Keep in mind that this clip is very early in Chick's synth days. Has anyone seen the videos of RTF4? Awesome, with Frank Gambale and Jean Luc Ponty. Can't wait until tour dates are announced......
Saw the 1st show of the new RTF IV tour "Hymn 7th Galaxy" at the Calvin Theater in Northampton MA. last week and the performance was OUTSTANDING! - Mix of old and new RTF tunes plus... My 24 year old son went with me and he was very impressed with the skill level of the band members and the music. Go to a show if you can when they come back to the states. You will not be disappointed. Too bad Bill didn't make the tour.
Man, Chick really did some of the coolest sounding stuff I've ever heard on the synthesizer- and this is coming from someone who is not really the biggest fan of the synthesizer in the first place.
chick always puts di meola to shame when they trade licks, but i think conners kicks some serious ass here. he more than keeps up. his lines are almost tighter than chick's.
I saw this incarnation of RTF live at SUNY Geneseo live in '74 (Price of admission: $1.00 / students, $2.00 non-students!) Six of us looked at each other thinking: "Is this REALLY real???"
This looks like a clip from the BBC's "Old Grey Whistle Test" show, probably 1973. But check out the last frame: 2002 (MMII). I can't figure that one out. This is a rare gem, even though Mr. Connors seems to be a bit nervous & not articulating his notes as flawlessly as he could. I love his later electric fusion recordings as a bandleader. Thank you for posting this extraordinary piece. Do you have access to any others from this set?
If we're going for personal taste here...I'll take an Oberheim Matrix 12. But...there is no doubt that a mini-moog was ALOT fatter than the Arp but not as stable tuning wise, which is why I sold mine. I still have an Oddyssey ( black face) as well as an Axxe( orange) and a Quadra.
I just like the character of the Odyssey more, plus it's not as immediately distinguishable as a Minimoog... Like I said, it's a classic synth but I've just heard it so much.. But honestly I think the coolest synth I've ever heard is the Jomox SunSyn
From 1985 to 1992, I managed an elite keyboard shop in Scottsdale called Synthony Music which is no longer in business and we carried every major line known to man so I got to work with all kinds of great synths. People were dumping all the old analogs then and I had quite a collection at one time. I will agree with you on the character of the Odyssey but it was just too thin for the music I liked to play. I I
@VincentsVideoVisions Personally, I love the Ody. I've played Minimoogs, but I find myself to lean over more towards the Arp side. (You know, how in the 70's, you either had an Ody or a Minimoog?) I myself have a black/gold Odyssey, and I absolutely love it! I actually also have a black/gold Arp Axxe, which was my first "real" synthesizer.
@blue tolerated its more of a jazz/rock fusion. its not quite jazz but its not rock either, with some funk mixed in at spots. but whatever you want to call it, its still AMAZEING
@ptrLeGrand That is an Alembic bass. It's the Stanley Clarke model. They started in the 70's and were one of the first high quality custom made electric basses. The developer of these basses is the same person who made the Owsley LSD in the 60's, Owsley Stanley , who also designed the Grateful Deads hi-fi sound systems, aka "Bear".
I only know drum'n'bass, thanks to dschazz it got started and im very into d'n'b becuz i say iz the most versetaile kind of music in the world, earth is based on d'n'b, every second commercial has a dnb beat, games were inspired by this music and so on, an for that i will never say something bad about jazz, after all nothing is bullshit, we just think its bs
In your mind maybe.......To call this great music noise is just sheer ignorance.....therefore, nothing alse you say is viable...Why did you even comment ? Go tap your foot to the COMMERCIALS ...you'll never understand.
As u will never understand the music i like! And i wrote i'll never get this, but i'm talking about this video especialy, i got lot's of Jazz at home and i worked in a place where every week was Jazz concert and i liked lots of it...so i just tap to the commercials as long as they are more my kind of music..at least i tried to understand something different...well, seems like people who listen to this kind of music are the real ignorants (just learned this from ur comments) g'day wushshshkkktshp
That was the most ignorant statement i've ever read...!!! Now you catagorize people who like "this kind" of music as ignorant ? lol ......This is not Jazz ! Which is your first mistake......and the musicians on this video happen to be the elites....you know...those considered by their piers to be the very best of the best.....go thump your ass elsewhere. I listen, play, write and enjoy all kinds of music...not just this " jazz" ! End of discussion...you no longer exist. g'day moron
@BlueTolerated MICHAEL TSARION IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE CONSPIRACY RESEARCHER/LECTURER/AUTHOR. DR. BILL DEAGLE AND LEO ZAGAMI AND JRDAN MAXWELL ARE HIGHLY INFORMATIVE AS WELL. P.S. ALEXANDRE DUMAS PERE WROTE OVER 400 HISTORICAL NOVELS EXPOSING WORLD TYRANNY(ROMAN CATHOLIC EMPIRE). HE WAS AN HISTORIAN ACTING AS A NOVELIST.
@KenLane I saw RTF in June of '09 and even though Lenny played a kit that was completely different from the Slingerlands of old, the sound was identical, like hearing the original album. He chilled out , wasn't doing the animal riffs from the '70's, but nonetheless sounded as only Lenny can. Phenomenal!
I was just saying the guitarist in this video is nowhere near the LEVEL of the one (Di meola) in the others I watched... Guess that proves how much opinions matter HUH...LOL
there is a completely different setup of the transcription on this song for you to even conclude. Al Dimeola is very skilled technically (and I enjoy him greatly), but here we have Bill Connors doing completely different and interesting sounds. Bill Connors and Chick Corea weren't exactly the most fitting musicians in the way that Chick tried pushing Bill with Scientology. Al, Stan, and maybe Lenny might have all kind of excepted it if I'm not mistaken.
I like Bill's playing...just not in this song I guess..
Scientology huh...wow. Are all the "stars" into the stars or what?
I don't know what Scientology is other than the rumors but I have heard Di Meola is into some freaky stuff like laying under glass tables while girls take a Sh&t on it... Probably false a rumor but who knows....strange world we live in. I can see him going for what ever...lol
Just out of Curiosity, What belief system did Bill subscribe to?
No Way ,I feel Bill Connors was a ground breaker,both technically and as an improvisor,His patterns were way more difficult and adventurous than Als..Di Meola's speed (although its clean) is too clinical and repetitive for my liking.This was '72ish and Connors is applying sweep picking, arpeggios way before they were popularized in the late 80's !
I think he was a freak !and he woulda been great with Zappa !
I'll have to give him a chance then... Honestly, I am not an Al Di Meola Fan because I cannot relate to his Melodic continuity.
Personally, I would rather listen to Uli Jon Roth that Both from what I have heard so far. I cannot form an opinion of Bill because I have only heard a couple things here on youtube from him. Al is just a machine but I liked his mechanics better than bills in this arrangement.
Check out the guitar work in Cast away your Chains or Electric Sun.. That's style to me!
Uli,Hell yeah I luv him 2 death !I met him last year and I opened for him at N.Z G-Taranaki concert,he playd a 32 fret sky guitar and invited Alex Skolnik on stage 2 jam Hendrixs 'Villinova junction' it was bliss !and at the sky academy the day before the concert He tore up 'Watchtower'with Vernon Reid and shredded it 2 pieces.Put G-Taranaki in2 YT search and check em out.Hav u heard his song Sky Overture ?some great whole tone work on there.I used 2 hav 'Beyond the Astral Sky's'..classic !!
Oh Yea, One of my Favorite song is Sky Overture. He plays like he is connected with a galactic mind or something deeply spiritual. I can actually feel his emotion especially on the live version of sky Overture. A super inspiration to me and evidently all my influences whether they admit it or not.
Sounds like you have been blessed with some great experiences. Skolnik is another of my fav. Would of loved to have been there. I'm searching the other tune you referred!
Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Bill and Al are two different guitarists with their own individual strong points. Both good guitarists but are on a different playing field.
First of all: A fan of this music since it was released way back in the '70s. I liked both renditions of the band, but always thought Bill Connors sound and solo style was much better suited to the ensemble. The A.R.P. Odyssey in the video is a classic '70s synth. I remember renting these for gigs back then. Thanks for the post!
Well, it was considered cool and futuristic at the time, but this is precisely why modern Fusion synth players, like Scott Kinsey, alway go for a more organic sound when choosing sounds for their synths.
I saw this line up twice in the day. They did a version of Spain at a Scientology convention in Hollywood that was unbelievable.
Conners' phrasing at that time was unmatched. Go back and listen to Stanley Clarke's first album (CD). Conners is technically superb and blistering in speed.
It's what Conners does between the lines that makes him special.
Uhhhhhhhhh, where to start... Am a huge fan of RTF with Di Meola, but dammit, that guy named Bill Connors, he actually sounds like Chick but on the guitar. Mad love for these kats and I am hella diggin' the retro athletic gear, would probably go for $100 buck on eBay just for the hoody...
words can't express how much I love Bill Connors guitar playing and tone...Bill has my overall thumbs up as my fav. classic fusion giant on guitar..wish he would have stuck it out with Chick a little longer to get some more commerical success,, he really deserves it
You know, I don't know who bill Connors is (don't laugh I am discovering, lol!) but he DOES play a bit like Jan Akkerman of FOCUS in their solo style.
I saw Bill with Brian Bromberg in about 1980 and he wasn't using a pick at all that night. He sounded great, he played a Les Paul through A small Princeton amp. I can't remember who the drummer was.
i never saw bill connors with this group!! i saw them live with Al back in the day, bill is much sweeter no nasty sounds, I LOVE youtube!!!!!!thanku for posting!
I Love the album "hymn from the 7th Galaxy" but Al Dimeola by far rips circles around bill conners. Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra dominated the Jazz fusion scene.
wow that shits fuckin fusion!!! no one in that band is sloppy, some one dunt bumped their head. confused and mistaken for the young rebelious days of the earlier rtf.
Sure, Bill was a little rough back then, but at least he plays some intervals. Al almost never plays intervals...especially back then. I'd rather hear scales, triads, pentatonics, and seventh chord arpeggios in quarter notes and eighth notes than scales or chromatic scales in sixteenth notes or sextuplets. Personal taste...
If you play notes, you play intervals. You can even have an interval of a 1 if the note is enharmonic (B/Cb) or if two instruments are playing the same note.
I think he was talking about large intervals, Dimeola had a tendency to play tight intervalic scales, unlike say Steve Morse who makes a lot of string skips
I agree. I hope Conners is better now. Pentatonics are not the way to go in Jazz guitar. Somehow I can sense Corea holding back, something I feel uplifted when Di Meola joined.
i agree as well, personally al di meola is my favorite guitarist not just of RTF but of all time. but conners kind of reminds of jimmy page in the fact that he is so sloppy and his pickups are switched to the treble ones. even though he's sloppy, he still exhibits that element of sloppy rock and roll that, while he is a truly amazing player, al could never exhibit.
Al has absolutely no "soul" in his playing. It's all pyrotechnics designed to make guitar players drop their jaws. Give me Connors any day. Way more soul and spirit in his playing and that's what music is supposed to be about in the first place.
i'm actually very glad its al instead of bill i personally just prefer his playing style, phrasing, technique over bills also al was in the group when they made Romantic Warrior in my opinion the best thing they ever did
yeah RTF is the shit. They're touring this year. Bill Connors is cool, end of story. I like how he's just himself and isn't some mingblowingly incredible type like many Corea bandmembers. His playing is interesting to hear, he's like a Clapton if Clapton had a jazz vocabulary
Connors is so tasteful and economical it's overwhelming.While it's apparent he possessed a great deal of chops it seems he was rather content with playing what the song called for as opposed to overt showboating.From what I can gather in this video he also didn't seem to exert himself too much regarding the attack of his strings,his playing seems casual and relaxed.A true technician and pioneer of fusion.
Funny you used the term "balls to the wall." That's the title of a piece by Alphonso Johnson. If you're not hip to it, check it out. If memory serves me correctly, the album is titled Yesterday's Dreams. If not, then it's on Moonshadows.
Yes I'm very familiar with all of Alphonso's albums. That's a smokin' tune with Ray Gomez on guitar. Those albums are all great, he's one of the greatest bass players in my book. Always true to the instrument, he should have been a superstar(for lack of a better term).
Why are you calling me a stupid fuck? I know this is Stanley Clarke with RTF. I was comment- ing on a phrase that someone used which is the title of a tune by the bassist ALPHONSO JOHNSON. If you can't figure things out from context, then you sir, are the STUPID FUCK!!!
i don't kno y your bringing religion into this 1 did scientology even exist back then and 2 even if it did that has nothing to do with the way they're playing i'm not trying to put anyone down i have nothing against your religion but come on thats rediculous btw RTF rules
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Bill is getting tired here, see him stretching his fingers? I suppose it would be hard to keep up with Chick, hyped up as he was on his "Life Is Just a Game" philosophy. It's funny, you can notice a difference between the scientologists (Chick and Stanley) and non-scientologists (Bill and Lenny) in the group. Notice the unusual energy of Chic and Stanley while Bill and Lenny don't have it; kind of funny.
lol, no offence meant kingcrimson776,but i don't think it has anything to do with scientology. other musicians have that energy too, and 90% of them are non-scientologists :)
Actually, as Bill once told in an interview, he was very tired of the band by the time indeed, mainly because of all the scientology crap Corea tried to impose on him...
some kind of groove on that one...what a set of tones
talpajam 1 month ago
Keep in mind that this clip is very early in Chick's synth days. Has anyone seen the videos of RTF4? Awesome, with Frank Gambale and Jean Luc Ponty. Can't wait until tour dates are announced......
jimmied01 9 months ago
@jimmied01
Saw the 1st show of the new RTF IV tour "Hymn 7th Galaxy" at the Calvin Theater in Northampton MA. last week and the performance was OUTSTANDING! - Mix of old and new RTF tunes plus... My 24 year old son went with me and he was very impressed with the skill level of the band members and the music. Go to a show if you can when they come back to the states. You will not be disappointed. Too bad Bill didn't make the tour.
GHow58 7 months ago
Keep in mind that this was very early in Chick's synth days...
jimmied01 9 months ago
Man, Bill's and Chick's interplay rules on this one.
amsedelm 9 months ago
Man, Chick really did some of the coolest sounding stuff I've ever heard on the synthesizer- and this is coming from someone who is not really the biggest fan of the synthesizer in the first place.
crescentfreshbret 11 months ago
Love the polyester track suits!
duppykitoon 11 months ago
championship play
TVBarlinek 1 year ago
chick always puts di meola to shame when they trade licks, but i think conners kicks some serious ass here. he more than keeps up. his lines are almost tighter than chick's.
unclejunglebass 1 year ago
Even though the moog etc. sounds a bit dated I just love the way they all play together, and try to copy each others licks!
titusbeertsen 1 year ago
@titusbeertsen arp odyssey not a moog :)
Poulet39 1 year ago
I'm sure the 3 dislikes shortly fled this video to find comfort in lady Gaga's....... um whatever it is she does.
JesusWasASuperSaiyan 1 year ago
Awesome!!!
I saw this incarnation of RTF live at SUNY Geneseo live in '74 (Price of admission: $1.00 / students, $2.00 non-students!) Six of us looked at each other thinking: "Is this REALLY real???"
Thanks for the upload!!
MrBillski99 1 year ago
They were still young here, nice clip!!!
RobinB84 1 year ago
Bill Connors had a unique style. I've never heard anyone quite like him. This single broadcast had a profound effect on bass players too - Feb 74?
martinjp1958 1 year ago
Bill only stayed with the band a short time, I think only about a year.
jimmied01 1 year ago
No, unfortunately this is the only one I found from this show. I saw Bill Connors after RTF and he was a very shy type of performer.
he would turn his back to the audience and when he faced us his eyes were shut much of the time. He is a great player in every respect.
jimmied01 1 year ago
This looks like a clip from the BBC's "Old Grey Whistle Test" show, probably 1973. But check out the last frame: 2002 (MMII). I can't figure that one out. This is a rare gem, even though Mr. Connors seems to be a bit nervous & not articulating his notes as flawlessly as he could. I love his later electric fusion recordings as a bandleader. Thank you for posting this extraordinary piece. Do you have access to any others from this set?
bogeybast 1 year ago
by those years Bill Connors was just about to leave the band right???
Cheers!!!!!!!
somelonewolf 1 year ago
can't hear the bass that well.
NeatSquash 2 years ago
Chick's better on MiniMoog than the ARP 2600.
invisiblebridge 2 years ago
Comment removed
Rockivory1 1 year ago
It's not an Arp 2600, it's a white face Arp Odyssey. Definitely not as fat as a mini moog though.
Rockivory1 1 year ago
lol i disagree, the minimoog is a great synth but I'd rather have an oddy ANY day.
VincentsVideoVisions 1 year ago 3
If we're going for personal taste here...I'll take an Oberheim Matrix 12. But...there is no doubt that a mini-moog was ALOT fatter than the Arp but not as stable tuning wise, which is why I sold mine. I still have an Oddyssey ( black face) as well as an Axxe( orange) and a Quadra.
Rockivory1 1 year ago
Odyssey ! LOL Gotta proof read more carefully.
Rockivory1 1 year ago
I just like the character of the Odyssey more, plus it's not as immediately distinguishable as a Minimoog... Like I said, it's a classic synth but I've just heard it so much.. But honestly I think the coolest synth I've ever heard is the Jomox SunSyn
VincentsVideoVisions 1 year ago
From 1985 to 1992, I managed an elite keyboard shop in Scottsdale called Synthony Music which is no longer in business and we carried every major line known to man so I got to work with all kinds of great synths. People were dumping all the old analogs then and I had quite a collection at one time. I will agree with you on the character of the Odyssey but it was just too thin for the music I liked to play. I I
Rockivory1 1 year ago
I still have some of the old Yamaha synths too..a CS 50 and a CS 60. The 80 was way out of my price range !
Rockivory1 1 year ago
@VincentsVideoVisions Personally, I love the Ody. I've played Minimoogs, but I find myself to lean over more towards the Arp side. (You know, how in the 70's, you either had an Ody or a Minimoog?) I myself have a black/gold Odyssey, and I absolutely love it! I actually also have a black/gold Arp Axxe, which was my first "real" synthesizer.
plungerdrum 1 year ago
@blue tolerated its more of a jazz/rock fusion. its not quite jazz but its not rock either, with some funk mixed in at spots. but whatever you want to call it, its still AMAZEING
robbysanders92 2 years ago
gezz that rocked loved bill at 2:00
jsamc 2 years ago
Bill looks as deposited calmly.
kayarou7 2 years ago
Anyone know what bass is this?
ptrLeGrand 2 years ago
@ptrLeGrand That is an Alembic bass. It's the Stanley Clarke model. They started in the 70's and were one of the first high quality custom made electric basses. The developer of these basses is the same person who made the Owsley LSD in the 60's, Owsley Stanley , who also designed the Grateful Deads hi-fi sound systems, aka "Bear".
jimmied01 2 years ago
Hey, thanks for all the info man!
ptrLeGrand 2 years ago
Comment removed
shpilk 2 years ago
I will never understand this kind of noise...weird...sorry...
Semencic 2 years ago
@Semencic That's fine. More for the rest of us ;)
P.S.; it's called jazz.
BlueTolerated 2 years ago
I only know drum'n'bass, thanks to dschazz it got started and im very into d'n'b becuz i say iz the most versetaile kind of music in the world, earth is based on d'n'b, every second commercial has a dnb beat, games were inspired by this music and so on, an for that i will never say something bad about jazz, after all nothing is bullshit, we just think its bs
Semencic 2 years ago
your comments are bullshit !
Rockivory1 1 year ago
What? What is bad about my comments? What i just wrote is a fact
Semencic 1 year ago
In your mind maybe.......To call this great music noise is just sheer ignorance.....therefore, nothing alse you say is viable...Why did you even comment ? Go tap your foot to the COMMERCIALS ...you'll never understand.
Rockivory1 1 year ago
As u will never understand the music i like! And i wrote i'll never get this, but i'm talking about this video especialy, i got lot's of Jazz at home and i worked in a place where every week was Jazz concert and i liked lots of it...so i just tap to the commercials as long as they are more my kind of music..at least i tried to understand something different...well, seems like people who listen to this kind of music are the real ignorants (just learned this from ur comments) g'day wushshshkkktshp
Semencic 1 year ago
That was the most ignorant statement i've ever read...!!! Now you catagorize people who like "this kind" of music as ignorant ? lol ......This is not Jazz ! Which is your first mistake......and the musicians on this video happen to be the elites....you know...those considered by their piers to be the very best of the best.....go thump your ass elsewhere. I listen, play, write and enjoy all kinds of music...not just this " jazz" ! End of discussion...you no longer exist. g'day moron
Rockivory1 1 year ago
Oh my God...went to your page and listened to the video you posted...NOW I understand......you're totally full of shit !
Rockivory1 1 year ago
@BlueTolerated MICHAEL TSARION IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE CONSPIRACY RESEARCHER/LECTURER/AUTHOR. DR. BILL DEAGLE AND LEO ZAGAMI AND JRDAN MAXWELL ARE HIGHLY INFORMATIVE AS WELL. P.S. ALEXANDRE DUMAS PERE WROTE OVER 400 HISTORICAL NOVELS EXPOSING WORLD TYRANNY(ROMAN CATHOLIC EMPIRE). HE WAS AN HISTORIAN ACTING AS A NOVELIST.
countdumas 2 years ago
what ??
BlueTolerated 2 years ago
As i see u can handle what i wrote, one i a million is able to give a normal answer, thank u
Semencic 1 year ago
Bill Connors o ALdi. Que difícil pregunta. Un tema del himno de la séptima galaxia. QUE BUEN GRUPO.
claudinqui 2 years ago
Im really digging bills tone. Its really creamy but still retains its clarity
AZNGUITARNINJA 2 years ago
connors rocks
nhg56 2 years ago 6
who's the guitarist?
fabianidhesona 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
al di meola
NLFilms 2 years ago
Bill Connors.. smokin great..!
mrprogjazzgto 2 years ago 2
A lot of people hate Al's outragous unobtainable talent.
grabngonuts 2 years ago
Starting at 3:18....man, I love Lenny White's drumming. Pocket as all getout!
KenLane 2 years ago 9
@KenLane I saw RTF in June of '09 and even though Lenny played a kit that was completely different from the Slingerlands of old, the sound was identical, like hearing the original album. He chilled out , wasn't doing the animal riffs from the '70's, but nonetheless sounded as only Lenny can. Phenomenal!
jimmied01 1 year ago
Comment removed
hydralisk125 2 years ago
im young but i love this stuff even though it was considered futuristic back then i see this as cool and vintage!
poorpy134 2 years ago
These cats can groove!
rockjohnson80 2 years ago
bill pwns Al... love chick's early simplified set-up: rhodes piano with an arp odyssey on top...can't go wrong with that!
hotlanta71 2 years ago
I was just saying the guitarist in this video is nowhere near the LEVEL of the one (Di meola) in the others I watched... Guess that proves how much opinions matter HUH...LOL
highintel 2 years ago
highintel,
there is a completely different setup of the transcription on this song for you to even conclude. Al Dimeola is very skilled technically (and I enjoy him greatly), but here we have Bill Connors doing completely different and interesting sounds. Bill Connors and Chick Corea weren't exactly the most fitting musicians in the way that Chick tried pushing Bill with Scientology. Al, Stan, and maybe Lenny might have all kind of excepted it if I'm not mistaken.
canadianRadio 2 years ago
I like Bill's playing...just not in this song I guess..
Scientology huh...wow. Are all the "stars" into the stars or what?
I don't know what Scientology is other than the rumors but I have heard Di Meola is into some freaky stuff like laying under glass tables while girls take a Sh&t on it... Probably false a rumor but who knows....strange world we live in. I can see him going for what ever...lol
Just out of Curiosity, What belief system did Bill subscribe to?
highintel 2 years ago
No Way ,I feel Bill Connors was a ground breaker,both technically and as an improvisor,His patterns were way more difficult and adventurous than Als..Di Meola's speed (although its clean) is too clinical and repetitive for my liking.This was '72ish and Connors is applying sweep picking, arpeggios way before they were popularized in the late 80's !
I think he was a freak !and he woulda been great with Zappa !
andrewbroughton65 2 years ago
I'll have to give him a chance then... Honestly, I am not an Al Di Meola Fan because I cannot relate to his Melodic continuity.
Personally, I would rather listen to Uli Jon Roth that Both from what I have heard so far. I cannot form an opinion of Bill because I have only heard a couple things here on youtube from him. Al is just a machine but I liked his mechanics better than bills in this arrangement.
Check out the guitar work in Cast away your Chains or Electric Sun.. That's style to me!
highintel 2 years ago
Uli,Hell yeah I luv him 2 death !I met him last year and I opened for him at N.Z G-Taranaki concert,he playd a 32 fret sky guitar and invited Alex Skolnik on stage 2 jam Hendrixs 'Villinova junction' it was bliss !and at the sky academy the day before the concert He tore up 'Watchtower'with Vernon Reid and shredded it 2 pieces.Put G-Taranaki in2 YT search and check em out.Hav u heard his song Sky Overture ?some great whole tone work on there.I used 2 hav 'Beyond the Astral Sky's'..classic !!
andrewbroughton65 2 years ago
Oh Yea, One of my Favorite song is Sky Overture. He plays like he is connected with a galactic mind or something deeply spiritual. I can actually feel his emotion especially on the live version of sky Overture. A super inspiration to me and evidently all my influences whether they admit it or not.
Sounds like you have been blessed with some great experiences. Skolnik is another of my fav. Would of loved to have been there. I'm searching the other tune you referred!
Whats your Band called?
:)
highintel 2 years ago
Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Bill and Al are two different guitarists with their own individual strong points. Both good guitarists but are on a different playing field.
Crockettsonny84 2 years ago
Yep, I think so too, quality over quantity.
dixxjamm 2 years ago
First of all: A fan of this music since it was released way back in the '70s. I liked both renditions of the band, but always thought Bill Connors sound and solo style was much better suited to the ensemble. The A.R.P. Odyssey in the video is a classic '70s synth. I remember renting these for gigs back then. Thanks for the post!
SkiCoach1 2 years ago
Al is good but Bill is a lot tastier, and fits better with Chick...
gre1990 2 years ago
I think Al Di Meola is a huge inspiration to guitarists everywhere, and if he isn't then he should be. I LOVE his shred picking!
clkvbjsdflkgjdfgv 2 years ago
This is actually Bill Connnors on guitar. This lineup of RTF is currently preparing to go out on tour in the coming year.
aarfeld 2 years ago
Are you serious! Where when how can I fucking get info on that.
BrutzSriracha 2 years ago
Try Googleing Chick's or the others' names and go to their web sites when they come up. There is probably information there.
aarfeld 2 years ago
too bad chick's sound is so annoying, but i loved and still dig so much about this band....
slkypt 2 years ago
Well, it was considered cool and futuristic at the time, but this is precisely why modern Fusion synth players, like Scott Kinsey, alway go for a more organic sound when choosing sounds for their synths.
aarfeld 2 years ago
Chick is a pimp.
Varg6 2 years ago 2
Thought Chick gave that up when Frisco got so crowded?
DrD1111 2 years ago
lol chick looks like a pimp
mongobongoman 2 years ago
-NEWS - they'll all be playing together again soon-
Corea, Clarke and White at Hollywood Bowl - 9/02/09 - special guest Bill Connors
sraaficionada 2 years ago
I saw this line up twice in the day. They did a version of Spain at a Scientology convention in Hollywood that was unbelievable.
Conners' phrasing at that time was unmatched. Go back and listen to Stanley Clarke's first album (CD). Conners is technically superb and blistering in speed.
It's what Conners does between the lines that makes him special.
Many thanks to the poster.
(Lenny White + amazing)
SOOCOPASETIC 2 years ago
Sure i love Bll's playing, but compared to Al's it seems an unprecise slow motion
zadigx 2 years ago 2
Yeah, that's why he's better.
alichoturko 2 years ago
Uhhhhhhhhh, where to start... Am a huge fan of RTF with Di Meola, but dammit, that guy named Bill Connors, he actually sounds like Chick but on the guitar. Mad love for these kats and I am hella diggin' the retro athletic gear, would probably go for $100 buck on eBay just for the hoody...
Urology707 2 years ago
words can't express how much I love Bill Connors guitar playing and tone...Bill has my overall thumbs up as my fav. classic fusion giant on guitar..wish he would have stuck it out with Chick a little longer to get some more commerical success,, he really deserves it
sonicplayg 2 years ago
Great !
Thanks for post it...
LonesomeSuzie 2 years ago
You know, I don't know who bill Connors is (don't laugh I am discovering, lol!) but he DOES play a bit like Jan Akkerman of FOCUS in their solo style.
Who, by the way is f&$#ing amazing...
QuiltedPine 2 years ago
Hi HammondB200i,
Thanks for you reply and extra info.
I love this band 's music.
ozzymandi 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
One too free for go wild.
LukeCoulson 2 years ago
Never in my dreams did I ever think I would SEE that! Thanks!
zongongo 2 years ago
an anyone please tell me what keybord Chick is playing. A.R.P. Odessy?
ozzymandi 2 years ago
Jup, Arp Odyssey MK1 whiteface, below Fender Rhodes Mark 1a
HammondB200 2 years ago 2
i agree ,,,,,,,,rtf fan for years bill connors is an amazing guitarist he got tired of chicks scientology bullctap and split,
jsamc 2 years ago
i want to bang some broad with this playing in the background...
Windbreaker9 3 years ago
Stanley Clarke is a giant . . . nay, the whole band is a giant amongst bands. Bill Connors has a more organic feel than Al.
arthurmee 3 years ago 2
ahh its great to get high to this
craze231 3 years ago
i wish you could hear the bass more.
boogster123321 3 years ago
Pity so little of Bill Connors with this phase of RTF. Bill is a far tastier player than Al.
He listens to the music, whereas Al is all flash .
Does anyone else have more from this band?
Captain Senor Mouse and Game Maker ? Live?
Bill Connors please ! HAPPY NEW YEAR.
dAlchemistNostril 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
you are full of it
mongobongoman 3 years ago
I saw Bill with Brian Bromberg in about 1980 and he wasn't using a pick at all that night. He sounded great, he played a Les Paul through A small Princeton amp. I can't remember who the drummer was.
jimmied01 3 years ago
Jaco Pastorius, Stanlet Clarke y Tony Levin son los mejores bajistas 'conocidos' del mundo.
kancharani 3 years ago
Chick Corea looks alot more youthful here with the hoodie and lack of glasses and beard.
ClemenzaKimble 3 years ago
This stuff is great! The periode without Al Di Meola is different in a good way!
pieterjanoddens 3 years ago
I never liked/understood Stanley Clarke. Can anyone tell me what's so great about him?
kakvostava 3 years ago
Ah, besides being a virtuoso, he sucks. How's that? Love, Billy
BillyMacQ 3 years ago 2
I think you are being ironic :-).
kakvostava 3 years ago
The word is *sarcastic*, but close enough. Stanley Clarke is a monster.
BillyMacQ 3 years ago
Everything!
aldenez 3 years ago
OK, agreed.
kakvostava 3 years ago
If you can't HEAR what makes him so great, there is nothing anyone here can tell you to change your opinion.
PS-Was Bill Connors doing some primitive sweep picking around 1:40?
gemari77 3 years ago 3
i never saw bill connors with this group!! i saw them live with Al back in the day, bill is much sweeter no nasty sounds, I LOVE youtube!!!!!!thanku for posting!
randyreal6 3 years ago
okay
qwertyus0987 3 years ago
I Love the album "hymn from the 7th Galaxy" but Al Dimeola by far rips circles around bill conners. Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra dominated the Jazz fusion scene.
EddysVideos 3 years ago
wow that shits fuckin fusion!!! no one in that band is sloppy, some one dunt bumped their head. confused and mistaken for the young rebelious days of the earlier rtf.
7strangslapper 3 years ago
Bill Connors is great, very bluesy
JG92987 3 years ago
People keep saying he's sloppy, but he's not, he has a certain zest quality, I love his tone
JG92987 3 years ago
Sure, Bill was a little rough back then, but at least he plays some intervals. Al almost never plays intervals...especially back then. I'd rather hear scales, triads, pentatonics, and seventh chord arpeggios in quarter notes and eighth notes than scales or chromatic scales in sixteenth notes or sextuplets. Personal taste...
Modes9 3 years ago
If you play notes, you play intervals. You can even have an interval of a 1 if the note is enharmonic (B/Cb) or if two instruments are playing the same note.
mahavishnu018 3 years ago
I think he was talking about large intervals, Dimeola had a tendency to play tight intervalic scales, unlike say Steve Morse who makes a lot of string skips
alaincharnier1971 3 years ago
Yes dimeola plays tight scalar runs. This really isn't a good example of Bill Connors solos, but I really like the trading 8's jam.
mahavishnu018 3 years ago 2
I luv this!
taxiboysdrummer
Not just junkie punk bizness and female domination...but mostly.
I luv RTF!
slothiegachoo 3 years ago
Ha! Chick Corea here looks like BaBa Booey (from howard stern show) crossed with one of the Beastie Boys (adidas jogging suit).
progjazzfusion 3 years ago
agree talk..
BongoMadness 3 years ago
Bill Conners doesnt even know about his little finger, Al D is 54 and can still use his little finger
chrisspearpoint 3 years ago
I agree. I hope Conners is better now. Pentatonics are not the way to go in Jazz guitar. Somehow I can sense Corea holding back, something I feel uplifted when Di Meola joined.
EinSofVirtuoso 3 years ago
i agree as well, personally al di meola is my favorite guitarist not just of RTF but of all time. but conners kind of reminds of jimmy page in the fact that he is so sloppy and his pickups are switched to the treble ones. even though he's sloppy, he still exhibits that element of sloppy rock and roll that, while he is a truly amazing player, al could never exhibit.
kewl2006 3 years ago
The next fusion is corea with keith richards and spears...
DerSeewolf71 3 years ago
Holy Cow! I wish THIS band was on tour again. Sorry, Al.
HorsePussy 3 years ago
Um... were yoiu at the May 2207 Zappa Plays Zappa concert in Phoenix AZ? "Horse Pussy" was the "secret word" for the night.
talkingwall 3 years ago
Nope. Haven't been to PHX since 1992. I'm a huge Zappa fan, though.
HorsePussy 3 years ago
Your Crazy Bill Connors Is Much More Fun To Listen To, Way More Bluesy Than Al Di Meola
JG92987 3 years ago 2
Thank God they replaced Bill Connors with Al DiMeola!
RaceWithTheDevil 3 years ago
both have their merits. Bill plays outside and grooves better than Al.
mahavishnu018 3 years ago 2
Al has absolutely no "soul" in his playing. It's all pyrotechnics designed to make guitar players drop their jaws. Give me Connors any day. Way more soul and spirit in his playing and that's what music is supposed to be about in the first place.
talkingwall 3 years ago
That´s your opinion, but is not the truth for everyone.
deapwavelio 2 years ago
i don't think the guitarist works very well in this jam
MFRedeemerp2 3 years ago
what in the world is the Key/Synth thing Chick is playing that looks like a circuit board ?
Manny1241 3 years ago
I think it is a synth made by Arp. Possibly an odyssey or an avatar.
RaceWithTheDevil 3 years ago
Its certainly an Odyssey Mark 1. The avatar is for guitar and doesn't have a keyboard.
mahavishnu018 3 years ago
Some really nice shit starts happening at around 2:43 into it. Kudos!
lagatuda 3 years ago
thats when the groove hits its stride...niiiice
shyvoodoo 3 years ago
Bill Connors was ONE BAD DUDE
klarkash 3 years ago 4
i'm seeing these guys on august 6th, too bad mahavishnu orchestra cant do a reunion too.
houseofcoffe 3 years ago 2
i going also!
buckethed 3 years ago
Seeing John would be a religious experience.
creamwhiteroom22 3 years ago
i'm actually very glad its al instead of bill i personally just prefer his playing style, phrasing, technique over bills also al was in the group when they made Romantic Warrior in my opinion the best thing they ever did
3chocolate3clock3 3 years ago
I just checked the schedule out. The tour is the best news I've heard in 3 years! It'll be Al instead of Bill, but it'll be brutal I'm sure.
jimmied01 3 years ago
You know something, this groove reminds me of an Eric Johnson tune with Electromagnets...just the initial head...hmmm
Chromatype 3 years ago
yeah RTF is the shit. They're touring this year. Bill Connors is cool, end of story. I like how he's just himself and isn't some mingblowingly incredible type like many Corea bandmembers. His playing is interesting to hear, he's like a Clapton if Clapton had a jazz vocabulary
flyjoseph 3 years ago
Connors is so tasteful and economical it's overwhelming.While it's apparent he possessed a great deal of chops it seems he was rather content with playing what the song called for as opposed to overt showboating.From what I can gather in this video he also didn't seem to exert himself too much regarding the attack of his strings,his playing seems casual and relaxed.A true technician and pioneer of fusion.
progjazz 3 years ago
Check out BIll on Stanley's self-titled album, the one with lopsy lu, he's balls to the wall on the closing cut on both sides.
jimmied01 3 years ago
Funny you used the term "balls to the wall." That's the title of a piece by Alphonso Johnson. If you're not hip to it, check it out. If memory serves me correctly, the album is titled Yesterday's Dreams. If not, then it's on Moonshadows.
wmdbassplayer 3 years ago
Yes I'm very familiar with all of Alphonso's albums. That's a smokin' tune with Ray Gomez on guitar. Those albums are all great, he's one of the greatest bass players in my book. Always true to the instrument, he should have been a superstar(for lack of a better term).
jimmied01 3 years ago
Alphonso Johnson is one of the greatest, yet highly underrated, bass players of all time. Glad you know what I'm talking about!
wmdbassplayer 3 years ago
That's Stanley Clarke you stupid fuck!!!
chuckw000 3 years ago
Why are you calling me a stupid fuck? I know this is Stanley Clarke with RTF. I was comment- ing on a phrase that someone used which is the title of a tune by the bassist ALPHONSO JOHNSON. If you can't figure things out from context, then you sir, are the STUPID FUCK!!!
wmdbassplayer 3 years ago
Bring this conversation up to the level of the conversation going on between the members of RTF.
Then, you'll be saying something.
Brilliantbeing 4 years ago
i don't kno y your bringing religion into this 1 did scientology even exist back then and 2 even if it did that has nothing to do with the way they're playing i'm not trying to put anyone down i have nothing against your religion but come on thats rediculous btw RTF rules
3chocolate3clock3 4 years ago
Best fusion band ever...
Manolian 4 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Bill is getting tired here, see him stretching his fingers? I suppose it would be hard to keep up with Chick, hyped up as he was on his "Life Is Just a Game" philosophy. It's funny, you can notice a difference between the scientologists (Chick and Stanley) and non-scientologists (Bill and Lenny) in the group. Notice the unusual energy of Chic and Stanley while Bill and Lenny don't have it; kind of funny.
KingCrimson776 4 years ago
lol, no offence meant kingcrimson776,but i don't think it has anything to do with scientology. other musicians have that energy too, and 90% of them are non-scientologists :)
mjtsl 4 years ago 3
Not THIS kind of energy.
KingCrimson776 3 years ago
your a stupid ignored bastard. fuck your religion. if you don't tolerate non-scientologists you can can go to hell.
HammondB200 4 years ago
who isnt tolerating non scientoligists? what?
urnamehere999 4 years ago
"and Stanley while Bill and Lenny don't have it; kind of funny." actually he's saying non-scientologists are less better, fuck him!
HammondB200 4 years ago
hammondb200 is not that bright....i think he was tryin to say a "stupid ignorant bastard" but instead said "stupid ignored bastard" and makes no sense
and why hate on someone's religion when it has nothing to do with their playing ability
personally i do not believe in scientology or think its rational but i also do not believe in any religion
lets all be nice here and enjoys some of the greatest musicians ever
Electric1Shadow5 3 years ago
You fuckwit, I'm not a Scientologist, I'm just saying their delusional philosophy kind of gives them them is extra fucked up pep.
KingCrimson776 3 years ago
Actually, as Bill once told in an interview, he was very tired of the band by the time indeed, mainly because of all the scientology crap Corea tried to impose on him...
oanjodovazio 4 years ago
Absolutely great, love it! Where is Stanley in the mix though?
alembicbassguy 4 years ago
Hope they bring some vintage gear on tour.
generatrix999 4 years ago
I am now high
Philofthefuture87 4 years ago 2
LMFAO!
hotmetalslugs 3 years ago
Stick to your MR Big.
Your not ready for a band like this
doubts 3 years ago
I Agree
somelonewolf 3 years ago
Huh?
The guy's comment about being high was funny and appropriate to boot.
I have lived this music for the past 25 years, and studied with Bill since '96. Pretty sure I'm "ready"...
hotmetalslugs 2 years ago
Sorry.. i didnt know what you were laughing at.
doubts 2 years ago
This is pretty cool,