Life’s a Beach: An interview with Jeffrey Foskett

By Courtney Grimes Guitarist Jeffrey Foskett has been called one of the best kept secrets in pop music. Perhaps most well-known for his work with The Beach Boys, Jeffrey joined the group in 1980 as the tour band’s guitarist and vocalist. He stayed with the group for 11 years before leaving to pursue a solo career, in which he wrote, arranged and performed enough songs for nine solo albums. Jeffrey originally began his fascination with the guitar after being inspired by The Beatles’ christening performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He immediately asked his parents for a guitar. They complied and since then Jeffrey has been performing. Through his school years Jeffrey couldn’t be found without his guitar, even beginning his own band, called The Pranks. Jeffrey left The Pranks in 1980 to tour with The Beach Boys. Since his days with The Beach Boys, Jeffrey has performed with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and Chicago. Currently, while still managing a successful solo career, Jeffrey is working with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys as musical director, and has performed on numerous tracks with Brian for his recent album, SMiLE. Recently, Jeffrey took some time to chat from L.A. about his time with Brian Wilson, his extensive Gibson collection and the ultimate compliment from Sir Paul McCartney. (L-R) Foskett, Wilson and Sir Paul McCartney CG: What has it been like being the Musical Director for Brian Wilson? What has been your biggest challenge there? JF: With Brian, I am the one in charge on stage. Brian looks to me to make sure that everyone is at sound check on time, is singing the correct part and basically has it together. Of course he is totally capable of doing these things himself and often asks "who just sang that note?" when he hears something amiss. I think it's easier for him to rely on me to do the day to day business of keeping things flowing smoothly on stage. Everyone in this great band is a pro. There are no ego hang-ups, (except mine), and we have grown into a very tight knit group of singers and players. I think one of our highest compliments came from Sir Paul McCartney. I was having a conversation with Cameron Crowe recently and he told me that he was talking with Sir Paul about Brian and his band and McCartney's response was, "Oh they're the best band in the business, everyone knows that." That's quite a statement from such a luminary. My biggest challenge is to keep my voice fit for the shows. As was the case when I was with The Beach Boys, in Brian's band I sing all of the highest notes in the show. I was never a guy to go hang out in the bar or stay out late, so I think that has served me well over the years. I don't talk after shows and talk as little as possible during the day. Although the guys in the band are used to my weird habits, sometimes that is misunderstood by the general public. I'm not trying to be rude by making hand gestures instead of carrying on a conversation with fans after the shows, I am simply trying to preserve my voice for the next night. (L-R) Jeffrey Foskett and Brian Wilson CG: What do you think about Brian’s release SMiLE? JF: Obviously the CD has been a smash success! I am so happy for Brian that he finally won a Grammy. I think that until he won the Grammy this year, he was the most overlooked artist in the history of NARAS. Ironically, Brian won his Grammy in the category of "Best Instrumental Song" for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow." The irony is that Brian is known for his vocal arrangements and singing but was honored for an instrumental song. I also find it interesting that this song, which includes the infamous "Fire" segment, was one of the main reasons that Brian did not release the SMiLE record back in 1967. Nonetheless, I am proud of Brian, proud to have been a part of the CD and very happy for him. CG: And the SMiLE DVD? JF: Now that the SMiLE DVD is out, one can see that it is a very cogent, comprehensive look at what was going on in Brian's life during the writing of the original songs back in 1966-1967 through the finishing of the project and ultimate recording of the CD in 2004. There are several interviews with people who were very close to Brian in the 1960s as well as conversations with all of his current band members and several friends of his since his youth. The second disc is a complete live version of the entire SMiLE show filmed at Center Staging in Burbank, California in September 2004. I look at the DVD and can't help but wonder how that music was ever created. It is truly astonishing. CG: Tell me about your Gibsons. JF: Let me start by saying that of all of the guitar companies in the world, I think Gibson and Epiphone are the best. I don't say that because I am a Gibson artist, I say that because I believe it. I have owned over 250 guitars in my life and at this point I have only about 40 or so. I have at different times preferred to play one brand over another for various reasons but I always kept my Gibsons and I can't say that about any other guitar manufacturer. My first electric guitar was a Japanese copy of a 335. I couldn't afford a real Gibson so I bought the closest thing I could to one. My first Gibson was a 1968 Cherry Red 330. Beautiful guitar. I bought it because I was playing a lot of Beatles songs at the time and I needed the hollow body sound without the solid wood core and I couldn't find an Epiphone E230-TD Casino at the time. I ended up purchasing a 230-TD within a month or so but kept the 330 anyway. Now I buy things in pairs. In case something happens to one, I have another identical one just like it. My current arsenal is three J-150 Southern Jumbos with the "SMiLE" logo inlayed in the neck, two J-45s both sunburst, two Epiphone EF500-RAs with the "SMiLE" logo inlayed in the neck, two Lucilles both Cherry Red, two Firebird VIIs - one copper and the other Cherry Red, two 335s both Blonde, two Epiphone E360-TD six-string Rivieras both Vintage Sunburst, two Epiphone E360-TD 12-string Rivieras both Cherry Red, two Epiphone Studio Dot six-strings both white, and two Epiphone John Lee Hooker USA Sheratons, both Blonde. I also have on order from the Custom Shop an usual 355. CG: Which guitars do you use on stage? JF: On stage I use at least one of each of the afore mentioned guitars. They are all modified by my guy Michael at L.A. Guitar works. I have one of the tone knobs replaced by a Master Volume and the other tone knob becomes a Master Tone knob. On the three pick-up Firebirds I have one Master Volume and the other three knobs are individual volumes. I run the tone flat out on those guitars. My Sheratons have been modified with a series of four toggle switches on the upper horn. They do various things. My tech Ross Lahey hands me the Sheraton with the four added switches in various, different positions and says, “try this tonight." You would have to ask him what the switches do. The Sheratons have also had Bigsby Vibratos added to them. Likewise with one of my 335s, 355s and Epiphone Rivieras. Your guys at the Custom Shop were nice enough to give me the custom truss rod cover plates for all of my guitars. CG: Can you tell me which guitars you used on Brian's CD's? JF: On the SMiLE CD the first song with instruments is "Heroes and Villains." That's the Gibson J-150 on that song. What an awesome acoustic guitar sound. That is probably my favorite live sounding guitar but it prints really well in the studio too. Many of my peers use certain guitars for stage and others for recording, but I like to try to use the same guitar on stage that I played in the studio. I mean, I'm not playing something completely irreplaceable like McCartney's Epiphone Texan. The great thing about the Gibson guitars is the uniform of quality and greatness that goes into manufacturing them. Right out of the case they sound tremendous. If something should go wrong with one of my guitars, I can call Gibson and the replacement guitar will sound equally as good as the one that was damaged or lost. Jeffrey Foskett along with Brian Wilson and crew recording in OceanWay Studios. Most of the six-string electric guitars on the SMiLE CD are one of the Lucilles. My favorite moment for guitar on the SMiLE CD is in the second movement between "Look" and "Child is the Father of the Man." There is this ultra cool heavy reverb, delay guitar line that repeats and is played instrumentally one round through before Brian starts singing "Easy my child..." My favorite 12-string moment on the SMiLE CD is during the song "Cabinessence." The slide guitar in the second and fourth verse is actually the E360-D Riviera 12-string. Leave it to Brian to come up with a 12-string slide guitar part. I also used the Riviera 12 on "Wind Chimes" and "Good Vibrations.” The Epiphone Sheraton was used on "Good Vibrations" as well. The J-45 was used on "Vegatables" and "Cabinessence." Our Bass Player Bob Lizik switched around on the bass so I'm not exactly sure what songs he played on his five-string Tobias or on what songs he used other instruments. We recently finished recording a Christmas CD with Brian, scheduled for release later this month (Oct. 2005). On that CD the J-150 was the only acoustic guitar used and it probably made it on half of the 14 songs. The Riviera 12-string was used extensively as well. I played the lead guitar solo on "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" on one of the Blonde Epiphone Sheratons. I think that was the only time I personally played six-string electric guitar on the CD. Again Bob Lizik switched around on his bass selection but the five-string Toby got a fair amount of use. Brian even played his "Brian Wilson Model" Valley Arts bass on a song or two. Jeffrey Foskett and Jeff Beck CG: Tell me about the SMiLE tour. JF: We have been on tour performing SMiLE live since we debuted it in London on February 24th, 2004. It is an amazing piece of art. I think one of the more amazing things about it is that Brian and his co-writer, Van Dyke Parks, were in their early to mid 20s when they wrote the majority of this music. They had the good sense to shelve it in 1967 and the better sense to finish and release it in 2004. I think Brian was a bit apprehensive about finishing SMiLE and certainly about performing it live. Most likely he was recounting in his head the negative comments that his former record label and partners had said to him when he initially debuted this brilliant music to them. Fortunately, we have received standing ovations in EVERY city and venue where we perform this masterpiece so he feels very confident about his decision to release SMiLE in 2004. For those that haven't had the pleasure of hearing SMiLE yet, it is a three movement "Teenage Symphony to God" as Brian puts it. Each movement is around 15 minutes in length of continuous music and singing. It is truly mind-boggling when one hears it for the first time live. Sir Paul brought his entire band to see us perform SMiLE in Brighton, UK. His great guitar player Brian Ray came up to me after the show and asked me in a very baffled tone "How did you guys learn that?" I guess I hadn't really thought about it until then, but it is quite a challenge every night to perform that piece of music. Just think, if it amazes people to wonder how it was learned, what it must have been like to write it in the first place? Anyone who ever had any doubt about Brian Wilson earning the title "genius" simply needs to spin the SMiLE CD and all doubt will be removed. CG: What do you love most about your career? JF: I love that God has given me such a great gift in my voice and guitar playing ability. I sometimes say I hold the guitar as a way to get on stage and sing. I love playing guitar but I am not nearly the guitar player that I am singer. God has truly gifted me with a great voice. What I love most about my career is that I get to make a living doing something that I really love to do. I don't consider my job ... a job. It is truly a joy! I think the best part of performing with Brian is that I have the opportunity to make some people's "dream come true" of meeting Brian. I remember being 20 years old and meeting him for the first time. I was on ‘could nine’ for weeks. At this point he trusts me enough that if I bring someone back stage or to his house, he knows that they have my seal of approval and he's pretty comfortable with them. I like being able to make people happy and if meeting Brian Wilson or seeing one of his shows can do that, I'm glad I can be the conduit.