Charlie Dominici interview (excerpts)

You released your first album at age 17. Please tell us more about the duo “Billy and Charles”.

Wow! I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast this morning! We were a couple of kids having fun. I think I have some of those recordings on my computer. Maybe I’ll get James LaBrie to sing and re-release them! HAHA!

You played guitar and sang backing vocals on the debut album of “Franke And The Knockouts” from 1981. What are your memories from those times?

A complete blur!

Have you been an official member of the band or only a guest?

I was in the original band that got the original record deal. After that, “Franke” and the guitarist “Billy” just kind of made the rest of us like side-men. If you listen to that 1st LP, you will hear my voice triple-tracked on every song. I also came up with the second guitar parts which Billy eventually played himself in the studio - note for note. Oh well, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” I guess.

Did you also tour with them?

Only on the second tour with Tico Torres.

Drummer Tico Torres joined the band after the debut album. Were you still in the band at that time and did you witness the beginnings of Bon Jovi?

Yea, Like I said, I didn’t go on the 1st tour cause I was pissed. When they asked me to tour after the second album, I did it because I wanted to have some fun. Tico was the new drummer (he replaced the original drummer “Claude LeHenaff”). All the while, unknown to us, Tico was auditioning for Bon Jovi. Where did that get him, HUH??

Tell us more about the times when you replaced Chris Collins in Majesty / Dream Theater.

I came in to the audition and they played me the song “Ytse Jam”. I was like: “Holy F*king SHIT”!! I sang a few of their songs and when they were about to say: “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” I asked to sing a song that they had no previous singer for. It was a rough version of “The Killing hand”. I sang an on the spot melody for it and about a week later Mike told me I was in the band. Pretty neat trick, HUH?

How did you feel changing from a bluesy hard rock act to a prog metal band?

Like being shot out of a cannon! “WWWAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

When you joined Majesty, did you already feel that this band had the potential to become a future supergroup?

Absolutely! I can honestly say that I had no doubt whatsoever that they would become what they are today and I still feel they are going to be even more so when the world catches up with them.

Tell us more about the recordings of the Dream Theater debut album “When Dream And Day Unite”.

We went into the studio, “Kajem Victory” in Philadelphia immediatley after “Queensryche” had just finished the “Operation Mindcrime” album there. They put us up in the same house that Ryche was in and I remember saying: “Which room was Geoff Tate in - I wanna be in that room so some of that majic might rub off on me”!

The whole album was done in something like 3 weeks. I had just a couple of days for my vocals so it’s almost like the vocals were a “live” perfomance. The producer of that album obviously had a “tin” ear. He made my vocals sound tiny in the mixes. Listen to the “Terry Brown” re-mixes and see the difference.

How pissed off was the band by the support of the label Mechanic/ MCA?

Pretty F*ckin’ pissed.

Why did you leave Dream Theater?

Ummm... I was abducted by aliens and I couldn’t get back in time for the next album so they got James instead.

The official Dream Theater biography states that “it would be like pulling teeth trying to get him (Charlie) to sing some of the stuff we (the rest of the band) wanted”. Your comment?

How can I comment with no teeth?

According to this biography, you were “fired in ‘90 but called back for one final concert supporting Marillion”. How did you feel during this concert?

I felt like I just had a “Peppermint Pattie”!

Have you remained in contact with the DT guys?

Yes, but I haven’t seen them in a while. The last time I saw them I was living in San Diego and I rode my motorcycle up to Hollywood to hang out with them at “House of Blues”. That was in Oct of ‘98 I think.

What’s your opinion of the post-Dominici DT albums?

“Post-Dominici”, I never heard them called that. Surely you give me too much credit. I was just the singer on the first album. James is the real DT vocalist. I think every one of those “post-Dominici” albums are awesome.

Have you ever attended a DT gig with James LaBrie singing?

Of course! He sang at all the concerts I’ve been to.