One of the fastest fingers on guitar, Keith Scott is best known for his long-term collaboration with the singer-songwriter Bryan Adams.[break]
A prolific guitarist, Scott’s resume also includes his stellar collaborations with the likes of Cher, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry, Tom Cochrane, and Craig Northey, among others.
Expressing his surprise at and gratitude towards the Nepali audience, he sat down with Republica for a short conversation.
Did you expect the Nepali crowd to be so responsive?
Not at all! We had no idea of the scale of it. We were taken by surprise, and it took us a moment to grasp the actuality. Beautiful night, an amazing crowd, it was a wonderful concert.
Does the crowd affect the performance?
It plays a great part. Because if it’s not responding, you don’t sense the electricity, the energy, and it makes our job not much easier. The crowd Saturday was so energetic, it made our job easier, and we could relax. There was so much energy coming from them, it just made it a larger experience.
We had no idea what to expect, because we’ve never been here before. We didn’t know the kind of Western music that’s accepted in this part of the world. But the reaction we got from the crowd just floored us. We were honored and absolutely surprised. It was terrific.
How would you define your experience with Bryan Adams?
The relation with Bryan has been that of a family. We’ve been together for a long time. I’ve known him for 35 years. Although we didn’t start working until in our 30s, we still share a lot of things on very personal ways. He’s more like a brother to me.
Your take on music?
Well, there’ve been many over the years, from a musical point of view. I can stand out here all day and list them and forget some important ones. Basically, I started listening to pop and rock music in the late 60s, and it was all about generation that got me excited. Especially when I was a young boy, I saw The Beatles on television. Part of our lives was sharing our experiences along with music. It’s changed a bit now.
As opposed to rock music, I always like contemporary Jazz. So when jazz fusion happened in the mid-70s, I was keen on that, but unfortunately didn’t really stay with it. Basically, what I enjoy is improvised music.
Back to Nepal?
I might, actually. But it depends. There’s the great distance to consider. I live in California now, but it certainly would occur to me now that Nepal is such a magical place – the vibe, the energy. Yeah, I would like to come.
Any song you like playing over and over?
It changes every night. Some nights, one song clicks with the crowd; the next week another one gels. Here, in Kathmandu, I would say, it was the song “Kathmandu” by Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band. It was last-minute. We gathered in the dressing room 10 minutes before the show and found the lyrics and just worked it out before the show. We had talked about it a week before, but we didn’t actually try to rehearse it until 10 minutes before we went on to the stage.
Keith Scott autographs the G5120 Electromatic guitar, as Deep S. Rana, the proud Gretsch owner looks on.
The Gretsch connection
Deep S. Rana
A Gretsch guitar is an icon. Alongside with Fender and Gibson, these are amongst one of the most recorded guitars in music history. Their classic design and signature tones have been endorsed by artists and loved the world over since the 1940’s.
I bought my Gretsch on a whim from Guitar Centre in Florida. I’d gone in the store planning to buy a Gibson SG when I noticed this orange Gretsch that caught my fancy and played so well, I HAD to get it! The purchase wasn’t really on a whim as the instrument had featured high on my wish list for a long time.
I remember seeing the guitar for the first time in the hands of Keith Scott, lead guitarist with Bryan Adams, in the video of “Everything I Do” filmed in Sherwood Forest. The guitar was produced by Gretsch under the name “Keith Scott Nashville” signature guitar, to Scott’s specifications as a thank you to Scott for using the instrument in the video.
Throughout his 20-plus year career as a professional musician, Keith has owned and played Gretsch guitars. “My White Falcon Gretsch has been an integral part of the Bryan Adams shows and recordings for many years,” noted Scott. “Now this Orange Nashville is used extensively on stage and in the studio.”
When I learnt that Bryan Adams is playing in Nepal I contacted Keith and told him about my Gretsch. He was curious to know how popular Gretsches are in Nepal. I told him, as far as I know I haven’t seen another Gretsch in Nepal besides mine! So, while he was here I had the pleasure to spend a good hour or so talking about music and guitars. He was gracious enough to sign my Gretsch and take a picture of us with it which will be featured in www.gretschpages.com.
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