Interviews
Versierschijf Volume 1 12" Vinyl
1974, Scandecor
Versierschijf is an intriguing unofficial Dutch 12" vinyl release featuring a biography on Side A and a post Alice Cooper Group break-up interview with Alice only on Side B.
What makes this release special is the exquisite artwork, comprising an image of Alice's face alongside a snake and bunny rabbit(!) on both the front of the sleeve and the oversize vinyl labels. In fact, such is the beauty of this package, it was seen by the manufacturer as a piece of art as much as a meaningful audio release (after all, Versierschijf means 'decoration disc' in English). This is evidenced by the fact that copies also came provided with a large fold-out poster containing the same artwork and also because some copies came with a prefabricated hole punched into the top of the disc (see image below), enabling it to be attached to your ceiling like a hanging mobile. My copy sadly does not still have the poster and also does not feature the hole in the disc.
Because the disc features such large labels the audio content is much shorter than you might expect, with both Sides A and B coming in at less than 5 minutes each. The biography on Side A is also entirely in Dutch, so there is little value in the material unless you are fluent in that language (it appears to cover the history of the Alice Cooper Group up to and including Billion Dollar Babies though). The interview on Side B obviously has Alice talking in English and hears him speaking about the purpose of Alice Cooper and his approach to writing lyrics.
On the back of the sleeve is promotional material for Alice Cooper Group albums and what appears to be more biographical information in Dutch.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Dennis C. Benson The Rock Generation
1976, Abingdon, ISBN 0-687-36531-7
This publication by religious philanthropist Dennis C. Benson features a fascinating insight into the 1970's music industry which was intended to "investigate this multibillion dollar business/fantasy/life-style if we are to help our young people deal with the powerful influences it exerts on our lives".
Included in the 80 pages are thoughts on an interview held with Alice during the Billion Dollar Babies tour which is made available (along with interviews with other artists of the time) on two 8" flexi-discs.
The ever charismatic, and somewhat inebriated, Alice is in interesting form as he answers Benson's questions in front of a highly enthusiastic small group of (unknown) people.
I've provided a transcript below of the interview:
God’s Sense of Humor
If God is looking down at our concert and watching us, which he is if he’s supposed to be all knowing, he’d probably think that we were very funny. I’m sure that God has a very good sense of humour. He must have the ultimate sense of humour. And so I would imagine he’s looking down and say wow that’s a pretty funny bit you did just there, or he would say hey that was alright. Because I don’t picture God with a deep voice, I don’t think that’s true at all. God has got to be a concept.
Stage Character
I have a real fun image, I don’t really try to wipe anybody out. I get really annoyed sometimes and when I’m onstage Alice is just really a treacherous person. I can look around and laugh if I see something funny and start laughing and the next segment if anyone gets on stage I’ll kill them. And that’s just what Alice is it’s just a study in confusion, a study in opposites.
I love to go from one emotion to the other one just like that. That’s what really makes good theatre because you’ll be sitting there laughing and all of a sudden you’ll turn around a look at somebody. And it’s like pouring cold water on something boiling hot. It cracks! This person isn’t sure at first if they really mean it and they take like five double takes as it's too fast for them to take, the change in emotions. Especially when I point at them and really mean it.
When you can control emotions that fast you get them really secure and that you’re laughing and the next second you’re down like this and they’re like I’m just going to go. It’s a shock almost, it hits them like a fist the fact that all of a sudden this person is psychopathic and so black and white that you can never trust them, you can never really trust Alice on stage.
And that’s the thing, that’s the only thing original about my acting on stage is the idea of being that fast on the emotions. It’s something I don’t really think I’ve seen anyone else do so it’s an original product of mine. Yes that’s something that really belongs to me and I’ve really worked on it for the past three years to the point of where I can really make somebody crack.
If I find a person that I see is really here sort of on the edge anyway, on drugs or something, I’ll really make them feel secure and all of a sudden I’ll go and melt them. And then you can do Bela Lugosi and say come here and they’re hypnotized because they do not trust and you have so much power over them. At that point you have so much power over them, they’re mesmerised.
The Good Life
I don’t live there (Connecticut) anymore. There's like tress and things around you have to look at and every morning and wake up and see all these trees. I’d rather wake up and see a building, a grey building, I really would. My penthouse opens out onto a brick wall and I go ha-ha, hey. It’s true, it’s just ugly and I love it, I just love it.
There's so much action around my penthouse. On my block I have the Arab embassy, the Chinese embassy, McDonalds and the Russian embassy and the 67th precinct on one block. So you can imagine when I walk outside the action going on. There’s bombs going off, the Chinese are throwing bombs at the Arabs, the Arabs are shooting at the Russians and the 67th precinct are being bribed, McDonalds are being bribed. Really that’s true, my block is really a kick, they’re tearing a building down here and they’re building one here and it’s like this, it’s just disintegrating, this one’s going up and then the next week this one’s going down and they’re building another one.
I’m living right in the middle of the biggest culture crisis in the world. I sit up there looking down drinking beer thinking I hope I Spy is on tonight or something like that. Everyone else is getting killed down there and then I go on stage and get killed on stage. So in the long run it’s all crazy, it doesn’t make any sense, because I’m making millions doing it and I can’t spend it because I never have a day off. That’s true, I have all this money and I can’t spend it. My biggest kick of the tour is paying for these boots and I didn’t get to do it, I paid him to do it. It’s true, when you add all those things up together they don’t make any sense.
I’m walking in some sort of twilight zone. What I just said in the last five minutes really is more important than anything I’ve ever said because I don’t live in any sort of reality.
Organized Religion
I really don’t like organized religion and it doesn’t scare me, but I don’t like it. Anybody that’s got 93 billion dollars, there’s a business going on and I can’t imagine people thinking that that’s Godly. I think it’s clever, I think whoever came up the idea was extremely clever. But I believe in a deity myself but that’s more personal even than sex.
To my idea of God is my idea and nobody else probably shares my idea. But I don’t have to go to church to reassure myself. You go to church and somebody’s making a lot of money from you for going there. I think it’s a great racket I just don’t think it’s very honest. Like I said before that’s more personal than even sex so I don’t even talk about it.
It’s a type of thing where I have no idea. I know that there is something there, there is a life force, but I don’t know what it is and the reason why I don’t talk about it is that I only talk things I know about.
Fear of Death
When you’re born you start dying, that’s an old thing but it’s true. You start dying it just depends on how you develop your death. I’m dying slowly by drinking so much. I don’t do drugs but people who do drugs I don’t put them down, that’s their choice. If they want to do drugs, let them do drugs. It’s really not my responsibility how they knock themselves off. But as far as I’m concerned I just don’t care for it.
People are always trying to get away from the moment of their death so they stay as far away from it as they can, so they so they try to become more young. That’s normal, there’s nothing abnormal about that. When I get to be 40 I’ll try to be young. I’m scared to death of it, scared to death of it.
A human being is always afraid of something they don’t know about. So nobody knows anything about death. I don’t care what anybody says, any psychologist, any doctor, anything like that. When you die, nobody knows what happens when you’re dead, so everybody’s afraid of death.
We are an exponent of it, we just exploit it on stage. It’s the only thing I’m afraid of really. I just confessed the fact that I’m scared to death of all this thing. At the same time, if I can do it as an actor, and if I can do it as a singer and a lyricist by entertaining the audience then everything’s perfectly legitimate about it. I’m like laughing at it, making satire out of the death thing.
It is well worth picking a copy of this up to hear one of the earlier recorded interviews with Alice.
Benson passed away in 2021 aged 85.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Snakes And Dead Babies CD
1991, Baktabak, CBAK 4037
This unofficial European CD comes in a jewel case and features an excellent, if slightly rough sounding, 32 minute interview. No details (e.g. location, date or interviewer) are provided, however, it was clearly recorded in England during the Constrictor era. Furthermore, Alice reveals his age as 38 so it must have been recorded in 1986 or early 1987. There is no booklet included with this CD, just a single-sided paper inlay.
The interviewer is suitably creepy sounding and asks some very pertinent questions, which Alice seems really engaged with.
The subjects discussed include:
> The reasons why Alice took a break prior to the Constrictor comeback;
> His thoughts on playing Alice after his comeback;
> The transformation into Alice before a show (including pre-show rituals);
> What Alice got up to during his break from music;
> The impact of alcohol on his life;
> Splatter movies;
> Attempts to censor rock and roll;
> Future career in the movies;
> Rock and roll demographics;
> Touring v recording;
> Social impact of his music;
> The Nightmare Returns Tour; and
> School's Out.
The interview is notable due to the rare use by Alice of a swear word. It's also interesting to hear him say that, at just 38, he has "some years left in rock and roll" (very true indeed Alice!).
Discogs Link: Click Here
Limited Edition Interview Picture Disc 12" Vinyl
1986 (Approx), Baktabak, BAK 2059
This unofficial European 12" picture vinyl features a generic card sleeve and features the same interview as the Snakes And Dead Babies CD (above).
On Side A is a picture of Alice with a Jason Voorhees hockey mask and on Side B is a picture of Alice, with snake around neck and full make-up, laughing. On the back of the sleeve are details of all the other interviews with other artists released in the series by Baktabak.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Press Conference 1987 CD
1987, ALICE 10 CD
This unofficial European CD (one of 1,000 produced) comes in a slimline jewel case and contains rough audio from a press conference held at the Grand Hotel, Sweden in 1987. There is about 20 minutes of footage here with Alice talking about the following:
> The influence (or lack of it) of the stage show on people in real life;
> Song content on The Nightmare Returns tour;
> The harder sound of classic Alice Cooper songs played on the tour;
> The influence of splatter movies on his work;
> His recently overcome addiction to alcohol;
> Disco music in the charts;
> His physical condition;
> The upcoming final show (in Reading) of The Nightmare Returns show;
> The weighting towards music (75%) over theatrics (25%);
> Alice as an alternate personality;
> Attempts to censor rock and roll; and
> Leaving Alice on stage after a show.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Press Conference 1987 10" Vinyl
1987, ALICE 10
This unofficial European 10" vinyl version of the Press Conference 1987 is again limited to 1,000 copies and features an opaque red disc. The material provided is exactly the same as the CD version (above).
Discogs Link: Click Here
Press Conference 1987 12" Vinyl
1987, Alice 12
This unofficial European 12" vinyl version of the Press Conference 1987 is limited to 500 copies, features a translucent red disc and single-sided 'Alice Cooper' card cover. The material provided is the same as the above versions.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Press Conference 1987 12" Vinyl
1987, Alice 12
This further unofficial European 12" vinyl version of the Press Conference 1987 is understood to be limited to 100 copies, features a very cool translucent green snakeskin disc and single-sided 'Alice Cooper' card cover. The material provided is the same as the above versions.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Press Conference 1987 10" Vinyl
1987
This unofficial European 10" picture vinyl is from the same 1987 Press Conference from Sweden as the above releases. This version, however, features about 10 minutes more audio of Alice talking about the following:
> His relationship with Frank Zappa;
> Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Arthur Brown;
> What he would be doing if he wasn't a rock star;
> The potential continued existence of Alice over many generations;
> The rumour that his birthday was on Christmas Day 1943 or 1945;
> If he'll still be performing in 15 years' time;
> His belief that his current band can run rings around the original band; and
> Prince Of Darkness and the single release of Freedom.
Discogs Link: Click Here
The Conversation Disc Series CD
1987, ABCD, ABCD 025
This unofficial European CD (one of 2,500 produced) comes in a jewel case and contains a series of rough audio extracts from around the same time as the above interview CD / LP (e.g. just before the Reading Festival). There is about 40 minutes of footage with Alice talking about the following:
> Influences on the songs Gail and Roses On White Lace;
> The heavier sound of Raise Your Fist And Yell compared to Constrictor;
> The song Prince Of Darkness and his / Kane Roberts' roles in the film of the same name;
> The end of the The Nightmare Returns tour and beginning of The Raise Your Fist And Yell tour;
> Attempts to censor the shows;
> The snake walking map of Ottawa;
> Influences on the song Freedom;
> Madonna;
> Dealing with addictions;
> His love of hot-rod cars;
> Playing Alice after alcohol:
> Transforming into Alice;
> People's perceptions of Alice;
> Captain Hook, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers;
> Special effects and stage props on The Nightmare Returns tour; and
> Skydiving and fairground rides.
A very simple paper inlay is provided, inside this features the cover photo in black and white plus some information on how to look after your CD!
Discogs Link: Click Here
The Chris Tetley Interviews, Alice Cooper Vinyl
1988, Fotodisc, CT 1015
This unofficial European 12" picture vinyl includes 30 minutes of extracts from interviews held between Chris Tetley and Alice in the 1980's. Chris Tetley was best known as a DJ on the infamous Radio Caroline, he also worked for many years on local radio and died in 2005, aged 62.
Although the images on both sides of the vinyl are from The Nightmare Returns tour, the interviews included took place in Manchester in 1982 and 1986. It therefore contains some rare topics of conversation, rather than some of the more generic items that we've heard over the years.
Another notable (and not very good) aspect of this release is that the conversations appear to have been artificially sped-up. This is presumably so they could fit all the material onto the disc but results in them both sounding rather like chipmunks. I have to admit though, that I initially thought it was just how Alice sounded during his, ahem, experimental period in the early 80's.
The disc contains the following:
> Very brief biography of Alice Cooper;
1982 Interview
> Alice's continued relationship with kids;
> Similarities between Manchester and Detroit;
> Angel the snake;
> Alice the stage persona and Alice the off-stage persona;
> How rock fails to look good on TV; and
> The song Dead Babies.
1986 Interview
> Alice again compares Manchester to Detroit;
> Chris Tetley's feedback on the previous nights' concert;
> Chuck Berry;
> How Alice comes across better live than on record;
> The stage set-up of The Nightmare Returns tour (Alice's home);
> Alice's love for babies, but hatred for dolls;
> Sheryl and her replacement on-stage dancer (Sly);
> How Calico (5) and Dashiel (1-and-a-half) view their dad when he's on TV;
> The death of Angel the snake and her replacement 'Mistress';
> Alice's special permanent UK snake pass;
> Alice's relationship with Bob Ezrin;
> Michael Wagner's work on Constrictor;
> The next album;
> The Dada album (which Tetley describes as "amazing");
> Ronald Reagan and other American presidents;
> Alice's relationship with Dee Snider and Be Chrool To Your Scuel;
> The negative impact of video on rock music;
> The video Alice in Paris;
> The current touring band line-up; and
> The remaining legs of the current tour and being banned in Russia.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Alice Cooper On Compact Disc
1988, C.I.D. Productions, CID015
This rare UK interview CD is understood to be limited to 2,000 copies and includes an impressive 12" picture box that features an image of Alice from the Killer era with Kachina the snake. Also provided is a red A4 paper sheet containing a UK Alice Cooper discography up to 1987.
Although released in 1988, the 20-minute interview was actually recorded around the Billion Dollar Babies era (i.e. 1973) and features an un-named Dutch interviewer speaking candidly to a seemingly inebriated Alice about:
> Who and what is Alice Cooper?;
> What’s more important to Alice Cooper, the person or the Group?;
> There’s the show of Alice Cooper and the music of Alice Cooper, what’s the most important?;
> The Alice Cooper living legend award;
> Will you be in the music business forever while you are alive?;
> The Salvador Dali hologram;
> How much money the Alice Cooper Group made the previous year;
> What’s more important, money or success?;
> Alice’s opinion of celebrities of the time (including the Rolling Stones, Richard Nixon and David Bowie);
> Is there anything you do on stage that you think is in bad taste?;
> Have you taken a lot from English groups?;
> How audiences fantasize about the on-stage performances; and
> The mystery of death.
Overall, this is a niece piece and an interesting look back to the early attempts at transitioning music lovers from vinyl to compact discs.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Interview Picture Disc 12" Vinyl
1989, Tell Tales, TTS 1015
This unofficial European 12" vinyl features about 20 minutes of material from an interview between Alice and an unknown interviewer in London.
Three different designs of this disc were released including this bat shape one, a saw shape and standard round shape (see below). The front of the disc features a picture of 'Classic Alice' in concert (during the Raise Your Fist And Yell Tour), whereas the rear has a picture of Alice in concert from the Special Forces tour of 1981/2).
The disc contains the following:
> How Alice has nothing to do with Satan;
> Insanity in the real world;
> Horror movies;
> The public’s perception of Alice today;
> How he never thinks he will politically or spiritually impact society again;
> How interviews are like therapy sessions to him;
> The image of celebrities in the press;
> The Alice Cooper Group’s management of their own PR;
> Plans to reinvent Alice in the future; and
> Keeping in touch with old band members.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Interview Picture Disc 12" Vinyl
1989, Tell Tales, TTS 1015
This unofficial European 12" is exactly the same as the above version, except that it is cut into the shape of a saw blade.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Interview Picture Disc 12" Vinyl
1989, Tell Tales, TTS 1015
This unofficial European 12" is exactly the same as the above versions, except that it is a traditional uncut round shape.
Discogs Link: Click Here
Alice Cooper Generic Interview CD
2000, Eagle Records
This uninspiringly titled European CD features Alice providing short (generally about 60 second) answers to 14 questions, the majority of which are centred around the Brutal Planet album. The questions asked can be seen in the inlay image below. Additionally, the track Blow Me A Kiss is provided in full at the end of the CD (which is a CD-R variety).
Discogs Link: Click Here
Alice Cooper Dragontown Interview CD
2001, Eagle Records
This further European CD (which is a CD-R variety) again features Alice providing short (generally about 60 second) answers to 15 questions, several of which are centred around the Dragontown album. The questions asked can be seen in the image below.
Both the CD and sleeve state 'STRICTLY FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY NOT FOR RESALE'.
Discogs Link: Click Here
For other Alice Cooper releases Click Here.