A gentleman. When Jack Rabbit had the chance to meet Elton's current keyboard player, this words came to mind. So respectful, so passionate for what he is doing. It seems if they had knowing each other for a long time, and left a great experience on his side. Elton always had good keyboard players: remember the fantastic Guy Babylon, remember James Newton-Howard. Big names on the screen. Kim Bullard is on the level. He has a wide experience: playing live, in the studio, producing, composing, everything: Poco, Crosby Stills and Nash, Art Garfunkel, Elton John. Kim owns a home studio on a very nice piece of property, placed in the same old barn that once housed the talking horse Mr. Ed on TV. Anecdotes with the band? Davey recently explained on his question and answer website: musinq.com that "Kim eats more than any human I (he) have ever witnessed" while he added he caught him once carrying a plate of food onstage. A source of energy. So loved by the rest of band member, counting Elton, although, while laughing, he takes some ice cubes from his glass to throw away at Kim on some concerts. So Eltonites, be ready to receive an outstanding artist, one of a kind, a very glamorous man. The doors of AllSongsList are all wide open to receive the greatest Kim Bullard.
Welcome Kim Bullard, so proud you are here sharing your free time with eltonites. So much a joy to be here departing a while. So, with your permission, let's start with the first question. Jack rabbit, begin please.
So, at what age you decide you wanted to be a
musician, Kim? And what were your early musical influences?
hmmm, let me see… I went shopping with my
mom at the local department stores when I was 5 years old, sat down at
the organ section of the store (yes, there used to be an “organ section” at
department stores) and started to figure out songs on a little electronic
organ. My mother saw that, bought me that organ, which I still have.
Then about a year later, they bought a piano and started me with lessons. So,
you could say that my mom decided I was a musician long before I
did. I went on to play viola in the orchestra at school, and then
started playing organ in soul bands in Atlanta when I was around 13, and was
working steadily in bands by 15. My parents still wanted me to do
music as a hobby, but do something else professionally. A shift in
my thinking happened when I first moved to LA. I went to my
drummer’s house and met his father, who was a professional “side
man" musician. Back in Georgia I had met rock stars like Keith
Emerson, Greg Allman, Mark Farner, and knew a lot of dudes in the
local bands, but I had never met a working, professional “side
man.” Looking back, that one meeting had a big influence on me.....
it allowed me to visualize that I could work in recording studios; not BE the
star, but work with big artists, and still have a balanced life somehow. Until
that moment, I did not know that scenario even existed. Once you
visualize something, you can make it happen, and I think that meeting helped
put me on a path that I have followed since.
Regarding early influences, my early
musical influences stemmed from what I was exposed to living in the South… southern
soul and gospel music. I have some relatives in the ministry in the deep
south, and the sound of a Hammond organ and a Baldwin piano rocking out to
Baptist hymns in a hot, sweaty, country church feels like home to me.
I like playing at church. I actually have a few churches in LA
that I sneak in to when they are empty and play. Other than that, the
first bands I played in did covers of James Brown, Otis Redding, and
Motown stuff, then later bands I was in played Yes, ELP, Grand Funk, Deep
Purple, Bloodrock, Spirit, Jethro Tull, Led Zepplin, Hendrix… all that
kind of stuff. A big influence on me was Keith Emerson. He was the
coolest. I was lucky enough to have him give me an impromptu piano lesson
after their concert when I was about 15 (lets just say they had bad security
after the show), and something clicked after meeting him; I felt it in my core…
I felt like I was supposed to do this. Fast forward 30 years, ELP
was on the bill on a festival tour through Europe that we did with Art
Garfunkel, so I got to thank Keith; but I never got a second piano lesson from
him.
You began playing with bands at an early
age but the best decision for you was, maybe, go to L.A. Why this decision?
It was not a decision, per se, it just kind
of happened. I lived in Atlanta, where I grew up, and I was in a
band there as a teenager. Frank Zappa was playing in town, and his keyboard
equipment broke. The local promoter knew I had decent gear, so they
called, and I rented them my gear. Zappa’s manager, Herb Cohen, came
to pick it up while my band was finishing a rehearsal. They liked
what they heard, wanted to hear more songs, so we played a few more.
They thought our singer was a star (which he was), and decided to sign him
and bring him to Los Angeles. The singer negotiated to bring me along with
him. Bless him. I think that was actually the first time
I ever flew in a plane. This was late 1972. So that is how I ended
up in California. There is a great deal more to that story, but that is the
short answer. I am glad it happened... my life would be completely
different if not for that one event; Zappa's broken Leslie speaker.
You became touring keyboardist for Crosby
Stills and Nash band from 1977 onward, and joined Poco’s band when they were
once again a quintet, back in 1978. Also you collaborated with Yes; Peter, Paul
and Mary; Tori Amos; Weird Al Yankovic; Art Garfunkel; Julieta Venegas, to name
a few. What about all those experiences?
wow.. that is too broad of a question. I
could write a book on each one of those experiences..I don't know how to narrow
that question down......except to say that, yes, I have had the chance to make
music with some amazing people. Every experience was a gift, and I learned a
lot from all of them.
You were also involved in the producing of
such successful soundtracks, like “10 Things I Hate About You”, “Wedding
Planner” or “Karate Kid III”, and you have credits on Disney’s “Tarzan” and
“Country Bears”. What are the essential elements you need to make a great
soundtrack record? Is there any difference between recording a soundtrack album
than an original one?
Hey, you left out one my proudest
moments... producing "Freedom Isn't Free" for “Team
America, World Police.” We did that live, in one take, in my studio
in Tarzana !!
I love doing songs and music for movies,
because the song has a specific purpose it is supposed to do. It has
a job. The confinement of assignment makes decisions much easier.
But your question was, how is it different…
Technically speaking, for a soundtrack, we deliver separate sub mixes (stems)
so the film mixing engineer can place music into the movie mix better,
especially if there is competing dialog and background effects. We
use various forms of limiting and mastering when delivering a stereo mix for a
CD, but music for film seems to work better with a wider dynamic range, so we
use limiting differently, more sparingly.
Maybe you know I have here in AllSongsList
a Comittee of Experts. That’s a list of ten eltonites from 10 countries which I
asked things related to Elton, just to create a current opinion from fans
theyself. I invited for this interview one of them, Wim Greven, from Holland, and he
wants to ask you some questions, Kim, do you mind? Wim, you’re ready? Go on,
then:
How it feels to step into the Elton John
band after such the great loss of Guy Babylon? Was it a difficult decision for
you?
The decision itself was not
hard. When asked to play music with such a great band, and with an
icon like Elton, the answer is always going to be ‘yes’……after
that, you figure out how to make it all work.
I wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible, so I did a lot of
homework on my own, trying to limit the amount of rehearsal the band
would have to do. I figured that was a way for me to serve the
situation. Davey really stepped up as band leader during that very
rough time and handled everything in a super cool way; he set me up for
success, and I am very grateful to him for that.
Guy Babylon was a fine musician, a lovely
guy with a wonderful family, and he meant a lot to everyone. His loss put
this touring family into shock… people were grieving. I was aware that
different people have different grieving processes, and I was aware that my
presence would trigger some sadness for some people. There was
nothing I could do about that except be compassionate towards everyone, knowing
that if they were not particularly outgoing towards me, that they were probably
having a difficult time with the situation, not with me personally. All I focused
on was how to be of service to Elton, the crew, the band, everybody, so I kept
suiting up and showing up and tried to be professional.
The other side of that, the good thing
about having Guy precede me, was that he took the keyboard parts to Elton’s
songs to a very high level. He did this job for a long
time. I got to use that experience, and add my own touches as I went
along. If I shine at all up there, it is because he lit
the way.
How did you manage to learn the songs of Elton in such a short period of
time?
Endless repetition. I set
up a duplicate of Elton’s touring keyboard rig and played along to a show that
Bob Birch gave to me. Bob was an enormous help, too; he followed up
with me all the time to make sure I had everything I needed.
Also, I had Tony Smith, the keyboard tech,
helping me out. As you might expect, Elton has the best touring crew
in the business, and Tony has been there for a long time. He
constantly does work on the keyboards, updating things, programming
sounds, etc. He was a calming, positive influence as I was trying to assimilate
into the organization. He makes my job easy.
And how did the band members responded to
you after the first performance?
They were extremely generous. I
was horrified, because, having never rehearsed with the full production of the
Red Piano show, I missed some technical cues. It was just
one or two small things, but my expectation was that I should do it perfectly,
so I thought the world was going to end. But the guys in the band, and
Elton, were all totally cool…. I got the cues right by the next show, but, man,
there was a lot to stuff to remember on that first show. Also,
having Elton John right in front of you for the first time, playing songs you
grew up with, is kind of an out-of-body experience. It
was very disorienting; I did not know what planet I was on.
Is it a big difference to play in a band
like Crosby, Stills Nash & Young or do it with Art Garfunkel, in comparing
with Elton’s band?
Those three acts are very different
musically, but I think the most different thing about those experiences for me,
personally, is the time period they happened in. Whatever you do in
your 20’s is going to seem a lot different than if you were doing the same
thing in your 40’s, and the first time you do something is always more exciting
than the 100th time. Regarding the time period, music meant
something different to people in the 60’s and 70’s; it was more socially
relevant. In the 70’s when I toured with Crosby Stills and Nash,
there was still an afterglow of the idealism from the 60’s permeating
everything around that camp, which stemmed from the music itself, which was
anti-establishment, activist, hippie music, with direct lineage to 1969
San Francisco, summer of love, Laurel Canyon, all of that. Graham and David
still had houses in San Fransisco. Think about the lyrics to
“Wooden Ships”, “Ohio,” or “For What Its Worth.” That music was attached
to a huge generational and political sea change that happened from 1969 through
1972, which gave music, and that band in particular, a cultural relevance that
not a lot of music has had since. It was a different time. And of
course, I was young then, so it all had a huge impact on me.
Joni Mitchell would come around, as did Judy Collins… James Taylor or Art
Garfunkel would drop in to visit David and Graham, Ted Kennedy would come hang
with Steven… we actually did a stadium tour with the Grateful Dead at one
point. That’s a lot of hippies!! Everyone’s stories were
captivating for me. Crosby was tight with Janis Joplin when she was
alive, so she and Jimi Hendrix were talked about as if they were still alive….
it was all heady stuff for a 22 year old kid from Georgia.
My life through that time period was like watching a really cool
movie, but also being in the movie. Also, while there was love
between the three guys, there was also a great deal of volatility, and there
was more decadent, crazy stuff going on than I had ever seen, so it all had a
big impact on me.
I started touring in the mid 70’s with
Veronique Sanson in France. Playing music, rock and roll touring,
was a counterculture enterprise then. The rebellious nature in the
music was reflected in the touring business itself. I remember lots
of suitcases filled with cash… concert promotors were more like
wildcatters. There was the settlement that happened after the show
in the back room… you never know if the promoter would try to get
out of his commitments, maybe draw a gun. People in rock and roll were
more like pirates; touring reflected the spirit of the music of the time; it
was a subculture, like a drug deal, in a way.. it was not Wall Street and
accountants. In France, with Vero, gypsies would rent us
tents to do concerts in, and then grab Vero by the throat at knifepoint to try
to settle some difference they had with the promoter. I remember our promotor
smashing a bottle of wine and holding the broken glass to someone’s face to
settle a score. Needless to say, that stuff doesn’t happen with Elton…. well, at
least I haven’t seen it!!
Back to your question, about the
differences, musically one difference is that with CSN, they intentionally
under-rehearsed. We hit the road playing big arenas, and I
literally had never played about a third of the songs with them
before. They just figured I knew them. They liked the idea that the
show was on the edge a bit, that anything might happen; they never wanted to be
on auto-pilot, they kind of liked the rush of keeping things fresh…. its
probably why they did not tour very much.
But what all of the acts you mention
have in common is they have fantastic set lists. As far quality and the
enduring nature of songs, Bridge over Troubled Water, Sounds of Silence, Mrs.
Robinson, are right up there with Elton John songs as some of the best songs
ever written. These are songs that will be around long after all of us are
gone. So that was the same... I got to play some of the best songs
ever written by working with all the people I have worked with.
But really, you can't compare anybody with
Elton John. He is mega. What is different is how much energy Elton
has, and frankly, how loud it is. It is a full blown rock show. With
Art, the stage volume is VERY low. On a loudness scale of 1-10, with Art, we danced
in and explored the nuances between 1 and 2 every night. It was all about
extreme sensitivity and subtlety. We had fantastic pool of musicians
on that gig including drummers like Steve Gadd and Tommy Igoe, so playing
really soft worked, and it gave room for Art to use his incredible voice the
way it should be used. Those shows sounded fantastic. With
Elton, we START where most bands finish, on 10, and then go up from
there. He comes out on fire and you just have to hang on for the ride. Elton is
a monster.
I have to add something here; Everyone
knows that he does a great deal of philanthropic work that he is public about,
the AIDS foundation, etc, but what I have seen in the time I have
been involved with him, is that he does good things for people all the time,
quietly, without fanfare, as well. I have seen that he cares deeply for the
people around him, and that he is generous with his time and resources in ways
that no one will ever read about. This is when you see someone’s
true character. So yes, I am lucky to get to play music with Elton,
and I would certainly be here just for the music. But I am truly
blessed because in addition to being a great songwriter, performer, and all of
that, he is a good man.
Sorry, I’m talking a lot… and getting a
little off track.
What is the next question?
Is it true that you also played with Helen
Reddy? She's one of my favourite artists too. Such a beautiful recognizable
voice, hasn’t she?
Yes she does, a fantastic voice, but your
detective work is off there, Wim. I never worked with Helen
Reddy.. I did do some intense work with Bette Midler for a bit, and
I worked with Cher, Oliva Newton John, Rita Coolidge, and some other pop female
artists kind of like Helen Reddy, but never Helen Reddy.
Thank you Wim.
Kim: have you been an Elton fan before?
Remember the first time you heard Elton’s music and what moves you to buy his
music, in that case?
I have always been an Elton fan. First and
foremost, he made it cool to be a piano player. He gave us all hope!
But what moved me about Elton, as a fan, is that there is a certain “cry”
in his voice, in his soul, that connected with me, and of course with millions
of other people.. No matter what he sings, you believe what he is
saying. He touches people. And there was just this energy
about where he was coming from; he had such commitment to what he was doing,
that it forced you to pay attention. I loved his phrasing. People might
not categorize Elton as a “soul” singer, per se, because he is a
white British dude, but he is a very soulful singer. The way he
phrases, comes off notes, is like the great soul singers… like Ray Charles.
There are certain moments on stage where I imagine he IS Ray Charles, which is
really fun for me, because that means I get to imagine that I’m Billy
Preston!!
I was a big fan of the band, too, the whole
package of the early Elton stuff... Elton, Nigel, Dee, and Davey hit
some high plateaus of creative synergy together. I loved the fact that the guys
who played live were the same guys who recorded with Elton. The whole unit, the
whole thing, had a great personality to it that was not lost on us
fans.
Asking to Katy Rose about your
collaboration with her, producing her debut album, she said: “I've worked with
so many musicians and producers all across the spectrum, and I still always
chose him for the job when I need something to sound perfect". How’s
working with her? She’s a great and talented artist too. Also said: “Being his
daughter has definitely moulded me into the artist I am today”. Could you quote
on her, Kim?
I can’t begin to explain the intricacies of
that relationship, and I wouldn’t want to try. Getting the
opportunity to work with her has given me an unparalleled life experience, one
that most fathers don't get to experience, one that makes writing and creating
with other people seem a bit pale, because the experience with her has so many
layers to it.
But besides the fact that I have known her
since her first breath, on a professional level, I simply enjoy working
with her. She works fast, she’s a great lyricist, and has that ‘thing’ in
her voice, too… a quality in her voice that reaches people. My
daughter Madelyn has many unique talents, too... she is brilliant at everything
she does, and is one of the best people I know. I am humbled and
very blessed to get to share my life with both of them…and their
Mom.
Could you explain something about your
future projects with Elton’s band, Kim?
We are doing some recording projects with
Elton right now, as a matter of fact. It is all going really well…
we were in the studio for a few weeks recently, had a great time, and
came up with some great music. I don’t know what will ultimately happen, or
when new material will come out, but Elton is a very creative guy, likes to
keep moving forward, so I’m sure something will be announced soon.
Apart from music, which are your interests?
What you like to do with your off time?
It might not sound true, but in all
seriousness, I don’t have off time. I am always busy.. I try to hang
on to my health, I do yoga whenever I can.. for fun I look at old footage of
great B3 players like Jimmy Smith on Youtube, and I try to spend time with my
friends and family.
Oh, finally, could you tell me your five favourite Elton's songs in running
order, for my AllSongsList, where I tried to find the best of Elton’s songs
ever?
I need You to Turn to
Where to now St peter
Tiny Dancer
Madman Across the Water
Friends
Thanks so much Kim. A truly great experience.
It was a pleasure talking with you, Miguel.
Elton has the best fans. I look forward to seeing you at a show soon.
Sure. And yes Elton has best fans because he is the greatest and has the best band he could wish. Thanks again Kim Bullard, hope you enjoyed the Week Of... We are so expected to see your work and your credits on the new album. God Bless You!!!
Oh, before you go, we have some guests here, they would love to share something with you:
"Kim is a great guy and excellent musician/producer. I give him my best" (Jimmy Z, musician, has appeared and acted in the movies “Georgia,”
“The Doors,” “Wild at Heart,” and “The Shrink Is In”, as well as concert films
with Rod Stewart, Tom Petty, the Eurythmics, Jaguares, and Etta James)
Kim Bullard Photographed by Brian Powers, courtesy of Kim Bullard
Katy Rose picture with Kim Bullard courtesy of Katy Rose
