George Lynch talks about taking place of Randy Rhoads

[romeorose_rr]

Skipping ahead a bit we find this about his Ozzy audition.

Jeb: Last one: Did you really try out for Ozzy’s band when Randy Rhoads tried out?

George: I was up for it three times, seriously up for it. I was one of a couple of guys being considered.

The most serious was when they flew me to Scotland and I toured with the band for a little bit. I rehearsed with them in Texas and then we came back to LA. They had one more person that they wanted to look at, as a formality, and that was Jake E. Lee. They ended up going for him and not me.

Jeb: I like the albums Jake was on but I would love to have heard you jam with them.

George: It was a great choice. They didn’t base it on playing because he didn’t play very well; I have talked to him about this many times. It was really based on his looks. He had hair down to his ass and he wore leathers. He looked amazing and he moved amazing and that is what they wanted.

Tommy Aldridge and I have talked about this because he was against having me in the band, which was a very critical component of their decision. Tommy said that I was really my own guy and that I wasn’t the kind of guy who fit in well playing other people’s stuff, which is very true. I am not a good guy to sit around and play around the campfire because I don’t know any other songs. I just kind of write my own stuff and do my own thing.

I didn’t have a pot to piss in and I was living in a little apartment with my two kids and my wife. I was driving a delivery truck and was a Teamster. I delivered booze in a really bad part of town.

I quit my job to go do Ozzy and they weren’t paying me a nickel. They said it was all good and that I was in. What they ended up offering me was $200 a week, which was about two and a half times less than what I was making. It was really sad.

They didn’t sit down with me or anything. Ozzy was in a back room somewhere just kind of moping to himself. He turned around and said, “Oh, by the way, we won’t be needing you anymore. We found somebody else. Goodbye and good luck.” My heart just sank. I walked outside and shed a tear and my wife told me that it would be alright.

We came back home and found an eviction notice on our apartment door. We ended up having to move in with her folks and I found another job with a company doing the same thing. Then along came Dokken and the rest is history.


http://www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.ph ... &Itemid=42

Kinda shitty how they chose Jake because of his appearence, when lynch was a better guitarist. Especially after having Randy Rhoads you would think they'd want the most talented guitarist to try and replace him! Just goes to show I don't think Ozzy ever really comprehended the true talent Randy Rhoads had! They probably thought more of him because of his looks than his ability. To this day I don't think Ozzy or Sharon can recognize real guitar talent, I think they are expert money makers & marketers, but they wouldn't recognize someone that had skills of Chopin or Bach if it were right in their face, unless of course they had on leathers and hair down to their ass!

RR

[AndrewT1976]

Wow. Interesting.

I totally agree with the fact that the O's didn't know talent. Had Randy not looked like a rock star, they probably would have never picked him.

Pathetic...

[shred1]

So now Jake is talentless I guess.

[AndrewT1976]

yeah, i found that comment a little odd too. I always thought George was cool about other players.

I can totally picture Ozzy being a d*ck about it. Like, "get outta here, we found another guy."

[dannyahansen]

So now Jake is talentless I guess.

That is not what George said. He just said that "They didn’t base it on playing because he didn’t play very well". Which might shock some people. Jake is a really strong song writer and his stage presence is really high and he writes some really cool solos. But when it come to his actual picking technique it is my least favorite of any players that played with Ozzy and I find it a little sloppy, imo.
But saying "he didn't play very well" is a far cry from saying he is talentless.

[shred1]

I am referring to your comment Andrew. Jake is extremely talented AND looked the part.
Jake showed up late for his audition and didn't play that well that day. That is what George is referring to.

Ozzy, whether you love'em or hate'em, can spot talent. That is one area where he is NOT pathetic.

[SLAGER]

I agree with their choosing Jake over George. Jake was a hot unknown guiatrsit who enjoyed playing Randy's stuff as well as writing new tunes. Lynch even agrees with it, saying that he doesnt like to play anything except songs he writes. And face it Dokken were basically pretty boy rock while Ratt was grittier and more edgy.

[RhoadsRockPhotographer]

romeorose_rr wrote:

[Lespauly]

Jake was also up for the DIO guitar slot before Vivian--anyone know what happened there?? Also I love Lynchs playing but I don't think he could pull off any of Randys leads as good as Jake did--plus its true Jake was the better looking man and I believe Lynch had the skunk hairdo which threw Ozzy off..White on top and black on bottom hehe

[tedeeoo]

Jake was also up for the DIO guitar slot before Vivian--anyone know what happened there?? Also I love Lynchs playing but I don't think he could pull off any of Randys leads as good as Jake did--plus its true Jake was the better looking man and I believe Lynch had the skunk hairdo which threw Ozzy off..White on top and black on bottom hehe

According to I believe Jimmy Bain and Claude Schnell there are recordings of Jake with Dio. As I remember it they had already started writing some of the material for Holy Diver when as Jake put it, I was introduced to Vivian Campbell as the new guitarist for Dio. Jake has also said that Ronnie removed all the parts that were his from those songs which I think were (and I'm not sure I remember this right) Don't Talk to Strangers (pretty sure), Holy Diver and Stand up and Shout (not as sure about those 2). Jake also credits Ronnie for teaching him to always take the solo section of a song to a different place.

I will only say this about the Jake vs. George deal, George is a phenomenal player, but he auditioned for Ozzy 3 different times and they never picked him so obviously something between him and Ozzy/Sharon just wasn't quite right. Jake has even said he didn't play well at his audition and I don't really take what George said as a slight towards him in any way, he was just being honest. I have seen on more than one occasion where George has said Jake was one of the baddest guitar players on the planet and from all indications they, along with Warren Demartini have always been friends. I will always say they picked the right guy in Jake, but then again, Jake is my biggest influence so I would.

[shred1]

Agreed. Those guys hang together when they can.
Jake was the right choice for that gig, and George rocks!

21st Century Man from Smoke & Mirrors spinning off the Pod right now.

As with Randy, hearing anything from Jake would be great. Loved the Fine Pink Mist disc.

[AndrewT1976]

Jake is definitely one of the best guitarists of that era, and one only needs to listen to those first two Badland's albums to agree with me. The guitar work on these albums is PHENOMENAL, and the songs are seriously awesome.

Voodoo Highway is one of the best albums of the era. Hands down.

[AndrewT1976]

Anyone one else agree that the guitar rhythm right before the the guitar solo in "Dreams in the Dark" sounds like the rhythm to "Lightning Strikes" from Ultimate Sin?

[hansolo]

They didn’t base it on playing because he didn’t play very well; I have talked to him about this many times. It was really based on his looks. He had hair down to his ass and he wore leathers. He looked amazing and he moved amazing and that is what they wanted.

Right. Jake said he had a few days to learn Randy's songs and mixed up verses of one song with a chorus of another when he auditioned for Ozzy. I guess he didn't feel he knew the songs. A shout out to Brad Gillis who learned the Randy songs very quickly. After 30 years, I'm still working on them!
I saw George/MSG last year in Pennsylvania and he was great but the sound man sucked for all the bands - feedback heaven. I like George but the thing Jake and Randy had was a little soul. They weren't afraid to hold a note and/or choose the right notes. That sometimes takes soul searching. I feel, and I'm no expert with George that he does have some shredding licks but sometimes the get buried in the sound. And that is what people need to figure out is when to shred. Maybe it was the sound guy. George did come out and sign autographs and couldn't have been nicer. I would see him again. Come to Rochester, NY George!

[Paul Wolfe]

Skipping ahead a bit we find this about his Ozzy audition.

Jeb: Last one: Did you really try out for Ozzy’s band when Randy Rhoads tried out?

George: I was up for it three times, seriously up for it. I was one of a couple of guys being considered.

The most serious was when they flew me to Scotland and I toured with the band for a little bit. I rehearsed with them in Texas and then we came back to LA. They had one more person that they wanted to look at, as a formality, and that was Jake E. Lee. They ended up going for him and not me.

He didn't really answer the question... I'd like to hear his thoughts on Randy getting the gig over him & George going to teach in Randy's place at Musonia.