How QUIET RIOT's FRANKIE BANALI Almost Ended Up In OZZY OSBOURNE's Band

A behind-the-scenes interview with QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali filmed during his recent appearance on VH1 Classic‘s “That Metal Show” can be seen below.

Asked how well he knew late OZZY OSBOURNE and QUIET RIOT guitarist Randy Rhoads, Frankie said: “Not as well as people would assume that I knew Randy.”

He continued: “It was really funny, because I was a in a three-piece band called MONARCH, and it was all originals, and we were playing the same circuit — you know, the Starwood [in West Hollywood]. We actually played with QUIET RIOT a few times. And that band was a cross between LED ZEPPELIN and FREE; that kind of material. At one point, QUIET RIOT were thinking of getting rid of the drummer they had at the time. And so Rudy [Sarzo, QUIET RIOT bassist] had already known each other since 1972, so he wanted me to come down and audition. And I agreed — reluctantly I agreed — because Rudy and I were friends, and because QUIET RIOT were a great band, but, to me, QUIET RIOT was more of a pop band than what I was into. So I went down and played, and all sides agreed that maybe it’s not gonna work. But because of that, he was the one that told Kevin [DuBrow, QUIET RIOT singer] that he should get me in Kevin‘s new band after Randy left to go play with Ozzy. But when Randy went to audition for Ozzy, afterwards, he called me up and he goes, ‘Hey, Frankie.’ I said, ‘Randy?’ [He said], ‘Yeah. You wanna come and play with this guy Ozzy?’ And I said, ‘The guy from BLACK SABBATH?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘Okay. I don’t have a car.’ He goes, ‘I’ll pick you up.’ And we went down and we had some rehearsals, and it sounded great, and that was gonna be the band. But, ultimately, the label decided they were only gonna spend money on one guy, and the guy was Randy. But we kept in touch. He actually called me… I was in Germany doing a record for Tony Carey, who had just left Ritchie Blackmore‘s RAINBOW. And [Randy] called me up when he was in England doing the first Ozzy record. So we stayed in touch.”

“Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back”, the feature documentary on QUIET RIOT, screened this past Thursday, May 14 at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.

The inspiring and surprisingly relatable documentary is an inside look at Frankie‘s road to recovery after losing his best friend Kevin DuBrow to a drug overdose in 2007 as he forges ahead to conquer his loss, regain his life and put the band back together.

The film begins in 2010, three years following the loss of Kevin DuBrow. Frankie Banali faces a crossroads in his life and finds himself talking to former QUIET RIOT bassist Rudy Sarzo who said, “If you don’t carry on the legacy of your friend, nobody else will.”

At times both utterly tragic and downright hilarious, like an outtake from “Spinal Tap”, the film follows Frankie‘s journey through the emotional feat of trying to fill the void left by his singer and best friend.

The 105-minute character-driven documentary looks beyond the guts and glory of the common getting-the-band-back-together tale. “Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back” reveals an unforgettable man who uses ambition, relentless determination and principle to navigate through the obstacles that attempt to control his fate.

Watch for cameos from Matt Sorum and Steven Adler (GUNS N’ ROSES), Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE), Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER), Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE), Dana Strum (SLAUGHTER), John 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE) and Martha Quinn (original MTV VJ).

“When Frankie told me he was planning to meet with Kevin DuBrow‘s mother to get her blessing to go on with the band and find a new singer, I thought this would be an extraordinary story for a documentary,” explains director and producer Regina Russell.

Regina gained access to the private video and photo archives of the band. She followed Frankie for four years and interviewed many of the integral characters in the band’s history.

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net