As a member of two major hard rock acts, Winger and Whitesnake, Reb Beach knows a thing or two about the intricate art of crafting an arena-worthy guitar solo.
Now, with both bands calling it quits and Beach looking back on his formidable career, the question is: which one allowed him to fully flex his guitar chops – and, more importantly, his individual playing style?
“Winger, for sure,” he replies matter-of-factly in a new interview with Guitar World. “I did a record with Doug Aldrich [one of Whitesnake’s guitarists] at his house, but we didn’t have an amp, so I went direct. He said he would do the thing where you mic up the amp later – re-amp it.”
Beach insists that not only did it not sound good, he was far from happy with that. However, it all stemmed from the boss’ orders.
“David Coverdale, for some reason, wanted my solos to be a certain way,” Beach explains.
“The record I wrote with him, he said to Joel Hoekstra [another one of Whitesnake’s guitarists] [in a regal voice], ‘You can play whatever you want, but Reb, I am going to take you under my wing.’ He had to kind of approve my solos.”
Beach pinpoints one album in particular on which he had to get all his guitar solos signed off by Coverdale.
“It wasn't as much on the one I wrote with him, Flesh and Blood, but The Purple Album, he was all over my…” he quips. “What’s that Deep Purple song? Mistreated! Yeah, he was all over me on that one. I had to make David happy on that.”
As for Winger, it was a whole different story. While Beach admits that he also had to make [frontman, lead singer, and bass player] Kip Winger “happy,” their long-term dynamic helped ease the pangs of criticism, notwithstanding that Beach considers him “a musical genius” who “had some great ideas for me as well.”
“I’ve worked with Kip since I was a kid. I don't know… I felt more freedom,” he admits. “I wrote the songs, too; we would always write the solo sections for me. Kip would say [in a dry voice], ‘Okay, and that's good to solo over.’”
Guitar World’s full interview with Reb Beach will be published in the coming weeks.
And if you need a refresher on all the guitarists Whitesnake had over the decades, check out Guitar World's ultimate guide to the shredders who graced the stage – from the project's inception to Coverdale's retirement.
