It hasn’t been an easy road by any stretch of the imagination for Chip Z’Nuff, bassist, vocalist, primary songwriter and co-founder of American rock band Enuff Z’Nuff.
But the fierce energy displayed by the band, the unmistakable energy, vibrancy and all-around bass-assery of the songs on the veteran group’s latest album, Diamond Boy, set to be released today – Aug. 10 – through Frontiers Music, is a bold statement that the power of perseverance, a commitment to continued artistic excellence and the simple joy of connecting with an audience can overcome even the most daunting of situations and histories.
“It’s still an art to write songs that are five minutes long that are going to catch and hold your attention. I like to think we have captured that on this record. It’s 46 minutes of right in your face, good pop rock, or glam rock or glitter rock – whatever you want to call it. It’s a very organic sounding record and that’s because the band is playing together. It’s about the performances,” he said, speaking highly of current bandmates Tony Fenelle (rhythm guitar) and drummer Daniel B. Hill, both who joined the band in 2016, as well as lead guitarist Tony Stoffregen, who has been at Z’Nuff’s side since 2008.
“Everything about this record came naturally. I had the songs already and it was just a matter of getting into the studio and recording them properly. And one of those ways is the old fashioned 2-inch tape, like the big boys used to do back in the day. So, it’s an analog record. When I was in the studio singing the songs, I did them in one or two takes because I told the producer and engineer that I am not interested in plunking things in line by line, note by note because I won’t be able to reproduce them live. So, I would just sing like I would sing them on stage. And that’s why Diamond Boy came out so wonderfully. It was like going back to the 1970s with a very low-fi, hi-fi mixed record. And the songs are very in your face and are about what’s happening in the world now. We’re ridiculously happy with how it turned out.”
Enuff Z’Nuff formed in Chicago in the mid-1980s and had landed a major record deal with Atlantic/Atco by 1989, releasing their glam-rock infused self-titled debut album which featured the massive radio and video hits New Thing and Fly High Michelle. Even with the advent of the grunge movement and the seismic shifts it created within the music industry, Enuff Z’Nuff’s second album – the grittier Strength – was a critical and commercial success and led to appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and Howard Stern’s radio show.
Financial issues caused the band to declare bankruptcy and moved on to Arista Records, which released their third album, Animals with Human Intelligence in 1993. Enuff Z’Nuff the bounced between smaller labels before landing with Frontiers in time to release an album of previously unreleased songs called Clowns Lounge in 2016.
Diamond Boy is the first Enuff Z’Nuff album to feature Chip Z’Nuff on lead vocals, replacing the departed co-founder of the band, Donnie Vie, who left for good in 2013.
“I don’t hear from him, but I hope he is doing well. When he left, I looked at bands like Journey, Foreigner, Styx and Stone Temple Pilots who went other places to find singers and did well with them. But then I looked around and thought ‘what about Genesis? When Peter Gabriel left, Phil Collins took over.’ So, it was either that or give up. I could join Adler’s Appetite again [he had played with the band, formed around former Guns ‘N Roses drummer Steven Adler, for a number of years during a hiatus from Enuff Z’Nuff] or I go out [as a sideman] with Missing Persons again. They were all possibilities,” he said.
“But I said no. I wanted to give this is shot, I wanted to front the band. And I remember when my mother was still alive she used to say, ‘honey, he is not coming back. You sing the songs.’ I look at Donnie as one of the quintessential singers of my generation and it’s a tough seat to fill. But a car has a front and a back seat, and I chose to be in the front seat from day one. And I always have been whether I have been a passenger and now the driver. I decided to take it on. And after one rehearsal with the band we realized it sounded pretty good. It’s a good representation of Enuff Z’Nuff, it’s a new chapter is all.
“I will never be the singer Donnie is and I am not claiming to be. But I co-wrote those songs, I produced those records and I am really proud of my legacy and I was convinced I could do the gig. And the fans have spoken. We have done more than 200 shows like this and for the most part it’s been pretty positive. Fans want to hear the songs; they want to hear the songs that they heard the first time they fell in love, the first time they got high, the first time they went out to see a concert. I am holding onto that part of the past but also moving forward into the future I think we have put together a very nice record, and it’s something to build on for the future.”
The excitement and enthusiasm Z’Nuff has for Diamond Boy comes through loud and clear down the phone line, as he talked about how the band has endured ups and downs and seems to be stronger for the difficulty of the journey.
“We certainly went through our times down the difficult roads we have taken. There has been a changing of the guard with the band in a lot of ways in terms of band members. I lost a couple of guys [guitarist Derek Frigo died in 2004 and drummer Ricky Parent died in 2007] and we have had substance abuse problems in the past. But we fought through them and here we are putting out our 14th studio album. It’s really a blessing from above that we’re able to put out a new album and go out on tour. And I think people have been pleasantly surprised when they hear of this new chapter in Enuff Z’Nuff. We have fresh, brand new songs, and the band is fill of piss and vinegar right now. We’re pumped and ready and stronger than we ever have been,” he said emphatically, as he talked of the inspiration behind the songs that appear on Diamond Boy, which are real life situations, real people, real struggles, but also real hope and affirmations.
“I hate to talk about songs specifically because I like to leave it up to the listener; they have their own interpretations. But there’s a lot of fantasy in these songs. A lot of the songs we did on the past Enuff Z’Nuff records were very autobiographical. On this record I am writing more about other people and other things. And it’s not just about lipstick on a glass or a joint burning in an ashtray. It’s about what’s happening in the world, in social media and the internet and Facebook, Instagram, all those little things that seem to make the world go around these days. And there are obviously songs in there about fighting your demons and substance abuse and bullying and broken relationship. But there’s also songs on there about faith, hope and love – three words we all strive to find in our lives. So, it’s a big potpourri of songs and different things to write about. And I really believe there’s some answers in there for some people who have questions about what’s happening today.
“We still have songs about good times and love and partying and burning the candle at both ends, but it’s from a different approach. The songs are full of life and you can tell as soon as you put the record on the turntable or put your CD on. It’s not about smoke machines and people dancing around shaking their asses and scantily-clad chicks. It’s more real life, more down to earth.”
While many bands who achieved commercial success in the 1980s continue to tour but choose not to release new material, Z’Nuff said he can’t conceive of a time when he won’t compose, record and release new songs, be they under the Enuff Z’Nuff banner or as a solo project under his own name, as he did in 2015 with the album Strange Time.
“First of all, I continue to write because it trips my trigger, and we as a band are excited about putting out new music in this day and age. And the second reason is the fans want to hear new music too. And the fallacy that nobody wants to hear new songs is not true. If you go to a concert and you’re going to see a band like Cheap Trick or Dee Snider, who has just put out a great new album – if you love those hit songs and they’re iconic and they’re timeless, I think a majority of the fans, the real fans, would like to hear what the band is up to,” he said.
“And listen, there’s plenty of stuff to write about in the world. I think it’s only fitting that we put out a brand-new record and let everybody know that the band is still focused, alive and strong. And when you go play a concert, of course you’re going to play the hits, which is important because people know you for those songs. But it’s okay to slip in a couple of fresh new songs. It shows growth, and that you are still relevant and have the chops.
“If it’s a band that has history, like we do, it’s pretty easy to say that you want to go see that band because of certain songs that were exciting to you and were part of the fabric of your life growing up. But the die-hard fans out there, the ones that really love those groups, they want to hear some new material. They want to hear where the band is at today. And for us as a band, we don’t want to just go through the motions and play the songs we’ve been playing for 25 years; we want to play some fresh new stuff because it excites us as well.”
In recent touring, Z’Nuff said that he threw in some of the songs that would come be to be on Diamond Boy but did so with little fanfare. It was a way to seamlessly introduce the songs to their fan base, and also give him a sense of how they would fly in a live scenario.
“I think on this next tour, which is a package tour with Great White and Bulletboys, I will put a couple of new songs into the set, even though we’re only playing for an hour. You only get nine or 10 songs, but I still think that’s plenty of time to play a couple of new ones. But we won’t announce them, we will just go right ahead and play them. On the last tour we came out of the box playing the singles, but also some deep cuts like Kiss the Clown, In the Groove, which the fans love. And if course we did Baby Loves You, New Thing and Fly High Michelle,” he said.
“We did throw in a couple of the new songs in there before the record was even close to coming out and I think the reaction was unbelievable. People were coming to the merch booth after the shows and were asking which album the songs Metal Heart and Diamond Boy were on. And I told them, ‘hey guys, they’re coming soon. But in the meantime, here’s a greatest hits record or here’s our Covered in Gold album.’ I think there was a great reaction to the new songs. And to me, the fans have spoken – they want to hear new stuff, and we’re going to provide that for them.”
Z’Nuff said although there aren’t any tour dates set for Canada yet, he hopes that situation will be rectified soon.
“I love coming over the Canada. It’s one of my favourite places to play. I love Vancouver, I love Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City. There are so many great places to play. And some of my favourite bands are from Canada, I mean, who doesn’t love Rush? And I remember Saga – they’re a killer band – and toured with Triumph and I also remember seeing April Wine open for the Rolling Stones. So obviously we need to go there and play more shows. Last time out we did two dates there, Ottawa and Toronto, and they were both very well attended. I am hoping Live Nation spreads their wings and books us some shows towards the end of the year. I know Canadian fans are great; they love rock and roll,” he said.
For more information on Enuff Z’Nuff, the new album Diamond Boy and upcoming tour plans, visit https://www.enuffznuff.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for a quarter of a century. Besides his journalistic endeavours, he now works as a communications and marketing specialist. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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