"Half a record" is the Unmerry Go Round from Metal Fatigue. Huge fan of Gary, and Tribal Tech. Fantastic players and writers.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Me too.. love Gary's tunes ...

@reidwhitton6248

Жыл бұрын

@@SamoSalamonMusic His tunes on the self titled album just kill me! Dense Dance, and Got Tuh B. I'm still blasting this stuff in the car thirty years later!

Gary is just about the chillest guy I've ever met. The only thing that outweighs his generosity and kindness is his musical genius.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

The truth :)

That was probably the most in depth description by Gary I heard about his time with Allan. Thanks to Samo for bringing this out, and thanks to Gary for sharing his memories, and for the wonderful playing he brought to Allan's music. For the record, Gary plays on three separate Holdsworth releases: 1.) "The Un-Merry-Go-Round" from the Metal Fatigue album, which is half that record, as Gary states. It really is several tunes baked into one, and Allan called it a suite, which he dedicated to his father Sam, who used to be a professional pianist at some point, and who was his first music teacher. 2.) "None Too Soon", which is an album of jazz standards. Gordon Beck really has a big part in making that record happen, as he suggested several of the tunes, and even helped provide some of the arrangements. The entire album features Gary and Kirk, with that lovely bass feature on "Very Early". 3.) A lesser known track by the same lineup was released on the album "Guitar Tribute To The Beatles", an album produced by Mike Mainieri if I recall correctly. It's Gordon's arrangement of the Beatles tune "Michelle", and Allan plays ripping solo on that one. It could easily have been included on "None Too Soon". (Trivia: Gordon actually also recorded an arrangement of that tune way back in 1968 on his album "Experiment With Pops" which featured John McLaughlin on guitar.)

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Txxxxx for sharing these thoughts... i have to check out the Beatles one ...

@evanjazzista

Жыл бұрын

There is still a Beatles tune on None Too Soon, Norwegian Wood. I once interviewed Gary and we talked a lot about the NTS album, but somehow he never mentioned the musicians hadn't recorded together. That's quite a shocking news since the band seem to gel together like crazy, like in a live situation.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@evanjazzista yeah, funny... love that album otherwise...

@Jaundice__

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

@wildflowrecordsandmedia6355

Жыл бұрын

have to do a no bs movie with total honest about everything. he deserves it before the others die please

Great interview! Gary is a legend himself!

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Txxxx for watching... yeah, gary is one of the best! Nice guy also...

It's always great to find out new things about Allan from the people who knew him.

My band was setting up to play the Swallows Inn in San Juan Capistrano and Allen Holdsworth was at the bar with someone and my other guitarist made me go say hi. He was very kind and we talked about his Carvin endorsement and I had played his namesake guitar there but just bought a different model. I was glad I got to meet him. I'm glad I didn't try complementing his guitar playing but he did turn down an invitation to sit in with us.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Txxxx for sharing the story!!!

love your work!!

There's a marked difference between Allan's sublimely developed studio solos and the hit and miss results of his live improvising. He tended to overplay live and definitely knew it. However technically amazing his live playing was, it almost always lacked the careful focus and delicate lyricism that he could deploy in the controlled atmosphere of The Brewery. Live was not an easy environment for him. Always uneasy and unnecessarily apologetic. He probably cared too much about other people's opinions. Even positive comments were too intense to him. I had the good luck of visiting him at his place in 98. We listened in awe to Joe Pass' "Catch Me" and he seemed most comfortable dissecting other musicians. And boy... did he have an opinion about everybody! Very funny and charming after a few pints! One of a kind playing always comes from one of a kind brains....

@Bratschenator

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the interview! It's always great to hear Gary speak!!

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Wooow ... txxx for sharing, Francisco...

@stefanofesta6024

Жыл бұрын

There isn't miss results in his live improvising, i mean that maybe he had bad nights, but everyone has one of them. He was a great visionary, a brilliant virtuoso, a great composer (some of his songs are beautiful), and a great improviser. I read in an interview that he didn't like too much the life on tour at some career point, maybe this could be one of the reasons of some difficulties (with financial problems and maybe other). In some live (there are many videos here) he play with such inspiration. I mean that your opinion can't be considered like a thing that happened always, there isn't difference in his solo development between live and studio

@janroberts347

6 ай бұрын

I don’t think Allan was often comfortable playing live e wasn’t a show off frontman and nerves had an affect on him I love some of his more emotional solos house of mirrors Joshua Allan qui etc and the precision of point of no return tullio etc difficult for him to achieve live

Thank you for putting this, Samo. It’s nice to hear about Gary speaking like that, you know, you found information about Allan found Kirk's drum style a little bit noisy, lol. Allan was so incredible.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Nice to hear from.you Ishmael... yeah, man, Allan one of the greats

I'm happy to see more Allan Holdsworth related videos on KZread this man was a genius and very underappreciated he should have been bigger famous huge star

Great interview 👍

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Txxx David...

Wow thanks a 1000 times for this, Mr Salamon

The first time I heard Allan I didn't pick up my guitar for 2 weeks afterwards. Scared the hell out of me. Still does. Rip.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Yeah - i know the feeling ;)

..........that was a great Allan Holdsworth story.......very accurate about Allan sensitivity about his playing......he hated complements on his playing.........you better not do it...he was his biggest critic........even though he's playing the greatest solo's of all times song after song....but as member of the band you had to pretend he didn't just play a solo from outer space ...he wanted you to concentrate on your own playing..........

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Beautifully put, Sirius...

🙏🏼

Gary confused vocalist Paul Williams with the composer John Williams 😄 Great interview by the way, thanks!

@evanjazzista

Жыл бұрын

Indeed he did! 🙂

@davidsheriff9274

3 күн бұрын

Actually, I think the composer John Williams was also doing some singing with Allan at the time as well.

Gary Willis is the Bruce Willis of music - An action star ! Imagine the STRESS of being the sub for THE Jimmy Johnson, the BEST friggen' bass player on the planet. That being said, Gary Willis's playing on METAL FATIGUE is legendary.

@SamoSalamonMusic

10 ай бұрын

Beautiful!!! Yes...

Holdsworth was obscure in his lifetime and is even more so posthumously

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Yeah... but amaaaaazingly unique

@effsixteenblock50

Жыл бұрын

I dunno...since his passing there's a lot more dissection of his music on YT.

I saw Allan for the first time on that tour. With Gary Husband on drums and Paul (not John) Williams on vocals. The music was mostly compositions from I.O.U. and the Road Games EP.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Must have been amazing, David... txxx for sharing.

You put notes, math formulation, and also statistics, then it would be Allan's music. Amazing legend. Glad to ever witness his music and career. RIP Allan.

had no idea None too Soon wasn't live, assumed they were all in a room tracking it live

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Yeah - before this I also didnt know... quite interesting... sounds amazing still...

Dude is that a Somogyi guitar you got there? If so, damn. Anyway awesome unfortunately short interview but still awesome

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Here is the entire interview with Gary - kzread.info/dash/bejne/qZ-l19WonpC7hs4.html

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

The guitar is by a Slovenian guitarmaker Zaletelj...awesome...

Thanks for sharing this interview. Is Gary completely retired or has he any plans for a new solo album?

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Hi manuel... no no he is playing and writing new stuff... playing with gergo borlai... teaching... hopefully soon new stuff :)

@Barleyman70

Жыл бұрын

@@SamoSalamonMusic thanks again.

@ralphmunn1685

Жыл бұрын

@@Barleyman70 Awwright, great to hear that Gergo is getting into this mix!

@Barleyman70

Жыл бұрын

@@ralphmunn1685 Gary and Gergo are living in Barcelona.

Gary the singer was Paul Williams not to be confused with the singer from the 70s. I saw that group perform back in the day.

Great interview! What is the title of your theme music here and who performed it?

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Txxx Garry... my friend sax player Achille Succi...

@garrytodd4712

Жыл бұрын

Coolness! Is this music available for purchase anywhere?

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@garrytodd4712 hey garry...sure - available on these three releases: samosalamon.bandcamp.com/album/punk-you samosalamon.bandcamp.com/album/keis-secret samosalamon.bandcamp.com/album/free-sessions-vol-1-planets-of-kei

Clearly Allan was VERY concerned about how he would come across to his critics (real & imagined) playing jazz standards. He wanted complete control of that shit and how he came across. You can believe that easily, if you knew how Allan was about this "jazz or rock" problem that plagued him til his dying day. I love his music...

Paul Williams

As a bass player, Gary's unique talent is as aloof as Allan's solos.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Yesssss...

@tribalflute3895

Жыл бұрын

@@SamoSalamonMusic and I had the privilege of being one of his students back at BIT in the late 80s. My three finger right hand style has no relationship with his. He's a virtuoso pariah.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@tribalflute3895 wooow - that must have been great... yeah - his technique is incredible...

@tribalflute3895

Жыл бұрын

He is so unique. I must confess I learned absolutely nothing from him concerning the right hand technique. But I do remember him throwing a few candy bars at me as a reward for getting intervals correct during ear training class. Great memories...

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@tribalflute3895 beautiful!!!!!

Always enjoy your work, Gary. But Mr. Williams first name was Paul Williams, the same as the Pop singer/songwriter…, but very different talented individuals of vastly differing styles. We ALL do make those name mistakes as our years pass. But Paul Williams of Tempest/Holdsworth band fame deserves a correction acknowledgment. RIP Paul.♥️🎶🎙️

@jotaerreito

5 ай бұрын

True

I loved Alan’s music. He was one in a trillion. And I get Gary’s description about Alan RESPONDING to recorded tracks while recording his own soloing. And that does take once e-bike talent. However, IMO, that is LESS than what it could have been. The actual human interaction in REAL TIME, for me, is the very deepest aspect of true improvisation. And I mean NO disrespect to Alan. He was unbelievable. I worked with Wayne Shorter for over 25yrs and know that the deepest shit, happens in the moment. Just my opinion. Would have loved to have had Alan record with Wayne. Both on to higher levels.

@SamoSalamonMusic

10 ай бұрын

Maaan....yeah... true...how have you worked with Wayne? Amazing! How was that like?

You know

He’s one of my fave’s but overdubs on an actual jazz record…

thought The Unmerrygoround was the best track on Metal Fatigue. have all of Garys albums Larger Than Life is the shit ✌😎👍

I had a few pints with Allan back in the '90s. Same story. Me: You played great man! Allan: No I didn't - it was horrible. I couldn't hear meself... He didn't get angry or anything but the tone of his voice and body language indicated to me that this wasn't just polite modesty - he was genuinely stressing about it. I'm sure there wasn't much of a budget for "None Too Soon" but some benefactor should have stepped up and provided a better facility with a real piano and it would have been great if Allan could have calmed down enough to play live with the band - solos and all. It ended up being little better than Allan blowing over an Aebersold play-along. Not putting down any of the fine musicians that played on it but that record needed interaction with the rhythm section. I'm sure Allan's fans would be forgiving of a couple of clams.

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

hmmm, yeah, heard this so many times...yeah, I know what you mean about None Too Soon...

Since Allan didn't like compliments, it would've been interesting to see his reaction if one of his long-time sidemen had told him after a concert, "Oh, man, your playing wasn't that great tonight. You definitely need to work on it some more."

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Oh man - yeah, would have been funny - good one!

@davidsheriff9274

3 күн бұрын

Allan probably would have said "Hey, I'M the only person that can put my playing down, your job is to tell me how great I am".

I wanted to hear some more dirt about Allen & Williams feuding 😠😡

Cool but you don't have to edit in yourself for every _yeah_ and every nodding. It's just extra work for you.

Interesting to hear that he had tension w/ Paul (not John) Williams. When I listened to the 1st Tempest album (which came out in 73) with Holdsworth and Williams on vocals, I hated his singing and viewed it as the foulest kind of pollution possible. I was surprised (and disappointed) that A.H. used him on his early solo albums several years later. I don't hate the Paul Williams vocals as much as I used to, but figured Holdsworth must have really liked what Williams had to offer since he went back to using him in a whole new band for at least a couple of albums years after Tempest disbanded.

@SamoSalamonMusic

6 ай бұрын

Yeah... quite interesting... but yes agree...

@johnmullenjr3577

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, I get the Paul Williams vocal thing you’re talking about. I did notlike it very much in the beginning. But then, when I heard some of from the vault recordings with other singers, it sure made me appreciate Paul’s skills. his timing and dynamics were spot on. I have a whole new appreciation for what he did. Jack Bruce too.

Really necessary to waste 30 seconds with that BS intro?

@morbidmanmusic

Жыл бұрын

...or -5 seconds typing your "look at me" post. Whiner. Learn to use skip

@lancegoerner1719

Жыл бұрын

Just hit the right arrow a few times. It goes forward by 5 second increments!

Hey Samo. It's really annoying that you constantly interject the words "yeah", "sure", "right", every 5 to 10 seconds while your guests talk. Please be silent, just let the guest speak. Don't you notice this is disturbing to the guest, and also disturbing to your viewers? I'm sure you do this all the time, even during your conversations with your friends etc. You must address this problem if you continue to do interviews on camera. Please respond to my suggestion, okay?

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

Txxx for the suggestion... i got better later ;) this is one of the earlier interviews...

@jojena_imm

Жыл бұрын

hey victor, may i please say that your message does not mark the high peak of respect either. in fact, it's almost a bit bossy. it sounds a bit like you're applying some kind of rick beato benchmark. but i think we owe samo the utmost respect for his achievement in doing so many interviews here in the pandemic especially with very independent, lesser known artists (gary is a star by comparison). i am a trained interviewer in the corporate sector, in neurosurgery etc. and i have interviewed everywhere. and i understand your point. but much more important is a point from the perspective of professionalisation theory. samo speaks as a peer with a lot of passion at eye level. in a world dominated by SOPs, marketing and technocracy, i find this very important and worth preserving. dear samo, please continue your great work! best, jj

@SamoSalamonMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@jojena_imm txxx Jo... nice to hear this... yup, I do it for the love of the music 🤗🤗🤗 sometimes too enthusiatic 😂

@morbidmanmusic

Жыл бұрын

Could you have less respect please...? I'm sure you can.

@mettamoose5074

Жыл бұрын

@@jojena_imm Wow, brilliantly spoken, friend. 🙂

I saw Alan only once, an experience I will never forget. I was about 6 feet away in a small club where Chad Wackerman was playing drums and the bassist who's name I cannot recall was absolutely stellar. I was thunderstruck by all three musicians. Alan was beyond brilliant. When I went up to the bar to talk to him Alan was so neurotically self deprecating, I could not believe that someone who had just performed at the absolute pinnacle of world class virtuosity was wallowing is self hating inferiority. I told him to get a grip, that he was great and needed to seed himself as he truly was.

@SamoSalamonMusic

9 ай бұрын

Beautiful story...

@rhizomorph-music

8 ай бұрын

I believe it was a psychological coping mechanism for him. I mean, in his early days he was still getting it together and indeed did make clams and be a little sloppy here and there. But then later (1990s) his playing got so clean and amazing, and he was getting so many accolades that I think he reacted by having "impostor syndrome" and didn't really believe he was very good. And once he was stuck in that psychological place with regard to his own playing, he couldn't get out of it.

@SamoSalamonMusic

8 ай бұрын

@@rhizomorph-music yeah possible - i mean he was killin' - the lines were incredible...