meterman

Forgot to mention, a label in the UK has released a limited edition 7” single of “Fools Gold” and “Liquidator”. Again, all done on a cassette machine and using a 25” super short scale Tanglewood EB-18 bass, Hammond organ, melodica, etc. It’s pretty lo-fi though so purists and hi-fi buffs best cover your ears now 😂 https://www.discogs.com/release/25484437-Earl-Natty-Fools-Gold

Hi - sorry for the late reply, I haven’t logged in here for a while, the lathe cuts were done in Cardiff by a company called Lathe To The Grave. I’ve done three different projects with them so far and they have been brilliant and easy to work with. Can recommend 100% https://www.lathetothegrave.com

Very few of my mates shared my tastes in music when I lived in the UK so I’d often go to gigs on my own. It would be the only way to see Brazilian artists I liked, if they ventured over, or South American artists, etc. Trying to get folks to come along to a cumbia or Latin gig was impossible, so things like that were usually solo missions. No point asking when you know you’re going to just get a blank expression. I rarely had the opportunity to play the exact kinds of music I liked either. Didn’t matter too much, but it probably won’t happen in the future either. Now I’m out in the sticks in rural France I’ve seen just one gig in the two years I’ve been here, and that was by accident 😂 Isn’t isolation brilliant?!!!

I lived in London for 20 years on and off and only twice had any ‘bother’. Neither times were music related, more a case of wrong time, wrong place. I tended mostly to gig in central London so even though I’d be doing load ins and outs with high end gear in busy streets, I wasn’t often doing the same thing in areas that were too dodgy. Had more hassle and problems elsewhere in the UK to be honest. Depends where you’re planning to be, obviously, but I generally found London a lot safer than other places in the UK I lived in, or gigged in. Caveat: YMMV and all that. Good luck if you make the move though 👍

Have used Bandcamp for about 18 months and can definitely recommend it if you’re selling music or merch. It’s easy to add Bandcamp links to websites or YouTube videos or social media posts etc. I don’t earn tons of money from it but every release I’ve put on there has covered, say, my medical insurance for the year, or car insurance, or paid for new musical gear etc. Defo worth a look 👍 I’ve thought about having a website but Bandcamp does everything I’d need anyway so I’ve just stayed with that. YMMV and all that, though.

Eh? You’ll be saying you don’t like Khruangbin next!

Not sure if anyone had mentioned Simone Butler from Primal Scream yet? She used to play a Rickenbacker but plays Precisions with the Scream. She sold me a CIJ fiesta red Fender Mustang bass in 2003 when she worked in Denmark Street. Great player and she has stage presence for days.

I was initially unsure, and it’s hard to tell because their albums are very ‘produced’. But I remember seeing them at a festival in France and they were like “White Light, White Heat”-era Velvets gone house music. Quite a garage rock feel for a supposed dance outfit.

I had a copy of that one as my touring melodica for years. I think it was about £30 from Hobgoblin. Went badly out of tune eventually but it did get a lot of use. I did get a similar replacement a while back but I can’t remember if it had a brand name or not now. Found a blue 37-key one on ebay for £25-£30. Not as nice as a Suzuki model but it’s fine for what I need. 👍

Forgot a local female bass player - Patrice Carrie from the French band Rinôçérôse. Brilliant live and on record.

I flipping love sober coloured gear! Honestly though, the likes of Muse and Rush leave me stone cold, but music with a bit of space, like dub reggae, or bands that leave a lot of room in their music (like Khruangbin) do it for me all day long. Their drummer is one of my favourites too. Depending on your taste / outlook / medication (delete as applicable) I get how they could be either hypnotic or boring live. Their new album with Vieux Farka Toure is beautiful, I reckon.

I’m still looking for a Hohner Alto melodica, the red one. Or a Hohner Pianica with keys rather than buttons. Melodica gas is definitely a thing!

Would agree with everyone on your list and add: Gina Birch (The Raincoats) Clare Kenny (Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Sinéad O’Connor, Brian Eno etc) Rose Simpson (Incredible String Band) Naomi Yang (Galaxie 500) Britta Phillips (Luna, Ben Lee) I’m not really fussed who plays in what band or on what record or tour or online video. But if I like them and they make me want them pick up my bass then I’m a fan. Laura Lee from Khruangbin particularly inspires me at the moment. Don’t give a toss about the nylon wigs or the onstage costume changes but her basslines totally do it for me 👍

Thank you @Beedster - I really appreciate that 🙏

That is really kind, I appreciate it thank you 🙏 When the 7” comes out I’ll let folks know.

I apologise because I forgot about this, but for @Reggaebass and @Nail Soup and anyone who might have been interested, the finished record sounds like this: and the B-side is like this: It got released as a limited edition 5” lathe cut which plays at 45rpm. Not compatible with all turntables (particularly automatic ones) but it sounds fine on mine. I know people tend to moan about lathe cuts not being super hi-fi, or how mastering in mono is a waste of time in this day and age, or whatever, but they can laugh at how basic it sounds or cry into their half-speed mastered Steely Dan reissues for all I care. 😂 DJs have already played it in clubs, it made a profit on the first day of release and as long as it makes folks do monkey dancing when it comes out of a big sound system I’m happy. A label in the UK has already sent off the masters for a vinyl follow up, so... job done 👍 If anyone has doubts or second thoughts about whether or not what they’ve recorded is good enough to release, don’t sweat it just do it. Go with your instincts and crack on. Don’t fret about whether or not your music sounds ‘pro’ enough. It probably is. Just put it out there. And keep doing it. Anyhow. Hope everyone’s doing alright and looking after themselves. All the best to yers!

Quite jealous! I’ve always liked the look of these. Never seen one for sale though.

This popped up in my instagram feed, would it count? Personally I wouldn’t touch it with a stolen Richard but I’ve never been a fan of 1950’s kitchen cupboard formica.

Cannonball Adderley “Walk Tall” Pharoah Sanders “Thembi” Ramsey Lewis “Slippin’ Into Darkness” Jimmy Smith “Root Down” Yusef Lateef “Nubian Lady” Anyone covering any of these can play whatever bass line they like, but the original parts are killer.

Baby Huey.

Good luck with everything! 👍

Has anyone posted “Prisencolinensinainciusol” by Adriano Celentano yet? Phonetic gibberish written by Italians to mimic how an English language 4/4 disco funk belter might sound to non-English speakers. Confused? Don’t be. Just press play and turn the bass up. Superb sound for 1972. The part where the girl says “My ice lies senseless, and it also goes with miso. Ice” is about the only lyric I can decipher, but it’s a good one. “Ice”.

In the last 2 years: my45 (Germany) GZ Media (Czech Republic) Archer (Detroit, USA) Lathe To The Grave (Cardiff) Friends have used: DMS (UK) Mobineko Cram Distribution my45 Also, mates have used companies like: Vinyl Me Please for very short runs, but they aren’t cheap, like £35 a pop, easy. It’s probably cheaper to get 50 pressed, keep some copies for the band, and sell what’s left on Bandcamp to recoup pressing costs.

For vinyl I recently used MY45 who are based in Germany and am next considering using either vinyl-pressing.com (France) or Press On Vinyl (Middlesbrough, UK) depending on the finished project. For lathe cuts I’ve done a couple of runs this year with Lathe To The Grave, they’re based in Cardiff and the quality of their products is great. Indie labels like Fika and WIAIWYA have used them for short runs and they always sell out. They’re not expensive either. Mobineko do runs starting at 50 though. That’s got to be worth looking at.