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From: MDS177
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  • The boy is quality. I love Whitesnake and DC, but this interview is just so, to the point and honest...bet DC, kicked his fuckin balls after this...but good on the lad, speaks it how he sees it.

  • He might be an asshole but he wrote bulk of the songs for whitesnake. Their 1987 ST was classic, and he basically wrote that whole album.

  • I can now understand why Coverdale got rid

  • Definitely Spinal Tap! 

  • @MikeMiheli sounds just like nigel tuffnel :')

  • @quibb666 Actually, he was going for the David St. Hubbins. But it's easy to confuse them because they were musical twins.

  • No john cant pop a zit on steve vai"s ass!!..No where near the player..and i agree John take that FUCKING gum out of your god damn mouth

  • Awesome hairdo.

  • @yorkshiretractors Your the rubbish hauler. You belong in the back of your truck.

  • @yorkshiretractors Why would anyone want to kill you fool. your hopeless and helpless.

  • @yorkshiretractors I might be a Yankee Asshole but I don't want to kill you. I wish that you would drop dead but that's not because of where you were born but who you turned out to be. I don't have to kill you. From what I've seen you are pretty much dead already. Mentally that is.

  • John Sykes: the definition of Spinal Tap/Nigel Tufnel -- hahaha!

  • Still Of The Night BEST SONG EVER !

  • TAKE THAT GUM OUTTA UR FUCKING MOUTH!!!!

  • Why all the hate? Sykes is totally humble giving props to David and Ritchie. Ever hear David Coverdale give an interview? Sheesh...

  • whitesnake is john sykes....all the melody change everything in the era of 80's rock for whitesnake..

    John Sykes is the answer why i listened to whitesnake..

    John sykes is a rock guitar master..

    feel,melody,hook is all about john Sykes.. still of the night my fav all time john!

  • @jackrockerman I met sykes last year!, what a big headed fucker"

  • what an awesome guitarest

  • What a little arrogant cunt he is

  • An interview I read years ago John Kolodner stated that Sykes and Ansly Dunbar were both fired after pressuring Coverdale to hire a replacement singer, while he was recovering from vocal surgery. (Just about anyone of us would have axed him if he tried to have us replaced in our own band) All that being said, He does play a hell of a guitar. I like Via too, but Sykes was better for WS. But don't discount Doug Aldrich. Dude kills.

  • To clear up some of the confusion, John jioned WS after slide it in was pretty much finished and rerecorded some guitar parts for the U.S. release. He played on the 1987 WS record, and Adrian plays keyboard (though I think I read he did the solo for here I go). Crying in the Rain was an older WS song from Saits and Sinners that was redone for the 1987 record.

  • Hadnt seen this before, but he comes across as having the personality of a fucking doorstop. A proper turd. :)

  • This guy has the perfect rock star attitude. He actually made me chuckle a bit, they way he chews his gum and flips his hair. Textbook!

  • whata dick, the interviewer guy cut of sykes in the middle of a sentence to say that all the time we have.

  • Yes the gum chewing is a bit off putting but hey he was only about 24-25 when this interview took place so give him a break - he's a guitar player not a nuclear scientist! Great musician though.

  • Can't believe how nasty some of these comments are. Calling him a Bawbag, disgusting, a turd if you weren't a Sykes fan why did you bother to watch the interview? No John is not arrogent & full of himself. Totally had to come to his defense because some of you are so damn mean!

  • As a musician and a guitar player, I can say - whitout any doubt - that Vai is more acomplished technically and has much more knowledge of music theory. Having said that, I think that Sykes is a superb rock guitarist - by far the best Whitesnake ever had. It's like he was born to play in that band. It';s a shame that Coverdale fired him right after releasing their best album ("1987") to date.

  • But does he remember to be a normal person or does he think to be always on tage? :)

  • What a fuckin turd.

  • @DirtyDeck Totally agree, met him 4 years ago with lizzy, what a primadona, big headed shit

  • What is John Sykes doing now?

  • He says in the begining he was wrong about picking the single. Yet to some he sounds full of himself? I dont get it. He seemed 100% humble to me.

  • @marcusdolby1 he says he was wrong about one thing and he can't still (in general) sound fulll of himself? Because that is what he does to me..

    great guitarist nonetheless

  • "Hi, I'm John Sykes the coolest guy in the world"... now I understand why Coverdale fired him! :D

  • "I just busk my way through the songs until I pick them up."

    Haha. Class!

  • This may be the greatest and most honest interview EVER from a musician. Brilliant :)

  • It's really sad that the U.S. knew nothing about Whitesnake for so long...

  • how disgusting this guy is!!!!!!!

  • No Way //Cgolfsoccerguy// Sykes is a 1000 times better guitarist than steve vai and id like to here vai sing like john !!!

  • @Jacobolo93 vai is a technically better guitarist

  • @Jacobolo93 Steve Vai doesn't have to sing...I like Sykes as much as the next person,but there is NO comparing Sykes to Vai...at all.

  • @1dallasmetalgirl Have you studied the Whitesnake 1987 album? The guitars are phenomenal and far beyond anything Vai has ever done with regard to songwriting and also the 'sound'. Sykes spent weeks in the studio perfecting that heavy guitar sound, and i dont think its ever been bettered in metal. Vai may be able to play a bit faster, but Sykes with regard to an all round musician (songwriting,skills,musical ear) is far beyond Vai, without question. Go and listen to the 1987 album again.

  • @Xiolablu3 No disrespect meant to Sykes,I have equal respect for both Sykes and Vai...was just stating my opinion. I hope you caught John Sykes on The latest episode of That Metal Show on Vh-1 Classic with Mike Portnoy.

  • @1dallasmetalgirl Yeah, sorry , my answer was a bit stupid really. Music is very much an opinion, and I am no more 'right' than anyone else. Thanks for setting me back on the right path. Sykes guitar sound on 1987 is incredible, in my opinion, and of course you have your opinion about Vai! Can I ask you out on a date? :)) (Damn, you live 1000 miles away! I am in England, Maybe a long distance relationship....hehe) If I ever come to the States, then I will take you out to see Steve play. ;)

  • @Xiolablu3 If you want to check out something interesting....go to : "Steve Vai: "Star Spangled banner" here on youtube ,he isn't singing,but he makes his guitar sing. It's amazing,Enjoy!!

  • @1dallasmetalgirl Thanks hun, will be sure to check it out. Only joking before of course, was a tongue in cheek reference to guys who try to creepily letch on girls on the internet...

  • @Jacobolo93 You're right. It's a shame some still think sheer speed makes you the best guitarist. It doesn't and it never has. John is a great singer, writer, and an incredible guitarist and Vai plays guitar with no heart or soul, just speed.

  • @ToddSweeneyOnce Really, you choose Vai to single out as "just speed"? I guess you've never heard of for the love of god, lotus feet, windows to the soul, the crying machine, blue powder, tender surrender, hand on heart, warm regards, liberty, or seen his live performances, watched him in interviews or comprehend a single aspect of him. He has TONS of emotion pouring out of all of his songs be it excitement, sadness, humor, or anything else and is far from just a shredder.

  • hey macho man, this "faggot" has done more chicks than you could ever imagine.

  • LMAO

  • He's my favourite guitarist, but what an arrogant t**t!

  • @sacredheartband I dont thnk he came across as arrogant.

  • ...all right. Spit it out.

  • OMG!!! he's so sexyyyyyyyyy! ♥♥♥

  • John Sykes is an awesome guitar player. Totally over the top! Thanks for the years of inspiration john.

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  • i saw this before, it was called SPINAL TAP!

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  • fking david that dick.... his ego is so big that he can't understand that he made the album of His life and also john's too.... dave and john we're just pure magic if u ask me....actually it's john that's magiche wrote 3 of the best songs on that album, crying in the rain, still of the night, and children of the night, then david decides to can john and put in vandenburg... poor john he's also way too under-rated, when u mention his name people are like !?what?!

  • Yes, that was such a barnstormer of an album, really made them huge. Very different from the early stuff though, much less blues-oriented.

  • Crying in The Rain guitar and singing is wrote by Coverdale actually :)

  • ..And JOhns Sykes still OWNS his ass.

  • talkin about cozy powell ! yeeaa , guy was awesome.

  • Ironic that when he did record his only Whitesnake album proper it went huge in the US!

  • That's a nice jumper/slacks combo he's got going on there. Working well.

  • gum in his 40s ?..he was in his early 20s when this interview took place....

  • Chewing gum during an interview is quiet rude!

    Anyway, having said that, he's a great song writer, guitarist and singer. I presume he's still active.

    PS: He looks like David St Hubbins from Spinal Tap!

  • "Chewing gum during an interview is quiet rude! "

    He probably thought it was cool

  • It is cool. Chewing gum all the time = not giving a shit. not giving a shit = maximum coolness.

  • "not giving a shit = maximum coolness."

    yeah, when ur 13

  • Ha!  Totally "Spinal Tap" like. Good ref!

  • is it just me or does this remind you of spinal tap, is it just the accent lol

  • Well... bubblegum is a little bit funny in mouth of 40+ years man..... but HE IS STILL MASTER OF REAL GUITAR!!!! YEAH!!!!!

  • sykes is so talented

  • John,I love you man!,but take the gum out of your mouth while your interviewing,lol.

  • shoulda stayed with TL but gary moores too good...

  • He's probably the most underrated guitar player ever. He's pretty Spinal Tap LOL, but I don't think he's nearly the conceited cock that EVH or Yngwie is.

  • @dgarvin1 Eddie is such a DICK NOW!!! His Licks are so tiring to listen too, not too mention worn out and boring... INGWEENIE has always been a Cock and a Half Prickly Fucker!!!!!!!

    God Bless

  • John Sykes IS sPINAL tAP !

  • No wonder D.C. kicked him later on! What an egomaniac!

  • Also... John Sykes wanted to be the unique guitarist in Whitesnake, and didn't accept Adrian Vandenberg playing too

    two rockstars don't accept them

    so, both, DC and Sykes, were egomaniac

    lol

  • No, it was Steve Via who wouldn't accept Vandenberg - not John Sykes

  • adrian broke his arm so he couldnt record, i thought that was the whole issue with him and why vai came on board and i thought sykes was gone before adrian was even in the band

  • Yes, you're right - Sykes was gone before Vandenberg was supposed to record the 'Slip....' album - but it's my opinion that Vai wouldn't record with Vandenberg 'cos he always records all guitars by himself. His style does not suit others recording with him. I also think Coverdale agreed to this and told Adrian he couldn't play on the album. It doesn't take THAT long for a broken arm to heal!

  • no i meant the self titled album of 87, but i read up on it & found out adrian was there before sykes was fired & was given the chance to redo the solo on here i go again. i think that even though the slip of tongue album was successful it wasn't quality. the only song i love is judgement day. but if you put david lee roth on vocals its just another david lee roth album essentially. i'd be curious to see how adrian would have wrote the music for the album. too bad they couldnt have sykes

  • Sorry mate. Yes, you're right, it isn't a whitesnake album, it's a steve vai album with coverdale on it. I would love to have heard what a second proper sykes/coverdale ablum would have sounded like. Guess the closest we've got is the first blue murder album - do you know it? It's great.

  • I for the first time heard or actually seen the vid of a Blue Murder song. I didnt realize it was sykes. Wow that was great. I'd especially loved to have heard what sykes would have done with Fool For Your Lovin, since he did so masterfully on Here I Go Again. Especially the guitar solo. I felt vai did a horrible job on the solo's. lol for so long I was very bitter about the change in sound from one album to the next. Blue Murder rocks!!

  • "but it's my opinion that Vai wouldn't record with Vandenberg 'cos he always records all guitars by himself"

    Vandenberg had to stop playing guitar for a while because he had accute tendinitis. The album had been partially written and recorded when Vandenberg ran into problems. Steve Vai re-wrote and recorded all the guitar parts to suit his own style. It takes months to recover from tendinitis and then months getting your guitar licks back on track. I know because I've done it.

  • your right. sykes was kicked out after recording of 1987.. vandenburg came in and recorded a solo for here i go again. then vandenberg got injured so steve vai recorded all the gutiars for slip

  • Yes but "The Flying Dutchman" Vandy just sucks. John Sykes WAS Whitesnake

  • I was lucky enough to meet John in Dec`07 after a Lizzy gig, he was really great with my son who was completely awestruck to meet one of his heroes, he even suggested a photo with him and signed his guitar strap, a really nice guy,

  • Sykes is so funny

  • LOL his comments about Cozy Powell

  • From wich year is this?

  • This was recorded in Feb 1984.

  • is he a bawbag or what

  • totally over the top that bloke

  • ya see. my amps go to eleven.....its one more isnt it!

  • 1:27 to 1:34 I'm gonna find that guy, break his wrist, and sever his pointer finger for doing that.

  • ha ha haaa That was pretty annoying, I'll hold him down for you

  • Totally Spinal Tap. Shades of Nige. My solos are my trademahk...

  • there ought to be a law against chewing gum during interviews!!!!! but I still love John!! BABE!

  • It's sooooo cool and funny....

    :-)

  • I'm a Sykes fan but listening to him in this clip made me think of Spinal Tap.

  • OMG, that's HYSTERICAL!!! I can just see him saying he turns his amp up to 11!!!!!!! funny....

  • As far as i know there is an "anything goes" interview with Phil Lynott which i remember seeing when i was a nipper...would be cool to see it again if anyone has it out there in youtube land

  • I absolutely love his long blond wavy hair!Almost his trademark :P

  • I think Sykes is awesome. One thing of note though. John did not play the Lead on Here I Go Again, Album Version. Whitesnake 1987. I allways thought he did but he was fired before he laid that down. I listen to it now and realize its so NOT a sykes solo. Its actually Adrian Vandenburg, Hired Hack that he is. There is plenty of interviews with John that state this.

  • Just respect Adje for laying down a nice track.

    I'm a huge fan of Sykes and Vandenberg. I prefer Adje's Here I Go, though obviously still of the night had to be a Sykes riff and solo.

  • Dude, I concur mate, my thoughts exactly. Sykes' sound on the '87 album was as ballsy as it gets; Vai sounded thin compared to Sykes' stint in the band.

  • Last comment was a reply to an earlier question - don't why it didn't get posted to the comment i "replied' to

  • I never watched Anything Goes when i was a kid (too busy watching Saint and Greavsie and the UK wrestling probably!), I would have tuned in more if I knew they were interviewing the likes of JS! They were all as bad as him re posing etc. Thanks for the clip

  • It's pretty funny, the thing John say about Whitesnake "Americans don't know what it is."... Three years later, every single American knew what Whitesnake was and I believe it has to do a lot about John's excellent song writing duties on that album!

  • And everyone promptly forgot who Thin Lizzy was and I'd bet no-one knew of Trapeze.

  • u ever heard sex child by blue murder? its the best song ever! blue murder is johns solo band later on afta whitesnake download it its awesome! xx

  • best musically maybe, the lyrics are from a rather more innocent time tho lol

  • WHY is John so HOT?!?!?!

  • All that plus Hair Wars. That man *still* has a great mane!

  • Heh heh! Yeah, I can see how Coverdale might've been a little rattled.

    It's just not right that Sykes is that good a songwriter, singer AND slinger! :)

  • I'm never ceased to be amazed that all these people I worship could very well act like this. Gum chewing and all. That boy can rip and acts like it.

  • They are talking about a single released by John called "Please don't leave me" which had Phil Lynott on lead vocals.

  • Nigel Tufnal!

  • Lick my love pump in D minor the saddest of all chords!

  • What single are they talking about at the beginning?

  • slide it in was recorded by mel galley and micky moody, but john sykes re- recorded one of the guitars. 1987 was recorded by sykes, but i think vandenberg recorded the solo of here i go again. not because of the video clip. it sounds like vanderberg, doesn`t sound like sykes.

  • You're right I've also thought that Vandenberg did the guitar solo on Here I go again. But it doesn't really matter to me cos both of them are two great guitarists.

  • Yes, it doesn`t matter to me too.

  • But the original guitar solo of Here I go again is made by Mickey Marsden(cos both Cryin' in the rain and Here I go again from the Whitesnake 1987 album was already released on the Saints and sinners album 1982) Vandenberg and Sykes are still better and more good looking.

  • What a pathetic overdub. He was 19 in this interview. His youngest kid is more like this age now.

  • I think he was a bit older than 19. He was born in 1959. I don't think this is 1977...

  • No, he´s 8 in this vid. He joined Whitesnake in the 60´s.

    He was a baby during rocking with Thin Lizzy.

  • ...John is talking about the rehearsals with Cozy Powell for the concert in Belfast and that he met him a couple weeks before (Cozy is still over the top, heavens bless him) so this interview must be 1984

  • Actually Vandenberg plays the guitar solo in Here I Go Again 1987 while the rest of the guitar work is from John Sykes.

  • I beleive the album version of "Here I Go Again" is sykes and the radio remix is vandenberg.

  • John Sykes recorded "Slide It In" and the 1987 album titled "Whitesnake" with "Here I go again" and the remake of "Crying in the rain". Then when it came time for the tour of the "Whitesnake" album John was gone and Adrian Vandenburg took over. That is also the tour were Vivian Cambell joined the band for a bit.

  • as far as I know it's dDan Huff on the radio mix

  • can someone please clear up a question I've had for a long time...I'd swear vandenberg plays the solo on "Here I Go Again" - it PERFECTLY matches the tone and phrasing he used back then, but someone else told me it is definitely Sykes. ??

  • Vandenberg plays the solo on "here i go again" He was credited with it right in the liner notes of the cassette (no cd's back then)

  • right, I understand he was credited with it...but I was told by people who know a lot more info than the liner notes who claim it was Sykes...which I just can't believe because the tone and phrasing is too much like vandenberg.

  • its definitely not sykes, it doesnt sound like him at all, sykes was already fired before he came to play the solo, theres no big wide vibrato which is kinda like sykes trademark, its definitely vandenberg

  • and they are the ones that got crosby hoooked.

  • It's funny to hear John say that Whitesnake wasn't popular in America. Then a few years later, the "Still of the Night" video came out on MTV. Everyone heard John's guitar playing on that video. Too bad they didn't actually SEE John playing the guitar!

  • I know that video sucks just because of that,

    his work with whitenake was just superb

    I love all of his solos n riffs just fantastic

    guitar playing.

  • yeah I always felt ripped off about that. that was some great guitar work!! always felt bad for the other guitar player who toured and never got to play his own guitar in a studio. cas he hurt himself doing some bizar wrist exercise supose to help instead he messed it up. Steve Vai did the studio work for his songs.. what a bummer.

  • hilarious, he does resemble the character in spinal tap. also, the interview seems to be faked. he sounds like he is in the same studio as the host, though pretending to be elsewhere, ala the daily show w jon stewart

    listen to the audio and see what i mean. at one point, sykes even looks off screen to the right as if he can see the host across the studio...

  • he's great but what a funny accent -- what part of Britain is that? Reading (he was born there wasn't he?)

  • That just a standard bristish accent.

  • I used to go Johns house in Blackpool.. He is a Cool guy!! And TALENTED! So if you dont know him SHUT THE F$£k UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • I used to go Johns house in Blackpool, He,s a cool guy. And TALENTED!!! So if you dont know him shut the fuck up!!!

  • I vaguely remember him when he played in a band in Jenks's, Talbot Square (forgotten their name 'tho).

  • Just come to me - I think it was Streetfighter . . . . ?

  • yes i he was they were from blackpool

  • Firstly John Sykes is from Reading down in South England, although he did move to Blackpool later. Secondly the guy is a genious and he is not boring! His guitaring skills speak for themselves! David Coverdale kicking John out of Whitesnake was possibly one of his biggest mistakes still if that hadn't happened we may not have Blue Murder/Sykes solo :)

  • John its very good guitars, but the boring guy and stoned too. Im like Whitesnake with him but the this guy its so strange.

  • to say.John is a fagggg......lol, hmmm, maybe that dude needs a therapist. If that dude could write ONE song anywhere near John, then maybe say that, but why??? LOL, these comments are funny, man dont watch it, better yet if John is a faggg, why the F did you click on THIS video with JONH SYKES...LOL. Love it when I see stupidity at its best.

  • Coverdale kicking Sykes out wasn't the smartest move.

  • wrong............so lost

  • Steve Vie things getting whacked. He had a Guatemalan maid named Mirim. Didn't own his Beverly Hills pad, my family did. She mentioned they had some hanky panky & he said he was drunk,she took advantage . He fired her , she killed his german shepard puppy. Sensing he lied we kept touch with Mirim & I tried setting her up with a Hispanic male we knew. I am cleaning houses. Donny aka Vie a bastard. Financial ruin .Broke something & think perhaps I quit my job.She gave like $50 food to us 2day.

  • Hey most of the Adrian Vandenbergs (Think Holland dumb arse)can play and write! LOL, Now I'd say Lord Syke's is English & ummm the other speaks fluent Swedish.Sorry Starkers my Canadian tall cool one! Don't confuse Steve Vie with Steve Vai or Adrian. Here I go Again? Ha, good let me kick him the butt as he leaves! That boy broke my heart & he's a prick. Don't know what games he's playing but I am not playing them.I can't even stand Olive Garden commercials cause of him.

  • jon sykes is from a town in the uk called blackpool

  • Ouch! Not a fag but the Brit accent is enormous. Seems the original Sykes had a real Swedish accent about him & the English We all Fall down was a bit Americanized. Who the diddly is this boy?This English bloke the Queen doesn't quite remember associated with Sykes or not. Wee bit to skinny & less muscular to be the Swede ain't he? Heavy brit accent!

  • no dummy..your thinking of Vandenburg who came after him..and couldn't hold his pick let alone write great music as he did...

  • why did coverdale kick them out?  john sykes was so awesome

  • Coverdale kicked tons of people out of Whitesnake. John Sykes is not the only one.

  • this guy is such a fagggg