Les Paul
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2008-07-16T23:59:10Z
JackLumber
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rvv [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 226123313 by [[Special:Contributions/159.83.4.150|159.83.4.150]] ([[User talk:159.83.4.150|talk]])
{{otheruses4|the musician|the guitar|Gibson Les Paul}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Les Paul
| Img = Les Paul.jpg
| Img_capt =
| Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| Birth_name = Lester William Polsfuss
| Born = {{birth date and age|1915|6|9|mf=y}}<br>[[Waukesha, Wisconsin]], {{USA}}
| Died =
| Alias = Wizard of Waukesha, Red Hot Red, Rhubarb Red
| Genre = [[Jazz]], [[Pop music|Pop]]
| Occupation = [[Musician]], [[Songwriter]], [[Inventor]]
| Instrument = [[Guitar]], [[Banjo]], [[Harmonica]]
| Associated_acts =
| Label =
| Years_active = 1928 – Present
| URL = [http://www.lespaulonline.com www.lespaulonline.com]
| Notable_instruments = [[Gibson Les Paul]]
}}
'''Les Paul''' (born '''Lester William Polsfuss''' on [[June 9]] [[1915]]) is an American [[jazz guitar]]ist and [[inventor]]. He is a pioneer in the development of the solid-body [[electric guitar]] which "made the sound of rock and roll possible."<ref>[http://www.smithsonianassociates.org/programs/paul/paul.asp Voices from the Smithsonian Associates. ''Les Paul, Musician and Inventor'']</ref> His many recording innovations include [[overdubbing]], [[Delay (audio effect)|delay effects]] such as "sound on sound" and [[tape delay]], [[Phaser (effect)|phasing effects]] and [[multitrack recording]]. In 2003, he was named the 46th best guitarist of all time by ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.
==Biography==
He was born in [[Waukesha, Wisconsin]] to George and Evelyn Polfuss.<ref name=thirteen>[http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=2539 American Masters (2007 Season) - "Les Paul: Chasing Sound"] - thirteen WNET New York</ref> His birth name was first simplified by his mother to '''Polfuss''' before he took his [[stage name]] of '''Les Paul'''. He also used the [[nickname]] '''Red Hot Red'''.
Paul first became interested in music at the age of eight, when he began playing the [[harmonica]]. After an attempt at learning to play the [[banjo]], he began to play the guitar. But before he played guitar he played piano. By 13, Paul was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist. At the age of 17, Paul played with Rube Tronson's Cowboys. Soon after, he dropped out of high school to join Wolverton's Radio Band in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] on [[KMOX]]. But his fame almost came to an end when he was hurt in a near-fatal car accident. After the crash, doctors told Paul that they'd have to set his arm such that he would not be able to bend it again. He had them position his arm at a ninety degree angle so he could still play guitar.
In the 1930s, Paul worked in [[Chicago]] in radio, where he performed jazz music. Paul's first two records were released in 1936. One was credited to '''Rhubarb Red''', Paul's hillbilly [[alter ego]], and the other was as an accompanist for [[blues]] artist [[Georgia White]].
===Electric guitar innovations===
Paul was dissatisfied with the electric guitars that were sold in the mid 1930s and began experimenting with a few designs of his own. Famously, he created "The Log," which was nothing more than a length of common 4" by 4" fence post with [[Bridge (instrument)|bridge]], [[Neck (music)|guitar neck]], and [[Pickup (music)|pickup]] attached. For the sake of appearance, he attached the body of an [[Epiphone]] hollow-body guitar, sawn lengthwise with The Log in the middle. This solved his two main problems: [[Audio feedback|feedback]], as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and [[sustain]], as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body.
===The Les Paul Trio===
In 1938, Paul moved to [[New York]] and landed a featured spot with ''Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians'' radio show. Paul moved to [[Hollywood]] in [[1943 in music|1943]], where he formed a new trio. As a last-minute replacement for [[Oscar Moore]], Paul played with [[Nat King Cole]] and other artists in the inaugural [[Jazz at the Philharmonic]] concert in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] on [[July 2]], [[1944]]. Also that year, Paul's trio appeared on [[Bing Crosby]]'s radio show. Crosby went on to sponsor Paul's recording experiments. The two also recorded together several times, including a 1945 number one hit, "[[It's Been A Long, Long Time]]." In addition to backing Crosby and artists like [[The Andrews Sisters]], Paul's trio also recorded a few albums of their own on the [[Decca Records|Decca]] label in the late 1940s.
===Les Paul and "the Les Paul"===
In 1941, Paul designed and built one of the first solid-body [[electric guitar]]s (though [[Leo Fender]] also independently created his own solid-body electric guitar around the same time, and [[Adolph Rickenbacher]] had marketed a solid-body guitar in the 30s). This prototype guitar is known as "The Log" because the solid core is a pine block whose width and depth are a little more than the width of the fretboard.<ref>[http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Performing-Arts/Music/Instruments/String/Guitars/Electric-Guitar/Les-Paul/Les-Paul-01.html ''Image of "The Log"'']</ref> [[Gibson Guitar Corporation]] designed a guitar incorporating Paul's suggestions in the early fifties, and presented it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a contract for what became the "Les Paul" model (originally only in a "gold top" version), and agreed never to be seen playing in public, or be photographed with, anything other than a Gibson guitar. That persisted until 1961, when Gibson changed the design without Paul's knowledge. He said he first saw the "new" Gibson Les Paul in a music store window, and disliked it. Though his contract required him to pose with the guitar, he said it was not "his" instrument, and asked Gibson to remove his name from the headstock. Gibson renamed the guitar the "[[Gibson SG|SG]]", and it also became one of the company's best sellers. It has been said that Les had ended his endorsement contract with Gibson because he was going through a divorce, and didn't want his wife to get all of his endorsement money. Later, Paul resumed his relationship with Gibson, and endorses the instrument even today (though his personal Gibson Les Pauls are much modified by him — Paul always uses his own self-wound pickups on his guitars). To this day, the [[Gibson Les Paul]] guitar is used all over the world, by both novice and professional guitarists. Also designed was the Epiphone Les Paul, with the same outer look, and much cheaper.
===Multitrack recording innovations===
In 1947, [[Capitol Records]] released a recording that had begun as an experiment in Paul's garage, entitled "[[Lover (When You're Near Me)]]", which featured Paul playing eight different parts on electric guitar, some of them recorded at half-speed, hence "double-fast" when played back at normal speed for the master. ("Brazil", similarly recorded, was the [[B-side]].) This was the first time that multi-tracking had been used in a recording. These recordings were made not with magnetic tape, but with wax disks. Paul would record a track onto a disk, then record himself playing another part with the first. He built the multi-track recording with overlaid tracks, rather than parallel ones as he did later. There is no record of how few "takes" were needed before he was satisfied with one layer and moved onto the next.
Paul even built his own wax-cutter assembly, based on auto parts. He favored the [[flywheel]] from a [[Cadillac]] for its weight and flatness. Even in these early days, he used the wax disk setup to record parts at different speeds and with delay, resulting in his signature sound with echoes and birdsong-like guitar riffs. When he later began using magnetic tape, the major change was that he could take his recording rig on tour with him, even making episodes for his 15-minute radio show in his hotel room.
In January 1948, Paul was injured in a near-fatal automobile accident in [[Oklahoma]], which shattered his right arm and elbow. Doctors told Paul that there was no way for them to rebuild his elbow in a way that would let him regain movement, and that his arm would remain in whatever position they placed it in permanently. Paul then instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar. It took him a year and a half to recover.
===Top 40 with Mary Ford===
In the early 1950s, Paul made a number of revolutionary recordings with his wife, [[Mary Ford]], who sang. These records were unique for their heavy use of overdubbing, which he did by recording to disc and bouncing from one disc to the other. The couple's hits included "[[How High the Moon]]", "[[Bye Bye Blues (song)|Bye Bye Blues]]", "[[The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise]]", and "[[Vaya con Dios (song)|Vaya Con Dios]]". These songs featured Mary [[close harmony|harmonizing]] with herself, giving the vocals a very novel sound.
After [[WWII]], [[Jack Mullin]] brought the German Magnetophon (tape recorder) back to the USA in pieces, reassembled and first presented it to [[Bing Crosby]], who used it for his radio program in the late 1940's. The [[Ampex]] company, with Crosby's backing, created the [[Ampex]] Model 200, the world's first commercially-produced [[reel-to-reel audio tape recorder]]. Bing Crosby gave Les Paul what was only the second Model 200 to be produced and Les immediately saw its potential both for special effects, like echo and [[flanging]], and its suitability for [[multitrack recording]], for which he is considered the father. Using this machine, Paul developed his tape multitrack system by adding an additional recording head and extra circuitry, allowing multiple tracks to be recorded separately and asynchronously on the same tape. Paul's invention was quickly developed by Ampex into commercially-produced two-track and three-track recorders, and these machines were the backbone of the professional recording studio, radio and TV industry in the 1950s and early 1960s.
In 1954, Paul continued to develop this technology by commissioning Ampex to build the first [[eight track]] [[tape recorder]], at his expense. The machine took three years to get working properly, and Paul says that by the time it was functional his music was out of favor and so he never had a hit record using it. His design, later known as "Sel-Sync," (Selective Synchronization) in which a specially-modified recording head could either record a new track or play back a previously-recorded one, was the core technology for multi-track recording for the next thirty years.
Like Crosby, Paul and Ford also used the now-ubiquitous recording technique known as [[Microphone practice#Basic techniques|close miking]], where the microphone is less than six inches from the singer's mouth. This produces a more intimate, less reverberant sound than is heard when a singer is a foot or more from the microphone. It emphasizes low-frequency sounds in the voice due to the microphone's [[Proximity effect (audio)|proximity effect]] and can give a more relaxed feel because the performer isn't working so hard. The result is a singing style which diverged strongly from un-amplified theater-style singing, as might be heard in musical comedies of the 1930s and 40s.
===Radio program===
Paul had hosted a 15-minute [[radio]] program, ''The Les Paul Show'', on [[NBC]] in 1950, featuring his trio (himself, Ford, and rhythm player Eddie Stapleton) and his electronics, recorded from their home and with gentle humour between Paul and Ford bridging musical selections, some of which had already been successful on records, some of which anticipated the couple's recordings, and many of which presented dazzling re-interpretations of such jazz and pop selections as "[[In the Mood]]," "Little Rock Getaway," "Brazil," and "[[Tiger Rag]]." Several recordings of these shows survive among [[old-time radio]] collectors today.
During his radio shows, Paul introduced the legendary "Les Paulverizer" device, which multiplies anything fed into it, like a guitar sound or a voice. This even became the subject of comedy, with Ford multiplying herself and her vacuum cleaner with it so she could finish the housework faster. Later Paul made the myth real for his stage show, using hidden equipment which over the years has become smaller and more visible. Currently he uses a small box attached to his guitar; it is not known how much of the device remains off-stage. He typically lays down one track after another on stage, in-sync, and then plays over the repeating forms he has recorded. With newer digital sound technology, such an effect is available commercially. To this day, no one knows exactly how the Les Paulverizer works.
In the late 1960s, Paul went into semi-retirement, although he did return to the studio occasionally. He and Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Summers) had divorced in December 1964, as she could no longer tolerate the itinerant lifestyle their act required of them. Paul's most recognisable recordings from then through the mid-1970s were an album for [[London Records]], ''Les Paul Now'' (1967), on which he updated some of his earlier hits; and, backed by some of [[Nashville]]'s celebrated studio musicians, a meld of jazz and country improvisation with fellow guitar virtuoso [[Chet Atkins]], ''Chester and Lester'' (1977), for [[RCA Victor]].
In 1978, Les Paul and Mary Ford were inducted into the [[Grammy|Grammy Hall of Fame]]. He received a [[Grammy Trustees Award]] for his lifetime achievements in 1983. In 1988, Paul was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] by [[Jeff Beck]], who said, "I've copied more licks from Les Paul than I'd like to admit." Les Paul was inducted into the [[National Inventors Hall of Fame]] in May 2005 for his development of the solid-body electric guitar. In 2006, Paul was inducted into the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was named an honorary member of the [[Audio Engineering Society]].<ref>[http://www.aes.org/info/awards.cfm List of Awardees of the AES]</ref>
By the late 1980s, Paul had returned to active weekly live performances in New York City. In 2006, at the age of 90, Les Paul won two Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for his album ''Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played''. He also performs every Monday night, accompanied on piano by [[John Colianni]], at the [[Iridium Jazz Club]], on Broadway in [[New York City]], despite the arthritis that has stilled all but two of the fingers on his left hand.<ref>[http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/les.shtml Iridium Jazz Club]</ref>
===Documentary and Museum Exhibit===
A biographical, feature length documentary, titled ''Chasing Sound: Les Paul at 90'', made its world premiere on [[May 9]] [[2007]] at the Downer Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Paul appeared at the event and spoke briefly to the enthusiastic crowd. The film is being distributed by [[Koch Entertainment]] and was broadcast on PBS on [[July 11]] [[2007]] as part of its [[American Masters]] series.<ref>[http://www.lespaulfilm.com/ ''Les Paul: Chasing Sound'']</ref><ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/paul_l.html ''American Masters - Les Paul'']</ref>
In June 2008, an exhibit showcasing his legacy and featuring items from his personal collection opened at Discovery World in Milwaukee .<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=745264 ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Discovery World lands Les Paul exhibit'']</ref> Paul played a concert in Milwaukee to coincide with the opening of the exhibit.<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=764817 ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Paul brings bit of Manhattan to the Pabst'']</ref>
==Family==
Paul is the godfather of rock guitarist [[Steve Miller (musician)|Steve Miller]] of the [[Steve Miller Band]], to whom Paul gave his first guitar lesson.<ref>{{amg|id=11:9xfm965odep1|label=Steve Miller}}</ref> Paul resides in [[Mahwah, New Jersey]].
==Discography==
===Hit singles===
*"Rumors Are Flying" - Andrews Sisters & Les Paul (1946)
*"[[Lover (When You're Near Me)]]" (1948)
*"[[Brazil (song)|Brazil]]" (1948)
*"[[What Is This Thing Called Love?]]" (1948)
*"Nola" (1950)
*"Goofus" (1950)
*"Little Rock 69 Getaway" (1950/1951)
*"[[Tennessee Waltz]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1950/1951)
*"[[Mockingbird Hill]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951)
*"[[How High The Moon]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951)
*"I Wish I Had Never Seen Sunshine" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951)
*"[[The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951)
*"Just One More Chance" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951)
*"Jazz Me Blues" (1951)
*"Josephine" (1951)
*"Whispering" (1951)
*"[[Jingle Bells]]" (1951/1952)
*"[[Tiger Rag]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1952)
*"I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1952)
*"[[Carioca (song)|Carioca]]" (1952)
*"[[In the Good Old Summertime]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1952)
*"Smoke Rings" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1952)
*"Meet Mister Callaghan" (1952)
*"Take Me In Your Arms And Hold Me" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1952)
*"[[Lady of Spain (song)|Lady of Spain]]" (1952)
*"My Baby's Coming Home" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1952)
*"[[Bye Bye Blues (song)|Bye Bye Blues]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1953)
*"[[I'm Sitting On Top Of The World]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1953)
*"Sleep" (Fred Waring's theme song) (1953)
*"[[Vaya Con Dios (song)|Vaya Con Dios]]" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1953)
*"Johnny (Is The Boy For Me)" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1953)
*"Don'cha Hear Them Bells" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1953)
*"The Kangaroo" (1953)
*"I Really Don't Want To Know - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1954)
*"I'm A Fool To Care - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1954)
*"Whither Thou Goest - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1954)
*"Mandolino - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1954)
*"Hummingbird" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1955)
*"Amukiriki (The Lord Willing)" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1955)
*"Magic Melody" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1955)
*"Texas Lady" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1956)
*"Moritat" (Theme from "Three Penny Opera") (1956)
*"Nuevo Laredo" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1956)
*"Cinco Robles (Five Oaks)" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1957)
*"Put A Ring On My Finger" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1958)
*"Jura (I Swear I Love You)" - Les Paul & Mary Ford (1961)
===Albums===
*''Feedback'' (1944) - compilation
*''Les Paul Trio'' (1946) - compilation
*''Hawaiian Paradise'' (1949)
*''The Hit Makers!'' (1950)
*''The New Sound'' (1950)
*''Les Paul's New Sound, Volume 2'' (1951)
*''Bye Bye Blues!'' (1952)
*''Gallopin' Guitars'' (1952) - compilation
*''Les and Mary'' (1955)
*''Time to Dream'' (1957)
*''Lover's Luau'' (1959)
*''The Hits of Les and Mary'' (1960) - compilation
*''[[Bouquet of Roses]]'' (1962)
*''Warm and Wonderful'' (1962)
*''Swingin' South'' (1963)
*''Fabulous Les Paul and Mary Ford'' (1965)
*''Les Paul Now!'' (1968)
*''Guitar Tapestry''
*''Lover''
*''The Guitar Artistry of Les Paul'' (1971)
*''The World is Still Waiting for the Sunrise'' (1974) - compilation
*''The Best of Les Paul with Mary Ford'' (1974) - compilation
*''[[Chester and Lester]]'' (1976) - with [[Chet Atkins]]
*''Guitar Monsters'' (1977) - with Chet Atkins
*''Les Paul and Mary Ford'' (1978) - compilation
*''Multi Trackin' '' (1979)
*''All-Time Greatest Hits'' (1983) - compilation
*''The Very Best of Les Paul with Mary Ford'' (1983) - compilation
*''Tiger Rag'' (1984) - compilation
*''Famille Nombreuse'' (1992) - compilation
*''The World Is Waiting'' (1992) - compilation
*''[[The Best of the Capitol Masters: Selections From "The Legend and the Legacy" Box Set]]'' (1992) - compilation
*''All-Time Greatest Hits'' (1992) - compilation
*''Their All-Time Greatest Hits'' (1995) - compilation
*''Les Paul: The Legend and the Legacy'' (1996; a four-CD box set chronicling his years with Capitol Records)
*''16 Most Requested Songs'' (1996) - compilation
*''The Complete Decca Trios -- Plus (1936-1947)'' (1997) - compilation
*''California Melodies'' (2003)
*''Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played'' (2005)
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
{{commonscat|Les Paul}}
*[[Gibson Les Paul]]
*[[Electric Guitar]]
*[[History of multitrack recording]]
==External links==
*[http://www.lespaulonline.com Official Les Paul Site]
*[http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004004.html Les Paul Receives 2007 National Medal of Arts]
*[http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/Stories/LesPaul.html The Les Paul Story]
*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/topics/paul/index.asp Les Paul, Topics, Wisconsin Historical Society]
*[http://www.archive.org/details/TheLesPaulShow NBC radio shows by Les Paul, Mary Ford, and bassist/percussionist Ed Stapleton.] At the Internet Archive. Free mp3 files of eleven of their radio shows including their audition show.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Les}}
[[Category:American jazz guitarists]]
[[Category:American musical instrument makers]]
[[Category:Guitar makers]]
[[Category:Inventors of musical instruments]]
[[Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients]]
[[Category:Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Wisconsin musicians]]
[[Category:People from Waukesha, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bergen County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:New Jersey musicians]]
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