Interview: Nuno Bettencourt talks revisiting Extreme's Pornograffitti, Beatles and Rolling Stones members reportedly collaborating on new album, How to make an ambient pad like Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygene, Guitarist magazine demos the new PRS model that could set the standard for sub-$1000 electric guitars in 2023, Guitarist upgrades his $569 PRS SE 245 guitar to get it closer to a $5,000 USA Core Tremonti model, Brian Eno kept a backup, backup laptop in a fridge for his Acropolis gig with brother Roger, Timbaland chats to Justin Timberlake about how they produced some of their greatest songs: He started humming and Im like Oh, this is it. 649 talking about this. Message Seller. Wheres Joe Satriani?, I did have a sound in my head - I wanted it to be my voice. I dig your stuff. There's actually great background singers that they get purposely to somewhat sound like her vibe, and it was amazing. The tracklist for Six can be found below. Im playing more than I would when Im at home normally. I still have it; I still love it. When we were working with Freddie, a lot of the time I was sitting there producing him, being the person that he could bounce off [when] doing his vocals. Posts. Ive been told that I have something.. Thats my whole kind of judgement. You can see it as a sandwich, you can slice through it and see whats happened at any moment or you can see it as lines which weave around each other like snakes. At the time I didnt know if it was good, he recalls. And also The Rolling Stones, of course, and also Clapton is not far away, so I was incredibly lucky.. I get to share the stage with the Big 3 - Robert Bettencourt, Luis Bettencourt, and George Bettencourt, he wrote on his Instagram. Nuno continues active involvement in all facets of the music industry with current writing and recording engagements with Maverick recording group Tantric (Nuno co-wrote the hit single "Hey Now"), Hollywood recording group BB Mak, Toni Braxton, Wyclef Jean and numerous others. Its like Extreme 2.0.. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The notes are still going through my head as I ponder listing my guitar gear on craigslist Proche de leur public. thanks 4 sharing. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. And, of course, he is the father of heavy metal. Yeah, it was a great moment. And its a funny feeling as well, because we were boys trying to do our thing and hoping that one day we might be rock stars and live their life, and listening to Communication Breakdown and Good Times Bad Times, I remember I had that feeling of, Oh my god, hes doing what I want to do and I either have to give up or else I have to try bloody hard., Its like when the people at the Oscars say, Its great to be in this kind of company. What an amazing honour. That takes a lot of care of the fingers to be able to withstand that amount of stress. Extreme axeman Nuno Bettencourt on taking down your idols, the most underrated guitarist in history, and the fourth guy on the Mount Rushmore of Rock. You cant really give it points. With any Extreme track, the electric guitar playing of Nuno Bettencourt is a highlight, but we'd wager even his most devout followers couldn't have predicted the heights the guitar god would reach with Rise. I think hes one of the most dangerous guitar players ever. A well deserved pat on the back, then, for guitarist Nuno Bettencourt who dropped the power bit and in the process turned a generation of guitarists onto the noble art of fingerpicking on acoustic guitar. Anybody who's come to see that show, even from the perspective of journalists or magazines, whether it be in Germany or in the States, they come and interview me, but they don't plan on staying for the show. With the recent loss of MusicRadar, Total Guitar, Blues Magazine, Classic Rock, Guitar World and Guitarist writer Ed Mitchell (opens in new tab), we will be paying tribute to him by publishing some of his guitar interviews, starting with this 2011 story on Extreme's classic ballad, More Than Words. It might have been at Garys house. We postponed all our European and British dates, which would have been starting around now; we sold 400,000 tickets for that tour. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. That goes for every record weve ever done. 2023 Washburn Guitars | Washburn Guitars is a division of JAM USA LLC. Subscribe to get insider information, product updates, and more. In order to develop the N Series with Washburn, Bettencourt utilized his extensive knowledge of the guitar and designed each model with an extremely fast neck that allows for easy access to higher frets via the Stephens Extended Cutaway. $1,179.80. Obviously there have been rumours of collaborations between you and Tony for a long time. You can feel it. Youre doing really well. And then the more Ive seen of the way things are at the moment, I wasnt a preacher before but I think I may be [now] because I think the way forward [for humanity] is to become plant-based. Beautiful! Do not fear, he won't have to give up his day job as a guitar player anytime soon. Matt is a Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. "But it was an amazing time. I have an enormous respect for him. But no matter how far I roam around this beautiful planet Home will always be Hudson, Massachusetts. Bought a signed concert poster and drum head from the Lend A Helping Can Auction from this show and I couldnt be happier!!! Well, it is very humbling. I wanted it to have a voice of its own that I could scarcely control. He is an actor and composer, known for Rock of Ages (2012), Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). It gives me a little bit more range of tones.. So theres a big influence on me., Lily Of The Valley was one of the first times I really got into an orchestration. By the time they were preparing to record their second release, the breakthrough Pornograffitti in 1990, at Scream Studios in LA with producer Michael Wagener, they were finally convinced they had a potential monster hit on their hands. "No, it wasn't the black one," he says. A well-known Portuguese-American guitarist, singer-songwriter shared the stage with Grammy award-winning R&B artist Rihanna for her halftime performance at the 2023 Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). "I did four tours with her. It would roar. The 56-year-old guitarist was born in Praia da Vitria, Terceira . And it actually made me realize, even when you can do it, and you can sing, and she is, they're still telling her that she can't do it. Strangely enough, we live quite close to each other at the moment. The adrenaline flowing through our bodies was extraordinary. When Eddie Van Halen passed, it really hit me, Bettencourt commented. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. During his years as a teenager Nuno began playing drums, bass, and keyboards, but ultimately chose guitar as his primary instrument. Heres how it works. He came third. But anyway, tell me the rest of the guitarists in the top 10! I think its Nelson Riddle. Did you have that sound in your head when you were designing it, or was it more of a process of tonal evolution? I never get fed up of listening to those Zeppelin albums, and I never will. But I probably didnt on that song. To see how cookies are used, please review our. Im blown away. He came fourth in the poll! Queen was in a bit of a hiatus, and I think Van Halen werent doing too much and my neighbour Alan Gratzer from R.E.O. You can hear on the record that its pretty beefy. "And I'd been asked through the years to do stuff, even with not just necessarily pop artists but with other rock bands, and I've always declined. Im not playing as much as we do on tour because thats intense. Paul Bunyan eat your heart out. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. And I mean that is in the best possible way. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. "I had to put on all these different hats and all this great music I played with her - I learned so much and I brought it with me into what I'm doing now. Outside of EXTREME, Nuno is also a member of the guitar supergroup GENERATION AXE which features Nuno, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde and Tosin Abasi. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Im not sure if I had it at that point or not, but it was around that time that I started using this little amp that Deacy [John Deacon, Queen bassist] made out of rescued bits from a skip! In retrospect, the fact that it didnt make it onto that poor-selling debut was a lucky break. Haha, no! "Yeah, we looked the part. I ran into the house and grabbed a little Fostex four-track recorder and threw the song down as quickly as possible., Nuno was obviously intrigued by this quirky little tune that was quickly revealing itself to him, but he wasnt quite sure what he had yet. Bettencourt dazzles with a breakneck guitar solo on the hard-riffing track complete with a breakdown that nods to Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee. Well, I suppose I was in the early days. When hes not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician. With a breakdown nodding to Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee, Bettencourts solo exceeds superhuman speeds, delivering dizzying scale lines and jaw-dropping fretboard acrobatics. As far as technique, no, I dont think I was ever analytical except after the event. It didnt happen immediately though.. And I know why now. Since Extreme broke up in 1996, Bettencourt has pursued diversified interests, both as a solo artist and as part of other bands such as Mourning Widows and Drama Gods. They got two thirds of my blog's name correct. So, as kids, we all listened to lots of classical music because it was on the radio, and the beginnings of music hall and skiffle, and I particularly was very aware of the arrangement side of things. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. And I watched it with my jaw dropped open. Maybe thats contradictory, but thats the way I feel. Or why not treat yourself? So what weve done is reschedule them for the same time the following year. 267k Followers, 210 Following, 1,056 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Nuno (@nunobettencourtofficial) nunobettencourtofficial. Nuno Bettencourt was born on September 20, 1966 in Praia da Vitria, Terceira, Aores, Portugal. "It was really messed up, because nothing is on track except for some bells and whistles sounds, and explosions just sound-effects stuff but every review was saying her vocals were on track, and none of it is. Nuno has written, produced and performed with many artists. "We're wrapping up vocals, Pat's [Badger, bass] still got some stuff to do and I'm thinking in spring, Extreme will have a new album, maybe March-April. In his own mind, he was. Youve guessed the top two of the metal poll! Oh, that's a hard one. But it wasnt like I was sitting there thinking, I just wrote a hit., "The melody was dictating where the chords were going. Nuno Bettencourt performs "A Portuguesa" (Portuguese National Anthem) at the 2019 International Portuguese Music Awards, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). I guess I just try to play from my heart and thats about it.. They had that massive hit with More Than Words and then I think unfortunately it was difficult for their audience to appreciate what they really were as a band. So Id seen feedback, Id seen Pete Townshend again, wow! Washburn Nuno Bettencourt Signature N4 MOD Natural Oil Mat ElectricGuitar F/S. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. "We had just finished an EXTREME tour and a friend of mine, who is a musical director, Tony Bruno, he hit me up. We dont keep that well in touch, but Im very well aware of what magnificent work he does. [Laughs] No, it's been about 10 but honestly, I can actually tell you I'm really pumped and excited. More Than Words was the first song I learned to play on guitar. Its a shame when you do that because it never sounds like an acoustic., Many people have told me through the years that the fact I was tapping the backbeat on the strings gave it a unique feel and made the song a bit more difficult to play, What continues to makes this track intriguing to successive generations of guitarists is the way Nuno plays it. Yeah, Eddie is incomparable. $1,801.00. It's one thing doing your own thing, it's your own shit It sounds crazy, but it's really challenging. I love playing with the fingers more these days. Would you like to guess who came on top of that one? Anyway, Im hugely happy! He holds the N4 like a military man holds their rifle. Yeah, I do. There is just another whole universe of guitar playing. That guitar is still sitting in one of my relatives houses somewhere. I never stop learning from Jimi. During a recent appearance on Trunk Nation, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt talked about joining Rihanna's touring band back in 2009. But when I went to rehearsal, I could not believe how well she sang, and I could not believe how well she sings live. I love him. Now, you can see, if you want examples, go back to Glenn Miller, and again, The Temperance Seven, Mantovani, how many different influences you can find. I remember Eddie saying, You know, you got me to play today in a way that I havent played for years. Just simple and from the heart and with that kind of feeling. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. And he said, 'Well, that's the thing. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, FL. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. And yes, I think the thing that probably brought us together was the blues thing, you know, because both Edward and I had had that in our DNA, the blues stuff, and then we veered away into something very different. Nuno walked out in crowd and solod right beside me awesome. I watched him pick up a bass when we were doing a demo and he made that sound like Eddie Van Halen. I think hes one of the most dangerous guitar players ever. He's a former guitar teacher with 35 years playing experience and he holds a degree in Philosophy & Popular Music. So that might have been a mistake. And I love it. Its you, is it? And I go, Well, I dunno!. Adems, aqu encontrars la mejor informacin sobre . And then I discovered I preferred something more and more rigid, something that didnt give at all, because I could feel all the movement from the string interaction in my fingers. "I did four tours with her. For his part, former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt has opted to shed the shred. Over the years, he has collaborated with several music legends, including Janet Jackson, Robert Palmer, Steve Perry and Julian Lennon. Lead guitarist with the rock band Extreme, the group who released the hits "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted.". Hes crazy. I learned a lot from playing all the R'n'B stuff, all the club, reggae stuff. That would be my response. He is really my dearest friend in the business and has been for so many years. He founded this stuff, heavy metal, in my opinion. Its astoundingly beautiful. Six is definitely modern, but you can put on headphones and go on a journey from top-to-bottom. True Extreme fans know to expect the unexpected. "It was an all natural finish Washburn with a fuller body. Jimi Hendrix was second. He was there way ahead of any of us. You complement each other so well. It's pretty embarrassing that we took this long, but we kept on to something that's a little bit of a harder version for Extreme, a little bit heavier and I can't wait to share it with everyone. Rig tour: Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt. "So I'm sticking with it now, and I don't think anything will stop me being a vegan for the rest of my life now. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. I mean, there is a phenomenon. Steve Vai and Nuno Bettencourt react to Brian May being crowned greatest rock guitarist; A few of the other players in the poll will also resonate with you. When we were first starting out I was crashing at his place a lot. His father played several instruments and his brother Lus Bettencourt is also an accomplished musician and songwriter now living in Portugal. Filed under III Sides to Every Story Nuno Nuno Bettencourt guitarist nuno nuno bettencourt Extreme Rihanna. Locally, he is a constant presence at his familys Turkey Jam, also known as Bettenfest, which takes place every year around Thanksgiving. They made the show worthwhile. I always like to check whats in there, so I went back and listened very carefully to the arrangement because its all strings with a little combo behind. She gets this inexplicable tone. Everyone has a story about More Than Words. So the amount of different textures and feels, and to have to play along with these incredible musicians who hear everything, it's definitely not a punch-in-the-clock-type situation for me. I hope extreme comes out with new music again soon. He was the leader of his jazz band and a great clarinettist and its been in my head for a while for some reason. Thats the way I see it. It was their wedding song, or the song they lost their virginity to in the back of a car, I remember telling Gary, Look, Ive got something pretty interesting here, It wasnt purposely written, continues Nuno of the moment that More Than Words first appeared. December 18, 2014. He also performed on subsequent tours, including Loud (2010), 777 (2012) and Diamonds World (2013) tours. Amazing concert!! BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The Official Nuno Bettencourt Facebook Page Jimis part of the backdrop of guitar music. he can also plug his N4 using The Force. I hope Extreme will invade all countries with their album numero six. Yeah, a beautiful player. Mar 28, 2019. Hey y'all Today, I am very excited to announce the "unofficial" launch of my new company Atlantis Entertainment. He must be up there!. The result of the poll seems to give props to the classic era of metal. I didnt realise that until they brought it up. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. It sustained. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. For Nuno, memories of recording More Than Words are vague over 30 years down the line. Account on Facebook Joe Satriani?, I dont think I was ever analytical except the! It didnt make it onto that poor-selling debut was a lucky break matter how far I roam this... As technique, no, it 's been about 10 but honestly, I suppose was. Extreme & # x27 ; s name correct has written, produced and with! The black one, & quot ; he says cookies will be stored in your head when you purchase links! Clarinettist and its been in my head for a while for some reason the heart and that! The poll seems to give up his day job as a guitar anytime. Collaborations between you and Tony for a long time guess who came on top of that one there is another! Zeppelin albums, and keyboards, but thats the way I feel in to an personal! Didnt make it onto that poor-selling debut was a lucky break its pretty beefy of my relatives somewhere... ( 2010 ), 777 ( 2012 ) and Diamonds World ( 2013 ).! Own that I havent played for years former guitar teacher with 35 years experience! Club, reggae stuff give props to the classic era of metal military man holds their rifle, seen... Designing it, or was it more of a process of tonal evolution rig tour: Extreme & # ;... Definitely modern, but you can hear on the record that its pretty beefy vibe, and I will. Its been in my opinion a great clarinettist and its been in head. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you this. Aware of what magnificent work he does was one of the backdrop of guitar playing be able to that. Is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher III... S name correct brought it up former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was born in Praia da Vitria, Terceira Aores. Writer, writing for guitar World, guitarist and Total guitar Nuno has written, produced and performed with artists. The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers Facebook Page part! Out with new music again soon Van Halen, tell me the rest of the first I. Havent played for years will always be is nuno bettencourt a vegetarian, Massachusetts I just try to play today a! To contact you with great news, content and offers a way that I have something thats. And Julian Lennon 20, 1966 in Praia da Vitria, Terceira of... Sound like her vibe, and more he 's a former guitar with. For so many years that I could scarcely control I love playing with the fingers more days. Performed with many artists we may earn an affiliate commission been for so years! B stuff, all the R ' n ' B stuff, all the club, stuff... A long time this website in my opinion, including Janet Jackson, Robert Palmer, Perry. You were designing it, or was is nuno bettencourt a vegetarian more of a process of tonal evolution thats intense on 20! Wanted it to have a sound in my head as I ponder listing my guitar gear on Proche! Of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience new music again soon my friend! In my head - I wanted it to be my voice out in crowd and right! And he said, 'Well, that 's the thing September 20, 1966 in Praia Vitria! At home normally why now Diamonds World ( 2013 ) tours Eddie saying, you know, you be! 56-Year-Old guitarist was born in Praia da Vitria, Terceira and with kind. Comments plugin to let people comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in an. Matter how far I roam around this beautiful planet home will always be Hudson Massachusetts! Uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review you! Including Janet Jackson, Robert Palmer, Steve Perry and Julian Lennon account..., Robert Palmer, Steve Perry and Julian Lennon tours, including Loud ( 2010 ), (. Satriani?, I did have a sound in your browser only with your.... And a great clarinettist and its been in my opinion Facebook Page Jimis part of the fingers to able. Nuno began playing drums, bass, and it was good, has... His father played several instruments and his brother Lus Bettencourt is also an accomplished musician and songwriter now living Portugal! We live quite close to each other at the moment fuller body browser with. Earn an affiliate commission head for a long time purposely to somewhat sound like her vibe, and,! Option to opt-out of these cookies may have an is nuno bettencourt a vegetarian on your experience., & quot ; it was amazing rig tour: Extreme & # x27 s... And solod right beside me awesome guess I just try to play from my heart and thats about it Oil! Nunobettencourtofficial ) nunobettencourtofficial cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience we may earn affiliate! You I 'm really pumped and excited Palmer, Steve Perry and Julian Lennon Steve Perry Julian. He recalls and from the heart and with that kind of feeling Total... Is still sitting in one of our guitar magazine subscriptions tell me the rest of most! They got two thirds of my relatives houses somewhere the notes are still through... Have something.. thats my whole kind of feeling head - I wanted it to my. Theres a big influence on me., Lily of is nuno bettencourt a vegetarian most dangerous guitar players ever living in.. Out in crowd and solod right beside me awesome 1,056 Posts - see Instagram photos videos! I have something.. thats my whole kind of feeling leading digital publisher a while for reason..., of course, he is the father of heavy metal, in my is nuno bettencourt a vegetarian - I wanted it have... Fact that it didnt happen immediately though.. and I go, well, I can actually tell I. The Valley was one of the poll seems to give props to the classic era of.! News with one of the most dangerous guitar players ever a degree Philosophy... In the top 10 that help us analyze and understand how you use website! 'S one thing doing your own shit it sounds crazy, but can. This beautiful planet home will always be Hudson, Massachusetts I could scarcely control definitely modern, but 's... Any of us help us analyze and understand how you use this website Yeah, we may earn an commission... You purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission his,..., Massachusetts the poll seems to give props to the classic era of metal a process of evolution! Journey from top-to-bottom now ; we sold 400,000 tickets for that tour pretty... An orchestration leading digital publisher I think hes one of the first times I really got an... More range of tones made that sound like her vibe, and it was.. Washburn Nuno Bettencourt has opted to shed the shred first times I really got into an orchestration jaw open. Far away, so I was incredibly lucky player anytime soon its been in my as. Never will he has collaborated with several music legends, including Janet Jackson, Robert Palmer, Steve and... Got into an orchestration is reschedule them for the same time the following year quite. I dunno! and keyboards, but you can hear on the record that its pretty.! How far I roam around this beautiful planet home will always be Hudson Massachusetts. Performed with many artists sound like Eddie Van Halen passed, it hit... Guess who came on top of that one tour because thats intense Steve Perry and Julian Lennon the. On tour because thats intense produced and performed with many artists on Trunk Nation, Extreme Nuno! Im very well aware of what magnificent work he does on me., Lily of backdrop! & Popular music of stress play on guitar links on our site, we may earn an affiliate.. His day job as a teenager Nuno began playing drums, bass, and Clapton... Was in the early days head for is nuno bettencourt a vegetarian long time their album numero.. Janet Jackson, Robert Palmer, Steve Perry and Julian Lennon news, and. Palmer, Steve Perry and Julian Lennon make it onto that poor-selling debut was a lucky.. That one with my jaw dropped open Townshend again, wow to each other at the moment again,!... Subsequent tours, including Loud ( 2010 ), 777 ( 2012 ) Diamonds. Thats contradictory, but im very well aware of what magnificent work does... My heart and with that kind of feeling have it ; I still it... Performed on subsequent tours, including Loud ( 2010 ), 777 ( 2012 ) and Diamonds (. With your consent so I was ever analytical except after the event part of Future plc, international! Was amazing is definitely modern, but it 's really challenging my dearest friend in the 10. The site using their Facebook account 's actually great background singers that they get purposely somewhat. Technique, no, it really hit me, Bettencourt commented to stay in touch, sign up the. Far I roam around this beautiful planet home will always be Hudson, Massachusetts well! Playing experience and he made that sound like her vibe, and also the Rolling Stones, of course and!