Who named you El Magnifico? (Emilio)
PHIL MANZANERA: Los Gilmoures.
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PHIL MANZANERA BLOG INTERVIEW |
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25.08.2007: Auf die Frage ob es von der On An Island Session weiteres Material gibt, dass Wert wäre aufgenommen zu werden meint Phil Manzanera kurz und bündig: Definitiv! Er meinte bei einem anderen Interview, dass Gilmour Material für 3 Alben habe! Which did you prefer producing: '50 Minutes Later' or 'On An Island'? (Simon J) PHIL MANZANERA: Two very different, but enjoyable, challenges - one of which was my own album. Go figure. Your last two studio albums were great, but your performance of '6pm' at the Strat Pack concert in Wembley made the track shine in a way the studio couldn't. Any chance we'll get a live CD from you anytime soon? (Ed) PHIL MANZANERA: Hopefully next year. On 'A Million Reasons Why' is my live playing from Guitar Legends, Seville - album from www.manzanera.com. As your neighbour, does David offer thoughts about your solo work, as you have done for him? (Gus) PHIL MANZANERA: Sometimes. Looking back at Roxy Music and the great music they made, which album of theirs would be a Desert Island Disc for you? (Peter) PHIL MANZANERA: 'For Your Pleasure'. Out of all the guitars you have played, what is your favourite? (Julie Davies) PHIL MANZANERA: 1957 Black Les Paul custom. If you were only able to bring one guitar on tour, which would it be? (Tomi Sue) PHIL MANZANERA: The red Gibson Firebird VII. Please tell us about the translucent guitar you sometimes play: is it an aesthetic, or a sound, preference? (Peter McConnell) PHIL MANZANERA: It's a lovely Yamaha guitar, which sounded very good on stage, which happened to be see through. Some fans thought it was polka dot to match my shirts! If you could have any one of David's guitars, which one would you choose and why? (Kris) PHIL MANZANERA: Obviously 001, as it's iconic. However, the black Strat is pretty damn good. I am a big Stratocaster fan: so, what pickups are you using in your black Strat and do they come close to the Fender '54 custom shop pickups? (I use those.) (Ernest Peske) PHIL MANZANERA: The Strat I use on stage is one of David's, as I wanted to get a similar sound when duplicating parts he played on the records. Only Phil Taylor, David's guitar tech, knows exactly what pick-ups are used. It's well documented on the modifications David made to his black Strat. What kind of mods, if any, have you made to your main Strat? (Andrew) PHIL MANZANERA: None, because it's David’s. (Sorry, there'll have to be a separate Phil Taylor Q&A for guitar geeks.) Using so many powerful amps on stage, is the sound comfortable to play with, or do you battle against each other? (5 Times) PHIL MANZANERA: The stage is so big and the amps quite directional, so monitoring is not a problem - due in large part to the excellence of the stage crew. The involvement of digital technology in (nearly) every form of sound processing is one of the factors that has changed making music compared with, say, 20 years ago. As a musician, what do you see as major advantages and drawbacks of this development? (Ronny) PHIL MANZANERA: The advantages are it speeds up the whole 'capturing' process and what you can do with it. The disadvantage is that technology can become an end in itself, and not the music. You and the band seemed very relaxed during the 'On An Island' tour: a lot of laughing during the concerts, a lot of eye contact between you and David. He always watched over to you when you played your solo for the 'On An Island' track. Is there one funny moment you remember with pleasure? (Werner, Pulse & Spirit) PHIL MANZANERA: Yes, when he performed 'On the Turning Away', a track that Stevie and I had never rehearsed and that Guy hadn't played for 14 years. Not exactly a pleasurable moment, but one that certainly I'll remember! I'd like to know what do you think of the band, especially of Stevie and Guy? (Emilio) PHIL MANZANERA: I love them all. Do you do any kind of warm up before going on stage? I know you do a sound check, but I mean just before you step out. (Robyn S) PHIL MANZANERA: Highly recommended, but don't. The group hug that Madonna does is not really our style! What was your favourite destination on the Gilmour tour and why? (Simon J) PHIL MANZANERA: Venice. It's like going back in time and there is something very 'otherworldly' about it - and appropriate for the tour, as we were literally 'On An Island'. If every band member on the tour was given the opportunity to suggest a venue/city for the tour schedule, where would you have suggested (regardless of the venue capacity)? (Tom B) PHIL MANZANERA: The Malekon, Havana - next to the Nacional Hotel. What were the stand-out moments from the 'On An Island' tour for you? (Victor) PHIL MANZANERA: So many. Playing the Royal Albert Hall with all those guests... I noticed huge grins on your face both nights at Massey Hall as David did extended solo flights during a few numbers. If you recall at all, what was going through your mind at the time? (Buffalo Phil) PHIL MANZANERA: That he was giving it a bit of welly and enjoying himself. I loved watching you perform because you have such a groovy "wiggle" when you play. Are you able to let go and enjoy the music or are you focused on the piece at hand - or are the two not mutually exclusive? (Nickster) PHIL MANZANERA: Steady on there, Nickster. The resident PR is reading the answers! It's good to lose yourself in the music, provided that you don't lose your place in the music. What were your two favourite tracks to play on this tour (one from 'On An Island' and one from the Floyd back catalogue)? (Geoff Duffy) PHIL MANZANERA: 'Take a Breath' and 'Echoes'. What is the most challenging 'On An Island' or Gilmour composition for you to play? (Andrew) PHIL MANZANERA: 'Where We Start', because the chords require continually extending your fingers. Although, ironically, trying to play a simple tune like 'Wish You Were Here' EXACTLY as David plays it proved to be a challenge! After a few lessons in his kitchen, I'm almost there! Chris Thomas joined David and you for the "final push for the last 3 months", and at that stage the album was very acoustic and very orchestral. David didn't add any electric guitar until the final month!!! Did you and Chris have to do much coercing to persuade David to add the electric stuff? (Ken F)
PHIL MANZANERA: No, David wanted to leave his electric
playing until the songs and melodies were fully developed,
although the electric on 'Where We Start' was there from the
original demo.
PHIL MANZANERA: Definitely.
PHIL MANZANERA: Tried to learn from the CDs, then asked
David how (as I was meant to double some of his parts,
exactly how he played them). Then an intensive rehearsal
period. PHIL MANZANERA: It was a very special, unique tour and there are so many great memories... some of which you will be able to see on the forthcoming DVD. Before the tour, we put in a lot of hours rehearsing and working on the shape of the concert, so from the beginning of the tour, we were a tight unit. We had many great times on and off stage. Lots of laughter in dressing rooms across the world. I believe the tour was a family affair with most of the band bringing their children etc., but who in the band did you get on with best while on tour? (Tom B) PHIL MANZANERA: Claire, the tour publicist (my wife). How did the 'On An Island' creative process work? Did you and David jam together a lot, or did you work individually, layering on each other's material? (GianLuca)
PHIL MANZANERA: No jamming. A
period of layering on material, then trying out tracks with
different configurations of musicians.
PHIL MANZANERA: Not sure, but it
worked brilliantly and the title track is one of my favourites,
especially the amazing harmonies of Crosby and Nash with David.
PHIL MANZANERA: How long have you
got? It's the subject of a dissertation at Oxford... mine! Just
joking. A lot of listening, patience, development and green pea soup.
PHIL MANZANERA: Good question, but
impossible to answer. We’re all delighted with how it came out. PHIL MANZANERA: I'm one of the producers. NOTHING, of course. You can't get better than a Number One album and a platinum disc!
Do you have any unusual requirements/rituals?
(Dr Phang) As a musician, which would be more interesting for you: Gilmour plays Roxy Music, or Ferry sings Pink Floyd? (Dan) PHIL MANZANERA: Neither! Describe David Gilmour in five words. (Victor) PHIL MANZANERA: No, this man deserves more than five words! Do you subscribe to the current trend of reforming famous 'older' groups when they offer no new material? (Martin D) PHIL MANZANERA: From a punters point of view, I don't mind, as most people just want to hear the old stuff. But, artistically, it's always better to have a few new songs. Have you ever replied to the fans through a blog/site before? (Elisabetta Corsi) PHIL MANZANERA: No. What is your proudest professional moment? (Tim C) PHIL MANZANERA: Rehearsing and playing with Bob Dylan at the Guitar Legends Festival in Seville, of which I was the musical director. Have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve with music? Any regrets? (Hysteron Proteron) PHIL MANZANERA: The wonderful thing about music is that it's an enjoyable journey of discovery that lasts a lifetime, with no particular destination. I particularly appreciated your solo works reissued on CD. Will you be touring again soon? (GianLuca) PHIL MANZANERA: Am working on an instrumental album called 'Firebird VII'. See www.manzanera.com for more details. How did your hands make it into an episode of Red Dwarf? (So cool!) Are you a fan? (Nickster) PHIL MANZANERA: Always a fan of Red Dwarf and a friend of mine's company used to make the programme. They needed a pair of guitarist's hands, so I went down to the set and literally stood off camera behind Craig, stuck my arms through and played the guitar, much to the amusement of the studio audience. Another career high! I'd read in an interview last year that you met David through your older brother. David agreed to meet to lend advice on getting started in the music business. What are your memories of that meeting and your initial impressions of him? (Buffalo Phil) PHIL MANZANERA: It was 1968 and I'd just turned 17. I distinctly remember the Italian restaurant and this person that looked identical to the David sitting on the stool on the cover of 'Ummagumma'. Neither of us can remember what we spoke about, but David says it must have been good because I ended up in Roxy Music four years later. Were you a fan of the Floyd 25 years ago? (Sylvie) PHIL MANZANERA: Damn right... and well before. When did you work with David for the first time? (Ina) PHIL MANZANERA: 1987. We worked together writing on a couple of tracks for Pink Floyd's 'Momentary Lapse of Reason' album. One track, called 'One Slip', ended up on the album. I was wondering if there was any particular reason why you didn't dig out 'One Slip' for the tour, as you co-wrote it with David? (Jonathan) PHIL MANZANERA: No room on the list. Could you compare the making of 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' with the making of 'On An Island'? I mean, how is it different to work with Floyd's Gilmour and solo Gilmour? (Adriano Capeto) PHIL MANZANERA: No different, it's the same person. I heard on an interview that if David was not a musician, he might be flying planes?! How about you, if you were not a musician, what would you be doing? (Veronica from Miami) PHIL MANZANERA: A Cuban revolutionary, like my mate Che! What was your inspiration to pick up the guitar? (AxPxM88) PHIL MANZANERA: Spanish guitar was inspired by my mother's playing, and electric to get girls! When did you first start playing guitar? (Chris Hampton) PHIL MANZANERA: Age seven in Havana, Cuba on my mum's Spanish guitar, learning Cuban folk songs. Did you know how to read music when you took up guitar? (Jan) PHIL MANZANERA: I didn't want to learn how to read music. I sent off from Venezuela to London for a book that I thought would show me pictures of where to put my fingers on the fretboard, but instead they sent me a Course on blue carbon paper about music theory, so any port in a storm, I inadvertently learnt something about it. Of course, reading the dots is a complete hindrance to Rock and Roll. How have your Latin roots influenced your music? (Renee B) PHIL MANZANERA: Very much so from a rhythmic point of view, the groove. And my love of the cumbia makes me very partial to a 6/8 rhythm, which I invariably play against a 4/4 rhythm. Is there a guitarist from your homeland that you especially like the work of? (Jan) PHIL MANZANERA: The guitarist I most admire is Jimi Hendrix. What's your favourite song to play live? (Chris Hampton) PHIL MANZANERA: 'Ladytron'. If you listened to 'Ladytron' vocals by Thom Yorke, can you tell me if you liked his way to sing your song? (Lucia) PHIL MANZANERA: Yes, anything by Thom Yorke is fine by me. Given the success of the bands from the 60s & 70s, like Roxy Music, Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin; how do think they would fare if they were just starting out today? (Tom B) PHIL MANZANERA: A unique band is always a unique band, e.g. Radiohead, Arcade Fire, White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys... There's a connection between today's bands and the great bands of the 60s and 70s. It’s about the chemistry between the individual and the quality of the ideas. Which one album or song could you not live without? (Luis G) PHIL MANZANERA: 'Rubber Soul' and 'Strawberry Fields'. Do you feel that knowing how to read music is the best way to get started? (Jan) PHIL MANZANERA: No, I feel the notes get in the way for rock and roll. You need to train your ear. What is the most valuable piece of information you have learned working in the music industry? (Cemet Nosce) PHIL MANZANERA: Remember to keep the music at the centre of everything. END |
Manzanera im Studio, Foto: Polly Samson
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