Frank Hannon On His “From One Place To Another” Albums & The Future Of Tesla

As one of the founding members of Tesla, Frank Hannon first turned heads over 25 years ago with hits like “Signs,” “Modern Day Cowboy,” and “Love Song.” But Tesla has only been one facet of Hannon’s musical career as the guitarist has also consistently kept active with a solo career. Hannon has also recorded and/or played with a wide array of artists including Def Leppard, Skid Row, moe., Night Ranger, Jackyl, Deep Purple’s Steve Morse, Y&T, and Dickey Betts.

2018 is looking to be a banner year for Hannon, who plans on releasing three full-length albums this year. This first full-length was From One Place… To Another Vol. 1, as released on January 26th, which features appearances from Blackberry Smoke’s Paul Jackson, Duane Betts, Nelson’s Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, and original Heart guitarist Roger Fisher. The calendar year is also scheduled to include a new Tesla full-length, as produced by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen.

To talk more about the series that Hannon has planned — From One Place… To Another Vol. 2 will be out on March 15. — I had the pleasure of conducting Q&A with the Sacramento native. More info can be found at www.frankhannon.com.

You’re planning on releasing three albums in 2018. Is everything mastered already?

Frank Hannon: No, not everything is totally mastered or recorded yet, and I am actually still experimenting with more new song collaboration ideas! I’ve been jamming with a few artists I met on the recent Moody Blues Cruise, and have more new ideas for cover songs. Vol. 1 is finished obviously and Vol. 2 is about 90% done. Vol. 3 is still in idea stages. I’m planning to actually rock a little heavier on Vol. 3, by going into a “live” recording situation and picking edgier songs. It will probably feature more electric guitars, and other diverse artists.

When in the recording process did the idea for three releases come from?

Frank Hannon: The idea for multiple volumes actually was suggested to me by Rob Dippold, who heard the diversity and the amount of songs I had recorded in the dressing room last year on tour with Tesla. I played him the tracks and he thought of the title concept From One Place To Another because I was on the road at the time and the music was changing so much. That album title has many meanings for me! And even now the project is still going in new directions.

Are there leftovers from the sessions?

Frank Hannon: Yes, there are a few songs that I stopped working on but will get revisited. For example, I did a ballad by the band America called “I Need You,” and after mixing it I felt it was way too soft. But now after six months passed, I listened to it again and I am reconsidering it because it actually sounds pretty good. I also have a few Grateful Dead songs but will only pick one.

Do you have a favorite of the songs from volume 1 of From One Place?

Frank Hannon: Yes, I have several, but right now my favorite is “Under The Milky Way” by The Church because the lead vocal part really challenged me to try a new low octave range and the tremolo guitar captured a unique vibe. “Blue Sky” is also a favorite song because of the lyrics and happy sounding melody. Plus, it was written by Dickey Betts!

Dickey Betts is family and plays on your new music. When did you two first jam together?

Frank Hannon: 18 years ago I met my father-in-law for the first time in Las Vegas when he was jamming with a band called moe. This was right after he left the Allman Brothers Band. My then-fiancé Christy and I flew down to see him and we hit it off immediately, staying up all night in the hotel room trading guitar licks back and forth having fun. The thing was though he was singing Hank Williams songs and yodeling like crazy! He wondered if I sang and it was right then that he suggested to me how important it was that I learn to sing lead vocals of my own songs because of his experience singing “Ramblin’ Man” and his ability to survive the many ups and downs in music. So shortly after that, I recorded a new solo album of all original songs called Gypsy Highway with storytelling-type songs that are very personal to me. Dickey also played a guitar solo on my Six String Soldiers album that was a highlight.

I don’t believe you put out a solo effort until 2005. What was the impetus for starting your solo career? Did it start off with material that you felt wasn’t right for Tesla?

Frank Hannon: Tesla is a great band and I am very proud of our music. We are still touring today after over 30 years. To be honest, there have been some hard times as we broke up in the 90s, and had other down times in which I felt I had to reinvent myself to survive, and yes there is a lot of music that I write that Tesla would not do. But ever since I started playing guitar I have always done solo type gigs, like classic rock and Jimi Hendrix tributes. My first band, when I was 12 years old, was a trio where I was the singer and guitar player, because my favorite artists always have been guitar players that sing such as Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jimi Hendrix, Rick Derringer, just to name a few.

What is coming up with Tesla? I heard rumors of the band recording with Phil Collen at the helm.

Frank Hannon: Yes, Phil Collen produced a new Tesla album of 10 songs coming out in the summer of 2018. I believe the new working title is Shock. He did a lot of the lyric-writing and really encouraged the band to record while we were on the road. Phil Collen has got a great amount of positive energy and he motivated the band to get it done. He also learned a lot of recording techniques from producer Robert “Mutt” Lange, and we tried new things we haven’t done before in making the album.

Is there a career accomplishment you are most proud of?

Frank Hannon: Yes, I’m very proud of the longevity of the songs. When I play the opening acoustic guitar licks to “Love Song” or “What You Give” and the crowd responds with cheers. I can’t believe I’m still able to play music as a career over 30 years! When people are moved by a song you wrote decades ago, that means a lot.

When I first saw you live at Westbury Music Fair about 15 years ago, you brought your son on-stage during the show. Does he have musical aspirations?

Frank Hannon: Yes, my son Alex can play acoustic guitar very well and is also experimenting with hip-hop loops with vocals. He still pretty young and searching for his sound. He knows how to play a lot of jazz chords that I don’t know! (laughs)

When not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?

Frank Hannon: My wife and I spend our free time with horses and our other animals, now that the kids are grown up. I’ve done some charity work riding horses as well for cancer benefits. Fortunately, I do enjoy playing music and do it in my free time as well. I also like to produce videos.

Finally, Frank, any last words for the kids?

Frank Hannon: I’d like to encourage the kids today to get off the video games and learn to sing or play a real musical instrument. It can be drums, guitar, violin, piano, flute… Heck, try them all until you find the one you love! As long as its real!

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER

Tags: Def Leppard, Dickey Betts, Frank Hannon, Hank Williams, Phil Collen, Tesla, The Grateful Dead

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."