According to an interview with Trevor Horn that I heard back then, they were a proper band. The bass player, Mark O’Toole, was quite a busy “slap-bass player”. Horn had to simplify a lot of his lines as part of the production process.
Please excuse a thread derailment, but does anyone remember Nick Heyward and Pino Palladino performing Whistle Down the Wind as a duo on The Tube? And, if so, where I might find it on the web? I tried YT etc. and had no luck.
The above idea sounds good for the head. Another possibility I’ve used on occasion is to use one of those tension belts with a ratchet on it. Not quite as elegant but simple and you don’t need to make it.
This is certainly a departure from the typical Tiny Desk repertoire. I'm not really sure what to make of it, but overall have to say I kind of like it. Your opinions may, of course, differ...