Chords for Body Count: Finally We're Recognized for Good Songs, Not Just Color

This is Ernie C from Body Count.
This is Vincent Price from Body Count.
And you're watching Loudwire. _ _
[Bb] Hey everyone, Graham from [Gb] Loudwire here with Ernie C and Vincent [C] Price of Body Count.
Thank you guys so much for [Ab] joining me today.
I appreciate it so much.
Cannot [A] wait to see you guys perform today.
We [Bb] can't either.
I'm stuck in this tent all day but I'm going to make a point to run the hell [B] out
and make sure I see you guys play.
[N] Absolutely.
So a lot of people, myself included, [Dbm] are saying that Blood Lust is the best Body [B] Count album yet.
How does it feel to get such great praise after so many [C] years in the game?
And what do you think about this as maybe [Eb] the definitive Body Count album?
[A] _ I'll [Cm] take the answer for that.
Finally the band is recognized for good songs and not just for the color [Bb] or anything else.
Finally they know that we're actually good players and we can write good music.
And now we [C] have a record that presents it.
[Eb] Before it was like, [B] whatever, whatever, whatever.
But now people are accepting music a little bit [Bb] more and they're starting to understand
that Body Count can actually write good songs.
I say every 25 [Cm] years we write a really good record.
So [Gb] 25 years ago we wrote a great [Ab] record for the first record for the band.
This is 25 years later, [C] exactly 25 years, almost to the [G] month,
we wrote another great record.
So [Ab] hopefully they'll get more consistent over the years.
[C] Not 25 years.
No, not 25 years.
So what I love about Body [Cm] Count is you guys are really the only metal band around
[G] that's able to convey the black experience to a [Bb] predominantly white audience.
It's a very [B] unique position to find yourself in.
Especially since when it comes to black issues a lot of [Abm] people,
they tend to not want to listen.
So when you have this audience you're [E] actually making them listen.
Is that one of the goals of Body Count at this [G] point in your career?
Let me answer this one.
[Bb] When we started the band we wanted to [G] relay the black experience,
the inner-spirit center [B] experience to everyone.
[C] Because you know, the Beach Boys write about the beach.
That's what [B] they write about.
That's where they live.
We live south central.
So when we started the band we wanted to put that energy forward
so everyone could understand what we go through [G] in the inner city.
You guys have been opening on your most recent dates
with Raining Blood [C] and Post Mortem by Slayer.
How has the crowd reaction been [G] to that?
Are people confused at first or is it a complete pit [Cm] explosion kind of opening for the band?
When we first opened up with the song [D] we had never recorded the song.
So now that we've recorded the song we're like, [Gm] oh, okay.
Now they get it.
But at first it was like we [F] opened up with the song before we actually recorded the song.
So [G] that was like a shock to everybody.
It's no secret we dig the band.
Flattery is the best form of, you know.
Yes.
[C] So it's no secret.
And on the Bloodlust record [Eb] Ice-T makes sure to make a point to everybody
that he [A] started the band, Ernie, so you had [G] an outlet to play guitar and really shred.
[Eb] I think you're a very underrated guitarist.
I mean you shred with the best of them.
Thank you [C] so much.
And also he started the band so I could start borrowing money from him.
[G] So he gave me an income.
That's the way to do it.
Get your friends in a band so [C] they can make money so you won't borrow money from them.
The ones that can play guitar, you know.
So what can you tell me about those early days of when Ice would hear you [Cm] play guitar,
hear you shredding and be like, [G] man, I've got to start a band with this guy.
Well, you know, I played on all his early records.
I played on Rhyme Pays and all that kind of stuff.
[C] And before that, Quiet is kept.
We did a movie, those rap movies back [G] in the beginning of time,
like Electric Boogaloo and things like that.
[C] We've been playing music for over 30 years, maybe 35 years.
It [Bb] was just a natural progression to get to where we are now.
[A] You can only put so much rock guitar on [D] a rap record.
So where we are now is [Eb] where we need to be.
[Bb] Yeah, it's hard to really shred solos on a rap record and keep [C] the same vibe going.
It almost doesn't [Gm] work.
With Ice being a real busy guy,
there's only [Bb] certain periods of time where Body Count can be really active
and that [C] be his real [G] primary focus.
So what do you see going forward with Body Count?
[Cm] What do you think the future holds for you [A] guys?
Well, when we were [Bb] getting everything back
and we were getting a new label and everything,
I talked to Ice and I was [C] like,
we [G] don't have to play clubs, we don't [Bb] have to tour.
All you do is you just do festivals
and that's where you can spend all your [C] energy.
And he was like, look, alright, we'll be coming.
[Eb] I tell him.
On the weekends, [Gm] that's when I do my job.
[A] So he says, look, every Saturday, every Friday I'm there.
So we can't [D] do the band and we don't have the stop.
And the [Bb] same thing with recording the record.
When we take this hiatus from Law & Order,
[C] that's when we get to write and record the record.
So we'll be doing it every year, basically.
There's no stopping.
Another thing that people may [D] not know
is that you guys took Rage Against the [Cm] Machine on tour
before they really exploded.
[Am] Ice was saying that [C] after every show
that they opened for you guys, he was like,
oh my God, I need to really ramp it up
to make sure [Am] that we can blow these guys off stage.
What are some memories you have of that [A] era of Body Count?
I have the original demo [Gm] cassette from Rage.
Tom is my [Cm] good friend.
I've known Tom forever.
I knew [D] him when he was in lockup on [Eb] Gaffin Records,
I know, before Rage.
But when I [Bb] have their original, all those songs,
I have all those [B] first songs from the first record and more.
But when I heard their band, I said to myself,
true talent will always find a way.
And they have a band that was true talent.
It was on point.
It was good for that time.
So there was no denying their success.
They opened for us.
It [Cm] was just a pleasure to play with them [Bm] during that time.
[Bb] That time was exciting for music.
We had STP playing, opening [G] for us under the name of Mighty Joe Young.
Music was exciting [D] in the early 90s.
It's exciting [Cm] now, I guess if you're living it.
[B] But I thought it was more exciting then.
I probably agree with you there.
Well [Am] guys, thank you so much for [Eb] your time.
I appreciate it so much.
Make sure you get Bloodlust.
[Bm] And we'll see you at [Bb] your awards show.
[Em] The first ever Loudwire Awards.
We're so, so happy to have Body Count rip that place [F] apart.
It's going to be [C] great.
You're going to want to [A] see it.
We cannot wait, guys.
Thank you so much for showing up.
Thank you.
Thank you for having us.
[C] _ _ _ _