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BUDDY THE ORIGINAL TEXAS MUSIC MAGAZINE APRIL 2013 VOLUME XXXX, NUMBER 10 Andy Timmons takes on The Beatles The “lifelong Beatles fanatic” did his guitar parts from memory By Tom Geddie, photo by James Bland NDY TIMMONS AND HIS BAND MATES Occasionally and when his A schedule permits, Timmons will Afound themselves with a couple of free teach a lesson at Guitar Sanctu- Astudio days back in 2011. Somebody sug- ary in McKinney, where there’s a waiting list to work with him. gested they use that time to record some Beatles “Sometime I will do one-off songs, and the band has been so busy since than lessons if people are persistent that it hasn’t found time to finish that original enough. I feel like I can offer the students quite a bit. I did study album. music theory, but it’s challeng- What they ended up doing fun to play the whole Sgt. Pepper’s ing to teach somebody else. was re-record the Beatles’ Sgt. album and capture the essence When I connect with right stu- Pepper’ Lonely Hearts Club Band of every song with the orchestra- dent and I’m giving them things — song for song, with one bonus tion, vocal lines, and other that will help them for the rest of track — as an instrumental col- sounds coming through even their playing careers, I’m giving lection. They called it, simply with one guitar,” Timmons said. back what I got back when I was enough, Andy Timmons Band In the studio, he kinda sang young.” Plays Sgt. Pepper, and released it the songs with his guitar. Making a living playing gui- in late 2011. “Obviously in a vocal arrange- tar is a privilege that Timmons Timmons remains an in-de- ment you have the benefit that doesn’t take for granted. mand studio musician who tours every verse can be different lyr- “I’ve been very fortunate. with Olivia Newton-John and, ics, but on the guitar it’s the same From high school on, it’s all I’ve from time to time, others when melody. Sometimes I gave my- ever done,” he said. “The bottom he isn’t doing his own band gigs self the latitude of playing a solo line is you have to love it and not with bass player Mike Daane and in its place and extemporizing to worry about the money. In my drummer Mitch Marine. make it a little bit more interest- teens and 20s it was a very free He admitted to being a “life- ing, but not very often. I didn’t lifestyle. That’s still at the core of long Beatles fanatic.” want it to be a guitar solo record, my musical essence. During a European tour a few or an excuse for an extended “At a certain point, you obvi- years earlier, the band was doing jam.” ously have to pay the bills. I can’t an arrangement of”“Strawberry Strawberry Fields say I worry about money a lot Fields Forever” and Timmons’ even if I should. But I’m blessed. Italian promoter, seeing how well THE HIDDEN TRACK, At the core of that is if you love it audiences liked that arrange- “Strawberry Fields,” wasn’t on enough and put the time in to ment, suggested a whole set of the original Sgt. Pepper but, really develop, you can do well.” Beatles’ songs. Timmons pointed out, was re- Timmons figured out early “I didn’t think I could pull it corded by the Beatles during the that being able to play a lot of off and keep it interesting, espe- same sessions. JAMESBLANDPHOTOGRAPHY.COM He was named a Buddy Texas Tornado in 1991 Andy Timmons different styles would help him cially since we are a power trio,” “I had all these arrangements, make a living. Timmons said. but the band hadn’t even heard “Mitch said, ‘What about it seemed to become the right Guitar Festival to perform April Timmons worked with the “But it inspired me to work them,” he said. “We had gone those Beatles’ songs?’ So in two thing to do. It gathered so much 21at 4:30 on the Bugs Henderson pop-metal band Danger Danger, on some tunes. It became hobby into the studio to make a new days we recorded what became energy.” Stage. The band will perform toured the world opening for for a couple of years.” band album. We finished every- that record.” Now, in 2013, the band is with a host of others including Kiss and Alice Cooper, sold over Next, he did a version of “Lucy thing in three days, and the engi- He did his guitar parts from still playing a lot of the interpre- Rick Derringer, Innes Sibun, Rick a million records worldwide, and in the Sky with Diamonds,” neer let us know another session memory. tations at its gigs. Vito, Point Blank, Johnny Hiland, had two #1 videos on MTV along which worked well on guitar. had fallen through so we had “Even as a little kid, when “When you put out a record Redd Volkaert, Paul Reed Smith, with seven solo releases. In the “Then I thought it would be two extra days. whatever song (from that Beatles’ like this, it can take on a life of its Greg Martin, Reeves Gabrels, Pete studio, where he’s also done album) I was listening to would own. You wonder if fans are com- Anderson, Chris Rodriguez, New countless radio and television end, I could sing the first part of ing for your music, or for Beatles’ Bohemians, Zac Harmon, Mike jingles, he’s worked with Kip the next song coming up. It was music,” Timmons said. Morgan, Hunter Hendrickson, Winger, Paula Abdul, Paul kinda ingrained in my brain. The “My hope is all of that. Some Lance Lopez, Maylee Thomas, Stanley, and many more. “Obviously in a vocal only song I had trouble with was of my fans are not really Beatles Kirby Kelley, The Stratoblasters, “I was lucky enough I had a ‘Within You Without You’ with fans but they like these records. Junior Clark, Rhett Butler, Dave studio career established even arrangement you have the that tricky middle Indian section How could anybody not be a Millsap, and Jim Suhler. before Danger Danger. Some of with the odd timing. Later, it Beatles fan? Timmons looks for “feeling” those other players fell on some benefit that every verse can be became my favorite song on the “But I understand that. I was in his playing. hard times, I think. But I could record.” born in 1963 and had three older “For me, it’s about what vibe still put on a tux and play a different lyrics, but on the Timmons and the band kept brothers, so the Beatles, the and feeling you are trying to wedding or do whatever I needed about half of the live tracks in- Yardbirds, and the Animals are project,” he said. “So much of it to do and still enjoy it: having a guitar it’s the same melody. cluding all of the drums and the my foundation. Some people is energy. The guitar is a unique guitar in my hands and getting bass; Daane and Marine had ref- didn’t grow up with that. I’m instrument, so attractive in so paid for it.” Sometimes I gave myself the erenced the original to get their pleased and honored that most many ways. In addition to his and the parts down, then modified their of the Beatles community has “How can I get the best tone, band’s shows, Timmons just fin- latitude of playing a solo in its performances to match what embraced the record all over the put the most feeling into every ished a project with drummer Timmons did. world.” note. Not just for me, but to get Simon Phillips and will do some place and extemporizing to “My confidence was still ebb- the whole audience together. dates with Peter Frampton this ing and flowing whether it was Dallas Guitar Show When it’s the right night, it can summer. From the April gigs in make it a little bit more the right thing to do,” he said. TIMMONS AND THE BAND be magical. That’s why players Japan, he’ll be in Italy in May. “I’m not always that receptive have a series of gigs in Japan in like me and some of the others And he does still plan to fin- interesting, but not very often.” to Beatles’ covers. Some are suc- April, following a set of the keep doing it. ‘Spiritual’ might ish the album he and the band —ANDY TIMMONS cessful, but some are not to my Beatles’ songs with a set of their be a little over the top, but when were working on when the taste. But it had become such a own music, before returning I go see Jeff Beck I feel that from Beatles project fell into their ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ personal thing that, after a while, home for the Dallas International him.” laps. ■ APRIL 2013 BUDDY 9.

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