The Story Behind the Careless Whisper Sax Solo - Is it Alto or Tenor?

[@josesolismusic]

Thank you so much for this. I had no idea about any of this.

[@ItsTheGroovePodcast]

Thank you for this great video! We're fascinated by this sax solo.

[@760Piper]

Thanks Dan. Some interesting stuff there. Sad we lost such a gifted artist.

[@thecontinentalist8816]

Great stuff Dan. I had the pleasure of hearing Steve back in the early 80's when he played regularly with Georgie Fame. I then met him in Paris when I was filming Linton Kwesi Johnson and Capleton at the Zenith concert hall about 15 yrs ago . I recognised Steve back stage before the sound check and could see he was having a problem with his MK 6. I approached him and said I was a player and that I'd seen him play a few times. We chatted and he said he was in the shit with his sax. We broke away from the hall and I took him to a local repair guy about 10 mins away who fixed his sax. He is a great guy and we chatted about all sorts of stuff, away from music. He's been married to a French girl if I remember. Any way we got back to the hall and he stepped on stage for his sound check and he played the Careless Whisper solo straight off the bat. He played it so clean I thought 'was he original guy ?' on the record. Obviously turns out he was. Great watching this clip that gives the super back story to the recording and the technical stuff to go with it. I later found out Steve played with Ginger Baker among others....

[@CourtWatchAu]

very interesting , thankyou

[@pledge8241]

my left ear enjoyed this

[@jacobtaylor8789]

Thank you so much for this Dan. Just stumbled across this as Steve was my teacher when I was first starting on the clarinet! He is such an amazing guy and I have such good memories of him teaching me jazz during lessons and introducing me to improvisation. Thanks again.

[@AlessandroAzara]

Finally, someone shed light on this! Thanks!

[@81brassglass79]

Trying to get this down on both alto and tennor thank you for making this video I gotta practice more, haven't played my saxophones enough.. this song hits me differently now that I have lost the love of my life...

[@guyp3599]

David Baptiste is the sax player on the live in China (1984) clip.

[@cnote1381]

i searched up & down to find who that guy was. thanx!

[@PianomanDarrell]

I just covered this on my channel after 15+ years of not playing sax. (piano/vocal is my gig) I guess I was lucky that I had my alto to do this since the fingering is really, really easy. Thanks for the back-story!

[@Exodus26.13Pi]

Not a musician but loved it.

[@crisoliveira2644]

I have an idea on why George Micheal choose Steve Gregory's recording after rejecting 10 other sax players. As I've read, he wanted the sound of his demo replicated in the final version of the song, but only the sped up version of Gregory made him happy. The recording of the demo was very shoddy, so possibly the tape speed may have been somewhat off. That would mean the song would be out of standard tuning, of course, and I don't think he would be willing to replicate that, but the timbre of such sped up sax may had him hooked and he didn't know that was what he was looking for.

[@macs7641]

Fascinating Dan! Well analysed.

[@PremierSmilesDentist]

I have no clue what you were saying but that track is a classic

[@GenuineHeather]

I've been playing this on alto for decades. But I just got a really nice new tenor (Selmer Signature) so I've been thinking about switching to that. Now I don't know what to do, LOL! :D

[@TheSunnybunny2000]

GREAT STUFF

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

Careless Whisper---One of the only songs people can peg before a single note or lyric.

[@johncawley7103]

Great informative video. I have. Just bought a tenor sax. Where do I get the score sheet please. Thanks John

[@ArgathosSnake]

Great vid! Btw why it doesn't sound stereo?

[@davecolonna8040]

Thanks for posting Dan - never new this and I play the sax. Do you have other videos about other famous sax solos?

[@DanForshaw]

Hi Dave I do over at Cambridge Saxophone.com cambridgesaxophone.com/lessons/waiting-on-a-friend-sonny-rollins-with-rolling-stones/

[@guyp3599]

Very interesting. Thanks :-)

[@CPUTests]

Why are you only on LEFT channel?

[@sambaza2_254]

I'm listening to this so intentively that you'd think I know what E minor sounds like.

[@davesfishingtour]

Never knew

[@hazahizabbanzabalawan3815]

I mean... This is the greatest sax solo ever

[@prodbysoba9530]

the audio is panned to the left brother

[@Jozorrilla1965]

Who is man boy sax china 1985

[@andreashoppe1969]

Damn that "sexy sax guy" would make George Michael turn in his grave

[@docsaxman]

That was very cool to find out....thx bro. always wondered what was going on with alto sounding tenor and why! No modes involved to me, melody follows the chord progression. Dmi Bb Gmi A7+9. On the V7 chord to come back to Dmi just using Alt V7, choice is rock. 5th moded Aolian Minor. Michael wrote it, and when one just hears/sings a melody, the most logical musical sequence occurs. I believe in seeing the chord progression, and the simplicity of linear harmony, i don't view that as a Phrygian scale choice, that makes melody far to complicated. Melody, is the heart of the matter here I believe. Thanks Dan.