Over the course of his career, Phil Manzanera has written a healthy list of guitars riffs that have been sampled and covered by some hugely influential artists – but despite the prevalence of some of his work, the Roxy Music legend still needs to remind himself how to play his most famous hooks from time to time.
Case in point is the title track from 1978’s K-Scopewhich was sampled in 2011 by Jay-Z and Kanye West for their track, No Church in the Wild. Featuring Frank Ocean and The-Dream, and lifted from the two rappers’ first collaborative record, Watch the Throneit became a key entry in both of their respective discographies.
However, as Manzanera explains in a new video with Guitar Worldwhen it came to relearning the part more than three decades after he first released it, the electric guitar veteran ran into a spot of bother – and not even Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour could help him out.
“It was sampled by Jay-Z and Kanye West, and slowed down by the brilliance of (producer and rapper) 88-Keys,” Manzanera says of the riff. “When I heard it, I couldn’t believe it, because he had slowed it down, and so I had to try and relearn how to play it.”
The timing differences between the two takes are tangible. Manzanera’s original hook is high-octane and restless, whereas Jay-Z and Kanye West’s interpretation is a sultry slow groove that repackages the frantic twang as a laid-back beat.
You would think the slower tempo would aid in Manzanera’s attempt to refamiliarize himself with K-Scopebut it wasn’t that simple. In fact, it proved to be quite the challenge for both Manzanera and Gilmour, who were working together at the time.
“I think I’ve nailed it now, but it is my one riff which seems to have traveled a lot,” he goes on. “I was working with David Gilmour at the time, and I said, ‘I can’t work out how to play this. Could you work out how to play it?’ And he tried. He couldn’t either.”
The two guitar legends were ultimately saved by a younger player – a relative of Manzanera’s wife – who was able to show the Roxy Music legend how it was done.
“Eventually it was a young guy, the nephew of my wife, Claire, who taught me how to play it,” he concludes, before demonstrating the lick: “So you’re holding an A chord at the top and you’re sort of pulling off.”
Visit the Guitar World YouTube channel to watch the full interview as Phil Manzanera breaks down his favorite Roxy riffs and more.
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