Jim Ladd: Our next guest is a man of many talents. At age 14 [sic] he appeared in the film To Sir, With Love with Sidney Poitier. After finishing acting school he eventually fronted the band Detective and signed on with Led Zeppelin's SwanSong label. Now, last year guitarist Andy Taylor asked him to sing for The Power Station on their world-wide tour. After a 50-city tour and dozens of rave reviews, our guest returned to the studio to complete his solo album, aptly titled Somebody Up There Likes Me. So join me now, for an InnerView of Michael Des Barres - who has asked me to refer to him as "Your Supreme Highness" for the remainder of this InnerView.

Jim Ladd: Now Michael, let me ask you about...because I'm a little suspicious of anybody in the aristocracy. It's interesting to me but, you know, being one of the "colonials" as you people like to refer to us over here, 200 years later...

MDB: Ha, ha.

Jim Ladd: ...you actually have a title.

MDB: Yes, I do.

Jim Ladd: The Marquis Des Barres.

MDB: Des Barres. Oui. So I wish to be known as "Your Supreme Highness" for the rest of the interview.

Jim Ladd: I see, I see. OK. Now, this was not a title that was bought. Because you can't buy titles. No, this is an actual blood title.

MDB: Yeah. I'm from a religious background called Huguenots. And there was a...you know, the French revolution, [on] St. Bartholomew's Day there was an enormous massacre. A great battle between religious cultures. And the Huguenots were expelled from France at that time. And that's how my family gravitated towards England. But initially, my family is French. And in about the 12th century, Henry of Navarre was beseiged by Teutonic knights - they all looked like Dolph Lundgren...

Jim Ladd: Ha, ha.

MDB: ...I presume. And there's this glorious story that my father used to tell me about how they were doing battle in this little wood. And he, Henry of Navarre - the King of France - was beset upon by these roquefort-type people. And my ancestor, Guillaume Des Barres, came to the rescue.

Jim Ladd: Really?! Oh, this is great.

MDB: Yes, he came to the rescue. And fought off these nasty Teutonic knights. And was promptly, you know, bestowed land. Now, that's how the aristocracy really began. I mean, it's all feudal and it was usually the ones with the biggest sword that became aristocrats, obviously, as you know. And he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Sort of like me in The Power Station. And what happened was, he was given the land. Barres was a place. Des in French means "of the". So Des Barres was, you know, he was given this land. And as time progressed, you know, then...the family grew and so on, and resources. And my father was in the long line of Marquises.

Jim Ladd: Let's talk about "Money Don't Come Easy". Do you see money as freedom, as you sing in this song?

MDB: Yes I do, absolutely. Hook, line and sinker. But I'm not specifically saying that those are the two issues of the tune. The song itself is really my attempt at explaining kinda what's happened to me during my rock and roll career. You know, "I used to work for anybody / now I work for me". For years I was in Silverhead, a glam rock group and simply because... You know, I've always been this sort of fadist and I glommed on to what was happening. I always did that. And tracing my whole history, it's like I have created a character through which to relate. And hence, the groups have demonstrated that. And then I was in Detective, which was a heavy metal band, and I assumed the mantel of Zeppelin. And lived that life, which nearly killed me of course. And...

Jim Ladd: There was no partying involved in that band...

MDB: No, none whatsoever. It was a very monastic thing, yeah. We just used to get up in the morning and pray and go to the studio.

Jim Ladd: A lot of brown rice...

MDB: A lot of brown rice. And of course, Jimmy would lead the prayers.

Jim Ladd: Ha, ha. Now, do you have any, I don't wanna use the word shame, so let me just use shame as the word here...

MDB: Let's use shame, yeah. He, he.

Jim Ladd: ...for being so gadfly in your loyalties to music?

MDB: No, I'm totally proud of my gadfly-ness.

Jim Ladd: Really?

MDB: Oh, God, yes of course. I mean, listen, I am totally and one hundred [percent] commited to rock and roll, and I always have been. Rock and roll takes very many forms. I always make the joke, and I'm always critizised for it, you know, [that] I was more into what ear ring I should wear than what lyric I should do. Nobody goes; "How could he say that in this era of John Cougar Mellencamp. How could he say this, this is terrible". And it's nonsense, because... Listen, I have played every club in the world. I've been on the road since 1972. I have played a lot of places, man, and I know what rock and roll is.

Jim Ladd: Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed meeting Michael Des Barres. A multi-talented man, I think you'd have to agree. Please join us next week. Same time and same frequency, for another InnerView. I'm Jim Ladd.