The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: Blazer on January 15, 2009, 08:32:35 PM
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Well then I figure it to be fun to talk about the players that got us playing and how we discovered playing bass because of them.
I said it before, Brian Setzer of the Stray cats was my influence on picking up the guitar, my inspiration to start playing BASS however came from a source which was closer to my own home. Henny Vrienten of the Dutch Ska formation "Doe Maar" (Which means "Go ahead") was my first introduction of the low end spectrum of the business, I was a kid, seven or eight years old when Doe Maar became the biggest things since the Beatles in the Netherlands. And one member stood out from the others: the Bassplayer, he had bleached blonde hair like my other idol, Brian Setzer and played what looked to me a king-size guitar from which this growling low-end came. My father told me that Vrienten played a Bass and it all made sense. I would start miming to Doe Maar records with cardboard cut out guitars on which I tried to get the shape and color of Vrienten's Fender P-bass right. It wasn't until I got my first bass in my teens that I found out just how good Vrienten is as a bassplayer, he plays these tough lines, locked in tight with the drummer (And I mean tight as a pair of shoes three sizes too small) while singing. It still impresses me to this day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPTgii1P8X8
Doe Maar - "Doe maar net alsof" (Just pretend)
Last month I had the chance to meet him after a show and he was just the nicest guy, very humble and open, I talked to him about his basses how my first bass was a Blue and white squier because it looked like his Blue and white P-bass and I admitted not being as good a bassplayer as he was, he laughed and told me that there would be other things in which I would be better in doing than he was. He also asked if I knew somebody who could sell him an eighties Aria bass because his old one (which he played in the clip I posted) was stolen and he missed that sound he got from it. I told him that I knew of TWO shops which still had those basses around but I don't know if he actually did something with that info I gave him.
Another key influence on me as a Bassplayer is Paul McCartney, who's album "Broadstreet" came out around the same time when I discovered Doe Maar and "No more lonely nights" was a hit back then. My Parents being old Beatles fans told me "If you like that, listen to THIS" and let me listen to their Beatles LP records, it was a revelation, Like Vrienten, here was a guy who played that giant low end emiting instrument and sing at the same time. In addition, Macca also used to play his Rickenbacker 4001S a lot in those days and to this day thanks to seeing Macca with his Ricky, I still consider the Rickenbacker 4001 the pinnacle of beauty when it comes to the look of a bass. I owned a couple of copies but I sold them all on, knowing that only the real thing would do and so far I haven't been able to get one. But I keep my hopes up, someday my ship will come in, I KNOW it will.
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Jack Bruce~I finally got to meet him too, in '99...4 years before I started playin' bass.
Yes, as some of you know I'm a drummer who picked up bass real late--the year I turned 50.
This month makes 6 years of playing.
I told Jack that Cream was my first concert in '68 & he said "Where?"
I answered."L.A."
& he said "That was a good show!"
There are lots of great bassplayers like you say, Blazer~ When they sing great lead vocals too they become twice as lovable!! 8)
Other major influences are Felix Pappalardi, Billy Cox, Glenn Cornick of early Tull....
....& Boz Burrell & Tony Franklin for their AWESOME fretless work!!
...& Phil Kennemore of Y&T, Tony Levin & JPJ!!!
Nikki Sixx for having the cooolest 80s style & vibe.
These are the greats who've inspired me the most.
I don't sound nearly as good as any of them.
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not by pure choice, but probably by strange movements of the planets or some sort of distal osmosis I would have to say Roger Glover has influenced my style of playing more than any other bass player.
I do love his playing but if I had a choice it would be Andy Fraser, Allen Woody or Mel Schacher.
Mind you I'm not complaining 8)
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good drummers inspire me. bass players for some reason i tend to ignore.
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There are many that I admired and respected like Monk Montgomery, Ron Carter, Stanley Clark, Scott Laffarrow, Barrry Oakley, Jack Bruce, Jaco and a number of others. But they had a very limited influence on my style of playing . I like to listen to them but I never really did much to imitate them.
The guy who influenced me much more in style and technique is Larry Taylor of Canned Heat and John Mayall fame. Part of that is dictated by the type of music that I chose to play and the other part is that the SOB is really fuggin' good. When it comes to a combination of rockin', bluesy, jazzy stuff that is all about the groove, (which is what I like best), he does it the way I think it should be done :)
Even with Larry Taylor, I'm not so sure that my quest was so much to play like him, but more to hear like him . I'm not certain that makes sense to anyone else ,but that's how I see it :-\
Rick
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yikes, i should mention this guy. the late great charles calmese. he played with james cotton, muddy waters, johnny winters and on steve miller's fly like an eagle lp as well as numerous lesser known projects. i 'borrowed' almost every lick he played and was invaluable to me in constructing walking bass lines and being able to improvise in general. thank you, sir. :sad:
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Nofi, Calmese is the same kind of guy as a Larry Taylor. Creates a good groove and all the parts just seem to fit just right. Nine out of ten times you know the next note before he plays it. It's not that they are so simple and easy to predict , but they tend to be more about building the perfect walking groove for the song at hand. I can learn so much more of the usable things from players like that. Kinda like Charlie the Tuna. Ya' know, the tuna with good taste ;D.
Rick
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In no particular order:
John Entwistle
Dennis Dunaway
Mars Cowling
Gary Thain
Bob Daisley
Cliff Williams
Geezer Butler
plenty more, but these are the guys I learned the most from.
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When I finally started paying attention to music the bands I liked alot (and their bassists) so...............
Dennis Dunaway
Jimmy Lea
Roger Glover
Overend Watts
Gary Thain
Geddy Lee
I loved U.K. glam SO much in my early teens, and really liked KISS as a band alot too About the time I graduated H.S. in '76 I'd been a huge fan of RUSH for awhile thus when I had enough money saved up for my first "real" bass it was a 4001 Rickenbacker that I bought from Mike Lull - when he worked at a Bellevue, Wa music store.
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Jack Bruce
Stanley Clarke
John Wetton
John Entwistle
Ralphe Armstrong
Randy Jackson (when he was a fusion bass player)
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I loved U.K. glam SO much in my early teens, and really liked KISS as a band alot too About the time I graduated H.S. in '76 I'd been a huge fan of RUSH for awhile thus when I had enough money saved up for my first "real" bass it was a 4001 Rickenbacker that I bought from Mike Lull - when he worked at a Bellevue, Wa music store.
So you guys really DO go back a long time don't you Mark?
It's always good to keep in touch with people who helped you get started on your musical journey.
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I started on guitar due to Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, as my first attraction. Then Cream, Clapton, ABB, Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna, Ten Years After, and Hendrix. At the same time I dug into the real blues these muscians learned from so I was real into Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, The King Family (Albert, BB, and Freddie). My favorite bassists at that time were Jack Bruce, Jack Cassady, and Berry Oakley. So, when I started playing bass, those were my guide posts. And early on (around 1973) I discovered Bonnie Raitt and her incomprable bassist Freebo.
Funny thing is that I was playing in a country band at the time so I was playing stuff like "Good Hearted Woman", "Mama Tried", a bunch of Creedence stuff, and who knows what else. When they told me I played too many notes, I couldn't understand, coming from litenting to Cassady and Bruce!
But then I got into a band with a GOOD drummer, and things started changing. We did a lot of Emmylou Harris and Linda Rondstad stuff (this was around 1977) so I was drawn to Emory Gordy, Leland Sklar, Bob Glaub, Tim Drummond, Kenny Edwards, etc.
I saw Fleetwood Mac right after Buckingham/Nicks joined the band (I think goat woman still had black hair then) and was mesmerized by how cool John McVie was.
Then I got serious about playing and a local prodigy buddy of mine (Curt played with the local university Jazz band while he was still a junior in high-school 'cause he was the only one in town who could read the parts, swing, and still play the Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea charts convincingly- he got bored with Yes after "Fragile" because he found Squire's parts "a bit to predictable") gave me some great advice. He dropped by a gig and we talked for a while. He gave me a couple of pointers about my connection with the drummer, but he also handed me a nakpin on which he'd written "Heavy Weather by Weather Report" and "Jaco Pastorious". My life changed the next day...
The guy who owned the drum shop next door to the guitar store I managed loaned me "Gradually Going Tornado" and "Feels Good To Me" by Bill Bruford with Jeff Berlin on bass. At the same time I was getting more and more drawn to Stax, Motown, Aretha et. al. And over the years I've been a voracious reader of Guitar Player, Bass Player, Rolling Stone (before it became Time Magazine for Old Hippies), Guitar World, and the only really good music magazine ever, Musician. Reading a Tommy Shannon interview (though I think of SRV as the blues equivalen of Kenny G), I was reminded of Wilie Weeks so I hunted up a copy of the live Donnie Hathaway album. And I saw Bela Fleck with New Grass Revival on TV, so a few years later when Austin City Limits was going to have "Bele Fleck & The Flecktones" on, I made a point of watching it- and didn't expect what I heard!
So, my influneces? Jack Bruce, Carl Radle, Nathan East, Willie Weeks, Freebo, Jack Casady, Berry Oakley, James Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Joe Osborne, Duck Dunn, Emory Gordy, Leland Sklar, Jaco, Tim Drummond, Chris Hillman, Jerry Jemmott, Chuck Rainey, Bee Spears, Family Man, Larry Graham, Louis Johnson, Tommy Cogbill, Leo Lyons, Timothy B. Schmidt, Jeff Berlin, Pino Pallidino, Victor Wooten, David Hood, Peter Cetera, Jim Fielder, and Kenny Edwards.
The ones I consciously think about and think "what would [instert name here] do here?" are still Jack Bruce, Jaco, Duck, Leland, Freebo, Nathan, Emory, Pino, and Willie.
And I gotta mention four who influenced my approach to LEARNING music too- Carol Kaye for all those monthly columns in Guitar Player Magazine I went back to when I started playing bass. I didn't wind up using a pick, but all she taught about music is still the foundation of my learning. Jeff Berlin for his absolute no BS, it's a lot of work wiithout secrets approach to education. Darryl Jones inspires me with EVERY interview of him I've ever read. He did one for Bass Player maybe 10 years ago where he talked about repeating the same riff over and over until one gets past the mechanics and finds the music- like a trance or something. I did that with "I'll Take You There" and learned so much about focus, locking into the groove, and being THE BASS PLAYER. And I find Vicotor Wooten's words to be a bigger influence on me than his music.
jte
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So you guys really DO go back a long time don't you Mark?
It's always good to keep in touch with people who helped you get started on your musical journey.
Yeah, Mark - I'm only a year behind you!
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I think he was referring to Mark and Mike Lull going back a long time, not just Mark's ancient age. ;)
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I think he was referring to Mark and Mike Lull going back a long time, not just Mark's ancient age. ;)
My apologies - I thought he was referring to the median age here at the outpost - which apparently requires Carbon-14 dating to establish. :o
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Good to see lots of Berry Oakley here...& JTE mentioned David Hood--He was great LIVE with Traffic & he's played on twice as many recordings as Tony Levin!!
Another superb bassplayer/singer nobody's mentioned is the late fokken great JAMES DEWAR!
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Yep +1 for James Dewar. Great singer as well.
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lots of people but i think the first bass player that made me want to play was Geezer! not that anyone cares
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I care, SR! Geezer's great~ one of my favs in high school.
Just learned that James Dewar made a lot more albums than I thot!!!!!!!!!!!
This link explains nicely that he just sang on a few recordings:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/diner/2674/jdewa_b.htm
...& just played bass sometimes while someone else (like Frankie Miller) sang.
Gotta get some of these...or maybe ALL of these!!!!!!!!!
Beginning with the ones he sang AND played bass on after Bridge of Sighs...
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I picked up a bass because of Les Claypool and I love Geezer Butler, but I don't play much like either of them.
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Paul McCartney, Jim Lea, John Entwistle, Overend Watts, Martin Turner, Dennis Dunaway, Geezer Butler, Roger Glover, Gene Simmons to name a few.
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Mine - JPJ, Kenny Gradney, Randy Jo Hobbs, Rocco Prestia, Mark King, Alain Caron, Leland Sklar, Johnny B. Gayden, Lee Rocker, Lee Allan Zeno, George Porter, Gary Talent, Paul Spencer Denman and Duck Dunn.
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The late, great Dee Murray is to blame.
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Pretty simple:
Duck Dunn (in the Booker T & The MGs days, and in The Blues Brothers)
J. Jamerson (in everything)
Chas Chandler (The Animals)
Tommy Shannon (SRV & Double Trouble)
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Well, first there was Paul McCartney. I wasn't even really aware of what bass was in those days. But I had pretty much memorized all the Beatles albums, including subconsciously the basslines, by the time I was 10. I am still in awe of some of his beautifully simple bass melodies; "Dear Prudence" comes to mind.
Then there was the Entwistle era. Right around the time I got interested in bass, I also got obsessed with the Who. From the intro of "Pinball Wizard" I was hooked. I dug out my Dad's copy of "Live at Leeds" and used to love playing with the balance knob on the stereo to figure out what Pete and John were doing. If there's a single formative album in my playing, that would be it.
Then there was Tony Levin. A friend turned me on to Peter Gabriel; I picked up a copy of "Plays Live" and I was fascinated by all these weird (and very prominent) bass parts among all the synths. I played along to that album easily dozens of times, even tuning down to C# for "In a Humdrum".
Then came Mike Watt. The same friend turned me on to various punk-related things; the Minutemen were far and away my favorite of the bunch. Such an inventive and physical approach, and funky too. I went out and bought Ballot Result and learned to play along with all that stuff. (I have a thing for live albums, apparently).
Lots of others, but those are the big four.
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Paul McCartney, Jim Lea, John Entwistle, Overend Watts, Martin Turner, Dennis Dunaway, Geezer Butler, Roger Glover, Gene Simmons to name a few.
Scott stole almost all my choices!!! I'd only add Nick Simper, Glenn Hughes, Alan Lancaster (Status Quo) and the late Charles Tumahai (spelling?) of Be Bop De Luxe.
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This thread could easily be confused with which bass player do you admire the most. But since that is not the case I'm going to have to dig real deep in how things got started...
When I was ten years old I saw Sting on TopPop with The Police. I thought it was very cool that the lead singer was playing the bass. I think it must have been the first time I noticed the difference between a six string guitar and a bass.
Anyway I decided that I wanted to be a bassplayer too. And I built my own "bass guitar" out of a piece of chipwood, fish wire for strings and some Coca Cola capsules for the controls.
When I was thirteen me and a few friends decided we wanted to perform a song during the music lesson at highschool. Most kids did a playback act, or a little dance. But we wanted something different. We wanted to ROCK. So we chose the Black Sabbath classic Paranoid. But I did not have a clue how to figure out the bass part. Plus I only had a spanish guitar that my parents gave me when I turned twelve.
So I went to the older brother of a buddy of mine down the street. He was a bass player in a real band. And I asked him if he could tell me how to play Paranoid. Which he patiently did. So he actually learned me the first things about playing a bass.
A few months later one of the friends in that one-off-school-band had formed a band. And at a certain point he asked me if I'd like to be their bass player. I didn't own a bass guitar, but it was okay if I used the bass guitar from their former bas player (who had moved on to a better band).
We did lots of covers and a few originals. We were big fans of Iron Maiden. I practiced all of those typical Steve Harris bass parts. I remember hour after hour of trying to get Phantom Of The Opera right.
A few years later David Lee Roth released Eat 'm and Smile. And there was Billy Sheehan. He made me forget all about Steve Harris. Sheehan was the new God.
A few years later all of a sudden I grew tired of the whole complicated virtuoso noodling thing.
I (re)discovered ZZ Top and AC/DC. Plus Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.
I formed a band called "De SRV Mannen". Most SRV stuff of course, but also Johnny Winter and Jimi Hendrix.
So I got into Blues Rock and figured out all these Tommy Shannon and Noel Redding parts.
Around the same time I formed another band called Live & Dangerous. I had been a big fan of Thin Lizzy since the early eighties. So we formed a Thin Lizzy cover band. This was before the hausse of the tribute bands. Tribute band wasn't even a word back then. I learned how to use a plectrum (pick). Phil Lynott may not have been the best bass player around, but he was pretty tight. And his songwriting was awesome. Big influence!
In 1993 Cry Of Love released their debut album Brother. To this very day that album is still one of my favorites. Bass player Robert Kearns has a very melodic yet rock solid way of playing the bass. Plus he used this weird little bas with that huge sound: a Gibson Les Paul Bass (aka Triumph)!!
When my band Superfloor first got started we covered about half the Brother CD to get things started for ourselves.
Lately I don't think I've been very much influenced by bassplayers. It's more bands or songs that influence me. Or who ever you play with at that time.
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Well, the ones I tried to copy were (lots of recurring names in my list, too):
Jack Bruce
James Jamerson
Geezer Butler
Dennis Dunaway
Martin Turner
Chris Squire
John Wetton
Dee Murray
In the end, when I finally started writing my own bass lines, it was a surprise to listen to myself. A guy that I had never consciously tried to copy was the biggest influence of all:
Gary Thain
(I'm not convinced the audio for this is the actual live performance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvXIIqSFWl8
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(I'm not convinced the audio for this is the actual live performance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvXIIqSFWl8
I've seen this before and have the same reservations (you can't hear the screaming Japanese, who always seem to dominate live recordings from there). I always thought that the "poor man's Deep Purple" comments were unjustified. Purple may have had the more accomplished musicians, but the Heepsters were always underrated - especially Thain and Byron.
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Gary Thain!
I'll never get tired of Uriah Heep. As far as I can tell the vid and audio are from two different performances, it just doesn't sync up that well. Doesn't matter! They were a great band, wish I could have seen Gary play, he died about two weeks before their show in Seattle......
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Opps forgot Billy Sheehan ! I used to see him in Talas Long before he was famous, I just stood there in awe :o
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Opps forgot Billy Sheehan ! I used to see him in Talas Long before he was famous, I just stood there in awe :o
I'll bet. I went to a bass clinic of his, where he nonchalantly showed us how he had to double the bass and sax parts for their version of "21st Century Schizoid Man"
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I liked his Niacin stuff
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My little tribute to Billy's the wife. Not a exact copy and when I used to go see him there was lots finish on his bass :o (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/Billybass001.jpg)
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Yeah, I forgot one too...
All you 70s rock losers (like me) should recognize this one. ;D
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/lowend1/KennyBird.jpg)
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Pete Way
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Pete Way
"Way" off ;D
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Opps! Now I am really curious !
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Looks like Howard Stern! :mrgreen:
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Since I refuse to believe that you guys won't know him, I'll do the "hint" thing. Lets start with he's American, born in Brooklyn, NY, and has played with some of the most time-tested acts from that era. While he is a world-class bassist, his name is is not on the tip of everyone's tongue. And no, its's NOT Hugh McDonald. ;D
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Kenny Aronson?
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Kenny Aronson?
I was thinking the same thing, but I've never seen a pic of him with that much hair. I saw him on the brief stint he did with Foghat. I also never saw him with a Thunderbird.
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Gotta be Kenny Aronson.
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We have a winner!
That was a shot of him with Derringer - from his MySpace page.
Here's a more recent Gibsonian pic - although he seems to be playing an Ibanez Roadstar II most often lately...
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/lowend1/KennyRipper.jpg)
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I had never seen him with a Thunderbird either. He has a distinctive jaw, though, and he has that determined look while he's playing.
Gotta love the bell bottoms.
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Every time I've seen Kenny play, he's had a different bass - once with the 'bird, once with a sunburst P, once with a "hippie-refinned" stack-knob Jazz...
"Envy" off of Derringer's "Sweet Evil" album has some great funk licks on it. Kenny was definitely ahead of his time on that one. After he cut off his hair, he started to resemble either Scott "Top Ten" Kempner of the Dictators (and Del Lords)... or maybe a non-bloated Andrew "Dice" Clay!
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If I picked the two from my list that I try to emulate style-wise, they'd be Duck Dunn and Tommy Shannon. Just enough notes, just at the right times.
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I fist saw Jack Cornell playing with The Fabulous Knobs back in 1981. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to play bass. I've followed him through stints with The Woodpeckers (with Dan Baird), The Woods, and The Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team. He taught me that you have to have a solid rhythm section to make a song work, but it helps to have a good groove as well...
GREAT player who deserves more recognition..
(http://b0.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01058/08/54/1058424580_l.jpg)
www.myspace.com/olympicasskickinteam (http://www.myspace.com/olympicasskickinteam)
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I first started playing when I saw a band in Cincinnati called Sampson--they were a band that formed from the remnants of the Daybreakers...
Band had a guy that played a Rick named Pat Hurley, and had the seventies "english" rotosound flatpick style nailed.
For whatever reason I looked up on stage and said to myself "I can do that"...
That was 35 or 36 years ago give or take...been playing professionally pretty much ever since...
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-60's, 70's & 80's -John Entwistle, Chris Squire & Gary Thain
Most bassists know all about Entwistle and Squire...their sound really made it easy for me to seperate the bass from the rest of the music.
Gary Thain was incredible and for a short period of time gave another dimension to Uriah Heep.
- 80's & 90's - Craig Bloxom (Spy V. Spy)
Ask any Aussie about Craig Bloxom - thunderous bass and he has a killer voice to boot.
- Lately - Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) & Dan Maines (Clutch)
Every time I see Colin Edwin play, he looks like knows that he has the coolest job in the world and he's enjoying himself. Killer groove.
Dan Maines is one-fourth of Clutch, and holds it all together with JP Gaster, one of the best drummers ever, anywhere.
If I ever get any better, I'd like to think that each of these guys helped influence my style. They certainly influenced me to pick up the bass at 45 years old and finally give it a try.
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Spy v Spy were one of the hardest working bands in Australia back in the 80's. Great live act.
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My apologies - I thought he was referring to the median age here at the outpost - which apparently requires Carbon-14 dating to establish. :o
Well, I just started on this bass stuff in December, after wanting to learn how to play since 1984...
I have always loved listening to Leon Wilkeson's bass lines in so many of Skynyrd's songs. Even now the beginning of "Simple Man" gives me the chills. Probably the biggest thing which got me interested was a friend of mine in high school, who was a couple of years younger than me. His dad was the conductor for the Fayetteville Symphony and I'll bet Doug's played for 30 years now. He had some sort of Flying V in '83 and he was always horsing around with it, playing in his church group, etc. Then I went to college, then go interested in old motorcycles, and finally realized that whenever I go see shows, I find myself most interested in what the bass player is doing. So, I though, "WTF" and bought an Ibanez, then the Dano, which I love. I think since the week before Christmas only 2 or 3 days have gone by where I didn't have the bass out. It's been a blast indeed. Should have done this in '84!
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Speaking of Leon Wilkeson, I once accidentally encountered him in a church in Mississippi. He was surrounded by people talking to him, but now I wish I'd have found a way to talk to him, too. It really wouldn't have been that hard.
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Always heard he was a nice guy. Too bad you didn't get to talk to him!
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Always heard he was a nice guy. Too bad you didn't get to talk to him!
Believe me, I regret that now. It would have been so easy, too. I have also heard he was a nice guy.
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After Billy Powell died I was reading about Leon (The Mad Hatter as he was known) and apparently his girlfriend cut his throat while he was sleeping. He survived but man, the luck those guys had was terrible. I think Skynyrd would not have sounded as good if they'd had someone other than Leon on bass.
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I've never really been much of a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, but I can appreciate their music. From what I've heard, Leon playing was pretty important for them. After briefly leaving and being replaced on bass by Ed King, Ronnie Van Zant told Ed that his bass playing sucked and he had to have Leon back on bass.
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Leon is a vastly melodic player that fit right into that "Southern outlaw" style. I'm one of those who says if you can't cop Leon's parts, don't even bother to do most Lynyrd Skynyrd songs.
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Carol Kaye (long before I knew it was her on the Beach Boys records) and Joe Osborn. Later there were Roger Glover, John Wetton, and Chris Squire.
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If you listen to the earlier stuff when Ed King played bass and compare it to the Wilkeson era, there's almost no comparison. Not that King sucked (unless Ronnie said so) but Wilkeson's riffs are damn near songs themselves.
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The impression I get is that Ronnie felt Ed King was okay as a guitarist but certainly a failed bassist. Whatever his exact words were about Ed's bass playing, they were pretty harsh. I'm just basing this on documentaries I've seen and stuff I've read.
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I'd like to see some documentaries about the band, but they must be rather difficult to find.
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I've seen several, but the best was one on Southern rock on the Turner network.
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I'd like to see some documentaries about the band, but they must be rather difficult to find.
"Behind the Music" (1997) - on VH1, but can't find it on DVD yet.
Also (and on Netflix):
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/LYNYRD-SKYNYRD-ROCK-CASE-STUDIES/2882634/product.html (http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/LYNYRD-SKYNYRD-ROCK-CASE-STUDIES/2882634/product.html)
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Leon is a vastly melodic player that fit right into that "Southern outlaw" style. I'm one of those who says if you can't cop Leon's parts, don't even bother to do most Lynyrd Skynyrd songs.
+1 definitely
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Key influences?
1. Carol Kaye
2. Joe Osborn
3. Jamerson
4. Macca
5. Jack Bruce
6. Larry Knechtel
7. Pete Cetera
8. Bogert
9. Clive Chaman
10. Doyle Holly
11. Ox
12. Squire
That's just 12 off the top of my head.
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Clive Chaman - now there's a name that doesn't come up very often. For a youngster of 21, he did some very nice stuff with Jeff Beck.
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That Rough & Ready album blew my mind in '71. CC is a very tactile, nimble player with great groove and tone. Shame how it all went south with Beck later on.
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Although I realize it may not be cool to admit it, I have to say that Noel Redding was definitely a big early influence. This was literally due to the fact that my first band did so many Hendrix songs and this was at a time when I was just getting the hang of playing bass. As time went on, though, I did become more melodic.
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Noel Redding was awesome!
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Noel Redding was awesome!
I think what he did worked pretty well for the JHE, but a lot of people do tend to be critical of him for playing bass like a guitarist, playing root notes too much, etc.
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I was thinking the same thing, but I've never seen a pic of him with that much hair. I saw him on the brief stint he did with Foghat. I also never saw him with a Thunderbird.
That TBird might actually be mine now. My 1965 sunburst TB IV was preowned by Herr Aaronson. Says Kevin Borden who sold it to me. Of course, I've since refinned it to stunning purple burst ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/P1020532.jpg
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That TBird might actually be mine now. My 1965 sunburst TB IV was preowned by Herr Aaronson. Says Kevin Borden who sold it to me. Of course, I've since refinned it to stunning purple burst ...
Uwe, I'm surprised you didn't see the 3-point on the 'bird that Kenny is playing in the pic. The time period (mid-late 70s) and aforementioned bridge might indicate that it was a new Bicentennial ('77, '79 or whatever).
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I wasn't sure, whether it was a three point or not, didn't look very closely and had to do it on his site where the pic can only be seen for a few seconds before another one comes along. That bass (= mine) had some extra routing (all covered up now), but I don't think it had anything for a three point.
Whatever. Aaronson is a great player. When he was with Billy Squier in the early eighties touring Germany I watched him upclose, excellent player with lots of flashy, entertaining and humorous licks. He even tapped (tastefully) on his bass. Nothing fancy, just single notes, but to great effect at strategic places in the music. Didn't play a Gibson then, it was something P'ish I believe.
uwe
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When I saw Derringer back in the 70s, I recall seeing him on one occasion playing a black T-Bird minus pickguard which appeared to have some extra routing in the area normally covered up by same.
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I think what he did worked pretty well for the JHE, but a lot of people do tend to be critical of him for playing bass like a guitarist, playing root notes too much, etc.
Maybe they are critical because the JHE was damn good. :)
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Noel Redding was awesome!
NR was a guitarist who was in the right place at the right time. I personally never thought much of his bass playing.
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Entwistle - for obvious reasons. He got me out of playing just the root which was killing my interest in bass at the time.
Krist Novoselic - the first bassist I could pick out of any song, never got lost in the mix of Nirvana. The first bassist I actually payed attention to. Introduced me to pick playing actually, something I don't do often, but occasionally. Also got me into Gibson basses.
Mike Dirnt - A punk bassist that does a lot more than is really required of him. Inspired me change up my punk rifts when playing with friends.
Geddy Lee - Not only am I dumbfounded by his ability to sing and play such rifts, but I really like his tone. Not that I'm willing to buy a jazz bass just yet, not unless it has a P-neck.
Jack Bruce - Just for Sunshine of Your Love. The rift I play when I'm trying out any new bass/amp. Love it.
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Andy Fraser was my biggest influence for years , then Jaco, ..... ive gone back to listening to Free again after many years ... incredible band.
Ronnie Lane with The Faces is a big influence too .....
dex
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/hamish/AndyFraserEB3.jpg)
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There's 2 guys I never really appreciated until recently, Ronnie Lane with Small Faces and Chris White with the Zombies. After acquiring anthologies of each band I think I've subconsciously absorbed some of their style. Deceptively simple and solid.
About Noel Redding-he did pretty good for Jimi but IMO the best bass playing on any Hendrix records was from Billy Cox or from Jimi himself.
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Andy Fraser was my biggest influence for years , then Jaco, ..... ive gone back to listening to Free again after many years ... incredible band.
Ronnie Lane with The Faces is a big influence too .....
dex
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/hamish/AndyFraserEB3.jpg)
Andy Fraser is amazing, ain't he? His playing on Mr. Big is The Ultimate Bass As Lead!
Here's the best LIVE version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhCilozomo&feature=related
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I actually like Andy's bass work on "Snakes and Swallowtails" with Sharks.
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There's 2 guys I never really appreciated until recently, Ronnie Lane with Small Faces and Chris White with the Zombies. After acquiring anthologies of each band I think I've subconsciously absorbed some of their style. Deceptively simple and solid.
About Noel Redding-he did pretty good for Jimi but IMO the best bass playing on any Hendrix records was from Billy Cox or from Jimi himself.
The consensus seems to be that Billy Cox was a better bassist than Noel Redding. When it comes to Hendrix's music, it's mostly "Are You Experienced," "Electric Ladyland," and "Axis Bold As Love" that I've listened to. I actually don't have those albums anymore, but I do have the best of Hendrix CD. So that's the only thing I have any of Cox's playing on. He plays on "Freedom," "Night Bird Flying," "Angel," and "Dolly Dagger," the four songs which I consider the worst on the CD. I don't feel this was Cox's fault and it's just my opinion that those are the worst songs anyway. However, I will go as far to say that I don't particularly think that Cox's playing on "Angel" is very good.
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I appreciate your opinion but whereas Noel was a guitar player who was recruited to play bass Billy is an actual bassist. Your opinions about what are the worst songs are yours as well. That's cool. With all due respect I have to tell you that you have a lot more listening to do.
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I never listened to the Band of Gypsies stuff very much; this wasn't something deliberate, it's just the way things turned out. However, what I did hear, I didn't like as much as the earlier Hendrix songs which were more of a psychedelic rock sound (which is something I personally prefer).
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I grew up with the early albums and I liked Noel's playing (and still do) and I have to confess that it took me a little while to accept Billy as the new bassist. Jimi's music changed and Billy was a better fit. I do understand what you're saying. Noel was an influence on me as well and those first 3 albums blew my mind back when they were new and continue to now.
I will say that Billy Cox is a better bass player than you heard with Jimi. Jimi had him playing a lot of patterns that they'd tie together, which sometimes didn't him a lot of freedom to stretch out. He's not a psychedelic rock and roll bass player but a down home greasy funky soul man.
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I grew up with the early albums and I liked Noel's playing (and still do) and I have to confess that it took me a little while to accept Billy as the new bassist. Jimi's music changed and Billy was a better fit. I do understand what you're saying. Noel was an influence on me as well and those first 3 albums blew my mind back when they were new and continue to now.
I will say that Billy Cox is a better bass player than you heard with Jimi. Jimi had him playing a lot of patterns that they'd tie together, which sometimes didn't him a lot of freedom to stretch out. He's not a psychedelic rock and roll bass player but a down home greasy funky soul man.
It's obvious that you've listened to Billy Cox a lot more than I have. I think I understand what you're saying. Billy Cox was having to adapt quickly and playing some music which probably wasn't exactly suited to his style. Cox deserves recognition and I think most people realize he was a better bassist than Noel Redding. On the other hand, in spite of the fact that even Noel Redding himself looked at himself as a guitarist and not really a bassist, what he did still does have some merit. I suppose I may still have somewhat of a romanticized view of all the members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Redding lived for years in Cork, Ireland. I visited Ireland a few years ago, and although I was mostly in Dublin, I did get to visit Cork once. I can imagine what it might have been like had I visited a few years earlier and possibly glimpsed Noel Redding walking the streets of Cork. Such things are not so far fetched. In fact, some of the things that happened to me in Dublin were even stranger than that.
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. In fact, some of the things that happened to me in Dublin were even stranger than that.
haha, I so relate to that comment ;D
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Gotta read thru this thread properly to catch all that has been laid down here, and as part of my reformation, I thought I'd post some of my own pics along the way, If anyone declares an interest in what I post PM and I'll be happy to discuss a trade but no sales... ;D
I started to note some of my influences on my own post, the RD was it...? but I'll try and be more cohesive and on thread here...
(HAH...! chance'ud be a fine thing...)
Uwe, you mentioned that you liked the Ian Gillan Band - took a bit of digging but I found this...
Mr John Gustafson fits the bill...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/random%20stuff/IGB5.jpg)
Mr G with a WAL on stage at the Marquee... my copyright...
... some of the negs/slides have some scratches but this is one I 'shopped before uploading...
... and your welcome to a scan of the set if you would like them (about 30 or so), I know you weren't there, and there is nothing I can do to help that so this is purely by way of a thank-you and to share the memory... I remember a lost and lamented guitarist with the initial SRV (along with the most excellent Tommy Shannon and Chris "Whipper" Layton- never parting with that programme) gracing me with 20 minutes or so, sharing his memories of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, backstage at Reading in '83, and gracefully reminding me that Little wing, which he'd played earlier, was originally recorded by a certain Mr Hendrix and not by Clapton (how dumb did I feel, and I said it!), who he also discussed, and I remember an American talking to me about Woodstock - his lasting memory of those 3 days was, "the smell", and then we went in to watch Skynyrd play That Smell as a brand new unreleased song, along with a set similar to their first official live album...
No matter how young, or old, there will almost always be somone with older memories to share... and share we should...
I was lucky enough to see Ian Gillan about 5 times at the Marquee (I only remembered 3 times but pics show me differently) IGB, the Steve Byrd line up 3 times
(DRAT, DRAT and TREBLE DRAT... the night Blackmore came on I'd left the "Baby" at home...! - "Baby" was the nickname my buddies gave my old now retired Pentax A - odd thing with her was that I could drink like a fish, and often did in those days... but when ever I was with "Baby" some inner defence mechanism would always protect me from harm and I'd remain compus-mentus... wierd...), anyway, I digress, also the torme lineup...
It is dificult to keep me on track without some tangentelisms taking place... err, I digressed again...
so... I followed all of the Deep Purple spin-offs, I missed the #3 but did see Bolin (Taste' is an excelent Purple LP, even if it is more Bolin/Hughes than Bolin/Coverdale/Hughes/Lord/Paice, even got some pics in a (WS) tour programme and had John Lord set me up with some hard-to-get seats for their show at the Rainbow Theatre in the late 70's, not an intentional name drop, just a thank-you Mr Lord to an extremely generous man - I think he had to buy them from a tout with his own readies...!
Uwe, you mentioned Kenny Aaronsen above (loved HSAS... love his playing) and seeing him play in Billy Squiers line-up - was that supporting Whitesnake, I was at the Dusseldorf show...
back on thread... They (IGB) played a sparkling set and his voice was spot-on , hitting all the whoahs, just like DP's MIJ , right to the top of the scale - I think the only other men to have effected me so much with their voices are probably Paul Rodgers and Ronnie Van Zant, both of whom I was lucky enough to have seen in the 70's - encoring with the obligatory Smoke' - seeing him sing Child In Time was something else - my only regret was no live version of Five Moons, probably my favourite IGB track... the set was similar to the BUDOKAN recordings, but in a pub/bar type location...
The band played like excrement of a shiny digging implement: John Gustafson's seminal sparkling runs with his WAL bass rumbling along in my ear-hole (I was sat on the edge of the stage in front of the stack for most of the gig, having a buddy get me the occasional (poor quality, vastly extortionate, but still quite refreshing) lager from the bar, Mark Nauseef's jazzy fills, Colin Townes' beautifully melodic keys, and Ray Fenwick's underestimated Strat' work...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/random%20stuff/IGB7.jpg)
a close-up of JG's spare WAL resplendant with leather tooling on the front - kinda weird to me... my copyright...
The next lineup produced one of the great lost rock lps , never having being properly re-issued as it came out of Japan, and featured an awsomely under-rated guitarist, Steve Byrd...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/random%20stuff/GILLAN-byrd4.jpg)
"The Voice" with Mr Byrd... I had forgotten these existed until I went digging... my copyright
... and a drummer that blew his chances (Gillan's words), Pete Barnacle, Mr Townes again on the keys, and my dad, the inimitable John McCoy, him of the gut wrenching bass-lines and jumping around like no-one his size or-ta be doing...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/random%20stuff/GILLAN-torme-alt3.jpg)
this shot was from a set of the Torme line up at the Marquee... my copyright...
Mr McCoy has been a major influence in my life and for the offer he made re Samson I will never forget him, although it was a path I chose not to follow...
Thank you anyway John...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/Front%20Page/20090307054.jpg)
I mean, I seem to have turned into a clone, except what's left is greyer...
the "eyes must be that bit of the devil I have yet to exorcise... off stage checking the sound levels...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/Front%20Page/20090307031.jpg)
... and resplendant with hat 'n' keepin' it tight with "Bomber" Cornwell...
sorry, Uwe, my "jack" is a bit of a pin-cushion, err... kinda happened..., anyway, I have to admit my to my sins before I can truly reform... I wonder what else I can dig out of the pit that is my negative box...?
Lord, hear mah words, ah beseach yah, before ah's dragged dahn to the farrrreee pit...
psst, anyone got some good ones I can add to... wh... what was that noise back there...
... ARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH......
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Sorry for digging up old threads but I couldn't resist.
Some great names mentioned (like the underrated Johnny Gus above) and I'm sure my list wouldn't look too different:
Lately (the last 4 years...), I've been shamelessly copying the licks and the style of the late great Doug Rauch. Not underrated, just too unknown, he was funky!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvVMRXjh1pc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvVMRXjh1pc)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1265/230/8/628879582/n628879582_1001351_4588.jpg)
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Interesting front pup on that Jazz.
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I fist saw Jack Cornell playing with The Fabulous Knobs back in 1981. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to play bass. I've followed him through stints with The Woodpeckers (with Dan Baird), The Woods, and The Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team. He taught me that you have to have a solid rhythm section to make a song work, but it helps to have a good groove as well...
GREAT player who deserves more recognition..
www.myspace.com/olympicasskickinteam (http://www.myspace.com/olympicasskickinteam)
A couple of weeks ago I had a friendly email exchange with Jack when he responded to my Craigslist post looking for '60s Thunderbird pickups. I knew it was a loooooong shot, but what the hell. He emailed me, wished me luck and we discussed NR T-birds for a little while. He's having a local luthier make one for him with Lull pups, so I sent him a pic of my BaCH TH-2. He liked it a lot and offered me a chance to try out his NR when it's done. I'm going to have to check it out. And yeah, Badger, Olympic Asskicking Team is a great band and Jack rocks that LP bass!
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Interesting front pup on that Jazz.
Yeah, it's a mudbucker. It also has a P-pickup in place of the front Jazz PU and did I mention that I'd love to know how it was wired? Probably stereo (check out the following from 1:22 onwards)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdn4opwXmls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdn4opwXmls)