Earl Slick

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Earl Slick at a New York Dolls performance in Manchester on March 29, 2011

Earl Slick (born October 1, 1952 in Brooklyn , New York City ; real name Frank Madeloni ) is an American rock guitarist and composer, best known for his collaborations with David Bowie , John Lennon , Yoko Ono , Robert Smith and Ian Hunter became famous. In addition, he released several solo albums.

Life

Slick comes from an Italian-American working-class family with roots in Bari , grew up in Red Hook and Staten Island , and began playing the guitar at the age of 12 without ever taking any serious lessons. Slick was inspired by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones . The fact that his father didn't like one or the other was just another incentive for him, and so he ultimately taught himself to play the guitar. He first became a member of various school bands where he played at school events and private parties. Towards the end of his high school days, still underage, Slick began to play in bars and pubs, where his friend Henry M. "Hank" DeVito, a well-known pedal steel guitarist, introduced him to Michael Kamen , who made him one of his Took his wing and got him auditions. In the early 1970s, Slick began making a name for himself on the New York music scene. In 1974 Michael Kamen introduced him to David Bowie, whose band leader Kamen was at the time. Bowie needed a successor to Mick Ronson and Slick got his post as lead guitarist for the Diamond Dogs tour. During the tour, Bowie's live album David Live was recorded in Philadelphia . Subsequently, Slick worked on Bowie's next studio albums, Young Americans (1975) and Station to Station (1976). However, he then no longer accompanied Bowie on his station-to-station tour due to intrigues between Bowies and Slicks own management.

Instead, Slick released the albums Razor Sharp and Earl Slick Band in 1976 with his own Earl Slick Band . At the same time he worked on Leo Sayer's album Endless Flight (1976). In addition, Slick worked with Ian Hunter , the former frontman of the British rock band Mott the Hoople , on his third solo album Overnight Angels (1977), which he missed a new, harder guitar sound and for which he also worked as a songwriter. In 1981 he was a member of the band Silver Condor , with whom he released the debut album of the same name. Slick later toured with Scottish singer Jim Diamond as the duo Slick Diamond and also appeared on his debut album Double Crossed in 1985 .

With John Lennon, who knew Slick through David Bowie and working together in the studio on Song Fame , and Yoko Ono, Slick recorded Double Fantasy , which was released in 1980 as Lennon's last studio album during his lifetime. He also worked on the sequel Milk and Honey , which Yoko Ono did not bring out until 1984 after Lennon's death. He also played her solo album Season of Glass (1981) with Yoko Ono .

In 1983 David Bowie brought him back to his band for the Serious Moonlight tour almost overnight to replace Stevie Ray Vaughan , who had canceled shortly before the tour started after an unsuccessful power struggle between his management and Bowie's to renegotiate his contract. Earl Slick only stayed two days at that time to learn the complete concert program of the tour.

After the tour Slick participated in the album Box of Frogs (1984) by the British rock band of the same name and in the EP Distortion (1984) by the Californian band Game Theory (there under the pseudonym Ernie Smith). He also worked with the British rock singer John Waite and founded his new band Phantom, Rocker & Slick in September 1984 with the drummer Slim Jim Phantom and the bassist Lee Rocker , who had already played together with the Stray Cats . The band released two albums, Phantom, Rocker & Slick (1985) and Cover Girl (1986). For the first of these albums, Slick had the highly esteemed ("The inspiration for me to stay a guitar player has been Keith Richards, my entire career.") Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards for a collaboration, what Slick as one of his most formative experiences. Between the two “Phantom, Rocker & Slick” albums, Slick also worked with Carl Perkins , Eric Clapton , former Beatles members George Harrison and Ringo Starr and various other pop and rock greats at the London concert “ Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session ”, which was recorded live on British television channel Channel 4 on October 21, 1985 and broadcast on the following New Year's Day. In 1987 an album with the French chansonnier Jacques Dutronc followed - CQFD… utronc .

In 1990 Slick worked with David Glen Eisley and his band Dirty White Boy for their album Bad Reputation . In the following two years he was guitarist for the California hard rock band Little Caesar . He was also involved in Michael Kamen's score for Hudson Hawk - The Master Thief and Valkenvania - The Wonderful World of Madness , both of which appeared in 1991. In parallel, Slick released another solo album, In your face (1991).

After a break in the early 90s, Slick's solo album Lost and Found was released in 1998 by his own record company, Slick Music, Inc., which he has now founded. Neill had been lost and was only found by him more than twenty years later.

Slick next played David Coverdale ( Deep Purple ) with his new album Into the Light , which was released in 2000. Then Slick worked again for David Bowie, who needed a successor to his guitarist Reeves Gabrels. Slick recorded the two albums Heathen (2002) and Reality (2003) with Bowie , went on his A Reality tour with him and was involved in the DVD and the double CD , which were recorded live during the tour.

In 2003 Slick's current solo album Zig Zag was released , on which u. a. David Bowie, Robert Smith ( The Cure ), Joe Elliott ( Def Leppard ), Roy Langdon ( Spacehog ), the musicians who are also associated with Bowie Mark Plati (engineering) and Sterling Campbell (drums), but also Slick's son Lee John Madeloni (drums ) participated.

In 2006 Slick founded the band The Eons with singer-songwriter Jeff Saphin and also became a member of the punk rock band Slinky Vagabonds . Slinky Vagabonds took its name from a line of text by David Bowies Young Americans ("Scanning life through the picture window, she finds a slinky vagabond") and consisted of Slick, the sex pistols bassist Glen Matlock , and longtime Blondie drummer Clem Burke and the musician and fashion designer Keanan Duffy as singer.

In 2010 Slick worked together with his colleagues from David Bowie's band, Gail Ann Dorsey (bass) and Sterling Campbell (drums), on the album Anik Jean by the Canadian rock singer of the same name. In 2011, Slick joined the New York Dolls as lead guitarist for their UK tour.

In 2013 Earl Slick worked on David Bowie's penultimate studio album, The Next Day .

In May 2015 Slick became guitarist of the British rock band The Yardbirds as the successor to Anthony "Top" Topham , but left the band after a few months. In the same year Slick worked on Jerry Gaskill's ( King's X ) solo album Love & Scars and then devoted himself to the collaboration with the long-time Rolling Stones background singer Bernard Fowler, with whom he toured several times from 2016, about the Bowie -To bring the album Station to Station on stage in full length, which Bowie had no objection to either.

In February 2016, Slick took part in a concert as part of the BRIT Awards , in which the recently deceased David Bowie was commemorated. On January 8, 2017, Slick performed with various other David Bowie band members at a sold out memorial concert at the Brixton Academy in Bowie's birthplace, Brixton, on the occasion of David Bowie's 70th birthday.

This concert later developed into a permanent arrangement, which, under the direction of Bowie's long-time pianist Mike Garson, is now on tour worldwide under the title "A Bowie Celebration" and with the help of a group of regular and guest singers Bowie's work is continued by his long-time instrumental musicians brings it live on stage. Slick said goodbye to this project after the tour in 2019, because he saw no point in continuing these tours in this form more than three years after Bowie's death, and now wanted to turn to his own projects again.

In July 2017, the BBC showed the documentary Rock'n Roll Guns for Hire: The Story of the Sideman , hosted by Earl Slick , in which the tasks and the "job description" of the band musician as a constant companion of a world star are presented, with exemplary contributions about Bernard Fowler ( The Rolling Stones ), Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman ( Prince ), Crystal Taliefero ( Billy Joel ), Steve Cropper ( Otis Redding ) and of course Earl Slick himself, whom the online magazine uDiscoverMusic counts as one of the ten best band musicians in rock music . Slick also regularly gives courses at music schools for up-and-coming guitarists.

In August 2018, Glen Matlock's new album Good to Go was released , on which Earl Slick can also be heard together with his former bandmate Slim Jim Phantom . Since then, Slick has been touring with Glen Matlock, bassist Jim Lowe and drummer Chris Musto.

Slick was married from 1978 to Jean Millington, the bassist of the women's rock band Fanny , whom he had met through David Bowie. With her, he has a daughter (* 1979) who works as a photographer and son Lee John Madeloni (* 1985, drummer, among others in the band SayReal ), who also frequently performs with his father. Slick lives in Pine Bush, north of New York City .

style

Earl Slick is a blues guitarist who prefers to play blues rock and hard rock . Occasionally he also performs with acoustic guitar, but prefers the electric models. He also plays slide guitar , e.g. B. on the albums Razor Sharp , Overnight Angels , Bad Reputation or as a guest on the debut album of the same name by the Californian rock band Junkyard .

Slick has earned a reputation as one of the most versatile guitarists of his genre, as a thoroughbred musician with a powerful style of playing, great musical intuition and the ability to use the technical possibilities of his instruments perfectly to carry the audience away emotionally and the musical ideas of his respective front people to include your own handwriting.

David Sinclair writes in Classic Rock : “Slick turned out to be the lead guitarist of sovereign performance and the spirit of a privateer… Slick knocked out the sounds and solos that mark him as a world-class artist… Slick's style of playing combines tried and tested references to lead guitar with an unadulterated sense of expanded Limits of sound experiments… "Heinz Rebellius adds in Guitar & Bass :" Earl Slick has had to replace guitarists a few times who had made big marks in their respective bands. And what distinguishes this Earl Slick is that he was always able to not only survive in the big shoes of his predecessors, but also to leave a distinctive stamp ... Earl Slick is a rock guitarist as he is in the book! A fat sound, a low-hanging guitar and a tangled hairstyle including sunglasses cannot lie. His powerful guitar playing is perhaps best documented in the song Stay by David Bowie, to whose band he has repeatedly returned over the course of his career. Stay is a Bowie classic, and for once it's not the singer but the guitarist! ”Joe Bosso writes in MusicRadar about the“ boldly inventive guitar playing by Earl Slick ”, who“ spreads buckets of fiery colors across The Next Day ” and "a solid crash and rousing structures contribute to an album that is definitely one of the strongest of 2013".

equipment

Guitars

Earl Slick has an extensive collection of acoustic and electric guitars, ranging from western guitars and gypsy jazz guitars to semi-acoustic and massive electric models. Although performed on right-handed guitars, Slick is also capable of playing on left-handed models.

In 1970, Slick bought an acoustic Gibson J-45, series 1968, as one of his very first guitars . a. used on David Bowie's albums Young Americans and Station to Station , as well as on Lennon's albums Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey . However, Earl Slick began touring with David Bowie in 1974 with a 1965 Gibson SG Junior.

Slick has been an advertising ambassador for the German guitar manufacturer Framus since 2010 . First he played a semi-acoustic Framus Mayfield guitar from their production (which was used, among other things, as a rhythm guitar on Bowie's album The Next Day ). In 2011, Slick and Framus released the Earl Slick signature electric guitar. In 2012 Gibson gave him a J-200M Trophy75th Anniversary acoustic guitar, which Slick also received. a. used on Bowie's album The Next Day .

Earl Slick also owns one of the Supro Dual Tone David Bowie signature guitars, which was produced in a limited edition of only 300 pieces.

Overall, Slick prefers solid, simple guitars of classic design with a rather bright sound and no "frills".

Strings

When it comes to guitar strings, Slick relies on d'Addario's material, both for his electric and acoustic guitars.

amplifier

Slick used u. a. Orange AD30 tops, and four of them at once, whereby each guitar amplifier has its own box (two on 4x12 Orange boxes with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers with ceramic magnets and the other two on stacked Orange 2x12 boxes with Celestion Gold Speakers with Alnico magnets). Slick also uses an Ampeg VT-22 100-watt 2x12 "guitar combo amplifier, but not on tours. Earl Slick is currently using the Sommatone amplifier Slick 18 specially developed for him, Ruby Riot amplifiers from Framus and amplifiers from Supro .

Pedals

Earl Slick started at David Bowie with an MXR Phase 90 pedal, which he used with his Gibson SG Junior and a 100-watt Marshall half-stack amplifier. In 2018, Chicago- based DareDevil Pedals released the DAISHO Earl Slick Signature Octave Fuzz pedal.

Belts

After returning from the A Reality tour with David Bowie, Earl Slick came across a few simple, unused leather guitar straps in 2004, which he then painted at home and initially used himself. When colleagues approached him and asked him to design some for them, and a first attempt to sell it on the Internet was also promising, the slick straps soon went into series production.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Earl Slick's Internet chat with fans on December 3, 2003. In: BowieWonderworld.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  2. ^ Poorman, Dan: Guitarist Earl Slick: Where Lennon and Bowie come together (interview). In: Syracuse.com. October 7, 2016, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Isn't it evening (The Revolutionary). In: bowiesongs.wordpress.com. February 25, 2015, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Night Watchman (Rose, Erik): Interview with Earl Slick from 2003. In: Tastes Like Chicken Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Interview with Earl Slick. In: Guitar Coach Magazine. June 11, 2015, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Molenda, Michael: Earl Slick's Street Rock Odyssey. In: Guitar Player. January 29, 2014, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  7. ↑ yarborough, chuck: Interview with Earl Slick. In: Cleveland.com. March 8, 2013, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Sinclar, David: “We were out of it, all the time”: Inside David Bowie's Station To Station. In: Classic Rock. March 23, 2016, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  9. ↑ Earl Slick: Mea Culpa. In: Black Country Rock. April 27, 2016, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Description of the album of "Endless Flight". In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Album description of "Overnight Angels". In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Thompson, Dave: Description of the song "Justice of the Peace" from the album "Overnight Angels". In: AllMusdic. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  13. ↑ List of albums from "Silver Condor". In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  14. ^ It's Earl Slick… In: Glasgow Music City Tours. April 24, 2016, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  15. ↑ Description of the album by Jim Diamonds "Double Crossed". In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  16. ↑ David Bowie live 1964-2004, Serious Moonlight Tour. In: Bowielive.net. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  17. ↑ Sinclair, David: "We were out of it, all the time": Inside David Bowie's Station To Station ... In: Classic Rock. March 23, 2016, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  18. ↑ Earl Slick goes from stealing their licks to joining the Yardbirds: 'I following this band from day one'. In: Something Else! May 9, 2015, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  19. ^ Game Theory - Distortion. In: omnivorerecordings.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  20. ↑ Holden, Stephen: Pop: John Waite at the Ritz. In: New York Times. November 29, 1984, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  21. ↑ Tuber, Keith: Slick Rock from Phantom, Rocker & Slick. In: Orange Coast Magazine, January 1986, p. 120. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  22. ↑ Mitchell, Ed: Interview: New York Dolls guitarists Sylvain Sylvain and Earl Slick. In: MusicRadar. May 26, 2011, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  23. ↑ Industry Interview: Earl Slick. In: Internet blog of the Academy of Art University School of Fashion. March 12, 2013, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  24. ↑ Album description of 'CQFDutronc'. In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  25. ↑ Album description of 'Bad Reputation' by "Dirty White Boy". In: Get Ready to Rock! January 16, 2012, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  26. ↑ Night Watchman (Rose, Erik): Interview with Earl Slick. In: Tastes Like Chicken Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  27. ↑ Earl Slick's comment in the booklet of the CD
  28. ↑ Album description of David Coverdale's "Into the Light". In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  29. ↑ Industry Interview: Earl Slick. In: Internet blog of the Academy of Art University School of Fashion. March 12, 2013, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  30. ↑ Album information for "Anik Jean". In: Discogs. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  31. ↑ Mitchell, Ed: Interview: New York Dolls guitarists Sylvain Sylvain and Earl Slick. In: MusicRadar. May 26, 2011, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  32. ↑ Earl Slick goes from stealing their licks to joining the Yardbirds: 'I following this band from day one'. In: Something Else! May 9, 2015, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  33. ^ D'Arcy-Jones, Neil: Earl Slick talks about David Bowie, Station to Station and playing those songs. In: Gazette & Essex County Standard. March 11, 2016, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  34. ↑ A Bowie Celebration - The Band. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  35. ^ Burgess, Mick: Interview with Earl Slick: Guitarist for Glen Matlock - David Bowie - John Lennon. In: Metal Express Radio. July 10, 2019, accessed March 10, 2020 . Contains a link to the audio interview, there from minute 17:30 and from minute 24:23 (English).
  36. ↑ Reynolds, Wyoming: The 10 Best Sidemen in Rock. In: uDiscoverMusic. October 29, 2018, accessed November 4, 2018 .
  37. ↑ Earl Slick Interview. In: Guitar Coach Magazine. June 11, 2015, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  38. ^ Burgess, Mick: Interview with Earl Slick: Guitarist for Glen Matlock - David Bowie - John Lennon. In: Metal Express Radio. July 10, 2019, accessed March 10, 2020 . Contains a link to the audio interview.
  39. ↑ Barton, Geoff: Fanny: The Untold Story Of The Original Queens Of Noise. In: Classic Rock. September 4, 2015, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  40. ^ Interview with Jean Millington. In: classicbands.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  41. ↑ Bosso, Joe: Earl Slick discusses his favorite guitars - At home with Bowie's longtime axeman. In: MusicRadar. March 26, 2013, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  42. ↑ Rockabilly meets David Bowie. In: Elmore Magazine. December 14, 2017, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  43. ↑ Album description of "Junkyard". In: Play it loud! November 9, 2009, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  44. ↑ Sinclair, David: “We were out of it, all the time”: Inside David Bowie's Station to Station. In: Classic Rock. March 23, 2016, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  45. ^ Rebellius, Heinz: Framus Earl Slick Signature HH Bigsby & P90 ST. In: Guitar & Bass. December 18, 2011, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  46. ↑ Bosso, Joe: Earl Slick discusses his favorite guitars - At home with Bowie's longtime axeman. In: MusicRadar. March 26, 2013, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  47. ↑ Self-made video by Earl Slick. In: Earl Slick's official Facebook page. March 31, 2015, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  48. ^ Hall, Russell: Earl Slick on Being "In the Studio" with Rock Giants (Part 2). In: Internet presence of the Gibson company . August 28, 2012, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  49. ↑ Earl Slick Interview. In: Guitar Coach Magazine. June 11, 2015, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  50. ↑ Earl Slick honors Framus' artist list. In: Backstage Pro. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  51. ^ Rebellius, Heinz: Framus Earl Slick Signature HH Bigsby & P90 ST. In: Guitar & Bass. December 18, 2011, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  52. ^ Hall, Russell: Earl Slick Talks Bowie, Stones and His Gibson J-45. In: Internet presence of the Gibson company . August 21, 2012, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  53. ↑ Interview with Earl Slick about his guitar collection. In: Internet presence of the music retailer jhs (John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd.). 2018, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  54. ↑ Molenda, Michael: Earl Slick's Street Rock Odyssey. In: Guitar Player. January 29, 2014, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  55. ↑ Molenda, Michael: Earl Slick's Street Rock Odyssey. In: Guitar Player. January 29, 2014, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  56. ↑ Partridge, Andy: Earl Slick: Ultimate Rock Guitar Sideman. In: Guitar Coach Magazine. February 18, 2014, accessed September 29, 2018 .
  57. ↑ Amplifiers / Slick-18. In: Sommatone website. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  58. ↑ Earl Slick honors Framus' artist list. In: Backstage Pro. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  59. ↑ Interview with Earl Slick about his guitar collection. In: Internet presence of the music retailer jhs (John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd.). 2018, accessed on September 29, 2018 .
  60. ↑ Hautz, Christian: DareDevil introduces Earl Slick Signature Octave Fuzz Pedal. In: Bonedo. July 2, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018 .
  61. ↑ Molenda, Michael: Earl Slick's Street Rock Odyssey. In: Guitar Player. January 29, 2014, accessed September 29, 2018 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Slick, Earl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Madeloni, Frank (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rock guitarist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH October 1, 1952
PLACE OF BIRTH Brooklyn , New York City