Steve Stevens

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Steve Stevens

Steve Stevens (left) and Billy Idol (right)
Born May 5, 1959
in Brooklyn, New York
Genre(s) Rock
Affiliation(s) Billy Idol
Years active 1980 -present
Official site Official website

Steve Stevens (born as Steve Schneider on May 5, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter.

He is best known for playing for other artists (most notably Billy Idol and Vince Neil) and less known, but critically acclaimed for his solo efforts (Atomic Playboys), collaborations (Bozzio Levin Stevens, a.k.a. Black Light Syndrome), as an in-demand session guitarist, and guitar instructor.

Contents

[edit] Musical Career

Steve Stevens attended New York City's prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts as a music major, studying the guitar, and graduating in 1977. His hit-making collaboration with Billy Idol began when Idol moved from the UK to the USA, shortly after the latter's band Generation X disbanded. Stevens co-wrote and played on the albums Don't Stop EP, Billy Idol (1982), Rebel Yell (1984), Whiplash Smile (1986), and the remix collection Vital Idol (1985). Musical differences during the Whiplash Smile sessions led to the pair's parting of ways (namely, Steve's jazz-laden guitar work on the cut "Man For All Seasons"). Following his departure from Billy Idol's band, Stevens pursued a solo career, releasing his first album Atomic Playboys in 1989 and receiving good comments from the critics and a moderate commercial response.

In 1992, Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil was put into the studio to record a single for a Pauly Shore vehicle entitled "Encino Man" called "You're Invited But Your Friend Can't Come" with Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees fame. To help record the song, Vince put together a solo band, bringing Stevens in to handle shredding duties. The following year, a $4 million deal was closed for Neil at Warner Bros.(at which Warner Bros. CEO Mo Ostin said, "We should take Vince and that other rock kid we've got...David Lee Roth and put them in a band together." His son Michael replied, "But Dad, they're both singers."). Stevens was brought back into the fold to help record a debut album at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. The album, Exposed, was released on April 27, 1993. It debuted at #13 on the charts, although it soon began a downward spiral. It had notable quasi-successful singles with the songs "Sister of Pain", "Can't Have Your Cake", and the aforementioned "You're Invited But Your Friend Can't Come". The album was moderately successful, a glittering hunk of Mötley Crüe-styled rock landing right in the middle of 1993 alternative city. It sold somewhere between 200,000 and 400,000 copies. Afterward, the band, including Stevens, toured opening for Van Halen in 1993, and then embarked on a '93-'94 club tour. Upon completion of the tour, Stevens left the band.

Stevens recorded his second solo album, Flamenco A Go-Go, in his home studio entirely by himself. This effort stemmed from the inspiration he received after attending a concert by Flamenco virtuoso Paco de Lucía.

Stevens (along with Harold Faltermeyer) won a Grammy in 1987 for his performance on the Top Gun soundtrack and has worked with a host of other artists such as Michael Jackson, Michael Monroe, Thompson Twins, Joni Mitchell, Peter Criss, Steve Lukather, Ric Ocasek, Ben Watkins of Juno Reactor, Greg Bissonette, P!nk, Robert Palmer, Jizzy Pearl, Terry Bozzio and Tony Levin (releasing two albums under the name Bozzio Levin Stevens).

After an extended hiatus, Stevens and Idol reunited in 1999 for a series of tours across the USA and Australia. This era included a recording captured for the VH1 show Storytellers, which was subsequently released on CD and DVD. Stevens also appeared in the Billy Idol episode of VH1's Behind The Music.

Such was the success of this renewed collaboration, in 2005, along with producer Keith Forsey, the duo released Billy Idol's Devil's Playground album. This was the first album to feature the trio since 1986's Whiplash Smile. Also touring with Idol was keyboardist Derek Sherinian - Stevens played and co-wrote three songs on Sherinian's 2004 solo album "Mythology".

Stevens has an additional following in Japan tied to his appearances with Japanese rock singer Kyosuke Himuro, who is Stevens' junior by one year. Stevens was first involved with Himuro's big hit single "Native Stranger" in 1996, and appeared in this song's music video. Stevens participated in Himuro's album "I・DE・A" in 1997 as a guitarist, songwriter and arranger. After this the relationship of mutual trust between Stevens and Himuro deepened, and Himuro's music gradually became more like Western hard rock. Stevens has toured with Himuro, and many of his fans hope that Stevens will work again with Himuro.

[edit] Trivia

Steve Stevens was also briefly mentioned on the popular Japanese television show Iron Chef in episode IC1A25, "Sardine Battle." He was described as a guitarist from Los Angeles by the commentators when they were informed that they had a "special guest" in the audience.

Steve Stevens song Power Of Suggestion, track #2 on Atomic Playboys was used for the intro sequence during the rolling of cast and credits of 1994's Ace Ventura Pet Detective.

[edit] Albums

Solo

  • The Guitar World According To Steve Stevens (1986 cassette from the music magazine Guitar World)
  • Atomic Playboys (1989)
  • Akai Guitar Sample Collection (1994)
  • Flamenco A Go-Go (1999)

With Billy Idol

As Bozzio Levin Stevens

[edit] Singles

  • Harold Faltermeyer & Steve Stevens - Top Gun Anthem (1986)
  • Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana (1987)
  • Steve Stevens Atomic Playboys - atomic playboys (1989)
  • Billy Idol - speed (1994)
  • Juno Reactor - pistolero (1999)
  • Juno Reactor - hotaka (2002)
  • Billy Idol - scream (2005)

[edit] Other Recordings

  • Peter Criss- let me rock you (1982)
  • Ric Ocasek - this side of paradise (1986)
  • Thompson Twins - here's to future days (1987)
  • The System - don't disturb this groove (1987)
  • Joni Mitchell - chalk mark in a rain storm (1988)
  • Adam Bomb - new york times (aufgenommen 1989/90, released 2001)
  • Robert Palmer - don't explain (1990)
  • McQueen Street - mcqueen street (1991)
  • Jerusalem Slim - jerusalem slim (1992)
  • Vince Neil - exposed (1993)
  • Scooter - our happy hardcore / rough & tough & dangerous singles (1994)
  • Steve Lukather - lukather (1996)
  • Angelica - angelica (1997)
  • Vas - offerings (1998)
  • Nicky Gebhard & Gee Fresh - no cry, just music (1998)
  • Kyosuke Himuro - beat haze odyssey (1998)
  • The Outpatience - anxious disease (1999)
  • Gregg Bissonette - submarine (2000)
  • Andy - and my heart (2000)
  • Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood - conspiracy (2000)
  • Juno Reactor - shango (2000)
  • Simon Shaheen - blue flame (2001)
  • New Morty Show - mortyfied! (2001)
  • Faudel - samra (2001)
  • Jizzy Pearl - just a boy (2004)
  • "Mythology"
  • Queen V - queen v (2005)
  • guitar's practising musicians volume 2: Funkcaution (1991)
  • crossfire a tribute to Stevie Ray: Cold Shot(1996)
  • twang / a tribute to Hank and The Shadows: The Savage (1996)
  • sounds of wood and steel vol. 1: Sadhana (1998)
  • merry axemas vol. 2 / more guitars for Christmas: Do You Hear What I Hear (1998)
  • the christmas that almost wasn't: Evilard (The Song) + Evilard Reprise (2001)
  • stone cold queen / a tribute to queen: Stone Cold Crazy (2001)
  • world cup broadcast / fuji television soccer legends (Japan) (2006)

[edit] External links

Additional interviews

Guitar Lessons

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