Music videos that feature Rics

[gearHed289]

Re: CME YES cover - Hmm, well I'm sure that was fun, but it's not something I'd post on the world wide web.

[Jeff Scott]

[gearHed289]

Ah,the 8 man Super Yes! I saw that lineup from the 3rd row in Chicago (Rosemont). Pretty great concert, I'm glad I went.

[Jeff Scott]

My old '08 4003 with the mods I did to it.

[Dave W]

Did you put a toaster at the bridge position too? Or am I remembering a different bass?

Nice of your bandmates to make you so visible.

[Jeff Scott]

Did you put a toaster at the bridge position too? Or am I remembering a different bass?

Nice of your bandmates to make you so visible.

Stage logistics aren't always the best, sometimes.  And, personally, I am just fine with being "out of the way" as I am not really a singer but I have to contribute what I can (not that song in particular, though); note the boom stand with my Audix OM5.  You'll also see my old 4001V63 sitting on a stand off to my left a couple times.

As to the toaster question, the bridge toaster was on my old '04 4003FL that a RRF member has owned since December '06.  The JG 4003 I am playing in that video has a re-built (by Dale Fortune) early '60s horseshoe pickup in it, as seen in the photos, above.

[Dave W]

Sorry, I couldn't tell from the photos that it was a real horseshoe in there.

[ilan]

I'd say optimized rather than modded... beautiful bass Jeff. 

[Rob]

I'd say optimized rather than modded... beautiful bass Jeff.

I'll say!  Call it "Enhanced"

[Jeff Scott]

Sorry, I couldn't tell from the photos that it was a real horseshoe in there.

It is hard to tell, sometimes!  Here is a photo of the pickup before I bought it and put in the first of three basses it was in (May '08 4003, April '98 4001V63, March '73 4001, of which it is still in that last bass).

[Jeff Scott]

I'd say optimized rather than modded... beautiful bass Jeff.

Thanks, Ilan!  I try not to do things that are too crazy. 

Note that the pickguard on it (from Pickguardian) is made of the same material as the inlays.  Tony also made one for me from the stock white material; both were sent on with the bass when I sold it years ago.

[Jeff Scott]

I'll say!  Call it "Enhanced"

Perhaps, a V67 prototype? 

[uwe]

Most of the time, when you see Pilot in their 70ies vids, they are just miming in some top twenty show. Not here, they could actually play that exquisitely crafted British pop (somewhere between Badfinger, Hollies, Supertramp and 10cc) live - with a Ric played by David Paton of course.



I did email with David Paton not too long ago and asked him about the Ric. He said he had to have it at the time though it was expensive, but he was into all these prog bands "and a Rickenbacker 4001 was just the bass to play if you wanted to be like them". He regrets selling it after Pilot disbanded.

[Alanko]

A good Scottish band!

I was surprised by that video as I assumed they were a bit of a pretty-boy studio creation. Seeing them play live was interesting! The singer is flat quite often, but he probably didn't have monitors.

I read an interview with David Paton (I think?) a while ago. Brian Wilson (I think?) had loved the song, especially the line 'Never believe it's not so'.

[uwe]

Yeah, that was Brian Wilson when David Paton was taken to him backstage after some gig. Paton was seriously chuffed by it, who wouldn't be.

And it's true, Pilot are often thrown into this 70ies Chinn-Chapman or Martin-Coulter (BCR, Kenny, Slik) hit machine assembly line bag, but that is not them at all, they were serious musicians playing and writing their own songs.

Paton not only played and sang on all those Alan Parsons Project releases, but also followed Dee Murray's footsteps and became Elton John's bassist in the 80ies. That's not the kind of job you get for just a pretty face. That fretless bass on Nikita is him.

Nor would Rick Wakeman be playing with someone just on his teeny bopper hit credentials alone ...