KISS ARMY ARGENTINA exclusive interview with ROBERT FLEISCHMAN: In Vinnie Vincent Invasion I felt like I was surrounded

in a pile of wreckage
KISS Army Argentina: Robert, thanks for your time for this interview; it is an honor for us. Robert Fleischman: Your welcome and Thank You!!! Pleasure to be here with the Kiss Army of Argentina.. I would have never thought in 1,000,000 years i would be talking to you guys.. this is really great.!! KAA: For Argentine KISS fans you are known because you have been part of Vinnie Vincents Invasion, but before that, you had important experiences in the world of music, such as a brief stay in Journey, a special stay in Asia, and finally, Channel, before becoming part of Invasion. What did your experience in those bands leave you? RF: In Journey.... I got to play with some of the most talented musicians on earth... and because of that opportunity.. I got to write some very popular rock songs... WHEEL IN THE SKY.. ANYTIME.. WINDS OF MARCH.. ALL FOR YOU.... and got to play arenas and stadiums it was terrific lifetime experience.. plus we receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame... which is very cool .. Asia.... again I got to play with some gifted cutting edge musicians... Geffen records signed Asia and wanted to make them into a Journey type band with a lead singer.. so I was sent to London and played with the band for about a week... towards the end of the week.. I listen to the demos that they gave me to learn and realized that John Wetton was Asia he was perfect for the music.. I was just some part of a musical formula of the record company.. I told the band what I thought and I went back home to Los Angeles.. I was grateful that they'd want me to go and play with such great musicians and that the record company thought of me in that way.. When Asia came to Los Angeles on there tour... I went to see them play and went backstage said hello and it was great... Channel... was terrific because we got to record at PINK FLOYDS studios in London... the first day we were there we were setting drums up.. and they had this big room where there was a snooker table.. I asked if anyone has ever recorded Drums in this big room.. they said no and I said let's try it.. so we set the drums up Gary Ferguson starts playing them 20 minutes later the Police come banging on the door and tell us to stop.. the sound was coming out of the studio.. we were disappointed... so the studio told us to give them a couple of days.. we come back and they had built a wall of cinder block filled with concrete.. so Pink Floyd put THE WALL up for us....

KAA: How did you meet Vinnie Vincent? How was that first meeting? RF: We met through a mutual songwriting friend.. In Hollywood He told vinnie about me And gave him my number.. Vinnie called me up and he came over to my house And he had a cassette with 3 Demo songs on it and I listen to them.. Shoot you full of love.. Substitute.. I think.. Boys are gonna Rock.. I thought he was a good song writer.. songs had a lot of energy ... He came over again to my house and I had a small recording studio there..

-2we recorded and wrote 2 songs together.. I wrote all the lyrics for.. Do you wanna make love.. and we wrote the lyrics together for..Invasion.. about a month later vinnie called me up to tell me he and his wife were going to have twins.. they were living in a small apartment in Hollywood.. and a week or 2 later vinnie told me that he was asked to join KISS... I thought he should definitely do it..For he was going to have twins he can now move out of that small apartment life would be a lot better for him and his family.. then off he went ..Then soon after he was gone from KISS he called me up and we started the INVASION album.... KAA: What can you tell us about the recording of Vinnie Vincent Invasion? Some stories or anecdotes, for instance RF: I think most of the tracks were recorded with a drum machine.. which vinnie would build all the guitars around it.. and later Bobby Rock ..came in and over dub the drums... and I came in last.. the first day I came in to do my vocals vinnie had the vocal booth wallpapered with playboy centerfolds it was a bit of a laugh..But when I did my vocals he would play me the track.. and he would give me a vague idea of how the melody went.. and just let me go.. that's how the whole record was kinda done... very spontaneous.. KAA: Vinnie Vincent Invasions and KISS fans have always asked themselves why you left the band before the tour to promote the album; what can you tell us about that? RF: I left basically because of all the bad people he chose to surround himself with.. his manager was an idiot.. his so called bass player producer was a complete idiot and a sneaky... I think vinnie would get overwhelmed with things and then have other people do his business for him which they had no business doing in the first place ..they would fuck it up then he would get the blame... for what he should have done in the first place.. which was take care of his own business.. and maybe things would it turned out different .. but he's not totally innocent of all things that go on around him..I felt like I was surrounded in a pile of wreckage.. when we're doing the photoshoot for the album his idiot manager came to me with a big fat contract the size of a telephone book tells me to sign it.. I told him I wanted my lawyer to look at it.. he said he basically didn't have time for me to take it to my lawyer..so sign it trust me.. I told him no he got mad ..so I told him to piss off.. later I found out that he had told chrysalis records .. I had signed a contract with him and all the business was taken care of.. which it wasn't.. the record company found out.. they got mad at him for lying and told him to walk.. then chrysalis came to me with a really crappy deal with no money .. and would contractually hold me forever.. and I said no to it.. and they got mad I told them thay should have gotten me earlier in the game..then late in the game ..earlier in the beginning vinnie had sent the demos that we did together to the record company they loved it ..flu him out to new york gave him a deal ..I was never mentioned and he took all the credit and here I was the lead singer..the other half of the project I felt together we were INVASION vinnie and I.. so right off the bat it was not good going in to do the record.. so later on after I had left .. I was at home I got a phone call from a friend who told me MTV was going to show vinnie's debut video.. I'm watching it and all of a sudden I hear my voice coming out of this idiots mouth.. earlier when the record company wanted me to sign with them.. they said if I didn't.. they would take my voice off the album.. I said do what you have to do.. I said you'll have to spend more money you'll have to remix it and basically relive a nightmare.. so they thought they could just roll over me and do what they want to do.. so I sue them and I won... I should have sued vinnie but I didn't.. KAA: Some years passed before you worked again with Vinnie, in Guitars from Hell (1991) and Euphoria (1996). What can you tell us about those albums and your experience in them? RF: I didn't know the stuff I was working with him on was going to end up being in those records.. matter fact I've never heard those records.. I could pretty much tell you those were all rough draft vocals.. except for ...Rocks on Fire.. vinnie got another deal with another record company and he came to me again.. the

-3record company wanted to come down and listen to what he was doing and vinnie didn't want them to come they were pissed and they try to come down quite a few times. but towards the end of recording the album.. vinnie try to find another record company to buy him out of his contract..and the record company who was paying him to record his new album finds out.. and so shit hits the fan.. then after that I don't think I ever saw him again.. KAA: Why did Euphoria merely stay as an album, without any formal presentation or tour to promote it? RF: Because the whole thing fell apart plus I would've never been involved in a tour.. plus I think it was a self release album ?? I'm not quite sure. KAA: How was your relationship with Vinnie back in those days, and how is it now? RF: He was always very nice to me very generous we had a lot of laughs.. I think I was more of a friend to him.. then he was with me..because of all the shady dealings I put up with on account of him.. plus I haven't seen him or talk to him in many many years.. with all that said I still wishing well KAA: You are surely aware by now that having worked with a member/former member of KISS is a mark that you will carry for the rest of your life! Today, do fans still know and remember your stay in Invasion? RF: I guess I get it from both sides Journey and Invasion.. I'm very grateful and surprise that people still know about me.. I get to talk to a lot of fans on facebook.. and now that I have a new band called .. THE SKY... all those fans are now interested in my new band.. and now the KISS ARMY knows about THE SKY.. so I'm happy!! KAA: What can you tell us about the rumors of a new collaboration between you and Vinnie on an alleged re-recording of All Systems Go? Where did they come from? RF: well I think it's obvious the rumors came from vinnie.. and a wild statement it was.. first of all if your gonna say something like that..you think he would have talk to me.. I think it stems from all the bad press he got with his situation with the law and all the attention.. who knows??? why he said that.. but I can tell you I'm not interested.. KAA: Please tell us about your new band, The Sky. RF: after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Journey ..that night Journey played at the House of Blues.. I was asked to go up and sing Wheel in the Sky and I did..I hadn't been on stage for quite sometime while I was up there looking at all the people I realized how much I had missed performing.. a couple of days later Andre LaBelle called me .. he play drums on some of vinnie stuff and I told him I wanted to put a band together.. he said he wanted in and that he knew some great players in Richmond Virginia.. where he lives.. I went there and the band was fantastic.. best band I've ever been in because everyone so nice and there such great musicians and thay were like brothers and that's what makes a great band the sense of family.. I eventually move there from Los Angeles.. got there and wrote 20 songs ..picked 11 for the album and recorded them ...I think it's the best stuff I've ever written.. IT ROCKS.. I can't wait for people to hear it.. THE SKY will have a worldwide release in about 7 weeks on ITUNES.. or you can check out the band on youtube.. are go to my facebook or the sky facebook to get information.. I think your gonna dig.. THE SKY

-4KAA: Where do you currently play with The Sky? Do you include any songs from Invasion? Because it would be great to listen to those songs live with you singing them! RF: THE SKY.. has only done 2 shows because we were mainly recording for the year.. but we're done now.. and hope to tour America Europe South America and the World.. I'm not interested in singing any Journey songs or Invasion songs I'm only interested in doing THE SKY that's my main LOVE... I hope you all can understand.. And we'd love to see you all.... ROCK ON !!!!! KAA: As of today, what is your opinion of the current music world? Do you miss the 80s, an era in which hard rock and heavy metal ruled in MTV? RF: I wish vinyl was back.. it kept everybody honest.. people didn't steal songs.. like they do today which makes it so hard on band's these days.. it's like if you own a bakery and you make all these wonderful cakes.. and people come in and eat all your cakes..and they don't even pay you for them..that's pretty sad.. no matter what you do everyone loves some respect.. so if you love a band respected it.. for the joy they bring to you..... I don't really miss the eighty's I think it was a time when bands figured out a formula and they all took the same pill and became the same band thay all looked the same.. thay sounded the same ..with that horrible reverb on the drums.. I found it boring.. I do miss MTV it was a great way to see new bands. KAA: Finally, could you please leave a message for KISS Army Argentina? RF: THE SKY and myself are looking forward to seeing everyone in Argentina.. and as you already know.. THE KISS ARMY OF ARGENTINA ROCKS !!!!!! PLAY IT LOUD!!!!!!! KAA: Once again, Robert, thanks! a lot for your patience and time. Thank you so much!!! I hope I didn't bore you all.. anyway take care everyone... Peace and Love

Interview: MARCELO GARCIA and DIEGO FERREYRA for KISS ARMY ARGENTINA Translation: MARIANA MIA ABELLO for KISS ARMY ARGENTINA