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Glenn Hughes is one-quarter of the rising supergroup, Black Country Communion, and a shiny quarter he is. The multi-gold and platinum records solo artist and frontman for Trapeze, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath, whose voice is one of the most distinctive on the music landscape, is now leading the ideal-pedigree BCC, which also has uber-talents drummer with hands of thunder, Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner), blues-rock guitarist maestro Joe Bonamassa, and skilled keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theatre, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper). If Hughes is any indication of what kind of band this is, it's safe to say it's a class act. The powerhouse band, orchestrated by wunderkind producer Kevin Shirley, is due to release their first album on Sept. 20 in the U.K. on Mascot Records and on Sept. 21 in the U.S. via J & R Adventures.
Amidst rumors of breaking up before they could even get started and a legal tussle with an obscure band over name rights, BCC has emerged from the rubble, victorious.
Glenn, The Voice of Rock, is also the voice of reason and he recently took some time to speak to Examiner.com via phone from sunny Los Angeles about what's ahead for BCC:
Examiner: How did Black Country Communion come together?
Glenn Hughes: Well, about a year and a half ago, I was having dinner at the House of Blues in L.A. with Joe Bonamassa, who's just a lovely guy. We did a couple of songs, a Trapeze and Deep Purple one, for a Guitar Center event. Kevin Shirley was there, saw us. He called me up the next day and was like, "Why don't we form a band?" Within hours Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian were called and were a part of the project.
Examiner: How did you come up with the name of the group?
GH: Well, Jason and I are from the Black Country, that's the Midlands area of the U.K. So, we thought that might be a good name. If you Googled it then, that's what you'd find, an area of England. Then a band with the same name trademarked it after they saw we were using it. We would never purposely take another band's name. We were negotiating with them up until yesterday. We finally settled on Black Country Communion.
Examiner: How has forming the group affected your solo careers?
GH: Well, Joe usually does about 200 shows a year. I've been performing for about 40 years. (laughs) It's time for me to take the gas off of my solo career. I'm taking the summer off to promote it. The band is bigger than our solo careers and we all realize that.
Examiner: How would you describe your sound?
GH: We have a traditional classic rock sound combined with British blues rock. We're kind of a new version of bands from the 70s. We're still working on the artwork for the album. Hoping the album will go viral.
Examiner: Any plans for touring?.jpg)
GH: Definitely. We're planning to play the U.S. and U.K. festivals next summer for sure.
Examiner: Can you talk about your autobiography, The Life, Near Death and Rebirth of a Rock Star: Deep Purple and Beyond?
GH: Well, it's about a young lad who grew up to be a rock star. I was an athlete when I was young, a pretty good soccer player. I got fame at a young age and had one too many cocktails. (chuckles) I started out an innocent child who fell prey to addiction, I lost everything. It was a very dark period. I'm happy where I'm at now, though.
Examiner: And there's an EP included with the book?
GH: Oh, yes. The tracks are "What is a Woman's Role," from '72,"Holy Man" from '74, and "Dying to Live," which is all new. Think fans will enjoy them.
Examiner: What influences would you say your music has?
GH: I'd say British hard rock mixed with Black American soul roots. During my solo career, I've played everything: insane metal, extreme R&B funk, smooth soul, traditional classic rock. I've directed that into making more classic rock albums.
Examiner: You're participating in an upcoming tribute to Ronnie James Dio at the High Voltage Festival on July 24?
GH: Yeah. (sighs) This is sad. Ronnie used to perform with Elf, who opened for Deep Purple. We became good friends during that time. He was small in stature, but big in nature. I sang two songs at his Memorial, "Coast to Coast" and "Catch the Rainbow." Very sad day.
Examiner: How would you say his death has effected the heavy metal world?
GH: The thread in the message of his passing is to promote going for cancer check-ups. One in five people gets cancer, that's a ridiculous number! Please get your check-ups!
Examiner: So, BCC's debut album is going to be released on September 20?
GH: Yeah, we're very excited about it. We don't have a title for it yet, but all of the tracks are finished. When we started the band, we all realized we had to put things aside temporarily. I've put this on the front burner. I'm sort of the point person, I took this group by the balls and ran with it. (laughs)
Sure not to be just a one-off, BCC has all the makings of a supergroup set to blaze onto the music scene, burning a hole in the rock stratosphere, leaving a residue of sonic sounds. Rock music lovers are hungry for raw, rock steady rhythms, which the 70s was replete with. BCC, a band of music giants, is sure to deliver that and more.
Below is a track listing for the upcoming album, which was mastered by the renowned Bob Ludwig. All songs are sung by Glenn Hughes, except "Song Of Yesterday" and "The Revolution In Me," which are both sung by Joe Bonamassa. Hughes and Bonamassa share lead vocals on the songs "Sista Jane" and "Too Late For The Sun." There's also a new version of Trapeze's "Medusa."
Album Track Listing: 1. Black Country 2. One Last Soul 3. The Great Divide 4. Down Again 5. Beggarman 6. Song Of Yesterday 7. No Time 8. Medusa 9. The Revolution In Me 10. Stand (At The Burning Tree) 11. Sista Jane 12. Too Late For The Sun
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