Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard has reflected on his time as part of his previous band Mother Love Bone, which featured both Gossard and PJ bassist Jeff Ament.
Speaking to Appetite for Distortion, Gossard also revealed that he has regrets about the way late singer Andrew “Andy” Wood was treated by the band, who were active between 1988 to 1990 – when Wood died of a heroin overdose at age 24, just days before they were set to release their only album, Apple.
Asked where he thought he would be if Wood still were alive today, Gossard said (as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):
“I really don’t know,” Gossard began. “I think that even in Mother Love Bone, we were doing something pretty cool. I think that we still weren’t aware of how much of an opportunity and how much of a blessing we had.”
“I just would want Andy to explore music in all sorts of different ways. His influence in my life and the people that knew him and loved him, and his charisma and the nature of how people were so drawn to him, and he gave so much love to people and such a thoughtful way about it…”
Gossard continued: “He was so funny and he had such humility, it’s really – I just think back, that we missed the opportunity to really elevate him and take care of him in a way that I wish we were able to do.”
“But at that time we were just all hungry and trying to prove ourselves, and I think we spent too much time trying to prove ourselves and not enough time trying to really listen to somebody who’s had a lot of wisdom at that time.
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“So it’s a mixed feeling I have. I’m not sure that we really cared for Andy as well as we should’ve.”
Following the death of Wood, Gossard was approached by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell – who also happened to be Wood’s roommate – asking if he would be interested in recording songs as a tribute to the late Mother Love Bone singer.
The project eventually ended up with the musos recording entire album, with the group calling themselves Temple of the Dog, a reference to a line in the Mother Love Bone song ‘Man of Golden Words.’
They were later joined by Eddie Vedder, and in 1990 iconic grunge band Pearl Jam was formed by Gossard, Jeff Ament, and McCready, who then recruited Vedder and drummer Dave Krusen.
Check out ‘Stargazer’ by Mother Love Bone:
