Maude

Following the 'Standing in the shadows....' suggestion I thought, I wonder if there's a Stax book, as I've always been more Stax than Motown, dare I say they had more funk than The Funk Brothers. I found 'Soulsville USA. The story of Stax records', which gets very good reviews, in case anyone else is looking for similar. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0825672848/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WkCPFb1D27VEE?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

🙂👍 I think we have an early leader.

@Bassman68 I was going to say not a bio as the music genre usually needs to be appreciated, but someone like Guy Pratt would be good as he's played with such a variety. I've just read Kenny Jones bio which was good as he's also played with everyone. @itu Good shout, being in a Mod/Northern soul/Ska band, Motown is a big influence. @Dad3353 You've used the G word 😁, but that looks good. Knowing me I'll end up buying a load myself and having a backlog of books to read. I've only just caught up with the last backlog over the previous furlough. 🙂

Evenin' all. My in laws don't know what to get me for Christmas, last years arsenic didn't work, and I thought a book would be nice. Now before we get all anti Christmas I've said I don't need, or want, anything but they're insisting and I'm being made out to be the misery. I hate asking for something as a present, but there you go. Anyway what good bass books are out there? I don't mean a 'learn to play' book, or any kind of maintenance manual, but rather 'a history of' type of thing, or anything else you can think of. Something that they can order so they don't need to go out and get it would be good. Not too expensive either as I'm not taking the pee, about £20 would be nice. So waddya got? 🙂

Terry Hall's dour, deadpan delivery is the perfect foil to The Specials' upbeat ska. Robert Smith (Terry Hall's long lost twin) is just perfect in The Cure, complete with breathy yelps and squeals.

Well there's a coincidence 😁

Although a can totally appreciate a technically proficient singer, all my favourite bands have singers that would be kicked off The X Factor as soon as possible. It's the imperfections that give the voice character I feel. I'd much rather hear a technically poor vocalist who sang with passion from the heart than a perfect one just going through the motions. Obviously there are very good vocalists that also sing with feeling. Case in point Joy Division/New Order. Neither Ian Curtis nor Bernard Sumner were good singers, hell the whole band were terrible musicians, the one with the most talent, Steven Morris wasn't proficient, just had relentless stamina on the hi-hat, yet they're probably my favourite band. Give them a 'good' vocalist and I probably wouldn't like them.

Don't cry for me Argentina (Julie Covington, & others) Damn my slow, fat fingers! As you were.

Under your thumb (Godley and Creme)

Yes, I was about to say they came with white but I've a feeling they may have been tort, unless I toyed with the idea of tort, I know the P had tort at some point, anyway rambling. I just bought the black ones from ebay, el cheapo, no name jobbies and they fit handsomely. It's possible a couple of screw hole might not have lined up perfectly, I can't remember, but as they are cheap basses a couple of fresh holes wouldn't have hurt. I don't know when they started making the STB series but the P has some wonderful aged colour to the neck. A real vintage darkening that isn't a stain. The J is much lighter. I actually gigged the P for about a year when I got it as it just feels so nice. With that band I always went through the PA with a monitor so I plugged in via a Behringer BDI21, forty pound bass, 30 pound pedal, I'm done 😁. Such a liberating way to gig.

Second hand, £40 each 😁. Just be aware though that they both have the same necks. It's a P neck rather than a J. Very nice necks to be honest, well finished and smooth frets and a not too chunky P feel. If you want a skinny J then it might not be right for you.

I did just that with my Aria STB basses. They both cost less than £50 each, the P now has a 1/4 pounder pickup and Chromes, and the J has Entwistle JBXNs with a series switch and rounds Both are seriously good to play and sound great.

Glasvegas first sprang to my mind too, one of the strongest accents from the UK I've heard on record. I've been listening to quite a bit of Ultravox recently and realised what an influence they must surely have been to Glasvegas. Niall O'Flaherty from Sultans of Ping FC sings with a strong accent but I can't place it. He's from Cork but there's some strong Liverpudlian and Mancunian in there. Toy Dolls also aren't afraid to let their accents shine.

Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (Carter USM)

On A Rope (Rocket from the Crypt)

Confusion (New Order)

13 Women (UK Renegades, because it's better than Bill Haleys original)

Just don't watch 'Last of the summer wine' before learning the intro to Sweet Child. They are very similar and I once played Summer Wine for fun just to mess with the band.

As I was reading your post detailing all the issues I thought to myself, here we go, another sorry looking 80s natural wood bass. Then I got to the pictures, WOW! It's a stunner, I mean really nice. I'm jealous. 🙂

Coney Island Girl (Fun Lovin' Criminals)

I'll see your Space Raiders, and raise you a 5 pack of Fish 'n' chips.

I'd suggest just going with a fairly standard nickel roundwound, like D'addario 45-100, as it's the most common 'all rounder' type of string. Then put a set of flats on your next P bass you'll pick up in a couple of weeks, steel rounds on the next a couple of weeks after that, then tapes, then half rounds. You get the idea. Oh yes, give it time, it will happen. 😁

Australia (Manic Street Preachers)

Paradise by the Dashboard Light (Meatloaf)

Top of the Pops (The Rezillos)