Interviews

Interview with Yngwie
by phone, October 21, 2000

Anne: I thought I'd check in with you to see how you survived the recent publicity media blitz. Have you caught up on your sleep yet?

Yngwie: Not yet--I'm still walking around like I'm shell-shocked or something. On top of jetlag from flying to Tokyo for a few days, then to London for a few more, then to Stockholm, when I got to New York . . . those four days in NYC were totally insane! I was up by 8 a.m. every morning [loud laugh from Anne, who knows that Yngwie is the world's worst night-owl]--I know, I know, but it's true. They had every moment of my day scheduled with some kind of interview, chat, or photo session, from like 9 a.m. to past midnight. Mind you, I'm not complaining because I haven't had this kind of coverage in America in years, but it really blew me away. A year or so ago, AOL and Yahoo turned me down flat--they weren't the least bit interested, but now here I am talking to the dudes on the phone, doing back-to-back chats and interviews.

Anne: AOL proudly proclaimed that they had snagged your first-ever Internet chat session. What did you think of it?

Yngwie: Well, as you know, it was conducted by phone and I didn't see what was on the actual computer screen. So it seemed really slow to me… the guy on the phone would ask me a question, and I'd have to speak really slowly so he could type my answers. I tend to give somewhat wordy responses to questions (laughs), so I'm afraid some of the answers people saw on the screen were highly condensed versions of what I really said.

Anne: Did it bother you that some of the questions were so basic and that must have been asked a million times before during your career?

Yngwie: Yes and no. I don't mind repeating some of my history for new fans who maybe have just discovered my music and weren't part of the whole neo-classical shred scene in the '80s. But I must tell you, I thought I would lose my mind when I had to explain to every interviewer that 'Rising Force' is not a new band. I have a solo career, with hand-picked musicians who support me in each new endeavor, and as such they perform with me under the aegis of "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force." But Rising Force is not a band unto itself, like say, Aerosmith or Metallica. Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani--these guys all have solo careers with various musicians playing on each album, and the same is true for me.

Anne: Are you surprised by the volume of interest Spitfire has been able to generate for you in America in such a short amount of time?

Yngwie: Absolutely. The USA is responding so beautifully--it's like a dream come true. I really feel like I'm waking up from some long, dark trance or something . . . almost like I've been in suspended animation and am suddenly being revived in a new decade. I'm really thrilled how the buzz on the new album has started to take off. In a bizarre way, it has kind of helped that I've been invisible here in the States until now, because suddenly everyone wants to talk to me and find out what I'm all about. Here's an example of what I mean: I sat in the studios of New York's two biggest rock stations and did some listener call-in shows. They played cuts like "Prophet of Doom," "Bad Reputation," "Masquerade" and the album's title song. And we'd get callers who were blown away by the sound of those songs, saying things like "Duuuuude, you really kick Major Ass" and "Man, you are unbelievable! You ROCK!" As you know, it's been a long time since I got that kind of reaction from radio airplay in the U.S. I've enjoyed really good radio exposure in Japan for a number of years, but I wished it could happen elsewhere as well--and now it is.

Anne: I've been told that the promotional "listening parties" held in Tokyo and Stockholm went really well.

Yngwie: Yes, they did. The event in Tokyo was a much more structured situation, where we had a specific agenda. Five specifically selected songs were played for the audience, and then I joined them and gave a live guitar demonstration, followed by a question and answer session. This was the first public airing of the songs before a live audience, and the reaction was great. In Stockholm, it was much more casual. The Hard Rock Café there started playing all my old albums early in the night, and then when I got there they played the entire new album continually. It was a really relaxed atmosphere, just like hanging out there with a bunch of buddies. My old friend Jon Norum stopped by, too. The crowd there was actually pretty surprised when I showed up--I think they had expected that my appearance was just a rumor. Reaction to the new music was great there too, but nothing like the scene when I got to New York. I was totally unprepared for that!

Anne: I know you haven't been following anything on the Internet, but there have been so many late-breaking announcements about the new album (cover art, sound clips, tour updates, etc.) that trying to keep on top of it all is making us all crazy! The Spitfire marking team has been really aggressive.

Yngwie: Yeah, Paul Bibeau [Spitfire Records President] says he's really happy to have me on the label, and I had a great time hanging out with him in NY. The publicity guys ran me ragged, but it was all definitely worth it.

Anne: Right, and a lot of it is happening across the Internet, especially now that radio stations are happening online, like KNAC and Hard Radio, where your songs can regular exposure. And as you might expect, clips of all the songs are now making their way onto various sites.

Yngwie: I guess it's a good thing. I have mixed feelings about the Internet. Most of what I see out there is so negative, especially in these places where everybody can become an instant expert and critic, and there's no way to stop ridiculous rumors from becoming fact in uninformed readers' minds. I know that sites like yours and those of legitimate fans do a lot of good, but there's such a tidal wave of bad stuff out there, I don't even want to see it. It just makes me so angry and frustrated that both your public and private life can be so… violated by people who don't even know you or care what you feel. It's not right, but I guess there's nothing that can be done to stop it. On the positive side, I do appreciate all the people who like my music and want to use the Internet to introduce new people to it. One thing I did discover in these chats is that there is a whole new wave of young fans, in their early teens and 20s, who can't believe what they're hearing and are truly hungry for more. I love my core fan base that's been with me for years, but to interact with these new fans who are just discovering what you can do on the guitar besides strum a few chords is quite gratifying.

Anne: So, now you're home, trying to relax and get ready to go out on tour in a few weeks. Are you looking forward to it?

Yngwie: To be honest, I can't wait to get out there. It doesn't matter to me what order I play in or how long my set it--I just plan to go onstage and knock the audience flat--period. This new music is so strong, it's going to make a lasting impression on anybody who hears it live.

Anne: For many fans, the pairing of you and Ronnie James Dio on the same tour is a dream come true. Any chance you might play a song or two onstage with him?

Yngwie: It's possible… but I'd have to talk to him about it, of course. We've done that before, and it could happen again. It would be fun. So…. I hope all the fans out there will come to the shows. I plan to have a blast, and I hope everybody else there will too!