The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: godofthunder on February 04, 2011, 12:58:09 PM
-
I am not much on solo's but I used to go see Billy in Talas back in the 70's and 80's. This is a good example of what I remember. I wish they had some examples of his playing in cover songs, they did some great renditions of tunes anything from the Supremes to the Who ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeDD2bXnACU
-
I saw him at a bass clinic at the old Mars Music here in Austin several years back. Took my Dad with me. He was very approachable and answered all of the questions I had for him. I remember getting Sink Your Teeth Into That on vinyl!
-
Well, don't I feel just a little inadequate! I didn't realize he was that good.
-
I saw him at a bass clinic at the old Mars Music here in Austin several years back. Took my Dad with me. He was very approachable and answered all of the questions I had for him. I remember getting Sink Your Teeth Into That on vinyl!
I saw him at a clinic at Mars when they were open, and that's exactly how he was. I'm amazed at how LITTLE he moves both his hands and fingers. He's got them all perfectly synched. And, he replied to an email I sent him after the clinic. He's pretty funny, too. What wow'd us was when he decided to show us how he put both the bass and sax parts for "21st Century Schizoid Man" together.
-
Some bits from '79 Stop In The Name Of Love is in there! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSvnamksy48
-
Well, don't I feel just a little inadequate! I didn't realize he was that good.
You and me both ! I started going to the Arcade very young I am guessing the first time I saw Billy I was 16 as I know I had my Hofner and Traynor YBA-1 with the 1x18 bottom. I just stood there in awe..........................it was like I didn't even play the same instrument and he had come down from a distant planet the only thing not in evidence was a space ship. All the flash aside one thing I remember is he always held the song together, never let it drop, I found that very impressive.
-
Kind of reminds me of the night I watched Jack Bruce from 20 feet away (WB&L concert). I went home and wanted to throw rocks at my bass.
-
Kind of reminds me of the night I watched Jack Bruce from 20 feet away (WB&L concert). I went home and wanted to throw rocks at my bass.
I pretty much felt the same way but I stuck with it I'm no Billy Sheehan but I'm Scott Dasson and I am ok with that. I am more than greatfull to Billy for opening my eyes to what the bass can do.
-
Some bits from '79 Stop In The Name Of Love is in there! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSvnamksy48
Gotta love those local '70s production values! Not too sure about that "See Saw" song...
But I was really into Billy Sheehan when I discovered him in the mid-'80s, post-Talas though I did have a vinyl copy of "Sink Your Teeth Into That". NV43345 (the bass solo) was the best part of that album in my opinion. But I've never seen footage of them from that far back - thanks!
Oh yeah, one more thing, a friend of mine had a DVD of one of the first "Bass Day" things (I think that's what it was called - I think Dave Pomeroy put it together?). At the end all the bass players jammed together, I seem to remember Tony Levin, Oteil Burbridge, Dave Pomeroy, probably a couple of others, and Billy Sheehan. Billy's solo was the best of the bunch! Everyone else sounded like they were noodling, Billy's was the only one with passion and fire. I remember being really impressed with that.
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7UVTTM1T2A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8yhy4pEwao
These ones, Harry...? ;)
-
I made it through about three minutes of that before I started wishing that Gene would come out from behind the drumset and spit blood. One phrase comes to mind: "Where's the beef?"
-
ditto. was there a rule that you can't play below the 12th fret.
-
But I was really into Billy Sheehan when I discovered him in the mid-'80s, post-Talas though I did have a vinyl copy of "Sink Your Teeth Into That". NV43345 (the bass solo) was the best part of that album in my opinion.
FYI/FYE:
Turn NV43345 (in digital lettering) upside down and backwards and you get "SHEEHAN". Likewise, the Talas live album, "Live Speed On Ice" has a solo called "7718 (3A17)". Do the same to that one and you have "(LIVE) BILL".
I have too much free time... ;D
-
Nice one 317718... ;D
-
I caught him live a couple years back & there is pretty much nothing he can't do. I guess he does not slap though.
When he did hid solos, he did them accompanied by drums, which to me, was much more song like & structured. Still he's one of the greatest bass players ever like him or not. Really unique tone he has.
-
I caught him live a couple years back & there is pretty much nothing he can't do. I guess he does not slap though.When he did hid solos, he did them accompanied by drums, which to me, was much more song like & structured. Still he's one of the greatest bass players ever like him or not. Really unique tone he has.
How gullible you are, John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6c6zWpzlQk
I still think he could have done wonders for post-JAE The Who.
-
Uwe I think you are right Billy would have been a good fit for The Who. Thanks for posting that video my image of Billy has been locked in the '70s/'80s !
-
Uwe I think you are right Billy would have been a good fit for The Who. Thanks for posting that video my image of Billy has been locked in the '70s/'80s !
He was a slam dunk for The Who - but Daltrey and Townshend both felt comfortable with Pino since they had both worked with him in the past. Besides, Pete apparently felt that having somebody up there that might really whiz around wouldn't have been respectful given the short time frame (at that point) since John's passing.
-
How gullible you are, John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6c6zWpzlQk
I still think he could have done wonders for post-JAE The Who.
Niacin was a great idea, an update of Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (a little ELP thrown in )
Do you ever use his bass?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/MY%20BASSES/billy.jpg)
-
Yes! It's one of my favorite Non-Gibbies.
-
One of these days I am going to pick up a a Attitude (some say I have one already) One of my favorite non Gibson basses is a tribute I built to Billy's "wife" I chose to do the young "wife" as I remember the bass from the Penny Arcade days. I didn't have a mudbcker when I built it so the Model one will have to do till I get around to finding one. The body on my bass is alder while I believe "the wife" is ash, I like alder better so there you go. The bass sounds amazingly like Billy's. I did not wire it with two inputs I split my signal through a Whirlwind Selector A B box as apposed to Billy splitting his signal at the pickups. Anyone got a mudbucker for sale ? (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/Billybass001.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/Billybass002.jpg)
-
Did you do the routing for the pickup on your living room floor? Without that, it will never be a "real" tribute. ;D
I'd just leave the Model One in there if it does the job soundwise.
-
I believe he did the routing on his moms kitchen table I think with a Dremel, though maybe he only used the Dremel for the scalloped fingerboard which came later. Me I used a router!
-
I believe he did the routing on his moms kitchen table I think with a Dremel, though maybe he only used the Dremel for the scalloped fingerboard which came later. Me I used a router!
Nah. Living room job: ;D
http://www.billysheehan.com/gear/instruments_34.html
...and from another interview:
"It has dual output and an original Gibson EB-0 pickup from around ’72. I chiseled a hole in the body and put the pickup in it. I do know a little about woodworking, but you’d never know it by looking at that bass! And I didn’t know how to wire it, but I got the pickup in and wired each pickup separately into two outputs because I didn’t know how to wire both pickups to one."
-
Cool link! Thinking back, he must have been a big part of my love of the Telecaster Bass headstock, though I wasn't listening to him anymore when I got mine. But mine has the D-tuner too!
-
I think I read somewhere that he liked the Tele headstock because of Tim Bogert.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/2j3mxza.jpg)
-
Righty O Bogart was his inspiration for the tele neck.
-
Nah. Living room job: ;D
http://www.billysheehan.com/gear/instruments_34.html
...and from another interview:
"It has dual output and an original Gibson EB-0 pickup from around ’72. I chiseled a hole in the body and put the pickup in it. I do know a little about woodworking, but you’d never know it by looking at that bass! And I didn’t know how to wire it, but I got the pickup in and wired each pickup separately into two outputs because I didn’t know how to wire both pickups to one."
I should have re read this before I posted!
-
I chiseled a hole in the body and put the pickup in it.
A man after my own heart! I did the same thing with a mini-humbucker to my Vox Mark IV bass. I used chrome tape for the ring, and to cover up the damage I'd done. :mrgreen:
-
Nothing is sacred here.
-
Yes! It's one of my favorite Non-Gibbies.
The Mudbucker plus P bass pickup make a great combination. Funny But my EB-0 project bass gets the same growly, wooly sound.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/MY%20BASSES/mud.jpg)
-
John, just be thankful the BASSenji didn't wish to scent-the-mud... :o ;D
-
A man after my own heart! I did the same thing with a mini-humbucker to my Vox Mark IV bass. I used chrome tape for the ring, and to cover up the damage I'd done. :mrgreen:
Sort of like what Verdine White did to his old Fender Tele bass. It was stock on the first few records EWF made but by the time of That's The Way Of The World he'd done some mods. These are screenshots from the movie of the same name.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2ekkkl5.jpg)
(http://i41.tinypic.com/qwzt36.jpg)
Note the masking and electrical tape used to hold down the mudbucker cover. He'd also added a Jazz Bass pickup by the bridge. One of my favorite bass tones is Shining Star which is more than likely this bass. He'd switched to the Jazz Bass by All 'n All.
-
look at that "only cowgirls get the blues" thumb. :o
-
My old band, Diamond Rexx (UGH!!!) opened for a band Billy was playing with in Chicago around 3 years ago. 4 nights in a row. He was one of thee nicest guys I ever met. I asked him every standard question, "Why the hell did you scallop those frets?" and stuff like that. He took the time to show me. I was like "Oh...I get it now...WOW!" Wouldn't let me leave the dressing room to get a beer so he gave me his last Corona!!! I helped escort him to the stage. He played my '63 P bass I had at the time. Left some magic in it, I swear. the next few nights we were joking and drinking and having a great time goofing off and laughing at groupies and porn stars telling their stories!! I even did a bass solo one of those nights, stuff from Billy's NV43345. He said that it was Very cool!!! But what a player. He can play any style but I truly believe he is thee greatest living Rock bassist alive. AND YES...I did get to play that turquoise attitude!!!!!!! I still talk to him every 6 months just to catch up.
-
diamond rexx is on wiki. i'm impressed. but they sure go through a lot of bass players, huh.
-
UGH....I'd rather not talk about it.....Well i guess I will. Problem is...The music and playing is so dated that they can't get anywhere. The same old 80's glam metal. They were GREAT at one time.
-
That's back "in" now isn't it ? ;D
-
"I used to be with it, then they changed what it was. Now what was it isn't it, and what is it is weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you too!"
Grandpa Simpson