Dr.Dave

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1322768644' post='1455730'] Don's said himself that Nod's voice wasn't up to touring by mid-80's. but it could have evolved the Slade sound - if that was possible - who knows. He cancelled an '85 tour on the grounds of personal problems but there was a lot more to it than that. Recording wise Jim evolved the sound into being heavily synth laden, which lost any raw element completely - still a good few songs - but not "Slade". [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDIdb8KwFbM[/media] H & Don dropping the "2" from Slade2 has alienated a lot of fans with the effect that they now gig 90+% of the time outside the UK, though it's always good fun to catch up with them as & when. [/quote] Yes - like 'Universe' isn't it. I recall Nod saying how Radio Wall of Sound wasn;t in his key so Jim sang the verses and Nod the chorus - thought it worked very well. When it came on telly I was fixing a door , standing on a stool chisel in hand , then the phone rang (Mrs Doc got it) I was so distracted I put the chisel across 4 fingers!!! Turned out the phone call was my mate Mick telling me Slade were on telly!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1322763182' post='1455626'] Old Noddy has a go on bass for this one! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pPL9PPy1MI[/media] [/quote] Live - they dispensed with the piano part. Pretty certain that on Coz I luv you Jim played bass on the record but Dave played bass live , so they did the same for the top of the pops miming type things. I have a dvd of a German TV show done live and that's what they did , Dave playing bass. Tear to my eye stuff this. No doubt that I started playing because of Slade. I didn;t even like music till I first heard them. I've been saying for years how Jim's such an underated player - hardly ever makes the 'who's the best bassist ever' type threads here. Wonderful to see him praised on this one. You have to respect Nids decision to retire from playing while he was still pretty young. Tragic though. Slade would have come again , no doubt. The songs and the voice were too good for them not to. Done a few supprt jobs with Slade 2 - great to see Do and Dave still doing it but.well , just but.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1322230383' post='1448298'] I actually think the song comes second with them these days...! [/quote] [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1322230383' post='1448298'] I actually think the song comes second with them these days...! [/quote] In which case , maybe it's time for them to retire before their shield gets any heavier. I always figured Rush for a group of guys who would know when that time comes.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1322150436' post='1447276'] Or harmony. Their songwriting is very poor these days. I don't like his vocal melodies, the awful mixing and mastering. There's no sweetness to their songs anymore, no energy, no beauty. They seem to have so little to say. [/quote] Interesting you put it that way - only last week a mate of mine said the same thing to me - my reply was that I think they've said enough. I understand and respect totally their attitude in not wanting to turn out a nostalgia set year in year out but I think the years have caught up with them and they can't live up to their own high standards regarding new material. Geddy's playing?? I think he continues to contribute colour to the songs the way he always did. As Rush has evolved he has evolved into more of an all round musician than his original 'bass player who sings'. I'm all for that. The song comes first. Always the song.

Is it not the case that novelty value wears thin?? Like Viz not being as funny as it used to be? Off topic...... well , for me the fun around here is that somebody's 19 years old, lives in Devon and is playing professionally and somebody else is 63 from Glasgow and just learning , we might be girls or boys or English or Spanish and some are rich and some are poor and some are wrong and I am right etc etc. Bit of diversity going on but with this common link. No two of us are the sane but we all like basses. I do think several off topics have been unjustly pulled. Personally , and from experience , anything I've been involved in is more likely to spawn a conciliatory PM before a row gets out of hand. I've had plenty and sent some too. Very British trait , apologising all the time. Having said that I'm not the one who has to look at an evolving thread and decide BEFORE it gets out of hand when to pull the plug. So far as the other forums - well ,they're so much less likely to result in slanging matches aren;t they. Sure , folk might do the 'I like a Precision better then a Jazz' thing and vice versa but it's hardly likely to result in somebody smashing said instrument over the others head., Besides the Jazz would just splinter into harmless bits.

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1322166367' post='1447552'] I recently posted a thread about talent...is it inherited? Earlier this evening I visited a couple (my ex-wife and her hubby) who are both talented musicians (sax and piano). Their 8-year-old daughter was eager to perform her skills for me on clarinet and piano. She played faultlessly. I asked her parents how long she had been playing. Apparently since September. I thought she might have put in around an hour a night to reach her standard of playing. No...5 to 10 mins a night. This has firmly convinced me that talent is definitely hereditary. Any similar stories? [/quote] Personally - I think what she's inherited is a love of music and a desire to play it - plus she surrounded by people willing and able to help. I'm not sure I ever believed in 'talent'. I think the more work you put in the more skillful you get - some will find that work easier than others , probably because of their circumstances. I think it's pretty much common knowledge too that youngsters can lap up information by the bucketload when stimulated and interested.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1320516015' post='1427887'] PS anyone in a tribute band need not reply [/quote] I haven't time to reply , mate. On my way out to the 5th gig in 8 days. The 6th is tomorrow. Funnily enough , none of them with the trib band.

All I can say is I wonder how many of us would get clapped and cheered if we did a solo - and if anyone ever said they were learning bass and reply was 'What - like Dr Dave' I'd be well happy. Good luck to the lass - however thin we experts deem her talent to be. Maybe if a few more of us stopped skulking around in the shadows and got up front and performed then the general public might know a few more of us.

The best bassline in the world is the one in that great song that you never really noticed but just wouldn'tbe the same without it.

The Hop , Leeds. Part of a small, seemingly successful chain of pubs run by Ossett brewery. Leeds is weird because you play on a sort of mezzanine level , williams below you , but you get to see the party boat on the Leeds Liverpool canal through the wiindow which pleases me and the beer's good. It's an early show in Leeds - the enthusuastic crowd starts to fall away after 10.30 into night clubs - but that's early home for us too. Adequate house PA and soundman. It doesn;t pay great but haggle. Tomorrow it's Wakefield Hop (Halloween show) and a new Hop's opening in Shefield soon (we already have 2 gigs booked in there plus a further 10 elsewhere in the chain for next year) So - if you want to stop us becoming Ossett Brewery's house band - give them a call.

[quote name='Panamonte' timestamp='1318628563' post='1404711'] Bought Rumours when it came out and would subscribe to the school of thought that there's not a duff track on it. [/quote] I don't wanna know' ?? That's filler if ever I heard it. Silver Springs was supposed to be on but was replaced by 'I don't wanna know' because of the time limitations of vinyl or in-band feuding between the songwriters due to personal spats - whichever you choose to believe,

[quote name='Gilby' timestamp='1318186380' post='1399018'] Farm moorings for us, approx £700 pa, (+ British waterways license for 65ft boot + mooring permit = glad the boat is ours and not on finance!) [/quote] Yours is bigger than mine. You'd never pass through the Cader and Hebble locks down our way !!! Welcome fellow narrowboater and bass player.

I'd say this to anyone , not just the Dad of a 12 year old . Fender basses are still industry standard and have a sound we're used to hearing. They're simple , rarely break - and when they do they're an easy cheap fix. the Squier and Mex Fenders , Precisions or Jazzes , that folk on here are suggesting are a good choice - the right choice even. I've been playing on stage for 37 years and I'd happily go on stage with one. Basses like these are used by pros - and learners are not in a position to tell those pros they're wrong. When your lad gets the experience to know what he wants from something more upmarket - the Squier/Fender will be a fine back up bass to that choice.

Funnily enough I never pick a bass up unless there's a fair chance of a crowd forming around me ! I often gig around Leeds - the Duck and Drake being a fave of mine because of the excellent beer. If anyone wants an informal 'let's go for a pint' bash and you want to do it watching me showing off and swearing a lot, let me know. Some of you could knock out a bit of 12 bar with Rod and Mart while I have a pint and heckle you , I'm sure.

I'm only interested in bass as a gigging instrument and so long as gigging gear works well and doesn't break I'm generally happy. But - for the life of me I just cannot understand why amplifier manufacurers don't build a tuner iinto the amp. That would be brilliant to me - no more rack system just because I need a tuner.

If I'd wanted to compromise I'd have joined a cub band and made a lot of cash - but I didn't. We explain to all venues new to us what we are and what we do. If that's not what they want we all shake hands and we don't play there. If we get asked to turn down at a venue we do so - we don't want to upset anyone - but we let our feelings be known as we took trouble to explain what sort of band we are before we took the booking , and we never play there again.

It's taking ages for pages to load for me - 20 secs plus most times , others it won't load at all. Abut every third attempt I end up losing the will to live and logging out.

Yes I do - and if I stop playing them they get sold. I've had up to 5 - currently have 3 and when I finally hang up my mic stand beer holder and nob gags I'll keep just one - the 73P that's been with me for 33 years and could tell you tales to make your hair curl. Recent sales include my lovely shukerised Status which I loved but had no further use for and my Explorer which was bloody awful.

[quote name='cliffyspliff' post='1374682' date='Sep 15 2011, 05:29 PM']Ah staying sober is a good one....... [/quote] ...ermmmmmmmmm

Not a fan of 2 either - my lead goes through the cab side handle then on to the head. Saddle screws won't vibrate loose if you put nail varnish on them when you set them. Re the torch - good idea , but I also have those cheap baby night lights in any spare sockets including the ones in the back of my rack. I use a soft skinned rack bag so my bass can lay safe on top. Your drink should go in a mic stand drinks holder which has a turn screw you can hang a towel off - I had a mic stand mounted ashtray too before some worthy decided I have no right to kill people. My number one tip of all time for playing live would be - when you drop a bollock don't react , because 99% of the peasants in front of you haven't got a clue.

I sing and play bass and do intros and gags Rod sings and plays guitar and does intros and gags Mart sings and plays drums and does intros and gags The concept of a 'front man' requires the acceptance of others as 'support players'. I wasn't built to be second fiddle to anybody.

The ingredients for a fine players bass with a bit of vintage mojo at around the start price. Course , I haven't played it - could be a dog for all anyone knows that hasn't done so.

Question Are you a player of this bass or a collector more interested in keeping it as original as poss - that doesn;t have to be for financial reasons and there's nothing wrong with that even if it was. Then you have your own answer.

[quote name='risingson' post='1347703' date='Aug 22 2011, 01:52 AM']No, you've got to grow up and be listening to that kind of music, it's got to be in your blood. You can't teach a 'feel', which is what funk is.[/quote] All styles of music come down to 'feel' at their best - and , no , that cannot be taught in my opinion. It can be explained to a student , though , that with a genuine love for a stye of music , and a strong desire to play it for that reason , a feel for it will come naturally. So - funk can be 'learned'. Desire means anything can be learned. I come across so many people , in life , who want to be taught but have no real desire to learn. It's a straight responsibility shift - 'I never learned x purely because I wasn't taught it'. Rubbish.

I've always liked a 3 piece ( 4 if the players don't sing) , at least as far as pub gigs go. Another guitar muddys things in a small venue , plus I've seen far too many bands where the 'second guitarist' is obviously some other band member's mate and not there on merit. I think a keyboard player is the best option for a 4th instrument in a 'guitar' band by a country mile.