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I know Bernard Edwards played bass on Upside Down


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[quote name='iconic' post='739053' date='Feb 8 2010, 04:09 PM']....sure sounds like his touch 'n sound to me, but maybe wrong, I know that Nile Rogers [i]can[/i] play bass too?

[/quote]

Ive always assumed that 'Nard did all the bass work for The Chic Organisation. Also, I've heard a couple of Nile Rodgers' solo albums and I'm sure he didn't play bass on either of them. I'm sure that, like most guitarists, he can play bass to some degree (Bernard Edwards apparently taught Nile to play guitar the way he does).

(Still awaiting my CD copy of Bernard Edwards' long-deleted solo LP "Glad To Be Here" - get your finger out, Amazon!!)

Edited by Malc62
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[quote name='Huwberry' post='739253' date='Feb 8 2010, 06:56 PM']I'm starting to fully appreciate the genius of Edwards/Rogers. Starting with the Best of Chic.

BTW that totally sounds like Bernard.[/quote]

Good man! Talking of Bernard, many years ago I picked up a cassette (remember them?) in my local Our Price Records (remember them?) by a band called Distance. Someone recognised the names of Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, and filed this album under "Soul & Funk". I got it home and discovered that it was arse-kicking rock! And Bernard [u]still[/u] sounded like himself. (I've recently got the CD version)

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Nile is in the process of writing his memoirs and his status on Facebook is being regularly updated with discovery of old masters and demo tapes of stuff that never made it onto the albums he and Bernard produced. I'm really looking forward to it being published. Nile had a tremendous amount of respect for 'Nard and I don't think he'd ever dream of replacing him. BTW, it was 'Nard who suggested the now famous funky rhythmic strumming style to Nile one day early on while they were in the studio.

BTW, that line sounds like 'Nard to me and the year is about right. He had a distinctive way of accenting the first beat in every bar and playing as far behind the beat as was possible without losing the pocket. Not many out there come close to sounding as laid back as he does.

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[quote name='Pete Academy' post='739294' date='Feb 8 2010, 07:29 PM']It's got to be Bernard. Even if Nile played, he wouldn't sound anything like Bernard.

Totally unique. I strongly recommend you listen to the 1992 album Chicism. Unbelievable production, and Bernard's playing and sound is awesome.[/quote]

Agreed 100% on "Chicism", especially the opener "Chic Mystique". Also worth a listen are "Tongue In Chic" and "Take It Off" - no hit singles but some great grooves there.

Edited by Malc62
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[quote name='Malc62' post='739589' date='Feb 8 2010, 11:56 PM']Agreed 100% on "Chicism", especially the opener "Chic Mystique". Also worth a listen are "Tongue In Chic" and "Take It Off" - no hit singles but some great grooves there.[/quote]


I'll hunt them down thanks for the tips...

....what amazes me about Mr Edwards playing is that [i]most [/i]of the basslines aren't that 'technical' and by that I mean 'difficult' for a newbie like me to play, but they just sound so great when he played them.... not many ghost notes, slaps or hammer's, mainly simple stuff played incredibly and effortlessly well.

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[quote name='iconic' post='739659' date='Feb 9 2010, 08:08 AM']I'll hunt them down thanks for the tips...

....what amazes me about Mr Edwards playing is that [i]most [/i]of the basslines aren't that 'technical' and by that I mean 'difficult' for a newbie like me to play, but they just sound so great when he played them.... not many ghost notes, slaps or hammer's, mainly simple stuff played incredibly and effortlessly well.[/quote]

'Dance Dance Dance' is quite tricky. His lines seem easy but it's difficult to make them sound like Bernard. Good Times is a prime example.

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Also check out the second Power Station album, "Living in Fear". Bernard produced it as well as doing the bass'ing.

An interesting record, there's some really funky great basslines but also fantastic rock playing. Bernard inventively and effortlessly underpins the free wheeling guitar playing of Andy Taylor. There's a great cover of The Beatles "Taxman", Robert Palmer's performance on a REALLY laid back version of Marvin Gaye's "Lets get it on" is sublime and my favourate is "She can rock it" in which Tony Thompson and Bernard give a masterclass in how tight, powerful and groovy a rhythm section should be.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_In_Fear"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_In_Fear[/url]

Everytime I listen to this great record, it strikes me as really tragic that Bernard, Tony and Robert are no longer with us.

T

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[quote name='iconic' post='739659' date='Feb 9 2010, 08:08 AM']I'll hunt them down thanks for the tips...

....what amazes me about Mr Edwards playing is that [i]most [/i]of the basslines aren't that 'technical' and by that I mean 'difficult' for a newbie like me to play, but they just sound so great when he played them.... not many ghost notes, slaps or hammer's, mainly simple stuff played incredibly and effortlessly well.[/quote]

I'm slowly getting around to converting my vinyl to mp3 - do you want a shout when I get around to the Chic stuff?

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[quote name='Malc62' post='739281' date='Feb 8 2010, 07:17 PM']Good man! Talking of Bernard, many years ago I picked up a cassette (remember them?) in my local Our Price Records (remember them?) by a band called Distance. Someone recognised the names of Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, and filed this album under "Soul & Funk". I got it home and discovered that it was arse-kicking rock! And Bernard [u]still[/u] sounded like himself. (I've recently got the CD version)[/quote]

Tell me more about Distance

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[quote name='chardbass' post='740526' date='Feb 10 2010, 12:35 AM']I loved this song as a child before I picked up a bass.
A great hook but I later knew why I really liked it.
Beautiful, beautiful bassline.
The groove master.


[/quote]


top tune....... but......... that video :) ....nearly as bad as this 'Chic Team' production with Bernard on bass


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[quote name='Malc62' post='739281' date='Feb 8 2010, 07:17 PM']Good man! Talking of Bernard, many years ago I picked up a cassette (remember them?) in my local Our Price Records (remember them?) by a band called Distance. Someone recognised the names of Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, and filed this album under "Soul & Funk". I got it home and discovered that it was arse-kicking rock! And Bernard [u]still[/u] sounded like himself. (I've recently got the CD version)[/quote]

Remember the band Power Station? Bernard played on Get It On too...

Tony Thompson on drums too. I think he died a while back.

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[quote name='owen' post='740434' date='Feb 9 2010, 10:30 PM']Tell me more about Distance[/quote]

The album is called "[b]Under The One Sky[/b]" and it was a one-off project produced by Bernard. Apart from himself, the other members of the band were Tony Thompson (drums), Eddie Maritinez (guitar), Jeff Bova (keyboards) and Robert Hart (lead vocals). It was originally recorded at the Power Station studios in 1989 and, as stated, I've just secured the CD version from Amazon. Twelve tracks, all written by various members of the band (apart from one co-written with Richard Drummie from Go West, but don't be put off by that); mostly straight-ahead guitar-heavy rock but two of the tracks are ballads and three have a particularly funky feel.

The description sounds idiosyncratic but as you probably gathered, I quite like it!

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[quote name='SJA' post='741030' date='Feb 10 2010, 02:18 PM']a heads up for Chic/Nard fans- the book "Chic- the politics of disco" is going for £4.99 in Soho Original bookshop on Charing Cross road.

there's also Collins' Need to know bass guitar inc. CD for £3.99.[/quote]

Agree on "Chic And The Politics Of Disco" (by Daryl Easlea, in case you have to order it) - a nice read.

Anybody else got Chic's "Live At The Budokan" LP and DVD? 'Nard was no slap monster...

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