John ‘Rhino’ Edwards Talks ‘Just Sayin’, Music Gear and More

Your new album ‘Just Sayin’ is released on 1st March 2024. How did you want to approach the making of this album?

 I thought of all the players and vocalists I wanted to be involved, and silly buggers they are, all of them said yes. Except Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, they never got back to me. They don’t know what they missed.

 Who produced the album and where did you record it?

 Mike Paxman produced. As soon as he was on board, the album was a goer. I probably wouldn’t have done it if he’d said no. Even though I had the music and lyrics pretty much written, I needed someone to give it colour. When you write mainly on your own, it can sound a bit samey I think, but Mike is amazing, he co-ordinated it all and then put his own stamp on it, I can’t imagine working with anyone else. Plus a) he’s my best friend and b) we’re still talking! It was an absolute joy from day 1. We recorded vocals and most of the guitars at Mike’s studio, Drums and some guitars at Panic Button, which is near my home, a great individual studio, on an island on the river Thames. The others recorded at their home studios.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

 Watching my son Freddie playing, and just thinking, “Wow!!!!” I know we’ve known each other for a long time, but he is my favourite guitarist, end of. Listening to my daughter Mae doing backing vocals and really stepping up to the plate, she was brilliant. It wasn’t funny per se, but it was a whole lot of fun from start to finish. When Mike played me pieces he’d written to colour the songs, that was memorable, pretty much every time. It was always something |I never expected to hear, but always should have been there, like missing pieces of a jigsaw.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Teddington. Best pub ever, Bushy Park

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals?

I’m a dyed in the wool bass player, pedals are for bicycles. Status basses are the BEST!!!

The forthcoming single ‘Never Too Old’ features Francis Rossi who provides a guitar solo and backing vocals. What is the story/inspiration behind that track?

 I sent the demo of the song, which I’d written with Andrew Bown (Status Quo’s keyboardist/ multi-instrumentalist, actually just mentallist, in the best way) to Francis as we were finishing the recording of the last Quo album ‘Backbone’. But he didn’t feel it, so there was no point, because if the vocal doesn’t have heart, forget it. There’s no story or inspiration about the song, it’s just a fact. The contribution to the track from Francis was superb, he put in such a shift. So many riffs, backing vocals and what a solo. He did me proud, big time, as did Andrew Bown, the keyboards are class.

Do you have plans to tour in the UK/Europe in 2024 to support the album release?

 I’ll be playing a one off album launch show on March the 1st 2024 in my hometown, at the Teddington Constitutional club. It’s like Phoenix Nights there, I’m actually pushing to get a raffle in! It’s a brilliant venue for making a rock noise. There will probably be a few more shows later in the year, but Status Quo has a busy summer, so I’ll be pretty tied up with that. That said, after August we’re available for weddings, birthday parties etc

Who played with you on the album?

Mae Edwards, Matthew Starritt Francis Rossi, Mike Paxman, Rick Cassman backing vocals Richard Newman, Clive Edwards, Leon cave, hit the drums. Freddie Edwards, Francis Rossi, Craig Joiner, Jim Kirkpatrick, Mike Paxman guitars Andrew Bown, Mike Paxman keyboards. Chris Wolstenholme guested on bass.

 Was it a difficult album to write?

 It takes me a long time to finish a song – this album took around 6 years to write in total, but that’s how I roll, things come out when they’re ready. It took me 13 years to write my previous album, so I guess this was quick! Plus, being in Status Quo does take up rather a lot of my time. I wrote some songs on the ‘Backbone’ album, which used up a lot of brain cells, how it should be. This album is definitely a side project, although I‘m really into it, good to be King sometimes

Chris Wolstenholme of Muse takes on the bass duties on ‘My Side Of The Road’. How did the pair of you meet?

 I knew Chris liked the band, now there’s a player who knows about pedals and effects, plus he, like me uses Status basses, the best ever. Mind you, my favourite bass player ever, Andy Fraser from Free used a Gibson. I met Chris at the O2 after a Muse gig, and we hit it off, apart from anything else, he loves lower league football (Rotherham) as do I (Brentford). I know the Bees are in the Premiership, but it’s shite, all about cheating and money in my book. We’ve had many conversations about Quo, I was interested to see if he could walk it like he talked it, plus I absolutely love his playing, it was a no brainer to ask him to have a go at My side of the Road. Shuffle, bass? what’s not to like?. He absolutely nailed it of course, brilliant. By the way, to everyone involved in this project, you were incredible, I am so thankful to you all. Especially the ones that didn’t charge.

What makes John ‘Rhino’ Edwards happy and what makes you unhappy?

 Happy = family. End of Sad = conflict. We’re so blessed to be here, every last one of us, and then some fuck it up for so many stupid reasons. We never learn, as Homer would say (Simpson, not the philosopher) Doh!! (

Photo Credit: Tina Korhonen

John ‘Rhino’ Edwards new album ‘Just Sayin’ is released on 1st March 2024 0n Molano Music.