Ep362: Leland Sklar - The Immediate Family
The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds
Nate Goyer
4.7 • 579 Ratings
🗓️ 31 October 2022
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Leland Sklar has played on thousands of sessions and hundreds of hit records - from Phil Collins, to Jackson Browne, to David Bowie to Toto and more. Today Leland, along with film director Denny Tedesco, talk records, music stories and the new film "The Immediate Family".
Topics include:
- Leland is punctual
- Does Leland have a record collection?
- Denny's dad Tommy didn't listen to music at home
- Leland's ability to listen for enjoyment
- The best acoustic hall Leland has played
- The acoustics of Carnegie Hall
- Leland's preference for touring or studio work
- Finding time w all members of The Immediate Family
- The impacts of The Immediate Family film
- Going from a sideman to main focus with The Immediate Family
- Leland's experience with original The Wrecking Crew
- How Leland got into being a studio musician
- Backing musicians getting their names on records was a gamechanger
- The Wrecking Crew's names were not on records
- What tours or sessions was Leland offered that he regrettably turned down
- Studio sessions vs recordings from home and sending in tracks
- What are some of the tougher situations Leland gets hired for?
- Any songs or albums that Leland would like to revisit?
- Hearing recordings he was on but didn't recognize
- Frustrations of the music business
- Memories with Frank Zappa
- How many Beatles has Leland worked with?
- Memories with John Entwistle
- Experiences with Jazz legends
- What bass players get up to when they're not playing
- Memories with Eddie Van Halen
- Memories with Billy Thorpe
- Memories of recording Billy Cobham Spectrum
- How to see The Immediate Family documentary film
- Interview wrap up
See The Immediate Family Trailer / get screening tickets here
Extended, High-resolution & Commercial Free version AND VIDEO of this interview available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0
Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8
Follow our Podcast: https://linktr.ee/vinylguide
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VinylGuide
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/VinylGuide
Support our show: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This episode is brought to you by Groove Washer, the best record cleaners and protective sleeves for your vinyl collection. |
| 0:05.6 | Ask for the Groove washer from your local shop or go to groove washer.com. |
| 0:09.7 | Discount code, Vinyl Guide 10. |
| 0:12.4 | And now, on with the show. |
| 0:16.3 | Well, hey, everyone, it's Nate. |
| 0:18.4 | Welcome to episode 362 of The Vinyl Guide, the podcast for record collectors and music nerds, and today we have got an absolute legend of music on the show. |
| 0:30.3 | Now, you've definitely heard him on dozens or maybe even hundreds of records in your collection, and thousands of songs out in the wild. |
| 0:37.1 | The bass player who's played |
| 0:38.2 | with everyone from James Taylor to Jackson Brown to Phil Collins to Billy Cobham to |
| 0:43.6 | Billy Thorpe and a member of the immediate family, Mr. Leland Scalar. |
| 0:50.2 | Now if you've ever seen any of those musicians live and noticed a guy in the background |
| 0:53.9 | playing bass with this humongous beard, that is Lee. |
| 0:57.3 | And you've probably also seen Lee's YouTube channel, which he started during the pandemic, and now it's a ritual for thousands of people every day. |
| 1:05.2 | Well, today we talk to Leland all about his records, recording with the greats, his approach to playing live. |
| 1:11.5 | Lee's memories of Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, how many Beatles he's worked with, and lots, lots more. |
| 1:17.8 | Plus, there is an extended version of this interview, another 30 minutes, and a video version of the interview available only to patrons |
| 1:29.7 | of the Vinyl Guide podcast at patreon.com slash vinyl guide. Head up there now, help support the show |
| 1:36.3 | for a few bucks a month, and you'll get access to all sorts of extras, including extended |
| 1:40.8 | interviews, high-resolution audio files, commercial-free interviews, |
| 1:45.8 | and today you'll also get the secret video link to watch an extended conversation with Leland |
| 1:51.3 | Scalar. |
| 1:52.1 | Head up there now, patreon.com slash vinyl guide. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Nate Goyer, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Nate Goyer and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.