Jim Cox

[js33]

This is a new thread for information about Jim Cox. He came up on the end of the thread about Sampled Guitar Survey.

http://northernsounds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47944&page=4

OK now you are asking how this is relevant to a discussion of samples.


Many many moons ago.(15-20years or more) keyboard mag had a spotlight on a cat that had a rep for spot on emulations of acoustic instruments. One of these was a pedal steel. This was before samples had any real foothold, therfore it was an analogue based sound. I remember being blown away by the realism. If my memory serves me he was based in Nashville (maybe L.A.) Does anyone else remember this or have info?


YES! It was a soundsheet in a 1986 issue, I believe, of Keyboard magazine. Jim Cox did a version of Shenandoah with him playing all the instruments. It is ingrained on my brain. I had a copy of it on a cassette tape that I tried to digitize and I listened to it once but then the second time I went to record it the sound on the cassette vanished. It was a 20 year old cassette and the first playing of it must have wiped all the iron off the tape. :o

Anyway I think I still have the soundsheet but it is inserted randomly in one of my old 300 some vinyl records in the closet so it will take me awhile to find it.

He created steel guitar, lead guitar, harmonica, and horns emulations with a Prophet 5 (http://www.synthmuseum.com/sequ/seqpro501.html) synth back in the day by using different patches, amplification and of course monsterous chops. It is really convincing.

I'm jonesin' to hear it again myself. *() Franticially searches through 300 album jackets to find it. :samurai:

That was one of the first recordings that convinced and inspired me that one guy really could create an entire band and I've been at it ever since. :D



Hey that's just Great! Yeah it was Jim Cox. His thing was so impressive I can remember his name now after over 20 years. It would be very cool to get that Keyboard recording. I think it came on a vinyl inside the mag. Anyway-thanks for everyones memory!

I'm going to see if I can find my soundsheet recording of "Shenandoah" by Jim Cox. In the mean time here are some links and some of the many people Jim has played with. So even though its been 20 years we have all heard him in many places over the years whether we knew it or not.

Here's a picture of Jim Cox on the B3.

http://www.reverbcentral.com/columns/rake/rake3.jpg

Jim Cox is one of the world's most gifted and sought after keyboardists. His touring and recording credits include Albert Lee, Elton John, Barbara Steisand, Aerosmith, Pink, Henry Mancini, Neil Diamond, Ringo, George Straight, Linda Ronstandt, Rodney Crowell, Chad Wackerman, Aaron Neville, and B.B. King.

He has also been involved with the following movies. He is credited as part of the crew as a musician. He definately played on the Majestic soundtrack so I assume he plays on the soundtrack and/or incidental music for the other movies.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185085/

# A Dirty Shame (2004) (musician: piano)
# The Majestic (2001) (musician: piano)
# Bowfinger (1999) (musician: keyboard)
# Hurlyburly (1998) (musician: organ and piano)
# Wag the Dog (1997) (musician: keyboard)
# Metroland (1997) (musician: keyboards)
# Grace of My Heart (1996) (orchestrator)


Links
http://store.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/appears/0,,418171,00.html#more
http://www.stephencollins.com/
http://homepage.eircom.net/~albertlee/discography/gagged.html
http://www.united-mutations.com/c/jim_cox_random_notes.htm
http://www.chadwackerman.com/info.html
http://www.amazon.com/Majestic-Various-Artists/dp/B00005TQ52
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Jim+Cox+-+Keyboards&btnG=Google+Search

[artsoundz]

Thanks JS33. Awesome.

[js33]

Believe it or not I just found out most of this today. I always wondered what became of Jim because ever since I first heard that soundsheet I always felt "Man this guy just has so much talent it can't be held down" and indeed it wasn't. :D

[artsoundz]

that's so funny. Same here. I have thought of that guy and that recording for 20 years. I can't thank you enough for your efforts.

[spectrum]

I've worked with Jim a few times and he's truly gifted and fun to work with.

One of the things we used to do with Jim in the days before the Internet, was to call him up and ask him any question about the top 100 hits of the last 50 years and he could tell you everything about it....year, producer, label, all the editions, who sang it, publisher, etc.....he's like a human encyclopedia!

:-)

[js33]

Do you know how to get in touch with Jim? If so, perhaps you could ask him to visit this thread?

Did you ever see the Keyboard magazine article about Jim in 1986? It came with a soundsheet of his version of Shenandoah. Do you know anyway to get a copy of that soundsheet or maybe there is digital version of it. I have contacted Keyboard magazine a few times and they never responded. I searched through my 300 some album jackets tonight because I stored soundsheets in album jackets to protect them. I did find several other 20 year old soundsheets but couldn't find the Jim Cox one that I thought was in there somewhere.

I read your profile, very impressive, and saw that you used to work for Roland. My first synth was a Juno 106. What do you think of the new Juno G?

[Jeff4h]

Hey Im a steel guitar player and that soundsheet impressed the heck out of me it actually sounded real Jeff

[artsoundz]

I've worked with Jim a few times and he's truly gifted and fun to work with.

One of the things we used to do with Jim in the days before the Internet, was to call him up and ask him any question about the top 100 hits of the last 50 years and he could tell you everything about it....year, producer, label, all the editions, who sang it, publisher, etc.....he's like a human encyclopedia!

:-)

And your,sir,are right there alongside him,

We should retitle this thread memory lane. I was at one of the first midi seminars sponsored by Roland. Mr. Persing was one of the "Young" demonstartors. Midi was baffling then. All new and daunting. But it was an interesting seminar. Then later I was to see Eric's rise to fame helping the likes of Chick Corea and everyone else.

Good lord! After all these years both my brain cells still have something in them. Ow.

[js33]

Hey Im a steel guitar player and that soundsheet impressed the heck out of me it actually sounded real Jeff

Yes and the "steel guitar and the lead guitar" parts on that soundsheet were played on a Prophet 5 synth.

If anyone has access to that soundsheet let me know. I am still trying to find a copy of it. I had it recorded on a cassette but it didn't stand the test of time and I can't find my copy of the original soundsheet. :mad:

[A. Capps]

I've worked with Jim a few times and he's truly gifted and fun to work with.

One of the things we used to do with Jim in the days before the Internet, was to call him up and ask him any question about the top 100 hits of the last 50 years and he could tell you everything about it....year, producer, label, all the editions, who sang it, publisher, etc.....he's like a human encyclopedia!
He's also got the biggest (oldest) record collection of all time.

I've know Jim for a long , long time. I'll call him and tell him to log onto this site (in case no one else already has).

AC

[artsoundz]

SO COOL! It would be great if he could. Perhaps you can ask him about the Prophet synth emulations that started this thread. In particular, his pedal Steel. At any rate, I guess Jim is far from being someone I heard on a soundsheet 20 years ago. It would be fabulous to have him here. Thanks!

[js33]

He's also got the biggest (oldest) record collection of all time.

I've know Jim for a long , long time. I'll call him and tell him to log onto this site (in case no one else already has).

AC

That would be great if you could get him to visit us. *() I knew a lot of people on here probably knew of or know him. Ask him if he can locate that soundsheet for us. We are dying to hear it again. :D

[js33]

Update on my search for the Jim Cox soundsheet. I found out from Keyboard magazine Jim and his soundsheet were in the October, 1986 issue of Keyboard and that they are sold out of back issues unfortunately.

I have been on the Keyboard magazine forum and found a lot of nice people there.

One member said he had the soundsheet but didn't know how to record a soundsheet into an mp3.

Another member said he had the magazine and at least one maybe 2 copies of the soundsheet but he is remodeling his house and won't be able to get to his magazines for 4-6 weeks.

Another member Steve Nathan (http://www.studioprojectsusa.com/artist_nathan.html)(Famous Nashville studio musician) knows Jim and contacted him for me and said Jim would "hook me up" through this forum.

So soon, hopefully Jim will pay us a visit here. Thanks Steve.

[belbin]

Hello, All.

I found this thread when searching for jim cox info as per Jeff4h's recommendation. Does anyone know if there have been developments with getting Jim's soundsheet in mp3 format? This thread kind of just died without resolution, and at the time it came up, It had no relevance to stuff I'm doing.

Any help contacting the right people would be much appreciated.

Best,
Belbin

[Jeff4h]

If you could find that issue of Keyboard I actually think there was a midi file to and a article talking about his technique. I tell you it was amazing considering what he did it on I know a lot of the top players in nashville, let me know if I can help you any

[belbin]

If you could find that issue of Keyboard I actually think there was a midi file to and a article talking about his technique. I tell you it was amazing considering what he did it on I know a lot of the top players in nashville, let me know if I can help you any

Thanks Jeff, for the suggestion and encouragement. I have just registered at the kybd mag board and posted an inquiry into this. Fingers crossed.

Belbin

[Jeff4h]

Let me know if you get it. I would love to hear it again. SOmetimes you remember things in the past being better than they were but I was very imressed and listened to it a lot. He had developed a techniqe to bend notes somehow. Im all behind you on this

[js33]

Did anyone ever find a copy of the soundsheet?

[AlexDavis]

+1... I'm so curious after 3 years of posts about it!

[belbin]

I was unable to come up with a copy after a considerable effort :(

Belbin

[js33]

Yeah all my efforts came up empty as well but I may actually have the magazine buried in a box in my garage. I did throw away or give away a lot of stuff over the years when moving but hopefully I kept that. I thought I had the soundsheet slipped inside one of my 300 some albums. I looked through everyone of them and didn't find it. Oh well I'll keep searching.

[droozle]

I am sorry if resurrecting this thread is not appropriate, but I have found an mp3 of this particular recording that has been part of me ever since I read that issue of Keyboard magazine. I was 13 years old back then... gee.

Since so many people were looking for it, I decided to register and post the link here:
Soundpages at 7laws.com (http://www.7laws.com/music/keyboardmagazinesoundpages/Keyboard%20Magazine%20Soundpages%202.mp3).

[samthsham]

I haven't heard the demo yet but I'm a pedal steel player. Don't remember the Prophet, but back in 82-85 or whatever, a few keyboards had a latch feature to keep some notes stationary while pitch bending others .... like a pedal steel. I don't even know if that feature is around any more.

It was on Arp Chroma's baby sister the Chroma Polaris. I used to try that out over at West LA music and while sorta serviceable, it wasn't quite right sounding. And unless you were/are a steel player, the effect was less effective since non-players dont understand which notes can/can't bend in a chord. Or which ones only go up and which ones only go down etc.

I could see it useful in 1985 for mixing a pedal steel effect way back in the background, but it always seemed more trouble for me than just playing the steel part on a steel.

Another thing I used to do was set up ten separate midi channels on a sound module and have them all set to the same clean electric guitar sound. I'd do the same exact thing on another sound module, set to an organ. Gtr for attack, organ for sustain. Organ module turned down in volume compared to the gtr module. Remember, this was the old days of racks of sound modules.

That also worked pretty well as I could set some channels to bend up or down, etc.

Still took too long. Much more simple for me to just crank up the real thing.

[js33]

Droozle,

At last our search is over, thank you so much! I also replied to you over on the Keyboard mag forum.
The posted file has I believe the entire year of 1986 sound sheets from Keyboard magazine in one Mp3 file. Jim's recording of Shenandoah is the first song.

Enjoy all.

Cheers,
JS

[rajasthanesco]

that's so funny. Same here.


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