Re: Jerry Donahue Interview

[MrMusicProphet]

You're right Nakke, Jerry and Chris Rea should be great together.

[deadhands1981]

haven't seen anybody else play like that. my god, where did all of that came from. it must be in the beard.

[cosmitron67]

"if it looks easy, it's not".

Nuff said :D

[Nakke144]

Love Jerrys playing on Chris Rea's album "Dancing with strangers", works so well with Chris' playing. They should hook up once again.

[TheHumbuckerboy]

Jerry's playing ,alongside Sandy Denny , in Fotheringay is some of my favourite guitar.Check out 'Nothing More' or 'Gypsy Davy' as good examples .

[nuttymanyelismate]

Incredible talent!

[vainparasite]

Extremely special guitarist even if im not into his style of music its still something magical.

[buckley54]

I can play this stuff no problem - but cannot get that close to the actual tone of his telecaster - even playing a telecaster. Anyone know how he sets his amp and guitar up? I'd be very interested.

[STORYTASTIC]

best there is even better then buckethead

[jeffee47]

@STORYTASTIC

lol...he should put this quote on his next CD:

"Even better than Buckethead"  - STORYTASTIC

[sniperactive1965]

JD's work is magnificently showcased in Joan Armatrading's "Tall In the Saddle." Fans should check it out.

[rennieallen]

0 people weren't blown away...

[friskybiscuits]

Danny Gatton was different, but not better than Jerry. Many peeps think no one played as well as Danny. It just aint true, This is slightly different, and just as good.

[Tzarchasm09]

I've watched Jerry play this from a few feet away. I've sat in his masterclasses and listened to him explain his techniques. I've been playing guitar for nearly 50 years. And can I sound anything like this? Not a chance - he is something else, and a really nice man, very approachable.

[ardalusbee]

Can you imagine the kind of incredible funk jazz jam that could out of Jerry playing with Mark King?

[illinformedgeek]

thats the kine of chickin pickin shit hot ge-tarr lickin finger string flckin country hickin sound that i done like right their,,,,,,i'll tell you what

[Moza47]

He is so talented.

[woodwired1]

I have been playing for 40 years and after watching that I learned that I am just beginning to learn how to play LOL!!!

Jerry is one of the best guitar slingers to ever pick up a Telecaster, I love it!

[pcgreer]

Love Jerry's playing, I remember as a youngster playing the plastic 45 of this that came in guitar player magazine. I have Jerry's instructional VHS as well... thing was like 50 dollars..yikes. Still one of the great innovators, he came up with stuff unseen before.

[BluesMan88]

As Far as im Concerned, this just inspires me to practice more and learn from this guy.

[fonzleclay]

One of the best out there

[holymuppet]

i can barely play my instrument :|

[snertster]

Jeez!!!!

[10splitter]

I've got the Guitar Player Magazine "Soundpage" of him playing this, it is a version so good it's beyond imagining. One of my most prized possessions!

[postwindmill]

whatever he's doing when the clock hits 4 minutes is fucking awesome

[pgzzz]

Its not fair - been playing for 25 years and this guy makes me feel like a complete beginner !!!!!

[SteveValentine100]

Awsome! Ive recently been doing nut harmonic bends thanx to this guy, I had a strip of cloth wrapped around the strings at the top cos they cut into your skin after 2 hours of practice, now I dont the cloth, my fingers have hardend to it lol, this is proberbly the bast version of this piece ever captured on film, and well worth the pain learning, nice job JD XX

[SteveValentine100]

Awesome! Ive recently been doing nut harmonic bends, thanks to this guy, using a strip of cloth around the strings at the top cos they cut into your skin after 2 hours of practice, now I dont need the cloth my fingers have hardend to it lol, greatest version of the claw ever captured on film in my apinion

[manitou2010]

Love the sober sounding BBC voice who narrated : "Donahue's left hand has perfected the difficult technique of string bending"

[taterj68]

this guy is great .

[charmister]

What a master.

[HF1600ie]

Absolutely Brilliant. Amazing tone, extraordinary techniques.

[63Brummie]

This guy is a guitar beast!

He could just play a scale and it would sound musical! My question is why didn't Steely Dan have him play on one of their records..he seems so right for the earlier stuff.

[malkybob]

16lbs eh! Be careful out there.

[shred73]

@malkybob.. classic ..that got a chuckle out of me thanx mate..

[fmf0652]

Great technique

[DownTheLonsdale]

Cool, I didn't think I'd ever see this clip again. I remember seeing it on TV years ago - it was a real inspiration.

[kangtheconqueror]

Quite simply...superb. K

[DCHurlford1]

I have never heard any of Jerry Donahue's solo stuff but I have seen him live, back in'93 when he played with Gerry Rafferty at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. His playing on Rafferty songs like "Tired of Talkin" for example is brilliant, great session player. He also plays on The Proclaimers album "Sunshine on Leith" from 88. I'll need to check him out more.

[joegagan]

beautiful!

[montecore18]

I'm a blues player and I thought Albert King was the greatest string bender of all time. But, wow! I need to buy some of his albums and start practicing.

[BANANASARENASTY]

C'mon you gotta be shitting me, that stuffs impossible to play, he even plays chords off the fret board ( litterally ) behind the nut stuff, totally amazing stuff, makes yngwie stuff look cheap and tacky.

[BucksStudent]

@BANANASARENASTY Not impossible... Just hard to put it all together. I, myself, can do all the bends he does on ten gauge strings, but can't put them all together like he does. I mean, it's not the techniques, but HIS technique alone.

[Der1metzger]

@BANANASARENASTY Lol Yngwie didn't look cheap and tacky already?

[IJIT11809]

@BANANASARENASTY naw Yngwie's badass so is Mr. Donahue!

[jenzranch]

wow!

[kol89kol89]

saw this guy at a pub lol

[martmalbon]

You think you're good on guitar, then you see something like this :-) And he looks so unassuming too !! Fantastic !

[Stratomite]

Exactly!!

Excuse me, I need to go saw the neck off my Tele now.

[korsmonaut]

You could just detach it and send it to me!

[dannygreene]

I agree... the look he gives at the end, like 'what are you guys looking at..?'... you can imagine the film guys just staring at him.

[comicuts]

Love this clip. And re the show- it also had a sequence by Frank Dunnery from It Bites which was worth a look. I've still got the show on VHS somewhere.

[medcalf1857]

I recorded this on VHS it was part of a documentary on British TV years ago. Have converted it DVD and IPod since. I watch the solo he does most days, utterly remarkable.

[spongebobdealerpants]

what style is this- i need to learn it!!!

wow this is insane- i could listen to it all day!!!!!! 5/5

[emgcarra]

That´s called: Chicken Pickin´ Plus... :)

[hippibluesdude]

i always wonder if these guys know all there therey and stuff

[joro2000]

Who cares?

[BucksStudent]

The guy is great, and I see why Fairport got him to play after Richard left. I mean, it's hard to fill the shoes of one of the greats. I'm actually studying a lot of Jerry's techniques so I can play a bit more like Richard.

[sludgefingers]

And I still have this on a tape (yes, video) in a cupboard from the original showing. I know I know.....

[Fu345]

love the face he makes in the end. it's like he's saying "ya... I suppose that was alright. I could have done better."

[buckley54]

This is a clip from Equinox 1987 and was later repeated. It always seemed to me to be a plug for Seymour Duncan amps, as everybody interviewed be it Gerry McGhee or Frank Dunnery had his amps in the background. If anyone knows how Jerry Donahue produced the tone he achieved on 'The Beak' I'd be very greatful - I've never come near it even with a JD tele!!

[acousticore]

Most of his tone is coming from his fingers and his accurate technique...

ps. light gauge strings help.

[pingo775]

he uses 8's

[gwachmai]

OMG was It really shown in 1987 ???.

I do recall watching the programme, and then a novice at guitar. I do remember that clip blowing my mind !. I also recall a coloured guy busking ?, and playing in his room ??.

I would love to see that footage again.

[lukessummer]

Your right gwachmai, the guy you are talking about was a big fan of the "Shadows" and "Rockabilly music". He was living above a chip shop in Acton and had about 8 different Guitars in his front room.

[lukessummer]

2:36 Dave!

[lukessummer]

For anybody who is interested:

This was taken from a TV programme aired in 1987 called "Equinox" and this episode was entitled "Twang Bang Kerrang!"

This whole piece was transcribed (as played in this video) note for note, by Andy Saphir in the January 1997 edition of "Guitar Techniques Magazine". Andy's Transcription is note perfect, I know because I have it!

[Celticstrat]

Note to self buy a 1952 Telecaster! Thank for sharing! 5 stars!

[luta5]

not to self, sell kidneys to buy '52 tele!

[Celticstrat]

LOL I would actually!

[Exeterphil]

I think the narration is from an old UK TV programme from almost 30 years ago. I'm seeing Jerry playing tomorrow evening. I can't play but I know he can - let's just celebrate and applaud that he can play one style of music/guitar. There's also J Beck, A Forcione, B Kessel, J Bream, P Pena, BB King, F Mussida, M Knopfler, G Boyle, G Carmichael, L Carlton, L Ritenour, M Gilderdale, G Geissman, A Segovia, B Lagrene et al. They're all great and they share their talents with us.

Phil

[robertroyfellows]

the clip is taken from a channel 4 hour-long documentary programme which was called 'Equinox', and was broadcast in 1987. The show was based around scientific stuff as far as I remember, but one week the show looked at how the guitar is played, made, and sounds. Jerry's playing in this clip is absolutely sublime, as it always is!

[rwlane]

that guy narrating over the top of this is cracking me up...

[aroxon]

rwlane, right with you there. I can't take any British narration seriously, thank the Monty Python for that. " and now No. 1 , the larch.......the larch. "

[sludgefingers]

Yeah but as a Brit I remember this being on TV in the UK in '87 and being struck at the time by the strangely dated earnestness of the narration - I wondered then if it was a deliberately ironic 60s thing. It certainly wasn't typical.  Also featured was a young guy whose style was sort of sub-Hank Marvin (in 1987!) but which they seemed to really take seriously - strange.

[lukessummer]

yeah, that guy was living above a chip shop in Acton. And you are right, they took it seriously?...he seemed a bit odd to me!

how did they ever find him?

[callasexperience]

I got feeling this guy cooks

[acousticore]

RIP Jerry Reed...

[ardalusbee]

@acousticore Good call, first thing I thought of was Jerry Reed when I heard this guy.

[AnnihilatingAngel]

Absolutely fantastic. When I first heard him, I thought he must've been using a string bender.

[nipperooney]

Stratomaster checkout Danny Gatton live @ Gallaghers 88 if this takes your breath away you'll need to call the paramedics before you watch it

[Adiguitarbuddy]

btw: what is the stomp box he uses? is it the JD20 (or 10?)?

[Adiguitarbuddy]

Have been practicing his technique, its very hard but im getting closer. But i only do what he does in the begining, with 3 string bending, ends in 3, 5, 1.

He uses 0.09 right? (i use 0.10, but i still make it. i chose 0.10 cause i found out i was going to train my fingers on bending with 0.10)

[stratomaster136]

i recently took my grade 8, and I play a lot, and listen to a lot of different music, and it's so rare to find something that still takes the breath away, technically and musically -

[gattonmaster]

stratmaster136 Your only in 8th grade and you don't find much that takes your breath away. I used to think like you about 35 years ago. I've studied all the greats in all styles over the years. I could give you a list of so many great players known and unknown. And the unknown ones are probably better than anyone you've heard of. What players do you consider great? formally mastercollector and now Gattonmaster

[stratomaster136]

No, I don't mean I'm in 8th grade (like the USA school system), I mean I've just done my Grade 8 guitar - the last exam you can take in preparation for a teaching diploma (in the UK anyway). I'm 17, and have only been playing for just over 3 years, so there are plenty of things for me still to discover, but as I can play most things I come across, they do not amaze me. I would never have thought of playing like this, though.

[douglasmutreta]

good, very, very good!!!

thanks!!!

[shred73]

if you are lucky you will find an old guitar player mag from about 1985 with the tab...and a little record came with it.. for this version not the reh video version..good luck to anyone trying to learn it..almost broke me but i got there in the end

[giantrobot9000]

Yeah, I have that issue. It's from 87-88,actually. I think Albert Collins is on the cover.

[shred73]

great issue..pity youtube didnt exist back then would have made learning the thing a tad easier!!!

[stringcordeta]

Great, with soul, no words....

[aimes01]

Jerry is working on my album now! he is 1 in a million! amazing guitarist.

[babyguitar5]

Escrever o que depois de ouvir isso?????

[protabs]

The Beak/Claw he plays at 3:05 is amazing. Wanna learn how to play it? Check out my website and you'll find the tabs.

[sargebaker]

phenomenal playing!

[bigfuchs44]

hey everyone search for "Tom Limbaugh" there is a great video of him playing Jerry Donahue's version of "The Claw" go check it out its damn good

[acousticore]

I used to think he used a B bender but now I see Otherwise.

You can bend any string with control if you practice enough.

Back to the WoodeShed...

[BLaZe071775]

awesooooome!

[Dompicker]

is this some of the hottest pickin ever! I play blues, but gonna learn jerry. Float all my guitars down the river!

[stopthenRead]

I think I just filled up two pages of notes from this clip.

[ouygo]

Nice video,nice sound Jerry's telecaster!!!Does anyone know where i can buy this kind of!

[ianandy1234]

Its a custom built Telecaster with a ash neck. The amp is a valve seymour duncan which are very hard to find these days.A signature Jerry Donahue guitar is available through Fender and I think he is now endorsed by Peavy, check out the websites.

[wrda2]

Good video and great rendition of Jerry Reed's The Claw at the end.

[SonnyREast]

Awesome,the tele was made for players like Jerry.

[skypilotinthesky]

this is insane

[Fishpigg]

yippe ki yaaa mutha plucker ,spank that plank

[chandlerlewis]

Anyone want to buy my guitar? Was in excellent condition but now smashed to bits, run over by a truck, set on fire, and clubbed repeatedly with a 9 iron! Would suit jigsaw enthusiast.

[jeffevers]

i know how to do this stuff do you guys have learning disability.

[gatesofdelirium]

I don't doubt it'd be hard, but I could definitely pull it off. With right practice I could pull anything off

[YesOuiSi]

LOL ... Sounds like something Hendrix may have played at one time ... But that guitar was given to Frank Zappa (RIP). I wonder where it is now.

[metheanalogkid]

Ok, I'm selling my guitar.

[bcfc1961]

makes me want to take my guitar and bury it in the garden !. . .it's just not worth trying

[ivbastard]

Awsome stuff. :-P

[jimllfaxit]

I think everyone in that room was blown away at the end.

[bigfatspider]

Have this on VHS from many years ago - great to see it again... Jeez in the 19-odd years since I first saw this has my guitar playing improved ?

[JamesSeago]

quality guitarist

now that is natural talent

blues runs through his fingers.

nicely done.

[stalbot46]

Excellent string-bending........excellen­t chap too !

[Bawler666]

yeah right 16 pounds

[PleaseDonate]

Actually 16 pounds tension shouldn't be far fetched. I'm looking at the string package for my mandolin strings and the string information is:

G - Diameter: 0.038 in. Tension: 18.1 lbs

D - Diameter: 0.024 in. Tension: 19.0 lbs

A - Diameter: 0.015 in. Tension: 19.2 lbs

E - Diameter: 0.011 in. Tension: 23.2 lbs

So, yeah they're not guitar strings, but 16 lbs shouldn't be outrageous.

[nanathenai]

My acoustic strings vary from 11.6 lbs to 15.6, nylon stuff is always easy to bend.

Some insane bending there, it sounds like lapsteel. Could have fooled me.

[robertroyfellows]

but bending the way jerry donahue bends strings - believe it is NOT easy at all. can you bend a string on your mandolin, say the g string? thats the kind of thing he has to do. plus - he doesnt do it on one string at a time, sometimes he is bending 3 strings at once.

[PleaseDonate]

I don't bend strings on the mandolin at all. I only mention the string tensions because a previous post made it sound like 16 lbs string tension is not reasonable. It was the only string package I had on hand that had string tensions listed. My guitar string packages don't list tension, only diameters. And yes, Jerry Donahue's string bending techniques are INCREDIBLE. One of my favourite guitarists.

[deadheadman66]

@robertroyfellows i dunno what kind of mandolins you are playing, but bends on any mandolin ive played are nearly impossible except for a small bend. i use 12's on my telecaster and can do two string bends. jerry uses 8's...string bending with 8's on a full scale guitar is quite easy...it's the accuracy with which he does it thats astounding.

[generatrix999]

...cool!  A real guitar player, you don't hear/see many these days.

[player2020]

amazing

[nekidspaceman]

This used to blow me away as a kid, we had these two documentaries about guitars on betamax and i used to watch this bit over and over, and the bit with the annoying noisy guy who used to play shadows songs out really loud out the window.... how rude. the other doc was a guy making a rickenbacker....but i have no idea what it was called.. praise be to youtube and the contributors. thanks

[gillyjim1959]

Been waiting to see this again since 1987

was originally on Equinox documentary "twang Bang Kerrang" great stuff

[KittraKittra]

Many of the most blissful, glisteningly sweet, creatively power-packed hours in my life were spent in the company of Jerry Donahue. I am blessed to call him "friend." He is a kind gentleman. Given all the Mega Stars he's known, partied, performed, recorded, toured and written with. He could name drop for hours! But, no. He is humble, honest and reverent. Just a truly decent chap.

God bless you, Jerry

I love you. I respect you. As always.

Play it again! ~ Kittra

[mikeplusplus]

Amazing player, and a very nice man too, who will take time to have a chat to you after the show.

[DesBloke]

uber ridiculous...

Amazing....

[wartonl]

I've been waiting to see this again for years and years and years, having watched it in the UK as a teenage guitarist. One of the best guitarists in the world!

[mxr06]

you and me both dude. i was seventeen and in my first band and i was blown away!!!

[KJS666]

i want to throw up he is so brilliant.

[NJAZ]

unreal - only other guy I've heard do it well is Bill Frisell, but this cat has me back in the woodshed. Cool country style!!!

[Gu1tar]

wow

very impressive

fuckin sweet!

[VoxdogOficial]

"thanx for posting!!!"

(3)

[BenCtree]

God, this clip just makes me happy!

[vindikation]

Awesome, remember this from 15 years ago on the Discovery Channel, thanks for posting!!!

[guitarjjte]

Brilliant stuff! Thanks for posting!

[upst8]

Superb - what a master.