Bill Connors

[Anje]

I love Bill’s work, brillant and so diverse over the decades.
He’s always had Fantastic unique phrasing, touch and sound(s) to me.

Talking about the electric years, as much as the early 70’s / Return to Forever period is legendary, I’ve had a personal soft spot for his come back to electric focused in the mid 80’s with the related studio album trilogy; and in particular this one:

That’s been one of the very few & my main references for a “Kelley” amp tone over the years. Love it, always found it “unique” in some ways and have had that somewhere in the back of my mind, along with my classic UK amps main references.
The recent “public rebirth” of Jim’s amps and the great threads & clips posted by Voodoosound & Beckstriad put it back in the foreground to me.

I’m not very familiar with the details of the different Kelley amps and their history. Do we know what kind of Kelley / model Bill was playing at the time?

 

[beckstriad]

I love Bill’s work, brillant and so diverse over the decades.
He’s always had Fantastic unique phrasing, touch and sound(s) to me.

Talking about the electric years, as much as the early 70’s / Return to Forever period is legendary, I’ve had a personal soft spot for his come back to electric focused in the mid 80’s with the related studio album trilogy; and in particular this one:

That’s been one of the very few & my main references for a “Kelley” amp tone over the years. Love it, always found it “unique” in some ways and have had that somewhere in the back of my mind, along with my classic UK amps main references.
The recent “public rebirth” of Jim’s amps and the great threads & clips posted by Voodoosound & Beckstriad put it back in the foreground to me.

I’m not very familiar with the details of the different Kelley amps and their history. Do we know what kind of Kelley / model Bill was playing at the time?

I would absolutely love for Voodoo/Jim to chime in. Adam Stark turned me on to this being a Kelley amp. I absolutely love this tone and I think it’s among the very best tones I have ever heard.

 

[Anje]

Yes; I remember staring at the studio session photo in the album artwork trying to get glimpses from his rig. I think it looks like a x2 4 knob head = FACS? You can see the ADA rack stuff below.
Also remember John (Suhr) saying Bill liked to tweak the amps himself too?

 

[Voodoosound]

Single channel. Possibly a “fortune” amp. Jim would know and I will ask him. More to come.

 

[Stark]

Jim knows, it was either a facs or a line amp. I was studying with BC at the time. I had a single channel and Bill was always interested in that one too. I like the original cover art better.

 

[Anje]

Thanks @Stark for the input, glad to read you here welcome!
Must have been a great experience studying with Bill.

 

[Stark]

Bill got me started playing fingerstyle. Got to help out on this session.

 

[Anje]

He really was on fire on that one; btw would you know if the other tune that was recorded on that session and ended on the small record is available somewhere? Last time I looked it seems only that “variation on Layla” can be found.

 

[Stark]

I believe that was the only tune recorded on that session, long session. I got to play thru Bills rig, for about an hour, while they moved the mics around. That’s all room sound for verb. Long time ago and my memory aint what it used to be. Steve Blucher from Dimarzio was there too.

 

[Anje]

Thanks Stark for sharing your memories on this.
The other tune I was refering to would “Never say goodbye”, as listed here:

https://www.discogs.com/release/1930317-Bill-Connors-Never-Say-Goodbye-Variations-On-Layla?srsltid=AfmBOoohFIX-RIj28GaA6bU-7YwvNTNk5-QQy6Ma8O54tfXeH4r0b7Ip

 

[Stark]

I believe the tune is never say goodbye, and they made him put the layla part for legal reasons, so it’s one tune only. I remember that part.

 

[Anje]

Ok thanks Adam for clarifying, that would explain why I've never found "the other track"