Old Man Riva

There were a few scheduled within a short time of each other; Darius Brubeck at a local Methodist hall in Loughton in April (cancelled and not rescheduled) Jeff Beck at the Albert Hall in May (put back a year to May 2021) Snarky Puppy at Ronnie Scotts in June (not heard anything about this yet but assume it will be cancelled) I was really looking forward to all of them!

Definitely! Fabulous on both bass and saxophone. A musician I always love listening to. Over the years I’d assumed he played a Precision, but whatever he used he made it sound wonderful. I’m a sucker for that late 60s/early 70s bass sound, or rather that should probably be a sucker for late 60s/early 70s bass players!

“Ponk”! I really like that! I’m a big fan of Wilton Felder and his newly-coined ‘sound of ponk’. His playing and sound on Joni’s ‘Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow’ and ‘Hissing of the Summer Lawns’ tracks from the album of the same name are perfect for me. Beautifully fluid bass lines, with a little woodiness of tone and a splash of ponk... what’s not to like!

There’s a well known Stones one where Bill messes up - can’t remember which one! As I’ve gotten older I quite like the looseness that I hear on various songs. When I first went into a recording studio in the early 80s it was the most daunting and unenjoyable experience. I was nervous as hell and didn’t enjoy it one bit. Some of the bass sounds in the 80s didn’t help either - very unforgiving. Skip to the late 80s and into the 90s and things got better. It’s only in recent years (thanks to things like YouTube) where I’ve heard some of the tracks that I’ve loved and been inspired by, and surprise surprise, they’re not all perfect but still sound great and inspiring! Maggie May is a great example...

Completely agree. It was incredibly moving and he was a genuine inspiration for all those at the school. Came across as a wonderful human being, and I hadn’t considered it in that way before, but you’re right, his emotional intelligence had a profound effect on his music.

There was an excellent documentary on BBC Four a few years back, Still Bill. As well as being a wonderful musician he came across as a thoroughly fine human being. It highlighted some of the work he did to help fellow stammerers - most of which the outside world knew nothing about.

With TV themes in mind, this always used to (and still does) cheer me up. Takes me back to a time as a kid when I convinced myself (quite understandably) that I would meet and marry Sharon McReadie. She’d be off fighting evil regimes in some far-off land and despite that she’d be more concerned with finding ways to get back home so we could be together. But only if she were a fan of Slade...

I’m really intrigued by these. Can you give someone who knows nothing about fan-fret basses a crash course in what they’re like?! The OW P-Bass version looks great, btw!

Not necessarily the best looking I’ve seen (that was a worn 1968 sunburst with pre TV logo and lollipop tuners) but I love this - it’s a Fender CS Masterbuilt currently at Peach Guitars (for an insane price).

Young Americans by Bowie is generally the track that can elevate me, whatever my mood. Mountains by Prince is another. Though the thing that is raising the spirits music-wise at the moment is watching the Leland Sklar Phil Collins videos. (The music isn’t really the sort of thing I’d normally listen to, but) Watching Mr Sklar do his thing in the way that he does - and the way he comes across as a person - lifts my spirits no end.

I stumbled across this just now and thought I’d share... Not seen it before - and I’m still not sure how on earth he came up with it - but it made me smile all the way through! I know it won’t be to everybody’s taste, but well worth a look as we find bass-related things to fill the time and get us through to the other side. Keep well and (hopefully!) enjoy... https://youtu.be/q9UCBsXI4LI

Ron Carter did play some fine electric bass on Gil Scott Heron’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised just a few years later, mind!

Indeed. Some of the stories made for uncomfortable listening/viewing. I knew a little of his life previously, but the film was genuinely eye-opening and inspiring, certainly from a musical perspective. I hadn’t realised at all how he went about doing the (improvisational) soundtrack to Ascenseur pour l’echafaud and how it pretty much changed his approach thereafter - less charts and more improvisational; requiring the players to step up and deliver themselves. An excellent film...

Try the link on Ricky 4000 post... That’s what worked for me.

... and a mighty fine device it is too, sir! Lovely playing in the clip, and yes, reminiscent of Willie Weeks.

Colemine Records is definitely a label worth checking out. I really like the Neal Francis album, and the Ghost Funk Orchestra album A Song for Paul blew me away when I heard it (they’ve a new LP out in the near future that promises to be just as good). Yeah, a really interesting label...

Ah, okay. Speaking of Department S, there was a song out a few years ago (The Hives?) that I couldn’t hear without thinking of Is Vic There - it was the vocal that did it...

The guitar part sounds similar on the Oyster Band version..?

I like that...

I'd forgotten he did that. I like some of his other covers (Love of the Common People and I was In Chains I really like) but he's a bit hit and miss for me. Anyway, it all pales into into insignificance when assessed against Simple Minds version of Prince's Sign o' the Times. What on earth were they thinking?!

I can see where you're coming from, but... I still can't quite get there! With that particular song I think the original is as near as damn it as close to any definitive version of a song you'll get (only in my opinion of course!). I'd also add a song like Bowie's Life on Mars to that list also - I just can't imagine anyone being able to offer a version that adds in any way to the original. Funnily enough (and I don't know why it should be any different) if a band was down the pub doing a version of Waiting in Vain I'd probably dig it, if it was half decent, whereas Annie Lennox version made me want to reach for sharp objects!

I feel confident that your alt country approach is infinitely more sympathetic to the song and its sentiment than the early-80s over-produced, leaden, sanitised version from our Paul - and I say that as a fan of the early-80s over-produced No Parlez album and Paul Young in general! That said, I’m sure he’ll not be losing any sleep over what some fella on a bass guitar forum thinks about it nearly forty years later!!

In my younger days this used to be a ‘three-pint problem’ - the point at which the discussion would descend into chaos and acrimony! That said, general consensus was that Bob Marley was the only artist we could agree on whose songs should never be covered. It should be pointed out that the topic would normally have been inspired by collective thoughts on Paul Young’s cover of Love Will Tear Us Apart...

Get out of my head, sir... Get out now, with your erudite poppy/jazzy stream of consciousness!!

Again, Sparks were great! That’s why Top of the Pops was such a fun but important programme growing up - seeing them for the first time doing ‘This Town...’ was something else. The look of Ron, and the sound of Russell. The guitar riff/playing. The gunshots!! Great pop music...