Yngwie Malmsteen: The Complete 1984 Alcatrazz Interview - Tape 1

Welcome to my Talking Guitar podcast featuring the first tape of one of Swedish guitar great Yngwie Malmsteen’s very first interviews in America. At the time of this conversation, Yngwie was 20 years old and just the night before had finished his first round of shows with Alcatrazz. I’d first heard Malmsteen’s playing on a demo cassette he’d made in Sweden, called “Rising Force.” Soon after that, Yngwie was profiled in Mike Varney’s “Spotlight” column in the February 1983 issue of Guitar Player magazine. Mike arranged for Yngwie to come to the United States to make a record with a band called Steeler. Yngwie stayed in the States and formed Alcatrazz with singer Graham Bonnet. There was a lot of buzz about Yngwie’s unique and brilliantly played neo-classical style, so in November 1983 photographer Jon Sievert and I attended his performance at Wolfgang’s in San Francisco. We met backstage after the show, and Yngwie agreed to do an interview as soon he took break from touring. A few weeks later Alcatrazz had ten days off, and I accepted Yngwie’s invitation to call him at his apartment in L.A. As you’ll hear, he was bright, articulate, upfront, and very passionate about his music during our 90-minute interview. Here’s the first half of our conversation, which took place on January 3, 1984. The second half has been posted too. I hope you enjoy this unique, never-before-released recording. To help us continue producing podcasts, hit that donate button and send some support our way: Thanks! Thanks to engineer/producer Nik Hunt for enhancing the sound of the 39-year-old master tape. Be sure to check out the other historic interviews on the Talking Guitar YouTube channel. For dozens more guitar-intensive podcasts, interview transcripts, and articles, visit Talking Guitar magazine at #yngwiemalmsteen #risingforce #alcatrazz #jasobrecht #talkingguitar #nikhunt #guitarplayermagazine This podcast is copyright 2023 by Jas Obrecht. All rights reserved.