In a new interview with Headlines & Global News, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell discusses his history with Dio, his other band Last In Line, and the recent passing of bassist and bandmate Jimmy Bain. An excerpt is available below.

Q: What was so special about that original lineup of the Dio band?

Campbell: "Well, there is a chemistry when certain musicians make a sound together, and I don't subscribe to the fact that musicians can just be replaced, that you can get rid of the drummer or bass player or singer or guitar player and it will sound exactly the same. As human beings we all have a unique fingerprint, and as musicians it's exactly the same way. We all bring in nuanced, slightly different things into the equation, and when you find three or four musicians who really work together and create a unique sound together, it's never going to be the same when you start replacing them. That's why it's particularly weird now with Jimmy's passing right on the eve of the release of the record, because I know it will never be the same. When Last In Line goes on stage next, we're going to have someone else playing bass, and it's never going to be quite the same for me and for Vinny. We're going to notice the little subtle differences that Jimmy brought to the table, and the physical way he played his bass was a big part of the sound. But you know, that's life, and if we want to continue we have to accept that and accept that difference, but we're all unique."

Q: Now that you're revisiting these old songs, are some of the positive memories coming back?

Campbell: "Yeah, and there were a lot of good times, certainly when we were performing. The music was always magical. There was never an issue with that. On a personal level Ronnie and I didn't always get along. Sometimes we did, we were laughing together, but then sometimes we were not (laughs). There was conflict there. It wasn't the easiest relationship. There was a generational gap, Ronnie was considerably older than me. But there was always a force at work that was pulling him away from the band. Ronnie wanted it to be a band, and it was in the creative sense, but the longer we went on the more distance was being put between Ronnie and the rest of us by the business side, and that's ultimately what broke us up. It ended up being a matter of principle. A lot of people dumb it down to thinking it was a matter of money. It was never about the money, it was always about the principle. I've always been a very, very principled person, and when a man shakes my hand and looks me in the eye and makes an agreement with me I expect them to honor it because I honor my end of it. So that was the issue I had with Ronnie, it was a matter of principle that just happened to be about money. But it was sad. I do believe that on a musical and on a creative level Ronnie believed, as we all did, he knew that it was a great chemistry in the band and that was a magic lineup."

Go to this location for the complete interview

February 19th saw release of the Heavy Crown, the debut album from Last In Line, featuring Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell and fellow Dio members Vinny Appice and the late Jimmy Bain, as well as singer Andrew Freeman. Check out behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the album below:

Named after Dio’s 1984 studio album, The Last In Line, the band are on a mission to bring classic hard rock to fans who can’t get enough of the real thing. The album is available on CD, CD/DVD (including a bonus track) and digital formats. Order the album here.

Says guitarist Vivian Campbell, “When we started this project a few years ago, the initial idea was to reunite the original Dio band to play the songs we wrote and recorded with Ronnie in the early 1980’s. Joined by Andrew Freeman on vocals, we played a handful of shows in southern California, the UK, and Japan. It was a limited ambition, but it brought us great joy in reconnecting to this great music, to each other, and to our collective history.”

“When we first got together as the Last In Line line-up, our ambition at that time didn’t extend to writing and recording any new music, says Campbell, “but when we were offered the opportunity to do so by Frontiers, we decided to enter the studio to write this new album in the very same spirit as we did the Holy Diver album; Back in 1982 Ronnie, Vinny, Jimmy and I went into Sound City studios to kick around ideas and riffs, and about six weeks later we started laying down the tracks for what was to become the Holy Diver album.”

CD tracklisting:

“Devil In Me”
“Martyr”
“Starmaker”
“Burn This House Down”
“I Am Revolution”
“Blame It On Me”
“In Flames” (Bonus Track Deluxe Edition)
“Already Dead”
“Curse The Day”
“Orange Glow”
“Heavy Crown”
“The Sickness”

DVD tracklisting:

“Devil In Me” (video)
“Starmaker” (video)
Making of Heavy Crown

“Blame It On Me” lyric video:

“Starmaker” video:

“Martyr”:

“Devil In Me” video:

On January 24th, former Rainbow / Dio bassist Jimmy Bain - most recently with Last In Line - passed away at the age of 68 during Def Leppard's Hysteria On The High Seas cruise. Bain's Last In Line bandmates have posted a video tribute in his memory, which can be viewed below:

Last In Line frontman Andrew Freeman recently posted a tribute to Bain:

"As I am sure you all have heard, we lost our friend and bandmate Jimmy Bain over the weekend. I have had the pleasure of knowing Jimmy for about 10 years through a few music projects and our recent band, Last In Line.

I cannot stress the level of sadness and loss that I feel losing such a close friend and mentor. Jimmy, along with Vivian Campbell and Vinny Appice, welcomed me into their intimate artistic circle, entrusting me the responsibility of performing a legendary library of music and building a new one. I will be forever indebted to this man for the encouraging spirit he graced me with.

Rest easy, my friend. I will do my best to carry on your legacy."

As guitarist Vivian Campbell stated via social media: “It was Jimmy who gave me my first big break in the music industry and for that I am forever indebted. Jimmy was immensely proud of our new album and his input to it was immeasurable. We will continue to celebrate his life through his music. On behalf of Vinny and Andrew, our thoughts and condolences are with his family at this most difficult of times. Rest in peace, dear friend.”

(Photo: Ross Halfin)