Simon McBride was always a fast learner. A musician since the age of 13 (except for “the odd part time job in a music shop”), at 16 he replaced Vivian Campbell in Belfast metallers Sweet Savage before releasing solo records, joining Whitesnake alumni in Snakecharmer, and becoming Deep Purple’s guitarist in 2022.
Now he’s released Recordings: 2020-2025, a blistering mix of blues-rock solo cuts and refreshingly non-obvious covers (Free, Duran Duran, The Cure, Bill Withers…).
“About ten years ago I nearly quit,” he says, “because I was getting to that stage of ‘nothing is moving’, I was getting messed around, being promised things. But I kept pushing through, and after covid it was like [with Deep Purple]: ‘Is this really happening?!’”
The first music I remember hearing
It’s probably AC/DC. I’m sure I’d heard music before that, but it was the first thing that I locked on to. It’s three, four chords most of the time, and what they do with that is unbelievable. They make great songs. And it’s simple. That’s why AC/DC are so huge, because the normal person can latch on to it. Highway To Hell was one of my favourite albums of all time.
The first song I performed live
Joe Satriani’s Always With Me, Always With You, at a school concert. I just picked it up very quickly. I think I was eleven or twelve. I was probably the only person in the whole school that was interested in music, but everybody was very nice to me and they [gave] applause and all that sort of stuff.
The greatest album of all time
Toto by Toto, from 1978. And Talk by Yes. It was the last album they did with Trevor Rabin on guitar, and it never really did that much – it was after 90125 and stuff like that – but that album is a journey. I never get bored with it. And it’s the same with Toto. Everybody goes for Rosanna and Africa and all that, but I love the other stuff they did, especially on that album.
The guitar hero
Steve Lukather and Gary Moore. I have lots of influences, but how I sound is because of them – and a bit of Joe Satriani too. The two Still Got The Blues records [SGTB and After Hours] Gary Moore did were incredible. What he did with blues music, he kind of turned it upside down. He had this aggression when he played, but it was so beautiful the way he did it.
The singer
Paul Rodgers. The sound, the character of his voice, his melodies. People go: “Why don’t you say Ian Gillan?” And I go: “Well, he is another genius.” He can be very sweet, but very aggressive. He’s like the Gary Moore of vocalists. And in Paul Rodgers it’s the same sort of thing.
The songwriter
Paul McCartney. Anything he does is just like “Wow!” It’s so simple but sounds complicated. I suppose you could say they’re [The Beatles] all geniuses. I don’t think they ever wrote a bad song.
The best cover version
Jimi Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower. Even Bob Dylan says: “It’s your song, mate, what you’ve done with it.” I’m not a huge fan of cover songs, because a lot of guys will just do direct copies. With All Along The Watchtower Jimi took a simple song and turned it into this huge event.
The best record I've made
The Deep Purple record [2024’s =1]. It’s not every day you get to be a part of history. For me, doing that record was incredible, because at the minute with the guys in the band they’re just mates. But these guys are icons. I stand back in awe and go: “That’s me, that’s Ian Gillan, that’s Ian Paice… Jesus, why is my name in there?!”
My guilty pleasure
Michael Jackson, Bad. I don’t care what people think. I remember that one coming out and I was like: “I love that album.” Still stick it on now and again.
The most underrated band
Rival Sons. They are doing quite well, but they’re not at the level I think they should be. It’s that real old-school thing they have. They’re all shit-hot players, and Jay [Buchanan] is one of the greatest rock singers around at the minute. I like their last one, Darkfighter. Before, people were comparing them to Led Zeppelin a bit, but now they’ve found their feet and their sound.
My Saturday night / party song
I have two young kids, I don’t go out any more! Let me see [thinks]… I gotta say Van Halen and Jump. Van Halen stuff always makes me feel upbeat, especially the stuff with David Lee Roth, because he had so much character and that came across in the music.
The song that makes me cry
Jeff Beck’s Where Were You, on Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop – that’s one of the best instrumental albums ever. Every time I hear that it’s just like: “Jeez”. Just no words to describe that. It’s what he does with that song, the whammy bar, just him and keys. One of my favourite slow songs of all time.
The song I’d want played at my funeral
Hot For Teacher, Van Halen. I’d play that as my song – put me in the ground. Or if I’m being cremated, Fire by Jimi Hendrix.
Simon McBride's Recordings: 2020-2025 is out now via earMUSIC.
