Don Airey: 24 10 09
Don Airey, currently with Deep Purple, took over Rock Radio on October 17. Here are the tracks he played and what he had to say about some of them.
Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze
I first heard it when it came out at a party in Oxford. They had one of those Dansette players that would just keep playing. It went on at nine and stayed on till half past five as everyone got more out of it and more into it. One of the greatest records ever made.
Beatles: She’s So Heavy
Cream: NSU
Nice: America
Deep Purple: Rat Bat Blue
Ian Paice told me when they were doing the writing sessions for this, all they wrote was a song called My Botty’s Got a Hole In It, which didn’t make it onto the album. Jon Lord says this is the silliest keyboard part he ever played – but I think it’s inspired.
Mahavishnu Orchestra: Birds Afire
I only saw them once and it was an overwhelming experience. It’s the most amazing thing.
Mountain: Never in My Life
I met Leslie West last year when Mountain toured with Purple. I don’t think he’ll ever play as well as he did on that track. I was turned onto Mountain by Randy Rhodes.
Ramjam Band: Black Betty
Rainbow: All Night Long
We recorded that in the Chataeu in France and everyone got up to all kinds of fun and games. Cozy Powell hid in my room one night disguised as a monk and I really thought I’d seen a ghost. I think All Night Long has such a great feel to it.
Whitesnake: Still of the Night
I flew out to Vancouver to join Whitesnake and David wasn’t able to sing. They said there was a two-minute gap in the song and could I fill it, so me and John Sykes came up with the cello line and it developed into quite something. David put the vocal track on in one take about two years later. I’m very proud to be part of it.
Alice in Chains: Rooster
This blew me away and renewed my faith in the metal genre – it’s one of the moodiest, most haunting, desperate pieces of music I’ve ever heard.
Pantera: Walk
I went to see them and there were signs on the wall saying ‘No surfing, no diving’ and I didn’t really know what that meant. I soon found out – and right in the middle was this incredible band.
EMF: Unbelievable
Jeff Beck: Rice Pudding
Ozzy Osbourne: Mr Crowley
They asked me to put an intro on it and I was really inspired by what Randy had done on the solo.
Yes: Close to the Edge
Unbelievable keyboard from Rick Wakemen – he just doesn’t stop being creative. Jon Lord and I agree Rick’s the best player of all of us. He really proves it on that track.
Joe Bonamassa: The Ballad of John Henry
Fleetwood Mac: Oh Well
Derek and the Dominoes: Layla
The Move: Brontosaurus
Focus: Sylvia
It’s beautiful and so cleverly arranged it makes you gasp. And what’s really nice is the keyboard is as loud as the guitar.
Beatles: All I Want is You
Lennon once said he wasn’t happy with anything the Beatles did except the first album, which they did in 12 hours. I think they really did get back with this album to something that’s kept going for 30 years.
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