"WHEN YOU HEAR THAT TONE, YOU KNOW IT'S HIM"

Mike Clink is the producer who first worked with Slash on Guns N' Roses' debut album. Now, having reunited with the guitarist for Orgy Of The Damned, he reveals how this new album was created - and recalls those magical sessions with Slash in the '80s

- Amit Sharma

Not many people can say they’ve had a front row seat to Slash’s creative process in the same way producer Mike Clink has. He was the man at the helm for Guns N’ Roses’ legendary 1987 debut album Appetite For Destruction and the band’s subsequent releases GN’R Lies, Use Your Illusion I and II and The Spaghetti Incident? The partnership would continue through to the 1995 debut full-length from the guitarist’s next band, Slash’s Snakepit, and Clink would also gain recognition for his work with other rock giants including Whitesnake, Megadeth and Mötley Crüe.

When Slash announced his solo album Orgy Of The Damned in March, it was revealed that he’d once again teamed up with Clink – someone who helped create his most famous recordings and arguably knew his tone better than anyone else.

When Mike connects with TG to discuss the making of Orgy Of The Damned and his long association with Slash, he begins by remarking upon how far the guitarist has come since those crazy days in the ’80s, when Guns N’ Roses were making their reputation as the ‘Most Dangerous Band In The World’.

“I haven’t spoken about this stuff in a long time,” Mike says, “but all of Guns N’ Roses were very young back then. Yeah, they loved to party, but when they came together in the studio, they were very committed. On this new record, however, the change in Slash is clear. It’s all part of maturing and growing up. Slash is more focused than ever and knows exactly what he wants to do. He’s also more in the pocket, which is a blues thing. Usually I have to tell guitarists to hold back. They get excited and want to push, but I rarely had to bring that to Slash’s attention. He’s so fluid these days, his left hand makes it look seamless…”