Paul Tobias
Encyclopedia
Paul Tobias is an American guitarist
best known for his involvement with hard rock
band Guns N' Roses
, with whom he has collaborated since 1994.
can be traced back to 1984 and the formation of Hollywood Rose
. The band's demo tape featured two songs co-written by Rose and Tobias; Shadow of Your Love and Back Off Bitch.
In 1985, Rose moved on to form Guns N' Roses. Several tracks on the band's debut album, Appetite for Destruction
, were written beforehand and originally intended for earlier projects. While the Hollywood Rose track "Shadow of Your Love" was re-recorded during these sessions, it didn't make it to the album. However, it was released as a B-side of the album's first single, "It's So Easy
". Tobias was also thanked in the album's credits
.
The third Guns N' Roses studio album, Use Your Illusion I
, was released in 1991, featuring a re-recorded version of "Back Off Bitch". At the time, Rose stated in an interview that the song was roughly ten years old.
In late 1994, Tobias replaced Gilby Clarke
and played rhythm
and lead guitar
on the band's cover version
of Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil
". While Tobias contributed to the song on Rose's request, his inclusion is known to have caused friction between Rose and the band's then-lead guitarist Slash
, because of an overdub made by Tobias of Slash's solo on the song.
Tobias is known to have worked and recorded with Guns N' Roses in 1996, when the band started working on their sixth studio album. His role in the band was not clarified publicly at the time. According to Rose, this was due to the uncertainty on whether Tobias would eventually be featured on the record and subsequent tours as a rhythm guitarist. While former band members Slash and drummer Matt Sorum
have publicly stated that Tobias' involvement strengthened their respective decisions to resign from Guns N' Roses, Rose has stood by his associate.
In 1997, Tobias began working for Guns N' Roses full-time in a studio setting, jamming and recording song ideas with, among others, the band's keyboardist Dizzy Reed
and former lead guitarist Robin Finck
. During this time Tobias and Reed wrote a song called "Oh My God". In 1999, the band recorded the song and released it on the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger
film End of Days.
In January 2001, when Guns N' Roses played their first concerts in eight years at Las Vegas
House of Blues
and Rock in Rio
III, Rose introduced Tobias on stage in both shows as someone who had helped him in keeping the band together during the past years. In Las Vegas, Rose also noted that Tobias had previously played live in only a handful of shows. The band would play their next two concerts in December 2001, again in Las Vegas. They proved to be Tobias' last appearances as a band member.
Tobias was replaced in the band by Richard Fortus
in the summer of 2002 due to his aversion to touring. At the time it was not officially stated that Tobias had left Guns N' Roses although neither his name or work was mentioned for several years. When the band released Chinese Democracy
in 2008 it became evident that despite his lack of touring, he had recorded several guitar and piano pieces and wrote songs for the album along with the other band members, and features heavily on the final product. It has since been stated that he will continue to work in the studio with the band as a member even though he will not feature as an official member on the band's touring schedule.
account featuring three of the band's demos was opened.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
best known for his involvement with hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, with whom he has collaborated since 1994.
Guns N' Roses
The first known collaborations by Tobias and childhood friend Axl RoseAxl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
can be traced back to 1984 and the formation of Hollywood Rose
Hollywood Rose
Hollywood Rose was an American hard rock group formed in 1983 and is best known as the precursor group for what would eventually become Guns N' Roses. The group was founded by Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin and Chris Weber while they were aided during live shows by Rick Mars, Johnny Kreis, Steve Darrow...
. The band's demo tape featured two songs co-written by Rose and Tobias; Shadow of Your Love and Back Off Bitch.
In 1985, Rose moved on to form Guns N' Roses. Several tracks on the band's debut album, Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
, were written beforehand and originally intended for earlier projects. While the Hollywood Rose track "Shadow of Your Love" was re-recorded during these sessions, it didn't make it to the album. However, it was released as a B-side of the album's first single, "It's So Easy
It's So Easy
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Slash - lead guitar* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Cover versions:...
". Tobias was also thanked in the album's credits
Credit (creative arts)
In general, the term credit in the artistic or intellectual sense refers to an acknowledgement of those who contributed to a work, whether through ideas or in a more direct sense.-Credit in the arts:...
.
The third Guns N' Roses studio album, Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
, was released in 1991, featuring a re-recorded version of "Back Off Bitch". At the time, Rose stated in an interview that the song was roughly ten years old.
In late 1994, Tobias replaced Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...
and played rhythm
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
on the band's cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil
Sympathy for the Devil
"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It was written by Mick Jagger credited to Jagger/Richards...
". While Tobias contributed to the song on Rose's request, his inclusion is known to have caused friction between Rose and the band's then-lead guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, because of an overdub made by Tobias of Slash's solo on the song.
Tobias is known to have worked and recorded with Guns N' Roses in 1996, when the band started working on their sixth studio album. His role in the band was not clarified publicly at the time. According to Rose, this was due to the uncertainty on whether Tobias would eventually be featured on the record and subsequent tours as a rhythm guitarist. While former band members Slash and drummer Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
have publicly stated that Tobias' involvement strengthened their respective decisions to resign from Guns N' Roses, Rose has stood by his associate.
"The public gets a different story from the other guys - Slash, Duff, Matt - who have their own agendas. The original intentions between Paul and myself were that Paul was going to help me for as long as it took to get this thing together in whatever capacity that he could help me in. So when he first was brought into this, he was brought in as a writer to work with Slash.".
In 1997, Tobias began working for Guns N' Roses full-time in a studio setting, jamming and recording song ideas with, among others, the band's keyboardist Dizzy Reed
Dizzy Reed
Dizzy Reed is a contemporary rock musician, and occasional actor. He is best known for his tenure as the keyboardist & pianist for the rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he has played, toured and recorded since 1990...
and former lead guitarist Robin Finck
Robin Finck
Robin Finck is an American guitarist of Nine Inch Nails and former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses. He is one of only a few artists who has played in two different bands listed on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"; Nine Inch Nails and Guns N' Roses .-Career:Finck grew up in Marietta,...
. During this time Tobias and Reed wrote a song called "Oh My God". In 1999, the band recorded the song and released it on the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
film End of Days.
In January 2001, when Guns N' Roses played their first concerts in eight years at Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
and Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
III, Rose introduced Tobias on stage in both shows as someone who had helped him in keeping the band together during the past years. In Las Vegas, Rose also noted that Tobias had previously played live in only a handful of shows. The band would play their next two concerts in December 2001, again in Las Vegas. They proved to be Tobias' last appearances as a band member.
Tobias was replaced in the band by Richard Fortus
Richard Fortus
Richard Fortus is a professional guitarist who is most famous for being rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses.Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Fortus cut his teeth throughout the Midwest with his band, The Eyes. The four-piece alternative band independently released "Freedom in a Cage", which was...
in the summer of 2002 due to his aversion to touring. At the time it was not officially stated that Tobias had left Guns N' Roses although neither his name or work was mentioned for several years. When the band released Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
in 2008 it became evident that despite his lack of touring, he had recorded several guitar and piano pieces and wrote songs for the album along with the other band members, and features heavily on the final product. It has since been stated that he will continue to work in the studio with the band as a member even though he will not feature as an official member on the band's touring schedule.
Mank Rage
In 2002, Tobias' band mank Rage (David Lank, Darren Mickler and several past drummers) expressed interest in releasing an album, consisting of material recorded prior to his tenure with Guns N' Roses. In July 2006, nearly four years later, a MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
account featuring three of the band's demos was opened.