Previously Unreleased Demo of Slash-Chester Bennington Song ‘Crazy’ Revealed

Before Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators evolved into Slash’s solo band, Slash was immersed in the creation of his inaugural solo album. During this phase, he enlisted several renowned musicians to contribute vocals to the record. Notably, the late Linkin Park vocalist, Chester Bennington, was among those considered, although, ultimately, he did not make it onto the album. Recently, after 13 years, the song on which Bennington collaborated with Slash, titled “Crazy,” has been exclusively revealed through the Appetite for Distortion podcast.

The Unreleased Status of “Crazy”:

Typically, complications arise in collaborations when artists belong to different record labels, and in this instance, red tape became a hindrance. As disclosed by producer Big Chris Flores in the podcast episode, Slash invited Bennington to his studio to collaborate on a demo for the song “Crazy.” However, post-recording, Bennington discovered that he couldn’t grant permission for its release due to resistance from his record label. They were reluctant to feature him on a song that might compete for attention, especially as Linkin Park was gearing up to release a new album. While Slash’s solo record debuted in March 2010, Linkin Park’s “A Thousand Suns” arrived later in September of the same year.

Flores revealed, “We had to scrap it and shelve that, and it kind of got lost in the matrix all those years.” The demo lingered on his computer for years without even acquiring a proper song title.

The Familiarity of “Crazy”:

Despite the shelving of Bennington’s demo with Slash, Slash’s guitar work found another outlet. The song eventually transformed into “Doctor Alibi,” a track recorded with Lemmy Kilmister on the 2010 Slash album. Although the lyrics and song title underwent changes before the album’s release, there’s an unmistakable guitar similarity between the two tracks.

The Fate of “Crazy”:

 took an unexpected turn, fading into relative obscurity for several years. Chris Flores, the producer, mentioned that the demo had been largely forgotten as Slash moved forward with his solo endeavors. However, during a routine space-clearing session, Flores stumbled upon a file labeled “Demo Fast No. 15.” Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the long-lost demo with Chester Bennington from the early album sessions.

After sharing this discovery with Slash, both decided to explore the possibility of doing something with the song. They reached out to Talinda, Bennington’s widow, to discuss its release. Initially, she requested the song to be released in its original form. However, after some encouragement from Flores, they decided to enhance the track by adding live drums and bass. Matt Starr, the drummer, was contacted, and he recommended Dug Pinnick from King’s X to contribute bass to the song.

With the necessary permissions secured, the song was officially released on November 16. The exclusive unveiling took place on the Appetite for Distortion podcast, featuring an interview with Big Chris Flores. The podcast not only provides insights into the resurrection of “Crazy” but also showcases the transformed version of the track. The interview can be accessed in its entirety, while the song itself is featured at the 1:11:11 mark in the podcast. Additionally, listeners can compare the evolution of the song by exploring what ultimately became “Doctor Alibi” with Lemmy Kilmister in the player provided.