Brett Scallions?

[Blue]

Brett's name has been coming up a lot lately as a potential singer, so I've been going back and listening to some Fuel and some of his other work, and now I'm 100% convinced he's the guy for the job.

For one thing, I've finally gotten to listening to the latest Fuel album, Puppet Strings, where Scallions wrote all the vocals (as opposed to early Fuel albums where Carl Bell wrote much of the melodies and lyrics) and it's clear Scallions would be a MASSIVE step up in the writing department from Chester. Still not Scott, but a damn step up for sure.

A couple songs off the album: https://youtu.be/5SoPab7abY8
https://youtu.be/dNPcxXd9yZ4

Then there's his recent covers of STP songs:

Big Empty (acoustic solo): https://youtu.be/F-Auymiqd08
Vasoline (Fuel full band):https://youtu.be/jzRHbBCs8dE

He's clearly got the range to sing at least the first 3 albums, but he doesn't try at all to sound like Scott. I'm worried some of the rangier stuff like Atlanta or Wonderful might be out of his wheelhouse, but as Robert said in a recent interview the concern should be more about making new music than covering the back-catalog.

Then there's his resume outside of Fuel. He's played in 1-2-3 Go!, a supergroup coverband with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Stefan Lessard of Dave Matthews band, at Sundance Festivals. And of course, he toured for a few years with Ray Manzerek and Robbie Krieger in Riders on the Storm.

1-2-3 Go! - Time (Pink Floyd Cover): https://youtu.be/mnfsv7JbllY
Riders on the Storm: https://youtu.be/ndplsFUNPRA

He's and experienced rock singer from a fairly big rock band, his commitments to Fuel don't appear to be so huge they could eclipse STP (at this point, he basically is Fuel), he's a good writer, he was considered good enough to tour with the surviving members of the Doors, and was confident enough to actually take the position, he's obviously a fan of STP, he can play guitar (better than Chester) so songs like Adhesive that require two guitars are open, and he's far from being a 'Weiland clone.'

My only question is why are the boys doing online auditions when this guy is out there? Did they offer the job and he turned it down? Did they audition him, but want to exhaust all options before hiring him? Did the thought never even occur to them?

[seattlesound]

Just responding to the questions you have regarding the stp guys not going with this guy right now...

There could be a multitude of reasons. Since the guys said in one of the interviews they have gotten together with a couple people but they wanted to branch out around the world to make sure they have the right person. They might have explored this guy, but they want to give a shot to anyone out there with the online auditions.

After hearing some of the submissions I'm glad they have done the online auditions.

[leocal79]

Brett would excite the fan base but not sure he wants to give up on fuel. He is a great talent and would be pretty good covering the classics. Ask Carl Bell he can tell you look what happened after Brett left and Toryn came into the picture.

[NickLorenza]

Or here's a possibility..... Perhaps a singer has been hired and they're using this "contest" to stir up conversation and drum up interest in the brand. Getting people interested in whatever the "outcome" will be. Otherwise the idea of yet another frontman for this band grows tiresome. Maybe this is a way to just keep people interested.


I recall in spring 2001 there was a big "contest" for bands to submit their music to. (When you submitted your music I think you may have also been submitting the rights for such and such to use your songs, I forget exactly) The "winner" of the contest was supposed to play with STP at Rolling a Rock that summer. I recall being about 18 years old and getting my band's home made demo down there about an hour before the deadline. The dropoff point was right near Rock N Roll McDonalds. I clearly recall showing up in the evening, there were hundreds of other dudes from bands down there on the streets, mostly kids my age. There was still 20 minutes to the deadline but yet a winner had been announced already and I think it was some band from some other city too.  I'm sure they couldn't have done anything more than played a stage in the parking lot of that fest. If anyone was there please feel free to tell me about who this would have been. The point is.... The contest was a fix from the get go. A big marketing scheme.


Don't put anything past people, that's all I'm saying here.

[leocal79]

Yeah we have already discussed that this is just for marketing. I fear that Scott Stapp is making an announcement soon about a record he is doing and I hope it's not with STP.

[BillMurraylovesSTP]

crazy idea


remember a couple of years ago


the roots and elvis c. did a album together


what if Beck did a album with the STP a folk rock type album
everyones getting older
how about Beck and the pilots


 

[I-want-a-time-machine]

Haha, indeed, not scott stapp, please no...why does he always try to imitate everything the other Scott did...like renting the same tourbus, next step the other Scott's old band?

[EyesOfDisarray]

Yes.

I'm one of the voices who has been mentioning Brett Scallions, and I feel like this would be the perfect match. Puppet Strings is an awesome album! -- the best Fuel album since Sunburn and Something Like Human. It proved that Brett Scallions can really write and that he exemplifies the type of creative hard rock music that Fuel was all about in their early albums.

The problem is: He spent all this effort rebuilding Fuel and toured with them for years (first as "Re-Fueled" before getting the rights back for the name) before writing and recording Puppet Strings. I don't know how well it sold or Brett's feelings about it, but clearly he has put a lot of time and energy these past several years into this reincarnation of Fuel.

After CheSTP, I doubt the DeLeos would want to take their chances on another singer who has any ties to another band. If they were to seriously consider Brett, I'd imagine he would need to be at a place where he was ready to put Fuel fully to rest, at least during the time he is working with STP.

So the big question would be: Is Brett Scallions ready to leave Fuel behind to join STP?

If there was any doubt about this question, I'm guessing it's not happening. If, by any chance, Brett is ready to be done with Fuel, then my opinion is that the DeLeos couldn't find anybody better to front STP.

[seattlesound]

After CheSTP, I doubt the DeLeos would want to take their chances on another singer who has any ties to another band. If they were to seriously consider Brett, I'd imagine he would need to be at a place where he was ready to put Fuel fully to rest, at least during the time he is working with STP.

I think that's an awesome point.

I feel like the Deleo's/Kretz think they have one solid chance to find a singer. I don't feel they want to bring someone in and then that person leave them hanging down the line.

[Blue]

The problem is: He spent all this effort rebuilding Fuel and toured with them for years (first as "Re-Fueled" before getting the rights back for the name) before writing and recording Puppet Strings. I don't know how well it sold or Brett's feelings about it, but clearly he has put a lot of time and energy these past several years into this reincarnation of Fuel.

After CheSTP, I doubt the DeLeos would want to take their chances on another singer who has any ties to another band. If they were to seriously consider Brett, I'd imagine he would need to be at a place where he was ready to put Fuel fully to rest, at least during the time he is working with STP.

So the big question would be: Is Brett Scallions ready to leave Fuel behind to join STP?

If there was any doubt about this question, I'm guessing it's not happening. If, by any chance, Brett is ready to be done with Fuel, then my opinion is that the DeLeos couldn't find anybody better to front STP.

That's a good point, but at the same point I think it's very apparent that Brett's situation with Fuel is nothing like Chester with LP. For one thing, LP has other members like Mike Shinoda who demand Chester's time, whereas Brett runs Fuel and doesn't have to entertain other people's egos.

And simply enough, Fuel isn't as big or prolific a band as Linkin Park, or even STP. I don't know how much Fuel tours, but it definitely isn't on the same scale or as demanding as LP. As for albums, Brett formed this line-up of Fuel/Re-Fueled in what, 2009 or 2010? In that time they've made one album, while Linkin Park has released three albums since 2010 and are currently recording a fourth.

My point is simply, I don't think Brett needs to quit or abandon Fuel, he just needs to guarantee he can put it on the back burner for long periods... I have no idea if he's willing to do that. And it's possible the DeLeos see even spending a little off time three years from now so he can do Fuel as too big a compromise.

But the fact of the matter is that anyone who fits the bill for the job probably already has a band. Some compromises will have to be made, or else they'll wait around forever waiting for someone with a miraculous amount of talent and skill to surface from out of nowhere.

[EyesOfDisarray]

Good points, Blue. I hope you're right. I would love to see Brett Scallions front STP!

"You're my boy, Blue." - Frank the Tank

[Sklashboombash]

I feel like I'm missing something here. Brett has had his moments, but his overall body of work is ok at best. That prospect doesn't excite me one bit.

[leocal79]

It's not the prospect of Brett on his own it's the prospect of him with other great song writers. Weiland was better with the Deleo's and Kretz than on his own. He had some pretty great stuff solo but never achieved what he did without other great song writers around him. It's like a sports team one great player doesn't make the team great but several decent to great players make the team great.

[andrew]

Brett was never really the "talent" in Fuel anyways. It was the other guy who wrote the hit songs. He's got a cool voice though and I wouldn't mind if he sang with the DeLeos and Kretz.

[no morbid silence]

just wanted to say i think several of scott's solo songs are every bit as good as almost all the stp catalogue - but i am huge fan of 12 bar blues and really really like happy in galoshes a huge amount - i think they are just a bit too weird in the case of the former and long in the case of the latter for people to recognise their greatness as easily as stp - especially since stp already stand out from your average standard 'rock by numbers' band via their diversity and melodicism.
also wanted to say a friend went for the star wars open castings - that was a definite (unnecessary) marketing stunt.