The Greatest Guitar Solo You Can’t HEAR!
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- Опубліковано 28 гру 2021
- In this episode I rediscover the greatest guitar solo that is inaudible from this classic song.
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Who else is back here after watching the Chris Cross interview all the way through? I love the lead isolated, on a 59 LP no less. What a treasure. Dam thats good.
No pedals, right in to a red hot amp. So damn good.
yes!
LOL, guilty! I HAD to come back and see this and then re-watch that amazing interview
Guilty here too and also just having listened to my entire "Christopher Cross" LP. Just fantastic...
@@markahles5967 I know right? I could listen to his stories all night, Rick asks such great questions doesn't he? Plus you can see he is in the conversation not like me trying to think of what Im going to say next hahaha.
For many years I made my living as a sound engineer. I did monitors for some of your favorites bands and guitar players. During that time I got up close and intimate with their guitar rigs, mic’d them up and got to solo them I’m my head phones. The best guitar tone I ever heard was Christopher Cross, and he lived up to it with his playing…and I am a guitar player myself. Christopher Cross is criminally under rated as a guitar player
Trivia question for those that need a free beer. Christopher Cross was born Christopher Geppert, living in San Antonio. Deep Purple came to town and their guitar player became ill, and for this one concert young Christopher Geppert stepped in and played all the Deep Purple songs with the rest of the band. I wish there was a recording of it.
@@ldolphin34 No way! That's amazing
I think the best engineers are musicians. A person can be a technical wiz, but what good is it if the music does not crank! I am often amazed at internationally televised music events where the sound person seems to be taking a vaction. My take is that a good sound tech is like a conductor of an orchestra; having the same dynamic is simply boring!
@Mike America I was in a band that opened for Aaron Neville and Rose Royce (the most talented, incredible band I have ever heard!) in Golden Gate Park, San Fransicso; it looked like an ocean of people! Yet, the greatest thrill of my life is to know Christ. Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
I'm sure I remember Christopher Cross's guitar solo being much louder and clearer when Christopher performed Ride Like the Wind at a Michael McDonald Concert. But for some reason the studio version seems to emphasize the vocals, like they wanted to drown out the guitar work.
All that Yacht Rock stuff is top tier musicianship. Even if you don’t dig it you have to admit they are some highly competent professionals.
They were real musicians and masters at it.They dont exist in todays annoying unmusic.its really sad...
Yacht rock is a silly name for such great music.
@@dansavik7137 Nah it’s cool. I like the tongue in cheekness of it. A lot of it is great music though. Steely Dan might be one of the greatest American bands ever.
plus the chords are usually jazzier and the pieces often contain some clever modulations and so on
@@GaZonk100 i was trying to learn some Ambrosia on guitar and it gave me hard time,it was frustrating ....
That is a blistering solo! I had no idea that was Christopher Cross himself playing it! My utmost respect to the man 44 years later!
Absolutely , I had no idea either .
Yeah, You & Myself and many, many, Other's are finally givin' CC' His respect.. decades later!! It perplexes Being that I'd picked up on the now famous "Buried Solo" right away, I just fig'd it was some Hot Shot Studio Rat that laid those nasty licks down.. And anyone that says they knew back then, that it was CC' Himself rippin' up that solo.. is fulla' 💩.. Blatantly at that!!
Christopher 43 years later; Yeah I was impressed by myself.
He's always been a very good lead guitarist
@@leadme2thebliss21
Well'ph.. This chat here'bout Mr. Cross.. has gone waaaay' far, far, beyond thee' Obvi' @this point.. Kinda' like, Myself, or anybody else, adding that Mr. Cross won 4 outta' thee' 6 Grammy's He was nominated for.. and that "if" He were a baseball player.. He'd be hitting at a highly impressive clip of
.550+ Anything NEW out there?
Watching Rick play air guitar with a guitar in his hands is the best thing ever.
Ahahahahahahaha. Seeing him enjoying himself is all that matters to me but you're right. Great observation!!
Watching Rick play guitar with a guitar in his hands is the best thing ever.
And then the "old guy" goes and plays it note perfect anyway. Rick is the best!
Rick's love of music is priceless
He really enjoys and us with him
Christopher Cross wrote and played some of the most beautiful and peaceful music ever. "Sailing" is such a masterpiece of a song
Yes indeed i remember when my mom bought the Albums she would play music for family when they visited but she Djed as well so she always bought two Albums. I grew up listening to everything my grandfather was a true to life African American cowboy and he always listened to country my oldest brother loved Def leopard and the likes i love music and I remember when she got home with the albums she let me pick any song since it was my 12th birthday and not even knowing I asked her to play the number 8 and to this day I love the song much. It just reminds me of her beautiful smile. She passed away five years later. 😢
Dam!!!!
@alienígena 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍
ABSOLUTELY!! I gave you a thumbs up as You wrote your comment quite simply & short.. yet so strongly to the point & truth of Christopher's work!! I must say that at the time of it's release, and it's "ownership of the airwaves".. it was overpoweringly ubiquitous(!!).. my Mother even played it over & over &.. and it just wasn't my style!! And tho' I couldn't escape it.. I've always loved that solo he played that was sooo' hidden in the mix on "Ride Like The Wind"!! Now that I've broadened my musical tastes.. and I've come to appreciate artists I once passed on.. I've added Christopher's work of musical genius to my rotation!! I truly enjoy what He's given to the "World of Music".. Beautiful, Beautiful stuff!!
Listened to Christopher Cross continuously when my girlfriend dumped me in high school 😢
Rick's enthusiasm when someone is ripping it up is always so infectious! Cross was gettin' it!
Dude, THANK YOU. I was a teen when Ride Like the Wind came out. I would obsess over that solo and I've played it hundreds of times always aching to hear it properly. What a treat, can't thank you enough.
Rick, tonight we saw Christopher Cross at Epcot and he ended with this song - of course. And yes, the guitar solo was definitely up in the mix. So I stopped by the tech guys and spoke with Dave Swanson, who was on the mixing board. I asked him if he was aware of this video...and he was! He said he DEFINITELY keeps Christopher's solo up at the end of this song...and I told him we came specifically to see that solo...we had a good laugh. You're doing great work on your channel...and the WORK you put in is obvious. This is not happening by accident. Nice job!
I agree with you. Great solo and precious work of Rick.
epcot what a disappointment. grow up. look into disney not something to ever get your kids into. god forbid adult still following this demonic corpse-oration
cool story!!!🙌🏾😄
The year is 2022 and we JUST found out that Christopher Cross could shred
He said he'd never sailed before he wrote Sailing and that it was actually about exscaping the world thru shredding on guitar
Always sounded amazing, never knew why
Nah. Plenty have known for YEARS, plus he plays on his Instagram from time to time. He was absolutely robbed of the correct mixing and the recognition he had deserved for decades.
@@ingloriousbetch4302 But I think it’s safe to say that most people didn’t know
I heard this when he made his debut and helped dudes across America meet their future wives, who now have millennials who are have kids of their own….. CHECK OUT ALDO NOVA! One man making kickass tunes
Yacht rock is making a comeback, people are just now understanding this great slew of ultra-smooth records from the late 70’s and 80’s and they really pop up against the rest.
You call it yacht...we call it the best ever
lol all i see are young people dancing fortnite taunts in the streets some in the grocery
Love Yacht Rock!
Yeah, I never thought of the term yacht rock as being derogatory, it just evokes a mood. It's resurgence took me by surprise because even though I was a classic rock guy this music was in my blind spot because of it's mellow nature. Maybe I just had to grow up a bit to appreciate it.
Now I have a new term for a UA-cam search list. Yea .
Now I just have to be careful not to misspell Yacht as Yauht
I love watching the interview with Christopher Cross today. He's part of my musical foundation that can never be taken away!
I never knew that Christopher Cross was a guitarist of any note. I thought he was a singer songwriter who just strummed an acoustic. You learn something new every day. Well, you do on Rick's channel anyway.
He played a free show in Woodstock GA this past September, and I was free, so I went and checked it out, and same. I didn't know until then that he's quite a good lead guitar player. Always assumed it was someone else.
Chris plays all the guitar solos in his live shows. "Ride Like The Wind" was one of the few tunes in the early days Chris recorded his own solo on the original recording.
Me too!
He supposedly filled in for a sick Richie Blackmore on tour once.
Early on I saw him with a...Fender 6/12 double neck ! Pretty cool !
You know when you get the Rick Beato "Wooooo" during a piece of music you're really on to something good 🤘🏻🤘🏻
He needs Ric Flair to guest for a woo-off
Back in the day I BURNED THRU THREE LPs trying to learn that solo and NEVER quite got it.
Thank you Rick for allowing the world to FINALLY hear what a KILLER Guitarist Chris is.
Wow, wow, wow. Not only because of the Chris Cross solo but your having given it the attention it deserves. Love this episode, Mr. Beato.
Can we say Christopher Cross is one of thee most underrated guitarists ever? That is indeed a killer solo.
he played with deep purple in 1970 filling up for a sick Blackmore, go figure...
@@backslash68 Yes, I heard CC talking about that in various interviews. The shame is that when he asked the Purple guys some time later about it, they flat-out denied that it had happened. Listening to the isolated solo in Rick's video, you can hear that CC certainly had the chops and the flair to have been an excellent stand-in .
@Carl Marjeux no, the solo on ride like the wind is by Cross. Google it - you will find an interview with the original record producer confirming that.
@Carl Marjeux Nope. Incorrect. It is Christopher Cross on that particular solo.
no. we can't. it's a dumb comment.
Former radio station Program Director here... my speculation is the track was intended for the "Adult Contemporary" format. Intense guitar solos could keep a song off the air, or day-parted till after 8 PM. Christopher Cross' successes like "Sailing", "Arthur's Theme", "Laura", etc. were all right in the pocket for the A/C era.
I'm stunned he can play guitar at that level. Michael Omartian, as producer, possibly made the decision a Christopher Cross voice was the unique instrument vs trying to launch another guitar player.
I heard this song many times while sitting in the doctor's office waiting room. I doubt that would have been the case had the guitar solo been turned up.
That was my guess when i listened to it! That the low guitar was a producer decision to fit the trend of the time. It's a shame but i get the point.
Nailed it. Some suit probably heard it and thought it would scare my audience at Stereo 100.3fm, Marquette’s Music Leader.
We played Drake Chenault reel to reels, if that rings a bell.
And I haven’t heard the term “day-parted” in a long long time.
@@JamieSmith-fz2mz And I haven't thought about Drake Chenault in a long time either. Let's hear it for sec tones and backtiming!
@@PZBrooklyn No, I think he's bang on. Adult contemporary was definitely a thing in the 70's. Think bands like Seals and Crofts, or songs like Baby Come Back. Part of the AM top 40 pop station staples, along with Disco and Soul and pop ballads. It was actually harder to get what we think of as Classic Rock onto the airwaves in those days, outside of the FM album oriented rock stations like Q107 or Chum FM in Toronto. Chum FM is a pop station now, but it wasn't when DJ's like Rick Ringer were doing hour and a half interviews with Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee as release parties for albums like Hemispheres and Permanent Waves. But none of that made it onto the big AM pop stations. That's why those classic rock bands had so few big singles.
Ironically, by the early '80's, the FM album oriented rock stations were bigger by far than the fast fading AM top 40 stations. LOL.
THANK YOU for shining a light on this epic, underappreciated, incredible guitar solo that I used to crank up as far as the volume knob would go driving up California Interstate 5 in January 1980. Christopher Cross NEVER got the respect and admiration he deserved but a LOT of us knew how he could slay a fret board. Props to you, Rick, for recognizing that too.
That solo was one of the things that inspired me to become a working musician. It still inspires me today.
I'm not sure about Cross 'never' getting respect or admiration. He actually won five Grammy Awards and an Oscar for Best Original Song, "Arthur's Theme", in 1981.
Had to come back and watch this video after watching the Christopher Cross interview video. The interview is an amazing video. Christopher for being 72 tells amazing stories. What a humble appreciative guy. Sad that the music business no longer operates like it did back then.
Holy crap... I almost went my whole life without knowing this. When you put the lead at the proper volume it was fantastic.
Were you deaf? The only thing I hated about that song when it came out was that the guitar wasn't mixed up correctly and that they didn't release an extended version with all the outro guitar riffs that clearly were HoT AF!
Same here. And I've been around since Heck was a pup.
7:59 woah!
I used to work with a guy who toured with Christopher Cross in the sound crew. He always spoke highly of Mr. Cross, and said he was very pleasant. It's nice when talented people turn out to be good people as well... :)
I used to go out with a nurse who had him as a patient. She told him I was a fan and he did an impromptu concert on the ward for the nurses and other patients and played my favourite song of his!
I doubt that really happened
No it didn't
You can just tell by his songs. They are all sweet and sentimental.
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 I wish I had the video to show you. It was exactly that!
I will admit that yes it is hard to hear the solo but I have always heard it. It is one of the huge factors in why I love the song so much. The entire song it's just like a wave of sound, it creates an atmosphere that only few other songs can compare.
Agreed. Sailing is another song like that. It's a wall of sound and emotion. Good stuff.
Problem is the vamping hits similar pitch too often and swallows alot of what he is doing so it almost disappears at times. Producer had a job to do and failed
Rick figured out a clever way to get Christopher to come on his show 🤪
I was thinking, "I can hear the solo", but when you turned it up I could really hear what I was missing! It almost becomes like a completely different song. More rockin!!!
Which was OFF LIMITS in 1979!
I could always hear it and the edginess of the recording drew my attention. Great to have rick shine the light on a masterful solo. The remainder of CC's hits were fluff.
Christopher Cross once filled in for Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple for one gig in 1970, the guy can play for sure.
Now that is some cool, deep trivia.
Richie was hurt/sick or just moody?
Flu-shot incident.
@@magnuszetterqvist5936I believe he was actually ill from food poisoning. There weren't any Flu Shots in those days.
That s some serious stuf!!! Imagine that!!!
Oh yeah? When?
Eric’s tone, his attack, those delicious legato runs are instantly recognizable.
There is some killer guitar playing on Christopher’s debut album. Larry and Eric, and yet I didn’t have any idea that Christopher played this lead. I’ve always liked his music, but now I have to pick up this debut album.
You cost me so much money, Rick! And I know I’m not the only one.
I was playing in a local band and about to graduate High School when this song came out. Our bass player walks up to me one day during lunch in the cafeteria and asked if i'd heard the "Criss Cross" song and we both commented at the same time --- why on the earth is the guitar solo buried under everything at the end??? KILLER SOLO!!!
Rick, you should get Christopher on and discuss this. I'd love hear his thoughts on how this came about. Definitely one of my favorite albums of all-time.
Tricky! That my good sir is a understatement! The fact that you can follow it is good on you sir!
I follow him on his socials and he seems quite accessible. Sweet guy! Go for it! 😇
I second that motion! 👍
Adding a vote here for this. Please please follow up. You could even do a really cool series on producer and artist choices made in the studio on some of these songs and it would be awesome, especially if you could get guests in to talk about the experience. The artistic process is fascinating to a lot of people.
Cross interview fer sure with a discussion on the 'Sailing' tuning.
Christopher Cross, Ride Like the Wind. Oh man, I didn’t even know it had a guitar solo in it all these decades! 😲
Haha! Right?
Cross has/had an original Burst... I wonder if this is it?
@@RickBeato Hopefully Christopher hears this. Maybe he can do a remix of the album. From a sonic perspective the original mix is great but it's a mix tailor for 1980s FM audiences that wanted to hear melody and vocals, not intricate musicianship. Time to go back to the multitrack and do a full album remix
Probably not helped either by being cut off/faded early on the radio so they could squeeze an ad in 😒
Oh, I remember this one (w. Santana - vibe) from north German late night rock radio! 🤘
I had the good fortune of seeing Mr. Cross’ 40th Anniversary concert tour of his first album 2 nights ago in NH. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. His last song before the encore was Ride Like the Wind. Everyone was on their feet and loving it, but unfortunately, the solo was was not at the level Rick would recommend.
Armed with the knowledge of this video, I knew what to listen for and everyone else must have also seen this video, because as soon as he started in on it, it went nuts in the audience! His encore song was “Laura” and he sang it almost a cappella. Slight accompaniment from the pianist. Sublime!
His singers and band mates were also superb. Long winded, I know.
Saw him in Laconia as well, still an incredible musician and guitarist!
Just finished watching ur Cristopher Cross interview - wow, what an amazing guy! He was ideally positioned in a time/history to have toured with Zeppelin, filled in for Deep Purple guitarist, knew and grew up with Eric Johnson, knew and played/recorded with Toto and Larry Carlton, was best friends with amp builder Howard Dumble of Dumble Amps, knew Billy Gibbons personally, knew Joni Mitchell personally and Bonnie Raitt. Met Stevie and Played SRV guitar
But still humble.
Love Jamel's channel. Glad that even Rick Beato can be inspired to check out a tune after seeing one of his reactions.
Fan of both your channels
2 thumbs up...Jamal has really grown that channel.
When worlds collide
J is hi on my radar too
I am a fan of Jamel too…I even bought a couple of his T-shirts!
I really hope Chris sees this and gets the appreciation he deserves. Sounds great at the proper level! LOVE this tune and "Yacht Rock"! No shame about that here.
I really hope Chris sees this and mends fences with Tommy and co.... It's never too late...make it so ! ❤️
He just twitted about this. 🤣
Yacht Rock is life!!! If you've never seen the series put up on UA-cam about 12 years ago, it's so awesome and hilarious. Michael McDonald was asked if he'd seen it during an interview and he's a fan.
I loved this album when it came out and I still do. Chris rock's!
Actually, Christopher was THE local guitar hero in San Antonio during the late 60s early 70s. He had a Prog rock band sort of, called the Flash. But when I finally did get out and hear him, it had become a power trio. He covered the entire Cream catalog, solos practically note for note and all. (I’m sure you can notice the Clapton in his solo). he was the only guy in town that had all the stuff nailed, the right rigs with Marshalls and dual showman stacks. I think they also covered some Led Zeppelin if I recall correctly. Plus, he was the band’s lead singer (grab that crotch!).
You gotta admire the guys wisdom and discipline for forsaking all of that to focus on songwriting, and market testing anything he wrote with labels until he finally came out with the right mix, hitting the market at just the right point, that sliver of time when “classic rock“ was starting to get a little old (the rationale, I’m sure, behind this marginalized solo), but MAINLY…the short era right before punk and MTV came in. Right up there he was, along with Michael McDonald and the other aforementioned artists.
The first time I ever heard this tune that guitar solo immediately stood out to me, and I could never understand why it was hidden behind everything else. I tried for years to get my friends to listen to it and they wouldn't simply because it was Christopher Cross and he was too mellow, or cheesy, or whatever they thought. Now all these years later you have given me proof Rick Beato, and I'm directing all those same people to this video.
Most people loved Christopher's Cross voice and missed his strings talent, so amazing and double guitar. Badass all the way, freaking awesome. 👌👌👌🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼💖💖💖 Always loved his super awesome guitar strings, he floated with his fingers, beautiful 👌👌💜💜💜💜
The entire debut album of Christopher Cross is one of the greatest albums of that time period. Every track fantastic!
I got this album in vinyl for $1 in 1990 listened to it hundreds of times.. best $1 I’ve ever spent.
Yep. I grew up listening to this stuff. Had all of his albums. Never realized until today that some of my favorite musicians played on that album. Larry Carlton is one of my all-time favorites. He played on so many tracks I never knew he played on. Freaking amazing.
yes you re right fantastic album
Just found this LP in my garage 😯
One of the first albums I ever owned, I was 9. lol
Rick has an amazing way of commenting on things, like he's with a group of friends drinking beer. He is magnificently entertaining, believable, and friendly to anyone who listens.
Well said!
Agree!
8:11 ...waooh!
9:24 !
Exactly 100% spot on. Like hanging out with a very good, articulate, and well informed buddy!
I love his enthusiasm!
I heard Ride Like The Wind, on a Huffy bicycle commercial on TV. Fell in love with the song instantly. And my dad bought me a Huffy Pro Thunder BMX, great times!
A true gift to humanity in this video. Thank you for your service, Rick.
I've always appreciated Ride Like The Wind as a great song and loved that outro solo but would've NEVER guessed it to be Christopher Cross himself, but always assumed it was just some uncredited studio player. Amazing playing if you ask me. I've got a newfound respect for Cross.
Shoulda been turned up im the mix
@@ThisisStephennn:
That´s for sure. Rockin´ song, great guitar work.
Ah, not sure if you've seen it, but you get to see Cross playing that outro in the official Promo Vid for the song. Again though, sound-wise it is similarly quite subdued in the overall mix.
Look for the live version on youtube where you can see him play it.
I can't believe it never occurred to me how odd a choice it was for it to be mixed so low... Especially with it being his own solo, on his own record!
Always appreciated what i could hear of it though lol
Only Rick Beato could play the correct notes while playing "air guitar" along with the song. Then nails the fretted solo along with the recording playing.
Genuine LOL from me when I read your comment!
ahahahahahaha :D
Next on deck: Beato Book: Air Guitar Edition!
@@joekelley5121 This is what I'm waiting for. I've been collecting vintage air guitars for years!
Hey man - love your channel. I thankfully knew Chet Himes who engineered this record and he told me the story about the Ride Like the Wind solo. They thought a jamming solo was perfect for the end of the song. They had Eric Johnson take a few passes. They told Eric to rip out, but for whatever reason, Eric wasn't quite on the same page and they didn't really get the solo they wanted. So, Chet told Christopher to go in and play a solo like they had in mind. So that's Christopher Cross basically off the cuff I guess kind of trying to describe to EJ exactly what they had in mind, and it was so good! One of those beautiful studio moments that just happens. Kind of a neat side story was that Chet told me that the studio was dark when he took the solo, and all he could see was Christopher Cross' boots. Which, being it's Ride Like the Wind, just seeing his boots while he's ripping this solo out - that's pretty cool in its own right.
Again, love all that you do but, as for "proper volume" -- Chet was an absolutely incredible engineer. Impeccable. And a very humble, sweet guy. You know that there were different formats - that was likely mixed for the AM radio format at the time. So the guitar was going to be lower. When you listen closely, you can tell pushes the fader up at least 3 db (maybe even more) after Chris says "Gonna Ride like the Wind" at about the 3:38 mark for about 10 seconds.
Again, I'm a huge fan of yours, but you surely know that there are hundreds of ways to mix a song, and the label was probably targeting this for AM radio to compete for that airtime rather than FM for Kiss and Journey. So the guitar solo wasn't the A#1 thing they were trying to get across, as awesome as it was. The record as a whole sounds incredible.
How sad but understandable after what you educated us with. Too little too late for CC.
No excuse
Of course there are different ways to mix music, and there are different ways to make a pizza. But this amazing solo was hidden, dude. That's objectively true. How one feels about that can be subjective, but a LOT of us think it should have been done differently. Everyone can make a mistake.
@@MyClarissa21 It really wasn’t an “Excuse”…. It was a very thorough polite explanation. This was a hundred years ago so take that into account.
I have to say, I think you're right that Chet Himes nailed it. The vocal vamp is iconic and the rhythm of it is off-kilter but totally magical. The guitar solo on the other hand is like blind-drunk pentatonic 70s riff-rock. I'd love to hear what Eric Johnson did there--he probably actually played along with the song! That being said, I think the way CC's solo pokes in and out the mix gives the whole section a vibe--without it it would be repetitive (and it's so perfectly executed almost "programmed"), but with it, the whole thing comes to life. So, Himes: right, and Beato I love you, but wrong this time! :)
I've ALWAYS thought that there was an amazing guitar solo buried in there. The vocals are pushed way in front during that part. This is awesome. I'm going to listen to this over and over again!
Holy crap! THAT solo was hidden in that song??!! How did we miss that? This song really needs to be rereleased with that solo at proper volume. It completely takes it to the next level. Are there any other similarly hidden gems out there?
I would subscribe to the channel that showed hidden gems like this. I may start one! I'd probably just showcase lesser-known songs I think are awesome. Your comments are so spot on, I'd want you as a guest host!
@@Ppuffdiddleydangdoof JUST DO IT!
Toto - All Us Boys
You guys are deaf. I always heard that solo.
I always heard it. I just never listened to it. (If you know what I mean?)
I think there is a new series here, Rick goes back and fixes the mixes on classic songs.
Call it “FIX THAT MIX” !
Great idea! I’m sure there’s a whole lot of musuc that needs that treatment.
I think you're on to something! (But it obviously would be done with the greatest respect to the original mixers who might have been working within particular constraints.)
How about a branch off of, "What makes this song great," where Rick and company re-record and produce great tracks (with relevant permissions obtained)?
YES. Or if he wants to frame it in a more humble way he could call it something like “buried treasures” or “diamonds in the rough” or something to highlight the idea of sharing something that wasn’t clear in the mix. However it happens I love the idea!
DJDiscoCat does some pretty amazing mixes of 60s and 70s pop and funk - I hear lots od things I never heard on AM radio back in the day.
That song was in the top 40 for about a year when I was in high school. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing that song. Great stuff.
This is one of my very favorite songs . Thank you for this . I could always hear it . He is magical . His ability to play like this and his ability to sing like that is amazing . These guitar players never were given the credit that they deserve . I remember all these pieces . Amazing !!!Thank you for pointing it out. They made history and rightly so! They should never be forgotten.
They should release Rick's version. Hearing "ride like the wind" in the background during the solo is badass
I love the entire "yacht rock" genre for two reasons. 1) it reminds me of being in my parents car listening to AM radio in the late 70s and 2) if you really listen to many of these bands they contain some of the jazziest-rock guitar work of all time. Really prog stuff blended with balls-out rock. Very seldom do you hear anything like that now.
What an apt description...so much of the deeper yacht stuff by Gino Vannelli, Pages, Toto, Airplay, Manhattan Transfer, Nielsen/Pearson, etc. is *super* fusiony/proggy muso oriented. It's like pop for nerd musicians!
Want to know how great "yatch rock" really is? Listen through a set of quality headphones and get blown away.
What is yacht rock ?
@@joetheplummer8128 it's a more recent and mildly depreciative name given to a type of soft adult oriented rock popular in the 70's to 80's that was very smooth, melodic, relaxing with strong jazz and or soft rnb influences, slick and well produced and easy on the ear, kinda music you may picture a yuppie back then listening to on his yatch hifi system with a cigar and brandy and eye candy close by. "Sailing" by Christopher Cross and "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Croft are considered two of the ultimate yatch rock songs. Other artistes are Player, Poco, Rupert Holmes, Gino Vanelli, Al Jarreau, Ambrosia, Doobie Bros, Michael McDonald, Eric Carmen, Steely Dan etc
I have literally never heard the Doobie Bros referred to as yacht rock until this video. I also didn't know people thought of Steely Dan was a yacht rock band either. Christopher Cross DEFINITELY fit the bill though. I think of Sailing as one of THE quintessential "80's" songs. Also he has a song called All Right that seriously sounds like it could have been the theme song to an 80's sitcom.
Rick! YOU are incredible! Thank YOU for your educational videos - they bring JOY to my musical life!! 🙌💙🙏🌻
It's so cool to watch a highly skilled musician such as yourself doing air-guitar to a song. You can never take the teenager out of man when it comes to rock n roll.
Man that is almost criminal to bury that solo did he not like his own playing cause wow that is a great piece of guitar work!
I have been repeating this since the '80s!
Christopher Cross got robbed. LOL
Engineer should have been sued
@@jonasbarbery7193 the engineer just tracked it (and well). whomever was in charge of the mix was the problem.
maybe going for what softer rock radio stations wanted to play at that time
Finally! Someone's finally talking about how great this solo is. By the way, the whole album is killer. I've been a great Christopher Cross fan since I was a kid.
OK you took the words right out of my mouth. I was saying THESE EXACT WORDS to my husband not very long ago. I told him, just listen to this solo - really listen to it. It's unbelievably good, I don't even have the words to describe how perfect it is. What a massive talent... Thank you for putting this out there!
This was a great video. I absolutely love how you revealed this insane guitar part. A local musician years ahead of me I used to work with on the music circuit briefly owned a Les Paul that once belonged to Christopher. This was years ago and I only somewhat recently became aware of Cross being such a monster player.....
Watching your videos makes the casual listener a smarter listener. Its like watching a sports event with a great color commentator. I learn a ton from your videos!
Ya and you'd have to be a high-level player to see that. Love it!
I'm a big fan of this channel. It so great to see a CC piece like this. Having been one of Christopher's engineers for many years I have to say there is so much amazing guitar work on all the albums in the catalog. For pure melody I'm really fond of the solo on "Curled Around the World" from Walking In Avalon. I also love Chris' meticulous acoustic fingerpicking work on the Christmas album and others. Also, I texted CC about this video so he has seen it.
I wonder what his thoughts on it are.
No! What records?
How did this get so buried like that?!
@@JerboFotius He may not know: he started working with Cross towards the end of the 20th century.
@@burningoldsage4012 I didn't imagine it was his doing, but just curious if he's got any insight into the mixing
I didn't even know there WAS a solo in that song! Let alone a shredder like that!
Rick...your passion for music makes me so happy. I don't know really anything about music theory and have only recently picked up guitar again after a loooong time and your videos just really make me appreciate music on such a deeper level. I don't listen to anything the way I used to. Thank you so much for what you do and for sharing. I've turned a lot of my guitar playing friends onto your stuff....they love it!!!!
Good grief what immense talent this man has. Figuring out a complex solo just like that.
I am so in awe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Only Rick Beato could air-guitar while holding a guitar!
Damn you beat me to my own comment
He can also play air guitar with his face around the 4:00 mark.
@@BillGreenAZ LOL I know, his expressions are priceless
pretty sure i could do it too
Bought a guitar just to practice that... 😅
Saw Christopher Cross do an extended version of this solo live with his full band back in the mid 1980s, one of my very favorite guitar solos...
I saw a youtube of him live, probably from a bit later. Christopher Cross played a blazing solo. I thought of him as stummed guitar and sang (both quite well) on his sailboat. I didn't think he could shred.
The solo on Minstrel Gigilo is simply amazing. I never knew Christopher Cross could play lead so shreddingly and passionately. The guy is in every sense of the phrase a musical genius.
however note that the lead guitar on Minstrel G. is by Eric Johnson ;-)
@@marccocofaber757 - Yes, I know. But CC himself is an incredible guitarist, too.
Just watched your CC interview which led me here, so amazing!!!
When you hear Rick Beato go "WOOOOO!" that's when you really know we have a good song playing.
Playing "air guitar" while holding an actual real guitar. Gotta love Rick's enthusiasm! (lol) So many of these hit songs during the mid to late seventies and into the early 80's were made during the era of the LA session musician. Guys like Lukather, Carlton, Robben Ford, Jay Graydon, etc. became the hottest commodities in studio production, so it wouldn't be unusual to have these poppy songs with ripping guitar solos that, like this one, might get overlooked if you weren't paying attention. But I had no idea Cross was playing this one himself! It's a really interesting period for music.
The live version from Midnight Special really shows off his skill! The guitar solo is amazing!
Always a pleasure to follow you on youtube . I’m just a Music lover but I have learned a lot from you .Keep up the good work.
I’ve always loved this solo but could never really hear it. Rick you’re spot on for shining a light on the greatness of this work of art.
same!
This was excellent. Totally missed the solo in this song. Christopher Cross, if you're reading this, please have Rick go back and remix this.
Rick your awesome!!!! Christopher Cross is a very underrated artist.
Agree with that Randy. 👌
I actually do think that outro guitar solo was intentionally meant to sound the way it does all buried with the Ba Da Da Da Bop Bop Bop Bah's. I've been hearing the song for decades and I've always known that outro solo is there. I think Cross intentionally had it mixed that way. The main seller of the song is the "Ba Da Da Da" parts, so they wanted just THAT to be the part that stands out. I'll bet anyone who bought the single or album bought it primarily for the Ba Da Da Da parts.
@@skierpage Well, this was the era of soft pop like The Carpenters and the BeeGees. I actually like the way the outro solo sounds. Maybe I can hear it better than most people. I can hear stuff that's hard for other people to pick up. I can write a long list of songs everyone knows in which I can actually hear the sound engineers talking or chatting.
@@skierpage My money is on Michael Omartian as he knew his intended market for Christopher Cross.
It was a very emotional song.
As a musician, you can understand the concept of synchronicity. It’s a moment in time where everything ignites to a clinax.. a long and glorious one at a very special moment in musical history. I was there in Austin Tx. The Drum Auditorium. 1980.
It was Magical and Hypnotic. And Yes, the Guitar Solo was definitely NOT Hidden on that performance.
Unforgettable!
Thank You for all these wonderful videos and your insight!
I wish I had a music teacher like Rick. The way he breaks down certain aspects of a song is amazing.
I'm also a fan of Jamal's reactions. Great solo from Christopher Cross. Assumed it was a session player until I saw a live recording.
I've seen Christopher play this solo and many of the others described here live and I was totally stunned. No doubt an incredibly underrated guitarist who got far more notoriety because of his amazing vocals.
Makes it look REALLY easy too.
Saw him in Atlanta, and yeah, that's when I realized, "Damn, this dude can shred."
This Rick is really adding value in widening one’s musical ear and horizon. Brilliant Rick
Your unbridled passion is infectious Rick, and I love ya for it! 👍 I've been on a bit of a Chris Cross binge, ever since my mind (well, what's left of it. lol) was blown by hearing about the CC/Deep Purple connection. Never realized he was THAT good. Again, ALWAYS appreciate your insightful input. KF.
Jamal’s channel is great. I don’t watch many “react videos” but his energy is infectious. Christopher Cross is from my hometown of San Antonio, Texas
i thought his name was Jamel
It is not much his reactions as his sunny personality. An incredible guy, with impeccable musical taste too.
@@La_sagne aka Jamal...😉
This is the kind of thing that keeps bringing me back to Rick's videos. He features the hidden gems in great songs that would otherwise be lost in the "noise" of history.
Great stuff, Rick. Ironically, I saw him in concert in a small venue right around the time you made this video a year ago - I'd stumbled into great seats on the 2nd row. I was shocked at what a great guitar player he is. It was a fantastic show.
I watch your videos just for your facial expressions when the music's playing 😆 So awesome how into it you are. Great analysis as always and love when you solo the parts. I learn so much from your videos ❤
Totally agree - best facial expressions in music!! Love it!!❤️
Rick, I truly believe the artists in the "Yacht Rock" genre were blessed with the Rolls Royce of musicians playing with/for them.
So much of it seems to be connected to Michael McDonald.
I've always been mesmerized by Christopher Cross. A guy that used to look like a defensive tackle for the Raiders, had such a soft, melodic style at times, then a real shredder at times. Such a cool cat!!!
Is there a better description of Cross anywhere?....
@@julianjohncraft3091 I had forgotten the guy existed, but I used to like him. I just remember the joke on Seinfeld for the "Newmanium" - "I've booked Christopher Cross"
Similarly along the same lines, Michael MacDonald didn't look like he should have that voice, however I don't think he could play guitar?
Rick's facial expression when he's trying to hear the solo during the song is hilarious.
ever since i started driving i always listened to his songs and he has made the best songs to listen when it comes to an hour and a half long drive from home to college campus
Rick, your enthusiasm is so infectious Mate! Thank you for your love of great music ! Cheers Dallas
So Rick, when are you having Christopher on to talk about this and his other great songs?
Yes please!!!!
@@penneyburgess5431 I'll third that request!!
jeez its just modal soloing... everyone played like this in the late 70s early 80s until van halen killed that style for 10 years
There's a great story behind Sailing, about an early life mentor.
Please have Christopher Cross on your show. To honor him that way would be so deserving.
There is a live version of "Ride like the Wind" on youtube and Chris rips into that solo nicely! Michael McDonald is playing and singing too.
The complete show is up there.
Fabulous video Rick. Christopher is so gracious and engaging here. I think you should do another interview with him to showcase not only his stuff, but his contributions to the other great bands that he made better.
Great video, one of the best you have done, takes me back to high school and why i have always loved this song
I've read many years ago in an interview with C. Cross, that he always thought, he was not a very good guitar player. Because he had less self-confidence at that time. So he asked Steve Lukather to play the solo in this track too.
But Steve recognized early, how good Christopher really was. And so he encouraged him to play the solo by himself. And as we all hear...he was sooo right. Christopher ist so damned good and so underrated for his guitar playing. He should do more this way...
I mean, he is obviously an amazing musician but he is hanging with epic musicians. It's hard on the ego sometimes, I would imagine. George Harrison was a very good guitar player but in the studio with Clapton, I'm sure he felt the same way as Christopher Cross mentions.
Rick, you have completely unearthed a lost treasure! I've heard this song thousands of times since it's release--I grew up with it. Until now, that guitar solo was the most forgettable aspect of the song. You made it stand out as the highly memorable piece it truly is. Thank you!
I never even knew there was a solo in that song
He did the same thing with The Cars - Just What I Needed. There is guitar in that song that can barely be heard, guitar so tasty that now that I know it's there, I hear it every time and it makes that great song twice as good.
@@matthewpeterson3329 Did you know that Eliot Easton went on to play with Creedence Clearwater Revisited Band after leaving The Cars? A buddy I used to work with Tal Morris was his replacement when he (Elliot) left the band.
Thank you Rick for your great solid understanding and skills...
I remember a few songs of his and this was radio. I have a much deeper appreciation for him now.
Holy cow, Rick. Not only are YOU one of the truly great underrated lead guitarists - your ear is incredible. I feel smarter just by watching you dissect stuff. Keep up the good work! Much love from sunny Portland, Maine
I could not agree more. In fact, were I ever so lucky as to be able to record some material, Rick, is the guy I'd call to produce and play on the record
Should totally be remastered and rereleased. Chris was KILLING IT!
How do you think Chris felt. "WTF? They buried my Jam!!1!"
Hope they don't kill the dynamics and compress it to hell to overcompensate if they do remaster it tho
I just corresponded with the drummer on this track, Tommy Taylor. He actually posted a comment on the original post, discussing the details of the mix, engineering, etc.
Rick, I am so happy that you brought this up! The funny thing is that when the record came out I was a young musician and I already noticed some of the outstanding licks and the musicality of this solo but it was so hard to really hear it. I then would put my headphones on and really dive in and I could tell it was a great solo overall! As result since then when I remember this song I always have one particular lick of this solo echoing in my head, for me it is the signature of this song. As becoming a sound engineer myself that time I was aware that air play on radio was massively important at that time and guitar solos turned many people away so the solos were either short or the volume got turned down to sit almost behind the mix without calling for too much attention. I personally was disappointed about the low presence in the mix but I understood it, as it was a usual thing to do at that time. Insofar I fully agree to your assumption. But the time for this solo being hidden is over! 🤘🎸
I appreciate this great uncovering of a master guitarist. I never would have thought of Chris as a great player. What a solo!
It always makes me so happy to watch the pure enthusiasm Rick shows, as he both discovers the gems-within-a-gem, and then shares that discovery with all of us! Pure Joy, right there! Thank you, Rick!
I've seen him live at least 8 times and when he plays this solo, I'm always blown away. Like everyone else, I never heard the solo on the record. When he does it live it's even better than what he did on the record. He never really got his due, but for some of us, we've been fans for years and love all of his albums. Check out his work with his band Freedonia. Sublime!
I’ve always loved that solo!!! It fills in those emotional spots. Didn’t need to hear it out front but it is a solo. Love love love this song!
I know the feeling, having played lead guitar solos that got lost in the mix on album cuts. Never stopped me from taking those recording dates. Life of a session player!