By: Robert Cavuoto
Phil Collen
Phil Collen, lead guitarist of Def Leppard will be releasing his new blues based music project, Delta Deep with a CD out today, June 23, 2015.
The band recorded some original and hand-picked cover tracks with fellow bandmates Debbi Blackwell-Cook on vocals, Forrest Robinson on drum, and Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots on bass.
The CD also features special guest appearances by Def Leppard vocalist, Joe Elliott, and Whitesnake’s David Coverdale.
Delta Deep is all about self-expression and making the listener feel something special. Designed to inspire and drive people to take notice!
The cover songs are re-imaginated classic blues hits written by musical legends. The original songs are raw and filled with pulsing sexual energy. Def Leppard fans will be pleased to hear Phil’s blazing trademark guitar on originals like “Bang the Lid.”
I was able to catch up with Phil while he was on a tour with Def Leppard to share some insights into this rockin’ blues creation and how its creation differs from anything he created with Def Leppard.
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Robert Cavuoto: Most people know you for being a hard core rocker, where does this passion for the blues come from?
Delta Deep
Phil Collen: A lot of people get confused with the blues style. It actually came as a reaction during slavery in the cotton fields to combat what was going on in their lives and having nothing they could do about it.
It’s an expression of pain and agony. Debbi is a mother and grandmother who recently lost her son to gun violence and she is now able to express that pain.
The blues style is about getting pain out.
I grew up with being influenced by blues guitarists like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Richie Blackmore, blues inspired music by electric guitar players. I’m also a huge fan of gospel music with Aretha Franklin, so it’s not just with a guitar; it comes out in different areas.
More than anything else, singing is a big influence. In 2nd and 3rd generation singers like with Tina Turner and Chaka Khan you can still hear that pain coming through. That expression is not something you learn, it’s something you need to feel and that’s what this project is to really all about.
Being a privileged white guy who has done really well and never suffered teenage angst because I had an escape valve with guitar; I can still understand it. I’m really honored to be in a band to hear that pain and suffering come out.
Robert: How does the creative process with Delta Deep differ or compare to Def Leppard’s?
Phil Collen: That’s a very interesting question. As early as the ’80s through the ’90s and into the millennial years as we became the “music industry” and our art form went out the window.
Back in the day, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles would go into the studio write and record a song together in the studio in two days. That’s the greatest way for artists to express themselves. Later it became about needing multiple singles, filler tracks, B-sides, and all that shit as part of the business.
Even with this Def Leppard CD we went into the studio to record a single and walked out with twelve songs, so it was done for all the right reasons.
The Delta Deep CD was similar to that as it came about when Debbi, Helen, and I were outside of this cafe and a Wilson Pickett song was playing. I thought what a great song with a great groove. We then went back and wrote “Miss Me” in about 30 minutes. That’s where the inspiration part comes from and being motivated to do something.
At the end of the day it’s whatever grabs you, where ever it takes you, is really what it’s all about.
Robert: Did you utilize any vintage guitars or amps to capture that sound?
Phil Collen: I use Guitar Rig 5 on my MAC which has every tone sample possible, I doubt anyone could tell the difference between that and the real amp. When I did use an amp I used what I have in my live gear, Randall Power amp, Marshall JMP1, and a Marshall 2 x 12 cab which we mic’ed.
We used it on “Sweet like Candy” and “Shuffle Sweet.” On the song “Whiskey” I used my Gibson 175 because I love the sound of that guitar. Most of the time it was a Fender Strat or my Jackson PC1.
Robert: Does working with a streamlined band of just one guitar, bass, drums, and vocals lead you down a certain creative path?
Delta Deep album
Phil Collen: Manraze and Delta Deep are more organic versus with Def Leppard where we write studio songs akin to a test tube baby. [Laughing]
With Delta Deep you can sit around with an acoustic guitar initially, then plug in for that added energy.
Delta Deep is very high power; filled with sexual energy. There is something different performing songs like that because of the way Debbi sings.
When you look at James Brown songs from the ’60s there was a sexual element to it. It’s really nasty, sweaty, and expressive. We captured it with the Delta Deep.
With Def Leppard, we really don’t have that, as it’s a different format – its rock and a little whiter. Debbi and Forest both played on other people records and said they have never been able to express themselves to this extend before. Robert DeLeo who played bass thought it was a great honor to be a part of a band.
Once Hip Hop took over from Soul music, something got lost; I think we have captured it. I say that as pure white privileged male. We shared it with the black community and they said they haven’t heard anything like it in a really long time.
Robert: Debbi’s voice is truly an amazing instrument, equal to the guitar playing on this CD – how important is that vocal instrument to the blue’s expression?
Phil Collen: I get goose bumps when I hear her sing. I’ve heard her sing loads of songs but when you open her up and let her go it’s amazing. I can’t wait to have her start playing live with us.
Robert: When will that be?
Phil Collen: We are trying to fit in some acoustic performances but that depends on all our schedules. We are working on getting it together and really excited about it.
Robert: David Coverdale sang on “Private Number.” He sounds tremendous, how did that come about?
Phil Collen: I have seen David play with Deep Purple and toured with Whitesnake, so I’m a huge fan.
Originally we were going to have him sing on “Mistreated”, but he said Joe Elliot would be great on it.
We asked him what song he wanted to sing and he said without hesitation “Private Number”, by William Bell. Again, it’s got a unique vibe to it and he loved to sing it as he grew up a disciple of the Paul Rogers’s school of singing. It was really refreshing to hear him sing soul and blues versus just the rock stuff.
Robert: I have to wonder after working on this CD with its incredible energy and vibe; did some of that expression, spirit, and power transcend in the creation of new Def Leppard songs?
Phil Collen: It did on some of the songs, but like I said, it is a very different recording process. We started rehearsing the songs together before Rick sat down on the kit. Some of the backing tracks we kept so you do have that spirit.
In Def Leppard we do lots of backing vocals, hundreds in fact sometimes; so all of a sudden it moves to a different area. It starts to sound more like a Queen record than a Free record. I think Def Leppard’s unique sound is based in that approach. You have to make sure everything is in its right place which is completely different then with Delta Deep, as you keep all the warts.
Mistakes are there on vocals and guitar. For example on “Shuffle Sweet” and “Sweet like Candy” the night before we recorded them, Def Leppard played a festival in Mexico. I had lost my voice and when I started singing the backing vocals in “Sweet Like Candy” I couldn’t do the second round, so Debbi had to jump in and sing the other backing parts. So you have stuff like that on this CD.
In Def Leppard we would have waited a few weeks for me or made the changes to get it right. With Delta Deep we just caught it real and raw.
Robert: Do you have a release date for the new Def Leppard CD or name of the first single?
Phil Collen: I don’t think we have the single figured out as of yet, but the CD will be released in the Fall.
Robert: Is there a concern about the fans reaction to this style of music or how they will compare it to the new Def Leppard CD?
Phil Collen: Fuck them, I don’t care. On the Def Leppard CD we didn’t make it for the fans, we made it for ourselves. We didn’t make it for the record industry or to appease fans, we did exactly what we wanted to do. That’s how we got played in the first place.
If you try to keep pleasing people you lose yourself. When I say fuck them and fuck everyone else, I sincerely mean it. These are for the reasons we got into music in the first place and to create something new and express ourselves in getting something out. The songs that give me goose bumps or brings tears to my eyes are the ones where people were expressing themselves.
Phil Collen
Robert: How does your blues guitar playing stack up to Ralph Macchio in the movie Crossroads, as he crushed Steve Vai, who was Hell’s best blues player [Laughing]?
Phil Collen: [Laughing] Kudos to Steve Vai who I believe played Ralph’s parts, as well as his own in the movie. Interestingly enough right before we started the European tour last year I injured my hand as my tendon came off my knuckle. We had to drop four five songs and Vivian had to play some of my solos.
I ended up having surgery to fix it and was out of commission with a cast on my hand. I couldn’t even hold a guitar. It’s funny that you bring this up because I learned how to play slide. I’ve been a fan of Ry Cooder and Joe Walsh, so I watched a 10 minute tutorial on slide playing.
It’s the first time I have ever played slide and learned it in about a week! So there you have it me trying to do my best Ralph Macchio with Delta Deep [Laughing].
Robert: You’re in great shape; I often wonder do you eat junk food like Oreos, chips, or bagels?
Phil Collen: I do get to that point sometimes. The other night I had Indian food which was great, but I was suffering all night. On tour you have to take a little more care or otherwise it shows up the next day.
Absolutely, I’ll have a bagel now and again or something with carbs. Recently I had a cold so I couldn’t do any cardio, I could only do a weigh work out and when you are not feeling well you gravitate towards comfort food. When I’m doing some heavy duty working out or training before / during a tour I really watch more of what I eat.
Robert: Is it okay to eat Oreos from time to time [Laughing]?
Phil Collen: Its totally fine to eat Oreos, as I eat them on occasion. I also eat one type of Doritos that is vegan. You just have to be mindful of it. If you have a day like that now and again, it’s cool. If you do that for a few days you can see the negative results.
