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From: letostak@netcom.com (Judy Letostak)
letostak@netcom.com
taken from the Yngwie Malmsteen Fan Club
Malmsteen's Militia
P.O. Box 5032
Tallahassee, FL 32301, USA
===================Yngwie Malmsteen BIO==============================
as of 3/95
Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on the
last day of June, 1963. That same year, the Beatles had just emerged
from Liverpool. England, soon to make their mark on music history.
But it would be another twenty years before a lanky, tousel-haired
Swede with hungry eyes would stand the music world on its head
once again. The intervening years before the day in February 1983
when Yngwie J. Malmsteen stepped off the plane in Los Angeles
provided an environment ripe for the development of a musical prodigy.
The marriage between Yngwie's army captain father and artistic free
spirit mother ended in divorce not long after Yngwie was born. The
youngest child in a permissive household that included his mother Rigmor,
sister Ann Louise, and brother Bjorn, Yngwie (named, his mother claimed,
for an old boyfriend) was wild and unruly, and delighted in "anything
that had a lot of violence in it". Music, especially guitar playing, was
reserved for wimps, and young Yngwie would have none of it. Early
attempts at piano and trumpet lessons failed to take hold, and the
acoustic guitar his mother bought him at age 5 hung untouched on the
wall. It wasn't until September 18, 1970 when Yngwie saw a TV special
on the death of guitar iconoclast Jimi Hendrix, that a flame ignited in
his mind. Seven year old Yngwie watched with awe as Hendrix blasted
the audience with torrents of feedback and sacrificed his guitar in
flames. The day Jimi Hendrix died, the guitar-playing Yngwie was born.
Applying his intense curiosity and tenacity to first an old Mosrite and
then a cheap Stratocaster, Yngwie immersed himself in the music of such
bands as Deep Purple and spend long hours unlocking the secrets of both
the instrument and the music. His admiration for Ritchie Blackmore's
classically influenced playing led him, through his sister's direction,
back to the source: Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Mozart. As Yngwie
absorbed the classical structures of the masters, his prodigious style
began to take shape and with Band-Aids covering his sore fingers, he
continued playing for hours each day.
By age 10, he had taken his mother's maiden name of Malmsteen, focused all
his energies into music, and largely stopped going to school. At school
he was often branded a trouble-maker, getting into frequent fights with
people "who behaved stupidly", and excelling in the two classes that
interested him, English and Art. His mother, who recognized his unique
musical gifts, allowed him to stay home with his records and his guitar,
where his mastery of the instrument progressed unobstructed. The missing
link, however, between the formal structures of classical music and the
flamboyant performance of Hendrix was supplied by the music of another
virtuoso, 19th century violinist Nicolo Paganini. Watching a Russian
violinist perform Paganini's 24 Caprices on television. Yngwie understood
at last how to marry his love of classical music with his burgeoning guitar
skills and onstage charisma.
By age 15, pulling off such antics as riding his motorbike through the school
hallway, it was clear that school had no place for him, and he left for
good. He worked for a time as a luthier in a guitar repair shop, putting
his woodworking skills to good use. It was here that he encountered a
scalloped neck for the first time when a 17th century lute came into the
shop. The wood of the neck was carved out so that the peaks formed the
frets. Intrigued, Yngwie scalloped the neck of an old guitar in similar
fashion and was impressed enough with the results to try it on his better
guitars. The scalloped fretboard was somewhat more difficult to play than
a normal neck, but his control over the strings was so improved that
Yngwie immediately adopted i as a permanent alteration to his equipment.
About this time, Malmsteen began playing in a number of bands built around
his explosive guitar style, with long instrumental explorations that tried
both the ears and the patience of a Swedish listening public more used to
the pop anthems of ABBA. When he turned 18, the army tried to recruit him
as officer material, based on his high intelligence test scores. Appearing
possessed as only Yngwie can do, he held a gun to his temple and vowed he'd
rather die than serve in the military. Convinced, the recruiters sent him
packing. Yngwie returned to his music in earnest. In an early incarnation
of Rising Force, Yngwie and several friends recorded a demo set of three
songs for Swedish CBS, but the cuts were never released. Frustrated,
Yngwie knew he would have to leave Sweden to get anywhere, and he began
sending demo tapes to record companies and music contacts abroad. One such
tape found its way into the hands of Guitar Player contributor and Shrapnel
Music founder Mike Varney. Yngwie was invited to Los Angeles to join
Shrapnel's new band Steeler--and the rest, as they say, is history.
Built around Ron Keel, Steeler's debut album proved to be a typical heavy
metal slugfest memorable mainly for Yngwie's now-legendary unaccompanied
solo intro to "Hot On Your Heels". By the time the album became a cult
favorite, Yngwie had already moved on to Alcatrazz, a Rainbow-style band
founded by singer Graham Bonnett. Although Alcatrazz produced some of
Yngwie's most incendiary solo flights, including "Kree Nakoorie", Jet to
Jet" and "Hiroshima, Mon Amour", it also proved to be too limiting, and
the only clear course was to go solo.
Yngwie's first solo album, Rising Force (now considered the bible for
neoclassical rock) made it to #60 on the Billboard charts, an impressive
feat for a mostly instrumental guitar album with no commercial airplay.
The album also gained Yngwie a Grammy nomination for best rock instrumental
performance. Soon the honors came rolling in: He was voted Best New Talent
in several reader's polls. Best Rock Guitarist the year after, and Rising
Force became Album of the Year. Powered by the jaw-dropping guitar/keyboard
duals of Yngwie and longtime friend Jens Johansson, the band Rising Force
blazed a trail on the concert circuit that established Yngwie as one of
rock guitar's brightest new stars and added a new genre to the music lexicon:
neoclassical rock.
Yngwie's neoclassical compositions reached new heights in the 1986 album
Trilogy. To this day, it remains one of his favorites, both in lyrical
content and musical performance. At this point, Yngwie's influence on
guitar technique and composition was undeniable, although hoards of clones
and Malmsteen wannabes tried to copy his style without understanding his
unique musical vision. Lacking Yngwie's musicality, the clones merely
sounded like proficient typists, ultimately casting a negative light on
the neoclassical approach.
In the following year, on June 22, 1987, just shy of his 24th birthday,
Yngwie wrapped his Jaguar around a tree, breaking the steering wheel
with his head. The resulting concussion caused a blood clot in his brain
that damaged the nerves running to his right hand. After lying unconscious
in a coma for nearly a week, Yngwie pulled through, only to find his
picking hand totally useless. Afraid that his career might be over, he
painfully began therapy to bring the hand back to life, impatiently waiting
for the damaged nerves to regenerate. Not long out of danger himself, he
learned that his mother, the main inspiration of his life, had died in
Sweden of cancer. To further complicate things, a duplicitous manager had
squandered Yngwie's earnings, leaving him virtually penniless in the face of
mounting medical bills. Rather than completely giving up as many people
would have done, Yngwie pulled himself together and turned once again
to music for his salvation.
The result was Odyssey, not one of Yngwie's favorites, but highly acclaimed
for its accessibility and broader audience appeal. The hit single and
video "Heaven Tonight" gave Yngwie his first taste of heavy rotation
airplay and pushed album sales just short of gold status in the U.S.
With ex-Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner as frontman, the Odyssey tour
brought Yngwie in contact with a new audience not made up exclusively of
aspiring guitarists. By February 1989, the show rolled into the Soviet
Union for a groundbreaking series of sold-out concerts in both Moscow and
Leningrad (preceding Bon Jovi's Moscow Peace Festival by nearly six
months). After the final performance, which resulted in the gold-selling
home video Live in Leningrad / Trial By Fire, the band members went their
separate ways and the name Rising Force was retired for good.
Beginning a new phase of his career, Yngwie moved to Miami, Florida, and
recruited a new band consisting of fellow Swedes. Anchoring the lead
vocalist slot was ex-John Norum singer Goran Edman, whose versatile tenor
adapted easily to Yngwie's demanding melodies. Other positions were filled
with musicians who were not well known outside Sweden but whose musical
talents were exceptional: symphony orchestra bassist Svante Henryson,
experienced studio keyboarist and arranger Mats Olausson, and drummer
Michael von Knorring. The new lineup's first album, Eclipse, recorded
and mixed at Miami's Criteria Studios, proved that Yngwie could write
radio-ready accessible material without sacrificing his classical style.
Poor promotion by troubled record company Polygram stunted sales in the
U.S. but gold and platinum status in Japan and Europe vindicated Yngwie's
decision to leave Rising Force behind.
In mounting frustration, Yngwie made the decision to leave Polygram in
what was to be a less than amicable parting. As Yngwie has often said,
his life always seems to be "fire and ice, either really good or really
bad with no in-between." Once the negative situation with Polygram
had been eliminated, things began to look up. New manager Nigel Thomas
was hard at work on Yngwie's behalf, and by March of 1991 Yngwie had
signed with Elektra Records. On the personal side, he married Swedish
pop singer Erika Norberg on May 8, 1991 but the marriage lasted only
a year. The couple was divorced in April 1992, just as Yngwie's Fire
and Ice World Tour got underway.
Yngwie's debut for Elektra, Fire & Ice, reached back to the noncommercial
perfection of his best compositions. The album burned with his personal
emotions while showcasing the classical structures of the Baroque composers
who are his heros. With this album, Yngwie was finally able to accomplish
a lifelong desire to record with an orchestra, which appears in his
arrangement of Bach's "Badinerie" from Orchestral Suite No.2 and in the solo
break for "Cry No More". Critically acclaimed for composition and
performance, Fire & Ice debuted in Japan at #1 ("Ichiban") and sold over
100,000 copies on the day of its release. The album reached gold and
platinum status across Europe and Asia. By June 1992, Yngwie returned
to Miami to rest and eventually begin work on new compositions.
Unfortunately. development of the new album was hampered by a devastating
series of events. Hurricane Andrew flattened much of Miami in August
1992, then Nigel Thomas, Yngwie's manager for 4 years, died of a heart
attack in January, 1993, and in March Yngwie learned that Elektra had
dropped him from their roster. In July, 1993, Yngwie broke his right
hand in a freak accident, and in August he was the victim of a false arrest
which made international news.
In September, all charges against Yngwie were dropped, and by October
his hand had healed completely. A contract was signed with Japan's Pony
Canyon label, and serious recording got underway with new singer Michael
Vescera (ex-Loudness), drummer Mike Terrana (ex-Tony McAlpine), keyboardist
Mats Olausson, and Yngwie on bass. Barry Sparks from L.A. was later chosen
as the tour bassist.
On December 26, 1993, Yngwie and Amber Landin of Phoenix, Arizona, were
married in Stockholm, Sweden. On Feb 3, the new band lineup began
rehearsals for the upcoming world tour. The new album, entitled "The
Seventh Sign" was released in Japan on Feb 18 1994. It quickly
reached #1 on the International charts and was certified triple platinum
in Japan. CMC International Records picked up the distribution rights
for Europe and America, and worked vigorously to promote the new album
worldwide. Yngwie's 7th Sign tour played to sold out audiences in Japan
and Europe, interspersed with club appearances in the U.S. New label
CMC worked vigorously to rebuild Yngwie's core audience and get the album
played on the airwaves.
===========================================================================
Yngwie Malmsteen
Born: Sockholm, Sweeden 6/30/63
Current Residence: Miami, Florida
Main Influences: J.S. Bach, Niccolo Paganini, Jimi Hendrix
Ritchie Blackmore
Main Guitars: Fender Stratocasters with scalloped fingerboards, DiMarzio
HS3 pickups
Outboard Gear: Bob Bradshaw-designed rig that includes two Korg SDD-1000
digital delays, Korg SDD-2000 sampling digital delay, Korg DVP-1 vocoder,
Rocktron Hush II-C noise-reduction unit, and Boss Octaver. Moog Taurus
bass pedals, CryBaby wah-wah, Samson Broadcast Series wireless.
Main Amps: Marshall Mk. II 50-Watt heads and Marshall 4x12 cabinets with
Celestion G12 25-watt speakers
Strings: Ernie Ball stainless-steel, gauges .008, .011, .014, .026, .036,
.046
Picks: Dunlop 1.5mm
Yngwie Malmsteen's Setup from 1985 "Marching Out" rehearsals
Originally from Guitar Player May 1985
His Stratocasters have been heavily modified, but from a casual glance,
you wouldn't know it. Yngwie gets a kick from making his audience
think his equipment is stock. He uses authentic Fender pickup covers
to disguise the real pickups underneath: stacked humbuckers specially
wound for him by DiMarzio. The stock controls are retained and wired
in the standard Strat configuration. There is no special shielding.
Yngwie prefers the feel of Fender Strats made in Japan to the latest
American versions. He says that the Japanese bodies feel more like
vintage Fenders made in the early '60's. He adds, however, that the
American controls are best.
Several of his guitars utilize left-hand necks on right-hand bodies.
Like Jimi Hendrix, he strings these guitars the regular way, with the
lightest string towards his toes. He likes this configuration because
the string tension is different from a standard guitars.
Yngwie also has a standard left-hand Japanese-made Strat that's strung
like a right-handed guitar; this model combines different string tensions
with an opposite bridge pickup angle. He loves scalloped fingerboards,
claiming they make it much easier to bend strings (Larry Carlton shares
this view). Several of his Strats are modified this way. In addition to
Fender Stratocasters, Yngwie has a couple of Aria Pro II custom guitars
that he uses for special sounds in certain songs. One of them is shaped
like a Gibson Les Paul and has a tremolo unit. The other is a V-Shaped
guitar that sounds like a Strat.
Yngwie is a Marshall enthusiast, and his amplifier setup at the rehearsal
consisted of two 50-watt Marshall stacks. Both heads were purchased in
Europe, and because of their 1971 vintage, the transformers in them are
quite different from the ones being sold today. One of the heads is
modified, and both use GEC KT-77 output tubes. Yngwie has a unique way of
wiring his Marshall heads to his speaker cabinets in an "X" stereo pattern
(See below). He also has a different control setting for each stack. His
speaker cabinets, which are the same ones used on the last Alcatrazz tour,
are relatively new and contain Celestion G-65 12" speakers.
Malmsteen's effects at the sessions were few, since he enjoys the natural
sound of his guitars without extra gizmos. However, he did have a few choice
devices, such as a DOD Booster Preamp to add gain and a little bit of an
edge. He commented to me that he would like to have that much gain built
into his amps. The DOD Booster Preamp also substantially increases hiss,
but Yngwie does not mind, as he loves to play loudly. His only signal
processor was the Korg SDD-1000 digital delay, used for chorus and echo.
He has been experimenting with some Aria and Pearl effects, but hasn't
decided to use any of them yet.
|-------------|
| |
from guitar --->DOD Booster --->Korg Digital ---> Amp1 --> Amp2
Preamp Delay Dry Wet
Amp1 Amp2
Volume 1 0 0
Volume 2 10 10
Treble 10 10
Middle 10 5
Bass 3 10
Presence1 5 5
Two 1971 Marshall 50-watt lead heads with Marshall slant-front and
straight cabinets containing Celestion G-65 12" speakers
Yngwie Malmsteen Fan Club
Malmsteen's Militia
P.O. Box 5032
Tallahassee, FL 32314
$15 Money Orders or cash only (cash in certified letter only)