Alice Cooper Special Forces Medley, Tomorrow show with Tom Snyder

Special Forces medley performance, from the 1981 interview on the Tomorrow show with Tom Snyder. Very good quality video..

[@X1xone]

I loved this era of Alice, but I am surprised that man is still alive.

[@hannoverfist5628]

back when Alice still had some ziggy in him......you can see the bowie influence. i like this stuff so much more than the 90's version...

[@tonyeckman4822]

Alice cannot die.

[@billharding6693]

I think he is too

[@maddogg63]

@@billharding6693 He went through some rough patches but amazingly pulled himself together....Just a normal guy then there is Alice!

[@sciandrasgame4122]

@DEFUND WELFARE uh, he was a huge coke head at this point. It’s talked about in his latest documentary. I was also surprised to hear that because I heard the same stories as you.

[@eeaa5599]

I saw this tour front row at Melody Fair in Buffalo NY. Loved it but man it was a different Alice. Opening was a girl band from NY called Spider. I remember they were pretty hot. I got some amazing photos from the show and I had an 8x10 made of one perfect shot. In 1986 I went to downtown Toronto to meet Alice and thankfully by miracle a buddy from college was working the door and got me first in line. Very cool. I got to meet Alice and Kane Roberts. Kane looked and my photo and laughed and asked Alice what the hell that was about. I said it must have been a bad acid trip and they both laughed their heads off. Alice signed the photo, let me take some pictures and shook my hand. It was an amazing experience and unlike signings today, it was FREE. Alice was super nice and real pleasure to meet my childhood idol. Alice is the BEST!!!

[@davicus100]

post the picture for gods sake

[@empoweryou1]

I also saw this tour. It was at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City.(I think) An excellent show! I miss the edgier punk sound he had then.

[@davicus100]

@@empoweryou1 i always wondered why people lived in kansas city and cincinatti whats the draw there?

[@empoweryou1]

@@davicus100 Strong seasons, lot's of fishing/hunting available. Some of the best housing prices in the country, decent nightlife. We have more restaurants per capita than many larger cities(at least pre-covid)The highway system is effective(easy to get around)These are a few reasons off the top of my head. Have you ever visited?

[@philipholmes5884]

3 beers & a single hit ...how big was the venue & did he play much of his early stuff ?

[@SmittyHeWasNumber1]

he makes the most reckless punk rock icons look wholesome in this year.

[@zombie2wo]

Cool era of Alice but unfortunately Warner Bros. never pushed those albums well .. I think if they had then Alice Cooper might have played this role for the length of the 80's ..

[@stuartjenkins3039]

@@zombie2wo You can't really blame the record company for not making any real effort in promoting an artist who, by his own later admission, was so fucked up that there was no guarantee he'd turn up for an interview or show, or worse, turn up so fucked up that he'd probably end up throwing up on or attempting to dry hump, or both, the host of the show, or the entire audience all at once.

[@clarenceboddicker4023]

He doesn't even remember making this album or touring it.

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

"ACTING!" - The Great Thespian.

[@MJForever1999]

@@stuartjenkins3039 it probably wasn't even because of that. Warner Bros are just assholes in general

[@popebroken3916]

Damn! I am surprised that Alice made it through. I like this periods music but it is kind of hard to see Alice so far out there.

[@winstonsizemore2385]

So true He was smoking copious amounts of freebase at that time

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Yeah he was a real wreck at this time. From all accounts he was really going at it hard and heavy. Not just the freebase but also the usual heavy drinking, only exacerbated by the coke. He really is lucky to have survived that period. If he had been any older his heart probably would’ve given out. I saw him on this tour, and though at the time most people weren’t aware he was doing coke, it was pretty obvious something was seriously wrong. He looked like a painted corpse, and was all jittery and twitchy. I thought he had cancer at the time. I’m glad he survived.

[@charliethompson6204]

You all need to see Super Duper Alice Cooper. He openly talks at length about freebasing coke..he had a serious problem with it...he almost killed himself because of it

[@Blubatt]

Have that film, and it was pretty hard to watch that bit, especially the bits of archive footage, you can literally see him deteriorating. I once read an interview from the 80's he had, and even reading it came across like he wasn't with it.

[@97warlock]

luckily he got some help *& overcame the addiction. It can ruin a persons life, drugs suck.

[@leonardoale2538]

Droga

[@leonardoale2538]

Frula

[@RCAvhstape]

He looks terrible here for sure.

[@guyfawkes9951]

Alice did Glam better than almost anyone, he did Punk better than almost everyone, he did ballads better than almost anyone, he did hard rock better than almost anyone, he did metal better than almost anyone and he was DEFINITELY the best Alice Cooper anyone ever saw. This is a guy who gave not a single fuck. Not one.

[@dannydunne817]

+Guy Fawkes Remember, remember the 5th of November. Now you're a man who knows what he's talking about. I totally agree. Long live Alice.

[@markrago2270]

Guy Fawkes I'm going to see him with Deep Purple and Edgar Winter in September

[@guyfawkes9951]

Mark Rago wow. I didn't know Edgar Winter still toured!

[@blondego56]

Guy Fawkes im jazzed! im gonna see him in June 😜

[@eyellgeteven9928]

+Mark Rago WOW! That will be one helluva show! I'm jealous!

[@MrTooner101]

Alice during the 80's is SO underated.

[@RobHowell1]

Flush the Fashion is one of my favorite AC albums even after being a fan for years.

[@ashleyfugate6055]

Period

[@kristianhjorth2402]

Flush The Fashion, Special Forces, Zipper Catches Skin, Da Da is the best albums Alice Cooper ever done. I know he was anorectic and marked by heavy alcoholism and he really hates these albums from the 80-s but he is so wrong. They are all so screwed, exciting and musically great, nothing before or after is in the same unique leage.

[@em7dim9]

@@kristianhjorth2402 They are great albums! What people should be dissing is all the garbage released after 1987. His last listenable album was Raise Your Fist and Yell.

[@RusselHeggie]

the only thing controversial about this now is an interviewer smoking on tv!

[@olliecrow3547]

You got that right! 😆

[@MikeB-sp6gp]

@@olliecrow3547 And that Alice's teeth are rotting right out of his head.

[@gianniledo6204]

40 years ago it was possible !

[@Suldog29]

Snyder was so underrated for giving good treatment to rock acts of the day. Always respectful, good questions.

[@rodbelding9523]

Alices act was always supposed to be creepy/scary, but this era was by far his creepiest

[@Shikta-poobah67]

And without him even trying to be creepy 😆 He was just so wacked out at the time and looked like a painted corpse from all the coke he was freebasing that it was authentically creepy as f**k. Very strange but fascinating chapter in his career. I’m glad I got to see him on this tour.

[@jean-etienneledorze6164]

What I find incredible with Alice is his interpretation of the lyrics. He is no extraordinary voice but he can bring you deep with him in his songs like david bowie. And he is free from music style standards, it s just Alice Cooper and that means alot

[@baronweirwulf5221]

iggy also

[@BillBlazejowski]

@@baronweirwulf5221 naa

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@baronweirwulf5221 And Lou Reed.

[@LooseCanonCreations]

Knowing what I do about his condition at this stage of his life, it makes me kinda uncomfortable seeing him like this. Had he been clean, sober, and able to keep himself and Alice separate, this phase would have been a brilliant chapter to an ongoing horror saga. Unfortunately, the story we're seeing here was his reality. Didn't make me love this any less but still...

[@sammytheface8821]

My gawd. He looks skeletal here...thinning hair, teeth yellow. Looks like he weighs about 80 lbs. Lot of great Rock Stars, in better shape than that, died so Young. Glad he recovered, And still performing great Rock today. LEGEND.

[@SoundSeeker2024]

This is when the wheels flew off

[@jlouis4407]

Way off

[@tomlangley8852]

love this Album! Had it on vinyl just bought it again on CD off of Amizon.

[@gumbyspoke5891]

He went for the drunken geisha look n nailed it.

[@robroyce6845]

Kimono Alice's House!!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Drunken geisha? More like “painted corpse”.

[@dcthatsme9721]

special forces is one of my favs

[@GRILLBUOY101]

Me 2. What's the best cut ?? I generation? Vicious rumors is!!

[@GRILLBUOY101]

He looks like the corpse in movie 7 that pops outa the bed babbling

[@DEEAD666]

Title track, VIcious Rumors, Skeletons in the Closet... Such good tracks.

[@dblev548]

Special Forces is my favorite album also. I saw Alice do the Special Forces show in a small venue/club called the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta.

[@johnnyloveit901]

You Look Good In Rags@@GRILLBUOY101

[@biffbifford402]

Music producers of today pour tens of millions into the “artists” today, and not a single one of them can replicate what’s happening here. There’s only one Alice. God bless Alice Cooper.

[@Pravindaswani74]

one of the Best album of Alice in the 80's !!!!!!!!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Yes, in the 80’s. That’s not saying much though.

[@ivycutler1907]

Glad he woke up and cleaned up his act. To dang skinny and sickly looking here. Hes 75 years old abd doing so much better in 2024!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤ Alice Cooper ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ginahuskey2639]

Alice was very sick between '80-'82 was his Family finally got him help for the 2nd time around. He went into a Long Term Clinic in the late 70's around '77 for Alcoholism. All it took for him to hit rock bottom the 2nd time was a sip of his wife's wine. (I don't know about the Cocaine) By that night he had already purchased and hid 2 bottles of whiskey. Thank God he got Clean & stayed Clean! I love him and it makes me so sad to see him this way. Shocking!!!

[@roaringviking5693]

There are a lot of inconsistencies in these stories, so it is hard to tell what the real truth is. One other thing I noticed is that in Super duper Alice Cooper he talks about waking up with a gun and blood running from his eyes and that it was then he decided to get clean. But the song Pass the Gun Around on Dada clearly recounts that story and he has stated that he was still messed up when he recorded that album. It doesn't add up. So, what's the truth?

[@Stigmatix666]

Alice stopped completely drinking in '78, and never fell off the wagon. He started freebasing cocaine instead until he almost died from it. After 1984, hes been completely sober. It took some major guts to finally come clean about his drug use in the Super Duper doc! Also when you know this fact, you can clearly tell that everyone is lying about "falling off the wagon" in the VH1 segment. And it's painfully obvious when you watch live performances from this era.. Compare them to live performances from his alcoholic era and see for yourselves

[@curtissmith7297]

His Golf Monster book also confirms the Behind The Music story.It talks about how he was hiding bottles of liquor all over their house.I haven't seen the Super Duper documentary,but I believe both stories are likely true.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

great cover of Love's "Seven and seven is.., in fact about the best cover of that song. I wouldn't expect less from this band though.

[@2008PLS]

Alice also covered Talk Talk on Flush The Fashion. It was a song by The Music Machine

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Definitely as it’s performed here. The studio version on the album is pretty mediocre to be honest. This version kills though.

[@austinguerin7341]

Scary Alice! Like the album. And If you want kids to stay off drugs have them watch this!

[@jeffreedy2605]

Well, we can see where people like Marilyn Manson and people like that, got it from ;)

[@charliethompson6204]

Look up Skinny Puppy. Alice Cooper drastically changed his stage show after witnessing their 86 tour

[@Genkimark]

And KISS, White Zombie, King Diamond, NIN, and so on. Alice was the original.

[@twikirobot6897]

@@Genkimark KISS was nothing like Alice Cooper.

[@Genkimark]

@@twikirobot6897 wrong. They were big fans of his and modeled their early stage shows on his as well.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Marilyn Manson isn’t fit to eat the corn kernels out of Alice’s poop. Him and Alice are from two different universes.

[@BlackMetalHappiness]

So...Alice Cooper's Look in the early 80's was a GLAM/Punk/drag queen?

[@clisk35]

yep and still more metal than any of that pussy black metal shit..alice fuckin rules.

[@akimbonorman]

he never looked more like a corpse than in this round of Alice make-up.

[@trippy66.]

Apparently so. Who knew?

[@jefferyroy2566]

Not sure about the look but the music is nothing but borrowed New York Dolls. David Johansen should sue.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Nope. More like painted corpse with a man-bun.

[@uriah768ok]

I always liked this era for Alice, very different, and in its own way, downright disturbing. The cocaine use is pretty obvious, though, especially in the interview section with Snyder. Alice is definitely flying here!

[@lennydog666]

+Brad D I agree. There are songs off Dada, Flush the fashion and Special forces that i like better than his big hair metal band sound he was doing in the late 80's-early 90's

[@uriah768ok]

Agreed. I didn't care for the hair metal era, although I was happy to see Alice getting props again.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@lennydog666Ugh, I *HATED* the hair metal era. It was just a cash-grab, plain and simple… but I suppose it worked for him. He started getting interesting again when “The Last Temptation” came out, but honestly when it comes to solo Alice, this is the era I always return to. Some of it is truly awful (Zipper Catches Skin), but most of it just has this weird, unique charm that I love.

[@lennydog666]

@@Shikta-poobah67 agree 100%

[@littlepeanut5557]

I followed Alice on the UK Special Forces tour in early 82. I loved the four shows I attended and have a great love for the Special Forces album. 40 years on from this video and Alice is better than ever ... who'd have bet on that!

[@chewba2008]

Smoking on live tv, unthinkable today!

[@chevken1831]

What was with the Katherine Hepburn hair?

[@creatornat]

+ChevKen I dunno which gets me more, that hair with the chopsticks or the eyebrow/eyeshadow combo...it never ceases to baffle me what he was going for. There had to have been some inspiration, or moment in the mirror, most likely totally addled, where he said,'YES. That is the look I want'. O_o

[@TheGrindhouse70]

He always looked like something out of Rocky Horror to me during this phase in his career.

[@samwindmill8264]

I had no idea he was also into cocaine at this time until last night when I saw Super Duper Alice Cooper. Apparently he talked about freebasing and rock cocaine use for the very first time in it, partly because his friend Bernie Taupin would only appear in the film if Alice would finally open up about coke, which Taupin apparently got him into in the first place in the late 70's. He always said it was a big alcohol blackout that these early 80's albums were made in, and I think it's still true he was abusing booze at this time, but it's weird cause the documentary doesn't actually mention the whole sip of Cheryl's wine relapse story that he's told over and over for years.

[@markrago2270]

Sam Windmill I too know the evils of crack cocaine. Fortunately not anymore. I can relate to where he was at this point though. So strange

[@eyellgeteven9928]

+Mark Rago Me too. At this same time in the '80s, pretty much EVERYBODY that partied did some coke. I did more than my share, but I started to see people go down the fucking toilet in a hurry and was lucky enough to get away from it relatively unscathed. Uncle Alice was WAY down the fucking rabbit hole though, holy shit!

[@roaringviking5693]

He probably invented that story. It isn't the only story he's invented over the years. I knew before Super DUper Alice Cooper that something didn't add up. While I have no experience with coke, I know how drunks behave and he clearly isn't drunk here. He's the opposite of drunk. Drunks have slow and slurry speech and they're slow in general. Alice is extremely speeded here, so it's obvious he's on something that makes him like that. .

[@creepyskulldini581]

Me too. I always knew he was an ALCOHOLIC. But I hadn't known that he ever had a DRUG problem until RECENTLY when I looked into THIS period ( which was pretty obscure for a long time ).

[@curtissmith7297]

I don't believe the relapse back into alcohol was a cover up.In his Golf Monster autobiography it reconfirms the story of taking a sip of his wife's wine and goes into more detail.It talks about how he was hiding bottles of liquor all over the house.It was at that time she tried to file for divorce because she couldn't stand to watch him kill himself anymore.

[@18andlikeit]

He completely lost me during this era.. I saw the Killer Show in '72 and Billion $ Babies in '73. Now THAT was Alice in his prime. Nothing equaled AC and the original group afterwards. Shit I don't even recognise him in this vid. Like a totally different person. Thank God he cleaned up...

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Compared to the original band, anything after ‘74 is going to suck by way of comparison. However, I’ll take this era of Alice over late 80’s/early 90’s hair metal Alice, or late 70’s muppet-lounge Alice any old time. At least this stuff was weird enough to be interesting and disturbing.

[@jodyhoffman6110]

I loved the era of the original band. Billion$babies. Every decade Alice Cooper is different. He looks pretty rough here. I wanna feed him. He's overcome a lot in his life. And I'm thankful he has and keeps making great music

[@Shikta-poobah67]

You could have fed him with a shovel every hour of every day back then and he still would have looked like this. Extreme cocaine addiction will do that to a person. When you have half of Bolivia coursing through your veins, you tend to metabolize food faster than you can consume it.

[@creatornat]

I just keep wondering what he was thinking, in his rather 'druggy' moments, in front of his backstage mirror, doing his makeup.... "Let's see here...let's do...ONE giant eyebrow...yes, that's good...and let's just put a little bit of dark shadow under each cheek bone-just a smidge....ok...and some seriously white, simmey eye shadow...overdrawn lips....annnnnd we have it!" XD

[@eyellgeteven9928]

+creatornat Boy, I'm sure he was going for "weird" but HOLY SHIT!!!! I hated this "new" look and sound of his when it happened...I was a die-hard Alice fan WAY before he "re-invented" himself during this era of his career. I remember HATING his new look and sound when I first heard and saw it. It's funny...this all happened when I was a teenager, and I remember being disappointed when I found out that the "evil ghoul/maniac" that was Alice Cooper in the '70s was basically a "gimmick" and he was actually a really nice guy...then Special Forces (and the other albums of this period) came out and I HATED it! I pretty much gave up on him during this era. Looking back at it though, during this part of his career, he pretty much BECAME the sick, twisted, fucked up person I wish he was when I was younger...and it's taken all of the decades since for me to revisit those weird "new wave" and "punk" albums he put out in the early '80s, to realize how messed up he actually was at that point.

[@creepyskulldini581]

Not too mention the hair pinned up like an old ladies! I think he looks a bit like a punk / junkie version of that "sweet transvestite" guy from Rocky Horror. It kind of brought the ANDROGYNOUS element, that he had in the really early ( 70 / 71 ) days of the persona, back into the image in a very weird way. MY favorite SONG from THIS album is You Look Good In Rags.

[@yallevereatenbeans2723]

@@creepyskulldini581 I believe I heard him say he was aiming for the look to be like Joan Crawford in ''Whatever Happened to Baby Jane'' Heres a picture for an example: derekwinnert.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/whatever-happened-to.jpg

[@Shikta-poobah67]

You know that overused saying; “Cocaine is a helluva drug”? Well….

[@cricket8646]

GREAT PERFORMANCE !!! Better than I expected on Tom's show. Not to mention I just bought his new Cd and it is fantastic !! WAYYY BETTER than most other music coming out of the states right now. Would love to see him visit Nashville again !!!

[@roxannestorm2616]

Alice Cooper was turning punk rock at that time which was perfect.

[@heimeygazzonteight7347]

He was never punk

[@philipholmes5884]

He was always a punk...just long hair & make up on his eyes...

[@Generatorhead]

@@heimeygazzonteight7347 Obviously you never heard the early Nazz and Spiders singles. Or his love of Detroit bands like The Stooges, MC5, etc.

[@roxannestorm2616]

@@heimeygazzonteight7347 it's an expression dummy.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

“Turning punk”? Is that like turning Japanese?

[@StalkingU24l7]

Alice Cooper. Wearing one glove BEFORE it was cool.

[@2008PLS]

Actually The Music Machine, from the 60s started that. Alice covered their song Talk Talk on Flush the Fashion

[@joebruce3856]

No offense but when was it cool I'm not really know of thing in the 80s and who wore one glove besides alice

[@jadensvideos]

@@joebruce3856 Michael Jackson really made it a big look in the 1980's with one silver glove.

[@carlossotelo8946]

Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy wore one glove.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

It was cool?

[@byronlemay2166]

Back in the 80s I had a girlfriend from high school (very attractive girl) who went deep into cocaine and meth (back then they called it "crank") for 12 straight years. She lived the "tweaker" lifestyle full on...up all night "dumpster diving" for "treasures" and stuff like that. She got super skinny and her complexion suffered greatly. I did that drug with her a few times but stayed away from it because I KNEW it would kill me. Nasty, nasty stuff. She eventually stopped doing it and her health returned, but she survived. I think some people have bodies that can withstand that abuse and others would wither and die quickly. Mr. Cooper obviously had a high tolerance...just like Keith Richards. He looks real good now...did the same thing she did...dove deep but pulled out of it.

[@laurencelevene4333]

Special forces is Alice cooper most underrated album. It's got everything. Rock, punk, electronic, and the lyrics are some of Alice's best ever

[@samiamtheman7379]

Probably an underrated one because the 80's were his blackout years when he was wacked out of his mind. Man couldn't remember making these songs.

[@empoweryou1]

I saw that tour at Memorial auditorium in Kansas City. ~1982? It was crazy. Very fun.

[@laurencelevene4333]

@@empoweryou1 I saw it at the Hammersmith odeon in London. Was brilliant

[@michaelmetheny872]

I truly think Da, DA, is a true Alice Cooper album.

[@markkeegan7535]

How in hell was he not in Rocky Horror Picture Show??

[@MrBasildondave]

My first concert was AC special forces tour in London's Hammersmith Odeon. I was about 14, it was Fantastic. They don't make them like Alice any more :-(

[@jeffholt9437]

Dave - the Hammy O gig was my one and only AC gig - brilliant - can't bring myself to go to another to hear the same old 70s greatest hits stuff....!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

You and I must be exactly the same age. I also saw him on this tour when I was 14, at Cardi’s in Houston. Back then nobody really knew he was strung out on coke, but it was pretty obvious that something weird was going on with him. He looked like he could drop dead at any given moment. I remember thinking he had cancer. Everyone at that gig was talking about how terrible he looked. He still put on a good show though. I much prefer the original AC band, but as far as the 80’s stuff goes, Special Forces and DaDa are my favorite Alice albums.

[@thespringof7443]

Genius! Alice the untouchable!. The guitar work on this performance is awe inspiring.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

I know how this whole early 80’s era of Alice is now commonly referred to as “the blackout years”, but personally I’ve always likened it to Apocalypse Now. Coop is basically Willard, and he just keeps winding further and further upriver into the jungle, descending ever deeper into madness with each click. If Flush The Fashion is the river’s mouth where the journey begins (and Charlie don’t surf), then I’d say that Special Forces is the USO stage, where the Playboy bunnies make their appearance and it’s still fun, but things are beginning to get pretty weird and you can really start to sense the darkness up ahead. After this was Zipper Catches Skin, which is like the last outpost on the river, where all the C.O.’s are dead, no one is in charge, and it’s just pure chaos. By this point Alice is still Willard, but by the time they reach the compound (DaDa), he’s pretty much transformed into Kurtz. The horror.

[@adammassacre4715]

Even though Alice was in a truly awful state with addiction and almost dead he STILL absolutely was on it when performing. So glad he got sober and is doing awesome at nearly 80 too. Love ya Coop.

[@jaykapolka6111]

dont freebase, kids

[@DMSProduktions]

Alice looked terrible here! You can SEE where Manson got his look from! Alice taking a leaf out of the NY Dolls' book!

[@dannydunne817]

The one and only Alice. Vintage stuff. Thanks for the post. One of his lesser known albums, but still great music as only Alice can do it. Can't agree it's his worst album, but I respect your opinion. I'm a die hard Alice fan!

[@barrisonstone8299]

Danny Dunne gotta figure if someone calls this his "worst" LP.. then that's saying a lot about him.. if his 'worst' is this good.. then he truly is one of the best..Ever! Not realy all that familiar with this part of his career.. but seeing how 'Punk' it is.. I'll def be taking a closer look at this LP & this time line if his life... He was mainstream, for me from 1970 till.. oh just after the "Goes to Hell" LP.. & kinda lost touch.. didnt realize he changed all his make up style and jus seems a litlle more Punk sounding... but.. def taking a second look at this era... thanx

[@barrisonstone8299]

..and I've seen him 3 times after he sobbered up... and he had reverted back to his regular make-up again...like I said.. i didnt remember him changing so much.. and look at how thin he was.. def on the Crackin's Diet... lol

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Special Forces is *FAR* from his worst album. Not even remotely close. I can think of several, right off the top of my head that are much, much worse. I won’t name names because it would invariably start a pissing match… but let’s just say that in the 80’s alone, this was one of his best albums, even if it wasn’t wasn’t his most successful.

[@JaminJim2010]

Loved the "Joan Crawford" look.

[@johnnyloveit901]

You nailed in man! I bet you are not far off the mark if you were to ask Alice.

[@boris2342]

I hear Old Joan has risen from the grave : )

[@rt3593]

Yeah funny. Looks more like kathryn.hepburn. but i love me some alice

[@Shikta-poobah67]

*NO WIRE HANGERS EVER!!!*

[@barrisonstone8299]

Damn,this is one ugly Geisha! Kidding!! So glad he sobered up tho. but, even at his worst, the music still Rocked!! Don't know what kinda look he was going for but he musta weighed 101 lbs.. &.. how did that Beautiful wife of his stand by him thru all this tumultuous part of his career. I've seen him several times and don't remember this part.. with the change of make-up and sound.. prolley cuz the early 80's I too, was heavily medicating myself also. WE MADE IT VINCENT. Thank God ....WE MADE IT!

[@mmmegameat]

Like Bowie, Alice Cooper has different incarnations and this is one of my favorites. I dig that early 80s punk vibe. But Alice should have invested in a Gold's Gym membership card and put some muscle on them bones.

[@eyellgeteven9928]

That or actually EATING, instead of drinking booze and smoking crack.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

It wouldn’t have mattered if he gorged himself daily at the buffet at this time, with all the coke he was freebasing. When you have half of Peru coursing through your veins you tend to metabolize food faster than you can consume it.

[@DJ-365]

I Can't believe that is Cooper i NEVER Heard of this " Special Forces " and it SUCKS. He went from making AWESOME Music in the 70s to this ? in the 80s Damn . No wonder no one heard of this because no one would play it but Snyder .... i would have NEVER Believed it if i didn't see it ....

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Um, this absolutely pulverizes the loungey yacht rock shit he was cranking out in the late 70’s (Lace and Whiskey, From The Inside). I mean if you need some crappy Alice albums to talk smack on, try those two on for size. You’ll be begging to hear Special Forces again.

[@MichaelWH]

He basically doesn't remember this album or "DaDa"

[@davidperry7271]

Saw him during this period after his show we went to THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW trippin all night!

[@vincenttorrieri7321]

I saw this tour in Toronto! It was great and really underated. A shame Alice Cooper says he does not remember much of it.

[@MrNielskuiper]

agree !

[@tomtate2791]

I bet he remembers it. He just thinks it was a big mistake... he looks pretty lucid to me in this video.

[@austinfailz]

He doesn't remember it because of the cocaine...

[@razrhiannaspiers8506]

+austinfailz he has said that he doesn't remember recording special forces, zipper catches skin or dada at all. Flush the fashion a little bit.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@razrhiannaspiers8506 In an interview I read about a year ago, he said that the only albums he has zero recollection at all of recording were Zipper and DaDa. He said he had some very blurry, vague memories of recording Special Forces, but no memory whatsoever of the tour that followed it. One thing I’ve noticed is that he seems to change his story quite a bit about this recollections of this era, which kind of leads me to think it might just be a case of the old “selective memory”. Who knows.

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

*IMMWAOO* Alice is far more creepy with short hair than long hair. With long hair he looks like just another biker dude by comparison. Have you seen pictures of Vince before he grew his hair out? Truly Terrifying!

[@tilman6810]

0:46 Who Do You Think We Are 3:20 Seven & Seven Is

[@markkondak]

I saw this tour , the Reason why Alice claims not to remember it is not because of the Music(It was Great) It was a Dark time in his personal Life....and that's all I have to say about that...

[@Shikta-poobah67]

It’s pretty obvious at this point that Alice is full of shit when it comes to setting the record straight on his past. Apparently the only reason he ever finally admitted that he was indeed doing mountains of cocaine back then was because it was a condition of Bernie Taupin’s involvement in the documentary (that Alice come clean about the coke usage). I don’t mean to talk shit on Alice, I practically worship the man and I’ve been a major fan since I was 7 years old… but I can’t help but notice that he’s changed his story (about this period of his life) a million times, and I think he probably remembers a *LOT* more about that time than he cares to admit. Another thing I know about recovery from drug addiction is that if you want to stay clean and sober then you *HAVE* to be 100% honest about your past with others, as well as with yourself. I mean, it’s really actually not any of our business what Alice was doing behind the curtains 40+ years ago, but I hope he at least has come clean with all that stuff with his family and closest friends. There’s no age limit on relapsing.

[@darrylcole8737]

Saw Cooper during his change...He was still Badass still Cooper Great Showman...did'nt like it at first...but before the show was over Loved it...!!! always a Cooper fan...!?!

[@THECLARENCES]

Little known fact: Comedian Freddy Lewis was OBSESSED with this era of Alice! xoxo The Clarences

[@rockinyouallnight]

Lewis used to show up at The Holy City Zoo wearing that Japanese bandana around his neck for months on end. He stopped when Robin Williams told him that it looked fantastic.

[@THECLARENCES]

@@rockinyouallnight Freddy was a unique character!!! xoxo The Clarences

[@philipholmes5884]

Hi Clarences ! How are you... Phil from The Nothings ! I usually don't like solo Alice...but this is really great ...! I was devastated when the original band broke up...nice to see you enjoying good music ! The Alice Cooper group and the Sex Pistols...along with the original 4 guys in Kiss ...The Ramones (and a band called Mott the hoople) are my all time favorites...oh and my band too 😀...hope you're doing well !

[@THECLARENCES]

@@philipholmes5884 Hi Phil! Good to hear from you! How is everything? xoxo The Clarences

[@GreenManalishiUSA]

Rough period for Alice. Times and musical tastes had changed, his teenage audience from the 70s had grown up and moved on, his record sales were declining, and the concert venues were getting smaller. Throw hard drugs into the mix and you get...this. Still, it is interesting that Alice chose to include a cover of "Seven and Seven Is." It is as if he were saying to the world, "I'm not a has been, and I'm not an imitator. You know all of those giants like Arthur Lee, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, etc.? They are my contemporaries, and I am their equal, and I am still here!" Rock on, Alice. Glad that you are still here!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

I’ve never understood the concept of “I grew up and outgrew all the bands I loved as a kid”. I’m in my mid 50’s, and I still listen to pretty much everything I loved as a teenager or even as a little kid (Alice Cooper being a case in point). Sure, there were a small handful of bands… mainly the more angry, light speed tempo bands… from my teenage rage years that I left behind, but compared to the hundreds (maybe thousands) of bands that I never stopped loving, they’re an anomaly. I guess my point is that I think it’s downright silly to “outgrow” music that brought you joy in your youth. I mean sure, you’re not ever gonna see me in the pit again when I go see these bands for the 25th time, but I’m still going to go see them and continue to buy their music. That stuff is sacred and lifelong for me.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Sorry, I know that’s not really what you meant in your post, but the bit about “growing up and moving on” must’ve hit a nerve. 😁

[@cmacdhon]

Alice looked hideous. He made Marilyn Manson look like Spongebob Squarepants.

[@JonasPlanck]

"It's 1981 now, you have to be more punk." Okay. You want me to get strung out on some bathtub crank? That's usually how people become punks where I come from. "Whatever works, Alice, whatever works."

[@jollyrott3nn]

JonasPlanck Yo got it backwards. Most of the punks got their ideas from Alice. You're seeing the true OG

[@Shikta-poobah67]

😳🙄

[@davidmathews2599]

Damn I knew Alice Cooper got crappy after a while but I didn't realize he got this crappy.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

What? You missed the whole slow downward spiral into muppet-lounge-yacht rock that preceded this from 1975 to 1980? Where were you when that was going on? This was actually a pretty big step up from all that sappy, schlocky cheesewank, though admittedly it was f’n bizarre and definitely a result of daily cocaine binging. Was it his finest moment? Hardly, but at least it was an improvement on what he had been doing for the previous 5 years, and it was that much better than what he ended up doing in the second half of the 80’s, with the cheesy hair metal cash-grabbing. I mean, nothing will ever come close to the greatness that was the original Alice Cooper band, that made all those amazing albums in the early 70’s. That’s just a given, but as far as his solo career goes, the ‘blackout’ years were definitely the most interesting and disturbing.

[@tempo529]

I think Alice was influenced by Adam and the Ants and Gary Numan during this period.

[@ernestroybal]

Whhaat?

[@tempo529]

@@ernestroybal you heard me... lol

[@GOLDENFLYWARRIOR]

Adam Ant was later.... He was awesome and gorgeous up too yet tragedy in his life also. Don't Drink, Don't Smoke was Classic.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@GOLDENFLYWARRIORNope. Adam was already on his third album by ‘81.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Well, you can definitely hear the Gary Numan influence on “Clones (We’re All)”. In fact, the first time I heard that song I thought I was hearing a new Gary Numan single. The influence is pretty obvious on that one.

[@stephenjackson4392]

UMMM BIP BIP UMM BIP BIP YAAAA. London Gardens, London Canada 1981 I WAS THERE . Best album EVER

[@randysnewbiebluesrockguita7782]

So glad that Alice came through this period alive to come back with some really great rock and roll. This period was really freaky and Punky and it really didn't show his musical writing style at all, he was too coked out. I know he is lying about it but he claims not to even remember writing, recording, or touring for this album and Zipper catches skin or DA DA. I'm sure he remembers more than he wants to admit.

[@captainpungent]

I LOVE this period of Alice. My favorite post ACG era.

[@MarkGrieveson]

I thought it was a good song and a good performance.

[@ingogeirdal]

Alice didn´t tour for Zipper Catches Skin and DaDa.

[@campulik98]

He actually likes these albums and recently said, that some songs are surprisingly great. So I don't think that he pretends he doesn't remember, there's no reason for it.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

I’d hardly call this era “punky” (like Brewster). “New wave-y”, maybe. Either way, it’s a million times better, in my opinion, than the hair metal cash-grab that came right after it with stuff like Raise Your Fist and Yell and Constrictor. This era was weird for sure, and definitely influenced by all the coke he was freebasing, and I certainly don’t like everything he recorded at the time, but at least it was interesting and didn’t really fit in at all with what was big at the time (either new wave synth-pop or boring arena-rock like Journey or Foreigner). Alice was deep in the wilderness in the early 80’s, and every now and again I like to go there with him.

[@lucyfaire1980]

Someone named Brian Warner was probably wathing this...

[@eyellgeteven9928]

Without a doubt! But then, I think he watched EVERYTHING Alice did...but just this look alone HAD to have seriously inspired him, LOL!

[@pekerhed101]

No doubt. Alice was a huge influence on MM....and Bowie was a heavy influence on MM's Mechanical Animals album.

[@richardstephenson1266]

I loved those albums from this era, but man he looked terrible.

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

Like a demented grandmother.

[@duffbaker9554]

Alice's 'new-wave' phase. Starting with 'Flush The Fashion'.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Thank you for being one of the few to actually get it right. I get so tired of people referring to this period of Alice as “punk”. I’ve always thought of this era as Alice taking a stab at new wave, in a way that only Alice could do.

[@charliethompson6204]

He was MOST DEFF a junkie

[@surfsup5757]

Freebase cocaine.

[@MikeB-sp6gp]

Confession. I wish he had done a ballad or two. I still tear up every time I hear 'You and Me.' For all the pomp and carnival, Alice can really deliver the sweetness. Forgive me.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

The only one of his ballads I ever really liked (more like LOVE really) is “I Never Cry” from “Goes To Hell”. Probably because I can relate to it. That one hits me right in the heart every damn time.

[@commoncunninglinguist]

WTF was he thinking? Coked up and freaky.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

You answered your own question.

[@marctoleds6259]

Me favourite AC era is "LITD" and "Killer", but 80's Punk/New Wave Alice was great, still scary and androginous, way better than later " cheesy metal" Alice.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Definitely way more new wave than punk. In 1981 I had begun going to actual punk shows, and believe me… it was *NOTHING* like early 80’s Alice Cooper. Not even remotely.

[@ilovethetampabaylightning92]

I love, love, LOVE Tom Snyder. I just can't get enough of him. His voice, his smile, his laugh, his eyes.....the man was intoxicating.

[@peterblack1639]

The voice and the Rock was still very well represented in this era of Alice's career.....

[@kelvinonline9742]

After his rock n roll hall of fame induction , I suggest a step higher that the USA should add one more star on their flag devoted to Vincent, Cause this geniusrock'n'rollvillainhero, (along Billy the kid, Capone and Nixon) incarnates a part of their history.

[@TheGreatAlan75]

Special Forces was/is his most consistent album since the glory days. its easily my favorite solo album

[@crazgeo]

Glam Rock 🪨 Bowie Iggy NY Dolls Sweet Alice Cooper Early 70’s was a totally different sound to be appreciated after the hippy 60’s sound

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Slade, Roxy, Suzi Q, Mott, T Rex, Mud, Dolls, Gary Glitter (I don’t care - the music was what mattered), Sensational Alex Harvey Band….

[@scottjohnsoltis7748]

Tom Synder really should have called an ambulance, Alice looked like overdue death!!!

[@killingsleep]

Well, he is wearing makeup that looks like overdue death. That might explain it. Duh !

[@SicillianmanDon]

I've always thought the Special Forces Album is horrible for the most part and still do but I've always found the songs sound good live.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

It’s just produced lousy, is all. Normally I can’t stand it when bands remix their old albums, but I’d make an exception in the case of Special Forces. Alice needs to get hold of the master reels and do a complete remix and remaster. You even said it yourself - there’s some really good songs on there. They’re just mired by a shitty mix. I saw him on this tour and I remember the way everyone was talking about how much better all those songs sounded live.

[@davehooper4498]

This time Alice was at his best, I loved all his early albums, I went to see him live in Birmingham for the very first time on this your, was awesome. Why didn't he keep this band together they were great

[@Shikta-poobah67]

“At his best”? Really? More like at his most bizarre and drug-addled. It’s an interesting period of his career for sure, and much better than his cheesy hair metal period that followed it, but I’d hardly say he was “at his best” at this time. He’s damn lucky his heart didn’t give out on him back then. He looked like death eatin’ a cracker.

[@judynitzinger]

Rare, with John Nitzinger, guitarist. Awesome to see him here! -Judy

[@jcollins1305]

That was a heck of a band

[@DanielHernandez-tn2ie]

wait wasnt that the era with crazy ass Mile Pineda from Thee Image the guitarist during that era??

[@tailsprowerfan2729]

My god he looks terrible danm drugs Thank god he changed and got off the stuff

[@Mad_Axe_Man125]

These lyrics are freaking genius. Special forces and DADA are masterpieces.. zipper catches skin is garbage and Flush the fashion is just meh.

[@luvittodeath7031]

I’d disagree. Zipper is decent, Flush The Fashion is great, Dada is amazing

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Pretty well summed. Those are basically my thoughts on the matter to a tee.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@luvittodeath7031Subjective. I’m in agreement with the OP in that I think Zipper is completely awful. The only song on that entire album that I can listen to all the way through is “Adaptable”.

[@jimmyjames6267]

I think that is Liza Minnelli not Alice Cooper 🤣🤣🤣

[@rowdybodine8585]

So, is Alice Cooper the GOAT of punk singers? Better than Iggy? Better than Marilyn Manson? I say YES!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Better than Marilyn Manson??? Duh…. two alley cats bangin’ each other on a megaphone is better than that hack. Better than Iggy? Nope.

[@MusicZombieGirl]

Wow that totally punked out and I loved it. 🤘💥 Band was right there with him !💋

[@mattlortz6026]

Jesus, he looks absolutely awful... Strange how no one around him was keeping him from killing himself. Dig these three "blackout" albums where Alice was freebasing himself to death. There's so really raw, disturbing stuff. DaDa is hugely underrated. Tom Snyder must have been like WTF is this guy dying from? Absolutely frightening.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

What do you mean “strange how no one around him was keeping him from killing himself”. Have you ever had to live with an addict? You can’t force someone to get clean and/or sober. They’re going to use when they want to use, and they’ll only clean up when they’re good and ready… and nothing anyone else says or does is going to make the slightest difference. All you can do is just be there for them, and do your best not to enable them. Anyway I’m sure there were plenty of people *TRYING* to get Alice to quit back then.

[@mattlortz6026]

Thanks for sharing

[@philesieve2997]

I didn't care for this version of him. I wonder if Marilyn Manson's look was inspired by it in some way, though.

[@opheliaoctopus]

This is pretty fantastic! Should be the music of the day during these post-apocalyptic Covid times.

[@massapower]

This is a more RAW COOPER .... LOVE IT 😁👍🏻👍🏻

[@Tecknut75]

The Crackcocaine Days It's amazing A.C. survived?

[@markwinegarden2469]

Alice Cooper did not use cocaine he did do a lot of drinking though

[@spiderfan1974]

@@markwinegarden2469 no he talked openly about smoking Crack and free basing cocaine in the documentary super duper Alice Cooper. He did coke when he wasn't drinking I want to say Elton Johns writing partner got him into using cocaine.

[@spiderfan1974]

@@markwinegarden2469 he also toured with the grateful dead so he's also talked about tripping balls.

[@jehugo66]

Now runs a Christian School and Charitable Center in Nashville, TN-Vincent Fornier

[@mrmusickhimself]

Tom Snyder must have had a deceptively awesome taste in music: Alice, Wendy O. , and he clearly got along with the best member of KISS (Ace Frehley).

[@MarsHottentot]

I just picture Alice doing shit tons of blow, listening to the Pistols and Damned and going "Fucking Bullshit! I CAN DO THIS WITH MY MIND CLOSED! HAHHAHAHAHHA!!!" and then watching TV for twelve hours.

[@DMSProduktions]

You mean The Dolls!

[@MarsHottentot]

@@DMSProduktions This was well after the Dolls broke up!

[@DMSProduktions]

@@MarsHottentot Doesn't matter! Alice predated The Dolls!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Good god…🙄

[@ForgottenHorrorchannel]

The special forces album sounded dreary but live those songs,are alive

[@Shikta-poobah67]

That album could really benefit from a complete remix and remaster.

[@jobo180]

back when musicians were talented.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Yeah, because all the talented musicians either died or retired… derp. 🤨

[@Papa-eb1lt]

Booze,coke and soldier of fortune is what Alice said about this

[@jammer70s]

This IS a truly terrifying version of Alice. I have never heard or seen any of this era material, I wasn't into A.C. anymore at this point. Hadn't been for a few years, actually. Scary how emaciated and sick he looks. Knew about the booze, but this is the first I've heard about coke. It's a miracle he survives to this day!

[@peppermintpasta]

Wow the "LOVE" cover starting at 3:30 is amazing!!

[@davoshaunessy3428]

Watching this actually makes Alice look like a sellout for his shock period stuff My first introduction to Alice was a fairly tame muppets host ?!?!?!?!?!?! LOVE IT TO DEAT£

[@skull9674]

Alice was deep into drugs at this time.