Interview with Paul Sabu

By Lucy Hall

Rock Legend Paul Sabu Discusses His New Studio Album, “Banshee” from Frontiers Records 

The incredibly gifted Paul Sabu is an Emmy-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist. He has brought us some of the best AOR moments in history and he continues to do so today. He does great at continuing to reinvent that classic AOR and hard rock sound. Sabu’s aim has always been to write great memorable songs with his captivating powerful hooks, his heartfelt tone, and cool hard rock vocals. Sabu knows how to deliver a hook better than anyone in the history of melodic rock. He is a master at keeping his material sounding fresh and exciting. This is exactly the same quality and great sound his fans can expect from his forthcoming release on Frontiers Records, “Banshee”, a collection of eleven songs with an added bonus track available for Japan only. All amazing brand-new songs, all produced by Sabu, written with several surprise high-profile co-writers, performed alongside long-time bandmate bassist, Barry Sparks, and mixed and mastered by one of melodic rocks’ best Alessandro Del Vecchio. Across the whole album, Sabu pulls out all the stops and upholds his reputation for making amazing music. He is one of rock’s most respected musicians and once again he is effortlessly killing it with the new material delivering his best songs and performance to date. With Sabu, fans know they will be receiving high-quality material. Highlights include the first singles, which are two late ‘80s charged mid-tempo rockers, the soulful, “Kandi” and “Blinded Me”. Both singles feature Sabu’s stellar guitar work with a melodic, and rocking style accompanied by his equally astounding vocals. 

Fireworks: Concerning your legacy; what are your thoughts as you reflect on a career of producing and creating music that spans over four decades? How does it feel to be a rock legend? 

Paul Sabu: I started out in the music business when I was about nineteen years old and from that point on, I never stopped creating music. I don’t really think much about my own legacy because I never have read my own press and I don’t dwell on the things I have done. There have been times at random points in my life when I have gone back to read my own discography (which usually does not list accurately) to catch up on past events. To sum it up, I never thought of myself as a legend. 

Fireworks: But you are a legend and you have done music for film, and television, you have been in numerous bands and have done endless solo work and projects. What are the greatest moments or memories you cherish when looking back over your career?

Paul Sabu: I would have to break it down into different sections. One section would consist of producing and the other would consist of creating as an artist. The biggest kickstart for me as an artist was the Kidd Glove album. At that time, I absolutely hated the process of making that album because it was so very corporate. It was an actual nine-to-five job. You didn’t work on weekends and if you were in the middle of a track, it would end at 5 PM, and you would pick it up again the following day. It was more corporate than musical. Although, that was the same time I began writing the Heartbreak album because of my frustration working in this manner. The Kidd Glove album turned out good although, I did not like it in the beginning, I like it more now. Reflecting back on all the things I have done; I think the Heartbreak album is the best thing because I never liked the way people made me sound on other projects so, I decided on the Heartbreak album to do everything myself. I was sure I could make myself sound as bad as they did. So, that’s probably the biggest moment in my career in taking steps to create something good out of something I didn’t like. On the other hand, getting the Kidd Glove gig was really hard because there were tons of people auctioning for it. It was like taking a number at an ice cream shop. Just lines of people auctioning for this spot. It was the first time that Motown had ever dived into the rock genre, and they created their new label Morocco. Kidd Glove was the first act on it, so it was a really big deal in many ways.

Fireworks: Would that be the reason you moved into producing and recording on your own? 

Paul Sabu: Well, it started with the Heartbreak album, and I began to get the hang of it. I had observed numerous people for years and their process of recording. Concerning that particular album, I did everything on it and realized I could do it and was better at it. If everybody liked it, then it was because of me. There was no middleman to take the blame. That was a turning point for me because I started getting into mixing more and more to the point where I was pretty much the house mixer for Capital Records at one point. 

Fireworks: You’re releasing your first album, Banshee under the “Sabu” name since your 1998 album Between The Light. How did you decide to release another album using only your last name?

Paul Sabu: That was something that was totally Frontiers Record’s idea. Whenever I do interviews that question often comes up. How come you haven’t done an album since 1996? But the way it has been phased it sounds as if I had not been doing any other albums. I did several albums but I just didn’t do them under the name Sabu. When Mario at Frontiers called and approached me to do this album and we want to call it Sabu. So, it wasn’t like I had a choice, that was simply the name of the new album. In fact, it is funny, if anyone would go back to the original Sabu album I had out when I was nineteen, released in 1979 when disco was phasing out, it actually had the same lettering as this latest Banshee album. It also has the same color, so it is funny they went that far back. Mario is high standing at Frontiers and he took this project under his wings. 

Fireworks: How did you get signed with Frontiers for this release?

Paul Sabu: I received an email from Mario asking if I would do an album and I said yes although I hadn’t really thought much about it because I was so busy doing recordings constantly. I was working on projects all the time so it wasn’t like I wasn’t doing anything when he asked, I just hadn’t thought about it, especially with all the chaos in the world. Wasn’t sure the world needed another Sabu album, but then I thought, well it would be fun so I agreed to do it. 

Fireworks: Of course, we needed another Sabu album! What kind an audience do you think this latest release will attract?

Paul Sabu: Honestly, I’m not sure because it is kind of in the middle of being melodic, but a lot of the songs are a lot rougher and crunchier but it’s not actually heavy enough for the Swedish and not light enough for the English. So, I don’t know all I do know is there were a lot of songs that I wrote for the record that got booted out because they were too heavy and not commercial enough. So, I didn’t argue with them about it. When I was recording the album, Frontiers wasn’t as heavy as they are now. So, I imagine some of the heavier melodic songs I was submitting would have probably gotten through without a problem if they were submitted now versus a year ago.

Fireworks: It would be cool if they did a follow-up album of just your heavy songs.

Paul Sabu: Well, I’m writing now. The next album I am not writing with a bunch of people so, I’m just going to write by myself. 

Fireworks: I think that will be awesome! I feel that the themes of the Banshee songs, and the new video would attract new fans and older fans because all the 80s’ nostalgia is popular. I got that vibe, especially from the “Kandi” song, and that it would draw in younger fans. 

Paul Sabu: I’m hoping it will and I haven’t done any interviews that everyone didn’t love the album. Apparently, the only people who do not totally love the album are the Italians. I read the funniest review I have ever read in my life from an Italian reviewer. Usually, Italians love my music. Italy certified my first gold album and when I played shows there were always a lot of Italians flying to see me play. But this one guy I started to write and tell him he should have been a comedian. However, he did give the album a 7.2 rating, so that’s not actually bad! 

Fireworks: You are continuously releasing albums, working on collaborations, and producing music. You seem to spend a lot of your time in the studio. Would that be an accurate statement? How many hours a week do you put into your studio time?

Paul Sabu: If I’m working on a project, I work till I drop and then I sleep, come back, and work till I drop again. That is how I work; I don’t have any set hours and I get very excited about my projects. I usually get up around 5:30 to 6:00 A.M. and then work up till midnight. I take a few breaks during the day, but I don’t ever really stop and I never have. 

Fireworks: You’re clearly in a position where it’s not difficult to get collaborators! With that said, it must be nice to have friends like Barry Sparks available to help you out. What can you tell us about bringing Barry on board for the project and how did the collaboration work?

Paul Sabu: Barry and I have been friends for years. I think I met him when I was about twenty-four or twenty-five and he was nineteen. He was even in my band Only Child for a while. He is just a great musician and the sweetest guy in the world. I mean if you just want to have the nicest guy in the world around, then that is Barry. He is a family guy with six kids and a beautiful wife. He is just a talented mother fucker! He always has too many ideas, and you have to shift through them all to get the ideas you want to use. We have been friends so long that we can argue and criticize each other and laugh. That’s a friend. He is great to write with because it’s better at times to have fresh blood around to generate those new ideas that are not just your own. No one does everything equally so no one person does fifty percent and the other fifty. We work at it together. It’s just a nice thing to have a monster player that feels like family. 

Fireworks: When did you start the process of developing the project?

Paul Sabu: we took about nine months to finish it and we had some breaks in the middle because I was dealing with personal and family issues and my mother was very sick at the time. 

Fireworks: Was there any particular theme to the music for Banshee?

Paul Sabu: The only thing that was an ongoing theme was the eighties vibe. We made it very eighties, so I had to go back and get out my old equipment from that era to make it sound more “80s”. I used one of my old guitars, a Tom Anderson model, and used my old Marshall head so that it would sound more eighties. 

Fireworks: Have your musical tastes changed over the years? Or have you stayed true to your original tastes and musical style?

Paul Sabu: I have probably stayed true to my musical style because I don’t get to listen to too much music because I’m always working.

Fireworks: you are always making your own music so you don’t have to listen to anybody’s music.

Paul Sabu: Well, I mean I hear things now and then when something is stellar and amazing. I am really good at retaining things like what a song sounds like, who played it, and remembering riffs. But I am not good at remembering people’s names. I’m the worse when it comes to names but when it comes to music, I can hear something one time and just know where all the parts came from. So, I’m pretty sure I stay true because I honestly haven’t listened to many releases. I don’t listen to music to get ideas but I listen because I like the music. 

Fireworks: The first track and video released was “Kandi,” which is a mid-tempo rocker with a real late 80s’ mood to it; why did you go with that one?

Paul Sabu: Because that was the single Frontiers wanted and it was the one that possessed the most 80s vibe to it. It was one of the tracks from the album they thought would have the ability to become a hit song. It would bring back that 80s’ vibe because the eighties are definitely going through a current resurgence. 

Fireworks: Perhaps two of my favorite tracks on the album are “Love Don’t Shatter,” and “Rock the House” which are both really strong rockers, I love the intros and the stellar guitar work on both songs. It sounds like they were a lot of fun to record. Can you talk about writing and recording these songs?

Paul Sabu: Oddly enough it’s really funny I’ve always been too heavy for France and all of a sudden, I’m getting people over in France playing the record. The one single they always play is “Love Don’t Shatter.” The middle section is a metal sort of section and it is surrounded by un-metal stuff. I kind of snuck it in there a little bit but that one and “Rock the House” had a really tough riff to play and sing but a killer rock song. It is also the only political song on the album. In the first verse, the guy goes out and buys himself a tank, in the second verse he goes to the scene, and he doesn’t know what is going on but the threatening gangs are paid to play and just need a job, and then in the third verse he gets confused and goes home to watch it on TV. This kind of sums up the riots and “Rock the House” has a chorus that has a no worries, just listen to music and it can take you away from everything. 

Fireworks: Tell me about one of your favorites from Banshee.

Paul Sabu: It is funny because when people started playing the songs on the radio and telling me the ones they like, I would be like, well I do like that song or this song. I do really like both songs just discussed but I am sort of even on everything on the album also, it wouldn’t have made the cut to be on the album unless everyone liked it. So, all the songs are my favorites! I am kind of partial to “Rock the House” only because to me it’s a more aggressive “rock” song. 

Fireworks: Thank you, Paul, for doing this interview. Is there anything that we haven’t talked about yet, that you’d like to mention for this interview?

Paul Sabu: We are shooting a video for “Rock the House.” We should be shooting it around February 25^th. It is very funny that the guy who does the recording for Frontiers music videos told me, we have to shoot a video for “Rock the House”. They normally have to storyboard everything and the entire process is all really involved. So, he writes me and says, so here is the setting for the video, you’re in a bar. I wrote back, “Perfect” and that is all I know about the video so far!