Old Man Riva

There were other bands in the series - I can’t recall seeing the Icicle Works, but fairly sure the Bunnymen were on. I quite liked the Icicle Works until I read that Mike Read (the DJ, not the Runaround fella!) was fond of using one of their albums as the soundtrack to his Percy Filth escapades - obviously not their fault, but still!

Re. BAD and Chiefs of Relief, was that recorded for TV? Pretty sure that turned up on a late night Channel 4 show at the time… 

This is a good watch. Back when this was filmed/aired the chances of anything music-related being shown on prime-time telly were slim, but this popped up on the BBC as an early evening programme as part of a series of gigs at Sefton Park in Liverpool (Big Country were also on as a separate broadcast and cleverly changed the chorus to Angle Park to Sefton Park, the cheeky loveable scamps!). As I recall it was on a Tuesday/Wednesday evening at 7pm, or some such?

Anyway…

… another 80s favourite.

Here’s a very 80s track with a very 80s video. I thought this was massively hip and cool at the time…

(still do!)

1 hour ago, thodrik said:

In terms of the pickguard, it was like that when I got it as a 13 year old in 1999.

 

From what I can remember, one of the previous owners had been having major problems with the jack socket and was getting really fed up of having to take the whole pickguard off every time he/she wanted to access the jack socket. So he/she must have got a luthier to cut the pick guard into two to make it easier to access the jack socket without having to take the rest of the pickguard out. It is actually a pretty neat job and was probably by some kind of luthier in the London area as that is where the bass was bought by me. As it is, the jack socket was a bit dodgy when I got it. My brother (then 15) re-soldered the connection soon after I got it and has worked perfectly ever since. 

 

There is a bit of a gap between the pickguard pieces, so there is probably a good bit of sweat and moisture which seeps through the gap though the various gigs and rehearsals and being lugged around the country. It also devalues the bass, but as it has been my 'go to' bass since 1999, it frankly will never get sold by me. 

When I got the bass, it also included a replacement pickguard which may or may not have been a period correct replacement Fender pickguard or it could be the 1980s equivalent of a Stagg replacement. It is somewhere in my parent's attic and I haven't looked for it since about 2001.
 

It sounds like an eminently sensible and practical way to try and improve the instrument!

I can't recall anybody I knew back then even giving a second thought to whether the (perceived) improvements they were doing to an instrument would affect future value. Swapping out the original nuts for a brass version ("more sustain") or installing a new Schaller bridge (with rolling saddles!) were done with a view that the instrument would be improved, which was the main consideration.

The first replacement p/ups I knew of were the cream coloured DiMarzios. Then came the active EMG p/ups, which caused quite a stir. You could have an active bass with relative ease. The battery was normally okay to squeeze under the control plate on a Jazz, but more difficult to do with a Precision, which is why the body was often routed to fit the battery.  

And the work that went into fitting a Floyd Rose to a Strat would these days probably be seen as sacrilege. I blame Eddie Van Halen!

22 hours ago, thodrik said:

When your bass is over 40 years old and you haven’t cleaned it properly for 15…

 

Looking better now, though I probably should have taken a ‘before’ photo. Nitro finish on the neck is now disappearing faster than my hair…In both cases I have now taken a ‘let nature take its course’ approach. 
 

Plays great, sounds great. Tuned to C sharp standard. It hasn’t been tuned above D standard since 2010.

 

Nice! I’m a sucker for white/cream p/ups - reminds me of the 70s DiMarzios that were the replacement p/up of choice at the time.

What’s the story with the pickguard? It looks like it’s been carefully modded rather than a clean-line break… 

4 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

A song about Mancunian gangsters…

… and a terrific song at that! Didn’t his mum used to run a B‘n’B in Manchester? 

Not that I’d ever be asked, but… If I were asked to describe Dee Murray’s line and playing on this marvellous track in one word I think I’d opt for ‘sumptuous’, so there you go…

Our six-string pals have similar debates!

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/fender-1960s-era-neck-date-stamp-missing.2034190/

44 minutes ago, Velarian said:

Is the lack of a date stamp on the neck a problem?

Personally speaking, if the rest of the things to look out for were all okay it wouldn’t bother me (though I suppose it may become an issue if one were looking to sell it on in the future and a buyer was put off by the lack of a date stamp?).

If someone were to fake an instrument the daftest thing to do would be to make sure all pots etc. were correct but then not include something as easy as a neck stamp so, as I say, I wouldn’t be too fussed…
 

Or am I being massively gullible?! 

46 minutes ago, oldslapper said:

I liked it, they look like they were having fun too. 
Good on ‘em.

Indeed! I doubt it's meant to be taken too seriously...

30 minutes ago, Kevsy71 said:

I hadn't heard that version (possibly put off by Ferry's 'tache on the cover) - but as its my favourite song by anyone I just listened...loved it, an unexpected rework (😁) that sounds like the original in the style of In every dream home a heartache. Thanks for the tip Mick!

 

I'm a big fan of the bass on all the early albums, Country Life has some cracking basslines from JG (Song for Europe, Mother of Pearl...)

 

 

I did instantly think of you when this thread popped up! 

1 hour ago, three said:

Some excellent writing, fabulous basslines and bass-players (all good but Alan Spenner is a particular favourite), and simply sublime production. Rhett Davies is an absolute genius IMO. I saw Roxy last year in Manchester in a venue that is notorious for dire sound. Somebody/everybody in the Roxy crew had clearly been paying attention - even in the cheapest seats, the sound was staggering - faithful to Davies’ ideas and vision (as far as that’s possible live). A bit of an eye-opener

Completely agree re. Rhett Davies. Uncannily over the weekend I listened to Discipline and Wild Planet. Stylistically and sonically both completely different albums, but both produced perfectly by Rhett Davies.

He tends to get overlooked when lists of ‘influential’ producers pop up (imho)… 

1 minute ago, tegs07 said:

It is indeed. That Eno fella was so ahead of his time.

… and in so many ways! 

1 hour ago, tegs07 said:

Im pretty sure the technology will be at a point within a few years to allow driverless cars to collect you from home and take you to your destination safely. Your own car will be able to drop you off at the shops and go park itself.

 

At which point we will have achieved the same results as trams and horse drawn cabs did over 100 years ago but with more congestion and less people employed. Progress is remarkable.

Is that the hidden track on the Music For Airports reissue that no one can ever seem to find?! 

On the Roxy theme, I found the version of Remote Control I’d been looking for. It was from a Peel session rather than ‘Fluff’!

Absolutely love this…

37 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

👆 this. As the main lyric writer in my band, that title is hugely influential, in the sense of there's a whole story in those six words, an entire scene set before you've heard a note. It's an excellent inspiration to try and write lyrics as good as that title! And then, the song itself, an absolute monster.

I often wondered that if David Beckham were to get dumped by Victoria in the early days there’d be ‘In Every Dream Homme a Heartache’ on some front page… 

1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

Have you heard 801 Live?...

 

Such a good album cover. A good bass (playing) album too. On the subject of Phil Manzanera side projects, I remember hearing a cracking version of Remote Control on Alan Freeman’s Radio 1 Saturday afternoon show that I think was part of a session he did. Manzanera’s playing is superb. Always hoped it would turn up somewhere on a reissue of something, but it sadly never has… 

7 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I bought that when it came out, Remake Remodel, 2HB and Ladytron are still great tracks today.

Side 1 of the first album is probably one of the finest sides of an LP I’ve heard. 
 

There’s a fine reworking of Re-Make/Re-Model that Bryan Ferry does on his Let’s Stick Together album that features a fabulous slinky and groovy bass performance by John Gustafson. You’ve probably heard it, but well worth checking out if not… 

3 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

 

That’s the one, Frank! The very one!

3 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Flesh & Blood FTW for me.

I’m a fan of most of their output, but think the first two albums are special. The debut album was a proper game changer, and so influential.

Also has the great inner gatefold where you’ve got Bryan Ferry looking like a suave alien, Andy Mackay like a futuristic teddy boy, Phil Manzanera a glam hippy, Paul Thompson a teenybopper pin up, Eno like, well, Eno, and Graham Simpson looking like a geography teacher.

Guess which one played bass?! 

19 minutes ago, JohnR said:

Alan Spenner. ❤️

Was listening to Manifesto today trying to work out the intro parts. Such great playing.

My pleasure! Pleased it’s done the trick! 

Gorgeous bass.  Have fun with it, sir! 

I’d agree with what Clarky has said. I’ve experienced similar with silks sitting over the saddle and never been able to hear anything negative with sound (though that could be my dodgy ears).

May be a daft question but have you removed the bridge at all to see whether there are other holes drilled closer to the back of the bass? Probably a long shot, but might be worth a look?