Interview with Albert Bouchard

Original drummer, composer, and occasional singer of Blue Öyster Cult. Current drummer of The Dictators.
Alan – Hi Albert, my son is also Albert, a good name. Why did your parents give you that name?
Albert - My paternal grandfather was named Albert and when I was born he was very sick  and died 3 months later so I think he was probably happy to have a grandson who shared his name.

Alan – Let’s leave the fun for a moment and deal with your work and biography. Who brought you to music?
Albert - I had many good and even a few bad teachers but I can’t think of one who inspired me to become a professional. My interest outweighed my talent by far. Mymother told my older cousin that she regretted spending so much money on my music lessons because I taught myself everything.

Alan – Who have you collaborated with during your life?
Albert - Too many to mention. Some are, My brothers Joe and Jim, Eric, Don and Allen with BOC, Robert Gordon, Richard hie Adams, Mark Barkan, Richie Castellano, Michael Moorcock, Don Falcone, Sandy Pearlman, Richard Meltzer, Patti Smith, Helen Wheels, Andy Shernoff, Ross the Boss, Fabienne Shine…

Alan – People say you've sold millions of albums. How did that come about, and with whom?
Albert - Clive Davis signed us to Columbia Records and after a mere 6 years later besides putting out progressively better albums and playing over 270 shows each year we were an overnight success. Nothin to it!

Alan – You have traveled through many landscapes and countries during your playing time. Can you describe the diversity of people from your perspective? Japan, South America, USA, Europe?
Albert - Japan was very cool. People were extremely polite and considerate. USA is not like that so much. Europe is more progressive socially than other places. I’ve never been to South America. 

Alan – Speaking of Europe. Our readers are mainly from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Do you know these two countries?
Albert - Unfortunately I do not. I’ve visited Turkey when I was young and I went to Hungary, Austria and Poland a few years ago but that’s as close as I have come.

Alan – Do you know any bands or artists from these two countries? Jan Hammer, for example?
Albert - I did tour with him on our very first tour but we did not hang out at all.

Alan – We will discuss the albums and the bands you recorded them with. It would probably be very long, so I will only take the most important ones, the ones that are essential for you. And also the album Bombs Over Germany, which you released on the Deko label. Deko provided it to me, and I thank them for that.
Albert - Deko has been a very supportive and creative partner to me. Our latest project a multi-media adventure that is a graphic novel, music and video. Theme park to follow…
Blue Oyster Cult was important for me creatively and socially. The Brian Surgeons got me back into wanting to make music again. Like my marriage at the time I probably stayed with it too long. Blue Coupe was great in that I got to write and collaborate with Dennis Dunaway who is a musical genius. The Dictators were my friends for most of my life I was really grateful that I got to make music with Ross the Boss again before he passed away.

Alan – Has art rock influenced you?
Albert - I was always into jazz and one of my favorites was Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out? I got to meet Joe Morello and it was a great honor. If my music sounds like art rock, it’s all because of them.

Alan – Are you working on something new now?
Albert - I have a new album coming out of all new songs that I have written with Sandy Pearlman from the files in his archive. The songs all connected to the Imaginos saga in some way. The are all connected to the graphic novel series as well.

Alan – During your concert tours. Do you have any funny experiences from playing? Did you get surprised by something very funny?
Albert - Most of the funny things that happened were from the support act, like when Gene Simmons set his hair on fire opening for us at their first gig. When Stevie Wonder took a drum solo and his drum stood right beside him frowning. The time my roadie handed me a dildo when I dropped a stick. The guys in J Giles were always mooning each other and sometimes the audience. I’ve seen it all.

Alan – Who do you remember the most from your collaborations and why?
Albert - Richie Castellano was one the most fun persons to collaborate with. He issue creative and focused. It was like we’re one mind.

Alan – What do you value the most in the world?
Albert - Family and kindness.

Alan – What are you planning for this year? A concert series? Europe?
Albert - I’m going back to china in a couple weeks. I made many great friends there last year. I’ve never had that happen when visiting a foreign country so I think Chinese people are very different in a good way. Last year I wrote about 150n pages of an autobiography I’m going to work on it some more this summer. When I get back I will be doing more gigs and I hoe to incorporate more multi-media aspects in my show. If I can do that I may do the Carl Palmer thing and have some my friends who have passed away play with me.

Alan – What would you like to say to our readers?
Albert - Take care of yourselves and each other. I love you all.

Alan – Thanks for the interview. Keep up the good work.
Albert - No problem, good luck with your writing.
https://albertbouchard.net
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