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Mark King Fans. They're a sensitive bunch.

bubinga5

By bubinga5,
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Doctor J Grand Master

Doctor J

Posted
Posted (edited)

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1450358985' post='2931997']
Hmm, slap bass. If I wanted to slap things about, I'd have learned to drum.
I just can't listen to slap.
Mr King has a phenominal reputation, but from his early days, simply not for me.
I'm that bad, whenever I watch any kind of video, as soon as the slap starts, it gets closed.
[/quote]I, too, wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

I don't mind slap in small doses when done well and when it adds something to the music - the likes of King, Graham, Flea etc have many examples showing it's possible. What turns me off the sound of it is overuse and when it gets shoehorned in just so the bassist can stroke his ego a bit, rather than it suiting the song. I see a parallel between it and drummers who really, really love Neal Peart. Peart himself plays with a fair bit of restraint and definitely plays for the song, even if it doesn't appear that way initially. His acolytes, however, commit grave atrocities in his name, using every opportunity to overplay and show off. There's nothing wrong with a bit of taste and decorum, I find. A part of me dies inside when a youtube video turns into a slapw*** as, sadly, most of them do.

So it's thumbs down from me.

Edited by Doctor J
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chris_b Grand Master

chris_b

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1450424582' post='2932570']
Great fingerstyle groove 'Mind On You' from their latest EP 'Sirens' recorded live. IMO back to the simple acid jazz of the early days.
[/quote]

That's what I mean. . . . I like that one.

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Conan Mentor

Conan

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Posted (edited)

And on this one he plays drums, bass, guitar and sings all vocals...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OBF54a5ENE[/media]

Whether you like him or not (and he certainly seems to divide opinion) it's hard to dispute his talent :)

Edited by Conan
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bassjim Community Regular

bassjim

Posted
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i was in total awe of MK as a lad. I dont spend gigs doing the slap thing these days but as a lad it was all the rage. he inspired me to start playing and here i am many years later having a MK moment at a gig some time this earlier this year. i love having a slap attack every now and then and the audiences that like a bit of the old soul funk disco stuff like it too. MK is great musician as well as a bass player IMO.


https://www.facebook.com/innersoulcollective/videos/950957261609410/

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spectoremg Rising Star

spectoremg

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Posted

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1450426016' post='2932586']
I, too, wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

I don't mind slap in small doses when done well and when it adds something to the music - the likes of King, Graham, Flea etc have many examples showing it's possible. What turns me off the sound of it is overuse and when it gets shoehorned in just so the bassist can stroke his ego a bit, rather than it suiting the song. I see a parallel between it and drummers who really, really love Neal Peart. Peart himself plays with a fair bit of restraint and definitely plays for the song, even if it doesn't appear that way initially. His acolytes, however, commit grave atrocities in his name, using every opportunity to overplay and show off. There's nothing wrong with a bit of taste and decorum, I find. A part of me dies inside when a youtube video turns into a slapw*** as, sadly, most of them do.

So it's thumbs down from me.
[/quote]Thumbs down, I see what you did there :)

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kusee pee Community Regular

kusee pee

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MK's playing is undoubtedly hugely skilful but the fact that he sings over the top is even more impressive. I read somewhere that he'd only been playing bass for six months or so before recording the early work - so to be able to play something like Foundation and Empire at that stage was amazing. I saw a relatively recent interview where he was asked how often he practised and his response was that he had better things to do than practice! The dep drummer in my band played with MK in Level 42 for a couple of years and says he's a lovely guy. His music certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea and sometimes I'm not in the mood for it but overall he's a great player and an inspiration to many players. I have no doubt that he could branch out and do more session work if he fancied as he definitely has broad abilities. But if he doesn't fancy it then who are we to judge?

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tauzero Grand Master

tauzero

Posted
Posted

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1450383940' post='2932330']
Was it the 2012 tour? I was staggered and I mean STAGGERED by the quality of the vocals.
[/quote]

For me, the thing that somewhat lets Level 42 down is Mark King's vocals. He sings perfectly well, it's just that his voice is rather bland.

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ivansc Collaborator

ivansc

Posted
Posted

[quote name='kusee pee' timestamp='1450462433' post='2933153']
MK's playing is undoubtedly hugely skilful but the fact that he sings over the top is even more impressive. I read somewhere that he'd only been playing bass for six months or so before recording the early work - so to be able to play something like Foundation and Empire at that stage was amazing. I saw a relatively recent interview where he was asked how often he practised and his response was that he had better things to do than practice! The dep drummer in my band played with MK in Level 42 for a couple of years and says he's a lovely guy. His music certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea and sometimes I'm not in the mood for it but overall he's a great player and an inspiration to many players. I have no doubt that he could branch out and do more session work if he fancied as he definitely has broad abilities. But if he doesn't fancy it then who are we to judge?
[/quote]

And in another interview I recall he said that he wound up playing that way because it was the only way he could keep it together singing and playing bass at the same time.
Makes sense when you think about it - almost strumming like a rhythm guitar player - much easier to strum than pick when singing. Bet he is dynamite on a ukelele! :D

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drTStingray Mentor

drTStingray

Posted
Posted

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1450483164' post='2933347']


And in another interview I recall he said that he wound up playing that way because it was the only way he could keep it together singing and playing bass at the same time.
Makes sense when you think about it - almost strumming like a rhythm guitar player - much easier to strum than pick when singing. Bet he is dynamite on a ukelele! :D
[/quote]

Nice thought but likely wrong or inaccurate (or he was joking). This was one of their first recorded tracks featuring lead vocals over a fingerstyle bass part. And slap bass was increasingly one if the features of R and B and jazz fusion from the mid 70s on (although Larry Graham played it even earlier).

http://youtu.be/oHGcPWnJZtM

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spectoremg Rising Star

spectoremg

Posted
Posted

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1450488177' post='2933379']
Nice thought but likely wrong or inaccurate (or he was joking). This was one of their first recorded tracks featuring lead vocals over a fingerstyle bass part. And slap bass was increasingly one if the features of R and B and jazz fusion from the mid 70s on (although Larry Graham played it even earlier).

[media]http://youtu.be/oHGcPWnJZtM[/media]
[/quote]And it ain't about the playing, slap or not, it's about the different rhythms of the vocal and the bass line.

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  • 2 weeks later...
HazBeen Mentor

HazBeen

Posted
Posted

I like very early L42, I like the guy (he just seems a really nice bloke) and can appreciate the skill of his playing and singing (and the combination of the 2, I still struggle with combining the 2 sometimes). I do not love the music and wish he would slap a little less, just too much of it for my taste.

Haters, start hating now :)

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BassTractor Grand Master

BassTractor

Posted
Posted

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1451484269' post='2940855']
Over 50% of bass atrocities can be attributed to Mark King

The other half to Jaco!
[/quote]


:lol:
...but like everyone else, you criminally overlook my contribution to this planet, and to bass atrocities specifically.
Then again, you probably didn't hear me live.
Some guys have all the luck.

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fleabag Grand Master

fleabag

Posted
Posted (edited)

Entertaining chit chat from MK in his studio. The gear floating about in here is outrageous

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-7pQJN9v58"][media]http://www.youtube....h?v=C-7pQJN9v58[/media][/url]

Edited by fleabag
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