The Tapes Archive Osiris Media


In this episode, we have Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose. At the time of this interview in 1987, Rose was 25 years old and was promoting an upcoming tour of Japan. Appetite for Destruction hadn’t even cracked the top-selling 50 albums, and it would be at least another seven months before the band really took off. In the interview, Rose talks about growing up in Indiana, the making of Appetite for Destruction, whether he murdered a dog, and which band is the biggest sellout. 


The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve, who is new to The Tapes Archive team, please check out our podcast-only interview with him which is out now.


In the interview, Rose talks about:
- Going back home to Indiana
- How closed off Indiana is
- What he draws from conservatism
- How he left home at age 16
- Whether he murdered a dog
- Guns N’ Roses’ early success in England
- How the crowds are different in the United States 
- Gaining more confidence as a live band
- Fred Coury, Cinderella, playing for Steven Adler
- How he stays fit for concerts
- Whether he’s ready for a long tour
- People he aspires to be
- Mötley Crüe
- The recording process for Appetite for Destruction
- What would he change on the album
- Producers who were considered before Mike Clink
- Paul Stanley of KISS as a potential producer
- His vision for the record
- What success means to him
- Whether it bothers him to be compared with Faster Pussycat and Poison
- How long it took to get the right lineup for Guns N’ Roses
- The tepid response so far to Appetite for Destruction
- The limited radio and video play the band was getting
- What happens if Appetite for Destruction sells poorly
- Slash drinking and driving
- What he will do if he leaves the music biz
- Working with Izzy Stradlin
- When he is happiest
- When he is most frustrated
- Why he feels Guns N’ Roses is not getting played on the radio
- What band he thinks is the biggest sellout
- His hopes that Sweet Child O’ MIne will be a hit
- Whether he objects to being labeled as heavy metal 
- His love for the band Queen
- Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend
- His thoughts on fellow Hoosier John Mellencamp
- How he and Izzy cannot wait to play Japan
- Some ‘80’s racist comments that were not considered racist at the time
 
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Steve grew up in San Francisco but went to Japan as a college exchange student and loved it there. He felt like it was the place for him. After graduating in 1980, he started to work as a freelance translator in Tokyo. Through one of his college buddies, he got connected to a music magazine that needed an interpreter. This led to Harris conducting interviews himself. Over the next 17 years, Steve would interview the biggest of names in the music world. Recently, we asked if we could publish some of those interviews here on the Tapes Archive and he agreed. Over the next couple of months, we will be publishing some of his most notable interviews. 
Marc Allan, our usual interviewer, called Steve to talk about his life as an ex-pat working for a Japanese music magazine. 


They talked about:
- The magazine Steve worked for and its unique place in the market
- His worst interview and some of his best
- His personal musical hero he was able to interview
- His thoughts on interviews with Axl Rose, David Lee Roth, Pete Townshend, and more.
- Why he kept these recordings and why he is allowing us to publish them
- How some questions would get lost in translation and would lead to awkward moments.
- His frustrations when he interviewed “slacker genius” Beck
- What led him to leave the music scene in 1997
- A very funny conversation with Brian Eno about Russian women
- He clears up the question of whether Cheap Trick is big in Japan
- Marc tells the story of when he was called “old man” at a Rage Against the Machine concert and how he got his job at the Indianapolis Star
 
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In the interview, Haynes talks about:
- Moving out of Duane Allman's shadow
- How it feels to play Duane's licks
- Whether Duane was an influence
- His connection to Memphis and Motown
- Going to see concerts when he was a kid
- The musical differences between him and Duane
- His love for fusion rock and what it did for his playing
- The difference between his playing and Dickey Betts’ playing on lead and slide
- How his older brothers introduced him to jazz and blues
- What jazz player he would recommend to a young guitar player 
- Whether he had any formal music training
- His experience with country singer David Allan Coe
- What he learned from country musicians
- Some advice for younger guitar players
- The Allman Brothers latest record
- The pleasure of recording live
- The coincidence that happened 21 years earlier
- A breakdown of whether it’s him or Betts soloing
- The similarities between him and Betts and Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly
- How Duane ended up using a slide on Dreams
- Whether he enjoys playing rhythm as much as lead
- Who's a good rhythm player?
- The Les Paul he uses
- His Soldano amps
- What, if any, effects he uses in the studio recording
- How things are going with the band
- Whether tension in a band leads to better playing
- If he sees The Allman Brothers continuing
- The similarities in the Allmans’ fan base and the Grateful Dead’s fan base
- Their next live album


In this episode, we have The Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes. At the time of this interview in 1992, Haynes was 32 years old and was promoting the album An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: First Set. In the interview, Haynes talks about the similarities and differences with Duane Allman and whether he sees The Allman Brothers Band continuing. He also takes a deep dive into their current live album and he offers advice for young guitar players.
 
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In this episode, we have Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere. At the time of this interview in 1992, Barrere was 44 years old and was promoting Little Feat’s upcoming concert at Deer Creek Music Center. In the interview, Barrere talks about his fond memories of Little Feat founder Lowell George, how well the band is playing, and what bugs him about the music biz.


In the interview, Barrere talks about:
- Co-headlining with George Thorogood
- Classic blues songs he loves to play
- Why Little Feat will never be accused of being an alt-rock band
- How he doesn’t want to be the “Vinny Van Gogh” of the radio
- Their rockin’ set
- Friendly competition with George Thorogood
- His new record label
- The joy of playing with Little Feat
- Fond memories of playing with Lowell George
- Theories on why Little Feat has never become a major commercial act
- What bugs him about the music business
- His favorite lyric about love
 
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In this episode, we have metal guitar legend Darrell Abbott, also known as Dimebag Darrell. At the time of this interview in 1992, Dimebag was 25 years old and was out on tour in support of Pantera’s album “Vulgar Display of Power.” In the interview, Dimebag talks about his guitar trick that he wants everyone to learn; how Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, and Ace Frehley were his influences; how great his dad was; and how Pantera writes their music.


00:00 - Intro Dimebag Darrell Interview
01:11 - Being banned from a local guitar competition as a teenager
03:20 - Whether being from Texas affects his playing
04:36 - What he listened to when he was younger
05:12 - Being influenced by Randy Rhoads and Ace Frehley
07:20 - What guitar scales he knows
07:42 - Who taught him to play guitar and the first song he played
08:30 - How great his dad was
09:42 - Wanting his own guitar tone
11:02 - Yelling at his brother to keep it down
11:21 - The guitar trick he wants everyone to learn
12:40 - His new whammy pedal
13:15 - The way he writes solos
15:07 - Whether he plays a lot of acoustic guitar
15:43 - Whether he thinks he’s a good enough player for thrash music
16:45 - How he traded a joint for a guitar pick-up
18:07 - His guitar chops
18:46 - Why he loves Dean Guitars
22:19 - Playing with his brother Vinnie
23:34 - Playing the Moscow concert in front of 1.6 million fans
26:32 - Whether he’s ever been hurt at a gig
27:10 - How Pantera writes their music
28:26 - Whether he has any ideas for the next album
28:59 - His top five essential guitar albums


This week’s episode also introduces a new interviewer to The Tapes Archive. The interview you are about to hear was conducted by Pete Prown. Pete is a veteran music journalist and has interviewed the world’s top guitarists for over 35 years. He’s currently Music Editor at Vintage Guitar magazine and editor of the "Legends of Rock Guitar" Facebook page. His work has appeared in Guitar Shop, Guitar for the Practicing Musician, and Guitar Player magazine, among other titles.
 
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In this episode, we have the Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar. At the time of this interview in 1991, Hagar was 44 years old and was promoting Van Halen’s upcoming concert at Deer Creek Music Center. In the interview, Hagar talks about his experience with UFOs, the secret to Van Halen, his father’s death, and his advice for Axl Rose.


In the interview, Hagar talks about:


- His advice for Axl Rose
- What he expects for Van Halen’s latest record
- Why Van Halen fans trust them
- The secret to Van Halen
- The meaning behind the songs “Man on a Mission” and “Poundcake”
- The dream that’s over
- The guy who’s trying to build a house on the beach
- What an artist’s job is
- When he thinks Van Halen fans accepted him
- His prediction for when and if David Lee Roth would reunite with Van Halen 
- His belief in UFOs
- His experience being abducted by a UFO
- Why he’s adamant that each man should take care of themselves but everyone needs compassion
- His father’s death
- What fans can expect at the Van Halen concert
- His Red Rocker clothing line
- The secret song they will be playing in concert
- Why they don’t play “Everybody Wants Some”
- If music is better or worse today
 
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