“I never had a Paul McCartney-John Lennon moment”: Yngwie Malmsteen explains the “temporary” nature of his musical partnerships
“I think that I’ve had a chance to play with a lot of people that are very, very good, and they’re incredibly talented in their own right.”
Image: Scott Legato / Getty Images
Guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen has spoken about the lack of a “Paul McCartney-John Lennon” type of connection when it comes to his musical partnerships.
In a new interview with Nippertown, Malmsteen is asked to name some of the best musicians that he has worked with, to which he replies: “I think that I’ve had a chance to play with a lot of people that are very, very good, and they’re incredibly talented in their own right.”
Malmsteen says that while he “never had a Paul McCartney-John Lennon moment,” the collaborations have “all been great”.
“But it’s a temporary sort of thing. It really doesn’t change what I do, no matter what. That’s why I haven’t used producers and stuff.”
Yngwie then looked back on a memorable exchange he had with one producer during his early days in the US after moving from his home country Sweden.
“In fact, I’ll tell you a hilarious story: When I first came to the States, I was recording a guitar solo, and there was this producer sitting next to me,” he recalls. “And I did the solo take, and the guy goes, ‘Hey, it was great. It was really good. Let’s do one more take, but a little slower. Remember: less is more.’
“I spoke fluent English, but I never heard that term before. So I said, ‘Oh, you mean more?’ I honestly thought he misspoke. Obviously, he didn’t. So that has become a joke now – ‘more is more,’ but that’s a true story.”
He continues: “I do understand the function of partnerships and so on, because it’s great for a lot of other people, and God bless them for that. For me, this is the way I do it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the guitarist also claims that he doesn’t listen to music while he isn’t recording or touring, saying “It’s just that when I don’t write, record, or tour, I do other things, like, I play tennis and run around in my cars. I’m a car freak, you know?”
Check out the full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3I5c6ne8YI