My new Web site is: www.lelandskla.... The new book is there and lots of goodies in the works... Here are the directions to my new club house if you want to come and hang. flatfiv.co/pag...
Love ❤❤ that bass line. I look for badass baseline songs of 70s 80s 90s cause I CANT play a lick on a guitar but I can keep up on a bass. Helped a few bar bands with their sets when bassist got DUI or other charges. 😅even the dummies want to get funky I know I do I'm dancing in my chair at work on my lunch hour..
We dig you, bro! Thank you for just being YOU! You inspire me, you make me want to strive to be my best as a musician and as a person. Thank you for being here. Rowland
Thanks Lee! Found out about your channel from Rick B. Looking forward to watching more vids. You and Rick are inspirational to keep learning and playing❤️👍😉✌️
My thoughts exactly. It’s like stopping by to shoot the breeze with an old friend. Leland is a natural for this medium. As one of the old guys semi home bound during this pandemic his daily updates are much appreciated.
I didn't know about Bob Babbitt or any of the other Funk Brothers (except Jamerson) until I watched Standing on the Shoulders of Motown. I looked up some of the songs he recorded on and was so glad that one of my favorite R&B songs of all time Midnight Train to Georgia was one of them. His playing on that track blows my mind.
I love this song, when it first came out I was blown away by the dance-a-bility of it. When the Spinners performed it on tv, they bopped and weaved and pivoted and did a cool thing with BIG long rubber bands. Pretty groovy!!
Well that was an unexpected pleasure! Love that song too, and despite your self-recriminations, am impressed that you have the ability to (I'm assuming) give it a once-over or two, then bust it out as smoothly and accurately as you did. Thank you for your continuity and kind presence amidst this stressful, uncertain time. Love you, Lee!
I remember as a kid watching the spinners performing this song on T.V. with what I believe were big rubber bands and stretching them to the beat of the song. Great job playing, it looks easy to play but it's not so I understand how you feel.
Leland, that is so generous and wonderful of you to share an unpolished but beautiful performance. It feels so genuine and heartfelt when you allow us to be part of your process in real time. Awesome!
Met Bob in Nashville he sat next to me while I played drums and told me whole story of rubber band man. Philly sound and the Tom Bell chart. What perfection. Love your stories. Btw we met on a Mike Post Session. Willie Ornelas was the Drunmer at universal a team session. I was a young inspiring guy. You took time to talk with me. Thanks Lee!
Thanks for this exception to playing “your” songs. Motown and the Funk Brothers are a special chunk of our music history. I was at “Hitsville USA” not long ago and was awestruck standing in the “Snake Pit” by the amount of great music that came from that humble facility. Thanks for bringing back that memory! Stay home...stay safe...save lives!
I like it when artists complement each other. When they say "I couldn't have played that" they really mean "I would have never thought of playing that". They can view each other as better than themselves because the each cover a different space of the music sphere.
Hey Leland, I'm bass player here in the south of Brazil . I' m trying to learn your bass line from the Stab in the back video. I' m having a blast , learning a lot from you. I' m glad to see you make mistakes too...🙂
Lee, I feel so much better now seeing you fuck up! LOL! You are a genius and I feel to blessed to have had the opportunity to chat with you at NAMM this year!
In a 2010 interview with Goldmine magazine, Shawn Phillips said, "To this day, I have never told another musician what to play, on any of my albums or CDs. You simply do not tell Leland Sklar or Alphonso Johnson how to play the bass - or any other musicians of their caliber." I thought it was interesting that you were one of the two bassists he named. Do you recall any of the sessions you did with him? I always felt like he was trying to expand the boundaries of rock/folk/whatever (I really don't understand the labeling of musical genres except as a marketing tool), and it made me extraordinarily happy to know that you contributed to his vision. Shawn Phillips aside, your work is inextricably woven into the soundtrack and fabric of my life. I can't express how grateful I am for the music you helped create. Thank you.
...a nice tribute, and i think i speak for alot of us when i say, " i can't count the times i've listened/thought of L Sklar and said that myself "...lol...Saturday is soul/r&b/motown day, Spinners, Stylistics, M Gaye, Mr Stevie Wonder,ToP, War, etc etc etc etc etc etc...this was great synergy...also, words regarding drummers playing time...priceless !
Hi Leland.. I loved this song when it pumped during the mud wrestling scene in the movie stripes , with bill murray.. in the early 80's maybe you remember it...
Hey Lee good to see you again haven't heard the rubber band man in a long time and I heard that on the drums as well no cymbals and lots of rhythm great drumming. Thanks Lee 👍👍✌
About 20 years ago I had to fly back home to Deerborn Michigan for a funeral and almost in front of the casket my cousin introduces me to a guy named “Bob” that he was mid conversation with and I immediately recognized by Babbitt and I said holy shit you’re Bob Babbitt of the funk brothers and everybody at the funeral home kind of sneered at me although it was our family some actually laughed. I later found out that my cousin has been friends with him since he moved from Philadelphia to Deerborn back in the day.. What a nic3 guy, we spoke for a good hour o4 so.
Hi leland, I've been watching your RU-vid channel for a while now. And I noticed your creepy manicans. Do you have some weird collection of them. P. S. Love the music. Thank you.
This helps my couch guitar concerts to my cat. Love hearing such a crafted musician a Mr. Sklar. I rather disliked this song always playing on the radio from my high school grad year , but can't remember a song I liked from then anyway. Ah, those years I wish I could re-live, then came Rush.
I'll tell you one thing that us 'old farts' seem to have in common - we have stacks of un-hung pictures leaning up against the wall and piles of Winter stuff in chairs. You make me feel downright comfortable, Lee. Addendum: Even more comfortable now since you fluffed those notes. That shit takes up 50% of my recording time. Lol
Only by Seeing the name i knew what you probably Gonna play. Great song.. fuck ups are forgiven. Leland you are becoming a friend from far away.. can i ask you a question? Any lifelesson you can share as a musician and as a person? ✌️
@@hugolafhugolaf One time I corrected him on something that was fairly incidental. Another person chimed in to support me. Rick didn't take too kindly to it. I saw a similar attitude from Rick when someone else was the slightest bit critical of one of his instructional videos. When a reply begins "sorry bro", you know attitude will be forthcoming.
Quite a few years ago, I was returning from a business trip. On a flight from Memphis to Minneapolis I ended up sitting next to Bob Babbitt. He was on his way to a gig in Canada. We exchanged small talk. He was curious about my new iPad. He asked what I did. More small talk. I asked what he did. When he told me his name, I stammered "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." His eyes lit up and, for the rest of the flight, he told me stories from his career. It was magical. One piece of advice he passed along - "Do you know how to tell it's time to get a new manager? When you ask him about expenses he wants you to pay for and he says, 'Shut up and play your f'ing bass, Bob.'"
Dave, Thanks for posting your story. You experienced the Bob Babbitt love of telling stories. As his younger brother, I heard many of them as he went on for hours without stop. I was probably his most appreciative listener. He is in my thoughts every day.
Someone tagged 30+ ppl on FB me included. I love this song . I’m A Detroitor . Back in the I’d sing hang on prepare yourself . And they’d look at me like the lyrics were different 😮. Before internet 🛜. I couldn’t prove them wrong. Have y’all seen them on Midnight Special ? You go dude . I’m an old fart . The last of the baby boomers
I love to hear you telling storys, just what happened today or some times back then, I love to hear you playing along to music of the bands you are in, and now I saw that I love watching you while fucking up. This proves that you are just a human beeing, like we all are. For the first mistake its like "don't tell anybody, noone has noticed it", and kudos for rewinding and saying "this one deserves to be played right". Oh, I have been there, have done that...
Wow, thanks again! And please, don't feel sorry for the mistakes. It's the very thing that separates us from the machines. Your posts are the best possible cure for my depression, keep up the groove, man!
Thanks for the tribute to Bob. I really appreciate it. He was a good friend and I did some sessions with him here in Nashville and Muscle Shoals. I remember a engineer that wasnt familiar with Bob said to me "He's not your average bass player is he?" No he sure wasnt! Thanks again!
I’m sitting in the morning sun here in Australia drinking my coffee and enjoying the wonderful combined sounds of two of my favourite bass players, thanks for the fantastic start to the day Lee!
I knew you are "HUMAN"! Even your "fu's"are perfect.Thank you for the daily time travel and all the great stuffyou are putting out there. The vibe, and the groove are spot on.Stay safe and carry on, and thanks again.
Love that song for the same reason. Love that groove! Had my eyes closed head down just jamming along. You hit that one note, I looked up and and seen your face, lol Thanks for keeping it real! Love ya brother and my never ending respect! Thank you for all the wonderful music you've brought into my life over the years and the drive to be the best bassist I can be. God bless and stay safe.
Thanks again Lee. You brought a huge smile talking about that song. It’s timeless. Echoing Bob Babbit’s four words, you deserve a four finger salute. 🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻
Can any song just make you want to smile, and boogie more than this. It was a joy watching and listening to you playing it. Took me right back, dancing in the Jr High cafeteria, joyful. Thanks for sharing it.
Loved the Babbit homage, and love how you can screw up and not make it a big deal. It helps us all breathe easier with our mistakes as well. And it actually enriches the performance, really. Beautiful!!
I went 15 years without a bass to play, due to having to sell my gear in hard time. So when I got one 6 months ago, I was ecstatic, and the first full song that I learned was Rubberband Man. Such a killer part, and really fun to play.
Thanks so much for this, Mr. Sklar! I used to get excited to hear this one on our AM Philco with one tiny speaker in our Gran Torino! Love the Spinners! They were awesome, and so are you!
This was awesome. Rubberband Man was one of my favorite tunes as a kid. That and “Nothing from Nothing” (Billy Preston?) got me happy. I even enjoyed your mistake! So much groove and fluidity in your playing. That email was well-deserved; lol. Look forward to the book and Beato interview.
