I played a gig with GE a while back. He is a monster. We were smoking buddies, since we had to stand outside to smoke. He did some amazing stuff on his old Telecaster, but I couldn't see it because I was standing behind him on stage. Thanks for doing a video on him, he's a really nice guy and a one of the best musicians ever.
I used to see him and Tbone in a band called Domino back in the early 80's- no one knew who they were really- we knew they were studio cats- they had a cover band that used to play locally in Westchester NY- it was quite a treat to see them up close- with very few people in the crowd we had front row seats to some of the best musicians in town- they were awesome- great memories
One extremely cool thing about G.E.Smith is that he boosted the popularity of anyone he played for/with....he was so humble & he was married to Gilda, doesn't get much cooler than that. Very smart cool talented guy. I lived to see him on SNL. I always thought he was tripping because he was so above and beyond it all. There was no one like him. ♥
I totally agree with you; I had the same reaction to G. E. Smith when he was the SNL music director. I don't even know why, to be honest, but this man just oozed cool. Recently, I saw a long interview with him that totally reinforced my respect for him. All through the interview, he talked about the awesomeness of all the people he had worked with or otherwise interacted with throughout his life. He had nothing but respect and praise, and not an ill word for anybody. His humility with regard to himself was what cemented the idea for me that my admiration for him was not an exaggeration. He's a pro, and he's super cool.
Marc Maron interviewed GE Smith a couple months ago and it's one of those interviews where a dude is exactly and nice and generous and interesting as you hope he would be. Really great stories about being in bar bands, touring with Dylan, etc, etc.
I used to watch SNL for those little snippets of GE too. What a great player. There are videos of him describing various bands that came on to play. The Replacements one is Great.
Btw, the bass player was Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, who was also a transplant from Hall & Oates. He was a fantastic bass player who unfortunately passed away in 2010.
I love GE Smith! That guy had a big influence on me as a player! I always was watching him for what cool riffs and guitars he’d be playing on SNL! When they hand out sports teams to follow, somehow this kid from North Carolina ended up with the Browns. Years later, I made my pilgrimage to the North Shore and the Dawg Pound. Who did the Browns hire to play in and out of breaks and timeouts on the sideline? GE Smith! I loved it! The Browns got killed that game, but GE Smith was awesome!
Years ago I walked into Chelsea Guitars on 23st in NYC and who was sitting in there but G E.Smith. and I said, " Hey!!" And he said back, " Hey man." The absolute coolest dude on the planet
Guys, Amish bass player was Tom "T-Bone" Wolk ! He and GE Smith had played together with Hall and Oates in the late seventies/early eighties and when GE got the SNL gig (that's a lot of acronyms in a row) he brought "T-Bone" with him. Amazing bassist. GE Smith is truly a guitar God in his own right.
Great topic! In addition to the Rig Rundowns, look for "Archives of American Television". I binged on G.E. Smith recently, and loved it. He is such a kind cat, and a great storyteller. He also strikes me as genuinely humble: in the setup to Eddie VH's tiny mistake, he raved, "you know, he really is a master".
I played a gig with GE a while back. He is a monster. We were smoking buddies, since we had to stand outside to smoke. He did some amazing stuff on his old Telecaster, but I couldn't see it because I was standing behind him on stage. Thanks for doing a video on him, he's a really nice guy and a one of the best musicians ever.
I used to see him and Tbone in a band called Domino back in the early 80's- no one knew who they were really- we knew they were studio cats- they had a cover band that used to play locally in Westchester NY- it was quite a treat to see them up close- with very few people in the crowd we had front row seats to some of the best musicians in town- they were awesome- great memories
One extremely cool thing about G.E.Smith is that he boosted the popularity of anyone he played for/with....he was so humble & he was married to Gilda, doesn't get much cooler than that. Very smart cool talented guy. I lived to see him on SNL. I always thought he was tripping because he was so above and beyond it all. There was no one like him. ♥
My introduction to GE Smith was exactly as stated in this video. GE Smith is absolutely amazing.
I totally agree with you; I had the same reaction to G. E. Smith when he was the SNL music director. I don't even know why, to be honest, but this man just oozed cool. Recently, I saw a long interview with him that totally reinforced my respect for him. All through the interview, he talked about the awesomeness of all the people he had worked with or otherwise interacted with throughout his life. He had nothing but respect and praise, and not an ill word for anybody. His humility with regard to himself was what cemented the idea for me that my admiration for him was not an exaggeration. He's a pro, and he's super cool.
Marc Maron interviewed GE Smith a couple months ago and it's one of those interviews where a dude is exactly and nice and generous and interesting as you hope he would be. Really great stories about being in bar bands, touring with Dylan, etc, etc.
I met him in Greenwich CT back in 2000, shook his hand and got his autograph. I was 14, it was so cool! I still have it.
I used to watch SNL for those little snippets of GE too. What a great player. There are videos of him describing various bands that came on to play. The Replacements one is Great.
Btw, the bass player was Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, who was also a transplant from Hall & Oates. He was a fantastic bass player who unfortunately passed away in 2010.
I love GE Smith! That guy had a big influence on me as a player! I always was watching him for what cool riffs and guitars he’d be playing on SNL! When they hand out sports teams to follow, somehow this kid from North Carolina ended up with the Browns. Years later, I made my pilgrimage to the North Shore and the Dawg Pound. Who did the Browns hire to play in and out of breaks and timeouts on the sideline? GE Smith! I loved it! The Browns got killed that game, but GE Smith was awesome!
Years ago I walked into Chelsea Guitars on 23st in NYC and who was sitting in there but G E.Smith. and I said, " Hey!!" And he said back, " Hey man." The absolute coolest dude on the planet
I was around 10 myself when GE played SNL. He absolutely inspired me to pick up the guitar. Great riffs and vintage gear. Love him.
GE Smith was always such a nice guy. Used to see him on the music row all the time back in the day. Great video.
Guys, Amish bass player was Tom "T-Bone" Wolk ! He and GE Smith had played together with Hall and Oates in the late seventies/early eighties and when GE got the SNL gig (that's a lot of acronyms in a row) he brought "T-Bone" with him. Amazing bassist. GE Smith is truly a guitar God in his own right.
Great video! My friends and I used to stay up to watch SNL. I was always blown away by G. E. Smith. Talented guy!
IMO G.E. Smith was one of the, if not the best things about that era of SNL
Great topic! In addition to the Rig Rundowns, look for "Archives of American Television". I binged on G.E. Smith recently, and loved it. He is such a kind cat, and a great storyteller. He also strikes me as genuinely humble: in the setup to Eddie VH's tiny mistake, he raved, "you know, he really is a master".
I’ve really come to appreciate GE Smith over the past few years. Amazing player and a legend in his own right. Cool you guys spotlighted him.
Said it before:
G. E. Smith &LeRoy Bell’s recent release “Stony Hill, “ is incredibly tasty. All ears on deck