Ever since falling in love with Holdsworth and the album, I've always wanted to make a video telling the extraordinary story of the creation of IOU by Allan Holdsworth. I hope you all enjoy it!
The best documentary of Holdsworth's early music and history I've seen to date. Thank you for your hard work and diligence in putting this together with such dedication and sincerity...nothing less than what his music deserves.
Gawd, I knew Allan had struggled but this video really brought it home to me how close he came to giving it all up. Thank goodness he and the band persevered. Even after all this he was never really understood by the cookie cutter music industry. Nevertheless he managed to produce an outstanding body of work that will stand the test of time. I count myself very lucky to have witnessed his incredible brilliance on a number of occasions. RIP Maestro.
I met Allan when he played with Gordon Beck at a small club in Edinburgh around 80/81, must have been less than 50 people at the gig. He was astonished that I knew about his music and the people he had played with and he did tell me the same story about considering selling all his gear and packing it all in. Think the only thing that stopped him must have been the Eddie Van Halen patronage and Warner Bros deal, although once he got there it never worked out as planned. I met him a couple of other times, he was a real gent and one of the best musicians this planet will ever see. RIP, the man who changed guitar forever.
@@kevthebass It's well worth watching the video about the making of Road Games too. As much as I and thousands of Allan fans appreciated Ed's public praising of his hero, Ed's dark side came out big time, and his total lack of understanding of Allan's music became apparent, along with his massive and ridiculous ego trip, basically feeling himself entitled to impose his own vision of what he thought Allan ought to be doing, and he and Ted Templeman became Allan's biggest obstacle to achieving his own vision, although Allan ultimately prevailed, thank goodness.
Gary was like a more contemporary Tony Williams, just as jarring, inside and explosive, but with a more rock familiarity. He hit hard and did things no one else thought of powerfully, but with a level of music. He really hit hard! didn't know UK opened for VH in 78. Wild.
@@rubyjones01 Gary is AMAZING !!!!! Very humble guy, too. I asked him how he liked playing with my other favorite band, Level 42, and his answer was, "It was fun."
Allan Holdsworth is our Shakespeare, DaVinci, and of course Tesla all in one and I got to meet him and see him many times. Thank you, grateful !!!! EDIT : I forgot to tell you what a WONDERFUL job you did on this documentary. It is so thorough, and passionate. I can see it was made with real admiration, and not just something to do.
Fantastic doc!!!! Thank YOU!! I was incredibly blessed to be at that packed Roxy show when Alan and Eddie jammed. Everyone knew that was a historical moment! The reaction of the entire crowd from the first song could only be described as SHOCK AND AWE!!❤❤❤
Thank you for making this splendid programme! IOU remains my favourite AH album and I still remember the sonic shock I felt when I first heard it. I had very little money at the time and to pay £10 for an album in 1983 was a tough decision that I have never regretted. I still have that original vinyl. In late 1981 I was lucky enough to see Allan play in Maidstone, Kent with Gary Husband, Gordon Beck and Jeff Clyne! (Gary is the only one still with us...) After the gig, which was excellent - I remember White Line in particular, as an instrumental! - I got the chance to talk with Allan, who indeed was about to quit the scene and take a job as a fork lift truck driver. He actually said "I'm tired of banging my head against a wall, I've just got this gig in America to do and that's it.. " An unbelievable genius and a humble, perhaps even tortured artist. Thanks again, this is so great!
Wow thanks so much! So incredible you saw him at such an important time in his career, he is a true trooper and really worked hard and all his success in the 80s and acclaim was so well deserved
When the original IOU album came out, I was already a fan knowing Allan from UK and the Bruford band which was my favorite at the time. I saw a single copy at the best record shop in my home town and didn't the money on me. When I returned it was gone never to return. I had to wait for the red cover reissue to hear it. I was fortunate to see probably as much as anyone under very intimate circumstances. I moved to Los Angeles in 1986. His favorite spot to gig was The Baked Potato, which he visited at least twice a year. That place is the size of a shoe box. Gary came out here twice and was amazing. Most often it was Chad on drums.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! This album was my introduction to the genius of Holdsworth when I was just 17. As a professional career musician and record maker, I cannot overestimate the inspiration and fire I have drawn from his music, but especially this album. I can't imagine how difficult it was to put this information together, but finding all this out after 35 years of studying and memorizing every note of this masterpiece heightens what it means to me that much more profoundly. What a gift you have given us!
This album was jaw dropping when it came out, and remains so. That longevity- holding up as well as it has- testifies to it's legendary greatness. For me- of all his entries, this one is THE ONE. I'd seen Allan with Tony, but the incarnation of IOU was a leap forward in his guitar evolution. The band is as one, with each member superbly talented on their instrument. All tracks are interesting- no dead air. When I first heard the Williams vocals, I thought..what? He sounds like Tom Jones! But it worked! The harmony is so idiosyncratic - I wonder if Jones could handle it, let alone anyone else-but Paul soared thru the demands. Not everyone gets what this recording was about, but those of us that do- really do. Thanks for the posting.
Excellent video! I remember seeing the IOU band in Birmingham playing this material around 1981/1982. I wasn't sure of what to make of it at the time as it sounded so different to anything else, but it's certainly stood the test of time. Amazing compositions and course, superlative playing!
Love this video. It takes me back to the day in 1982 when I bought this album in a record store in Austin, Texas and the clerk let me sit down in a chair and listen to it with headphones right then and there in the store, I was so anxious to hear it. That never happened before or since. I remember sitting there with headphones on with tears in my eyes because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, that this kind of playing was possible. Never forget that day.
I was at one of those first IOU gigs in San Fransisco in '82. It brings tears of joy to my eyes to realize that I was a part of Allan's triumphant arrival to America as a band leader after years of struggle as a side man. Thank you for putting this heart felt documentary together.
We all were excited by his fluid soloing, but we had no idea he could compose like THAT! The music he contributed to Ponty, Bruford and Gong, did not prepare any of us for hamonic sophistication that Allan was capable of in a keyboardless drum, bass and guitar band. I bought the black IOU album at the gig.
Thank you so much for making this! Great video, i had no idea of all the struggles and hardship Allan had to endure. Heard the album many decades ago when i was 14 and it still amazes me.
I remember being in high school and having to specially order this from the local record hut. And as you may expect my contemporaries in HS looked at me like I had antlers growing out of my forehead when I'd play it for them. As far as I'm concerned it was one of the best albums he ever made.
Me too! I was 16 when it came out. I found it at a Tower Records in a nearby large city. I flipped out like I'd found gold. I even played the album for my H.S. Jazz Ensemble teacher and he just stood there speechless.
Amazing work, congratulations! Mixed in two days, makes this album even more unique. Through this making-of, you gave Allan the respect and recognition he deserves. Thank you.
Great retrospective on a great artist and debut album. I was so blessed to be able to see IOU in Baltimore MD during this time all those years ago. The audience was small but the impression I was left with was HUGE and unforgettable. Allan Holdsworth and this band in particular were amazing indeed. An inspiration for so many others that followed after.
Road Games came out in 1983, one year after IOU. Allan himself was not happy with the production of it where he was overruled by Templeman. But I think it is really very good.
Excellent job! Thank you so much! I was one of many that saw those early IOU gigs in SF. Allan has no equal as a composer or guitarist. You have done his legacy justice here.
Thank you so much…his music has spoken to my soul more deeply than any for years. Thanks for the taking the time 😊I can imagine videos from his other albums too…also what or where is Enby?🙂
I bought this Album at one of those first three shows at the Roxy in LA when it came out. It and the show were completely ear opening. Including Gary Husband's incredibly unique drumming and Paul Carmichael's bass playing. Truly a seminal album 🎸
Wow. Much work and love has been put into this, I can see! Great video, perfect narration, excellent effort IMO! Hopefully many new ears will get to appreciate Allan's music thanks to this, too!
Stunning video and fantastically narrated! It's a shame that there's actually less info available out there on his albums from Atavachron onwards. While we know so little about the making of, say, Sand or Hard Hat Area, I suppose we can move towards the point where all his tracks are transcribed and charted. I'll try to release another transcription this month, and everyone's looking forward to the massive video John Vullo is soon releasing on all things Holdsworth.
Thank you so much! I agree so much! Hopefully if more videos are made like These more info may come to light, atleast I really hope so! I love John’s videos and wowed many guitar player friends with his top 10 hardest Holdsworth chord videos 🤣 Well done on your transcriptions!! They’re amazing my friend! Keep up the good work!
@@rubyjones01 It feels like Holdsworth scholarship really is becoming a bit of a thing- I heard a mention of someone currently doing a PhD on his harmony, there's the occasional masters dissertation out there, and I saw an an amazing piece of visualiser software somebody had programmed, showing the moving harmonic centres of a Holdsworth track in real time. Sadly none from UK academics - clearly he's still received better overseas than here. Keep up the good work too!
I met Allan many times. Had a beer with him once. We talked about cycling. I saw him perform for one week straight in Tempe, Az back in 1982. That’s where I bought my copy of IOU. I was part of the Holdsworth cult! Didn’t find out later that EVH was a fan! I wish I would have went to that Roxy show! Thanks for uploading!
Love your video of the making of IOU. What a fantastic documentary. Attended very first IOU tour in San Francisco (club called The Stone). Quite an honor to become friends with Allan through the early '80s till '92, prior to leaving California. Saw Allan perform close to 30 gigs between '82 through '92. I recorded a song last year called "Egyptian Eyes." Tribute to his great inspiration throughout the main part of my career. Cheers...subscribed. 😻
Wow, That was awesome!!!! What a story..I was one of those fans in NYC that grabbed everything i could from him, We even had a cover band playing his songs! (Not very well, but , hey I became a professional musician afterwards) Thank you so much for this!
It has taken me years to get into Allan's music, and I'm still having to take his music in slowly - on a song by song basis - but it's been worth the effort. Plus, you've made me re-evaluate Paul Williams. I had assumed for some reason that vocals had been forced on the album by a producer. It also breaks my heart to hear how much hardship Allan went through during his life.
EXCELLENT. Ruby. You scared me a bit at first. But the info was so dead on that with the first 5 minutes it was realized you are seriously one fantastic journalist. You've done a justice to someone that permanently changed guitar, writing and production. Please do more.
Many many thanks for this long overdue deep dive into IOU. This album was a nexus in time and music - a zero AD or CE so to speak. I first learned of IOU in a Guitar Player magazine album review around 1981, and having already loved Enigmatic Ocean and One Of A Kind, I tried it on a whim. It utterly changed my world. There will never be another Allan Holdsworth.
@@fantasticoadidas thank you my friend! The Allan Holdsworth story is just a testament to the lengths people will go to express themselves in their art!
@@rubyjones01 Amazing he was, Allan Holdsworth. He opened up my mind to accept lots of difficult things to learn (while listening) and also lots of difficult decisions. To lots of people his music is 'weird', well, let all of us Allan Holdsworth listeners be 'weird' then, I don't care for a second. Please keep on going with your excellent video's, love them !
Amazing tribute, thank you ❤️🔥 I remember seeing him live here in Ottawa Canada when I was 16 in the early 80’s. EVH had turned us on and I watched in awe and delighted confusion.
Lucky enough (blessed, really) to have seen Allan in the 80s at the Soft Rock Cafe in Vancouver. A small 200 seater and my brother-in-law and I were front row centre. We met Allan afterwards who was a complete gentleman and even let my brother-in-law play his Charvel (I didn't have the guts! lol) I was talking with with AH's manager afterwards and he said [paraphrasing] "There's this kid from Texas Allan really loves and wants to bring him on the road with us". That kid was Eric Johnson. RIP, Maestro
Thank you so much for putting that together, I really enjoyed it and just subscribed here. Even for huge fans like myself, you excellent research highlighted a number of things I never knew. Also, a tip of the hat to you for your writing here. Don't know if your an published author, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit. Cheers.
Thanks for the nice video! Here's my Allan gig experience. I went to see him as a youngster, must have been late 70s, in a club in London. I think it was in Oxford Street, maybe the 101 club. There were only 20 or 30 there, talking over the music etc. I remember Allan getting irritated. I also remember seeing him drinking a beer or two! He played as you'd expect and there were maybe 8 or 10 guitarists sitting a few feet from him. A few years later (maybe 1984) I was at music school myself, and he had moved to USA but was playing a gig in a smallish place in Old Street, London. I said to a friend, "come and see him play, there won't be many there"...... We couldn't even get in, the queue was really long, they took our money and said watch from the foyer on a monitor! I then saw him a few years after in Glasgow at the Renfrew Ferry. Did anyone else go to any of these gigs?
Thank you so much! What an incredible story! I’ve loved hearing all these stories about Allan and his career and in a way it’s helped me get even closer to understanding him! Sadly I was just 16 when he passed and didn’t even hear his name mentioned until I Heard brufords Hells Bells for the first time age 17, it definitely changed my life and opened my eyes to both my favourite drummer and guitarist at the same time!
By far my favorite album by Allan. Having struggled with the book Reaching for the Uncommon Chord, I learned the complexity of his playing. This documentary uncovered so much detail of which I was unaware. Beyond the instrumental wizardry, I couldn't understand why I gravitated to the album. It was the ebb and flow of the time based on how it was recorded. Thank you for your work.
I saw Allan play the IOU material in a London pub with his trio around 1980. It was clear he was a genius the like of which had never been seen before & would never be seen again. Yet the pub was barely full & he couldn't get a record deal as you mention 🤔 I really wish I'd had some spare money at the time as I'd gladly have have offered him some financial support to promote his music. I met Gordon & Dick Knight when they fitted the same type of stainless steel frets to my strat as they'd fitted to Allan's. Nice chaps. I like the info you give out in this vid. Though ironically allans wonderful music in the background is a little distracting when listening to your commentary
Awesome history and things I never knew... just subbed your channel love to see a follow up with his later years involving Chad Wackerman and Jimmie Johnson Gary Husband great musician also played for the awesome Level 42 and who got Holdsworth to play on their Gauranteed album.
Wow. I can't say anymore than what all the other comments have been saying. A nicely detailed synopsis of his early years leading to IOU. I didn't know about him selling his Gibson for a plane ticket. I feel a little guilty hearing how hard it was personally when all you hear is the beauty in his playing even as a sideman. I was listening recently to his solo on "Halfway House" from "The Unique Concert" album and thinking... So beautiful. Cheers for this.
Thank you Peter! I agree, there’s a great interview with John Wetton from 78 where he mentions Allan being tired of being “wheeled out on stage with all these different bands to do a solo” and that sums up perfectly his sideman output for me! Thank you for watching my friend!
Dear Ruby, Thank you so much for this. Heard when I needed it the most. Peace and Love Jesse. P.S. I own one of the original black-covered IOU albums signed by Allan.
I love Dis Recud!I bought dis in San Leandro, Cali,back in 88,listen to it all the time.Heavy rotation in my collection,from IOU to Sand,good stuff!Just saying,thanks for anything on The Master!
I really enjoyed Your video. I have followed Alan's music intently since I heard 'Metal Fatigue' which blew my socks off at the time. I have seen Alan with 'Soft Machine' in 1972 but wasn't too impressed back then. Anyway, Thank You for the very interesting story You have told us. I'd love to know more.
Thanks so much! There’s almost a stratospheric jump in his playing from there to the solo stuff, even for example one of a king with Bruford, the leap in his tone and playing from there to IOU only 3 years later is astounding
@The Enby Adventures Of Ruby If I may say so, you , not unlike the Maestro himself are very good at what you do & deserve to be commensurately compensated for your work. Thank you very kindly for your efforts on this. I've been curious for 40 years as to what combination of circumstances led Allan towards what ultimately resulted in (arguably) the most remarkable compositional style of any guitarist I'm aware of. Your exposition answered questions about his theory base, simultaneous string striking & harmonic/melodic depth that have perplexed me to no end. I rarely comment on videos but your work demanded my direct response. THANK YOU & Namaste.
Thank you so much my friend! I am very flattered to be compared to Allan 🥰 I think I’m drawn to his music because he was just being himself and that’s what appeals to me so much, regardless of what his peers thought he was himself and didn’t care and spent his life being his true self and something about that really resonates with me!
