among the 9 songs Vinnie had him sing on as an “audition.”

However, while Vinnie shopped the demo around, eventually linking with Enigma, guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen had snagged Goran’s services. The other musicians on the demo include Chris Lee on bass and Andre Labelle on drums. “Over You” is a ballad: “You’re all of my life (all of my life) / In all of my life (all of my life) / I can’t give my love to you / Now let me get over you.”

63.43. My Love Goes With You

A 1990 re-recording of the earlier demo with Goran Edman on vocals, this version of the song sees both lyrical changes and a stronger acoustic guitar atmosphere. The tempo of the song is also slower than the Jeff Scott Soto version. This demo would run 3:49.

63.44. Young Blood, Young Fire

At 4:00, the re-recording of this song with Goran Edman on vocals, would be shorter than the version recorded with Jeff Scott Soto. The song would also feature more prominent electric guitars, particularly on the introduction. Ray Brinker would play drums on the recording session that resulted in this and other songs.

63.45. Wild Child

The dating of the alternative version of this song is not clear though it is nearly identical in structure, though not sonics or production, to the version released on Vinnie’s 1996 EP.

63.46. Wild Child (Version #2)

Essentially the same as 63.45, though this version does circulate with pretty poor sound quality. The additional minute is an acoustic/electric guitar introduction to the song resulting in a duration of 6:13.

63.47. Genesis

Clocking in at 2:26, “Genesis” is an instrumental which was rumored to be the first track on the “Guitars From Hell” album from 1989/90. Building on a horror-flick styled “atmospheric” background the piece builds with some monstrous chords and effects, but remains somewhat basic. Parts could also be used on a video game a la Doom! From copyright registrations, no such piece is registered to Vinnie, so it is possible that this instrumental’s real title is “Himalaya” (which is a song Vinnie copy-wrote at the same time).

63.48. Rocks On Fire

This alternative version may date to the time of the original “Guitars From Hell” sessions or have been remixed around the time of the “Euphoria/EP” tracks. Regardless, it has a much darker powerful rhythm and some very slight lyrical changes to the other version and is seven seconds shorter at 5:37. “Guitars From Hell” saw Vinnie returning to the lyrical imagery that had been prevalent on the first Invasion album: “Better let my love in I want you to know / Sweeter than cane sugar / Then she’ll call me rock star / Shackle me in irons, pagan desire / Ain’t no religion gonna take me higher /Oooh (give it to me, give it to me) baby / We’re gonna make it show / Oooh (give it to me, give it to me) baby.” A demo tape featuring this recording, “Euphoria,” “Get The Led Out,” and “Wild Child” first started circulating in late-1993. It is possible that the formed a demo tape that Vinnie was shopping to prospective labels.

63.49. Euphoria

Fans who want to hear the most incredible Vinnie Vincent guitar solo need look no further than this alternative version of the title-track for Vinnie’s 1996 EP. This alternate version may date to the time of the original “Guitars From Hell” sessions or have been remixed around the time of the “Euphoria/EP” tracks. Regardless, it has a much darker and vastly more powerful rhythm and some very slight lyrical changes to the other version. The full 1:00 guitar solo shreds in completely uncontrolled fury. Like the rest of the “Guitars From Hell” material this song retains surreal lyrics: “I Dance with the lizard / Funk that monkey on the ground / Shake ‘til you blister, war party hound / Ya tongue twister, I’m so addicted to your high / Said the serpent, withdraw you’ll lose your mind // No more, I don’t need no doctor / No 9-11 nurse in white / No mercy love shock, Circe in flight / No euthanasia, hallucination fill my mind / I chase the dragon, our brave new worlds collide.” Circe, is naturally the witch from Greek mythology, appearing in Homer’s “Odyssey.”

63.50. Get The Led Out

This 5:32 song was the first of Vinnie’s “Guitars From Hell” recordings and was first copy-written in August 1989. Vinnie would eventually release a recording of the song on his EP in 1996 with a slightly different arrangement.

63.51. Nuke It

Vinnie’s “Armageddon” song from “Guitars From Hell.” This 4:47 song ends with the spoken word part: “Forgive us father for we know not what we do / The universe is waiting for your touch / Your light, your blessing / The children are waiting by the shores / Staring in the sky / Waiting, waiting / Waiting for your light / Your healing light.”

63.52. Shocker

Recorded by Vinnie Vincent for his unreleased Enigma album “Guitars From Hell,” this track saw him reunited with Vocalist Robert Fleishmann who had been replaced in the Invasion by Mark Slaughter. As usual, it was solely written by Vinnie, but was intended to be the lead off vocal track on the album. Andre LaBelle drums....

63.53. Invincible

Vinnie’s 6:28 power ballad from “Guitars From Hell” follows the flow of Vinnie’s previous ballads, “Back On The Streets” and “Gypsy In Her Eyes,” with its powerful imagery and blend of acoustic and electric guitars. The chorus essentially says it all: “I shall be invincible / Power of love in my hands / I shall be invincible / Rescue my destiny and stand.” The title of this song was also the working title of Vinnie’s autobiography.

63.54. Rocks On Fire (Version #2)

At 5:45 this song has somewhat of a less brutal rhythm section than the alternative version (63.47). Sonic clarity is also clearer. The chorus: “Oooh, you set my rocks, you set my rocks on fire / I’m a train rollin’ down the tracks (fire) / Smokin,’ tokin,’ girl you get me (fire) / Hotter than I’ve ever dreamed (fire) / Passion in the third degree.”

63.55. Full Shredd

This 4:58 track, and later EP recording, is most notable for the unfortunate lyric “Who kills the fatted cow? / Oxen wait to pull her plow.... Pull it!”

63.56. Truth

Running 4:49, this demo is the most atmospheric of Vinnie’s “Guitars From Hell” demos.

“The EP/Euphoria” Album Notes:

Produced by Vinnie Vincent. Limited edition CD. Co-Produced by: Phil Kenzie; Engineered by Vinnie Vincent and Phil Kenzie; Vinnie Vincent: Guitar, Bass and Background Vocals; Robert Fleischman: Lead Vocals; V Meister: Drums. Originally released with the title, “The EP,” it was soon re-titled “Euphoria,” with the rear cover graphic reversed. The purpose of the EP was to provide a sample of material which is supposed to feature on Vinnie’s then forthcoming album, “Guitarmageddon.”

63.57. Euphoria

The version of “Euphoria” that is included on Vinnie’s 1996 EP is markedly different in character to the alternative version (63.49). Being some 50 seconds longer the song starts out with 16 seconds of extreme Vinnie guitar soloing before going into the intro “euphoric” refrain. The most noticeable difference between the two versions is the style of the drums: The alternative version sounds classic while the EP version’s double-bass thunder sounds more manufactured. Coupled with the enigmatic liner credit for V Meister on drums, this has led to the supposition that the drums on the EP are manufactured – in other words come from a drum machine. While the arrangement differs slightly from the alternative version only the guitar solo is drastically different.

63.58. Get The Led Out

The 6:14 EP version of this song starts out with the classic “The Pyro-Messiah has come” introduction which was not present on the earlier version of the song (63.50). The difference in track length cannot be accounted for solely with the addition of the 25 second introduction. The guitar solo on this recording is different than the alternative version and is some seven seconds longer. Stylistically, the solo is speed work versus the more flowing notes of the alternative version. “Hung like a black alley stud / Struttin’ mercy with a velvet glove / Black cat moanin’ on a hot tin roof / You can stand in line baby, wait to lick my boots (yeah) / Ooh yeah.... Ooh yeah.... / Motherlode rollin’ down my way / Queen metallic sister says my armor is rude / Born under a bad sign, got a bad attitude.”

63.59. Wild Child (Version #3)

This 5:12 song is closest to the earlier alternative version differing only with a “Wild Child” refrain at the beginning of the song. Notable in both versions are the guitar solos which last for more than a minute, though in comparison these solos stay pretty much the same in execution.

63.60. Full Shredd (Version #2)

This 4:57 version features a softer semi-acoustic start to the song and first verse which excludes the original “the last round, adrenaline tears” lyric. Instead Robert’s “countdown” vocal is looped and faded prior to the song going full-throttle at the start second verse.

63.61. Heavy Metal Poontang

63.62. Ride The Serpent

63.63. Brainsaw

63.64. Cockteazer

Tracks, or in the very least titles, mentioned in “press” releases for Vinnie’s now infamous “Archives” box set which never materialized. Tracks 63.61, 63.62, and 63.64 were planned to be recordings from Vinnie’s then forthcoming “Guitarmageddon” album.

63.65. Speedball Jamm

Produced by Vinnie Vincent; “Speedball Jam” was the title of a Vinnie Invasion instrumental which was recorded live in the studio and played live on occasion. Released on a 2002 CD, with one long 71 minute track is an analog transfer of a Vinnie warm up session, with some very wild shredding. In terms of sound quality it wouldn’t have been too difficult to take out the analog hiss without losing the sonic depth, though very little seems to have been done to the master tapes during transfer. There is also no reason why the single track couldn’t been tracked properly. A live version closes the CD. To differentiate the different parts of the track, one can split it as follows (which makes it look more like a Jean Micheal-Jarre album track listing):

63.65a. Shredd 1 - Solo (07:27)

63.65b. Shredd 2 - w/ drums & bass (11:23)

63.65c. Shredd 3 - Solo (00:47)

63.65d. Speedball I (13:01)

63.65e. Speedball II (10:08)

63.65f. Speedball III (01:40)

63.65g. Speedball IV (04:09)

63.65h. Speedball V (09:22)

63.65i. Shredd 4 - Solo (04:17)

63.65j. Speedball [Live] (08:57)