The Captain Meets Country King Albert Lee - Andertons Music Co.

[Music] [Music] hey guys welcome back to another episode of Anderson's TV and today it is my massive honor to be joined by quite possibly the hardest-working most talented sublimely modest say no more mr. Albert Lee I was working that's for sure it's just and we will get to that but yes you are you just you work so hard you're a legend I bless let's just dive straight in there I mean well it's easy to become a legend if you just if it's still around in your 70s and you've managed to do a gig or two yeah you bet I've been very fortunate I didn't get the gigs are still there for me I think last time I saw you you were celebrating your 70th year and you had 250 gigs in the calendar that year or something it was just like yes yes it's getting to be there now 200 to 250 for you man well I mean I guess so we you are definitely known as you know one of the finest guitar players that this country's ever produced but particularly known for breaking a the mold really a bit you know making your name as a country player you know from a from a country that perhaps typically hadn't produced many three players but so let's go back to that sort of you know where did where did that your love with the guitar you know first start lonely Donegan right of course you know anybody of my age yeah we're inspired by Lonnie and it was a simple you know three gospel yet and and then started to listen to the rock and roll Buddy Holly and his solos were relatively easy to to copy could figure out what he's doing out in the first position and you know that and what was it a musical upbringing low for you I had piano lessons for a couple of years my dad played the piano in the accordion a little bit you know they'd be up he playing the pub of occasionally he'd never any money but someone who buy him a beer you know but yeah I started started bashing on the piano at home and my parents you know I but get you some lessons and I think I was 10 right maybe and I did I only did it for two years I did I did almost a year with one teacher and then I kind of stopped for a while and there we'd moved house you know moved up we were living in Greenwich from when I started my lessons and moved up to black eath and I started a new school and they said well you know you better look for a piano teacher around years I've got another another teacher who was a lot more strict than the first one oh she didn't cut any slack at all night he was senior look at your hands you know I'm gonna have your dad bill the board so you can't see can't see the keyboard you know but I was I was lazier I didn't practice I can relate to that I mean it and I don't think even much changed me you're presumably talking what mid to late 50s here you know I remember I had piano lessons and then we're talking late seventies early eighties I don't think much it was very strict you know and I nobody ever went what music do you like let's try it you know it was always his some music that you almost certainly don't like let's play that hard isn't it to try and keep that interest going but I was I'm so glad that I did it you know at least I had a somewhat basic grasp of music from that you know but then eventually I think the second teacher said to my parents Willie thing you know he's not really making much progress here he's not practicing you know yeah and you know we had the typical English front room that was never used where the piano was and it was cold and and you know the next lesson would come along and I'd it was obvious I'd you know worked at this piece I was supposed to be doing and chica you didn't it was never gonna be the next Jerry Lee Lewis thing or anything like that well no we wanted to be yeah I guess I did I heard Jerry Lee Lewis odd but a little later on I guess and a friend of mine kind of figured out someone that some of the runs that he was doing oh yeah that's how he does that so even though I stopped having the lessons I'd still play away on the piano and then we discovered skiffle that was school I still at school in and we did some couple of friends and I decided we wondered a skiffle group one of the guys had a school cello I loved it and I was playing piano that process hello he didn't just have the broom handle with the hello lessons you know awesome better made a career as a musician here ended up owning a garage sensible man and he's now retired which I can't afford to do so but guitar wise so where did this was it the well a school friend had a guitar AXI wasn't his it was his brothers guitar his brother had come back from the Navy with this cheap old archtop and I think I was looking at some piano music in we now picked up the piano still looking through the music in there and that's how I told my my my my a live about four doors away I said look I did piano music here but it's got chords written up above it you know the dots type-1 look at them on the tablet on the string charts here yeah but what I didn't realize was at the time they worked they were ukelele lately good but at least it was a start you know yeah I said look what I found he said I've got a book here you know we guitar chords in it oh so we both started at the same time and and I was borrowing this guitar until his mother would send him round you know yo get that guitar off of him he's had it long enough and I she played guitar for about 18 months with a taxi owning one mm-hmm I think I borrowed three different guitar excuse me and they weren't good guitars but you know they I've got the I've got the gist of it was that was that just cuz your dad had settle it you didn't see it through on the piano so I'm not buying you a guitar or is it just because you just couldn't get guitars no no available you know I guess you know I think um they the first guitar they bought for me I don't know where we'd found it but it was a Spanish guitar and I think they're paid like three pounds ten shillings for it you know yeah and I immediately put steel strings on it which I'm not supposed to do he didn't break it did you witness bit okay oh no I think exactly heartbreaking wouldn't work no and it worked you know but I only played that for a month or so and it was obvious to my parents that I was making some progress with yes and I was really keen to do it so it was Christmas of 58 I just turned 15 I'd been flung out of the where I was I was in grammar school but I wasn't really working hard enough to stay there either so they they said oh you're not doing very well here are you Lee I think and as someone reminded me a long time ago that see though I took a guitar to school and it wasn't my night I took it to school and that the vice master saw me with it he said oh he won't get very far with that Lee you know pretty disparaging discouraging stuff isn't it getting a haircut yeah so anyway they got slung out of there at 15 but that Christmas my folks pulled their Christmas money that you know been putting money in every week for in a Christmas Club and and found a Hoffner president in the exchange of Mark fantast and it was about 25 pounds 23 pounds or something did it one of them wears up do you know you can't think that you can see it but I got a huff nose one right is that a senator that some of us won't pass me that one over would you yeah I think they all had a similar vibe didn't they this is fun because that this is this is yeah I mean you definitely definitely won't you probably won't get a tune at least I think I've slackened all the strings off because it the net well maybe not since you there you go anyway I got we went to this guy's house in plumps dude I think it was you know and pulled out the guitar and he handed it to me and I'd learn to play guitar booyah [Music] so yeah I got that for Christmas and yeah and that that was the first guitar that was actually playable yeah no well I think in this country Hoffner was you know it was he was so tough to be able to find Gibson's and fenders and so astronomically expensive and Hoffman I think was the main sort of European brand that was a sort of an okay well there was an import embargo really States yeah I didn't know oh yeah you couldn't get that stuff no it was they were regarded as luxury goods and we couldn't get him until 1960 right yeah I guess that's why you see so few yeah you said all the black-and-whites that you see of the old English bands none of them are playing felt very very fewer play unless they've made it really big none of them were playing for those a good you know went over to the station brought one back in there was a guy called Malcolm Mitchell he had a trio a little kind of jazz trio and he'd see him on TV and I remember seeing a picture of him with a Telecaster and this was in the 50s so he must have gone to the states you know been maybe gone over played on a ship or whatever you know and came back with this Telecaster but no this is all this is the best we could find at the time and there were British manufacturers to like Grimshaw right making pretty nice guitars like they were double cutaway that they I forget what he was called the model but it was a bit like a three three oh yeah whatever you know but no it wasn't until 1960 so I am by 59 we have we added had a little group you know I started off as a skiffle and then I was up and I used to go to the West End and looking at music shops up there and of course I went to I used to go to Len styles in Lewisham that's right a local place you know museu often a club 60 remember did you ever used to venture there was a the only reason I asked this dump charming but it was my dad before he and my granddad started Anderton's worked in a little music shop on the Fulham Road and I can't remember what but it would have been absolutely that like 1960 62 something like that would have been Chinamen the guy's name was I want to say it was Harry something but I'm wondering whether I'm getting confused because that was my granddad's name as well but he's probably sitting at home watching this shouting the name of the music shop that they said that the tele but but yeah I mean completely different vibe now - you know you walk into a music shop now and see 500 guitars all ages like so I was in Charing Cross Road and there was Jennings who sold Vox amps you know and an accordions of course and they had this guitar in the window and I my my eyes popped out and it was it was a little bit like this really it was a three pickup when he had a tremolo and [Music] looks just like the guitar the Buddy Holly played you know of course the the chirping crickets record if you if you ever see one look at look for it the headstock is not a veil is not visible in the right in the photograph on the cover so you can't see all the tuners on one side you know so I saw this guitar and I thought well it looks a little bit like that guitar the buddy played oh I didn't know what a Fender was so I talked my dad into let me trade the Hoffner in for this this guitar was a gray zero so okay which is Italian isn't anything but you know they were Czechoslovakia oh okay of course they were then I'm well known check as a back in family name and I think I think maybe the electronics were a worried because it forget the name of the pickup's now but it eventually became the Futurama okay yeah yeah it was the earlier version of that and it had a maple neck yeah you know the Futurama said a rosewood a darker wood whatever it was you know so I persuaded my dad to let me get this guitar it was 85 pounds second hand whoa which is you know when I think back on it I mean the guy must have you know it made a fortune honey paid he must have paid nothing for it but everything context you 85 pounds 90 60 so you are literally talking six weeks money what would you bid it would have you been owning that time I just started work and I was getting about three pounds a weeks oh three pounds of weight four pounds a week so 85 pounds you are literally talking about three months worth of money almost yeah yeah put that in context and that's that's that we the dearest dearest guitar in Anderton's is the equivalent of what that second end he saw you coming in this absently well he'd he'd sold a number of them because George Harrison had one okay and very good okay looking back on it and Tony Sheridan who was that big guy and he you know he played one on TV and anyway I soon realized it wasn't the fender that I thought it was you know and it was like the following year I did my first tour in 1960 January of 1960 and the bass player and I had but the band had a Selma true voice 19 - yeah with the 12-inch speaker had three inputs all plugged into that we all plugged into that you know but then we eventually became a trio so the bass player he started off with the double bass actually and we talked you into buying this Joe bass and then we'd heard about these electric basses and we guess we didn't see too many of them around you know and he found this often a violin bass you know he's before McCartney that one and so he had that and I had my grazioso we plugged into the same album off we went to Scotland working with a one of Larry pons singers called Dicky pride bright did a tour with him and playing to all these twelve-year-old girls screaming girls in the dance halls up there I came back with from that tour with about 20 pounds I think and you know we went up on straight steam train and said how amazing it was came back nothing I've got to get an amp we're gonna find a name and I went into Selma's and salesmen in they said oh yeah we're getting some American amps in so he showed me this catalog and it was a su pro catalog mhm yeah we've got some so yeah yeah one over there yeah and the amp I chose out of the catalog without even trying ice American it's got to be good you know so I chose this amp and it was about 65 pounds or something expensive it and eventually arrived you know I had a 15 inch Jensen II you know and I thought that's great you know I got I got a guitar that sounds ok I've got a really good amp and the band at that time we decided that we needed an echo unit because a lot of the bands had echo yes you know either Benson's and we had a Klimt echo let I didn't never even heard his head say a tape echo yeah and I my dad signed the papers for that my long-suffering dead and so we we had that for a while and so I had a pretty pretty good sound you know and I guess it was a few months later later in in 60 maybe early 61 when you get he's going to Selma's and there was a whole wall of Gibson guitar from the super 400 on damn you know and it this is it you know we've got these American guitars and just down the road Jennings has started to get stress and Telly's you know and the Telecaster was like 120 pounds or something and I paid 85 pounds for this piece in comparison who was influencing you at the time because you know you've obviously you know you're now touring and doing the the little trio band you know you listening to sort of lots of American bands on pirate radio or you know how are you oh I was there looking your eyes just thing well the the rare occasion you'd get some rock and roll on on the BBC mhm but it was records you know people would pass him around and I didn't have a record player at the beginning but you know it took me a while to get get a get a turntable but the Buddy Holly I guess and you know after Lonnie Vienna playing mmm the skiffle and the assignment of all that stuff that he did yes I'll be like so yeah I was exposed to a lot of great rock and roll one time you know like Chuck Berry and Gene Vincent yeah and someone gave me Jean Vincent's first album do you do you missing the Blue Caps and the guitar player just mesmerized me just blew me away cliff Gallup mhm and you know listen to what he what he did even now he listened to it and really good stuff and I saw you know and so I learned he did two albums with we gene he did you didn't worry he wanted to stay home he didn't or very much you know nothing he had his his his guitar stolen while he was on the road so that made it a is touring it's not as good as I think I'll stay and get a day but he played on the first two albums and I learned every solo note-for-note and as did Jeff Beck of course you know Jeff was it's at around the same time we were we were learning all these cliff gallop solos you know and now it's learning you know Buddy Holly's stuff and of course Scotty Moore I was about to say as it must have been like early Elvis stuff as well in there because yeah I love the Elvis yeah of course and when it came time to choose an American guitar for some reason I had my mind set on a an es 175 I think yeah I think I could afford that get my folks to saw any sign sign up again so it was a an es 175 and I decided I wanted a Bigsby on it I was using the big big be very tasteful to the way he used it you know no dive-bombs you but yes a friend of mine just started to play guitar he said I'm gonna go I'm gonna buy a guitar and he said I've been looking at the burns guitars I think they just started the main burns and in their early 60s I said I don't bother with her I said okay that got Gibson's up in Selma's now you know let's go up there you know so I talked him into buying a Les Paul jr. which is that was I know there was about 670 pounds or something you know and it was a great guitar and of course I immediately borrowed it we used to do gigs together and he'd let me play it said you never get your 175 or you I never did ever did get the ones that no I'll get to that so we do these little gigs who claimed little clubs around Blackheath and Lea green and then Greenwich and the sound I had you know with this Les Paul jr. and I still had the tape echo and the super oh I was just getting this great Scotty Moore sale yeah and I was getting a handle on on the soloist who I was playing pretty good solos by then you know and I thought no I've got it I've got it I've got to get there I gotta get my my 175 you know and anyway I'd make a little pilgrimage up up to Selma's on Saturday on the train from Blackheath and I was in there one day and trying out the guitars and then maybe this would be the one on boy you know and this guy of me playing he said oh yes good you say yeah are you in a band I said well kind of yeah he said we're looking for a guitar player and it's he said yeah you don't need a guitar we've got a guitar already you know that's it Oh sounds interesting you know so he said come over to my place you know so one over do it to his flat he holding up this guitar case and there's a brand new Les Paul Custom with the Bigsby on it and that's it Oh join yeah I mean sign me up it's so and yeah so um well he said well okay well we'll have a rehearsal tomorrow this was a Saturday he said it he said whatever rehearsal that Sunday morning know if he you know if you want to come up to town we'll have a little rehearsal and I actually talked him into letting me take the guitar home which may never see me again so I went home with this guitar I was just so excited you know that look at this I got I don't believe it you know so no I did show up for the rehearsal I was with that band for 18 months two years maybe and it was a strange situation but with the with the band because they they the gigs we did they pull the money to pay off the instruments I know so we didn't earn no money playing you know but will you be paying off the hire-purchase on on the instruments and my dad didn't think that was a very good idea so my dad had a word with him he said well why weren't you weren't letting we'll take over the payments on the guitar you know which I did you know I'm paying paying that the the payments on the Les Paul not God I just loved it so the the the nucleus of that band is that Pat Donaldson was on base and they were the drummer now I am embarrassed but anyway we used to we became when we weren't doing gigs at the weekend we became the house band at the two eyes coffee bar in old Compton Street which is where all the musicians is to come down load in you know yeah so and there were three of us and none of us could sing I didn't sing there you know I was very reluctant to learn to try singing but you know there'd always be somebody there a jump up and singing Elvis song or whatever you know and and Jimmy Page used to come down he was working with I think he was with Neil Christian at the time and I think he had a Gretsch at that time this would have been 61 and he liked my my Les Paul and my Supra so much that he eventually bought of course because he was very famous for using soup Rose wasn't yeah he was he liked my super light so he went and bought one and I guess he I guess he couldn't get one like mine got I don't think they I don't I didn't see them in Selma's on a regular basis I think they just got a delivery mm-hmm and left it at that you know and I got probably the biggest one you know it's probably like 35 40 watts with a 15-inch speaker you know so he eventually bought one I think if someone told me last night actually he bought a a 210 which you may eventually put a 12 in right i I'm not a big you I always my image of Jimmy Page's always standing in front of lots of Marshall amplifiers in the you name but apparently is a lot all that early stuff studio so I was all super pros and Telecasters awesome yeah apparently so yeah so yeah so he had a Les Paul like mine which said him that was stolen he lost it sometime after that and he used to use it on the sessions when he started doing sessions in in the London 60s so we were the we were the house band at the 2000 people you know that's people would come down there and got hooked up with the sax player had an idea for a band and we played a couple of gigs in the West End and then around that time the Germans started coming over you know the guys who owned the you know just I think the yeah the star club had only started by them but the top - mm-hmm so we're off we went to Hamburg drove dough to Hamburg and played at the top ten club you know there was a lot of British bands cut their teeth on that set oh yeah I couldn't believe it yeah we're being in this little area you know so a red-light district you know it's pretty exciting for 17 year old the red-light district of Hamburg and there were lots of bands er you know lots lots of Liverpool guys there yeah it was around the time the Beatles were in and out of town but I didn't see them when yeah when I was there but my hero later became my hero was Tony Sheridan right and he was playing there you know some of these names at your and we're come onto a bit about that how much of a fan my father-in-law was of your music but he when we used to talk about guitar stuff he was in bands and I had obviously never made it as successful as you did but lots of stories about the bands that he was in and doing the Hamburg sort of circle and but all the same era and so lots of the names that you're coming out with although I'm not massively familiar with them myself they're all names that the huge detention was a guy you know and beetles used to back him right in the star club you know and they did they played on a couple of records of his so not long after that I started to actually I was playing with the drummer Barry Jenkins who later went on to play with natural teens and and and the animals but we were playing locally in southeast London and his dad was in show business he was an extra was in B was in a bunch of movies and you know and they they knew this agent and this agent got a call from Germany from this band that urgently needed a drummer and the guitar player okay we're going to fly us over so we jumped on it as our first flight we jumped on this old boy count I think it was flew two dissolute to be met by this German band which what's the last thing we expected you know yeah my jaw dropped up great to have you and they saw my Gibson and they odd that they that they they didn't like the look at that although we need to get your fender you know you don't you know because around at that time there were lots of playing around Germany and and Holland there were a lot of Indonesian bands and they all played really yeah and they were all like playing kana shadows stuff they they had big fender amps and Fender guitars you want her leaf around and Andy Tillman was the guy they're teaming brothers for the big band Andy Tillman was he was a pretty good guitar right yeah so they saw my Les Paul and it's a lie you know now we've got to get you a real guitar you know so until I started the players oh wow that's so yeah and I'd taken is right there they had an amp there as well and I was stuck with let's see I must have I must have taken my empire to Germany I must have flightless well I must have taken you as a wandering worked when it got there well we didn't work for long cuz I was there I was stuck there for three months for these guys they were crazy you know that I mean the lead singer was especially crazy but he he remained my friend for you know for many many years and sadly he passed away about four years ago but yeah he was nuts and he'd he'd get all these all these instruments he'd go to the music stores and he just talked them into letting him you know he just wouldn't pay for you know I think we've got some customers like that yeah and he said all right yeah yeah well actually going back to Selma's I mean that the guys in Selma's were great I'd go in there and they they knew that I could play and I was desperate for a better amp at that time and it's our we've got these Gibson amps here in that and there was one called us called the four hundred I think it was two twelve you know and so well take it out and you try out on a gig you know they used to do that a lot back then you know yeah so remember taking on the gig and I said yeah it's all right but it's not quite right you know and it wasn't until I tried a Fender and though I realized that's that's what I want I want that that twang you know yeah so anyway I want to I'd forgotten though I had to sue pro on that first visit to to Germany with the German band so I remember we we finished up one night we played six hours a night seven nine hours a night nine hours on a Sunday we play from four to six an hour off and then we'd we play for another six hours or so you know and then oh you know I guess later on you know you play 45 minutes and 15 off but back then we we just kept playing straight through and if you know one of one would want to run after a toilet or whatever you know you must have had some repertoire of oh yeah well we yeah we we it didn't matter say if you knew a verse or or two of a song you know and you make up the words and they couldn't understand the lyrics anyway back then you know no like they can now so yes so I remember I showed up at the gig one night and someone had poured beer in my amp I know I couldn't imagine how it happened because it was hardly anybody there you know and I got there I don't remember if I left mine I used to leave my guitar there sometimes and not because it was a bit of a long walk up the hill to this these digs that we were in so yeah beer was poured in my soup row and you know it kind of worked and then they got got this guy to look at it and oh god you know no it wasn't working right and anyway um we decided I had to get a get a get another amp you know so he obviously went to a music store and genell charm debasement out of them you know piggy back basement yeah ah fantastic you know anyway eventually managed the drummer and I managed to escape this band you know at the end of the month we had enough money to get a train back to London and he got a Ludwig snare and a couple of big cymbals you know and I had this I don't know how I did I got on the train with this piggyback basement cool you know and a suitcase and my Les Paul so I thought boy that was you know took me three months to get away with these from these crazy guys you know and then I guess it was not long after that I I joined Neil Christian and the Crusaders because Jimmy Page had left he'd moved on to something else so I was with Neil Christian for just a few weeks really and he was paying me like 15 pounds a week you know no matter what we did you know another four that's funny steady 15 times a week this is great you know and and then who should show up from Germany but the lead singer the DA showed up and he was all apologetic he said oh I know it said but I said no you know and things are gonna be different this time you know and like a fool like I went back to Germany wedding and I do that I don't know if I took the Les Paul or not maybe I didn't remember anyway he said oh well well I'll get your guitar you know so I've got a nice this would have been about 62 or 63 I got a nice red Stratocaster no I know and anyway at the end of this run he decided to disappear unfortunately we had enough enough musicians to be able to carry on you know back in those days I don't know how the Beatles got away with it but back in those days you play a German club the outside of Hamburg I suppose you could do it in Hamburg but outside of a outside of places like Hamburg if you played in the club for six hours a night you had to have a five piece band right yeah they didn't clash he was a bandit unless you did there were five of you and we there were five of us when we started out of this place and I remember we were up on stage one night and it was hardly anybody in the audience and in came the German military police and pulled one of the guys off stage because it it was supposed to be really services yeah that was they'd go they pulled the master stage and there we were four-piece band and I think the owner of the little Club it was in Dortmund he was happy to let us go because there were no customers away anyway so we were stuck there and then we're at was when we yeah I guess i'm mixing the two tours with him mixed but these are some of the tales that happened with you with this guy anyway I did go I didn't go with him again and then he had this girlfriend who had a bit of money and he kind of lost interest in it and he disappeared unfortunately we we were able to finish out the gig that we did that could you you did gigs in America bases and you played for months you know you signed on for a month so yeah okay I managed to escape that got back got back to England and a friend of mine Rickey Charmin was playing bass with Chris Farlowe Thunderbirds yeah and Ricky said Oh Bobby Taylor the guitar player he's he's he's not gonna play anymore he's gonna become an actor you know which he did eventually so I joined Chris Farlowe this was in 64 yep and I stayed with him for about four years and he had some hits turn in yeah whereas 65 was 66 he had out at a time right which is one of the few records of his I didn't plan on I think it was Big Jim Sullivan is the reason for that was it was it was produced by Mick Jagger really yeah I think if he wrote the song you know okay guys Jagger Richard so he produced it and and that we did another one my way of giving to which they they'd written you know and he produced it but when it came to out of time he wanted his arranger to book the band look his musicians so his name was Arthur Greenslade and so that's how big Jim Sullivan ended up on he was on almost everything anyway there wasn't at that time yeah well yeah but yeah he said I met him I'm sure you knew him reasonably well but you know he used to do clinics for a guitar brand called Patrick Hegel you know those good to 60s or 50s and 60s whatever like that he was a real larger-than-life character wasn't he so I remember he asked me once about Patrick and they said ah he's a great guitar sir and that British the British guitars you know he should try one you know and I said well and I'm really happy we went out you know and he couldn't believe that I didn't want to play this English guitar you know I said I'm really happy with what I've got now by that time I had my first telecast of all I used Telecaster in 1963 at length and I that my world changed well you kind of you're your Wikipedia blog says you know you for a period of time you were just called mister Telecaster you know it's almost like Larry Carlton Lister 335 and you were sort of mister Telecaster yeah I don't know well well I guess for a while I mean I was I was playing at telly with Emmylou Harris later on you know and I know that not many people were playing Telly's in England at that time you know they were all influenced by the shadows and all the other you know the Hollies and that are war playing Gibson's and a lot of stress a lot of strats and we could maybe because Bruce Welsh was playing a Telecaster with the shadows I mean people regarded them as as rhythm guitars you know well they certainly weren't you know I'm still I felt super intrigued to see where the country angle has kind of came from because it was I loved it first time I heard it because this must have been at some point round about the sort of the mid sixties then that you kind of that long before that because you know I was buying music I guess I loved the rock and roll that was some country influence you know like the Everly Brothers and because I knew these guys had started out with background you know as did Buddy Holly you know and so um where was I oh yes someone gave me an album it was a cat a capital album American capital it was a compilation of country hits mhm and it was released in line 1959 and I loved nearly everything on it I thought I love I love this music it's great you know there wasn't a lot of guitar playing on it laureates are fiddles and but no I love the I love the feel of the music you know so I I think one of the first EPS I bought was a Grandpa Jones and it's great I thought I love this that's amazing but I was Brian welcome that I was buying more rock and roll at that time and I guess you know when I was in Hamburg I picked up a record which really changed my life and I remember I was in the store with Tony Sheridan I was looking through records and there was this mercury EP and it had two tracks by Flatt and Scruggs and two tracks by George Jones right and I took a chance on it and well I'm it's still one of my favorite records now this one of the tracks of George Jones I thought god I just love this stuff you know and you know continued to play rock and roll and of course we were playing bit of Blues would follow mhm and then I discovered Buck Owens right you know and I started to buy his records you know and and I and he had a great guitar player Don rich okay and they were all playing telecasters and it was that real twang he you know James Burton yup style you know and and I think early sixties another point in my life really turned my head around it we remember Saturday Club Brian Matthew well I mean this was going in the early sixties it started out as guitar club on a Saturday morning whoa Nelly became Saturday club and Brian Matthew was the host on that and for a short while there what they called a country corner where they play a couple of country records and this particular Saturday they played a record by speedy western Jimmy Brian okay yeah another Jimmy Bryant name I'm not yeah Edie west of just absolutely wild steel guitar player and they they'd played on tons of Records in the early 50s for capital they were did a lot of stuff capital with Tennessee Ernie Ford and whatever and they were just wild instrumentals that used to do god I love this guitar play you know and he just one track that played on on the radio was Arkansas traveler which was a fiddle tune anybody play the guitar like that you know and that was early 60s and it it took me seven or eight years before I actually got a copy of the record right and friend of Mines he said look what I got I've got this 10-inch capital LP of speedy western you've been bright and he gave it to him and I rushed home and put it on I'm hoping it was as good as I remembered it not just wow this is what I call guitar playing so they kind of started it and of course I love James Burton so that's when you know I realized that you know Telecaster was a guitar for me you know and I've been through a few guitars at that time you know I bought I reluctantly sold my Les Paul okay to buy a super 400 that my friend had you know I thought wow top of the line Gibson he said you know and they were like yeah 300 pounds yeah you you know back then and I know I played that for a while with Farlow another I realized I've made a big mistake you know and a regretted selling my F my Les Paul this guy I already had one so he must have just turned it around and sold it sold it on and eventually and he still has it Eric Stewart and the Mindbenders okay yeah 10cc right he still got it that original one yeah amazing well it's not original anymore he carved it up I saw our did a BBC broadcast once and I know there was a guitar case on the floor and I looked through it and there was like a dent in the top of it I remember that dent that was in a car crash that we were in you know well everybody had a car crash in those days you know we were all laying in our teens no we did you know this is the essential part where everybody was in a car crash every band I was with had a car crash up until the mid sixties that's what that's what play until 5:00 in the morning probably does she doesn't yeah sort of and were all young you know and inexperienced so yeah I hope opened up the case I picked it up and I looked at the back of it and there was a big chunk taken out the back of it because it was too heavy he'd cut a big chunk really back of it to light now I guess yeah anyway oh well he still got it and he's it's now a to pick up and it's now kind of a blonde or whatever and he said it's - it's his favorite guitar he still plays it well at least it's been played at yeah so anyway that disappeared and I regretted that for a long time I'll jump forward a little bit when I joined Clapton in 79 yeah the first rehearsal we had he showed up you know either word he had breakfast you know I don't know rap Brandi and 1108 he had his breakfast you know and I was I was showing him I had a picture of my guitar I said oh I used to have a lisp all on god I love this guitar really I really you know regret selling it you know he's got one of those I'd uh I'd used to play one of those you know I didn't think any more of it the next day his roadie came in with this case opened it up and it's his Les Paul Custom that he used with cream yeah and Delaney and Bonnie and he gave it to me he said oh yeah we you use it you know so I don't at least someone you kept that one mmm please tell me you kept all of course yeah oh yeah that'd be pretty special well when did you at some point feel that in order to pursue that the country thing you were just going to have to go to the States or did you know because I can't imagine many other people in there in England at the time was sort of you know digging that kind of music well no they were very few yeah no I mean all this started for me when I first met the Everly Brothers 1962 I met Phil in fact I was playing in a club with the with the band that I went to Hamburg with in there was a saxophone go I am whatever and these guys were standing you know by the wall in the club and eyeing us up you know you know I thought were they're taking a lot more interested but these other kids in the club a bang you know and we got to chatting they were American you know said ah yeah we play too and you say we're um you know we're on tour over here I said oh you where they said well keep quiet live with the Everly Brothers another so anyway the guitar players named Don peek and he he's still a very good friend of mine now you know and a he we'd sit down in his hotel room playing guitar and and whatever and he tell him about all the great guys in LA and you really talked me into wanting to be in LA you know because they're all the music I loved it was broke was coming from California I love to the Nashville stuff you know but I loved the rock and roll that's coming out of California and he's telling me about guys like Howard Roberts and he was getting really lessons from Howard Roberts you know to our great guy he does all the sessions and there's this young guy he does a lot of the rock and roll stuff his name is Glen Campbell no I've never heard of Glen Campbell he said I'll yeah he played played I'm dissing that because I used to can confuse him with James Burton because I'd hear her I will real wiry Telecaster all these bends and I always assumed it was James Burton but a lot of it was right as Glen you know so I I really wanted to be in LA and I dived I had no idea how I was gonna get there and then of course throughout the sixties British Invasion everybody was going over there you know why can't I get the band that's going over there and eventually that happened uh I left a left Fowler because I wanted to give country a try on you some country players who were playing the fullest circuit in the London air there were a number of pubs that were featured country bands and watch it I just happened to go one night to this pub and and then I started going there regularly once a week and and Chas and Dave would go down to you know and this is before they started doing their there not me stuff you know so we'd sit him with this band you know and anyway the guitar player Jerry Hogan decided that he was gonna he was gonna pack it in and not play so much he was gonna he was working at a Thai BM he had a real job you know so the singer John Derek and I decided that we put a little band together I hadn't realized your association with Jerry Hogan had gone back so far oh yeah yeah oh no I first met him okay yes 67 maybe okay 667 so um but he's quitting that band as gave you the opportunity to join it and and that was the one that went to the States was it oh no no we started working and playing US bases and we back various American country and seeing as that came over you know not top-line guys you know but well that word mixed really you know a bit of a mixture we even play with guy Mitchell and if you remember guy Mitchell oh not one but Hank Locklin and Lonzo and Oscar you know don't need these were all names in Nashville yeah and so and they'd also hi you guys are great you know they'd always say I've got gonna how many I wish I did dollar for every time an American said this to me back then you guy you guys are great you should come to the States yeah anyway it was I quit the country ban because I realized that I wasn't going to get very far playing country music in England at that time and we there were actual country clubs and we go and play there and the and the people there didn't like what we were doing cuz I you know I do I do a couple of Elvis rings you know I do that's all right mama or whatever you know all they wanted was Jim Reeves the only cash yeah so I thought well no it's this is not what I want to do because around that time that's more the Western bit of country and well yeah you're more yeah it was around that time that the burrito brothers started up that's a great name for and the Flying Burrito Brothers and you know the Dillard's and there were a lot of great records coming out of the states with it was country but it was with the rock-and-roll age to it you know yeah and I thought god this is the kind of music I love you know so around that time let's see I quit the country band and I see did a few weeks with Sandy Denny she'd it was a first solo pilot part of her career you know she's gonna form a form of and and I realized that now maybe this isn't for me really I do I should be doing something else so Jerry Donahue took over for me that Bandhan only they became fodder engaging and right and she did an album to it whatever and then I did a short spell with recording with Steve Gibbons who's still around great guy great singer and then the friends of mine one of whom worked as a salesman in Lou Davis and and Selma's you know he was the guy who sold me Mike Telecaster you know they they decided to put a band together they were you know really good song writers have written a bunch of stuff you know so we had a band for a did a few gigs under the name of poet and the one-man band I think I went off and did a few other things around that time too but then eventually they came back to me and said hey we're gonna we're gonna give it another try and see if we can get be a band cuz I'm with partly one-man band it was it was their deal you know they they were the songwriters and he was a singer Tony was a singer and we were just session guys on that you know but they said we're gonna put it actually put a band together so we rehearsed you know we went got it together in the country you know went down to Wales like there's a lot of bad stood back then you know and and we did a number of showcases and we had a Hamid Aryan and arty mogul fighting over us you know Atlantic and capital you know and probably a country boy I had a you know helped sway sway the matter - because it's a big guitar feature and it was guitar was the big deal then you know yeah English guitar players so we saw him the capital and first thing we you know we did the album then we went off to California this is it dream yeah Here I am playing at the troubadour Phil Everly came out to see us and Newell Diamond and Jim horn the sax player and you know lots of great musicians you know come out to see us and we people clapping more guitar solos I've never experienced that in England really no okay I remember they used to clap Eric Clapton but now no when I was down the Flamingo we're playing hiding in the back with my little glasses on I didn't get applause for my solos but I dis love playing for the Americans you know this is great so I was back and forth quite a bit and the band Chas Chas Hodges was in that band and we both decided we didn't like the way that the band was going and so we both quit at the same time this is the end of 72 and we were going to put a band together he was gonna be like it could have been like Chas Dave and Albert we did a couple of gigs yeah and then I always wondered why hasn't Dave never had a guitar player and now we know blue so yeah they carried on doing what they what they did I've ever called oily rags to begin with oil if doesn't it have seats rhyming slang for that yeah Greg's new early rags so anyway I was I was a record launch I think it was our last head hands and feet record and when we've done this album from up for our to get our madigan and Chas and I had left you know they were a little disappointed that the band is breaking up you know but they did keep me on signed to Warner Brothers with a view to me doing a solo record yeah which I'll never did they they would pay me 50 pounds a week to you know to to get ready to do an album you know and but in the meantime I ran into Ric Grech in London he said I said the crickets are coming over and Glen D Hardin the piano player he's he's got to finish up a couple of days with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas so you know would you like to do a couple of gigs with us until he arrives after yellow fantastic you know I was a huge fan of the cricket yeah you know so we played the speakeasy and I don't you remember to speak as he was where all the crazy musicians used to hang out you know Keith Moon and whatever you know and it was a great place so I played there the first night I played there with with the crickets and Jerry Allison at the end of the night I said hey that was great he said you want to do the whole tour so off I went on the road with the crickets playing working men's clubs around the UK and for a few weeks you know and then not long after that they flew me out flew me back to LA and to do an album so there we are in Los Angeles and we're going to I said well we're going to drive to Nashville to do this record at all okay Rick Rick and I hadn't traveled a lot in well in the states you know I've done a bit of traveling flying around with a three-day drive is it to get from LA to that oh it was like three and a half days and that was non-stop they were taking the pills to stay awake and I just felt dreadful when we got there but yeah when I got to Nashville I thought ice is fantastic we did an album I never turned you know turned out pretty good and Bob Montgomery who who used to work with Buddy Holly in the early days and Buddy and Bob they did i lured you oh you know he was the producer and he and we took a break one Saturday night he said yeah come on let's go down to the Opry you know so we went back straight backstage at the ground all over the old building and a Ryman Auditorium and I mean it was a lot different than you know a tiny little dressing rooms at the side of the stage and said oh come on it was in here and there's George Jones and Tammy Wynette and you in introduce fruit so all these people who can write in Queens yeah yeah yeah this is fantastic and so yeah so uh yeah I guess a few months later I was back in England again and I did another tour with the crickets and then back to LA again and did another album this time in the in Los Angeles and I started to spend a little more time there in LA you know I see bought a bought a car from a musician friend of mine and going I played played a local clubs and whatever and I remember I was at Jerry Allison's house this was 73 and the Everly Brothers had a big fight and broken up there right they never spoke to him for another ten years I was at I was at Jerry Allison's house and don't ever leak called him he said hey Jay I answered what we call Jerry Jerry Ivan Allison Jie he said I play this little bar you know in the valley you know you should come out a lot of great musicians and their mostly country players you know but you know the cream of the crop is all names I known from you know in the back of albums you know like Byron berline great fiddle player John Hartford do who wrote gentle in my mind Doug Dylan and a banjo player and Al Perkins are still player so always so anyway yet Jo I said oh yeah yeah well we'll try and get out there he said oh by the way I'll go Albert Lee here I'll bring him out too and it was kind of a silence at the end of the line there and Don said that's Phil's friend isn't it anyway I took my guitar my Telecaster out there and i mediate became Don's big buddy and we did a lot yeah over the next few years when he was so low you know I think he was really happy to have a sidekick you know and a nice - but I do is I do sessions and I remember one time I think I had about three of his guitars in at the apartment the house I was staying you know it alone me these guitars were you was there any sort of sense from the other American players at the time that you were maybe stepping on their patch or we was it very like it's not very friendly kind of I never remember getting that feeling that people were really enthusiastic they loved what I was doing I was I was I was playing country but I was playing with an English rock yes to it yeah and yeah I do I was certainly accepted in LA yeah I mean I think you it's probably fair to say that that you've probably you've both you were better received over there I think then much better yeah it's I knew this is where I should be and it's take me all the time to go and find your sort of spiritual yeah home a lot of people tell you that about Nashville don't know you know that guitar players anyway that there's something beating heart of guitar there well yeah it's a very small place in LA is a lot bigger of course you know but you know you running you go ahead on the street you run into so many people in Nashville go to a restaurant you've been seized off it doesn't brightly no you know it's not quite like that in LA so so when you came back to the UK then so if we sort of jumped for we go sort of late 70s now how did the how did the connection with Eric Clapton come up because you know you spent quite a long time touring with him as well yeah well let's say yeah well I'm missing out the important the important part which kept me in LA was going going along to see Emmylou Harris yep and Glen deems was the the piano player in that band yeah who I played with in the crickets and I went backstage at one of their gigs for though was I just go to see Jane James Burton you know it was huge James Burton Fame you know in fact James invited us all to go and see Elvis so we drove out to Las Vegas I don't see Elvis once any and he's good in his good days yeah and so yeah I went backstage at this gig and they do but we're just thinking about you you know would you like to play with us for a few days because James has got to go and play with Elvis I said wow yeah love to you know so make a long story short here I you know I I did one gig with him actually I was supposed to rehearse with them and maybe sit in on like um the gigs but I got a call I had two days later from Glee from Glenn D said James has got the flu you're playing tonight I was straight in at the deep end so that was it and James went off to do these gigs with with Elvis and they they gave him an ultimatum so come on James we need a regular guitar player and he decided that it was you know he was gonna stay with ours which is good in them in the short term but not in the long term as we know Elvis passed away the following year but that was the moment I'd been working with Joe Cocker out there for about 18 months and I'd met my I've met my now wife you know so we were living at Joe's house and off I went on the road with with Emmy Lou and we found a great little apartment and Nash in in Malibu for relatively little money overlooking the ocean and I thought this is it I'm I'm flaming with a great band now the kind of music I love yeah hiroi and Greenwich his pension himself isn't Here I am in mmm-hmm and by this time in our gotten to know Don really well and you know he really appreciated my my friendship at that time you know and he knew how much I coveted his guitars you know so he gave me his black j-200 with a matching white pit glass which I still have of course yeah so yeah so I did Emmylou for a while and then I recorded I signed up with I am when I was with Joe Cocker and I still believe to this day that Jerry moss thinks he signed Alvin and not Albert Lee because what because because when I delivered the the tracks to him it's a bit of down-home for a and I see had Chas and Dave playing and I flew I have a budget I flew Chas and Dave out to LA we had a ball doing these tracks but anyway it's sat there and he I think they wanted me to do more stuff and and then I think I went on the road with Emmy Lou so nothing much happened over the next year or so then I ran into Jerry Massa at a Joan Armatrading gig I was playing with Joan Armatrading briefly I took over from Jerry Donahue and met Jerry moss backstage is are really likely to finish that record you know mm-hmm so I managed to pry some more money out of him to to redo a record and I did it with the hot band you know right so the record came out in 79 but I I got in a call from Glyn John's he was recording with this American singer could mark be no Olympic and the exteriors in London and Eric that's playing guitar on it and some were very expand you know so I flew back to London to do these sessions and at the end of the week you know Eric and his manager said do you fancy coming on the road you know I've got a record coming out and I'm supposed to promote it what am I going to do I would just decide what to do am I gonna try and get back with a meal ooh I should really put a band together and work this record but this is very class with joy in the twining of stories last week we had a chap called Tim Rennick here oh yeah well he took over from its bizarrely the story that he had a Joan Armatrading gig and Joan who must she must live in Guildford because I see her in the store you know every couple of months or so and you know anyway so Tim had the Joan Armatrading gig that he'd committed to and Eric phoned him to say do you want to do that and he said to Eric first of all I can't I've promised Joan and he'd he slept on it and and bit like you just went what am i doing and then had to phone Joan's manager to say I've got to do this Eric thing and but it's just so weird like within look like in seven days we've had these two really there you know sort of amazing stories from two people you know at the scene the same similar place same sort of time here amazing but so yes so you made the decision yeah that was 79 so awful went on the road with Eric for five years and during that five years he fired the whole band twice except for me kept me on you know what do you think that was I mean he was you know in a good place even thinking a lot and but what was your connection with him that mentally your relationship injury Lyons would see when I when I joined him he had what he called the Tulsa Tops he had Carl Radle and dick Sims and Jamie oldacre these guys had been with him for about he yes you know and he liked the idea of having an English guy on stage again right we were old mates from the Flamingo dais yeah when he was with John Mayall you know so we had a great time we were good buddies you know I mean Tim Tim was saying that similarly you know he would he would have you know regularly regularly be on these you know absolute all-night vendors and you know as you say that liquid breakfast and all this kind of stuff yeah and he would come out and yet still every night never ever missed a beat musically was just he was like unbelievable I mean it was never bad but there were there were graduations of this performance you know he would admit to I'm sure what year did you start working with her at 79 79 because I just watched an a fantastic documentary which I think may have been the year before cuz I I mean certain I didn't didn't see you in it but wait he did the tour across Europe on the train that was before I was before was it was going strain Ian yes I've never seen this you guys have to I kind of just search on youtube but eric clapton train tour and this must be what 77 then 78 something like that and his he's got Eric's got this obsession with trains over every British they were English school boys dreaming it drive a train when you go out and he's decided to put together this tour where the the gigs are all strategically placed so that he can get the train from and he yeah they must have rent he kind of bought it but he's either bought or rented yeah an old Nazi Goering is old Nazi you could rent it yeah and maybe still I don't know yeah and all the kick was and the band and everybody which is loaded onto the train of every Guinness but this documentary is you just he's he's just drinking and yeah solemnly and it and you know it was when I was with him you know I did it was brandy for breakfast sadly you know but you know he kicked the heroin yeah which is you know not an easy thing to do I'm sure but you know you when you got obsessions like that you replace it with something you know did you did you always manage to avoid that kind of scene oh so they invited the heroin yeah they even though heavy drinking you know we always a relatively I would say you know I love wine you know and you know I drink a half at a gig you know but usually a beers or wine you know and certainly with dinner I love a glass of wine with dinner but no I couldn't drink during the day because that would have been oh yeah I mean that was I mean he was just what where do you go from when someone writes you and Clapton is God and then it you know it's like you just there's nowhere else left to go is there really from that point of view but you know he's just a phenomenal town another one of this country's finest ever isn't he so yeah but that it was yeah yeah a lot on his shoulders mm-hmm I remember we were walking around somewhere like Sweden or whatever and we were walking down the road again it was a music shop and there was some kind of display in the window you know featuring him you know I said hey look at her Eric that's pretty cool you know and you know he said no need you don't have to deal with it it's not you know what he didn't feel really comfortable with it you know but no I mean I love being with him you know we had a great time but I didn't know he just as I said I survived two band changes and he he finally let me go after this tour I think we were in we did a tour of Europe where we ended up in Egypt and and he took a wrong turn somewhere yeah well we went to Egypt and all of a sudden we were gonna play at the American school layer in Cairo and they decided they weren't going to give us work visas to play this so we ended up having a having a three or four day vacation right by the pyramids so yeah we took camel rides around there you know and if you ever get out there you can view be careful you know you get on a camel and bang there you're off you know and they take you out in the middle of the middle of the desert they're on this they say right you know the Americans they usually give us like $150 you know $200 I said I don't have the money I don't have that much money on you know but Eric got go out there with his wife and he had to leave he had to leave patty out there while he went back to the hotel to get cash Tony laughing because I bet you never thought that you'd hear stories of Eric Clapton and Albert Lee riding camels in Egypt they live in this video where's your people didn't join yeah you know felt sorry for him but they're real con artists yeah and I just young kid who took me and when I started to complain about this he's gone she has to his brother in a brother came out knowing nothing their dirty teeth that me you know I think got about 50 bucks on me three camels so that was a great experience he went into carros in a museum and fantastic but I got back in the end of that tour and went up to pick up what money I'd learned Eric's office and he's managed to say well sorry boy but you know decided not to use you on the next record you know but was that sort of a bit of a hot car for relief and half not I mean yeah I was not surprised yeah isn't surprised you know because I've seen it happen so many times before you know I thought it's gonna happen to me one day you know and so I know I said really but but I I moved on and it was just about that time that I've run into Eric after that I remember I did we used to do these little gigs for gary brooker he's local christmas gigs yeah and Eric would come and play you know all around this family and yeah Eric I know I saw Eric at one at one of these gigs you know and he was a little guarded you know but we got chatting and usually talking about cars about Ferraris and stuff you know he got you know because mo I bought a Ferrari I'm so glad I got it it's a good investment are you've got an old one did you yeah 61 yeah the whole other video oh man okay I've still got that thing goodness yeah so yeah we got we've got you know talking about cars and whatever but no we've we've always we'll run into each other over the years and you know I've done a few things with him an uncle so did the concept for George with him you know and that was so much fun yeah but um you'd cross roads as well I think I went you yeah I do well I would have died missed the first one because I had committed to do a thing in Boston or was it oh gosh Baltimore it was called the world's first guitar Congress right sounds heavy yeah and Andy Summers was on it and it was a bit of a mixture you know of players and this this woman who put it together called me up she said it I just found out there Eric's doing this huge concert it's it's like crossroads thing in Dallas the same weekend we're doing our concert do you think you could call him and get him to change it so we did we did this we did this festival and they and sadly it wasn't him much of his success for you know we don't we got paid but yes sure get our Congress it doesn't sound with it everybody but you did what crossroads the following yeah I did I did every did everyone after that great yes yes had to do the first one which I couldn't do but I did everyone who were you on the bill with then or not oh no no usually was a more of a country yeah you know I did it with Vince gills band easily you know so it was great using and Willie came out and and did you did you know that I mean at the time I certainly I remember growing up and thinking that having never really been in a been listened to any country stuff so for me all the like the guitar heroes were the sort of you know that the the speedy Steve wise and Garry Moore's and all this year and then I remember later in life hearing things like you know Vince Gill and stuff like that and just thinking and yourself and just going oh man these guys are off because they're not they haven't got all lots of distortion and effects to hide behind this is just straight-up plugged into an EM yeah and the technique is insane yeah I mean it's it's just I well you go yeah you can't behind beyond the effects would be playing that that way yeah there are many players out there yeah we'll just plug into the front of an amp you know yeah where the Telecaster is well with a guitar the it's almost like this like you just lay in your soul bear here I'm just plugging in and if I make a mistake it's coming out I used to play with Vince I know I was quite young and you know he was you know I mean he will tell you that I was one of his big influences for anatella Carter at the time as was Ricky Skaggs because he didn't play electric guitar at that time he played mandolin and acoustic guitar and fiddle we know yeah and he decided that you wanted to learn to play to let go flare Teleca he got quite good yeah yeah so we we worked together with the hot band and I played him a few of his records but yeah so after I got fired from Eric I mean did these things fall into place I I was witzy it was 83 and I got a call from a friend of a dear friend of Phil Everly name's Terry Slater and he played bass with he's in English playing this guitar player and bass players but he played bass with the Everly's the 60s for a while and remained Phil's friend to the end you know and anyway he called me up he said that the guys have been getting together you know doing a little secret rehearsals and they decided that they want to give it another try this is after ten years you're right mm-hmm he said you know are you interested in wet and we're gonna do the show the Royal Albert Hall the reunion concerts are fantastic I thought well great after all this time I'll get to play with the Everly Brothers at least once yeah so yeah we did we rehearsed here in London and on first after the first days rehearsal we showed up the second day they said Oh someone's broken into the rehearsal after stuffs gone and these kids had picked up these you know you know the 410 music man am so I had one of those while I still got it here in England and they're really helpful yeah for that JB a ten-inch JBL's and they lifted it up over like a an eight-foot wall and got it unfortunately remained in anyway the police found them but okay like a day day later I follow call trail of sweat base later that day yeah we've got everything back young kids you know so anyway the concert was a huge success as a well got to play with him once you know and then it was a weeks or a month later I got a call from Terry he said the guys have been offered a record deal and we get it gonna tour the stage this summer are you available I said well sure yeah I just got fired by Eric so off we went on the road and I thought oh this is great you know and a really good band and I thought well how long this will last you know yeah but you know lost it for 26 years I work with them for 10 26 years after that Wow ya know this how did you I mean you must have this time I'm looking over at Wayne now trying to guess his age and everything like that but you obviously you're now starting a balance you're trying to balance your career with fatherhood with you know well you know sadly I disappeared off to him I did yeah it was just we were still close but they didn't see much showed me there for for a few a few months especially when I was with Emmylou right I didn't come back to England for about 15 months or so I mean that's tough isn't it oh yeah I came over to do an Emmy Lou tour in the UK and you know I hadn't seen Wayne and any sister for you know over well over a year Wow you know we talked on the phone yeah but you know after that I you know was coming over we make a more well you know and I'm fit fit the family in with touring and the work schedule yeah yeah nice that's it I stuff isn't as touring guitar player you know particularly I think when you're one of the band rather than the scent you know because it's a bit like I suppose you don't feel like you can demand that the family come along or time off whatever it's just if they're the dates coming on the road and me really well he hadn't he didn't it was more fun for him to arrive with the roadies in their bus must be memory so he was on the road with this for a while and I've got twin daughters to my home where one of them well they both came out separate times with me for a little while you know during the Everly Brothers do you have any brothers stuff yeah because there was always a lots of room in the bus and you know Phil was was pretty cool about having people around on the bus you know Don preferred his right a little boy he didn't have so many people on his bus you know but but yeah we used to get crazy on fielder's bus you know after the gig you know whether the last time I saw Phil before he passed away we were with some Buddy Holly special in LA at this theater it was the day that Buddy Holly got his star on Hollywood Boulevard and we've showed up it we were in Capitol studios and I presented Phil with a guitar there's a guy here who's sponsored this foundation where they make these copies of Buddy Holly's first hope sing guitar and they hand him out to various musicians I was lucky enough to get one you know how and I presented Phil with his that day you know anyway we we did we we went to see this show that no I wasn't participating or didn't know I'd be participating and until I got there for the rehearsal and Peter I should put it all together he'd done an album of Buddy Holly song which I did I wasn't on it but he came up to me during their era so he said what would you get up and playing the Encore I will find your guitar please please it you know so that was the last time I saw Phil you know oh now I remember we were chatting before the gig and he said oh he said I'm I kind of miss those old days you know when we were on the road you said I don't miss being on stage for the miss being on the bus everybody's yes we've just had a short interlude but you know unbelievable of crap I've not quite heard as many famous names clanged into an interview as I mean that is that is a pure is no no no if it was me I'd be I would I'd be dropping them in left right and center I felt very very fortunate I played with so many heroes of mine you know and I never thought it would happen you know I've just the Everly Brothers and it's alone you know when I was 14 or 15 I heard their records I never would have dreamt that I would have spent so much time with these guys late in life you know yeah and that it yeah I'm sure that you know you will sit and reflect on just what an under sometimes whether you're in it whether or not you really realize just how like I mean you have all the eight billion seven billion people on the planet you know that's like there's a miniscule number of people that will be able to go yeah that happened to me you know it's just it's insane but anyway you you you shouldn't feel I mean you obviously deserved it you know you've worked unbelievably hard and your your talent on the guitar has put you in these places but I guess you know one of your most enduring relationships throughout this time has been with her with a guitar supplier you know as well as the artist that we talked with in Music Man yeah well it was only ball to begin with I'll tell you how it started it was probably on our second head hands and feet tour we were playing I think we we played at the Forum we were opening up for somebody like Jethro Tull or whatever and then we had our own gig the yang just I'm gonna do that now every time and we only played the year we played a club in LA and I don't know how I guess they came up to us at a gig a Ernie Ball was you know used to listen to Ray he kept his finger on the pulse listening to music you know and he heard this yo country boy on the radio and it was just highly tickled to discover this was an English band playing country playing this song you know so he in his son sterling came to see us play two came to the forum and they came to the whiskey a go go to see us you know and I said oh you should come down the factory you know they were down in Newport Beach at the time you know and they were just doing strings yeah well in fact they were making acoustic guitars that earthward guitars which right they didn't really take off I don't know I guess they sold a few you know and they were making those big acoustic paces too you know but they said yeah come on down you know so I went down had different dinner with a family you know early and and and he's his wife Nova and maybe well it was sterling and maybe maybe David the brother of were a probably assist a little Nova we called her and anyway I'd go down there regularly and I end up staying at the house and and and sleeping on the couch when there wasn't a spare bedroom you know and really it wasn't like a home from home and I think it was around that time that Ernie and Nova got divorced you know but you know that were they're all real friendly and I'll get to see them all and so I started to do little gigs with sterling he'd think you never the high school band and that like we do sort of silly little little gigs you know maxing did one gig with only brought he's still guitar out because he's originally a steel guitar player you know you've played played guitar with us and around that time Leo fender and Tom Walker started the music man company right so I immediately had an amplifier Stirling call that he said I yes a dirt um you know Tom Walker was a really good fit actually Tom was Sterling's godfather right so he said yeah Tom's designed all these amps and they would want to get you one you know so I said oh fantastic you know and I don't know come we were up if they shipped it to me I for went down to I probably went to the factory anyway I ended up like 15 of them every time there was the new amp you know I've started off there 130 what 210 which is you know this big weighs a ton but Jess a monster you know and then I got of course I've got a Ford 410 because I always loved the the original Fender Bassman yeah in fact they're going back a bit I I still have and I was probably the only person to have him in this in the sixties I had two original 410 Fender basements in England because you they never were important here you know they didn't start and just as well for Jim Marshall that they weren't otherwise anyone have been able to get Faceman he might never felt the need to rip it up well well here we are in LA and a Newport Beach and Sterling's got me a couple of Music Man amps yeah and then I ended up with Joe Cocker and realized I need something a bit bigger yeah sorry so I got it I've got a couple of couple of hundreds at 130 heads and about two or four cabinets I think no reflux cabinets and whatever and each time they come out with an amp you know a new amp like a 110 or 112 or whatever the hundred watt harpy's you know I've got I've got three of those I think yeah I've got two of them in in England still yeah so I probably got about 15 of those you know man they were quite ahead of their time in the sense of that height because the ones I remember I know what I remember being in and around Anderson's late 80s probably in my earliest memories of it and these music my name's being the solid-state preamp is a front end and a valve power stage which was really sort of back to front with what other manufacturers were doing you know but they sounded phenomenal super clean but as you say unbelievably heavy I think they ever really took off did they not in the way they can they weren't cheap I know where they no no no specific you know they had like eminent speakers in them at the time you know I know I always put JBL in mine you know classic their Fender Twin with the two JBL's and everything he'll pick it up and arm comes at you socket yeah so yeah so I had this you know and I've got to got to know leo fender down down at the factory to go down there and trying different amps and whatever you know I don't have ever many one that met Leo fender suppose it was here enigmatic kind of guy what's going to work around with the Pens in his top pocket that's it was great I've actually got a cassette of where we were trying out amps and whatever heidecker's cassette plague going as well and Chas and Dave were with me and so this would have been everywhere these no this is this is when we did the album in LA so they they came down there so they got to meet people of people of my age or maybe slightly younger will literally have no idea that there was a Chas & Dave prior to the whole cockney thing oh yeah but unbelievable yeah so yeah so you had this a Leo you got to meet Leo yes you know and then he was making the guitars and the basses and Tom was building amps so I had a couple of good of the guitars and I thought they were right you know they were a little bit clunky I didn't prefer live tele you know and sadly I'm Leo and Tom had a falling-out so Leo went off and started gnl yeah and Tom carried on for a little while and bit of a struggle for him and he decided to sell out yeah and he sold it to Ernie Ball with the provision that he'd carry on working for Ernie Ball you know he had his own place at the factory and where he was designing stuff and that yeah I've got an amazing stereo amp that he built in like polished wood yeah I think he only made like three of them you know and I still got that when he used it like three or four times is a home somewhere that was the prototype that you built and Sterling's brother Sherwood had one I think is there like a some sort of unbelievable Albert Lee cave somewhere where you sort of opened the door and literally just like there it is 200 mm well 500 guitars yeah well they know they're spread around the world they're spread around the world yeah I need to write a list down you should somebody said somebody remember someone telling me a story about Van Halen once ad van Halen with this and going into his lockup and it and it's just literally thousands of amps and guitars that just over his career people have given him or he's bought or and I think and if he was if he liked something I'm really trying to remember what the amp was I cut my wood escaped me but if he liked something he would buy a hundred of them just obsessive about it anyway anyway anyway already so so when did the because it's it's unusual that whole music man story in the very short period of time that Leo fender was actually involved and as you say when you sort of read in between the lines it feels like it was never really felt like he felt as vested in that as he was with the fender and with the GL's thing later a little I was like I said I'm not really sure yeah I think this was the first thing he'd done since he took a break he's so yeah CBS yeah but so when when did the guitars really and why was it went only bought the company and then sterling will call me out we see they said well I think we're gonna maybe put our guitar and start from scratch you know so we you know it asked our opinion you know Steve Moss was involved at the time too you know so we we give her two cents worth of what we thought we liked in a guitar and you know the first one was the silhouette mm-hmm so I you know I had a the first silhouette they built for me I'd ever need ever any fingerboard on him I used to like that on the on the Les Paul Custom you know but a later one that they they built for me is still one of my favorites is just like a regular silhouette with you know Peter pickups somewhat like this but a Tully back pickup on it mm-hmm you know and it it was great to play really comfortable you know it's still one of my favorite guitars you know it's it's the Ernie Ball when they when they The Music Man neck is quite different to any other guitar that you'll pick up I mean it's it feels you know narrower here than at ellicott narrower generally than a Telecaster neck and perhaps a little bit more sort of circular feeling at the back yeah what's that do you remember at the time you and Steve most kind of going at you know try this or well I'd I don't know I guess the silhouettes a little different you know but I think it was like a year a year or so later it was a trade show and incidentally I know they've got this new guitar and it was called the axis yes this was called the axis then and right there that's kind of wacky looking really like that you know and they didn't have a big production going because once they taken over the name they stood the big seller was that the music man bass of course you know everybody wanted a stingray bass so I think it was maybe a few months later or whatever we were just about to do one of our gigs you know with sterling you know yeah he called me up he said I've just had a guitar built what you see it you're gonna love it and it looked just like this it was it was a solid maple body with a maple neck exactly the same was except except it was plain white pickguard and that's slightly different facet here it had a facet that went down here mm-hmm and anyway I opened the case up as fantastic he went okay it's yours and that that was it it was my guitar and I played that guitar forever yeah you never been approached with guitar endorsements or anything Oh fender yeah loads of times but well of Telecaster you know and I'd say yeah well I'm you know so glad that I did I didn't really because my experience of all the guys that had signature telecasters you know the guy who signed them up has left the company you know and they kind of lose it you know Jerry Jerry Donahue had one and you know that's it's a it's a topical theme yeah my owner still is now but you know I've been I've been loyal to to Sterling and he's been loyal to me you know and so that shape that was originally called the axis BK became your signature yeah well you know it was I think once he started working with Eddie and they'd made him something like 26 prototypes you know every other week they'd fly down to LA with a couple of guitars I'll try this but no I don't like that you know and eventually got something that he he liked you know yeah so they were able to build a larger facility for making guitars and Stern said I think we're gonna put your guitar out you know brilliant and he said what what do you want to do with it do you want to do you wanna do you want to tell you back pick up on it and I said well maybe I don't know and I couldn't make my mind up you know and they made a couple of got one of these guitars I met like a big pic shaped plate here mm-hmm with a telly telly type pickup in there you know so that could have been if I decided on it no but I'd I couldn't make my mind up he said I was he said I'm gonna I'm gonna go with one you've been playing so it out it came you know just to regulate not the year not with a maple but it was just an ash body and for some reason they decided not to put the the extra facet there you know and maybe it was made it a little easier in them in the production you know - not have so many operations on the machine I think it's but it's become yeah it's become an iconic part so would so after Van Halen we were you the second you were the second artist sort of signature model because obviously they know Steve was first Steve Lukather yes he's right no no no Steve Morse Steve Moss with the first one you know really say he had his he had the first signature anybody you're only a music manga yeah oh yeah before I did some Vincent yeah forget that one well they she wasn't there she wasn't there yeah well she was playing one of mine yeah well you know she loved it and then I guess you talked sterling into doing a little fur you know well of course you know Bruno Mars has got a bunch of these now playing him and I'm praying that he doesn't go to Sterling's can I do so I think it's uh he's at times it dude that oh yes yeah a bit of all these dumb and oh yes yeah joannec Jonah you know give us give us some some tones or just a little bit of a yeah well it's it's very you know I don't know what I do [Music] [Music] I'm gonna say it's it's that position to you're kind of epical yeah most of the time yeah yeah I use these two yeah yeah this pickup is boosted a little hotter than than a strap pickup you know these are Seymour Duncan's right and so it's a little hotter yeah but most of the time I'm using these two together or or this one on its own ballads and sometimes these two together or this one on its own you know but most of the time you see it's it's these two yeah it's such an iconic sound I remember the first guitar clinic I saw with you and you really explained how you used the the slap back delay thing to get that sort of double track guitar sound and it's just so it's so you you know when you when you hear that you hear you play even just a few chords you know yeah yeah I suppose I do have a recognizable tone and style it's not many guitar players I think can can claim that you know I think you know when you when you sort of you hear something and you go oh yeah that's yeah that's BB King or whatever you're you're in that kind of vein I'm just going like it's a sound it's just when were you able to because it was interesting with you you use like a Korg rackmount sort of delay yeah is that just like an always-on feature of your guitar playing or oh yeah yes it's just that I used to like maybe three settings on them you know it is what that's similar to what I've got here like a delay there's a little compression and and reverb yeah you know and then another setting I'll add a little little chorus yeah and then for you know my version of a kind of power sound it is a real very quick delay you know that where there's a lot of punched it was like a double track kind of thing yeah yeah but yeah I'm you know I'm not a shredder in the and they and they the mold of what people think of is now as a shredding you know because I hate to disguise as the guitar yeah yeah I've never really heard you be a big sort of user of any kind of distortion or anything like that I really hate it yeah like a little bit of compression you know to to get some get some sort of sustain out of it but not a great deal you know when you were doing that the Clapton thing though I mean was there was that not we didn't have a lot of effects and I think maybe I had a friend of mine worked for lexicon in the States and he he got me a really nice PCM 42 yeah nice delay and you can add you can get modulate the the delay so you get a little bit of course in there but you weren't driving like marshals and getting big dirty sounds or anything it's all still all still clean was it yeah amazing yeah no I'm kind of odd man out really in a way but there are a lot of guys who play that way you know who played it the style that I play now you know I love Brad Paisley I love what he does is just amazing you know he's gone he's got tons of compression on it you know but it's still clean you know I know look that Twain there you get I love it and and of course so the range of your signature guitars goes from this sort of you've got the the sort of the the basic American one you've done this gorgeous this is a few years old now isn't it but this gorgeous all rosewood neck version of it as well which oh yeah I'm gonna grab it because I just think these things sound nice weighs next to nothing this one so you've got the two humbuckers solid rosewood neck versions what was the on the humbucker side of things is that just some language that I have to say that was their idea right they call me up and said well you know a lot of guys like hamburgers and what do you what do you think if we put a couple of unbuttoned yeah and I said yeah well you could you guys know what what's best yeah great and I have one though you know I've used a few times but I always come back to this sound you know what I do like the hamburgers but I know a lot of a lot of guys do like this now in fact I have I only made three three of them with with three humbuckers three humbuckers yeah the Nigel Tufnell signature yes there's Steve Morse his guitars got a few pickups on it doesn't it yeah so I have I have one with three humbuckers and I haven't seen in a while it's like it's like an old sort of one of those cases there and and they did they did them with 3p nineties as well really yeah I've never seen one of those oh you haven't no no they did them for short while and I love the sound of the P 90s yeah and in fact I asked them they built me a guitar not too long ago with with just two P nineties in here and with two volume controls and I still haven't quite worked out if I like the way I've set it up and they se sent me another pickguard you know with with no similar to this with the 5 way switch whatever you know so I'm experimenting with that but I do like the sound of the P nineties and I think I might give that a try when I go home you should do absolutely yeah and more recently like as in for this year oh here we got here we were another gorgeous one its at another PFR I think it's another humbucker one but look at that with like a baked maple yeah that's no bird's-eye maple neck you just played that one oh yeah that's a very nice one yes stunning and they're nice yeah they're quite um I was gonna say aerodynamic but it's the wrong word but you know that the design is functional isn't it it sort of balances nice it sort of nothing's getting in the way yeah the one Oh economic that was the word not aerodynamic and then of course talking of dear old sterling Sunnah Bernie well this is a relatively new to me first one I've seen one up close I did I think I did see one at NAMM yeah was there but yeah they're pretty good and you know it's a great way to sort of get into into the music man family sure yeah I mean so all the proper music man stuff will be american-made and then to make a more affordable version I think they do sterling versions of most of the artist models only just started to do this you know but you know I left it I left it up up to them they decide they know the market you know so yeah it still got a very similar feel it's maybe it feels just a smidgen wider at the nut than maybe the American ones do but it's it's got a very similar kind of vibe but very very cool it's going to be remiss of me not to play some 12-bar thing the old rock and roll thing and you to noodle over the top because let's be honest with you it's never gonna get another chance to do this and then and then when I'm 70 something years old I shall name clang to my grandchildren going there was this time and I played without the [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I'm sorry to put you on the spot make you do that that is very very cool and thank you very very much for doing working thank you so I have one last request and hence the reason the piano is in the corner and this is a sort of a happy and a sad memory for me but my late father-in-law was a massive Albert Lee fan and he I first met him actually before I even met hit my wife so his daughter at an albert lee clinic and we he and I went used to go and see you every time you'd play locally and but he'd never met you and about probably about eight weeks before he passed away maybe a bit more than that 12 weeks week passed away you did a clinic for Anderton's he came along he was very unwell at the time but you spent some time with him after the gig talked to him and I know he was absolutely absolutely made up and then at his funeral the song that his best friend suggested we play was highwayman by Johnny Cash and then of course earlier this year on the Old Grey Whistle test I see you're on there and you get your piano and you play hi Raymond anyway look this is Albert Lee playing highwayman by Johnny Cash for my late great father-in-law Claude Wilkins I honestly can't thank you enough for this I was a highwayman loved the code true daddy Brian started to stew by my side many a young girl lost the bubbles to my dream many soldiers let his lab blood on my plane finally huh me in the spring of 25 I am still alive I was a safe one apologize [Music] we to see identify Salus around the horn in Mexico I went to locked and further the mainsail in blue when they all broke up they say that I got killed I am living still Krauser interdependent stealing what it did the line they scold around the Y color red slipped and fell into the red concrete below - barring me in that great tune that knows no sound I am still around all goes round [Music] I'm fly stars you rotten universe Dubai when I reach the other side find a place to rest my spirit if I can perhaps I may become a highwayman again [Music] I'm a CPP a single drop of rain I will still remain I'll be back again [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you you are your true gentleman now only well thank you so much for doing now I'm gonna tell you a funny little stuff dude let's end on us there's end on a happy note oh yeah Jimmy Webb is out doing a lot of solo gigs now you know he said goes out and does a lot of scene I mean I've said I'll sing too I think recently you know I knew him back in LA ins in the 70s oh I first got to meet him so the some people come up to him and have gone up to him and say done though I love the hell but lee songi days oh oh oh at least you get the royalty checks doesn't he so and boy does it yeah thank you so much thanks again to Wayne and all the guys that strings and things but for helping organize this but yes long may you continue doing what you do because yeah yeah it's been brilliant but thank you guys for watching another episode of Anderson's TV and we shall see you next time bye bye thank you

Channel: Andertons Music Co

Views: 293,965

Keywords: Andertons, Andertons Music, Andertons TV, Captain Meets, Albert lee, Music man, Music man Albert Lee, STERLING BY MUSIC MAN, Guitar Legends, Interview with Albert lee

Id: 80uXPCfFEyc

Length: 123min 12sec (7392 seconds)

Published: Sun May 20 2018