Kerrang interview with Chris October 1997 

Kerrang! magazine, Oct. 25th 1997
Posted by Steve Witty

STRANGE TIMES FOR THE BLACK CROWES' CHRIS ROBINSON:HE'S SACKED HIS BEST
FRIEND,STOPPED PUNCHING HIS BROTHER,AND REALISED WHY SO FEW PEOPLE LIKED
HIS LAST TWO ALBUMS.HAPPILY,HE IS NOW READY TO ROCK AGAIN..

Wait until Billy Corgan hears the news.

The Black Crowes have sacked guitarist Marc Ford. Drugs could have played
a part in his departure,and this is just a year after Crowes singer
Chris Robinson slammed Corgan for kicking drummer Jimmy Chamberlin out of
The Smashing Pumpkins,after herion shared with Chamberlin killed keyboard
player Jonathan Mevoin.

Robinson branded Corgan "the most corporate man in America" for firing
Chamberlin. Defending his decision,Corgan told Kerrang!:

"Obviously,with him (Robinson) being pro-drug,i guess we're just not cool
enough.I don't think our dismissal of Jimmy is a decision that anybody can
judge.How good is Chris Robinson going to feel when one day Jimmy is found
dead?Chris Robinson can go to F**king hell!"

Chris Robinson considers Corgan's comments as he sits in a plastic chair by
the pool at the Sunset Marquis hotel in Los Angeles. It is noon on a hot
day, and Chris prefers to sit in the shade. He is barefoot,wearing a T-shirt
and flared jeans,and sipping cold green tea.

He seems mellower these days, as if the trouble with Marc Ford has taken
something out of him, perhaps even sapped his cofidence. Maybe turning 30 has
affected Chris,too. Whatever the reasons,he is a conciliatory mood.

"I can't speak about The Smashing Pumpkins cos i'm not in The Smashing
Pumpkins,"he shrugs. "My thing about them is that I suspect their decision
was financially motivated rather than really caring for the guy,but I'm
sure Billy Corgan would disagree with me.

"We've always been very vocal about our drug use;we've never hidden it.
But to be honest, I've never had a herion habit, so i don't understand
how deep and heavy that sickness is."

So why exactly is Marc Ford out of The Black Crowes?

"It was something we had to do. Marc is a f**king talented guitar player,
but his playing became so erratic. I can't understand what he was thinking
and doing. There were some really bad gigs."

"To us, the reason for the split is musical differences. Whatever caused
those differences, that's Mark's personal vibe that he has to get together"

"I don't think this is the best thing that anybody has ever done for
him. Cruel or not,the band is the most important thing. And he wasn't
cutting it - which sucks to say, cos he's a lovely guy. He was my best
friend. It wasn't like we ever had anyone in the band who was a hired dude."

"If drugs are the reason that he was playing erratically, then that's all
they are. The drugs aren't the reason that we got rid of him. We got rid of
him because he was playing erratically. I couldn't count on him. And that
sucks,trust me. When we're playing 'Thorn In My Pride',that guy's on 'Under
A Mountain'.Like,'Hey,man - we're in G!You're in B flat!'.

"I just hope Marc gets it together. I don't know what's gonna happen with
him. I heard he was gonna start a new band."

"It hurts our feelings,too. Marc was working in a record store when I called
him to join us on 'The Southern Harmony..' (the Crowes'second album,from
1991). I think some of the other guys in the band feel a little let down by
him, but this decision really re-affirms how strong our commitment to this
band is."

To further emphasise this point, Chris reveals that he is soon to return to
the band's hometown of Atlanta after four years living in LA. A move
welcomed by his younger brother Rich, the Crowes' rhythm guitarist.
Chris and Rich have always fought and slagged each other off in the press.
Rich indoubtedly resented his brother's LA rock star lifestyle. But now the
pair are closer than they've ever been.

"Man,check this out,"Chris cackles. "When i went to Atlanta to work on some
new songs in the summer, I stayed with Rich - at his house! It's unbelievable!
he first day we're sitting there with his baby and his wife, and we're having
a little barbecue outside and i'm like,'Hey,man - i'm staying at your house!'.

"Y'know,because Rich and I get along so well now, it makes me wonder just
how miserable it was when me and him were just trying to beat the hell out
of each other. The physical abuse and just the nasty things we said to each
other - it makes me cringe. But we could always get onstage and that shit
would go away with the energy and the power of the band."

"He's my brother and he's gone from being someone I love to being someone
that I really like. He's not just my brother any more, he's my best
friend. We've never had that relationship. It's great. I even get to
play with my nephew and see him growing up."

"When Rich and I wrote this one new song, 'Only A Fool', we just fell about
laughing. It's so easy and fun,and it felt so good."

Chris describes the new music The Black Crowes are writing as "definitely
more rock 'n' roll and less psychedelic. Well," he smirks,"I didn't take any
acid doing these sessions!"

He likens the songs to the more direct and hard-hitting rock of the band's
first two albums, 'Shake Your MoneyMaker' and 'The Southern Harmony...'.

"I really love the last two records ('Amorica' and 'Three Snakes & One
Charm')," he notes, "but to me personally, they're very selfish. We were
making records just for us, which is fine; but i think these songs that we're
working on now are for people. Which reminds me more of where we were on the
first two records."

"That's what music is for - sharing. I think the new record's gonna be
rockin'. Hopefully, we'll be finished by February. I thought a good title
for it would be 'Music To Get Your Shit Together By."

Chris Robinson leans back in his chair and laughs. His band have lost a fine
guitar player - and a good friend - but such is the healing power of good
music,he's already starting to feel stong again.