Page 119 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019
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VIVIAN CAMPBELL
going to be a huge seller. But that WE ALL KNOW THAT, WHEN IT
Coverdale had fired his whole band while
the album was being done, and was now COMES TO THE CRUNCH, JOE RUNS
putting together a new line-up. He
wanted to know if I’d be interested in THE BAND. HE IS THE MAIN MAN.
being a part of this. He sent me a cassette
of the album and as soon as I heard it, I
could hear why everyone thought it was mattered to us was more the image than
gonna be so massive. So, I was happy to the music. I think I’m right in saying we
join the band. only did two days of rehearsals before
going on tour, and one of the things
How did you get on with Coverdale? David was really keen on having were
Really well, actually. He was a very nice vocal harmonies, and that was never
guy and easy to get along with. Sure, he properly worked through. Mind you,
could be a pompous ass, but in a way that apart from David, I was the best singer in
was part of his charm, and you could the band at the time – and I wasn’t
forgive him when he had those moments. particularly good. But it was still a great
time, and I got along with the other guys
What would you say was the difference in the band.
between David Coverdale and Ronnie
James Dio? You were only in Whitesnake for about
You know what sums it up for me? a year. What went wrong?
Their different attitudes towards me as Well, it was women. To be specific, my
a singer. When I was in Dio, Ronnie wife at the time didn’t get along at all
never encouraged me to sing at all. In with David’s wife, Tawny Kitaen. They
fact, I remember on one occasion, just never hit it off, and that caused
he stood there pointing his finger at real friction. It wasn’t a problem
me, which he was prone to do when between Cov and myself, but it led to
trying to get his views across. He problems, as you can imagine.
said: “Guitarists don’t sing. Ritchie However, there was also another
Blackmore never sung. Tony Iommi situation that I only found out
never sung. And you shouldn’t.” In about later on. Adrian Vandenberg
fact, he got very angry when he told was lobbying to get me out of the
me that. As far as he was concerned, band. Now, let me be clear about this.
guitarists just played guitar. So, Jimmy I got along very well with Adrian, and
Bain did all the backing vocals in Dio. he never had a problem with me
Now, early on with Whitesnake, Cov personally at all. It was just that he didn’t
and I discovered our mutual love for soul like working with another guitarist in the
music. And we would sit for hours band. When he’d joined Whitesnake,
playing the great Motown records and Adrian wanted to be the only guitarist,
singing along, doing the vocal harmonies. but David insisted it had to be a two-
That helped to cement our relationship, guitar band. However, Adrian persisted in
because when you share such a passion trying to persuade David to get rid of me
for music it does bond people together. and leave him as the only guitarist. But it
But he went further with me, because he wasn’t something he aimed at me
did really encourage me to take lessons, specifically. Whoever would have been
and even recommended a vocal coach. the guitarist alongside him would have
been subjected to the same attitude. It
What was it like being a member of was just the way he felt about his playing.
such a huge band?
It was a little chaotic at the beginning. How did it all lead to you being fired?
The first time the guys in the new I could tell things weren’t going in the
line-up met was on the set for the right direction when we came off the
Still Of The Night video and all we road and started to think about the
worried about that day was how next album. David insisted that he and
we looked, and whether our Adrian were gonna write all the
hair was perfectly groomed. songs, and nobody else should even
So, from the start what consider putting forward ideas,
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