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Hrvoje Bubić: Intervju s Dieter „Dee Dee“ Saller
Hrvoje Bubić
Dieter „Dee Dee“ Saller je njemački gitarist kultnog rock sastava Blue Cheer, koji za Solin Live govori o svom djelovanju u ovom kultnom sastavu, njemačkoj rock sceni i ostalim glazbenim projektima.
For the start, please tell us about your beginnings, influences as well the german rock scene. I notice you played band called Monsters.
I started at the age of 11 picking up my father’s guitar. I was raised in the Bavarian Forest and there was barely no music scene around. So I had no music teacher and did it all on my own, by playing after records I ordered and ruined masses of record player pickup systems by moving the arm back again and again. Mostly I learned the songs of The Shadows and The Spotnicks. I also liked Roy Buchanan very much. And the early Deep Purple. Mind there was no internet or information channels I didn’t know anything about the German music scene as I was living in the middle of nowhere. I remember when they had the Metal Hammer at our paper store. It changed a lot. The NWOBHM started an I sucked up everything. So I founded my first band Earl Deaf and became local heroes. Lateron I co-founded the band Monsters, which basically was a replacement for the band Mass, that exist again today. The band played several festivals and a tour together with Krokus. We produced the album Riot In The Night at Powerplay Studios Switzerland but was never released this way. The singer and me left the band before and they took a female singer. I still have the original recordings!
You joined rock legends Blue Cheer, on album Dining With Sharks as guitar player, released on label Nibelung. Also featured is a special guest appearance by Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee, produced by Roland Hofmann, owner of Nibelung. Could you tell us how did you get in band and how is like playing with legends like Blue Cheer and what was reason you left Blue Cheer?
I joined the band before we produced Dining With The Sharks. After Duck McDonald left Blue Cheer they were looking for a guitar player and as they were using my rehearsing room these days we did a lot of sessions together and I was quite familiar with their material. So they asked me if I wanted to be a permanent member. I agreed because we matched pretty good. I didn’t really realize Blue Cheer is a legendary band. For me the guys were buddies we hung out together, getting drunk and stoned and having fun. After my last tour with the guys, by the way with Gary Holland, founding member of Great White and Dokken, on drums, the band somehow fell flat. I didn’t really quit and no one threw me out. You must know, Blue Cheer was more than a band. It was a trip, a life intention and family style. Everybody ever involved stays part of the family. So after years they met again with Duck in the US again and carried on there…
After Blue Cheer, did continue your carrier as musician, and if you did, can you tell us about projects when you left Blue Cheer.
I played in several minor projects to make a living. There was a sixties revival band that was called The Mystic Eyes, some single blues shows or even polka entertainment…
Your current band is Ravenryde, a hard rock with spirit of the 70s and early 80s band, while members are: Tom Bishop – keyboards,Matt Joseph – vocals ,Andy Gmeinwieser – drums ,Peter Perzlmeier – bass. Please tell us more about the Ravenryde and could you explain that you want to give the rockfans back, what was stolen from them.
I formed Ravenryde in 2007. The classic lineup was me, Matt Joseph, Andi Gmeinwieser, Hans Leikam on bass and Jan Nagel on keyboards. We were very spiritual and wanted a mysterious touch, which was meant by ‘giving the rockfans back, what was stolen from them’. Back in the 70s the bands had substance and meaning. That’s what we wanted. Not just playing some superficial stuff. I think with The Spirit Of Darkness we recorded a strong and timeless rock album, that a lot of people still like to listen to even ten years after the release.
For the end, what are your future plans, new Ravenrydealbum
I don’t think a new Ravenryde album will happen in the next future. Hans Leikam quit playing bass and it very difficult to replace such a great bass player. And as I said before, Matt Joseph and Andi Gmeinwieser are involved with the band Mass. But when the time is right I would not rule out that there will be a revival somehow.
A the moment I have an offer from a band including two guys from Gotthard. Be curious what this turns out to be…
Za početak nam recite o svojim počecima, tko je na Vas utjecao, kakva je bila njemačka rok scena. Primjećujem da ste svirali za bend Monsters.
Počeo sam s 11 godina uzevši očevu gitaru. Odgojen sam u bavarskoj šumi i okolo jedva da je bilo glazbene scene. Tako da nisam imao učitelja glazbe i sve sam radio sam, svirajući prema pločama koje sam naručivao, uništio sam masu pogonskih mehanizama pomičući ručku natrag ponovno i ponovno. Uglavnom sam učio pjesme The Shadows i The Spotnicks. Također mi se jako svidio Roy Buchanan i rani Deep Purple. Shvatite da tada nije bilo internetskih ili informativnih kanala, nisam znao ništa o njemačkoj glazbenoj sceni jer sam živio usred ničega. Sjećam se kad su dobili Metal Hammer u našoj papirnici. Mnogo se toga promijenilo. NWOBHM ( novi val britanskog heavy metala, op.prev.) je krenuo a ja sam upijao sve. Tako sam osnovao svoj prvi bend Earl Deaf i postao lokalni heroji. Nepto kasnije sam bio jedan od sonivača benda Monsters, koji je u osnovi bio zamjena za bend Mass, koji danas opet djeluje. Bend je zajedno s Krokusom svirao na nekoliko festivala i odradio turneju. Producirali smo album Riot In The Night u Powerplay Studiu u Švicarskoj, ali nikad nije izdan. Pjevač i ja napustili smo bend prije, a oni su uzeli žensku pjevačicu. Još uvijek imam originalne snimke!
Pridružio si se rock legendama Blue Cheer, na albumu Dining With Sharks kao gitarist, izdan je pod Nibelungom. Posebnost albuma je gostovanje gitarista Groundhogsa Tonyja McPheea, u produkciji Rolanda Hofmanna, vlasnika Nibelunga. Možete li nam reći kako ste ušli u bend i kako je sviratis legendama poput Blue Cheer-a i zašto ste napustili Blue Cheer?
Pridružio sam se bendu prije nego što smo producirali Dining With The Sharks. Nakon što je Duck McDonald napustio Blue Cheer, tražili su gitarista. U to vrijeme su koristili moju sobu za vježbanje pa smo zajedno smo odradili puno sesija i bio sam prilično upoznat s njihovim materijalom. Pitali želim li biti stalni član. Pristao sam jer smo se dobro slagali. Nisam zapravo znao da je Blue Cheer legendarni bend. Meni su ti dečki bili prijatelji s kojima sam se družo, opijao i pušio, bilo nam je zabavno. Nakon moje posljednje turneje s dečkima, na kojoj je bio i Garyom Hollandom, utemeljitelj Great Whitea i Dokkena, na bubnjevima, bend je nekako propao. Nisam zapravo odustao i nitko me nije izbaci. Sigurno znate, Blue Cheer je bio više od benda. Bilo je to putovanje, oblik života i obiteljski stil. Svi koji su ikada sudjelovali ostaju dio obitelji. Nakon nekoliko godina opet su se sreli s Duckom u SAD-u i nastavili tamo …
Nakon Blue Cheer-a, jeste li nastavili karijeru kao glazbenik, a ako jeste, možeš li nam reći o projektima koji su uslijedili nakon odlaska?.
Svirao sam na nekoliko manjih projekata kako bih zaradio. Mogu spomenuti bend koji se zvao The Mystic Eyes, koji je oživljavao stvari iz šezdesetih, nekoliko samostalnih blues nastupa, pa čak i polka zabave.
Vaš trenutni bend je Ravenryde, hard rock benda s duhom 70-ih i ranih 80-ih, a članovi su: Tom Bishop – klavijature, Matt Joseph – vokal, Andy Gmeinwieser – bubnjevi, Peter Perzlmeier – bas. Molim vas, recite nam nešto više o Ravenrydeu i možete li objasniti namjeru da vratite obožavateljima rock glazbe ono što im je ukradeno.
Osnovao sam Ravenryde u 2007. Originalni sastav činili smo ja, Matt Joseph, Andi Gmeinwieser, Hans Leikam na basu i Jan Nagel na klavijaturama. Bili smo vrlo duhovni i željeli smo dašak tajanstveni, što se podrazumijevalo kao „vraćanje obožavateljima rock glazbe, onoga što im je ukradeno“. U 70-ima su bendovi imali sadržaj i značenje. To je ono što smo željeli. Ne samo svirati neke površne stvari. Mislim da smo s The Spirit Of Darkness snimili snažan i bezvremenski rock album, koji puno ljudi još uvijek voli slušati čak deset godina nakon izlaska.
Za kraj, koji su vaši planovi za budućnost, novi Ravenrydealbum
Mislim da se novi album Ravenryde neće dogoditi u skoroj budućnosti. Hans Leikam prestao je svirati bas i vrlo je teško naći zamjenu za tako sjajnog basista. A kao što sam rekao prije, Matt Joseph i Andi Gmeinwieser su zauzeti u bend Mass. Ali kada za to dođe vrijeme ne isključujem mogućnost neke vrste ponovnog okupljanja.
Trenutno imam ponudu benda u kojem su i dva momka iz Gottharda. Pratite što će na kaju ispasti od toga.
