Part II: Out on my own
And so it was that, in 1988, Sykes put together Blue Murder, calling in ex-Whitesnake drummer Cozy Powell as well as Tony Franklin from the Firm, and Ray Gillen ex-Black Sabbath on vocals. However, Gillen didn't work out and on the advice of his label Sykes took over vocals himself. Powell also left before the recording of the first of the band's two albums, to be replaced by Carmine Appice. With keysman Nik Green they released their debut, self-titled album, which was critically acclaimed, but failed to gain any chart success. The album was dedicated to Phil Lynott, who had passed away two years previously.
John put his stamp firmly on the album, and on the band, playing guitar and singing, and also writing most of the songs on it. He had worked under other people in the past, and most times this had not worked out. He would not allow himself to be in that situation again. Blue Murder was unmistakably
his band! He called the shots, he did the hiring and firing, and he decided on the direction the band was to take.
He extended this control even further for their second (and final) album, “Nothin' but trouble”, released in 1992. He produced, engineered and wrote ALL of the songs on it (bar one, the cover of the Small Faces' “Itchycoo Park”), and he also rejigged the band, relegating Appice, Franklin and Green to the status of “additional musicians”, while bringing in new bass player Marco Mendoza, and sticksman Tommy O'Steen.
Both albums are great power-rock records, but Blue Murder failed to make any sort of impression on the charts, and are fondly remembered, but after a live album released in 1993 they broke up and John began his career as a completely solo artist, though he retained the core of the band, in O'Steen and Mendoza. He had as a matter of fact already recorded a short solo EP in 1982, which he expanded ten years later to a full album, titled “Please don't leave me”, padded out with added material from his Tygers days. As none of the songs bar the title track were his own, it's not really considered as being his first solo album, though technically, it is.
His first real effort was “Out of my tree” in 1995, with a sleeve created by famous Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick. I haven't been able to track down a copy of it, so I can't speak to its quality, however here are a fewYouTubes of the tracks I was able to locate. It appears John wrote all the tracks on this album, as well as producing, mixing and engineering it.
John's next solo album was 1997's “Loveland”, with most of the band again changed: this time he had two drummers, two bass players, and two keyboard players (although this “doubling-up” may have been due to some of the tracks having been recorded previously), with Nik Green and Tony Franklin relegated to playing on the closer, “Don't say goodbye”, whereas ex-drummer Tommy O'Steen plays on “Haunted”. Interestingly, the album opens on two ballads, both really excellent, followed by a re-re-release of “Please don't leave me”, this one from his 1997 re-release of the album which started life as an EP, retitled “Don't hurt me this way”, and featuring the late Phil Lynott on vocals.
As I said, I haven't heard “Out of my tree”, so can't comment much on it, though going from the YTs here it seems it continued the hard/melodic rock stylings that characterised the two Blue Murder albums, whereas this one goes completely in the opposite direction, being in fact an entire album of ballads! Talk about throwing a curveball! It's a fantastic album though, and you have to admire Sykes' sense of taking a gamble that it would be accepted by his surely by now legion of fans, without a single shredding guitar solo or even a rocker on the whole album. And yet it works. Beautifully. Right down to the powerful, urgent closer, “Don't say goodbye”, dedicated to the late John Lennon. You can hear the hurt, anger and frustration in Sykes' voice as he sings about the death of one of his idols.
Only a year later and John Sykes' new album was out. “20th century” dispelled any idea that he was going to record another album of ballads, kicking off with “Look in his eyes”, a decent rocker, followed by three more in quick succession, the best of these being the Gary Moore-like “2 counts”. “Defcon 1” then kicks the gear into about ninth, and the whole band get rockin' like lunatics. In fact, in direct opposition to his previous effort, this album has no ballads at all, and rocks from beginning to end, especially on penultimate track “Cautionary warning”, where Sykes channels the ghost of Phil Lynott.
Sykes waited another three years before unleashing his last, and to date, most recent solo effort upon the world. The new millennium saw the release of “Nuclear cowboy”, on which Sykes stretched his creative talents and dabbled in some new sounds. There are hints of punk, thrash and even electronica on this album, especially on the title track and “One-way system”, with some very effective string arrangements on “Talking 'bout love”, which comes across as a very Sabbath-style cruncher, but the strings really add something to the song.
Nice little Spanish guitar-like interlude on “Sick”, with an almost rap beat and rhythm, while this time round Sykes does include a ballad; just the one, but it's totally gorgeous. “I wish it would rain” (not to be confused with the Phil Collins ballad!) is a powerful, emotional and multi-layered song which stands out the more as there are no other ballads to compare it to: even on his previous album there wasn't one, as we saw, although the one prior to that was nothing
but ballads.
As of this year, 2012, John has stated his intention to put together a new band with ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. This announcement was only made very recently, and it's unlikely at this point that we'll see any output from the new project before the new year, I would think.
What is clear is that from humble beginnings John Sykes has played with the greats, created a powerful reputation for himself and also created demand for his services --- both Phil Lynott and David Coverdale approached him about joining their respective bands at the time --- he has never had to look for work. But having been in other people's bands, and experienced some of the repercussions of having to deal not just with a big ego, but with a big ego that has control over you, he appears to have decided that the way to go is solo, or at least for him to be in charge of his own band. Of course, Portnoy is a legendary figure himself, and casts a huge shadow, so it will be interesting to see how the dynamic of their new group plays out, and also who else is involved.
One thing is sure: after over thirty years in the business of making music, we have not heard anywhere near the end of John James Sykes.