“The following interview was done at the good of Prince of Wales Hotel in St. Kilda with Jon Spencer and Russell Simins when the fabulous BLUES EXPLOSION rolled thru our town late last year. Present were myself, my good Buddy Bevan (whose questions, knowledge & fandom carried this interview – as i was pretty much useless) and later on Bruce Milne. These were perhaps the BEST live band shows I have seen in my life so far, with their loose grooves & Punk Rock/Blues spirit shining very loudly indeed. Many thanks to Jon Russell, Judah, and Cristina for their help here RH.
The first JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION album seems to be like a more personal extension of the last PUSSY, GALORE album ‘Historia de la musica rock’. Would that be a fair comment ??
JON: I don’t think so, I think that the first BLUES EXPLOSION record was when we’d first met & we were all excited…just bashing out a lot of crazy songs. I think the last PUSSY GALORE record was stuff that I’d written on my own – like pretty much on my own – like half of it…& when I got Neil and Bob together & rehearsed with them there were a few things that came up with just us playing together a few days before we recorded it and Neil bought in one song…I mean that Historia..’ record was made over about a week y’know – it was done very quickly and most of it was stuff I’d written over 2 or 3 months before getting back together & the first BLUES EXPLOSION record was just like crazy stuff that was just flying around y’know..it came out of a band.
RUSSELL: It was a lot more exciting.
RH: You seem to record really fast, like get in & bang it down!
JON: Yeh, we always record the band live, I mean we’re spending more time in the studio, we still do the basic tracks live cause that’s what we believe in and what works all right, but with this most recent record that’ll come out in September called ‘Orange’, we spent the longest we ever had on a record.
RH: Was this recorded down in Memphis as well?
JON: No-we did it in New York City-a place called Waterworks,a place where we recorded some of ‘Extra Width’- and where we mixed all of ‘Extra Width’.
RH: And you’re doing most of the production on that yourself?
JON: Yeh, with this guy called Jim Waters, the guy that we mixed ‘Extra Width’ with.
RH: The different versions of the first album that are around seem to be a crazy trash urban blues sort of thing and moving on to ‘Extra Width’ which seems to bave more of a 70’s funk soul sort of feel….is there a different direction again with ‘Orange’?
JON: I don’t think it’s as bigger jump,not anything as marked as there was between the first and the second, l think it’s probably just a further refinement of what we were doing with ‘Extra Width’
RH: And what about the cover of the first album, is that some kind of tongue in cheek nod at……….
RUSSELL: Which one?
RH: Well the cover with the make-up!
RUSSELL: No, we used to hang out like that all the time-it’s true life!
RH: Is it any reference to the NEW YORK DOLLS?
RUSSELL: The who?
JON: The New York who?
RH: Ok, we get the picture! what about New York-what’s it like to live there? we all these stories…is it dangerous where you are?
JON: Man I’m scared walking around here!
RUSSELL: Y’know, there’s a lot of fucking people there and a lot of the worst shit that happens-happens there.
JON: There’s also a lot of love too!
RUSSELL: If you know where to go & where to be…..there’s whole neighbourhoods and communities in New York where it’s not dangerous,it’s just that there are parts of New York that really are dangerous! Manhattan’s a pretty safe place,and that’s the place to be if you’re gonna be in New York i think.
RH: And how do you find playing there as opposed to when you’re in other towns? do you get a good home crowd?
JON: It’s hard to tell-it’s been a while since we’ve played NYC & i’d have to say we do better when we play outside of New York, I mean when we first started it was great cause all our friends would come and you’d just have a good time, but after a while it got to a point where it was just too crowded.
RUSSELL: It’s packed now when we play in New York.
JON: It’s hard to tell – like we normally do a NYC show either at the start or the end of a tour – it’s like hey! the tour’s over! – I’m home, y’know you wanna hangout…so yeh it’s hard to answer that.
RUSSELL: I like playing more on the road than in NYC, I’m just tired of New York, I mean now when we play there it’s always packed… It’s kind of exciting…kinda weird……you get all nervous cause it’s your hometown or somethin’
JON: It’s kinda strange cause I think it means a lot to be a band from New York and stuff when you travel around, but as far as playing in New York…it’s like….y’know!
RH: So what sort of place would you play in NY? – like this place holds just under 1200 if you squeeze em’ in!
RUSSELL: Well coming up now we’re gonna be starting to play…like we used to play CBGB’s or MAXWELL’s, which are like small clubs, which was nice, but now we’re apparently gonna start playing places in NY that are this size, and i look forward to that, cause like this place IRVING PLAZA – this place where i used to go and see all my favorite Punk Rock shows when i was like a teenager & to be able to play there and maybe even sell it out is really exciting for me.
RH: I still think you can have a reasonably intimate crowd there if you’ve got 2000 people or 200 y’know-you can still make it seem pretty small if it all comes together.
JON: Yeh I dunno – that a pretty big gap!
RUSSELL: If the place is set up right it’s nice anyway. There is some places though where the stage is this high & you can’t even see the people!…the way the place is set up means a lot – like this place – you’ve got that barrier thing which y’know…I don’t care if people jump on top of me and stuff – I mean it can be a drag when people jump on stage and fuck with you, but the barrier thing, it’s like…..it’d be nice if people were just against the stage like it used to fuckin’ be.
RH: Yeh, it never used to be there – it’s an unfortunate recent addition…there’s like that metre or so behind it and the stage of like ‘no man’s land’ y’know – it’s a shitty thing!
RUSSELL: I mean when I used to go and see THE RAMONES at a place this size you could get right up against the stage y’know….it was nice.
RH: Jon, was going to ask you about the time you spent in the GIBSON BROS and bow long that went on for…..
JON: A couple of year’s maybe….
RH: And whether that’s bad much influence on what you’re doing now?
JON: Yeh yeh, I mean it was a lot of fun, and I think Jeff and Don turned me on to a lot of different kinds of music, I mean y’know not particular artists y’know….a lot of guidance….I s’pose it was about 2 years, but it was very sporadic y’know, at the time the band had pretty much broken up and Jeff lived in Memphis & Don was still in Columbus and we’d get together and tour…we did like 3 tours with them I think!
RH: And Cristina was in there for a while!
JON: Yeh, when that band kinda fell apart, Cristina and I sorta came in and filled-in and played a couple of shows in Memphis and we had a good time with that & then we did some shows around NYC & stuff and Cristina didn’t enjoy it so much & we did 2 more tours with the other guy Rich playing drums.
RH: And do you have any connection with THE BASSHOLES besides knowing them?
JON: We’d played shows with them, I mean I’ve played with both Don and Rich, but never as the BASSHOLES.
RUSSELL: I think it’s gonna end up probably being just Don all by himself.
RH: Yeb it pretty much seems to be his project…
JON: Rich is actually the guy that plays everything!
RUSSELL: Yeh man – don’t believe what you hear – Rich is the guy that carries that band……
RH: Can you tell us anything about the ‘Reverse willie Horton’ album, was that a thing that wasn’t really authorized when it came out? – it was some recordings you did with Kramer in New York?
JON: Yeh I mean there’s like 3 or 4 different versions of that first record, there’s that, there’s the Crypt one, there’s Caroline, there’s the Japanese one…..all sort of the same thing….that’s the entire session with Kramer I think – from start to finish.
RH: And it was the people from ‘Siltbreeze’ that just went ahead and put it out?
JON: Yeh….I think they were a little out of line with that one.
(Re: the four different first session breakdown releases): It was a drag yeh-a pretty stupid move and I’m a little worried now that Au-go-go’s doing Extra Width’, that people might be a little upset, like that there’s ‘Mo’ Width’ and now Extra Width – as they sorta share some of the same things….like the two songs…..
RH: I was going to ask you about the writing and construction of your material, like do you get most of the music together first?
JON: No..most of it comes from us playing together.
RH: So you’d have most things worked out before you’d go into the studio to record?
JON: Oh yeh, we know what we’re doing but there are some things which change but for the most part the songs are written, it’s not improvised material, like a lot of the more fucked up experiments-that’s what’s on Mo’ Width’.
RH: You obviously all get a kick out of what you do, is it great to be playing such a stripped down version of Rock’n’Roll minus the clutter?
RUSSELL: Just keep it fuckin’ simple man – simple….you don’t need a lot of shit, you just play Rock’n’Roll.
RH: Yeh, it’s like – say with PUSSY GALORE – it was almost like an attitude where it’s not music that everyday people would relate to real easy..not ‘Anti-Music’, but not accessible…whereas what you’re doing now is a lot more together, a lot lighter and raw & hard.
RUSSELL: Cause we’re a fuckin’ better band!
JON: Because it’s a better band. I still can’t play…..i’m still as shitty as ever!
RH: HEY – You can play!!
JON: It’s a better band, it’s more natural.
RUSSELL: This is the stuff we like,It’s in our heads and we play it y’know – like our next album might be some free jazz record or something y’know! Free jazz meets Rockabilly meets…..y’know.
RH: Hey it’s great to see someone bit on their kit so hard y’knowl – just pounding that thing into the ground…..it’s a beautiful thing!
RUSSELL: Hey Thanks!
RH: To finish, can you give us a quick rundown on the Theremin and how you play it?
JON: You just sit there and wave your hand around. It’s from the 50’s or early 60’s and was built by the Moog company before they made the Moog synthesizer they made Theremins.
RUSSELL: It’s a trick man, if you look closely when he’s playing…watch Judah….he’s miked man!
RH: Like Chris Spedding…with the pipe coming up next to his mic!
RUSSELL: Yeh Judah’s got it in his mouth….in his gum!”
“When the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion blitzed through our town late in 1994, along for the ride was Jon’s wife Cristina Martinez – who has been at the helm of Boss Hog with Jon and a few other members since their inception in the late 80’s. Being the fanzine hounds that we are, myself and mega Boss Hog fan & buddy Bevan managed to conduct the below interview in the front bar of the Punters Club Hotel, on the site when the Blues Explosion would totally lift the roof off the place, with their very memorable & wild gig with Kim Salmon and the Surrealists and the Dirty Three in tow. Cristina was more than happy to chat with us, and although a tad dated, this just so happens to coincide with their hot new Geffen released self-titled LP, which we urge you to track down at all costs !!! We begin with Cristina giving us a short overview of the band………
BOSS HOG started in about 1989 and it was after I was kicked out of PUSSY GALORE, I used to be in Pussy Galore with Jon & he kicked me out cause I was a rebel and so I started my own band where it could be on my own terms….y’know..I like Jon a lot….that’s why I married him, so I like being with him and I
also appreciate him as a musician so I wanted him in my band…..and we started out as an ‘all star’ band with just a bunch of friends who were in other bands, and only recently has it become a solidified band. The only member currently in another band is Jon…..the current line-up is HOLLIS QUEENS – she’s a woman…she’s a drummer…..& JENS JURGENSEN….he is the bass player & Jon and I…Jens was in LOUDSPEAKER, but both Jens and Hollis haven’t been in other bands besides Loudspeaker.
RH: So they both played on the ‘Girl Positive’ ep? CRISTINA: Yes…the line-up of the ‘Girl Positive’ ep is the current line-up and I’m very happy about it because it took a long time to get to the point of where it was a band, before it was just like a project and I was the only member really driving the whole thing & right now I feel like all of us are equal parts of a very great band…I’m very happy with the current line-up!
RH: So how often do you get to play out in New York and around then?
CRISTINA: Well the only thing that keeps us from playing constantly is that Jon is in the BLUES EXPLOSION so we try and divide the time between the two bands, so when the Blues Explosion is touring and recording that’s when BOSS HOG is functioning. Right before we came to Australia we went on a week tour to work out our new material cause we’re gonna record a record and we’re in the process of writing & recording.
RH: Where abouts did you tour?
CRISTINA: We toured the Eastcoast of the united states for a week…it was very brief, it was very fun & really great, we’re just working on our new material. So this was supposed to be a BOSS HOG recording month, but then Jon was offered the BECK tour so I said it was ok for him to go on the Beck tour as long as I get to go & that’s why I’m here!
RH: So what do you think of it down here so far then?
CRISTINA: I love Australia! It’s really great..we were thinking that this is ranking right up there on foreign countries because y’know…here everyone’s very nice & the language is basically the same.
RH: A bit cold though!
CRISTINA: Oh no..it’s mid summer over there so it’s very hot and humid in NYC so this is my favorite kind of weather, so I really like it….and everyone has really cool cars down here!….but the only thing is – you drive on the wrong side of the street !… But not only that – people walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk too!
RH: I was gonna ask you about the photograph that appears on the back of the ‘Action Box’ double 7″
CRISTINA: Wow!-no-one’s ever asked me about that!
RH: Was that taken out of one of the ‘Dark Bros’ movies?
CRISTINA: No…it’s a photo of me!
RH: Yeh? – doing what exactly?…..there’s a lot of kinda black muck in there or something!
CRISTINA: Um…I’m not sure if I should tell you!
RH: It’s ok if you don’t want to!
CRISTINA: I think it’s good that people can’t really………it’s a very small fragment of a big picture of me and um….if you think about it……you’ll figure it out!
RH: We’ll leave that one to our readers imagination! ….And maybe on a slightly more serious note I was gonna ask you if you knew Charlie Ondras really well and what the story was there, like I’ve been a really big fan of the UNSANE for years…buying their singles….& it wasn’t until I bought the CD collection of the singles that it had his obituary dates in it…….
CRISTINA: Yes… Charlie was in BOSS HOG, and he was one of the original members with Jon and I and he was probably our best friend…so um I knew him very well and he died…it was very devastating and took us a long time to get over it & it was unfortunate…y’know I was very angry over it for awhile and now y’know…it was just another stupid drug overdose…….your initial reaction is to be like angry and then it was more like I was angry at the person he was with, and then I was angry at him, cause y’know…I thought he was a smart guy, I thought he was better than that and I just think it’s a stupid way to die and I hate drugs and I don’t think people should die that way…
RH: I was gonna ask you about the lyrics in the song ‘Black Throat’ and ask if you had any hand in writing them?
CRISTINA: No – that’s a cover – the Dark Bros have a movie called ‘Black Throat’ – and I’m a big fan of pornography, I’m not so much anymore, but I was there for a couple of years, I watched a lot of pornography….and we had this trailer of this song and we just loved it cause it was such a stupid song and we had nothing to do with such brilliant lyricism. But that’s a very cool song cause everyone took one chorus in that, I sang in one, Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Bewitched, Chrome Cranks etc..) sang a chorus, Foetus – from Melbourne – Jim Thirlwell sang a chorus…y’know when I came here I asked him – like he’s a very good friend of mine & he’s one of the only people I know who’s from Melbourne and I asked him what to do here and he’s like ‘I hate Melbourne!’….he’s totally down on Melbourne!…Anyway he sang a chorus and Charlie Ondras sang a chorus.
RH: We just wondered if there was any tie-in to that song and the Black Throat track the CHEMICAL PEOPLE did. Like it’s not the same song, but the same approach and topic & I used to have a T-Shirt of theirs and it said ‘Chemical People’ – Dark Bros… ‘Purveyors of fine filth’ !!
CRISTINA: Yeh, we were always hoping to hook up with those guys, but the best we ever got was Jon and I were both in the GIBSON BROS for a while, but I dropped out cause I got bored, but Jon went on another tour with them and when they in L.A. – that guy – the black guy who’s in all those Dark Bros movies whose name escapes me right now – he got up on stage with them and sang a song, but we never got to meet the Dark Bros. But they’re some fine porno movies, they’re totally UN-PC y’know-they’re really offensive…really great.
RH: With your association with FOETUS, it seems to have a musical influence on the first track ‘Ruby’ on the ‘Girl Positive’ ep!
CRISTINA: No – but it’s funny you say that, cause he puts out compilation CD’s of bands and he asked me for that track cause he really liked that track, so that’s the only similarities that I can see…. …..it’s very well produced…very over the top – we spent a lot of time mixing that and getting a very sharp sound to it and that’s his style y’know.
RH: Yeh it’s a very impressive track, maybe like the brass or the Jazz side of it sort of reminded me of some of the work he’s done!
CRISTINA: Thank you! – I’m very proud of that track.
RH: So tell us what you get up to in New York in late 94′ – what happens over there for you?
CRISTINA: Well I would say this is the best year for me ever because I finally got to the point where I could quit my job, so NY becomes a hell of a lot better when you don’t have to work there!
RH: And what were you doing previous to that?
CRISTINA: I worked in publishing…for magazines…I did desktop publishing.
RH: Wasn’t it for a glamour magazine?
CRISTINA: I worked for ‘Allure’…I used to work for ‘Rolling Stone’.
RH: What did you do for Rolling Stone?
CRISTINA: Same thing…I was the manager of the computers, so I did desktop publishing – making all the pages camera ready on the Mac. It was very satisfying, it’s like instant gratification, it’s like a monthly, so you see what you’ve done straight away…music takes a lot longer, but it’s more gratifying because it’s actually my product…..when I worked for those magazines I had nothing to do with the editorial content.
RH: So you’re no longer with ‘Allure’…so what do you do with your days?
CRISTINA: Well I just quit before I came down here, so I had one day when I ordinarily would of worked and I went crazy that day…it’s like…what do I do now ?….I did a lot of laundry!!…I think I’ve just got to spend a lot more time doing the band.
RH: Can you tell us a bit about the new recordings you’ve done?
CRISTINA: After the week tour we just did we went in and recorded some basic tracks for our new songs – we have about 12 new songs and I don’t think we’re very happy with the recording – cause they were 8 track and I think we were all really tired after the tour, and I had to go into hospital at the end of the tour – so I’m not feeling too well, but we’re in the process of working out the quirks and listening to the tapes and writing lyrics, hopefully by the middle of next year we’ll have a new LP out…we’ll be doing a tour to support it & we’d love to come to Australia !!”
