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Brian Wilson – Take 3

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I recently sat down to speak with legendary musician and composer Brian Wilson about a wide-ranging list of topics.

The interview was conducted in the midst of his “Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour”, a grueling sojourn around the world that began in 2016, was extended through October of this year, and is slated to continue on in 2018 due to popular demand.  To add to Wilson’s already hectic schedule, he released his first ever solo anthology Playback, a retrospective that covers more than thirty years of solo efforts, and includes both live and studio tracks, and two brand new tracks.

One of the songs, “Run James Run” was written specifically for this album, and according to Brian “It was written in about two hours”.

It’s almost shocking to hear him casually state that he can still conjure up a song like this in such a short time, but there is of course his history in performing such astounding musical feats. The song has a definite “Cars, Sun and Fun” sound that’s immediately familiar, as is a photo on the inside cover of the album of Brian standing next to a muscle car, which spurred me to ask him if he himself had a favorite ride. After all, he’s written so many car songs, I have often wondered what his ultimate choice of cars would be.  “My Corvette, I still had it until around 1988”, he told me, but declined to elaborate further.

The other previously unheard track, “Some Sweet Day” is a collaboration with Andy Paley that was written back in the early 1990s and has sat in the can ever since.  There’s quite a bit of history behind the legendary Wilson-Paley sessions, and the sessions are not without their share of interest and irony.  The project started the day after Brian severed all his ties with Dr. Eugene Landy.  Wilson phoned Paley and told him “we’re free to work on whatever we want now”, and the result was purportedly over forty finished tracks, a dozen of which have been officially released since then on various Brian Wilson projects.  As to why all of these previously unreleased tracks were never made into an album, Brian simply stated, “I don’t know, I really don’t know”. Fans had been passing bootleg recordings of these sessions around for years and I wondered, if the circulation of these recordings prompted Wilson to include any of the songs on Playback, much like Bob Dylan had done with The Basement Tapes.  “Not really”, explains Brian.  “Andy and I wrote a song called “Chain Reaction Of Love”, which we haven’t released yet.  It’s a great song”.  I asked if we’d be hearing it soon, to which Brian responded, “I don’t know, I haven’t talked to Andy about it yet”.

The track Some Sweet Day saw its official debut on Playback and sounds like it could have been written in the 60’s by The Supremes and has a real Phil Spector sound to it.

When I asked if it was supposed to be a tribute to someone or something in particular, he advised that he “didn’t write the lyrics to that song, Andy Paley wrote them, so I can’t really answer about the lyrics”.  As to the remainder of unreleased songs, Brian stated, “I think there are still about 35 of them.”  As to when we will hear them, “I’m not sure when, but you will hear them.”  Officially, the word is that most of these songs were never made into an album because his brother Carl disliked the material, particularly the track “Soul Searchin”, a song that he sang lead on, and the record labels weren’t all that interested.  Wilson’s soon-to-be wife and manager Melinda had been quoted as saying “Carl didn’t think the material was commercial enough”.  All of this negativity surround the sessions prompted me to ask how he reacts when he gets a negative reaction to a piece of music he’s worked on; “Well, it doesn’t hurt my feelings, that’s for sure.  Capitol Records didn’t like Pet Sounds, and then about two weeks later, they released it.”

On his current tour and the rigors of touring, and why he decided to release a solo anthology after more than thirty years, Brian stated that he “wanted people to hear our rhythm and blues kind of music that we did.  The tour saw Wilson visiting over 150 cities in some 40 countries, a schedule that could easily wear out a man 20 years his junior.  I asked him how he is able to maintain such a rigorous touring schedule and still maintain his enthusiasm.  He responded with “Well, it’s certainly interesting because I get to do all these concerts.  I don’t do too much sightseeing, we just hang out at the hotels and do a lot of TV watching”.   The rush that he gets from performing live is a very strong motivating factor as he exclaims, “for each show, the highlight for me is doing God Only Knows.  The song is like a big experience for me, the audiences give me about a two minute standing ovation.  It happens at every single concert!”

I was in attendance at The Hollywood Bowl in 2016 to witness the show first-hand.

I asked if the venue or that particular show had any special relevance to him, and he responded with  “I remember that show, and yes, the Bowl is one of my favorites, it’s a good place.  I love that place!”  At 75, there are no indications that Brian will be slowing down his touring and recording schedules.  Still, I insisted, the rigors of touring at 75 have to be quite taxing, but he insisted, “It’s just a number to me, I’m young at heart and I have a young brain.   I’ve been doing concerts for years; I’ve had a lot of practice.  My voice stays young!  I actually prefer performing live to recording in the studio, I get to get the reaction of the audiences.   Prior to the actual show I have about half an hour of the jitters, then I get over it, and then it’s one fantastic rock concert.”  When asked what his secret to living life on the road was, he only had this bit of advice to offer; “Well, I always say in all of my interviews, don’t take heavy drugs. Don’t take things like LSD or morphine.  Don’t take heavy drugs!”

There aren’t too many of his contemporaries out there still performing into their 70’s, but there are a few.  One that comes immediately to mind is The Rolling Stones, a band that has been out on tour essentially for over fifty-five years.  When I asked him how he compares himself to The Rolling Stones, he didn’t compare himself to them, but simply replied, “You know, I’ve never seen The Rolling Stones, I’ve never been to one of their concerts.”  As for other plans outside of touring, Brian confirmed that there would be a new album coming out some time in the near future.  “I haven’t started recording the new album yet, but I’m going to doing an album of rock and roll songs, some of them covers and some of them originals.  I’m going to cover Paul McCartney and Chuck Berry’s music.  I still have many things left that I want to accomplish; I want to record a really great Rock and Roll album.  I’ve released a lot of good pop songs, but not real rock songs.”

Brian’s extensive career has been heavily documented, and his list of accolades is pretty lengthy.

This is the man who has been credited with being the writer and producer of songs that influenced everyone from The Beatles to his own brothers in The Beach Boys, and too many other acts to name.  As to his favorite collaborator during all this time, he stated without hesitation, “Van Dyke Parks was my favorite collaborator.”  I asked,  “How do all the constant accolades make you feel?  Do you think you have a good bullshit detector in place?” and he responded as frankly with “I think all the accolades are correct.  I’ve been told that our harmonies are our best attribute.”  Wondering if perhaps he had a person or two around him that would just tell him everything was great, he told me “I don’t have that problem.  Most people tell me how it is.”

In the past few years, there have been a slew of revealing insights into Brian Wilson’s creative genius in the public consciousness, from his recent autobiography “i Am Brian Wilson” to the biopic “Love And Mercy”, a made-for-TV movie that so closely portrayed Dr. Eugene Landy so accurately it “scared the shit out of him.”  The book and the movie also documented what can only be described as a meticulous and tenacious recording process.  Nonetheless, I wanted to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, so I asked how he translates all the musical ideas he has in his head and manages to communicate his vision to other musicians he’s in the room with.   “I still do it the same way I did in the 1960s, I write music charts out for everyone in my band, and they just read the music and play it.  Beautifully!  I still use the same process I used when I recorded Pet Sounds; I haven’t changed my process at all.  I have a very clear picture in my mind of how the harmonies, the melodies, the lyrics, and the orchestration should sound, and how it’s all put together for one big sound.”  When asked how he keeps all of these thoughts together, he replied, “Well, it’s not that hard.  I write a lot of it down.  A lot of it is written on the piano.”

I’ve spoken with a number of musicians and recording engineers over the years, and one thing I’m always interested in is whether they prefer the old analogue methods of recording, or if they’ve completely adopted digital.

According to Brian,  “I prefer to record digitally, it makes it sound clearer and more exact.  It’s also made the process easier to record, now I do the scratch first, and then I do the vocals.  Before we do the vocals we have to do the orchestration, the background tracks, and then we do the vocals.”

With our time running short, I wanted to ask him about one of his most ethereal and cryptic songs, “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times”.  According to Brian, ” It was a social statement.  It was meant to say that I was out of sync with life in the time that it was written in.  I wasn’t right for the time in which it was written, but now, I’m just right for these times!”

Visit online at brianwilson.com

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Bass Videos

Interview With K3 Sisters Band

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Interview With K3 Sisters Band

K3 Sisters Band Interview…

It is very rare when I talk to a band where all the members play bass. The K3 Sisters Band is a perfect example of a group where Kaylen, Kelsey and Kristen Kassab are all multi-instrumentalists and take turns playing bass.

Hailing from Texas, these three sisters have been playing music since they were very young and have amassed an amazing amount of original music,  music videos, streaming concerts, podcasts, and content that has taken numerous social media platforms by storm. On TikTok alone, they have over 2.5 million followers and more than a billion views.

Join me as we hear the story of their musical journey, how they get their sound, and the fundamental principles behind these prolific musicians.

Here is the K3 Sisters Band!

Photo, Bruce Ray Productions

Follow Online:

k3sistersband.com/
TikTok
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook 

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Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole

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Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole

Bassist Danielle Nicole…

Blues music has universal appeal. We all have our ups and downs and this particular musical genre often fits our reality. Just hearing that we are not alone makes us feel a bit better. 

Danielle Nicole writes and sings the Blues. She does an amazing job at delivering both exquisite smoky vocals but plays just the right bass line to drive the tune home. Danielle recently released “The Love You Bleed” last January and will be touring the album this upcoming year.

Join me as we learn about Danielle’s musical journey, how she gets her sound, her plans for the future and more.

Follow Online

daniellenicolemusic.com/
IG @daniellenicoleband
youtube.com/daniellenicoleband

Photo, Missy Faulkner

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Bergantino Welcomes Karina Rykman to Their Family of Artists

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Bergantino Welcomes Karina Rykman to Their Family of Artists

Interview with Karina Rykman…

Karina Rykman…The high-energy bassist discusses her path on bass, her upcoming tour, how she came to find Bergantino through another Bergantino artist, and more!

A lifelong Manhattanite diehard New Yorker, Bergantino welcomes new Artist Karina Rykman. Jim and Holly had the privilege of meeting Karina and her band in Boston to see her perform. She lights up a stage with her charismatic passion as a bass player and singer – a true powerhouse of joy and energy. On stage, she smiles from ear to ear, hopping, jumping, and dancing; the entire room overflowing with positivity! If you don’t know this titan of bass yet, you will soon enough. Karina’s JOYRIDE 2024 tour picks up this month with the debut of her new album. We had the opportunity to ask Karina some questions about her career so far. 

You have quite the career that began at a very young age. You have so much going on!! Can you share some of your musical path highlights you are most proud of?

Oh man, thank you! What a long, strange trip it’s been. I’m proud of still being so absolutely enthralled by music after playing in a million bands and finally ending up at this current juncture: being able to make my own music and tour under my own name. It just seems completely surreal – every gig, every recording…I’m on cloud 9 being able to continue to do this, and we’re just getting started. I’m extremely proud of being so young and being able to learn so much from Marco Benevento, without whom I’d be absolutely nowhere. Being put up to a large task with enormous shoes to fill, and stepping in even though I barely knew what I was doing at the time. Every gig with Marco is extremely special to me. 

Tell us about your new album release Joyride and your 2024 tour.

Joyride is my debut record! It came out in August 2023, and we’ve been touring behind it nonstop ever since. You only make your first record once, and I’m so proud of this one – it’s fun, searing, lush, with chantable choruses and, of course, incredibly thick bass and infectious grooves. It was produced by Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who also contributes guitar parts to 5 of the 9 tunes. 

What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate towards it?

There’s nothing quite like feeling the subs rumbling under your feet in a venue and being responsible for those sounds is thrilling. I played guitar first, at age 12, but essentially completely switched over to bass when I was 22 and got the gig playing bass with Marco Benevento. I haven’t looked back since, except for a few gigs on guitar here and there (notably in the house band on Late Night with Seth Meyers and on The Today Show backing up Julia Michaels). 

People hate this question, but: If you were constructing your personal Bass Mt. Rushmore, who are the four players that would make the cut and why?

Geddy Lee, Cliff Burton, Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool. The list goes on and on, of course, but those four have imprinted their unique styles upon my brain since I was so young, and I’m perpetually learning from them – even in the case of the deceased Cliff (RIP), going back and watching Cliff ‘Em All videos is something I do all the time. Endlessly compelled by these four players and their original takes on the instrument.

How did you learn to play?

I never took lessons, but in middle school and high school, I just surrounded myself with equally music-obsessed people. All we did was play music and go and see live music, which is wildly accessible when you grow up in New York City. I had a really tight-knit crew of amazing players as my friends, and everyone would teach each other riffs and licks. I was fearless – playing with people much better than me and saying “yes” to every cool opportunity that came my way. I essentially learned from playing in a million bands and playing along to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin records. 

Are there any other instruments you play?

I started on guitar, and still love to write on guitar. I can get around on keyboards a bit, but you’d never hire me as a keyboardist. The same goes for drums – I LOVE playing drums but you’d never hire me as a drummer. 

Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.

I play both with a pick and my fingers, depending on the specific needs of / vibe of the tune. I love playing fuzz bass and writing bombastic “lead bass” moments, which are a staple of my live show. I’d say I’m about the least “traditional” bassist in just about every way – which is both a strength and a weakness depending on how you frame it. I play what I hear, what I like, and I adhere to very few rules. I’ve always hated rules, and I didn’t start playing rock n roll to follow them. 

How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?

I’m pals with Mike Gordon, bassist of Phish, and his tech is named Ed Grasmeyer. Ed suggested he bring Mike’s Bergantino for me to try out at a show I was playing in Vermont, and I fell instantly in love. 

You have been using the Bergantino Forté HP2 head. How have you been setting the controls on this and what changes to those settings might you make as you plug into your other individual instruments?

I love my Forté HP2! The versatility and headroom are incredible, and I’ve been having a lot of fun dialing it in at home. The real fun will begin this weekend when I take it out for 2.5 weeks of tour – dialing something in an apartment just isn’t the same as on a big stage with a PA and subs and all that good stuff. I like to roll my highs a bit and I keep “punch” on all the time. So far, it’s been a dream.

You are the inspiration behind Bergantino cab the new NXT410-C. Can you tell us more about this cab and your experience so far?

Firstly, I’m beyond touched to be the inspiration behind, well…anything! But this is truly insane, and such an honor. I love this cab. Not only is it light and extremely good-looking, it can handle all my loudest, most abrasive and obnoxious effects. My old amp didn’t come close, and could just fart out or I’d have to turn down to appease it. I’m a big fan of playing at earth-shattering volumes, so this is going to be a match made in heaven. 

We all love your custom-made Goldie Hawn bass guitar! Can you share more with us about this bass design and why it is so special to you?

Thanks! That’s made by “Zeke Guitars” – it’s the second custom bass he’s made for me! He reached out in the summer of 2019 and asked what my dream bass would be, and I said it was basically my 1978 Fender P-Bass, but lighter, whiter, with Lindy Fralins, gold hardware, and shorter scale. And, well..he did exactly that! I love that bass so much. And the gold, which is referred to as Goldie Hawn, was born in December of 2022, and has the same specs. I just love it, it sounds amazing and looks, arguably, even better. 

Jim and I were lucky to get to meet you in person when you came to Boston with the band. The members of the band are such a great group of people! Can you share more with all about the band and crew. 

I’m so lucky to keep such incredible company. My bandmates, Adam November and Chris Corsico, are not only unbelievable musicians but also incredible humans. We just laugh and laugh, and we’re there for each other when the road gets tough or we’re exhausted or whatever life throws at us. It’s the joy of my life to get to tour the world with these guys. And the crew! That night was Connor Milton on sound and Nick Koski on lights – we have a rotating cast of people who play those roles based on availability, and everyone who works for us are absolute consummate professionals and the sweetest humans. They are my team of experts and I just adore them so much. Shout out to Zach Rosenberg, Jeff Volckhausen, Dylan Hinds, Dom Chang, for being the best rotating crew a gal could ask for!  

What else do you do besides music? 

Not much! I love going to the beach! I love eating dinner! 

Because I am a foodie, I always ask people what their favorite food is!

Oysters, caviar, sushi. I’m a raw bar fanatic. 

At a very young age, Karina is a diligent hard worker. She juggles many balls managing her business and is savvy beyond her years. We are very happy to be working with Karina and are excited for her continued success!

Follow Karina Rykman:

Instagram: @karinarykman
X (formerly Twitter): @KarinaRykman
Facebook @karinarykman/

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Ciara Moser

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Interview With Bassist Ciara Moser

Bassist Ciara Moser…

Ciara and I sat down for this interview a few months after the launch of her debut album, “Blind. So what?”

Blind since birth, she is a powerhouse of talent; she is not only a professional bassist, but also composes music, and is a producer and educator. I am just blown away by her talent and perseverance.

Join me as we hear about Ciara’s musical journey, the details of her album, how she gets her sound, and her plans for the future.

Visit online:

www.ciara-moser.com 
IG @ moserciara
FB @ ciara.moser

Photos by Manuela Haeussler

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Travis Book

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Interview With Bassist Travis Book

Interview With Bassist Travis Book…

Bluegrass music has had a very solid following over many years and I am always happy to hear from one of the pioneers in that genre.

Travis Book plays bass for the Grammy award-winning band “The Infamous Stringdusters” and has recently released his first solo album “Love and Other Strange Emotions”. As if he wasn’t busy enough, Travis also hosts a podcast, Plays a Jerry Garcia music show with Guitarist Andy Falco, and is constantly gigging locally in his neck of the woods.

Photo, Seyl Park

Visit Online:

www.thetravisbook.com
www.thestringdusters.com
FB @ TheTravisBook
IG @ travisbook

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