Bassist Nathan East, renowned for his extensive session work, recently disclosed that he recorded bass tracks on a Judas Priest album while bassist Ian Hill was reportedly in rehab.
The 1980s were a defining decade for many successful bands, including the iconic Judas Priest. By this time, Hill, the band’s only remaining original member, had gone through rehab in the latter part of the decade. Rumors had circulated that Hill did not play bass on one of the albums during this period. Additionally, it was somewhat public knowledge that the legendary Painkiller album featured Don Airey playing bass lines using a Minimoog synthesizer.
In a recent interview with American Music Supply, East confirmed that he was the one who recorded bass for one of the albums, addressing the long-standing rumors. When asked about old interviews mentioning his involvement with a particular heavy metal band, he simply replied, “Yes,” and added, “I guess, since you read it somewhere, it’s probably out there now. But it was Judas Priest. [laughs] And, you know, sometimes, people have to go to rehab or something like that, but the show must go on.”
Although East did not specify exactly when this occurred, it is known that Ian Hill entered rehab in 1986. Reflecting on the struggles musicians faced during that era, East shared his thoughts on the pressures of maintaining a busy career while balancing the stereotypical rock star lifestyle. “And listen, I’m all for everybody just doing the best they can being clean,” East remarked. “Because back in the day, folks used to party. A lot of the artists that I work with now have been clean and sober for, like, decades.”
He further explained, “Which is really, when you think about a business — people think, ‘Oh yeah, I can get in there, and then I could just party as hard as I can.’ But no, you can’t. Pretty soon, it’ll catch up with you. And I’ve seen a lot of guys that just… I have a lot of friends that just didn’t make it. They stayed there, and then they didn’t make it. Thankfully, I’m always appreciative when people go and take the time to go get help.”
Revisiting his time working with Judas Priest, East recounted, “And so, while he was getting some help, the album was being recorded — ‘Hey, can you come in and play?’”
While East couldn’t recall the exact record he contributed to, he mentioned, “I don’t even remember the name of the album. They said, ‘We can’t put your name on.'”
Given that Hill went to rehab in 1986, this could likely have been the Turbo album, released in April of that year.
Reflecting on the recording experience, East explained, “But the thing is, it was one of those things where they were recording, they needed to get it done. And somebody probably said, ‘Hell, get him while he’s going from the Record Plant to Sunset Sound.’ [Laughs] So, we went in there. It was fun. And we kept it pretty simple. Because if I was playing… [plays a bass fill] They’re all, ‘Don’t play that! He wouldn’t play that. Just keep it…’ [plays a straightforward root note line] Not even a slide. But it was a fun time. Fun challenge.”
Related Topics
- Gang of Four Bassist Dave Allen Passes Away at 69
- Korg Unveils the miniKORG 700Sm: A Compact Reimagining of the Classic Synth
- Steve Stevens Shares His Favorite Guitar Solos, Reveals Astonishment at Allan Holdsworth’s Playing
