Musical Musings

Rock’s go-to guitarist

By Joe Matera

Mar 28, 2026

Chris Spedding

English guitarist Chris Spedding has a career that spans over 50 years.

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In the 1970s, he became one of Britain’s most in-demand session players, contributing guitar to countless albums by artists such as Bryan Ferry, Joan Armatrading, Paul McCartney and Elton John, to name a few.

He’s also been a record producer, touring guitarist and a solo artist.

Spedding’s entry into the studio session world happened by chance, when two of the 1960s’ busiest session guitarists, Big Jim Sullivan and a certain Jimmy Page, exited the scene to pursue other projects. In Page’s case, he went on to form and have success with Led Zeppelin.

“Both Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan were very big in the ’60s in the studios,” Spedding said.

“And I came in right at the end of the ’60s in 1969.

“So, I owe a lot of gratitude to the two Jimmys for bowing out of the session business.”

One of Spedding earliest sessions was for folk-rock singer Sixto Rodriguez.

“He wasn’t a known quantity at all back then,” he said.

“He was just some busker off the street that had gotten a record deal.

“That’s what we thought, anyway, at the time.”

Spedding was also involved in Jeff Wayne’s hugely successful musical version of War of the Worlds in 1978, which featured artists such as David Essex, Julie Covington and actor Richard Burton.

“That album was done in bits,” he said.

“I don’t think I was ever in the studio at the same time as David or with any of the other guys.

“We were given huge pieces of sheet music all written out, but there was nothing actually written out; it was just chord symbols.

“A lot of what we did was improvised, and Jeff would say, ‘Yeah, I like that bit. Can you keep that bit in?’”

One of his most memorable sessions was for ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

Spedding recalls McCartney as trying to be a regular guy.

“But of course you can't be a regular guy if you're Paul McCartney!” he said.

“Any musician from my generation, we defer to guys like him because they were the Beatles.

“He comes over as being like the regular guy from Liverpool, like, ‘How are you doing, Chris?’

“Would you like a cup of tea?

“And he's just being nice.”

Spedding has enjoyed the studio and stage, and feels each has its own place.

“I like the session work,” he said.

“If you do a fantastic day in the studio, you know that it’ll always be there.

“But live, if you do a fantastic gig and it wasn’t recorded, it’s a bit frustrating

“You’ve got to be accurate in the studio. You can’t have too many chances.

“Live, it helps you if you do take a few chances.”

For more on Chris, check out: chrisspedding.com

Music news

Country music legend Willie Nelson is set to release his 79th album, Dream Chaser, on May 29.

Nelson made his recording debut in 1962, and has had a prolific music career ever since. Nelson turns 93 next month.

Seventies guitar superstar Peter Frampton will release his new album, Carry The Light, on May 15.

It will be his first collection of all-new material in 16 years, and the album was co-written and produced with his son Julian Frampton.

Muse have also announced a new studio album too, titled The WOW! Signal, set for release on June 26.

A new album by Olivia Rodrigo is also in the works, which the singer has stated is “experimental” and full of “sad love songs”.

Coming on May 8 is a new album by Neil Diamond titled Wild At Heart. It features previously unreleased material that was originally recorded in 2007 for Diamond’s 2008 album Home Before Dark under the watchful eye of producer Rick Rubin.

Backstage pass: Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty first came to public attention via their 1996 debut album Yourself or Someone Like You, and the hit songs from the album such as Push and 3 A.M.

In late 2007, the band released Exile On Mainstream, a compilation album of their greatest hits along with a bunch of new studio tracks.

They toured Australia in April 2008 in support of the album.

It was here where I got to interview two of the band’s members, guitarist Kyle Cook and bassist Brian Yale, at the upmarket Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne.

I found both Kyle and Brian unassuming and down to earth, passionate about talking about all things related to music, as well as the going-ons during the band’s current tour.

We covered a number of topics over our half-hour interview, including a discussion about guitars, a subject that all three of us shared a passion for.

Both were on a tight schedule of interviews and had a full day of press to do, and as the other band members were also present doing interviews with various other press members, the hotel was a hive of activity.

After the interview, both invited my wife and I to join the rest of the band backstage later that evening prior to their show at Rod Laver Arena for a meet ’n’ greet with the rest of the band.

What was interesting was, as I entered the backstage area of the arena, lead vocalist Rob Thomas, who was earlier doing interviews at the hotel with other journalists, upon seeing me called out, “Hey, weren’t you in the hotel earlier today?”

To which I replied, “yes”. Both Kyle and Brian who were present interjected by saying, “he interviewed us”.

After a bit of a chat with Rob, who I might add was hilariously funny, it was time to leave, as the band prepared to hit the stage.

We took our seat close to the front of the stage to watch the evening’s performance, of which the band performed a memorable show running through their well-known hits and more.