Old Man Riva

I found this sorting through some bits and bobs at the yesterday. Fairly certain it came off a 70s Precision (though doesn’t have the extended intonation screw on the G so probably mid/late 70s). It needs a bit of a clean up (it’s rusty) but if it’s the sort of thing you’re after then drop me a line and I’ll get it over to you…

Haven’t there been contradictory messages from the writers with regards to Sweet Home Alabama - Ronnie Van Zant saying the song didn’t support the governor, and Ed King saying it did. Not sure whether Gary Rossington ever made any reference to it? I’ve never looked at the lyrics to Does Your Mother Know before. It’s hardly a ringing endorsement of child care in the 70s! Round our way back then one protagonist would have had a clip around the ear and sent home for their flirty inappropriate behaviour (less of this “slow down” nonsense) and the other a visit from an irate dad the next morning wanting to know why some bloke reckons his 15 yo daughter is hot! Points deducted from the two ABBA chaps for not getting that into the song! For me, being a lily-livered old liberal, it’s about personal choice. If you want to play a song then play it, and if you don’t then don’t. Both options are there for all. Respect both choices and crack on with it… That’s my one ‘political’ post of the year out of the way! I shall now get back to salivating over vintage Fenders and offering thoughts on the merits of 70s music…

Never (knowingly) heard anything by Cardiacs before. Thanks for sharing; really dig that bass line…

Forgot this. A fine three note riff by Big Dan…

Pino uses one on his P bass for the opening of Djurkel (from 13’ 28”). The capo is on the D and G strings only - from the riff he’s playing it sounds like it’s at the 11th fret (though I could be wrong!). Mr Creative getting creative …

You could also include Hallogallo by Neu!, but, for me, this sounds like Simple Minds before Simple Minds …

None more disco…

Son Of A Preacher Man is one of my favourite lines - everything about it is quality. In terms of bass lines that hide away unnoticed in songs we’ve heard a thousand times, have a listen to the verse parts in Layla next time it’s on the radio …

It’s been reduced already?! Now ‘only’ (cough) £13,500 …

I think that’s it, he looked a little ‘lost’ in the interview - comfortable and uncomfortable sums it up well. He doesn’t seem too sure what to play or what to say. It probably seemed a nice idea at the time, being approached for an interview, then when in the hot seat he looks distinctly uneasy … Probably doesn’t help having seven strings, no frets, no side markers, with a hawk chasing a rabbit as your only reference point!

I actually felt a bit sorry for the guy, but if you asked me why I wouldn’t be able to tell you?!

This is a nice piece by Tom Bukovac …

Agree, it was a record that I really got into at the time (haven’t heard it in years, mind). For reasons best known to myself, I always associate it with The Christians first album and Song, by It’s Immaterial.

I loved the Strange Kind of Love album when it came out - the title track was great (challenging!) to play along to. Always sounded like a Stingray to my ears… I once worked with a sax player who had done a number of sessions for Gary Katz in the 90s. Demanding, but ended up with stellar performances. It sounded tough, to say the least! Apropos of nowt, I own a t-shirt with Becker, Fagen & Katz on it!

Not all in one go. Okay, all in one go. ”It was an inside job, George. I can smell it…”

Andy does commission sales. He’s sold vintage stuff for me in the past and has always been excellent to deal with…

He was excellent, wasn’t he. I think my favourite Alan Murphy track is (his playing on) Nick Heyward’s Warning Sign. His playing/parts elevate the track to another level, and make the song, for me. And of course, Big Sky!

Some excellent suggestions so far, and I would add... (based on what you've said you've listened to and got something from already) Donny Hathaway 'Live'. A really good live album with Willie Weeks playing some lovely fluid lines; always adding and never detracting from the songs. There's also a section of the set - Voices Inside (Everything is Everything) - where the band are introduced and given solo spots. Willie Weeks' section is sublime - not flashy but wonderfully sing-a-long catchy lines that I always found were really inspiring. I'd also recommend Bowie's 'David Live' for a masterclass in playing-across-a-number-of-styles-in-one-gig, by Herbie Flowers.

Is that an all original bar you’re using?!

The Tubes are a band I really wished I’d seen, I’ve only ever heard great things about them live. My mate (who dictated the lovely message for Mr Waybill to write) is not easily impressed but is unrelenting in his praise for PP, both as a musician and a person…

Not strictly bass-related, but what the heck… a mate of mine was pals with the drummer, Prairie Prince. PP was playing with The Tubes at Shepherds Bush Empire many years back and my mate thought it would be nice to get me a memento of the evening… I mean, Fee’s right, of course, but did he really have to be so blunt?

Dad, if there was anyone around these parts that could possibly make me see the error of my ways it would be you, but I just can’t get with the programme, especially where basses/instruments are concerned! And being a bleeding-heart, (non) tofu-munching, Guardian-reading, lily-livered liberal I can confirm that “he” raises the same levels of perplexity as “she”, so there’s no gender bias here, sir! I’m slightly disappointed, mind, that you’d refer to your bat as ‘it’ and not its given name - Roger or Peter or Marianne etc.

Don’t actually have too much of a problem with the “all original apart from…” language - I’ve probably used it myself at times! Other than it being a bit mangled on the grammar front it does seem a fairly straightforward way of referencing what’s what on an instrument. Nothing really winds me up language-wise musically other than people referring to an instrument as “she”.