Former DIO and
current Def Leppard guitarist Vivian
Campbell revealed
last week that he is planning to join forces with three other
original DIO members to play "some gigs" that will see
the musicians performing material from the early DIO records
that Campbell appeared
on. Campbell, Vinny Appice (drums), Jimmy
Bain (bass)
and Claude Schnell (keyboards)
will be accompanied by singer Andy Freeman, who has previously
fronted Hurricane and Lynch
Mob.
Campbell and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last in Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" - before Irishman Campbell left to join Whitesnake in 1987. Their subsequent relationship was strained, to say the least.
"In my opinion, Vivian no longer had the commitment to the band he had in the early days," Ronnie said a short time before his death in May 2010. "He was - and remains - an excellent guitarist. I never lost sight of how good he was as a musician, but as a person… Well, he was no longer on the same page as the rest of us. That annoyed me hugely. When you've got four people really stretching and straining to do their very best, and one person who's clearly holding back, it makes for an unhappy camp. A lot of negative things have been said since by both Vivian and me… Now, I regret some of those things. I'm sure he does, too."
Speaking
to U.K.'s Metal Hammer for
the magazine's May 2012 issue which features a six-page spotlight
on DIO, Jimmy Bain said
about Campbell's exit from the group, "Viv did
nothing that warranted his removal from the band in what is still
considered to be a cowardly way. For me, firing Viv was
the biggest mistake of Ronnie's career. The problem could've
easily been resolved if there had a been a will to do so
from Ronnie and Wendy [Dio,
the band's manager and Ronnie's wife]."
Vinny also regretted Vivian's departure although he was a little more diplomatic in his comments on the situation.
"Viv wasn't happy with the business part of the band, and musically wanted to pursue something else," Vinny said. "If he had been happy with the business end of it, he probably would've stayed and made a few more records with us. We had a successful, great band with Viv, and it was unfortunate to change ingredients."
Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".
"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."
Bain, Campbell, Appice, Schnell and Freeman "had a couple of rehearsals" last week "and it sounds great," the bassist said.
He added, "Listening to Vivian playing those songs again has been amazing. He's just so into it doing this, and his enthusiasm has rubbed off on the rest of us.
"Andy isn't Ronnie. How could he be? But what he does bring is his own twist on the vocals."
"Our aim is to do some shows around November, concentrating on the first two DIO albums. It's gonna be great getting back onstage with these guys for the first time in so long.”
Original DIO lineup performing live in 1984:
Campbell and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last in Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" - before Irishman Campbell left to join Whitesnake in 1987. Their subsequent relationship was strained, to say the least.
"In my opinion, Vivian no longer had the commitment to the band he had in the early days," Ronnie said a short time before his death in May 2010. "He was - and remains - an excellent guitarist. I never lost sight of how good he was as a musician, but as a person… Well, he was no longer on the same page as the rest of us. That annoyed me hugely. When you've got four people really stretching and straining to do their very best, and one person who's clearly holding back, it makes for an unhappy camp. A lot of negative things have been said since by both Vivian and me… Now, I regret some of those things. I'm sure he does, too."
Vinny also regretted Vivian's departure although he was a little more diplomatic in his comments on the situation.
"Viv wasn't happy with the business part of the band, and musically wanted to pursue something else," Vinny said. "If he had been happy with the business end of it, he probably would've stayed and made a few more records with us. We had a successful, great band with Viv, and it was unfortunate to change ingredients."
Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".
"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."
Bain, Campbell, Appice, Schnell and Freeman "had a couple of rehearsals" last week "and it sounds great," the bassist said.
He added, "Listening to Vivian playing those songs again has been amazing. He's just so into it doing this, and his enthusiasm has rubbed off on the rest of us.
"Andy isn't Ronnie. How could he be? But what he does bring is his own twist on the vocals."
"Our aim is to do some shows around November, concentrating on the first two DIO albums. It's gonna be great getting back onstage with these guys for the first time in so long.”
Original DIO lineup performing live in 1984:
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