A songwriter is an individual who writes songs. Although songwriters of the past commonly composed, arranged and played their own songs, more recently the pressure to produce popular hits has tended to distribute responsibility between a number of people.^[1] Popular culture songs may be written by group members, but are now usually written by staff writers: songwriters directly employed by music publishers.^[1]

Some songwriters serve as their own music publishers, while others have outside publishers.^[1] Furthermore, songwriters no longer need labels to support their music. Technology has advanced to the point where anyone can record at home.^{[citation needed]}

The old-style apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by some universities and colleges and rock schools.^[1] A knowledge of modern music technology and business skills is seen as necessary to make a songwriting career, and music colleges offer songwriting diplomas and degrees with music business modules.^[1]

Since songwriting and publishing royalties can be a substantial source of income, particularly if a song becomes a hit record, legally, in the US, songs written after 1934 may only be copied by the authors. The legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or transferred. This is governed by international copyright law.^[1]

Professional songwriters can either be employed to write directly for or alongside a performing artist, or they present songs to A&R, publishers, agents and managers for consideration. Song pitching can be done on a songwriter's behalf by their publisher or independently using tip sheets like RowFax, the MusicRow publication, and SongQuarters.^[1]

Staff writers[link]

Songwriters signed to an exclusive songwriting agreement with a publisher are known as "staff writers". Being a staff writer effectively means that during the term of a songwriter's contract with a publisher, all their songs are automatically published by the company to which they signed, and can not be published elsewhere.^[1]

In the Nashville country music scene, there is a strong staff writer culture where contracted writers work normal "9-to-5" hours at the publishing office and are paid a regular salary. This salary is in effect the writer's 'draw', an advance for future earnings paid on a monthly basis so they are able to live on it.^[2] The copyright of the songs written during the term of the agreement is owned by the publisher for a designated period, after which the copyright can be reclaimed.^[2] In an interview with HitQuarters, songwriter Dave Berg extolled the benefits of the set-up: "I was able to concentrate on writing the whole time and have always had enough money to live on."^[3]

Staff writers are common across the whole industry, but without the more office-like working arrangements favored in Nashville. All the major publishers employ writers under contract.^[3] A staff writer contract with a publisher is a natural^{[citation needed]} first step for any professional songwriting career, with some writers outgrowing the set-up once they achieve a degree of success and a desire for greater independence.^[3] Songwriter Allan Eshuijs described his staff writer contract at Universal Music Publishing as a "starter deal", the success from which eventually allowed him to found his own publishing company so that he could "keep as much [publishing] as possible and say how it’s going to be done."^[4]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rimler, Walter Not Fade Away Pierian Press (1984) ISBN 0-87650-159-5
• Waterman, J. Douglas, Ed. Song: The World's Best Songwriters on Creating the Music That Moves Us Writer's Digest (2007) ISBN 1-58297-424-1

v t e Music industry Genres Avant-garde · Blues · Contemporary R&B · Country · Crossover · Dance · Drum and bass · Easy listening · Electronica · Experimental · Folk · Funk · Gospel · Hip hop · Instrumental · Jazz · Latin · Motown · New age · Operatic pop · Pop · Reggae · Rock · Soul · Soundtrack · World Sectors and roles Album cover design · Artists and repertoire (A&R) · Distribution · Entertainment law · Music education · Music executive · Music journalism · Music publisher · Music venue · Musical instruments · Promotion · Radio promotion · Record label · Record shop · Road crew · Talent manager · Tour promoter Production Arrangement · Record producer · Recording artist · Session musician · Songwriter · Sound engineer Record labels Major: EMI · Sony Music Entertainment · Universal Music Group · Warner Music Group · Independent: Independent UK record labels Release formats Album · Extended play (EP)/Mini album · Single Awards American Music Award · ARIA Music Awards · Billboard Music Awards · Brit Awards · Choice Music Prize · Classic Brit Awards · Diapason d'Or · Echo Award · Golden Disk Awards · Grammy Award · Grand Prix du Disque · Juno Award · Latin Grammy Awards · Meteor Music Awards · MTV Europe Music Awards · MTV Video Music Awards · MuchMusic Video Awards · Music of Black Origin Awards · New Zealand Music Awards · NRJ Music Award · TEC Awards · World Music Awards Charts ARIA Charts · Billboard Hot 100 · Canadian Hot 100 · RIANZ Singles Chart · Irish Singles Chart · UK Singles Chart Sales certifications ARIA (Gold · Platinum) · BPI (Silver · Gold · Platinum) · CRIA (Gold · Platinum · Multi-Platinum · Diamond) · PROMUSICAE (Gold · Platinum) · RIAA (Gold · Platinum · Multi-Platinum · Diamond) Publications Billboard · HitQuarters · Hot Press · Kerrang! · Mojo · NME · Q · Rolling Stone · Smash Hits · Top of the Pops Retailers Amazon.com · Fnac · HMV Group · Online music stores (iTunes Store) · Trans World Entertainment · Virgin Megastores Television Black Entertainment Television · Country Music Television · Fuse TV · Idol · Juice TV · MTV · MuchMusic · The Music Factory · Star Academy · Viva · The Voice · The X Factor Other A-side and B-side · Christian music industry  · Hidden track  · Grammy Museum  · White label Category

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2009)

This article may rely too heavily on sources with too close a tie to the subject to be verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable, independent, third-party sources. (January 2011)

Ralph Murphy (born 1944) is a British-born Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter.

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Murphy was born in Saffron Walden, England during World War II. At the age of six, Murphy emigrated to Canada with his mother. An avid lover of music, Murphy taught himself to play guitar and began playing gigs in Wallaceburg, Ontario at the age of 14. At 17 he moved between Los Angeles and New York making his way in the music business.

At 19, Murphy moved to London, signed a record deal with Pye Records and released two singles with Jack Klaysen as The Guardsmen. The Guardsmen then changed their name to the Slade Brothers and released an additional two singles. The Slade Brothers opened up for famous headlining acts, such as The Kinks, The Troggs, Martha and the Vandellas, The Byrds, and The Walker Brothers.

Producing career[link]

Murphy signed his first publishing deal with Mills Music in 1965. He had his first big hit with James Royal's "Call My Name" in 1966. Murphy started producing records in 1966 for CBS, Fontana, Carnaby, Decca, Other hits included Billy Fury's "Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt" and the Casuals "Touched". In 1967, Murphy joined the group Harper and Rowe. The following year, he became Raffi Murphy in the group The High Windows.

In 1969, Murphy moved to New York and produced albums for several groups, including, but not limited to, April Wine,^[1][2][3] Mashmakhan, Shooter, Brutus,^[4] Sea Dog, Chris Bartley, and the Rock Garden.

Songwriting[link]

In 1971, Murphy had a number two country hit with Jeannie C. Riley titled "Good Enough to be Your Wife" which gave Murphy his first introduction to Nashville. In 1978, Murphy moved to Nashville and began a joint venture publishing/production company with Roger Cook called PICALIC. The company achieved its first number one hit within a year with a song by Crystal Gayle called "Talking in Your Sleep", written by Bobby Wood and Roger Cook. In 1978, Murphy cowrote "Half the Way" with Bobby Wood, which was cut by Crystal Gayle and became a number one hit. In 1980 Murphy cowrote "He Got You" with Bobby Wood, which was cut by Ronnie Milsap and also became a number one hit. Murphys' most recent success as "21st Century Christmas", cowritten with Paul Brady and cut by Cliff Richard which made it to number 2 on the UK charts. Other artists that have cut Murphy's songs include Randy Travis, Ray Price, Don Williams, Kathy Mattea, Little Texas, Shania Twain, Brotherhood of Man, Vanity Fair, and many more.

Murphy has worked with ASCAP for the past 14 years to facilitate workshops for songwriters, and help protect songwriters rights. He is the author of the noted Murphy's Laws of Songwriting, which he has posted to his website to help aspiring writers obtain success in their own careers, and has recently released an album of his previously recorded hits and also several of his own favorite previously uncut songs.

Other affiliations[link]

Murphy is a member of the Country Music Association, currently serves on the board of the Canadian Country Music Association. Currently a member of the Songwriters Association of Canada and the Songwriter's Guild of America. He is a former president of the Nashville Songwriter's Association, and a former President of the Nashville Chapter of the National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences and former Trustee of NARAS.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site

Jesse Harris
Background information
Born	1969
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	Pop Folk Jazz
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Guitar, harmonica, banjo, piano
Labels	Secret Sun Recordings Downtown Records Tzadik Records
Website	Official website

Jesse Harris (born 1969) is a Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter.^[1] He has collaborated with several musical artists including Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Harris was born in New York City,^[1] along with his fraternal twin sister.^[3] He graduated from Cornell University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, in English.^[4][5]

Career[link]

Harris gave guitar lessons and performed in "various musical groups" before he formed the duo Once Blue with singer/songwriter Rebecca Martin.^[1] Once Blue released its self-titled debut on EMI Records in 1995 and nine additional songs were included in the album's re-release in 2003.^[1]

Harris became a songwriter for Sony Publishing for a time and then created three self-released recordings with his new band, the Ferdinandos consisting of Harris, Tony Scherr, Tim Luntzel, and Kenny Wollesen.^[6] The band released two more albums on Verve Records and Harris later recorded three solo albums Mineral, Feel, and Watching the Sky on his own label, Secret Sun Recordings.^[1][2] In 2003 he was awarded a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "Don't Know Why," performed by Norah Jones.

In 2007, Harris contributed new and existing songs to the soundtrack of the film The Hottest State.^[7][8] Harris also acted in the film and Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Feist, Cat Power, and M. Ward and on some of his songs.^[7]

Harris has toured throughout North America, South America, Australia, Europe and Japan and has been an opening act for Norah Jones, American Music Club, Bright Eyes, Joshua Radin and Ani DiFranco.^[9] Harris was a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.^[10]

In August 2010 Harris released his album Through the Night and recorded a new version of his song "The Secret Sun" for a Corona (beer) commercial.^[11][12]

His music has been described as a "blend [of] folk, rock, jazz, and world rhythms."^[13]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Once Blue (1995)
• Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos (1999)
• Crooked Lines (2001)
• Without You (2002)
• The Secret Sun (2003)
• While the Music Lasts (2004)
• Mineral (2005)
• Feel (2007)
• Watching the Sky (2009)
• Through the Night (2010)
• Cosmo - Instrumental album (2010)

Appearances[link]

• Norah Jones- Come Away With Me (Blue Note Records)
• Norah Jones- Feels Like Home (Blue Note Records)
• Norah Jones- Not Too Late (Blue Note Records)
• Norah Jones- The Fall (Blue Note Records)
• Solomon Burke- Like A Fire (Shout! Factory)
• Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek Records)
• Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness (Team Love Records)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website. - JesseHarrisMusic.com.
  • Discography. - JesseHarrisMusic.com.
• Jesse Harris. - MySpace.
• "'The Hottest State' Gets an All-Star Soundtrack". - NPR (National Public Radio) at NPR.org.

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (November 2010)

Zane Lowe
Playing at Radio 1's Big Weekend
Birth name	Alexander Zane Reid Lowe
Born	(1973-08-07) 7 August 1973 (age 38) Auckland, New Zealand
Show	The Zane Lowe Show
Station(s)	BBC Radio 1
Time slot	7–9pm Mondays–Thursdays
Style	Disc Jockey
Country	United Kingdom
Children	Jackson and Lucius
Website	zanelowe.com

Zane Lowe (born Alexander Zane Reid Lowe on 7 August 1973) also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland,^[1] where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England.^[2] He presents BBC Radio 1's evening show, where he plays a variety of alternative music, including rock, punk, dance, drum and bass, and hip hop. He was also the presenter of the MTV Rocks show Gonzo, having been a former VJ on MTV since 1997, where he presented Brand:New.^[2] Lowe currently resides in London with his wife and two sons, Jackson and Lucius. He is best known for his boundless sycophancy.

Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1[link]

Lowe about to take the decks at a Radio 1 event in Preston

Lowe's radio show can be heard on Mondays to Thursdays from 7pm to 9pm. Past and present features on his show have included:

• On Mondays, Fresh Meat is where the show's chatroom rate three songs from three upcoming bands; the winning track is played throughout the rest of the week
• The Hottest Record In The World this week, where a song from a hotly-tipped band or new album is played
• Sunsetter where a more mellow track is played as the sun sets each night, (seasonal)
• Encore, when listeners can text in to request a repeat of a track that has already been played, the winning track being the track most requested. (discontinued)
• U-turns, a phone-in request slot (signified by 'the screech and the beat'), also discontinued (now 'What have we missed')
• Crowd Rocker, where an anthem from the past is played (discontinued)
• Mixtape, a ninety minute themed mix which only broadcasts to listeners in England while the rest of the UK do their regional shows (Discontinued)
• Live performances and interviews with bands and artists

Lowe reading the papers while sitting next to Edith Bowman at Glastonbury 2007.

Lowe's method of DJing is rather enthusiastic and fast-paced, similar to many hip hop DJs, with samples of radio stations, interview clips and Radio 1 stings thrown in between songs, along with the occasional sound of Lowe singing along to the music.

He is extremely dedicated to new music, and many of the bands or musicians who won Fresh Meat have gone on to be very successful; Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, The Killers, Editors, Kasabian, The Wombats and Kaiser Chiefs are examples of bands who have benefited.

Zane Lowe played "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley for the first time on radio. The song was frequently played on Radio 1 thereafter, helping it to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart on 2 April 2006. "Crazy" was the first song in British history to go to number one based on sales of legal downloads alone; the download was made available a week before physical copies went on sale. The song also featured in Zane Lowe's TV advert, which aired in early 2006.

Prior to Muse and Foo Fighters emerging onstage at their concerts at Wembley Stadium, Lowe 'entertained' the crowd on DJ decks. More recently Zane Lowe played a large role in the Festival/Large concert "Warrior's Dance" hosted by The Prodigy, and DJ'd two sets through the evening.

Masterpieces[link]

Between 2007 and 2011, one week of Zane Lowe's show was dedicated to albums considered 'masterpieces'. Each show focused on a different album which Lowe and his team considered to be a bonafide classic. The first half of the show was dedicated to interviews and an in-depth look at the album's cultural impact. In the second half of the show, the full unabridged album was played in its entirety, complete with gaps and no lyric censorship.

On 25 July 2011, his first show after the death of Amy Winehouse, Zane told listeners that he had intended to make her album Back to Black a Masterpiece of previous series, but was unable to secure an interview with the singer. Lowe also appeared alongside other music acts The Vaccines, Darwin Deez, Union and Doorly on 7 June 2011, and again alongside Biffy Clyro, Morning Parade and Doorly on 19 July 2011 at the Mallorca Rocks hotel in Magaluf, Mallorca for the event of the same name.

During the 21 November 2011 broadcast of 'Masterpieces' featuring The Smashing Pumpkins, Lowe expressed his delight at securing the opportunity to play Siamese Dream in full, stating the album to be his favourite of all time.

On 24 November 2011, Zane Lowe announced that 2011 would be the final edition of 'Masterpieces', concluding the show with "Hallelujah" from Jeff Buckley's album Grace, stating that the idea of the feature originally came from the suggestion that the album Grace be played on the air from beginning to end.

[edit] Zane Lowe on MTV Two

Lowe started his career on MTV Two presenting shows such as Up 4 It (1997) and Brand:New (1999), and since 2002 he has presented Gonzo, its flagship music show, in which time the show has evolved from a two-hour random collection of presenting and clips, to a primetime (7pm) show featuring regular musical guests and interviews. The show is presented solely by Lowe, with the studio effectively being a blue screen and the infamous 'Brown Couch'. His presenting manner on Gonzo is more laid back than on his radio show. The show features music videos, along with news (usually ripped from the NME; Lowe can often be seen reading the news straight from the magazine) and input from the channel's message boards. The show also features mock interview done by a character called Ginger Bloke, in which popular musical artists are humorously "interviewed." Occasionally, moderators of the boards (chosen on Gonzo and by the members) contribute; one member even filled in for a week when Lowe was ill and unable to present. At Oxegen Festival 2006, Zane Lowe was reportedly "beaten up" by Didz Hammond and Carl Barat from Dirty Pretty Things on an episode of Gonzo. He has since said that the punch was in fact completely playful but unfortunately, and painfully, connected with his groin.^[10]

Ryan Jarman[link]

Zane Lowe saved Ryan Jarman's life at the 2006 NME Awards, an incident NME now refers to as "engraved in indie folklore".^[11] Ryan's band, The Cribs, accepted an award on behalf of winners, Franz Ferdinand. However, on his way to collect the trophy from presenter Russell Brand, Ryan dived onto the Kaiser Chiefs table and pierced his back with broken glass, narrowly missing his vital organs.^[11] He was quickly taken to hospital but discharged himself to return for the show's party later in the night. However, his injuries were severe and he fell unconscious in a back corridor. Luckily Zane Lowe, a fellow guest at the party, came across Ryan lying on the floor and discovered he was bleeding profusely. Zane raised the alarm and Ryan received urgently needed medical attention to stop internal bleeding.^[11]

Awards[link]

Both the Zane Lowe Show and Gonzo have won numerous awards including Best Radio Show and Best TV Show respectively at the NME Awards 2006. Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles has jokingly referred to "The Best Radio Show" award as "The Zane Lowe Award" due to Lowe's repeated success. Lowe continues this success by winning the Best Radio Show NME award in the 2007 and 2008 Awards.

Lowe won the Gold Award in The Specialist Music Programme Award, and Music Broadcaster of the Year categories at the 2006, 2010 and 2011 Sony Radio Academy Awards.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zane Lowe

• Official website
• Zane Lowe Radio 1
• Zane Lowe on Myspace
• Zane Lowe on Twitter
• Zane Lowe on Facebook

Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert with Mr.Big at Festivalna Hall, Sofia
Background information
Born	(1966-11-06) November 6, 1966 (age 45) Carbondale, Illinois United States
Genres	Instrumental rock, heavy metal, hard rock, neo-classical metal, speed metal, progressive metal
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, bass, keyboards, Percussion, Harmonica
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Universal Japan, Shrapnel
Associated acts	Mr. Big, Racer X, G3, Yellow Matter Custard, John Paul Jones, The Evil Stepsisters
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Ibanez PGM signature series, Ibanez Fireman

Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966 in Illinois, USA) is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr. Big, as well as many solo albums and numerous collaborations and guest appearances with other musicians.

He has been voted number 4 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time",^[1] as well as a spot in Guitar World's 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time list.^[2]

Shrapnel Records[link]

Gilbert was raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.^[3] Around 1981-82, he first contacted Mike Varney, founder of Shrapnel Records, asking for a gig with Ozzy Osbourne. At the time, Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15 year old guitarist, but after listening to his demo he changed his mind. Gilbert was featured in Guitar Player magazine at the age of fifteen.^[3] They talked for the next 3 years, until Paul went to L.A. for the GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology), and then was ready to record Racer X's debut album Street Lethal.

Racer X[link]

Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Racer X originally comprised Paul Gilbert (guitar), Juan Alderete (bass), Harry Gschoesser (drums) and Jeff Martin (vocals). They were heavily influenced by Judas Priest and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by Scott Travis (later known for being the drummer for Judas Priest) in 1986, and Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitar player. Bouillet was a very skilled player, as he had to play over Gilbert's always difficult and challenging phrases. Paul Gilbert gained recognition as one of the fastest guitar players in the world due to incredibly technical pieces like "Technical Difficulties" "Frenzy", "Scarified", "Y.R.O." and "Scit Scat Wah". Gilbert left Racer X in 1988. Racer X carried on for a short time with guitarist (and fellow GIT alum) Chris Arvin and vocalist Oni Logan (later of George Lynch's Lynch Mob) when singer Jeff Martin departed to play drums in Jake E. Lee's Badlands, in which he replaced Eric Singer who left to join Alice Cooper. Shortly thereafter, the members of the re-invented Racer X went their separate ways. The original band would eventually reform (although without Bruce Bouillet, who in-turn did produce the first reunion record).

Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all agreed to return, with the exception of Bruce Bouillet. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released another album, Superheroes. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet.

In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years to a sold-out crowd at the famed Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and DVD were released under the name Snowball of Doom.

In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and Taiwan. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes, and the final show, in Yokohama, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and was to be later released as Snowball of Doom 2. Later that year, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas to record Getting Heavier, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more so than a traditional Racer X album.

Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup consists of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.^[4]

Mr. Big[link]

When Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's band in 1988, he joined with Paul Gilbert, who had left his former band, Racer X. They founded Mr. Big, with Pat Torpey on drums and singer Eric Martin. The band was initially a huge success in Japan, and became famous internationally in 1991, with the release of their second album, Lean Into It. This album featured the ballad "To Be With You", which received strong media play and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Gilbert continued playing in Mr. Big until the late 1990s. He left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Richie Kotzen. Mr. Big disbanded in 2002.

In June 2009, Paul Gilbert reunited with original Mr. Big members; Eric Martin (vocals), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey, for a world wide reunion tour. They recorded a new album with producer Kevin Shirley.^[5] titled What If.... The album was released in Japan on Dec. 15th, 2010, in Europe on Jan. 21st, 2011 and in the USA in Feb. 2011. A tour to support the album kicked off at The House of Blues, in Hollywood, CA on April 2, 2011, followed by several dates in Japan in the same month. In May and June 2011, the tour continues in China, Korea, The Philippines and Europe.

Projects[link]

Gilbert performing on March 2, 2007

In May 2003 he played in an only twice-performing project called Yellow Matter Custard, a Beatles cover band consisting also of Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard), and Matt Bissonette. In February 2011 Yellow Matter Custard re-formed for 3 Nights Across America. Kasim Sulton replaced Matt Bissonette in the 2011 shows due to other commitments. They took their name from a Beatles lyric in "I Am the Walrus": "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye".

He rejoined Portnoy along with Dave LaRue and Daniel Gildenlöw for a Led Zeppelin tribute band called Hammer of the Gods in November 2003. The same year, he toured Japan with Linus Of Hollywood, TJ Helmerich, and Scot Coogan in support of his solo albums Burning Organ, Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert, and Gilbert Hotel. In September 2005, he joined Portnoy, Sean Malone, and Jason McMaster in the Rush tribute band Cygnus and the Sea Monsters. In May 2006, he joined Portnoy, Gary Cherone, and Billy Sheehan to form Amazing Journey: A Tribute to The Who, playing three shows. The band (excluding Sheehan) destroyed their equipment after the show in homage.

He was also revealed to be the guest guitarist on the Neal Morse solo album, Sola Scriptura. In 2007, Paul Gilbert toured with Bruce Bouillet for promotion of his first instrumental album, Get Out of My Yard, which was released in 2006. Also joining him was his wife, Emi Gilbert, on keyboards. Paul Gilbert also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in the 2007 G3 tour. This was the 5th North American G3 run and the 12th tour worldwide since its inception.

On January 23, 2008, Paul released an instrumental CD titled Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar. It was released in Europe on March 31, 2008, and in America on April 8, 2008. This is Paul's second instrumental album.^[6]

On October 22, 2008, Paul released an album with vocalist Freddie Nelson entitled United States.^[7] The collaboration has been described as a cross of Queen and Mr. Big.^[8]

Paul with Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Gilbert, and finally Racer X. This Racer X lineup consisted of Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.^[4]

Gilbert also joined George Lynch and Richie Kotzen on the Guitar Generation tour.

On June 30, 2010, Gilbert's new album Fuzz Universe was released in Japan, with a release in America and Europe soon after.^[9] It is Paul's 3rd solo album being entirely instrumental.^[9] A cover of Johnny Cash's "Leave That Junk Alone" is featured as a Japanese bonus track.^[9][10]

Influences and Style[link]

Talking about his influences, Paul mentions many different artists, including: Randy Rhoads, Kim Mitchell, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, John J Kirby, Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson, Jimmy Page, Robin Trower, Ritchie Blackmore, Pat Travers, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Judas Priest, Akira Takasaki, Steve Clark, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, and The Ramones. Paul has stated many times that he was heavily influenced by his uncle Jimi Kidd who was instrumental in getting Paul interested in playing the guitar. He is also a great fan of The Beach Boys and The Beatles. He states on the Space Ship Live DVD that George Harrison is one of his favorite guitar players. Guitar World magazine declared him one of 50 of the world's fastest guitarists of all time, along with Buckethead, Eddie Van Halen, and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Gilbert composes music in a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, metal, blues, funk and european classical music, but is perhaps best known for his versatility and speed. He is noted in particular for his efficient picking and his tendency to pick many notes rather than relying on legato for fast passages.

Instructor[link]

Paul Gilbert wrote his own section of the British guitar magazine, Total Guitar, where he normally demonstrated guitar techniques in the magazine and accompanying CD. Even before that, he contributed instructional articles to Guitar Player Magazine in a late 1980s/early 1990s series entitled "Terrifying Guitar 101". His period of working with Total Guitar spanned thirty-one issues until the November 2006 issue. Paul also teaches at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) regularly, and is also an "honorary dean" of the GIT division in Japan. Paul visits Japan, enjoying the lifestyle like his Shrapnel labelmate Marty Friedman, who still lives in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently. Gilbert is known for his instructional videos, which are often comical in nature. One of his instructional videos includes him pulling a rabbit out of his guitar, putting his guitar in a straightjacket and having presents thrown at him by members of the film crew. Paul also was, for a short time, the guitar teacher of Buckethead, Russ Parrish (A.K.A. Satchell from Steel Panther), Michelle Meldrum (The late wife of Europe guitarist John Norum) and Nicole Couch of Phantom Blue. Gilbert now writes a column for Premier Guitar entitled "Shred Your Enthusiasm".

Gear[link]

Gilbert playing his signature guitar 2007

Paul Gilbert primarily uses his Ibanez PGM signature series guitars,^[11] identified by the unique painted on "F-holes". Although earlier PGM models featured the Ibanez Lo-Pro/Edge double locking tremolo system, many of his guitars (such as his main PGM300) were modified to accommodate a fixed bridge after he stopped using whammy bars in the early 90s, hence the Ibanez PGM301 guitar. Along with his signature guitars, Gilbert often uses his sticker-covered "Dino" Ibanez RG550, in addition to a wide variety of Ibanez solidbody and semi-hollow electric guitars. Recently, Gilbert has been using Ibanez "Fireman" (a reversed-body Ibanez Iceman with single-coil pickups and an extra cutaway) guitars, which he designed himself.^[12] A red version The Ibanez Fireman is to be mass-produced for consumers at a more affordable price than the Ibanez PGMFRM1 (current Paul Gilbert signature Fireman) in Fall 2011.

Regarding amplifiers, Gilbert used A/DA preamps (A/DA MP-1) and rack effects units early in his career prior to switching to Laney amplifiers. He praised the Laney amps as having "the best natural distorted sound of any tube amp ever heard" Since the G3 2007 tour however, Gilbert stated that playing with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci inspired him to take a closer look at his own guitar sound. As a result of his search he found the Marshall Vintage Modern series. He currently uses the Marshall Vintage Modern 2266c combo amps. Paul now uses the Marshall JMD:1 (specifically JMD501) amplifier along with his Vintage Modern amplifier. Paul uses Jim Dunlop Tortex picks, of which he prefers the orange (.60mm) picks. As far as cables Paul uses^[13] Bullet Cable 30' Coiled Cables, Bullet Cable SLUG DIY solderless patch cables for his pedalboard and effects.

Paul has been known to use the following effects:

Paul also used a modified vintage A/DA Flanger from the 1980s (source: Berlin VIP session interview). You can hear it on tracks like 'Bucket of Rocks', and he also uses it on the 'Snowball of Doom' DVD. Paul stated the flanger had been modified. He would set the flanger to self oscillate, which would make the pitch of the resulting signal alternate up and down to create a sound similar to a dive bomb or a pull up on a whammy bar. Unfortunately, during Paul's 2008 European tour, his trusty A/DA Flanger broke. Thankfully, before the pedal broke, he and Ibanez collaborated to make a similar pedal, with both a regular flanger mode and a mode which can be set to create a close approximation of the A/DA pedal's sound, and the pedal has been released as the Ibanez Paul Gilbert AF-2 Airplane Flanger. He also uses the Psilocybe phaser and THC chorus pedals from Home Brew Electronics.

In the intro to "Get Out Of My Yard" Paul uses a Boss DD-3 Delay pedal to achieve the altered pitch looped effect at the beginning of the track. This was also demonstrated by Paul on the instructional DVD of the same name.

He is also famous for using a Makita cordless drill with three picks mounted on the end of it, which he used most famously on the Mr. Big track "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy".

In 2009, Ibanez released a new PGM model, the Ibanez PGM401, which is rather different from most of Paul's previous models, with an ash body (most of his previous models were made of basswood, although his PGM800 guitar was made of lightweight ash, a similar but different wood than that used in the PGM401), Trifade Burst finish, Cosmo Black hardware and a regular headstock replacing the reversed one of the previous models. Also, rather than the DiMarzio PAF Pro, Tone Zone and Super Distortion pickups used in his previous models, the PGM401 comes with Paul's favorite humbucker model for the past five years, the DiMarzio Air Classic, arranged in a dual humbucker arrangement. Paul has stated that he had the bridge pickup moved 1mm closer to the neck, which he said results in a warmer and thicker sound, particularly for the high notes he often uses in soloing. The F-holes are 3% smaller, to make the look more balanced with the pickup mounting rings. But perhaps the biggest difference from other current Ibanez guitar models, is that the PGM401 uses the old late-1980s neckjoint, which is thicker than the current neckjoints on other Ibanez guitars.^[14]

In 2011, Ibanez released a new model for Gilbert the FRM100. The design of the FRM100 was inspired by many hours of playing and performance by Paul Gilbert with the original Ibanez Fireman model featuring a distinctive reverse Iceman body outline ^[15]

Discography[link]

Racer X[link]

• Street Lethal (1986)
• Second Heat (1987)
• Extreme Volume Live (1988)
• Extreme Volume II Live (1992)
• Technical Difficulties (1999)
• Superheroes (2000)
• Snowball of Doom (2002)
• Getting Heavier (2002)
• Snowball of Doom 2 (2002)

Mr. Big[link]

• Mr. Big (1989)
• Raw Like Sushi (1990)
• Lean Into It (1991)
• Raw Like Sushi II (1992)
• Bump Ahead (1993)
• Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 (1994)
• Channel V at the Hard Rock Live (1996)
• Hey Man (1996)
• Big Bigger Biggest: Greatest Hits (1996)
• Next Time Around Best Of (2009)
• Back To Budokan Live (2009)
• What If... (2011)

Solo Albums[link]

• Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (EP) (1991) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #59)
• King of Clubs (1998) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #28)
• Flying Dog (1998) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #23)
• Beehive Live (1999) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #72)
• Alligator Farm (2000) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #24)
• Raw Blues Power With Jimi Kidd (2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
• Burning Organ (2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #27)
• Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert (2003) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #31)
• Gilbert Hotel (2003)
• Acoustic Samurai (2003) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
• Space Ship One (2005) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #53)
• Get Out of My Yard (2006) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #52)
• Tough Eskimo (limited edition EP) (2007)
• Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar (2008) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #39)
• United States With Freddie Nelson (2009)
• Fuzz Universe (2010) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #57)

Other appearances[link]

• Trouble In The Streets- Black Sheep(1985)
• Atomic Basement Tapes - Missing Lynx (1985)
• Revelation - Darrell Mansfield Band (1985)
• Pump It!' - Jeff Berlin (1986)
• Out of the Sun - Joey Tafolla (1990)
• Humanary Stew - A Tribute to Alice Cooper
• Guitars That Rule the World (1992)
• Smoke On The Water: A Tribute (1994)
• Samad: Samad Lead Guitar on "Joget" and "Animo" (1994)
• Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle (1996)
• Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus (track "Dislocated") (1996)
• Akira Takasaki - Wa (1996)
• Merry Axemas - A Guitar Christmas (1997)
• Mikazuki^{[disambiguation needed ]} "In Rock" Sound Track, Guitar on tracks "Crescent Moon" & "Theme for Kazeo" (2000)
• Becker 2001, Warmth in the Wilderness -A Tribute to Jason Becker(Guitar and vocals for Hawkin)
• Hughes Turner Project - HTP (2002)
• Battle Gear III: The Edge (played on "Charge and Discharge," "Morning View," and "The Machine of Rage" bonus tracks) (2003)
• Kim Fox Return to Planet Earth (2003) Guitar on track 4
• Guitar Wars (2003)
• Return to the Planet Earth - Kim Fox (2003)
• One Night in New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• Mieze - Marco Minnemann (2004)
• Five Feet...No Inches - Pintsize (2005)
• Contraire de la chanson - Marco Minnemann (2006)
• Parador (track "Joke") - Wisely (2006)
• Light at the End of the Tunnel - War and Peace (2006) (with Richie Kotzen, John Norum, Jeff Pilson)
• Two Nights In North America - Hammer of the Gods (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• One Night in Chicago - Cygnus and the Sea Monsters (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• Live with Sex Machineguns - Tokyo (2005)
• One Night in New York City - Amazing Journey (2007) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• Spin The Bottle - An All Star Tribute To Kiss (guitars on "I Want You") (2004)
• Numbers from the Beast - An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden (guitars on "The Evil That Men Do") (2005)
• Evil Lives: A True Metal Tribute to Black Sabbath (with Racer X on Track 4: "Children of the Grave") (2006)
• The Fool - Jeff Martin solo album (2006)
• Sola Scriptura - Neal Morse (2007)
• G3 Tour (2007)
• Lifeline - Neal Morse (2008)
• Guitar Hero Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Doesn't Make You Slash) - MC Lars (2008)
• Bowling for Soup - Merry Flippin' Christmas Volume 1 (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause) (2009)

Videography[link]

• Intense Rock Jams - Sequences & Techniques VHS version
• Intense Rock II featuring Paul Gilbert VHS version
• Guitars from Mars Japanese DVD release
• Guitars from Mars II Japanese DVD release
• Terrifying Guitar Trip VHS version
• Eleven Thousand Notes DVD
• Guitar Wars DVD
• Space Ship Live DVD (2005)
• Complete Intense Rock DVD (2006)
• Terrifying Guitar Trip DVD (2006)
• Get Out Of My Yard Guitar Instructional (string skipping) DVD (2007)
• Get Out Of My City Guitar Instructional DVD/VCD (2007)
• One Night In New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003)
• Two Nights In North America - Hammer Of The Gods (2006)
• One Night In Chicago - Cygnus And The Sea Monsters (2006)
• One Night In New York City - Amazing Journey (2007)
• Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar Guitar Instructional DVD And Shred Annex (2008)
• The Last Note of Freedom

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paul Gilbert

• The official Paul Gilbert site
• The official Racer X site
• Paul Gilbert - Rock Squad Interview
• Gilbert's solo on Mr Big site
• Paul Gilbert on Last.fm
• Paul Gilbert artist page at Guitar Video Channel