1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Where Were You in ninety two is a production of 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio that was all actl driven. I mean, 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: he was completely convinced that if he spent money on huge, 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: big videos, you know, the fans would you know, I 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: noticed that cliche. But if you build it, they will come, 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, And they did in millions. 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Where Are You In nine two, a podcast 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: in which I your host Jason Lafier, look back at 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: the major hits, one hit wonders, shocking news stories, and 10 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: irresistible scandals that shaped what might be the wildest, most eclectic, 11 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: most controversial twelve months of music ever. This week, Guns 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: and Roses monster hit November Rain was more than just 13 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: an epic nine minute power ballad for the Ages. It 14 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: served as a swan song for the band and for 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: all the hair bands who dominated MTV rock radio. As 16 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: Nirvana's grunge anthem smells like teen Spirit burst onto the 17 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: scene and birtheden icon, gin R, who had been one 18 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: of the most popular acts in the world, would begin 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: to unravel and lose their grip on the spotlight. In 20 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: the next two episodes will chronicle the making of Guns 21 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: and Roses, Sprawling dual albums Use Your Illusion One and 22 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: Use Your Illusion Too, and their wildly expensive November Rain video, 23 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: as well as the events that led to the group's demise, 24 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: from the drug abuse to the lavish spending to singer 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: Axel Roses. Theatrics on stage and off will also explore 26 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: the tension between Rose and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, whose 27 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: infamous feud reached a fever pitch at the now legendary 28 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: Video Music Awards. Plus former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg joins 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: us to share his side of the story. This is 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: the extraordinary tale of heavy metal taking its last glorious 31 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: gasp as grunge and alternative swept America, ushering in an 32 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: era of flannel shirt, ear piercing feedback and enough apathy 33 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: to fill a thousand high school gymnasiums. The year was 34 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: I know, a rough place to start, but bear with 35 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: me because a few good things came out of that dark, 36 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: unprecedented time. Here's one of them. Tera Reader and Robin 37 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,959 Speaker 1: Petering live in Los Angeles. Readers a bartender. Petering is 38 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: a former hip hop DJ who now serves as executive 39 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: director of lens Co, a research and advocacy organization committed 40 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: to ending homelessness in l A. The friends met nearly 41 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: two decades ago when they were living in Oregon in 42 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: their late teens. Like most of us, they were stuck 43 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: in lockdown with too much time on their hands, biting 44 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: their nails over the impending presidential election and the fate 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: of their divided, COVID stricken nation. That year, former Press 46 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: House Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released her memoir Speaking for Myself, 47 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: The Women learned that In one passage, Sanders described how 48 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: former President Donald Trump told her and Communications director Hope 49 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: Hicks that he wanted Guns and Roses hit November Rain 50 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: added to his rally playlist because it was quote unquote 51 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: the greatest music video of all time. To hammer his 52 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: point home, he queued up the video in the Oval 53 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: office so the three of them could watch it, says Reader. 54 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: He makes her sit down and watch it, even though 55 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: she's she doesn't disagree. She's kind of like baffled by 56 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: the whole story. So she goes home from work that 57 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: night after being forced to watch November Rain with Donald Trump, 58 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: and she goes to watch the premiere of the Bachelor, 59 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: and then Donald Trump goes viral for an insane tweet 60 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: about Kim john Ans nuclear weapons, so he went on 61 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: like a nuclear war rant, like right after watching November Rain. 62 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: In the tweet, Trump boasted in his typical, cartoonishly macho 63 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: fashion that his nuclear button was quote unquote much bigger 64 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: and more powerful than John guns and that quote unquote 65 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: my button works. So when I saw that, I'm like news, Trump, 66 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: guns and Roses, It's like the Holy Trinity. Immediately sent 67 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: it to Robin. A lightbulb went off, says Peter Ing. 68 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: We were like, maybe he's right, Like it's I think 69 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: he might be right. And then it was how do 70 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: we how do we know? How do you know? And 71 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: so how do you answer that question? And I was like, 72 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: let's just watch it over and over again and see 73 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: if that's the greatest music video of all time, you know. 74 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: The pair then took things a step further, documenting their 75 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: findings and Nothing Lasts Forever the November Rain podcast, which 76 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: they launched in December. Two years later, they have hosted 77 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: more than eighty episodes, tumbling down numerous rabbit holes as 78 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: they tackle not only the November Rain video but the 79 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: legacy of its controversial, heavy metal creators, Guns and Roses, 80 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: from their love lives to their lawsuits to their general lunacy. 81 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: As Reader likes to say, the n r U that's 82 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: the No Member Rain universe is vast and infinite. There 83 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: are people that don't know what November Rain is. There 84 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: are adult human beings in America that don't like that 85 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: whole thing totally missed them. However, Nirvana smells like teen 86 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: spirit that think that was happening at the exact same time. 87 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: Is is a huge part of their you know, cults 88 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: are still you know, Guns of Roses is really just 89 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: kind of in this like umbrella of one of those 90 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: old eighties hairbands. She's right, a certain segment of the 91 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: American population is unacquainted with all the outrageous splendor that 92 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: is the November Rain universe, and then when it came 93 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: out it was a hit. Many who do know it 94 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: consider it irrelict. Now, most major moments in music history 95 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: are about being in the right place at the right 96 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: time with the right sound. But some of those major 97 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: moments are about being in the wrong place at the 98 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: wrong time with a sound that suddenly finds itself being 99 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: taken out with the trash in a sense. That's what 100 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: happened with November, a brilliant but sometimes misunderstood slice of 101 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: pomp rock that marked the end of an era maybe 102 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: a few eras, but more on that later. It nearly 103 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: nine effusive minutes. It showed up at our door and 104 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: came on strong, real strong. But the song and it's 105 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: absurdly expensive, opulent video also became something bigger than itself, 106 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: an emblem of rocks unchecked, excess and artifice. This at 107 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: a time when a new sound, a grittier, low fi 108 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: and therefore seemingly more authentic sound, was starting to take 109 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: over the air waves. If grunge killed heavy metal, then 110 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: November Rain, the video for which featured an actual funeral, 111 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: was Heavy Metals Requiem. But before we get into how 112 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 1: it all ended, you've got to know how it all began. 113 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 1: The year Guns n' Roses were massive, one of the 114 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: biggest acts in the world. They released their debut studio album, 115 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: Appetite for Destruction in the summer of seven, but after 116 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: a string of hit singles in Sweet Child of Mine, 117 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Jungle, and Paradise City, the record went 118 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: to number one on the Billboard Top two hundred Albums 119 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: chart and became one of the best selling albums of 120 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: all time. It's still right up there. If you could 121 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: ever imagine a time when heavy metal reigned supreme, the 122 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: late eighties and early nineties were it. I'm talking def Leppard, 123 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: Motley Crue, Skid Roll, Poison, Winger, Warned, White Snake, and 124 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: most of all Guns and Roses. Even if you didn't 125 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: like heavy metal, chances are you liked at least one 126 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: G and R song. I mean, how anyone in the 127 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: right mind can pop on Sweet Child of Mind and 128 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: not want to jump in their car, roll the top down, 129 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: take their top off, speed to the nearest seven eleven 130 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: and just pump some goddamn gas is beyond me and 131 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: I don't even drive. Scizzling, sticky, dirty and slutty. That 132 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: song is Summer in a Bottle After Appetite. G and 133 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: R lies a sort of stop gap album, consisting of 134 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: four tracks from a previously released and four new acoustic cuts. 135 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: The band's next proper albums arrived simultaneously. Use Your Relusion 136 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: One and Usual Illusion To dropped on September seventeen, offering 137 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: the world thirty new tracks spanning over two and a 138 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: half hours. As G and R lead guitarist Slash Rights 139 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: and its two thousand seven memoir Slash. After someboding in 140 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: his house, the group wrote early versions of more than 141 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: half the LP songs in two nights. This was because 142 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: a good number of them weren't totally new. They had 143 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: already existed in some form, including what would eventually become 144 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: the records ambitious video trilogy Don't Cry, November Rain, and Estranged. 145 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: November Rain is the centerpiece of Usual Illusion one and, 146 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,719 Speaker 1: if you ask me, by far, the best thing out 147 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: of all thirty tracks his bandmates have set. Actual Rose 148 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: began working on November Rain as early as three and 149 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: that he'd essentially completed the original version of it when 150 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: it came time for G and R to release Appetite 151 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: for Destruction. But because that record already contained that undeniable 152 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 1: ballad Sweet Child of Mine, a number one single that 153 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: would become the group's calling card, they decided to shelve 154 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: the other ballad and save it for a rainy day. 155 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: Not to mention, the o G demo for November Rain 156 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: was eighteen minutes, which would be demanding enough for a 157 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: bunch of sober guys, and if you know anything about guns, 158 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: and Roses. It's that these guys were nowhere near sober. 159 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: But Rose had a fondness for the track, which he 160 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: planked away at on the piano for years, so he 161 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: was crushed to see it scrapped. Now it was back. 162 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: It had been around forever, Slash rights in his memoir, 163 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: and it was finally getting its due. Because they were 164 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: piano driven and contained multiple movements and were like four 165 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: thousand years long, November Rain and its sister song Estranged 166 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: were a bitch to record, though the group handled November 167 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: Rain in a day, Slash recall spending hours refining its 168 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: intricate arrangements. He also claims his guitar solo in the 169 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: track is the exact one he played when he first 170 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: heard it in the eighties, and that it's mostly improvised. 171 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: Rose two was crazy committed to making it perfect, so 172 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 1: much so that he moved couches, a bed, and his 173 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 1: exercise equipment into the record plan their studio, which also 174 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: became a party palace for the band In his entourage, 175 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: Slash pinpoints a source of tension among the group where 176 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 1: they were toiling away on Usual Illusion one and two. 177 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: Rose's edition of keyboards and synthesizers. Rose had snuck some 178 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: into the appetite cut Paradise City, and Slash had made 179 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: it clear he wasn't a fan. He felt they were 180 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 1: superfluous and that they diluded the G and R brand. Meanwhile, 181 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: drummer Matt Sorum wasn't digging Rose's heart on for softer sounds, 182 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: as he recalled and Stephen davis is two thousand eight 183 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: biography Watch You Bleed the Saga of Guns and Roses quote. 184 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: I didn't really sign up for this, all these ballads. 185 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: I was hoping to join a badass rock and roll band. 186 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: I was like, what's with the piano? But Rose insisted 187 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: on the ornamentation. Stoned and surrounded by keyboards, he'd tweaked 188 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: and tinker, adding his vocals and more and more synths 189 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: to slash his guitar parts. Those grand, weepy strings you 190 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,839 Speaker 1: here on November Raine, that's not an orchestra, it's synthesizers. 191 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: Go play it. It's insane that they are not real strings. 192 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: Even Slash remains in all of them. By slashes account, 193 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: friction and g and R ebbed and flowed, but Rose 194 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: was firmly behind the steering wheel during much of the 195 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: mixing of User Illusion one and two. As he recalls 196 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: in his memoir, Slash would wait in the studio while 197 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: Rose hung out in his house and retooled mixes Slash 198 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: had none. Slash called the process quote unquote one sided, 199 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,839 Speaker 1: adding quote subconsciously, I think I began to see the 200 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: band as one guy sitting on a throne high above 201 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: and completely apart from the crowd of people hustling around 202 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: beneath him. The band's working arrangement essentially became a dictatorship, 203 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 1: with Dictator Rose torturing himself and an attempt to be 204 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: more like his hero Elton John, whose work, in particular 205 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: his own nineteen seventy three double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 206 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: seems to have been a major influence for the Illusion Records. 207 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: As Storm told Rolling Stone in two thousand and sixteen, 208 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 1: quote we listened to Elton John for inspiration for the 209 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: drum fills and overall tone. I vividly remember sitting with 210 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: Axel listening to Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, 211 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: and Axel pointing out the style of the Tom Tom 212 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: drum fills. Rose had long been frank about how precious 213 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: November Rain was to him telling Rolling Stone back that 214 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: if he didn't know the song, he'd quote unquote quit 215 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 1: the business. His obsession was exhausting. November Rain had become 216 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: Rose's white whale, and it was at least partly responsible 217 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: for Genr's demise. Slash even went so far as to 218 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: describe November Rain is quote unquote the sound of a 219 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: band breaking up. I know, harsh, but take that with 220 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: a grain of salt, because he writes in his memoir 221 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: the Guns and Roses cover of the Rolling Stones Sympathy 222 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: for the Devil, which they recorded for the nine four 223 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: soundtrack for Interview with a Vampire, was also the sound 224 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: of the band raking up. So yeah, you get it 225 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: as purty as it wound up being. November Rain rained 226 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: on the parade of everyone in the group who wasn't 227 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: Axl Rose, and it's impressive, some would say ridiculous music 228 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: video didn't help matters up next after the break, the 229 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: story behind the November Rain video, which involved multiple locations 230 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: and a shipped ton of extras to churches, a supermodel, 231 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: a wedding, a funeral, a man randomly hurling himself at 232 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: a cake, and of course, buckets and buckets of rain 233 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: it was a feat that someone deem a masterpiece and 234 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: others a disaster piece. The year was Guns and Roses 235 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 1: dual albums User Illusion one in two had debuted the 236 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: number one and number two spots on the Billboard Charts. 237 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: The previous fall. They would score their final top ten 238 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: hit with their epic ballad November Rain, which peaked at 239 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: number three on the Billboard Hot One. The song was 240 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: bursting at the seams with melodrama, but at least part 241 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: of its success must be credited to its equally melodramatic 242 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: music video. If Axel Rose was crushing on Elton John 243 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: at the time, he was also crushing on writer artist, 244 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: longtime Gene R chum and current Gene R Road manager 245 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: Del James, specifically his short story Without You, which reportedly 246 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: inspired the video for November Rain before it was published 247 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: in james Horror Stories collection. The l lguage of Fear 248 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: Without You centers on main man Get It, a famous 249 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: hard partying rocker struggling after his band breaks up. He's 250 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: subsisting off booze and pills to keep himself afloat in 251 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: his ocean of existentialism. His lady catches Maine cheating on 252 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: her and dumps him. To try to win her back, 253 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: he writes her the song Without You, which becomes his 254 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: biggest hit. She isn't having it, though, she won't accept 255 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: royalties from the song or his attempts to reconcile with her. 256 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: After going to her house one night, he finds her dead, 257 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: with without You playing on repeat. She has shot herself 258 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: in the head. He completely loses a trashing his apartment, 259 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: his car, and his guitar collection. The tail ends with 260 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: him lighting his place on fire, sitting down at his piano, 261 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: and playing without You one final time. As he swallowed 262 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: in flames, Rose felt like someone had held a mirror 263 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: up to him. I basically was that person, he wrote 264 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: in the introduction to James is the Language of Fear. 265 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: A few years later, Rose's tempestuous marriage to his ex 266 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: wife Aaron Everley had ended in early so he was 267 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: going through some of the same ship as Maine. The 268 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: tragedy and historyonics Without You spoke to him. When it 269 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: came time to craft the video for November Rain, Rose 270 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 1: wanted that vibe. Enlisting award winning director Andy Morahan, he 271 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: would pull out all the stops to execute his vision 272 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: and release what at the time would become the most 273 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: expensive music video ever made. By the time Rose recruited Morahan, 274 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: he had already directed videos for the likes of Ryan Carrey, 275 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: Brian Adams, Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, and Moore. His 276 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: video from Michael's Father Figure, which followed a cab driver's 277 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: love affair with a model and one Best Direction at 278 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: the MTV Video Music Awards, piked Rose's interest. He wanted 279 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: a short film trilogy depicting a tale loosely based on 280 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: Without You. Morahan had the bona fides to do it. 281 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: First came Morahan's video for Don't Cry, in which Axel 282 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: and supermodel Stephanie Seymour, his real life girlfriend at the time, 283 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: sees their way through a stormy relationship. In the beginning 284 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: of it, he has seen trudging through a blizzard in 285 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,239 Speaker 1: a cape and period piece soldier garb a bottle on 286 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: one hand and a pistol in the other. Cut to 287 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: Axel and Stephanie fighting over a gun. Later, she bitch 288 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: slaps a woman dynasty style in a bar after she 289 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: catches her flirting with Axel, throwing a helicopter a raven. 290 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:33,440 Speaker 1: Axel's very tiny jorts Axel and regression therapy and slash 291 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: driving himself and some poor chick off a cliff, only 292 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: for him to re materialize from the fiery wreckage, unscathed 293 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: and shirtless, at the top of the cliff for a 294 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: guitar solo. And you've got a lot going on. But 295 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: this is nothing compared to the antics of part two 296 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,959 Speaker 1: of the trilogy. November Rain also stars Stephanie Seymours, Rose's 297 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 1: main squeeze. No slapping her guns in sight here, though 298 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: in fact the couple are totally smitten and tying the knot. 299 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 1: We can't be entirely sure of that gun scuffle and 300 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: don't cry came before or after their nuptials, but more 301 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: on that later. Pour yourself some whiskey and buckle up, 302 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 1: because we're about to get into this thing. All right. 303 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: Here goes the November Rain video opens with Axel sitting 304 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: on the edge of his bed in his gloomy room 305 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: as he downs some pills. Behind him, the curtains blow, 306 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,120 Speaker 1: the wind whistles, the thunder rumbles, we hear the pitter 307 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: patter of rain. Were then transported to a packed theater 308 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: where Axel tickles the ivories backed by the rest of 309 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: G and R and a full orchestra, flashed to an 310 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: empty church in the middle of a desert, where he 311 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,199 Speaker 1: also sits at a piano. At around the minute and 312 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 1: a half mark, here comes Stuff and he strutting down 313 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: the aisle of a different church, decked out in a 314 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 1: white gown shaped like a mullet. It's been called the 315 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: mullet dress. As we learned an episode three of this podcast, 316 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: mullets were very trend, but this thing takes mullet fashion 317 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: to a whole new level. It's back his big, long 318 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: and flowing, but its front is dangerously short, shorter than 319 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: a damn miniskirt, revealing the bride's garter. Folks, this may 320 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 1: be the one and only mullet scenario where the party's 321 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: in the front. Meanwhile, Axel looks like he's going to 322 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: a revolutionary war re enactment slash his eternal cigarette dangling 323 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: from his mouth. Remember to bust out his trademark top 324 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: hat for the occasion, but he can't remember where the 325 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: hell he put the wedding rings. Uh, but have no fear. 326 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,880 Speaker 1: G and R Bass Stuff mccagan has some spars safely 327 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: placed on his leather gloved pinky finger, Slash hands them 328 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: to the minister. He thinks duff for saving his ass, 329 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: then heads down the aisle and exits the church. Do 330 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: you think he might be taking a smoke break? But 331 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: as an't he already been puffing away during the whole ceremony? 332 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: What's going on? Surprise Slash emerges from that other church 333 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: and a desert minus top hat entails and in stead 334 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,479 Speaker 1: wearing his classic look leather jacket no shirt. Were then 335 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: treated to not one but two guitar solos, the cameras 336 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 1: zooming in and out, encircling him like an eagle, leaving 337 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: us the viewers soaring through an expansive, endless sky. This 338 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: is what true love looks like. But wait, that are 339 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: on the five minute and second mark. As Slash slides 340 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: into that second guitar solo and the wedding guests dous, 341 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: Stuffy and Axel with white petals, we see her in 342 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: the back of a convertible outside the non desert church, 343 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: with a hint of longing or unease crossing her face. 344 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: Trouble in Paradise cut to the reception. Stephanie has slipped 345 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: into a sleeveless black velvet number Axel is wearing a 346 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,719 Speaker 1: shiny electric blue blazer. They cut the cake. They toast 347 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: guests of all ages dance fuck a DJ. There's a 348 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: band complete with an accordion and a multed saxophonist. Suddenly 349 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: the sky opens up and unleashes a torrential downpour. The 350 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 1: invitees for cover. Pandemonium ensues. People fall over tables, knocking 351 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: over glasses, and spilling bottles of wine. A handsome man 352 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: with very long hair charges at the newly weds tiered 353 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 1: wedding cake, shoving miniature axel and Stephanie off its summit 354 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 1: and totally annihilating it. Que a third, darker guitar solo. 355 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: It's actually a dirge, because now we're at a funeral. 356 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: Stephanie lies in a casket in a church, half her 357 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: face mysteriously hidden, next a cemetery where guests are drenched 358 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: in more rain. Flashed to axle tossing and turning in bed. 359 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 1: Flashed back to Stephanie strowing her wedding bouquet. As it 360 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: races through the air and through time. It's white flowers 361 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: termed blood red before it lands on the rain soaked coffin, 362 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 1: now lowered into the ground. The flowers bleed out onto 363 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 1: the coffin, flickering as they fade back to white It's 364 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: night and Axel is kneeling over it, sopping wet and alone. 365 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, I tried to keep that short, but I 366 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: got carried away, because when it comes to November Rain, 367 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: you can't not get carried away. Axel Rose got carried away, 368 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: Andy Morahan got carried away. Terror Reader and Robin Petering 369 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: have certainly gotten carried away. That's what this thing does. 370 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: It sucks you in. Since it premiered on the MTV 371 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: show Had Bangers Ball in June, November Rain has racked 372 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: up one point nine billion views on YouTube, the most 373 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 1: views of any video from the nineteen eighties or nineties. 374 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: In two thousand eighteen, it became the first video it 375 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: made before the invention of YouTube, to exceed a billion 376 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: views on YouTube. In ven countdown of the top videos 377 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:48,880 Speaker 1: of all time, MTV put it at number three. If, 378 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: by some strange chance, you're not responsible for any of 379 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: those one point nine billion views and think the whole 380 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,680 Speaker 1: thing sounds decadent, you are very right. It was as 381 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: costly as it look, with a reported price tag of 382 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: one point five million dollars and This was thirty years ago. 383 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 1: I tracked down as director any Moorehan to get some 384 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: intel on what, at the time was the most expensive 385 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: video ever made. Why was it so lavish? You know, 386 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: it was an expensive video, Don't get me wrong. At 387 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: nifty thousands, just start with that's expensive. But it did 388 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: grow exponentially. That was all ACTL driven. I mean, he 389 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: was completely convinced that if he spent money on huge, 390 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: big videos that you know, the fans would you know, 391 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: I noticed that cliche. But if you build it, they 392 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: will come, you know what I'm saying. And they did 393 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: in millions billions. Even Morihan attributes all those YouTube views 394 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: to the video's epic nous, but also to its ambiguity. 395 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 1: You know, we decided to make a virtue of the 396 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: fact that the more seeds of non linear narrative that 397 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: you kind of throw together, the more you know, weirdly 398 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: enough of the more intriguing things become. And and I 399 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: think the test, you know, that testament of that is 400 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:07,719 Speaker 1: it's still to this date people are trying to unravel 401 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 1: what the whole thing means and did how did she 402 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: Stephanie die? And why she got half her face missing? 403 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: And I speak to students sometimes you don dissertations on 404 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: November and they start telling me what some of them 405 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: symbolism is and what it means. Fans have indeed tried 406 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: to put the pieces together over the years. If actual 407 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: Rose is inspired by Del james short story Without You, 408 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: in which a rocker's ax shoots herself in the head 409 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: after he breaks her heart, then maybe Stuffanie Seymour's November 410 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: Rain character did the same. After all, we do see 411 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: her in Rose's character fighting over a gun in the 412 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: video for gin Rs Don't Cry. The predecessor November Rain 413 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: and the first of their in More Hands Use Your 414 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: Illusion video trilogy, was this foreshadowing don't expect answers from 415 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: more Hand. I don't have to explain everything, and I 416 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: think again, I think that's why I'm quite protective of 417 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: the amba ambiguity of it, because I think it's open 418 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: to interpretation, and I think that's why has longevity. Morehand 419 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,880 Speaker 1: had his own inspirations for the video, including the nineteen 420 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 1: seventy three thriller Don't Look Now, about a husband and 421 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: wife mourning the loss of their young daughter, who then 422 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: go to Italy to restore a church. Things get weird 423 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 1: when the husband starts seeing his dead kid running through 424 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,640 Speaker 1: the streets of Venice. But some of what we see 425 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: in November Rain is a result of happy accidents. Turns out, 426 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: when Slash stops out for that killer guitar, soul in 427 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: the desert, dude was going for a smoke at least 428 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: in real life. The video's wedding scene was filmed at St. 429 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: Brendan Church on van Ness Avenue in Los Angeles, and 430 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: after the cameras captured him heading down the island through 431 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,119 Speaker 1: its doors, Morehand got the idea to segue to what 432 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 1: would become one of the most iconic moments in November Rain. 433 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: Morahan hunted for a week before finding the perfect spot 434 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,719 Speaker 1: for it, Syrah Polone Ranch in New Mexico, which has 435 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: served as the location for a slew of movies, including Silverado, 436 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: Cowboys and Aliens, Wild Wild West, and Thor. There was 437 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 1: a white clapboard church but in the set, but it 438 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 1: was on a pallette, So we basically talking to the 439 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:06,679 Speaker 1: people who owned the things. They said, O, yeah, if 440 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: you want to drag out the middle of the desert, 441 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: put your little fence around him and do what's your 442 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: like to get that part of the video was the 443 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: biggest pain really thing. There were no drones then, so 444 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: to shoot it, Morahan's team used a crane, a study cam, 445 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,479 Speaker 1: and a helicopter, all for a scene that makes up 446 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: less than thirty seconds of the video. Fun fact, designer 447 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,239 Speaker 1: Tom Ford eventually bought that ranch, so it's not been 448 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:34,439 Speaker 1: sold to somebody else. Church included also a fluke that 449 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: famous cake dive. It wasn't planned. It was like, we've 450 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: done all the rain and the cake was there with 451 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: fucking less trash it, let's do it on one take 452 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: and this kid offered himself and did it. My cameraman, 453 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 1: Daniel Pel He still to this day cannot stand that 454 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: shot and all the fact it was in the video. 455 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: They found it so silly that Morahan left the shot 456 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: on the cutting room floor and it was excellent. Saile went, man, 457 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: where's that shot of the guy from going through the cake? 458 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: And I go, yeah, it was all right. I mean, 459 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: it was nothing much to write home about. It was 460 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: seen the last shot of the day and actually wanted 461 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: it back in and his interestinct must be right because 462 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: now people have not stopped talking about it for years 463 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 1: and years and years. The big question that has haunted 464 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:25,440 Speaker 1: Genre disciples for years who was the Great Cake Destroyer. 465 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:28,400 Speaker 1: The theory among many was that it was Ricky Rachtman, 466 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: Roses Pale and the former host of head Banger's Ball, 467 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,199 Speaker 1: who does show up in the reception scene. Wrong. With 468 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 1: intense prodding from Terror Reader and Robin Petering, the host 469 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 1: of the Nothing Last Forever podcast, Morihan got to the 470 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: bottom of the mystery when we spoke. He was initially 471 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: a bit koy, but then after some prodding from me, 472 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: he pulled up an email from a guy named Chris 473 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: Saint Quax who claims he and the Cake Destroyer worked 474 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: his extras in the video. He said, Yeah, of course 475 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: I know who jumped through the cake. He was one 476 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: of the gang. He and what buddies at Central casting 477 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: on cool being long haired brookers in the nineties. So 478 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: we did tons of videos, but we were just standing 479 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 1: around and the A D was desperate to find someone 480 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: that he was the man for the joke. We busted 481 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 1: these bulls before and as it was clear there was 482 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,959 Speaker 1: only one cake telling when he was going to miss it, 483 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 1: and he kind of did. His name is Steve catro 484 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: C a t R E doubled l Reader and Petering 485 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 1: have tried to track Step Controlled down, but to no avail. 486 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: Morehan doesn't never call Sheet vaguely remembers the guy Steve. 487 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: If you're out there and listening, please contact me. That's 488 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: law fier L A M P h I E R. 489 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: And also contact Terror and Robin. We're looking for you. 490 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: We love you. That poor demolished Cake is now a 491 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 1: frosted artifact in music history, but shooting the November Rain video, 492 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: much like doing anything with guns and roses, was hardly 493 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: a cake walk. The band may have been one of 494 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: the most famous in the world, but they were also 495 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: one of the most un hinged and reliably unreliable on drugs, 496 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: on the rocks, and never on time. Axel Rose was 497 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: the chief reason for the notorious tardiness, but all of 498 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 1: them were a no show for one November Rain video 499 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: set up where they were supposed to play live with 500 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: an orchestra for more than a thousand extras wrangled into 501 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:19,800 Speaker 1: the Orpheum Theater in l A. A cinematographer who worked 502 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: on that shoot told the Los Angeles Times in two 503 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: thousand twenty two that he accrue with eight cameras and 504 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: all those extras waited for the group in the theater 505 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: until three in the morning, only for the whole operation 506 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: to be shut down and filmed a few days later 507 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: and a new location. And because the early sun is 508 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: poison to party monsters. More Hand came up with the 509 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: workaround for that too. You learned pretty quickly that you're 510 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: going to get daylight shots, come do it on the 511 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: end of the night shoot. We basically had to keep 512 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: them up all night to shoot them first thing in 513 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: the morning. Slash wasn't always feeling the concepts. He has 514 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: since knocked the November Rain in Estranged videos for being 515 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: so over the top, telling Q Magazine in two thousand four, 516 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: we got into doing these huge production videos, and by 517 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: November Rain it was just too much, just too involved. 518 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, it was a great video, 519 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 1: but that's when I started realizing that it was getting 520 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: out of hand. Was they ever worried about looking a 521 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: bit silly? Well? Yeah, wait, though has Slash ever looked 522 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: anything other than cool? Still? More Hand maintains that Slash 523 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: and the rest of g n R showed up and 524 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 1: did their jobs without much complaining. He could detect issues 525 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: between Rose and his then girlfriend Seymour, but friction in 526 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: the band didn't cast a pall over production. I didn't 527 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: feel there's a powerful tension internal band at tension, but 528 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: there was tension in the experience, in the process um, 529 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: which was kind of inevitable. I think from you know, 530 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: you got from being the biggest ban. You know you're 531 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: the biggest ban in the world. But it started full part, 532 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: it seems it's bound to be some kind of tension. 533 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: Tensions were there due to have you drug use the 534 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: strain of a NonStop Two or two were the making 535 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: of those wildly ambitious Illusion Albums and Roses Swelling Eaglemania. 536 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 1: Up next, after the break, we explore Guns and Roses 537 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: off camera drama in the early nineties, including a concert fire, 538 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: two riots, a fan suicide, and an overdose that nearly 539 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: killed one of them. The year was that summer, Guns 540 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 1: and Roses embarked on a co headlining stadium tour with Metallica. 541 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: As Slash recalls in his two thousand seven memoirs, Slash 542 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: gin R's chemistry on stage was quote unquote beauty full, 543 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: but their dysfunction as a unit off stage was that 544 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: an all time high. He Embassis stuff McKagan would down 545 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: vodka back stage to cope. Meanwhile, during a show at 546 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: Giants Stadium in New Jersey from an axel, Rose could 547 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: barely get through the set because of intense pain in 548 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: his throat. He was diagnosed soon after with severe vocal 549 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: cord damage, and the band had to cancel three shows. 550 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: Shortly after that, in August, when Metallica was in the 551 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: middle of a set in Montreal, some pirate technics malfunctioned 552 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 1: on stage, seriously burning James Hetfield's arms and shoulders and 553 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: forcing the band to cut their performance short. G and 554 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 1: R filled in, but Rose claimed his throat still hurt, 555 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: and they too had to end their set prematurely. Piste 556 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: off fans took to the streets of Montreal and rioted, 557 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: overturning cars, looting businesses, and setting fires. It wasn't the 558 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: first time in abridged G and R performance ended in 559 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: a riot. A little more than a year before, in July, 560 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: at a concert in Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri, 561 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: near St. Louis, an angry Rose jumped into the crowd 562 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: and took a video camera from an audience member who 563 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: had been recording the show. Furious of what he considered 564 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: a lack of concern from the venue security. He then 565 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 1: grabbed his mic, shouted something to the effective because of 566 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: bullshit security, We're going home, and left the stage. The 567 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: concert goers went ballistic. Dozens were injured, and the cost 568 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: of damage amounted to more than two hundred thousand dollars. 569 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: G and R were banned from playing St. Louis. They 570 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: didn't return for a show there until two thousand seventeen. 571 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: Rose is arrested a year later when the band returned 572 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 1: from touring in Europe, but a judge dismissed the charges, 573 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: ruling that he had not directly incited the riot. The 574 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: group was so resentful of the debacle that when Use 575 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: Your Illusion one and two came out, they included a 576 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: special message among the thank yous in the album's inserts. 577 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: It read fuck you St. Louis. As Us recalls in 578 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: his memoir, Rose was consistently late to concerts and prone 579 00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: to walking off stage. One report says he once even 580 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 1: puked on stage. All this left his bandmates and audiences 581 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,720 Speaker 1: fuming one scene. As a scrappy symbol of the working class, 582 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,480 Speaker 1: Rose became infamous for his diva like behavior, as one 583 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 1: Boston journalist wrote, quote, at the stars are in the 584 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:25,760 Speaker 1: proper alignment and if Axel Roses psychic herbalist, massuse local 585 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 1: coach and chiropodist, I'll give him the thumbs up. Guns 586 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 1: and Roses will perform tomorrow at Foxboro Stadium. Guns and 587 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:36,360 Speaker 1: Roses reputation had long been questionable, but it was sullied 588 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 1: even further after a grim event in Argentina that The 589 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: London Times reported. On watching the news, a man named 590 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:46,280 Speaker 1: Nestor Tallarito looked on and discussed as Rose and Slash 591 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 1: pede from the eighth floor balcony of their five star 592 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 1: hotel into a crowd of fans. Suddenly, he spotted his 593 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,879 Speaker 1: sixteen year old daughter, Cynthia among those adoring fans. When 594 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: she got home, Tellartos slapped her and forbade her from 595 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:02,400 Speaker 1: attending her Idol's concert that weekend. In response, she shot 596 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 1: herself in the head with her father's revolver. When he 597 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: found her, he shot and killed himself. The band was 598 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:16,279 Speaker 1: also accused of burning the Argentinian flag. They held a 599 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: press conference to deny the claims, but critics still protested 600 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: their presence in the country. President Carlos menhim, called them 601 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: criminals and threatened to cancel their performances. Before any of 602 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 1: the chaos and tragedy in the group had undergone some 603 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: staffing changes. Matt Sorum had replaced drummer Stephen Adler, who 604 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: was fired from the group because of his hair and addiction. 605 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,840 Speaker 1: G and R had also replaced their manager Alan Niven 606 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: with a new manager, Doug Goldstein, and May Slash has 607 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: described him as a self motivated climber who really only 608 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: cared about making a buck, and claimed that around the 609 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 1: time of the release of the Illusion Records, Guns and 610 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:58,360 Speaker 1: Roses had become a quote whirling dervish of miscommunication that 611 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 1: spent money like it was water. Furthermore, Rose's bandmates felt 612 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 1: very uncomfortable with his continued insistence that they work ownership 613 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 1: of the band's name and their contracts. They didn't like 614 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: the idea of their quote unquote identity becoming a quote 615 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:14,800 Speaker 1: unquote commodity, Slash writes in his memoir of this tension 616 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 1: mounting after he offended Rose with a rolling stone interview 617 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 1: he gave. Rose apparently reacted by ignoring Slash while they 618 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,720 Speaker 1: were prepping this stage for a show During the Allusion 619 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: tour and then leaving a strait jacket. Slash It presented 620 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 1: him as a birthday gift on slashes Amp before he left, 621 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 1: But petty manager and bandmaate Drama was the least of 622 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:39,280 Speaker 1: slashes problems. In September, before his show in Oakland Stadium, 623 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:41,560 Speaker 1: he got into a big fight with his then fiance, 624 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 1: model actress Renee Sarran over their pre up agreement. As 625 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 1: he recalls in his memoir, I went to the gig 626 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 1: so angry that I was determined to do what I 627 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,760 Speaker 1: do when I want to act out get some smack. 628 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 1: After bumping into an old porn star friend of the show, 629 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 1: he gave her seven dollars to get him some heroin. 630 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: She rocked up at the room of his Sam Francisco 631 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,040 Speaker 1: hotel at five the following morning with her boyfriend and 632 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,840 Speaker 1: the goods. Slash had already been drinking, but they proceed 633 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:10,760 Speaker 1: to consume copious amounts of crack and smack. Later that morning, 634 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 1: his bandmate from Romatt Sorum called and invited him to 635 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: his room to do some blow. Slash caught up and 636 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: opened the door to had to swarm his room. He 637 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: didn't make it far, crumbling to the floor and blacking out. 638 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: When he came to, he was told his heart had 639 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: stopped for eight minutes. I woke up when the defibrillator 640 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 1: sent an electric shock through my chest and stunned my 641 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:36,320 Speaker 1: heart into beating again, he writes. In his memoir, Slash 642 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: recalls wrapping Jars year long tour soon after his brush 643 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,319 Speaker 1: with death, only to discover that they had little money 644 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: to show for it because of Rose's pricey backstage theme 645 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: parties and the union fees they had racked up for 646 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:51,760 Speaker 1: all those late performances. As Slash tells it, Goldstein informed 647 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,240 Speaker 1: Rose if he wanted to keep his mansion in Malibu, 648 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:59,879 Speaker 1: they'd have to continue touring. In October, just weeks after 649 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,879 Speaker 1: slashes overdose, before the band would embark on another year 650 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 1: of tour dates they would take them to Europe, Japan, Australia, 651 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,240 Speaker 1: and that ill fated stop in Argentina. Slashed Mary renaiss 652 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,560 Speaker 1: Iran at the Four Seasons at Marina. Del Rey Duff 653 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 1: mccagan was his best man. We can be pretty sure 654 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: he had their rings on hand. When Slash describes his 655 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 1: wedding and his memoir, he might as well be referring 656 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: to the fictional one he attended and his massively famous 657 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 1: bands November Rain video quote. We definitely didn't do it small. 658 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 1: It was this really big production that I had very 659 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:36,280 Speaker 1: little to do with. Of course, there were other forces 660 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,720 Speaker 1: of play, forces beyond the control of Slash and Axel 661 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 1: in the Gang Well Guns and Roses were hard at 662 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:47,719 Speaker 1: work finishing their dual user illusion albums, The Tides returning 663 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,800 Speaker 1: the courser less, flamboyant, more low five sounds of grunge 664 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: were creeping in from the Pacific Northwest. Bands like Soundgarden, 665 00:38:55,640 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 1: Pearl Jam, Allison, Chains, and Nirvana were gaining momentum. Nirvana's 666 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:04,560 Speaker 1: Smells Like Teen Spirit would completely change the game soon 667 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 1: after its release in September that year, radio big wigs 668 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: would scramble to retool their programming to accommodator shift and taste. 669 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: The video for Smells Like Teen Spirit, which premiered on 670 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,359 Speaker 1: MTVS Alternative Rock Show A hundred and twenty minutes later 671 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: that month, would become a staple on the network, changing 672 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: MTV's own rotation strategy and letting loose a decade's worth 673 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: of copycats. Remember that nine countdown of MTV's top five 674 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: videos that placed November Rain at number three. Well, Smells 675 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:37,320 Speaker 1: Like Teen Spirit was number one. Guns n' Roses stagy 676 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 1: grandiloquent video for November Rain stood in sharp contrast to 677 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: Nirvana's simple, five minute video for Smells Like Teen Spirit, 678 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: a murky anarchist affair depicting up pep rally in a 679 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: high school gymnasium that ends with its listless students coming 680 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 1: to life and trashing the set. In the band's gear, 681 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,960 Speaker 1: no opulent churches, fancy weddings, top hats, or period costumes. 682 00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,799 Speaker 1: Frontman Kurt Cobain is seen hanging out with everyday kids 683 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 1: in a pair of jeans and a sweater layered over 684 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: a T shirt, his hair tangled and greasy and mostly 685 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:07,719 Speaker 1: in his face, looking like he'd been stirred away two 686 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:11,640 Speaker 1: minutes before shooting began. The vibe was visceral and raw, 687 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,720 Speaker 1: and it tapped into a new generation's disillusionment and apathy. 688 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: It spoke to young MTV viewers because it felt fresh, relatable, 689 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:29,840 Speaker 1: sincere real, to put it bluntly, more punk. By September, 690 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,000 Speaker 1: after Guns and Roses had piste away so much money 691 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:37,320 Speaker 1: and Slash had nearly died, heavy metal was already attending 692 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: its own funeral. Robin Petering, co hosted the Nothing Last 693 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:47,320 Speaker 1: Forever podcast, points to the exact moment when Nirvana played 694 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 1: Lip the m and broke the guitar like changed everything 695 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: and guns and roses clothes with the dueling piano with 696 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 1: Elton John. People did not want that, you know, It's 697 00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: just it was over, like right then and there. Yeah. 698 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:08,920 Speaker 1: Next week, we delve into the simmering tension between Axel 699 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: Rose and Kurt Cobain had culminated with a nasty showdown 700 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: at the Video Music Awards, a night that, for many reasons, 701 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:20,279 Speaker 1: has become legendary. We'll also examine how grunge exploded, leaving 702 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:23,399 Speaker 1: heavy metal for dead and changing the music landscape, and 703 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:27,720 Speaker 1: why Axel ditched women for Dolphins. Plus former Navada manager 704 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:40,800 Speaker 1: Danny Goldberg joins us to share his side of the story. 705 00:41:31,000 --> 00:42:08,520 Speaker 1: Yea Ye, Where Were You in ninety two was a 706 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:12,080 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. The executive producers are Noel 707 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 1: Brown and Jordan run Talk. The show was researched, written 708 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:18,959 Speaker 1: and hosted by me Jason Lafier, with editing and sound 709 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 1: design by Michael Alder June. If you like what you heard, 710 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,960 Speaker 1: please subscribe and leave us a review. For more podcasts 711 00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:28,479 Speaker 1: for my heart Radio, check out the I heart Radio app, 712 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,520 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.