Real Class's musical director Phil was one of Scandinavia's top record producers during the 80's, amassing a veritable wall of siler, gold and platinum discs. Phil plays more than 10 different instruments and is a superb vocalist whose massive range is able to cover pop, jazz, swing, rock - even opera.
A musician’s musician, Phil has played guitar since the tender age of five. He was recruited into the local Youth Orchestra age seven (playing violin), and continued in the high-school orchestra playing tuned percussion. He became a professional musician after leaving school and moved to Denmark in 1977 where he soon became a most sought-after session musician, arranger and record-producer. During the 80's, Phil worked on over 200 records with Scandinavia's major artists, many of which were awarded. Since his return to the UK in 1990, Phil has played almost every genre of music including Folk, Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classical and Big-Band. Together with Tony Crabtree, with whom Phil has worked for almost 20 years, Phil has played to every type of audience, from those at Her Majesty's pleasure, to Royalty and heads of Government. A successful (and intelligent) entrepreneur and businessman, Phil was awarded Mensa Businessman of The Year in 1996.
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Phil's own compositions (rarely played by Real Class!!) are featured on many TV/Radio ads, idents and program theme-tunes. A few examples are here to listen to.
All tracks are first takes (all mistakes are left in! - see below) recorded by Phil Barrett on Korg Oasys / Yamaha AW4416
Guitars:
PRS Mc Carty Hollowbody II
Ibanez George Benson GB10
Ibanez AE200 (vintage)
Line-6 Variax 700
Line-6 POD X3 Live
Keyboards:
Korg Oasys
Fairlight III
Yamaha Tyros
Sax / Flutes:
Yamaha WX5 & VL-70 (+ Oasys sounds)
Kit:
Roland TD-12 / Oasys & Tyros Kits & Perc
I love the feel and energy of the very first take. It's rarely repeatable. If you try to 'do the same again', you might get all the same notes (apart from the ones you got wrong first time), but that spontaneous creation is a once-only thing for me...
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