Most people already know about the rich history of Prism, but I understand the future holds some exciting new developments. Can you elaborate on the new chapter of Prism, including the current lineup? Al Harlow: Moving myself from bass to guitar, my main instrument, was key for me. It’s something we’ve talked about doing for years anyway. But this chapter is most exciting. Gary Grace & Tad Goddard are a monster rhythm section, and Steve-O’s ability to be the keyboard player one minute, and my soul-brother twin on guitar the next, with all four of us capable of singing strong harmonies…what more could I ask for? Many Prism records feature two guitars anyway—we can go there if we want. I’m flush with new songs, so now we have to put out albums. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I didn’t know you were a guitar player, until I saw you perform in Ottawa about 5-6 years ago. You did a slide solo that really cooked! What was it like “holding back” and playing bass all those years? Fortunately I’ve always played lots of guitar with other people, other projects, playing gigs around town when I’m off the road. It tends to be 85% guitar stuff, 15% bass. But yeah, over the decades I’ve sometimes grown a bit weary explaining to people that the bass slot in Prism is not my main activity. The slide solo has been kind of a wink-and-nod to that fact. My function in the earlier days of Prism was that of utility duties, as opposed to what I do best. So I was holding back, certainly. I had to let loose in other bands, other projects—but now Prism is the place where I can get it all together. John Hall, our first keyboardist, played a strong left-hand Mini-Moog bass, so we used to put me on guitar quite a bit in those early days. I played guitar on a number of Prism records, of course. There have been times since, if we had a keyboardist who could play bass, or a guest bassist like Ab Bryant joining in, I’d move over to guitar onstage in Prism; regular tuning, not slide. Lindsay and I always played well together on guitars, even back in the old Seeds of Time days. When you switched back to guitar, did you have to re-think you stage gear and sound, or were you already well prepared to strap on the six-string? Due to playing all the time, I slipped into the full-time Prism guitar role easily. Sound-wise, we’ve always subscribed to a fairly un-processed sound, where the distortion is such that you can still hear the pick hit the string on the attack—a blues-based style. That’s why Steve-O fits so well with us—he understands where that comes from. Still, it’s a gas to be responsible for the guitar parts throughout the entire show. My fingers just fell where they should. Songs like “Flying” hadn’t been played according to the parts on the record in decades either, so suddenly the right part is there—the flavour of the original record, ‘cause I played guitar on it. Any favorite guitar equipment, or "toys" that you use? The talk-box belonged to me—we had two of them in the old days. I gave mine to Lin and recently bought a brand new one by Jim Dunlop. I’ve been using an old CE-1 Boss stereo pedal since the early ‘70s—bought it brand new. It’s the big one, weighs a ton, no batteries, just AC plug-in, and has the Leslie-like second effect. I understand Jimmy Page still uses one. I also run a Boss compressor and octave box occasionally. I’m looking to obtain a tube boost pedal. Tony Della Croce of the Headpins is going to wire my pedal board so the guitar bypasses it, going direct when nothing is switched on. Gotta have that “straight-in” capability. I bought a rare amp last year, a Fender Vibro-King. Warm, complex definition; a great sound. I’m still looking for a very early Vox AC-30, very crunchy, if you can find a good one. Lindsay Mitchell added a great deal to the classic guitar sound of Prism (including the "harder than it looks" talk-Box). What can guitar fans expect to hear on the new CD? Lindsay and I are the same-generation, same roots, same slow-hand style. Steve-O and I talked about this on the phone last night. It’s part rock, R&B, part blues & country—that’s the Prism guitar style. On the new CD we intend to show off a bit, sure. I’ll get saucy, and get some slide guitar in there too; maybe acoustic dobro. Steve-O can shred fusion, so I hope to hear some of that. He just bought a new Telecaster-style hybrid guitar, with a very flat board, 22 frets. Teles are the sort of thing we’ve always used in Prism. You have taken on the role of lead vocalist in Prism. What singers influenced or inspired you early in your career, and whom do you admire now? I’ve never subscribed to any one main influence. I heard Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home” today on the radio, en route from the airport after a Prism show. I wiped away a tear, he was so good—you can hear the black church, R&B & pop all brought together in Cooke. And by Rod Stewart’s own admission, if you hear Sam Cooke, you understand where Rod got it all from. As a kid I had to shake off a childhood affectation of the youthful Mick Jagger—I was the kid who sang like Mick Jagger. I guess the first guys I heard were the early rock people; Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, and blues--Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf. Then hearing the way the Beatles re-interpreted it all—their incredible Everlies-based harmonies with McArtney throwing a Little Richard “whoop!” in, it all opened up, widened. And the early Stones’ blues interpretations with Keith & Mick’s songwriting—that was all I needed to know. I soaked up everything back then, the Righteous Brothers, Eric Burdon, the Hollies, many people. My older sister had soul records, Ike & Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. I was just another kid playing in bands, singing the songs of all these guys. In the Seventies I really enjoyed the late Robert Palmer’s early records, Sneakin’ Sally and Pressure Drop; Little Feat & Leo Sayer’s first albums too. There was also an English guy named Frankie Miller, white soul stuff. I enjoy the crooning of Bowie, Bryan Ferry, ABC, Sinatra—but I can’t do it. I’m of the school where the white kid sings black, and it comes out rockabilly, y’know? Now I’m getting into Ron Sexmith’s work, but I’m not sure if it’s the songs or the singing. I like the guy in Train, too. If I hear something new on the radio, I’ll sing along with it, if nobody’s within earshot! You seem very comfortable and enthusiastic about the current chapter of the band, and your new position in it. Do you wish that you had become the lead singer a long time ago, or do you believe the timing is finally right? That’s the “What if?” question. I remember when I came into the band, my biggest concern was giving up leading and singing in my own band. Too many times I’ve pondered what might’ve happened if I’d chased down that personal musical trail instead of doing what I did. It’s got nothing to do with how much success one might’ve had; it’s just about getting the music out. But we all must live in the present, accepting our past & with an eye on the future. So yes, the time is right. Obviously for any band releasing a new CD, the goal is to please old fans, as well as capture a new audience. What will the long-awaited Prism album sound like, and how to you plan to appeal to today's market? I don’t care about any market. But certainly as a new Prism album, it’s following some criteria—I do think about the old fans, that they should enjoy the new stuff. And if an artist is listening to current music, ears open, the music he makes will sound new, modern, while still bearing that personal expression. I believe you can hear the whole history of a recording artist in his/her new stuff—it’s just an accumulation of where the person has been. I’m trying to please myself—to get the art out. So it follows that a larger audience should agree, ha-ha. I think that’s how it works for any artist who doesn’t have a major record label breathing down his neck to cater to a perceived “market”. We’ve been there. But the expectations are more pragmatic, realistic these days. I’d really hope the new album will reach out and capture a wider audience. I believe the situation today, despite troubles with copyright, is a healthy one creatively, because there are so many styles, so many mini-trends, that there aren’t any rules. As far as sound goes, it’s four guys in a modern studio on real-time instruments. We’ll certainly have better drum sounds than the old records, and more grooves. Who is producing Full Circle, and can you speculate on a release date? It’s still early in the game, mid-pre-production, but we’ve taken a multi-producer approach so far. Some producers are more hot engineers, which is what we want, not a concept guy, an image-maker, target marketer or song-finder. Keith Stein at Mushroom studios is involved with the band’s sound off the studio floor this time. Check the liner notes from See Forever Eyes, and you’ll notice how far back our relationship goes. Arranger Michael Creber is coming in for some things. I’m in the middle of it all as writer and co-producer—I know what I want. Maybe “referee” is the right word. Prism has had so many radio hits over the years; is that something you are aspiring to repeat, or are you more concerned with just making music from the heart? It’s about making music from the heart. It’s album art, really. Radio and retail, along with the rest of the music business, is in such a state of upheaval, it’s another topic. I like what Marah recently said, namely, short of NewsWeek magazine running a front-page story on you, your chances of some mainstream breakthrough are dim. So we’re going to make the best album of our lives, and with the marketing people doing their best to make sense of today’s situation, simply make it available. It’s music from the heart made available. Radio has always been good to us—if a song or three caught fire on radio, I’d be the happiest guy. We’ll see. We don’t have any licensing deal with a major just now, and I’m cool with that. Since you are the only founding member of Prisms current lineup, are you also taking on the role of primary songwriter as well? Steve-O recently said to me, “I’ll bet you’ve been writing this album for the last ten years, right?” Since Jericho was the last one, that’s right. I’ve had this album in my head for a long time. But Steve-O and I have been writing together, and we’re establishing that partnership—he’s a cool guy to write with. We’re sneaking a pet cover-version of an old obscure rockabilly song on the album, and Jim Vallance has given the nod to our recording an older song he wrote for us too. In the final tally, the best songs win. That is, the best ones that fit together cohesively as one album—there are always gems that get left off. But this album is holding together as a unit, a mood—even the lyrics have a thematic thread throughout. I’m sure I’ll be thinking of the album after this one as the process moves along. In many ways it’s my baby—my neck is on the line here. I’m putting my face out and saying THIS is the next record, with myself as lead singer. For now I know I’ve got ten songs that are among the best I’ve ever written, ready to go. What inspired you to write in the early days, and what inspires you now? I was a young teen when the Beatles and Bob Dylan hit. Too young to think about it, I just assumed songwriting was a huge part of what a person did. Happily, I was/am a songwriter, although I recall a later time when the first 4-track home machines were coming out, when every musician fancied him/herself as a writer. Of course the two disciplines are very different. It was a bad time to be in bands—everyone came through the door with all manner of dreck that happened to rhyme, convinced that it was a hit song. I believe young musicians today generally realize the difference. When I became a believer I got into the gospel greats, Mahalia Jackson, Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Soul Stirrers, and others. I checked out contemporary guys like Larry Norman and Russ Taff, whom I recommend to anyone. I recorded a body of work in that vein which is still sitting unreleased. I intend to get back to that. I stay watchful for the writer’s muse, often from unlikely sources. If a passing car has the stereo playing, I might hear a quick line, then recast it in my head with a different kind of band playing it. Lyrically, thematically, these days I seem to be drawn by anything from bits of conversation to magazine covers. I’m seeking out a specific episode of the old Twilight Zone TV show with Rod Serling right now—I intend to write a song based on that show, hoping that some of Serling’s dialogue will help trigger some lyrics. Seriously. How was the 2005 tour? When will you be back on the road again? The 2005 tour was a blast. Again, my face was on the line, presenting the revamped band. Doing some larger outdoor gigs and arenas, there’s a lot riding on it—the agents and promoters are trusting it’s going to be great, so it better be great. We rocked, and found it difficult to stop and go home when it was over. For your U.S. and international fans, do you have any plans to take Prism outside of Canada in support of the new album? Yes, we have a new US agent, and are told some US dates are being negotiated now. We’ve always had an audience in England and Germany too, and we’ve never toured there—I really want to go there soon. I’m hoping the new album will stir some fresh interest. You’ve already had an incredible lifetime of touring and performing; any wild road stories you care to share, from long ago and/or recent times? (Don't be shy, we're all friends here!) Heavens, no! I’ve led a sheltered life, not even an overdue library book! Wait until my book comes out--it’s all about the craziest adventures. My poor wife believes I’ve had nine lives—I’m on the ninth now… I’m just hoping some of the stuff from the old days didn’t affect my life expectancy. But by the grace of God… Of all the bands you toured with, who did you hit it off the best with, and who were the least pleasant? (You came to Ottawa in ’79 or ’80 with The Village People!) The bands who opened for us we’ve never been able to hang with much, although we’ve been friendly. Early on, of course, we opened for a number of people. When Meatloaf hit in ’78, we were on that tour, all over the USA, for months. We became quite friendly—Meat taught Ron Tabak a lot about psyching up for a show. Both of them would punch walls, dent locker-rooms, throw chairs. I’d look at my watch and say, “Oh, it must be time to go on!” I dated Carla Devito in New York during our time off that tour. Meat’s band were all New York people, session & theatre pit band stuff; interesting guys. We became friendly with Cheap Trick back then, too, and toured a bit with AC-DC. But the biggest boyhood thrill for us at that time was touring with the Beach Boys. We grew up on their records, and we’d just been signed to Capitol-EMI, the Beach Boys’ label. Brian was very open & friendly. The rest of that story is in my book... What do you think of the current Canadian music scene? Isn’t it “scenes” in plural? It’s great that the same variety globally is found within this country. There’s an Aboriginal blues scene up north, Canadian jazz is global, so many artists are doing things. It’s hard to keep up—Hedley are doing well, Kalan Porter, Theory of a Deadman, Stars, Metric, Simple Plan and others. Artists who find success beyond our borders aren’t branded as Canadian, as though it’s the result of Can-Con regulations, legislated success—which was once the stigma. Artists just “are”, not from somewhere. The Cape Breton scene seems to know how to celebrate itself, ditto Canadian country people. Vancouver has grown up musically, but I don’t see real grassroots music scenes, clubs where new styles are nurtured. Bands like the Black Halos could be the exception. Here are the "fun five". Questions about the man behind the music! You spend so much time entertaining others - what do YOU do for entertainment? I wish. I have a young family, so between kids, home renos, music, church, trying to find a few hours’ sleep, I still seek out music to listen to, and read, if there’s time—I’m reading Miles Davis’ autobio “Miles” presently. It’s a running joke that I go on tour with Prism to relax. True—more time to read. What do you think of the current technology colliding with the music industry (Downloading, etc.) We live in interesting times—one view is that good old entrepreneurialism will win out, that commerce will find its way, iTunes-style, and we all get paid. Another view is that copyright is dead, it’s over—everything will soon be public domain, and nobody makes money in music. For now we all seem to be somewhere in between. I wouldn’t want to be nineteen and starting out right now, but all participants, from record companies big and small, through radio & retail to the recording artists must re-think what they’re doing. The home-made aspect is exciting—the grip of the major labels is broken, so it’s really interesting. Big fat superstar success is still an industry, but it’s so unrealistic for young artists to dream of world domination now—I talk to young musicians who simply hope they can grab enough of an audience to make a living and keep going. Sounds reasonable. You appear to be in tremendous shape. Do you do anything specific to stay fit and maintain the level of energy you do while performing? Thanks—loner sports, swimming, cycling, tennis in season; cardio-vascular stuff, no bulking-up. Small meals, lots of vitamins, it seems to do the trick. Do you have any pets? Besides the Stratocaster? Seriously, a dog, rabbit & guinea pig. Officially for my kids, but I supply the food & clean up. Since we've been talking about guitar playing and lead singer changes, who was better - Van Halen with David Lee Roth, or Van Halen with Sammy Hagar? (There is no right or wrong answer, but this is worth 20 % of your final score.) Sammy was a friend of John Carter, producer of our Small Change album. He would stop by late at night to our sessions at Sunset Sound and just hang out—he’s a great guy, wore a Yardbirds T-shirt. So I’m a disqualified juror, unable to answer that question. That said, I thought “Jump” with David Lee was the standout single of ’84, so there you go. Thanks again, Al....I know your fans will appreciate this as much as I do! No problem, Darren. Safe travels to you. Al Harlow www.prism.ca