Moxy guitarist Earl Johnson explained how Tommy Bolin’s involvement in Moxy’s debut album actually created some struggles for him that the fans didn’t know about. Johnson shared his insight into the album’s recording during an interview with Guitar World.
Earl Johnson explained how Tommy Bolin ended up on Moxy’s self-titled debut.
He said, “I have my own conspiracy theory on that! We put the band together in Led Zeppelin format as a four-piece. We started recording demos in Toronto, then ended up getting a record deal in LA, and signed a production agreement with this company in Canada. When we went to LA, we had almost no experience in the studio. We did the first couple of cuts – Sail On Sail Away and Can’t You See I’m a Star. I played all the solos on those two tracks; I did everything.”
Johnston continued, “We were in Scarface territory. I don’t want to disgrace anybody, but there was a fair amount of white stuff. I’d recorded those two songs, and we were starting the solo for Moonrider, and all of a sudden, I got grief. The guys in the back room were definitely under the influence. They’d even offered me a song, and I’d said, “I can’t play on that stuff. There’s no way I’m gonna do that.”
“Then we had a dispute over the solo on Moonrider. I remember saying, ‘I just played those two solos, and now I’m a horrible guitar player? I’m no good?’ Next thing I know, I’m on an airplane back to Toronto, like, ‘What the hell just happened?’ Then Bolin did the solos on six songs.”
Johnson revealed that Tommy Bolin’s unexpected involvement in Moxy’s self-titled debut became one of the most frustrating and divisive moments of his career.
Earl stated, “Tommy Bolin played on my songs. That’s not such a bad thing! And that didn’t hurt the sales. But the reviews didn’t even mention Tommy Bolin – only the songs and what the band sounded like. Fans didn’t buy the album because of Bolin, they bought it because DJs in San Antonio started spinning it all the time.”
Johnston then added, “Having Bolin was a compliment, but artistically, it did ruin it for me. Not just because he was on it, but because of how it was handled. It separated me from Buzz [vocalist Douglas Buzz Shearman] and led to a lot of f*cking conflict.”
While Johnson acknowledged that Bolin’s presence didn’t hurt sales and even viewed it as a compliment on paper, he admitted that the way it was handled ‘artistically ruined it’ for him.
Earl Johnson was the original guitarist and a founding member of Canadian hard rock band Moxy, playing a central role in shaping the group’s early sound and direction. He was heavily involved in the writing and early recording sessions for Moxy’s self-titled 1975 debut, contributing key guitar parts and solos before internal conflicts disrupted the lineup.
Moxy went on to become one of Canada’s most respected hard rock acts of the era, releasing several albums and earning a reputation for powerful live performances and strong songwriting. Despite lineup changes and behind-the-scenes turmoil during their early years, the band’s debut album became a cult favorite and remains influential among classic hard rock fans.
Johnson has since spoken candidly about his time in Moxy, offering rare insight into the internal struggles that shaped the band’s legacy and altered his own path within it.
