Life before AC/DC: Cliff Williams with Home ...

uwe · August 28, 2013, 11:01:29 AM

And no, that is not a cello in that track, that is him on electric bass with a bow!

Admittedly, I didn't know he had something like that in him.

But AC/DC does one thing the luckless Home never did: pay the bills.

amptech · August 28, 2013, 03:16:08 PM

Quote from: uwe on August 28, 2013, 11:01:29 AM

But AC/DC does one thing the luckless Home never did: pay the bills.

Good thing he left the bow at home when auditioning for them

Highlander · August 28, 2013, 04:05:40 PM

Saw them supporting Slade - one of the guitarists went on to better things too - all I can say about them was that they were alright, but not much else...

uwe · August 28, 2013, 04:29:57 PM

Lyrical Home and the raunchy Slade were an ill match if there ever was one!

What surprised me on that track was how melodic he was with the bow (a few intentional or non-intentional bum notes excepted). It's been done before (or actually around that time: when did Jimmy Page start using the bow? ... the Home track is from 71). Compared to that Jimmy Pages's Echoplex-driven attempts were of - to put it nicely - "atmospheric nature" at best. To be fair: It is easier to single out an individual string with a bow on a bass than on a guitar.

Should I get a bow?

Highlander · August 28, 2013, 04:33:48 PM

Quote from: uwe on August 28, 2013, 04:29:57 PM
... Lyrical Home and the raunchy Slade were an ill match if there ever was one!

... Should I get a bow?

It was an NME poll winners show, hence the odd pairing... there was someone else between but memory fails me as to who...

As for the latter point, stick to the tie in court and when dealing with clients...

gweimer · August 28, 2013, 04:42:44 PM

Quote from: uwe on August 28, 2013, 04:29:57 PM
Lyrical Home and the raunchy Slade were an ill match if there ever was one!

What surprised me on that track was how melodic he was with the bow (a few intentional or non-intentional bum notes excepted). It's been done before (or actually around that time: when did Jimmy Page start using the bow? ... the Home track is from 71). Compared to that Jimmy Pages's Echoplex-driven attempts were of - to put it nicely - "atmospheric nature" at best. To be fair: It is easier to single out an individual string with a bow on a bass than on a guitar.

Should I get a bow?

It's actually pretty difficult to wield. After seeing LZ, I decided I should try the bow on a bass. Page didn't exactly bow the guitar, so much as hammer chords. What I found on my old Vox was that without a decent arch, and the angle of the bow (a cello bow works best, btw), I was restricted to a narrow approach on the G string. I did get the sound down pretty well, but I was pretty limited to a single-string, single-scale solo...in G.

Highlander · August 28, 2013, 04:46:22 PM

The RD lends itself to that quite well as the neck profile kind of lends itself that way, especially as a fretless...

uwe · August 29, 2013, 10:52:46 AM

Quote from: gweimer on August 28, 2013, 04:42:44 PM
It's actually pretty difficult to wield. After seeing LZ, I decided I should try the bow on a bass. Page didn't exactly bow the guitar, so much as hammer chords. What I found on my old Vox was that without a decent arch, and the angle of the bow (a cello bow works best, btw), I was restricted to a narrow approach on the G string. I did get the sound down pretty well, but I was pretty limited to a single-string, single-scale solo...in G.

Hey, that's my favorite key!

FrankieTbird · August 29, 2013, 03:30:50 PM

Quote from: uwe on August 28, 2013, 04:29:57 PM
It's been done before (or actually around that time: when did Jimmy Page start using the bow? ... the Home track is from 71).

Page started bowing the guitar around '68 or maybe even '67 with the Yardbirds. I think the guy from Creation was doing it even earlier.

uwe · August 30, 2013, 04:17:37 AM

I remember the guy from Creation doing it!

nofi · August 30, 2013, 09:49:27 AM

cliff williams net worth is 100 million dollars. not bad for a bass player who i am sure cares not whether the camera is on him.

uwe · August 30, 2013, 10:44:09 AM

I'm sure he has no regrets about making the AC/DC audition!

Dave W · August 30, 2013, 07:11:41 PM

Quote from: nofi on August 30, 2013, 09:49:27 AM
cliff williams net worth is 100 million dollars. not bad for a bass player who i am sure cares not whether the camera is on him.

How's that? Did he invent something?

nofi · September 01, 2013, 09:49:14 AM

bill ward is worth 85 mil. i guess a non writing rhythm section can make some real dough. (if you are in a hugely popular band for about forty years or so.)

Highlander · September 01, 2013, 04:04:21 PM

With the Sabs, iirc, they split everything four-ways, including the credits, even for Iommi's noodlings, so...