Uncut UK – October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 • UNCUT• 61

“Jeffwaskeenonforming

a bandandnotjust

playingasa solo artist”

ANDY WALLACE

CLIFNORRELL

(engineer):Bearsville

wasanamazingstudio,

bothsonicallyandvibe-

wise.It wassoisolated

inthemiddleofa forest

intheCatskill

Mountains,ina

beautifulsetting,so

therewasalways

camaraderieanda

feelingofworkingand

livingtogetherasa

team.It couldgeta little

nuttyaftertoomuch

isolationthere,though.

WA L L AC E:Wetriedto

cutthebandasliveas

possible,andthethreeof

hem[Buckley,withMatt

Johnsonondrums,and

MickGrondahlonbass]

performedasa trio.The

vocalswereoverdubs,but

effmayhavedoneguide

vocalswhileweweredoing

hebasictracks.Then

arranger]KarlBerger

broughtina stringquartet.

GU I BERT:At the string

session,Jeffbouncedoutofthecontrolroom

andintothestudio,andaskedthemaestroif

hecouldrespectfullysuggest some rewrites

ontheviolinparts.

L ORY:Jeffpicksupthepencil,andthisfamed

Germancomposergoes,“Yeah,thiscanwork!”

LUCAS:Jeffrangmeoutoftheblue– I hadn’t

spokentohimforatleasta year– andina

respectful,evensheepishvoicehesaidhe’d

lovemetocomeandplayon“Grace”and

“MojoPin”.I didthebandtrackswithhim,

thenhesaid,“Doyourthing,”withthe

electronicsandspaceguitar,soI satthere

withAndyWallaceandwebuiltupthesemad

sounds.Tothisday,somepeoplethinkthere’s

synthesiseron“Grace”– that’s my guitar!

RECORDED:BEARSVILLE,WOODSTOCK,

1993/1994

RELEASED:GRACE,AUGUST23, 1994

Asoloperformanceofthe– atthetime

overlooked– LeonardCohensong,a

highlightofhisearlycaféperformances

TIGHE:ThefirsttimeI everheardJeff

play“Hallelujah”atSin-ésomething

shiftedinme,andI felt that he was a really

specialmusician.

WA L L AC E:Theideawastohavea tasteof

somethingthatwaspurelysoloonthealbum.

Onethingwe’ddois,usuallyaftera dinner

break,we’dcomeback,havea glassortwoof

wine,andI’daskJefftoplaya solosetashe

didinSin-é.We’dgetina numberofpeople

whowerearoundthestudio,whetherthey

wereassistantengineersorcleanersor

friends,toserveasanaudience,andI’dsay,

“Well,goahead.”I don’tknowif I everhad

himrepeata song,butI doknowweendedup

withseveralfulllivetakesof“Hallelujah”,

andthefinalversionwasprobably pieced

togetherfromseveraltakes.

L ORY:ImetLeonardCohena fewyearsafter

Jeffdied,butI feltsobadforhimbecause

everyonethinksJeffwrotethesong!I justdida

testimonialfortheLibraryOfCongress– there

areonly 480 songsinthere,andJeff’sversion

of“Hallelujah”is init.WhentheLibraryOf

Congresscalledme,I said,“Whatabout

LeonardCohen’sversion?”Andtheysaid,“It’s

JeffBuckley’sversion.”That’smajor.Ofcourse

JeffdidhisversionoffJohnCale’s,hewasa fan

ofJohn.Healwaysenjoyedplayingthis,and

heendedthesetswithit eversincethethird

showI managedhim.Hesilencedthe

audience,andhegotlostinhimself.

RECORDED:BEARSVILLE,

WOODSTOCK, 1994

RELEASED:GRACE,AUGUST23, 1994

EarlyexampleofBuckley’simprovisatory

songwritingskills,centredaroundan

Eastern-tingedjambyhim,drummerMatt

JohnsonandbassistMickGrondahl

WA L L AC E:Jeffprettymuchleftthesounds

tomeinthestudio;hetrustedearlyonthat

I understoodwhathissensibilitywas.He

reliedquitea bitonMatttosetthemoodona

lotofsongs.Mattwastheperfectdrummerfor

Jeff, in that he could really follow Jeff in

TIGHE:Heinvitedmetoa rehearsal
withGaryintheWestVillageatthat
time.I thought“Grace”wasa great
lovesong,super-romantic.Theway
Gary’sguitarsoundedlikestring
players,I wasveryimpressed.
LUCAS:Wewentintoa littledemo
studioinSohocalledKrypton
Studios.Thatwasprobablymy
favouritemomentofmusicofall
time,sittinginthecontrolroom
andhearingJeffsing“Grace”.I was
like,‘Thisis unbelievable...’Then
hecamebackandsaid,ina
sheepishvoice,“Wasthatany
good?”I gota developmentdeal
witha label,whoputupjust
enoughmoneyforJefftocome
toNewYorktowritewithme.
Weplayeda showcaseatSt
Ann’sChurch,andgota three-
minutestandingovation. Then
thenextdayhequit.
ANDYWALLACE
(producer):Whenwestarted
pre-productionforGrace,
therewassomediscussion
ofwhetherthealbumshould
reflecthissoloperformance;
butI feltit shouldbesomething
morelasting,andthatit didn’t
necessarilyhavetoreflect
hissenseofhumourorhis
banteringwiththeaudience.Hewasa
tremendouslycharismaticandcharming
personality,andI thought,‘Well,hopefully
that’llcomethroughinhissongwritingand
hisinterpretationofotherpeople’ssongs.’Jeff
agreedwiththat– hewaskeenonforminga
band and not just playing as a solo artist. GIE KNAEPS/GETTY IMAGES; JACK VARTOOGIAN/GETTY IMAGES

“Wasthatany

good?”:atthe

PacificClubin

Antwerpjustafter

thereleaseof

Grace, September

21 , 1994

Withguitarist/

co-writerGary

Lucas,February

6, 1992

JEFF BUCKLEY