Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low b ...

and

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...

's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. This group of musicians so frequently supported many of the artists on Asylum Records, both on stage and in the studio, that they became known as Asylum's ''de facto''

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

. Those artists would become the standard bearers of the singer-songwriter era in the 1970s. Since then, Sklar has recorded and toured with artists such as

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

, Toto,

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957)Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and releas ...

and many, many more. As a group member, session player, or touring musician, Sklar has lent his talents to well over 2,000 albums. In addition, he has contributed to many motion picture and

television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

s. Sklar is currently the bass player for the group The Immediate Family.

Early life

Leland Bruce Sklar was born May 28, 1947 in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, Wisconsin. His mother's family was from Duluth, Minnesota. His father's family was from Milwaukee.''LELAND SKLAR - Legendary bassist''
The Sessions Panel, accessed May 31, 2022. Originally, the paternal side of the family came from Odessa, Ukraine.''878. Michael Ruff''
youtube.com, accessed February 24, 2022. Sklar is a Ukrainian surname meaning glazier, a person whose profession is fitting glass into windows and doors. When Leland was four, his family and he moved to

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

, California, a central

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

neighborhood in the northwest section of metropolitan Los Angeles.''Episode 22: Leland Sklar - Embrace Everything (Phil Collins, James Taylor)''
thedivebarrockstarpodcast.sounder.fm, accessed May 7, 2022. At five, Sklar was inspired to take up classical piano from watching

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

on TV. Sklar's mother already had a baby grand piano in the home. The Liberace Show completely captivated young Leland, Liberace's style and panache, the candelabra and his older brother George on the violin. Sklar started studying piano just after turning five years old. His natural talent and passion for the instrument saw him excel. By the time he was seven he had won awards from the Hollywood Bowl Association as the most accomplished young pianist in Los Angeles for his age group. By the time he was twelve, though, he was completely burned out. He had a piano teacher who he believes was living out her lack of a career through him. He entered junior high at Birmingham High School, a combined high school of grades 7-12, and was diverted from the crowded field of pianists by his orchestra teacher, Mr. Ted Lynn, to an old blonde Kay upright bass. Sklar took to it immediately and began playing string bass in the orchestra and dance band. In high school, Sklar was in the marching band and played bass drum for the first year. He then sought other options. Being a bass player, he was given three choices: the bass drum, Sousaphone or drum major. Sklar chose to become one of the dual drum majors.''A little behind in my TBT posts''
facebook.com, accessed April 27, 2022. He was sent to Redlands University for a summer course in being a drum major and designing half time shows. He still has his baton.''919. Hoyt Axton revisit''
youtube.com, accessed April 3, 2022. Sklar graduated from Birmingham High School in 1965 and stopped shaving, the beginning of his iconic beard. After

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

hit, things changed dramatically. As soon as the guitar players and piano players got amplifiers, Sklar's upright bass couldn't compete with their volume. Across the street from the

American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in New York City, ...

Local 47 building in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

is now a music store called Stein on Vine. It used to be under the Musicians Union when it was just the Stein Music Co. Sklar and his father went there and his father bought him a Melody bass and a St. George amp. The whole thing probably cost $80 at the time. Soon after that, Sklar was only getting calls for electric bass work. Between 1965 and 1970, Sklar attended San Fernando Valley State College (now called CSUN - Sea Sun -

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...

). He began as a music major, but became disillusioned in the music department after two years when he realized the curriculum was geared more toward producing music teachers than towards performance. He went to the administration building and took a battery of aptitude tests and found his highest aptitudes were in art and science. So, he changed to co-majors in art and science with the thought of becoming a medical or technical illustrator. While at San Fernando Valley State, Sklar played in the orchestra. For the first two years, Sklar played in the string bass section, which consisted of himself and Daryl Dragon, who would later become the Captain of the Captain & Tennille. Also during this period, Sklar was in a band calle
Little John Farm
with singer/guitaris
Denny "Steve" Aaberg
Dennis Dragon on drums, an
Doug Dragon
on B3 organ. Dennis and Doug Dragon were Daryl's two brothers. Incidentally, Sklar attended San Fernando Valley State with Tom Scott, the great sax player, and actor/comedian

Cheech Marin :''The surname'' Marin ''is of Spanish language origin. In Spanish, it is spelled'' Marín'', with an acute accent on the'' í. Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American actor, musician, comedian, and activist who gain ...

. Sklar spent five years at San Fernando Valley State, but never graduated, because his own music career would intervene.''515. Vasco Rossi / Buoni O Cattivi''
youtube.com, accessed May 8, 2022.

Career

In the 1960s, Sklar was in numerous bands, including Mike and the Mad Men, The Percolators, The Comfortable Charos, The Brimstones, and The El Dorados. Sometimes he was in five bands at one time, doing all kinds of music, trying to find himself. The Brimstones (1966) are of note because Sklar played together with guitarist Dan Dugmore his oldest friend in the music business. Sklar has commented that the music business is based on networking. He tried to meet as many people as possible, worked really hard, and hoped for the best. Two other bands from this period were important to his career: Group Therapy (1967) and Wolfgang (1969). In 1967
Group Therapy
had been signed to th
Canterbury
ref name=Group_Therapy/> label and went into United Studios in Hollywood to record. However, the young musicians was so inexperienced they weren't allowed to play their instruments. The band at the time consisted of David Finer (vocals and rhythm guitar) and Jeff Finer (vocals), Greg Wood (vocals), Lee Sklar (bass and vocals), an
Ira Ingber
(lead guitar - brother of Elliot Ingber, a founding member of

The Mothers Of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B ban ...

and Fraternity of Man). The group did do their own vocals, but the music was recorded by the legendary Wrecking Crew.

Carol Kaye Carol Kaye (née Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years. Kaye began pla ...

an
Bobby West
were on bass, Hal Blaine was on drums, and Jim Gordon was the percussionist. Mike (Michel) Rubini, Mike Melvoin, and Larry Knechtel were the keyboard players. Mike Deasy, Dennis Budimir, Al Casey and Tommy Tedesco were on guitars. Sklar said he was intimidated by the skill of these players and didn't believe he could do what they did, but three and a half years later he was working with them every day. At least four tracks were cut, "Magic in the Air," "Bad News," "Little Bird," and "Million Dollar Movie". Test pressings were made of the latter two songs, but never released. A single of "Magic in the Air" as the A-side and "Bad News" as the B-side was released and broke into the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online stream ...

, affording Group Therapy the opportunity to open for

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

and Canned Heat at the Anaheim Convention Center and for

The Seeds The Seeds were an American psychedelic garage rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965, best known for their highest charting single " Pushin' Too Hard". The band's classic line-up featured frontman Sky Saxon, guitarist Jan Savage ...

at Cal State Northridge. The tracks were produced by Mike Post. It was through this connection that Sklar would later work with Post on every one of his TV shows:

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...

, Magnum, P.I.,

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...

, to name a few. In 1969, Sklar was the bass player for a hard rock band managed by Bill Graham called Wolfgang, consisting of Bryn Haworth, Ricky Lancelotti, Kevin Kelley, Randy Zacuto and Warren 'Bugs' Pemberton. They opened for

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...

, but their only recordings were unreleased demo tracks. It was during that time Sklar met

, when a friend of Wolfgang's drummer Bugs Pemberton
John Fischbach
co-owner o
Crystal Sound
on Vine Street in Hollywood, brought his friend James Taylor around to Wolfgang's rehearsal house in Sunland. Taylor spent a couple of days with the band. Later, Taylor was offered an appearance at the

Troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a '' trobair ...

and, remembering Sklar, he had his manager Peter Asher invite Sklar to play bass at that show. Both musicians thought that the work would be short-term, but Taylor's career took off soon thereafter with his first hit record, Sweet Baby James. Sklar became part of Taylor's backing band, along with Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, and

, all joining Taylor in his rise to fame. Soon, with that exposure, Sklar was being asked to record with many other artists. In the 1970s, Sklar worked together so frequently with drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Danny Kortchmar, and keyboardist Craig Doerge, who replaced King after her own rise to stardom, that they became " The Section," a distinction Taylor had bestowed upon them as his rhythm section. They backed other artists, such as

. The Section recorded three rock fusion albums of their own under that name, in 1972, 1973 and 1977. With little label support, however, The Section disbanded in 1978, in favor of more lucrative endeavors. In the 1980s, Sklar focused on session work in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Europe. However, with the advent of CDs and digital copying, album revenue dropped and session budgets shrank. Live performances and touring became more important to the music industry. Sklar worked on the

album '' No Jacket Required'' and toured as part of Collins' band on

The No Jacket Required World Tour The No Jacket Required World Tour was a concert tour by the English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins, which occurred February–July 1985 in support of his 1985 album, ''No Jacket Required''. The album had been a massive international ...

from February through July 1985. Sklar worked again with Collins on the album '' ...But Seriously'' in 1989 and toured with the Seriously, Live! World Tour, which ran between February and October 1990, covering 121 dates. Sklar toured again with Collins on The First Final Farewell Tour (2004–2005) and the Not Dead Yet Tour (2017–2019). In 1993 while recording a
The Site
ref name=The_Sit
The Site
Jon Hammond, accessed April 20, 2022. in Marin County on what would become

's album Winter Light, Sklar got a phone call fro
Michael Frondelli
who ran Capitol Records Studios and was producing a band, the Barefoot Servants. They needed a bass player and would he be interested? Frondelli sent Sklar a demo cassette and, after three notes, Sklar said "count me in". Sklar had never met the three other seasoned musicians before:

Jon Butcher Jon Butcher (born May 5, 1955) is an American rock, blues songwriter, guitarist and freelance multimedia producer. Early life Jon A. Toombs, is the elder son of Joan Butts and John A Toombs Sr. In 1967, Jon's stepfather William Butcher move ...

(guitar, vocals)
Ben Schultz
(guitar, mandolin, slide guitar), an
Ray Brinker
(drums, percussion). The foursome rehearsed and cut the first, self-titled album
Barefoot Servants
live in the studio. The band followed by going o
The Southern Spirit Tour
in 1994 with

The Marshall Tucker Band The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country, and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. ...

38 Special 38 Special may refer to: * .38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, cent ...

, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and the

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

. They called it Bubbapolooza. Over time, the Barefoot Servants became a cult band; the label ( Epic) offered little support. Eleven years after their first album, the Barefoot Servants recorded a second album at Ben Schultz's home studio, this time wit
Neal Wilkinson
on drums. They called i
Barefoot Servants 2
reminiscent of the line from the

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

song '' All Along the Watchtower''. (Jon Butcher is a great admirer of

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

.) The album was released in August 2005 on th
Atom Records
label.''87. Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville / Don't Know Much''
youtube.com, accessed April 20, 2022. Leland Sklar August 2007

Sklar performed again with James Taylor, Carole King, Danny Kortchmar and Russ Kunkel in a series of six shows at the

on November 28–30, 2007 for the 50th Anniversary of the club. They all teamed up again for the

Troubadour Reunion Tour The Troubadour Reunion Tour was a 2010 international concert tour by Carole King and James Taylor. It celebrated the 40th anniversary of their first performance together at The Troubadour in November 1970, and was a continuation of their reunion ...

in 2010. Sklar did th
Falling In Between Tour
with Toto in 2007-2008, filling in for his friend Mike Porcaro, who was stricken with

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...

. Sklar united again with Toto in 2016-2017 on th
Toto XIV Tour
Sklar has also toured with

, Peter Asher,

Véronique Sanson Véronique Marie Line Sanson (; born 24 April 1949) is a three-time Victoires de la Musique award-winning French singer-songwriter and record producer with an avid following in her native country. Ten years after Barbara, Véronique Sanson beca ...

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and " Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...

, Van Dyke Parks, and Judith Owen, among others. In 2018, reuniting several members of The Section, a new group was formed
The Immediate Family
with Leland Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel on guitars and vocals, and musician/produce
Steve Postell
on vocals and guitar. The group has toured Japan and released a number of recordings. Their first, eponymously titled, U.S. album
The Immediate Family
was released in 2021. A brief tour of select cities in the U.S. was conducted in November 2021.''775. Danibelle Hall''
youtube.com, accessed June 5, 2022.''756. Steven Kowalczyk''
youtube.com, accessed May 6, 2022. In 2020, while idled by the COVID pandemic, Sklar started
YouTube channel
initially to demonstrate the bass parts to a few of the songs he'd played on tour with

, but which grew exponentially into a journey of music appreciation and an exploration of his expansive career. Sklar also created a coffee table book,
Everybody Loves Me
', of approximately 6000 photos from a collection of over 12,000 images of celebrities and common folk giving him " the finger," which has become his signature gesture.''37. The FINGER - An explanation!!!!!🖕''
youtube.com, accessed May 10, 2022.
website
to service his book, art prints, T-shirts and other merchandise was developed. He create
a web presence
for social interaction called Lee's Clubhouse.''137. Lee's Clubhouse''
youtube.com, accessed June 5, 2022. Sklar has also explored the NFT market with anothe
web site
On May 6, 2020, Sklar created a Top Ten list of his favorite songs of all time for

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...

. They were '' With A Little Help From My Friends'' performed by

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

, '' Back in the High Life Again'' by

Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...

, '' Millworker'' by

, '' The Lark Ascending'' by

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

, '' The Rubberband Man'' by The Spinners, the title track from the album '' No Other'' by

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

, '' Knock On Wood'' by

Eddie Floyd Edward Lee Floyd (born June 25, 1937) is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s, including the No. 1 R&B hit song " Knock on Wood". Biography Floyd was born in ...

, '' Behind The Lines - 2015 Remastered'' by

, '' Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um'' by Major Lance, and ''

Harlem Shuffle "Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. In 1986, it was covered by the British rock band The Rolling Stones on their album '' Dirty Work''. Bob & Earl The original single, arranged by Ge ...

'' by Bob & Earl. Sklar has stated that his favorite bassist was Rinat Ibragimov, formerly of the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

. Sklar has also been a part of the annual bands assembled in support of the "We Write The Songs"Write the Songs: Celebrating the ASCAP Collection''
youtube.com, accessed April 27, 2022. event sponsored by

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

in Washington, D.C. and the pre-show for the

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

.''922. Acknowledging the Grammy Band.''
youtube.com, accessed April 4, 2022. On January 2, 2022, Sklar was seen performing in concert with James Taylor and Carole King in the CNN documentary
Just Call Out My Name
"

Equipment

Basses

Peace/Love

When Sklar gained notoriety in 1970, he was playing a 1962

Fender Jazz Bass The Fender Jazz Bass (often shortened to ''J-Bass'') is the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. It is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on th ...

, his first really good bass, which he carved up with the artistic flair of the time. He calls it his Peace/Love bass. He played the bass on

's One Man Dog, on the early Section albums, and on Billy Cobham's

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

. He played it exclusively until 1974.''27. More Gear''
youtube.com, accessed April 13, 2020.

Frankenstein

Sklar's favorite instrument came next, an electric bass constructed b
John Carruthers
the repairman a
Westwood Music
in 1973. It was customized from various bass parts, consisting of a 1962

Fender Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instru ...

neck, reshaped to the profile of Sklar's 1962

neck and fitted with

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...

fret wire, the smallest you can get (and on all of his subsequent basses), an alder

Charvel Charvel is a brand of electric guitars founded in the 1970s by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California and originally headquartered in Glendora, California. Since 2002, Charvel has been under the ownership of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. ...

P-Bass body with two sets of first-generation EMG Precision Bass pickups in reversed orientation, routed into J-Bass positions, and power by a 9 volt battery each, a Badass II bridge, and a prototyp
Hipshot detuner
He refers to it as "Frankenstein". The bass has been used on roughly 85 percent of his recordings.''26. My Gear''
youtube.com, accessed April 12, 2020.

Dingwall

In 2004, Sklar began playing a signature model five-string bass made by Dingwall Guitars. This was his main bass on tour and was also used in various recordings. The bass uses fanned frets, which result in longer low strings and shorter high strings.

Warwick

In 2010, Sklar began playing the

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

Star Bass II, which has since become his main bass in the studio. In 2013, after years of having been a

Star Bass II user, he became an endorser of that instrument. At Winter NAMM 2016, Warwick announced their Lee Sklar signature bass, based on the Star Bass but with an offset body shape and a forearm contour.

Others

Previously, Sklar also had signature instruments from

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

and

Valley Arts Guitar Valley Arts Guitars was an American electric guitar manufacturer. The company was taken over by Samick in mid-1993, and sold to Gibson in 2002, which used the brand "Valley Arts" to name guitar stores. Sklar owns a Washburn AB45 five string acoustic bass which he was not pleased with until he removed the frets, making it a fretless bass. He said, then, "It came alive." He uses black nylon tape wound strings on the Washburn. In his work, he uses fretless sparingly. Sklar owns a

Höfner Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German (originally Austro-Bohemian) manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments, such as violins, violas, c ...

bass he uses only as the song demands. Sklar had an

Alembic An alembic (from ar, الإنبيق, al-inbīq, originating from grc, ἄμβιξ, ambix, 'cup, beaker') is an alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, used for distillation of liquids. Description The complete dis ...

bass which he sold to

John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician who was the bassist for the rock band The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band's only member ...

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

Strings

Sklar uses GHS Super Steel medium light strings: .040, .058, .080, and .102 inches in diameter. He likes a .040 G-string for its flexibility, facilitating expressive playing. His Dingwall bass has Dingwall strings, with a GHS .040 G-string. On his five string basses, he use GHS Super Steels: .040, .058, .080, .100 and .130 gauge. He uses nylon taped strings on the Washburn. On the recording sessions for the album
Framed
' by Dave Lambert (of the

Strawbs Strawbs (or The Strawbs) are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock. They are best known f ...

) in 1979, Sklar shared bass duties on the project with

. At one point, the men tried out each others' basses and found they were nearly unable to play the other's instrument: Sklar set his action very high and Entwhistle set his string height very low.

Amplification

Sklar keeps his amplification implementations simple and adaptable. He has three basi
Euphonic Audio
amp set ups for three specific applications: studio, intimate settings, and larger stage situations. Sklar has been using EA amplification roughly since 2003.

Studio Set Up

Sklar's studio rig is a
Euphonic Audio iAMP 800 combo
(all-in-one) amp.

Intimate Set Up

For intimate settings, Sklar uses
Euphonic Audio Doubler
amp with an EA cabinet with a single 10" speaker in it
Euphonic Audio Wizzy-110
. This is the rig he has used when playing with Judith Owen.

Stage Set Up

For larger stage venues, Sklar uses a
EA iAMP Classic
and a
EA iAMP Pro
for redundancy with a four 10" speaker bottom
Euphonic Audio NL-410W
and optionally attached to that is a Euphonic single 12" speaker cabinet
Euphonic Audio NL-112
with
Yamaha Subkick
placed 1/2" in front of it. He blends the signal from a DI (direct input) and the Subkick. This is the rig he used when playing with

and

, Toto, and wit
The Immediate Family
When playing with

, the 12" cabinet and Subkick were omitted.''1018. Cedar Rapids, Iowa gig..''
youtube.com, accessed July 10, 2022.

Accessories

Sklar has

Moog Taurus The Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer designed and manufactured by Moog Music, originally conceived as a part of the Constellation series of synthesizers. The initial Taurus I was manufactured from 1975 to 1981; a less popular re ...

pedals an
Fast Forward Designs Midi Step
pedals which he used on the

song '' In the Air Tonight''. Sklar uses Cordial cables, a Tube Works DI (direct input) box, and a

Boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

OC-2 Octave divider. He is known to have used a Petersen tuner, as well as a TC Electronics "polytuner" which he has said is incredibly accurate and unobtrusive.''747. Loey Nelson''
youtube.com, accessed October 25, 2021.

Discography

Selected film appearances

* '' Rhinestone'' (Actor: Rhinestone House Band, as Lee Sklar) — (1984) * '' Ticker'' (Actor: Blues Band Bass) — (2001)

References

External links

Leland Sklar's YouTube ChannelLeland Sklar's Facebook pageLeland Sklar's websiteLeland Sklar's social networkLeland Sklar's NFT websiteLee Sklar Reflects on his CareerInterview: bass legend Leland Sklar on sessions, gear and getting hiredLee Sklar on ON THE HIT with DEANE OGDEN podcast, April 2, 20142014 Audio Interview with Lee Sklar from the I'd Hit That Podcast
* interview by Mike Visceglia
Bass Routes - A Leland Sklar Discography BlogReggie Boyle talking with Lee Sklar!

Steve Lukather Steven Lee Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a stea ...

site * *
Interview with Leland Sklar
NAMM Oral History Library (2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sklar, Leland 1947 births Living people Musicians from Milwaukee California State University, Northridge alumni American country bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American rock bass guitarists American session musicians Guitarists from Wisconsin Hall & Oates members Mexican-guitarron players 20th-century American bass guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American male musicians