Jeffrey Harr & Michael Gumm – TNA – Interview Exclusive
Written by Ross Welford
Sunday, 03 July 2011 05:00
After reviewing the great slab of pure ROCK that was the seemingly long lost self-titled album from TNA for you all at Uber Rock, I was intrigued as to how it came to be released so many years after it had been recorded? How an album created in 1988 disappeared for almost a quarter of a century before being rescued by the people at Eonian Records? Read on peeps for the true story of a band you really should be listening to.
Welcome to Uber Rock, TNA bass player Michael Gumm and singer Jeffrey Harr…..
Jeff – Thanks so much for your nice review, and thanks for this opportunity. I’m completely amazed at the interest that this CD has generated – it blows my mind. What a cool thing, after all these years later.
Let’s get straight to it and the reason we’re here…….. the great album that is your band’s self titled,just released CD. How, over twenty years later, did this opportunity arise?
Michael – Eonian Records heard our material on the Myspace page Jeff put together for TNA, and they contacted him on few occasions to get us on the label.
Jeff – The ‘Music MySpace’ thing had just come out, and some friends suggested I create a TNA page. Stephen with Eonian Records came across it and contacted me. As for the twenty years later part – believe me, no one’s more surprised than the band. Better late than never, 
right?
Do you feel that the much advertised “turned down offers” quote that accompanies your promo blurb is justified? What did actually happen and how close were you to getting that big deal?
Jeff – We were signed to a spec deal with Ardent Studios in Memphis, which is where the songs on the CD were recorded. Ardent is a great studio with a lot of history; Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers and tons of other bands were recorded there. Ardent showcased TNA for lots of major and indie labels, and got offers, but because of the way the contract read, if we were signed to a deal, a bunch of people were going to get a slice of the pie. Ardent stood to get a big sales percentage, the publishing, and to recoup the cost of their studio time. Nobody, including the band, was going to make anything unless we got a pretty big offer, so Ardent and the band held out. Of course, in hindsight, that was probably a fuck up.
Michael – Maybe I’m a bad judge of character, but a lot of the A&R reps from that time period that I met displayed a lot of apathy, they wanted something to fall into their laps rather than looking long term at what we could possibly turn in to and develop as recording artists.
I know in my review I said that you sounded like Tora Tora, Tesla and Aerosmith at times; was that a fair reflection of the band’s intentions? Maybe taking a more melodic approach rather than the sex, drugs and RnR cliché that it became?
Michael – As far as creating original material we really were not trying to sound like anyone, I know when people hear our music they can say it sounds little like this or a little like that, but we were really trying to create an identity of our own. If you heard some of the material that wasn’t released, it probably would help give you a bigger and broader view of us as writers. Now as far as being more melodic, Wayne was really starting to come into his own as a guitar player, he was great when he joined the band, but after three years of nonstop road work, it 
really took him into a whole new direction.
Jeff – Same thing with Randi, Kelly and Eric. There are a couple of songs on the CD with other subject matter, but for better or worse, TNA was sex, drugs and rock and roll. Many people will attest – and I’m proud to say- there was no posing with TNA. On and off the stage, we were what we appeared to be. There were so many bullshit bands in the Eighties that had this “Party” image, that would come off stage, take their hair extensions out and go home and drink iced tea. I hate that. I mean, no matter what you are, be honest.
It’s funny, there was a Tora Tora comparison in another review. TNA and Tora were playing in Memphis at the same time in the Eighties and Nineties, and their stuff was recorded at Ardent, too, so there was some friendly competition. I liked the band – Anthony’s a bad-ass singer. It’d be interesting to know what they’d think of the comparisons.
Did you both continue your love of music or was it a case of once bitten, twice shy?
Jeff – Pretty much everybody still plays. Wayne is the guitarist for Saliva. Eric tours constantly. Kelly is a well-respected blues bass player. Randi has been in some great bands and still plays out. I don’t know if you heard, but we lost the best fucking drummer in the world this past April when Eddie died. That was devastating.
Our condolences to the TNA family.
Michael – I played with a number of bands after TNA, and actually did a lot more recording with different musicians at Keva Studios in Memphis over the next couple of years, but it just wasn’t the same, TNA was that big wet dream you wake from and you go “What the fuck just happened, damn I want more.” I still play every day and have some recording gear set up at the house, but as far as playing with other musicians, it’s been a while, the last time I really played with anyone was about four years ago and I couldn’t wait to get back in my car before it was even over with. When you play with great musicians, it’s hard to go back, like a crack head, give me meth or give me death.
Let’s face it, all us lovers of sleaze and glam think that era was the holy grail. Any good ‘Back in the day’ stories you can share?
Michael – What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, I WAS A BAD BOY.
Jeff – Wow. There are a bunch of sleaze stories that I can’t share- not publicly, anyway. But there’s lots of funny stuff, too. In the Eighties, many clubs had band houses instead of providing motel rooms. We played a club in Arkansas once, that had a house trailer next to it for the band. Everybody drank hard, then went to the trailer. The next night, we played a club in Gulfport, Mississippi that had little cabins for the band. The cabins were next to a trailer park. So Mikey, right here, must have gotten confused because he staggered out of the club and walked up into somebody’s trailer. A woman that lived there came down the hall to find Mikey sitting on her couch with Aqua-Net hair, full eye makeup, zebra pants, eating a bowl of her potato salad with his hands. Can you imagine?
On your Myspace page, there is an additional track ‘Can’t Rape The Willing’ – where did this come from and why wasn’t it on your album? Are there more hidden gems lying about we can look forward too?
Michael – As far as there being more TNA material there is enough probably for almost 2 CDs, we were pretty prolific in the short time we wrote and recorded in, it’s just a question of the quality of the recordings; it’s all demo material including our CD that was just released.
Jeff – ‘Can’t Rape The Willing’ was recorded during the first Ardent sessions, and the reason that it’s not on the CD is that I’m a dumbass. I somehow didn’t include it when I sent the songs to Eonian. I did just find a CD last week that has literally every song TNA ever recorded at Ardent, including sixteen songs not on the CD, but they are unproduced two-track board mixes. They can’t be remixed. Some of it is pretty crazy shit, though. Good ‘Bonus Tracks’, maybe?
With bands such as the aforementioned Tora Tora and even the likes of Odin getting back together for various festivals and ‘one off’ gigs, is there any chance that a TNA resurrection could happen??
Michael – It’s not out of the question, but it’s going to be hard to replace Eddie, he was one of a kind. It’s hard for a bass player to find a drummer like that to groove to, but it’s a possibility, everybody has pretty tight schedules right now for the summer.
Jeff – We were in the process of putting together dates for CD release/reunion shows, but when Ed died, we scrapped that. We were all pretty stoked about playing again, Ed included, but I don’t know. His drumming and backup vocals were such a huge part of TNA’s sound. I mean, he’s legendary in Memphis. And infamous! He never got to hear the CD, but he would’ve loved it, and with all of the positive press it’s getting, it sure would be awesome to go out and promote it. I mean, he did co-write the songs. The rest of us are now working on new material that we’re planning on recording and hopefully, releasing, so who knows. If we do play again it will have to be done with honor and respect for Ed. I guess it would depend on the gig.
I’d like to thank both of you for your time and honesty. TNA deserves a slice of that pie which others gorged on for far too long and with a lot less bite than you guys.
Michael – Thanks for the interview Ross, it was a pleasure.
Jeff – Absolutely. Thanks, again