“In the past, what I do would not have been considered production – it would have been considered noise”: When a young Skrillex explained how he made his early dubstep bangers
“I got word that Chester was gone, and it just hit me so hard. I never listen to that song the same anymore”: Stone Temple Pilots bassist Rob DeLeo has experienced the death of his lead singer twice – and somehow found a way to keep playing
“Right when I started with the Ramones is when I bought a guitar. The first song I learned to play was a Ramones song”: How the Ramones took New York punk round the world
“Somebody threw a live chicken on stage, and I threw it back, thinking it would fly. It didn’t, and the audience tore it pieces!”: Alice Cooper’s crazy early years – and the hit song that Gene Simmons described as “a sucker punch in the kidneys”
My pick of the best guitar gear launched this week: a meet and greet with Billy Gibbons, the modeler we’ve all been waiting for, and a Butterscotch Blonde wristwatch
“I have them because they sound so bad – if it sounds good on them, then it’ll sound good anywhere”: Erol Alkan on the gear that he trusts above all else
“I spoke to him the night before he passed. He said to me, ‘I really feel tired and really worn out’”: Tony Iommi on dealing with his grief for Ozzy, and his new solo album
“At The Troubadour, she broke the seal on this brand new tune. And I was sure I knew the song already because it was such a classic immediately”: The iconic Carole King song that she believed was heaven-sent – and how James Taylor took it to No 1
“I was like, ‘I think just no drums.’ And they’re like, ‘What if it’s electric guitar and dubstep? We’re not putting a piano in this’”: How Max Martin and Shellback casually informed Taylor Swift that they were going to turn her ballad into a banger
“I was with Eric Clapton and said, ‘Why don’t you come to the studio and play on this song?’ He said, ‘Oh, no – I can’t do that. Nobody’s ever played on a Beatles’ record”: The music theory behind The Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps
“This is before tape. We’d record our harmonies and then put another layer on top. We were very young, but learning to produce”: Art Garfunkel remembers how he and Paul Simon started their recording career
“We understand not everyone will agree on every decision made regarding Prince music”: Prince’s estate clarifies that a newly-released song does feature overdubs, as fans complain of a lack of transparency
“We did a rehearsal recently, and Zak was the drummer”: Roger Daltrey says that The Who could readmit Zak Starkey for gigs next year
Tony Iommi reveals his final phone call with Ozzy Osbourne: “The night before he passed, he said to me, ‘I feel tired and really worn out’”
“I hate it. I just about get away with it every time”: Noel Gallagher was forced into becoming Oasis’ lead guitar player – and he didn’t want the role
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram hails new signing as the future of blues: “He represents where the blues can go next”
“Anything that sounds remotely like a Tele is that Esquire. It’s my impression of Keith Richards”: Steve Lukather played his 1951 Esquire on sessions with Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton. And it tells us a lot about the evolution of the Fender Telecaster
“I’ll do a lot of things Eddie does, and it kills me. I wish I could take time and come up with something that nobody has done before”: Randy Rhoads on the struggle to become his own player and avoid the Eddie Van Halen comparisons
