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silver
Joined: 15 Dec 2004
Posts: 8
Location: london
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 Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject: Guthrie the session king...!? |
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Guthrie is the best player in Britain...dare I say the world...so just wondering why he isn't (or is he?) one if the top session guys? He has everything you'd want from a session guy in spades, I mean, we all know he can play anything (electric at least) on the frickin spot! He is also, as we all know, super-creative/original. I've read image is very important too.. any insights? Many top session cats might think they're the sh*t- till they see/hear Guthrie! ( i don't mind if he prefers to stay out of session stuff since I'm from the UK too and am getting some pretty decent stuff thrown my way now...)
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markmcg
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 191
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:02 am Post subject: |
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From GG's Alloutguitar interview:
| Quote: | With such a command over almost basically all styles of electric guitar, it surely must have been tempting to try and break into the lucrative session world?
Well, I always thought that it would be nice to do that, but I never quite knew how. I have never been a great one for life plans and career decisions, and it seems to me that a lot of the musicians who do well professionally have always had a very specific plan about what they want to achieve, how they should portray themselves, and how to target the sort of people who should be buying their products. I suppose I’ve never really been aggressive enough to work out a really effective business plan of any kind. Possibly because I started so young, I’ve often struggled to equate this “music” thing that I like doing with the concept of making money. I always thought that being a Session Guitarist would be a nice, therapeutic, rewarding way to make a living but never really knew how to go about it. Short of looking in the Yellow Pages under the category Music Producers’ (if there even is one!) I had no idea where I could send a demo to take things a stage further. Occasionally the phone would ring and someone would say “I’ve got this great project, it’s going to be signed – you will not believe how big this thing is going to be – the songs are great, we’ve got a wonderful singer, come and play on the demos – and we’ll pay you when we get signed”. I’ve done plenty of that kind of thing, and although I was never particularly surprised when these bands didn’t get their big record deal, I was sometimes taken aback by just how few useful contacts I managed to make in the process! |
You can check out the whole interview here.
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silver
Joined: 15 Dec 2004
Posts: 8
Location: london
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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hey, thanks a lot man! I've been off these borads for quite a while...that was an enlightning response to say the least. I 'd have to agree with the man all the way. Most session guys i know are decent platyers - but that's it. Nothing to write home about, can play in time and in key, but creative wise, meh...
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leeb rocks
Joined: 01 Dec 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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| just out of curiosity, how would you go about getting into the session business? |
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frankus
Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe take a peek at Tommy Tedesco's book Guitar Players only... he was rather a prolific Session Player... mentor to Ritenour and Carlton no less.
I think Brent Mason has quite a good repetoire so maybe check his biographies...
John 5 got into it by playing with any and every band for free.
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loiking
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 128
Location: da hood, Melbourne, Australia
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:11 am Post subject: |
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mmm. It seems to me that Guthrie could get session work but has never really tried, and has never had enough motivation to. I reckon we could get him to do it if we burnt down his house, and left him with one Suhr and a train ticket to London...... 
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frankus
Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| loiking wrote: | | if we burnt down his house, and left him with one Suhr and a train ticket to London...... |
For the love of Mike!!! Have pity on the poor guy, one Suhr! He needs one standard and the classic T at least.
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adrianclark
Joined: 22 Sep 2004
Posts: 122
Location: chair, in front of desk
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:41 am Post subject: |
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All I know is that the supply/demand figures aren't particularly great. Think how many players are being churned out by BIMM/ACM/GIT/etc every year... they're all probably thinking that they'll be able to get some session work, even if this isn't their primary aim.
And then you've got the actual session scene, mostly run by a small number of top players who can always be relied on to do the business.
One positive factor, I guess, is that there are more and more requirements for music, as our demand for multimedia content increases. The downside, though, is that it's becoming easier and easier for people to create that stuff on consumer gear, without the need for session players 
adrian
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frankus
Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| adrianclark wrote: | | The downside, though, is that it's becoming easier and easier for people to create that stuff on consumer gear, without the need for session players |
The thing is, I see this like the Drummer and Bass Player issues of the 90s... it'll change.
I personally find working with people using computers annoying as byt he time you've explored the piece you're supposed to be collaborating on, they've finished the master.
The amount of investment and exploration just isn't there on the CG music although the polish certainly is.
Regarding the BIMM/ACM alumni... the only two I've met both work in IT and went straight back to "proper jobs" afterwards.
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Fabulous powers were revealed to me the day I held my magic Suhr(d) aloft and said "by the power of great scale!"
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Ant711UK
Joined: 22 Aug 2006
Posts: 76
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Edited as didn't quite sound how it was intended...
If you want a real players view on the state of session work today speak to Steve Lukather. I did and the answer he gave wasn't printable even here. Something to do with the advent of Pro Tools, being F#cked by the music industry in general and other gems of info.
Tony |
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