Lycos Chat with Warren Cuccurullo
July 16, 2001

Events_Moderator: Howdy, folks! For those of you just joining us, tonight we are chatting with legendary guitarist Warren Cuccurullo. He got his start with Frank Zappa, played with Duran Duran, and helped create the band Missing Persons. Get those questions ready. We will be starting in just a few minutes!

Events_Moderator: OK everyone, let's welcome Warren to this Live Event. Hi Warren, welcome to Lycos Live Events! What's up?

warren_cuccurullo: Everything! Life is so strange! I've reunited with my dear friends from my old band Missing Persons, and it feels like 1979 all over again. It is without a doubt a surreal ordeal -- to borrow a couple of words from my friend Nick Rhodes -- and I shall shortly be needing hospitalization, but I hear blood transfusions are a lot safer now. Or maybe I just need some sleep! But it's nice to be here!

fanfic_geek: Are you excited about the Missing Persons shows this week?

warren_cuccurullo: I'm ecstatic! It's better than it ever was. We've rekindled something that is so special and so strong, it's undeniable. It's the best thing I could be doing musically in this point in my career. To walk on stage this week . . . I can't imagine a better feeling than walking on stage and playing with Missing Persons. I will *never* need another orgasm.

roadrage-1: I was a fan of both Missing Persons and Duran Duran *before* there were any Duran/Persons connections. How do Terry and Dale feel about working with each other again? Do the three of you have long-term plans to work together as Missing persons or is this a short-term project?

warren_cuccurullo: Terry and Dale are very happy to be working together again. Just like I explained to them when I was putting this together, it's about playing music and going back to something we created that deserves to be revisited. As soon as we started playing the magic was back, and we have every intention of making this a long-term project.

fanfic_geek: Speaking of friends, are there any special guests lined up for this week's gigs, or will it just be the Missing Persons bunch?

warren_cuccurullo: No, there's not enough room on the stage, because Terry has quite a large drum kit. But we are joined by Duran Duran's bassist.

fanfic_geek: Who will be the least dressed band member onstage, you or Dale?

warren_cuccurullo: {laughs} That's a tough question! I think throughout the show, pieces of clothing will be removed. I'm probably the more daring one, but since we've both posed nude, who knows?

silentoktober: What will the vibe of your new material be like?

warren_cuccurullo: Kick ass punk!

kateisgreat2: Are you committing to putting out new Missing Persons CDs, as well as a world Missing Persons tour? please say YES YES YES!

warren_cuccurullo: I'd love to say YES YES YES, but the world, as far as Missing Persons was concerned, was America, although there is some interest in Japan. As far as material goes, we've got quite a bit of old material that never saw the light of day. We've resurrected two of the tracks and they sound unbelievable. I think one route would be to record the 10 to 15 songs that we wrote between 1979 and 1981. And of course, there are loads of new ideas. I just need to get somebody to pay for it!

rob91316: I heard that original MP bassist Patrick O'Hearn agreed to this reunion, but then dropped out. Does that have anything to do with the release of his first new age album in five years?

warren_cuccurullo: No. Patrick was going to do this when it was in the talking stages, and then he settled into a life of recording and writing in North Carolina. He's a family man, and his touring days are over. I think after much thought, he came to a decision that that part of his life is over. But the original MP was Warren, Terry and Dale. We wrote all of the music. We printed up our own flyers. We hired keyboard players who played bass and keyboards at the same time like Ray Manzarek of the Doors. We played small clubs around LA to show people what we had to offer. When we say the original MP, this is the first phase, Patrick was in phase two. But his music and spirit, in some of the later songs we are performing, is with us, and it's a shame that he's not here.

rob91316: I went to some of MP shows in 1986 right before you guys disbanded. You didn't play any songs from Rhyme & Reason during that mini-tour promoting the Color in Your Life album. Will you be performing any songs from R&R on this tour?

warren_cuccurullo: Yes we will! Only the good ones.

roadrage-1: What are the chances of your working with Duran Duran again? Any chance of a reunion with the original 5?

warren_cuccurullo: The chances of working with the original five are zero. We've already made an agreement between us where I walked away from it happily. As far as the possibility of Nick, Simon and myself working together, there's always a possibility of that, and Nick Rhodes and I do have ongoing projects going together.

queenskywalker: Was playing that last song with Duran Duran one of the hardest things for you to do?

warren_cuccurullo: Unfortunately, the entire Japanese tour was a complete disaster, because I had no guitar tech, so they couldn't get any of my gear working properly. I felt like a soccer player on the pitch with his feet tied together trying to score a goal. All I wanted to do was get back to America and get on with MP stuff! I felt really bad for the Japanese fans that hadn't seen us in eight years. But I was severely handicapped and couldn't perform my show. So my mind was elsewhere, and I was praying for the last song! I think I already had my boarding pass.

jtmeltdown: When are you going to be on The Simpsons? :D

warren_cuccurullo: Once my penis replication product is on the market! I'm sure Bart will ask for me. ;)

tardinha1: Any plans to take the Missing Link out of mothballs for these shows?

warren_cuccurullo: Less is more.

schlong_quickly: What do you remember as your fondest moment while working for Frank Zappa? And the worst?

warren_cuccurullo: The worst moment was the end of the tour. Only because being so young, I didn't know if there would be another tour. So it was very sad for me. I'd never been in that situation in my life. There's too many great moments to pick out just one. But I do remember before I got in the band, Frank and I went to dinner in New York City and met Allen Ginsberg, and Frank introduced me as a guitar player. I couldn't believe he called me a guitar player. He knew I played some songs, but my occupation at the time was driving a van.

Events_Moderator: I hate to say it, but we have to wrap this up in a few minutes. Our time with Warren is almost up. We'll take just a few more questions.

djoktober: Do you have any timeframe for when the TV Mania material that you and Nick worked on may be released?

warren_cuccurullo: This century. It's something that we're sure will be appreciated when we're dead and gone!

silentoktober: Have you ever had any bad fan experiences?

warren_cuccurullo: No! Never!

kateisgreat2: Was it harder to conclude the first phase of MP, or Duran Duran?

warren_cuccurullo: Although I spent 15 years with Duran, we parted in a way that was completely painless and there's no animosity. We're all friends. However, MP was a band with a marriage and extremely close friendships that disintegrated and left us all hanging by a thread, not knowing what to do, and almost nothing to show for it. It was quite the opposite of Duran, and what we created and what we're all left with from that experience. But I doubt that any reunion of bands or individuals could be as incredible as what the three of us have experienced over the last week.

silvahalo2: Did you always know that you were to be a musician, or did you have other career plans at one point?

warren_cuccurullo: Music is something you do out of passion, love . . . When you're young, you dream that you can earn a living that way, but then the reality hits you in your late adolescence, and you realize that very shortly, you will need to go out and get a job. Luck plays such a big part in someone becoming a professional musician or a professional athlete. But that's not to say that people who play instruments or sports are not musicians or athletes. It's a gift, but not everyone is fortunate enough to make it their livelihood.

Events_Moderator: Thanks Warren, we had a really good time chatting with you. We will have to do this again some time!

warren_cuccurullo: It's been a pleasure to spend the time today, I've had a very busy week and It was nice to share some of the experiences that have transpired. I needed to get that out of my system! You're the first people I've told about this MP stuff. I'll be online often at http://www.cuccurullo.tv. I was told it would be up very shortly, so I have to practice my typing! Love to you all!

Events_Moderator: Thanks again for coming everyone. See ya next time at Lycos Live Events.