Steve Gee is the talented bassist/composer from Landmarq. His personal web site (which he designed as well) is called- 'The Deepend' and can be found at: http://www.bassesloaded.co.uk/
Hello Steve,
Please explain your background. Did you have any formal training on the bass/guitar? What types and brands of guitars do you play? Do you customize anything on them?
My first guitar was a Beatles 'toy' guitar bought for me by my parents for my 10th birthday. It was red and black plastic and had a photo and plastic signatures of the 'fab four' on the body. It was probably just a few pounds in cost back then, but I heard that one in mint condition recently sold at an auction for about £300.00GBP. (Guess I shoulda hung on to mine....!). Needless to say, The Beatles (and particularly Paul McCartney) were probably my earliest influence in music.
All this, however, was a sign of things to come as a year later I started guitar class at school and my parents then bought my first 'real' guitar - a nylon-strung classical type. I helped form my first band, playing guitar, at about age 12 and eventually discovered the 'joys of bass' around age 15. Since then, the bass has been my principal instrument, though I have never stopped playing guitar and have played guitar (including slide guitar) in one or two bands over the years.
I don't tend to customize my instruments, I just play 'em... :)
My main basses are a Music Man Stingray 5 (5-string bass) and a Tune TWB-6 (6-string bass). I also have an old Westone 2A fretless bass and a Yamaha Pacifica 604 electric guitar plus a Chappel classical guitar.
Is music a full-time job? Do you work outside the group? Any interesting hobbies?
I don't actually have what my mother would call a 'proper' job! (haha). As with most full-time musicians these days, the luxury of simply working on my own original material is just not possible without major financial backing, so I also play in a couple of other bands. One is a covers band playing a wide range of material from 50's rock 'n' roll through to more modern numbers, though the sixties period is always popular (including Beatles songs, of course!). Another band I'm currently playing bass in and helping to re-launch is a well-known band from the sixties called The Honeycombs. My other musical activities include teaching bass guitar and guitar from home plus doing studio recording sessions and also 'depping' (filling-in) for other bands at gigs, etc.
Outside of music, my other love is photography and also computing; not as a programmer, I hasten to add. I have always had an interest in various forms of design and the computer allowed me to take this further by publishing a printed Landmarq newsletter from home up to about four or five years ago (the original 'Borderlines') which was mailed worldwide to a small number of subscribers. The natural progression from this seemed to be to go on to web-design where I now take care of the official Landmarq website, 'The Spiral Staircase' plus my own personal website, 'The Deepend'.
Please elaborate on the music by the Honeycombs? What is your role in the band?
Aha! The Honeycombs. For those who don't know the band - briefly, they had a massive hit in the 60's with 'Have I The Right'; it sold in excess of 15 million. The band had a couple of follow-up chart hits but nothing as big as that. They also featured the first female drummer in a pop band - Honey Lantry - who has now retired from the music biz. The new band is being brought together by founder-member, Martin Murray - the only original member of the band.
The band is not gigging as yet but, basically, I am playing bass and singing backing vocals and some lead vocals on a couple of numbers. I'm also helping to arrange the material. It's in the rehearsal stage at the moment and we hope to be gigging early in the new year.
You did the pipe introduction on the song `Solitary Witness,' do you play the bagpipes or are they keyboards? How did you go about the writing process for your compositions?
No, I don't play the bagpipes. I played the part on keyboards but would love to do a live version of 'Solitary Witness' with an actual bagpiper playing that intro. Then to bring in a whole 'pipe regiment' to climax the song. (Holy 'Mull of Kintyre', Batman.... haha!).
As to how I write my songs - they are based either on real-life experiences (such as 'Bed of Nails', which is about a six-month period I spent in hospital back in the '80s) and fantasy (such as 'Solitary Witness'). There is also social comment, such as 'Tailspin (Let Go The Line)'. I wrote the lyrics as a tribute to one of my favourite creatures, dolphins, and the song is sung from their point of view relating to their suffering the antics of man.
Is the group democratic in terms of writing/being included on recordings? Who has the final say on what gets recorded on the CD?
The group is certainly democratic though, with five very individual characters in the band, we do have our share of discussions (heated or otherwise) as to what should or should not be included in either Landmarq's live shows or on our recordings. There are four main writers in the band and the whole band may contribute to arrangements of material which eventually results in the sound of Landmarq. Ultimately, I suppose it's a case of majority rule.
If you were stranded on a desert island (With a CD player and batteries), and you could have any ten albums, what would you choose and why?
Oh, I just love these types of questions! Mainly because I find it so hard to choose. Good fun, though, so here goes (in no particular order):
1. Jeff Buckley - 'Grace'.
In my opinion, a totally unique and original singer and songwriter who made only this one main studio album before he died so prematurely in an accident.
2. The Beatles - 'Abbey Road'.
Had to be at least one Beatles album in there, I guess. I'd probably play 'side two' (the second half of the CD!) mostly. To me, that's sheer Progressive Pop!!! (Could just as easily have picked 'Let It Be', 'Sgt. Pepper', 'Magical Mystery Tour').
3. Jaco Pastorius/Weather Report - '8:30' - (double live album).
My favourite jazz/crossover/whatever band which included another musical genius, sadly no longer with us, Jaco Pastorius - "the worlds' greatest bass player". Superb musicians playing a great gig. Say no more!
4. Joni Mitchell - 'Shadows and Light' - (double live album).
There are songwriters. There are great songwriters. Then there is Joni. To me, Joni Mitchell is one of the most original singer/songwriters in music - period! Some may still see her as a quaint little folk singer from the sixties and seventies. How wrong could they be? She's covered it all: rock, pop, standards and especially jazz. What's more, this lady is a fine painter, too. This album also includes Jaco on bass along with my favourite jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny. Excellent!
5. Andrea Bocelli - 'Romanza'.
I love this guy's ability/willingness to 'crossover' into the realms of pop and though some opera purists may baulk at that, the bottom line is the guy has a great voice and his material is so melodic. Guess I'm just a sucker for a nice tune! ('Sogno' would be my alternative choice).
6. Little Feat - 'Waiting for Columbus' - (double live album).
One of the most original rock bands to come out of the USA - at least in the 70s, when they had leader Lowell George still with them. The band really mixed their styles, playing not just rock but blues, funk, country and even a little jazz. This album was recorded as part of a rare UK appearance back in 1978 at The Rainbow Theatre, London.
7. Sting - 'Brand New Day'.
The last studio album from Sting was, for me, his best yet. But only just, as I absolutely love 'Ten Summoners Tales', 'Nothing Like The Sun' and 'Mercury Falling' among others. I was a big Police fan and have admired this guy from the outset. As with Paul McCartney, Sting has a great songwriting style, has an excellent and distinctive voice and -- hey -- he's a bass player!! Also a good guitarist. Again, here's a musician who is not afraid to 'cross over', having composed in many styles aside from rock/pop; i.e. - Jazz, Country, etc. Top man!
8. Pink Floyd - 'Distant Sound of Thunder' - (double live album).
I couldn't leave these guys out. 'See Emily Play' is still one of my all-time favourite singles and I've been into Floyd since that records original release back in 1967. 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn', 'Ummagumma', Meddle', 'Dark Side of the Moon', 'Wish You Were Here', 'The Wall' and so on... With this double live album, I get to have a mix of the bands (mostly later) career and a reminder of a great concert.
9. Frank Zappa - 'One Size Fits All'.
The 'grandfather' of rock!?! Zappa did it all. And you couldn't really pigeon-hole the guy. Metal? Punk? Jazz? Soul-Funk? Blues? Experimental? They're all in there somewhere. As with Joe Zawinul of Weather Report, Zappa had a knack for finding/using top musicians and letting them take the lead in so many cases.
10. Yes - 'Close To The Edge'.
The ultimate Prog-rockers? Who knows! But there's no doubt as to their contribution to this genre of music and the influence and inspiration they have given to so many other 'progressive-rock' bands. This album surely must be among the bands best by what some would say was their best line-up.
What is your favorite Landmarq song? Why?
All of MY songs! (haha). No seriously, this is a tough one. I don't think I can pick just one song although I do think 'Solitary Witness' is one of my best personal compositions and would be near the top of the list, anyway. I love the intricacies and subtleties of our music but I also love the songs that allow us to simply 'groove'. Songs such as 'Heritage', 'Summer Madness', 'Tailspin', etc. Both Steve (Leigh) and Uwe have written some beautiful songs and Tracy has contributed with excellent lyrics to some of our newer work.
Would you ever like to work with Damian Wilson again?
Absolutely.
What is your favorite book? Movie?
Oh dear - I could spend just as long on this one as trying to pick my 10 desert island faves! I guess favourite book would be between Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien), Stranger In A Strange Land (Robert Heinlein), Eon (Greg Bear) and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (Stephen Donaldson). All SciFi/Fantasy as you can see, which pretty much would go for fave movie too. Blade Runner or 2010, probably. But what about 2001? Star Wars? Or Star Trek? Or Aliens, Terminator (1 & 2), Starship Troopers, Independence Day, Silent Running, Forbidden Planet, The Day The Earth Stood Still?
That said, I also love 'North By Northwest', 'Bullitt', 'The Thomas Crown Affair', 'Chinatown', 'West Side story' and about a zillion others....
What is was your favorite band/performer of all time?
I would have to refer you back to question 6 (top 10 recordings) to give you at least part of an answer but if you held a loaded banana to my head I would maybe/possibly/probably go for Sting. I saw his concert in Atlanta last year and was very impressed.
Many creative performers shiver at the word `progressive,' what do you think about the term- progressive music?
Yeh, I must say we tend to leave the pigeon-holing to others. Stick a label on your music and people immediately start making comparisons with whatever else they see as falling in that same category. At the same time, I do understand that it is sometimes necessary to have a 'point of reference' in which people can get at least an idea of what they may be getting into. But comparisons can only be made within a persons own 'frame of reference' taken from whatever they happen to be into. Landmarq, for example, has been compared to anyone from Pink Floyd to Saga to Genesis and others. To me, it's just Landmarq. We don't sit down to write a song that sounds like any of these other bands just because it might be 'what people want'.
I did write an article a few years back for a German magazine regarding this very subject. The trouble is, many have to then sub-categorize the music, as in: neo-progressive, progressive-metal, art-rock, classic-rock, gothic-rock, etc. That's all very well, but it's a shame when some won't even look at stuff that might sit a little to the left or right of their 'chosen' category. Still, it's always been this way and I don't guess things will change much. As to the term 'Progressive' itself; mention it to anyone who is not a fan and it's more like it's REgressive, with words like 'dinosaur' being thrown back. My rather glib answer is that it's "music for grown ups". Of course, we do have fans of all ages as our correspondence and concerts will testify, so there you go!
When is the second half of the live album (sequel to Thunderstruck), coming out? Can you tell me anything about the upcoming Landmarq studio album? Any surprises?
This should be very soon now. At the time of writing, we have the title which will be 'Live Too', the final track listing which can be found on our website and previous newsletter, the images and rough design but not an actual release date - as yet.
You now have an open forum. Would you like to say anything else?
With so many people passing comments and opinions these days, I would simply say: "Live and let live - and have some fun along the way!"
Thank you so much for this interview. Best of Luck! Can't wait to hear the new Landmarq album and the Thunderstruck sequel.
Thanks, Lee.
Cheers, Steve.
