Meet the Sages Squad: Glen Gates

In this blog post, get to know Glen Gates, one of the original founding members of The Passing Sages, who still continues to write songs with us! Learn what he has to say about his musical background, influences and work with the band. 


Hello! 

Glen Gates here to give you some idea of my role with The Passing Sages and my background in music and, in particular, songwriting. I wanted to be a songwriter from the age of about 15. I had grown up listening to my older sisters’ music collection which included Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon, the Motown Chartbusters albums and the Stevie Wonder double album Songs In the Key to Life. I had also been introduced to a lot of New Wave bands such as The Jam, The Undertones and especially Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It was the latter’s songs that most made me want to form a band in order to play my own songs and I think it was always that way around for me: the songs have always been more important than me being the singer. 

Although that did not stop me, like all budding pop stars, performing in front of the mirror with headphones on and a curtain rail for a guitar! Lyrically and chordwise, Costello was by far my main influence at this stage and he in turn had been influenced by country music even though his style (with which he found success) was more ‘angry’ post-punk. From getting my first electric guitar at 16, I started writing prolifically in this mixed style, forming a band with school friends called The Colourfuls and doing a fair number of pub gigs around the Dunfermline area. 

By the time I got into university however, my musical tastes were expanding into soul and funk and I have particularly fond memories of the iconic Johnsons nightclub in Dunfermline to thank for this! On Fridays and Saturdays, the resident DJs Neil Mckenzie and Warren would play an unbelievably exotic (to my ears!) mix of soul, funk and disco classics as well as the cooler chart hits of the time. I got into acts like Bobby Womack, the later period Isley Brothers, Shalamar, Skipworth and Turner, Jocelyn Brown, the Brothers Johnson, Prince and Change whose tune ‘Searching’ featuring a certain Luther Vandross on lead vocal became a massive 8 minute dance anthem for all of us at the time! 

This period also coincided with the band’s discovery of James Brown which then led to getting right into Average White Band, who we couldn’t believe came from Scotland - not only that, but most of them from the EAST of Scotland! Yaas! 

I never studied music but most of my student days were spent being in bands and doing gigs. During this time I had another memorable inspiration that shaped my own musical journey. One summer working in London, I got to stay at a friend’s aunt’s house. I had it all to myself for 6 weeks! It contained a huge, old record collection which introduced me to the mellow soul funk of Maze featuring Frankie Beverley as well as the jazz funk of Tower of Power. Even though I loved listening and absorbing all of this music I wasn’t yet able to write in these genres. The chords seemed too impenetrable. 

But on returning to London in the mid to late 90s and armed only with a very cheap wood-effect Casio keyboard, I had a kind of breakthrough. By ear, and thanks to the then musical influence of pianist/composer Toby Smith of Jamiroquai, I started to work out how these jazzy chords were actually constructed and started to write my own tunes using them. I didn’t know the names of the chords but thought they sounded brilliant! 

After a lot of gigging down south, including quite a long, successful spell performing as a jazz vocalist (and my own band playing at Ronnie Scott’s!), I came back to Scotland and continued to work with other bands and singers as well as teaching full-time. 

The teaching included doing some mentoring work with young Scottish songwriters and through this I first got to know Nic. By this time I had also met Holly through Fife musical connections and knew already of her talent as a singer-songwriter. 

All of this means the recent collaboration with the Sages has been a great experience in terms of pooling knowledge and ideas as well as getting a chance to revisit a lot of my earlier musical inspirations. In terms of the three main writers, Nic and Holly have brought their own influences and preferences to bear on mine and vice versa which I think is creating a really unique blend. 

In terms of process, there has also been a focus shift in my writing from a chord/riff based beginning which then might suggest a lyrical hook to more coming from the other way around (although any combination or balance can usually work!) which has opened up even more possibilities. When a band can get that blend to work it can be really exciting in terms of potential and the Sages are still really just getting started! 

It has also been exciting for me to work with such high calibre musicians: Ian and Sean providing such tight rhythm section work now augmented by Daniel and Nic continuing to come up with new innovations incorporating rock and jazz elements. 

Also the top quality vocals, harmonies and arrangements of Holly and Carrie are one of the key elements of the overall band sound and I have really enjoyed getting a chance to write for female voices. The fact that my songwriting journey still continues after many years I can put down to never really leaving music! Or rather, never falling out of love with it. 

I have always stayed connected to it in some way. Also, any songwriter, whether initially successful or not, should never want to ‘stick to what they know’ as there is always so much more you can keep learning, both from yourself and from others. 

I can definitely say that I have discovered so many new ways and approaches in the construction of a song during the time I have been working with The Passing Sages and it's been great to be a part of the story so far. Finally, I am very proud of the fact that the Sages are from Fife!

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