Tom: So, you hung with Ed Van Halen and you took lessons from Randy Rhoads two of most people’s all time favorite guitarist! That is blowing my mind.

Chet: Well, I didn’t think much about it I guess cuz I was just living in it. When I studied with Randy he told me I was his best student because when we jammed, I came up with very creative leads. He asked me how I came up with ideas and I told him I was also studying classical guitar. His eyes lit up and he asked me to introduce him to my classical guitar teacher.

Tom: So, Chet since we just finished filming and explaining all the songs on your new album Strong Like Bull, let’s talk about your career highlights. About telling me the story of your experience with Eddie Van Halen. Did Eddie share his secrets to how he got a huge brown sound?

Chet: [laughs] well…Ed is the king, always will be. Ed’s live sound was no secret to those of us who grew up in Pasadena or L.A. because we knew Ed’s sound was his playing style, his songwriting genius, tuning down to E-flat, along with his extensive knowledge of amps and guitars. Even though there were a few players on the scene who had good tone, and technique and style, Ed had it all and was light years ahead of the game.

Tom: Yea dude we know. But how did Ed get his live sound then?

Chet: I can share with you how Eddie Van Halen got his huge sound in the studio. This will be new information that no one has ever read before. People don’t give Donn Landee, Ed’s engineer on the first 4 Van Halen records, much credit. See, when I was in WWIII, we went into Sunset Sound studios with Donn Landee to record. We recorded in the same room Van Halen did for their first two records, same way, live with a few baffles between the singer and me and the drums and bass. Donn was watching the Laker game while he recorded us. We played through our set and when we were finished, we came into the console and watched Donn mix the songs. I will never forget this moment. Sunset sound has one of only 3 special reverb tanks in the world. Donn turned to us and said, “and now for the Van Halen, Montrose sound”. Donn moved a few faders on the board, dialed a few knobs and there it was the Ronnie Montrose sound, the Van Halen sound-only it was a darker shade of brown. Our jaws dropped We looked at each other with tears to grins. It was one of the most amazing recording moments of my life. You can hear our sound on YouTube- bootleg live recordings from our band WWIII.

Tom: You’re killing me man. Why have you never gone on record with this?

Chet: Well, then we went to Ed’s house on Coldwater Canyon and mixed down some songs. I met Ed. He heard our songs during our mix down. Ed was cool. He asked me if he could borrow my amp, so I let him. He called me up, it was very cool, and I will never reveal what he told me in our conversation.

Tom: Dude. What? Can you tell me anything?

Chet: Anyway, Columbia records signed our band WWIII, but Warner Bros got involved. Prince’s management got involved. Columbia fired the guy who signed us, and then Warner declined to pick us up. Our band broke up. We all moved on. 

Tom: That blows my mind. That had to be devastating. Imagine how things could have been different if they released your record?

Chet: Yep. But life happens right.

Tom: So, you hung with Ed Van Halen and you took lessons from Randy Rhoads two of most people’s all time favorite guitarist! That is bowing my mind.

Chet: Well, I didn’t think much about it I guess cuz I was just living in it. When I studied with Randy he told me I was his best student because when we jammed I came up with very creative leads. He asked me how I came up with ideas and I told him I was also studying classical guitar. His eyes lit up and he asked me to introduce him to my classical guitar teacher.

Tom: Amazing!

Chet: I introduced Randy to Bob Vaught my classical guitar teacher, and Randy studied with him. So, I believe it was classical guitar that helped bring out the genius in Randy’s playing along with the freedom of creating that Ozzy gave him. You can hear the classical influence in Randy’s playing with Ozzy, and in some of my songs on Hellion Screams in the Night record. 

Tom: You also taught guitar back in the day. Any famous students.

Chet: Yes because I studied with Randy, a had about 55 students a week; everyone wanting to learn Randy’s secrets [laughs]. Let’s see, Sinhue Quirin of Ministry, Max Collins of Eve 6, Tracy Gunns, there were a few others that went on to greatness.

Tom: Nice. Let's talk about that dobro song, Only Heaven Knows.

Chet: I wrote that for my wife after she passed. I went to Tennessee and hung out with some really good friends who took me to Main Street. They've got three lives bands in every single restaurant/ bar all up along the street. The Gibson Factory is there too. But a lot of people are playing these resonators and dobro guitars. 

So I went back home and I said, you know, it's kind of cool. And then when I got the Gretsch Dobro I realized I didn’t know how to play it [laughs] It had G tuning so I knew Keith Richards used a lot of G tuning on the Rolling Stones songs so I learned a bunch of his riffs.

I was like okay, cool. I got it. So then I composed the music to Only Heaven Knows, but I found I couldn’t play it on the Dobro because I have these little Ferrari L.A. fingers and the Dobro demands a cowboy’s F150 truck hands, you know, so I had to work very hard at learning to play the Dobro well enough to play what was in my head. It was the first time I developed callouses on my fingers in decades. [laughs]

Tom: Well, your Dobro playing on that song is just fantastic, the chord voicings and the melodic runs between the chords are jut great- you sound authentic to me.

Chet: We’ll see what they say about me in Tennessee. [laughs]

Tom: Your lyrics are mostly tongue in cheek-my kind of sense of humor.

Chet: A lot of the lyrics are tongue in cheek, but they have deep meaning too. I am conveying a message, believe it or not. 

Tom: I like the lyrics to Woman’s Mind

Chet: I know right? I was laughing when I wrote those lyrics. I just laugh at myself. I think the key to being an artist is to be able to laugh at yourself, not take yourself too seriously. 

Tom: The intro solo on Woman’s Mind is so catchy.

Chet: Thank you. I dig that solo too. It was on the Telle; not like Monty Python, and it's bluesy and the reason why I think you like it is because I'm outlining the 1-4-5 progression, to the point where it's almost playing rhythm at the same time as lead and it's very memorable, which I like. So thank you for that.

Tommy: Who are your guitar influences? 

Chet: Everyone. 

I mean obviously Ed and Randy. But even a lot of the guitarists I hung out with in L.A during the club days. We’d hang out and exchange licks. You have to understand that during the 80s famous bands would rehearse in the same studios where us struggling bands would. Bands like Kiss, Ted Nugent, Guns and Roses, Quiet Riot, Iron Maiden-on and on. 

Tom: Wow you grew up in a magical time to be a musician.

Chet: I truly did. I mean, one time my producer called me up and asked if I could come down to the studio to let Ted Nugent use my gear because Gene Simmons of KISS was trying to produce Ted’s next record. So Gene and Ted were in the studio, and my producer tells me to play some guitar so he could dial in some guitar tones. So, [Chet laughs] I thought here is my chance to impress Gene Simmons and I just literally shred a million miles an hour and all of the sudden this huge hand comes from behind me and grabs my fretboard. I look up and it’s Gene snarling down at me with that lower lip and he says, “Rhythm guitar like this”, and he reaches around me and plays Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones. I said, “Oh okay”. I was so embarrassed. And Ted knew exactly what I was trying to do by shredding, and he covered me by saying, “Dude that was some awesome playing but I can’t play like that”.  Fun times.

Tom: That is funny Chet. Any other embarrassing stories you’d like to share so we can show that you’re a humble guy.

Chet: Well, humility doesn’t come easy for me. Just ask my friends. In fact, my late wife used to say, “If you take the ego out of Chet Thompson there will be nothing left but ashes”. [Chet laughs].

But look, seriously I am impressed by all guitar players. I would say my relationship with guitar and all other guitar players is one of awe and wonderment.

Tom: Uh-huh. Any other embarrassing stories?

Chet: There are lots. One day during the recording of Hellion, Screams in the Night, I was blazing some solos and this dude, black, dreads with beads comes in and says to me , “man that is some cool guitar you wanna lay down a few tracks with me?” I dd not know who this guy was but I said for sure. My producer said that is George Clinton of Funkadelic and Parliament. I was like – holy cow.  I went in there and laid down some solos and we had fun. George was so talented and really a cool guy.

Then another time, I was outside the studio during the Hellion recording session and having a smoke and this limo pulls up and this tall lean black guy gets out and walks toward me. I immediately recognize him as Sly Stone. He looks at me and asks where is George Clinton? I threw down my smoke and told him to follow me. I look at him and say, “You’re Sly “and he goes ,”Yea” and I tell him how much I love his music, and his funk guitar grooves although I play heavy metal. When we get to Clinton’s room Sly asks me if I want to sit in. {Chet laughs}, I say yea – and I walk in with Sly and all these guys are looking at me, and I just tell them, “I’m with Sly” and its cool. [Chet laughs] I mean Sly Stone! Crazy right?

Tom: Wow!

Chet: Right? I am witnessing the greats! And like it’s so casual too ya know?

Tom: Nice. Maybe you are humble underneath that big aura of yours. What would you recommend for other professional guitar players are out there? Maybe you could share some advice?

Chet: Well, I would just say be yourself. Don't compare yourself to anybody else because we already have those great guitar players. What we need is new guitar players with their own style. And I would encourage people to write songs that people can remember and write solos that people can remember. The reason the Stairway to Heaven solo is so amazing is because you can remember it and you expect each note, and you anticipate Jimmy Page's every move when he plays that solo, and it's so satisfying. Jeff Beck’s Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers, is a classic example of how to play a memorable solo that has guitar talking and singing.

And very few guitar players have that. Today we have the mindset that everything sounds better faster, and It’s not true. I suggest guitarists have a serious conversation with themselves when they solo, asking, are they trying to impress the audience with a dazzling barrage of athleticism or are they trying to communicate an emotional story. Will the audience remember anything they played? Does their solo stick in your mind- or were you only dazzled by their amazing barrage of so many notes?

To be honest, as a guitarist I miss that mark as well, because it’s fun to play fast, its tempting and even when you do melodic speed runs- they pale in comparison to Santana’s Europa, Jeff Beck’s Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers; solos in some of the bands such as Scorpions, Ed, Rhoads, AC/DC, Queen, Hendrix, Pink Floyd- you know a timeless guitar solo when you hear it. And frankly I haven’t heard any recently, and not from my own playing either. 

I’m wondering if playing fast is linked to insecurity or immaturity. Because I’m sure a mature guitarist feels secure in his style to play a simple memorable solo rather than hide behind impressive fretboard gymnastics. Now I’m depressed. I feel as if I’ve failed to achieve that mark.

Tom: Well, I was waiting to bring up Randy Rhoads so let's just jump right into that. 

Chet: Nice save

Tom: Okay, sure. So you were taught by Randy Rhoads and you've never really come forward with a lot of your stories other than articles you've written way back in the 80s, for guitar for the practicing musician magazine. Why is that?

Chet: Well, Randy and I were friends and I really don't like to talk about a lot but I'm happy to talk about it. So I can tell you some inside baseball if you like.

Tom: Yes, please.

Chet: Okay. I took lessons from Randy and he had a friend named Sean and he recommended me to go play in Sean's band. And so from there I played in that band and also played a little bit with Randy's brother Kelly, and then played in my own band and Randy would come to see me play at our concerts and I come to see him play at his concerts with quiet right. And Randy said I was his best student. He taught me all kinds of great stuff. And he always stressed to be your own guitar player, your own style, period. I remember the last time I saw Randy was a Christmas night at his mom's house. And Ozzy was there and Randy was we were sitting in Mandy's bedroom with Ozzy listening to my band's demo tape, and Ozzy said it lacked bottom end and Randy said the souls were awesome. And then I showed him that I figured out his crazy train solos in his flying high again solos. He's like, Oh, wow, I hope you don't play like that in your bands. And I said no. Remember, you told me to do my own thing. But it is really fun. You've written some great guitar stuff. I'm sure everybody's gonna remember it. And so that was back in 1982. So now we're in what 2024 And you still to this day, you walk into a Guitar Center and somebody's trying to blow up crazy train wreck.

Tom: That's so true. And I also heard that you had Randy take guitar lessons from your classical guitar teacher, right? Yes. Randy asked me how I became so good on guitar so quickly. And I told him I also take classical guitar lessons at the same time that I'm studying with him. Randy. And so Randy asked me to introduce him to my guitar teacher, my classical guitar teacher. So I did my classical guitar teachers name was Bob bought. And so Randy, you would take classical guitar lessons with Bob and I would as well and then I would go take lessons with Randy.

Tom: What else can you tell us what your plans in the future? Well, right now, we're just going to promote the recording and hopefully do some videos and see where it leads to. It would be fun to play live but you know how hard it is to get bands and play live. And so we'll see what the future brings. And I'll keep writing and playing.

Chet: Because it's fun. I don't have a purpose to change the world. I just have a purpose to play guitar and make some good memorable songs and solos and I hope people enjoy it along the way.

Tom: Well, we certainly do and we certainly hope you give us some more great music. I am such a fan and I'm really glad you spent some time with us and I hope people enjoy reading this interview. Is there anything else that you would say that would be keys to the secrets to your guitar playing?

Chet: I fell for a while into the trap of chasing the greats like chasing the eddy and other great guitar players. I realized I need to cut my own path, and I really do feel that I have my own style. And I cut my own path. And I think that's what we need. Like I said before, we need guitar players out there that are cutting their own path, their own style, no matter what that style is.