Zed
Yago
Zed Yago has always been
one of my favourite bands. A band I have always admired and in fact it
is they along with Running Wild who got me into this "pirate addiction"
of mine. Actually it was a dream of mine to have a chance to interview
Zed Yago one day and this opportunity came along with an amazing album!
Support them, they won't let you down!
1. HELLO! “THE INVISIBLE GUIDE” IS A VERY
GOOD ALBUM THAT I’M SURE WILL SATISFY ALL THE ZED YAGO FANS. HOW DO YOU
FEEL ABOUT IT? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE IT? ARE ANY OF THE
SONGS INCLUDED HERE OLD COMPOSITIONS OR ARE THEY ALL BRAND NEW SONGS?
Jimmy: Hello Nikos and hello to all Behind
The Veil webzine fans. Thank you for the good review. We have only news
songs on “The Invisible Guide” album. Yvonne wrote the lyrics and I the
music. The story of Zed Yago will be continued.
2. SINCE THIS IS YOUR FIRST REUNION ALBUM, I WOULD
LIKE YOU TO TELL US WHICH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND ARE FROM THE ORIGINAL
LINE-UP OF THE 80’S AND ALSO INTRODUCE US THE NEW MEMBERS. CAN YOU ALSO
TELL US IF THEY HAVE PLAYED IN OTHER BANDS BEFORE AND IF YES, IN WHICH
ONES?
Jimmy : So, I´m the composer of Zed
Yago, all the old songs have been written by myself and also “Bubi the
Schmied” on the drums is from the original line up from the 80s.
Yvonne: Hello I´m Yvonne the new female
singer of Zed Yago. I started taking singing lessons at the age of 12 and
had my first gig at the age of 18! I took classic lessons, but in my heart
I have always loved Metal Music. In 1995 I met Jimmy, cause I wanted to
learn how to play the electric guitar. At this time he was looking for
a new voice for Zed Yago. It lasted for 2 years, until I was mighty enough
for telling Jimmy my secret that I´m a singer! And then the story
began!
Bubi: Hi you all! I´m Bubi the Blacksmith
and as usual I´m the powerful engine of Zed Yago!
3. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU A FEW “HISTORIC” QUESTIONS
THAT INTEREST THE NEW FANS, I BELIEVE. FIRST OF ALL HOW AND WHEN WERE YOU
INSPIRED WITH THE CREATION OF ZED YAGO? CAN YOU TELL US WHAT KIND OF CREATURE
SHE IS?
Jimmy: ZED YAGO THE QUEST FOR FANTASY ROCK!
Mankind has lost its capability for fantasy, without which the soul and
spirit die. Without the spirit, mankind cannot survive. ZED YAGO, daughter
of the Flying Dutchman, is forever doomed to sail the seas of her pirate
kingdom, a shadowy realm of nothingness. Obsessed with the desire to become
human, she invites God and the Devil into her world. They meet on her boat,
but soon realize that good and evil can not coexist in this empty dimension.
Only Zed Yago can save them. She strikes a bargain with these powerful
forces. In exchange for the human form she has always wanted, her boat
will become the ferry that connects heaven and hell. Zed Yago, now a black
eyed, raven haired beauty, is free to sail out in search of love and beauty
that matches her own. As her anchor hits earthly shores, a mighty roar
arises from the deepest recesses of the seas, shaking the very foundations
of the world. A new energy has been created. That´s the beginning
of our story.
4. THIS IS A QUESTION THAT I BELIEVE EVERYONE
ASKS, BUT I FEEL THAT I HAVE TO ASK IT. WHICH WERE THE REASONS THAT LED
YOU TO DISBAND AND HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONS WITH JUTTA? DO YOU LIKE HER NEW
RELEASE?
Jimmy: Jutta left our band in the beginning
of the 1990 to start her own career. She wanted to do everything like she
wants it, she was unable to work with the band anymore!
5. MANY PEOPLE THINK OF VELVET VIPER AS THE CONTINUATION
OF ZED YAGO. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?
Jimmy: What I know is that the first Velvet
Viper album is the 3th Album of Zed Yago. The songs Merlin, HM, King Arthur,
Ring of Stone are composed by me. These are songs I wrote for Zed Yago
and not for Velvet Viper but Jutta released my songs on her album. So forget
it that Velvet Viper are Zed Yago.
Bubi: In these days Jutta gave me a phone call
and hired me as a drummer for a TV-show, because her drummer left the Band
nearly 10 days before this show. She offered me good money for just one
song, so I did it. Then, a few days later, she called me again, crying
on the phone! The guitar player had left the band too, and she didn´t
know what to do. So I asked the guitar player I worked with in these days
(Roy Last, died last year) to do this job and he did. After this TV-show
she asks us to record a new album with her, cause the studio has already
been booked. Roy and myself thought it would be alright to do it, since
Zed Yago had a time-out. During the recording we realized that it would
never work with this line-up, because the bass-player and the guitar player
didn´t speak one word to each other. So every musician did his job
in the studio without the others being there! So you see, V.V. never was
a real band and of course not the continuation of Zed Yago! Zed Yago was
never dead, just sleeping! Jutta herself thought it was the continuation,
but even in the studio I had told her, that Zed Yago is still alive and
I´m working with Jimmy! This was the last time, she spoke any word
to me!
6. OK, ENOUGH WITH THE PAST. LET’S COME TO THE
PRESENT AND TO YOUR NEW ALBUM. YVONNE, YOUR NEW SINGER HAS ALSO AN AMAZING
VOICE. WHERE DID YOU FIND HER? WAS SHE A FAN OF ZED YAGO AND HEAVY METAL
MUSIC IN GENERAL, BEFORE SHE BECAME THE SINGER OF THE BAND?
Jimmy: Yes that´s right, Yvonne loves
heavy music and she was a fan of our band. She was the one who brought
Zed Yago back on stage.
Bubi: In 1997 Jimmy called me to come to our
studio, cause I should listen to something! I did and listened to Yvonne
singing the old songs and I couldn´t believe what I was hearing!
So Jimmy and me looked at each other and the search for a perfect voice
had come to an end!
7. ONCE AGAIN THE LYRICS OF THE BAND ARE VERY
GOOD AND BASED ON FANTASY AND HISTORIC THEMES. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TELL
US IN A FEW WORDS WHICH THE LYRICAL THEME OF EACH SONG THAT YOU HAVE INCLUDED
IN YOUR NEW ALBUM IS. WHICH ARE YOUR FAVORITE LYRICS ON THIS ALBUM AND
WHY?
Yvonne:
Warrior of fantasy: Every woman has
got her warrior of fantasy, also Zed Yago has got dreams like this, cause
at least she is a woman.
If I close my eyes forever: This song
is about who will really decide when I will take my last breath and close
my eyes for the last time.
Invisible Guide: This is about the invisible
guide, who leads everybody through their lives, everyone needs something
to believe in!
Custer: Custer tells you about the big
leaders of this world, in which ways they make you depend upon them to
reach their goals! Also about the dictators who have lost their fantasy
and go to war!
Fear in your eyes: Walk through the
streets and look in everyone´s eyes and you can see the fear of the
future in these eyes!
Heaven or Hell: The title speaks for
itself.
Seven Seas: This is about the long and
painful journey of Zed Yago, which will never end! It tells about her good
and bad experiences on her way to land!
Daydreams: This song is private and
for all people in love, cause Zed Yago also has a private life!
Fire: When you feel your life is getting
out of control, you feel the fire of hell coming to you.
You can´t bring me down: This
means no matter what ever someone does to you, you´ll always stand
up again!
To the Top of the mountain: This is
about Zed Yago who meets the shamen on the seas and wants to get
on top of the mountain, didn´t we all want this at some point?
Don´t stop me now: No matter in
what direction you look at, the title speaks for itself!
8. “THE INVISIBLE GUIDE” IS A BEAUTIFUL TITLE
FOR YOUR ALBUM… HOW DID YOU CHOOSE IT AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SUGGEST?
Jimmy: Thank you, “The Invisible Guide” is
the father of Zed Yago and a good title for our album.
9. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO REUNITE? DID
THE RELEASE OF “…FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE” COMPILATION HELP YOU IN ANYWAY
TOWARD THAT DECISION?
Bubi: Jimmy and me have been always in contact,
because we´re real friends for many years, our friendship started
long before founding Zed Yago! The Band never gave up, we just had a brake!
So as the “From the Twilight Zone” had been released we thought that the
time was right for playing live again, and started getting a perfect band
together. Long time before this release Jimmy and me met in our studio
and always worked on new songs together with Yvonne, so Zed Yago was always
there.
10. THE VIDEO-CLIP OF “TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN”
IS VERY BEAUTIFUL! WHERE HAVE YOU SHOT IT AND WHO IS THE DIRECTOR? WHY
DID YOU CHOOSE THIS SPECIFIC SONG TO VISUALIZE?
Jimmy: The band was the director of the video
To The Top Of The Mountain.
11. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SIGN A CONTRACT WITH
TWILIGHT ZONE RECORDS? WHAT DID THEY OFFER YOU IN COMPARISON TO OTHER LABELS?
Jimmy: That´s our own record label,
Twilight Zone Records.
12. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS IN
ORDER TO PROMOTE YOUR NEW ALBUM? IS THERE A CHANCE TO VISIT GREECE?
Jimmy: We hope to visit Greece very soon,
there are many fans who love Zed Yago. I tell you new gods removed the
old and you have so many gods in your country.
Bubi: I love Greece and the people there, I
hope to play there soon! The Greek culture is fascinating and I love the
Greek food!
13. THE ONLY OTHER BAND WITH PIRATE THEMATOLOGY
ARE RUNNING WILD AGAIN FROM GERMANY. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT BAND? DO
YOU LIKE THEIR MUSIC?
Jimmy: The music of Running Wild is more differed
to us it´s more like Judas Priest.
Bubi: Zed Yago is not a real pirate image,
so there´s no conflict between RW and Zed Yago! Both bands know each
other for a long time, we all respect each other and there are no differences
between us!
Yvonne: They are doing fine!
14. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS INTERVIEW! IT
WAS AN HONOR DOING IT!! THE LAST LINES BELONG TO YOU AND ALSO LEAVE A MESSAGE
TO THE READERS OF BEHIND THE VEIL WEBZINE…
Jimmy: We wish you all a good time and hope
you visit our website www.zed-yago.com here you can find more information
about Zed Yago and our best regards to our fans in Greece.
Bubi: We hope to play live in Greece very soon,
so stay tuned and buy our records, so we have the possibility to come over!
Nick “William_Kidd”
Parastatidis
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