KIX’s Steve Whiteman Talks “Don’t Close Your Eyes” & How Great White Manager Alan Niven Helped Make It a Hit – 2022 – INTERVIEW

Metal Edge: Kix front man Steve Whiteman talks ‘Blow My Fuse,’ breakthrough ballads and ‘pushing that magic button.’

You can read the entire interview @ this location. An excerpt from the conversation has been provided below.

Your vocals on the classic KIX ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes” are powerful. Do you have any vivid memories from cutting that track?

Steve Whiteman:

We were so adamant about our demos that by the time we got into the studio, there wasn’t a whole lot of work that needed to be done. I just had to remake the demo. And it sounded almost like what we did in the studio. Our preparation has always been very, very good so by the time we hit the studio, it’s just do it and get out.

How many takes do you think “Don’t Close Your Eyes” vocal was then?

Well, [Blow My Fuse album coproducer] Tom Werman had a unique way of recording vocals. He would have me sing the song three times all the way through, and then he would go back and then he would just put piece everything together. And I rarely had to go in and fix anything, but then I would go in and double the vocal track.

As you were recording Blow My Fuse, did you get the feeling that even if the record company mishandled the previous album, this one was so good there was no way it would be denied?

Honestly, we didn’t know. We’d been disappointed three times before, so we were just hopeful that this was the one. We knew we had the material. And honestly, I think if it wasn’t for MTV, that record company probably wouldn’t have pursued it as hard as they did. The other thing, and I’ve told this story before, but when we were out on the road with Great White and Tesla, Great White’s manager, whose name escapes me now for some reason …

Alan Niven w/ Slash

Alan Niven [who also managed Guns N’ Roses early on].

Thank you. He was on the side of the stage watching our show and when we came offstage he said, “What was that ballad you guys played?” And we told him. He said, “I’m gonna call [label executive] Doug Morris at Atlantic Records and he needs to put that out. That’s a single.” And that’s what he did. He called Doug Morris and Atlantic Records and next week we’re filming a video for “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” That’s the one that really catapulted the album. I mean “Cold Blood” did well and “Blow My Fuse” did well, but “Don’t Close Your Eyes” put it over the top.

You can read the entire interview @ this location.