Sky Arts ,Worlds greatest Basslines .28/11/25

[Wolverinebass]

1 hour ago, shoulderpet said:

I don't understand how anyone could argue that his style is not distinctive, you literally know it's him from the moment you hear his bass

That's an autocorrect fail. It should have said "isn't."

[Wolverinebass]

27 minutes ago, jazzmanb said:

Who else played like Hooky ? Then or now ? Cure guy maybe but I'd say he was influenced by him . I'm not a massive Jd NO  fan but he has his own sound 

 

27 minutes ago, jazzmanb said:

Who else played like Hooky ? Then or now ? Cure guy maybe but I'd say he was influenced by him . I'm not a massive Jd NO  fan but he has his own sound 

It's an autocorrect fail. It should have said "I don't think anyone could say his style isn't distinctive."

 

Anyways, edited my post.

[BigRedX]

12 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Re:  Peter Hook; no-one mentioned his stance.  He says it has done his neck no favours in later life.  He stood out by playing his bass so low on the strap.  Considering Mark King's bass slung at nipple height, it made for quite a contrast at the time.

 

Also, did I see him with a six string Shergold Marathon or was that someone else?

 

He has his own signature version made by Eastwood. When I saw him last he was using the Eastwood, although judging from recent gig photos he's gone back to the Shergold

 

 

11 hours ago, jazzmanb said:

Who else played like Hooky ? Then or now ? Cure guy maybe but I'd say he was influenced by him . I'm not a massive Jd NO  fan but he has his own sound 

 

Back in the early 80s there were plenty of bass players influenced by him. Have a listen to early Section 25, the first Modern English album, Modern Eon and some Dancing Did to name but four.

 

Nowadays? Me:

 

Edited December 3 by BigRedX

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I’ve just finished watching it. I really enjoyed it and thought the final episode was the best.

In the scope of basslines that are great, it actually covers little ground, but I can see potential in a further series.

[lowdown]

It's probably worth digging this up again. This thread could do with it...

 

 

 

[NancyJohnson]

Filmed my piece for this about ten months ago, but disappointingly was cut from the final edit.  

 

 

[Sparky Mark]

Since feeling a little disappointed by the lack of imagination shown in this series, I've restored my fascination with bass by rediscovering Graham Maby's brilliant playing on Joe Jackson's first two albums, Look Sharp! and I'm the Man, both from 1979.

A change in my circumstances has enabled me to retrieve my teenage vinyl collection after decades in storage, and these were there, unplayed this century. 

I was 16 when I bought these albums and was inspired then, and even more impressed 46 years later. At only 26, Graham had pretty much mastered what he was doing. Every track on these albums is worth listening to in my opinion, for his catchy, skillful, melodic basslines that are front and centre in the mix.

Each album is under 40 minutes long, with influences from new wave, reggae, rock, blues and probably more, so if you've never done so, have a listen, Graham is one of the best IMO.

Edited December 6 by Sparky Mark

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

2 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

Since feeling a little disappointed by the lack of imagination shown in this series, I've restored my fascination with bass by rediscovering Graham Maby's brilliant playing on Joe jackson's first two albums, Look Sharp! and I'm the Man, both from 1979.

A change in my circumstances has enabled me to retrieve my teenage vinyl collection after decades in storage, and these were there, unplayed this century. 

I was 16 when I bought these albums and was inspired then, and even more impressed 46 years later. At only 26, Graham had pretty much mastered what he was doing. Every track on these albums is worth listening to in my opinion, for his catchy, skillful, melodic basslines that are front and centre in the mix.

Each album is under 40 minutes long, with influences from new wave, reggae, rock, blues and probably more, so if you've never done so, have a listen, Graham is one of the best IMO.

Yes, 100% agree with this 👍

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 17/11/2025 at 12:34, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Didn’t Sky Arts produce a three part series on drummers that didn’t once mention Neil Peart?

 

N.B. I haven’t seen it, but I was told this by a drummer who had.

 

On 17/11/2025 at 20:06, Sparky Mark said:

Your drummer friend was incorrect. According to IMDb NP was referenced in the first episode. 

Apologies - I saw my drummer friend last night and we were talking about both the drum and bass series’ that Sky produced.

I mentioned about the Neil Peart thing and he said it wasn’t Neil Peart after all, it was Cozy Powell that wasn’t mentioned.

A slightly less glaring omission, but as we know from the bass series, only a small percentage of known players get mentioned.

[prowla]

So, I watched the 1st episode (I think there are a couple more?).

It was from Hooky's perspective, which was someone who started in the mid-70s and thought punk was great musicianship.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is of it's time; if only Jumpin' Jack Flash hadn't stolen the bass line.

[Sparky Mark]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

 

Apologies - I saw my drummer friend last night and we were talking about both the drum and bass series’ that Sky produced.

I mentioned about the Neil Peart thing and he said it wasn’t Neil Peart after all, it was Cozy Powell that wasn’t mentioned.

A slightly less glaring omission, but as we know from the bass series, only a small percentage of known players get mentioned.

I guess it could've been difficult to include Cozy without some of the circumstances surrounding his tragic premature death? 

[tauzero]

5 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

I guess it could've been difficult to include Cozy without some of the circumstances surrounding his tragic premature death? 

 

Why? All that Hooky said about Ian Curtis was that he died - in fact, IIRC, he said that they lost him. Ditto Nate Mendel about Taylor Hawkins.

[Sparky Mark]

38 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Why? All that Hooky said about Ian Curtis was that he died - in fact, IIRC, he said that they lost him. Ditto Nate Mendel about Taylor Hawkins.

True, maybe Cozy just wasn't considered innovative enough to be included?

[Stub Mandrel]

12 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

True, maybe Cozy just wasn't considered innovative enough to be included?

 

He died so long ago... his influence is fading.

[Sparky Mark]

9 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

He died so long ago... his influence is fading.

Also true.

[Gray C]

Although it wasn’t anything like the title suggested, I still found it pretty good, episode 3 with Nate Mendel in particular. Nice to see bass players in big bands acknowledging influences and their peers too. 

JJ Burnel and his sound getting mentioned a few times, but disappointingly no chat with the man himself. Respect for the late Jack Bruce and John Entwistle was nice too. 
 

I guess if we all had to make a list of bass players or the lines that influenced us, no two lists would be the same.

Personally I wish they had included Geddy Lee, Sting, Paul McCartney even if just to talk about singing and playing at the same time in more detail, which was only brushed on.

 

With the amount of bass players interviewed on the three shows they could easily have made 8 or 10 shows, but maybe they were cautious about viewing figures for something niche like bass playing, who knows?

 

Here’s hoping we get some more episodes in future to dissect and disagree about.

 

 

 

 

[Misdee]

On 18/11/2025 at 08:06, BigRedX said:

@Misdee I'm obviously not going to change your mind, but I'm not at all convinced by the alternatives you put forward. Apart from JJ Burnel who had an interesting sound (if you could get past the thuggery and misogyny for which there was no excuse even back in 1977) they were just bass players in their bands and if they weren't also the singer, fairly anonymous. Sting is far more interesting as a songwriter than he is as a bass player. The only remarkable thing about him as a bass player is that most of the early Police songs were played on fretless bass, although if you hadn't seen them live you were unlikely to know that.

 

I suspect that you and me were listening to completely different bands back in the early 80s, but IME if you weren't plodding away at 1/8 root notes or slapping, then you were trying to be Mick Karn or Peter Hook. Maybe it's because what Hooky did was easy and within the reach of almost anyone who picked up a bass that you don't like it? However you can't deny that he changed perceptions of how his choice of instrument could fit into a band and song arrangement. There's not many musicians playing any instrument who can say that.

I suspect we were listening to a lot of the same music forty-odd years ago, but hearing very different things in it and coming to different conclusions.

 

I don't think there was anything remotely new about what Peter Hook did on the bass, except that the punk craze (and it was a craze, not the ground-breaking artistic movement it has been elevated to in retrospect) meant his amateurish efforts made it onto record. 

 

 Anyhow, I've now seen the first episode and it was just as I expected. I still enjoyed it though, and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series. I don't dislike Peter Hook as a person, but he is so enamoured of his own "legend" that he has an inflated idea of his importance as a bass player. He seems to think he took playing the bass and improved it with his lack of ability, and that other more accomplished players just don't have the wit and imagination to be like him.

 

Watching the programme, I'm even more convinced he genuinely believes that he invented the idea of using a lower note on an open string as a pedal tone to play a melody over. Do I need to explain how ridiculous that is?

 

It's also interesting to hear Peter Hook rationalising after the fact his use of the Joy Division/ New Order back-catalogue for his live act. FWIW, I personally think he has every right to perform those songs, but I know that there has been a major falling-out with the other remaining members about some of his choices. It's obviously something he's very sensitive about because he keeps revising his reasons for doing so.

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Misdee

[iainbass]

Havent really the time to watch it. Pray Jamerson and Carole Kay are mentioned somewhere?

[Misdee]

On 05/12/2025 at 16:22, Sparky Mark said:

Since feeling a little disappointed by the lack of imagination shown in this series, I've restored my fascination with bass by rediscovering Graham Maby's brilliant playing on Joe Jackson's first two albums, Look Sharp! and I'm the Man, both from 1979.

A change in my circumstances has enabled me to retrieve my teenage vinyl collection after decades in storage, and these were there, unplayed this century. 

I was 16 when I bought these albums and was inspired then, and even more impressed 46 years later. At only 26, Graham had pretty much mastered what he was doing. Every track on these albums is worth listening to in my opinion, for his catchy, skillful, melodic basslines that are front and centre in the mix.

Each album is under 40 minutes long, with influences from new wave, reggae, rock, blues and probably more, so if you've never done so, have a listen, Graham is one of the best IMO.

 Another big Joe Jackson/ Graham Maby fan here. I went to a Joe Jackson gig back in those days and at the time it was by far the best gig I had ever seen. Graham was and still is a consummate bass player and has always been a role model for me. Can't say enough good things about his playing.

 

Thinking about that late '70's era, artists like Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and The Police were to an extent lumped in with the punk movement. Seems incongruous now, but at the time every new act had to try incorporate some of that punk edginess into their image. 

[Misdee]

On 07/12/2025 at 18:51, Stub Mandrel said:

 

He died so long ago... his influence is fading.

You're not wrong, but for a generation of drummers, particularly British drummers, Cozy will always be an icon.

[tauzero]

32 minutes ago, iainbass said:

Havent really the time to watch it. Pray Jamerson and Carole Kay are mentioned somewhere?

 

Jamerson yes, Carol Kaye no.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, iainbass said:

Havent really the time to watch it. Pray Jamerson and Carole Kay are mentioned somewhere?

 Carole Kaye will surely sue...

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

You're not wrong, but for a generation of drummers, particularly British drummers, Cozy will always be an icon.

 

Exactly, he's a huge inspiration but for a fairly narrow audience. I met someone who claimed to know a guy with eight of Cozy's drum kits.

[Leonard Smalls]

19 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

a huge inspiration but for a fairly narrow audience

I remember when I was a young punker in school (there were 3 of us!) all the other lads (cos girls weren't into music, obvs! 😁) had pristine denim jackets their mums had sewed assorted heavy rock band patches onto... And they'd confidently assert that Cozy Powell was the best drummer in the world, bar none.

Needless to say, they'd never heard of Billy Cobham... 

[Stub Mandrel]

20 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

I remember when I was a young punker in school (there were 3 of us!) all the other lads (cos girls weren't into music, obvs! 😁) had pristine denim jackets their mums had sewed assorted heavy rock band patches onto... And they'd confidently assert that Cozy Powell was the best drummer in the world, bar none.

Needless to say, they'd never heard of Billy Cobham... 

 

Some of us sewed badges on (and embroidered!) our own jackets!