2021.04.23 - Scars and Guitars - Interview wtih Gilby

Excerpts from Ultimate Guitar:
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During an appearance on Scars & Guitars, Gilby Clarke looked back on his 1991-1994 tenure in Guns N' Roses, while also touching on Gibson and the guitar manufacturer's new management.

When asked, "Did you bring songs into Guns that were considered for what might have been a new album in the '90s?", the guitarist replied (transcribed by UG):[

"Oh yeah, my first record, 'Pawnshop Guitars,' I brought all those songs to Guns when we were talking about a record.

"And Slash brought in the whole Snakepit record as songs for Guns.

"We'll never really know what Axl really thinks, but it wasn't the direction he wanted to go in. Then you hear 'Chinese Democracy,' you can understand why it wasn't that, it was this."

Are you still a Les Paul guy?

"Absolutely, I'm a Les Paul guy. It's odd, people ask me things like, 'How do you play in Guns N' Roses, Heart, Nancy Sinatra, and MC5?'

"And I go, 'I play the same Les Paul and the same Marshall head in every band.' I'm a Les Paul guy, I just got a brand new, 2021, and it's fantastic, I love it."

Is that the one with the autotuner on the top?

"No, I don't have any of those, it's a new one. Gibson got bought out a few years back, under new management, and the guy is doing a fantastic job.

"They're doing a great job with getting back in touch with some of their core artists and stuff like that, so I've been lucky.

"I've done a couple of their videos for them over the last year too, so they've been doing a fantastic job."

It was touching going to Gibson a few years ago, wasn't it? Did they call you in as a brand investor?

"No, never. I mean, let's be realistic, I'm not Slash or Zakk [Wylde], that's who they want on - those things.

"It would be nice, but no, I never got that. I got to be realistic, and you got to have some drive too."

Is there any aspect of your career that you wish got more attention from people in interviews?

"I think if I ever had to, like, correct a misconception - when I got the Guns gig, which is probably - definitely - one of the biggest steps I've had in my career, people perceived me as a rhythm guitar player because I play rhythm in Guns.

"But that's the first time I actually really worked with another guitar player - with Guns. And look, I'll be the first to say, I'm no Slash, but I was never just a rhythm guitar player.

"It's something that happened from that, which I don't mind, I enjoy it. Rhythm is 95% of the song, but I think it's a big misconception that the guys that are a rhythm guitar player in a band, that's all they do."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/gilby_clarke_reveals_material_he__slash_brought_axl_for_new_album_before_gnr_fell_apart_shares_opinion_on_new_gibson_management.html

More excerpts from Blabbermouth:
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In a new interview with the "Scars And Guitars" podcast, former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke reflected on his appearance in Michael Jackson's music video for the song "Give In To Me". The clip was shot in June 1992 in Munich, Germany, just two days before the opening concert of Jackson's "Dangerous" world tour, and it featured Clarke alongside Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash touring keyboardist Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis, Living Colour bassist Muzz Skillings and legendary session drummer Tony Thompson.

Speaking about how he came to be involved with the "Give In To Me" video, Gilby said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth.net): "[Slash, Teddy and I] were on tour with Guns in Europe, and Michael was in Europe, and he said, 'We're gonna do the video for [the song].' So he called Slash, and he goes, 'Put a band together.' And there was a moment when we actually were gonna do a mini-concert when we did that, so it was in front of a live audience. He asked myself and Teddy; Teddy had been playing keys in GN'R and stuff. Michael sent a private jet, and we went to Germany and we did it.

"What I remember is we're standing onstage," he continued. "It was Muzz from Living Colour, and Tony Thompson on drums. And we actually had our amps plugged up, and we were jamming a little bit and stuff. We actually weren't even playing that song; we were just jamming a little bit. And there was an audience — a real live audience. And Michael walks on stage, and the place just went — you hear that Beatles scream, that [shriek] that's just so deafening. And Michael came up to me, and he goes, 'What are they screaming at?' in this almost childish voice. And I was looking at him like this: 'Eh, 'cause you're Michael Jackson.' I couldn't believe he didn't get it. But he looked like he didn't know why these people were screaming at him. But it was a really fun experience. I'm so happy that Slash asked us to be a part of it."

"Give In to Me", which featured a guest appearance from Slash, was the tenth track on Jackson's 1991 studio album "Dangerous". The single peaked at No. 1 in New Zealand for four consecutive weeks, and at No. 2 on the U.K. singles chart. It was never released as a single in North America or Asia.

https://blabbermouth.net/news/gilby-clarke-looks-back-on-his-appearance-in-michael-jacksons-give-in-to-me-music-video