The Where's Eric! Interview - Issue 10 (August 1994)
Nathan East
With Tony Edser and Mo Sargent
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He's come a long way from working in a men's clothing store, to be one of the world's most popular and sought after musicians. He is also one of the nicest people you could hope to meet, with an infectious smile and a relaxed easy going manner. Immensely popular with Clapton fans, he had been high on our list of people we wanted to interview for the magazine and, despite having an incredibly busy schedule, we were warmly welcomed to his London hotel room on the eve of his departure on a world tour with close friend, Phil Collins.
Nathan, can we start by talking about the work you're doing now with Phil Collins? You say you've been over here in the U.K. for about a month.
Right. Actually six weeks in England, rehearsing for the upcoming Phil Collins world tour, which will start this Friday in Amsterdam and then it will take us to America during the summer, then back to Europe, with England by December. Great music and lots of fun!
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What's the rehearsal process? When you arrive for the first rehearsal do you know what songs you will be playing, or have you been sent a tape?
Yes, we have been sent tapes and a set list of the songs that will probably be in - it all gets changed at the end but we have a tape of about 35 songs to listen to and learn and try to have as prepared as possible, so that even on the first day of rehearsal it sounds like we know what we're doing!
So you don't spend a couple of days jamming together just to get the feel of each other as musicians?
No. No. He was ready to go the first day and we started with side one.
Is he easy going?
Oh yeah, he's fantastic. He's a very sweet person to work with, very considerate as well, as Eric is, and yet he really is a hard worker and we work banker's hours! From 9.30 in the morning and we work throughout the day. But it's really a good show, chock full of good music.
Obviously his songs are well known around the world. Is it very much a greatest hits package, or focusing more on the latest album?
It's a little bit of each. We have about four or five cuts from the new album that appear mainly in the first set, together with some of the earlier hit ballads, then there is an interval and then the second set is just fifth gear all the way. It's all the hits and its really really exciting music to play.
Is there a theme this time? On the But Seriously tour the theme was the circus....
Yes. This theme is kind of a street scene, it's hard to describe, it's very theatrical, almost out of something from Les Miserables or West Side Story, it's very funky, you know we're dressed in street clothes, not really dressed up, but just dressed down. The stage is a similar thing. Without giving too much away there is a drum kit that is disguised as a trash can! It's very theatrical.
Even down to the stage clothes then, it's all very carefully planned out?
Yes. There has been a lot that's gone into this, the stage set up.
What about Phil, is he dressing down as well?
Yes. Really down! (laughs).
Of all those 35 songs that you have been rehearsing, does that allow for changing the set around throughout the tour, such that if certain songs don't work out you bring others in ?
Yes. There are certain songs that serve a function and two or three might serve that same function, so we can switch those around and swap the encores or a couple of other songs so that we don't get bored with it.
Who's in the band?
The band is Daryl Stuermer on guitar, who has been with him for years, Brad Cole on keyboards and Rickie Lawson on drums. He has the Earth, Wind and Fire horn section and then on backing vocals is Arnold McCullach, Amy Keyes and I am singing backing vocals as well. Phil is on keys and drums. It's a fantastic band.
Have you worked with the drummer before?
Yes. Rickie Lawson was actually who I recommended to Phil when he asked me about drummers and he is a really really wonderful drummer and a great person.
You've done sessions with him?
We've done loads of records, from Anita Baker to Whitney Houston. He's toured with Whitney Houston, did Michael Jackson's last tour, he and I toured together with Al Jarreau and did his "Live in London" video here 10 years ago and he's been with Lionel Richie, George Benson. You name them!
Presumably it's quite important for you to be comfortable with the drummer because the rhythm section is the thing that holds it all together.
Absolutely.
Had you worked with Chester Thompson, who was with Phil for a number of years?
No I hadn't! Well, maybe the odd recording session, our paths haven't really crossed that much, but he's a fantastic drummer.
Does Phil take his turn on drums?
Yes!
is he always trying to get back there and play?
Sometimes he's playing air drums and I can see that he really would love to play drums if he didn't have to sing.
He always does a little solo spot though doesn't he?
Yes. Especially "ln the Air Tonight". Everybody goes crazy! He's really extremely talented, he got more than his fair share of talent when the talent was given out!
The thing about Phil is that he always seems to be on the mainstream shows on t.v.
Yeah, he's very down to earth. He writes, he sends us faxes, he rings when he comes to town and he has always done that since I've known him which must be ten years now.
When you actually go on tour, how organised is it?
It's very organised down to your call times for a sound check, meal times and so on. Sound checks are on]y 30 minutes out of the day and the actual performance would probably be two and a half hours. To and from the show will be probably about an hour, so you know you're looking at about four hours in a 24 hour period that you're actually doing something and then the rest you divide between sleep and working out and sightseeing.
You must have toured most countries of the world by now. Is there anywhere you haven't toured that you would like to go to?
I played the Guitar Legends in Seville but that is the only part of Spain I've been to. We're going to go to Madrid and Barcelona, which I'm really looking forward to.
Seville was where you played with Joe Satriani.
Yes. And Steve Vai, Brian May. It was fantastic. Good vibes.
Did you originally start to play bass when you took up music?
I started on cello in the seventh grade, and played that through ninth grade in the school orchestra. My brothers had a church band and I used to play for folk masses at a church in San Diego. Christ the King Church. That's where I picked up my first bass and I thought "this is fantastic!", it was instant love. My brother played guitar and I had a go at it but there were so many strings and changing chords was a lot harder than the bass which was easy to me. Then I picked it up in the stage band and various high school bands and top 40 garage clubs and it was a really natural instrument.
Had you ever considered another career prior to getting really interested in music?
Not really. I was looking through the book at the occupational programmes and there wasn't much that interested me. I used to have a job in a men's clothing store (laughs) and I saw the retail game and I thought "no, that doesn't have my name on it!". I was really fortunate to discover music and obviously groups like The Beatles were on the television and I would sit there with my broom and mime to the shows.
Any other particular musical types that you picked up on?
Yes. Of course all of Motown, Aretha Franklin. I used to play in a group that played a lot of Sly and the Family Stone, a lot of Earth, Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, R & B and I learned a lot from the bass Player in Tower of Power, people like James Jamerson, Verdine White from Earth, Wind and Fire, even Pete Cetera from Chicago. Then I started picking up on Jack Bruce and started developing
It's said that you and Greg Phillinganes represent the A Team of session players.
Well that's good to hear (laughs). I know that when you get called, I guess that means that they could have called anybody else!
You've obviously done a lot of work together, when did you first meet Greg?
I think I met him on a Quincy Jones session in the early part of the 80's. I was always in awe of his playing and just a big fan and I was actually just a little bit intimidated to play with him, because he's just a master musician. To end up being such good friends has really been a treat because we've become like brothers over the years, we've worked on everything together, from A to Z and I really really miss him. I missed him when he stopped doing Eric's band and I miss him in every musical situation because he is, in my opinion, the best there is for popular music.
Certainly there seemed to be an empathy between you both in the playing. When I saw you playing with Eric, in certain songs you seemed to go off together, bringing in jazz phrasings to a stand and blues format.
Exactly. We would substitute changes, within reason and within boundaries, we used our good judgement and wisdom to pull it in a certain direction. It was great because when you see Eric with a big smile on his face after you've gone through a different set of progressions, it shows he doesn't mind being pulled or pushed.
So they weren't necessarily rehearsed?
No. We have a zen connection and a repertoire of substitutions which we just pull out of the air.
You've also been working with your own band, Fourplay. How did that actually start?
Well the beginning of that was in 1990 when I played on my first Bob James record. Harvey Mason actually recommended me to Bob. When I walked in, it was Lee Ritenour on guitar, Harvey on drums, Bob was on the keyboards and it was just a quartet. We basically had a great session and Bob was really really impressed with just that combination of musicians. He said that he had always wanted to be in a band and we thought it would be good to just put a band together. He had the name Fourplay and he said "what do you guys think - a quartet, Fourplay?".
Is Fourplay still recording?
Our first record was Gold, the second one is approaching Gold and we are going to record our third one in October of this year in one of the breaks from Phil's tour. Everybody is still very interested and very excited about the group.
How far ahead do you have to plan these things?
Usually months and months in advance. But it was interesting that it did come together and we did it for the fun of it. It turned out to be a really good band and we play live maybe a month, two months out of the year and record about the same.
Are you writing songs whilst you are on the road, with Fourplay in mind?
Yes. I have a little studio set up that I bring out with me and if tunes flow, I keep certain people in mind but then I will focus more on Fourplay.
I guess one of your best known songs is Easy Lover.
We do that in the show actually. I get to sing a verse in it!
Did that song come together very quickly?
It actually did. It came together at the end of the recording session - we had eight songs finished and Philip (Bailey) just said that it sure would be nice to have that undeniable hit, no questions asked. So we turned the drum machine on and literally came up with that song in about 20 minutes.
They often say the best songs are written very quickly.
That's what they say and I agree with that. It really turned out great and I used to just get so excited to hear it on three radio stations at once!
So, you've done all these great sessions, you've been on some fantastic tours, you're going on another fantastic tour tomorrow, you've got Fourplay, when are we going to get the Nathan east solo album?
Ah ha! Actually I have some songs in the can that I've been working on with my brother Marcel. We've re-recorded "Can't Find My Way Home", so far and "Serpentine Fire", which we had help from Phil and Eric playing with us. I am waiting now until this tour's over to put that together. It's difficult to release a record while I'm on tour but I'm going to definitely keep that in mind. I've recorded about three or four songs so far and Steve Ferrone and Greg have helped out on it. Now it's just a matter of focusing on a direction but the tricky part is being asked by these superstar legends to go out on tour (laughs). I think after Phil's tour is finished, it will give me some time, you know been there, done that, seen a lot of places around the world, done a lot of travelling with both Phil and Eric and so it might be time to focus inward at that point and use the references that I have gathered throughout the years with working with these great musicians and artists. Maybe I will call on a couple of them to work with me.
Why not. Return the favour!
Yeah, do a friends album!
That was one of the things that was apparent from what I call the classic Clapton 4-piece; you, Phil Collins, Greg and Eric. Certainly that friendship aspect came out all the time.
Yeah. The dream band for all of us. We used to call it the Heaven Band. It was one of the most amazing bands that I've ever had the privilege of playing with.
That feeling of bonhomie certainly came out to the audience.
Oh yes. I would hope that band, with that combination of players, could happen at some point again. I am sure everybody would be up for it.
But for now you haven t got anything lined up in the future with Eric?
No, not at the moment. He is going to finish the blues album this year and there are a couple of charity dates to play, I think But other than that I think he is going to take a little bit of a breather, a well deserved one.
Was that the first time you met him when you came to record the Behind the Sun album?
Actually on the Phil Bailey sessions, when we were staying out in Guildford, Phil introduced me to Eric just in the pub, quickly that one night, and then I was reconnected with him at Live Aid and then Behind the Sun.
Were you With Kenny Loggins at Live Aid?
Yes.
What do you remember about that day.
Fantastic. We just played to a sea of people and the excitement back stage, on stage and in the audience was just incredible. Of course Phil was doing his Superman routine. Helicopter from Wembley right to the tarmac, Concorde - that to me is the ultimate.
Most people just crossed the day out in their diaries to watch Live Aid.
Oh yeah, that was a big event.
You went to the Albert Hall this year, I believe, to see Eric. What was your impression of the show?
I enjoyed being able to watch it. After playing for years, you often wonder what it's like to watch it from the audience. It was really nice to enjoy the show from that perspective.
That's interesting because Phil Palmer said that he didn't like going to a show unless he could get up and play.
That does always go through your mind - you would be up in a second if it were, if the opportunity permitted. As a matter of fact one night Eric didn't even know it but I was back stage and I went right out there. two feet away from him, the lights were down and I just said "o.k. there you are, I've had my fix of being on stage".
Do you tend to watch the bass player more when you go and see the band?
Absolutely.
Were you familiar with Dave Bronze?
Only from rehearsals but he did a great job. I really enjoyed listening to him. I listen to the whole thing but you definitely tend to pick up on the bass player's sound and what equipment they're using and I always want to know that the bass is being heard properly in the audience. That's always nice.
The right balance.
Yes. Nice and clear, with definition.
Is there a Nathan East bass guitar?
There is. There's one being introduced just this year by Yamaha, it's a five string and I think we came up with the one size fits all of basses. A bolt on neck with really nice wood, really nice electronics that allow you to do either studio settings that sound really sweet or a live setting that's really punchy and then a live normal unaffected type sound. There is eq built into the bass, that can also be adjusted from the back. I'm really happy with the way it came out.
I've never seen you play a fretless but presumably you've used them in the past.
Yes, I use one in Phil's show. I use the fretless and I use the Clavinger and I use the fretless on the Fourplay album. I think it's a wonderful instrument. Pino Pallidino is my favourite fretless player and of course Jaco Pastorius put bass on the map.
When you played with Eric, the intro to Layla was actually "A Remark You Made", a Jaco song. Was this a little tribute to him?
It was. When he died, that particular song from the "Heavy Weather" album was the one that broke our hearts and Eric suggested that we do a tribute to him, which I thought was really really great.
I know that from reading the reviews, a lot of people didn't recognise it. They didn't realise that there was a bit more to it than just a disguised introduction.
Right. That was a tribute song.
We read in the concert programmes that your outside interests include flying and magic. Is this right?
Absolutely! I may have to show you a little magic trick! (laughs) I love magic! I'm a member of the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, and an associate member of The Magic Circle. I enjoy that. I'm a private pilot, I really enjoy flying. For many years a bunch of pilot friends would fly to the Bahamas and back, from Los Angeles, and we fly to the mountains and go skiing for the day. And I fly down to San Diego to visit the family. So, not only is it a very relaxing pastime but it is also a great way to get around. I don't have to wait on the schedule of the air lines! I'm in a club at the Burbank airport that has about 30 planes on the line and I'm having a plane built at the moment.
We brought things to a close there - well we didn't want to make Nathan late for his next appointment, which just happened to be Eric's 49th birthday party. He did, though, have time to demonstrate an example of his incredible conjuring skills. First, he showed us the blank pages of a book. He closed the book, reopened it, and suddenly there were black and white cartoon drawings on each page. He closed it again, then reopened it to reveal the same drawings in colour! He closed it a third time, then shook the book. When he reopened it, it was blank pages again. How did he do that?