Allan Holdsworth on working with Bill Bruford - Part 1

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What , no drum action this week? I can hear the chorus of complaints, but I have something very special that will both relax your ears and give insight into the delicacy of inter-personnel relationships in both my band Bruford and the group UK. But let me explain.
Back in 1982, I was approached by two young film makers, Steve Apicella and Kenny Klompus, about making a drum video: part instructional, part autobiographical, part performance. Drum videos were rare back then. I’d never seen or bought one, but I’d heard about them. Kenny and Steve had just finished a performance piece with Max Roach, so their credentials were impeccable - if they were cool enough with Max, they were OK with me.
This was around the time of hybrid kits, Simmons Electronics, Discipline, King Crimson, log drums and boobams. A 30’ piece was filmed and edited, and duly appeared on video-tape and then DVD. It's an antique piece now, but remains available on Winterfold Records as one half of a two disc package called ‘Double Time’: burningshed.co...
Anyway, there was a ton of excess material from the shoot that had lain dormant until recently, when Kenny and Steve blew the dust off it and discovered some fascinating stuff. Over the coming weeks, this channel will be presenting this previously-unseen footage, including several of my solo performances from that era, along with interviews with three of the most interesting guitarists I’ve had the privilege of working with: Robert Fripp, Steve Howe, and the late, great Allan Holdsworth. I was not present at these interviews.
This week we begin with the first part of a two-part interview with Allan, who discusses in plain language his views on working with me, the 'Bruford' band and 'UK' from around 1975 to 1980. Allan’s view of our relationship back then is particularly personal and poignant from my perspective. He never told me this stuff! All he really wanted, it turns out, was to play the most inter-active music he could; a music usually known as jazz. There was definitely too little in our group 'UK', considerably more in 'Bruford', but ultimately neither organisation could offer him sufficient satisfaction and he wisely moved on.
His articulation of this predicament comes with no rancour or ill-feeling. It highlights his passionate need to develop his already sensational guitar-playing in less restrictive surroundings; in other words, to form his own band. I’d like to feel that 'UK' and 'Bruford' provided two stepping stones on the path towards his realisation of the fully-matured genius he eventually became, but I'm sure he’d probably have got there just fine without me.
Second part of this interview will be posted in a few weeks.
#allanholdsworth #UKband #billbruford #kingcrimson #yes #musicimprov #tamadrums #improvisationmusic #billbrufordsearthworks

[@Stewart.Gaskin]

Dave Stewart here. When we were making One Of A Kind I spent quite a lot of time with Allan. I liked him a lot - he was very honest, funny, and as you can see in this video, sensitive. His guitar playing was always phenomenal, but after his brief time in the Bruford band I feel he also blossomed as a composer, displaying a wonderful exploratory sense of harmony - hearing him play those beautiful, other-worldy chords with his lush, reverberant clean sound, I felt he finally reached his musical goal. I'm glad I had the opportunity to work with him... sadly missed, there'll not be another one like him.

[@walterevans2118]

Dave Stewart ? Oo hello ! …Loved your stuff on One of a Kind with Allan , Bill and Jeff ! …..Loved the keyboards on Forever til Sunday…. And on the Rock Goes to College live DVD (which I’m going to play over Xmas) where on the Sahara of Snow you used fishing weights to hold down keys …lol …..Thanks for talking to us about your memories of Allan.

[@dagmark.2738]

Thank you for sharing this Dave, your playing with 'National Health' and 'Bruford' was equally original, intelligent, warm and unforgettable, Cheers to you

[@danielwang7793]

This comment is very nice to see. Just want to express my thanks for the music you guys made together, I also enjoy your writing on music!

[@TheRedfire555]

Dave, I'm a huge fan of everything you've done, from Hatfield and the North to Bruford and beyond. I'm an especially big fan of what you did with Egg in particular, "A Visit to Newport Hospital" is one of my favorite songs. You're skills as a keyboardist and as a composer/arranger are incredible. Allan is, of course, a fantastic and inimitable musician as well. Great to see your comment here!

[@glbwoodsbum2567]

Very well said. Thank you for your contributions to the world of music!!!

[@Fender73472]

Thank you bill for keeping Allans memory alive.

[@Truthinshredding1]

This 👆 . We all need to keep Allan's spirit alive.

[@Truthinshredding1]

@peterg5383 if you look at search volumes for Allan Holdsworth indicates a gradual decline in interest. It's up to all fans of Allan to keep his spirit alive.

[@Fender73472]

@peterg5383 agreed !

[@Fender73472]

The UK debut and One of a Kind ….

[@walterevans2118]

yes

[@naderzekrya5238]

I emigrated to England from Afghanistan in 1978 after hearing Allan Holdsworth on a cassette in Kabul. Got to see him 14 times 😊 loved him very much!

[@MashedPotatoeComedy]

Wow! That is truly incredible! What tape was it?

[@BurnsTennis]

Fourteen times? Amazing. I saw him once with his band at the Univeristy of London Student Union (ULU). Chad Wackerman was on drums.

[@naderzekrya5238]

@@MashedPotatoeComedy it was a TDK C90 tape, Soft Machine Bundles on side A, Tony Williams "Believe it" on side B

[@naderzekrya5238]

​@BurnsTennis Splendid! My most memorable Holdsworth gigs were the small clubs rather than the big halls. eg, student unions, 100 club Oxford St, Half Moon Putney, Sunset in Paris where I live now close to my new living favourite Nelson Veras also born 6th August!!!!

[@EvilDeadthe2nd]

I wish more people in Afghanistan worship holdsworth instead of Religion and Afghanistan would be a peaceful country

[@Skraboing649]

I'm looking forward to this! Am on something of a Holdsworth binge at the moment, so this is timely! Thanks Bill, for all the work you do to present these fascinating glimpses into your career and musical life!

[@luke125]

I agree with Allan that “One Of A Kind” was Bruford’s masterpiece. I wore that record out when I was 15 and still listen to it today at 53.

[@timwhite5647]

We all do. I'm 66.

[@mtbikerboy]

It's "Feels Good To Me" for me, I'm 67

[@akaFrits1]

I rank both albums equal: Feels Good for its freshness and One Of for its maturity.

[@timwhite5647]

@@mtbikerboyI think a lot of people have a problem with Annette Peacock. I don't...necessarily, her vocals certainly contribute to the overall "feel" of the song, giving it kind of a lounge jazz singer kind of vibe, but I feel that Bill works better in a strictly instrumental setting. Case in point, the third incarnation of "Bruford" has master bassist Jeff Berlin handling the vocals on "Gradually Going Tornado"...serviceable, but do we need Jeff singing?

[@StewartGartland]

Both of them are masterpieces I reckon. I still listen to them both often. There is very little other music i consume on the same level.

[@pobinr]

I revisited One of kind recently. After buying it 44 years ago! It's so lyrical, fluent & his tone & the way he shapes notes. Incredibly fast run then suddenly coaxing a single note as if he's singing it. I just missed seeing him live with bruford. But saw him in 1979 with nucleus in Southampton Solent Suite. I stood for a couple of hours a few feet away watching him. He was so far ahead of other guitarists technically & musically & so original he was unbelievable. I look forward to part two of this interview. Thanks to Bill for posting

[@j.christopher.arrison]

Seeing young Allan speaking with such clarity on music everyone in this thread reveres, what a gift. Thank you for this, Bill.

[@oriomenoni7651]

Let's not forget Soft Machine in Allan's curriculum...

[@wajobu]

This is really wonderful. I imagine that Allan’s children will enjoy seeing this too. Thank you, Bill.

[@aharchives]

Huge thanks to Bill for posting this! For fans like me, who first heard Allan through his solo albums, it makes total sense that Allan would not stay with Bill for long. Allan had such a personal vision of what music was all about, and he was so uncompromising about it. The only possible solution for him was to go solo. In a way, his miserable experience with U.K. was good for him, because it pushed him in the direction he needed to go in. What is amazing is that he was able to sustain a solo career for so long, that there were enough people that were prepared to follow him on this unique path.

[@walterevans2118]

Clearly the experience of UK wasn’t good for Allan but the experience of working with BILL WAS a good creative one.

[@sturoc0]

Not that amazing per his long solo career. He started with little to no money for the first couple albums recording sessions. The first album : I.O.U. is literally titled that way because he owed $ to the studio for recording time. But once he got over that hump, his next album became more well known thanks in part to EVH , Jeff Berlin pushing to get together with Allan and do some tracks along with Jack Bruce...( Road Games EP ) There was an actual contract with Warner Bros giving Ted Templeman carte blanch to control the sessions etc and Ted did not pan out the way AH would have liked. BUT it did get him a Grammy nomination and with that more exposure. He continued putting out some great solo albums and slowly built up a healthy following. Sadly AH never made any 'real' money as compared to other more mainstream guitarists in big name rock bands, however he didnt care bout being rich or famous. He stayed true to his own music.

[@aharchives]

@@sturoc0 I stick to my opinions, although your points are fair. But a couple of corrections: The title "I.O.U." came up even before the albums's release. It was in fact the name Allan used for his band, and came from the fact that they would often end up in debt after gigs. To the best of my knowledge, he paid for the mixing up front, and was not in debt. What he did, however, was sell the last of his remaining working guitars to pay for the mixing. This meant that he actually arrived in the U.S. in 1982 without a guitar, which was the time he got his custom Charvel guitars. Next, regarding the exposure: This leads me to point out that the most important exposure Allan got was playing with UK in America. The tour and the album was what made Eddie a fan, and the reason he wanted to sign Allan. But several other guitarists in the U.S. also heard Allan with U.K., so when Allan played his first solo gig in California in 1982, there were long lines outside the clubs already. I'm not sure the Grammy nomination counted that much compared to the underground word of mouth in the guitar community, which for better or worse was the main audience for Allan as a solo artist. He was never able to break through in the mainstream.

[@g-love6507]

@@walterevans2118 What was so horrible about UK that Allan hated the whole experience ? One of my favorite songs is "Nevermore" !!!

[@walterevans2118]

@@g-love6507 I think Allan found the recording process very ‘draining’ because Eddie Jobson thought that Allan’s solo he recorded on ‘ In the Dead of Night’ was so perfect that Allan must play it EXACTLY the same as on the record….But that not what Allan did and loved to do. Allan loved to IMPROVISE….He also found the band would record parts SEPARATELY rather than TOGETHER which frustrated him and led him to call the experience recording ‘JIGSAW’ music…I believe that BILL himself might have found this limiting himself too which is why Bill and Allan left the band to create ONE OF a KIND together with Jeff Berlin and Dave Stewart….because what they did together was much more a recording together LIVE improvised experience.

[@emmadetten]

oh WOW! wearing the IOU t-shirt and heineken in hand. He wanted everyone to hear everyone else when the dreaded red light was on; yet, he he would overdub and retrack his own solos over and over later in his career. Maybe also to kind of make his solo sound as if the band track could "hear" him. Btw, it seems someone lended Allan a hand suggesting a less diluted form for abingdon chasp, compared to an older, now available demo :-)

[@jackriddle1135]

Bill, I heard the first UK song Alaska......when Allan came in I was in AWE...I saw Allan perform 14 times and love finding 1978 UK shows because each and every night is an incredible different array of solos all in a class by themselves....loved your solo work with Allan. Saw you perform, Bill , with Crimson ( Macarter theater 1984 Nj...1996 double trio in Wilkes barre Pa ans with Earthworks ( Broughgal middle school Pa...usa ). Love your postings...I love the 1976 Genesis Cleveland shows...off the hook drumming with Phil...listen to them often.

[@jupiterlegrand4817]

...and yet, U.K. was literally the greatest prog band I've ever seen and (sorry Allan) the tightest, most lyrical playing Mr. Holdsworth ever did. I was jumping out of my chair at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium their entire set. Every person in that band was at the top of their game, Bill especially. Oh, for a time machine...!

[@richfrank8540]

Saw that show in Santa Monica. Awesome.

[@PaulFreemanTheTall]

Same for me. But I saw them in the UK :-)

[@henryboyle4295]

Time machine Indeed! SMC?? HOW did I miss that show..😅

[@vasantiago3038]

That was the buzz at the time. .I wasn't into Roxy. .so Bill was definitely the "former Yes/ K Crimsln drummer fronting his own band" buzz going on. .

[@Alun49]

The first two Bruford albums are phenomenal. Allan Holdsworth's departure left a gaping whole and the subsequent album did not particularly work. I agree with his point about Bruford's composition style and on the first two albums the music is incredibly strong.

[@sturoc0]

Gradually Going Tornado, while meaning well, was an Lp that was born from record label pressure more than previous recordings. They wanted something that could sell. Hence JB doing some vocals to appease the suits re: Age of Information, Gothic 17, Sliding Floor and Plans for J.D. ....Dont get me wrong though its a fine album and John Clark does a fantastic job of stepping into Allan's vacuum.

[@Bawookles]

Considering how great Allan was as both a guitarist and a writer, it's a huge compliment that he felt that Bill's strongest attribute was as a writer. RIP Allan Holdsworth, the greatest guitarist of all time, imo.

[@stevehunt1436]

Thanks for posting this Bill. This really shows Allan for who he was , very honest and sincere about his thoughts and feeling and so passionate about his directions and musical vision. Those two records Allan was on , Feels Good to Me and One of a Kind , was the first time I had heard Allan. I never heard the Tony Williams or UK records.These two albums had me falling in love with Allan, his sound and his style, and falling in love with Bill's writing and playing as well. Those two records were a huge influence on my writing and playing. I was lucky enough to be in Allan's band from 1987 to around 1996. Almost 10 years and got to spend lots of time with him and of course play and record with him. A kind passionate human easy to work with but someone that would rarely compromise on his vision of his art and music. I can confirm his struggles with the UK time from what he would say to me but I know he loved the time with the Buford band and recording those two records. We recorded a tune of mine called "Joshua" on Allan's Secret record but we never played it live because Allan told me it reminded him too much of those days with UK and Bruford where they wanted him to play mostly lead lines and not so much chordal melodic lines, which you can hear on all of his works in the 80's and 90's. I think Bill is correct that this time period, late 70's, really solidified Allan''s strong desire to move into his own world of musical creation. And that he did!!!! I.O.U is what came out and that speaks for itself. It was interesting to hear Allan talk about the way he felt an equal member of Bill's band. That may have influenced him because even though it was "THE Allan Holdsworth Band" we all felt like equal members of his own band. Amazing really. We do miss him very much but he did give us all so very much in those 40 years of playing and recording. Thank You Bill for introducing me to Allan's playing on those two records in '78 and '79. Changed my life.

[@planetpjr]

'miss that geezer and his banjo.

[@joepriess5248]

What a wonderful little slice of time! Thank you Bill for sharing this.

[@fleursbruyantes4177]

Alan is too modest when he says his playing didn't contribute to what makes One of A Kind so great. His playing is a huge part of what makes the first two Bruford albums so special.

[@jacobtapianieto9655]

You can feel Allan was on fire during most of his solos on that album.

[@rationalmuscle]

Allan is beyond humble, considering he's the greatest guitar visionary we've ever seen. No one comes close. A lovely guy.

[@joemansueto1414]

Truth.

[@slimdaddydogjim]

I first discovered Holdsworth through your Bruford solo project back in 2006 when I watched Beelzebub on the 'Rock Goes to Collage' video for the first time. Ever since and still to this day, my all-time favorite Holdsworth material continues to be his contributions to your Bruford project and the 1st UK album. Both of you guys playing together was pure gold!

[@fusionhar]

Had privilege of knowing and regularly meeting up with Allan.......one of a very few kind

[@petsounds3612]

One of a Kind is a top 5 record OAT for me. Your, Allan's, Dave's and Jeff's playing were all at peak form...not to mention the incredible songwriting...

[@bassinthehouse374]

Very Great to see and hear insights from Allan Holdsworth. Already anticipating part two. Thanks, Bill!! by the way, if anyone knows how we can contact the Tony Williams Estate to look for the cassette of Allan, Tony and Jaco P!!!

[@walterevans2118]

LOVE this....Thanks for this. Bill was a PRACTICAL Organizer ....& thats very different from a 'band leader' which can imply ego......I LOVED the ONE OF A KIND album....So many wonderful things happening on it....Allan's solo on Hell's Bells,,, Bill's time switches,,,The brilliant playing of JEFF BERLIN throughout & his bass slap intro in 5G (Which even influenced EVH on his guitar) The sheer ATMOSPHERE on The Sahara of Snow pt 2 (which has even influenced my composition writing) .....Great to hear Allan's take on this. With the U.K thing what I heard was that in 1978 John Wetton said to Bill -'Well, Allan has said he's leaving so are you staying with me or going with Allan' ? ....Bill chose to go with Allan of course, & I'm so glad he did because if he hadn't ONE OF A KIND might never have happened. ...& the Rock Goes to College DVD I have playing the stuff live with the Lady Singer is GREAT too.

[@fishdrew1111]

I've always loved Annette Peacock's voice and work!

[@walterevans2118]

@@fishdrew1111 ANNETTE PEACOCK ! ...That was her name. Thanks ....The song 'Back to the Beginning Again'.

[@marcblum5348]

Finally some AH interview footage. Thanks, Bill, for sharing!

[@AlesPickar]

My favourite guitar player. Thanks Mr. B.

[@meanmud1]

Allan was simply from another world - looking forward to part 2, thanks!

[@misfit2022]

Bill Bruford is an incredible drummer though I was never a huge fan of that electronic kit he had. I grew up playing rock where a lot of movements are over exaggerated especially striking cymbals but watching Bill Bruford you realise he has great economy of movement and you don’t need to wind your arm back like a fast bowler running in from the pavilion end.

[@zenos.5315]

One of the greatest guitarist who ever lived,one of my favorites for sure…thanks Mr.Holdsworth

[@MrSonicAlchemy]

I have to agree with Allan. One of a Kind was Bruford's best album.

[@simonheathcote4173]

It's smply sensational and I am hoping to introduce my kids one of these days.

[@abouttimebrewing3215]

Thank you Bill! I've followed you since the early Yes days which led me to discover Allan with UK. I followed him ever since and I had the pleasure of seeing him here in Orlando before he died. I appreciate you sharing this with us.

[@lonniehillyer2529]

I heard "One Of A Kind" before the previous album and maybe before the album after, and the thing I noticed about tracks (at least) like "Joe Frazer", it became too cute and too technical and seem have been geared more towards catering to the musical testosterone of aspiring teenaged male musicians and to a degree competing the other major U.S. fusion (or progressive) groups like Weather Report and RTF. What I really loved about Bruford's playing on O.O.A.K. was the Britishness of his drumming, it was loose and British-ly steady at the same time. Also, Bruford's drumming on King Crimson's track "Indiscipline" should be required listening for all young drummers for his tone(s) alone if nothing else, let alone that insane drumming on that particular track. Now, I was a young black kid from the NYC 'hood and heavily into WP and RTF in those days, but Bruford's approach to drumming and sound was more lyrical and well structured in that O.O.A.K. album, especially being aware of his Yes heydays, which made it even cooler. It was a contrast that was refreshing which also aloud me to appreciate the music from both sides of the pond, it was never a competition for me and I'm sure that everyone what everyone knew about each other and was no need to go there. Having stated all of that, I dug all of Bill Bruford's recorded performances. And, Allan Holdsworth was from another planet on any album he played on before and subsequently.

[@DONTEVENSOUNDSAME3]

For me its 'Gradually Going Tornado' I heard all the BB albums from an older kid at school in 1981/2 and it was that one I played the most with the 'unknown' John Clark on gtr and Jeff singing - At that point my favourite playing of Allan's was on Gazeuse by Gong that was until I heard Metal Fatigue and retrospectively 'Road Games' which is where I think Allan took his composition, playing technique and command of the equipment at his disposal to another level entirely - I never get tired of listening to Road Games

[@kathowed]

Beautifully said, Mr B. And thank you. I had the good fortune to meet Allan in the very early '90s, when he was being interviewed by a local guitarist, Wayne Monger, here in Melbourne (I was there as the 'photographer', but really just as a huge fan.) I totally agree with what he says about One of a Kind: it's been on 'high-rotation' in my house ever since its release.

[@StephenScottMusic]

lovely thoughts and reflections from Bill and Dave and a wonderfull tribute to Allan. Thx for sharing them here!

[@robinstevenson1098]

Lovely. One of a kind is Bill’s best, I think, Annette was special though and Earthworks had great tracks.. Respect

[@mikebrown9850]

Alan’s blood type was jazz fusion. That was in his DNA. When he was forced or lured into doing something else, it was like an unknown organism or virus to his system. Improvisation was the life force behind this genius! Thanks for the clip.

[@williamnorkelun1468]

I've liked Allan since his days playing with Gong and UK. Also had the EP Road Games from '82, with Chad Wackerman on drums. I also liked to catch him in later years, especially when Chad was drumming with him.

[@Truthinshredding1]

I watched a Wetton interview about the UK band... I could see why there was a split. He would have driven me nuts. If Neil Peart has you down as an influence, you have to be one of the greats. Thanks for all the great music.

[@Lemopalm]

Wetton and Jobson wanted UK to become AOR radio friendly. The Bruford band was a very good fusion band for its time and place. Holdsworth wanted to push the boundaries of modern jazz beyond semi-commercial fusion. So the UK break up and the Bruford break up were inevitable but the albums recorded by both bands were fantastic

[@Truthinshredding1]

​@@Lemopalmyes, don't get me wrong, I love both UK albums and have the collectors boxset. I tried to understand the stresses and strains that led to the demise of the band. It's ironic that Jobson effectively left, and Wetton went on to build the world dominating Asia. All great musicians.

[@Lemopalm]

Absolutely. I listen to it all. Wetton definitely got the AOR success he wanted. Bill was always successful being Bill. Holdsworth conquered the world with his unique virtuosity and not exactly sure what happened to Jobson apart from the Green Album @@Truthinshredding1

[@walterevans2118]

@@Lemopalm I found what BILL did after One of a Kind was interesting too…Those classic 3 Crimson albums with Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin on chapman Stick…and later Earthworks.

[@Lemopalm]

Absolutely. Everything Bill did was great with the exception of the Yes Union album@@walterevans2118

[@rembeadgc]

Well, there's a Catch 22. On one hand so many of us love the fact there was UK with Allan in it but, would we theoretically want to modify UK in order to have had Allan working with Bruford post One of a Kind. That's a difficult choice to make. Imagine "Nevermore" never being recorded, or "Mental Medication". Perhaps they could have been recorded by Bruford. Well, history unfolded as it did and we have the wonderful music of UK with Allan and the magnificent One of a Kind. Gradually Going Tornado was not a disappointment at all.

[@davemilnes1147]

I owe a lot to One Of A Kind...having come to Bill's solo album from being a Yes fan it introduced me to Dave Stewart, Allan and Jeff Berlin. Their music has stayed with me ever since, for which I will be forever grateful. A few years ago I happened to be having tea with Robin Lumley (yes, really) and he had some very fond memories of the album and huge admiration and respect for Allan.

[@randlerobbertson8792]

Both master musicians who created marvellous music together. I cannot believe from watching this interview how humble Allan is.

[@jacobtapianieto9655]

That's why he will always be one of the very GOAT musicians, "one of a kind".

[@walterevans2118]

@@jacobtapianieto9655 yes

[@terrypussypower]

Yeah…Allan was just a normal God! 😎

[@walterevans2118]

@@terrypussypower Allan was too extraordinary to be that dull word ‘normal’…He was ‘Down to Earth’ to talk to though…And the idea of being called ‘a God’ would have had him coming out with all kinds of hilarious jokes …lol

[@terrypussypower]

@@walterevans2118 He was a normal guy (that also means “down to Earth”, believe it out not, it’s just a more concise way of expressing it. Something Allan Holdsworth would’ve approved of!) with a godlike talent! So basically, you said the same thing I did, only took longer to do it! 😁😎

[@cfaibah]

Allan's soloing on that first UK record is unmatched. It's no wonder the band insisted he played the same solos for live sets

[@russell_szabados]

Yeah, but that's what drove Holdsworth & Bruford away. Holdsworth had so much fuel in the tank, asking him to play the same solo every night was foolish and short sighted.

[@AlmostEthical]

Even if he played different solos, the rest of the band would continue the arrangement as planned, which is what put Allan out about it.

[@cfaibah]

@@russell_szabados exactly

[@walterevans2118]

Yes, but Allan loved to IMPROVISE, and he loved other players like Gary Husband to be free floating too to see where it would take them.

[@glennwallis7714]

I suspect the recording style that it seems John and Eddie not recording live still love UK some of the best Allan's solo as well as all the other players

[@jeffstacyandtherelatives3172]

Thanks for great post Bill. In essence Allan was a Jazz guitarist in a group setting. That's what he thrived on...the interaction between the players and how new ideas would be created by that interaction. The whole is more than the sum of the parts. If you have played in a band you might know that elevated feeling when all the band members are in the same groove tightly connected to each other. I've had a few peak experiences, like an out of the body experience while playing. It's something that doesn't happen often but you never forget that feeling.

[@petertrotman7708]

I've always commended Holdsworth's honesty. Sometimes it's better to not know how things are recorded because it might diminish your feelings for it. I can honestly say that my feelings are exactly the same after hearing this information. All the Bruford albums & UK are (still) brilliant, simply because the compositions and execution were truly banging and inspiring for it's time. I can't imagine not hearing these albums.

[@brookt3497]

My God...this is absolute gold...Thank you so much Bill ❤.... looks like Allan is wearing his IOU first album t-shirt?

[@billyruss]

Absolutely love "One of a Kind, and agree it's one of Bruford's greatest albums. I also love the first UK album though 🙂

[@Mr.S369]

When I saw Allan play with Stanley Clarke's 'Jazz Explosion' at the Diamond Club in Toronto (where I also saw Earthworks) it was wonderful. After the performance 10 to 20 to 30 of us started chanting, 'ALLAN! ALLAN! ALLAN!'. Allan eventually, and I sense reluctantly, came out to meet us, shake hands, and sign autographs. Unforgettable! What was also QUITE unforgettable was hearing Allan play a measure of 'blues' on the outro of his solo on 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat'. Stanley Clarke's exuberance was contagious.

[@bentdrum]

@Mr.S369, I saw that same Earthworks show at the Diamond! I do recall a rather intolerable opening act ( duo, I believe) that noodled on forever, making us all the more impatient for Bill and band to come on.

[@winstonschwarz1636]

Very good. Great insight into how Allan was feeling at the time.

[@markjacobsen8335]

Love Allan. Have many of his solo albums as well as the Bruford and UK stuff. Funny cat, though, right? I sometimes think if Allan only let be released the stuff he was all round satisfied with we would probably have no recordings of him playing! 😄

[@chomusic]

I feel the biggest difference between Bruford and UK is the bass player. John Wetton was of course a great bass player and singer, but for me Jeff Berlin's approach was more interesting. I think he is the 2nd greatest electric bass player of all time.

[@passenger62]

Fascinating. Allan's point about not being able to affect the music - whatever he played - is a good one. This is one of the main differences between jazz recordings and rock and pop.

[@timwhite5647]

I've heard that Allan was pretty stifled working with Wetton and Jobson in U.K. Obviously, when people wanted to hear Allan's remarkable solo on "In the Dead of Night", they wanted to hear it like it's performed on the record...night after night(pardon the pun). I can see how Allan would balk at that...seeing as how much he liked improvisation. Thankfully he separated from that whole scene and started his own band. The I.O.U. album, "Metal Fatigue", "Road Games"...all very exceptional albums. And let's not forget his work with Jean-Luc Ponty and Tony Williams.

[@timwhite5647]

...And, of course, Pierre Moerlen's "Gong".

[@colinburroughs9871]

The part of Bill's story where he played with three wildly different yet awesome, sorta life changing guitarists makes Bill's story/and music all the better.

[@jublaim]

Thank you for sharing this. This shows to me how sensitive, almost maybe "fragile" Allan must have been feeling at times. Have you experienced anything similar Bill?

[@progrockrules9463]

When I first heard that solo on "in the dead of night", I could not believe it. Who was that guy ? And it was before internet, very hard to get any information....

[@antoinefafard]

Allan being 100% honest... No filter! 🙏

[@theflymo]

This is absolute gold. Allan seems like a lovely man as well as an other-worldly talent.

[@pythonflying]

Thanks so much for posting this, and good to see Dave's comments here as well. Your band's music meant so much to a lot of us.

[@patricknacion3960]

Thank you Bill ! I respect you for putting this out inspite of allans little criticisms here and there. To me it speaks volumes about your character. Funny thing for me is i loved the first uk album and his playing was incredible , too hear he was miserable making that magic is surprising.

[@alwayscurious413]

I think Allan and Bill are very similar in their directness and honesty - it can be very difficult to be around that kind thing for those of us couched in diplomacy. Reading between the lines you get the impression of absolute geniuses at work -one in a million kinds of skill and art.

[@erikg1]

Boy this is great, thank you very much and I continually look forward to your posts.

[@Piktor201]

I had thousand thoughts about Allan in my head but I decided that none of them was big enough for this genius musician. So all what's left is: Thank you for sharing this video. I am a subscriber of this channel from the first days and I think there is nothing wrong with posting no drum if its a video like this.

[@CatrinaDaimonLee]

ALLAN- not much a guitar player, but what a handsome bloke

[@paulverhaagen]

Very Funny. Don't forget he also loved beer :)

[@reverb.deluxe]

Wow, I knew Allan's dad was a jazz musician, but it never struck me so hard that Allan grew up with a jazz sensibility. Improvisation, sure. But the feeling that the song could go anywhere? Insightful. Thanks for publishing this series! Looking forward to the next episodes.

[@mikehirsh1896]

He seems so younger here was this in the 1980's

[@justpeachy4938]

Would be curious to hear Mssr. Bruford’s response to Allan’s comment that musical composition was his, Bill’s, strength. My impression, albeit based on limited knowledge of Bill’s solo career, is that Bill was more of a player than a composer (but happy to learn more.) Thanks for the lovely memory of Allan!

[@Stewart.Gaskin]

Have you heard the ballad 'Palewell Park' on Bruford's Gradually Going Tornado? It's a lovely piece, Bill wrote every note. Cheers, DS.

[@ristokolttonen9208]

Bill, I loved your drumming on the early Yes albums. Alan White was also great but somehow I feel he was pretty different.

[@magog6852]

bruford is god… but only alan could do relayer

[@jamiepastman5594]

#1 Dave Stewart fan here, 45 years now, thank you Dave! Your organ solos have always elicited pure ecstasy for me, I think you’re one of the very finest soloists (like Allan) of that very solo-y era. I own a Shaftsbury clone because of you!

[@d_lose]

One of a kind.

[@blissmaster71]

One of a Kind is titled appropriately. ❤

[@aka.Mr.French]

a title that easily applies to all four musicians individually, as well as that brilliant album.

[@rillloudmother]

I can tell from your music that you are an intelligent and sensitive individual. your comments about holdsworth confirm that and show the respect that you have for your collaborators.

[@Stewart.Gaskin]

Looking forward to this.

[@aymericleroy8500]

Very enlightening, especially the part at the end. I'd read a lot of Allan interviews post-UK/Bruford where he said much of the same things, but the notion that he would have stayed on in Bruford had the UK situation never happened is really interesting. In the other interviews I read, he was also insistent that he wanted to play without a keyboard player for a while (he did have one in a lot of his bands in later years) just to enjoy the harmonic freedom it signified for him. A prog rock player like Eddie Jobson clearly wasn't, as he states, the kind of musical partner he could interact with in the way he was seeking, it took someone with at least a bit more jazz in him. Dave Stewart at least could play something resembling jazz, although he ultimately wasn't a jazz-inclined player at all. It all makes sense, really, although I personally enjoyed Allan's association with prog a lot.

[@jacobtapianieto9655]

U.K.'s debut album is a masterpiece!!

[@erictripton]

Wow, thanks for sharing this well done interview....surprised!

[@NigelHopkinsKeyboards]

I adore the Bruford years with Allan. Allan was a one off....I discovered UK.....and having found music I really liked, It kind of fell into Bruford. Four Incredible Musicians.

[@megasoid]

Thank you.

[@foobarbazquux]

My eyes lit up upon seeing the thumbnail. Nice to see and hear Allan in this light.

[@fredfox3851]

For many of us listeners, the constraints of UK's songs really focused both Bruford and Holdsworth's playing. Too bad that lineup didn't make more records. I guess I'm more of a rocker than a jazzer. I saw both the UK and One Of A Kind tours at the Cleveland Agora. Virtuosos ALL.

[@AndrewGorny]

I do believe a lot of Allan's later work wound up being recorded exactly like the UK project which he very clearly didn't like at the time.

[@Chuckles..]

Thanks Bill, beautiful stuff. I think of Alan as the Van Gogh of guitarists and feel very fortunate to have seen UK live with him and you. Thanks.

[@rael2099]

Allan was a strange fella, and talented to boot. Honest and sometimes raw. So he considered Bill a writer? What about Bill's amazing drumming skills? Lol, a bit of a shade there. Maybe Im reading too much into it. Also how crazy its that Allan wasnt fond of the traditional way of recording in studio. That kind of lack of adaptability created a bad experience in UK when it shouldnt had to be that way.

[@Snardbafulator]

Okay, I'm a wildly opinionated 64-year-old lifetime proghead so lemme lay out my priors and you can decide to continue reading. Dave Stewart's by far my favorite progrock keys player. I'm also a major Allan superstan, every aspect of his career; I think he's a genius. Discovering the first Bruford record after hearing Allan was gobsmacking. The Wetton era is also my favorite King Crimson. I thought John's deep, gritty voice was perfect for the band and although he had a powerful style on the bass, he's more a self-taught rocker like Greg Lake (who can't read music) than a musicianly player like Richard Sinclair and Jeff Berlin. But I utterly _loathe_ Eddie Jobson. I cannot get into UK and I've tried for literally decades. Love the Bruford band, UK leaves me cold. Later UK after Allan and then Terry left and it's like the prog version of a lounge act is - finger down throat gesture -. Barry Manilow in odd time signatures, LOL Next up for John, Asia. Like Dave, Eddie was deeply inspired and influenced by Keith Emerson and I can certainly relate, as ELP was my first rock music love as a 13-year-old. But Keith was an inveterate musical thief who never got his head out of the British blues boom. In high school, I lost interest by their triple live album and today I find Pirates unlistenable. But Dave Stewart was playing ideas music, not chops music. Eddie Jobson plays chops music. Eddie Jobson makes all the nasty things Robert Christgau ever said about progrock come into my head and then I hate myself for it, LOL. He's predictable, contrived and showoffy. So I can absolutely feel in every shred of my viscera what a soul crushing experience playing in UK must've been for Allan. Eddie the self-styled "genius composer" who insisted Allan play every "solo" identically on tour. Sure, there was some of that on the two Bruford records with Allan -- the Tricky Dick parts they'd punch in a bazillion times to get every note of their parts right (this is prior to digital recording) -- and Allan didn't like it although he says in this interview that he understood it. But there are also moments on both records where it's obvious they're all jamming and listening to each other in real time, the long first section of Adios a la Pasada, Feels Good To Me, Pt. 2. And it's all great music.

[@JetEarlewood]

I was overseas when One Of. Kind was released. Couldn’t get any of that music in Iwakuni. Heck, we didn’t have live TV back then. Seps 95 got home and went nuts discovering Bill’s and Alan’s music. Saw him live front row table at the tralf in ‘84. My ears were ringing for a week

[@manuelguariguata535]

One Of A Kind, quintessential jazz-rock album. Bruford nailed the title perfectly. A masterpiece.

[@vbassone]

This interview with Allan is from 1982?

[@fgaron2000]

I don't know, I really like Feels Good to Me. Not everything is for everyone. Allan is so young here, and a bit opiniated. Such a monster player and composer, though.

[@petewilder1303]

What great footage of Allan discussing his time around UK/ Bruford. This is called part 1, hopefully they will be a part two and three!

[@SameAsAnyOtherStranger]

Nah. Really? I was just thinking about celebrities having anonymous SocMeed handles. I tried to start up a Eurythmics cover band called Yomamalodics. I'm sure you must something crucial to say. Nah. But seriously. My first synth was a SC Prophet 600. But again, not all that certain what would be crucial if someone managed to say anything crucial in the first place.

[@glennwallis7714]

This makes me sad😞 Allan is correct 1ofaK is a masterpiece

[@chrismoller4272]

Bill and Allan. Geniuses. Miss Allan every day

[@Rog5446]

I possess over 1,000 CDs and used to have over 100 vinyl albums going back to the 1960s. One of a kind is the only Album that gets constant play time.

[@simonheathcote4173]

One of a Kind is one of the great albums. I had been introduced to UK earlier. I was probably 15 at the time and would rush home from Saturday morning school to listen to the essential Alan 'Fluff' Freeman's show on a Saturday afternoon. Being a nerdy teen, I would write down and grade all the tracks and bands in an obsessive manner. But this was my training ground for developing some musical sophistry and where I discovered Camel, John McLaughlin, Brand X etc. and a love for jazz fusion. Our school sixth form organised a bus to see Genesis iin 1978 at Knebworth, although looking back I see I missed a trick by being a little too young for the 76 tour with Bill, which culminated for me at least in the recording of Cinema Show that later appeared on Seconds Out. Happy Days that began with Thin Lizzy as an adolescent before hitting my first concert, Be Bop Deluxe, in Jan 1977 at the Malvern Winter Gardens where I lived. Sadly I left a lot of my long players behind after my marriage fell apart, but at 61, I look back to a Golden Age that will never come round again. Thank you Bill, Allan, Phil Collins and all those who made my life memorable.

[@fusionfan6883]

I was at that BBD Malvern gig! Bill Nelson is one of my heroes, and also one of the most criminally underrated (by the wider public) guitarists in history. He really is up there with the greats!

[@simonheathcote4173]

That's incredible. Do you remember Steve Gibbons was on first and were incredibly impressive? I was a 14-year-old kid in a sea of giants, alone and a little lost but already a dedicated fan. Many years later I became editor of the Malvern newspaper before realising my eclectic tastes required a more interesting life: I have worked in psychotherapy for 30 years.@@fusionfan6883

[@PaulFreemanTheTall]

Those Alan Freeman saturday programs formed my musical taste for life, he was a diamond geezer. From him I didn’t just get prog, but also jazz and classical music… and ECM records, Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius, Joni…. And punk was where pop was at the time. Amazing.

[@simonheathcote4173]

Yes with you all the way. That was precisely my experience and one I will always treasure.@@PaulFreemanTheTall

[@fusionfan6883]

@@PaulFreemanTheTall Totally agree, Fluff as he was known, was so important for many music fans. The fact he played whole sides of records sometimes, or that his taste was so diverse, meant we discovered jems we might otherwise have missed. For example, I clearly remember when wired by Jeff Beck came out and Fluff was all over it. Ironically, I have been searching for recordings of his shows just to relive the fond memories, but they are surprisingly few and far between sadly. What a great guy.

[@timmartin8191]

A great interview. Thanks for posting, Bill. Really loved One of a Kind, not to mention your time with Yes and everything you got involved with back then. IMO, there was never a more outside-of-the box soloist on guitar than the wonderful, talented Allan.

[@scottmcfadyen293]

I think the greatest mistake was Allan not getting to record new music as much he wanted to .. he got very badly mistreated by the music industry. And we all lost out on the truly otherworldly talents he wanted to share. Thank you Allan for what you were able to record and thank you Bill for sharing the insights of a true artist.

[@MrKayley10]

Bruford And The Beat outtakes? Fantastic!!! Bring it on... Will the unedited performance of 'Discipline' by King Crimson also be uploaded? It's a fascinating document of that particular band at work but the released edit features interview material overlaid.

[@dbrown5216]

Thanks for posting this, Mr Bruford. I really enjoy your music and your drumming, as well as your thoughts and comments. One of a Kind is one my favorite albums of all time.

[@johnabedggood6280]

Every member of this band was a star in their own right and worthy of far greater recognition than temperamental little wazzocks like Justin Bieber.

[@lubmir2k]

The first U.K. album is out of this world. I like (almost) all albums that Holdsworth played on, but nothing comes close to U.K.

[@DonnyOsmosis]

The playing on those albums was supernatural at times.