steverickwood

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1039540' date='Nov 28 2010, 01:44 AM']Same. My first amp in 1981, £30 out a charity shop for 50w head & matching 2x12 cab - way too quiet for the band I'd just joined, I thought it was complete crap. It's still in the drummer's mum's basement, for all I know. Jon.[/quote] It isn't. I'd have hoisted it as a teenager;) I think the bass I built was still there but we left in 1991. Unless this is another band you're talking about?! Hows the GK?

[quote name='kevbass' post='1034688' date='Nov 24 2010, 04:14 AM']Hands down, the best Tommy the cat bass cover on youtube! Love it! [/quote] Initially I was inclined to disagree...but then the vocals started and I fear you have a valid point;) Legendary.

[quote name='endorka' post='1024365' date='Nov 15 2010, 10:30 AM']I did indeed play YYZ, with drummer, guitarist and keys player for the middle section. A real buzz for all concerned :-) Jennifer[/quote] Yep -always a blast to play this sort of stuff; muso but not TOO muso, if you get me. I think I didn't trust the keyboard player when I last played this and just whacked a load of chorus on my bass and played the chords whilst pedalling the A - a 'homage' to Mr Lee I guess! I take it the assesment went well then?

My thoughts exactly - he played some lush lines on 'family business', 'cliche' and all the tracks he played on actually:) Sweet tone, vibrato and feel.

Bit late entering discussion here! I always remember learning this in my first band and it was frustrating because the bass didn't seem to have a direction. For many years I dismissed it as a sloppy quite unremarkable bass part. Of course, in retrospect, the song would not be the same without that part! And what a fantastic song:)

[quote name='lojo' post='1016840' date='Nov 8 2010, 08:03 PM']This truly is a great piece of work, really fantastic It maybe to much to ask, but id love to see a video cutting to you playing various basses and parts throughout[/quote] Not 'pointless' then?!! Hmm - you see I'm not a techno whizz and don't even own a vid camera as I'm not into filming my every move and facebooking it! So I didn't record any of the takes. Maybe if I get the quartet together with my uni students, then someone may film it. That said, I really have forgotton how to play it!! So a bit of practice will be in order. Thanks for the comment though:)

[quote name='JMT3781' post='1015617' date='Nov 7 2010, 07:54 PM']you made my night[/quote] Thank you mate - your comment made mine. However, someone else topped even your comment by posting 'pointless' on youtube, before removing it!! I did suggest in my posting of this that critisism yes, fair play, but if its constructive. Fair to say 'pointless' is a pointless comment. As for transcribing a piece of music, arranging it for other instrumentalists in order to be performed, and simply doing SOMETHING that involes preparation and hopefully a greater understanding of a composition, is that REALLY pointless? Maybe thats why said person removed the comment:)

[quote name='BassBod' post='1016065' date='Nov 8 2010, 09:52 AM']You realize, of course, that we need to see pictures. I've never seen a CT in the UK, although there are rumours......[/quote] I'll hassle him! You can just see one I'm holding in The Bass Orchestra play Star Wars (see youtube, and look up steve rickwood)

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1015355' date='Nov 7 2010, 03:41 PM']Very, very quiet gig-wise unfortunately but the band's still practising weekly. Kind of schizoid at the moment as we have two drummers playing two different sets! Basically our long-term drummer Mark has a lot of other commitments, what with being a new dad & playing in a traditional folky band that actually pays him, so we're working with another guy on our most recent material which Mark hasn't really had time to learn. Not exactly sure how this is going to pan out... J.[/quote] Hmmm, I know what you mean. As far as my favourite band to play with goes, its my old funk/acid jazz/prog/whatever band Raiders of the Lost Groove and we had an 8 year hiatus (ie we split up and didn't talk!) but tenatively reformed at the start of the year that bit wiser and not all living together any more etc But, the guitarist/singer now has 3 kids, the drummer lives in Medway and I'm "In France" (apparantly!) and we all have fairly hectic schedules. Which is a drag cos we have all written a zillion crazy ideas with the view that we would reform and write purely for our 3 selves, not to impress and friends, pubs, record people, radio people etc so we could be as true to ourselves as poss. Brilliant, we have all this stuff and no time to arrange it!! But hopefully in the New Year we'll get on the case. The plan is to write a 20 minute piece and just record it live (apart from acoustic overdubs and switches to double bass etc) The drummer text me a while back remembering the days we would meet at Rainham station on a saturday morning and walk 40 minutes to his place and just play all day. (Until Deanwood Drive petitioned to the council to stop the band...) Too easy to take that time for granted hey?

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1015332' date='Nov 7 2010, 03:13 PM']That is awesome! So many different sounds, and so many layers![/quote] Thank you Chris - the different sounds I considered essential to having any chance of mixing so many basses. Looking at your page here, record of the moment - Hold Your Fire was the first gig I ever saw, and probably the reason I took up bass; man, that album is permanently engraved with me! And what a stunning record sleeve!

[quote name='GarethFlatlands' post='1015144' date='Nov 7 2010, 12:15 PM']Very good. Shame about the cat that wandered into the recording room at the 29 second mark but at least he's in time [/quote] Haha - quality!! I presume thats my 'muted trumpet' part!! Genius;)

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1014921' date='Nov 7 2010, 12:39 AM']Cold! J.[/quote] Haha!! That'll learn ya;) That said, an eerie mist has just crept in from the sea and is hovering around our streets as I write. So it's not exactly summer here. You playing much at mo?

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1014954' date='Nov 7 2010, 02:22 AM']The Rainbow bass always looked like Carl's best bass, although it looked a lot better before Les got the lower horn altered.[/quote] Yeah I saw that and thought it was another bass of his but word is that it balanced badly.

[quote name='danny-79' post='1014654' date='Nov 6 2010, 07:15 PM']Cool bass, cool story. With any quality instrument like that your just looking after it for the next owner so enjoy it while its yours ![/quote] Man I wish it was mine!! But I'm lucky to own a Carl thompson at all. My mate however, now has 3! Git.

[quote name='DarkHorse' post='1014621' date='Nov 6 2010, 06:48 PM']Kudos. It's nice to hear some songs rather than the usual "look fast I can move my fingers" stuff that people put on YouTube all the time. Yeah that was the goal - flash is fun but no-one has EVER called me to ask "by the way, do you play fast?!" Personally I'd rather listen to Crowded House than a bass virtuoso album, but theres a time and a place! "Bestial Cluster" is cool, "Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters" is worth a listen too.[/quote] I'll check it out, think a bit of Mick is long overdue.

Just received a text - that bass now resides in South East UK...an old mate is the proud owner. Lucky bastard!!

[quote name='dood' post='1014594' date='Nov 6 2010, 06:21 PM']Love it - I'm gonna share your vid on my Facebook page![/quote] I'm flattered thank you! Still expecting a torrent of abuse for 'not playing bass'...but I'm open to it! Although nice comments are, well, nice, aren't they?!

[quote name='DarkHorse' post='1014590' date='Nov 6 2010, 06:18 PM']Yes, very sad. Mick's playing got me into fretless bass, and I'm still trying to the hang of those weird, eastern sounding lines he comes up with. By the way, that's some nice stuff on your YouTube channel, nice bass tone on 'Silent Scream'. Cheers, Rob[/quote] Thank you Rob thats very kind. The articulation on one verse bugs me on that tune!! I used a Fender Geddy Lee via Boss gt6b (compression I think). Did all my parts in one day after a 'dry' spell where I couldn't come up with parts that were interesting without being too 'muso'. The trouble is I did every last part of those recordings: I am not a singer, or a guitarist etc but some things are so personal yu just have to! I have an album of Micks called 'Bestial Cluster' - always thought he had a great sound and wonderful ideas on that. Around that era there were so many stereotypical players on fretless or slap style that people like him and les claypool were immediately interesting just because they went a bit outside the box.

[quote name='endorka' post='1014311' date='Nov 6 2010, 02:40 PM']I am indeed :-) The B section always raises eyebrows amongst clarinet or flute players... I think I have a recording where it sounds like a bass clarient playing it, you can actually hear the valves flailing about and the player really making an effort to keep the melody up to speed! Great stuff. I have found that this song really divides musicians - they either think it is amazing, or completely daft. The truth is, of course, that it is both of these things. Jennifer[/quote] Absolutely - and of course a great arrangment makes a huge difference. I always loved the old school film scores. Was that book of use? Wasn't it YYZ you were to perform?

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1014569' date='Nov 6 2010, 05:57 PM']Mister Rickwood - you are a very, very silly man. Jon.[/quote] I have my moments. Theres some guy on youtube doing this on a chapman stick - thats pretty cool. I once thought about doing the same but have neither the time or patience to tune a stick, let alone play the naffing thing! Quite like orchestrating basses though:) Hows things way up there?

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='1014557' date='Nov 6 2010, 05:50 PM']Sweet, that's my kind of crazy. Any chance of the transcrition? I'd love to arrange it for a 4-piece rock band.[/quote] You know what - I can't even find MY transcription!! I am however planning to orchestrate it for a 4-piece bass orchestra for some of my uni students in 2011, if I ever get round to it, I'll send you a sibelius file?

Fair play! I see you got a Mick Karn pic - bad to hear his state of affairs at present hey?

Godamn - so you're the Darkhorse who prevented me getting my nickname as a username?!!!

I bumped into him at Londons bass centre some years back - yeah good bloke. I had often pondered on the loop thing but as far as I was concerned he had well and truly got there!

Haha - Jennifer please dedicate it to me;) Are you the Jennifer who bought a Rush anthology from me? And your comment about this track is accurate - once I transcribed it I had to learn to play the damn thing and it has its quirks, notably the kind of harmonised clarinet line after the second B section. In fact, I think I have forgotten how to play it since!