doctor_of_the_bass Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 [quote name='crez5150' post='634002' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:24 PM']Is this the one with the extended nut over the G string?? If so I very nearly bought this bass once upon a time[/quote] Look closely at the pic and you can see it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 People always focus almost entirely on his slap playing, which is very unfair really. His fingerstyle grooving is as tight as a gnat's chuff, and his ability to sing over even his most fearsomely complex bass parts is just uncanny. For my money, [i]that's[/i] his most impressive facet. I get a bit bored with his wockity-wockity slap stuff these days. [quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='634000' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:19 PM']Can't believe I bought it ten years ago. The good old days of Yahoo Clubs and the Webdigest eh Rich! Hey, that means we have known each other for 120 months![/quote] Oh damn, and I haven't bought you an anniversary present! Errm, can I take you out for dinner to make up for it? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_of_the_bass Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 [quote name='Rich' post='634174' date='Oct 23 2009, 09:31 AM']People always focus almost entirely on his slap playing, which is very unfair really. His fingerstyle grooving is as tight as a gnat's chuff, and his ability to sing over even his most fearsomely complex bass parts is just uncanny. For my money, [i]that's[/i] his most impressive facet. I get a bit bored with his wockity-wockity slap stuff these days. Oh damn, and I haven't bought you an anniversary present! Errm, can I take you out for dinner to make up for it? :lol:[/quote] I can meet you at Nailsea Public conveniences (sp?) in about 4 hours! Bring the Mr Sheen and Autosol! x Rich is spot on here - Mark is one of the world's top groove players! Check out `There is a Dog' on his solo album `Influences' - incredible. In fact, the entire album is a great showcase of his overall musicianship as he plays most of the instruments on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 [quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='633272' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:07 AM']Did you have one? I did.....it was rubbish! (#38 of 42). Sad eh?[/quote] I had number 14...no, it wasn't that good :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Here is my 21st card from Mr.King, legend. It was 4 years ago, i keep on meaning to frame it with my L42 Picture Disc Vinyl... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 (edited) I remember watching Top of the Pops as a kid when Level 42 did Sun Goes Down. My first impression was "I didn't know Steve McQueen played bass?". My second impression was that it was a great bass line. King is only knocked because he is so high profile and he's stylistically SO identifiable. No one can deny that he is a fantastic bass player - and he's a lot more than the super fast slap stuff if you ask me. His bass playing generally is very strong indeed. Level 42's music, on the other hand, had terrible quality control - but the good stuff is great fun. If I was to recommend one album I would go with either Pursuit of Accidents or World Machine...then again True Colours has some great tracks... Nick P.S. Does anyone know the truth to that story that he had a portrait painted of himself as a Viking hanging over his fireplace? Edited November 5, 2009 by Cairobill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Just listening to Pursuit of Accidents the track...fantastic, really distilled, great vibe... I might do a playlist of what I think is the good stuff...and what tracks I think are well dodgy. I can't think of any band whose stuff has so polarised my opinion of their music. Some of it I really like, some of it is really, really bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 (edited) Having met the man in question a couple of times (and he is a really nice guy, too), whether or not you like what he does, he did do one thing. He made a whole generation of bass players work hard to try and emulate him. None of this current day instant gratification nonsense, just pure hard practise to achieve something and become better bass players. Whether you're a simplistic root note rock music plodder or a jazz/funk twiddler, players like Mark King are and should be considered as a welcome inspiration to us all. Edited November 5, 2009 by OutToPlayJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 An Essex Viking...... cool! Always thought that he sounded like a drummer playing bass - which he was! Still, a mega player who inspired a lot of people I'm not exactly the world's biggest L42 fan but can't deny that some of the singles were pretty cool........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='646643' date='Nov 5 2009, 08:16 PM']Having met the man in question a couple of times (and he is a really nice guy, too), whether or not you like what he does, he did do one thing. He made a whole generation of bass players work hard to try and emulate him. None of this current day instant gratification nonsense, just pure hard practise to achieve something and become better bass players. Whether you're a simplistic root note rock music plodder or a jazz/funk twiddler, players like Mark King are and should be considered as a welcome inspiration to us all.[/quote] Great reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 The Pursuit Of Accidents album is probably my favourite L42 one, and IMHO has King's best recorded bass sound... to my ears, it sounds like they put his live touring rig in a room with a couple of mics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 (edited) [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='646643' date='Nov 5 2009, 08:16 PM']Having met the man in question a couple of times (and he is a really nice guy, too), whether or not you like what he does, he did do one thing. He made a whole generation of bass players work hard to try and emulate him. None of this current day instant gratification nonsense, just pure hard practise to achieve something and become better bass players. Whether you're a simplistic root note rock music plodder or a jazz/funk twiddler, players like Mark King are and should be considered as a welcome inspiration to us all.[/quote] Well said...he's a great stylist and certainly inspired me (along with Jaco, Lee...etc etc I'm an eighties kid) to woodshed. I like the post earlier about MK giving Charlie Haden an award - they are effectively at either end of the spectrum. Haden is texture, space and weight while King sticks out in the mix, filling the stave with chugging beats. But I have a taste for both. As I get older I veer towards the Haden end of things but I still appreciate King's playing... EDIT - Now does anyone know about the viking portrait?...I am intrigued... Edited November 5, 2009 by Cairobill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Train Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 He's the reason I thought about taking up bass and for wanting to improve. I saw him and level 42 in concert last year in Carlisle and it was a brilliant concert. I'm looking for their next tour. Pity he can't be persuaded to come to Bass Day in Manchester later this month and show his stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 It was mark King who influences me to bugger up the fingerboard on my fretless with roundwounds Outstanding talent though, and a very funny guy. I tried those stupidly light gauge (with the exposed core over the bridge) strings he used and found that my slapping fluency crept up several notches, but I also had to crank up my bottom end to compensate. Only ever had the one set.Felt like I was playing a banjo. Not sure if this has been covered,...."split thumb"?? He may very well have split it at one time, but it is my belief that he tapes his thumb to add more weight to help his attacking sound and speed. Back in '83 ishI tried it for a few gigs (Lessons in Love on my fretless, my arm was burning half way through without the tape!) and it was great. His style spurned a thousand clones and that has to be admired, but....Come on Mark, come clean! Ok, I am here to be shot at for my controversial thoughts. BTW fave album "Level 42" song, Heathrow. "Ba-b-b-b-b-ba-b-b-b-b....." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 I remember cleaning the dishes in the kitchen when I still lived at home with my parents around 1981.. On the radio there was this song which was just amazing and I had never heard anything like it before.. It was Love Games and I can still remember that moment vividly.. Even on that small transistor-radio the bass came through. Later on I got a tape from a friend (I couldn't afford buying records at that time) and there were four other songs I got to know. Almost there, Heathrow and Dunetune entered my life and I just couldn't believe how anyone could pull this off...and then someone said that the bassplayer also sàng .. It's hard to imagine now what sort of impact King had at that time.. it was like a comet had crashed on Planet Bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender73 Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 i'm loving the 30-90 guage strings i've currently got on the Warwick. All i've done is play L42 tunes since! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I like him these days as a sideman..but wasn't knocked out with his sound at the Prince's Trusts gala at the Albert hall, from the TV recordings. Having said that... the mix wasn't at all good for most of the players either... Joss Stone was something else tho... and great band vibe in general..IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M-N-Y Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Can anyone remember the Radio One programme which I think was hosted by Richard Skinner called roundtable. The idea was that a panel of invited guests would listen to and review newly released single records. I remember hearing a track called 'Away you'll never be' in 1982 by Leisure Process. One of the guests John Entwistle no less, was totally flabbergasted at the bass player who he claimed was the best he'd ever heard. I think that speaks volumes for me. Here's the track, stay tuned until the finger style playing at the end. Fantastic!! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz8_3hgAU9Q"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz8_3hgAU9Q[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I've got that song on vinyl, the extended version....great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky72 Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 i'm looking forward to seeing level 42 in watford next year..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 MK's been one of my favourite bass players since I first started playing. He's done a lot for the instrument in this country, in terms of being one of the most high profile UK bassists in the last 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender73 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Love or hate the guy, i think he's great, was nice when i was fortunate enough to meet him and agree with the comments about how much he has done for the instrument (plus the profits some bass manufacturers will have seen from him using one of their instruments). He's been a big influence on my playing, and not just the slapping part. Roll on October 28th at the RAH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 [quote name='fender73' timestamp='1325066309' post='1479459'] Love or hate the guy, i think he's great, was nice when i was fortunate enough to meet him and agree with the comments about how much he has done for the instrument (plus the profits some bass manufacturers will have seen from him using one of their instruments). He's been a big influence on my playing, and not just the slapping part. Roll on October 28th at the RAH [/quote] Thanks to MK, even non-musicians have woke up to the guys on stage playing those 'guitars with 4 strings.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I can't bear any of that slappy nonsense, but it was nice to hear him play fingerstyle on that RAH thing on Sky Arts. I've not heard him play like that very often. Great stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Not the biggest Level 42 fan though as in the OP I think the first album is a classic. Mark King is a great player in the style that he applies himself. There is some great YouTube stuff of him with his own band that grooves and where he demonstrates that hes a pretty complete finger style player too. He seems quite humble when being interviewed and comes across as a decent bloke. +1 to Mr King Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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