Old Man Riva

I’m sure I recall Johnnie Walker doing the charts in the early 70s on a Tuesday lunchtime on Radio 1 (247MW), with the number one announced at 1pm. He was someone I loved listening to - he seemed cooler than the likes of, say, Tony Blackburn and/or Jimmy Young - even as a kid I thought their props a bit naff (anyone remember Blackburn’s barking dog, Arnold, and or Jimmy Young’s “what’s the recipe today, Jim?”, on his ‘JY Prog’?). There were also Emperor Rosko and Stuart Henry (“alright, m’friends”) who both stood out as being a bit different. I didn’t really catch much of Johnnie Walker’s more recent time on the airwaves, but when I did hear him he still had that fabulously cool radio delivery, and not a barking Alsatian anywhere to be heard!

Marco did Weller’s first iteration of his solo stuff including the Wild Wood album. Yolanda Charles took over the bass stuff in Weller’s band after Marco, I think. Re. Eddie Piller. I often think he gets overlooked and doesn’t get the credit for all he’s done, music-wise, especially on the London scene in the late 80s/90s. Label founder, manager, DJ, archivist, curator, club owner, presenter, writer etc. The guy lives and breathes music…

Some cracking stuff has been released on Acid Jazz, though worth noting that Acid Jazz records was founded by Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller, and not James Taylor. Eddie Piller helped Jay Kay in the early years, and (a version of) this track was originally released on Acid Jazz before being re-released on Sony…

Wilton Felder on bass…

Aye, Walshy’s great to deal with…

Three experiences with vintage dealers over the years - these are dedicated vintage-focused operators, rather than someone stocking vintage basses as part of a broader offering. A ‘62 Precision sold with a split in the fretboard at the first fret - “it’s just the grain”. It turned out that there was a problem with the truss rod, and the fretboard had fractured. A ‘64 Jazz that had a protruding fret - “we’ll just our tech to tap it down, no problem”. It turned out there were larger neck problems and the fretboard had previously been repaired. A ‘62 Precision being sold as “completely original”. I asked for the store to provide images of the neck/date stamp and any other dating examples (body etc.). “No way. It’s never been taken apart and I’m not disturbing it now”. Bearing in mind the same operator had previously sold a guitar to someone I know which was returned/refunded due to there being ‘inconsistencies’ with the description, and what was modded and what wasn’t. If I ever were in the market for a vintage instrument again the only people I would deal with would be Andy Baxter and David Pym, though I’m not sure the latter is still involved in selling instruments. It’s such a minefield, and to echo what Burns Bass has said, the more navel gazing done on here and knowledge/experiences shared (even if sometimes we don’t always get it right!) the better…

Think that might have been Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz?

I couldn’t agree more. Summed up in a better way than I ever could! Visconti’s 2005 mix lost some of Herbie’s presence, so it’s the original album for me every time. I also love that Herbie was at the forefront of the band revolt regarding them not being told beforehand they were recording the gig for a live record - Bowie, and his then manager Tony Defries, wanted to pay the band the union rate of $70 for the recording, whereas Herbie demanded (and got!) $5000 apiece for the group. Bowie was fuming. Herbie Flowers: Fabulous musician; wonderful human being, and man of the people!

Whilst the album itself has often received lukewarm reviews, Herbie’s performance on David Live is a masterclass in bass playing, imho. If I had to choose one desert island album for its bass playing it would be that one - it’s got everything. A wonderful musician, and so influential…

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He comes across as such a lovely (and talented!) guy. A really enjoyable interview. Thanks for sharing!

Completely understand and agree. In my experience, I’ve found there to be a real sense of community on here, especially prevalent in the marketplace. Other than one very rare occasion, my experience of buying/selling on BC has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve been genuinely touched over time by people’s generosity and community spirit. It’s a real shame if contributors such as yourself are now reluctant to sell due to the potential that the purchaser’s sole motivation is to make a fast buck, but I completely understand your reluctance. I’m of the view that most people’s intentions are positive, and if not, well, it’s on them… Anyway, not to derail the thread any further… what’s the best/worst vintage Fender you’ve ever played?!