Young guitarist, age 18, cranked everything up to max during recording session, as that was the highest setting available at the time. The engineers implored him to lower the volume to avoid overwhelming distortion.
In a revealing interview with our website, Michael Monarch, the 18-year-old guitarist behind the iconic solo in Steppenwolf's 1968 hit "Born to Be Wild," shares his memories of joining the band and recording the track that became synonymous with the counterculture movement.
Monarch's path towards Steppenwolf began when he met the members of the band The Sparrows in Hollywood. Impressed by the keyboard/organ player Goldy McJohn, Monarch joined the band after their original guitarist and bassist left.
Having grown up in Los Angeles, Monarch was well-positioned to be part of the music scene that was thriving in the city, particularly on the Sunset Strip, which was a hub for both aspiring and established musicians.
Monarch, along with the new bassist, Rushton Moreve, brought a youthful, wild spirit to the band. They were discovered by Gabriel Mekkler, a neighbor who had recently been hired as a producer and A&R for ABC/Dunhill Records. Mekkler suggested changing the band's name to Steppenwolf, inspired by the Herman Hesse novel.
The recording of "Born to Be Wild" took place in a small studio called American Recorders in LA, where Monarch used his Fender Esquire guitar into a Fender Concert Amp. The engineers asked him to turn down the distortion, but Monarch refused, and they eventually decided that it added to the song's unique blend of organ sounds.
"Born to Be Wild" went on to feature in the movie Easy Rider and reached the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart upon its release. In 2018, the song was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Our full interview with Michael Monarch will be published in the coming weeks.
- Michael Monarch, the guitarist behind Steppenwolf's iconic solo in "Born to Be Wild," used his Fender Esquire guitar into a Fender Concert Amp during the recording of the song at American Recorders in LA.
- Monarch's choice to refuse the engineers' request to turn down the distortion during the recording of "Born to Be Wild" added to the song's unique blend of organ sounds.
- In 2018, Monarch's "Born to Be Wild" was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, marking a significant milestone in the history of entertainment and music.
