Singer Guitarist Randy Jackson:Talks New ZEBRA Album, Paul Stanley First Single co-Write & Kiss Audition
Jimmy Kay from The Metal Voice recently spoke to guitarist and vocalist of Zebra, Randy 'Jackson. In the chat, Jackson talks about the band’s upcoming new studio album, *Zebra 5*, how the first single was co-written with Paul Stanley and then talks about the band’s legacy and his audition for Ace Frehley’s position when he first left the band.
Photo by Kenny Kessel
Interview
"When asked about the Musical Direction of *Zebra 5* "
" I'm going to say that as far as Zebra records go, it's got a little bit of 'Zebra 3' in it because there's a lot of songs that have great hooks, nice choruses to them but it's heavier than the third Zebra album. I think people are going to love the album. I really do. It's a variety without being too confusing.
I also did a couple of songs with Edgar Allan Poe poems. One of them is called “The Conqueror Worm,” which people may be familiar with but there's another one that's called “Ulalume,” or you may call it you say “Ulalume.” You know, I've heard it pronounced both ways, but I pronounce it “Uli,” and it's a love song, you know. It's strictly a love song. I usually write music around lyrics. So, this was kind of a challenge, especially because of the language and the way the sentences were formed, and the words that he used and the order that he used them in. That's where the challenge was, you know, to figure out where, where's the chorus going to be? Where's the hook? What do I do?
When asked about his Paul Stanley Collaboration
" (Going back )My manager at the time, a guy named Scott Ross, he put us together. He made the connection. And, you know, I don't really remember how he did that, but he put the whole thing together. Kiss all knew of Zebra. I mean, we had opened up for them at that point down at the Superdome in New Orleans. And, uh, yeah, and we were on the local scene. They lived in New York, so they heard Twisted Sister and Zebra, and all these bands. So they were well aware of us.
Well, the first single is going to be a song that I wrote with Paul Stanley. It's a song called “Walk With You,” and we wrote it back when I was doing the China Rain album but it never made it to the record. Always a great song, but it was just one of those that, you know, well, we'll put, do it on the next album or something, and there was no next album. So, going through the older material that I had, I said, this is really good, we should do this with Zebra. So, I called Paul, got in touch with him, and he said, “Yeah, that sounds good. It was one session we wrote the song in. It was very quick, about two hours. I went to his place in Manhattan. That was like 1990, right around then. The song came out great. Did a demo. It was good. I still, of course, had the demo and we just kind of went off of that. We changed the arrangement a little bit."
When asked about his audition with KISS when Ace Frehley left the band
"They were looking for somebody after Ace originally left. So, they had heard of me and they flew me out to California and I went in and I'm going to audition but there's no band. It's just going to be me playing, by myself. And they put me with this little bitty amp. I did what I could. I had learned a couple of the KISS songs but they weren't even interested in that, and it was very quick. It was interesting, and I was flattered that they called me."
Track listing, listen to sinppets on Bandcamp
Dog Day Night
The Conqueror Worm
All Your Love
Walk With You
Love, Sex
I'll Be There Beside You
She's Waiting For You
Direction
Louisiana Way
The Last Time
Eulalie
Founded in 1975 in New Orleans, Louisiana, ZEBRA has accomplished what few rock bands ever have: five decades later, the band is still together, still recording, and still selling out venues across the country with its original lineup intact.
Randy Jackson, Felix Hanemann, and Guy Gelso remain at the heart of ZEBRA, making the band one of the longest-running American rock bands still touring with all of its original members. After more than 50 years together, ZEBRA continues to perform at the top of its game, bringing its classic catalog and new music to generations of loyal fans while attracting a new generation along the way.
In the 1970s, ZEBRA built its reputation as a hard-rocking cover band throughout the New Orleans bar and club scene before taking a chance on the thriving rock circuit of Long Island, New York. The move put the band within reach of the New York City music industry and the record companies that could potentially take ZEBRA to the next level.
For several years, ZEBRA split its time between the New York Tri-State area and southern Louisiana, relentlessly building a following and playing as many as 250 shows a year. The band recorded two demo tapes and shopped them to record labels and radio stations. Both New York’s WBAB-FM and New Orleans’ WRNO-FM began playing songs from the demos, with “Who’s Behind the Door?” becoming a particular favorite and frequent listener request.
That hard work paid off. In late 1982, ZEBRA signed a major recording contract with Atlantic Records. The band’s self-titled debut album, produced by legendary producer Jack Douglas—known for his work with Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, and John Lennon—became a gold record and established ZEBRA as a major force in American rock.
The album spent eight months on the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 29, and launched the band onto major tours. ZEBRA quickly became known for its powerful live performances, musicianship, and distinctive blend of hard rock, progressive rock, and classic influences.
More than five decades after forming, ZEBRA has never stopped moving forward. The band continues to tour extensively and bring new music to its fans with its latest album, ZEBRA V.
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