Leland Sklar (Bassist) - An Incredible Career

[JRNYMAN]

The name Leland Sklar probably doesn't ring any bells but it's a sure bet you've heard his bass work. With his trademark long, gray beard and hair, and his Harry Potter-style glasses, he has provided the bass line for an incredible number of albums, TV, and movie soundtracks and has toured with the biggest names in the music business, both past and present.

I was watching a Phil Collins concert DVD the other day and when I saw him, he looked instantly familiar -I just couldn't place him. A Google search led me to his Bio which revealed a career that has spanned nearly 50 years and doesn't show any signs of stopping any time soon. The list of artists he's worked with reads like a who's who of the music biz: (and this list doesn't include his film and TV work!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_Sklar

Cate Brothers Band - Cate Bros (1975)
Air Supply — The Vanishing Race (1993)
America — Alibi (1980)
Peter Allen — I Could Have Been a Sailor (1979)
Bronson Arroyo — Covering the Bases (2005)
Hoyt Axton:
Road Songs (1977)
Pistol Packin' Mama/Spin of the Wheel (1998)
Barefoot Servants:
Barefoot Servants (1994)
Barefoot Servants 2 (2005)
Billy Thorpe:
Children Of The Sun (1979)
21st Century Man (1981)
Carole Bayer Sager:
Carole Bayer Sager (1977)
Too (1978)
Sometimes Late at Night (1981)
Laura Branigan — Branigan (1982)
Py Backman — P20Y10 (2010)
Regina Belle — Passion (1993)
Barbi Benton — Something New (1975)
Marc Benno and the Nightcrawlers — Crawlin (2009)
Stephen Bishop — Bish (1978)
Clint Black:
The Hard Way — (1992)
No Time to Kill — (1993)
Looking for Christmas — (1995)
Nothin' but the Taillights — (1997)
Christmas with You — (2004)
Ronee Blakley — Ronee Blakley (1972)
Suzy Bogguss:
Aces (1991)
Voices in the Wind (1992)
Something Up My Sleeve (1993)
Simpatico (1994)
Give Me Some Wheels (1996)
Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt (1998)
Karla Bonoff — Karla Bonoff (1977)
Sarah Brightman — As I Came of Age (1998)
Jackson Browne:
Jackson Browne (1972)
For Everyman (1973)
The Pretender (1976)
Running on Empty (1977)
Peabo Bryson/Roberta Flack — Born to Love (1983)
Jimmy Buffett — Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads (1992)
Steve Camp — Consider the Cost (1991)
Glen Campbell — Bloodline (1976)
Eric Carmen — Change of Heart (1978)
Kim Carnes:
Kim Carnes (1975)
St. Vincent's Court (1979)
Barking at Airplanes (1985)
View from the House (1988)
David Cassidy:
The Higher They Climb (1975)
Home Is Where the Heart Is (1976)
Steven Curtis Chapman:
Heaven in the Real World (1994)
Signs of Life (1996)
Ray Charles — My World (1993)
Billy Cobham — Spectrum (1973)
Joe Cocker "Heart and Soul" (2004)
Leonard Cohen — The Future (1992)
Phil Collins:
No Jacket Required (1985)
...But Seriously (1989)
Serious Hits... Live! (1990)
...Hits (1998)
Finally, The First Farewell Tour (2004)
Rita Coolidge:
Lady's Not for Sale (1972)
Fall into Spring (1974)
It's Only Love (1975)
Anytime, Anywhere (1977)
Crosby & Nash:
Graham Nash David Crosby (1972)
Crosby & Nash (2004)
Crosby, Stills & Nash:
Daylight Again (1982)
Live It Up (1990)
Carry On (1998)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:
Replay (1980)
David Crosby:
Thousand Roads (1993)
Catie Curtis — Catie Curtis (1997)
Paul D'Adamo — Tell Me Something (2010)
Jackie DeShannon — New Arrangement (1975)
Neil Diamond:
Lovescape (1991)
Christmas Album (1992)
Dion — Streetheart (1976)
Thomas Dolby — Astronauts and Heretics (1992)
Donovan:
7-Tease (1973)
Cosmic Wheels (1973)
Slow Down World (1976)
The Doors — Full Circle (1972)
Chris Eaton — Wonderful World (1995)
Randy Edelman:
If Love Is Real (1977)
You're the One (1979)
England Dan & John Ford Coley — Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive (1978)
Yvonne Elliman:
Night Flight (1978)
Yvonne (1979)
Lara Fabian — Wonderful Life (2004)
Mimi Fariña — Mimi Fariña & Tom Jans (1971)
Kinky Friedman — Kinky Friedman (1974)
Richie Furay — I Still Have Dreams (1979)
Ana Gabriel — Vivencias (1996)
Art Garfunkel:
Breakaway (1975)
Songs from a Parent to a Child (1997)
Garou — Seul (2000)
Vince Gill:
Way Back Home (1987)
Let There Be Peace on Earth (1993)
High Lonesome Sound (1996)
Chuck Girard — Glow in the Dark (1976)
Andrew Gold:
What's Wrong With This Picture? (1976)
All This And Heaven Too (1978)
Amy Grant:
Legacy...Hymns and Faith (2002)
Simple Things (2003)
Tami Gunden — Celebration (1987)
Arlo Guthrie — Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys (1973)
Alejandra Guzmán — Algo Natural (1999)
Sammy Hagar — The Best Of Sammy Hagar (1992)
Merle Haggard — Chicago Wind (2005)
Hall & Oates:
Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975)
Bigger Than the Both of Us (1976)
Beauty on a Back Street (1977)
Don Henley — I Can't Stand Still (1982)
Michael W. Herndon;
"Even in the Rain" (2000)
"The Spirit of the Sun" (2008)
Faith Hill — Cry (2002)
Roger Hodgson — Hai Hai (1987)
Engelbert Humperdinck — After Dark (1996)
Brian Hyland — Brian Hyland (1970)
Enrique Iglesias — Vivir (1997)
Julio Iglesias — Crazy (1994)
Freddie Jackson — Time for Love (1992)
Flaco Jiménez — Partners (1992)
John Kay — My Sportin' Life (1973)
Casey Kelly — Casey Kelly (1972)
Carole King — Thoroughbred (1976)
Danny Kortchmar — Innuendo (1980)
Kris Kristofferson:
Spooky Lady's Sideshow (1974)
Who's to Bless and Who's to Blame (1975)
Surreal Thing (1976)
Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge — Full Moon (1973)
Leah Kunkel — Leah Kunkel (1979)
Wynonna Judd — Wynonna (1992)
Daniel Lavoie — Woman to Man (1994)
Lisa Loeb:
Firecracker (1997)
Cake and Pie (2002)
Hello Lisa (2002)
Lyle Lovett:
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (1989)
Joshua Judges Ruth (1992)
The Road to Ensenada (1996)
Step Inside This House (1998)
Steve Lukather
Lukather (1998)
Ever changing times [3] (2008)
The Manhattan Transfer — Offbeat of Avenues (1991)
Amanda Marshall — Amanda Marshall (1996)
Yumi Matsutoya:
The 14th Moon (1976)
The Gates of Heaven (1990)
Dawn Purple (1991)
Tears and Reasons (1992)
acacia (2001)
Ricky Martin — Medio Vivir (1995)
Richard Marx:
Rush Street (1991)
Paid Vacation (1993)
Maureen McCormick — When You Get a Little Lonely (1995)

Reba McEntire:
Last One to Know (1987)
Sweet Sixteen (1989)
For My Broken Heart (1991)
Read My Mind (1994)
Starting Over (1995)
Greatest Collection (2004)
Roger McGuinn:
Roger McGuinn (1973)
Peace on You (1974)
Born to Rock & Roll (1992)
Bette Midler — Broken Blossom (1977)
Giorgio Moroder — Cat People (1982)
Miyuki Nakajima:
Hi: Wings (1999)
Tsuki: Wings (1999)
Short Stories (2000)
Lullaby for the Soul (2001)
Otogibanashi: Fairy Ring (2002)
Graham Nash — Innocent Eyes (1986)
Aaron Neville:
Aaron Neville's Soulful Christmas (1993)
To Make Me Who I Am (1997)
Randy Newman:
Land of Dreams (1988)
Randy Newman's Faust (1995)
Joanna Newsom — Ys (2006)
Olivia Newton-John — Making a Good Thing Better (1977)
The Oak Ridge Boys:
Heart Beat (1987)
Monongahela (1987)
Nigel Olsson — Nigel Olsson (1978)
Twila Paris — Perennial: Songs for the Seasons of Life (1998)
Van Dyke Parks — Moonlighting: Live at the Ash Grove (1998)
Dolly Parton:
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs (1980)
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly (1980)
Heartbreak Express (1982)
Rainbow (1988)
Laura Pausini Entre Tu y Mil Mares / Tra Te e il Mare (2000)
Herb Pedersen:
Southwest (1976)
Sandman (1977)
Lonesome Feeling (1984)
Bernadette Peters:
Bernadette Peters (1980)
Bernadette (1992)
Shawn Phillips:
Faces (1972)
Bright White (1973)
Spaced (1977)
Transcendence (1978)
No Category (2002)
Point of Grace:
Steady On (1998)
Christmas Story (1999)
Steve Poltz — One Left Shoe (1998)
Bonnie Raitt — Nine Lives (1986)
Willis Alan Ramsey — Willis Alan Ramsey (1972)
Helen Reddy — Helen Reddy (1971)
Turley Richards — (1971)Expressions
LeAnn Rimes:
Twisted Angel (2002)
What a Wonderful World (2004)
Lee Ritenour — Banded Together (1984)
Johnny Rivers — Last Train to Memphis (1998)
Linda Ronstadt:
Don't Cry Now (1973)
Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind (1989)
Winter Light (1994)
Feels Like Home (1995)
We Ran (1998)
Mi Jardín Azul: Las Canciones Favoritas (2004)
Diana Ross:
To Love Again (1981)
Force Behind the Power (1991)
Vasco Rossi — Buoni o Cattivi (2004)
Jennifer Rush — Heart Over Mind (1987)
Marta Sánchez:
Desconocida (1998)
Soy Yo (2002)
David Sanborn — Love Songs (1976)
Véronique Sanson:
Comme ils l'imaginent (1996)
Indestructible (1998)
D'un papillon à une étoile (1999)
Leo Sayer — Leo Sayer (1978)
Joey Scarbury — America's Greatest Hero (1981)
Darrell Scott — Family Tree (1999)
2nd Chapter of Acts:
Singer Sower (1984)
Roar of Love (1978)
The Section:
Section (1972)
Forward Motion (1973)
Fork It Over (1977)
Neil Sedaka:
Hungry Years (1975)
Sedaka's Back (1975)
Steppin' Out (1976)
In the Pocket (1980)
Vonda Shepard — Heart and Soul: New Songs From Ally McBeal (1999)
Carly Simon — Playing Possum (1975)
Ricky Skaggs:
Love's Gonna Get Ya (1986)
My Father's Son (1991)
Michael W. Smith:
I'll Lead You Home (1995)
Christmastime (1998)
Christmas Collection (2004)
The Spencer Davis Group — Mousetrap (1972)
Jimmie Spheeris — The Original Tap Dancing Kid (1973)
Rick Springfield — Mission Magic (1974)
John Stewart — The Lonesome Picker Rides Again (1971)
Rod Stewart:
Atlantic Crossing (1975)
A Night on the Town (1976)
Stephen Stills:
Stills (1975)
Turnin' Back the Pages (2003)
George Strait:
Ocean Front Property (1987)
Strait Out of the Box (1995)
Barbra Streisand — Love Like Ours (1999)
Daryl Stuermer — Live & Learn (1998)
Donna Summer — The Wanderer (1980)
Talbot Bros. — Talbot Bros. (1974)
James Taylor:
Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971)
One Man Dog— (1972)
Gorilla— (1975)
Greatest Hits— (1976)
In the Pocket— (1976)
JT— (1977)
Flag— (1979)
Dad Loves His Work— (1981)
That's Why I'm Here— (1985)
Never Die Young— (1988)
Live in Rio— (1991)
The Best of James Taylor— (2003)
Kate Taylor — Sister Kate (1971)
Livingston Taylor — There You Are Again (2005)
Terence Trent d'Arby — Terence Trent d'Arby's Symphony or Damn (1993)
Tanya Tucker — Should I Do It (1981)
Michelle Tumes — Dream (2001)
Anna Vissi — Everything I Am (2001)
Clay Walker:
Clay Walker (1993)
Live, Laugh, Love — (1999)
Few Questions — (2003)
Jennifer Warnes — Well (2001)
The Weather Girls — Success (1983)
Jimmy Webb:
Angel Heart (1982)
Suspending Disbelief (1993)
Bernie Williams — The Journey Within (2003)
Paul Williams — Back to Love Again (1999)
Robbie Williams — Escapology (2002)
Wilson Phillips — Shadows and Light (1992)
Lee Ann Womack — Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002)
Trisha Yearwood — Everybody Knows (1996)
Takuro Yoshida — Long Time No See (1996)
Jesse Colin Young — Walk the Talk (2003)
Warren Zevon:
Excitable Boy — (1978)
Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School — (1980)
The Envoy — (1982)
Sentimental Hygiene — (1987)
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) — (1996)
Cat Beach— Love Me Out Loud — (2009)
Giorgio— Party Of The Century — (2010)
Cliff Richard — Heathcliff — (1996)

[yulog]

Guy cant keep a steady job.....loser

[JRNYMAN]

Guy cant keep a steady job.....loser

I know, Right?! He just seems to bounce around from job to job not giving a shit what kind of music he's playing... Country, Pop, Rock, Soul, R&B, etc.... What a whore!

[verslibre]

The name Leland Sklar probably doesn't ring any bells

Maybe if you listen to shit like Rihanna.

Billy Thorpe:
Children Of The Sun (1979)
21st Century Man (1981)

I like these a lot, especially COTS.

Billy Cobham — Spectrum (1973)

Now there's something that looks good on your resumé.

[JRNYMAN]

Billy Cobham — Spectrum (1973)

Now there's something that looks good on your resumé.

Yeah, that's the ONE that's impressive and the rest of them are all just filler.

[verslibre]

Billy Cobham — Spectrum (1973)

Now there's something that looks good on your resumé.

Yeah, that's the ONE that's impressive and the rest of them are all just filler.

Most of 'em, yeah! Definitely not Kim Carnes, though!

I also saw his credit on Giorgio Moroder's Cat People film score — one of a zillion soundtracks I own. The boy gets around.

But if you have the Richard Marx and Reba McEntire albums, that's cool, too. Diff'rent strokes.

[JRNYMAN]

Billy Cobham — Spectrum (1973)

Now there's something that looks good on your resumé.

Yeah, that's the ONE that's impressive and the rest of them are all just filler.

Most of 'em, yeah! Definitely not Kim Carnes, though!

I also saw his credit on Giorgio Moroder's Cat People film score — one of a zillion soundtracks I own. The boy gets around.

But if you have the Richard Marx and Reba McEntire albums, that's cool, too. Diff'rent strokes.

I was actually surprised I didn't have more of the albums listed than I do. The "important" ones yes, (Lukather, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, Sammy, Richard Marx, Rainbow, Sanborn, ) but that's all.
The "WOW" moment as I read the list was seeing him credited on Springfield's 1974 album.

At first glance, one would probably be inclined to assume since he's really laid back and older that he'd be really understated and somewhat "uneventful" in his playing but if you check out some of the live performance vids of him with say, Toto or Collins, he drives a really active bass line.
With Phil Collins in Paris on the "Finally, the First Farewell Tour"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... oLA#t=506s

He's no Stu Hamm or John Entwhistle but he'll do in a pinch.

[verslibre]

At first glance, one would probably be inclined to assume since he's really laid back and older that he'd be really understated and somewhat "uneventful" in his playing but if you check out some of the live performance vids of him with say, Toto or Collins, he drives a really active bass line.
With Phil Collins in Paris on the "Finally, the First Farewell Tour"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... oLA#t=506s

He's no Stu Hamm or John Entwhistle but he'll do in a pinch.

He's a remarkably versatile bassist. He doesn't lack for chops and is known to learn his parts by ear (even off the album), when's he's been hired to replace somebody on extremely short notice. I think he did exactly that on a flippin' airplane flight once, which is nuts.

Most people got to really "know" who he is thanks to Phil Collins. On Phil's PPV concert, way back in '89, Lee was there in all his skulleted glory.

[JRNYMAN]

He's a remarkably versatile bassist.

That word has probably never been used more aptly.

I think he did exactly that on a flippin' airplane flight once, which is nuts.

Keys, rhythm guitar, etc. - they can all blend into the overall sound being created on stage and if one of those hits a wrong note, it's not going to be as noticeable as a wrong note from the bass. And to have that much confidence in your own ability to learn an entire set while en route to the gig ..... that's awesome.

Most people got to really "know" who he is thanks to Phil Collins. On Phil's PPV concert, way back in '89, Lee was there in all his skulleted glory.

To tell you the truth, every time I ever saw him - like I said earlier, I knew I had seen him but could never place him and for some reason, I thought he was a former Doobie Brother who was still picking up session and gig work here and there. Little id I know.....

[majik]

At first glance, one would probably be inclined to assume since he's really laid back and older that he'd be really understated and somewhat "uneventful" in his playing but if you check out some of the live performance vids of him with say, Toto or Collins, he drives a really active bass line.
With Phil Collins in Paris on the "Finally, the First Farewell Tour"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... oLA#t=506s

He's no Stu Hamm or John Entwhistle but he'll do in a pinch.

He's a remarkably versatile bassist. He doesn't lack for chops and is known to learn his parts by ear (even off the album), when's he's been hired to replace somebody on extremely short notice. I think he did exactly that on a flippin' airplane flight once, which is nuts.

Most people got to really "know" who he is thanks to Phil Collins. On Phil's PPV concert, way back in '89, Lee was there in all his skulleted glory.

On Toto's Falling in Between Dvd I remember Luke introducing Sklar saying he learned the set in 5 days filling in for Mike Porcaro.

[verslibre]

^^^^^^^That must be it!

[TotoStu]

He toured with Toto for the Falling In Between tour and apparently he learned the whole set in five days.