YNGWIE MALMSTEEN … THE FIRST SWEDISH INTERVIEW (OKEJ MAGAZINE #22, 1983) TRANSLATED

According to the magazine this is the first interview with Yngwie in a Swedish magazine. Also, note the spelling of his name!

OKEJ was more or less the only music magazine in Sweden during the 1980’s and almost 90% of Swedish youth read it and then talked about in school. Are you interested in the OKEJ magazine phenomena, read more here!

YNGVE MALMSTEN

- A New Swedish Guitar Hero

In 1963, the famous prison on the rocky island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay was closed. That same year, Yngve Malmsten was born. He would become the guitarist for the band Alcatraz 20 years later. The guy is unique. He is Sweden's first, international guitar hero.

Unless you are extremely familiar with FVASHM (First Wave of Swedish Heavy Metal) or the latest news in the hard rock world, it is highly likely that you have never heard of Yngve Malmsten.

But if by next autumn you still are ignorant of the name, at least in heavy metal circles you will be as looked down upon as someone who does not know who Deep Purple is today.

Avoid it by reading this first article about the future superstar, Mr. Yngve Malmsten. I will come back with more when you start sending letters here requesting "more Yngve!" I know you will soon.

The phone rang at the Malmsten family home. Yngve answered.

- Come to the US. I want you to do a solo LP ... came out of the phone.

The man who said the almost incomprehensible words was Mike Varney, record producer, record label owner and contributor to Guitar Player magazine. Yngve had sent a demo tape there shortly before. Yngve accepted unconditionally. In February of this year, he got on the plane to Los Angeles. He took the opportunity to change his name to "Yngwie Malmsteen". This was so that the Yankees would at least have a chance of being able to pronounce his name.

But once there, there was no solo LP. Yngve tells what happened: Steeler, an American band that was on Mike's record label, had lost their guitarist and wanted me as a replacement. So I chose them instead of a solo LP. The advantages were several. With Steeler I would soon be playing lots of gigs and they had an apartment that I could use.

DISPUTE

The month after, Yngve found himself in the studio with Steeler to record an LP. The atmosphere was not always the most pleasant.

I didn't like the singer, explains Yngve. He wanted to make us some kind of AC/DC copies. I had a lot of good material written myself. Songs that everyone liked except the singer. We had a dispute about it and I lost.

But Yngve wouldn't have to put up with Ron Keel, as the singer is called, for very long. Because the rumor about the "Swede with the unpronounceable name" spread like wildfire. A fire that soon gained momentum

singers Phil Mogg (ex UFO) and Graham Bonnet (ex Rainbow and MSG). They were both in the process of forming new bands and both thought Malmsten was the right man.

Phil Mogg was the first to come forward. The two decided to meet at Mogg's house to talk about the future.

The next day, Graham Bonnet's manager called. As a long-time Rainbow fanatic, Yngve couldn't say no and soon found himself in a pleasant but nerve-wracking position. He was to audition for both men on the same day.

Yngve started with Alcatraz, as Bonnet's new band was called.

They were very impressed and offered me the job straight away. I replied that they should calm down for a while. In the back of my mind was the offer from Phil Mogg.

Hours later, Yngve was at Mogg's house. The street was calm there. The UFO veteran was in a great mood and had loaded up on hamburgers and beer.

I soon understood who was going to get me. Phil is as nice as can be, but a little too laid-back and relaxed for me. I'm more of a workaholic. When I wanted to get to work, Phil said in his cocky way: "Quick, have another beer first."

Yngve returned to Alcatraz, which welcomed him with open arms.

BACH IS GOD

It has now been six months since he became a member of this criminal gang. The first LP, "Alcatraz", is ready and will be released in the US as this article is printed. It will not arrive in Sweden until January, says Yngve. The tour will begin in the same month. Japan will be the first country to see the group in action. Then the US and Europe will follow. Sweden? Surely sometime in 1984, our compatriot thinks.

There is a lot said that Yngve does not like. That it should sound like Rainbow and MSG on their LP, for example.

- I have a hard time explaining our music, but it does not resemble MSG or Rainbow. It is older hard rock, slightly commercial and with elements of classical music.

It is Yngve's frequent listening to Bach that adds the classical features.

Bach is god to me. He is the only one whose music gives me something. It has been a long time since I listened to other guitarists.

Another thing that annoys the new guitar hero is that many people compare him, with... other guitarists.

However, the fact that Yngve has been greatly inspired by Ritchie Blackmore is something he doesn't come up with. That's certainly where Yngve's interest in Bach comes from. Ritchie is, as we know, a big admirer of his music.

Uli Roth is otherwise the man Yngve resembles a bit in terms of sound.

NO ESCAPE??

I myself came to think of Gary Moore when I listened to the Steeler LP. Everyone else I've played the record for has said the same thing. Yngve's fast guitar playing leans towards Gary Moore. I pointed that out to him. He almost sounded offended.

Gary Moore!! Do you think it sounds like Gary Moore?

It's impossible. All I've heard is an LP with him (Boy, you don't know what you've missed - Ed). People force themselves to hear influences in me. They think I'm so young that I must have stolen everything. But that's my own style. If I ever remind you of someone else, it's completely unconscious. 

No one ever managed to escape from prison on Alcatraz. But the question is whether Yngve will eventually escape from his Alcatraz. I don't think the Bonnet/Malmsten collaboration will last much longer. 

Bonnet is widely famous for his strange whims and it has been proven more than once that two such strong wills cannot get along in the long run. But if the LP is good, I hope I'm wrong 

JÖRGEN HOLMSTEDT