Kansas is getting ready to celebrate the band’s 5oth-anniversary this year. In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, the band’s drummer Phil Ehart reflected on his career with Kansas and expressed his thoughts on some of their leading albums. During the conversation, Phil also remembered the time Deep Purple’s Steve Morse wanted to join them.
“We had an offer from MCA Records to record with them,” Ehart said. “Of course, we didn’t have an album at the time. At the time, we didn’t even have a band. So Rich and I had the name ‘Kansas.’ We got Steve Walsh back, and he brought in Billy Greer, and I ran into Steve Morse at a Robert Plant concert.”
Recalling their quick chat, the musician continued, “He says, ‘I hear you guys are looking for a guitarist’ – and I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he goes, ‘Can I audition?’ I said, ‘You want to join Kansas?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘OK, you’re in.’ It’s Steve Morse, one of the greatest guitar players of all time. We’d known Steve for a long time, knowing him in the Dixie Dregs and all that stuff. Good guy.”
Following the release of 1983’s ‘Drastic Measures,’ Kansas went on a three-year hiatus. The band then returned with a lineup featuring Phil Ehart, Rich Williams, and Steve Walsh to record the 1986 album ‘Power.’ Streets bassist Billy Greer and guitarist Steve Morse were also part of this new lineup.
Apparently, including Steve Morse in the new Kansas lineup wasn’t a planned move. Morse knew they needed a guitarist, and he was the one who had offered to join them after his spontaneous encounter with Phil Ehart. The drummer didn’t hesitate to accept the guitarist’s request, knowing Morse had an astonishing guitar-playing talent.
