Latest
Recommended Listening With Damian Erskine : Beaty Brothers Band | “Self Titled”
Beaty Brothers Band
“Self Titled”
www.beatybrothersband.com
Featuring Ari Hoenig on Drums, Jim Robertson on Bass and Yayoi Ikawa on Piano & the Beaty brothers (John and Joe playing Alto and Trombone respectively) have released what is quickly becoming one of my new favorite finds!
Honestly, I hadn’t heard of these two brothers from TX (now living in NYC) before last week, but I’m so glad this CD fell into my lap!Ā After reading their bio and researching them a little, I discovered that the two brothers have walked many miles down some very hard roads (substance abuse in the family and a rare heart disease that very nearly killed Joe more than once)..Ā This is more than a album of tunes by some guys trying to prove themselves or “make it” but rather has the intensity and emotionality of an album that was recognized as very possibly being their last together.Ā Joe has since been cured in a final (3rd) heart surgery just a few months ago and I wish these guys the best.Ā This music is evocative and full of some stellar playing and blowing.
The songs are slightly dark and definitely have that NY sound I talk about so much…Ā Which to me, means something like:
“Contains great horn harmonies, amazingly proficient and open drumming style and rock solid, funky foundational bass playing”..Ā or
“Stuff that makes you go “DANG!…Ā Did you hear that?”
It actually reminds me of Chris Tarry’s album “Almost Certainly Dreaming” to be honest (Which I loved.Ā See review in the archinves)..Ā Things are slightly angular and edgy and you can’t wait to hear where things are going to go..Ā Definitely worth checking out!!
Gear
New Joe Dart Bass From Sterling By Music Man
Sterling by Music Man introduces the Joe DartĀ Artist Series Bass (āJoe Dartā), named after and designed in collaboration with the celebratedĀ Vulfpeck bassist.
Above photo credit: JORDAN THIBEAUX
This highly-anticipated model marks the debut of the Dart bass in the SterlingĀ by Music Man lineup, paying homage to the Ernie Ball Music Man original that all funk playersĀ know and love. The bass embodies many of the original modelās distinctive features, from itsĀ iconic minimalist design to the passive electronics.
The design process prioritized reliability, playability, and accessibility at the forefront.Ā Constructed from the timeless Sterling body, the Dart features a slightly smaller neck profile,Ā offering a clean tone within a comfortable package. The body is crafted from soft maple woodĀ for clarity and warmth while the natural finish emphasizes the simple yet unique look.
Engineered for straightforward performance, this passive bass features a ceramic humbuckingĀ bridge pickup and a single ‘toaster’ knob for volume control. Reliable with a classic tone, it’sĀ perfect for playing in the pocket. The Dart is strung with the all-new Ernie Ball Stainless SteelĀ Flatwound Electric Bass Strings for the smoothest feel and a mellow sound.
The Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Bass is a special āTimed Editionā release, exclusively available for order on the Sterling by Music Man website for just one month. Each bass is made to order, with the window closing on May 31st and shipping starting in November. A dedicated countdown timer will indicate the remaining time for purchase on the product page. Additionally, the back of the headstock will be marked with a ā2024 Cropā stamp to commemorate the harvest year for this special, one-of-a-kind release.
The Joe Dart Bass is priced at $399.99 (MAP) and can be ordered globally atĀ https://sterlingbymusicman.com/products/joe-dart.Ā
To learn more about Joe Dart, visit theĀ official Vulfpeck artist site hereĀ https://www.vulfpeck.com/.
Cover
Guy Pratt, Not Your Average Guy – May 2024 Issue
Guy Pratt, Not Your Average Guy – May 2024 Issue
For me, the bass is like this poor dutiful, loyal kind of wife.Ā I go off and have my affairs and run about town, then I always come crawling back to herā¦ Guy Pratt
By David C. Gross and Tom Semioli
Photo Courtesy – Cover Photo, Paul Mac Manus | Promo, Tarquin Gotch
Most rock and pop devotees know the individual names, likenesses, and other āintimateā details of their beloved ensembles.
Everyone has/had their favorite Beatleā¦ darling Rolling Stoneā¦ preferred Led Zeppelin, their chosen whoās in the Who – etcetera.Ā
And even in those instances, the enigmatic lead singer and swaggering lead guitarist garner the most consideration in the public eye. Aspiring drummers, keyboardists, and bassists will naturally gravitate to their said instrumentalists. Civilians could care less.
In the case of the singular artist, itās all about the headliner, and quite frankly, thatās just how the nature of rock celebrity works. Itās the name on the ticket that counts.
On rare occasions, the second banana gets peeled: Mick Ronson spidering beside David Bowie, Steve Stevens rebel yelling in the service of Billy Idol, Scotty Moore twanginā with Elvis Presley, and Steve Vai shredding alongside David Lee Roth, to cite a select small number. āVery few are chosen and even fewer still are calledā¦ā to quote Warren Zevon who piled his craft with guitarist Waddy Wachtel in tow.
Rarer still are the sideman/session bass players who somehow catch the slightest edge of any spotlight. Motown legend James Jamerson Jr. was not recognized until long after his passing by way of the 2002 Paul Justman documentary Standing In The Shadows of Motown which was a surprising box-office success and consequently spurred on similar films such as The Wrecking Crew (2008) Muscle Shoals (2013). Even then, these studio catsā time in the sunset as soon as the film credits rolled.Ā
Other bassists in the strictly accompaniment arena catch a notable wave by the nature of their unique contributions to international hit songs ā witness Pino Palladino with Paul Young (āEvery Time You Go Awayā). Studio ace Will Lee (for whom David C. Gross oft subbed), gesticulating in proximity to charismatic bandleader Paul Shaffer, was visible to millions in his four decades with Late Night with David Letterman, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Rarified air indeed.Ā
Which brings us to Guy Allen Pratt. Born in 1962 in a place called Lambeth London, Pratt came to the instrument in the funky 1970s when bass, thanks to improvements in audio and recording technology, could actually be heard on the radio and on hi-fi record players of the day. Rather than prattle on about Prattās formative years, we highly recommend his hysterical autobiography My Bass and Other Animals (2007) Orion books.
David and I love talking to our record collection on Notes From An Artist. Guy not only talks to his record recollection on his podcast Rockonteurs with co-host Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet fame but heās played with them! You (lovable) bastard!
Guyās credits on stage and/or in the studio span David Gilmour, Roger Waters-less Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Tom Jones, Iggy Pop, Icehouse (of which he was a band member), Kristy MacColl, Robert Palmer, Gary Moore, Debbie Harry, Johnny Marr, Robbie Robertson, Peter Cetera, Tears for Fears, David Coverdale- Jimmy Page, All Saints, The Orb, and Nick Masonās Saucerful of Secrets, among others. Impressed, you should be!
If youāre a listener to Notes From An Artist and Rockonteurs ā and you should be ā you will immediately recognize the simpatico synergy between the two shows. David and I donāt have the piles of platinum discs that Guy and Gary have earned over the years, but weāve been there and done that ā the tours, sessions, the travel, the good deals, the mostly bad dealsā¦
Hence our interview with Guy was not the typical linear podcast that one normally experiences with the obligatory introduction, tastefully imbedded product plug and follow-up, anecdotes, and farewell until we meet again.
Nope. Not even close. From the get-go, our discussion was enjoyably out of control. Akin to caged animals let free in the wilderness, the three of us came out chomping at the bit ā with unbridled enthusiasm, one-upmanship, blotto bravado, and many joyful verbal collisions (ātaking the pissā if you will).Ā
Much like the popular Jerry Seinfeld TV series Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee ā note that Guy also performs stand-up (or sit-down) comedy ā we were chuffed to talk shop and then some sans the usual (and necessary) constraints of the radio/podcast format.Ā
You have been warned. Here are excerpts from our free for all!Ā
NFAA TOM: Let me introduce our audience member to Guy ā¦
Pratt abruptly interrupts the prolog when he spots Davidās custom Ken Bebensee six-string bass replete with a pinkish hue complimented by neon pink DR strings behind Gross at the onset of our Zoom chat.
GP: Whoa, what is that? It looks like some sort of psychedelic Ampeg bass!
NFAA DAVID: No! This is my six-string bass designed by a guy named Ken Bebensee with obligatory pink strings. You know, it takes a tough man to wear pink!Ā
NFAA TOM: Non-binary strings?Ā
GP: I donāt know that it does! Pink was a big 1950s color. Black and pink in particular. It was a big punk thing too. The Clash wore black and pink. Elvis wore black and pink.
NFAA TOM: Good observation Guy.
NFAA DAVID: The strings are great on stage because they glow under the lights which is very coolā¦
NFAA TOM: ā¦much like the bass player.
GP: Tom..thatās a bass behind you as well (Pratt eyes Tomās 1981 Steinberger XL ā placed strategically to compliment Davidās instrument)
NFAA TOM: Yes I set this out for our Johnny Marr interview ā¦I know heās a big fan of Steinberger instruments.
NFAA DAVID: It used to have a headstockā¦
GP: Johnny is definitely not a fan of those basses..
NFAA TOM: Yes I knew that factoid from reading your book My Bass and Other Animals. Iām using irony hereā¦
GP: Thatās why I bought āBetsyā (āBetsyā is Guyās nom de plume for his 1964 Fender Jazz Bass once owned by John Entwistle. Pratt purchased this instrument at the behest of The Smiths guitarist whose penchant for traditional instruments is well known. Marr felt the modish graphite Steinberger – which Pratt preferred – was not suitable for his post-Smiths aesthetic.)Ā
NFAA TOM: You started Rockonteurs podcast with Gary Kemp during Covid lockdown, circa 2020, yes?
GP: This is the funny thing, we started it before Covid. The idea came to us being on the tour bus with the Saucers (Nick Masonās Saucerful of Secrets band). I needed to while away the hours on our first European tour. In those days the buses still had DVD players. I brought along a box set of The Old Grey Whistle Test (a popular British television show which aired from 1971 -2018 featuring performances and interviews of music artists hosted by Bob Harris).Ā
With Nick, I watched hours of 1970s rock TV. And Nick would be sharing all sorts of great personal stories about the people who were on the show. I had the idea of doing a show asking the people who were there ā the artists. Before we could broadcast it we figured weād get ten episodes together.
Gary and I went through our address books and we managed to get ten mates who agreed to be on the show.Ā Back then, you had to go to a studio in London, you had to have a whole set up and everything like that. But then lockdown happened and suddenly the world went Zoom! You could have shit audio, and most important is that you could speak to anyone anywhere at any time. So we started before, but it was the lockdown that made us. How long have you guys been going?
NFAA TOM: David and I started off as The Bass Guitar Channel during lockdown three years ago (2020), and then we thought why the hell are we just talking to bass players?Ā
NFAA DAVID: Boring old farts!
GP: Right!
NFAA TOM: We were mutual fans of each otherās websites ā David has the Bass Guitar Channel, and I host the website and video series Know Your Bass Player. Of course, even under the banner of Notes From An Artist ā we do favor bassists. Our guests include Bill Wyman who has been on the show twice, weāve had Ron Carter on a few times. Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Quite Riot), Gerry McAvoy from Rory Gallagher, Benny Rietveld from Santana and Miles Davis, Jim Fielder from Blood Sweat & Tears, Harvey Brooks (Bob Dylan, Miles Davis)ā¦
Weāve actually shared quite a few guests with Rockonteurs ā Richard Thompson, Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Colin Blunstone (The Zombies), Steve Hackett (Genesis). David and I consider ourselves the American Rockonteurs ā or Mockonteurs!
NFAA DAVID: Youāve played with Johnny Marr, David Coverdale, Nick Masonā¦
NFAA TOM: Many times, when David and I listen to podcasts hosted by non-musicians, we feel this angst, frustration, and even homicidal rage because the interviewers havenāt lived the life of a musicianā¦I feel that we do which are peer-to-peer interviews, are very special.
NFAA DAVID: Itās very niche, but it can appeal to a broader audience.
GP: Yeah, yeah, yeah! It all depends on how you do it. Gary and I love to geek out. But this is the thing that I learned from years of doing my stand-up show, and that is you canāt appeal to just bass players. Half the guys have brought their missus. And they donāt want to be there. So youāve got to do it in a way that makes sense for people who donāt really know or even care.
NFAA DAVID: One thing we learned very early on ā it was the first time we had Ron Carter as a guest ā we did not bring up Miles Davis. And you can understand that. Heās going strong in his 80s and five years of his life were with Miles. Heās done so many other things besides Milesā¦
GP: Thatās hip, thatās cool! Thatās seventy-five yearsā worth!
NFAA DAVID: ā¦so forty minutes into the interviewā¦ in his head, he must be going āno Miles? No Miles?ā We ended up getting Miles stories that no one had gotten before. Same thing with Bill Wyman. We didnāt mention the Rolling Stones once!
NFAA TOM: We read in your book how you made your bones as a bass player. Bernard Edwards noted, āThat kid has a vibe!ā Robert Palmer called you āthe kid with the riffs!ā
GP: Make that the kid with the āriffā I just had one riff!
NFAA TOM: Weāve had some of your peers on the show such as bassists Lee Sklar (James Taylor, Jackson Brown, āThe Sectionā), and Rudy Sarzo, and they never intended to be studio musicians ā they preferred being in bands. What about you?
GP: It wasnāt really a proper profession. You got into rock and roll and you were in a band. It didnāt really exist. There were names you saw on Steely Dan records as part of some sort of unattainable Olympus. I wanted to play with people whose music I loved. And if I could help them make music, that would be even better.Ā
I think I had it too easy for too long. Then I got to the wrong side of thirty and thought āWhatās my manifesto?ā Iāve gone on and ticked off other boxes.
For me, the bass is like this poor dutiful loyal kind of wife, while I go off and have my affairs and run about town and then always come crawling back to herā¦
NFAA: Guy, you came to prominence in the 1980s ā the decade dominated by electric bass!
GP: It was the best decade to be a bass player! Absolutely! In the world I was in ā which was the current cool music of its time ā everything from Bryan Ferry to Scritti Politti or whatever in British music ā it was no longer about guitar. Guitar was small. Guitar played polite minor 7th chords ā unless you were Johnny Marr. In fact ā guitar was Johnny Marr!
It wasnāt David Gilmour or Jimmy Page. It was all about slapping. And also the bass seemed to be really responding well to technology. With instruments such as the Steinbergerā¦
NFAA TOM: Your contemporaries were Pino Palladino, Paul Denman from Sadem, Norman Watt-Roy, Darryl Jonesā¦Neil Jason
GP: Donāt forget Tony Levin!
NFAA TOM: Yes, you shared many a gig with Levin.
NFAA TOM: Talk about the influence of Mark King of Level 42 with his slap style on British players.
GP: Oh God yeah, he was a hero. There is footage on YouTube of my first production rehearsals with Pink Floyd when I first started playing with them in 1987. I have no idea how someone could sneak around with a camera back then ā they were so huge. We were in a 747 airplane maintenance hanger at Toronto Airport ā and you can hear Gary Wallace and me playing āLove Games.ā Thatās what we did.
NFAA TOM: And you had to hold the bass high on the body ā like a bow tie!
GP: Holding the bass that was a āNew Romanticā thing ā which was done just to be as un-rock and roll as you could be. Literally holding the instrument under your chinā¦
When I look at that first Floyd tour ā my bass is positioned a little higher than it is now.
NFAA TOM: Ergonomically – playing the bass too high is a problem ā because you could tip over! Plus itās a strain on your shoulders and upper arm. As we age, we develop pot bellies, so we need to lower the bass.
GP: It was quite funny with David (Gilmour) because he is much more svelte nowā¦ I would sneak to have a go on Davidās guitar ā Iād put it on and it would be down to my knees!
NFAA DAVID: On the topic of bass positioning ā what I learned Billy Sheehan was to sit down with your instrument in your lapā get comfortable, then stand up and take a simple piece of leather and measure ā and thatās your position!
GP: Brilliant! Thatās way too grown-up and sensible!
NFAA DAVID: I could never understand Dee Dee Ramone playing with his bass near his ankles!
GP: But it looked fantastic! At the end of the day, are we musicians, or are we playing rock and roll?
NFAA TOM: There is actually an ergonomic reason why he did that. When you position your bass in the middle of your body ā as most players do ā you are using your forearm muscles. To play rapid eighth or sixteenth notes you need to use your wrist. Hence if you position the bass low beneath the hip ā you work your wrist muscles.
GP: Youāre absolutely right! Remember when the Boss Chorus came along and made everyone think they could play fretless? I am absolutely guilty of that! (Makes the sound of a chorus pedal) Rrrrrrrrr. Rrrrrrrr. Rrrrrr. Is that an E or an F? Who knows thereās a lot of chorus on it!
NFAA DAVID: It does not matter!
David C. Gross shows off his modified Tony Franklin fretless Fender bass aptly dubbed āThe Franklin ā Stein.ā Gross had the instrument finished distressed, swapped out the Fender pick-ups for Lindy Fralin P-J configuration pups, and also replaced the Tony Franklin signature back plate. David notes that he shuts down the J bridge pick-up when playing the instrument. Gross notes that since he posted this bass on social media, Tony Franklin ā a constant presence on Instagram and Facebook ā has not spoken to him!
GP: Iām personally baffled by Precision fretless basses. To me, the Jazz seems to be the obvious fretless model because it needs a ābiteā with a pickup near the bridge. The person who would disagree with me is David Gilmour ā who is a very fine fretless player. I think he used a Charvel fretless on āHey Youā (Pink Floyd The Wall 1979).Ā
NFAA DAVID: With me, itās more comparable to my six-string as I prefer a big neck.Ā Particularly a P neck with a C shape is the right one for me. Tony certainly got the neck right!
GP: For the Saucerful tours I play basses Iām not familiar with! The one thing I do with that band is try to be authentic. Thereās no point in trying to copy those parts ā in a lot of instances you canāt even hear them since they were mixed low on the original records most of the time. From ā67 to ā70 Roger played a Rickenbacker then in ā70 he switched to the Fender Precision. So I play Rickenbackers and Precisions which are not my first choice.
With the Precision I know itās not the instrument ā itās me! Precisions are fabulous but itās like certain Italian knitwear ā I love it on other people!
As for the Rickenbacker ā I just canāt really play it. But they make me play great for this gig because I kind of need to have one hand tied behind my back. And I have to play with a pick ā so thereās no danger of me getting funky anywhere!
NFAA DAVID: I remember when Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles, 1967) first came out. Those photos of Paul with a Rickenbacker looked great!
GP: Yes, it is a fantastic-looking instrumentā¦ but I never understood why it became a āprog rockā bass with Chris Squire. Because itās not a hi-fi-sounding instrument.Ā
Getting back to Precisions ā I think it all comes down to āWhat was the first bass you picked up!ā The first bass I played was a jazz-style instrumentā¦
Pratt proceeds to jump out of his skin and show off the instrument that began his lifeās journey āMy dad gave it to me ā¦itās a Grant Japanese modelā it was sunburst ā I can never figure out why the black color followed the contour of the neck ā then when I shaved it down I discovered it was plywood!ā
GP: Itās that jazz profile which is all Iāve ever wantedā¦ Then when I got Betsy ā that his the most perfect profile neck Iāve ever come across.
NFAA TOM: And thatās the profile on your signature Betsy Bass available at The Bass Centre
Pratt hoists a Bass Center Betsy in his favorite hue ā burgundy mist.
GP: Itās the best-selling bass theyāve ever had! I used this Bass Centre bass at a cancer charity gig the other week (November 2023) with Andy Taylor and Robert Plant. So howās this for a ābox tickā ā Iām one of the few people, apart from John Paul Jones to have played āBlack Dogā with Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant!
NFAA TOM: The big I am! Letās talk about Betsy ā you added a Badass bridgeā¦
GP: The Badass is an optionā¦ I use the cheap one! The secret to that bass is the EMG pickups. People donāt usually put EMG pickups into an old bassā¦it has the lovely, settled, resonant wood. Stick active EMGs into an old bass andā¦boom! Itās fantastic!
NFAA TOM: David, you can compliment the burgundy mist Betsy bass with your signature neon pink strings!
Pratt proudly displays the original Betsy bass guitar once owned by John Entwistle of The Who.
GP: Hereās the old girl!
NFAA TOM: Is that the āMy Generationā bass?
GP: No, John never played this bass. Owning a bass that belonged to John Entwistle is like owning a pair of shoes that belonged to Imelda Marcos!
NFAA DAVID: John owned a very conceivable bass in several colors.
GP: The rumor I heard was that Fender made three full sets of Burgundy Mist guitars in 1964. And John owned the full set- a Precision, Jazz, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jazz Master – he had everything. Which was priceless, but he had to sell them all in a hurry. So I purchased this bass through the legendary guitar tech Alan Rogan.
The conversation drifts on to the punk era which Pratt experienced as an impressionable teenager.
NFAA TOM: We didnāt get the Sex Pistols until late in their career and then of course, the band broke up in the USA following a show in Texas. That band must have had an impact on a young Guy Pratt.
GP: Oh totally! If you discovered rock and roll at that point like I did, it made an impact. But the stuff I loved were the bands that survived. I loved The Who ā Pete stayed totally cool throughout punk ā no one was going to touch Pete! Twelve years before punk, Pete was smashing guitars on stage. No one was ever going to do anything as punk rock as that!
I liked Bruce Springsteen who became great friends with Joe Strummer. There was this thing that there were five bands ā they were these people who were rich and over thirty years old, which we couldnāt relate to as teenagers.
What was so brilliant about punk ā and itās the reason why the 1980s were so brilliant ā was the ādo it yourselfā aspect of punk. In England at the time the attitude was if you donāt like a band ā start your own band. If you donāt like what is in the newspapers ā start your own newspaper!
When The Buzzcocks heard about the Sex Pistols they booked them to play at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester. They played and there were about fourteen people at the show. And those fourteen people were Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Mick Hucknell, Tony Wilson, Steven Morris, Ian Curtisā¦basically the 1980s!
NFAA DAVID: Iām surprised that The Damned never broke in this country. They were another āfakeā punk band that was brilliant.
GP: I know what you mean. They were like The Monkees of punk. And I say that as someone who adored The Monkees when I was a kid.
NFAA TOM: Talking about your history of session workā¦ when we are in the studio oft times we are required to either read a lead sheet or a written out note-for-note chart. According to your book, Madonna asked up to create a bassline that made your (anatomy deleted) hard!
GP: She was terrifying!
NFAA TOM: In your book, you detail how you forgot that you played the iconic bassline to āLike A Prayerā which bolstered your career.Ā
GP: Right! I had a vague recollection of that session. Itās weird because I remember all the other stuff. I was bloody scared! I know Iāve played with Pink Floyd at this point, and other major artists but I still have this terrible imposter syndrome. Iām basically a West London punk rocker, I shouldnāt really be doing any of this!Ā
NFAA TOM: But youāre āthe kid with the riffs!
GP: Thatās āriffā again ā singular! I only had one! I used it up a long time ago.
It was a band session, and the players were amazing; Jonathan Moffat (drums), Bruce Gaitsch (guitar)Āø Jai Winding (keyboards), Patrick Leonard (keyboards), Bill Bottrell (engineer) ā incredible.
And Madonna was so good ā she was so āon it.ā She sang a guide vocal. Sheād give me notes ā and they were proper notes. They werenāt like āCan you make it more purple?ā She gave me understandable musical things that she wanted me to do. Or not do.Ā
āLike a Prayerā was just me, her, Pat and Bill. I donāt know why I was there. I was thinking because they have the synth on it ā thatās all theyād need. There might not have been a plan to put a bass on it. I was in there to simply double some of the verse stuff. I was playing every fourth note or something.
At the end, it was one of those ālet go nutsā takes. āWeāve got the take we need, letās just do one more for fun.ā I donāt remember it because I wasnāt taking it seriously. As if I could do that!
Sometime later she invited me down to the mix ā Iād come back to California to do the Toy Matinee album and I went down to the studio and she said (in Prattās impeccable Madonna Ciccone voice appropriation) āCome and sit next to me!āĀ
There was this last really loud play through and I was absolutely stunned. It is an amazing song. The hooks, the arrangement, everything! On that track, there is always something to keep you interested. On that song, youāre always thinking ā¦ What now, what now?āĀ
Then the bass thing happened at the end. āThat sounds like me but it obviously isnātā¦ā because thatās way above my pay grade! Pino gets to do that! Tony Levin gets to do that. Mark King gets to do that.
Guy Pratt does not get to do that! Which is why I said to Madonna āThat is the greatest record youāve ever madeā¦ who played bass on it?āĀ
(Pratt in Madonna mode) āYou, dummy!!!!!ā
NFAA DAVID: I think your Michael Jackson story is more bizarre.
GP: The funniest thing about that story is when I got the call to do it. It was a period of my life that was so insane. Iād done the Toy Matinee record, and I had to leave before the end of making it to fly back to Europe to do a Pink Floyd tour ā we went to Moscow and did that amazing gig in Venice. Then I had to fly straight back to Los Angeles to start the Robbie Robertson album (1987). While I was doing Robbieās album ā I did other songs for Madonna such as āHanky Panky.ā One day in the studio I get a call from engineer Bill Bottrell.
āHey Guy, what are you doing?ā I responded āWell, Iām working with Robbie.ā Bottrell: āI want you to work on this Michael Jackson songā¦ā I said āOkay.ā āCan you be here by six?ā Pratt: āWe donāt usually finish until 6ā¦ Iāll have to ask permission!āĀ
So I went to Robbie āListen, is there any chance I can go early tonight?āĀ Robertson: āOh why?ā Pratt: āIāve been asked to do a Michael Jackson session!ā And Robbie blurted out āWhat am I supposed to say to that!āĀ
Pratt to Bottrell: āWhy me Bill?ā
Bottrell: āMichael heard āLike A Prayerā and he wants that!ā
So I thought āGreat, he obviously wants full balls-out Octave pedal madness!Ā
I turned up at the studio and Michael had supposedly just left. And they play the track (Pratt sings) āWhat about sunlightā¦ā And I think to myself āReally!? What the hell am I supposed to do with this?āĀ
Luckily Steve Ferrone came in. However was in the worst possible key ā Ab! With an Octave pedal that is not good. As a rule, you donāt go below D. In fact, D is the optimum key. Now with modern technology, you can do anything, though I donāt like any of the new Octave pedals unless Iām doing a sub-swell.Ā
For me, it was the Boss OC-2.Ā Boss was actually talking about doing a Guy Pratt edition of the pedal.Ā
NFAA DAVID: Take that Pino!
GP: Yeah! Look I nicked it from him ā I make no bones about it. āTear Your Playhouse Downā and āGive Bloodā are the best examples of Pino with the OC -2.Ā
NFAA TOM: When I first heard those tracks, I had no idea they were pedals.
GP: Right because at the time there was no internet. When I first heard āTear Your Playhouse Down,ā I thought āit sounds like a synth but it obviously isnātā¦ but how did I find out it was an Octave pedal? Who do I ask? I didnāt know Pino!āĀ
Do I go up to people and (yell) āTell me tell meā and leave a trail of bodies all over London?Ā But I did find outā¦
NFAA TOM: Guy as you are an album artist primarily, we ask all of our guests who work in that format the question āIs the album format still relevant in the age of streaming music?ā What say you?
GP: No they are not. Albums were the length they were because Deutsche GrammophonĀ worked out that it was the length of one movement of a symphony. Since that was the format, thatās what record players were made to. So we got used to the album format. Which then became this completely invented format where track listing was everything. From track one on side one, to track one on side twoā¦what is the last track on side two?Ā
Basically, it became a play in two acts. Then the compact disc came along, and that concept was gone. There is no end of side oneā¦there is no end of side twoā¦Ā
Any sort of restriction that is imposed upon you ā especially as an artist, is a good thing. Thatās why plays are like plays, and films are like films.
Itās good to have these invented laws. Now, there is kind of no point! If you want an album to be 400 songs, it can. Thatās why I find it interesting ā that amongst a lot of the kids ā their preferred format is the EP. Four songs. Itās not the tradition of āextended play.ā Itās four songs.Ā
Back in the day, EPs were when artists argued about what was going to be the B side!Ā
NFAA TOM: Or make an extra dollar off additional songsā¦
GP: Right.
NFAA TOM: Interesting that you mention the term ārestrictionā because David and I interviewed legendary bassist Jerry Jemmott and asked him that had Jaco Pastorius lived would he have moved on to the extended range bass ā five-string, six-string. David and I were convinced that Jaco would have added more strings, yet Jemmott maintains that it is the restrictions of the four-string that made Jaco great.
GP: I donāt think Jaco would have played a six-string.Ā
NFAA DAVID: When you play an extended range ā five or six ā and I know youāve tried that – your left hand tends to move horizontally rather vertically.
GP: Yes, thatās what Jack Bruce said ā and he preferred five-string. But when you think about it the top note on a Jazz bassā¦
NFAA DAVID: An Eb!
GP: Yes and itās a note I actually use in a chord at the end of the song āSaucerful of Secretsā with Nick Mason. The point being, that note, why would you need anything higher than that on a bass guitar?
NFAA DAVID: Well, the idea to me was never doing the ādiarrhea of the handsā soloing. My brother-in-law was Ian MacDonald ā and when he left Foreigner, we started a band. He bought me a Chapman Stick.Ā
GP: Ah I was about to bring those up!
NFAA DAVID: I wanted to go low, not higher.
GP: Yes, I get that. But with Jacoās facility, I donāt think he would have gone there. I donāt think Hendrix would have gone beyond the Fender Stratocaster. Look at David Gilmour. No one has done more to expand the horizons of what a guitar can sound like, but itās still the black Strat. Ā
To me, Jacoās sound is still so space-aged, modern, and high-tech, and it was just him ā what else was he going to do? He already had the future in his fingers!
NFAA DAVID: When it comes to Jaco ā yes he was a great player, but it all comes down to his compositions. He was a brilliant composer. Just like Charles Mingus. A great bassist, no doubt. But when you think about Mingus, you think about his compositions.
āThree Views of a Secret,ā āPortrait of Tracy,ā who, outside of Percy Jones, would have thought of it?
NFAA TOM: According to Anthony Jackson, with whom David studiedā¦the true bass guitar is a six-string. As we discussed this with another Anthony Jackson disciple, your colleague Dave Swift (Laterā¦with Jools Holland). If you place the electric bass next to an electric guitar and an upright bass, clearly the electric bass is a member of the guitar family. Leo Fender, who focused on the marketing aspect of his business, made the bass four strings to appeal to upright players who were weary of hauling the cumbersome doghouse!
GP: I had a Fender six-string bass, but I thought of it more as a baritone guitar. Wasnāt it interesting in The Beatles Get Back film that they had one laying around the studio and thatās what John Lennon picks up to play bass tracks.
NFAA DAVID: Jack Bruce was playing a Fender six-string with Cream! How did he do it?
GP: Right! So letās go back to the Chapman Stick ā which was everywhere in the 1980s. Alphonso Johnson, Tony Levinā¦and I was thinking āOh my God Iām going to have to learn this thingā¦ā So I nearly bought one. And I thought I just did those four years in my bedroom; I donāt know if I could go back and do them again. Because thatās what it would take. Then I realized ā especially Tony ā that heās only playing two strings on it!Ā
NFAA DAVID: Thatās absolutely right! You know what made me decide to get rid of the Stickā¦aside from how many years it would take to master it? I didnāt want to stand up with the Goddamn thing stuck in my pants!
GP: Exactly! Years back Tony Levin told me that he transcribed Stravinskyās āFirebirdā for the Stick. And I thought āWeāll I was never gonna do that!āĀ
NFAA TOM: Whatās on Guy Prattās bucket list?
GP: The boxes keep getting ticked! Thereās only one person I would really like to play with. Butā¦ itās a total Catch-22.Ā
I would love, love, love to do something with Peter Gabriel. But if I do something with Peter Gabriel, that means Tony Levin isnāt doing it ā and I always wanted to be kind ofā¦ Tony Levin! So I guess I donāt want to play with Peter Gabrielā¦
More Bass Player interviews are available in an upcoming book:Ā Good Question! Notes From An Artist Interviewsā¦Ā by David C. Gross & Tom SemioliĀ www.NotesFromAnArtist.comĀ
Bass Player Health
Preparing for Performance with Dr. Randy Kertz
Preparing for Performance…
This month we discuss how to prepare for a performance and easy strategies that go a long way.
Dr. Randall Kertz is the author of The Bassistās Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Click here to get your copy today!
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Gear Reviews
The Frank Brocklehurst 6-String Fretless Bass Build
A few months ago, my Ken Bebensee 6-string fretted bass needed some TLC. You know, the one rocking those Pink Neon strings! I scoured my Connecticut neighborhood for a top-notch luthier and got pointed to Frank Brocklehurst, F Brock Music. He swung by my place, scooped up the bass, and boom, returned it the next day, good as new. Not only that, he showed up with a custom 5-string fretted bass that blew me away. I couldn’t resist asking if he could whip up a 6-string fretless for me.Ā
Alright, let’s break down the process here. We’ve got our raw materials: Mahogany, Maple, and Holly. Fun fact – the Mahogany and Maple have been chilling in the wood vault for a solid 13 years. Frank is serious about his wood; they buy it, stash it away, and keep an eye on it to make sure it’s stable. Ā
First up, theyāre tackling the Mahogany. Frank glues it together, then lets it sit for a few days to let everything settle and the glue to fully dry. After that, it’s onto the thickness planer and sander to get it nice and flat for the CNC machine. The CNC machine’s the real star here – it’s gonna carve out the body chambers and volume control cavity like a pro.
While the Mahogany’s doing its thing, Frank goes onto the neck core. Three pieces of quartersawn maple are coming together for this bad boy. Quartersawn means the grain’s going vertical. He is also sneaking in some graphite rods under the fingerboard for stability and to avoid any dead spots. The truss rod is going to be two-way adjustable, and the CNC machine’s doing its magic to make sure everything’s just right.
Now, onto the design phase. Frank uses CAD software to plan out the body shape, neck pocket, chambering, and those cool f-holes. I had this idea for trapezoid F-holes, just to do something different. The CAD software also helps us map out the neck shape, graphite channels, and truss-rod channel with pinpoint accuracy.
Once everything’s planned out, it’s CNC time again. Frank cuts out the body outline, neck pocket, and the trapezoid F-holes. Then it’s a mix of hand sanding and power tools to get that neck just how we like it. Oh, and those f holes? We’re going for trapezoids of different sizes – gotta keep things interesting.
Next step: gluing that neck into the pocket with some old-school hide glue. It’s got great tonal transfer and can be taken apart later if needed. Then it’s onto hand-carving that neck-body transition.
For the custom-made bridge, Frank uses brass for definition and Ebony for tonal transfer and that warm, woody sound.
BTW, for tunes, Frank went with Hipshot Ultralights with a D Tuner on the low B. This way I can drop to a low A which is a wonderful tone particularly if you are doing any demolition around your house!
Now it’s time for the side dots. Typically, on most basses, these dots sit right in the middle of the frets. But with this bass, they’re placed around the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th frets.
Frank’s got his pickup hookup. Since the pickup he was building wasn’t ready, he popped in a Nordstrand blade to give it a whirl.
It sounded good, but I was itching for that single-coil vibe! And speaking of pickups, Frank showed me the Holly cover he was cutting to match, along with all the pink wire – talk about attention to detail!
A couple of things, while it is important for me to go passive, it is equally important for me to just go with a volume knob. Tone knobs are really just low-pass filters and the less in the way of a pure sound for me, the better.
Finally, it’s string time! As usual, I went for the DR Pink Neon strings. Hey, I even have matching pink Consā¦Both low tops and high!
Once we’ve got everything tuned up and settled, we’ll give it a day or two and then tweak that truss rod as needed. And voila, we’ve got ourselves a custom-made bass ready to rock and roll.
I want to thank Frank Brocklehurst for creating this 6 string beast for me.
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