Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is one of the MOST recognizable ambassadors of Rock ‘N Roll music. Whether it be through his work as a band member in Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, or as a session guitarist for Joni Mitchell, Donna Summer, and Dolly Parton, we’ve all heard the searing guitar licks of the great Skunk Baxter!
In this interview, Skunk walks us through his incredible career, highlighting some of the most influential songs that he was a part of from the 70s, 80s, and now - talking about the sessions, the gear, and his knack for building DIY guitars and pickups that he used on many of his most legendary guitar parts.
Strap in for some incredible stories from this Rock ‘N Roll statesman and be sure to check out some of Skunk’s music from his first solo record EVER - “Speed Of Heat”!
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⬇ TABLE OF CONTENTS ⬇
00:00 Introducing Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
01:00 Skunk’s Experience Recording “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number”
06:55 Skunk Revisits “Rikki Don’t Lost that Number”
08:06 Sweetwater Gear Exchange
09:10 What was a Steely Dan Session Like?
11:45 Skunk’s Unusual Roland Strat
12:08 DR Strings
12:55 Effects Skunk Used with Steely Dan
13:55 Skunk’s Guitar Work on “Night by Night”
19:15 Skunk Revisits “Night by Night”
20:45 Vertex Buffer Interface
21:55 Recording Guitar on “East St Louis Toodle-oo”
25:35 Skunk Revisits his Part on “East St Louis Toodle-oo”
27:55 Skunk’s Work on “My Old School” & His Interpretation
37:34 Skunk Revisits “My Old School”
40:44 Vertex Tone Academy
42:11 Recording “My Old School” for Speed of Heat
42:25 Skunk’s Experience Recording “Bodhisattva”
43:34 Skunk Revisits “Bodhisattva”
49:25 Doctor’s Special Rx Custom Clean Amplifier
51:07 Steely Dan’s Unreleased Hit Song
54:14 Skunk Revisits “Dallas”
57:41 Skunk’s work with Dolly Parton
01:02:23 Skunk Revisits “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton
01:04:28 Skunk’s Work with Donna Summer
01:09:27 Skunk Revisits “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer
01:12:27 Recording guitar for Joni Mitchell
01:16:13 Skunk Revisits In “France they Kiss on Main Street”
01:18:52 How Skunk joined the Doobie Brothers
01:20:57 How Michael McDonald Joined the Doobie Brothers
01:22:59 How The Doobie Brothers Tightened up Their Rhythm Section
01:27:02 Recording on “Taking it To The Streets”
01:28:25 Skunk Revisits “Taking It To The Streets”
01:30:46 The Recording of “Take Me In Your Arms”
01:33:02 Skunk Revisits “Take Me In Your Arms”
01:34:46 Live Amp Placement for the Doobie Brothers
01:36:58 Skunk Breaks Down “How Do The Fools Survive”
01:39:42 Skunk Revisits “How Do The Fools Survive”
01:43:43 Skunk Explains the Theme Behind his Song “Julie”
01:47:21 Skunk Revisits His Song “Julie”
01:51:53 Reflecting on Photos & Videos from Skunk’s Career
02:03:55 Thanks for Watching!
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CREDITS
Host/Producer: Mason Marangella
Videographer: Ricky Chavez
Video Editing: Mason Mejia
Audio Editing: Hunter Harrison
Audio Engineer: Michael Pappas
#skunkbaxter #theguitaristbehind #steelydan #thedoobiebrothers