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Elliott Randall interview July 2010

Elliott in the sixties 

Recent shots of Elliott

'Session guitarist' Elliott Randall is renowned for his work with Steely Dan and on the Fame soundtrack. 

Much respected by his peers as an inspirational and innovative musician and technician, Elliott has been involved in the creative process behind a large number of bands and ventures covering all genres of music.

He has worked with many of the greats - just a cross-section includes: The American Symphony Orchestra, Ashford and Simpson, Joan Baez, Gary Barlow, Chuck Berry, The Blues Brothers, Elkie Brooks, Kate Bush, Judy Collins, The Doobie Brothers, David Essex, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Art Garfunkel, Howard Jones, Gladys Knight, Al Kooper, John Lennon, London Symphony Orchestra, Kirsty MacColl, Don McClean, Liza Minelli, Laura Nyro, Yoko Ono, Boz Scaggs, Sha Na Na, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart, Village People, Jimmy Webb, Carl Wilson and Betty Wright.

Never far away from a recording studio or stage, this is the interview that Elliott kindly gave to Digger at www.retrosellers.com

Fame

Digger: Do you think the transition from piano to guitar that you made at an early age was a good one and that you wouldn't have been a classical pianist had you stuck with that instrument? Is it true that learning the finger technique to play a piano and also to read music at an early age was a great help in mastering the guitar?
 
Elliott: Ah, we’re starting with a complex question (!) I might have pursued the piano seriously, had it not been for the awful teacher I had (the quality of teaching makes all the difference.)
 
The second part of the question is “every little helps”, to borrow an oft-used UK phrase. Mastering technique on instrument is similar to mastering gymnastic skills – the more muscle control one has, the more one is capable of, so keyboard skills transfer, if indirectly, to fretboard skills. Reading music? Absolutely! It ain’t just about muscles – it’s about the breadth of the players’ palette. Knowledge is power.
 
Digger: What do you think is your biggest achievement to date and what would you still like to accomplish?
 
Elliott: One could argue that my affiliation with Steely Dan, and some of the resulting solos might be amongst my biggest achievements. While these have helped to promote my career, (and I’m quite proud of them,) there are many other musical adventures I’ve taken (live, in the studio, and as an educator) that are every bit as “big” in my own eyes and heart. What I would still like to accomplish is the continuing search for “the lost chord”, figuratively speaking. It’s great fun!
 
Digger: Page, Clapton and Beck allegedly agreed they might as well retire when they all watched Hendrix for the first time. This could be an urban myth, of course, but I wonder what your take is on those four guitarists?
 
Elliott: Jimi was a dear friend, and my admiration for him knows no bounds. He was a one-of-a-kind, an “originator” (and that might be an understatement.) I don’t believe that Jeff and Jimmy would have had anything but admiration for Jimi’s style, and no doubt, it inspired them to greater heights.
 

Les Paul (on a mobile phone in the forties?!!!)

Digger: How would you describe the contribution of Les Paul and Leo Fender to popular music?
 
Elliott: One word: “immense”. Their parallel inventions of the solid body guitar changed the face of not just Rock & Roll, but 20th Century popular music in general. While Leo was more of a “behind the scenes” figure, Les was, in addition to his electronic inventive brilliance, also the consummate entertainer. I had the good fortune to play with him at a fund-raiser for The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (the rest of the quartet were Will Lee on bass and Hal Blaine on drums) – it was total heaven! Les had that indescribable magic about his stage persona – the moment he hit the stage, the entire audience was in the palm of his hand; a rare and beautiful talent.

Hal Blaine (right)

Will Lee

 
Digger: You have embraced technology on your website in a big way. I presume that being rather handy with a guitar you are technical and also like gadgets?
 
Elliott: It’s been said that musicians are amongst some of the best computer programmers – I think this has to do with the way our brains operate – we view ‘symbols’ differently. So this might be a contributing factor. But I’ve always been a geek – I fell in love with the engineering and recording processes in my early teens – it’s so fascinating! As regards the Internet..
 
Digger: Who haven't you performed with who you'd like to?
 
Elliott: Too many brilliant artists and orchestras to mention – sorry!
 
Digger: It's reputed that you like to be involved in different projects rather than sticking with a band or a formula. Has this approach generally paid off for you do you think?
 
Elliott: There are 2 sides to every coin. My eclectic musical interests are partially the reason that I move between so many projects, bands, and related career paths. I suppose I could feel regretful about not having ‘turned down’ bands like Toto, Steely Dan, being musical director of The Blues Brothers, leaving Sha Na Na right before their successful multi-season TV series – but everything happens for a reason. So in this case, the word ‘regret’ is relative. And yes, I would say it’s ‘paid off’.
 

The Blues Brothers

Digger: Which of your peers do you most admire?
 
Elliott: Again, too many to mention, and again, sorry! But if you’d like a glimpse into whom some of these are, check out this link: elliott-randall.com
 
Digger: The Anglo American influence on popular music is vast, of course. Why do you think that popular music in all its forms is so dominated?
 
Elliott: The sponsors of radio, television and for festivals go with the ‘safest bet’. Having said that, vast amounts of non-mainstream music available on the Internet are beginning to level the playing field. Another one word bombshell: YouTube.
 

With Pat Benatar

With Stevie Wonder

Digger: Can you tell me who would be in your own supergroup of musicians from any period?
 
Elliott: Oh dear me! Just one SuperGroup? I’d need at least a half a dozen – and these would include drummers Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd; Allan Schwartzberg, Allen Herman, Ed Greene; bassists Bob Babbitt, Chuck Rainey, Freddie Washington, Tony Levin; keyboardists Warren Bernhardt, Rick Wakeman, Geoff Downes, Terry Adams, Suzanne Ciani, Ken Bichel. Sonny Landreth would be the partner guitarist.
 
N.B. for each musician mentioned here, there are at lest another half-dozen for each instrument.
 
Digger: Do you have any top tips for budding guitarists and musicians?
 
Elliott: Love thy music(s). Learn patience, perseverance, and develop the ability to call upon sense of humour (constantly). In this day and age, where the music industry is looking blankly at its navel, the aspiring musician must also learn the newer technologies – the use of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), and to understand how to use Web 2.0 (FaceBook, YouTube et al) to garner fans, new associates, and to tastefully self-promote their goods and services.
 
Digger: Is it a blessing or a curse to be known as 'the bloke who did that great riff in the middle of reelin' in the years' and the bloke who played on Fame? Or doesn't it bother you either way?
 
Elliott: I love the expression “Never look a gift horse in the mouth”. I couldn’t possibly be upset about those references. Of course, there is a whole body of work that I’ve done – live and recorded, with numerous incredibly talented artistes. Some projects are equally well-known, and others never got to see the light of day, but I am just as proud of my involvement in those as I am of Reelin’ and Fame.
 
Digger: What are your current projects and what do you have planned for the immediate future?

The Plastic Ono Band

Elliott: Well, you know, I like to keep myself busy. I’ve been producing artistes, recording my own material, recording for other projects the world over. (Again, the Internet facilitates the ease with which I can make a recording/overdub for someone on the other side of the globe, and have the end-result sitting on their desktop within minutes.)
 
I also feel that I have a duty to “pass it on” – I was blessed with three of the best guitar tutors one could ever hope for, and I get so much joy out of sharing what I know with musicians, engineers, producers, inventors – it’s just plain cool! I design recording studios, and one of my biggest passions is giving Masterclasses, clinics, lectures, and …
 

Elliott then

Elliott now

Digger: Are you optimistic/positive about the impacts of technology, computing and the Internet in popular music?
 
Elliott: I’ve recently posted several articles and blogs about the “double-edged sword of technology” – and while I will always be optimistic about what new bleeding edge technologies bring to the proverbial table, the very same technologies are used by many as shortcuts, cop-outs, and the “we do it ‘cuz we can” attitude rather than understanding when the human touch is more appropriate.
 
As regards the Internet, my feelings are again divided – whilst the wealth of information now available on line can enrich the curious, all too many ‘net users are, again, ‘short-cutting’ – copying and pasting other peoples’ words and thoughts rather than penning their own. The age of bite-size chunks of info is saddening. Many won’t read an entire page, or explore more than one tab websites rich in helpful information.
 
I remain optimistic.   

The Steely Dan sessions

Steely Dan