Steppenwolf’s 1968 hit, Born to Be Wild, may be one of the most recognizable songs in rock history – and the guitarist behind the solo that captured the track’s palpable, authentically wild, and care-free spirit was an 18-year-old: Michael Monarch.
“I met the guys from the band The Sparrows in Hollywood,” he reminisces in a new interview with Guitar World.
“They had come to LA from Toronto, Canada. I had seen them play a couple of times on the Sunset Strip at a small club. I was impressed with the keyboard/organ player, Goldy [McJohn], both his playing and especially his sound.
