Leland Sklar:And stuff, when I was like eight years old, and shit like that. Rick: Do you know Lee Underwood? And we were a rock fusion instrumental group. "No. I don't think I've ever played a part the same way twice. Bass Player is the worlds most comprehensive, trusted and insightful bass publication for passionate bassists and active musicians of all ages. He was not blas about it. See more ideas about leland sklar, leland, musician. I had won awards from the Hollywood Bowl. Early 1980's EMG pickups with reverse P configuration. 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. "Ive been on the road for 42 years and Ive only broken two strings - and I play really hard!". And when I got in, I assumed I would be playing piano. Leland Bruce Sklar was born May 28, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Junior high probably around 60, I guess. [21], In the 1970s, Sklar worked together so frequently with drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Danny Kortchmar, and keyboardist Craig Doerge, who replaced King after her own rise to stardom, that they became "The Section," a distinction Taylor had bestowed upon them as his rhythm section. Leland Sklar: Movie director, film director, or producer. Ive talked to a lot of kids, and their whole idea is, Were going to get rich, and were going to do this. 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. What I like about them is I get a full, rich saturation on stage - very big and clean. His Dingwall bass has Dingwall strings, with a GHS .040 G-string. You have to be serious, but you dont have to grow up. I really dont think that way at all. His mother's family was from Duluth, Minnesota. A staple of L.A. studio scene, Sklar put his stamp on music of all genres for over four decades with artists like James Taylor, Reba McEntire, Billy Cobham, Phil Collins, and more. So how did you end up with the bass? We just actually finished that, just a few months ago. 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! Did you play six-string first? "I've got first-generation EMG pickups on it. Leland Sklar Jackson Browne Minstrel Pickers Rock And Roll Beard Musician Session You never know who you'll see walking around NAMM. 839K subscribers in the beards community. And I was. Category: Sports. A prominent electric bassist, Sklar has contributed to over 2,000 albums as a session musician. The Dingwall is what I used with Phil Collins and Lyle Lovett, and I used it on the James Taylor and Carole King reunion tour. He really dug in, and I always just got such a kick out of his lyrics. I think at the end of this month, were going to livestream a concert. Scott :) How Leland Sklar Discovered 'Fan Fret' Basses (Bass Tales Ep.11) That was my initial reaction when I first saw the video for Phil Collins' smash hit, "Sussudio", in 1985. But I dont know. In 2018, reuniting several members of The Section, a new group was formed, The Immediate Family, with Leland Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel on guitars and vocals, and musician/producer Steve Postell on vocals and guitar. Its amazing. 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. Heres how it works. I started boning up on the songs towards the end of the James and Carol tour. Its actually very comfortable. Sklar also created a coffee table book, Everybody Loves Me, of approximately 6000 photos from a collection of over 12,000 images of celebrities and common folk giving him "the finger," which has become his signature gesture. He refers to it as "Frankenstein". 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. One of the fingerboards is ebony and the other is rosewood. And Im so deeply proud and moved by the fact that we do have this. The book will be filled with affectionate portraits, stories and advice from inspiring and creative older couples across the globe. Was it your playing, your attitude? Read Full Biography. Do you collect unique instruments, or older instruments? "If I had any real advice, it would be to play with people. The only problem is, there's nobody for us to pass the baton to. 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. I checked a lot of your recordings, and it amazed me, the folks that you had worked with over the years. Right there, the differences are massive. I dont know anybody else in the business quite like him. Let the house guy mix you. We're Whatever your ability, BP has the interviews, reviews and lessons that will make you a better bass player. I met Sheldon Dingwall at NAMM 14 years ago, Sklar remembers. Im from Detroit, so I like hot rods. I went to a high school where there were all sorts of rules, he sighs, and I got so sick of having to look a certain way and keep my hair trimmed to their regulations that the day I left - the second I left! . What's remarkable is, a few years later I knew them all and was working with them on a daily business.". Rick: So, when you were graduating, I think thats the year of the Who came out with My Generation. I would say for the most part, Ive worked on maybe about 2,600 albums in my career. That's how it happens. And you had drums, and the keyboard player would have an amp. For simplicity, I use their NL410 and a 1000W Pro head. With a daily commitment to his outstanding YouTube channel, in which he revisits classic tracks and shares stories from his remarkable career as undoubtedly the most recorded bassist in history, Sklar is increasingly being pulled from his spare bedroom show setting to do tours and recordings. 'A gently seductive energy' The group had announced that they were working on a new album as early as March 1995. "I said, This is for me and its become my main touring bass, because if theres one song in the show that requires five-string, Ill play five-string for the whole show. You can catch them performing their own versions of songs they backed in the studio and on various tours, such as Werewolves of London, Devoted to You, Running on Empty and a swath of music that captures us with a sense of nostalgia, as well as its own newness. Sklar worked again with Collins on the album But Seriously in 1989 and toured with the Seriously, Live! They needed a bass player and would he be interested? So, I got rid of everything, and just kept the hot rod. [36] This was his main bass on tour and was also used in various recordings. I've listened to a lot of different types of music and have crafted a style that allows me to play most everything. Despite this relaxed approach towards his facial furniture, Sklar has been fueled for the last 40-plus years by a work ethic that has rarely involved a break - or, he tells us, even the mildest of rock n roll indulgences. Those . Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. And some of the bands that play the clubs have to pay to play. Upcoming Leland Sklar Interview [NEW] Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Chris May, Jul 31, 2014. Rick: And then Warren Zevon. "How I can impact a track is different now, because it's not the same as sitting with a drummer or a guitar player and working out parts. [8] He created a web presence for social interaction called Lee's Clubhouse. 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? "A '62 Fender Jazz Bass. But, that should be really great. Sklar recalls the path that led him to become a bass player, and unsurprisingly - given his laissez-faire attitude to gear - it didnt involve any high-quality instruments until some years into his playing career. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Do you remember those sessions with Spheeris and Phillips? Besides appearing as the backing band on numerous recordings by artists such as Jackson . And when it came time for him to do his album, he just thought, What the hell? Hes really kind of a globe-trotter. "I'm not an analytical player by any means. And he was playing solo with a 12-string. Hes playing in stadiums, so pretty good venues. Read reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Charlie Watts is, I think, going on 80 nowAnd Mick is in mid-70s. Phil Collins B-Day day 2. Yep. Im actually still in touch with Shawn. Veteran musician Leland Sklar is raging against Facebook for allegedly locking him out of his account for 30 days. Songs theyre talking about, the stories theyre talking about are from 30 years ago. I know you had several albums with Shawn. And it ended up taking off. Leland Sklar: Well, no. December 7, 2020. But, I never thought it would be a profession. My dad bought me a Melody bass guitar, because no-one could hear the upright bass in those days, and I went through a series of basses until I finally got a 1962 Jazz for 90 bucks. To me, thats what I always loved about music, is that intimacy. I hate it when I look at a show and I see that the bass players got a rack with 10 basses that hes constantly messing with. His ability to play pop, rock, jazz, country and easy listening has made him one of the industry's first-call players. 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. And we were going on after Tito Puentes Big Band with Celia Cruz. Its about J. D. Souther and her relationship. They had no clue how to get a sound or play in time.'. And I was fully expecting to be doing something in art or science. Just a quick glance of the artists Sklar has worked with boggles the mind: James Taylor, Phil Collins, Billy Cobham, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Hall & Oates, Jackson Browne, David Bowie, Ray Charles, BB King, The Doors, Peter Frampton, Aaron Neville, Lyle Lovett - all have called upon Sklar's services, and many of them wouldn't think of doing a session without him. . I like that. "Personally, I got used to playing it in about five seconds. Because, he just knows how to be around other players and work through them. That dictates my approach, rather than, 'Here's a bunch of cool notes'", Kiss's Tommy Thayer names 11 guitarists who shaped his sound, Joe Bonamassa on why he loves the Gibson Les Paul: Pretty much all of the English guitar legends of the 1960s, thats what they were holding, The Lowlist: Def Leppard's Hysteria, the album that changed melodic rock, I had been warned I might be shot immediately but I decided to do it anyway": The unstoppable Charlie Haden, The 1973 Paul McCartney TV Special is not only the most 70s thing youll ever see, its a fascinating snapshot of a post-Beatles McCartney, "The Breeders, Hole, Sonic Youth, The Smashing Pumpkins all had female bass players. [10] Sklar graduated from Birmingham High School in 1965 and stopped shaving, the beginning of his iconic beard. 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. And people are in their cars listening, like the old days. I saw too many people fall victim to booze and drugs, he tells us, and so Ive never done anything like that myself. What, no vat of whiskey before the show like real rockers do? 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. When Leland was four, his family and he moved to Van Nuys, California, a central San Fernando Valley neighborhood in the northwest section of metropolitan Los Angeles. Rick: Thats pretty cool. Ill be 70 next year, and Ive been in my house for like a month or so. Leland Sklar:Under those circumstances, I remember her name from those days, with J. D., and all that. Hes got quite a range. I think its a lot harder today. And for me, one of the good things that came out of it is, on a whim, I started a YouTube channel of my own. For me, theres nothing like a house concert where you can actually meet the people, talk to them, and sort of hang out with them. I would hate to be starting now. Its almost exponential, how that can work. Rick: Oh, Phil Collins, yeah. People like Jimmie Spheeris, Shawn Phillips, and I think Warren Zevons quite a bit better known now, than maybe he was back in the 70s. Rick:So, when the albums come out, dont you get a copy? You just never know whats going to happen. [16], In the 1980s, Sklar focused on session work in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Europe. And he ended up buying it from me, because he wanted to just hang it on a wall, which is where it needed to be. Mike (Michel) Rubini, Mike Melvoin, and Larry Knechtel were the keyboard players. The bass has been used on roughly 85 percent of his recordings. Leland Sklar: And hell, it was a world tour. Your career has spanned so many genres. Theyre trying to get into spandex pants with a 40-inch waist!. I loved the vibration of it and the responsibility that the instrument has. He thought of everybody as his immediate family, because weve been together for half a century, except for Postell, whos been around for a couple of years with us. The upper neck is a piccolo bass neck and the other is a standard neck. Rick: So, you were working with who, mostly? All rights reserved. Leland Sklar: When I got into junior high school, there was, as they would say, a plethora of piano players. In line with his preference to play a single bass through a given show, Sklar utilizes a powerful but stripped-down rig. Rick: What did you do with Phil Collins? Youve heard Lee Sklars bass parts more often than you think. That used to be the daily routine, and now it's the exception to the rule.". I have an old TC chorus-flanger. And he goes, "You're going to have to shave that beard off." And I went, "What? ", Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. 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