Due ceca HEN Bemard Butler, Best guitarist of his generation ™, walked ont fon Suede in May 1994, luring the stormy sessions for their second album Dog Man Star, many sa it as the endl of plice in British music to Oa sand a tide ‘of new indie guitar bands united by an attitude loosely labelled Britpop. With hal thei principal songyriting team gone it looked as if they would be consigned to the footnote of history “Two yeuts on, and Richard Oakes has ured the whole thing around. At ist seen a stand-in for Butler, hes since proved himself a young, exciting and versatile musician and transcended any comparisons with the former oceupant ofthe Suede guitar spot: More importantly for aslittle more t Suede, he has proved a more than adequate songtting partner for Brett Anderson playing a major pat in fashioning the Suede ‘comebgel album, Coming Up, one ofthe est releases of last year Richard shows none of the naivety that you fom a young pop (upstart Tes sil only recently that he walked out of town of Poole in Dorset and waltzed sight into one ofthe biggest British He posted one incredibly confident letter and passed the audition with one of the best bands around. TIM TUCKER talks to Richard Oakes, the man behind the sound of Suede. Portraits: SIMON DODD Main shot: BARBARA STEINWEHE guitar bans ofthe nineties, yet he exes an impressively ealm confidence, bordering on the cocky: but falling short offal blown arrogance due to knowingness and affablity that belies his tender years and limited experience Many have wondered how i has eome to pass thatalad ofa mere 17: joined) wos postessed of enough sell belief and srs (at the time hi ability to not only sit comfortably and hold his own inthe number one alluim-selling Suede bu Js0 provide them with a much-needed carcer boost, Richards ereative input has helped to propel the band forward stylistically, taking them on a sharp bat welcome diversion, away from the increasingly self indulgent moodiness tha typified Dog Man 5 optimism of Coming Up. tnd towards the tnncompromising WHAT'S THE STORY? The story of how Richard joined Suede isa fascinating one. He didn't answer an advert for the job. He doosnt answer adverts, He item in the musie press, crucial member of Suede had left the band, He'd omming the world that a seen the band live, once, the frst gig he'd ever attended. “They played at my home town, and i vas an alright gi, but Fan’ totally impressed alls, “The whole point was that I knew I id add to them. It wasnt that Las so in awe o rate to join them, ort the band that Iwas des this was my opportunity to meet the stars So Richard sent a tape and a letter ta Suede potting forwant his ease, “The tape denonstrated ine playing some of thei ok songs as well as some ‘of my stall, with a letter saying know I ean do you good, I'l be areal plus for you’. And that ws ‘hat they liked, Last saying Please let me play far Suede’, Iwas saying ‘Take me or leave me And this was just a tape produced at home Twas on my four-track, [ had a litle Yamaha keyboard, which had three set drum shythms on it then Ladded bss and guitar and, Panything else was needed, ended up using that for my backin EE 53> suede new generation Yd do that too, used to write « lot of my own stuf ike that, in different parts and things, ‘The tape certainly impressed the Simon Gilhert band — drummer walked in on Brett Anderson while Fhe was listening to it, and assumed it was an early Suede demo that he'd he result was an forgotten invitation to audition, Despite there being five other applicants, Bicha knew he had the job immediatly and ‘We played a couple of so thore was just «look in ev eye, There was a telepathy, you know, Tike you can get with a band, and it vwas like ~ this is happening, Their faces sad to me Youve got the job, but theie mouths sad “Com back next week’ (laughs) Iwas feeling really cocky about it. [went home tnd told my cat. My family had gone ‘on holiday, and Lonly had my cat to talk to, s0 Ftold him P'd got the job. 1 just new I got i. He had a second audition, and was invited to join the band, Three payed his frst gig swith Suede. “The only experience Td weeks later h had of playing ive was with a Disioland jazz band, playing lots of diminished chords, black bow tio, the works. hated the solos, it wos all pentatonic things, Then the next thing T knew I was in France playing toa load of mad Suede fans who were all holding balloons up saying ‘Welcome Richard ‘icharl’s frst job with Suede was to tour promoting the recently finished Dog Man Stor album, duplicating predecessor Bemard Butler’ guitar parts note for note on «distinctive cherry red Gibson 835, similar to the one Butler played. Despite having enly recently joined. he soon tired of covering the earlier Suede material and ‘wanted to get some of his own work into the band’ set. There were the inevitable comparisons to Butler to contend with, but despite the ‘weight of Butler’ reputation, Richard was never really that fenamoured with his predecessor’ syle. ComING UP always thonght my own style would fit in better with Suede," he reasons. “That was the whole point of me sending off letter wouldn't have been bothered with any other band because [wasnt really interosed iI did't think I conld do anything for them Asis now evident from listening to the Coming Up albu, Barorar currar| “Pve been going through BMC eC am TT Treas) Sa Ay a Co | write a solo, | immediately think | could make it better.” cD TRACKS 12-21 Richards style is more direct, less fussy than Butlers. What strikes ‘mos, though, is his instinct fora fine riff and his talent for cresting gultar parts filled with blinding melodic invention, recalling Mick Ronson’s work with Bowie in the Ziggy era. His lines are lean andl bolshy, often inspiring always appropriate, and they form fascinating counterpoins to Brett Anderson’ lithe and tremulous vocal lines, ‘Tes interesting you should say that", says Richard, eos i you take something lke Lazy, which Brett wrote most ofthe ruse for, it started of like this (plays straight chord to Lazy). He played it to me oan acoustic round at his house and, as soon as I heard tha, in the same way that he starts thinking of a melody for the Iris, start thinking up a melody for the guitar. I finda tune that goes over the top. And I came up with tis (plays the finished, ultra melodic, ‘maddeningly grinding guitar part for Lazy). It works aguinst the vocals, and gives it another level And do these lines and melodic ‘ideas come about by playing with familiar scale pattems? ‘No, I hear the past in my head firs. It not very often that you just ‘ewiddle and come up with something good. That’ part of being a musician rather then just being a guitarist, You can st dow and think of these things, perhaps on another instrument. I play piano a it, for instance. Pm an all round musician. 1 don't really think about guitar solos ‘or going on for ten hours. So we're not likely to see Richard ‘Oakes soos all over Suede records in ature? "Tve been going through a Tong phuse of not king solos. There's ‘only about, hose many solos om the , one ecord? One? (lsghs). The one on ‘Trash. Its anice one but every time 1 ‘write a solo, immediatly think I could make it better. I's ike a kind ‘of grey area, 'm much mare into ifs and hing. Like Fumstar. Love playing Fimstar live, ‘os t's just such a great grind. I probably wll do more solos though, We've been doing afew B-sides recently and there are ‘few solos on some of them It’s just thatthe spirit of Coming Up wasn't a solo guitar album at all Te was never ‘meant to be, Ifsanige contrast with the last Suede record, Dog Man Star, hich vas very much a solo record, « solo voeal record, a solo guitar record. Coming Up is more of u band record.” Despite this direc, stripped-down approsch, there isa layered feel to the guitar parts in particular that suggests studio overdubs ‘were essential. “Tes funny; because there aren't that ansny parts to it, it just sounds lke alot because the parts are well written, Everyone arranges the songs together in Suede, because we spent six months in 4 rehearsal rcom with them before we went in to record them and the arrangements were pretty much worked out during that time. It Just comes naturally: Thats ts clicking a a band, You dou’t have to sit down with a caleulator and waite ial out. Everyone just knows, Perhaps more remarkable than his talent on the guitae is Richards sptitude for writing damn good songs and producing, in association with Brett Anderson, some of the band’s best material to date, inthe likes of Trash, The Beautiful Ones and the latest single Saturday Night. "That's what I said in the leter that I first sent them ~Til > FERRUARY 1997 ISSUE 27® opt ‘ @ o macys 12-21 suede for you, I'l write your next ns don’t worry about it, Las > suede new generation [mean it wasn'ta great guitar, but I've used it with Suede, and ‘Tim keeping it ving around because I love the way it looks. You know maple neck, white seratchplate and black body Just like the one the Clash used. ‘Oh yeah, totally. You know what its ke with any other guitars you get faced with. The Gibson 335 was 100 ind of BB King for me, the Strat too Mark Knopfler, the Les Paul vas too heavy meta, whereas the ‘Telecastor was, you know, a veal working man's guitar’ This guitar carried Richard right tap to the time of his joining Suede. “The frst guitar T bought with Suede ‘was 26s reissue ofa Les Paul, ‘which I only bought because it was blood red, and Tlked the colour: And then wwe got a Gibson 835 with a ‘whammy bar sttached, to goon the road and tou the songs from Dog ‘Man Star. You ean go and play the songs from Dog Man Star without « 35, It was for the sound of it reall. Thated the look of it beeause it looks cesaetly like the guitar that Bernard co TRACKS 12-21 @ and that’ it, you've got the sound.” Everyone tends to think of chart bands us stacked with cash, and there’ no doubt that, they earry onas they are, certain members of Suede wil be earning a few bob over the next few years. But money takes time to circulate in the music industry and Richard still retains an earthy realism, He hs a down-to-earth attitude to spending ‘money on guitars and equipment —like the rest of us, he's always on the lookout for bargains 1 just recently bought one, when we were in Henley. I was with Pte, the guy who works with Suede on guitars and, while we were soundchecking, he came back from this shop and said, ‘Ooh I've found this lovely Telecaster. Tm not going to say howe much it wns but it was cheap. Ie was a 1971 model, blonde, and T went down and played it and i was relly, really niee. I could believe it was so cheap. Obviously the people who ‘vwned the shop didn’ have a clue, So Twas like Tl buy it’ You've just got to keep your eyes open. Quite ‘often people have things that they don’ realise the value of. IFT have ‘ought that Tele in Landon it would hhave been quite a few grand, Its a very nice guitar [had to get i set up ‘of course, But isnot like you have to go to LA to one of those warehouses, ‘ot a ll. you're ina small town, jst go-and look, and see if they've got anything, Its just keeping you eyes open. used to think for along, time, ‘Well Ive got a Les Paul soT don't need another one’, but ifyou can find a different one and its not tao expensive, ‘There are a dizzying array of guitar sounds on Coming Ups the healy lammed-up faz of Trash and Laz the sleazy jangle of She, the champagne sparkle of the Beautiful Ones and Starcrasy... It comes as u. Butler) used. Twant to get rd oft navs: And then we got a lovely blue 1904 USA Strat that everyone (0 Mencmernerepemeeemeeiead Jpodal hoard which houses the ProCo Turko RAT distortion pedal, a Boss distortion, a Jim Dunlop wah-wah pedal and a Morley volume some'surprse, then, to discover that there wasn a single guitar amp used, ‘on the album thought was a Clapton model. It got nicked so we gota black one which ‘everyone thouight was even more like ‘Clapton model. Everyone says to smo, ‘Ts that a Clapton signature ere series Strat?’ and I'm like, ‘saaght oy The instrument Richard chose to coe eneT aT bring tothe interview and photo session is a tarty looking, lipstck-red Fender Jaguar, which locks like thas afew stories to tel. "T got this bout a year ago and it really good. Tt looks good in pictures so T use itimall the videos, Its pre-CBS, 1964, Its really scratched up, I mean look at it Someone's tried to serew something into it and not done a very good job, It sounds brill though. On the bridge pickup, with the ProGo Turbo RAT distortion pedal, through a Vox, you get some ‘wonderfl sounds. Tused this on (the new single) Saturday Night Despite his own small collection, Richard went for an array of exclisive vintage guitars forthe recording sessions of Coming Up, “T gota lovely blonde Telecaster, I don't know where i from, We hired it from Phil Haris Hire, And also a really old Gibson Les Paul Gold Top — 1 think it was '50s model - which I used on things ke Filinstar. With the Gold Top you can get a really good glammy T-Rex sound and yon can also get a fantastic Pistle-y sound ont oft. For Filmstar, that all {needed ~ the Gold Typ through the Ampulator, Eaters erent Sa eeretrt ae eon a een een erent ret Cy SUEDE EFFECTS “Trused just three gadgets to get all the sounds on the record. One was an ADA Ampulator speaker simulator, and we used it with a “Marshall JMP-1 preamp. They really good, You can get loads of really madl sounds out of those. If you've got a Les Paul, and you whack up the distortion, it sounds treat, And Talso used a Yamaha FX-900 effects unit. Mast of Plenic By the Motorway, a lot of the guitar sounds on thet are from the PX- (900.1 was just twidaling about with the knobs until [got something that wont ceeceoooouunete, and then recorded it” As we finsh the interview, I tell Richard that we're tabbing ont the band’s best ifs forthe magazine (turn to page 63). As usual, he’s Incredibly helpfl when it comes to talking about the way he plays his songs, happily demonstrating the parts to ensure we get it just right "We've been doing this ourselves for a book. Somebory di this transcription book of Coming Up, and it was completely wrong. So ‘me and Neil (Coding, Keyboard player) had to st down and re-do it note for note. There's no point in releasing a book ifits wrong. Its jst shoddy. You wonder why: I just thought, Lean do this, and Tcan Uo it right. don't mind doing it a all If people are going to caver > [FEBRUARY 1997 ISSUE 27BEC CNCR UCT Tari) OR Prue SUC em Ly amet Tae Cie Wa wouldn’t have ’ Peles) with any other& ~~ > suede ne S my attempt tobe CD TRACKS 12-21 ry guns, und I think it works relly se note: the ai A dinnishedl w generation As we enter the new year, the riumphant UK nore revording later in the year As for Richard, he's wery happy lilferont,” he smiles, “Basically hit doubt, And you just cant help but Doelieve hel doit, A that chord’, but I stuck to Bic > FIONN TH SIDES) OF 1 AN Mibarres 8. cence Taya 2 1193s ove ano 7 Oe Webs eoseran a ern> suede techn ‘The Suede guitar sound has heen created hy not one but two players over the years. SIMON YOUNG looks at two of Butler's finest moments, and three from new hoy, Oakes. LEE frst hit the chats with aloud tbanp. in the form of Ansmal Nitrate, featuring Berard Butler's busing distorted tone, Butler favoured multi-layered ilo, with extreme toppy tone setings, fora big wall of sound. Richard Oukes’ playing, on the ‘other hand, is considerably more understated, ‘wil Jess overdubs: Both guitarists tune down a semitone to Bb, but Ive recorded all the parts in normal tuning, so your don't need to re-tune to play along with the backing, None of the gultar parts should present any major problems, ‘provided yon follow the more detailed advice I've provided with each crack. 5 CD TRACKS 12-21 (& ni Avimal Nitrate, verse ad cor ule) ETRACE 12] The Downers mais i ute) Trash, ain ct (Gatestoderson) Te Bout Ores tea ine (Oakosaderson) The Ohmi Between Us intro ndrsrCoding) Baching Wack fr a ve ute pats A tocts were supe bya Poland GP-100 rt tars Simon Young Te Bsus Bm Bsus? A aousd A Gadaostt Pro feayomes een i ee woe a 3 a FEBRUARY 1997 ISSUE 27Dom mracis 12-21 SUEDE TECHNIQUE EE ~ S| Ce) Say eee eee) mera SUE 27 FEBRUARY 1997 BS ME rorax corran [iIf you want to play a riff, ask the bloke who wrote it] RICHARD OAKES explains his first Suede hit. ET FEBRUARY 1© ov tacks 12-21 surpe recusigue EEFOT EET TRC) aye mono maj? F eee ee ee eee eee st Fpl BNst a SS ae ee $ playing tn the photos opposite, Note that the whobe G chord is bant up. ‘Use «downwatdand upd sop opie sh arpogog atte stat of col rg pokup, and tar the base and mide controls of our a ‘athbar, leting the soterring oat To pot the tin sound, one annglo: gt down for hat pre AM rai ane, poe Ea ISSUE 27 FEBRUARY 1997 65