JoleneHost:: With the AGB, you did three albums. And now it is Cook & Glenn with the AGB. When you see the new album coming out?
Jeff Cook: Well, we’re working as fast as we can, and spending every minute that we’ve got free to do this, and we’ve gotten 5 songs together so far. They’re finished.
Mitch Glenn: Plus the record labels
Jeff Cook: Yeah, we’re talking to the record labels too, and just kind of letting things fall into place and working on the music as we can. So to give you a timetable, I’m hoping to be finished in a couple of months maybe.
JoleneHost:: Do you have a single in mind from it yet?
Mitch Glenn: We could pick one right now, but we were talking last night that we were going to wait til we finished the album. And the reason being is that the first song that we did together, we were very pleased with. It seems the fifth song is just as good as the first one.
Jeff Cook: So right now we might think it would be, just an example, “Shining Star,” but when we finish it may end up being one we haven’t even received yet.
JoleneHost:: A fan question was about your castle. Would you be willing to talk about your castle at all?
Jeff Cook: Well, to me it’s just a big house. I formed a construction company in about ’83 or maybe ’82, and one of the major projects was to build my house, which turned out to be Frankenstein’s monster. It’s about 15,000 SF, has four towers on it. The living room is 40’ x 50’ with 23’ ceilings with balconies and catwalks.
JoleneHost:: Sounds like a great place for kids.
Jeff Cook: Well, I’m sorta like a big kid myself.
Mitch Glenn: And then I go and stay with him
Jeff Cook: It’s a good party place, and it’s just home to me.
JoleneHost:: What sort of CD’s are in your player right now? I suppose a lot of them are songs you are going through to see if you want to record them, but are you able to listen to anything just for fun?
Jeff Cook: For the last 25 years I’ve said a good song is a good song is a good song, and tried not to put labels on it. And I’m hoping we can get this across to the general public and to the radio community. I guess I’ve got a lot of oldies rock and roll, I’ve got country, I’ve even got some easy listening in there.
Mitch Glenn: Demos.
Jeff Cook: Yeah, I’ve got some demos in there. I’m not really into hip hop or rap, but basically everything else is there.
JoleneHost:: Who were some of your musical influences growing up?
Jeff Cook: Well, this goes back a long way. I was playing lead guitar in a group when I was 13. At 14, I became a disc jockey. So I was playing at a small station that tried to please everybody. So like every fourth record was country then there would be an oldie and then we’d start back over again. So I played all the Beatles, and the Supremes and Dave Clark 5. At the same time we were playing Jerry Lee and Merle Haggard and George Jones, so it was pretty varied.
JoleneHost:: (to Mitch) and how about you?
Mitch Glenn: Alabama! *laughter* In fact I learned how to play guitar to an Alabama song, my very first song. We were talking and Jeff was telling me that the people that he had listened to growing up, The Ventures, then getting to play with them years later and here I’m listening to him and the band.
JoleneHost:: So what’s it like for you right now?
Mitch Glenn: It’s been awesome. It’s a dream come true to be able to play music and to record and work with someone like Jeff. I mean, he’s not only the greatest as far as a guitar player and singer but he’s also a really good person too. We’ve become really good friends… *Jeff interjects with “Here’s a $20”* …It’s just been a really awesome experience.
Jeff Cook: We just came from the CMA luncheon. We spent probably 45 minutes prior to eating and I see all these people I’ve known in the record business for 25 years, and I’m introducing them to Mitch and passing out our snippet sampler and I think he met some pretty important people up there today.
Mitch Glenn: I did. And that is something, being with Jeff. We’ve done a lot together just in a short period of time and I’ve met a lot of stars. And then you sit back and you look at who you’re with. I mean, he’s in the Hall of Fame! And it’s pretty surreal.
JoleneHost:: On the website you have, you are very active in it. Is there a fan club up and running yet?
Jeff Cook: Not officially as Cook & Glenn, but I think all it will really require as far as my current site is to tell them that this is what we’re doing and they’ll be behind us.
JoleneHost:: Everyone seems great there, and very involved.
Jeff Cook: I’ve got a lot of good people involved in our message board and the current Jeff Cook site. We’re working on the other website as we speak.