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Photo credit: Allan Zilkowsky
How 'Rebel Yell' Turned Steve Stevens Into a Superstar - Guitar KING!
"Let My Guitar DO The Talking" - Steve Stevens
In April 2024, Billy Idol announced Rebel Yell's 40th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue! ROCK ON Steve Stevens! On top of the Empire State Building, you and Billy had an exclusive performance for your fans! What an absolute rush that must have been!
The Empire State Building performance was in celebration of the 40th Anniversary reissue of Rebel Yell - where you and Billy performed an acoustic set, including 2 songs outside on the observation deck - the 102nd floor observation deck has a 360 degrees view of NYC! Is that where you performed, Steve? So! What was the energy and the vibe like on the top of the world's most famous building?
Steve: I mean, crazily enough, I grew up in New York and I lived in Manhattan from the time I was 18 years old. I had never been in that building! And, had never actually seen the view of the city from that perspective. So, you're up there and you can actually clearly see all the different burrows. Brooklyn, Queens and the other side is New Jersey, on the other side of the river. So, I was like "Wow!" I could clearly see where I lived and the whole perspective of the city. The building is incredible. It's an art deco masterpiece!
And for us, we started there! I met Billy in New York. We started there and we recorded Rebel Yell in New York. It was a really great homecoming and we don't take for granted the fact that we've been together as a team for so long! These kinds of events really mean a lot to us.
It was really great! And I will say, it wasn't so much a fear of heights or anything, but once we got outside to the observation deck we had to climb up these stairs to this little perimeter. This is actually two floors above where the tourists are able to go and it was friggin' cold as hell up there! And, windy! I'm having to play tunes on a guitar. I'm freezing! We're gonna get one take out of this. No retakes! Hahaha! We'll get one shot out of this. My hands are freezing up! Hahaha!
Sophia: Unbelievable! Hahaha! I can just imagine. As a guitarist, it's like, every guitarist's nightmare you know?
Congratulations Steve! Being celebrated for your GREAT musical achievements. You, the "BEST of the best" being celebrated at this monumental and massive skyscraper!
Steve: Thanks! I think it came out great. Musicians and sports figures have been honoured there but I don't think anyone's performed up there. So you know, we're like, "Yeah! We'll be the first".
Sophia: And probably the last too! Hahaha I don't think anyone's gonna perform up there again. I'm just so happy you were able to be honored in your hometown, where everything came together with Billy Idol. It's very significant and memorable, for sure!
Steve: Exactly! Agreed!
Sophia: Rebel Yell (1983) and Whiplash Smile (1986) both received Grammy nominations and Billy Idol got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.
Your guitar work on the "Top Gun Anthem" – won a Grammy in 1987 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Magnificent!
Your power trio, you, Billy Idol, and Keith Forsey (Producer) revolutionized music! One foot in Pop-Punk and the other in Rock! It is truly a dazzling and dynamic fusion of musical styles: Punk, Rock, Dance and New Wave - Cool underlying groove! Your guitar work was so cutting-edge and innovative at the time, and to this day! It's proven timeless. You've earned a mammoth following. A well-deserved and monumental success!
Steve Stevens! You're a superman guitar genius; innovative techniques and sounds, combining precision with melody! Brilliant!
RELATED ARTICLE: https://www.guitarthrills.com/the-knaggs-ssc-steve-stevens-signature-model-is-a-masterpiece-in-purple-burst/
Can you please share how you achieved your unique sound and tones on your legendary album Rebel Yell? It was so incredible, distinctive and original at its inception, and is still being celebrated today!
Steve: Thank you! Sometimes, the stars align. That was the second record I had done with Billy. I had learned so much doing the first record and touring. It really was the culmination of three different talents. Obviously, the other players were really important. Tommy Price, our drummer, Steve Webster, brilliant bass player, and Judi Dosier, our keyboard player. But, I think we all brought unique strengths to it.
Obviously, Billy Idol is a songwriter, lyricist and singer. He brought not only the energy and attitude of punk rock, but also you know, he was a fan of rock'n'roll in general. When we got together and listened to stuff, we listened to everything. Everything from T. Rex to Bowie, to Credence, to The Doors! We absorbed it all. And then you have Keith Forsey, who came from working with Giorgio Moroder, doing dance records. So, our grooves were super tight like dance records. Disco and dance music really extended the whole tightness of the rhythm section and how important bass was.
Keith brought all of that and he was originally a drummer. We had the underlying groove. And, Punk-rock attitude. And, I'm the product of 70's guitar players. That's the prime era for me! Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix. As well as the early progressive rock stuff, and even jazz fusion with John Mclaughlin and Al Di Meola. So, I had the capability to really play anything.
In the very beginning, I started playing folk guitar. James Taylor, Joni Mitchell. All this stuff. So, I had this grab bag full of guitar styles that I think Billy knew he could call upon for different songs. And, we were all such fans of The Beatles! One of the things we always said was, you know, when you listen to a Beatles record, it's not just one type of thing. Each song takes you on a little bit of a journey, stylistically.
And, that's what gave us the kind of confidence on Rebel Yell. To do a song like "Eyes Without A Face" which has nothing to do with "Flesh For Fantasy" which has nothing to do with a rocker like "Rebel Yell". We just said, it's a Billy Idol record. We can do whatever we want! It doesn't have to be the same. And, I looked at my guitar playing as a vehicle for that.
Sophia: Right. Blazing energy! I love this quote of yours: "From the first day I met Billy in 1982 in a shitty little rehearsal room, Keith was there. I can still remember Billy being a little hesitant in having me in the band, because I wasn’t a punk rock guitar player as my influences came from guitar heroes like Page, Beck, and Clapton." Looking back, can you please explain the significance of this quote with respect to your role in the band, over these past 43 years with Billy Idol?
Steve: Well, Billy had done three records with Generation X and moved to New York. So, I didn't feel he wanted to re-tread that. Before I met him, he and Keith had done his EP Don't Stop, which has "Mony Mony" on it. Punk is still there as an attitude and a style! And certainly, his fashion sense! But, I really didn't think he'd want a guitar player who was gonna replicate what he had done before.
I said to him, "You know, look man. Whatever you can think of musically, wherever you wanna go, I'll go there with you".
I always tell young musicians it's better to have too much capability. Maybe someday you'll work with a producer or a songwriter who says, "That's great that you can do all that, but let's hone in on it. Let's take the best of that." Rather than a musician who's limited, collaborators always have to push you or try to get more from you.
If you go to a restaurant, isn't it great to have a huge menu that you can pick from, or a restaurant that's only serving hamburgers? You're gonna get bored with that! So, that's kinda what music's about.
Myles Davis said something like, "Learn all the scales and then break all the rules!" Billy and Keith were really good at that. Sometimes we'd be in the studio and I'd play the first solo and they'd say, "that's great!" And I'd say "aww, I can do it better!" Then after the tenth time, they'd say, "let's go back and listen to the first one. Yeah! It's still the best one!" It's great to have a team like that! We did that for one another.
Sophia: That's why you're all Rock 'n' Roll Giants! Steve, I read your quote: "When I was a kid I can recall seeing Elvis and going “Wow, who's that guy playing the guitar?” I later found out it was Scotty Moore. I rode that type of role as a guitar player. Singers really don’t give a shit what you play in your solo. It’s how you are going to enhance a song and make their vocal presence stronger. I guess that’s what motivates me to play."
What do you mean by "I rode that type of role as a guitar player" and how do you feel it's impacted your songwriting partnership with Billy Idol?
Steve: Well, we've lasted together for 43 years. I think he knows that I don't have my own agenda. I'm really not waiting for that 30 second guitar solo to go, notice me! That's not my job. And, I always wanted to have a career in music. I didn't just want to be a guitar player.
I think as I get older, the things that really turn me on and interest me are writing better songs, and collaborating with different people. I've been blessed to collaborate with some of the greatest singers, and I've always liked the guitar players who are band guys. Like Scotty Moore, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, and Slash!
I've done solo records, and that's great! I do them at a time when there's something in me that I really wanna express, which is just me. But, at the end of the day, it's more rewarding, really, to work with people and to be a member of a band. And you know, it's a good laugh! I mean, we have fun doing it. If it wasn't fun, I don't think we'd still be doing it. We do it because we want to!
Sophia: Your philosophy on your role as a guitarist is humbling! And, your diverse and innovative guitar talent is mind-boggling! Thank God for you, Steve Stevens! You're a blessing; keeping Rock 'n' Roll guitar alive and well!
You're a phenom and you undoubtedly have played a massive role in sky-rocketing you and Billy to international fame and stardom! Your musical gifts, undeniably, elevated Billy Idol music to become the rock and roll Kings that you are today. You're an icon and it's such a great "guitar thrill" and honor for me to be chatting with you today. Thank you!
So, on that note, do you have a story that you can share with your fans as to what inspired you to pick up the guitar, as a kid? And, what gave you the spirit to become the guitar player and performer that you are today?
Steve: Well, I grew up at a time when the guitar was just so monumental! As I mentioned, rock 'n' roll was really something that separated my generation from the previous generation. You know, The Beatles landed at JFK airport. I had an aunt down the street who worked there. She saw them land! Then, they were on the Ed Sullivan Show and it was really like, this was our music! And, I didn't wanna listen to 'fuddy duddy' music or whatever my parents were listening to. This was ours! And then following the whole Beatles thing, was The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and all this great stuff! England just kept propelling us! Then we had the folk rock thing in America. In San Francisco, the psychedelic scene was happening with The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. I mean all this music!
Then, you started to see everybody playing guitar when I was a kid. In cartoons, you know, Herman Munster even played the guitar! It was just a thing to do. You know? I have an older brother, five years older than me, and all of his friends played guitar. My dad brought home a really shitty seventeen dollar guitar for himself. It kinda ended up in my room. And I looked at it in a way, if I could learn how to play this thing, I could hang out with my brother and his friends. As I got better on the instrument, I realized It was an outlet for me. I wasn't really interested in baseball or football. Sports was never my thing. It was music. It was all about music! Everybody in my neighbourhood played music. On a Sunday, you could walk my neighbourhood and hear all the garage bands.
I'd walk around with my guitar and I'd ask these guys, "Can I play?" And they'd look at me because I was younger, and they'd be like, "Get outta here!" And I'd say, "I'm better than you!" And they'd be like, "Really?! Plug in, you little f**ker!" And, I was better than them! Hahaha! So it was great. I had a little bit of ego involved with it too!
Sophia: Hahaha! I love it! That's such a cool story. Funny too! Music was always in your soul. It was always about music for you! Thanks for sharing, Steve.
Steve: Exactly. But, my parents never had to tell me to practice. I just loved it. I loved it! Getting a new record; finding out there was a new Zeppelin record or Yes record or something. Any of those bands. It was a really special time because you didn't know everything about the bands. You didn't have the internet. You could only read about them in a magazine or get the album. We all studied the music.
And also, I started to make friends with other kids in my neighbourhood who liked the same music. We started to really go to concerts together and it was like a religion for us. Every kid had a different band on his notebook at school. "Oh, you like them too? Yeah! Have you heard of the import version?" You'd seek out the rare albums. So yeah. It was great!
Sophia: I might have heard somewhere that your grandfather had a musical influence on you too?
Steve: His spirit! He wasn't a musician, but he and his relatives came over right before the second world war and they were happy to be in a new country! He was not a shy man. He was one of the first to go to family gatherings and be dancing and singing and carrying on! He encouraged me to be the same!
Sophia: Amazing! That's a beautiful story, Steve. To date, you've been Billy's extraordinary guitarist and songwriting partner on these albums: Billy Idol (1982) Rebel Yell (1983) Whiplash Smile (1986) Devil's Playground (2005) Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014) The Roadside (2021) The Cage (2022) In 2023 on your North American Tour with Billy Idol, you performed on the roof of the powerhouse at Hoover Dam.
The performance was captured for the film Billy Idol; Stateline. This was filmed for a docu-concert film in April 2024 as part of the Vertigo Live Series. Billy Idol Live at The Hoover Dam. And, it's now streaming on Paramount! It was the first ever concert at The Hoover Dam with 250 fans in attendance. Brilliant work, Steve! Living legends! You definitely don't have Vertigo! Empire State Building and Hoover Dam!!! DAMN!!! Hahaha What was that experience like, at Hoover Dam?
Steve: It coincided with me moving to Las Vegas! The Hoover Dam is only about 45 mins from where I live. You know, you move to Las Vegas and you become aware of Lake Mead, and how the water levels are affected. You can only water your lawn on certain days. So, it was a great opportunity to get to see it; the mechanics of Hoover Dam.
Any time someone asks Billy Idol to do something that hasn't been done before, he's all about it! When he explained it to me, he said, "You think we could play at Hoover Dam?" "I think that's great! Let's do it!" It was really cool! Really! A really great experience. And as the sun went down, I could hear my guitar echoing off the canyon. That was pretty spectacular! It reminded me of the time we played at Red Rocks Amphitheater, which was a really amazing venue!
Sophia: Extraordinary! Sounds mystical! I must add, your Flamenco Guitar playing is dynomite! Wow! Can I ask, when were you first introduced to Flamenco music? How did this come about? I know that you released an album Flamenco a Go-Go (1999).
Steve: I'm not a pure Flamenco player. You know, real guys, they play with their fingers and I mostly play with a pick. So, when I was a kid it was really hard to find any music teacher I could identify with. There weren't young guys that were guitar teachers. In my neighbourhood at least, there were kind of old fuddy duddies, you know?
Then I went off to a summer camp. A music camp. The guitar teacher was Nicholas Zeninovic, and he was a flamenco guitar player! The first day, he explained his story. He was a Romanian gypsy, and I didn't know what flamenco was! But he picked up the guitar and he started to play, and to me, it was like a cross between classical and heavy metal. I was like, "What is this stuff?!"
So, he was the first teacher I really identified with and he just had the best attitude in the world. He wanted to pass on, not just the technique and skill, but his life and his story. Anytime I meet somebody that's passionate like that, you know? I want to know more.
Flamenco is its own language. He started to teach us the meaning of the songs in this style of music.
I've gone to see Paco de Lucia. He may have been the most influential Flamenco guitarist ever!
Sophia: Powerful story! You've just come off your 2024 US Spring Tour this past May and June, including your birthday, May 5th, at Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, with The Foo Fighters! How awesome! And, you've recently come to my homeland, headlining arenas in your Summer Canada Tour, supporting Rebel Yell Canada 2024! THANK YOU from all us Canadians! We love you Steve! Billy Idol ROCKS! I absolutely love your sound! Your gear! You're killin' it! Can you please discuss your Steve Stevens Knaggs Signature Guitar? It's so gorgeous!
Steve: Thanks Sophia! Yeah! So back in the day, I played Hamer Guitars, and I had signature guitars then too. The artist rep was Peter Wolf. Peter and I got on really well. But, towards the 90's I left Hamer Guitars. I moved around and played some different guitars. Eventually, somehow, I acquired a Paul Reed Smith Guitar. A McCarty, that I really took to. Out of the blue, about 10 years ago, Peter Wolf contacted me. He said, "I'm working with this new guitar company called Knaggs. The founder is Joe Knaggs, and he used to work at the custom shop at PRS. He had built the guitar that I had played back then. He said, "We'd like to send you some of our instruments to check out."
I like Peter, and I knew that there were no strings attached or anything like that. So, he sent a guitar. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, and I kinda explained that to him. He said, "We'll make you exactly what you want!" I said, "Okay! I'm gonna put you through hell!" Hahaha!" And he said, "That's what we want!" They were a new company and they were growing. All American handmade! At that time there were only six or seven people at the company. So, we went through the process of building a prototype and another prototype, and eventually settled on the Steve Stevens Classic. This guitar is so beautiful and is so perfect for me!
We've built a great relationship with them, and the company has grown! Now, we have different Steve Stevens models: an all mahogany Flat Top. SSC is an Archtop, and the other one is a bit more like a Junior. We also have a Severn XF which is my more whiz-bang kind of guitar. It's closer to a Strat type, with a Floyd Rose on it. We also have an acoustic guitar! They're amazing guitars! They're guitars that will last you a lifetime. They're the kind that you'll hand down to your kids. They're collectable and I just love them! I love picking up their guitars and I love being able to get the guys on the phone and talk about ideas. They're like family to me at this point. So, it worked out really great for both of us!
Sophia: Sounds like a match made in heaven! Congrats Steve! So, what's your gear set-up when you're touring and doing live shows with Billy Idol?
Steve: I have a signature amp with Dave Friedman, who I've worked with for 25 years now. We're now on the second version of the Steve Stevens amplifier. It's an SS Deluxe, and I use two of these in a stereo setup. I use fractal effects and a pedalboard that Dave has put together for me.
My litmus test is always, whenever we put something together, it has to sound exactly like the guitar plugged straight into the amplifier. I don't want it colored, because I only use effects for blasts of sound.
But, the essential part of my guitar sound which is used 85% of the time, has to sound like a guitar plugged straight into the amplifier. And, that takes a lot of work! Dave is just a genius with that. He's worked with the best of the best guitar players on the planet. I really trust him. If I say, "Hey, I want an amp to do this!" He'll do it!
I mean, essentially, it's very Marshall based. It's like my original old '67 Marshall Plexi that I've recorded so many records with. The amp is really an offshoot of that. It's more durable and it's more reliable and it's more versatile. But, that's the core sound.
Sophia: Blessed! In 2025, what can your fans expect from you & Billy Idol? Is there any new music in the works, Steve? And if so, can you share a little teaser?
Can your fans expect an album release, followed up with a tour?
Steve: Absolutely! We're just finishing up a new album now. It's a full album, not an EP. I believe there will be 9 songs on it. We're just at the mixing stage. We've worked with some amazing musicians on it. Tommy English is a young record producer. We've worked with him on it, and some great songwriters too.
But essentially, the way we go about doing records never changes. We get in a room with a couple of guys and our producer or co-songwriter and a couple of guitars! And then we say, "What do ya got?" Hahaha! Some days we got lots and some days we don't! That's what writing music is about.
We've never been the type of people to have an assembly line of tunes. We write what's on our minds and sometimes a songwriting session feels more like therapy than it does a music session. Haha! But, that's what brings out the emotions! And hopefully, that's the core of it. There's a lot of heart in what we do and that's never changed.
Sophia: Love it! Love it! In 2024, you collaborated with Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Ozzy Ozbourne, alongside Billy Morrison on your single release, "Crack Cocaine". It's from the new release “Morrison Project” and has been a #1 track on the Mediabase Active Rock Charts. And, I heard that you all received plaques to celebrate this achievement. Staggering! Ozzy was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame 2024. YES! It's about time! Hahaha...And, you performed as part of Ozzy’s Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Band, with these mega super-rockstars: Billy Idol, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Adam Wakeman, Wolf VanHalen, Robert Trujillo, and Maynard Keenan.
You're on fire Steve Stevens!!! How colossal is that! You also belonged to the supergroup power trio Bozio, Levin, Stevens. Terry Bozio (Frank Zappa, Mick Jagger & Jeff Beck, where Bozio co-wrote, produced & performed on Jeff Beck's Grammy Award winning album Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop. (1990). And, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson). A creative genius, Levin created "funk fingers" which are modified drum sticks attached to his fingers to strike his bass guitar strings!
You guys put out two albums with your power trio. Black Light Syndrome (1997) and Situation Dangerous (2000). What was it like in the recording studio, and performing live music with these two heavy hitters?
Steve: Well, reflecting on Ozzy, I had co written and performed on a track called "Crack Cocaine" with Ozzy, which actually went to #1 on the rock charts which was amazing! I have a little bit of history with Ozzy Osbourne and it was great. I love Ozzy, and I love the family! Anything, anywhere, anytime! If they ask me to do something, I'll be there. And I love Zakk Wylde, his guitar player. It was great to be asked to do it!
As far as Bozio, Levin, Stevens, that was kind of my foray into progressive rock. They were entirely improvised records! It was a little bit intimidating. Hahaha! Although I love progressive rock, that's not something I'm known for. The experience of working with those guys was great. Tony Levin is, I can count on one hand, my all time favorite bass player. He's probably in the top three. So, to be in the studio with that guy... He's a freaking legend! I mean... Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon! I'm still a fan of these people I work with. I'm a fan, you know? I'm able to work with them. I will never forget that!
Sophia: That's got to be incredibly powerful and rewarding for you, Steve! As well, you were in a band called Deadland Ritual. Deadland Ritual is a supergroup composed of vocalist Franky Perez (Apocalyptica), you, guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Vince Neil), bassist Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) and drummer Matt Sorum (The Cult, Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver).
Did You release an album? WIll there be any future tours or recordings with these musicians?
Steve: No. Unfortunately, we didn't get to release an album. We released a couple of tracks and then went to Europe and played some dates. But, I had a very small window where I was available to do this project, and it was taking longer and longer. Then, there were various managers who got involved in it.
You know, I'm still friends with all those guys. I continue to work with all of them. I respect and love them, but it just never saw the light of day, as far as doing a record. Which is really unfortunate. It happens like that sometimes. As long as everybody can walk away and say okay, we're still friends and no bad blood. That to me, is the most important thing.
Sophia: Respect! Back to Ozzie, Billy Morrison, The Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the hit single "Crack Cocaine". This is so impressive!!! The single "Crack Cocaine" is from the newly released Morrison Project! I love this single! It ROCKS! And, you performed the hit single at the 2024 Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony, when Ozzie was inducted. Absolutely Sensational! What was the energy like? It must have been "crazy train" electrifying!
Steve: Yeah! I mean, other than the fact that everyone was there to honour Ozzy, because we've all worked with him in one way or another. But there were a lot of people at the Hall of Fame, I hadn't seen in 20 years! Old friends! And, everyone was just so happy to see us support Ozzy!
His family was there. The kids and the grandkids. You know, a lot of people "pooh-pooh" the Hall of Fame. Everybody's got their favourites they feel should have been inducted ages ago. And you know, I have some musicians I feel should be in there too. But, if you don't get active and have a voice, you can't really complain.
So, last year I was part of the effort to induct Randy Roads. Tom Morello spearheaded that. It was really cool to see Tom there and be accepted amongst the Ozzy Camp. One of the greatest living legends of rock 'n' roll, if there ever was one. And, it was great! I was there with Billy Idol as well. It was really cool!
Sophia: LEGENDS! You're one of the most original guitarists to emerge from the 80's rock scene, Steve! Your 43 year partnership with Billy Idol, your work on Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" and your award winning performance on the Tom Cruise Action/Adventure Top Gun! Staggering success! You've toured with Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe) and Eddie Van Halen! You released a gem of an album with Vince Neil, "Exposed" (1993). Stellar! Along with these rock stars, you've collaborated with many other music superstars such as Sebastian Bach, Robert Palmer, The Thompson Twins, and Joni Mitchell.
I'm wondering if you may want to share a magical moment while working on Michael's Bad album with the late, great music titan, Producer Quincy Jones? I know that Quincy recruited both you and Eddie Van Halen to work with Michael on a couple of his hit songs.
Steve: The great thing about a producer like Quincy is that his job is to get the best performance out of a musician. And, the way you do that is you allow people to feel confident and comfortable. And, he was a master! So, we had a really good chat. And at one point I remember saying, "you know, I'm a fan of the soundtracks that you did for the movies called The Pawnbroker and In Cold Blood, and he looked at me and said, "You're not supposed to know that stuff! You're a rock guy!" Hahaha! And I said, "Well, I have influences outside of rock 'n' roll! Hahaha. The laugh was great because nerves never produce anything other than... Well, nerves don't help! Hahaha! He knew how to get the best work.
It was a short afternoon. I think the whole session was about 3 hours. I'm not a session musician, and I hadn't, up until the time I did the Michael Jackson session, really worked outside of Billy Idol. With Billy, our sessions were always very small. It was Billy, myself, Keith Forsey and an engineer in the studio.
I was a little bit nervous, because I was thinking, alright, I flew out to LA to work with Michael. I'm thinking there's gonna be an entourage, and the monkeys are gonna be there and all this crazy shit's gonna be going on! Hahaha! I opened the studio door and it was exactly the way I work with Billy. It was Michael, Quincy and the engineer Bruce.
So yeah! It was a short afternoon. And you know, it was obvious that Quincy was a bit of a father figure to Michael. I could tell that Michael deferred to Quincy to get the job done. Michael conveyed to me, kinda what he was looking for. The range of notes and things like that. It was really cool and we took care of all the stuff they needed. And then they said, go in there and do what you wanna do! And, that's what ended up on the final recording! It was great. I've been really very blessed to have worked with the best. The greats. The best of the best! Quincy is one of those!
Sophia: That must have been such an extraordinary experience. To be recruited by Quincy Jones! He was an absolute behemoth! You're amazing Steve! You've said: "Writing a Billy Idol CD is rarely based on writing riffs, it is based on a series of chords or lyrical ideas. Then, I'll take it away and write riffs around that. It's a different process than working with other singers, like Sebastien Bach, who wants the riffs".
That's fascinating! Can you describe what it's like to be inside the creative process with these two singers?
Steve: With Sebastian, it's kinda like, I'm not a band member. So it's like, "Hey man, send me some ideas and I'll see if I can work on anything". With Billy, it's from the ground up. Obviously, we're a partnership.
We work the same way that we did when we were eating lousy pizza and living in shitty little apartments in New York, sitting down with a couple acoustic guitars. It's really about the song, and being a songwriter. If I can fit in some cool guitar virtuoso shit in that package, that's great. But, that's not really what my job is. My job is to get a great song out of it. And, that's why we've lasted so long as a duo. And also, you know, playing guitar is how I express what's going on in my brain.
So, that's what being a songwriter is all about. I love exercising that. I love getting better as a songwriter and being able to help express the emotion behind it. Because, if there's no emotion behind the guitar playing, what's the point? I don't care if you play a million notes or very few notes, like David Gilmore. It's the emotion. It's the intent and how you make people feel when they listen to it. So, that is really my job.
Guitar Thrills Broadcast
Sophia: That's your gift! Honoring the song and igniting sparks in young and old hearts alike! You know? Reaching people. That's what you're meant to do!
Steve: Absolutely. Absolutely!
Sophia: And, then there's Eddie Van Halen, the ultimate musician's musician! I heard that he may have gifted you a guitar and gear? What an honor! Is this true?
Steve: Yeah! And I'm not the only guy he's done that for. As it later turned out, I had a conversation with Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains who supported Van Halen. He gifted Jerry a bunch of gear and guitars and amps, just like he did to me. I was with Vince Neil and we were supporting Van Halen on a six week tour. I brought out a lot of my vintage amps, and a lot of that stuff is not really roadworthy. So, we were having to fix it, and Ed said, "why don't you play through my rig at the next soundcheck and if you like it, I'll get you a bunch of stuff." I played through his amps and said, "Yeah! Send me whatever you can! "
A truck showed up, and it was about three amp heads, six cabinets, and there was one guitar. A black one. I had said to Ed, "Oh, that's really nice! I'd love to get one like that. And, he walked over to his guitar rack and handed it to me and said, "Here. It's yours." That's incredibly generous! He sent me the black guitar, the amp heads and cabinets! We had a blast hanging out. And, he was good friends with one of my buddies, Steve Lukather, from Toto. Steve came out and we all hung and got up to some trouble! Hahaha!
Sophia: I've met Trevor! I interviewed him for Guitar Thrills MAG as well. I love Trev Lukather. He's amazing!
Steve: Trevor is incredible. He came out and supported us on some dates with his band. Super talented guy. Super talented! Like his dad!
Sophia: You've been so very blessed working with so many extraordinary musicians, songwriters and producers! This speaks volumes about your character, Steve. Guitar KING! In 2025, what can your fans expect from your new Billy Idol album? Is it more guitar driven? I'm really excited for its release!
Steve: It's got a little bit of both! There's definitely unabashed punk rock in there! We kind of went back to some of the roots of what we were doing, because nobody does punk rock better than Billy Idol! And then, we delve into some really uncharted territory. Beautiful ballads, and a lot of adventurous guitar stuff too! I would say there's not a lot of keyboards on this record. There's a lot of guitar! And, we were really keen to experiment with some of the technology that's available now, to get guitar tones and things. What's cool is, we recorded at a couple studios in LA, and Tommy English, our producer, has his own studio. Then, they let me take the recordings back to my place here in Vegas. And my attitude was like, use what you want or don't use any of it. Hahaha! So, that's kinda cool! I was given a lot of freedom on this record. I think sonically, it's got one foot in traditional Billy Idol but it's very modern at the same time. I think we achieved something really unique.
Sophia: I'm really looking forward to it, Steve! Epic and iconic! Congratulations! To add to this excitement, you've recently released Billy Idol Rebel Yell Deluxe Expanded Edition,including previously unreleased songs and demos: a cover of Rose Royce’s “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” and “Flesh for Fantasy,” an unreleased demo. And more!
Thanks for being so kind and generous with your time and all that you've shared with me, your fans and Guitar Thrills MAG! I truly loved interviewing you and wish you always the very best, and continued boundless and cosmic success!
A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
