Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them Back’

[METALPRIEST]

Source Link Ultimate Classic Rock


It’s been well documented that Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell had a complicated relationship with Ronnie James Dio during the time that he was playing guitar for Dio. But their collaboration was certainly a successful one, illuminating Campbell’s talents as a guitar player as record sales brought three gold and platinum albums for the Dio band, beginning with the band’s debut release ‘Holy Diver’ in 1982.

The band’s third album ‘Sacred Heart,’ would be the final release to feature Campbell, who was fired by Dio, a situation which drummer Vinny Appice says was “chalked down to business decisions” that Campbell didn’t agree with. The parting would bring years of tension between Campbell and Dio and it became a subject of harsh commentary in interviews.

In a new discussion with Cleveland Scene, Campbell recalls one interview where he called Dio “one of the vilest people in the industry” and says that the interview came at a bad time when he was jet-lagged and he now says, “I do regret my choice of language.” But he also says that he does have “strong feelings” about his time in the Dio band.

“I had a poor relationship with Ronnie and his wife Wendy. Musically, it was great and I was proud of the records and still am. I thought the band was amazing. I had a hard time with Ronnie and he had a real hard time with me,” says Campbell

It’s been said in the past that Campbell quit the band and he still bristles when thinking about that statement. “I didn’t quit that band. They quit me. I’m proud of those records and for years and years, Ronnie and Wendy excluded me from that.”

Campbell’s recent announcement of his plan to reunite the original Dio band represents his goal to “take the bull by the horns” and reclaim his spot in the Dio legacy. He explains, “No one deserves to be onstage playing those songs from a guitar player point of view more than me. I wrote those riffs. I’m going to take them back.”

Though he’s made his plans known about reuniting the lineup from his time in the band, dates have yet to be announced.

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[Lynch]

Re: Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them B

Um, I see one major problem, who the F is going to sing?

You can't replace the irreplaceable.

 

[Lynch]

Re: Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them B

Now, on to a question that I"ve actually been thinking about opening
up a thread on for the past few weeks, but just keep putting it off.
This is as good of place as any to see if I can get some feedback,
especially from musicians in the group.



!: Why is it that most bands only list one person as the "songwriter" of any or all of their recorded tracks? Doesn't the guitarist get credit for his licks and solos? Doesn't the drummer get credit for coming up with the back beat? Etc?


Example: Dio is the soley credited songwriter of the song Holy Diver. Did he write the lyrics, the guitar track, the bass lines, the solo, the drums/beat, the keyboard lines?

Lennon/McCartney have about 90+% of the songwriting credits from their time in the Beatles ... Ringo and George have very little. Why is that? Did John and Paul write every single lyric sang and every note played on every instrument?

If not, the musicians themselves who played those tracks and obviously wrote them while they were working out the song should also get songwriting credits, shouldn't they? I have long wondered about this, but never think of asking.

 

[METALPRIEST]

Re: Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them B

I think it comes down to lyrics, chord changes and melody lines. After that it's just inspiration for the band's performances.

So he could have riffed them a certain way, or in his style, but I believe under the direction of the writer, in this case Dio. But if the credits go to DIO as a writer on the albums or any song, in my experience it would be words, melody line and chord changes.

 

[Powerage]

Re: Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them B

You can't copyright a drum beat. Only lyrics and melodies. Plus Dio could have hummed the guitar parts to Campbell and Campbell simply played what he heard.

 

[Big Ears]

Re: Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them B

Some musicians are too unselfish. Herbie Flowers' bass line made Lou Reed's Walk On the Wild Side, but he said he would not dream of going to court for royalties. On the other hand, Matthew Fisher fought Gary Brooker in the courts, and eventually won, in order to get a songwriting credit for the organ on Whiter Shade of Pale. Nicky Hopkins only got flat session fees for his piano work for the Rolling Stones, because he suffered from Crones' disease and could not tour. It is not as if they could not afford to pay him fairly and he was probably too ill to fight them.

Lennon and McCartney had a business arrangement, which is why they used L&M on everything. Some of George Harrison's songs feel like Paul McCartney songs to me. Harrison and McCartney were quite close and the former never fulfilled his potential as a solo artist (ie. without McCartney). Paul McCartney says Something is his favourite track on Abbey Road. Is it because he head a hand in writing the song?

Ringo Starr wrote Octopus's Garden, which was much criticised for its inclusion on Abbey Road. George Harrison defended the song in interviews, asking, "Why shouldn't it be on the album?"

Strewth, I nearly forgot Viv. He's a great guitar player, but a TERRIBLE singer. His solo album has some excellent guitar, but the vocals render it unlistenable. I hope he doesn't start singing again.

 

[Tek_54]

Re: Vivian Campbell On Revisiting Dio: ‘I Wrote Those Riffs. I’m Going To Take Them B

OOhh, What a hell is goin' on??
why can't they have a drink and be friends again??