The Underappreciated Genius Of John Sykes

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

So I had no clue this was an old Whitesnake song (Not a huge early Whitesnake fan) that they re recorded. After hearing the original, to me this just drives home the points I made about how Sykes played guitar and then and made it his own.

[@panagiotisexplorer213]

Exactly! With all respect to Bernie Marsden (my 2nd favorite Whitesnake guitarist) but John Sykes version is waaaay better!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

@@panagiotisexplorer213 Yeah with all respect to Bernie I just like the Sykes version better.

[@MrUmandMrEr]

...reminds me of an Alanis Morrisette song...

[@Coppercustomz]

Dude it’s literally on the 87 whitesnake album

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

@ Yeah but it apparently was on a different album before Sykes was in the band, The re recorded it with him.

[@rugdnit911]

Still of the Night was such a monster riff.

[@emelle1283]

Riff of the 80s, if not all time.

[@h.youngvalley.3681]

Still is … Will forever beeeeeee.

[@ryanmcgeary4939]

Still of the night riffs are about as killer as a gets

[@etburkentine455]

Blue Murder is probably one of the most underrated rock albums. Back in my high schools years when that came about I heard it and was so blown away with John’s playing but one thing everyone is failing to mention is the guys voice.

[@heavymetalchild87]

The lead guitar on "Baby Please Don't Go" by Lizzy almost broke my brain. And listening him with TYGERS OF PAN TANG was life changing as well. He was (is) a force of nature.

[@ToneD5150]

There was none better at creating monster riffs than John Sykes! When my wife and I got married we played two songs at our wedding reception. Is this Love and Here I go Again...!!! For each of us it was our 3rd marriage 💑 John helped fill a tremendous void in both our lives...!!! Rest in Peace John💖

[@MarbsMusic]

Sykes, one of the greatest ever! As I've gotten older I have realized how much of an impact he made on me, I find myself doing things that sound like him without intending to in the least...

[@StevenEveral]

What makes John Sykes more impressive is that when he was playing solo in the late 90s/2000s/early 2010s, he'd be PLAYING these riffs and SINGING at the same time. He was a badass and a monster on the guitar.

[@MasterArpeggioSystem]

And already in the late 80s and early 90s with *Blue Murder.*

[@slappywag7210]

The guy was a born rock star. One of my favorites for years. That first blue murder album is still amazing!

[@SRVaughan1003]

That pull off run is Gary Moore inspired of which we all know Sykes had full adoration

[@MrUmandMrEr]

The second guitar solo in Thin Lizzy's Thunder and Lightning gets me every time!

[@freakybeaky1]

That’s the one! The feel that has with the track! It’s monstrous.

[@rishz7857]

Sykes playing with Scott Gorham & the rest of Thin Lizzy on the Renegade & Thunder n Lightning albums made TL sound so heavy & cool

[@brianwood7237]

Saw John in 84 on his birthday with Whitesnake supporting Quiet Riot in Oakland,CA... you can see why Cloverdale wanted him out because John out classed him he was such a rockstar pirate except he was wielding a black Les Paul Custom and an amazing Fiesta red Strat during which he played crying in the rain for 10 minutes... still one of the best performances I've ever seen in my life... thank you for this Robert

[@NoName-gz2kk]

Yep, I was at that concert. Awesome!!

[@drockny]

Thanks for putting this tribute together and spreading the word. John Sykes had so many intricacies and originality in his playing he is a complete legend. I heard on Eddie Trunk podcast he was destroyed from being kicked out of Whitesnake by Coverdale and the huge success the 1987 had when he wrote all of the music. I was also shocked to hear Eddie mention when he told John how many fans he had and how the guitar community loved him, he didn't believe it and didn't think he was that special. Very tragic.

[@canyoncarver]

Aside from King Ed, Master John was an absolute beast, and his playing has influenced me since 1987. Rest In Power, John Sykes. And thanks, Robert, for your tribute and insights.

[@tiagoramalhais5493]

Sykes, together with John Norum is my fav 80's rock player, he was just one of those guys who are natural born guitar players as he made it seem so effortless

[@patzguitarz]

Correct about Norum. His solo albums in the 90s were great. You can hear so much Gary Moore influence in both Norum's and Sykes' playing.

[@jeffbaker5038]

Thanks for doing this. Sykes was just a monster on that Les Paul and what a great song writer and vocalist. I saw Blue Murder on their first tour and they were incredible. I actually got the band to sign their LP at a meet and greet at a record store before the show. I hope I still have that LP packed away. RIP John. You will be missed.

[@onbrokenwings72]

Thanks for this video dedicated to John Sykes, a true guitar hero 🤘🤘🎸🎸 his work on Whitesnake’s 87 album is a masterpiece. He will be very missed. R.I.P John 🙏🙏

[@johntimland9394]

Both you and Ben Eller (Uncle Ben) are crushing these lessons -- thank you!

[@gdasilva]

Crying in the Rain is Marsden and Moody. Sykes added a more aggressive approach to it. A lot of the Whitesnake album are updates to appeal to the American market. Doesn’t take away from Sykes, but I think the Blue Murder stuff being 100% his, would be more appropriate.

[@1969MARKETING]

i think Reb Beach and John Sykes were probably the two best riff creators from the 80's

[@WeeFreeMan78]

Add Marc Diglio to that company. Monster players

[@ms-06fzakuii53]

Marc Diglio and John Sykes are underrated

[@PawpawJamz]

Great video, Rob. The STANK on that C# is the necessity in that riff. RIP to one of the best.🙏

[@ewan_ou182]

Thanks so much for this particular lesson. It’s one song I have always enjoyed and wanted to learn. So thanks again RB,and for all of those amazing songs & riffs JS. In honour of you, I will learn this song

[@MusicTherapyLaz]

Truly... one of the 80s unsung guitar heroes! Thanks for doing this video, RB! You got that Sykes vibrato DOWN! YOU ROCK! ✌️😎🤘🎵🎶🎸⚡️

[@jeffvargo1068]

Dont forget Thin Lizzy Thunder and Lighting CD …Sykes is all over that album..Sykes really makes that recording

[@tymanngruter1808]

I did study his playing for about five years, learned a lot and found my own voice on guitar! To late now.... but thanx John! May you have a big jam in heaven❤

[@andrewk9143]

Ok can we also talk about that insane fretless bass in the intro video too? Woah

[@donaldyoung9838]

Love Still Of The Night Especially When He Starts Doing The Solo Using Violn Bow On His Guitar That's Like So Cool Thanks Robert Awesome Video An Playing

[@djh6970]

I wish things were different, but I’ve been looking forward to your tribute Robert. Very nicely done and I’ll learn this for sure. Thank you😔

[@sirtogii5216]

Nice tribute. In fact, it's been really nice to see other creators as well really making sure to focus the attention on the little nuances and not just use his passing as a click bait opportunity.

[@HamidShibataBennett]

So saddened by John Sykes’ passing. The 1987 album lead me back into their earlier days. Crying in the Rain was composed by Bernie Marsden, who recently passed on too. That loss hit me just as hard as when I heard John died. Sykes sure took the riff to an all new level though. Thanks for another great video.

[@erkjan]

John Sykes meant a lot to many guitarists from the 80's onwards. Many great riffs with Tygers of pan Tang also! RIP Mr John Sykes

[@johnshelton8441]

Thank you Robert for your videos! Keep on being awesome!

[@alfredoverton9649]

Thin Lizzys Thunder and Lightning was a WTF moment for me. The Sun Goes Down solo is so tasty.

[@miller8084]

Thanks for this! Great stuff.

[@michael.darrin1963]

I've been watching a lot of Sykes in concert lately and the one thing I noticed when he was soloing, he rarely used his Pinky. John's playing was so incredible and his tone just cut through the mix. When the 1987 WS album came out, his playing turned the guitar community on it's ear, his riff's and solo's had so much fire and solo. He is truly one of the most Unsung guitar hero's of all time.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Fascinating how few people don’t know songs like crying in the rain. Here I go again etc were all created in the original whitesnake band featuring Micky moody and Bernie marsden who wrote the riffs etc. Coverdale dying his hair blonde and getting such an amazing player like Sykes helped him raise the profile of the band massively. I remember hearing Sykes vibrato in 1987 on that album and being blown away. Obviously his speed too. I urge people to go check out the original versions of some of these songs such as crying in the rain and here I go again from the 1982 album saints and sinners. Very different. More blues less fiery gary Moore style rock blues If like me you are old enough to have followed whitesnake in the early 80s and knew these songs before Sykes got at them you would have felt the impact of how different his versions were when they released in the late 80s. He modernised them and make them much more aggressive. I actually love both versions of crying In the rain mainly as I loved moody and marsdens blues style as well but Coverdales voice in 1982 was epic. Listen to his vocal on the intro for here I go again. Much better than the later version which felt a little overproduced and very pop based to get radio airtime. Coverdale was no fool. He was a marketing guy too and good at it !

[@MarkFromHawaii]

Yeah, Uncle Ben has a video out on the great John Sykes. And as you both say, it's the pinch harmonics and wild vibrato that sets Sykes apart from the rest. And the 16th notes, and the slides from up the neck towards the nut, and the... RIP John Sykes.

[@jimicokinos973]

Huge fan from back in the day.........HE WILL BE MISSED!!!

[@lukerangdan8557]

Barhiya Robert Bhai🤘🏻

[@paulsworld2]

When this album came out I remember all of us learning this riff. We didn't have it all right Robert has fixed that!!!!!

[@skidjs]

Underappreciated, yes. But never underrated!!

[@462rob]

Great video. Inspiring.

[@jaqueslagerweij6882]

I always loved him with Thin Lizzy!

[@donprater6944]

Favorite guitar tone of all time was the 87 Whitesnake album.

[@PeterFrayne-o4n]

I had the honour of meeting John a few times just before he joined Tygers. He was playing in a rock covers band called Streetfighter with Mervyn Goldsworthy who went on to join AOR outfit FM and still plays with them today. My pal was the other guitarist in Streetfighter and told me they were imminently going to lose him because of his incendiary playing even then.

[@Hbomb731]

Sykes was ROCK AND ROLL….. PERIOD! R in P!

[@neil6438]

This looks fun to play!

[@michaelholmes5150]

I was listening to those early albums of Tygers of Pan Tang and the Blue Murder album. Entirely outside of Whitesnake. You can hear the progression of his sound and feel. Haven't heard his solo material from the 90s as thats another long listening session. Like Jimmy Page and Montrose, Sykes took the Les Paul to a new frontier before Slash and Wylde took over.

[@patzguitarz]

I bought a bootleg Whitesnake cassette in the late 80's that had the original Crying in the Rain. It was so amateurish sounding compared to Sykes' version. His signature of wide vibrato, double picking, and pinch harmonics makes it such a great song. Also, the way he played Thin Lizzy riffs brought them to another level.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

I didn't know there was a version before the Sykes one until someone just commented about it. Heard it for the first time a few hours ago. I 100% prefer the Sykes version.

[@dixiethedog1777]

A nice tribute video. Please everybody do a search for the John Sykes version of the Gary Moore song "Still got the blues". His solo's are some of the best guitar playing that I have ever heard. The outro solo is spectacular.

[@cymro6537]

A couple of lesser known songs that John Sykes played : 'A night in the life of a blues singer ' by Thin Lizzy - amazing solo. The next one was a song of his own composition , 'She knows' - there's a clip on KZbin taken from a Japanese TV show of John singing this unplugged on an acoustic guitar. Beautiful.

[@KenIngwersen]

You mean a live version of A night in the life of a blues singer then? On the studio album it's Gary Moore:)

[@cymro6537]

@KenIngwersen Sorry,I should've specified. I was referring to 'Thin Lizzy live at Reading' - I think that this was their last concert in the UK

[@toddclarke1580]

Nice , the real deal.,

[@TeodorBerggren]

Micky moody wrote crying in the rain. Original version on saint N sinnets album

[@Scubasgamecorner]

Great video Mr. Baker , could you share what you are playing through for this video gear and signal chain etc...

[@mickeydt17]

The harmonics are on the 5th and 7th frets , I believe

[@robertb67]

Wow, the ending of the video was a shocker to me. I had no idea he passed.

[@sweetpain67]

I…didn’t follow him. Always knew the Whitesnake stuff. Then recently saw his solo in Rio ‘85. INSANE. 🔥 Dare I say he did more with a Les Paul than RR?

[@cmel714]

Wow I just taught myself Cold Sweat Thin Lizzy last night. Cool

[@ВладимирТ-ш5м]

Ещё подобное, лайк от меня👍🏻

[@assafnrose]

Shit, didn’t know he died. You shocked me. His Whitesnake time was priceless.

[@mississippisnowplow]

Also, the genius of Tony Franklin on bass.

[@southernpanda33]

I’ve got a white custom and a quilted maple partial eclipse with 70’s tribute burstbuckers in it. Will either of those work?

[@AlaskanRockstar]

🤘🕯

[@jonathanhoward1497]

The fact that he was not headlining festivals and stadium tours just goes to show how crooked the Music business is

[@rickeymitchell8303]

Rip 😭😭😫💔

[@Kazwell111]

I tend to wonder how much guitar playing the album producer does or what they direct the "star" to play for the recording. Not saying it was the case with JS, but there was a lot of it in the 80's. They had to refine the sound to make it hit like rock, but not too abrasive.

[@MrBeta911]

🙏🏻🎸

[@poornoodle9851]

Cold Sweat…

[@daveydohrman2241]

Awesome

[@jessetate9701]

I got a fly v Is that okay an a Blackstar ht stage 60 mkiii 1x12 lol and a ts9 lol

[@philfrank5601]

Tygers of Pan Tang.

[@gibmeinhardt2081]

i think john mostly uses his index finger for the verse or main riff. i've been trying to get this song down note for note as best as i can the last few months.

[@gibmeinhardt2081]

on the live version of john playing crying in the rain with Whitesnake live rock in rio he plays the lead intro lick differently than the tab too, but the live version is before the recorded version and is different.

[@shanerose5348]

That Blue murder appearance on Big Al was just freaking epic. Big, big loss to the music world. ❤JJS

[@tweedman0]

That doesn't look like a dragon's heart pick. 😂

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

I moved away from those 5 or 6 years ago. Great picks just wanted something more normal.

[@Cook1z551]

Got it

[@guitarman45.]

So ya i picked up a black Les Paul 85

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Nice! How do you like it? This one is a 92 my buddy left with me for safe keeping.

[@brandonbienvenu2278]

I noticed that it looks like you’re reverting back to an open picking hand instead of a closed. What prompted the change? I’m in a open to closed transition now and it’s tough.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

I use both at different times now. It more depends on the situation. For more aggressive picking I fan my fingers and for more precise picking I close my hand.

[@jb-im1ii]

Crying in the rain was originally from "Saints and sinner", released two years before Sykes joined the band... just to point it out.

[@garyrouleau4676]

A few of us have been pointing that out it’s a Bernie Marsden song. They remade the song for the 87 album.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

@@garyrouleau4676 Yeah I had no clue I wasn't a big fan of early Whitesnake. I have a comment pinned at the top addressing this :).

[@ianorourke6320]

Sykes was alot like Gary Moore in his speedy stuff

[@gregoryclagett]

Anything on the Blue Murder album would showcase the real John Sykes.

[@zazen1986]

Also, what in the HELL was happening on bass in that intro? Scott Devine, where you at?!?

[@westinclinard8189]

rob rob rob robby rob rob robert

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

February 2nd and already that boy aint right.

[@ipythe68]

As bb king used to say if your using anything heavier than gauge 8 strings you are working to hard

[@thepeetjournal4469]

8:00 Sykes plays many 1/16 in between. Typical for him.

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

R.I.P John Sykes...i didn't know that he passed away ....aaand R.I.P Sassy Cat 😢

[@emelle1283]

Proud to say i recognized Sykes guitar in Whitesnake 1987 as an all time monster when i was 15 in 1987 - i called it probably younger than anyone else did.

[@mayo0007]

New Guitar?

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Just a loaner from a buddy.

[@garyrouleau4676]

You should be prefacing that Crying in the rain was written by Bernie Marsden. Still of the night was his and I rather you focused on that song because it was his. Just saying.❤

[@SRVaughan1003]

Absolutely, but it was a more straight forward blues number on the saints and sinners album…. The sass flash and aggression and arrangements was all sykes

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Oh yeah I added a comment up above and pinned it. I honestly didn't know this was an older song. I never got into the older Whitesnake as great as it was. I just heard the original for the first time today!

[@SRVaughan1003]

@ the original is good but not epic. You can see why Kalodner and Geffin pushed it for a Sykesification treatment

[@garyrouleau4676]

@@RobertBakerGuitar Listen to John Sykes Bad Boys Live it’s a masterclass in live performance!

[@henrykc3]

I don't know how to make those harmonics...

[@pattyd8396]

Just because you CAN slide into every note on a fretless bass, doesn't mean you should.

[@ilkkasaine2366]

Orginally riff is from Bernie Marsden. Sykes did only some decorations… 😂

[@garyrouleau4676]

Thank you I said the same thing!😂😂😂

[@64siskat96]

sykes made a trash song a hit😂

[@ilkkasaine2366]

@garyrouleau4676 All should hail mr. Marsden 🫡😂

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

HA I had no clue. I didnt listen to much early Whitesnake I just heard it for the first time and the original is cool but Sykes def made it his own.

[@ilkkasaine2366]

@@RobertBakerGuitar True. Personally I prefer the early Snake. Original version with bluesy guitarlick-intro just hits the spot 👍 (just as Jon Lords Hammond on original version of Here I Go Again) First album to me was Aint No Live In The Heart Of The City, I was maybe 7-8 years old in 1985-86. Album is still worlds best live-album 😁

[@raycymbalisty5503]

your copying ben eler's vid only he was better at john sykes

[@creamwobbly]

I don't think he played the riff that way.

[@latebloomer6179]

First :)

[@NicoViergever]

Bad, very bad example. A song from the Marsden era. Butchered by Sykes (didn't like Blues).

[@lanatrzczka]

Quick, everyone make a John Sykes video while it's a hot topic!