Stuart Clayton

[quote name='Alun' post='162695' date='Mar 24 2008, 03:57 PM']Thank you both for your kind comments and thanks CK for embedding it Cheers Alun[/quote] Alun, Nice clip - I'm with The Funk - I enjoyed your solo more! Stu

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='159628' date='Mar 18 2008, 02:09 PM']Steve Carr built the prototype. There was a Kramer production model. Incidentally, I've e-mailed Micki Free to see whether he still has the bass mentioned earlier in the forum. For me, it's one of those important instruments - one of the first I really recognised as being associated with a musician. P[/quote] I'd be really interested to hear about this. I've read conflicting stories regarding the fate of the Lobue bass - one that he leant it to Micki Free, the other that he threw it to a roadie, who dropped it, destroying it. Let us know what you find out. Stuart

[quote name='E_MaN' post='158473' date='Mar 16 2008, 05:43 PM']I love funk and disco, its great, gets your booty shaking like nothing else! However, I've just realised I don't know that many songs, just a couple of Jamiroquai tunes. So can any of you recommend me some good bass lines and songs so I can build up a great collection of songs to get my groove on to?!?!?[/quote] Hey E_MaN, I also love funk and disco stuff. Try these tunes: Carwash - Rose Royce Lady Marmalade - Labelle I Wish - Stevie Wonder Street Life - Crusaders Boogie Nites - Heat Wave Somebody Else's Guy - Jocelyn Brown Boogie Wonderland - Earth Wind & Fire There's a transcription of Somebody Else's Guy on my website - www.stuartclayton.com follow the media link. Cheers Stuart

[quote name='MB1' post='158464' date='Mar 16 2008, 05:25 PM']MB1. Bloody hell! you suprised me with that one Stu,thought you were mainly listening to funk this week mate! [/quote] Hey, I'll have you know I'm a huge KISS fan - I even wrote a Gene Simmons bass book last year you know! Stu

[quote name='lukeward2004' post='157764' date='Mar 14 2008, 11:41 PM']I too am a lover of slap playing, although in moderation! I cant recommend Stu Clayton's "Ultimate Slap Bass" and Ed Friedlands DVD "Ultimate Slap Bass Guide" - I spent around 2 years with each of these, perfecting my technique and learning the tricks of the licks. Im still not great at slapping but im alright, good enough for most slap esque stuff. No, im nor endorsed by Stuart, but I bloody well should be with the amount of plugging I do whenever someone asks this type of question! Darn it Stu, why'd you have to write such a good book? [/quote] Luke, You're very kind with your praise for the book! It was a labour of love, and the feedback that I've had from it, both from basschatters and members of other forums has always been overwhelming. At some point I'll be following it up with 'Ultimate Tapping for Bass', or something like that! Best, Stu

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='158382' date='Mar 16 2008, 12:57 PM']...also, while we're on the subject of Gene Simmons, who was the New York luthier who built the bass he used until he started endorsing Gibson? The bass had a distinct Gibson Melody Maker shape, it was originally brown, then was refinished in black. The last time I saw it was during the Destroyer tour and in the Phantom movie it had a silver thing stuck on the top half of the body. P[/quote] That bass you speak of was custom made for Gene by a luthier named Charlie Lobue, who also made guitars for Paul Stanley. Gene's Lobue bass was used for the first 3 KISS albums, and the Alive shows (as I recall), then he switched to Gibson Grabber/Ripper basses, before using the Lobue again (for Love Gun, again, as I recall), then he had a couple of Spectors built. The bass in the photo is a Spector, not a BC Rich. Stu

Great stuff guys - nice to see a few less obvious names cropping up! Stu

Hi all, While not wishing to copy another thread, I thought I'd ask for some input on an article I'm writing. Basically, I'd be interested to hear about who you consider to be the top 10 bassists of the eighties, the top ten best eighties basslines, top ten best albums (for bass players), best (or most innovative equipment) etc. Just something I'm toying with writing. Thanks! Stu

[quote name='MissPenguin' post='154979' date='Mar 10 2008, 11:16 PM']I think my life would be complete if i could master slap bass. I don't know why i'm so, so drawn to it.[/quote] I once wrote a book called Ultimate Slap Bass that could be of help to you...! Stuart

[quote name='Lenny B' post='153796' date='Mar 9 2008, 01:30 AM']Did you see the transcription in Bass Player of 'Boogie On Reggae Woman'? That looked a challenge![/quote] I sure did, and will be using it class! Stu

[quote name='2wheeler' post='153725' date='Mar 8 2008, 07:38 PM']I totally agree. There is pressure (implied and explicit) from advertisers and suppliers of review models to be positive in review ratings. I know there shouldn't be but that's the real world. As far as I can tell, BGM manages to confine the impact of such pressure to the star ratings (I agree with the BBC on that point: nothing below a 3 ) and remain very straightforward and honest in the detailed review comments.[/quote] Actually, there have been reviews below a three as I recall, and one of them was a Warwick. Stuart

[quote name='NickThomas' post='153703' date='Mar 8 2008, 07:00 PM']Nile Rodgers has been on radio 2 all this week talking about his favourite songs that he's produced. Funny story about "Le Freak" .. it started off with him and some mates jamming the groove , and they added the words " F*** Off" as the main line. After careful consideration that it wouldnt be commercially viable they changed it to " Freak off" decided that sounded naff , so changed it to " Freak Out" ..... I think he went on to say it became his most successful to date . Cool story ... made me chuckle when I heard that ! lol[/quote] It's all in the book.... Stu

Big thanks for the mention hairyhatman (now that's a name!). The book went on sale yesterday, and has proved enormously popular, even though I haven't had the opportunity to mention it on any bass-related forums yet! Thanks to those of you who have purchased so far, all orders have been shipped where funds have cleared, so copies should be reaching you all on Monday. Probably Tuesday knowing the way the postal service is in this country. For those of you who haven't heard of the book, it's an indepth analysis of the music that Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers created with Chic, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross etc. It contains 20 songs, transcribed for bass AND guitar! The book is in the same format as books like Standing in the Shadows of Motown and The James Brown Rhythm Sections in that it's not full transcriptions in the traditional sense, rather each section is analysed a bit at a time: verse, then chorus etc. All the classic lines and fills are present and correct of course. The songs are: 'Good Times', 'Le Freak', 'We Are Family', 'He's the Greatest Dancer', 'Dance Dance Dance', 'I Want Your Love', 'Everybody Dance', 'My Forbidden Lover', 'Burn Hard', 'Chic Cheer', 'My Feet Keep Dancing', 'I'm Coming Out', 'Why', 'Strike Up The Band', 'Upside Down', 'My Old Piano', 'Thinking Of You', 'Lost In Music, 'Happy Man', 'Pretty Baby'. There's also an indepth analysis of their career, playing styles, discographies etc - some of you might have seen a chunk of this in the latest issue of Bass Guitar Magazine. I'll be running a basschat-exclusive competition later today, or tomorrow. There will be three copies of the book up for grabs in the form of a competition. I'll write the questions and post the competition later. Best, Stuart

I have just transcribed a 16 bar chunk of this for a lesson I'm teaching next week on replicating synth lines - thought I'd post it on here in case anyone wants to check it out. The transcription starts at 3.57 CD time and captures the essence of this synth line. Add a touch of distortion, compress to oblivion, and you're on your way. You could also try playing it up an octave and use an octaver to fill in the low end. Enjoy! Stu

Inspired by another thread on here, I am currently learning to sweep pick - a fairly useless technique, true, but it's fun! Also learning some of Terry Gregory's great solo bass arrangements from old issues of Bassist, and Victor Wooten's 'More Luv' - all stuff i used to be able to play but have forgotton. Guess I'm going through a technique-phase!! Stu

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='152217' date='Mar 6 2008, 10:12 AM']I'd take anything written in that magazine with a huge pinch of salt. Its mostly a load of nonsense. Its either musos showing off with excersises with no musical relevance or reviews that are to scared to give any product less than 3 stars for fear of upsetting the distributor. Style over substance, month after month.[/quote] BigBeefChief - I'd be very interested to hear what you consider to be 'muso's showing off with exercises with no musical relevance'. I think the columns in the magazine are well structured and offer something for most players. Consider the latest issue: Andrew McKinney's column on learning to read music (a great sight-reading myth buster, and ideal for less experienced players), Janek's scale fragment exercises (I don't think it really matters how fast you play these, the musical content is great at any speed), and Dave Marks's Anthony Jackson style analysis. I personally think that overall, that makes for some pretty solid, musically relevant and interesting content. As for reviewers being afraid to give bad reviews for fear of upsetting distributors - I'm a reviewer, and if I ever review anything that's truly awful, I'll say so. Most of the stuff we see is pretty good, and is built to a very decent standard. If it's well-built, sensibly priced and fit for purpose it's not going to get a poor score is it? Stuart

[quote name='ped' post='146203' date='Feb 24 2008, 09:20 PM']Hi chaps and chapesses, I have been offered a Roland V bass through a friend and I am quite tempted. However I thought I should ask here about it first. The main thing is about the pickup. I want to install it on my 4 string bass which has pickups and associated pickup rings right up to the bridge, which is where I seem to see the roland pickup mounted in all the pictures. Would there be any ill effects in having the pickup in front of the two pickups (see avatar)? I presume near the bridge is ideal because the movement of the strings is less so probably gives a tighter signal to the pickup? Has anyone tried one? I remember Omar Hakim's bass player using one with his Sadowsky and it sounded really good... Cheers folks ped[/quote] Hi Ped, I reviewed one for the bass mag a few years ago and personally think it's worth considering. There's a lot to play with, but a lot of possibilities, including some seriously cool synth bass sounds, and no tracking issues. As I recall, the pickup needs to be fitted close to the bridge, but I'd check this out with Roland or an existing user first. You might be able to get hold of the manual from the Roland website - this would tell you what you need to know. Hope that helps you make a decision! Stu

[quote name='SJA' post='146036' date='Feb 24 2008, 02:55 PM']Steve Harris does strum chords sometimes- which looks like Nard's chucking technique. eg. here at 0.35 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpI49B6QVUY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpI49B6QVUY[/url][/quote] Bernard also showed Nile Rodgers this a technique on guitar which Nile refers to as 'chucking'. It's basically about fretting a chord across all six strings, but only picking out the notes you want and muting the rest. Nile worked on this for a while and it became his 'style' of rhythm guitar playing. You can see him employ it on things like 'Le Freak'. Incidentally, check out the live Chic DVD's - they may not have Bernard on bass (it's Jerry Barnes these days), but the band is hot, and Nile is a funk machine! In case anyone doesn't know, I am publishing a Bernard edwards/Nile Rodgers book in a couple of weeks time - check it out at: www.basslinepublishing.com - there will be 5 copies up for grabs to basschatters in the form of a competition! You should also check out Daryl Easlea's book Everybody Dance: Chic & The Politics of Disco - amazing read. Cheers Stu

[quote name='coasterbass' post='140853' date='Feb 15 2008, 09:53 AM']My friend wrote a book on Chic a couple of years ago which is a darn good read (I'm not just saying that). Highly recommended: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everybody-Dance-Chic-Politics-Disco/dp/1900924560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203069053&sr=8-1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everybody-Dance-Ch...9053&sr=8-1[/url] Nick[/quote] Hi Nick, Yes I have read that book and it is indeed excellent. It was an invaluable resource when i was writing my book, and the author, Daryl Easlea was kind enough to allow me to quote from it. My book is out at the beginning of March - it's heading off to the printers today in fact. Cheers Stu

[quote name='Floyd Pepper' post='140308' date='Feb 14 2008, 01:56 PM']Cracking edition.....NAMM Report, Fodera Report, Cables and a feature on Bernard Edwards. Top marks to everyone at BGM Cheers, Jim[/quote] The feature on Bernard Edwards is a preview from my forthcoming book: Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards - Funk & Disco Grooves. The mag got a bit of a revamp recently - we now have a new approach to reviews, and will only be reviewing new stuff from now on. Stu

[quote name='Hit&Run' post='129666' date='Jan 28 2008, 11:24 PM']Apparently he had a solo album released in 1983 called 'Glad to Be Here'. Presumably released when Chic split. An ironic title with hindsight. I've not heard it though, so I can't comment on what it's like. I imagine it'd be quite rare. Edwards was a bass colossus. I can't wait for Stuart Clayton to release his 'Ultimate Funk & Disco Grooves' book. In my opinion it'll be a 'must own' for groove disciples... and naff bass players like me who want to groove.[/quote] At the same time Nile Rodgers released his solo album, titled 'Adventures In The Land of the Good Groove' - both flopped, although are supposedly both very good. Book is out at the beginning of March and is looking great. Stu

[quote name='nedsbeds' post='129559' date='Jan 28 2008, 08:43 PM']Quite fancy reading a review on some of your stuff dave. So have just subscribed to BGM. Do you know of any more reviews on the horizon? Cheers[/quote] I also have one of Dave's compressor pedals, which is great, so there could well be a review of that at some point. Dave's pedals are really good stuff, check them out if you haven't already - the distortion he built for me is killer! Stu

One day, I will find time to make a DVD of my Ultimate Slap Bass book... thanks for the mention! Until then, if you want a book+CD with over 200 exercises, covering EVERYTHING, it's worth a look ;-) Stu

[quote name='Platypus' post='120411' date='Jan 14 2008, 08:47 PM']hey Stu, how's the Chic book coming along ? P[/quote] Very nicely - I just have this bass teaching job that keeps getting in the way of writing the damn thing... Seriously, it's looking great. Most of the bass transcriptions are done, just sorting out the guitar transcriptions. Incidentaly, it's not full transcriptions, it's been written along the lines of the Motown and James Brown rhythm sections books. That means you get a transcription of the Chorus, the Verse, then all the cool variations that occur in the line. Basically, all you need, all the cool fills etc, but presented in a slightly different way. It makes a lot of sense when you see it, and means i don't have to write a 12 page transcription for each song - original versions of tracks like 'He's The Greatest Dancer' and 'We Are Family' are over 8 minutes long...! Should be out in March. Stu