Steve 'Boltz' Bolton - Atomic Rooster Interview
Steve 'Boltz' Bolton is known for a lot of things throughout his career that spans well over 5 decades. We spoke in detail about his brief time with the legendary group, Atomic Rooster, and how he was chosen by The Who to be their guitarist for a time. Steve is an amazing musician, and all around talent, and has been prolific since he hit the ground running in the early/mid 60's. I had the opportunity to speak with him about his early days, the outfits he played in before joining The Rooster, and where his creative vision led him throughout his vast career. Steve has followed his path, and thats just one of the things that makes him a very unique individual. Enjoy!
Born in Manchester, England on the 8th of November in '49. Are you originally from Manchester or Chipping Barnet? Can you tell me when you first began playing music? What initially pulled you into playing the guitar? Was music something that ran in the family? What were your early influences before participating in groups yourself?
Chipping where? Manchester of course! Seeing the Shadows on TV when I was 14 and Hank Marvin with that Strat, that did it for me. That's when I started playing guitar. I just wanted to be the rhythm player, it always fasciated me. From a completely unmusical family with not even a record player in the house to seeing that on a black and white TV, that was quite a thing for me. That's what did it! I seem to remember from being a little boy, that whenever I heard something that was “a bit weird” within the realms of pop music, I always found that fascinating. When I say “weird” just something as simple as Rubber Ball, where the chorus goes “bouncy bouncy, bouncy bouncy” and “Running Bear”. Any singles with character in that I heard on the radio that were a bit odd always attracted me.
You seemed to have hit the ground running when it comes to playing music, you wasted no time! Playing rhythm guitar in bands such as, The Dominators, The Phantom 4, Modrox from '63 and lead guitar in Puzzle till '66. Can you tell me a little about each of these pre-Rooster outfits? What was the local scene like in those days? Did you guys get to experience the circuit of touring/live gigs, and recording in studios? What was guiding you to pursue the multiple groups, that were so close together, that you did in those early days? It seems you were just born into the music from day one!
I don't know The Dominators or The Phantom 4, maybe they were bands that were in Oldham at the same time. My first band was the Modrox. We couldn't decide if we were mods or rockers so we called ourselves Modrox! We mainly played Shadows covers and, when the Beatles first came out, we did a couple of their songs. Then this morphed into The Puzzle which was a bit more of a serious band, we started to take playing gigs more seriously and gigged around the Manchester area. You have to remember that when you are that young and in that scene at the time then things changed very quickly. The Puzzle morphed into a band called “Wide Open” which was quite a serious band.
I was still playing rhythm guitar as we had a really good Eric Clapton look and sound alike guy on lead guitar. We were both playing Gibson Les Paul's. I bought mine behind my parents' backs as they would never agree to the finance arrangement. This is the band that came overnight in two separate vans down to London. Of course, same old story, band hits big city within 2 months we'd split up and half the guys went back to Manchester. I hung on for dear life getting a job playing guitar in a strip club in the West End.
Were you familiar with Atomic Rooster before they recruited you in '71? How did this come about in the first place? What were you up to from '66 until '71? Do you recall that moment when they asked you to join? They were definitely on a positive trajectory with their number 4 single, 'The Devil's Answer' and at the time of joining the group, you immediately went on the North American tour? What was it like to share the same stage as The Who? This line up had never played together, correct?
The funny thing is, I'd seen the Crazy World of Arthur Brown at a gig at Manchester university about three years before I came to London. I was completely taken with Vincent Crane and his mad crazy hammond organ and his gothic appearance. Little did I realize that three years later I would be playing alongside him in Atomic Rooster. A few months after I arrived in London I happened to see an advert in the Melody Maker, “Atomic Rooster requires lead guitarist for American Tour to start immediately”. This would be when John Cann had left the band along with the drummer. This is how I met Rick Parnell and we became good friends. I answered the ad, I wasn't really a lead guitarist. I had an audition booked in two days time and spent those two days desperately teaching myself lead guitar licks... listening to a lot of Joe Walsh's playing in the James Gang. Bingo, I got the gig.
The single was at the top of the charts when I joined and the green behind the ears kid from Manchester was thrust into two back to back North American Tours and all that that entailed. I think you're referring to the concert at The Oval Cricket Ground. Suffering from terrible jet lag from the first tour of the US, which I'd never experienced before, I just got there before being pushed on stage. My guitar lead was immediately plugged into Pete Townshend's HiWatt stack. (The same thing again, little did I realize that I'd be playing alongside Pete Townshend all those years later).
I had an audition booked in two days time and spent those two days desperately teaching myself lead guitar licks
Can you tell me about the process of recording 'Made In England' that was released in October of '72? What was it like to be in Trident Studio with the guys at that time? The previous release, 'In Hearing Of Atomic Rooster' was originally released in the UK on 'Pegasus', and we find 'Made In England' to be released on 'Dawn' in the UK. Do you remember how that deal came about with the switch in labels? Did you feel any pressure as their full time guitar player at that time? Can you tell me about the tracks, 'Never To Lose' and 'Space Cowboy' that you're fully credited to writing?
It's all a bit hazy to me but I seem to recall that we recorded the album at a few different studios. Maybe Trident too that I became much more familiar with later on. I have no idea about the switch in labels – I was just happy to be playing in a top band. I didn't really think about any pressure at the time. The band was really funky and my experience as a rhythm player really helped, all that wah-wah rhythm stuff.... I'd never written a song before in my life so I just wrote them! I really can't remember how it happened. I just put them to the band and they recorded them! You've got to remember that three or four months into my 18 months with Atomic Rooster, Pete French was replaced with Chris Farlowe and that was when we started recording the Made in England album.
"I'd never written a song before in my life so I just wrote them! I really can't remember how it happened. I just put them to the band and they recorded them"
What made you leave AR later that year after the 'Made In England' release? I know there was some conflict with the direction of the music on that album at the time, which caused yet another shift within the group, but I'm curious to know where your creative vision for the music and art you made was leading you. Because of your extensive repertoire in previous years with bands, what was on your mind during that time before joining the guys in Headstone? What were you up to in that period before you started playing with them?
I was just young and I wanted to move on – I met somebody else! AR did a gig in a car park in Holland and the opening act was Mark Ashton (ex Rare Bird drummer) who was then playing an acoustic guitar and singing his own songs. I got chatting to him and we started playing songs together, literally on the dressing room bus. He had just got a deal with Trident Studios/EMI and he was going to do an album. He asked if I wanted to be a part of this. That was good enough for me, he really egged me on to give my notice with AR.
As the 80's rolled around you joined groups, Vampire Bats, Paul Young, and even accompanied The Who on their 25th anniversary tour in '89. What was that like playing with them? I'm sure you listened to them back in the day, was it surreal sharing the stage with the legendary Pete Townsend?
As for the Who, I was sharing a car with Pino Palladino and he told me that he thought Pete Townshend was going to call me and that he was a really big fan of mine. And sure enough, the phone rang one day and it was Pete asking me if I would play lead guitar for the Who on their 25th anniversary tour. Bingo again! It was probably one of the most surreal moments of my life. Sharing the stage with The Who who were a band that I'd seen live since I was a teenager. And yes, surreal, because there are certain bands that you might think that you would like to play with them but The Who wasn't one of them. Because Pete Townshend was the Who! At the same time it was one of the hardest jobs I've ever had to do, learning all those songs and also knowing that probably 50% of the audience hated me!
Can you tell me about the group, 6foot3, that you formed in the 90's with members that included the late Scott Walker? What was that like working with him? In the decades from the 60's up until more recent years, for you, what changed about your music, and the approach that you've made time after time again?
6foot3 was a band that I formed with the Kimberley brothers, a kind of psychedelic rock power trio! (We reformed for a few gigs around 5 years ago and we are still all friends). But as far as Scott Walker goes, I did a session for him playing on a couple of songs on one of his albums. Another surreal experience because Scott was, er, Scott! More recently, over the last 5 or 6 years, I've veered away from being a “rock guitar god” sort of thing and got back towards a more twangy Gretsch sound with my band,Dead Man's Corner. The only time I put my “rock guitar god” head on now is when I play with AR. Can't escape your past – it will always come back to bite you!
What have you been up this past year during the pandemic? How has it affected you both as an artist, as well as a person? Can we expect any new projects in the near future? Looking back on your career, what were some of the best moments, or periods that you're most fond, and proud of?
During the pandemic I've been writing and recording new songs for my band, Dead Man's Corner (go to my YouTube channel Steve Boltz and you can see a couple of lockdown shows the band did). Over the last few years I've made a living doing solo gigs doing covers from my own personal jukebox. That all stopped of course but to be honest it hasn't really bothered me. I am a bit anxious about everyone trying to scramble for gigs when lockdown finishes. The hardest part of gigs is not actually playing them it's getting them. It's a bit of a wild west out there and I don't think any of us know how it's going to pan out. I feel that every experience in my life has made me a better person in one way or another.
I think you have to take the shit that life throws at you. I don't mean that you should take shit and not question it I mean that some things just have to be ridden out. The line up of the band has changed during lockdown. I have two new members in the band – Rosa Joplin on drums and Mark Hyslop on bass. This is the best version of the band that brief is “think David Lynch/Tarantino soundtrack”. Nothing is what it seems. Doing solo gigs, just me and an acoustic guitar in a pub is really quite special. You have no one else there to protect you and you are baring your soul. But of course, I have to say, being told by Pete Townshend that there were only two guitar players in the world that he would ask to cover for him in the Who and I was one of them.
"I have to say, being told by Pete Townshend that there were only two guitar players in the world that he would ask to cover for him in the Who and I was one of them"
Is there anything you would like to further share with the readers?
I lived the rock'n'roll lifestyle so you don't have to!!
https://twitter.com/steveboltz8?lang=en
Dakota Brown
