Post by: Billy Yates on August 20, 2007, 09:08:03 PM
I was born a poor white...OOPS, wrong script...
My name is Billy Yates. I hail from Macon Ga and have resided in Venice Ca for 10 years. I live in the canals and happy to say that Ed Cherney is my neighbor...cool hood for sure. Haven't borrowed any sugar from him but he did mix sound for one of our backyard parties! After my last gig playing guitar for the Outlaws, I just walked away from the biz...sick of the usual crap. I sold my studio content with never seeing another tape machine ever again.
Years later, the addiction returns along with a Studer and a renovated building in Culver City. My hopeless addiction to audio excellence brought me here. My 2/12 year journey of building a studio has re-invigorated my musical life. This has been a natural progression from running a guitar amplifier repair/building business, always dealing with the guys who make the music you and I listen to every day. What can I say? Life is short. Now I lust after Neve 1073's instead of 57 Strats. I love building amps and my client list is pretty cool but the music is what matters. The studio is cookin. My first client was Mavis Staple & Rick Holmstrom. Just rehearsals but I did record it.
Now enter Pro Tools HD and a tape dinosaur like myself. I love it...you're never too old to learn. The challenge is intoxicating. You guys are keeping it real here and I want you to know I appreciate that. Now I embark on the PT certification course from Chilito at AGI in Santa Monica...I gotta catch up!
You guys dusted my broom and at the same time washed my windows...the vision is clear, jump in and get dirty and make music. Its my turn to wash the windows and keep the vision clear myself. Meanwhile the thermionic transfer is glowing in my mind, ultimately turning into 0's & 1's. It is true, its all in the transformers...Have Mercy
You guys rock! Thanks for having me aboard.
Billy Yates
Shameless abuser of solder...of course its a drug!
Post by: phantom309 on August 20, 2007, 09:14:33 PM
Welcome!
A cover band I was in as a kid used to play "Holiday" and "Green Grass....." for a good many gigs. We only had TWO lead players in that band tho! I grew up in Steve Gains country (north eastern Oklahoma till I was 13) and had that whole scene around me in spades.
"Holiday" was a great record. What was your guitar set-up in those days?
David.
Post by: mcsnare on August 20, 2007, 09:17:21 PM
Good to hear your passion for music has returned. Rick H. is a badass master of the blues and beyond and what can you say about Mavis? Pure soulfulness and such a sweetheart. Say hey to Ed C. for me.
Rock On,
Dave McNair
Post by: Billy Yates on August 20, 2007, 09:28:28 PM
| phantom309 wrote on Mon, 20 August 2007 20:14 |
Hey Billy, Welcome! A cover band I was in as a kid used to play "Holiday" and "Green Grass....." for a good many gigs. We only had TWO lead players in that band tho! I grew up in Steve Gains country (north eastern Oklahoma till I was 13) and had that whole scene around me in spades. "Holiday" was a great record. What was your guitar set-up in those days? David. |
Funny you ask that...
I joined the group in 1988 right after I left "Doc Holliday" and I started with a 50 watt Marshall and a Stratocaster. That did not work. I ended up with a Les Paul Custom (black, of course) and a Boogie MKIIC...dreadful now,(the boogie) but cool back then. I played all of Billy Jones' parts. That lasted 2 years but it almost killed me. After I left, my good friend Toy Caldwell died and I realized I had made the right choice.
I loved Steve Gaines. He was the best guitarist Skynyrd ever had including my old boss, Hughie Thomasson. When I worked at Capricorn Studios, I had the fortune of finding a bunch of tape that was in the vault that included the material from his posthumous release "One from the Sun"...my god what a guitarist and sang his ass off too. Such a tragic loss.
Billy Yates
Post by: Kendrix on August 20, 2007, 09:45:50 PM
Welcome to one of the best places on the web.
Thanks for your high energy posts.
...just dont be starting any threads about analog versus digital.
Post by: phantom309 on August 20, 2007, 10:10:42 PM
| Billy Yates wrote on Mon, 20 August 2007 19:28 | ||
Funny you ask that... I joined the group in 1988 right after I left "Doc Holliday" and I started with a 50 watt Marshall and a Stratocaster. That did not work. I ended up with a Les Paul Custom (black, of course) and a Boogie MKIIC...dreadful now,(the boogie) but cool back then. I played all of Billy Jones' parts. That lasted 2 years but it almost killed me. After I left, my good friend Toy Caldwell died and I realized I had made the right choice. I loved Steve Gaines. He was the best guitarist Skynyrd ever had including my old boss, Hughie Thomasson. When I worked at Capricorn Studios, I had the fortune of finding a bunch of tape that was in the vault that included the material from his posthumous release "One from the Sun"...my god what a guitarist and sang his ass off too. Such a tragic loss. Billy Yates |
Steve was a legend in our town. He came out of Miami Ok. and played the Tulsa circuit quite a bit before getting the Skynyrd gig. "I Know A Little" is a great example of his Stratocaster mastery.
So you've played this progression about a trillion times?: Em/C/G/D/A
Post by: Bill Mueller on August 20, 2007, 11:04:08 PM
Welcome to Whatever Works. I believe you are going to add a wealth of knowledge and experience to our group.
Best Regards,
Bill
Post by: Billy Yates on August 20, 2007, 11:24:07 PM
| phantom309 wrote on Mon, 20 August 2007 21:10 | ||||
Steve was a legend in our town. He came out of Miami Ok. and played the Tulsa circuit quite a bit before getting the Skynyrd gig. "I Know A Little" is a great example of his Stratocaster mastery. So you've played this progression about a trillion times?: Em/C/G/D/A |
Hell Yes!!! Who wouldn't want to? That thing shreds!
Paul Rothschild produced the first Outlaws record and it was brilliant. You know why...just like Tres Hombres, simple and straightforward with an attitude. They were very well rehearsed when they cut that record and it shows. The artists and the engineer/producer being in sync and having mutual responsibility for its outcome. To me, that makes a record a record. There is a saying that I coined from my mentor, Tad Bush...RIP,
"There is a difference in making a record...do you want to make a record or jerk off?"
I have to laugh at that because its so true. How many releases do you hear during the course of year, or years do you actually connect with the process and say yea, that whole record is good?
From my backyard, it ain't often enough. I would love to see a trend where artists take the time to go beyond their abilities and take the time to do it right. Don't get me wrong here, many do but not enough of us get to hear about it and certainly not on radio. Gosh, I hope I don't sound too crass here on that one but it seems that way
Post by: phantom309 on August 20, 2007, 11:56:16 PM
| Billy Yates wrote on Mon, 20 August 2007 21:24 | ||||||
Hell Yes!!! Who wouldn't want to? That thing shreds! Paul Rothschild produced the first Outlaws record and it was brilliant. You know why...just like Tres Hombres, simple and straightforward with an attitude. They were very well rehearsed when they cut that record and it shows. The artists and the engineer/producer being in sync and having mutual responsibility for its outcome. To me, that makes a record a record. There is a saying that I coined from my mentor, Tad Bush...RIP, "There is a difference in making a record...do you want to make a record or jerk off?" I have to laugh at that because its so true. How many releases do you hear during the course of year, or years do you actually connect with the process and say yea, that whole record is good? From my backyard, it ain't often enough. I would love to see a trend where artists take the time to go beyond their abilities and take the time to do it right. Don't get me wrong here, many do but not enough of us get to hear about it and certainly not on radio. Gosh, I hope I don't sound too crass here on that one but it seems that way |
There are damned few records that are perfect packages for me....but that's one of them. Another I was listening to this afternoon: Captain Beyond's first. Every track means something important to the whole. That seems to be missing these days. Just as well that the LP/CD format is going the way of the Dodo.
Anyway, looking forward to your contributions here.
Post by: Billy Yates on August 21, 2007, 12:00:58 AM
Captain Beyond..."I can feel nothing" supposedly written about Duane Allman. Brilliant. I love that album. I haven't heard it in over 25 years. Good score! Is it out on CD? Import?
Billy Yates
Post by: phantom309 on August 21, 2007, 12:08:47 AM
| Billy Yates wrote on Mon, 20 August 2007 22:00 |
Oh yea... Captain Beyond..."I can feel nothing" supposedly written about Duane Allman. Brilliant. I love that album. I haven't heard it in over 25 years. Good score! Is it out on CD? Import? Billy Yates |
Import only, but I managed to find a second copy for a buddy of mine. I'll keep my eyes peeled for you. Sometimes on Ebay. Crazy good guitar playing on that album for sure. Another Capricorn release, I think.
Seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjN5K2aEh3k
Post by: maxim on August 21, 2007, 03:39:37 AM
some of my favourite records were produced by that man
he really knew how to showcase the MUSIC
welcome to the madness...
Post by: jwhynot on August 21, 2007, 04:55:16 AM
Cheerio and welcome!
JW
Post by: Daniel Farris on August 21, 2007, 06:09:33 AM
Anybody know what either of those guys is up to these days?
DF
Post by: Billy Yates on August 21, 2007, 12:05:00 PM
| Daniel Farris wrote on Tue, 21 August 2007 05:09 |
All this talk of Capricorn reminds me of my old acquaintances Jonny Sandlin and G Scott Walden. Anybody know what either of those guys is up to these days? DF |
Johnny Sandlin is still around. Look him up on YouTube. He's been involved with some of the cats from Sea Level and Bonnie Bramblett.
Davis Causey (Sea Level) called me up a while back looking for a BF Super Reverb. He said the new band was doing great. On a sad note, one of my favorite guitarists, Jimmy Nalls is not doing well. He has come down with Hodgskin's Disease. He's living in Nashville. He plays occasionally but his stamina is low. What a shame. I hope he hangs in there. In a way, Sea Level was a groundbreaking group. Though short lived, they had an impact on music. It was a spring board for Chuck Leavel after the 1st demise of the Allman Brothers Band. I had the immense honor of having him guest on my last record and he really played his ass off. He now plays with the Stones. Nice gig eh?
As for G. Scott Walden, I am not sure. I know that Phil Walden's son took over the record label before Phil died. Good thing too...Phil loved to spend money on his houses! What a shame on him. He was a real Maverick in the business.
His brother Alan, was my first publisher. I also bought my first recording studio gear from him. It was installed right next door to Capricorn Studios in Macon. We had tie lines going to the patch bay at Capricorn...to the EMT 140's & the EMT 250!!!
That place was a riot. Oh, the stories I could tell. Its too bad that Capricorn fell into such dis-array. It was a wonderful place.
Billy Yates
Post by: RSettee on August 21, 2007, 01:30:29 PM
Post by: Fibes on August 21, 2007, 01:38:23 PM
Do you miss the H&H or Honey Bears?
Late nights at the Yellow Rose?
Post by: Billy Yates on August 21, 2007, 02:36:30 PM
| Fibes wrote on Tue, 21 August 2007 12:38 |
Welcome from a Savannah boy. Do you miss the H&H or Honey Bears? Late nights at the Yellow Rose? |
Hell yessssss!
Mama Louise and the H&H, best greens ever! I never did the rose.
You see, Larry who ran the joint used to be the manager for Nashville South, which I played numerous times. Rumor had it that he had a hand in the arson that burned it down. I got my start with Mike "Goose" Goodrich in the Macon Country Band. He actually got me into recording first before Tad Bush. He was the engineer for Starday King Studios in Macon way back in the day. He recorded James Brown and whole slew of folks in that funky old studio. They had a live chamber in the basement that sounded great. It was located on the Jeffersonville Hwy just outside of Macon. The last time I saw that building, it was just a shell. What a shame.
Goose told me this story which cracked me up...
James Brown was in the studio with the band warming up while Goose was patching things up. When the band started into a number, James stopped the band and yelled at Goose..."Hey, White boy, gimmie some scratch!" Goose was flummoxed. What the hell does scratch mean? he asked. James responded..."REVERB MAN, REVERB!" Later after the sessions, James told Goose "You done good boy, made me proud" He tipped him 5 bucks.
If you knew James, you can imagine how hilarious this was.
Goose also introduced me to Dave Harrison. What a gentleman he was. At the time I didn't realize the impact that Dave had on the design of modern recording consoles. Of course that brings up Jeep Harned & Dan Flickinger but thats another story for another day. BTW, I was in the house band at Whiskey River too.
Its nice to hear from some Southerners here.
Billy Yates