Lee Sklar sets the record clear: 4 string? 5 string? pick? fingers? fretless?

frankie5string · May 12, 2020

I think there were WAY more session guys who "blended in" like Lee as part of their style on sessions than there were identifiable players. There's certainly some early Billy Joel stuff Osborne played on where it actually didn't quite sound like him.

Lee's a cool guy, with lots of stories to tell. I like the fact that he stayed away from drugs and drink throughout the era he had most of his work in. There were a lot of coked-up musos floating around at the time.

As far as the whole 4/5 string arm-chair argument, well, Joe Raposo composed "C is for Cookie" on an 88 key grand piano... Just because you have the range, doesn't mean you have to use all of it, all the time. ;-) mmmm cookieeeee!

Smooth_bass88 · May 12, 2020

I love Lee Sklar so much

glennonbass · May 12, 2020

Dr. Cheese said:
OK, I know when further discussion is pointless.

Yep. I think it’s safe to say that everyone on talkbass loves Joe Osborn. I also think it’s safe to say everyone on talkbass loves Leland...except Spaghetti Lee. It’s ok.

Jerry Ziarko · May 12, 2020

glennonbass said:
Yep. I think it’s safe to say that everyone on talkbass loves Joe Osborn. I also think it’s safe to say everyone on talkbass loves Leland...except Spaghetti Lee. It’s ok.

You know what they say about opinions....

Smooth_bass88 · May 12, 2020

Spaghetti Lee said:
I liked his videos at first until he started whining like a teenager about facebook. He sounded desperate and it was embarrassing to look at the screen and see this old dude mope like a preteen who'd been grounded from using his x-box. Not a good look.

Apart from that I find his playing, his tone (ESPECIALLY his tone), and overall his basslines to be the epitome of studio session-guy blandness.

I can see why synths took over in his era. Just no pizazz whatsoever; the opposite of a player like Will Lee who always injected some personality, dynamics and tone to make him stand out a bit even when the point of being a session guy was to NOT stand out.

I liked Lee Sklar better when I didn't actually hear him talk or play.

Soooooo many A-list rock stars and platinum producers disagree with your assessment of Lee Sklar's playing.

frankie5string · May 12, 2020

Spaghetti Lee said:
He sure does, if you want to be an invisible session sideman. If that's your goal he's definitely a source of information. His tone and note choice are milquetoast enough to satisfy most for such muzak.

You've never been hired to play bass on an artist's album, have you?

Also, Lee is kinda unique because he still embraced touring - a lot of session guys in his time didn't want to tour - because it caused their connections and calls to dry up. Funnily enough, Lee had no problems getting work after being away on tour. That says something about the kind of respect and demand he had at the time.

Smooth_bass88 · May 12, 2020

lowfreqgeek said:
Here's some totally bland Lee Sklar, for sure.

No soul, no tone, no imagination. Just a "studio guy" with nothing to say.

Yo that's absolutely AWESOME! Lee kills it on this track. Freaking KILLER

Nev375 · May 12, 2020

Flying B said:
Who's Lee Sklar?

frankie5string · May 12, 2020

Hah! Mimi Farina, that was Joan Baez's younger sister!

Drang22 · May 12, 2020

I was lucky enough to see Lee Sklar touring with Jackson Browne in the late 70's or early 80's at the Pine Knob concert venue in Southern Michigan.
I think I remember him playing a huge, bird shaped bass, with feathers carved into the body, and a bird shaped head for the headstock. Was I hallucinating? I'd love to see a photo of that bass.
I also remember Lee doing a really awesome, feedback oriented solo at one point in the show. Never seen anything like it from anyone else.

57pbass · May 12, 2020

Spaghetti Lee said:
I liked his videos at first until he started whining like a teenager about facebook. He sounded desperate and it was embarrassing to look at the screen and see this old dude mope like a preteen who'd been grounded from using his x-box. Not a good look.

Apart from that I find his playing, his tone (ESPECIALLY his tone), and overall his basslines to be the epitome of studio session-guy blandness.

I can see why synths took over in his era. Just no pizazz whatsoever; the opposite of a player like Will Lee who always injected some personality, dynamics and tone to make him stand out a bit even when the point of being a session guy was to NOT stand out.

I liked Lee Sklar better when I didn't actually hear him talk or play.

We have a winner !

lowendrv · May 12, 2020

I have a suspicion Lee is giving this thread "The Finger" .

frankie5string · May 12, 2020

Drang22 said:
I was lucky enough to see Lee Sklar touring with Jackson Browne in the late 70's or early 80's at the Pine Knob concert venue in Southern Michigan.
I think I remember him playing a huge, bird shaped bass, with feathers carved into the body, and a bird shaped head for the headstock. Was I hallucinating? I'd love to see a photo of that bass.
I also remember Lee doing a really awesome, feedback oriented solo at one point in the show. Never seen anything like it from anyone else.

You probably saw this bass:

I think he donated to a Hard Rock somewhere in the US.

Drang22 · May 12, 2020

frankie5string said:
You probably saw this bass:

View attachment 3826749

I think he donated to a Hard Rock somewhere in the US.

Wow...thanks Frankie. I'm sure that must be the bass, although I don't remember it being a double neck (or much else about that night, to be honest). Very cool.

ToneMonkey · May 12, 2020

Dr. Cheese said:
A good bassist could have played the five and you would have never known it was a five. You do not always have to play the B any more than you always have to play the 20th fret (high D#) of the G.

Very true. Although the tone was pretty modern and hi-fi. It was just an odd record. Too bad because I love Felix Cavaliere and Steve Cropper. Although I've just learned of some really questionable things Cropper said about MLK back in the day, which has caused me to back off a bit with him.

Killed_by_Death · May 12, 2020

lowfreqgeek said:
not a virtue. Nor is jealousy

It's envy, & we can stop responding to that troll now.

IamGroot · May 12, 2020

What a wonderful video!

Very few people can talk and hold my attention like Lee does. So honest and common sense.

Years ago, Lee said he chose not to slap and if you wanted slap, go get someone else. I hated slap and his viewpoint gave me the courage to go my direction (finger funk).

J_Bass · May 12, 2020

Killed_by_Death said:
It's envy, & we can stop responding to that troll now.

This.

Let's just ignore the troll. 2 months on TB and showing this kind of disrespect. Ignore.

projectapollo · May 12, 2020

Years ago I was setting up my first surround sound home theater. Got a James Taylor concert and enjoyed the sound quality and performance. Then I noticed this guy with a long beard playing bass. What the heck? So, I played it again and listened closely. Oh my, what a great tasteful player. Later learned who this clinic-of-a-player was.

frustum · May 12, 2020

Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati said:
My two cents:
2. Who is the GUY on the sofa with the mask on his face???

I mean, is he a real person or a dummy?

Lee explained it in one of his videos. He said he isn't proud of it, but there have been occasions where he will get a call to sub at a studio appointment on short notice (eg, the booked bassist didn't show). He could spend an hour driving there, or he could put the dummy in the car and get there in half an hour (because he can cheat and use the carpool lane)

He also has a subversive sense of humor, so a few times he has dressed up the dummy or made snide remarks about the dummy's personality. He also has a second dummy which is permanently propped up looking out the window.

The room he is recording in is his junk room, which is probably why the dummies are in there. In a different episode he said everyone expects he must have a home studio, but nope, he said all his friends do, so if he needs to record something he just goes to one of those friends' house to to record, as it is also a good excuse to hang out with a friend.

To address one of spagetti lee's criticisms of Lee's playing, Lee would agree. He has said he prides himself in his pocket playing, but the setup he is using is just an iphone propped up next to his computer speaker to record himself, and his bass amp is 10 feet away. To get the balance right, what he hears is 90% bass and 10% the track he is playing to and so he has trouble hearing (and much less feeling) the beat. He has frequently apologized for not being tight as he'd like to be.

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