Guitarist MICKY MOODY Discusses His Departure From WHITESNAKE

Greece's Rockpages webzine recently conducted an interview with original WHITESNAKE guitarist Micky Moody. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Rockpages: Did you feel a full member of WHITESNAKE or just a player in [vocalist] David Coverdale's band?

Micky: Full member, indeed. I wasn't getting the full money, but that's another story! The only time when I didn't feel a full member of WHITESNAKE was in 1982 when David asked me to rejoin the band. I had left in late 1981, because I had had enough of the business side of things.. anyway, when I returned, Cozy Powell and Mel Galley were in WHITESNAKE... great musicians, to say the least. But I kinda felt like a session guitar player in that lineup. We had a different management and the vibe was not the same, by any means. I don't blame David for this decision... We weren't making any money and he needed something better for his career. But, in that particular lineup, I was treated like a session player... it was all about David and Cozy. I didn't enjoy that period with WHITESNAKE.

Rockpages: Did you think that it was during that time that David was thinking of going into a more commercial direction?

Micky: Absolutely!

Rockpages: From your perspective, when exactly do you think he started having those thoughts?

Micky: I think right after the "Saints & Sinners" record. David started listening to a lot of American industry people... especially John David Kalodner from Geffen. This guy was ruthless and I'll tell you why... The last time that I played with WHITESNAKE was in October 1983. While I was playing... I think it was in Hamburg... John Kalodner was standing at the side of the stage and he was taking notes. I thought that "This is sinister... this is dark." By the end of the show, he went straight to David and he showed him the notes... It was obvious that John Kalodner did not think much of me. Here's a story after that incident... We were at a hotel in Germany... on the same tour... and David was sitting with John Sykes. Without any specific reason, he turned to me and he said, "Don't you ever turn your back at the audience during the show.". He said that in front of John Sykes and it was evident that Sykes was really embarrassed. I didn't say anything, but I remember thinking, "Fuck you!" I am sorry to tell you this, but this is the truth. He had embarrassed me in front of another musician, but David had already decided to bring John Sykes in the band. After the last gig in Belgium, I asked the tour manager to go and get all the members of WHITESNAKE in my room to announce my decision to leave the band. Everybody came in my room except Coverdale... Cozy — being a truly honest guy — said to me, "Good decision!" Jon Lord started crying... 'cause Jon is always very emotional. A week later, David called me and said, "Oh, you're leaving the band..." That's the story, guys!

Read the entire interview from Rockpages.