Classic Rock
Steve Stevens reveals how he created Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” intro
In an interview with Music Radar, Billy Idol’s classic guitarist Steve Stevens revealed how he created “Rebel Yell” intro.
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He said:
“Whenever people ask me how I came up with the intro to ‘Rebel Yell,’ I always have to say it came from those Leo Kottke things that had independent bass and treble lines going.
“I couldn’t really play a lot of that stuff, but I started trying on an acoustic guitar. This was at the end of the folk thing that was happening, with James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills & Nash… then Leo came up with this incredible technique rooted in Americana and folk.
“He was like the speed-metal guy of the acoustic 12-string!”
Watch Leo Kottke below:
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