10 Stupid Questions

BOONE TO BE WILD

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By Rob Brunner

Twelve years after David Lee Roth strutted his way through the big-band/heavy metal hybrid ''Just a Gigolo,'' clean-cut '50s teen idol Pat Boone is following Diamond Dave's lead. On his new album, Pat Boone in a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, the devout Christian swears off his usual MOR material, turning instead to big-band versions of hard-rock classics like Van Halen's ''Panama'' and Metallica's ''Enter Sandman.'' Will his loungy rendition of ''You've Got Another Thing Comin''' propel Judas Priest into the top 10? You never know. This is the man whose sterile cover of ''Tutti Frutti'' tamed Little Richard for the masses.

1. Of the people you cover on Metal Mood, whom would you most like to hang out with?

I'd like to spend more time with Alice Cooper (''No More Mr. Nice Guy''). We've actually played golf together.

2. You've sold over 45 million records, more than any metal band. Any tips for boosting sales?

Just keep hacking away. That's what I do in golf.

3. Which Pat Boone song do you think would most likely convert metalheads?

[Long pause] Um...well, I guess ''Speedy Gonzales.'' Yeah, that might say to somebody, ''Hey, he is capable of doing some righteous rock.''

4. If Jesus were alive today, would he be in a metal band?

[Laughs] Well, He wouldn't be in a band, because He was the leader. He'd start one.

5. You made a cameo appearance on Moonlighting 10 years ago. Which sitcom would you most like to guest on now?

3rd Rock From the Sun. A totally out-there character from some place nobody else has ever been. I'm a descendant of Daniel Boone, and a sense of exploration was one of his great characteristics.

6. Okay, so what would Daniel Boone's band sound like?

Raw, untrained, spontaneous, with a woodsy flavor. Like George Jones or Clint Black.

7. Having recorded ''Panama,'' what's your take on the Van Halen mess?

Do you prefer Sammy or Dave? David and Eddie are like those little Scottie dogs with magnets that repel each other. But between the two guys as singers, that's a tough question. To me, talentwise it's a coin toss.

8. What's next, polka renditions of punk songs?

I've got plenty of great, heavier metal for volume two -- songs by Megadeth, Poison, Black Sabbath. But I have a couple of other shocking, unexpected ideas. I don't want to say anything; I'm worried that somebody's gonna beat me to it. I really think Tom Jones, for example, is gonna gnash his teeth that he didn't think of this first when he hears it.

9. Did you let your daughter Debby listen to metal when she was a kid?

We did have a real row over Jimi Hendrix. I walked in her room one day and there was a psychedelic poster of him. I got real upset.

10. So was she thrilled to hear that you've covered Hendrix's ''The Wind Cries Mary''?

Well, she thinks I'm nuts.

Posted Jan 31, 1997 | Published in issue #364 Jan 31, 1997 | Order Article Reprints