That time Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse thanked me for bringing up the topic of Hendrix

By Steve Newton The vast majority of my music interviews over the last 40 years were originally published in the Vancouver weekly, Georgia Straight, but I’ve also done some writing for other publications. Back in 1998 I interviewed guitar god Steve Morse–who’d been with Deep Purple for four years at that point–for Experience Hendrix, a … Continue reading That time Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse thanked me for bringing up the topic of Hendrix

Steve Morse says that his biggest challenge in life was playing Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” live, with the backwards guitar solo

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN EXPERIENCE HENDRIX MAGAZINE, NOV.-DEC. ISSUE, 1998 By Steve Newton At first glance, Steve Morse might not seem like the ideal guy to take over Ritchie Blackmore’s guitarist spot in Deep Purple. He is undoubtedly a fantastic player, but he’s more noted for technically awesome country-fusion inflections than chunky power chords. But as … Continue reading Steve Morse says that his biggest challenge in life was playing Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” live, with the backwards guitar solo

That time I asked Steve Morse if the success of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai boded well for instrumental-rock artists

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Steve Morse for the first time in May of 1991, the American instrumental-rock scene was making great strides. While Morse himself was winning over critics with his Southern Steel album, both Joe Satriani and Steve Vai were heading toward gold-album status with their most recent discs, Flying in a … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Morse if the success of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai boded well for instrumental-rock artists

That time I asked Steve Morse if winning readers-poll awards in guitar mags meant much to him

By Steve Newton There’s a good reason I dragged the world-famous Ear of Newt Guitar to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom one night back in 1991 when the Dixie Dregs were playing on a bill with Ronnie Montrose. It’s because Steve Morse was the guitarist in the Dixie Dregs, and I really wanted to score his autograph, … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Morse if winning readers-poll awards in guitar mags meant much to him

That time Steve Morse told me that he transforms into a different kind of person at night

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Steve Morse in May of 1991, just after he’d released his fourth post-Dixie Dregs album, Southern Steel, and just three years before he’d join his current band, Deep Purple. At one point in the conversation I brought up Steve’s claim that he didn’t “live, breathe, and … Continue reading That time Steve Morse told me that he transforms into a different kind of person at night

Album review: Steve Morse, The Introduction (1984)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 2, 1984 By Steve Newton My choice for best instrumental rock album of the year–so far–has got to be this new release by former Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse. With accompaniment from bassist Jerry Peek and drummer Rod Morgenstein, Morse unleashes some of the tastiest riffs imaginable, melding … Continue reading Album review: Steve Morse, The Introduction (1984)

Steve Howe lists his favourite guitarists, calls Steve Morse “phenomenal!”

By Steve Newton I interviewed guitar legend Steve Howe for the third time in 2017, in advance of a Yes show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Near the end of the conversation I asked the 70-year-old fretmaster who he’d been listening to in his spare time, which led to him naming some of his … Continue reading Steve Howe lists his favourite guitarists, calls Steve Morse “phenomenal!”

Ronnie Montrose and Steve Morse jam for the first time on the Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 29, 1994 By Steve Newton What do ’60s British rock pioneers the Yardbirds, ’70s fusion greats the Mahavishnu Orchestra, instrumental southern-rockers the Dixie Dregs, and cult guitar hero Ronnie Montrose have in common? Not that much, really, but at the Commodore on Wednesday (September 21) the musical legacies … Continue reading Ronnie Montrose and Steve Morse jam for the first time on the Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things”

Deep Purple’s overdue induction into Rock Hall means snubbing of Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse

By Steve Newton Now that the millions of Deep Purple fans around the world have finished celebrating the hard-rock legends’ shockingly overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it’s time to take the bad news with the good. The names of guitar legends Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse will not be included. … Continue reading Deep Purple’s overdue induction into Rock Hall means snubbing of Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse

Joe Satriani gave Steve Morse his full endorsement to join Deep Purple

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 18, 2000 By Steve Newton I’ve yet to be bitten by the techno bug. You won’t find any discs by the Chemical Brothers or Crystal Method in my collection, or any stashes of Ecstasy in my dresser drawer. But after listening to the new Joe Satriani CD, Engines … Continue reading Joe Satriani gave Steve Morse his full endorsement to join Deep Purple

Steve Morse transforms into a different kind of person at night

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 6, 1991 By Steve Newton Guitarist Steve Morse might not be one of the best-known instrumental recording artists around; he’s certainly not as familiar to the general record-buying public as someone like Jeff Beck or Joe Satriani—or even the new-found phenomenon Eric Johnson. But the folks that do … Continue reading Steve Morse transforms into a different kind of person at night

That time I asked Steve Vai if he had any desire, like his buddy Satch, to try his hand at vocals

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with American guitar legend Steve Vai on May 31, 1990, eleven days after the release of his second album, Passion & Warfare–you know, the one with “For the Love of God”. Seven months earlier Vai’s former guitar teacher, Joe Satriani, had released his third album, Flying in … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Vai if he had any desire, like his buddy Satch, to try his hand at vocals

That time 21-year-old Devin Townsend told me that he and Steve Vai give each other ulcers

Actual footage of Townsend giving Vai an ulcer By Steve Newton Back in September of 1993 I did my second interview with Canadian metal genius Devin Townsend. He was only 21 at the time, and had recently joined up with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai to record the vocals for Vai’s Sex & Religion album and … Continue reading That time 21-year-old Devin Townsend told me that he and Steve Vai give each other ulcers

Steve Miller’s first guitar teachers were Les Paul and T-Bone Walker

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 23, 2022 By Steve Newton As a youngster, Steve Miller had the best guitar teachers you could ever ask for. I mean, Les Paul and T-Bone Walker? Are you kidding? That must have been like the ultimate fairy tale for a music-loving kid in the 20th century. “I grew up in … Continue reading Steve Miller’s first guitar teachers were Les Paul and T-Bone Walker

That time Steve Vai told me that he only got offered demonic roles in movies after Crossroads

By Steve Newton Way back in May of 1990 I did my first interview with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, who was 29 at the time. Four years earlier Vai had portrayed Jack Butler, the devil’s guitar player, in the blues movie Crossroads, which was inspired by the legend of Robert Johnson. The climax of the … Continue reading That time Steve Vai told me that he only got offered demonic roles in movies after Crossroads

That time I called up Steve Clark and asked him how Def Leppard’s Hysteria tour was going

By Steve Newton Back on June 6 of 1988 I called up Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark at his hotel room in Moncton, New Brunswick. It was the first date of the Canadian leg of the band’s hugely successful Hysteria World Tour, and they were as popular as they would ever get. A month later … Continue reading That time I called up Steve Clark and asked him how Def Leppard’s Hysteria tour was going

That time Steven Adler told me that he wished he’d checked out Iron Maiden when Guns N’ Roses opened for them in the ’80s

By Steve Newton I interviewed original Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler back in August of 2011, the same year he appeared in Season 5 of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. At the time he was heading to Vancouver for a club show with his own band, Adler’s Appetite, performing originals and the tunes he … Continue reading That time Steven Adler told me that he wished he’d checked out Iron Maiden when Guns N’ Roses opened for them in the ’80s

Album review: Steve Stevens, Memory Crash (2008)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 8, 2008 By Steve Newton Steve Stevens is best known as the raven-haired foil to platinum-blond pop-punk icon Billy Idol; he’s the leather-clad Les Paul–lover whose incendiary solos lit up Idol hits like “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding”. But Stevens also moonlights as an instrumental rock-guitar virtuoso, and … Continue reading Album review: Steve Stevens, Memory Crash (2008)