Jimmy Bain's Thunderbird

[Pekka]

A '63 no less.

[doombass]

Nice! My image of Jimmy Bain is either using a Telecaster Bass or a Yamaha BB 3000.

[Bionic-Joe]

I just emailed my friend Lizzy Valentine from D'Molls who is good friends with Jimmy. Just asked if he still has the T bird. I kinda' Doubt it.

[lowend1]

That must be the onelisted on the Rainbow OnStage album as a "reverb Firebird" bass guitar...

[Bionic-Joe]

Jimmy doesn't have the bird anymore.

[Pekka]

That must be the onelisted on the Rainbow OnStage album as a "reverb Firebird" bass guitar...

Yes indeed. I always wondered what the heck was that and thought maybe they still listed Gruber's bass which of course was a non-reverse Thunderbird.

[uwe]

Not aware that he ever played it with Rainbow, but a great info. Blackmore back then liked a pick playing sound with a bass and a lot of presence zzzing, the Bird would have been too mellow, especially with Cozy taking no prisoners in the back. After Blackers fired him (allegedly for "not being a good enough bass player" after his predecessor and intermittent successor Craig Gruber had been criticized for playing too much), he was a while with Ian Hunter's Overnight Angels before the Wild Horses. He might have played 5the Bird with Hunter, it would have been a nice nod to overend watts.   

What's Bain doing now? Drug issues got him fired with Dio the rumors were. Last I heard of him was when he auditioned for the Stones after Wyman left.  Heard that he got quite far actually. Had they taken him, they'd sound quite a bit edgier today. Bain is no slouch  on the bass (and his playing improved greatly on those early Dio albums), but not really an R'n'B (in the old sense) groover, his playing is always a little jagged.

[Bionic-Joe]

I'll ask.

[Pekka]

he was a while with Ian Hunter's Overnight Angels before the Wild Horses.

He was also in John Cale's band and played on the great EP "Animal Justice". "Hedda Gabler" is a classic song.

The only basses I have seen him using in Rainbow were the natural Telecaster with a bridge pickup ( and with or without the monstrous pickguard) and a blond (or natural) Precision with a maple neck.

Jimmy played also with Phil Lynott in 1982 on Phil's solo band tour. With Jerome Rimson on bass, the band had three bass players! Jimmy was on keyboards 'though...

[FrankieTbird]

That must be the onelisted on the Rainbow OnStage album as a "reverb Firebird" bass guitar...

Was it Bain or Bob Daisley on that record?

[Pekka]

Was it Bain or Bob Daisley on that record?

Bain. It was compiled from the 1976 tour.

[uwe]

Too add a little confusion: I just read a quote in a Rainbow autobiography of keyboardsmith Tony Carey on Jimmy Bain: "Little Jimmy was great to have around. Great humour and a real rock'n'roller. Totally reliable on stage and he played that huge Gibson Thunderbird bass with something like 5.000 watts. I really liked him."

So that TBird might have crept on stage with Rainbow a couple of times after all, at least it left a lasting impression with Herr Carey.

[Pekka]

Here's little Jimmy playing keys with Philip and his Soul Band. Jimmy looks like Macca or Kasim with that moptop.


Jerome Rimson slaps on a strange looking Ric copy.

[gearHed289]

Cool band! Never heard of that lineup.

[uwe]

In a roundabout way this fits here though it is the later line-up with David Stone and Bob Daisley - Ritchie had just received his first hair transplant too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLN8lHBBKck&feature=player_embedded#!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biE0zdEKn5A&feature=player_embedded


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu8HiZepRWo&feature=player_embedded


Could have also gone with the Dio thread.