Alcatrazz co-founder and keyboardist Jimmy Waldo recently made striking revelations about Graham Bonnet’s vocal performances during their time working together. These comments were shared in an interview on Full in Bloom.
When asked about claims that Bonnet’s vocals were pre-recorded, Waldo confirmed the allegation directly. He explained that during the five years he worked with the Graham Bonnet Band, all of Bonnet’s vocals were programmed into a computer and played back during live performances.
“That’s true. Graham’s vocals for the five years that I worked with Graham this recent five years with the Graham Bonnet Band. All his vocals were in the Mac. I programmed it all. I did it all,” Waldo said. “And the drummer ran it live. We played to a click live and cuz he just couldn’t sing. He didn’t have the wind. Not only was his voice shot, but he just didn’t have the wind. He has asthma or something. I don’t know.”
Waldo described how the arrangement evolved during performances. Out of an 18-song setlist, Bonnet would typically sing only two songs live. The rest were played back from the computer.
“But he’s good at it. I mean, he got really good at doing it. But we got to the point where we do an 18 song set and he’d do maybe he’d sing Since You’ve Been Gone or All Night Long or something, Lost in Hollywood. Out of 18 songs, he might sing two,” Waldo explained.
Bonnet would sometimes inform Waldo shortly before performances that he was unable to sing at all. This required last-minute adjustments to the backing tracks.
“And there were nights when he would come to me 15 minutes before showtime, he goes, ‘Man, I can’t sing anything. I’m just tired. I didn’t get any sleep last night.’ And so I’d have to go out to the computer and make sure that all the songs are on. Then sometimes he comes say, ‘Well, I can do All Night Long tonight and Since You’ve Been Gone.’ So I would go out to the computer and unmute those or mute those. So he’s going to sing them,” Waldo said.
These revelations mark a significant moment in the career of a vocalist who has worked with some of the most respected names in rock music. Graham Bonnet collaborated with notable guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai during his time in Alcatrazz, a band known for its heavy metal sound and success in the 1980s, according to Wikipedia. His career has spanned decades, establishing him as a fixture in the rock community.
The Graham Bonnet Band was formed in 2015, marking a return to the stage for the veteran vocalist. The band toured the UK and Europe with a setlist featuring songs from his extensive career, including material from Alcatrazz and Rainbow, as documented by My Global Mind. This touring venture was meant to celebrate his legacy and reconnect with fans across multiple decades of his work.
However, Waldo’s recent comments suggest that the physical demands of performing at a high level proved challenging for Bonnet during these tours. The keyboardist’s candid remarks about Bonnet’s vocal limitations and the use of backing tracks raise questions about the authenticity of live performances during this period. Despite these challenges, Waldo acknowledged that Bonnet adapted well to the arrangement. He became proficient at performing to pre-recorded vocals.
The revelation underscores the pressures faced by aging rock musicians attempting to maintain touring schedules while dealing with physical limitations. Waldo’s willingness to program and manage the backing tracks allowed the Graham Bonnet Band to continue performing. However, this came at the cost of live vocal authenticity. Whether this approach was disclosed to audiences remains unclear. Waldo’s recent comments have brought the practice into the public eye.
