In a recent interview following SMITH/KOTZEN’s March 5 acoustic performance at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen reflected on his time with POISON, particularly his work on the 1993 album Native Tongue, which he recorded after C.C. DeVille’s departure from the band.
“It’s something I’m quite proud of,” Kotzen shared. “I still have very vivid memories of making that record, and they’re definitely fond ones.” He went on to explain how young he was at the time, recalling the journey that led him to Los Angeles. “I had been moving back and forth between San Francisco and Philadelphia, working on albums for Shrapnel Records. Then, Interscope bought out my contract when I was 19 or 20, and they moved me to L.A. I spent a year working with Jimmy Iovine and Tom Whalley. We had Danny Kortchmar lined up to produce my album, which was a huge deal for me because he had just worked on Don Henley’s The End Of The Innocence, and I was really excited.”
However, things took a turn when Interscope pulled the plug on his album. “They told me, ‘We didn’t sign you to be a balladeer.’ I was so frustrated — I was barely 21 at the time, and I said, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing with me. Let me out of this contract.’”
It was during this turbulent time that Tom Whalley mentioned Bret Michaels was interested in meeting with him. “Bret had been calling about me. He saw me on the cover of Guitar World and wanted to meet,” Kotzen explained. “I was really thrown off by this — I didn’t want to make a hard rock album. I had all these songs ready for something else. But Whalley convinced me to meet with him, saying, ‘I don’t think you’re ready for the record you think you want to make.’”
Kotzen drove out to meet Bret in Calabasas, where he instantly hit it off with him. “The minute I met Bret, I really liked him. He’s from Pennsylvania, too, so it felt like home.” The two clicked, with Bret expressing his desire for a creative partnership. “Bret wasn’t looking for someone to just follow directions. He wanted a partner to write with. The rest of the band had some input, but it was mainly he and I who collaborated on the songs. I brought in a few songs I’d written for my solo album, like ‘Stand.’ We worked on it together, added a bridge, and I think we made a great record.”
Kotzen spoke highly of Native Tongue, noting that the album shipped gold, but despite its strong start, it faced challenges. “By the time the second single was ready, MTV had started turning away bands from our era. We got caught up in that, which was unfortunate, but I still love the record and am really proud of it.”
When asked about playing C.C. DeVille’s solos in concert, Kotzen admitted to taking some creative liberties. “I didn’t play them exactly as they were,” he said. “I did my best, but I couldn’t help it — I played them the way I felt they should sound, while still maintaining the integrity of what was originally written.”
