Gibson Basses in the UK

[uwe]

I guess we're already quite off track here, so let me push for the early 60's Swedish instrumental group The Shanes, from Tuollavaara just outside of Kirunavaara (-vaara stands for mountain in a language I don't understand), the city that once was considered as the largest city of the world (20 000 square kilometers). This is straight miner's kids in their mid- to late teenyears. Heard them severeal times at a dancing hall deep in the woods close to the mighty Big Luleå river - yes, there was a Little Luleå river, too!

When they were about to record their first 45, Gunfight Saloon, in the spring of -63, the producer wanted The Shanes to were Lap's caps for the cover. The Shanes refused. We ain't no Samojeds, they said. And so it was.

But The Shanes invested in samething else at that stage of their career - they later moved to the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, and became very succesfull - and that was red Fender guitars and bass. When we speak of the tone of the Stratocaster, this is the sound I hear in my mind. And listen to that rhythm guitar, too. What a sound! Like a fast tight creek in the Sami country.

In the fall of -64 I negotiated with Svante, the bass player of The Shanes, about buying his P bass. Couldn't afford it at 16, with no steady job (Hey, that sounds like a title for something: 16, with no steady job!), so I bought a Höfner violin bass instead. Like $15 cheaper.... As Ricky Nelson put it, so elegantly: Fools rush in!

Anyway, Laddies & Gentlemen.... Bring 'em on, son....... The Shanes, and their second 45, from the late summer of '63:  Pistoleros!!!

So there was a Swedish Shadows too? 

[Stjofön Big]

There were several Shadows in every country, as we - of a certain age - all know. The biggest bands in that vein in Sweden was The Violents, The Spotnics, and The Shanes. Though the big difference between the first two, and the last, was that The Shanes wrote their one tunes. The popular way to find material was to take folk tunes, put a twist beat to it, a boogie bass in the bottom, and a guitarist that didn't look away from playing the melody part, some verses in the lower register, some in the upper, and then - to increase the tension - played the melody with the pic hands palm muted over the bridge.
The Shanes concentrated on their own material.
And, yes, they were from Lapland. My county.

[uwe]

It has charm. Hey, I'm a Joe Meek fan!!!









No, I'm not saying who played lead guitar on that last track. You'll never get it out of me, my lips are sealed. 

[Stjofön Big]

Friend of mine bought a real cool t-shirt i Helsinki, Finland. Been looking for another everywhere, can't find.
Front: Big picture of Joe Meek, shoulders and head.
Beside the pic: Go Meek!
Coolest t-shirt ever!

[Pilgrim]

To me, the essential Tele player is Danny Gatton.  Those bright sounds were perfect for him.  The Tele just talks through every note. 

[patman]

I played with that sax/keyboardist for a year or two back in the late seventies...killer player.  Billy is equally proficient on trumpet or bass.  He's pretty scary. Plays with Chic now, and I have heard he also does brass arrangements for recordings by famous people where he plays everything and sends them the computer file to incorporate into the recording.  Somewhere on the internet is a picture I found of him playing bass with a band at one of Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnics. "Back in the day" we were all good solid pro players. Bill was in another class.

One reason why I became an accountant.  I realized there were musicians out there who were not playing with the same deck of cards that I was playing with.

[westen44]

In this interview on Japanese TV, George Harrison explains (at the very end while he is being cut off) that guitar weight was always an issue with him because of shoulder problems, etc.  He is saying at the end of the video that he wished he could have played a 60s Gibson Les Paul that Eric Clapton gave him, but it was too heavy for him.  If I can find a roughly comparable statement by Hendrix, I'll have all the info I need.  I vaguely remember reading about how he liked his Gibsons, but I don't know where I saw that.  Anyway, it's possible to like more than one kind, needless to say. 

[westen44]

I incorrectly stated in the above post that Eric Clapton gave George Harrison a 60s Les Paul which George was fond of but found to be too heavy to play as much as he wanted to.  However, it appears it was a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop which Clapton gave Harrison in 1968.   George did play it on a number of Beatles songs, however, including some on the White Album.  Also, George played it on at least part of Abbey Road.  This at least included "Something" and "The End."  But the guitar was also played by Clapton himself on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."  As a footnote, the guitar ended up being stolen.  George Harrison had to go to a lot of trouble to get it back, but it remained a prized part of his collection from that point on.