Renowned guitar legends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have unveiled their highly anticipated debut single from their exciting new collaboration, the SatchVai Band. This project showcases their extraordinary talents and passion for music.
The freshly released track titled “I Wanna Play My Guitar” perfectly reflects their status as two of rock music’s greatest guitar virtuosos. Joining them on this remarkable tune is former Deep Purple frontman Glenn Hughes, who adds his powerful vocals. The SatchVai Band is further enhanced by the incredible contributions of rhythm guitarist Pete Thorn, bassist Marco Mendoza, and drummer Kenny Aronoff.
In an insightful discussion with Guitar Player, Satriani elaborated on how “I Wanna Play My Guitar” captures the essence of youthful energy that defined their early years in music.
“This song embodies the dreams and aspirations Joe and I held as teenagers. It encapsulates all the things we cherished about the electrifying world of rock and roll, along with our love for the glorious guitar,” he explained. “It’s a phenomenal opportunity for us to share our teenage ambitions through this song with our listeners today.”
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Reflecting on those vibrant days, Satriani continued, “I vividly recall how exhilarating it was to play the guitar. Our entire existence revolved around that instrument, which felt like a mystical monolith. I believe there are teenagers today experiencing the same feelings of awe and excitement for this sacred instrument when they strum it.”
Don’t miss the chance to listen to “I Wanna Play My Guitar” below.
Discover the Surprising Origin of ‘I Wanna Play My Guitar’ and Its Vocalists
In a fascinating part of the conversation, Satriani disclosed that he had initially envisioned the song featuring two vocalists: Glenn Hughes and Justin Hawkins, the dynamic frontman of The Darkness.
“I came up with this wild idea during the Monsters of Rock Cruise, where both Glenn and Justin were performing,” the celebrated guitarist reminisced. “Unfortunately, upon returning from the cruise, I tested positive for COVID-19, which plunged me into a 10-day haze, causing me to forget whether I had reached out to them about collaborating.”
“Once I finally recovered, I received word from Justin’s team that The Darkness was gearing up to release their own record simultaneously, which meant he couldn’t participate in our project. So, I decided to send a rough demo to Glenn, and he was excited to be involved,” Satriani recounted.
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Hughes, whom Satriani affectionately referred to as “one of our childhood heroes,” turned out to be the ideal collaborator for this exciting track.
“When I began crafting this song, I had no inkling of how significant the contributions from Glenn and Steve would become,” Satriani confessed. “Their input was crucial in shaping the song into what it is today.”
The SatchVai Band is set to embark on an exhilarating journey with their Surfing with the Hydra Tour, which will kick off on June 13 in York, England, and will take them across Europe, bringing their electrifying sound to fans everywhere.
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