Trying to track a controversial Alec John Such interview..

Meant to say *thank you*. Sorry for the typo!

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!
I agree, this interview is not as scandalous as people made it out to be.
I think the most interesting part of the interview is where Alec describes Jon and Richie's songwriting.
It seems to me that the interviewer was desperately trying to get Alec to say negative things about Jon, but Alec never really did...lol

OK, and while you were reading, I tried to translate that bass magazine article into english or at least something that'll pass as "not german" :-).

Anybody interested ?

MissDaisy wrote:

Chris, thank you for taking the time to post this. I started a thread awhile back wondering what became of Alec and the thread didn't go too far. I wish Alec nothing but peace, health and happiness.

Miss Daisy, not sure if you know, but a friend of Alec is on this board sometimes (and once even got Alec to post for a short time).
My understanding from what she posted is, that Alec lives a *very* private life at this time and - so it sounds - wants to be left alone.
So I guess ppl here try to respect that (that's why I hesitated to post the interview, but opted, that it was ok, especially since there was so much rumors, speculation and "opinions" around an interview, only very few people seem to have read - esp. the younger fans - or remember what Alec actually said or was quoted as having said. Maybe it'll help get this "Alec betrayed the bands bond" etc. set straight a bit).
If Alec wants to detach himself from that period, that should be respected and some posts here were quite, hmmm, un-nice about him.

Sure, people who still like him, would like to hear from him, but if his life moved on and he wants it that way, that is his choice and he is a human, after all. He has every right to decide.

I'll be happy hearing from people in touch with him, that he is doing ok and hopefully is simply happy and healty, every once in a while.

I saw your thread, but decided not to reply, didn't want to push the thread up and when you look at some older threads about him, you'll maybe see, why.:-).

Chris,
Thank you for your post. I am sorry to hear about your accident, I hope you are doing better.I'm not young, however I didn't really notice the band until "You Want to Make a Memory".I know very little about Alec, but I think you did a wonderful job in setting the record straight by printing the actual article. Your commentary shows caring and concern for him as a human being. I wish him well.

Would be nice to have Alec and friend join us on the forum again.....

MissDaisy wrote:

Chris, thank you for taking the time to post this. I started a thread awhile back wondering what became of Alec and the thread didn't go too far. I wish Alec nothing but peace, health and happiness.

Hi MissDaisy, I also started a thread at the start of this month asking if anyone knew what Alec is doing these days. Only got a few responses too. When Alec was in the band he seemed to me like he was mysterious, he had a certain danger about him. It's a shame he's still not in the band. Hope Alec is doing well.:-)

Thanks Chris for taking the time to translate all of this for us! It's always good to hear/read both sides of the story.

For what its worth... when all is set and done Alec was there for the beginning of it all. The first struggles. When the band was trying to make it. When they were all a gang and they didnt have a pot to piss on. He was there for the most glorious pages of the bands history. I kinda miss him sometimes and to me he will always be a member of the Jovi family. I am sure after so much water under the bridge Jon doesnt hold any grudges either. No matter what has been said by Alec. JMO...

Lynwo wrote:

Thanks Chris for taking the time to translate all of this for us! It's always good to hear/read both sides of the story.

Lynwo, this RAW article is no translation, it's the original text printed in the GB-mag at the time (ok, minus 2,3 typos I found in the transcript in the meantime, but still no editing tool here, so they'll have to remain in the transcript :-).

Haven't posted the translation from a german bassist-mag yet, not sure if ppl. care to read that one. The RAW article is lenthy as is ...

thanks for posting the interview, Chris. I always wondered what he said but i can`t see anything bad about it.
Alec has always been my favourite band member and always will be. I miss him terribly and hope he`s happy and healthy.

I`d really like to read the interview from the bassist-mag.

On Behind the Music, Jon says... " I had him (meaning Alec) over at his house, and I had to do it... Meaning fire Alec... Years later, Jon stated on Larry King Live, that it was still the same band, except that the original bass player had quit the business. Now... I was never a big fan of Alec, but it is not the same band! Go back to a 5 piece live act. Keep Hugh, send Bobby back to where ever the hell he came from. I've seen every Bon Jovi tour in Atlanta, since the beginning and the last great Jovi tour was the One Wild Night leg of the Crush tour. That was as a five piece live act.

Chris wrote:

On Behind the Music, Jon says... " I had him (meaning Alec) over at his house, and I had to do it... Meaning fire Alec... Years later, Jon stated on Larry King Live, that it was still the same band, except that the original bass player had quit the business. Now... I was never a big fan of Alec, but it is not the same band! Go back to a 5 piece live act. Keep Hugh, send Bobby back to where ever the hell he came from. I've seen every Bon Jovi tour in Atlanta, since the beginning and the last great Jovi tour was the One Wild Night leg of the Crush tour. That was as a five piece live act.

Bobby did not start touring with the band until HAND tour. Just curious...if you've seen every Bon Jovi tour in Atlanta then I'm wondering why you made the comment about the show on the OWN tour as being the last great one with a five piece band when Bon Jovi also played Atlanta in Feb 2003 on the Bounce tour with a five piece band. Is there a reason you didn't include it in your statement?

"when I was a kid I played the violin, now I play bass guitar. I get laid a lot more now than when I was playing the violin"......Alec is a legend.

It is just Alec saying he wants different things and it is a bit strange he decides not to do the album because he lost time due to his broiken collarbone. It would be a little like if Richie was saying I can't do the new album because I was in detox. I can understand Jon's decision to move on with Hugh. It was Jon's vision they all followed. If you chose not to follow, it is okay too. But it is not a scandalous interview. he isnt dragging the band down. Rather himself. I am a huey fan. I am a Jovi fan. I hope Alec found what he was looking for. It is a long time ago.

"But when I looked it up, I also found another article, that probably not a lot of people know: Alec gave an interview to german "bass player" magazine.(Of course, a lot of gear talk included, but interesting nevertheless).
I'd have to translate that into english, but if ppl. are willing to live with my poor translation skills, I'll give it a shot."
I was wondering if by any chance you could translate the above article into english? Or scan it and post it up as images?

Absolutely fantastic to read these posts and articles. Have wondered for many years what happened to Alec, he was, to me anyways, a massive part of the Bon Jovi I adored as a teenager and young adult. Stoked to hear he is well and healthy and happy. Lovin it. Thank you. Xox

Alec's bass playing was a joke. A-Call NYC bass players like HM made circles around Alec, JBJ knew this...why have a wasted valve onstage/studio. He's gone. JBJ and the rest of the band have basically open marriages/relationships... the great secret that the wives/GF's don't like to hear. The great rumour this Spring is RS is out, he's obliterated the Dewar's way and it is time for him to move on. JBJ's best move was getting rid of the midget who ran the group down. JBJ is a smart smart MF. Don't kid yourself. When he strikes, it is for the band. Oh, yeah, Alec's fortune has been erased through the years.

Hi Frank. I agree with some of your post. I recently watched JBJ on Oprah's “Master Class” and he said that they basically had to let him go because he just couldn't play anymore. I was surprised to hear Jon say that that Alec pulled a gun on him. The drinking, drugs and women didn't surprise me though. He basically said Alec was a hot mess, but appreciated that he has never wrote a book about what he knows. I was thinking to myself when he said that...“ He might now”. Anyway, I wish Alec well.

I also agree about the open marriage with JBJ, well on his end anyway, I don't know about what his wife is doing. When he turned 50 there was an article online that led me to a People Magazine interview (on People.com ) JBJ did from, I think 2007 or 2008, where he admitted to cheating on his wife. I was kind of surprised this was still going on. I knew he cheated on her when she was his girlfriend and in the beginning their marriage. What bothered me was his smugness, he was almost bragging about it. He said “she knew what she was getting when she married me”. I remember thinking when I read that ...“this comment sounds like it's coming from a twenty something guy, not a grown man in his mid forties.” I also remember thinking...“grow up”. Don't get me wrong.. I luv the guy, but sometimes his ego.. dot dot dot .

There may have been a hint in the People article about a consensual open marriage when Jon said (I'm paraphrasing here, I don't have the article in front of me)“Our marriage works because she gives me my freedom” and he said something else about her letting him do his thing or something along those lines. Like I said, I don't have the article in front of me. I'll see if I can find it again, but I'm sure if you googled it, it will come up or went on people.com . It's no secret that BJ was known for being one of the wildest bands as far as backstage antics go with the ladies...lol. They have admitted it themselves. I have seen interviews with heavy metal bands that have said the BJ boys were the craziest. I can't speak for the rest of the band having open marriages though, I've never heard or read anything, only about Jon. I am curious why you brought up the open marriage. Did someone in a previous post bring it up?

You are also correct in stating when he strikes it's for the band. Everything he does is for the band. He admitted in the People Magazine article that he has missed a lot of time with his kids. I was surprised to read in the article that was talking about his 50th birthday (not the People interview) that Jon does all of the work and keeps most of the money the band makes. I know he does work his ass off!!

I will post the links to both articles when I find them. You can watch part of Jon's Master Class interview (if it's still on there) on Oprah.com . They may show the Alec part of the interview.

tc

yourdaddyiswho wrote:

Hi Frank. I agree with some of your post. I recently watched JBJ on Oprah's “Master Class” and he said that they basically had to let him go because he just couldn't play anymore. I was surprised to hear Jon say that that Alec pulled a gun on him. The drinking, drugs and women didn't surprise me though. He basically said Alec was a hot mess, but appreciated that he has never wrote a book about what he knows. I was thinking to myself when he said that...“ He might now”. Anyway, I wish Alec well.
I also agree about the open marriage with JBJ, well on his end anyway, I don't know about what his wife is doing. When he turned 50 there was an article online that led me to a People Magazine interview (on People.com ) JBJ did from, I think 2007 or 2008, where he admitted to cheating on his wife. I was kind of surprised this was still going on. I knew he cheated on her when she was his girlfriend and in the beginning their marriage. What bothered me was his smugness, he was almost bragging about it. He said “she knew what she was getting when she married me”. I remember thinking when I read that ...“this comment sounds like it's coming from a twenty something guy, not a grown man in his mid forties.” I also remember thinking...“grow up”. Don't get me wrong.. I luv the guy, but sometimes his ego.. dot dot dot .
There may have been a hint in the People article about a consensual open marriage when Jon said (I'm paraphrasing here, I don't have the article in front of me)“Our marriage works because she gives me my freedom” and he said something else about her letting him do his thing or something along those lines. Like I said, I don't have the article in front of me. I'll see if I can find it again, but I'm sure if you googled it, it will come up or went on people.com . It's no secret that BJ was known for being one of the wildest bands as far as backstage antics go with the ladies...lol. They have admitted it themselves. I have seen interviews with heavy metal bands that have said the BJ boys were the craziest. I can't speak for the rest of the band having open marriages though, I've never heard or read anything, only about Jon. I am curious why you brought up the open marriage. Did someone in a previous post bring it up?
You are also correct in stating when he strikes it's for the band. Everything he does is for the band. He admitted in the People Magazine article that he has missed a lot of time with his kids. I was surprised to read in the article that was talking about his 50th birthday (not the People interview) that Jon does all of the work and keeps most of the money the band makes. I know he does work his ass off!!
I will post the links to both articles when I find them. You can watch part of Jon's Master Class interview (if it's still on there) on Oprah.com . They may show the Alec part of the interview.
tc

A book you say? Maybe I should hook up with Alec and write a book. With his stories and my conversations.......lol :)