Ozzy & Pete Way Dead Rabbits! Waffle Dust! Crazy Tales Of Rock’s Odd Couple
PLUS!
Steely Dan the twisted tale of ‘Pretzel Logic’
Sammy Hagar
“the kiss fans wanted to kill me”
Kings X
“I died. That put a damper on things” the story of the greatest cult band ever
Uriah Heep
“You get to a point where you think: is my name on that bullet?” a ls o
Hawkwind Blackberry Smoke Thunder Steve Miller & more
Chuck berry A tribute to the man who invented rock’n’roll
JUNE 2017 issue 236
Features 30 Mick Ronson
In 1970 he changed the career of David Bowie, and went on to work with a number of major stars. Classic Rock profiles rock’n’roll’s most quietly spoken guitar hero.
40 Chuck Berry
There will never be another like the man who was an artist, a showman, a businessman and the creator of rock’n’roll.
46 Mick Box
From an East End upbringing, the founder of Uriah Heep went on quite a journey – and he says it isn’t over yet.
52 Pete Way
In this exclusive extract from his forthcoming autobiography, the former UFO bassist looks back over the decade of decadence he spent with rock’s other great wildman, Ozzy.
56 Hawkwind
Dave Brock, Hawkwind’s last original member, is 76, an atheist, would like to go into space and for the band to continue after he dies. This is how he views the world.
60 King’s X
Adored by, it seems, everyone, they should have been the next very big thing. Instead they remain the greatest ever cult band.
64 Joshua James
Meet the man who has just made a deeply personal record of devastating songs but who may soon turn to making soap.
66 Steely Dan
They’re fawned over and derided in equal measure for their slick, precision-crafted albums. Read the story of arguably their best: Pretzel Logic.
72 Is The Guitar Hero An Endangered Species? Or is it just a radically changed one? If so, who are today’s – and tomorrow’s – six-string wizards and where are they?
30
rex
Mick Ronson
“As a rock duo I thought we were as good as Mick and Keith.” David Bowie
Regulars
JUNE 2017 issue 236
12 The Dirt
Backbiting and sideswipes when Yes are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Journey, Pearl Jam and ELO… Further Aerosmith and Sabbath recordings possible, and Lemmy and Parfitt albums near completion… Welcome back Cory Branan, Goldray and Tygers Of Pan Tang… Say hello to Low-Cut Connie and Tequila Mockingbyrd, say goodbye to Sib Hashian, James Cotton, Paul O’Neill…
19 Raw Power
We take a look at Laney’s Tony Iommi signature amp/cab/ fuzz box combo. It’s an awesome bit o’ kit.
24 The Stories Behind The Songs The Sweet
Fox On The Run gave them a huge hit. And it’s getting a second lease of life thanks to the Guardians Of The Galaxy.
26 Q&A Sammy Hagar
The Red Rocker talks early self-belief, Montrose, Van Halen, Chickenfoot, solo success and being a bit of a slut.
28 Six Things You Need To Know About Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind
After Thee Hypnotics and his Revue, JJ returns to rocking.
81 Reviews
New albums from Hawkwind, Danzig, John Mellencamp, Linkin Park, Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind, Warrant, Mark Lanegan Band… Reissues from Bad Company, Manic Street Preachers, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Glenn Hughes, The Creation, Humble Pie… DVDs, films and books on Rammstein, The Clash, Iggy & The Stooges, Rolling Stones, Johnny Rotten… Live reviews of Thunder, Blackberry Smoke, Biters, Ghost, Black Star Riders, Stiff Little Fingers, L.A. Guns…
96 Buyer’s Guide Steve Miller
Some people call him the space cowboy, some call him the gangster of love. Whatever, he’s written some top tunes.
101 Live Previews
Must-see gigs from Phil Rudd, Blondie, Marah, Devon Allman and Blackfield. Plus full gig listings – find out who’s playing where and when.
130 Heavy Load Greg Dulli
The Afghan Whigs man on “supernatural” events, Dave Grohl, hard work, Prince’s death and being John Lennon.
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Welcome
THE COVER DAVID BOWIE/MICK RONSON By Chalkie Davies/Getty
ave you ever stopped to really, really consider how important the guitar is to rock’n’roll? While putting together this issue we realised that we really were celebrating all manner of six-string innovators this month (quite accidentally, if I’m being completely honest). We begin by featuring the man who started it all – arguably the first ever guitar hero, the man who invented rock’n’roll and paved the way for the next generation of guitar greats. I’m talking about Chuck Berry, obviously, who we recently lost. Without him there’d be no Keith Richards, no Jeff Beck, no Brian May, no Jimmy Page, no Jimi Hendrix. No one, in fact. Then there’s our cover story which finally gives the brilliant Mick Ronson his overdue due. Although there was so much more to Ronson than just being Bowie’s foil (as you’ll find out on page 30), there’s no way Ziggy would have been the force he was had Bowie not teamed up with the ferociously talented fella from Hull. We also spend some time at home with Heep’s Mick Box, the ’appiest man in rock. And with all of this talk of guitar players, we wondered if the guitar hero itself was a dying breed. So we investigate that further, on p72.
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This month’s contributors Grant Moon
Writer and radio producer by day, guitarist and shiraz recycling unit by night, Grant is a long-standing contributor to Classic Rock and Prog. This issue he spoke to resurgent rockers Thunder for us at their recent triumphant gig in Cardiff – read all about it on page 110. And we can confirm that they didn’t do even one song in 5/4.
Dave EVERLEY
Classic Rock’s former Deputy Editor Dave Everley first heard King’s X back in 1988 and instantly made a £10 bet with a friend that they were going to be the biggest band on the planet. This month he gets the epic, twisted story behind the band from Dug Pinnick, Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill (page 60). Sadly Dave’s still £10 out of pocket.
MAX BELL
Max started out on Let It Rock magazine in the 1970s before learning the ropes during the NME’s golden epoch. He then jumped ship to edit the world’s first cassette magazine, SFX, then wrote for the Times, The Face and every Fleet Street paper – but not the Sun. This month he wrote our Bowie/Ronson cover story, and the definitive buyer’s guide to Steve Miller.
Stereo Can also be played on mono equipment
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Siân Llewellyn
Playing this month: Hunter & The Bear, Paper Heart
Production Editor
Paul Henderson
Chuck Berry: The Ultimate Chuck Berry
Features Editor
Art Editor
Darrell Mayhew
Polly Glass
Me And That Man, Songs of Love And Death
Reviews Editor
Ian Fortnam
Paul Weller, A Kind Revolution Contributing writers
Marcel Anders, Geoff Barton, Tim Batcup, Mark Beaumont, Max Bell, Essi Berelian, Mark Blake, Paul Brannigan, Rich Chamberlain, Stephen Dalton, Johnny Dee, Malcolm Dome, Lee Dorrian, Mark Ellen, Claudia Elliott, Paul Elliott, Dave Everley, Jerry Ewing, Hugh Fielder, Gary Graff, John Harris, Nick Hasted, Barney Hoskyns, Jon Hotten, Rob Hughes, Neil Jeffries, Emma Johnston, Dom Lawson, Paul Lester, Ken McIntyre, Lee Marlow, Gavin Martin, Alexander Milas, Paul Moody, Grant Moon, Kate Mossman, Charles Shaar Murray, Kris Needs, Bill Nelson, Paul Rees, Chris Roberts, David Quantick, Johnny Sharp, Sleazegrinder, Terry Staunton, David Stubbs, Jaan Uhelszki, Mick Wall, Philip Wilding, Henry Yates, Youth
Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Betty’s Blends, Vol. 3: Self-Rising, Southern Blends
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Dave Ling
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Ami Barwell, Adrian Boot, Dick Barnatt, Dave Brolan, Zach Cordner, Fin Costello, Henry Diltz, Kevin Estrada, James Fortune, Jill Furmanovsky, Herb Greene, Bob Gruen, Michael Halsband, Ross Halfin, Mick Hutson, Will Ireland, Robert Knight, Marie Korner, Barry Levine, Jim Marshall, John McMurtrie, Gered Mankowitz, David Montgomery, Kevin Nixon, Denis O’Regan, Barry Plummer, Ron Pownall, Neal Preston, Michael Putland, Mick Rock, Pennie Smith, Stephen Stickler, Leigh A. van der Byl, Chris Walter, Mark Weiss, Barrie Wentzell, Baron Wolman, Michael Zagaris, Neil Zlozower. Help this issue: Johnny Goddard (design), Justin Hood (production)
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It’s been a long time: Neal Schon and Steve Perry share the spotlight.