Tawny was a rocker

[uwe]

Sigh, in a further episode she claims not to have had anything done so far, but to be planning "for a little nip/tuck later in the year".

[Basvarken]

That's just sad.

It always puzzles me that women who are so self-conscious about their own appearance, decide to have plastic surgery done and then fail to see the result is awful.

Must be a similar condition to women who suffer from anorexia. They don't see themselves like the rest of the world does.

[uwe]

Tawny's career of sorts and celebrity status were first and foremost based on her looks which in her prime were comparatively natural and wholesome All-American-Girl-Next-Door'ish (I liked her freckles, I really did, same with Kim Basinger, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore and Jessica Chastain), bottled red mane and playmate gyrations aside.



She wasn't in WS videos because she sang or played guitar so well, she didn't play in movies because of her method acting talents and David Coverdale didn't fall in love with her because she was such an interesting discussion partner in astrophysics or devoted her life to famine relief in Ethiopia.

So with her of all people, I understand that she considered her looks a vital part of her professional life and wanted to preserve - if in vain - a youthful appearance. Especially in America, where beauty ops are so much more commonplace - as usual we are lagging about 20 years behind in Europe re that sociological development.

We are nearing an age where 100 year-olds will no longer be a rarity. But nobody - women especially - wants/is allowed to look older than, say, 50. Beauty ops are here to stay.

But why she didn't find someone who did a better job on her looks is beyond me.

[Pilgrim]

She looked scary. Plastic surgery horror!

That was my first thought as well.

[uwe]

Let's remember her like this. Nice eye color.

[Basvarken]

To be honest, I remember her more like this:

[uwe]

You weren't even old enough to watch those videos back then, Rob, now go to bed, hands on the blanket so we can see them!

Yup, Tawny and whoever directed those clips at the time must have studied 9 1/2 Weeks avidly, it had only come out a year before.



Whitesnake videos weren't always so distracting!

[Basvarken]

I didn't lose any sleep over Tawny.
Kim Basinger however was another story...

[amptech]

So who's your favorite WS bassist?

Don't forget that the bass on 1987 (the album) is largely keyboards!

There were more than one?

The band I'm in actually called me because Neil Murray gave me lessons last time I was in England. I did repair work on the guitarist's collection Marshall heads, which had been used for recording and touring with a hard rock band in the 80's. At some point he mentioned Whitesnake and I told him I met Neil, although I was only interested in expanding my prog horizon. It seemed to amuse Neil that I had studied his early work (National Health, anyone?) but only ever heard three Whitesnake songs 

It was my wife who suggested I said yes to join them, she thought it was silly to have 15 basses and not being in a band.
Now I enjoy it very much, they do have a lot of good songs (before they became a hair metal band, at least) and Neil's work is indeed top notch. As a big Jack Bruce fan, busy playing is always a good thing. And like Jack, Neil can play 'proper' rock fretless bass too!
And I have an excuse to use my full Musicman HD stack, so I'm a real happy camper these days

[uwe]

I'm so happy to hear that!

And your "There was more than one?" is spot-on.  Neil Murray is Whitesnake's bassist, period.

For some reason, I tend to gyrate towards pick players as my bassist role models, but Neil (whose groove and little rhythmic intricacies are very "finger-player'ish") in his 1978-82 WS era is my absolute favorite finger player, ahead of people like Jack Bruce or Geddy Lee. The person his playing comes closest to is Gary Thain (another finger player) of Uriah Heep's golden era, they both have a similar groove and melodic sense.

It's frustrating that Neil is almost unknown outside of hard rock/WS circles. In a recent podcast, Ian Paice remarked that Neil's skills as a bassist and musician should have given him a much more significant career in the aftermath of WS and how that proves once again that the business just isn't fair.



This is for Rob, two of his favorite bass players complimenting each other!

[Basvarken]

Neil is a very likeable chap.
He bought a copy of The Gibson bass Book a few years ago and he sent me an email to tell he enjoyed it very much. He also told me he studied graphic design before he became a professional bassist. And he had owned a Les Paul Bass in the seventies.
So I guess he must be a really cool guy 

[amptech]

Neil is a very likeable chap.
He bought a copy of The Gibson bass Book a few years ago and he sent me an email to tell he enjoyed it very much. He also told me he studied graphic design before he became a professional bassist. And he had owned a Les Paul Bass in the seventies.
So I guess he must be a really cool guy 

Yes, a lovely chap. He was working on the electronics of a 60's EB3 when I was there, apparently he liked to work on his own instruments. He ended up looking at all the basses he had, pretty cool to get to play them. And of course many great stories from a lifetime playing with great musicians. I had a great time

[Basvarken]

Yes, a lovely chap. He was working on the electronics of a 60's EB3 when I was there, apparently he liked to work on his own instruments. He ended up looking at all the basses he had, pretty cool to get to play them. And of course many great stories from a lifetime playing with great musicians. I had a great time

That is just awesome!

[uwe]

Some light reading for a rainy afternoon.

http://bandedescons.chez.com/documents/docon2.html

Coverdale's treatment of Neil was commercially shabby, but that is not a first with DC. What is more confounding is how DC consistently missed Neil's greatness as a bass player and, more importantly, his innate ability to contribute to DC's music:

Coverdale has worked with many excellent bass players within WS - Colin Hodkinson, Rudy Sarzo, Tony Franklin, Marco Mendoza -, but none of them ever contributed anything meaningful to his music other than doing the minimum required bass playing - essentially fill out what little sonic space remained between too loud drums and too loud guitars. (Add some flashy runs live from Tony Franklin.)

Neil in his WS days, however, communicated with both sides AND added something of his own in ENHANCEMENT of WS' music. He actually understood DC's music like no other - Coverdale's vain ignorance of that is criminal.

[gearHed289]

You don't get to play with Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth (and Dave Stewart) by being a slouch on the bass.