Right? And he played like the Tuesday before at the Iridium. BA1 1UA. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor 's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. We keep threatening to go back and maybe do another project. And people are in their cars listening, like the old days. They did this really goofy version of Summertime Blues as an encore and there was Leland hopping around, with that beard bouncing and swinging in the air. December 7, 2020. That you can afford a guy to help you. But, theresa lot of misconception as to what this is. As for the fan-fretting, which spooks some players so much that they literally cant bring themselves to look at it, Sklar laughs and says: Some guys hate it, they psych themselves out of it. Dylan came out, but you didnt have a I dont think you had a big influx of folks like who is it, Carole King and James Taylor, Jackson Browne They all just sort of They basically took over. [38][39], At Winter NAMM 2016, Warwick announced their Lee Sklar signature bass, based on the Star Bass but with an offset body shape and a forearm contour. And Id have guys come up to me going, Thought last time I saw you was in Wembley Stadium. And some of the bands that play the clubs have to pay to play. Lee Sklar has been a prominent figure among Hollywood session bassists dating back to the 1970's and ever since. You may have seen ads for Sklars signature Dingwall bass, a tasty beast that will either enthrall or terrify you depending on your fondness for the Ralph Novak fan-fretting system that it employs. So, I jump on it whenever I can. Leland Sklar and I began our conversation talking about his own highly successful site and his one-year old Basset Hounds, and I mentioned that I would be talking to all of the members of The Immediate Family. Rick: And then Warren Zevon. Youve got the guys like the Ry Cooders, and stuff, and Lindley, David Lindley. Leland Sklar on bass guitar, with James Taylor and Carole King. Rick: Yeah. I love an old Boss OC-2 Octave Divider. So, Shawn Phillips, is he still in South Africa? Do you remember those sessions with Spheeris and Phillips? But, I had a whole bunch of cars. As far as the session with Jimmie went, it was that period when my career was getting started, and the association with James Taylor and that singer/songwriter movement that began. My new Web site is: . Leland Sklar: Rarely did we get a copy of it. Around here, theres quite a few open mics. There is an old saying that you cant go home, but we actually got to go home, and it was great. Because he could run the gamut from the most ridiculous kind of whimsical stuff, to deeply, deeply profound lyrics. Leland Sklar: No, I think hes moved back to the States. How he sat there so matter-of-factly, kind of discussing the end of his life. Leland Sklar: Oh, Ive known Henry since he was Tad Diltz in the Modern Folk Quartet. You go there thinking youre a guitar player and leave realizing youre a guitar owner!, Nita Strauss: "A guitar solo is a way for the guitarist to tell a chapter of the song's story. and Mike Finnegan (Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Ringo Starr etc.). (Jon Butcher is a great admirer of Jimi Hendrix.) But, were down there playing like R&B covers and stuff for a bunch of people who had no idea who the hell we even were. Early 1980's EMG pickups with reverse P configuration. Not many records have the same vibe as records that were done back then, and it's because you're lacking a roomful of gifted musicians. This philosophy extends to a healthy disrespect for gear obsessives, his comments above about his equipment notwithstanding. Were doing a double-neck with a fretted five-string and a fretless four. Im not one of those converted guitar players who went to bass. Lee Sklar has been a prominent figure among Hollywood session bassists dating back to the 1970s and ever since. 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. Hes playing in stadiums, so pretty good venues. "Ive been on the road for 42 years and Ive only broken two strings - and I play really hard!". A lot of guys I know are profoundly anal retentive; they love to sit in the studio and craft a part and aren't comfortable going out and throwing their asses on the line and saying, 'This is it!' To date, he's performed on over 2,000 albums (including hundreds of film and TV projects) and fits in tours whenever he can. Rick: Whats the car? That was my initial reaction when I first saw the video for Phil Collins' smash hit, "Sussudio", in 1985. And he turned, and introduced me to Brian Wilson. Ive got a few instruments and stuff. I have a lot of different interests. They had no clue how to get a sound or play in time.'. But, she was the first artist that was signed to Asylum. [6], Sklar spent five years at San Fernando Valley State, but never graduated, because his own music career would intervene. Leland Sklar:A friend of mine called me a while back, and he said a friend of his was turning 60, and was going to have a party in his basement, and wondered if we could be a band and play. It was built more as a beautiful piece of sculpture than a touring bass. Leland Sklar is an American electric bass guitarist and session musician. 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? I don't know who you are." A living legend of the bass guitar, Lee Sklar makes a strong case for his non-functioning toggle switch. Leland Sklar: When I got into junior high school, there was, as they would say, a plethora of piano players. It was silly and joyous and that song always stood out and I never forgot it. Leland Sklar: Well, let me think. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. Or these livestreams, where people can sit home and watch it on TV and listen that way. And then we toured 85, where he exploded on the music scene, into the biggest artist in the world, practically, at that point. This guy This is pretty unbelievable., Rick: Yeah. There's work going on, but I see the same faces that I have for years. Ill never get sick of life on tour, although I do get tired of certain aspects of it: you get tired of airports and sitting in buses for eight hours. So, what was he like to, and Ive heard all the stories about him. [35], For larger stage venues, Sklar uses an EA iAMP Classic and an EA iAMP Pro for redundancy with a four 10" speaker bottom (Euphonic Audio NL-410W) and optionally attached to that is a Euphonic single 12" speaker cabinet (Euphonic Audio NL-112) with a Yamaha Subkick placed 1/2" in front of it. Leland Bruce "Lee" Sklar was born May 28, 1947 in Milwaukee is an American musician and film score composer. Because it was not a good player. I was like, A hundred Thats amazing. Thats how I found out about your Basset Hounds. Did you play six-string first? I did not know Leland Sklar 's pedigree as a bass player before that (and, what happened after is a . While finding a video of Tracy Chapman (Bang, Bang, Bang), while drilling down on her own music legacy, I got a pleasant surprise to notice Mr. Sklar harnessed to his bass. So when I finally got to meet him as Henry Diltz the photographer, I went, Youre Tad Diltz.. I want to tell you a quick little story. It was like a band any artist in the world would have creamed to have. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Rick: What other kind of hobbies do you have? Ive been working for a number of years now, with a singer named Judith Owen, and Judith is married to Harry Shearer, whos with Spinal Tap. And you just sit there, and you go, Holy shit. By the time he was twelve, though, he was completely burned out. Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. It sounded like you guys were just getting off the ground, and you were getting, maybe a feel for being a band thats really fronting themselves, like the cruise that you did, and all that. Heres how it works. Rick: Yes. Whatever your ability, BP has the interviews, reviews and lessons that will make you a better bass player. Playing with them has been such a blessing.". And when it came time for him to do his album, he just thought, What the hell? Im really excited, because Ive had a couple of double-necks over the years and theyve never been that good. This is the rig he used when playing with Phil Collins, James Taylor and Carole King, Toto, and with The Immediate Family. Or is there a place where you can get royalties? [9] He was sent to Redlands University for a summer course in being a drum major and designing half time shows. Cool. So, I went over and met him. For me to go from country to fusion isn't a leap - I don't change my tone; I don't change anything. Its really hard. And especially when it was like, kind of a one project, with somebody. We were cutting to analog tape. ", Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. Leland Sklar Photo credit: Rob Shanahan. He went to the administration building and took a battery of aptitude tests and found his highest aptitudes were in art and science. It was customized from various bass parts, consisting of a 1962 Fender Precision Bass neck, reshaped to the profile of Sklar's 1962 Fender Jazz Bass neck and fitted with mandolin fret wire, the smallest you can get (and on all of his subsequent basses), an alder Charvel P-Bass body with two sets of first-generation EMG Precision Bass pickups in reversed orientation, routed into J-Bass positions, and power by a 9 volt battery each, a Badass II bridge, and a prototype Hipshot detuner. When playing with Lyle Lovett, the 12" cabinet and Subkick were omitted. Rick: Yeah. Shop Limited Edition Prints by Leland Sklar These prints reflect my time as an art student in college in the good old 60's. Every Gicle Print in the edition is hand-signed and numbered by me. 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. Our guest today is Leland Sklar, studio and touring bassist for artists like Phil Collins, Toto, and James Taylor. A 400 turbo and a completely built Jag rear end, and stuff. We just actually finished that, just a few months ago. But, to be able to sit in a room with people where you can hear them breathing, and then you talk to them afterwards and hang out. ), its exactly how Sklar has paid the bills since the Woodstock era. Rick: Did you see the film about Laurel Canyon? But, I loved blues and hard rock. Leland Sklar: Yeah. John owned Crystal Recording Studios over in England. And I said, You want to open for Johnny Farina? Hes like, Oh, yeah. So, I was going to do it, but I let my friend do it. So, its a unique experience that were going through. Follow Artist +. I dont really dwell much on the past. Go more in the band direction. Why that planet-sized beard, Lee? In 2020, while idled by the COVID pandemic, Sklar started a YouTube channel, initially to demonstrate the bass parts to a few of the songs he'd played on tour with Phil Collins, but which grew exponentially into a journey of music appreciation and an exploration of his expansive career. Published date: Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 4:27 am. 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. Pretty amazing. It was a terrific show. So, how did you end up playing bass? Those . And a couple of years ago, I saw Charles Aznavour out here at The Greek Theatre, doing his, celebrating. But, we were at the Hard Rock Caf, and Robert and I were working together. That was definitely an inspiration": When Melissa Auf Der Maur went solo, NAMM 2023: Ashdown announces the Studio MiniRig a portable bass head with matching cab inspired by the Beatles PA columns. We were managed by Bill Graham, whose real name was Wolfgang, so we named the band after him. I interviewed him maybe five, or maybe six years ago. Let's track him down, let's use him on something.' But, right now, the most important thing is to stay out of harms way. He was not blas about it. Phil is one of my favorites. "I've been dealing with a company called Euphonic Audio out of New Jersey. Were you startled by how well John Entwistle was doing bass on My Generation? Leland Sklar Jackson Browne Minstrel Pickers Rock And Roll Beard Musician Session You never know who you'll see walking around NAMM. Leland Sklar is one of the few elite session musicians to rise to the peaks of the competitive LA rock scene. The foursome rehearsed and cut the first, self-titled album, Barefoot Servants, live in the studio. Leland Sklar: Also, thats how you meet other players. Leland Sklar: Yeah. Do you collect unique instruments, or older instruments? "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. He was all over the stage. Henry was there. Not like Leland, but a big beard. [Laughter], Rick: Well, they are family, arent they? That all disappears the minute you walk out on stage, though, so to me the balance is far more in favor of pleasure. But, my father finally, when he realized how really serious I was about it, took me out and got me a little Japanese electric bass and amp. So how did you end up with the bass? What's remarkable is, a few years later I knew them all and was working with them on a daily business.". [4][7][8] Sklar took to it immediately and began playing string bass in the orchestra and dance band. 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