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Mark King Appreciation Society


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[quote name='steve-soar' post='981905' date='Oct 8 2010, 07:05 PM']Around the time I first saw them. This track live, could blow your head off.[/quote]

With all those awful Lady Diana haircuts on display in the audience, this can only be a good thing.

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Mark King is of course the boy! And despite the fact he could play rings around anyone here on the forum, he remains to be a nice guy. I think his impact goes far beyond the fact he was the face of bass in Europe in the 80's, and I don't think there has been anyone since to have dominated the scene in the way he has.

I think today you can spot a good bassist a mile off, usually if he has his Level 42 licks together. A little bit of "43" here, a bit of "Mr Pink" there, most of the guys who have got their chops together now did it with Level 42 records! I do think he would have been great in other musical situations but he enjoyed so much success with Level 42 that he didn't need to branch out. When I think of this, I always go back to the Princes Trust video with Mark playing bass on Midge Ure's "If I Was". Mark forms a huge groove with Big Country's mark brzezicki on drums, incredible stuff.

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[quote name='Chris2112' post='982635' date='Oct 9 2010, 03:50 PM']Mark King is of course the boy! And despite the fact he could play rings around anyone here on the forum, he remains to be a nice guy. I think his impact goes far beyond the fact he was the face of bass in Europe in the 80's, and I don't think there has been anyone since to have dominated the scene in the way he has.

I think today you can spot a good bassist a mile off, usually if he has his Level 42 licks together. A little bit of "43" here, a bit of "Mr Pink" there, most of the guys who have got their chops together now did it with Level 42 records! I do think he would have been great in other musical situations but he enjoyed so much success with Level 42 that he didn't need to branch out. When I think of this, I always go back to the Princes Trust video with Mark playing bass on Midge Ure's "If I Was". Mark forms a huge groove with Big Country's mark brzezicki on drums, incredible stuff.[/quote]
what scene are you refering to?..

i do agree that MK is a fantastic bassist, but he only dominated the scene because of the fact that hes in L42..its a great platform of fame, but there are bassists that dont have that platform that are easily as good, but we just dont hear them...ever herd of Wojtek Pilchowski...or Julian Crampton...

Edited by bubinga5
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QUOTE>> think today you can spot a good bassist a mile off, usually if he has his Level 42 licks together. A little bit of "43" here, a bit of "Mr Pink" there, most of the guys who have got their chops together now did it with Level 42 records!

did i read this out of context? surely your joking Chris..?

Edited by bubinga5
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[quote name='bubinga5' post='982656' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:17 PM']i do agree that MK is a fantastic bassist, but he only dominated the scene because of the fact that hes in L42..its a great platform of fame, but there are bassists that dont have that platform that are easily as good, but we just dont hear them...ever herd of Wojtek Pilchowski...or Julian Crampton...[/quote]Yeah, and they all write, sing and front their bands.

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[quote name='steve-soar' post='982659' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:21 PM']Yeah, and they all write, sing and front their bands.[/quote]
the only thing thats missing here is singing...Julian Crampton wrote alot of Incognito songs..and i believe Wojtek writes his own music...im not dissing L42, im just saying there are many who are as good...

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[quote name='Chris2112' post='982663' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:26 PM']Bubinga, no I'm not joking. When I see amateur bassists who can really play they've usually got a few King licks up their sleeve. But then I do like bassists who aren't afraid to really work the bass rather than just plod along on it![/quote]Well ive been playing for 15 years and im a good bass player...i know many L42 songs and i love them,but i dont know any of the bass lines...does that make me a bad bassist..

some of the plodding along you refer to can be the most musical bass playing...it doesnt have to be technical to be great bass playing...ever heard willie weeks on Donny Hathaways tracks..?

Edited by bubinga5
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[quote name='steve-soar' post='982666' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:30 PM']Wojtek is a TOTAL MK copyist. Julian is a very gifted musician.[/quote]
There are some bassist who use a certain technique that poss sound like someone else...everyone learns from someone...lots of guys use techniques like Mark King..he didnt invent it...

Im sure Mark got his style from another influence...Louis Johnson ive heard...does that make Mark a Louis Johnson copyist??

and Julians great Steve :) ...met him a few months ago..top bloke...a master bassist with a £500 jazz bass

Edited by bubinga5
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[quote name='bubinga5' post='982667' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:31 PM']Well ive been playing for 15 years and im a good bass player...i know many L42 songs and i love them,but i dont know any of the bass lines...does that make me a bad bassist..

some of the plodding along you refer to can be the most musical bass playing...it doesnt have to be technical to be great bass playing...ever heard willie weeks on Donny Hathaways tracks..?[/quote]


For a start, Wojtek is very talented but just seems to apply tricks from Mark King's trick bag without the great note choice that makes Mark's playing so compelling.

As for your playing, I see you talk a lot about that Meshell D'Negeocello or whatever her name is. That kind of music, to me, is about as naff as it gets and if that your style, then no I probably wouldn't like your playing and it would fall into what I would call "bad" or at least the type of thing I wouldn't want to listen to. But I play for myself and listen to what I like so YMMV, everyone is different.

At least we can all be united under the common banner of Mark King and agree that he is class.

As for Mark being a an LJ copyist, I don't buy it. He borrowed a lot from Stanley Clarke to start with, but almost immediately improved on it. "Dune Tune" was like a better version of the School Days interlude and the solo from "Foundation and Empire" was better than anything Stan had done IMO despite using his signature triplet feel! Mark was lucky to bring a new style of playing to a new sound much in the same way that Jaco and Wooten did.

Edited by Chris2112
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My favourite notes in a lot of Kings of Leon songs (Im not a die hard KOL fan or T-Bird fan either) are the ones he doesnt play! Think Use somebody second verse lovely skipping style then just misses a skip,Total hook of that verse and job done.

I love the "better than everyone on the forum" snipes,Who has been to every BC'ers gigs to check them all out.Even if you did its still only your opinion.I would rather hear EBS_freak slap on my pre EB ray than go to a L42 gig.I know of many unknown people on this forum who are IMO just as good at certain aspects of every known players styles. When anyone starts these type of comments it becomes like the publics perception of X Factor and if they were as good as they say everyone would know who they are and if we do know them then they must be the best in the world! I give you Phil Collins,Nice enough guy Im sure best drummer in the world or best known drummer during the same period as MK where these people had to be put into rankings? Now its only done on forums like this and the man on street doesnt care as long as they can illegally download it and they like it.

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[quote name='Chris2112' post='982673' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:39 PM']For a start, Wojtek is very talented but just seems to apply tricks from Mark King's trick bag without the great note choice that makes Mark's playing so compelling.

As for your playing, I see you talk a lot about that Meshell D'Negeocello or whatever her name is. That kind of music, to me, is about as naff as it gets and if that your style, then no I probably wouldn't like your playing and it would fall into what I would call "bad" or at least the type of thing I wouldn't want to listen to. But I play for myself and listen to what I like so YMMV, everyone is different.

At least we can all be united under the common banner of Mark King and agree that he is class.

As for Mark being a an LJ copyist, I don't buy it. He borrowed a lot from Stanley Clarke to start with, but almost immediately improved on it. "Dune Tune" was like a better version of the School Days interlude and the solo from "Foundation and Empire" was better than anything Stan had done IMO despite using his signature triplet feel! Mark was lucky to bring a new style of playing to a new sound much in the same way that Jaco and Wooten did.[/quote]Ok Chris..its cool you dont like Meshell or whatever music im into...but to call it naff is very immature and as a fellow musician is quite disappointing...im very reassured the music i like is not naff,...its strange because i like the music you like..did you think Meshell is the only music i listen to?

the fact you say i quote" i play for myself" says it all to me...This is only a forum but you still need to be polite IMO..i am a person after all...not just an avatar..

anyway to lighten the mood...this is a favorite... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7mnrhGFzs8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7mnrhGFzs8[/url]

Edited by bubinga5
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Bubinga, please don't think I'm trying to be rude. I do find Meshell's stuff dire, and her playing quite dull. However, as we've seen there are plenty of people who think Mark King is crap and overplays. Different vinegar strokes for different folks.

Of course, I do play for myself. What reason is there to play in bands and situations you don't like when you don't rely on your playing as your sole way of generating income?

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[quote name='Chris2112' post='982716' date='Oct 9 2010, 05:05 PM']Bubinga, please don't think I'm trying to be rude. I do find Meshell's stuff dire, and her playing quite dull. However, as we've seen there are plenty of people who think Mark King is crap and overplays. Different vinegar strokes for different folks.

Of course, I do play for myself. What reason is there to play in bands and situations you don't like when you don't rely on your playing as your sole way of generating income?[/quote]No probs bro..its great we are so different,...there wouldnt be so much different music otherwise hey...i can appreciate what your saying...

did you check out my link..got to love that track...

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He sure has talent anyone that disputes that is just being a knob but if you dont like it then its hard to listen long enough to pick out the bits you do like.Lets face it most of the people in the diehard MK camp have never tried to listen to any RHCP stuff and visa versa.I think the fact Flea uses a less cheesy sound is what attract people to him over MK.Sure Im going to get a barrage of have you heard this that and the other without the cheesy sound but Its not for me,Sorry. BassDayUK tomorrow so I should get used to the slapfest really!

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Music IMO is not a place for competition...we all love music, no matter what it is...Flea is as good as MK in the minds of us who love them...Meshell, Randy Taylor is as good as either in my mind...

i do find die hard fans of someone are missing the point with music sometimes..its always healthy to appreciate lots of music..even if its not your cup of tea...i dont care for some bassist's but for what they do its appropriate....

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I'm obviously a big MK fan. He was a big part of my musical history. As I said in the opening thread - you had to be there. Stuff like Love Games was far different from the stuff Louis and Stanley were doing. He took the drum rudiment/slap thing to a new height. If you look at Louis Johnson's style (one of my all-time faves) - and most USA slap players for that matter - they used a mainly thumb-heavy style, whereas MK used a left hand slap on the fingerboard style much more. It's worth exploring his non-slap stuff. I feel he's taken as a one-trick pony, like Victor Wooten, as people focus on one aspect of their playing. And try singing while playing those lines!

As for Meshell, she's unsurpassed in the groove department. Check out the Plantation Lullabies album.

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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='982780' date='Oct 9 2010, 06:18 PM']He sure has talent anyone that disputes that is just being a knob but if you dont like it then its hard to listen long enough to pick out the bits you do like.Lets face it most of the people in the diehard MK camp have never tried to listen to any RHCP stuff and visa versa.I think the fact Flea uses a less cheesy sound is what attract people to him over MK.Sure Im going to get a barrage of have you heard this that and the other without the cheesy sound but Its not for me,Sorry. BassDayUK tomorrow so I should get used to the slapfest really![/quote]


Diehard Chilis fan, even have the band tatoo on my forearm. My biggest influence by a mile.

Went to see Level 42 on Tuesday and thought they were brilliant - some people miss the point thinking that all MK does is the slappity slap thing - his finger playing is equally amazing.

Try to listen to as much as you can - my favs are the above, Chris Squire, Lemmy, John Deacon and my slap playing is a combination of Flea and listening to Nathan East's first instructional DVD about a squillion times

One of my favourite clips ever

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cIdJFmFkag"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cIdJFmFkag[/url]

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