name:
Tim
> message: Recently got a copy of 'live in Verona' - how live are the tracks
(some sound a little clean) ? What is your opinion of the various song books of
Jamiroquai albums? ROSC had some very basic chords in the book. And how do you
feel about live recordings (as in bootlegs) as a way for fans to hear different
versions of album tracks?
Hi Tim
The Verona recording is pretty much as we played it.I had to repair the Acoustic
part in Corner Of The Earth due to severe tuning problems during the gig.The rain
and cold aren't the best conditions for a nylon strung acoustic.I replayed the
part in the studio as i would,ve played the gig,one take only.As for the rest
of the instruments and vocals what you hear is what went down on the gig. I haven't
seen any jamiroquai songbooks yet.I know those kind of books do simplify things
sometimes,they quite often change the song to a more guitar friendly key to so
they can be performed using 1st position chords.I don't mind live bootleg recordings
as most of the time they're not the best quality.What i do mind is when some other
3rd party is making money off them. for obvious reasons. cheers
Rob
> name: Bradley J Green message: hey rob. i'd like to start out by saying how
much of an influence you are on my guitar playing. Your rhythmic ideas are brilliant.
I LOVE how you lay it down. Everytime i play funk rhythm i try and think "what
would harris do?". i've tried to search you on the net and find out your
influences and favorite players, but have come up empty handed. i was wondering
who were your influences on guitar, and also music? who were the players you wanted
to be when you were my age (20). i can hear alot of Nile Rogers in your playing,
and i cant help but think Nile had alot to do with your playing. Also, who's in
your cd collection? i cant wait till you come down to Australia. i've already
got my ticket for Melbourne and will be up the front waiting for the funk. Thanx
Rob. Love you work, and if you get a chance to email back, thanx alot for that
too. i cant imagine how busy you are. CHEERS FROM DOWN UNDER!!
Hi Bradley Thanks for your
kind words mate.You're dead right,Nile Rogers is a god to me.I also listened loads
to players like Steve Lukather (Jackson,Quincy Jones etc)Bands like Tower of Power,Earth
Wind and Fire,Stevie Ray Vaughan,so many to list. Rhythm is the most important
thing for me before lead breaks and flashy licks. As for what i have on my ipod
right now i just hold of "Stompin at the Savoy" by Rufus and Chaka Kahn,there's
some great stuff on there. Funky as hell. See you in Melbourne
name: Funkadelic
> message: Hi Rob To start with, thanks very much for answering me so fast,
faster that a speeding bullet… I really appreciate your answers (I have
understood all of them) and I have so many questions to ask you! (one more time).
Just a reaction concerning the horns, I know that it cost money but in my opinion,
your music deserves it. Like the bass, the guitar, the drums, keyboards and percussion,
Horns are the soul of Jamiroquai. Remember the Carling concert in 2002, one of
the best of AFO tour, it sounds like never before and it feels just like it should
(Yaaahaaahaaa). Can you imagine the horns with the backing singers (Love is a
drug in Re-Covered for example). It will be Amazing!!! And if you can’t
play with Horns on stage, please Rob, play with it on the next album!!! Like the
song said: Give horns a chance, they have so much more to give you know…Anyway,
I’m a little bit annoying with that but it’s really important for
the fans. Now, I ask my questions: 1) First of all, I would like to ask you some
personal questions: what are your main influences in Rock and Funk music? What
is your favourite Jamiroquai’s album? What kind of warm-up exercise do you
practice before playing live? 2) Many question concerning Paul: He is the bass
player since April/ May and I would like to know what you think about his play?
How can you describe his play, his sound? Is he now a real member of Jamiroquai
(I hope so) or just a session live player for Dynamite tour? Does he take part
to the new arrangement of the songs? 3) Concerning the Dynamite Tour, I notice
that many old songs are rocker than ever in their sound: Revolution, Use The Force,
Deeper (Matt doesn’t play the effects with keyboards during the chorus).
Is it a choice in order to give to Jamiroquai another colour, another style in
the sound or do you think that these songs are just better with these arrangements?
4) An important question for all the hardcore fans: one title: Shoot the moon!
I presume that you must laugh reading this question! You must see during the different
concert many people screaming, asking you to play this wonderful song.
Would would would would would would you like… to tell me if this
song is only a special track for Montreux? A track which has been deleted on Dynamite?
Will you play it again to satisfy and give pleasure to the fans? Please, please,
please… 5) Last question (at last!): For the dynamite tour in summer, you
have played many songs but some of them have been hardly ever played after: Music
of the mind, Too Young To die, Emergency on Planet Earth, Mr Moon, Electric mistress,
Starchild (this track is just perfect, you’re a genius) Will you play it
again in the next days or month to diversify, to vary the setlist? Sorry for being
so long one more time but I have so much to ask you. Thanks again for your work
with Jamiroquai, you’re just Dynamite, and thanks for your words on Jamiroquai
tour diary, it’s so nice to read you on road. Have a nice day and stay funky.
Cheers. Funkadelic
Hi
Ha ha,you really want those horns back don't you.I know what you mean but all
i can say is that its not in my hands. I'll try to answer all of your questions
for you. 1)I have so many influences.I take from bands like The Beatles,Earth
Wind and Fire,Jimi Hendrix,Radiohead,Nikka Costa,Jeff Buckley,James Brown,George
Benson.I'm open to as much music as possible.It's a great learning tool to try
all kinds of music i think.I've said this before but i had all of the Jamiroquai
albums before i became involved with them.There's something on each of them to
like.Its the music i like,i feel suited to it with my own playing style. Before
a show i do some finger exercises,scales,chromatic runs,chordal stretches etc
i also play through some of the parts that i have to play that night just too
refresh myself. 2) Paul is an amazing musician in my opinion.He has a great tone
and sense of touch and taste in the notes he chooses.I think he's improved the
sound of the band and i look forward to hearing him in the studio in future. 3)The
sounds do sound a little rockier than recorded versions.We like to change things
up a bit for gigs.It's no fun to just =make it sound like the record,you may as
well just stay home and play the cd with some bands.Its not intentionally rock
though.We just want to have a big impact on the audience.Artists like Prince and
often add a pinch of rock to thier live sets 4)AAhhh "Shoot The Moon".We
never even thought of it for the album.We had so many other tunes too work on.The
last time we heard it was when we played it in Montreux.Sorry,you never know,it
may make a return one day. 5)We actually played Too Yound 2 Die last night and
Starchild the night before.They do make appearances now and then.We have about
10 songs that we've rehearsed but haven't played at all yet.There are just so
many songs to play in the set right now.If we add a song then we have to cut another
song from the set.We're already playing a 2 hour show as it is.It's a shame that
we have to sacrifice some songs for others but thats how it is.It certainly keeps
us on our toes when Jay calls something we haven't played for 2 months.Keeps us
fresh Rob
> name: Arnaud DEMAILLY
message: Hello, Rob, I'm very happy to send you this message on this website.
I discover you since a few months and I was also at Lille (Zénith) on 17th
of September. I really like your style of music, funky man !! I'm a guitarist
and I would be very happy to play guitar like you !! But I didn't find any official
guitar tabs on the web or library :-( (Love Foolosophy for example). Would it
possible that you send me your guitar tablatures or other tracks (tracks withs
solos :-) ? Say hello for me to Matt, Paul, Sola, Derrick, the chorists and, of
course Jay Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to reading your answer
Stay funky ! Arnaud Demailly
Hi Arnaud
thanks for your message.Sorry you can't find any tabs of the tracks.unfortunately
i don't have a lot of time at the moment due to the busy touring schedule so i
cant help you. There are some guitar tabs on funkin.com but i don't
know how recent they are.Hope you can find what you're looking for regards
Rob Harris
name:max, Hi Rob ! First of all, thanks for this
excellent European tour... It's been great, and thanks for the ManRay gig, it's
always nice to see you ! :-) My questions are : - Why did Alex Meadows, Derrick
McIntyre, or Richard Murphy didn't tour with Jamiroquai ? (Paul is a brilliant
bassist, it's just... curisosity ;-) )
- What's your involvement in the writing process ? How does it work with J ? Does
he "sings" a melody, and then you (all the musicians) make it become a real song
(like for "Feels Just Like It Should" for example, with the Bass Vocal Synthetiser),
or maybe you write the melody after reading J's lyrics ? Are you & the guys involved
in the "lyric process" or is it only J's job ? Thanks for all, you did a great
job on "Dynamite"... Really ! Have a nice "holidays", and see you soon, Max.
Hi Max , sorry its taken me a while to answer
your question. Both Alex and Richard weren't quite right for the gig unfortunately.
They were both great players but the chemistry needs to be just so.We also had
2 other guys paly on the record but whilst they're suited for some things other
things just didn't fall into place. Writing with Jay takes many different forms.One
way is that he'll sing something and we'll try to fill in the gaps for him chordally
which may inspire him to take the melody off to a different place.another way
is that Matt or I may come up with a riff that Jay likes and can work with. We
kind of throw in loads of ideas and then sometimes carefully edit out some of
them till we're left with a decent composition. Cheers Rob
Hi Rob ! Thanks for your answer ! I know you've
got other things to do, so it's nice to take some time to answer to "fans" ! I'm
sorry, but I've got another question... Actually, I've managed to get a promo
copy of "Dynamite" that features instrumentals versions of "Hot Tequila Brown",
"Time Won't Wait", "Electric Mistress", "Talulah", "(Don't) Give Hate a Chance",
"Black Devil Car", and last but not least, "Starchild". First of all, as I'm mylself
a musician : I play guitar & bass (Remember, we spoke about you new 1963 Gibson,
and about Squier guitars, during the ManRay after show, at Paris ;-) ), I was
very impressed listening to those special versions... That really proves that
Jamiroquai musicians are just great, it's a very interesting point of view...
without J's voice ! I hope he won't read this ! :-) "Time Won't Wait" is incredible...
But the other interest of this CD is the extended version of "Starchild" (with
a 45 sec. outro), and "Talulah" (with the uncut Nathan Haines solo...). So my
question is why those songs were edited, and will they be published one day on
an official record ? Thanks, have a nice US & Japanese tour, take care, & see
you soon !
Max.
Hi Max The versions you heard were edited due
to the lengths basically.I know you and i may find them interesting to hear as
musicians but you have to remember that most people listen to music from a different
perspective then musicians.With a collection of 11- or 12 songs you need to hold
someones interest throughout the whole album so extended things tend to be edited
out due to that reason.Jay maybe felt that they went on too long.I agree with
him cos although i like to hear extended jams they do kind of detract from the
impact of a song.I'm not sure whether these versions will ever officially see
the light of day but you never know,they might. regards Rob
