2024.04.12 - The Tennessean - How did Slash get Chris Stapleton on his new track? 'I actually had to cold-call him'

How did Slash get Chris Stapleton on his new track? 'I actually had to cold-call him'

By Melonee Hurt

Slash, the legendary, Grammy-award-winning guitar player best known for his work with rock bands Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators recently tapped into some Nashville connections as he recorded his latest solo album, "Orgy of the Damned" set to be released on May 17.

For this collection of blues classics, along with some lesser-known favorites of Slash, he lined up guest vocalists including Nashvillians Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Chris Stapleton as well as Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Iggy Pop, Demi Lovato and others to be part to the compilation.

Stapleton's contribution, a track titled "Oh Well," releases April 12. Slash's bluesy-folk take on the Fleetwood Mac tune, needed the perfect voice.

Slash remembered being "blown away" by Stapleton from when he opened some Guns N' Roses shows.

"That stuck in my mind," Slash told The Tennessean. "When I was doing this record, this song has a riff I've always wanted to do and his voice came to mind. I thought his kind of delivery with that song would be so ... cool. He and I never met when he did those Guns shows, so I actually had to cold-call him. Fortunately, he knew who I was."

Slash said Stapleton was "really sweet and generous and gracious" about the whole thing.

While Slash says he always prefers recording things live as a band to capture the energy in the room, Stapleton had planned to record his vocals with the group, but an illness and conflicting schedules meant his vocals had to be recorded separately.

"He's a busy guy and so he really carved out a moment to be able to do this for me in the midst of all this other stuff," he added. "It was monumental."

The two text often, Slash says, but ironically have still yet to meet in person.

Billy Gibbons took a little convincing before he agreed to play and sing on the Muddy Waters tune

Unlike Stapleton, Slash and ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons are old friends after meeting at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, years ago.

"We met at a bar and we sat down together and hung out for hours and got really toasted, and that's how we met," Slash remembers. "So we've been friends for years and Billy's just one of the coolest and sweetest guys and another really gracious human being."

But despite their friendship, Slash recalls Gibbons had a bit of trepidation at first about lending his guitar and vocal chops on the Muddy Waters track, “Hoochie Coochie Man."

"I thought I would really love to do this song with Billy. I told him I was doing it and I knew that he was sort of trepidatious about it because he didn't know what version I was going to do. He didn't know if I was going to bastardize the song. Even though I'm ... approaching 60, I'm still a baby to these guys."

It took Slash recording a demo of his version and sending it to Gibbons to convince him to join in.

"He put a killer guitar solo on, but that vocal he does is probably one of the best f***ing vocals of that song I've ever heard."

Blues cover album was something Slash has 'always wanted to do'

The forthcoming album is Slash's first since 2010's self-titled "Slash" album utilizing an array of guest vocalists (but his sixth solo record). Slash had a blues cover band in the late '90s that would play on the side when Guns N' Roses wasn't touring.

"It was this really cool, drunken blues cover band and I always wanted to record it, but I had been so busy with so many other things, I just hadn't had a chance to do it," he said. " I called up Johnny (Griparic, bass) and Ted (Andreadis, keyboards) who are the guys I worked with in the '90s and said, 'You guys got a minute?'"

They recruited drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal to solidify the band that would jam in a North Hollywood rehearsal space and eventually record what he calls a very "impromptu and spontaneous" kind-of record they executed without an abundance of planning.

"You know, I tend to shy away from overthinking stuff."

"Orgy of the Damned," Slash's collection of 12 blues cover songs being released by Gibson Records will be available May 17.

Stream Slash’s “Oh Well” featuring Chris Stapleton on vocals HERE.

Slash will embark on his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival tour July 5 which comes to Franklin's FirstBank Amphitheater on Wed. Aug. 14. For tickets and VIP packages, visit: www.SerpentFestival.com.

https://eu.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/04/12/how-slash-got-chris-stapleton-on-new-album-track-oh-well/73039480007/