HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLES LEADER GRANTS
INTERVIEW!
REE-DON-DELLO, formerly the leader of the Hawaiian Pineapples Rock
Ensemble
finally emerges from the depths of the
South American jungle to grant this interview with Groovy Scene's
Tab Wenderson. |
 Tab Wenderson
>>>
Here's the cover from The
Pineapple's first release on Sniff Brown Records entitled
"Hono-Luau" How corny can you get! |
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G.S.: What
have you been doing for the last twenty-plus years?
R.R I've been
trying to keep my shit together. The failed tours in the seventies
really freaked me out.
G.S : Lots of
legit rock bands never have the opportunity to do a major tour, yet
they don't retreat to the wilds of South America.. Why the
extreme reaction to your unpopularity there ?
R.R : Once
you've toured with Hot Mont (who is the pinnacle of all legitimate
American pop culture to me) you'd understand how anything else seem
superfluous and anticlimactic! After our rejection by the Latin
audience here in South America, it was more than I could take. All
we ever wanted was a little piece of Hoot Mont's audience &
respect. We opened for him for 2 years in the states before
coming here to do the Tamontle tour. To be rejected by the same
people that adored Hot Mont was devastating to us as a band and even
worse for me as the leader .
G.S. Keeping
that rejection in mind, why would you retreat to the same place that
had rejected you?
R.R Well, if
you knew anything about the "Don't Give Me No Shit Twins", you
wouldn't have to ask. I'm one of those twins and it was no
retreat!
G.S. I've
heard rumors of this cult or whatever it is, but thought it was just
hearsay.
R.R. Nope;
we're the real McCoy! My brother & I can no more tolerate
critical rejection by an entire continent than we could stand by and
let someone pour out a perfectly good can of Pabst Blue Ribbon!
Anything important like that is worth fighting for as a
principle…you can't waste great beer & you can't dislike
my music, damn it! I had to come here to settle this at the source.
It's in my blood not to give in to anyone, to fight till no one is
left standing!
G.S.: What
was your biggest selling single?
R.R: That
would have to be "Steel Jock Strap" from the "Hawaiian Pumice Rock"
album. It was a song that played on bar room jukeboxes & helped
us sell a few extra "Pumice" albums off the stage.
G.S.: To what
do you attribute your dismal response by Latin American audiences
?
R.R : The
timing mostly. Pineapple membership became as large as a 27 piece
horn & string rock band, doing something that was revolutionary
for the U.S. in the early seventies, but maybe it appeared just too
strange to Latin American people. The fact that a lot of band
members were not musicians may have come into play, as the actual
music was a little rough. We've been compared to Captain Beefheart
in several articles.
G.S: I'd
compare you more to early Aqueous Digit or maybe even Mel Maas
Psychedelic Combo…. but with the addition of incredibly bad horns
& strings.
R.R. : Don't
give me no shit!
G.S.: Is it
possible that The Pineapples didn't survive the Tamontle Tour
because they were just too lousy?
R.R.: By god,
now I'm startin' to bow up! You better watch yourself. There aren't
many people who can outrun us D.G.M.N.S. Twins!
G.S.: I'm
festered up to a fever-pitch myself. Step back, we're gonna
rumble.
R.R: I'm just
about to delve into your ass, don't piss me off any
more! At this point, a major round of fisticuffs
erupted, bringing this interview to a halt, and dashing any
hope of any subsequent interviews with this strange character.
Listen to the Hawaiian Pineapples for yourself; I'm sure
you'll agree they were the worst band ever to land a major opening
act slot in history of rock'n roll. The first Pineapple album is
available on vinyl or eight track only from www.rottenrecords.net
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