SLASH: How The Brits Reinvented The Blues

In a new interview with France's RTL, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash, who is promoting his new blues album, "Orgy Of The Damned", spoke about British blues music, which emerged in the 1960s as a distinct genre that combined traditional American blues with elements of rock and roll. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the British discovery of the American blues and their take on it really reinvented the blues altogether because that became very popular. I don't really think about it. I just think about it in terms of it's just music. Even the label, the blues, and you start thinking about where that has gone, it's all sort of blues based. Everything in rock and roll very much comes from the blues, but there's a lot of different interpretations of it. So I just consider it just music in general."

Slash went on to say that there are "so many" blues musicians that he was inspired by when he first started playing guitar. "Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Keith Richards, Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, these guys were all a huge influence on me and they're all blues musicians," he explained. "But I think it's just because blues is really, really important music in and of itself; there's nothing quite like it. And there's a certain honesty and there's a certain danger and there's a certain sexiness to it that everybody wants to pick up on. But it was interesting that in the in the '60s that the Brits really picked up on it and managed to turn it into a really broad spectrum of blues-based music that covers a lot of different styles and a lot of different flavors and sounds. It's really, really, really cool."

Released on May 17 via Gibson Records, "Orgy Of The Damned" features guest appearances by AC/DC's Brian Johnson, AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop, Chris Stapleton, THE BLACK CROWES' Chris Robinson, ZZ TOP's Billy F. Gibbons, BAD COMPANY's Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato and Gary Clark Jr.Slash is backed on the album by prior collaborators Johnny Griparic (bass) and Teddy Andreadis (keyboards),as well as drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Regarding the inspiration for the "Orgy Of The Damned" album title, Slash told Germany's Rock Antenne: "It's the only title I came up with. It was just because blues and rock and roll have always been considered taboo and devil's music and all that kind of stuff. And it's 'hide your kids from that.' And I wasn't raised to think that, but I know society at large has always had that kind of attitude towards it, but of blues especially. And so when I thought about having a collaborative thing with all these different artists doing a blues record — 'Orgy Of The Damned', right? It seems so obvious to me, and I actually Googled it to see if somebody else had already used it, but they hadn't."

When the interviewer suggested that it must have been a "logistical nightmare" getting all those guest musicians to appear on the LP, Slash said: "It's difficult. I mean, you basically just have to get on the phone, and if they say 'yes', then okay. So that's really the hardest part, is calling people up and asking the question and seeing if they'll do it. And I was fortunate doing this, because I picked songs that… What I would do is I'd have the song and then go, 'Okay, who should sing this?' And whoever came to mind as being the appropriate singer, I would call them up. But, fortunately, I picked the right song for them to sing and so they would identify with it automatically. And so then that would make them feel more obligated to get involved and sing it properly or whatever goes through one's mind. But it was great because all the different artists were so open to the material and it really meant something to them. So, what happened was the vocal delivery really came from the heart; they were really singing from a place of connecting with the material."

Asked if there was anybody he wanted to get to appear on the album but couldn't, Slash said: "Well, the biggest one, really, the one that bums me out was [late MOTÖRHEAD leader] Lemmy. That was because there was a moment there where [I thought], 'Fuck, man, Lemmy would be great.' And I still haven't gotten used to the fact that he's not here, 'cause I'm so used to him being there. So that was the big one. I try not to make a big deal out of it. There's some people that I couldn't contact until after the record was done. And then they showed up, and [I would tell them] the record's done already. But other than that, everybody that I thought of were there."

Although he grew up in England, Slash's American grandmother turned him on to the blues early on and he was immediately taken with B.B. King. At the same time, his parents raised him on a healthy diet of '60s British rock 'n' roll, from THE WHO to THE KINKS. Once he moved to Laurel Canyon, Slash found himself surrounded by rock and folk singers like Joni Mitchell, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH and Neil Young — all of whom eventually inspired his playing and songwriting. It wasn't until he began playing guitar himself that Slash realized all of his favorite musicians had been influenced by the same B.B. King blues records he'd listened to as a young kid.

"Orgy Of The Damned" encompasses a broad range of styles within the blues genre, veering from an upbeat, rowdy take on Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" to a plaintive, twanging rendition of T. Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday". Some of the songs, like STEPPENWOLF's "The Pusher", Charlie Segar's "Key To The Highway" and Albert King's "Born Under A Bad Sign", had been performed by SLASH'S BLUES BALL while others, like Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City", were longtime favorites for Slash. "Hoochie Coochie Man", written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters in 1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of "Orgy Of The Damned", with ZZ TOP's Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on the classic songs. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of dynamic, energized songs that are immediate, raw, and distinctly familiar.

As Slash was considering vocalists, he approached his old friend and collaborator Iggy Pop, who had long wanted to record a blues song. Pop suggested Lightnin' Hopkins's 1962 track "Awful Dream", a sparse, drawling number originally laid down on acoustic guitar. The duo decided to recreate that stripped back vibe and recorded their own languid, emotionally-resonate version sitting on two stools in Slash's studio.

Elsewhere on "Orgy Of The Damned", Demi Lovato lends her powerhouse voice to "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", a fervent, soulful version of the 1972 single by THE TEMPTATIONS that Slash admired as a kid. Although the song veers more towards R&B, the guitarist wanted to give it his own impassioned spin. The album concludes with a soaring original instrumental number, "Metal Chestnut", penned specifically for "Orgy Of The Damned" by Slash.

The first single, "Killing Floor", features Johnson on vocals and Tyler on harmonica.

"Orgy Of The Damned" track listing:

01. The Pusher (feat. Chris Robinson)
02. Crossroads (feat. Gary Clark Jr.)
03. Hoochie Coochie Man (feat. Billy Gibbons)
04. Oh Well (feat. Chris Stapleton)
05. Key To The Highway (feat. Dorothy)
06. Awful Dream (feat. Iggy Pop)
07. Born Under A Bad Sign (feat. Paul Rodgers)
08. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (feat. Demi Lovato)
09. Killing Floor (feat. Brian Johnson)
10. Living For The City (feat. Tash Neal)
11. Stormy Day (feat. Beth Hart)
12. Metal Chestnut

This summer, Slash will bring his brand-new "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to cities across the U.S. throughout 2024. S.E.R.P.E.N.T. is an anagram and stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N' Tolerance. The festival is a celebration of the blues, featuring an all-star line-up that will vary. On all dates, Slash will perform alongside his blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Slash formed the "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to bring fans together to celebrate the spirit of the blues, and to perform with other blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre. Slash also has a strong desire to give back to charities that he has supported over the years, as well as to help lift marginalized communities that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. A portion of the proceeds from each VIP package and "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival ticket sold will directly benefit the following charities that Slash has selected: The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute and War Child. "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival has partnered with Plus1.org to support these charitable endeavors.

Joining Slash at various stops on the tour will be WARREN HAYNES BAND, Keb' Mo', Larkin Poe, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Samantha Fish, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales and Jackie Venson.

The trek will kick off on July 5 in Bonner, Montana and wrap up on August 17 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Although Slash's latest LP is his second under the "Slash" banner, he has released a handful of albums with his long-running band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, in which he is joined by ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy.

In February, Slash resumed touring with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Brent Fitz (drums),Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).