Phil Manzanera Of Roxy Music: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview

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With Roxy Music, Phil Manzanera became an icon of art-rock before it was cool to do so. With his trusty red Gibson Firebird in hand, Manzanera played a massive hand in classic albums, Roxy Music (1972), For Your Pleasure (1973), Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974), Siren (1975), and more.

Additionally, Manzanera, who is also a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, is a good friend of David Gilmour and has penned, produced, and toured behind much of the Pink Floyd legend’s music. However, the best of Phil Manzanera’s work might be on the solo side, which includes records like 1975’s Diamond Head and Mainstream or his recent work with Andy Mackay.

Roxy Music’s legendary guitarist Phil Manzanera is set to bring his extraordinary life story to American shores next month with two intimate evenings that promise to transcend the typical rock performance. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and OBE recipient will present “An Evening Of Words And Music With Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera” at New York City’s The Cutting Room on March 20th and Washington DC’s Howard Theatre on March 25th.

These special appearances coincide with the release of Manzanera’s memoir “Revolución To Roxy,” which takes readers far beyond his Roxy Music fame. The book explores his remarkable family history dating back to the expulsion of Sephardic Jews from Spain in 1492, through the 1959 Cuban revolution that shaped his childhood, and into his evolution as one of rock’s most versatile collaborators.

Throughout his storied career, Manzanera has worked with an impressive array of musical luminaries. The memoir details his collaborations with Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Rick Wright, The Clash’s Paul Simonon, and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde. It also chronicles his return to Cuba to perform at the Karl Marx Theatre with Cream’s Jack Bruce, his production work with Tim Finn’s Splitz Enz in 1976, and the surprising sampling of his work by Jay-Z.

Accompanying the memoir is a companion CD of the same name, released via Expression Records/BFD/The Orchard. The collection features ten tracks, including five previously unreleased songs, showcasing Manzanera’s musical journey. The memoir also covers his recent acclaimed albums with Roxy’s Andy Mackay (AM PM) and with Tim Finn (CAUGHT BY THE HEART and THE GHOST OF SANTIAGO).

The upcoming U.S. appearances will blend storytelling with performance, giving audiences a rare opportunity to experience both Manzanera’s musical prowess and the extraordinary life journey that has informed it. For those who know him only as Roxy Music’s innovative guitarist, these evenings promise to reveal the full spectrum of a musician whose life has been as colorful and varied as his distinctive guitar work.

But all of that is just the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, there’s more. To that end, Phil Manzanera beamed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to talk origins, finding his sound, his love for Gibson’s Firebird, his work with David Gilmour, his favorite Roxy album, and more.

As you reflect on your journey, what has guitar meant for you?

I’ve been a professional musician for 50 years, but I started playing the guitar when my mother taught me in Cuba in 1957. Music is the constant. It’s gone through the whole of my life. It’s helped me incredibly. When things were difficult, I just turned to noodling on my guitar. It’s a form of meta-therapy.

What was the moment when you felt you found your sound on guitar?

By the time Roxy Music got to the third album, Stranded, [Brian] Eno had just left the band, and I wanted to continue making weird and wonderful sounds without having Eno there to actually modulate my sounds through a synthesizer. I had the guys who made the original EMS VCS 3 synthesizer make me a guitar version, and you can hear it on a track called “Arizona.”

It was an extraordinary sound. I defy anyone to ever come up with something like it. But to be fair, it really only worked about twice—and one of those times is on that recording. But that’s when I think I round that combination of using the 1964 red [Gibson] Firebird, which has become my trademark, and combining it with reasonably distorted sounds—but with this extra dimension of treating the guitar in a way I really enjoyed doing.

What drew you to the Firebird?

There’s something about it. Those pickups are not like any other pickups on any other Gibson. And for some reason, it loves analog tape. It records incredibly well on tape. That sound comes through very well, and it’s got a very unique whammy bar-type construction.

The thing you’ve got to remember about those early guitars—especially the ‘50s and ‘60s guitars—is that the wood and metal they were made out of, you know, you’re not allowed to use that stuff anymore. In fact, when we got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we couldn’t get an import license for my Firebird because of the wood it’s made out of! It’s crazy… It’s made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it’s now prohibited from entering the US. [laughs]

Is it true that you weren’t supposed to be a proper member of Roxy Music and originally signed on to be a roadie?

Well, I’ll tell you what: I wasn’t brought in to become a roadie! That’s a common misconception. I answered an ad, which, for some bizarre reason, I have right here in front of me. [laughs] It was in the Melody Maker, and it said, “The perfect guitarist needed for avant rock group.” I answered that ad, turned up, and got on really well with them.

But I didn’t get the gig because they wanted someone with a bit of a name, but that other guy only lasted about three months. Then, they rang and asked me if I wanted to come up and mix the sound, which was just to pretend to get me along to have another audition. So, I turned up to supposedly learn how to mix sound from Eno.

So, they said, “There’s a guitar there. Do you fancy having a go?” And so, I played the numbers, and I learned them secretly and played them brilliantly, obviously. And then, they were amazed and said, “Will you join immediately?” So, that was the real story.

Roxy Music aside, you have a long-running friendship and professional relationship with David Gilmour. What’s that been like?

I met David when I was 16. I met him literally the week he joined Pink Floyd. He was a friend of my brothers, and I went to ask him, “How do you become a professional musician?” And then, he left and went to Abbey Road to start recording A Saucerful of Secrets, which Syd Barrett was on as well at the time. So, I’ve known him for a hell of a long time. He’s actually my next-door neighbor; we’re good friends. He’s an incredible guitarist. I’ve always loved what he did.

Is it true that you were present during some of The Dark Side of the Moon sessions?

When Pink Floyd was mixing Dark Side of the Moon with Chris Thomas, who became Roxy Music’s producer, I went into the control room and heard the track “Money.” I heard David’s solo and thought, “This is absolutely incredible.” I sent David a telegram saying, “You might not remember me, but five years ago, you came to see me, and now I’m in a band. It’s called Roxy Music.”

Is that when you properly became friends?

We’d been sort of friends on and off, and I co-wrote a Pink Floyd song and worked with him for about ten years. It’s a bit daunting. When you’re in the studio, and you’re meant to be producing one of the greatest guitarists ever, and you have to say, “Well, maybe you could do it again…” [laughs] But the thing about David that he really doesn’t need a producer, he can do it all himself—but he likes to have another set of ears.

David aside, looking at your career, two records that really stand out are Diamond Head and Mainstream. Do you hold those solo efforts close to your heart?

Well, by the time it came for me to do a solo album since everybody in Roxy had done one, I just put my hand up and said to the managers, “Can I do a solo album, and you just get rid of me?” They said, “Yeah, go away and do it.” So, I did both of those albums at the same time.

Incidentally, this year is the 50^th anniversary of Mainstream. We’re doing an anniversary edition, which will be the original mix, but also have a new mix. As for Diamond Head, that was my excuse to work with lots of friends, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It has sort of stood the test of time, you know? It still sounds terrific, though I’m biased. [laughs]

Which Roxy Music album are you proudest of, and why?

The second album, For Your Pleasure. It’s the last one with Eno and the last one with the original band before things took off. We were being produced by Chris Thomas, who had worked with George Martin and The Beatles, and who went on to work with Elton John and The Sex Pistols. The sound quality of that and the balance between the songs was just great—and there are some classic songs on there.