Peter Mensch

Um, they had great management from back then until now.

It's Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch, and they just, they just did everything right, you know? From all these albums, like the slow, steady build.

Like, this was their first one in a major, like, great studio.

Yeah.

Now, the interesting thing is, you know, we were set to work on Use Your Illusion next.

Unfortunately, we were working with Tesla's second album at the time, and then Burn- Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch were managing, um, Tesla.

Obviously, both artists are on Geffen Records, and Ed Rosenblatt, the president of Geffen, says, "Okay, Steve, it's time to work on Guns N' Roses Appe- I mean, Use Your Illusion." I says, "Okay, I have no problem with doing that, but you have to talk to Burnstein and Mensch and Tesla and, and see if they can hold back a little bit so I can do that." And then I remember Ed going, "Tesla who?" [laughs] I said, "Oh, shit, here we go." And so at the end of the day, you know, I'm a very loyal person.

If we're committed to doing something, we're gonna do it.

Oh, wow.

So after this tour, the drummer and manager, Peter Mensch, pushed for a big-name singer.

David Coverdale was suggested.

But the guitarist wanted somebody else.

The disagreement helped end his partnership with Peter Mensch.

The singer that the guitarist wanted joined the band in February of 1982, the same month that this album came out.

So the lead singer on the album was already on his way out when it came out.

I was going to say.

Yeah, just hoping you have the same Midas touch and you'll be able to work the magic on a completely different style of music.

Well, as I say in the book, Peter Mensch, who used to manage, maybe still does, I don't know, Def Leppard, said to me once, you wouldn't know a rock video if it hit you in the head.

And then as soon as I start shooting Guns N' Roses, he's like, can I fly you to Amsterdam to shoot Def Leppard for me? Yeah.

And it's funny how that happens.