Dead Rhetoric: What are your favorite memories surrounding your time recording Eat the Heat and the touring with Accept? Do you feel like if it was a different time period/era for that change, you would have been more accepted so to speak?
Reece: Everybody had really high hopes. It was a corporate decision, they had reached a pinnacle in terms of sales with the labels. They needed to open things up across the pond and get an American or an English guy who speaks English well to commercialize the band. Now keep in mind, especially with Metal Heart and Russian Roulette, you started hearing some of that change in Accept’s writing- the melodies getting more commercial.
Some of my experiences – being a club singer guy and getting a phone call from Wolf Hoffmann was pretty amazing. I was pretty much hidden out in a Colorado cabin working a job in the middle of winter and it was him. Two days later I’m on a plane to Dusseldorf walking into Dieter Dierks studios where they have done all the classic Scorpions albums, and there the producer is standing in front of me. Another thing I learned is I could sing really powerful, but one day I was singing along to one of the songs in pre-production and Dieter said to me, I have a nice strong rock voice, but you don’t know who the hell you are. And it’s my job to discover that. And I took it personal- I was a 27 year old kid, I can sing great. But he said I didn’t know who I was. We have to find out who my voice is. And we worked on that for about nine months. I went to another vocal teacher. The Germans don’t play around – it’s about work. That’s one reason why they are successful. A lot of bands think they play a great gig on a Friday and they let things slide off of that. Bands like Accept and the bigger bands, it’s a day in, day out work in progress. I learned a lot from that. Sometimes it’s a little extreme, but I get what they were trying to do.
Of course I have regrets – I don’t know if it’s ever really feasible that I could replace someone like Udo Dirkschneider. I just opened for him for 28 shows. Udo is a legend. That guy has a loyal legion of fans all over the continent. It was never going to work – it’s not my fault, they chose me. It was worth a try, right? I have nothing but respect for Udo, he is the voice of Accept to me.
Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to your career, do you have any specific failure that at the time may have been a setback but actually set you up for a more positive situation in the long run? And how do you handle failure and setbacks in general?
Reece: My biggest failure in my life is that I’m an alcoholic, and I’m sober now. I have many regrets because of my drinking over the years. The stresses of this business and letting it get ahold of me. I have my regrets, and I may have created some situations in my life that I’m not very happy about. I’m very focused and I’m proud of that. I’m proud that I’m not somebody’s boy so to speak. Because when you sing really well, everybody wants you to sing on their album. And then, they promise you all these things like concerts and shows, and it never really comes to fruition. So I made a decision – I’m done being the hired singer boy, although I have done a couple of guest singing things over the last couple of months. I just finished a Bulgerian band album John Steel, Doogie White has appeared with them. It’s a great album and I can’t wait to hear it. I’m set on being a solo artist from here on out- unless a major band called me. I’m pretty happy where I am.
Dead Rhetoric: What is some of the worst advice you see or hear being dispensed in the hard rock/metal music industry?
Reece: Some of the worst advice. Coming from my experience, whether it’s in your head or in your stomach, if it’s usually bullshit- it probably is. A lot of young bands, they want to make it so bad, and I was there too. There is this little voice that says it just doesn’t sound right, and generally it was setting things up for failure. You have a bunch of clowns in suits telling you what’s going to be the best thing for you, and you are a young kid so you believe it, right?
If a bunch of girls or guys are in a band and in it for the right reasons, dedicating themselves to their craft and are willing to get punched in the face by the evil monster called the music business… because like we said earlier, nobody knows where it’s going. I think the passion of rock n’ roll is never going to die. If you aren’t willing to go to war like a contact sport, you are in the wrong game. Be wise and weary of managers. Have relationships with people that you can speak your mind- and you may not always be right. You are not always right, people are not right all the time. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. What have you got to lose? You know what I mean. Don’t do something that’s going to make you miserable and sacrifice what you believe in for thirty minutes of fame. I’ve done that, you are going to regret joining that band or making that business choice. If you can afford to get a lawyer, get a lawyer. The record company, if they say don’t get a lawyer and sign this contract, get a lawyer (laughs). That’s been said to me too.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you think relationships have been important as far as sustaining as long of a career as you have?
Reece: The most important people in my life are my fans. I know that sounds corny, in music. Of course my family comes first. The most important thing is the people that support me. Without that I’m nothing. I’ve made a decision within the last couple of years. I used to believe this a lot. There’s no such thing in a rock and roll band as democracy. It’s a lie. Typically there are one or two guys that are flying the space craft, calling the shots and writing the songs. You can have a mutual respect for each other – but you can’t have the same four or five guys cooking the same sauce in the kitchen – it just doesn’t work. I’ve made some great friends in this business that go back forty or more years. But not many. And I can tell you if somebody jumps on my boat and floats around with me for awhile, and they decide to leave because they wanted this or that and I have to let them go, they will do everything in their power it seems to attack you.
Especially if you come out with a new album and they are no longer involved, it turns into this he said, she said mess. I try to put myself outside of that, as I used to get really sucked into it. That’s why I say the democracy thing is a lie. I spent years thinking I wanted this boys club of good friends, going all the way to the top – it rarely if ever happens. I can name one band that it happened, and that was Rush. I believe that. ZZ Top would be another. Or Cheap Trick, those are real rock and roll bands. They stuck it out.
Dead Rhetoric: How does the next year or two look for David Reece as far as live touring and recording situations?
Reece: Andy and I are writing right now. I think the next album will be a little bit heavier than this. I have shows in March through May. You can go to my Facebook page to find out where I will be. I just want to stay healthy, do the best I can. The most important thing is the people like you, the people that buy my albums and tickets, and they come to me and tell me this record means a lot to them. An album from 1989 Eat the Heat. The first reaction is oh boy, this guy is going to tell me he hated it. And usually they start out saying ‘God I hated you in the beginning, but I really love this album. This is an original copy, will you sign it for me?’ That is a legacy and something I am very proud of, and will never take for granted.