1998.04.28 - Star Tribune - Tommy Gunner

Transcript:
---------------

Pop musing

Jon Bream

Tommy gunner

Reports that Tommy Stinson, formerly of the Replacements and currently with Perfect, has joined Axl Rose’s Guns N’ Roses are inaccurate, said Peter Jesperson, head of Medium Cool Records, for which Perfect records.

Stinson, who lives in Los Angeles, has been jamming with Rose three times a week for the past three weeks, said Jesperson, who also lives in LA. He’s getting paid for it. "This is not a permanent thing,’’ said Jesperson, the former Replacements manager, who had dinner with Stinson Sunday night. “Tommy made it clear from the start that he's got his own band. If Tommy were available, maybe they’d make an offer. It’s like someone asking him to do a session."

Perfect has a new album, “Seven Days a Week,” due this summer. It was produced by Jim Dickinson at Ardent Studios in Memphis.

Stinson played bass on a couple of songs with Cracker, and he and Perfect did another Puff Daddy remix for a song by Mase. (Stinson and two of his bandmates previously did a remix of Puffy’s “It’s All About the Benjamins.")

Said Jesperson of Stinson: “He’s a musician. One day, he rehearsed with Perfect from 4 to 7 and with Guns ’N’ Roses from 10 to 3:30 in the morning. Tommy is working; it’s a joy to see.”

As for Jesperson, he has begun working on some sort of Replacements compilation from their years on Twin/ Tone Records. He predicts that it will be at least three CDs. He has studio recordings to review, as well as about 150 cassette recordings of gigs, basement rehearsals, Paul Westerberg doing songs solo, interviews and studio outtakes.

“I’m not putting anything out that doesn’t have their full approval," Jesperson said. "Paul is not interested in sitting down and listening to this stuff. He told me, 'I trust you.’"

Jesperson said the earliest the Mats compilation would be released is fall of 1999.