Been playing over 30 years and gigging harder than ever at the mo. Great to hear you've just started, the world needs more sax players. Be patient, practice 30 mins a day if possible and enjoy! It won't happen over night but you will get there and it will be worth the wait! Good luck!
Lol love it how did I miss this ? Can you do soft cell say hello wave goodbye with the version with a clarinet but with a sax if that makes sense ? Thanks
Hey dude i met you when you played at Savannah's in Swansea - I told you then you were awesome - please upload some of you stuff i think it's fantastic. Took a while to find your channel on YT but it can definately do with more of your stuff.
Hi mate, thanks for your comment, much appreciated. Truth is, I've been so busy gigging that I haven't had time to record for a while. As soon as I get a quite week, I'll try to get something down. In the meantime, I'll see you back where we met on April 7th,14th and 28th.👍🎷😎
As I was learning to play the sax, I used this solo to try different techniques as I was taught them. Ie I'd play a few lines from it to practice vibrato, growling etc so it's always been a big part of my development as a player. The feeling Wesley puts into it has influenced the way I approach most songs that I play at my solo gigs. It was only a matter of time before I got round to attempting to record it about 12 years ago, 18 years after starting learning the sax.
@@saxstephens thank you. Amazing. I bought a sax at age 76. Learnt a bit but needed a target. If someone had only showed me the first few notes of this it would have kept my interest.
Yes very emotional solo to play as well. Wesley put so much feeling in to the original and that's what makes it such a beautiful piece of music and is why the sax is such a wonderful instrument.👍
The sax playing is an absolute credit to you sir . Well done . Vocals are a tiny bit weak , but everything in the right place . I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed your version , and that you must love the song asch as I do , for thick end of 40 years now . And to Wesley McGoogan, thank you for creating this song
Many thanks for your comment. I was hoping to get together with a vocalist to record Hazel's vocals but Covid got in the way so I thought sod it I'll have to sing it myself as a guide for the sax and I'm definitely not a singer! It is one of those songs that always stops me in my tracks and takes me on an emotional journey so all credit to Wesley and the fact that he commented on it is just the icing on the cake for me. Glad you enjoyed!
Very well done indeed and you have put your own take on it. Just a couple of pointers, sometimes vibrato can begin later in a note and the bends could be more relaxed. Once again nice one. Wesley.
Thank you so much Wesley for you positive and constructive comment. After 30 years of admiring this song and the way in which you play it, it is a massive compliment for me that you enjoyed my attempt at playing the solo and I will definitely take your advice on board. The most emotional part of the song for me is where it reaches a climax at around 4.01. On the original you play a hell of a bend in the note that was impossible for me to replicate. An insight into how you produced that sound would be invaluable! Anyway the fact that you've taken the time to listen will stay with me for a long time and give me encouragement to keep putting in the hours even though the prospect of gigging this year isn't looking good. Wishing you all the best Wesley and thank you once again!:)
Your solo is played with the same spirit and emotion as Wesley Magoogan. Brilliant tone and articulation, best sax cover version on RU-vid. I am interested to know about your sax, reed, and mouthpiece set up. Also do you play with your bottom lip rolled over your teeth or rolled out. In any case regardless of set up, I am sure the sound you have developed in your playing is what your ears have taught you. Just like listening to the original sax recording. Perfect!!
Hi David, many thanks for your comment, positivity is very welcome at the mo whilst all gigs are on hold!! I use a yamaha custom 875 which I've played for almost 30 years with an Aaron Drake Contemporary mouthpiece and ligature with a Legere signature 2.25 synthetic reed. My embouchre is made by folding my lip over my bottom teeth. This solo by Wesley inspired me to play sax and I love the way in which he has a beautiful control of his vibrato, growling and bending of the notes which I think makes the solo so emotional. Because I was so much inspired by his playing, my own sound has seemed to have developed in his style where I love to use the same techniques to get the most out of every note. To have written and performed such an epic song shows just what a great musician he is.:) Good luck with the playing!
Many sax pros have said bottom lip pushed forward and therefore not rolled over bottom teeth, gives the best sound improvement as less pressure allows the reed to vibrate freely. I have tried to change to this method but find there is less control. You have a great tone so maybe you have a loose bottom lip to allow the reed to vibrate without getting a muffled sound. If you watch RU-vid videos of Michael Lington playing on a similar top end Yamaha, he creates his sound with bottom lip out.
Ha ha, yes the altissimo notes. They add another dimension to your playing. Not everyone's cup of tea but they definitely spice up this romantic song!:)
@morris59 Hi mate, what a start to the year for you, buying a sax! good luck with the playing, you're never too old. funny you should mention Madness One step beyond cos i actually play tenor sax for Baggy Trousers, a Madness tribute band that i formed 10 years ago and we open the set with that song! i've had the priviledge of meeting Madness' sax player Lee Thomson and the rest of Madness and we've supported Bad Manners, The Beat, Neville Staple so get practising mate cos you never know!
@philcov40 Me too!.. tonight Ive just bought an Alto Sax... Tip.. never look at ebay after a drink! - Im 52 Try Madness... One Step beyond too... Mid life crisis is a terrible affliction to an old 70's punk
@jazzsaxboy hi jazzsaxboy, glad to see you agree with me. ofcourse reading music is important but to replicate such pieces of music i think replies more on the soul. Good luck with the playing.
@philcov40 I have the transcription for the solo from the man himself. As saxstephens says you would have to learn it and be able to play it from memory. that way you would be able to put your full emotions into it without worrying about reading. Listen to the originall recording over and over to get the feeling of how Wesley played it.
@philcov40 Hi thanks for the feedback. I'm not sure where to get the sheet music but it would be good practice as a beginner to listen to the original and transpose the sounds you hear straight to the sax and you could then play the solo from your head instead of reading it.To get the emotions of the solo, i think you have to know it with your eyes closed, if you read the solo it's hard to be natural and put yourself into it.
@TheWoodfit Cheers Tom, i really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and it means a lot coming from a fellow player of such experience. Hope you're still enjoying playing after your 30 years. All the best
Absolutely brilliant, well done, timing was good, great intonation and played with real passion , a joy to listen to, I have been playing for over 30 years and that is good playing, Tom
@TheWhaj Hi, I've been playing on and off for 20 years but only started practising seriously 3 years ago. Pleased with the progress but when you listen to others play, you realise how much you still have to learn. I suppose thats the beauty of music...there's always someone who can teach you something new so you never get to the point where you can say "that's it, i know it all"
@gponbristol Thanks, i really appreciate your comment. It's such an emotional piece of music, it always get's me when i listen to Wesley playing it.I just hoped to get some of the sentiment across so it's great to hear people are enjoying it. Cheers
@talkwench hi, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. quite surprised and obviously happy that the solo has brought about so much good feedback. All the best
@munster65 Hi, thanks for the feedback. I haven't tried 'lily was here' but ofcourse know how great that solo is. i don't spend much time doing the big solo's and only did 'will you' because it inspired me to pick the sax up in the first place so it was a lifetime ambition i suppose.
@GeorgiosGrSax Thanks boss. I actually had to play it live last saturday for a bride to walk down the aisle! No thing like a bit of pressure to test the nerves! Such a big solo on such a big occasion. No place for bum notes and only one turn to get it right, the difference between live and studio playing! All the best.
@Sharon421966 i am soooooo fab you wouldn't believe it! ha ha. seriously, thanks for the comment, just read it on a rainy day in south wales so it's stuck a smile on my chops! Wesley's the real fab one though. X
