Guns N’ Roses’ Slash Recalls His Tenure With Michael Jackson: “He Just Left Me In The Studio”
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash recalled his tenure with the music icon Michael Jackson and revealed how Jackson treated him when they were working together.
Slash is the Rock Walk of Fame star who achieved his international success for being the guitarist of the rock band Guns N’ Roses. Over the years, he also played alongside artists such as Myles Kennedy and Velvet Revolver. He also released albums under the band Slash’s Snakepit.
His contribution with Michael Jackson was for the King Of Pop‘s 1991 single Give In To Me, which was taken from his eighth studio album Dangerous. He had played lead guitar in the song. In addition to that, Slash had also performed the opening skit of the musician’s Black Or White song in the same album.
Recently, during a new interview with Couch Of Guitars, Guns N’ Roses man Slash has commented on how it was working with one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century, Michael Jackson. At first, the interviewer mentioned the song he played lead guitar, Give In To Me, and asked how he felt at the time. According to Slash, it was great to play alongside Jackson.
“It was cool but more than anything for me it was an opportunity to grow as a player and learn to adapt to other people’s situations,” Slash says.
“It was really humbling because I wanted to do a good job and work within the idiosyncrasies of the people you were working with.”
Slash Reveals How Michael Jackson Behaved In The Studio
Slash then revealed how the dancer/singer Michael Jackson behaved in the studio during the recording process of the song. Saying that they met and exchanged niceties, Slash added that Michael Jackson had left him in the studio.
“He just left me there,” Slash continues. “Which was actually really cool.
“We met at the Record Plant and he was with Brooke Shields. I was sort of freaked out…
“It’s Michael Jackson and there’s Brooke Shields, and it was sort of a whoa kind of thing.
“We met and exchanged niceties and he took off to dinner and left me with the producer and I just did my thing. That was it.
“That’s sort of what he was always like, just do your thing.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Slash has also mentioned the time that he was criticized by Bob Dylan for his work on Dylan‘s Wiggle Wiggle. According to him, Dylan did not like his work, and it was a great lesson learned for him.
“Don Was hooked me up with Bob Dylan and said, ‘Here’s the song,’ it was a real basic I-IV-V blues kind of thing.
“Don had suggested me to play the solo for this particular song, which was like an acoustic kind of thing.
“So there was a section and I went down to the studio and I went in and did what I thought was a really great one-off. So I said, ‘Don, make me a tape when you guys are done and let me check it out.’
“So he sends me a tape the next day of the rough and the song’s moving along – the lyrics and chorus go by, and the solo section comes in and it’s just me playing acoustic, strumming.
“And that’s like two full progressions, whatever. And then back into the song. I said, ‘What happened to the solo?’ [Don said], ‘Bob thought it sounds too much like Guns N’ Roses.’
“So it was a great lesson learned for me. At that time I hadn’t done a lot of session work and it was a great learning experience.”
Back in this past November, Slash had discussed his side project’s upcoming studio effort, 4. Opening up about the album, Slash had said that the album’s tools are very spontaneous.
“The way that we recorded this record, everything was just done live in the studio, and it’s very spontaneous,” he says.
“This is actually the most live I’ve recorded so far. I’ve always done the bass, drums and guitars live in the studio — bar none — except for when I do other people’s sessions. But in any band that I’ve worked in, it’s always been like that.
“But you come back and you do guitars later because you wanna get the right sound and you go into the control room and you do the guitars from there.”
Slash just do your thing. It’s always good and professional
Guitars sound good, ok?????
Geez. What a tool. Why would you hire Slash and then complain that he sounds like GNR? Isn’t that why you wanted him on the record in the first place?
IMO, Slash made “Give In To Me.”
Otherwise I would of never liked this song. MJ, rip, this song was way low on your totem pole. Yes, I give you the props for being the King of Pop MJ but Slash is one of the best of best guitarists in the world! As the saying goes, he ain’t no slouch brother! Growing up, I’ve listened both to MJ and Slash. But never the two in the same day. Those days of surrendering to Slash play, were iconic and changed my life forever! Slash was the drink that never quenched my throat! Always needing more and more.
And MJ, there was only one King. You are forevermore the King of Pop. You transformed my life from song to song and dance! You made that combo explosive!
Thanks all for allowing us to comment.
Lynette
Tampa, FL
I wouldn’t expect anything less from Slash,he is who he is and growing up in the 80’s listening to Slash alongside the band Guns n Roses,Slash has shown and proven his passion for playing lead guitarist everytime,no matter who it was with.🤘😎🤘Keep being the guitarist you were born to be,the fans love you for you,me included🎸one day when I can afford to sit before you at a concert,it would be a dream to see you live with the crew Guns n Roses…….
I never understood what people ever saw in Bob Dylan. He can’t carry a tune in a bucket. He had to have made a Faustian deal to get successful. Either that or his fans are so high that they don’t care that he sucks. The only thing I ever thought he was good at was songwriting… Just get someone else to sing it. And now I read that he hired Slash… but didn’t want his style to go on the record? Eff him entirely. What a chode.
This was definitely an excellent read and great for any learning experience, thanks for the article. Salute to all legends mentioned, Long Live Classic Music 🎶 🎶🎼
Michael Jackson is a piece if shit pedophile…ges dead where he shud be.. he messed up alot of little kids….why the fuck do people talk about him like hes special? MAkeS me fucking sick yall praise a pedophile!!!!!
Woah the headline sounded like michael was rude to him and he hated mj or something. but it was a complement in the end
@Kevin. There is always a person in the room that has to accuse MJ of child abuse. In yet he has never been convicted, he was found innocent on all charges in 2005. The first child has admitted his father coerced him into lying to extort money. The second child and family were caught lying in court. The two adult men recently who made the claims have had there story totally debunked and thrown out of court. So there is not one piece of evidence that demonstrates MJ was a abuser of any kind. Testimony is not evidence. If testimony was evidence every person accused of a crime would be in jail. So when you disrespect MJ and call him derogatory names, you are insulting his friend also. Slash was his friend and does not believe the ridiculous accusations. Either do millions of intelligence people around the world who are smart enough to see the man was being extorted due to his inability to have good judgment in who he associated with. I find your comment on Jackson cruel and unfair.
Dylan has always been way over rated, slash is already on top, why go down..
The King of Pop Michael Jackson and Slash are both legends. Both men are deserving of respect. Their collaborations were indeed history making moments . I truly feel that the King of Pop trusted Slash 100 percent. Michael knew that Greatness was at work. Great artists preform well without supervision. “Give in to Me” and “Black or White” are forever great works of art that no one can surpass. They are one of a kind masterpieces. I am also offended by the derogatory comment made regarding the King of Pop. I personally spent time with Michael. He is so misunderstood and so prejudged. Michael privately dates mature women that require privacy in other words: No media coverage. He is a very shy person who does not have time to verbally communicate with negative judgmental people. He is an artist too preoccupied with what really matters: HIS MUSIC.
I agree with Kevin…dressing up like a girl and having sleep overs with other people’s kids…not cool, no matter who you are. And no, pointing that out does not insult Slash. Slash has nothing to do with it. Just because a person isn’t convicted doesn’t mean there’s fishy shit going on.
Matthew, we live in a world that money talks and bullshit walks. Come on? You cant see the obvious of weird adult male always wanting to be around and sleeping with male little boys. Not normal! Michael Jackson was good at what he did and people idolize him to the point of leaving their children to sleep over in his bed. With todays corrupted system the cases would of never reach the level they did back than.
Slash is lower than a dog slave to sin and spiritually poor and bankrupt.slash just uses his fans to get more money and doesn’t care if fans go homeless or to the hospital. Slash would sound good blow-in bubbles under water or from a mountain where I can’t hear him. Slash is a good for nothing rotten nut bum tramp bimbo retch scoundrel doodybal dinglebery buttwipe nobody and I have no use for him slash is like a doorknob everyone gets a turn to knock him down verbally.
Amen, All MJ has done wrong is trust people to be honest. Everyone wanted something from him even after he donated, yes donated 500 million dollars to help people around the world.cant stand when people jump to erroneous conclusions, then spread it around. Miss that dude making music. THANKS Mike.
MJ simply trusted your thing and had to leave you yo do just that✌