From Chris, California:
Hi K.K… I am looking forward to reading about some of your summer activities @the Steel Mill when you post your next update. K.K. is there a chance that there might be 1 or 2 or 3 love themed songs on Judas Priest’s next studio album? Judas Priest writes the BEST Heavy Metal love songs!!!
Some of my favourites are: Burnin’ Up – Desert Plains – Hot For Love – Love Zone – Pain and Pleasure – Fever – Evil Fantasies – Eat Me Alive and Love You to Death!
It has been way too long since Judas Priest has written a love themed song.
I am sure Rob is still as wild as ever and he should be able to write some adventurously inspired lyrics! Thanks K.K.! Take Care and Stay Healthy.
Hi Chris. We will certainly see what we can do! After all it’s what makes the world go round isn’t it?
Regards K.K.
From Rob, Lancaster, Pa:
Hi K.K.,
I saw a picture of you wearing a necklace with the Judas Priest trident on a necklace. I’ve been on a quest to find somewhere to buy it but it appears that it isn’t sold anywhere. Was it custom made? I think it would be a great product to add to Judas Priest’s merchandise. If it wasn’t custom made could you tell me where I could find it?
Hi Rob. Unfortunately I think it was a one off made for me by a fan but I agree that it would be cool to reinstate it as a merch product if possible.
Regards K.K.
From Ed, Saddle Brook, New Jersey:
Hello Again. I have asked you in the previous months about the KxK guitars. But then I was wondering what kind of pick ups are you using? I have Seymour Duncan Screamin Demons in my Jackson soloist and they sound quite similar. But I was just wondering what kind of Pick Ups are you using? Take Care K.K. and Long live The Priest. You guys rock man!!
Hi Ed. I am using EMGs 81 & 85 on all of my guitars.
Regards K.K.
From Paul:
Hello K.K. The first I ever heard of Judas Priest was while on holiday in Alicante. I was 14 and a typical moody teenager so spent a lot of time sulking in the hotel bar where they had a jukebox. On it was a Judas Priest single that must have only been released on the continent because I had never heard of Judas Priest before then. I can’t even remember what the A side was but the B side was ‘The Ripper’ and I played that song until the barman banned me out of his bar. When I got home I saved up all my pocket money and bought all of Judas Priests back catalogue, which at this point in time added up to Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings. I considered myself an underground music connoisseur because I was into a band no one else had heard of at school. By 17 I had bought myself an RD 250, wore a leather jacket covered in chains, studs and petunia oil (remember that? hippy scent lol). I was a proto Hells Angel and Judas Priest were my passion. I lived in a village called Seaton in Cumbria and I started my own outlaw biker gang called THE SEATON PSYCHO’S!
Oh my god what a twat lol. Most of us had fuzzy 50’s and a couple only had push bikes. Anyway, I bought every Priest LP up until Defenders of the Faith. I saw you live at Newcastle City Hall a few times. Then things kind of went titz up, divorce, motorcycle crash that almost killed me, then winning custody of my two kids and having to bring them up alone. I drifted out of the music scene all together. Just stopped listening. I ended up clinically depressed and suicidal. A couple of years ago, while feeling sorry for myself and getting rat arsed on voddy one evening, I stumbled across Judas Priest free to download stuff on the interweb thingy. The titles of the tracks brought back memories of much happier times. I listened to them all and they made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I started listening to all the old stadium rock bands again and found my old passion for good hard heavy rock!
Life has improved a hell of a lot since those dark days. Kids are up and gone. I’ve met a wonderful lady who apart from being a Whitesnake fan (God I wish we could have seen you lot and them lot over in the States) is perfect for me. I have bought all the Judas Priest stuff up to date and even bought Metalogy just for the car. I love Angel of Retribution (especially Hell Rider. Fantastic guitar solo) and Nostradamus is now also in the car. Heavy metal in Italian with a brum accent! Cool or what lol
Well I guess I just wanted to say thanks. Judas Priest have always been loudest when I was happiest. I just hope I get another chance to see you guys live before you hang the spandex up 😉
Regards Paul
P.S. How’s the golf course thing going?
Hi Paul. I’m happy that things turned out well in the end for you. I enjoyed reading your letter and hope that you will continue to enjoy the great music that we all have such a great affinity with and the course is rockin, thank you.
Regards K.K.
From Richard Harris Ii:
Hello “The Metal Gods Of Earth”,I am a 30 year plus fan of Judas Priest, and the band, and Metal in general. I am now 43, and unemployed/laid off right now from my industrial sales career but I still come up with ideas or new concepts to help people, or myself cope with my unfortunate time off right now.
Iron Maiden, is also one of my very favourite metal bands as well.
As you know a lot of bands are touring together as a type of “reunion tour” of great bands from the seventies, eighties and nineties and today.
I came up with an idea overnight that I think could be a real money maker for you and your metal band. I believe metal fans all over the world, in general would love this concept below.
New 2011 Concert Tour/New 2011Album/DVD Concept:
Album Cover: Eddy, of Iron Maiden wearing a formal priest outfit, with a halo above his head, sitting behind an holy alter, in a old cathedral. Please use the current artist you used from the past. Album Colors: Black/Silver/Gold/Mid-night Blue/White glowing halo/collar/background stars.
Album/DVD Content: Top ten songs of both bands “LIVE”
Concert Concept: Both groups tour together performing each others songs, and performing songs together on a world tour and record these performances for the new live concept album.
Thanks for being a part in my life with your great music. Please feel free to contact me on this concept. Please give me your thoughts on this concept I came up with overnight.
Very Sincerely, Richard Harris II
Hi Richard. I am sure some of your ideas would certainly wet the appetite of many fans. If nothing else I am sure that you will have a kick ass Priest tour next year with all of the trimmings, DVD etc. so hope to see you then.
Regards K.K.
From John, Cleveland:
Hello K.K. My question to you is: what equipment you were using while recording Painkiller? The guitar sound on that album is probably the best I’ve ever heard. I’ve looked inside the Painkiller CD booklet and all over the internet and I can’t find anything.
Hi John. I was using my Pete Cornish rig which to be honest just had inside what I had always used. That was the Range Master treble boost copy together with multi affects. I just ran that into 50 watt Marshall heads. Although it was great for rhythm I always felt like I lacked drive for lead but somehow I managed.
Regards K.K.
From Varun, India:
Question – Hey K.K. First of all I would like to thank you and Priest for enriching my life. I have been listening to Priest for over 2 years and I have all Priest’s albums. There is not a single day I don’t listen to Priest. I am especially a huge fan of the album ‘Stained Class’. My heartfelt congratulations to Priest for winning the Grammy’s. My first question to you is who among you and Glenn Tipton played the first half of the main solo in ‘One Shot At Glory’? Also another question is how do you feel about the fact that your distinctive playing style has heavily inspired Slayer and the numerous extreme metal bands that have come after them?
Hi Varun. The first part was played by me and yes it’s fantastic and a great honour that other bands cite Priest as being influential to them. Please give my best wishes to as many fans as you can in India.
Regards K.K.
From Jon, Sweden:
Hello K.K.! Hope you’re having a really good time off from work, while it lasts!
I have a few questions about some of the less documented aspects of the Priest history and catalogue…
1.On the Judas Priest Info Pages, which is an incredible database site of Priest history by the late Maddrakket (R.I.P.), there are mentions of two songs called “Under the Gun” and “Fighting for Your Love” which were recorded for Turbo, but never released. Do you remember what those songs were like, can you tell us something about them?
2. Is there any more unreleased, old material that you guys want to release some day? Like the aforementioned songs, or Mother Sun, or some live B-sides? Priest Live & Rare was a great compilation, but us completists can never get enough, and I’m sure we’d be happy for just about anything!
Also, I would like to ask: If you made a solo album, what direction would you like to go in? Sticking with the Priest sound, going back to the roots (Hendrix, etc) or doing something entirely different?
Looking forward to hearing from you and the Priest in the future, all the best!
Hi Jon. Yes these songs do ring a vague bell in my memory but have to confess as I type this reply, I’m not able to elaborate further on these songs. To be honest I’m not aware of any material that has any consequence left in the Priest archives. However like you pointed out there is an Epic release of live stuff 78- 86 entitled Live and Rare, mostly b-sides of singles plus it has Turbo Lover Hi-Octane Mix by the Hellion Kid. I guess my solo album if I ever did one would probably end up sounding like a Judas Priest record.
Regards K.K.
From Mandy Pulliam, Kentucky:
Hi K.K.! Big hello from Kentucky! I’m a long time fan, been listening to Priest for 23 years! I met you once on the Jugulator tour in Louisville back in Feb. ’98.We met you before the show, then we went backstage and hung out with you and the band for an hour or so and you guys shared your booze with us, and gave us all kinds of cds and shirts and hats! Thanks so much for that, I will never forget it! You men are very friendly to your fans! I also have some pics from that show on my myspace (mandydarkangelofsin@myspace.com) if you ever have a chance to check them out! Since then, I have got 3 Priest tattoos! I heard that Judas Priest were going to be very busy in 2011 and I was wondering if you already have any ideas or collaborations for a possible new album? Are there any new songs in the works? Also, does Judas Priest ever plan to make any more official videos for the Nostradamus album? Which, btw, is a masterpiece! I would love to see that performed live in its entirety. I know you guys have been so busy with touring last year; I bet you are so exhausted! I saw Judas Priest twice last year and it was such a treat! And I love the live British Steel dvd! Hope to see the Priest back in Kentucky soon!!! Thanks so much!
Hi Mandy. I think that most points of interest in your letter are being discussed at this very time. Although it is nothing totally definitive at the moment, except our up-coming world tour. Please rest assured that any other definite decisions made by us will be posted on the appropriate web sites as soon as possible.
Regards K.K.
From Kym:
Hi there, K.K.!
I’d first like to say all Priest songs are absolutely amazing in every single way and I can listen to any and all of them over and over everyday. Though I’ve finally been able to single out my absolute favourite track out of them all (believe me, it was hard, I’m bad with choosing my favourites of anything…) and I pick Hard as Iron off Ram it Down. Is there any chance of that bad boy being played live anytime soon? Or perhaps things like Reckless, Before the Dawn or Running Wild? Think they’d make a stellar show for sure! Cheers.
Hi Kym. Of course the definitive song selection for our next tour is not only my choice. I certainly agree with you that at least some of these songs would be worthy additions.
Regards K.K.
From Jeanine, Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
I was watching VH-1’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and was thrilled to see Judas Priest on that very diverse list. I noticed that Rob, Glenn and you were all there to comment on the various artists. Periodically they would list an artists top five picks. Did you get to submit a vote? If so, who did all of you pick for your top five? Who are your top five? Miss you and hope the creative juices are flowing.
Hi Jeanine. No I don’t think we did get to vote, which is just as well as it is extremely difficult to pick just five artists out of so many. All I can say is that the great Jimi Hendrix is my favourite artist of all time, as everyone knows. Anyway hope to see you all next year.
Regards K.K.
From Erico Michelli Junior, Brazil:
Please answer me what kind of guitar is your Flying V, what was your mark and model used in the discs during 80’s?
Hi Erico. From 1980 to 1990 I was using Hamer guitars that were custom made Flying Vs for me. The first was the KK Vector V and then later came the KK Mini V. I hope this answers your question.
Regards K.K.
Oi Erico. De 1980 a 1990 eu estava usando guitarras Hamer, que foram feitos voando Vs. para mim. O primeiro foi o KK Vector V e, depois, veio o KK Mini V. Espero que isso responde sua pergunta.
Atenciosamente K.K.
From Ronen Elbaz, Israel:
Hi K.K. please tell me did you take the name Judas Priest from the song of Bob Dylan called “Ballad of Frankie Lee & Judas Priest”
Hi Ronen. Yes I’m almost certain that is where the name was taken from.
Regards K.K.
From Eduardo Martin, Madrid:
Hello Mr. Downing. It’s a pleasure to read about such an amazing guitar player. Last month I heard Priest was interested in re-recording some of their old classics for a new album, do you think that songs would earn something with new technologies? Don’t you prefer them to be part of their time and make new songs for new times? And this last is not a question, it’s just a petition, there are two (maybe more, but now these two come to my mind clearly) great songs… two masterpieces that should have a live version by Priest: Blood Red Skies and Prisoner of your Eyes. It’s a crime that you never played these songs live. A truly crime. Keep on Rocking! Greetings from Spain!
Hi Eduardo. Yes I think you have a point about the original compositions being etched in stone but on the other hand, we as artists can’t resist seeing how they would sound if we were to re-record them in this day and age. Actually I think we may have played “Blood Red Skies” a few times but let’s see what the future might hold.
Regards K.K.
From Deano, Blackheath:
Hi Ken. Me and my family are massive Priest fans living in Halesowen. Are there any plans of future gigs in brum or England? Oh by the way recently I was working with Tony and his lads who have done building work for you in the past. I’ve also took up playing the guitar again after 28 years, oh my god what a struggle. I am soon going to purchase a Gibson 1968 version of the Flying V, a white of course. I wonder where that influence has come from. Anyway Ken keep up the good work, gud on ya Ken.
Hi Deano. Good luck with the new axe, may I say, a wise choice. Possibly see you in brum next year.
Regards K.K.
From Laurie Raleigh, North Carolina:
Hi K.K. Hope you’re enjoying some well-deserved time off. A few months ago, you were asked in an interview why heavy metal doesn’t sound like its blues influences. You made an interesting analogy of a dessert not resembling its ingredients: eggs, milk and sugar. Would you mind naming some of those artists? My part of the world is not exactly the mecca of metal so I’m trying to teach myself “remedial heavy metal.” Last summer at the Milwaukee show, there was a VERY spirited crowd sing-along of “War Pigs.” I was the one person not singing because I’d never heard it before. On that note, I’m 7 months pregnant and have been trying to play a lot of stuff for the baby. My friends have dubbed her “lil headbanger” as she seems to have some favourites already. Maybe in a few years I can bring her to see Priest!
Hi Laurie. Certainly in my opinion the vast majority of blues artists in some way made some contribution to heavy metal, from the likes of Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Peter Green, John Lee Hooker etc etc. Even if sometimes it was only lyrically. I’m certain that without these great artists, the evolutionary musical scale would not have progressed as far as it has today. My congratulations on the new edition.
Regards K.K.
From Eduardo, Brazil:
I’m a great fan and admirer of yours. Glenn and K.K are my biggest musical inspirations. I was listening to Dreamer Deceiver, played live in 1975 for what I think was the last time. Why don’t you play it live again? It’s a beautiful song, and as soon as it ends and Deceiver starts it’s very exciting. Another classic is Rocka Rolla, lots of people would love to listen to these songs that haven’t been played live for ages. We await the return of Judas to Brazil. Thank you.
Hi Eduardo. I hear you; those songs are some of my favourites too. Maybe we will play them again one day, thanks for reminding us.
Regards K.K.
From Rita, Sao Paulo:
Hi Kimmo and Jari…How are you … hope you are well …I have very Happy Birthday to Kenny…A hug for you guys. Kenny … Happy Birthday …I want you to be always happy and playing great metal …A kiss from his eternal fan…Cheers…
Hi Rita. Thank you for the wishes, might see you next year in Brazil.
Regards K.K.
From Kym:
First I’d like to say Happy birthday, dear! I really hope you had a wonderful day, and I wish I could give you a big birthday hug! Though since I can’t, I drew you something instead: CLICK HERE. Now for a question, when you were first learning how to solo, what did you do to get really good? I’ve been wanting to play really bad but my lack in ability to solo has been putting me in a guitar-block. I’ve been trying out types of scales here and there, but not in a serious manner. Do you suggest I get a bit more serious in various scales? (My style is a classic early 80s heavy metal/blues type, in case that helps) Any ideas or suggestions on what I can do to get better would help me a ton 🙂 Thanks, K.K., hope all is well!
Hi Kym. Yes scales are very important as they will inevitably allow you to improvise with more confidence. Also it is vital that you practice your expression and feel. This is very much assisted by bends and vibrato. This is what also manipulates the notes, creating more in tune and pleasing sounds. Scales in order to learn should be chromatic (the easiest but mot used to much) major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, major scale, minor scale, harmonic minor, diminished, whole tone and half tone. Then try to become familiar with the modes which are simply scales within scale. Sounds daunting I know and for most of us it can be years of work. But meantime keep listening to your favourite artist’s solos and try learning them using TAB. I am sure you will progress nicely, good luck.
Regards K.K.
