Instantly recognizable by his long white beard, he's been an established presence on the L.A. scene for decades. People are really hungry for entertainment and music. Read reviews from the world's largest community for readers. They all teamed up again for the Troubadour Reunion Tour in 2010. [16], In 1967, Group Therapy had been signed to the Canterbury[14] label and went into United Studios in Hollywood to record. Sklar performed again with James Taylor, Carole King, Danny Kortchmar and Russ Kunkel in a series of six shows at the Troubadour on November 2830, 2007 for the 50th Anniversary of the club. Playing with them has been such a blessing.". After a few minutes talking about our dogs, it was time to dig into our interview and Lees personality was perfectly reflected, as we rolled into talk about The Immediate Family with a laugh. And showing the bass parts to the songs that Im doing, likeJackson Browne. Its a monster; its a beast. And well see how that goes. Were not backing anybody and not subject to their whims, which can drive you crazy. "I work with Euphonic Audio in New Jersey, who I discovered - once again - at a NAMM show a few years ago," he explains. Its almost exponential, how that can work. Henry seemed like a genuinely really nice guy. [11] Dennis and Doug Dragon were Daryl's two brothers. "I talk about this with some of the guys from my generation, who came up a little bit after the Wrecking Crew. There is an old saying that you cant go home, but we actually got to go home, and it was great. And that was fun, because I used to listen to all of his albums, including at least one that you were on, which was Bright White. [13][14] Sometimes he was in five bands at one time, doing all kinds of music, trying to find himself. Rick: Yeah. "That's a pretty remarkable instrument. I remember a time when you couldn't have inadequacies - you either cut it or you didn't. While this amount of back-to-back touring might seem exhausting at best and impossible to execute at worst (how does he remember all those songs? He continues: Im involved with Warwick too, and were building one of their Star Basses - the ones that look like an old Framus, with F holes. "Im doing that this time, too, because Im going out with Lyle from July to September, and I have to relearn the Toto set at the same time because Im going out with them in October.. I pinch myself every day. So, you really got to come up with some creative ways of making things happen. But, the odds are really stacked not in your favor. But what I started into was a world with the James Taylors that led to the Linda Rontadts and Jackson Brownes. I was in garage bands back in 1964 and 65, and everybody wanted to play six-string, but there was always this one guy who would grab a bass. Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists forGuitar World,Guitar Player,MusicRadarandClassic Rock. I don't know who you are." 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. Ive never really cut it since then, although I do trim it from time to time.. Sklar became part of Taylor's backing band, along with Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, and Carole King, all joining Taylor in his rise to fame. Sklar's mother already had a baby grand piano in the home. He has three basic Euphonic Audio amp set ups for three specific applications: studio, intimate settings, and larger stage situations. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Leland Sklar. And he pointed at Henry, and he said, You need to meet that guy. Enjoy every sandwich.. Im from Detroit, so I like hot rods. And that was heartbreaking. I kind of remember the location. 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. And I go, These have been my friends for 50 years, and we still love seeing each other, love playing music, and were still moving forward, and not sitting . When you were dealing with Dylan and people like that, it was basically a guy sitting, playing guitar, and singing. There are guys that, like John Entwistle, I think, probably had about 600 basses. 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. Leland Sklar: Im just going to spend most of this apologizing for everything those other guys said, and distancing myself from them. Rick: Yeah. Leland Sklar is an American electric bass guitarist and session musician. Leland Sklar: For a guy thats kind of been counted out. Hey, the music business can be pretty tough to figure out. But, I had a whole bunch of cars. It was really great, says Sklar, asked if he enjoyed the Taylor/King reunion. Remember him? The 72-year-old bassist with The Section, who has backed such artists as Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, Carole King and James Taylor, said he is being penalized for using the platform to express views . He was being managed and produced by Peter Asher. He and his wife stayed for a couple nights, and a buddy of mine from Minnesota, he came. So you really cant count people out. And we were going on after Tito Puentes Big Band with Celia Cruz. Sklar did the Falling In Between Tour with Toto in 2007-2008, filling in for his friend Mike Porcaro, who was stricken with ALS. 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. As I mentioned, Lee and I talked about his cool Beagles, and you can see them on his channel, along with him showing you how he played various legendary tunes. His natural talent and passion for the instrument saw him excel. Rick: And then Warren Zevon. Rick: Yeah, I saw that. I was listening to, you streamed, Somebodys Baby by Jackson Browne. How do you fit in the way you do? I like that. And I was. [31], On January 2, 2022, Sklar was seen performing in concert with James Taylor and Carole King in the CNN documentary "Just Call Out My Name. All rights reserved. I was just trying to figure out how that name fit into the Phil Collins category. ), its exactly how Sklar has paid the bills since the Woodstock era. 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. Leland Sklar Photo credit: Rob Shanahan. Youve got the guys like the Ry Cooders, and stuff, and Lindley, David Lindley. I cant play a note of guitar. "For simplicity, I use their NL410 and a 1000W Pro head. Go more in the band direction. He was born on May 28, 1947, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. I was touring with Tracy Chapman. "The problem with the bass was that it was really heavy. L.A. had tons of clubs, and I could carry a bass with me, walk into a club andjust ask if I could sit in, and thats how I networked and met people. Ive been lucky, thats the way I see it. One is inlayed with mother of pearl and the other is abalone. Being a bass player, he was given three choices: the bass drum, Sousaphone or drum major. Leland Sklar Famed session bassist on Phil Collins, Judith Owen and the state of the music industry Exclusive video interview with FBPO's Jon Liebman April 2, 2018 By David Sands When it comes to session bassists, Leland Sklar is definitely one of those names. Bath [40], Previously, Sklar also had signature instruments from Gibson[41] and Valley Arts Guitar. But, with Jimmie, the saddest thing was, for me, was just when I heard that he had passed awayreally a young man. And then he and I parted ways until 2000. Sklar started studying piano just after turning five years old. He has collaborated with a number of well-known performers and recorded sound tracks. Because The Section was Russ and Kootch and myself and Craig Doerge on keyboards. 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. "Like I said before, it's really a different world today. Because theres a lot of gigs that had to be canceled, and were right in the middle of a documentary film being made by Danny Tedesco, who did The Wrecking Crew. Rick: Actually, his range reminded me of Although theyve got a different sound, obviously with Tim Buckleys range, if you knew Tim Buckley. BONUS VIDEO LELAND SKLAR ON BASS WITH TRACY CHAPMAN BANG, BANG, BANG. So, he changed to co-majors in art and science with the thought of becoming a medical or technical illustrator. The Section recorded three rock fusion albums of their own under that name, in 1972, 1973 and 1977. Thats Henry Diltz. 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. My book "Everybody Loves Me" is there plus my BEARD T Shirts and . I was fortunate that he was a collector, because I had a bass that I really wanted to get rid of, that was a beautiful instrument. [5] Sklar is a Ukrainian surname meaning glazier, a person whose profession is fitting glass into windows and doors. If you have your physical abilities and your faculties, theres no reason not to keep going. [6][16][35], Sklar's studio rig is an Euphonic Audio iAMP 800 combo (all-in-one) amp. How small a block? That you can afford a guy to help you. But, theresa lot of misconception as to what this is. So, he was averaging like 70 thousand seats a night. 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. We were out, off and on, for two and a half years, doing that. He likes a .040 G-string for its flexibility, facilitating expressive playing. So its more on my frontal lobe, in terms of thinking about the stuff. [17][18] The tracks were produced by Mike Post. Uploaded: 16 Aug, 2008. 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! 2004-2022 Guitar International Group, LLC. 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. I've listened to a lot of different types of music and have crafted a style that allows me to play most everything. [35], In 2010, Sklar began playing the Warwick Star Bass II, which has since become his main bass in the studio. Can happen. 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. And we went in and in a week, we nailed the first album. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Because I was co-majors in that. 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! Songs theyre talking about, the stories theyre talking about are from 30 years ago. I interviewed him maybe five, or maybe six years ago. So how did you end up with the bass? by Mitch Joel Thursday, March 5th, 2015. Something about an artist or song that gave you problems? Im a voracious gardener. Leland Sklar:Under those circumstances, I remember her name from those days, with J. D., and all that. What are you doing here? I said, Playing music. 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. However, rather than use an alder body with an ash laminate top, as is often seen on other instruments, we place the pieces side-by-side. He tried to meet as many people as possible, worked really hard, and hoped for the best. [44], Sklar keeps his amplification implementations simple and adaptable. But, I spent 20 years with James. , playing guitar, and he said, and he pointed at Henry, and distancing from! Anybody and not subject to their whims, which can drive you crazy Doug were... To go home, but we actually got to come up with bass... Really heavy on may 28, 1947, in 1972, 1973 and.. 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