Andy Shernoff – The Dictators/Master Plan : Interview Exclusive
Written by Dom Daley
Saturday, 13 March 2010 08:20
Widely regarded as one of the most influential punk rock bands to ever come out of New York City. When they first exploded on the scene back in 1973, The Dictators were every inch the crazy sons of bitches that you would hope for from your new favourite rock ‘n’ roll band. Producing three classic studio albums in their initial period together, the band finally split at the turn of the next decade, and from the still smouldering ashes bands like Twisted Sister, Shakin’ Street and of course Manowar would all go on to proudly boast ex Dictators within their ranks.
Bass player Andy Shernoff meanwhile turned his musical talents towards the producers chair working with bands such as D Generation, Adrenalin OD, The Waldos, The Smithereens and Joey Ramone to name but a few. With the Dictators also sporadically reforming from time to time over the last decade or so, Andy has kept his writing and performing finely tuned via his Master Plan side project. With this band he has just released a mighty fine album called ‘Maximum Respect’ on Nicotine Records (you can read the review here)
Andy agreed to talk to Uber Rock recently about Master Plan, so we asked our ‘Blood Brother’ Dom Daley, to pick up the phone and talk with Andy about ‘The Next Big Thing’.
Hi Andy, Thanks for talking with us at Uber Rock. Firstly what made you pick up the Bass? How did you come to get the Dictators going?
The Dictators formed when we were teenage buddies, we were all big music fans but didn’t like most of the music we were hearing or seeing so we decided to make our own. I sort of got stuck with the bass as Ross the Boss and Scott Kempner picked guitars first so I was left with either drums or bass and drums seemed like too much work.
What is Handsome Dick like to work with? Has he mellowed over the years? He has always seemed one of those larger than life characters.
He stopped all drugs and alcohol years ago but he’s still a character. But since he’s not a musician and has a limited range as a singer, I had to use a few of my secret magic tricks when I recorded him.
It’s been said that you said, there would be no more Dictators music written because you find it hard to write rock songs. Is this true?
It’s true that there probably won’t be another Dictators record but I still write a lot of rock songs. I had a song on the last Mary Weiss record, the last A-Bones CD as well as a bunch of tunes on the new Master Plan CD. I also perform solo in the US playing my old songs and new tunes. I admit I’m not as prolific as I used to be but life is much more complicated than when I was a teenager. It can be difficult to find the time and concentrate, but I am definitely a better writer today!
It was also said that the band were the missing link between the early 70’s rock of the Stooges, the MC5 and the NY Dolls and the punk explosion in the late 70’s. Is this where you also saw the band fit in?
I would say that is an accurate description. There wasn’t much happening in the early 70’s except for those bands. I was particularly influenced by the second MC5 record, that’s my favorite record by them. When we started in 1973 the NY Dolls were the kings, well maybe the queens of New York. We didn’t look as cool as they did in satin and platform shoes so we wore our off stage gear of jeans, sneakers and leather jackets on stage, long before the Ramones made it a uniform so the missing link is an apt description.
What was the idea behind getting back together to write and record ‘DFFD’? Which in my opinion had two of the best songs the band had ever recorded in ‘Who Will Save Rock N Roll’ and ‘I Am Right’.
The band had always played every few years in New York but by the mid 1990’s we were getting more offers to tour Europe and we needed new songs to keep people interested. I eventually had enough songs for a record and thankfully, there was a demand for one. I appreciate that you call ‘Who Will Save Rock and Roll’ and ‘I Am Right’ two of my best songs, how many bands record their best songs after a 20-year absence???
What did you think of Manowar when you first saw them?
I thought they take themselves too seriously.
Are you serious? Men in bear skin codpieces being serious?? ha ha ha.
So, considering the length of time the band has been around do you think there should have been more albums released?
No, you should make a record when you have something viable to say not to fulfil a contract. Its quality not quantity…. besides I’ve made dozens of records over the years as a producer and as a player with other bands. The Dictators were only one means of expression for me.
Moving on to Wild Kingdom then, Why wasn’t it released as a Dictators album?
There was some pressure to name that band The Dictators but it didn’t feel right without founding member Scott Kempner
You played some shows in Spain a few years ago why no UK dates? Would there be a possibility of any in the future?
Simple, we didn’t get an offer to tour the UK at the time. Personally I’m not a fan of bands that tour without new material and since It’s been 10 years since we released a new record, we would be getting close to the realm of “oldies band”, very dangerous territory in my mind. As a kid I liked The Who and The Beach Boys but in my mind they are jokes now. I prefer to keep my integrity
Onto The Master Plan. How did the album come about? Was it put the band together first with the album deal already decided or what?
We released a Master Plan record about 5 years ago but our guitar player Paul left New York to live on a farm in Virginia so it took a while to finish this one off. We’re real happy with it; it’s a positive, fun record. We recorded it in my home studio whenever we could get together, and then shopped a deal. So it is out now on Nicotine Records in Europe and Steel Cage Records in the US and Australia.
Will there be any more recordings with that line up?
I’d love to record more songs…. those guys are a ball to play with
Do you think it’s easier to record these days with the technology that is available across the globe on computers, or would you prefer to go old school and get together in a studio?
I prefer playing live in the studio onto analogue tape but we never could have finished the new Master Plan record without modern digital technology. I can make a record now for less than the cost of the recording tape in the old days. You gotta do what is necessary to get the job done
You’ve had the privilege of working with some great bands as a musician and as a producer like Joey Ramone and Dick Manitoba, and D Generation to name just a couple, are there any stories that you would talk about from working with these people?
Joey Ramone was the purest artist I’ve ever worked, a true visionary, it was an honour to work with him, he is truly missed. I have a lot of respect for Dee Dee Ramone as an artist also, l thought his life was a complete mess. D Generation had a lot of great qualities but lacked a certain spark to help them break through.
I recently heard The Waldo’s record I did with Walter Lure from The Heartbreakers as it was just re-released on vinyl by ‘Sympathy For The Record Industry’. That’s my kind of rock and roll. I consider it the long lost second Heartbreakers record, it rawks! I also did a record with this Spanish band called Sin City Six that I thought was unacknowledged.
Was there anyone you could have worked with either as a musician or producer that you turned down and have since regretted?
Ha! I needed to make a living so the only work I turned down was the amateurs and incompetents. I do imagine how great it would have been to tour on Joey Ramone’s solo record though.
What about people you’d love to work with, in either capacity?
Wow… I’d love to go back in time and be the bass player in Booker T and the MG’s, backing up all those great Memphis singers or maybe play in the Muscle Shoals rhythm section. If I could produce anybody I would again go back in time and work with one of my heroes, Ray Davies, Brian Wilson or John Lennon. I wouldn’t even say anything; just set up a few mics, let them rip and luxuriate in the sounds!
Were there any gigs from hell whilst performing with the Dictators or incidents that you look back on in amusement and/or horror?
There were many hell-ish gigs particularly before our first record was released in pre-punk rock days. There was the time we opened for Manu Dibango the African jazz saxophonist or the time we lasted 2 nights on a 4 night stint with Rush or the time we drove 1000 miles to open for Nazareth in Canada and they wouldn’t let us play, sending us home with our tail between our legs.
What next for you? More producing? Who are you currently listening to that get you excited that we should know about?
Besides promoting the new Master Plan CD, I am currently touring in the USA with an act I call When Giants Walked The Earth. It’s a musical memoir where I sing my tunes and talk about growing up in New York, the Dictators, touring England in 1977 and tell stories about the amazing people I’ve worked with. I got a call recently about a show from 1977 of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers and I am about to start working on the tapes.
Thanks for taking the time Andy you are a legend of the four string plank and behind the desk twiddling knobs
Take care and once again many thanks guys.
We’d really like to thank Andy for taking the time to talk with us at Uber Rock, and we can highly recommend the all-new Master Plan album ‘Maximum Respect’. And as Dom proudly stated in his original review of said album “It’s rock ‘n’ roll people and it makes me happy to hear it played so well.”
http://www.myspace.com/themasterplannyc
http://www.myspace.com/andyshernoff
Photos of Master Plan courtesy of Anne Streng