E - Paul quit. we were bummed.. but I later on in life realized he was just sick of me and Billy arguing. Paul is an only child.. no Paul has a sister, but I don't know what it was, he was more introverted.. he just couldn't stand the loud noise or something.. and after a while, he just had to go.. and do his own thing I guess.. but I knew it was because of our behavior.. and I was a friend of Richie's for a long time, another Mike Varney protégé.. Ritchie is some kid out of Pennsylvania, same as Paul.. and ah... kinda cocky.. but he was funny. and I always liked him.. excellent guitar player.. and a really good singer...I loved hearing his voice, always thought it was bluesy and soulful.. kinda from the same schooling I was from.. and we latched on as friends.. so we were gonna audition some people.. and that's one of them I put in the hat.. and he came in and played.. and he was in the band, simple as that. .. he added so much to the band..  he's not a Paul Gilbert... well Paul was a great songwriter as well as a great guitar player.. they both have chops.. but you get used to one guy after so long.. but Richie had soul. and actually in the beginning I would say we were a bluesy rock band.. like Free.. and Bad Company, but we were never that way, I thought I was that way, but I never though the band was that way. So when Richie got in the band we finally became a soulful metal band.

 

J - Then you went to Japan.. toured a few more times, and released a few more cds.. but what actually led to the break-up?

E - Well the band had been together for 13 years.. there was a lot of going up a ladder.. its such a cliché thing.. when your on top.. everyone's happy and when your back down at the bottom and struggling trying to get back to the top again, everyone's got a bad attitude.. but what happened... (long pause)... I don't know....I'm gonna tell ya.. haha.. Billy and I.. hey he just, I think from the beginning, we just got off on a bad foot.. a lot of miscommunication, to the point of.. he would tell me what to do.. and I would do it.. then I would get tired of him telling me what to do so I would argue with him about it, and he would say Eric..we need the same thing.. but I think it was my ego back then.. I fuckin didn't want this guy telling me what to do all the time... and he was just comfortable.. in his control freak costume.. and I just didn't like to take it.. ya know..  I moved out of my parents home when I was 17, I don't feel like I needed to be talked to that way all the time, and I never did the right thing in his eyes, I never dressed the part.. he was trying to groom me for years.. on how to be a front man.. and I just got sick of it.. and rebelled.. and I wanted to be in the band.. I loved the band, loved writing songs for it. it was a huge creative outlet for me.. I wrote some of my best songs ever in Mr. Big.. onstage I loved it.. off stage it was pathetic, a lot of whispering, and talking behind peoples backs.. and him and I just seemed to be in the butt of everything.. just utter turmoil..

 

J - ya know I would have had no idea.. you really couldn't tell.. I've been following the bands forever, and a lot of bands you can tell there is animosity. but I had no idea.. till recently I went to the Mr. Big site.. and how rude it was...hahaha.. It says.. we will never be together again, there will never be a reunion..hahaha...

E - Billy wrote that..

J - Ya I know cause then I see email me if you would like to talk to me.. and its Billy's email address...hahah.. so I figured there was a problem..

E - Ya we never played it off.. like Joe Perry and Stephen Tyler would have fights on stage.. and not to say I'm in the same league as them. I'm just saying from a fighting level..

although. there would be times during the show.. in the song called "Price You Got to Pay" and I come over and put my arms around Billy and play his bass.. while he would play harmonica.. just a little thing, but he would shake me off all the time, if he was in a mood or something.. or had Eric Martin disease that day. I would smile..and just say everything is great..cause I don't want the fans to know we don't like each other..ya know..hahaha.. but backstage man..... like on the last tour,the farewell tour..well the events leading up to it.. see we had whole 6 - 7 months that went by before we did that record.. we had time away from each other.. and we got together at Richie's house.. me, Pat and Richie.. and Richie Zito.. who's the producer for Cheap Trick..etc.. and we came in and Billy wasn't around, he was doing the Steve Via tour.. and creating his own record.. and was kinda like.. big deal he's not here.. because when he's here he's gonna give me a dirty look and I'm gonna go what the hell are you doing.. and he's gonna be like fuck you.. it will be just a turmoil thing... so he wasn't there, and he finally came after a couple of weeks.. and we had already written a bunch of songs the 3 of us.. so there was some animosity there, and jealousy.. ya know.. he would say he was going to bring in songs, and never did. then we did photo sessions...and he had just kinda had it with me.. and look I'm not perfect.. I mean I can be a little shit ..a little devil at times  but never been a pre-madonna.. never been conceited, nothing like that. but when I feel like I'm getting "Eric I'm gonna sit you down and give you a little talk" I have no patience for that.. when its the same shit alll the time..."don't wear jeans and a t-shirt, don't wear... don't talk to the audience.. don't.." well what do ya think of my new song.. "well it don't kill me".. after a while, I kinda became my own guy, and not that you couldn't talk to me, I didn't like the tone. Pat even noticed .. he would say. "I see what your saying Eric".. Ritchie would just say.. "Hey man.. leave me out of it.. man.. I've been in Poison.." haha.. remember that?

 

J - ya..

E - Well that didn't work out.. so he said keep me out of it.. put me in no mans land.. hahaha...
So we did a video for a song that was on the Actual Size album called "Shine" and it was a nightmare.. and the director was a huge fan of the band.. but he was almost in tears.. because Billy would be like nowhere to be found when we take a break, and he would ask would you come over here please.. and Billy would be like "what" all rude, he was disrupting the whole thing.. and I remember that day.. and I walked up to him.. and was like hey dude.. what's wrong? and he goes "nothing man ..everything is cool".. and I would say.. I know its me.. you don't like me.. but can we just do this?...and he goes "its not you, its me.." he used to always say that. and so we did the video.. and it was not good..

So Pat gave me a call and said.. I cant take it anymore, I couldn't believe it.. usually its me saying I cant take it anymore.. Paul quit.. I was even leaning towards it.. but as cliché is at may seem.. the fans dug us.. even though we didn't dig each other.. the fans really dug us.. so Pat convinced me.. as I'm sitting there in the middle of dinner.. on the phone, and having a couple glasses of wine.. after about an hour and half.. he convinced me.. and I was like look.. I know he's not immortal.. but Billy is the icon of the band.. and if we kick him out.. the fans are never going to understand.. ya know.. even though he's not being a team player at this moment.. and Pat's like no we can get another bass player.. and I was like.. we are making a huge mistake. I mean I don't have any love for the guy, but we can't  do it in this manner.. we should just break up. but I go ok.. you got my vote.. so I was one of the ring leaders.. so we call Richie.. and he's hosing off  his front porch... hahaha.. this is what Pat told me.. I said.. hey have you Richie about it?.. "oh ya.. I called him 5 min. before I called you".. hahaha and he said he was hosing off his front patio..and he said.. "hey do what ya gotta do." hahaha and I went.. wow. loyalty.. gotta love the guy!. then Pat tried to call Billy...

Ya know I'm probably telling you more then you wanted to know..hahaa

J - Noooo... this is great....but let me flip the tape in case it ends..hahaha..
E - Ok.. now back to Musicmayhem... it should be Billy and Eric mayhem.. hahaha.. ya the mayhem twins.. haha..
Ok were was I..
 

J - You were getting ready to call Billy..
E - Ok ya.. so Pat called Billy.. and Billy is a screener.. I have a lot of friends like that, my guitar player in my band, ill call him and ill have this long conversation ..and if he wants to pick.. he'll pick it up.. ya know.. everybody does that.. so Pat basically told him.. hey its not working out.. well I don't know exactly what he said. I don't remember now.. he just said... and this is the easy way out.. but he said.. it appears your not happy with the band, so we don't wanna make you unhappy anymore, and the long and short of it.. we no longer need your services.. and Billy was really pissed off... and what's really twisted about this is he had already spoken to magazines prior even doing the "Shine" video.. and said the Actual Size record sucked.. and that my songs sucked.. and Richie's "Shine" sucked and he told everybody.. at least this is what I was told.. he told everybody in magazine world.. media.. that this record was gonna rock.. and it was gonna be heavy.. and it ddn't turn out that way.. maybe because of his influence too.. cause he didn't write anything.. ya know.. cause my characteristic is  I write.. pop rock songs, or acoustic songs.. and it always turns out to be a single.. and I'm happy about that.. but that's what I do.. well that's what I did... I write a lot of rock songs but they never got anything.. it was like "ya..ya Eric.. leave it to the professionals".. do you have the last record?

J - Not the last.. last one.. no..
E - Well its a really good record. a melodic rock record.. reminate of Lean Into It, which had "To Be With You" on it.. but it had a lot of great songs.. it wasn't Soundgarden or Metallica like Billy had made it out to be.. so he slogged us in the magazines before hand.. so when he gets booted.. "the stupid booting"...he tells everyone on the internet.. and the magazines that he had nooo idea it was coming. I always thought.. now come on.. that's like being in a marriage and your constantly fighting and picking on them.. then all the sudden they get divorced.. and they go... what happened.. what did I do... hahahaha.. that just kinda shocked the shit out of me.. he's an amazing bass player, he's charming, and he's a really intelligent person.. and he does have a really funny nice side to him. that's very endearing at times... but that's on a Friday.. then Saturday is a whole different ballgame... but Sunday could be better..

J - See I didn't know you had him leave.. did you guys actually have him leave.. or just break up?
E - oh... no no no no ... ill try and make this shorter.. the day after the "firing".. Richie calls me up.. and goes.. "oh god what do we do.. we're doomed!"...and I go... dude....cause see I'm here in the bay area, they are all in L.A. so Pat and Richie get together, and Pat says let me just go over there and talk to him.. and see where his head is at... and I was saying.. we already sank the ship.. its not gonna get any better, its gonna be back to the Billy Sheehan band.. trust me.. and it was... they got him back in the band.. for a minute.

He was in but.. this is exactly what he said.. "I love you Richie.. and I love you Pat.. and I don't necessarily hate Eric... but I want to make things work.." and I didn't trust him.. but I thought.. oh man I hope this is swept under the carpet.. because I really want the band back together.. the original one.. I didn't want some other fuckin bass players.. that would have been the kiss of death. So he couldn't make it on the promotion tour, cause he had the Steve Vai tour.. which Billy used to say.. "the first priority in my like is Mr.Big. Well my family then Mr.Big." ,but apparently its my family, Steve Vai, my record, then Mr.Big. hahahaha... so we went to Japan and told everybody he's back.. and the radio stations and said he's back...and we came back and are sitting in the promoters office.. and Pat is like, I just talked to Billy, and its going to be a farewell tour. and Richie's like......with a cloudy look... and I'm tearing up.. I'm like this is unfair.. and this is not cool.. but now that I look back on it, I guess it was a smart move.. because we were just wearing out or welcome.. the team was over... so we played this farewell tour.. we played 16 sold out shows.. and it wasn't great.. well it was a mess.. we would rehearse.. and we weren't talking  ..and it went back to me feeling like it was my fault or something.. because Pat, and Richie and Billy were best friends.. and I didn't know what happened.. so we head out there, and we have separate cars.. separate floors of the hotels, the 3 of us ate together, and Billy ate by himself.. it wasn't cool.. but the last show was.. well I don't think it was a greatest show, but the energy.. it was really good energy. and at the end me and Billy kinda hugged. and we went to the hard rock cafe, the whole band, promoter and our record company.. which another thing.. when I found out about the farewell tour.. so did the record company.. and they were like "what?" your our biggest band here... so it was a shock to everybody.. haha.. anyway, we did that gig, and we got along great... and it kinda weirded me out.. cause we did get along.. ya know. then we didn't.. then we did.. that was our life. but I think we made really fun music, both musically........