Adam Maples

Well, first of all not sure if I am allowed to post on this session and not sure if this is a valid contribution... I hope I can and I hope it is... Now here with go...


ADAM MAPLES, drummer. (Photo taken from here = https://v13.net/2021/03/geared-up-the-gama-sennin-drummer-adam-maples-discusses-his-fabled-drumkit/)


As I am sure you guys know, ADAM MAPLES is one of the (at least three) drummers (there may be more?) who played with Guns n' Roses in (or around) 1990 when Steven Adler was (mostly) out of the band and Matt Sorum still hadn't joined.

According to Zombux great info on GN'R studio sessions (https://www.mygnrforum.com/topic/220883-guns-n-roses-related-studio-sessions-a-definitive-collection-of-available-info/) there were three drummers that played with Guns n' Roses in 1990:

*MISSING* (drummer sessions February - June 1990, including Jussi Tegelman, Adam Maples, Martin Chambers) *MISSING* [DOES NOT CIRCULATE]  

***

I have seen ADAM MAPLES name pop up quite a few times over the years but there doesn't seem to be much info on him available anywhere and there is also very little info on the 1990 sessions he did with the band...



2011 photo of Adam Maples playing w/ Gary Wertz at the One Eyed Jack's, New Orleans, LA (source = https://www.flickr.com/photos/tommyvon/5822101439)


Today I found an interesting piece of information that may explain his "connection" with the band. I was just reading about this California band the Sea Hags and ADAM MAPLES was their drummer for a while (1988-1990).


SEA HAGS (circa 1988-1990) L-R: Frank Wilsey, Ron Yocom, Chris Schlosshardt, Adam Maples (source = http://www.metal-jukebox.net/viewtopic.php?t=8581)

According to a SleazeRoxx.com interview with Sea Hags vocalist/guitarrist Ron Yocom, ADAM MAPLES was brought in the Sea Hags in 1988 by none other than Appetite For Destruction's producer Mike Clink.

"As for Adam, he was one of Clink’s aces. Producers of Clink’s caliber have incredible Rolodexes. Clink not only found us Adam, he found us Frankie too", says Yocom explaining about how Adam Maples joined the Sea Hags

Full quote & full interview here = https://sleazeroxx.com/interviews/ron-yocom-interview/

So I am guessing that it was Mike Clink who brought ADAM MAPLES to play in Guns n' Roses in 1990. And that probably didn't work out for whatever reason.


SEA HAGS (circa 1988-1990) L-R: Adam Maples, Frank Wilsey, Ron Yocom, Chris Schlosshardt,  (source = http://www.metal-jukebox.net/viewtopic.php?t=8581)


Hope you guys find that interesting.

I would LOVE to have the chance to listen to all these 1990 studio sessions that they did with these three (more?) drummers

I am sure there must be some great early takes of Illusion songs on them

And probably quite a few "abandoned ideas" for songs that they never finished and that we don't know about...

Some info on ADAM MAPLES:

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/adam-maples-mn0001498102/credits
https://www.discogs.com/artist/559981-Adam-Maples
https://v13.net/2021/03/geared-up-the-gama-sennin-drummer-adam-maples-discusses-his-fabled-drumkit/ (2021 interview with more photos)


SEA HAGS in London, UK, July 08, 1989. L-R: Chris Schlosshardt, Frank Wilsey, Ron Yocom, ADAM MAPLES (Photo credit: George Chin/IconicPix) (source = https://iconicpix.photoshelter.com/image/I0000tFCwul78xi8)


SIDE NOTE #1: ON MIKE CLINK'S ROLE AS A PRODUCER
Just a curious side note... On the same interview (https://sleazeroxx.com/interviews/ron-yocom-interview/) Ron Yocom tells a very interesting story about the (heavy!) role that Clink had as the producer of the Sea Hags album, including stories on how Clink recorded back up vocals and helped to rearrange and even rewrite some of their songs... which makes me think how much of that he did with Guns n' Roses, specially given how some Appetite songs really had some key improvements from the 1986 live versions and pre-Clink demos to the Appetite versions...

SIDE NOTE #2: ON THE SEA HAGS AS "THE NEW GUNS N' ROSES"
Yet another curious side note, at the time of the release of their first (and only) album, the Sea Hags were apparently marketed as "the new Guns n' Roses". Here = https://sleazeroxx.com/reviews/sea-hags-sea-hags-2/


SEA HAGS - SEA HAGS (FULL ALBUM)

SIDE NOTE #3: YET ANOTHER ADAM MAPLES - GN'R CONNECTION IN 2003?
Adam Maples played drums for a 2003 Mark Lanegan EP (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_Comes_That_Weird_Chill) that was recorded more or less simultaneously with Lanegan's 2004 album "Bubblegum" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubblegum_(Mark_Lanegan_album)) (source here = https://heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=754&CDName=Sea+Hags). Bubblegum is the album where Izzy and Duff sing backing vocals for a track. And we all know (that seems to be a fact, right?) that over the years Izzy and Duff have recorded songs ideas and sent them via tapes to Axl. So I am guessing -- this is wild speculation here -- that MAYBE Izzy and Duff were recording something (in Seattle?) at the same time that Lanegan was doing the sessions for his EP and album, maybe on the same studio? And then Lanegan -- who probably knew Duff from way back then -- asked the boys to do some fast vocals in a song? I just wonder if Izzy and Duff were, by any chance, playing with Adam Maples in 2003... that would be interesting...

That's cool. Well done. Makes sense to me that Clink would have been the one who brought Maples in.

Nice! I wonder if you guys are curious to listen to these 1990 sessions...