THE HOLLYWOOD STARS - SCOTT PHARES interview : "I do love a good escargot followed by steaks frites! "

 Today, we’re delighted to welcome The Hollywood Stars, the American rock band known for their energetic sound and their place in the Los Angeles rock scene of the 1970s. For this interview, we have the pleasure of talking with Scott Phares.

Taste question: Which three artists have influenced you the most, and what can you tell us about how they’ve influenced you? Who is the artist you dislike and why will he/she never influence you? 

1.   The Beatles top the list. They exploded just when I was getting into playing music. I bought and played ALL their LPs and a bunch of their singles continuously. I’m still obsessed with them. 

2.   Bob Dylan was a big early influence. I still love all the early albums. He had a unique voice that you recognized at once, and his lyrics are just genius. 

3.   The Beach Boys had a big impact on me. Surf music was something that really got me into playing guitar, which was my primary role in bands before I transitioned into a lead singer. 

It’s difficult (and unfair) to pick an artist that I don’t like, but in general I would say that I don’t like artists that pander to the audience musically, folks who are just trying to make a hit record. The Ohio Express with “Yummy Yummy I’ve Got Love in My Tummy” comes to mind as an example. 

Intellectual question: Which 'non-musical artist’ (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way the band evolved... 

I am a big fan of Van Gogh. Stephen King and Kurt Vonnegut stand out to me. I think Ron Howard, Stephen Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino are great directors. I’m not a big fan of some of the more artsy directors like Fellini, though. 

History question: Can you sum up the life of your group? 

The band was born in 1973. It died in 1974. It was reborn in 1975 and died again in 1977. Reborn in 2018, and is still going. 

Champollion question: What is the meaning of the band's name? 

There is nothing deep in the band’s name. Kim Fowley took the name from a defunct minor league baseball team. He wanted us to be the west coast answer to The New York Dolls, so he wanted to have the word “Hollywood” in the name and had to have a response to “Dolls,” hence “Stars.” 

Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your band's adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution? 

Our drummer, Terry Rae, has been in every version of the band and without whom I wouldn’t have wanted to be in the latest version of the band. He is the continuity that keeps us on track. He’s also a great drummer! 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Kim Fowley, too. He created the band, got people to come see us, brought in our managers, and gave us guidance. But he was only there at the beginning. 

Spinal Tap question: What's the most stupid thing that's ever happened to the band? 

That’s a tough one. John Lennon came to see us at The Whisky A Go Go in late December 1973. Kim probably invited him. Kim had me introduce one of the songs, our cover of Jerry Lee Lewis’ “High School Confidential,” by saying, “Here’s a song you probably heard at the Star Club.” The Beatles used to play The Star Club. I was told Lennon liked that. Now here’s the stupid part: one of the most famous rock stars in the world, a Beatle, has just watched us do our set, and NONE of us had the guts to go over to him and say hello. Dumb, right? 

Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it? 

I always wanted to be a recording artist. The Hollywood Stars gave me that opportunity. The band also taught me a valuable life lesson: there is no success without some luck. Small things can have such a huge impact on the outcome. Yes, you must have talent and work hard, but if no one ever hears you, it doesn’t matter. And even then, it’s an uphill battle where small bits of luck can have dramatic impact on your success. I find that to be true in all things in life. 

Art question: What book, film, record and current band do you really like? 

Film: I absolutely love “One Battle After Another.” It’s an amazing movie.

Book: I tend to read a lot by the same authors but not all the books are good. I also read a lot of non-fiction. Michael Lewis is one of my favorites in that category. I did enjoy “The Premonition,” but I read that a while ago.

Current band: I don’t have any real favorites these days but I do like Ed Sheeran, Billy Eilish, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Adele. 

Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you? 

If you are asking about the band, I’d have to say it was one night at The Whisky. Iggy Pop came to our dressing room and we chatted. He asked if he could introduce us, and, of couse, we said “Yes.” A few minutes later, he kind of stumbled onto the stage, and he wanted to do a song with us, so we did “Satisfaction.” We couldn’t get him off the stage! Our roadie eventually came out and helped him off the stage, and we played our set. 

I don’t know whether you’d call that funny, but it seems that way to me in hindsight. 

Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese? 

I love France. My wife is fluent in French, and we’ve visited many times. I love Saint-Tropez, Nice, Provence region, Paris (of course). I’ve been to Normandy, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Dijon and the Burgundy Valley. I even have a good friend that owns a bed-and-breakfast just outside of Chinon. France to me is a land of art and style. My favorite museum is the Musée d’Orsay. France is a land of history – Notre Dame, Normandy, Versailles, the chateaux. 

And, I do love a good escargot followed by steaks frites! 

Patriotic question: Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of our country. 

Unfortunately, not many French tracks get played here. But I do like Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” 

I am a classical music enthusiast, so I’ll add Ravel (“Bolero,” “Daphnis et Chloé”) and Debussy (“La Mer”).

Patriotic question 2 : Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of your country. 

Best singles... 

1.   “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys 

2.    “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen 

3.   “River Deep, Mountain High” by Ike and Tina Turner. 

4.   Please, Please, Please” by James Brown

5.    “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan

Best LPs... 

1.   The Beach Boys, “Pet Sounds”

2.   The Pretenders, “Learning to Crawl” 

3.   Alanis Morissette, “Jagged Little Pill” 

4.   The Doors, ”The Doors” 

5.   The Mothers of Invention, “Freak Out! 

Thank you, Scott! !

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hey-la

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