SKF NOTE: The band, Loverboy, was very popular at the time of my interview with Matt Frenette for a Modern Drummer cover story. This was the second interview with Matt. The first was done by one of my all-time favorite music writers, who contributed some exceptional interviews to MD.

It wasn’t until after Matt’s initial interview that the writer discovered the tape recorder was not working. None of Matt’s interview made it to tape.

The writer really wanted to redo the interview, but Matt was hesitant, thinking a “take two” interview with the same writer would have to lack the freshness, the spontaneity of the original.

I offered to interview Matt, he accepted. It was an uncomfortable decision because I had such respect for the writer, and because I had recorders crap out like that too. But….

Matt Frenette was fun to interview. Listening to it again 35-years later, Matt has several worthwhile tips for working drummers.

In this excerpt, Matt talks about his relationship with record producer Bruce Fairbairn in the recording studio. That is, Matt describes a working relationship that works, compared to one that doesn’t work, at least for Matt Frenette.