Yngwie Malmsteen’s journey to becoming a master neoclassical shredder began when his sister gave him a copy of Deep Purple’s Fireball for his eighth birthday.
“When I heard that, my path was clear,” Malmsteen said in a 2008 interview with Guitar World.
“What I loved about Blackmore’s playing were his syncopated pentatonic lines. I bought [Deep Purple’s] Made in Japan when it first came out, and a year later I knew all of those solos inside out. I would play them all day long.”
Latest Videos FromGuitar World
Malmsteen also primarily plays through Marshall stacks because of Blackmore (and, of course, Jimi Hendrix). Both guitarists wield white Stratocasters, too.
Fast-forward to 2018, and his guitar hero had plenty of praise for the Swedish virtuoso and his playing.
“I know him, and he’s a very nice guy,” Blackmore told Guitar World. “Excellent guitar player. A lot of people have kind of questioned his angle, but he obviously knows his stuff.
“He might be a bit too tall, but that’s my only criticism,” he quipped.
Blackmore even went as far as to say Malmsteen was “like a family member”, sharing his admiration for the Swedish maestro’s technical knowhow.
“I definitely think he’s probably the best at what he does and – for what it’s worth – the fastest. And he doesn’t play the typical blues, minor kind of interpretations. He knows his scales. It’s more interesting.”
Despite heavy fan speculation – and several Deep Purple covers featuring in Malmsteen’s live shows over the years – the two have never officially collaborated.
However, with Ritchie Blackmore returning to the stage for a surprise appearance with Deep Purple last week, and a new Malmsteen album in the pipeline, we still hold out hope for a Blackmore-Malmsteen collaboration one day.
