In a recent interview with Backstage Pass Rock-News, Kenny Aronoff spoke of his time in John Mellencamp’s band, revealing the ups and downs of working with him. The drummer shared how Mellencamp’s pursuit of radio hits in the ’80s and ’90s affected his thoughts on the singer.
Aronoff recalled how Mellencamp asked his band to come up with ideas for number-one tracks and said:
“Suddenly, I realized, ‘Oh my God! This is not about me at all!’ This is about me getting a song on the radio. What is my contribution to that song, to that artist? What can I do as a drummer and a person to get that song on the radio to be number one? That’s Super Bowl mentality. You’re not thinking about you; you’re thinking about the team, the song, the artist. It’s not about me!”
About what the singer told them, he went on:
“That was a huge revelation for me, and that is what made me who I became. So, he was right. I need ideas to get these songs out on the radio to have hits. He said, ‘Kenny, if somebody has a better drum beat, then what you’re playing, you play it, and everybody in this band, you don’t own your instruments. We all play each other’s instruments. Whatever it takes to get a number one hit.'”
The drummer mentioned what he thought of Mellencamp back then:
“He walked out of the room, and I thought, ‘What a jerk!’ But he was right. Emotionally, I was like, ‘Wait a minute! It’s about me!’ He was right. He says, ‘What do we as a group need to do to get on the radio and beat out Tom Petty and Billy Joel and Sting and The Police and [Bruce] Springsteen and Elton John?’ There’s only ten slots. The top ten.”
How Was Working With Mellencamp?
According to Aronoff, working with John Mellencamp had its challenges. The long studio hours and the demand for constant availability strained the drummer’s relationship with the singer, as they affected his work with other artists like Don Was. While he talked about this in a chat with Vintage Rock Pod, Aronoff explained:
“All of a sudden, my cred went up outside of John Mellencamp, and I suddenly realized I had two careers. This is where the conflict came in because I was on a very small retainer. I took myself off the retainer with the idea that if he calls, I’m not a retainer anymore.”
Recalling a phone call with Mellencamp, he went on:
“I got a call from John’s right-hand man, and he said, ‘John needs you this Thursday.’ I said, ‘I can’t. I’m working two weeks with Little Feat.’ John says, ‘Well, look, I know you could do that stuff, but when I need you, I need you.’ I totally get it, but I said, ‘John, they moved their entire schedule to accommodate me, and they built this whole session around me. I can’t leave.'”
Talking about his departure from the band, the drummer commented:
“I get it. I mean, John wanted a drummer that was accessible 24/7, and I was becoming that guy that was not accessible 24/7. And eventually, we just parted ways.”
When Kenny Aronoff left Mellencamp’s band in 1996 after 16 years of work, Dane Clark became the new drummer. In the ’90s, Aronoff collaborated with many names, including Joe Cocker, the Rolling Stones, and Richie Sambora.
