Josey Scott co-founded and fronted hard rock hitmakers Saliva from 1996 to 2012 appearing on the band’s biggest albums and songs including “Click Click Boom,” “Your Disease,” “Always” and “Ladies and Gentlemen,” among several others. After Scott left the group, the remaining members recruited a new singer, Bobby Amaru, but the band hasn’t been able to replicate their earlier success to this point.
In a recent interview with Web Is Jericho’s B.J. Lisko via Youngstown Studio, Scott talked about the possibility of getting back the rights to the Saliva name. He currently tours under the banner, “Josey Scott, The Original Voice of Saliva.” He also responded to Amaru’s previous dig: “I don’t wanna throw him under the bus, but (Josey Scott) is no Bruce Dickinson, and he’s no Rob Halford. So let me get that outta the way. He thinks he is, but he’s not.”
When asked if he ever thought the two versions of Saliva could merge at some point, Scott said: “No I don’t. It would be sort of a bastardized version of it if I went with the lineup they have now. Not to speak ill of those musicians, I think they’re very great musicians.”
Scott’s problem isn’t with the current Saliva as much as it is with their frontman. “Me and Bobby have just butted heads,” Scott continued. “He’s talked crap about me in the press … I don’t want to give the fans the Temu version of Saliva with some kind of bastardized version that Bobby puts together. He’s not Saliva. He has never been Saliva. He definitely went out there and did his thing and filled in the space. He’s written some songs or whatever. But he said in the press — my analogy of (a potential reunion) was (if it was) a David Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar situation, I’d be glad to do this with Bobby, because he would have as many hits as I had. He told the interviewer, ‘Let’s face it, Josey’s no …’, I think he said Bruce Dickinson or something. I didn’t even say Iron Maiden. I was talking about the analogy, certainly not comparing myself to the great David Lee Roth or the great Sammy Hagar, just using that as a 1-2 analogy between the two of us.”
“It’s just a dirty situation. I respect the fact that he did what he did, but you know if that’s the case, if his stuff that he did with Saliva is equally as important as mine, let him play his songs, and I’ll play my songs, and we’ll see how it shakes out. But that’s not what he does. He goes out and plays a couple covers, a couple of his songs, and the rest of the set is my songs. It’s my music.”
Following the untimely passing of original Saliva guitarist Wayne Swinney in 2023, the current version of the group doesn’t feature any members from their classic albums. “It’s just a dirty, gross situation,” Scott said. “And I have no interest in dealing with Bobby Amaru. I would like to get (the Saliva name) back, because it’s not that it was a name that all five of us came up with, that was my name that I came to the table with. I put that band together one member at a time, and if Wayne Swinney was here, he would tell you that, God rest his soul. All I can do is say a Hail Mary that that name comes back home to its rightful place. If that happens, I will be glad to pour my heart and soul back into that name and to do a new Saliva record.”
Scott’s full interview can be viewed below.
