Bass Players

This is the place to post items relating to Gordon and his music in a general sense, such as his influences, how he composes, which pieces you enjoy most and why etc.

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Roger
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Bass Players

Postby Roger » Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:05 pm

Gordon,

I guess that in the days of the GG band you must have recorded and performed with quite a few bass players. Who did you enjoy working with, both as people and musicians?

Thanks,

Roger

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Postby GORDON » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:58 pm

Hi Roger

A good question my friend. I have indeed worked with some cracking Bass players and ALL great in their own way.John G Perry was the most complete and melodic player I have known, John Gustafson one of THE great characters from the early days of rock, a VERY exciting and raw player.Chas Cronk who is now in the Strawbs was a real Bass player NOT Bass guitarist. Chas held it all together and was SO solid. And one of my early bands from 76 were a great bunch of guys from Barnsley, and Phil (can't remember his other name now ..must be me age) was outstanding, he played a Precision Bass using a thumb and fingerpicks...he got a great sound. And then there was Dave McDonald who was a good friend of Joanna Lumley's, she cut his hair, also his brothers...WOW I hear you cry.. :)

My best to you Both.

G.

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Postby Roger » Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:44 pm

Gordon,

It's interesting that you mention John Gustafson. I first came across him with Roxy Music, as he played on three of their 70's albums and also toured with them a few times (I saw him playing with them in 1975). I always liked his playing. I wonder what he's doing these days? One of my more mature friends can remember him playing with The Big Three, late 60's I think!

On another subject, is there any chance of "Under this Blue Sky" appearing on youtube? I'm really enjoying your footage on there, particularly Dodo's at The Railway Inn, Greenfield. And on the subject of youtube, what a great performance by young Ewan. I think the biggest compliment I can pay him is that he manages to reproduce some of the magic of "Dodo's Dream" - WELL DONE!

Best wishes,

Roger

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Wal Basses and the GG Band, a geek writes...

Postby Trevor Raggatt » Fri May 09, 2008 10:34 am

Roger wrote:Gordon,

It's interesting that you mention John Gustafson. I first came across him with Roxy Music, as he played on three of their 70's albums and also toured with them a few times (I saw him playing with them in 1975). I always liked his playing. I wonder what he's doing these days? One of my more mature friends can remember him playing with The Big Three, late 60's I think!


Yes, the GG band incarnations had some great bassists (and drummers for that matter... Simon Phillips, Ian Moseley, Clive Bunker... say no more). The GG era albums are always a double delight for me - my main instrument is bass - because the playing is so great but also because the GG band has an amazing link with one of the great British bass marques... Wal Basses made by Electric Wood in High Wycombe. It's a bass which I'm only a little bit unhealthily obsessed with - to wit... http://www.trevorandthea.eclipse.co.uk/wal_history.htm

Both Johns were intimately involved with the development of these wonderful bass guitars. John G Perry had the first ever bass Wal made - a short-scale bitsacaster effort

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...which was followed closely by Chris Squire's famous triple neck, here played by (original user) Roger Newell in Rick Wakeman's band...

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Both Perry and Gustafson were closely linked to designing the forst semi production basses (called the JG series after Johnny Gus).

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Some time back Gordon kindly lent me some negatives from "back in the day" of him playing his JGs with their distinctive floral leather tooled scratchplates.

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Live at Oxford captures both is amazing playing and the wonderful tone of his JG basses - a must for bass geeks like me!!Image

And finally a sad photo of me playing the original Wal bass, W1111 at the old Wal workshop in 2005...

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And finally finally, how come I'm so obsessed with Wal basses? Here are my two beauties...

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Roger
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Postby Roger » Sat May 10, 2008 8:23 pm

Great posting Trevor, with some brilliant photos!!

I wonder what JG is doing thses days?

All the best,

Roger

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Bob Wilson
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Postby Bob Wilson » Sun May 11, 2008 3:19 pm

Great pictures Trevor!
Hearing Gordon talk about Chas Cronk reminded me that I saw the acoustic strawbs a few years ago and Chas was not only playing bass but also using a midi pedalboard to give strings and orchestra backing to some of the songs. Multi tasking never sounded so good :lol:
Be well
Bob

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Multi-tasking...

Postby Trevor Raggatt » Mon May 12, 2008 11:04 am

Bob Wilson wrote:Great pictures Trevor!
Hearing Gordon talk about Chas Cronk reminded me that I saw the acoustic strawbs a few years ago and Chas was not only playing bass but also using a midi pedalboard to give strings and orchestra backing to some of the songs. Multi tasking never sounded so good :lol:
Be well
Bob


Yeah, I always loved Chas' playing on Rick Wakeman's solo stuff - in particular "Six Wives..."

Your multi-tasking comment reminded me of seeing Rush at Wembley this time last year - multitasking taken to an artform. Geddy Lee spent the evening swapping between bass and keyboards while playing synth bass and triggering samples with some midi pedals - singing all the while. Alex Lifeson also did synth bass, strings and sample triggering from an equally large bass pedals rig while playing his trademark blistering guitar. I dread to think what drummer Neil Peart was up to alongside just drumming... midi xylophone, timbales, sample triggering from midi pads, drums AND cymbals...

It was an astonishing gig. And even though it sounds like it must have been so techno'd up to the hilt that all the soul must have been programmed out of it... the contrary was true. The passion and enjoyment they displayed in their playing was astounding. Best I've seen them play in 20 years!

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Postby Roger » Wed May 21, 2008 1:05 pm

I've just got my hands on a copy of John Gustafson's solo outing "Goose Grease", complete with photo of him with Wal bass on the CD disc. Ia anyone familiar with this recording? Anyway I'll give it a play and let you know what I think!

Roger

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Postby Trevor Raggatt » Thu May 29, 2008 2:51 pm

Roger wrote:I've just got my hands on a copy of John Gustafson's solo outing "Goose Grease", complete with photo of him with Wal bass on the CD disc. Ia anyone familiar with this recording? Anyway I'll give it a play and let you know what I think!

Roger


Yeah, I've got that CD too. Very good in that "I'm a 70s rocker type dabbling in jazz fusion" kinda way. Does anyone remember Colloseum II with Jon Hisemann, Jon Mole, Don Airey and (bizarrely) Gary Moore? Sort of reminds me of the sort of stuff they put out in the 70s.


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