I much prefer this to the three albums on which he essentially copied Holdsworth. This cut is an example what he should have been doing. I remember the Soundpage in GP when it came out.
Sad that Bill Conners didn't make a greater foray into being seen and appreciated for his talents.. I have always loved Conners playing from the last 20+ years. Never had a chance to see him play because of his choice of being obscure from the public's eye. Huuumm... Sounds like me. A guitar player who has hid his talents under a "bushel basket"..Only myself to blame. Sorry for venting...
Great..He's always claimed one of his goals was to fuse Clapton and Coltrane together and then some,also as seen in some of his RTF videos, he's one of the precursors of sweep picking.
Great stuff..I just wish that, at least the first time around, he'd played the original theme note for note,(5-b7-1-b3-1-b7-1....rather than 5-b7-1-b3-4-b3-1....). Variations are cool, but theme and variations are where it's at. I know I'm nit-picking, but I really mean it. Was it a way out of paying royalites?
When I was a kid in the 70s' I listened to Bill Conners and he sounded like Bill Conners. In the 80s' I thought he sounded like Bill Conners trying to sound like Allan Holdsworth. Who could blame him? I was trying to sound like that too.
Then I thought about a guitar player they called the unknown John Clark and wondered' maybe that's why he's unknown.
This is for Guitarists Ears, absolutely Amazing player ,I happen to love his tone and the modes he plays in,alot like Alan Holdsworth style but he still has his own sound ,Bill Connors isnt for everyone's ears,most of my non-guitar or instrument friends cant relate to this,they say its noise,too notey ,but for me His palying talks to my ears ,I have all his CD's and they are all great Wish I could see him play live, always has great bass players and Kim Plainfield on drums is good also
You're absolutely right. Bill gives you the cerebral sophistication of Holdsworth, but he's more connected to the earthy sexiness of rock. Step It, Double Up, and Assembler give you the best of both worlds. Noise? Can't your friends hear those chord voicings?! I wish more guitarists thought the way Bill and Allan do...
it is so....eighties sounding, you might say? I don´t know what happened in the 80´s but it seems everybody was using guitars that sound so...eighties. For instance what Tina Turner song´s guitars sound like, or in "Heartbeat" by Don Johnson...not a Fender but something not recognizable. Maybe guitarists were moving away from those, but I´m glad Fender carried on. Really don´t know how to describe it, but there are many songs whose guitar sounds very 80´s.
But, instead of obsessing on having to label the decade in which songs come from, how about actually listening to the music, the phrasing, the choice of notes, enjoy the music itself?
I can't bring myself, as a musician, to think like "Oh, this is soooo '80s!". It's so shallow!
Bill's playing on Stanley Clarke's "Life Suite" from his first solo album, is one of the most passionate spiritual solos I have ever heard on an electric guitar. He's one of my all time favorite guitarists.
God give a great value to symbols for this who make music metal end for fall under the curse To avoid corruption of the young and to protect his many friends who are metal "lorenzojhwh"states that from now symbol of the metal are the flowers everyone choose his flower and he is happy rich blessed full of friends and women. Why falling to death under the misfortune of the Satanists and give up all this happiness that God wants give to you filling of fragrant flowers the your hands?God bless you
wow! thanks for posting this..I have the soundpage but never have been able to listen to it..Bill Connors is a true artist..I love reading the comments here. I am so happy that there are others who appreciate his musical artistry. I am a student of his...Return is amazing by the way ,,I highly recommend it. It's still very fusion-ish, but more with a traditional jazz tone. Bill doesn't seem to acknowledge his legato stuff. I think he prob feels like he took it too far in the AH direction
A good friend was kind enough to give me the issue of G.P. with the sound page years ago. Unfotunately the disc had a slight bend in it and I could never get recording from it that didn't skip LOL!
Bill's pretty amazing. Too bad the comparison's to Allan Holdworth during this period have dogged him all these years. Step It, Double Up & Assembler are all fine albums.
It does sound like Tom Kennedy, a bass player that Bill has been very faithful to, over the years, in his awesome CDs "step it", "assembler" and "double up".
I think Connors retired from the music business. I can't find any of his tracks from his follow up CDs on YouTube.
No he did a CD in 2005 so he is still around, I think it was more straight ahead jazz without distortion, it got good reviews but I didn't buy it. He used to have web page with some sheet music (from assembler I think) and some Coltrane studies like similar to Pat Martinos. I downloaded some of it back in 2006.
I actually don't mind that he sounded like Holdsworth, I love his style too!
I can tell the differences between the two: Holdsworth has a more "futuristic" style, and I love his use of the guitar synth, while Connors' phrasing, while somewhat similar to Holldsworth, is a little jazzier and raw-er, and built usually on jazzier, more fusion-like chord progressions....they're both really good at what they do, and much of their music is very enjoyable.
Yes I agree they both have a lot to offer musically, but Holdsworth has recorded many albums, as opposed to Connors, who had only recorded only 3 or 4 in his name, and I read somewhere he's an avid surfer, so he probably chooses to spend all of his time somewhere, here in Florida, or maybe California, catching waves, instead of embarking in the huge journey that recording a CD worth of music really is....
I read that same article in Guitar Player It's from around the time Allan's Secret's album was realeased. He didn't say he didn't like that Connors seemed to had borrowed from him stylistically. He stated that it was unfortunate. Especially since Bill had already established a voice of his own on the instrument.
In the same article he did pay complement to Bill's playing on Stanley Clarke's 1st solo album. I
I think i still have it at my parents house those flexi disks were great, they did Cliffs of a Dover around the same time period, I think there was a Steve Vai one and some classical guitar disks (Nikita Koshkin and Jorge Morel)
I much prefer this to the three albums on which he essentially copied Holdsworth. This cut is an example what he should have been doing. I remember the Soundpage in GP when it came out.
ThePmfan 5 days ago
Sad that Bill Conners didn't make a greater foray into being seen and appreciated for his talents.. I have always loved Conners playing from the last 20+ years. Never had a chance to see him play because of his choice of being obscure from the public's eye. Huuumm... Sounds like me. A guitar player who has hid his talents under a "bushel basket"..Only myself to blame. Sorry for venting...
BGoldtone 2 weeks ago
Thank you so much for posting this. I had the original Guitar Player 'Soundpage' back in 1985, but lost it somewhere. This is a real find.
JAMES
Eoraptor1 4 months ago
Comment removed
WoWintosh 10 months ago
Great..He's always claimed one of his goals was to fuse Clapton and Coltrane together and then some,also as seen in some of his RTF videos, he's one of the precursors of sweep picking.
tiluriso 10 months ago
wow, this is great! never heard this before, thank you
britbluesfan 10 months ago
Unbelievably excellent.. How do you play so fast and melodicly. Wow!
streb9 1 year ago
Great stuff..I just wish that, at least the first time around, he'd played the original theme note for note,(5-b7-1-b3-1-b7-1....rather than 5-b7-1-b3-4-b3-1....). Variations are cool, but theme and variations are where it's at. I know I'm nit-picking, but I really mean it. Was it a way out of paying royalites?
lazur1 1 year ago
the multitrack approach is pretty interesting.
kevinm4435 1 year ago
When I was a kid in the 70s' I listened to Bill Conners and he sounded like Bill Conners. In the 80s' I thought he sounded like Bill Conners trying to sound like Allan Holdsworth. Who could blame him? I was trying to sound like that too.
Then I thought about a guitar player they called the unknown John Clark and wondered' maybe that's why he's unknown.
msawbe 2 years ago
Completly and totally amazing, Mr. Connors is a certified guitar master. His tone is so gorgeous and his choice of runs is exquisite.
corredorcallejero 2 years ago 3
@corredorcallejero Great holistic bands are---Melting Euphoria, Ozric Tentacles, Gong, Mother Gong, Acid Mother's Gong, Magma, Aphrodities Child, Jade Warrior, Steve Tibbetts, Patrick Bernard, Lost at Last, Larry Coryell, Shakti, Oregon, Kazumi Watanabe, Toninho Horta, Egberto Gismonti, Eat Static, System 7, Lisa Gerrard, Dead Can Dance, Magma, Sphongle, Bill Laswell, Stomu Yamashta, Here and Now band, Steve Hillage.
countdumas 1 year ago
This is VERY good.
Chromatype 2 years ago 6
Obviously, this is great. Is it an outtake from Step It, Double Up, or Assembler?
Modes9 2 years ago
It was specially commissioned by GP mag not long after the release of Step It. Thanks for stopping by!
jjmc60 2 years ago
If you can't appreciate jazz fusion, you will never get it. Great interpretation.
dqami 2 years ago 4
Comment removed
kstrat 2 years ago
This is for Guitarists Ears, absolutely Amazing player ,I happen to love his tone and the modes he plays in,alot like Alan Holdsworth style but he still has his own sound ,Bill Connors isnt for everyone's ears,most of my non-guitar or instrument friends cant relate to this,they say its noise,too notey ,but for me His palying talks to my ears ,I have all his CD's and they are all great Wish I could see him play live, always has great bass players and Kim Plainfield on drums is good also
phndude59 2 years ago 4
Comment removed
kstrat 2 years ago
You're absolutely right. Bill gives you the cerebral sophistication of Holdsworth, but he's more connected to the earthy sexiness of rock. Step It, Double Up, and Assembler give you the best of both worlds. Noise? Can't your friends hear those chord voicings?! I wish more guitarists thought the way Bill and Allan do...
Modes9 2 years ago
Everyone giving negative comments should post a video of your playing so we can hear how its really done.
temdatli 2 years ago 6
Comment removed
highintel 2 years ago
Comment removed
highintel 2 years ago
bad timing have to go....ahhh..infecting my ears
highintel 2 years ago
Your ears are already infected- they belong to a dope.
whistlindick 2 years ago 18
hehe...well, It made me smile even if you are ill willed. Kinda funny :)
highintel 2 years ago 19
sorry, but, i don't like this version of the song :(
it's... i can't describe.. :(
brokendreamsblvd 2 years ago
it is so....eighties sounding, you might say? I don´t know what happened in the 80´s but it seems everybody was using guitars that sound so...eighties. For instance what Tina Turner song´s guitars sound like, or in "Heartbeat" by Don Johnson...not a Fender but something not recognizable. Maybe guitarists were moving away from those, but I´m glad Fender carried on. Really don´t know how to describe it, but there are many songs whose guitar sounds very 80´s.
lalbruiz 2 years ago
But, instead of obsessing on having to label the decade in which songs come from, how about actually listening to the music, the phrasing, the choice of notes, enjoy the music itself?
I can't bring myself, as a musician, to think like "Oh, this is soooo '80s!". It's so shallow!
vampiroangelico 2 years ago 2
Every guitar player needs BC's "Step It" cd...unreal playing this Soundpage is what turned me on to him..he will always be one of the "cats" to me.
talpajam 2 years ago 2
Even if it isn't very original, he deserves a ton of credit for being able to play that well in that style...especially back in the mid-80's.
Modes9 2 years ago 2
Comment removed
sraaficionada 2 years ago
My cat just woke up and ran out the door. I agree with him!
This is not Bill's best playing...sort like a Steve Vai approach...overkill.
His best was his solo acoustic ECM and work with Jan Garbarek...unique.
Rexicano 2 years ago
Bill's playing on Stanley Clarke's "Life Suite" from his first solo album, is one of the most passionate spiritual solos I have ever heard on an electric guitar. He's one of my all time favorite guitarists.
Manolian 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
God give a great value to symbols for this who make music metal end for fall under the curse To avoid corruption of the young and to protect his many friends who are metal "lorenzojhwh"states that from now symbol of the metal are the flowers everyone choose his flower and he is happy rich blessed full of friends and women. Why falling to death under the misfortune of the Satanists and give up all this happiness that God wants give to you filling of fragrant flowers the your hands?God bless you
humanumgenus 2 years ago
wow! thanks for posting this..I have the soundpage but never have been able to listen to it..Bill Connors is a true artist..I love reading the comments here. I am so happy that there are others who appreciate his musical artistry. I am a student of his...Return is amazing by the way ,,I highly recommend it. It's still very fusion-ish, but more with a traditional jazz tone. Bill doesn't seem to acknowledge his legato stuff. I think he prob feels like he took it too far in the AH direction
sonicplayg 2 years ago 3
I'm gonna upload 2 tracks of this wonderful guitarist, one from Step It and one from Return..
WasyMusicPower 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this.
A good friend was kind enough to give me the issue of G.P. with the sound page years ago. Unfotunately the disc had a slight bend in it and I could never get recording from it that didn't skip LOL!
Bill's pretty amazing. Too bad the comparison's to Allan Holdworth during this period have dogged him all these years. Step It, Double Up & Assembler are all fine albums.
kstrat 2 years ago 3
une ambiance a la Return to Forever.
WasyMusicPower 2 years ago
Is it Dave Weckl on drums and Tom Kennedy on bass as on his CD "step it"?
vampiroangelico 3 years ago
The bass player is Tom Kennedy; the drummer is Richie Moralaes according to Guitar Player Mag. lol
jjmc60 3 years ago
It does sound like Tom Kennedy, a bass player that Bill has been very faithful to, over the years, in his awesome CDs "step it", "assembler" and "double up".
I think Connors retired from the music business. I can't find any of his tracks from his follow up CDs on YouTube.
vampiroangelico 3 years ago
No he did a CD in 2005 so he is still around, I think it was more straight ahead jazz without distortion, it got good reviews but I didn't buy it. He used to have web page with some sheet music (from assembler I think) and some Coltrane studies like similar to Pat Martinos. I downloaded some of it back in 2006.
SonicArchives 2 years ago
WOW, it's just like he disappeared....I can't find any of his music on LimeWire....
I love his phrasing, he has been a major influence on my playing, and I owned all of the CDs I mentioned, but with moving and all, they got lost....
vampiroangelico 2 years ago
Amazon has his CD's
But his web page is down
At least I could not find it.
Yes I am big fan of him as well, but his career took a hit after leaving Return to Forever
Sometime fusion artists struggle because it is neither jazz nor rock.
I am pretty sure Return is fantastic so his chops are still good. Actually I prefer his clean sound he sounded too much like Holdsworth for a while.
SonicArchives 2 years ago
I actually don't mind that he sounded like Holdsworth, I love his style too!
I can tell the differences between the two: Holdsworth has a more "futuristic" style, and I love his use of the guitar synth, while Connors' phrasing, while somewhat similar to Holldsworth, is a little jazzier and raw-er, and built usually on jazzier, more fusion-like chord progressions....they're both really good at what they do, and much of their music is very enjoyable.
vampiroangelico 2 years ago
yeah i agree you could tell them apart
I read somewhere that holdsworth didn't like it, Conners did some nylon-string stuff too so he had alot to offer musically
SonicArchives 2 years ago
You read that Holdsworth didn't like Connors?
Yes I agree they both have a lot to offer musically, but Holdsworth has recorded many albums, as opposed to Connors, who had only recorded only 3 or 4 in his name, and I read somewhere he's an avid surfer, so he probably chooses to spend all of his time somewhere, here in Florida, or maybe California, catching waves, instead of embarking in the huge journey that recording a CD worth of music really is....
vampiroangelico 2 years ago
Yes he didn't like him doing his style; I think it was in guitar player mag.
This was back in the 80's. Allan is a bit unrealistic to think people he is not going to influence others.
I agree with you though they were easy to tell apart, Joaquin Lievano was another guitarist who was high-quality but did have good sales.
SonicArchives 2 years ago
I read that same article in Guitar Player It's from around the time Allan's Secret's album was realeased. He didn't say he didn't like that Connors seemed to had borrowed from him stylistically. He stated that it was unfortunate. Especially since Bill had already established a voice of his own on the instrument.
In the same article he did pay complement to Bill's playing on Stanley Clarke's 1st solo album. I
kstrat 2 years ago 3
@jjmc60 Dave Weckl played on the CD Step It.
vampiroangelico 1 year ago
Great post!!.I was sure i had heard nearly all of the available and bootleg stuff.This is great, Cheers!!.
sentinelone 3 years ago 2
wow!!! A blast from the past!
A friend of mine drove to NYC just to be mentored by Bill Connors. It worked out for a good while.
Right around 2:59 , right to the end... it blows me away.
73rs 3 years ago 2
Thanks for posting this!
Shreddy13 3 years ago 2
Awesome! Where does this come from? I discovered BC in NYC in 1984, and I've never seen or heard this. Thanks.
ToddGilmore 3 years ago
It was a free flexi disc in Guitar Player Magazine which I managed to get a reasonable recording from. Glad you enjoyed it!
jjmc60 3 years ago
You have Cliffs of a Dover on flexi disk?
SonicArchives 2 years ago
No, sorry. This was the only track (and there was no B-side).
jjmc60 2 years ago
I think i still have it at my parents house those flexi disks were great, they did Cliffs of a Dover around the same time period, I think there was a Steve Vai one and some classical guitar disks (Nikita Koshkin and Jorge Morel)
SonicArchives 2 years ago