Jeff Scott Soto recently spoke about the current state of his relationship with Yngwie Malmsteen, sharing his thoughts during an appearance on Harmless Dave.
When asked about where things stand between him and the renowned guitarist, Soto reflected on their complicated past and the efforts he has made to mend it. “Unfortunately, it still exists the way it was the last time you asked or the last time anybody saw,” Soto said. “I have my moments where I really am trying to reach out and extend the olive branch.”
Soto emphasized that he continues to respect the work they created together, even if Malmsteen does not always acknowledge the collaborative nature of their early music.
“I’m always focusing and praising and respecting the career that I built from him and with him,” he explained. “This was a team effort to some degree, even though he’s the marquee artist and he insists that we had nothing to do with the creativity and the kind of building that spectrum of his career, but we all had a part to do with it.”
Despite his willingness to reconcile, Soto made it clear that he is not seeking a musical reunion. His hope is simply to restore a sense of goodwill and mutual respect.
“I don’t want to start a band with him and I don’t want to be a singer again,” he stated. “I just want to be friends. I just want to be civil. I want to be able to reach out and say happy birthday or you know love to the family kind of stuff because that’s the kind of person I am.”
He closed with a personal reflection on his broader outlook toward resolving past conflicts.
“I want peace and harmony like Ringo,” he said. “Peace and love. I want to go under when it’s finally my time knowing I buried all the hatchets and there was nobody that had a beef with me. And that’s the bottom line.”
Understanding the significance of Soto’s remarks requires looking back to where their professional relationship began. According to Last.fm, Soto’s connection with Malmsteen dates to late 1984, when he responded to an open audition call from the former Alcatrazz guitarist.
This marked the start of a major collaboration that defined Soto’s early career and helped establish him as a respected metal and hard rock vocalist. His major-label debut came through Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force, where he provided vocals for the 1984 Rising Force album, as documented on Wikipedia. He returned the following year to record Marching Out (1985), showcasing his ability to adapt to Malmsteen’s virtuosic guitar style.
Their partnership extended beyond studio albums. As Last.fm notes, the duo embarked on a successful tour in Japan, generating significant industry attention. A performance from this era—Chasing Yngwie: Live in Tokyo, ’85—was filmed and later released, capturing the dynamic chemistry they shared onstage during their peak.
After parting ways, Soto went on to pursue a wide range of musical ventures, including his solo work and collaborations with Journey, Talisman, Sons of Apollo, and various supergroups. Still, his time with Malmsteen in the mid-1980s remains a defining chapter in his legacy. This history makes Soto’s current desire for reconciliation all the more meaningful.
