If you are a serious rock fan, I have no doubt that you have heard Hunt Sales play. His credits as a drummer include Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Todd Rundgren. That is indeed him playing the famous drum intro to Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life.” A professional musician since his teenage years, Sales was first exposed to the entertainment business in being the son of comedian and television personality Soupy Sales. Notably, Sales’ brother Tony is also a musician of note, playing alongside Hunt on the Iggy, Bowie and Rundgren tracks.
Now based in Austin, Texas, Hunt Sales is about to release a new full-length solo album. Titled “Get Your S**t Together,” the first single released from the 12-track collection — as credited to the Hunt Sales Memorial — was “One Day,” which hit Spotify and other digital sites in November. “Get Your…” hits stores on January 25, thanks to Fat Possum Records subsidiary Big Legal Mess.
As noted by Sales in the press release issued by legendary publicist Cary Baker of Conqueroo: “You know the movie ‘Rocky,’ with Sylvester Stallone and Burgess Meredith?’… Well, I’m like both of their characters at the same time. I’m the hungry fighter looking for his shot, and the cranky old (sic) that’s seen it all. I got these songs and a killer band. I’m ready to get in the ring.” Crude, yes, but that’s the sort of attitude which Sales refreshingly brings to his solo career.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Hunt Sales by phone, and some highlights from that November 2018 chat are below. The full audio of the interview is below for your listening pleasure and will appear on a future edition of the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz podcast.
Jewish Journal: An interesting thing I noticed within your headshot is that you have a Star Of David tattoo on your left arm. When did you get that?
Hunt Sales: I had one of my ankle about 30 years ago… And now it’s like with tattoos, you’re not buried in a Jewish cemetery, but that’s part of my heritage and my father’s father was Jewish and my mother’s father was Jewish. So I was not bar mitzvahed, but I consider myself a Jew, and I’m proud that I am, you know what I mean? And that is a big part of me. It just is.
It’s funny, you get outside of New York and certain areas, you know how Jews are treated. People will make jokes and just be a little bit too much into it. So I could imagine what it’s like to be African-American and what they go through as a society, or Hispanics. But I do know that being a Jew in certain circles I am not liked…
I’m an equal opportunity lover and hater and I don’t care what you are. You are either a good person or not. I don’t care what religion you are, I don’t care what color you are, there’s dumbasses that come in every color and every religion and there’s great people that come in every religion and color, as you know. So that is part of my heritage and I’m proud of it.
JJ: Any last words for the kids?
HS: I remember being younger and people would try to tell me this and that, and everyone has to have their own experience, you know? You can tell somebody something and help to guide them… They really have to have their own experience to really learn. We have to have our own experiences and I don’t want to play God to anybody…
So I’m just I’m just grateful and lucky that I have this opportunity now to keep playing music and hopefully I inspire people. That’s really what my mission here, just to inspire people and be there for her and for my daughters and be there for my wife and family and that’s about it.
Follow Hunt Sales on Facebook, while more on Sales can be found on the Big Legal Mess website.
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