Marcel Jacob Talking about his musical career

I was surrounded by music at home, both my parents were into Beatles, and there was a lot of of music being listened to all the time. I remember being about 8 when I first saw members of Deep Purple on tv (the Windows concert), it was very exciting.

It wasn't until about a year or so later, when I exchanged the first records I had gotten for Christmas (which were the then very popular Bowie/Sparks which didn't really do it for me) I got for an album that just looked cool, not remembering about seeing the band before.

Turned out they were old classmates, and I started hanging out at their rehearsals. One day they had a falling out with their bassplayer, and when he had left they realized they had to replace him. The drummer just spontaneously informed the room "let's take him, he looks like a bass player" and pointed at me. I didn't really have a say, and was sat down and taught the songs they were doing. After about 2 days of practising I knew that I was "called"!

Easy, Ritchie Blackmore! The musicality, the attitude, the charisma.always wanted to be in his band!

I've read that you studied psycology, why did you choose this carrer?

I guess at my age rocking around the world is less important, it's time to "grow up" and be a part of society .and I have always been interested in the "what, how, why" of communication. What meaning the content or intended content, for example everybody knows people don't walk the talk or say what they don't really mean. How, how is the "machinery" both biologically and culturally/socially constructed. And why do we communicate ? To make life easier for us ? I don't think it's that simple.but that's probably book material ! So, if possible, become a useful communication facilitator for troubled children or teenagers

Strange, I'm an inner city kid and they're from suburb hell . I got the gig because me and Yngwie had a drummer from Upplands Väsby, who one day brought this kid who could supposedly play. It was John, and both me and Yngwie was quite impressed. So we started hanging out with John, going to Upplands Väsby partying. And one day the switch was made, I was in Force, John Leven in Yngwie's band . It was fun, I remember me and Joey having a great time working out songs. Unfortunately I was really into working hard at rehearsals, and there was often problems for John to come.

So after having had to travel all the way out there and just sit around and wait for nothing to happen wasn't cool, and I gave them up after about 4 months. They were very lucky to get the ball rolling by getting into that rock band competition through Joey's then girlfriend sending in that tape J, because they were all dreamers with no discipline or reality based goals. I didn't think they would go anywhere at the time! That laugh's on me I guess.

Age 15 I saw an ad in a music store. It was a drawing of a band with drummer and guitarplayer with a big ? for the position of bassplayer, and the ad and the drawing told me it was my kind of band. I had heard some rumours about some kid playing like Ritchie only better. And I called and spoke to Björn (RIP), but I guess he forgot to tell Yngwie cause I was never called back. About 2 months later I went into a musicstore and heard from the testing room somebody play like Ritchie, only better , it sent shivers down my spine because I just knew it had to be this Yngwie kid. Of course I went straight in there and introduced myself, and it was this immediate connection where we were talking for hours. By then they already had a bassplayer of course. But by accident we happened to meet a couple of times after that, and I was asked to come to the rehearsal place for jams, and soon I was asked to replace the other guy .

Playing with Yngwie has always been great. Working for him always hell ! Back in the early days it was all good, we were more equal band members. When I joined up with him in the States it was a cool experience, and great to get to know Anders and Jens, but it was definitely detrimental to Yngwie's and mine friendship.

When you were with YJM, was it the first time you met Jeff Scott Soto?

See above ! After he left/was coerced to leave Europe 1986 he immediately called me to team up as a songwriter. After I had left Rising Force in 1985 I was looking for gigs and was in contact with Europe's management. I could have wound up working with John's sister Tone, but it didn't work out.

I was in John's band, writing for the next album, when John decided to get Glenn Hughes into the band. This caused some friction , and in the end I was sitting on an albums worth of material but nowhere to go. So I tried to get a deal with this stuff, and having Göran Edman singing. After a lot of turns of events I managed to get a deal with a label who believed I had a hit song, I'll be waiting, and they were willing to spend a lot of money to make it work. At the same time I met a mutual friend of Jeff's and mine, who told me I should give him a call, which I did. Basically it started out as a project really.

There was some contractual problems for Talisman, deals that had to run out. Jeff also had the great disco cover band gig, Boogie Knights, which took a lot of his time. So we decided to do something not so serious and try to be progressive, and take a look in the rear view mirror so to speak, use all the inspirations and influences of our past.

How come you guys decided to do a one and only Humanimal release?

It was never meant to be more. But also because the label, Z records, ripped us off! Add to that, me and Pontus, the other principal writer for the band, had a falling out for a while.

DVD! To commemorate our 15th anniversary a big DVD package will be released in February or March 2005.

Yes, constantly, but I don't know what to do, it's pointless to do something that sounds like Talisman .

The odds are against it, it's probably too expensive, and not enough people would show .but never say never!

I wasn't aware until now there actually was any But I'm the happier to have found out, it's good to know people appreciate what you have created. Anyway, I hope life treats you well and that we'll get the chance to meet someday!