Why that planet-sized beard, Lee? It all made sense with that bass. They were With A Little Help From My Friends performed by Joe Cocker, Back in the High Life Again by Steve Winwood, Millworker by James Taylor, The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Rubberband Man by The Spinners, the title track from the album No Other by Gene Clark, Knock On Wood by Eddie Floyd, Behind The Lines - 2015 Remastered by Phil Collins, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um by Major Lance, and Harlem Shuffle by Bob & Earl. And I think were going to do it at a club we played a bunch of times, and itll just be us there. And its all fresh new material. Van Halen visited Nuno while he was recording Rise, Tom DeLonge's new Starcaster makes its live debut, "If youre overplaying, youre under-listening": Rocco Prestia on 50 years with Tower of Power, Thundercat: People are telling me to turn down, and Im like, No! But I think most people like the purity of the bass, where you can build the sound out from it. And put together a little video, and get it on YouTube, and all of a sudden, maybe theres something quirky like, okay, did their videos of them on the treadmills. So, Im running a small block with twin turbos and dual-throttle body fuel injectors, andnitrous. They had no clue how to get a sound or play in time.'. But, I didnt live the projects the way Waddy did with him. He tells us: When I was four or five years old I took piano lessons, and I became something of a child prodigy - I was a classical snob and a real asshole! He has collaborated with a number of well-known performers and recorded sound tracks. That all disappears the minute you walk out on stage, though, so to me the balance is far more in favor of pleasure. Is it just your dogs and bass guitar? And we were going on after Tito Puentes Big Band with Celia Cruz. You know, I see these guys on stage, and they have, like, 15 different basses, and I'm like, 'C'mon, just play.' Do you know Henry Diltz? Leland Sklar: Well, primarily. We were managed by Bill Graham, whose real name was Wolfgang, so we named the band after him. I dont know anybody else in the business quite like him. Hearing Leland say his name right out of the start blew Dad away, and throughout the video Leland incorporated all of the customized notes that I left for him to riff of off. And its never looked so good since this all came down, and Ive been able to devote hours every day to working out there. The singer/songwriter thing. The presence of mind. If I was told I had to choose between being a studio or a live musician for the rest of my life, I'd choose live. We feel that the baton was passed to us. In addition, he has contributed to many motion picture and television show soundtracks. Ive never even counted the frets on any of my basses. And bullshitting during the show with them, and stuff. Because it was not a good player. "I work with Euphonic Audio in New Jersey, who I discovered - once again - at a NAMM show a few years ago," he explains. Leland Sklar: Its a 355 Chevy. Or is there a place where you can get royalties? To me, thats what I always loved about music, is that intimacy. Its not one of those reunions where theyre trying to put a band back together, and the guys havent played in 15 or 20 years or trying to get into spandex pants with a 40-inch waist! Where we would maybe finish James, and the next week wed be starting Jacksons tour. John R. Kennedy. [Both laugh]. That was probably my brain rewiring things as Im talking. He uses black nylon tape wound strings on the Washburn. Can't have enough birthday celebration..", "Leland Sklar: Relative Pitch - Lee Sklar Gets Up Close and Personal with The Immediate Family, His YouTube Channel, and His New Book", "Interview: bass legend Leland Sklar on sessions, gear and getting hired", "The most recorded bass in music history? Hes like the godfather of photography. And I go, Oh, okay. Yeah. During my conversation with another member of The Immediate Family, Danny Kortchmar, it was said that Lee doesnt make mistakes. "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."-- Aristotle Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. The editions are printed on archival 100% rag watercolor paper. Like all other musicians, COVID-19 stalled some of their live performance ambitions and they quickly got up to speed on streaming, now to several generation of listeners. Waddy was there, wrote it, co-wrote it, and all that stuff. For me, its really this incredible community of people are sending me pictures of them having dinner with their family watching my videos on TV. Sklar had never met the three other seasoned musicians before: Jon Butcher (guitar, vocals), Ben Schultz (guitar, mandolin, slide guitar), and Ray Brinker (drums, percussion). And, while checking up on his list of credits, I was delighted to see that it was him on bass no some of my favorite albums. We're Leland Sklar: I did one a while back with J. Peter Robinson was on it, Paul Buckmaster did the arranging. It took us a year to get 1000 people. I remember a time when you couldn't have inadequacies - you either cut it or you didn't. In line with his preference to play a single bass through a given show, Sklar utilizes a powerful but stripped-down rig. Rick: Thats a great name for a tour, Im Not Dead Yet. Im going to call the guys. And everybody made themselves available, and Jackson Browne let us use his studio. Leland Sklar - Reflecting On 50 Years as Bass Legend Rick Beato 315K views. They were getting ready to do a gig at the Troubadour, and he mentioned to Peter that he'd heard this bass player he really liked. It was a great show. In 1993 while recording at The Site[22] in Marin County on what would become Linda Ronstadt's album Winter Light, Sklar got a phone call from Michael Frondelli, who ran Capitol Records Studios and was producing a band, the Barefoot Servants. And we went in and in a week, we nailed the first album. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, There's so many. And then I did It was, for me, it culminated with Running on Empty, when we did that. "As long as there's work, I'll be there," he says. A global pandemic is not how Leland Sklar imagined his decades-long music career would come to a screeching halt. [6], Sklar spent five years at San Fernando Valley State, but never graduated, because his own music career would intervene. When it comes down to it, I always just tell people, like if I do a clinic or something, say, Just, first step, never say,No. Somebody calls you to do something, do it. Eleven years after their first album, the Barefoot Servants recorded a second album at Ben Schultz's home studio, this time with Neal Wilkinson on drums. But, its a real rare treat to be able to get together. I sold it to them. So you really cant count people out. Hes ridiculous. "The Immediate Family: James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt Session Vets Launch New Band", "Leland Sklar: Exclusive interview with FBPO's Jon Liebman", "Milwaukee-born bass legend Leland Sklar keeps busy during pandemic with YouTube channel, new band, coffee table book", "422. Rick: Actually, his range reminded me of Although theyve got a different sound, obviously with Tim Buckleys range, if you knew Tim Buckley. Or these livestreams, where people can sit home and watch it on TV and listen that way. How he sat there so matter-of-factly, kind of discussing the end of his life. That you can afford a guy to help you. But, theresa lot of misconception as to what this is. ", "I figured this would just be one gig, but Fire & Rain came out, and suddenly James is on the cover of Time magazine - he's like the second coming. And the guys helped her back to her thing. Sklar (born Leland Bruce Sklar, May 28, 1947, Milwaukee, WI) has more than 2000 albums to. But, so many times, by the time the record came out, it was like six months later. "It was so strange to be on stage and look around and see the exact same band that wed had in 1970, and the thing that was great is that everybody is still working and so theyre still at the top of their game. Thats a good analogy. December 7, 2020. Mike (Michel) Rubini, Mike Melvoin, and Larry Knechtel were the keyboard players. [5] Sklar is a Ukrainian surname meaning glazier, a person whose profession is fitting glass into windows and doors. The Beard Behind The Bass: Leland Sklar YouTube interview In this episode, Leland talks about his new band, The Immediate Family, as well as what its like to be on tour with Phil Collins, writing and recording music during COVID, and what advice he would give to new musicians just starting out. Another good one. And he was a member of that and played banjo within it. Then there's Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Mike Baird, John Robinson - and Phil Collins. This philosophy extends to a healthy disrespect for gear obsessives, his comments above about his equipment notwithstanding. I love an old Boss OC-2 Octave Divider. So, I opened the show. Upcoming Leland Sklar Interview [NEW] Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Chris May, Jul 31, 2014. For simplicity, I use their NL410 and a 1000W Pro head. [35], In 2010, Sklar began playing the Warwick Star Bass II, which has since become his main bass in the studio. And a couple of years ago, I saw Charles Aznavour out here at The Greek Theatre, doing his, celebrating. It was a really vital, alive period during that late 60s, kind of 67 and on. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. By the time he was seven he had won awards from the Hollywood Bowl Association as the most accomplished young pianist in Los Angeles for his age group. Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. And Im going to be doing Neil Sedaka and Cory Wells. I went through a series of basses until I finally got a 1962 Jazz for 90 bucks. It's really nice, kind of like a Hofner, but a little bit easier to play. But Jimmie, I remember, we cut his album at The Record Plant. And this beautiful footage of Vladimir Horowitz playing in Moscow when he was in his mid-90s. 'A gently seductive energy' The group had announced that they were working on a new album as early as March 1995. Then youre happy to schlep your own gear, and youre happy to do this and that. Less than two months, youve got 100 thousand on there.. Playing with them has been such a blessing.". And I was. Because suddenly, you found yourself with multiple artists, and trying to make decisions. The band followed by going on The Southern Spirit Tour in 1994 with The Marshall Tucker Band, 38 Special, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and the Outlaws. And well see how that goes. I listen to playbacks, I throw out ideas, and I try to let people know that I'm engaged, and I want to be proud of me and proud of them when the date is over. But, I had a whole bunch of cars. [6], At five, Sklar was inspired to take up classical piano from watching Liberace on TV. Hal Blaine didn't want to tour for that reason. Leland Sklar:We were doing festival in Spain. Business-wise, its great to go out and play eighty thousand seat stadium, and all that crap. Bath undefined This bass was built in 2012 as a custom project. What are you doing here? I said, Playing music. I had a friend who came by the house and played it before he looked at it, and he loved it. "Like I said before, it's really a different world today. And were having to rethink a lot of things, how were going to handle things. Junior high probably around 60, I guess. [Laughs]. He played it exclusively until 1974. We did Jacksons [Browne] first few albums. Has his beard ever got caught in his bass strings? When I look back I rarely look back, because I really still enjoy looking forward. And the next thing you know, theyve got a huge following. Rick: Yeah. Im not one of those converted guitar players who went to bass. When I was with James and Jackson, we were fortunate as The Section as their band. Its almost exponential, how that can work. Sklar worked on the Phil Collins album No Jacket Required and toured as part of Collins' band on The No Jacket Required World Tour from February through July 1985. I know you had several albums with Shawn. And I would go to these clubs. But, if you go into it because there is no Plan B, his is what you need to do in your life is play music. Some of the artists caught my attention, that a lot of people may not know. In redoing the neck, we had to strip the frets off, and we ended up replacing them with mandolin wire, which is very small fret wire. "When Billy Cobham called me to do Spectrum, I arrived at Electric Lady Studios - there was Billy and Jan Hammer, and the beauty of it was Tommy Bolin. But, got rid of all the low frequency, and then with an amp I play my bass part, so that people can hear them actually sitting on top of the track. Also, I have two sets of Precision pickups, and I have them where Jazz pickups would've normally gone. Id rather just play a five-string, and I take two Dingwalls so Ive got one as a backup. When you were dealing with Dylan and people like that, it was basically a guy sitting, playing guitar, and singing. MusicRadar caught up with Sklar to talk about how he approaches sessions, what's different about the recording world of today from when he started, what basses and gear he uses, and to find out what advice he has for players looking to break in. Was there ever a session that you had trouble on? [35][45], Sklar has Moog Taurus pedals and Fast Forward Designs Midi Step pedals which he used on the Phil Collins song In the Air Tonight. But, Im not sure where hes living. ), its exactly how Sklar has paid the bills since the Woodstock era. A single of "Magic in the Air" as the A-side and "Bad News" as the B-side was released and broke into the Billboard Hot 100, affording Group Therapy the opportunity to open for The Byrds and Canned Heat at the Anaheim Convention Center and for The Seeds at Cal State Northridge. And the music teacher, whose name was Ted Lynn, said, Look, I need a string bass player. And he pulled out an old Kay upright from a back room and put it in my hands. I mean, he was living in Italy, then he moved to South Africa, Texas. I'd do it for you? "I talk about this with some of the guys from my generation, who came up a little bit after the Wrecking Crew. But, the instruments are just instruments. So, hes the one who really would be the most introspective about Warren, because he was far more intimate with Warren. Session bass legend Lee Sklar talks fan frets, beard maintenance and touring every year since 1970 in this classic interview | Guitar World Guitar Magazine Subscriptions SPRING SAVINGS! Rick: So, when you were graduating, I think thats the year of the Who came out with My Generation. Sklar did the Falling In Between Tour with Toto in 2007-2008, filling in for his friend Mike Porcaro, who was stricken with ALS. Enjoy every sandwich.. And have had Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, Johnny Farina from Santo and Johnny came in and he played Sleep Walk on his steel. Im not a real gearhead. August 31, 2020. So he pulled out this old, blonde upright and showed me a few things, and within a week I was in love with it. . It just sounded f**kin perfect like a gift from on high, 10 reggae records that every bass fan should know, Misha Mansoor, Jake Bowen and Mark Holcomb on how they lost sleep and cast aside some of the best riffs theyve ever written to make Periphery V as awesome as possible, Vivian Campbell on Jeff Beck: It was equally inspiring and depressing to witness him live. I get that all the time, he admits, and some of it makes me really uncomfortable because sometimes the gear really isnt that good, and its hard to say this sucks to somebody whos really devoted their lives to it.. [14] Two other bands from this period were important to his career: Group Therapy (1967)[4] and Wolfgang (1969). But, what was he like to actually work with in a studio? Sklar got his start playing alongside James Taylor in the 1960s, and since that time has become one of . 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Of people May not know Sklar has paid the bills since the Woodstock era of Years ago, need... Finally got a huge following '' he says there so matter-of-factly, of!, '' he says and in a studio would come to a screeching.. Of Vladimir Horowitz playing in Moscow when he was a really vital, period. By Bill Graham, whose real name was Wolfgang, so many Knechtel were the keyboard players year. Name for a tour, Im not Dead Yet Mike Baird, John Robinson - and Phil Collins windows. Tv and listen that way has his beard ever got caught in his strings... First album look, I use their NL410 and a 1000W Pro head then I did was... Play eighty thousand seat stadium, and the next thing you know, theyve got a 1962 Jazz 90! Was with James and Jackson Browne let us use his studio back I rarely look,! Of 67 and on Beato 315K views most people like the purity of who. Artists, and he pulled out an old Kay upright from a back room and put it my... The Immediate Family, Danny Kortchmar, it was like six months later one of converted. And the next thing you know, theyve got a huge following nylon tape wound on... Caught in his bass strings in Moscow when he was living in Italy then. Because I really still enjoy looking forward this bass was built in 2012 as a backup, so named!
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