During the In the Flesh 1999 tour, while staying in a hotel in Chicago to see the show, I chanced upon Snowy White, who I found was also staying at the hotel, and asked if after the tour he would be willing to grant the REG fanclub an interview. Snowy, I found was a very humble, aproachable and freindly guy, who readily agreed, asking me to contact his manager to set everything up. So after the 2000 tour had finished I arranged to call Snowy in England and speak with him at length regarding his life and his career, past, present and future.
So here in yet another REG EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, REG presents for the enjoyment of our fanclub members: An interview with Snowy White.
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And then I heard an interview with Eric Clapton, or I read one, and he sited his influences as people like with B B King and Ottis Rush. So, I had never heard of these people so I started digging around, and the whole thing opened up for me. And that's when I got into it. So, I guess it was John Mayall with Eric Clapton who really got me hooked on that.
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Then Peter took over from Eric and he was different. He was more thoughtful and soulful and sparse and sparing and had different talent and that really hooked me as well. And Eric had gone off to join Cream and he was getting into real fast and loud stuff and I was more into Peter Green's playing so I guess Peter became my main hero and influence from then on.
But Mick joined John Mayall after Peter, but I never... I was already off on another tack by then, so Mick never really influenced me.
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And then over a period of time we sort of became pretty close. We became so close in fact that uhm Peter used to come around and stay at my place quite alot and sleep on the couch. And Peters girlfriend was around there, because he was still staying with his Mum and Dad.
He had just left Fleetwood Mac then. I think... this was around 1970... something like that. And he used to bring all his things around, his guitar and his amp and his record collection and all his bits and pieces and I looked after them for months.
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I mean at that point, he offered to sell me his Les Paul for 100 quid. I said, "no, keep it, keep it." You know, "I'll hold onto it for you, you'll want to play it again one day." But he was determined to give it all away. So he actually sold it to Gary Moore in the end for 150 I think. But, he sort of gave everything away, and decided he wasn't going to play again. And this went on for years and I used to go and see him sometimes. You know, he'd be mowing a lawn in a cemetery in Putney or he'd be working in a hospital as an orderly, you know a fetcher and carrier. And he was in a sort of rehabilitation center. I went and visited him there. And there were all these things going through his head.
And then out of the blue he rang me up and said, "I'm going to do an album. My brother's working for this record company, and I'm going to help him out and do an album. And can I use your band?" I had a little three piece band I was doing some pub gigs with. And so we went out and played some gigs with him. So he sort of got back into it slowly, but very slowly.
I think it was about 8 years ago, that he started seriously getting back into playing again. And that was because of his friend Nigel, Nigel Watson. Peter lived in a house with Nigel's sister, and Nigel was very sort of patient with him. And he would leave his guitars laying about and Peter would pick them up and strum a bit, and eventually he came out of himself quite a bit. And he seems pretty together now. I've seen a lot of him quite recently. He's pretty together and quite happy with life. And he's doing quite a lot of playing still which is great.
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And he was about to do a European tour. And about 3 days before we were due to leave, I got a call from Al Stewart, from America. And he was in the middle of a tour and he needed a lead guitar player and would I come over within two days, and go to America and tour some of America with Al Stewart? So there was no contest really. For I hadn't been to America. This was 1974, '73. So that's why I left Cockney Rebel.
He wasn't happy, Steve wasn't happy.
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And that was it really. That was my audition. They took a bit of a chance really. I mean... Well, there you go, I think they had my name sort of mentioned by a couple of sort of independent people that they thought would know... I think I was recommended as a ... here we go again, as a sort of Ônormal guy'... who could handle that sort of thing and just you know, do the job.
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EG has Exclusively interviewed quite a few celebrities related to Roger Waters/Pink Floyd over our almost 20 years of operation. Ron Geesin, John "Rabbit" Brundick, Mark Fisher, Snowy White, Storm Thorgerson, Gerald Scarfe... to name but a few. But though REG did a brief written interview with Snowy White years ago, with British REG Correspondant Alastair McLean, published in REG issue #15, I'm very grateful that he has granted our fanclub this more direct and in depth interview.
Having met you on several occasions during the In The Flesh tour, I found you to be one of the most open and friendly rock stars I have ever met. Completely ego-less and down to earth, you seem to treat everyone as an equal. Is that a characteristic you have had to develop over many years as a musician or have you always been so approachable, sincere and just an all around nice guy?
Um I've never gotten into being... some sort of star for want of a better word... cause I've never been one really... so it's pretty easy not to get into that sort of... You see the reason I got into music was because I liked playing, not because I wanted to be some sort of star or rock star, or you know, a big name. I mean in a way, it's nice to have some sort of success like that but it's not been why I do it. So I've never felt the need to be anything other than I am, which is just an ordinary guy... really.
You certainly do have an approachability like that of an ordinary guy, and that is rather refreshing.
Well it might be refreshing, but it might be boring to some people (laughs). Some people are disappointed when they realize it... I'm just like... ordinary people.
Well no, I find that people can be very intimidated by rock stars especially if they come off with this ego, and to find that rock stars or famous musicians like yourself will treat a fan like an equal human being is refreshing. It's not the typical rock star persona or attitude.
Well people tell me this, but you see... what I really think deep down inside... you know... all this being a star and that sort of side of it, is actually all a load of crap!
(Laughter)
And... so most of it... is really very pathetic. And so when people start believing their image and their press releases and start thinking they're like that... it becomes quite pathetic really. It's really not something I think about much.
I actually found most of the In the Flesh Band members to be very kind, humble and down to earth. Is that your experience as well? Not alot of ego conflicts?
I wouldn't be in the band if they weren't. Roger... we've had a few people in the past... a long time before with them they'd become a little bit wrapped up in themselves. And the next time you work with Roger, they're not there anymore you know. He only works with people that know how to behave and don't let these things go to their heads really.
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Your real name is Terrance Charles White. though I can guess it's because of your blond hair, how did you get the name Snowy, and why did you continue to use it instead of say Terry or something?
Well I don't know where the name Snowy came from. I just remember it's just sort of been there since I was about 5 or 6 year old. And it was a nic-name I'd picked up. And I've just always been called that. So it never occurred to me to change it really. Or to even think about changing it. So, it's not sort of a stage name or anything like that. Not some sort of deliberate thing. I mean, if I wanted a stage name, it would probably be something much better than Snowy. It's simply a name I've had since I was 6.
So Snowy IS really your name... a name you've had ever since you were a child...
Yeah... everyone has always called me snowy... except for my Mum, she doesn't.
At what age did you begin playing guitar?
Well, my parents bought me a guitar when I was about 10. They had paid for piano lessons for me and it just wasn't working out at all . And in fact.. I just remembered this... they got me a Ukulele, you know, one of those 4 string Ukulele things?
Yeah, the instrument, the Hawaiian...
Well... the ukulele... remember George Formby? Well you probably don't know him. He played it in music halls, it was a 4 sting thing, and I got on quite well with it. And then they bought me one... I think it was one for my birthday... and it was a big fat old acoustic guitar... when I was about 10. And I didn't realize it then, but it was practically unplayable. You know the strings were high off the fretboard, the neck was bent. But I got a few chords off that. And when I was 16 I left school and went off to work and saved some up and got myself my first electric.
And how old was that, when you got your first electric guitar?
I was 17. And I remember it was called a Hafner Futurama II. It was like... ice blue. I thought it was great, but it sounded like crap. I didn't realize it then. I couldn't understand why it didn't sound like... The Shadows' or something....
I understand you were in your first band called The Outer Fringe at the age of 15. What kind of music did you play.
Uhmm... we did covers. I think I actually borrowed a guitar to play in that band as a matter of fact. We did covers.. we did Beatles stuff and uhmm... Kinks... you know they were all really happening in those days. And even then, I remember sort of having a difference of opinion with the other guitar player in the band, he was the singer... He wanted to make sure when we did covers that they sounded exactly like the original. And I was already sort of thinking "well why do we have to do it the same, you know, we could do it differently. So it didn't last for a particularly long time I don't think.
You wanted to be more creative.
Well, I didn't realize it then, put possibly that was what was happening.
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What band first influenced you and got you interested in the Blues.
Well, that's quite interesting. Because my father had a Grundig tape recorder, it had the inch and a half reels on it and it went very slowly so it was an awful sound. But I happened to be messing about with it and I had the radio on, and who should come on but John Mayall. This was about 1964, John Mayall's band... Eric Clapton on guitar, this bloke named Eric Clapton. And ah.. I happened to have the tape recorder on and I recorded it all. And I thought wow... this is amazing. Because I recorded it, I could listen to it over and over again. And that's what made me think that I'd like to play guitar like this.
And of course as everyone knows, from John Mayall's Blues Breakers came three of today's greatest blues and rock guitarist, British or otherwise; Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, and Peter Green. Were you influenced by all three of these guitar greats?
Well, like I say, Eric really got me hooked on it. When he was young like that he was really hot, he was fantastic.
Among the great musicians you have played with are Joan Armatrading, Peter Green and Gary Moore. In fact you became good friends with Peter and Gary. Could you tell us how that came about?
Yeah, I decided to go to London and try to stay there and get into the music scene. I met this guy who was a drummer, who knew Peter and had his phone number. So I got Peter's phone number off him and Peter was still staying with his Mum and Dad. And I just went into a call box and rang him up. And I said I've just arrived in London and I'm looking for somebody to Jam with. Can I come to your place and have a chat? And he said, "yes," which was a big surprise. He said, "yeah, come down tomorrow, come down, and I'll be around and bring your guitar." So I went down there and we had a little jam. And I don't think we even had any amplifiers on. I mean it was two guitars, two Les Paul's, we didn't have anything plugged in. And he invited me back again. And we sort of hung about a bit.
And Gary Moore...?
I don't really know Gary that well. Before I was in a band in London, I was a roadie for a few bands. Cause I thought, well if I can't play blues, I don't want to play anything. I just want to do some blues. And in the mean time I'll help out with some roadie-ing. And I worked with a band called Ossibissa. And they used to do a circuit, which also Gary used to do with his band, called ÔSkid Row,' then. And we used to meet up quite a lot. So I got to know Gary that way. I mean I still see Gary. I saw Gary a few months ago. But I'm not really close with him. I'm sort of close with Peter, but I'm not close with Gary.
I'd forgotten about that band Ossabissa myself. That brings back memories.
You knew them did you?
Well, I knew of them. They toured around the San Francisco Filmore, Winterland and Haight Ashbury scene during that period of time.
...heavy... heavy pot smokers...! I've never smoked... I've never taken any drugs, but just walking into their dressing room was enough for me...
(Laughter)
...walking in there you know.. it's time to go on now, Lads... and walking out a different person.
(Laughter) uhh yeah... I remember those days well! Did you ever play with John Mayall?
No, I don't think I've even met John Mayall.
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Did you ever play with Mick Taylor or the Stones?
Yeah, I've played with Mick alot. I know Mick quite well. In fact... he lived in America for a long time, and then he... it was about 10 years ago now, and he came back to England, and a friend of mine said, "Mick Taylor's coming over and I'm going to try to help him out and get him some gigs and put a little band together, would you come up and play a little guitar and help out?? And so I did. And I've played quite a few gigs with Mick, on and off.
You've played with Jeff Beck in the Amused to Death video, have you also with Eric Clapton?
I've never played with Jeff Beck at all really. I've sort of met him few times. And we did this video. But I've never really played with him in a band or anything with Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton. I've not even officially met Eric Clapton. We've been in the same room or the same studio at times but we've not really ever sort of met.
I would have thought you would have met him, since he was your idol from early....
Well, I'm not the sort of guy to go out and just sort of say to people, "I want to meet you cause you're my idol." That's not my... that's not the way I do things. I mean this is the reason for it, I wouldn't do it.
Did you ever play with Fleetwood Mac, or Coliseum II?
No I never did. I played with Peter a lot but that was after he'd left Fleetwood Mac. What I call the proper Blues Fleetwood Mac in the old days. I used to see them alot, but I never did play with them.
Peter Green was one of the greatest British blues guitarists to evolve out of the 60's. There has been all kinds of rumor and gossip surrounding Peter Green's disappearance from music, including the type of Syd Barrett syndrome. What is the real story behind why Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac and why he stopped playing music?
Well it was soon after I'd met him... well, I hope this is only coincidence... Well, before I met him, he'd actually started to get a bit distanced from the music business. And he wanted to give all his money away... and he told me once that it all started to happen after he'd taken some drugs in Munich. And I think it sort of... Peter's a bit of a genius, and I think it tipped him over the edge into a bit of madness and he started hearing voices and he became quite ill. And he just decided that he wasn't going to play again.
Yes, as a matter of fact he was recently on tour and played in San Francisco.
That's right he did come over there. He holds back a lot. He doesn't do a lot. But it's lovely to see him play anyway. I mean I was actually.... He did a club gig in London, last year I think it was, and I went with him to the sound check. It was fun... and... Gary, Gary Moore was there as well.... And he didn't stumble and he played fantastically well. But when he did the same song with the audience in, he just held back. You know he's sort of teasing people all the time. But he can do more than he does. But I think he's quite happy to do what he does, and you know just enjoy himself, really.
Well that's good.
That is good, actually.
Your first real glimpse of stardom was with a band called Cockney Rebel.
(Laughs) yeah.
Why did you leave the band.
Cockney Rebel? When I joined, it was sort of right when they had had a number one single, in England, and I joined them as a rhythm guitar player. And I was looking forward to it. And then Steve Harley, who was the singer, came up with this idea that we all had to wear these funny... stage outfits. Which to me made us look like waiters. And I wasn't very comfortable with that. So, we did this tour in England, which was like... madness because it was... 15 year old screaming girls. And I would be standing in front of my Marshall stack, and I couldn't hear it, cause of the audience screaming... And it wasn't my cup of tea.
I'll bet. Did Cockney Rebel still end up going on tour?
Oh yeah, I mean they didn't need me that much. I was just a rhythm guitar player. It was just so Steve didn't have to play guitar so much. So, you know, it wasn't like I was a really important part of that. He just couldn't do so much posing, without me, that was all.
And with Al Stewart? What album was it that you toured, was it "Year of the Cat"?
It was before that. The reason his manager called me, was that he'd seen me play with a band at the Marquee club, sometime before that, and Al's guitar player, which was Tim Renwick, couldn't do the rest of the tour, the second half of the tour, and so this guy remembered me and called me up and it was... At sound checks, he was sort of writing some of Year of the Cat, and in fact we did jam on The Year of the Cat track itself at soundtracks, and I was working it out so it was just before that.
Wow, that's interesting. A bit of historical trivia. So Tim Renwick was Al's guitarist at the time?
That's right.
That's a small world as you both have played with Pink Floyd. You in the '70s and '80s. He's been playing with Pink Floyd more recently.
Yeah, well, he's a friend of David Gilmour so... I've known him a long time. He's a nice guitar player actually.
And Speaking of Pink Floyd, when did you become a Pink Floyd fan, if ever?
Uh, I didn't really. I didn't know much about the Pink Floyd, until their manager called me up and said they were looking for a guitar player, and they had heard my name mentioned. And I didn't know much about them at all, because I was into Peter Green and Hendrix , and you know, Santana and that, so this Pink Floyd stuff was a bit... in a different area and I never really got into it.
How did it come about that you played on the original track of "Pigs On The Wing" for the Pink Floyd "Animals" album?
Well, that was just simply... it happened to be the day that I went into the studio to meet the band... to see if they liked... to look at me I guess... for this job, their first augmenting guitar player. And Roger had just said to the band, "I've got this new song, I'm going to do it like an acoustic guitar and stuff, but I want to do it quickly." Cause I think they were mixing the album and they wanted to put this little track on which he had come up with. So, he sort of turned to me and said, "Well as long as you're here, you might as well play on this one." So I just picked up one of Dave's guitars, and stood a little bit in the middle of it.
And though the original song in it's entirety was never released and split in half, leaving out your guitar solo, it was released on the original 8 track tape. Why did you decide to release that song on your 1996 retrospective greatest hits album, "Gold Top"?
Well, because it was retrospective, I was trying to find examples of my work from each sort of year... various sort of facets that I have done. And the Pink Floyd obviously was quite an important part. And there was nothing really recorded of me with Pink Floyd and this was the only thing I could think of. And so, I actually phoned up Roger and said, "Do you mind if I use this track." And they never do that sort of thing really. You never see a Pink Floyd track on another album. And he said, "Yeah, well, if you can find the tape." So I rung up Dave Gilmour as well, and I said, "Do you mind if I ah..." and he said, "No, if you can find the tape? You can go and you can remix it if you like" And so I did. I found the tape, their sound engineer, their recording engineer went into their warehouse and found it...
James Guthrie?
No... it was... I can't remember his name... he did all their stuff at the time... it wasn't James. But uhm, he found it, and we went to a little studio and we messed around with it and I totally remixed it, and put my guitar back in! And I put Rick's organ back in as well. Actually, I think that was on the original, I can't remember.
It is a great song, especially when it is all together.
Yeah, I mean it was really nice of the boys to let me use it. It was no problem at all.
So that recording session with Pink Floyd, was sort of an audition to play with them on the "Animals" tour?
Ah, no, they really never auditioned me. Because, that was another strange thing. I went into the office with Dave while I was there, and he sort of... cause I had never met them.. you know, they were just guys... and he said, "...we'd like you to play a bit of bass, and the 12 sting, and a bit of harmony lead, and take a couple of solo's and might want you do a bit of backing vocal, and we've got this tour coming up, do you want to do the job?" And I said Yeah! Yeah, I'd like to do it, but of course maybe we had better get together and play a bit. And he sort of looked at me quite puzzled and he said, "Well you wouldn't be here if you couldn't play, would you?" And I said, "well no," and he said, "well that's all right then."
Did you tour with Pink Floyd throughout the "Animals" tour?
Yeah, yeah, from then on really, throughout the whole Animals and The Wall tour, I was their augmenting guitar player.
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Now, the "Animals" tour, was it as physically and/or psychologically grueling as Roger Waters suggests it was for him? Did you witness that famous fan spitting incident, and if so what was your take on the whole thing?
Snowy:
A... I did witness that, yeah. It was a funny gig. It was the last gig of the tour and it was a really weird vibe. And uhm, as far as the psychological grueling stuff, I mean... one of the attributes that somebody needs to do a job like that is to know when to keep out of things. And I used to just do my job. And for the rest of it, I could see that there was a lot of ah... there were some things going on, I wasn't really... to be quite honest, I wasn't interested in what was going on, because I figure that's up to them and that's their thing, and I'm the augmenting guitar player and I do the best job I can. But I don't get involved in all the band meetings and all the hassles... and all that. And so I kept it out of my head. But it was interesting to look across the stage and see Roger spitting at this guy at the front. Ah... yeah.... I had thought that maybe this guy had spat at him first, you see, so I really didn't see any more incident than that. But it was a very strange gig. Not very good vibes for the whole gig. God knows why.
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Was this guy at Roger's level, stage height, or trying to come up on the stage, or...
Snowy:
I don't know, I don't know, you see, because I was busy trying to play the right chord, I was looking at my guitar as well. I just looked up and happened to see this going on, and then I sort of looked away again. I don't really know what happened... what went on there.
REG:
How did it happen that you again toured with Pink Floyd for "The Wall" concerts in 1980 and 1981?
Snowy:
Well, um, Roger called me up... I think his manager called me up... and he just said we're putting this thing together... and sort of a band, be the basic band for the whole show, and would I be interested? And so of course, I was, it sounded interesting.
REG:
And what exactly was your role in "The Wall" shows? Was it strictly a back up musician playing Gilmour's studio over dubs from the side lines, or did you play the role of a member of the surrogate band?
Snowy:
Well we um... at that particular point I had stopped being the only augmenting guitar player. We had the whole band you know the whole bit, the rest of the bass player, and the keyboard player and the drummer and everything. So we had a whole surrogate band. So I was part of that. So we would play a couple of songs as the Pink Floyd. And then the Pink Floyd themselves would come on the main stage and we would join them as augmenting musicians. It certainly wasn't playing on the sidelines. I mean I was next to Dave, and the drummer was next to Nick etc. so it was just like a sort of shadow band really.
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Do you have any memories you can share with us about those shows?
Snowy:
No. With questions like that, I'm absolutely terrible. You know, I sort of glimpse little things, but nothing really.... I usually just do my thing and enjoy myself and let things go by.
REG:
You had been playing with many musicians and putting out albums having joined or formed various bands, and even put out some early solo efforts. How did it happen that you joined Thin Lizzy? What years were you a member of the band.
Snowy:
There was a patch of years time when I wasn't doing very much for a year or two. And I did this request to go an do a gig... an open air festival with Cliff Richard... who was looking for a guitar player. And it really wasn't my cup of tea, but I said yes. And we were actually rehearsing and I bumped into Scott Gorland, Thin Lizzy's other guitar player at the rehearsal place. And he remembered me because he'd come to see the Animal's tour in Madison Square Garden a few months previously. So he remembered me, and said, "Wow man, we're looking for a guitar player... can you come up and play with us and see how it works out?" And I said, "Well I can't now, because I'm busy." So he rang me up about a week later and I went along... and they asked me to join.
REG:
So were you playing with Thin Lizzy before, during or after touring with Pink Floyd? What albums did you release with Thin Lizzy?
Snowy:
Well this was a bit... cause I was in two bands at once at one point... and I was with Thin Lizzy and Pink Floyd... cause I said, "Well I can't do any (albums) now... because I'm going to America... I'm doing The Wall shows with Pink Floyd in America and that doesn't finish for a few months." And Phil said, "Well we'll wait till you get back." And so I was back from America for about two days and I went straight into the recording studio with Thin Lizzy to record the first album with them. But, I had to take a break from that to do The Wall shows in Earls Court with the Floyd, so I was sort of with both bands.
REG:
So Thin Lizzy was the year...
Snowy:
That was 1980 when I did that. 1980, '81, and a half of 82, I think when I was with Thin Lizzy.
REG:
Why did you leave Thin Lizzy?
Snowy:
It wasn't really my scene, my environment really. When I joined we had talked about my role in the band and it was... I was gong to be of one of those bluesy sort of musicians and we were going to sort of expand a bit. But it ended up playing all the old hits really. And also the lifestyle was not really my scene. I really didn't enjoy that sort of... it was becoming that sort of ÔStar' thing. So socially we didn't... we hardly met. If we were on tour I'd be coming down for breakfast and the rest of the boys would probably be coming in off... after their night out, you know. I'd meet them in the lobby, I'd be getting up for breakfast and they'd be coming in for their bed. So after a while I'd had enough. And I think after a while they weren't too unhappy to see me go either. You know it was time. It's just a natural thing.
REG:
So you played with them on their first album...
Snowy:
No, no, it was their first album with me, we did Chinatown which was probably about their 7th or 8th album really . I did the Chinatown album and an album called Renegade.
REG:
And did you write any of that music.
Snowy:
Yeah, I wrote the title tracks for both of those albums and a couple of other tracks on the albums.
REG:
After your stint with Thin Lizzy and playing with the Floyd, throughout the '80s you formed your own bands and released a number of albums. The album "White Flames," your first real debut solo album. It kind of sounded somewhat along the lines of straight on Pop/Blues/Rock, more similar in style to Thin Lizzy than the blues guitarist you're more known for, yet it achieved your greatest solo success with the hit single "Birds of Paradise" reaching number 3 on the UK charts. Why then did you change direction so drastically and go back to playing a more traditional straight-on blues style with albums like "Change My Life" and "Open for Business" after your success with "White Flames?"
Snowy:
Well the reason I did White Flames like that... it was more jazzy and Latin sort of influence really. I didn't want to get into too much heavy stuff. I'd had two and a half years of that. So I got to go with musicians who were completely different from the rhythm sections that I'd been used to.And the fact that "Bird of Paradise" was a hit just took everybody by surprise. I mean I didn't... I wasn't even going to particularly put that out as a single. And after that it became a hit... people started thinking of me as a ballad singer, who happened to play guitar sometimes. And it wasn't really my thing, and I sort of... I did sort of try to follow it up with a record, but I really wasn't into trying to make it into a commercial thing... so it never really... I was never comfortable on that sort of thing. So to sort of put an end to that, I did put a... put the Blues Agency band together and I didn't sing at all. And we did some really straight blues albums. It was just my way of saying you know, I'm finished with all the other... worrying about whether I get in the charts and get on Top of the Pops... and promotion... and all that. I'm finished with that. And this is what I'm doing for a while. And it's totally un-commercial and I'm just going to go out and play the guitar and not sing. So I guess that's why I did that. It just felt like the right thing to do at the time.
REG:
I've never heard "Change My Life" or "Open for Business." Are those albums still available?
Snowy:
I think you can get them in Europe still. But ah... they're very straight blues... straight on blues.
REG:
Well I love straight on blues. I play harmonica myself so... blues harp.
Snowy:
Oh do you? Yeah, my singer used to play harmonica as well in that band.
REG:
Also during the '80s Roger Waters put out his first two solo efforts and toured both albums. Did he ever ask you to tour with him for either?
Snowy:
Uhmm... no he didn't. Cause he had Eric Clapton doing one., you see. And he had Jay Stapely, for the other. I don't know why... he didn't think of me. Or if he did, he probably thought well I've got my own career going now. I don't really know. I mean that's the way it is. You don't really question these things... sometimes people ask you to do things....
REG:
I just wondered if he had asked and you had said... no... I'm busy?
Snowy:
No, no nothing like that. I would have been quite busy actually... I probably you know... might have been too busy to do it.
REG:
How did you get involved playing with Roger for "The Wall Live in Berlin?" For that gig you were not just a guest musician but an integral part of the band and it's main lead guitarist. Were you originally just going to do a guest appearance? If so, how did that role evolve as the main guitarist for the band?
Snowy:
No... he rang me up to say that he was putting together this big show and he needed sort of a basic band and he was going to get a load of guest artists. And there was a whole list of people that he might get there... B.B. King, Eric Clapton... loads of people. So my role really was to just fill in and do everything that was necessary depending on who we got. And it gradually evolved that I was doing more and more... which was fine by me... and I think really I shared the lead guitar spot with the other guitar player. So I think we did about 50% each on that.
REG:
I was at the show, and it seemed to me that you were the highlight of the show as far as guitar playing goes.
Snowy:
Well... I'm pleased to hear it. You know I can't tell from where I am, if you know what I mean.
REG:
Do you have any memorable stories you'd like to share from that show?
Snowy:
Well, you've asked me that question before... the only thing was... it was actually... fantastic to be up on that wall and look out at all those people. I've never... I've done quite a few big gigs... with Pink Floyd... I mean we did Cleveland Stadium which I think was about 90,000 people. But to be up that high and look out on this sea of people, it did stick in my mind. It was absolutely amazing. But... no real special stories... it was just working and doing your best and rehearsing... and not getting into trouble too much.
REG:
It was a pretty fantastic show...
Snowy:
Well it was pretty amazing to be able to put all that together.
REG:
And I understand that you ended up having to replay most of the songs till four in the morning that evening.
Snowy:
Yeah we did.. we did... that was the other thing... ah... there was another thing I remember about it, the fact that it didn't rain for two weeks. We were there rehearsing in the open air, with no cover or anything, and it didn't rain! It's pretty amazing. But yeah, certainly we had a major breakdown in the first half of the show, and so when everybody had gone home, we actually re-did the first half of the show again for the recording and the filming. And so we missed the you know after show parties and all the other stuff that you normally get, and ah... crept back to our hotels at 5 o'clock in the morning, when all the other guests had gone home, but that's the way it goes.
REG:
Yeah, I wish I would have known the band was going to be playing everything all over again. I left the show with everybody else at 10:30 or 11:00, I should have stuck around.
Snowy:
Well some people did stick around. I think there was quite a bit of trouble about people trying to get back in. But I don't really know much about it, I was too busy just trying to make sure I got my bit right.
REG:
Yeah, the weather during the show was fantastic.
Snowy:
Only a bit of rain. I think the night before we had had a shower, or something... and that was about it. Cause if we'd... if it had rained hard we would have been in incredible trouble, with all that equipment.
REG:
Well I remember the sun was shining like... about 75 degrees all day... all afternoon and the sun didn't go down till 9:30 to 10:00 at night. I mean it was amazing how late the sun was up.
Snowy:
Yeah... yeah.
REG:
You played with Roger again at the Guitar Legends Expo concert in Seville Spain. I can understand you playing there, but how did it happen that Roger Waters played at an event called guitar legends? And how did you get involved with that whole thing?
Snowy:
Well I think the reason I got involved was because Roger was playing 3 or 4 songs from The Wall and... you know, used people who knew the songs and who he'd worked with before and could do the job. So, that was fairly simple. Uhmm... with all due respect to Roger, I don't really know why he was at a Guitar Legends concert really... cause he's a bass player.
REG:
Right... that's why...
Snowy:
I don't really know. I've never really sorted that one out, but ah... yeah. That's a good question, that.
REG:
David Gilmour played on your album "Highway to the Sun." How did that come about? After playing first with Pink Floyd with Roger Waters at the helm, and then playing with Roger Waters solo, did it bother you in any way that you were having friendly relations with someone who has been referred to as Roger Waters' nemesis? Kind of like crossing over to the other side?
Snowy:
Ahh... yeah...(laughs)... No... I mean that's all... You know... I'm friends with Roger and I'm friends with Dave. I mean it's not a problem for them... it's not a problem for me. There's no reason why it should be really. I think other people make too much of that sort of thing. I see no reason why I can't be friends with Dave, and Roger. In fact the reason Dave played on my album was that he was recording a Pink Floyd album... I can't remember which one it was. And I took my master tape up to where he was recording and I ran it through... and he just laid down some guitars on it. So I made it quite easy for him to do it. So, yeah it's not a problem for me really. I'm just a normal guy, man (laughs) you know. I don't get involved in other peoples...
REG:
...those politics?
Snowy:
...no. That's up to them. I don't think it's a problem for Roger or Dave either really. I mean other people seem to read more into it.
REG:
That's true. The press really built that up.
Snowy:
Yeah.
REG:
How is it that you did not play on Roger Waters album "Amused to Death," yet you did in fact play with Roger and Jeff Beck in the "What God Wants" video?
Snowy:
Yeah.. uhm... I don't know. I think I did go to Roger's studio in his house for a day or so when he was doing demo's of one of those albums, I'm not sure which album it was, and I put some guitar which was not used... in the actual... the final thing. But, yeah... I think... they called me up one day and said Roger's doing a video and needs a guitar player to be there... to take the place of whoever it was who played on the guitar with Jeff Beck... opposite of Jeff Beck.
REG:
Oh.. right there was Rabbit... (John (Rabbit) Brundick).
Snowy:
Oh, yes... Rabbit was there wasn't he... yeah that's right. I think the guitar player was actually Andy Fairweather-Low who was actually on that track. But Andy wasn't available so I was sort of Andy's cardboard cutout... standing there.
REG:
You mentioned to me when we first met in Chicago, that becoming a member of Roger's band and touring with him for the In The Flesh tour, had been really a last minute thing. How did it all come about?
Snowy:
Uhm... Well... it was about 3 days before they were starting to rehearse in America. Roger was somewhere in France, and he'd been thinking about things, and suddenly came to the conclusion that they were a guitar player short, really. They needed somebody else. And I guess he thought of me, basically. And luckily I was available. I mean you won't find anyone at short notice like that. But I actually had a couple of months where there wasn't much going on. So I was able to jump in.
REG:
Two Summers in a row of grueling 25 date tours of the US must be extremely exhausting. What are your thoughts about the tour? Did anything happen of interest can you share with us? For instance the Rain and Lightning storm in Pennsylvania during the first leg, or the tour jet buzzing the crowd during the Seattle show? Was there anything like: Ôa funny thing happened on the way to the concert tonight' you can share with us?
Snowy:
Well, firstly, it's not really grueling. Because we're... you know, we're very well looked after and it's very civilized. Roger only works like two or three days at the most, and then has a day or two days off. Because, mainly he has to rest his voice. So, it's not really grueling, we're very well looked after, and it certainly wasn't exhausting, cause we slept well and we ate well, and we traveled very comfortably.And it was actually... the tour last year and the one this year... I think they were the best two tours I've ever been on... with anybody... anywhere! The atmosphere was great, and it was going down well. And Roger was, I think, pleasantly surprised at how many people were coming to the shows... and the age groups that the people were.. lots of youngsters.. lots of new generations into his music. So, the atmosphere was very good.
And we did have one or two experiences... Obviously that rain and lightning storm in Pennsylvania was definitely one to remember, because it hadn't rained there in two or three months... and it suddenly started raining 10 minutes after we started. And I think it was about 3 hours before we could actually restart the show. And the audience just sat there... in the rain!! ...for all that time in the rain and lightning... and Roger kept going on stage and saying, we will be back... hang about... we're gonna come back... So we waited for the lightening to go away. And we went on to play... it was still raining.... and it was about the only stage on the whole tour that didn't have any cover on it much. So the rain was blowing in on all the equipment and we had towels over things, and plastic sheets. So that was an interesting one. But on this tour the ah.... it was a great moment when we had... cause we traveled in a AC 111 Jet. So we played at a gig where it was possible for the jet to fly... there were no houses around... so it was possible for him to come really low over the arena where we were... the outdoor arena. So he buzzed the show just as we started. And that was a really nice moment. Cause he came over really low. And as he came over he hit the throttle and enriched the engine mixture and all this smoke came out of the engine... and sort of made (laughs) a lot of noise... when we started "In the Flesh." It was nice. I'll always remember that one.
REG:
That must have been a great moment.
Snowy:
Yeah... well I think he enjoyed it... the pilot. You know they love to... he insisted on doing it.
REG:
Well the fans certainly enjoyed it.
Snowy:
Yeah.
REG:
We're told you did a solo concert at the B.B. King Blues club in New York City, in between Madison Square Garden shows with the In The Flesh tour. Was that pretty impromptu, was that planned or what?
Snowy:
Yeah, it wasn't impromptu, it was planned... that while I was over there and I had a few days off, I would get my two boys over from Holland, my rhythm section from the White Flames, down and we would do a gig. And we found there, the B.B. King Blues club, they put us on. So, it was just to get a few people down, and you know just to generally just play in New York with my band, cause I hadn't done it before. And it made sense to do it while I was already over there. And there was a bit of a buzz going because I was there with Roger.
REG:
So you played White Flames material?
Snowy:
Yeah we played material from our last couple of albums, which have been released in Europe. And we jammed a bit, and we generally had some fun. And I enjoyed it very much.
REG:
Were there any other solo performances that you did during the tour?
Snowy:
Nope, that was it, we just did the one. And Roger came down with the whole band. Came into the audience and sat there in front of the stage. Yeah... it was... interesting.
REG:
That must have been fun.
Snowy:
Yeah, it was, I enjoyed it. They thought I might be a little bit put off or nervous about that, but in fact, nothing makes me put off or nervous when I'm actually doing my own music. And I enjoyed the fact that they were there. I mean, I don't really worry whether people like it or not... when I'm doing my own thing. So I've got no problems with whoever's there.
REG:
You and Doyle Bramhall seem to have a definite rapport on stage with one another and it seemed that you enjoy playing together. You certainly compliment each other well. Because of the tour, have you become friends?
Snowy:
Well, I guess we're friendly. I mean we're not friends as in, we talk to each other all the time and we're really close buddies or anything. But I've got a lot of respect for Doyle. I think he's a great guitar player. He's got a great voice. And I think he's got a great future in front of him. And he's a very very nice guy. He really is. And I thoroughly enjoyed not only sort of being with him, as a person, but listening to him play on stage. There were a couple of moments in the set, when he could let loose a little bit and do his own style thing, and I always looked forward to those things... He's a great guy and I really hope he gets on well and gets very successful because he deserves to be.
REG:
Will you be continuing to tour with Roger if In The Flesh continues to the UK and Europe next year?
Snowy:
Uhmm... yeah... this is the plan. I mean, we've been given possible dates when it might be happening, and so, we wait and see now.
REG:
We're told you and Doyle and most of the band have begun work on Roger's next solo album. Will you be continuing working with Roger on that?
Snowy:
Well, we did spend two weeks in the studio. And we kicked around some of Roger's idea's. And it seemed to work very well. And Roger was pleased with the result. But as to how the album's recorded and who's on it. That's really up to Roger. I'm sure that we would like to... I'm sure the whole band would like to be involved. But I think it's more important that Roger gets the result that he wants. And if he feels that there are other people that might add something, you know, then he should get them in. But as far as I'm concerned I would like to be involved. But I've got my own thing to do as well. So I'll just wait and see.
REG:
Well, Roger has stated in interviews that he is recording the album with his present band, as a band.
Snowy:
Oh, well, you know more than I do about that then. Yeah, I mean that seems to be the direction at the moment. But of course you know, he's free to change his mind when ever he likes obviously.
REG:
During the '90s you have released many albums, some to critical acclaim. Among them are "Highway to the Sun" (with David Gilmour), your retrospective album "Gold Top," "No Faith Required," "Little Wing," "Keep Out - We're Toxic," and "Pure Gold - The Solo Years 1983-1998" another kind of greatest solo hits album. Why do you think that you have never achieved the real popular recognition even as the great blues guitarist that you are and deserve? Could it be that you are not interested in Rock Star status? You certainly don't seem to be the type of person who places a huge value or priority on fame and fortune.
Snowy:
I think probably... various factors. But one is that it's not really... it's not been at the forefront of my mind. I think that you have to be driven, you know, to actually do the things that get you to that level. And I'm not particularly. I'm sort of.. I'm pretty content to do what I do. I'm not worried about the fame thing. The fortune thing would be nice... (laughs) I would be very happy to make a lot of money out of this business. But of course I guess you have to be famous to do that as well. So, I don't see myself as ever being any different than I am, unless something happens... a bit like "Bird of Paradise" did, which was totally unexpected and off the wall.But I will be doing now, which I haven't done before at all... is... now I've got an American manager, I will be starting to concentrate more on America, and I guess, I'm going to be focused a bit more on doing the right things to enable me to get about a bit more and get my name around and try and sell a few records now.
Cause I've been sitting around, quite contentedly really. But there is something in me, that wants to do... I want to get myself into a position, where I can keep playing my music... and so I have to do all the things that have to be done to put myself in that position.
REG:
I had thought that maybe the recognition thing might have had something to do with the fact that you do tour mostly Europe and the UK, and not really much in the U.S. And the U.S. market is what really can often make stardom, at least as far as monetary success goes.
Snowy:
Well that's true. I mean, I'm ready to have a go at that. And I'm sure I'll do that with my usual... you know my usual Ônormal' fashion. And it may be that... I mean I've done fairly well in Europe.. on an off... and you know I can sort of go an earn a living out there and play my music. But I've always had an idea, that I certainly wanted to, at least once have a really good shot at the States. So we're working on that right now... and hopefully things will transpire over the next few months and I'll be able to actually find out exactly what interest there is in me over there. And how many people know about me. And it seems to be... sort of hopeful at the moment. And I'll go along, and I'll do my thing and maybe things will happen.
REG:
So, what's next after In the Flesh for Snowy White, is playing more gigs in the states and putting out some more music and getting your name more recognized here?
Snowy:
That is the plan basically. I've booked some rehearsals with my band in October, and then we'll be going into the studio to put down some new material, and we'll take it from there. And the idea is to actually spend some time in the States next year. And see how we go...And of course I'll work around whatever Roger comes up with as well. And you know, overall, it should be an interesting year. I'm looking forward to it. I've always been... my whole life, I've always been enthusiastic about what I do. I still feel just as excited now as I did when I was sort of 19 really, about things that might happen. I feel excited about going touring and on stage and all that. And you know... I'm really pleased about that. And that's my life and that's what I do. So I just carry on and do more of it.
REG:
All right. Well definitely... if you tour in the states let us know the itinerary, we'll be more than happy to publicize it in the fanclub magazine. And also, I'd love to see you, if you ever come around the San Francisco Bay area.
Snowy:
That'd be great. Well, we're talking about that too. You know, the San Francisco area is one area where we think we might make our sort of base, to sort of move outwards from, because of various contacts that Jane, my manager's got, etc. So we're looking at that. So... in fact I spoke to her yesterday about this, and we're looking at after Christmas maybe... over there. I've got to get some recordings done first, and get some new material down, so that will take me till Christmas.
REG:
Well Snowy, I've already taken up way more of your time than we anticipated. I want to thank you very very much for allowing our fanclub to spend so much time with you...
Snowy:
Oh, it's a pleasure. I haven't done an interview for a while so it's quite nice.
REG:
Well, you are a part of Roger Waters and Pink Floyd history, and as such you are apart of the lives of all their fans. And I want to wish you all the best in your coming endeavors.
The End
Thanks again to Snowy White for granting REG this exclusive interveiw, and for his time and patients. Special thanks also to his manager Jane McGarrigle for her help in arranging this interview.