By: Paul Autry

Before this interview, which was based around the Heaven & Earth album "Windows To The World," I wasn't too familiar with the history of vocalist Kelly Keeling. I knew him as the vocalist for Baton Rouge because I had that album in my collection. So, I was suprised to find out just how much he has actually done in the music industry. When I finally got him on the phone, it was like talking to an old friend...even though I never met him or spoke with him prior to this interview. I believe that this conversation speaks for itself. With that said, I'm pleased to bring you my conversation with the one and only...Kelly Keeling.

Paul Autry: First of all, I noticed in your e-mail that you were in the studio. Anything that your fans would be interested in knowing about?

Kelly Keeling: Well...a solo album that I'm mixing. A few other studio sessions. Movie soundtracks and stuff like that.

P: It's funny that you should mention a solo album. I was doing a little research for this interview and I read that you don't like the term solo album.

K: Right.

P: Is there a reason behind that?

K: Well...I've never seen too many successful solo albums. There's a lot of people who go off to do solo albums and it doesn't happen without a band. Mick Jaggar, Scott Weiland, Rod Stewart, just some exceptions to the rule.

P: Now, you've played on other artists solo albums...for example, John Norum. Was that a band or a solo project?

K: It was a solo project. The second album, I was invited to be part of the band. But, at the last minute, he wanted to change it.

P: Since some people might remember you from your Baton Rouge days, can you give us your thoughts and opinions on the time you spent with that band? Actually, I was gonna say that you gave us one great record, but, I found out that there was three of them out there.

K: Well, the first one was the best one.

Paul Autry: Yeah, I have that one.

K: We had some promise, things were going really well for us. The record company was overwhelmed, so, they got a new division, East/West. They had Kix, us and Marky Mark and Gerado. So, they really didn't know what to do with rock...Kix was the only other rock band that they had. So, we delivered a record. A lot of people liked it but I think it's really horrible. Since we had done so well on the first one, they discontinued it because it was a different label. So, Atlantic dropped the ball on our first album and they put a lot of albums out there on the second one. It didn't really catch on because we didn't have a radio song and MTV wouldn't play it. A lot of people were involved...the management, the production, the record company...it just took over. The band didn't have much say and it turned into a nightmare. We were on the road for like two years and we were just burnt. It was a hard gig for both of those records. I had joined the band as a guitarist/backround vocalist. When we got management, he knew David Foster and Mike Clink and asked them if they would produce some demos for us. So, I had one song that I was gonna get out of the way. We did my song and the other guy did his songs and they worked on them for like a week. They're both like, if we're gonna work with this band, Kelly's gotta sing. So, when I stepped up to sing, it caused a lot of friction between me and the singer. We traded roles. He ended up having to be the lead guitarist and I was the lead singer and I wasn't really prepared for that...or for him to hate me as much as he did because of it. From then on out, it was all down hill.

P: I knew your name from Baton Rouge. But, when I was online doing my thing, there was a lot more out there than I realized. I mean, you've got Alice Cooper, John Norum and all that. Could you give us a brief run down of what you've done in the past and what you've accomplished?

K: A brief run down? Well, the Baton Rouge record. During the making of the third one, I was in Pittsburg with the bass player. Me and John Sykes had the same accountant and he had heard of me through her. He was looking for a singer for a long time. So, he called me and asked me if I would come out to see if I'd like to join the band. I said, no, I got my own gig, I can't do that. He kept pushing and pushing. So, we painted this picture to Atlantic that things weren't going well, which they weren't, and they dropped us...gladly. I'm glad they did. I got out of that and I got to join Sykes. We did Blue Murder. After two years working with John Kalodner, we finally got the vocals done, finally got the mix and me and Sykes starting fighting. It ended up, he wanted to do the vocals, during the mixdown. He started adding his vocals over mine. So, that was it. Kalodner didn't like it, I didn't like it. So, I left the band. Tony and Carmine had left the band too. We did a few shows and decided to put this thing called "Guitar Zeus" together where we would get all of Carmine's friends and all of Tony's friends and my friends and have them play the guitar solo and we were the band. We did a few of those.

P: There was a lot of talent on those records from what I saw on your web page.

K: Yeah, it came across really good. Really good records. They're about to be released here, we just got the rights back and they'll be released in America on, I think, Koch Records.

P: That's a really good label.

K: Yeah, man. They've come a long way in the past five years. Anyway, there was that, the John Norum thing. We did some touring and that was really good. That happened really well. I'm working with Don Dokken right now. He still wants to do another Dokken record and a solo album. So, were working on what will be an orchestra with Don doing basically ballads and maybe Indian music and stuff like that.

P: That'll be different.

K: Yeah. It's where he needs to go at this point. That old thing is wearing out. He's tired of it and so are the fans.

P: So, Dokken's history then, huh?

K: No. The new record is gonna be the best one. John Norum's gonna be playing guitar. I'm writing and the heavy stuff is really heavy...it's current, you know.

P: What will happen with Reb Beach...he was on the last record.

K: He may do it, he may not. Not sure yet. Oh, there was the Schenker record. I did a record with Michael Schenker and a tour. That was a lot of fun, a lot of enjoyment. I liked the songs, Michael, the band. It was really cool to be out there on the road in front of a good audience.

P: Now, from what I've read about Stuart Smith, the album before "Windows To The World" was basically his solo album if I'm not mistaken. So, what led to the formation of Heaven & Earth as a band and how did you get involved with this project?

K: Well, like I said before, solo albums are just not attractive and he was aware of that too. He saw me at The House Of Blues with Michael Schenker and he was like, "I've gotta have this guy." So, you know, I went on to do my solo bit, which won't be called a solo album when I'm finally done. He called me up and asked if I'd like to be a part of it. I came down and rehearsed and it was magic, it was amazing.

P: Well, it turned out to be a really great record.

K: Live is a whole different story. It has a life of its own. Trying to capture it on a recording is sometimes not the easiest thing in the world.

P: I noticed that you helped co-write pretty much the entire album. So, how was the songwriting handled from ideas to the final product?

K: When I joined the band, there were a lot of songs written already and the music was pretty much done. I came in and put lyrics and melody on the stuff, similar to how the Schenker thing went. I think there was seven songs, something like that. When I came in, we did "Dogs Of War," "Broken Arrow," a few others.

P: If I'm not mistaken, out of the twelve songs there was only one that didn't have your name attached to it.

K: Yeah, "Worlds Apart." That was totally written before I came in.

P: what are some of your favorite songs on the album and, in your opinion, why do they stand out?

K: "Dogs Of War," has a great arrangement. Stuart's wife had written some lyrics that they really wanted to be part of the album and I had written some other stuff for it. It was the last song we recorded and it was like, "What about these lyrics?" They worked. They were better than what I was doing...I had forgotten about them. So, they worked. But, they weren't written for the song, so, the verses were different. So, you're kind of getting half the meaning there. But, the arrangement's great and the band plays great. "Broken Arrow" is a nice one.

P: What about subject matter?

K: Well, "Broken Arrow" is about the American indians. I've got American indian blood and I'm also English and Irish. So, I'm part of the people who came over and took from the indians. So, it's a strange realization knowing that I'm part...both. In a way, it shows that we're all the same.

P: A little bit of the good and a little bit of the bad.

K: Yeah. I feel sorry for them, but, I'm one of them. It's kind of weird.

P: What was the studio experience like for this album and what, if anything, made it different than your past experiences?

K: Well, we all live in a very nice house in the mountains overlooking the canyon. A lot of trees around. There's a beautiful pool, beautiful scenery of the mountains, a lot of animals runnin' around. Studio in the house. We had a producer, Howard Leese and he was very nice to work with, very mellow. It was a very laid back atmosphere. No clock was ticking...I mean it was, but, it was nice, refreshing. Wake up when you wake up and record and go until as late as you feel like going and do it again. Or, if you don't feel well the next day, don't. It was real nice in that way. We were able to do the stuff when we felt well.

P: Speaking of working with people, I noticed you had people like Tony Franklin on the album. There's also Chuck Wright, who was with Quiet Riot. So, how did those people get involved?

K: They did their tracks before I joined and, when I joined, I took over on bass. It says on the album that I play bass on "Broken Arrow," but, I played on a few of the songs. I didn't wanna look like a ham, so, I just put bass on the one song.

P: If you were a writer working for a magazine and this album came across your desk, what would you say about it? How would you review it?

K: It's hard for me to see it from that perspective because I'm so close to it. I know the imperfections. What would I say? It's a new rock record by...it sounds classic, it sounds like classic rock and nobody's really doing that. There's the hammond organ, the vocals are good, the songs are good. There's some Qeen arrangements, like in "Dogs Of War," there's a lot of classical influences. It's smart rock. It's not typical. There's a lot of substance there.

P: Well, my next question was gonna be how would you describe the musical style, but, I think you just answered that one as well.

K: Right...classic rock, a little progressive, pop rock, moody.

P: That's one thing I really liked about this album. When you listen to it, you don't really know what to expect from song to song. Where as, a lot of these bands that are coming out now, they put out an album with ten songs and each song pretty much sounds the same.

K: Right...like, I love that Buck Cherry single. I bought the album and I don't hear much more.

P: The song about the cocaine?

K: No, the new one.

P: I haven't heard that one. I like the one about the cocaine. That's just a really cool song.

K: The new one's just a great song.

P: Will there be more material from this line up...or, I guess a better way to ask that question is, will you be working with Heaven & Earth again in the future?

K: Yes, we're writing now and we're continuing where we left off. We didn't really get to do a complete record together. When I joined, they were looking for a singer and most of the songs were written. You can see my influence in...there was some missing songs and that's where we started and we're continuing in that vein. We have like, four songs written now that we're working on and I'm looking forward to recording them because the record is already a year old and we worked on it six months before that. So, I'm ready to do some new stuff.

P: Can you tell us a little more about the band members? I mean, you have a lot of history behind you and Stuart has a lot of history behind him. Now, the other two guys, well, their names are new to me and, more than likely, they'll be new to a lot of people who will be reading this.

K: You know...I think it's okay to be new. Too much history might hurt you. But, they've done a lot of sessions.

P: Will they also be part of the next Heaven & Earth record?

K: We've got a new keyboard player and a new bass player. We just got them like two days ago. I'm not even sure of their last names right now. Arlen left the band. He's obligated to do another record with someone else. He's under contract. The bass player is Greg Hall and the keyboard player is Claudio.

P: I was looking around on your web page before this interview and I noticed where you said that this album was the best thing that you ever did...or something along those lines. So, out of everything you've done in your career, why do you feel this way?

K: Because I was able to do a correct vocal performance and the mix was okay. I was able to hear the voice and I've always had a drummer mixing the record or a guitar player mixing the record. This time, we did it as a band. We were all here mixing. It was a consistant consensus. Howard Leese, he was with Heart, you know, there's a knowledge that, if you're doing pop and you want to get on the radio and you want people to hear your songs, turn the vocal up. Especially if you've got a good performance and you worked very hard at the performance. These records where I worked with Carmine or John Sykes and John Norum...the Michael Schenker record was a good mix also, but, the performance wasn't as good as this one. So, I'm glad that, finally, I was able to do a good performance that I felt good about and that it was mixed correctly.

P: The other one I noticed that you were proud of was your work with Alice Cooper and, it's funny, I have that album and I was suprised to find out that you were on that one.

K: Yeah, that was a long, long time ago. During the making of the second Baton Rouge record, that happened. We did vocals on it and wrote that song "Snakebite." I don't know how so many names appeared on that song. It was like, me, the guitar player and Jack Ponte. This one may have had a word and that one might have had a note. I don't know how that happened. I mean, it's basically a Baton Rouge song.

P: And you performed "Love's A Loaded Gun," which was also on the "Hey Stoopid" album, with Baton Rouge.

K: Right. That's a Jack Ponte song. The third Baton Rouge record was, see, Jack called me up looking for a singer, asked if I knew anybody that could do this project. He was doing old songs, redone with a new singer. Well, I didn't know anybody, that's why I sang. If I knew somebody, I'd have 'em do it and I'd be playing guitar. I was off for a few weeks so he said, "why don't you come out." I flew out the next day and we did a few tracks. The label was worried that me and Jack were back together, he was the producer for Baton Rouge. They were asking if this was a reunion. They started talking and the price got bigger and, I don't know...Baton Rouge...whatever. So, I really didn't think about it until the end when the mixes were like, horrible. I mean, they were bad.

P: You can tell by your web page that you weren't too fond of that record.

K: I mean, I put a lot of work into that thing. They were gonna replace the drum machine with a drummer and they were gonna spend a good time mixing on it. They spent one day on the whole album, mixing it and they didn't get a drummer. They kept the drum machine. I was just like...forget about it. It was a real bad trip.

P: So I guess it's safe to say that your fans shouldn't expect a Baton Rouge reunion anytime soon.

K: No...no.

P: How do you approach each project that you do. I mean, do you change your vocal style from release to release?

K: Do they sound different to you?

P: Well, to be honest, I've only ever heard the Baton Rouge record and this one.

K: Yeah, it pretty much sounds the same to me. I mean, the Michael Schenker album sounds a lot like the Heaven & Earth album...the vocals. I just kind of do what I do. I write and I sing.

P: How did you get involved in the music business to begin with? I mean, you're known as a vocalist and I know you do a lot of other things. So, what made you decide to be a singer?

K: Well, actually, when Mike Clink and David Foster said weren't not gonna be behind you if you don't sing. They were gonna not work with us. Mike Clink had just done Guns 'N' Roses and they were taking off and David Foster has a billion mult-platinum records and, we were some kids from Louisiana, we came out here and got management and I was like, well, I'd better sing then. In Louisiana, I was in a cover band where I played keyboard and guitar in, backround vocals. Every now and then I would do a song or two or three at the most. That was it. I came out here and did my one song and Mike and Dave said I should be the singer. So, I recorded the demos and then we got a publishing deal. Then, since I was the singer, I just continued to do that. We got the record deal, we did live shows and I was the singer.

P: You've worked with a lot of big names...basically, you've been there, done that. You've seen the changes that music has gone through over the years. From an inside point of view, what are your thoughts on the music scene in general?

K: I'm still a fan of what I've always been a fan of and there's always a band doing that stuff. There's always a band that's pulling it out again...rock 'n' roll...and there always will be. It's not gonna go anywhere.

P: And where do you think Heaven & Earth fits in today's musical, uh...whatever?

K: There's nobody doing it and, whenever Boston shows up, they sell out. Whenever Kansas shows up, they sell out. Whenever AC/DC shows up, they sell out. The Cult, Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, you know what I mean? They do a show, they'd sell out...there's those fans. If Whitesnake would show, they would sell out. It's always rock 'n' roll and it'll always be around. It's not gonna go anywhere and, hopefully, we can be a part of bringing it back because there's always a band that can save it.

P: I guess it's safe to say that you don't consider Heaven & Earth to be, for lack of a better term, an 80's band?

K: No. It's the music that was happening before the 80's and, it's still happening. Zepplin, Queen, Sabbath, The Beatles...there's all that in there and it's never gonna go anywhere.

P: I've gotta tell you something here. In talking with you, you remind me a lot of Rachel Bolan from Skid Row. Other than youself, he's the only other musician that I talked with where it didn't feel like, you know...I'm the writer, you're the musician. You come across as a very down to earth guy and I think that's what rock 'n' roll should be all about.

K: Right on...hey, mention that (laughs). Mention that about me and Rachel because Rachel's very cool..

P: Yeah, I know. I never met him and I talked to him on the phone once when he was doing the Prunella Scales record. I still tell people that's one of the best interviews that I ever did because the conversation sounded like I knew him for years...kind of like this conversation. Go from one subject to the next and it seems so natural. That's the kind of people I really enjoy talking to and, to be honest, I don't see it too often.

K: Yeah, Rachel's got it down.

P: Well, I won't keep you. So, for the people who will be reading this...your final comments to them?

K: There will be a lot more music from me and this band. So, just look out for it and I hope to see you out on the road. Come on out! HEAVEN & EARTH:

http://www.StuartSmith.com

KELLY KEELING: http://www.geocities.com/rocknla/KellyKeelingHome.html

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