SLASH On COREY TAYLOR Singing For VELVET REVOLVER: 'It Just Didn't Seem To Fit Right To Me'

Vorterix.com conducted an interview with Slash when the legendary VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow.

On the current status of VELVET REVOLVER:

Slash: "What happens is with VELVET REVOLVER, when we parted ways with [singer] Scott Weiland, I was so frustrated because Scott was such a pain in the ass. And I thought, 'I just wanna have some quiet time and just write some music,' and then the idea of doing the solo record came up. And in the meantime, no new singers for VELVET REVOLVER, that were really good enough for VELVET REVOLVER, popped up. So I just started working on the solo record, and put it out and went on the road. But the whole time [I was] very conscious of [trying to find someone] who was going to sing for VELVET REVOLVER — but no one's turned up. So in the meantime I just keep doing what it is that I do and I've got a great bunch of guys that I work with [in my solo band], I enjoy working with them. I'm having a lot of fun; there's no unnecessary hassles or anything, and everybody's good players. And now we're writing music for [my] next [solo] record, which is gonna be killer. So, you know, with VELVET REVOLVER, it's like Duff's [McKagan, bass] got his own thing, I've got my thing, Matt's [Sorum, drums] got his thing. If a great singer comes and says, 'I wanna sing for VELVET REVOLVER,' and we all go, 'Yeah,' we'll make a VELVET record. But I can do my own thing — I don't have to go back and do that — unless it's good enough to do it, you know what I mean?!

"Next year I definitely will make another Slash record with [ALTER BRIDGE singer] Myles Kennedy [and the rest of my solo band] and go on tour. So at least for the next couple of years, nothing is going to be happening with VELVET REVOLVER that I can see 'cause I'll be focused on this. And after that's over, if something happens… I'm just not really concerning myself with it right now. We had all these different guys try out, all really good singers, but nobody has fit the thing, so, you know, I have to move on."

On the rumor that VELVET REVOLVER was recording with Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and that VELVET REVOLVER was close to announcing Taylor as the band's new singer:

Slash: "Because of the social networking, and the way that information gets out so quickly now… We did work with Corey Taylor, and as soon as that rumor [got around], next thing you know, everybody is saying Corey's the new singer. And all we were doing was just rehearsing with him and trying him out — auditioning him, so to speak. So, in order to do that, our process is to… we take a lot of music that we wrote and we give it to him and he writes his lyrics and he comes in and we just perform it and record it and see [what it sounds like]. It's just an audition process; it's the way that we do it. So he did come in and do all that. But I just wasn't… It just didn't seem to fit right to me. And he's great — and I love Corey — but it didn't seem like the answer to the VELVET REVOLVER problem."

VELVET bassist Duff McKagan recently revealed that recordings exist of Taylor singing with the band. Asked about the speculation that Taylor was their man, McKagan told Music Radar, "We recorded a bunch of songs with Corey. I think he's fucking great. Whether he's in VELVET REVOLVER or not . . . I think he's the best voice of a new generation. The best rock 'n' voice out there. He's got a lot of positive energy. I'd be proud to do anything with him."

McKagan added, "But the truth is . . . I can't see VELVET REVOLVER happening till fall, maybe. (VELVET guitarist) Slash is touring, I'm just starting to tour . . . We'll just see. I just don't have an answer. I don't."

This was the first time that a member of VELVET REVOLVER has confirmed actually recording with Taylor.

It was just two months ago that it looked increasingly likely that VELVET REVOLVER was going to announce Taylor as the band's new vocalist. Taylor had hinted at it, and both McKagan and Slash had confirmed meeting with Taylor.

But things seemed to cool down in March, with Taylor recently sporting a "I am not the new singer in VELVET REVOLVER" T-shirt and McKagan telling England's Total Rock that the band may even put its search on hold again.

Slash has said in recent interviews that he plans to make a new solo album this year, while McKagan is touring with his side band LOADED and launching a wealth management firm for musicians.

Taylor is currently on the road with STONE SOUR and will do some summer festival gigs with SLIPKNOT.