Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Been listening to a lot of Early Duranie stuff and John Taylor's stuff is just excellent. How can a guy be that good looking, play that well and own a Aria Pro II SB1000 Also Mick Karn was a big influence on me growing up. Anybody got any other New Romantic bassists worth checking out? I remember a band called 'Fashion' being around. The music was awful but the bass playing sounded very Mick Karn like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johngh Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='117070' date='Jan 9 2008, 03:42 PM']Been listening to a lot of Early Duranie stuff and John Taylor's stuff is just excellent. How can a guy be that good looking, play that well and own a Aria Pro II SB1000 Also Mick Karn was a big influence on me growing up. Anybody got any other New Romantic bassists worth checking out? I remember a band called 'Fashion' being around. The music was awful but the bass playing sounded very Mick Karn like.[/quote] FASHION were excellent, especially with Dee Harriss on vocals, Fabrique is their best album by far. Can't remember the bass players name though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Don't know the bass player, but I always like "Is It A Dream" by Classix Nouveaux. Never like John Taylor when I was younger, but I'll give him far more credit now I'm older and wiser. Some of his bass lines are incredible. Nick Beggs was another great 80s bassist. Great on a Chapman Stick too. Saw him live - Ellis, Beggs & Howard......now where are they these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 [quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='117084' date='Jan 9 2008, 03:55 PM']Don't know the bass player, but I always like "Is It A Dream" by Classix Nouveaux. Never like John Taylor when I was younger, but I'll give him far more credit now I'm older and wiser. Some of his bass lines are incredible. Nick Beggs was another great 80s bassist. Great on a Chapman Stick too. Saw him live - Ellis, Beggs & Howard......now where are they these days?[/quote] Ahh Nick Beggs..what a legend...another guy who got bad press because of the poodle hair cut but could play very well. A top bloke who I have had e-mail conversations with. I bought the second EBH album from his website which is why I got into an email chat with him. He played on album by a band called Private Lives and when I heard it I thought the bass was good on it before I knew it was him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='117113' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:27 PM']Ahh Nick Beggs..what a legend...another guy who got bad press because of the poodle hair cut but could play very well. A top bloke who I have had e-mail conversations with. I bought the second EBH album from his website which is why I got into an email chat with him. He played on album by a band called Private Lives and when I heard it I thought the bass was good on it before I knew it was him.[/quote] If I remember correctly, he was taught by/had some lessons with a bass player called Joe Hubbard who played with Gary Numan......he was also a tremendous bassist. Saw him live at the Manchester Apollo many years ago, and thought he was actually too good to play with Gary Numan if you know what I mean. Then again, a musician's got to keep a roof over his head.....and I'd snap Gary's hand off I suppose if he asked me Edited January 9, 2008 by Thunderthumbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Another one I've just remembered......Dennis Smith that played with Nik Kershaw. Appeared at Live Aid with him. 80s bass players rather than "New Romantic" bass players........and who could forget Mark King? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='117133' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:42 PM']If I remember correctly, he was taught by/had some lessons with a bass player called Joe Hubbard who played with Gary Numan......he was also a tremendous bassist. Saw him live at the Manchester Apollo many years ago, and thought he was actually too good to play with Gary Numan if you know what I mean. Then again, a musician's got to keep a roof over his head.....and I'd snap Gary's hand off I suppose if he asked me [/quote] I've seen Mr Numan more time than I care to mention...not with Nick Beggs mind. I noticed Kajagoogoo (- Limahl) were touring the 80's revival circuit again (videos on youtube) and Mr Beggs has been the bassist with John Paul Jone's band (why does he need a bass player?) Joe Hubbard played on the woeful 'I Assasain' album by Numan but there is something excellent playing on Sister Surprise Edited January 9, 2008 by Bass_In_Yer_Face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='117140' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:47 PM']I've seen Mr Numan more time than I care to mention...not with Nick Beggs mind.[/quote] Sorry, I meant Joe Hubbard was Gary's bassist, not Nick Beggs. I can see how it reads wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilb Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) If we are talking 80s bassists, then Derek Forbes has to be mentioned. gave Simple Minds their early distinctive sound. Better by miles than all that late 80s stadium anthem sh*te with John Giblin and Malcolm Foster. Edited January 9, 2008 by neilb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hit&Run Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Dion Esteus (possibly not correct spelling) with Wham, even though they weren't new romantic they were the same era. The guy out of ABC? Were ABC new romantic? The guy out of Talk Talk played some alright stuff as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Paul Webb of Talk talk was an excellent bass player. Also a second vote for Derek Forbes from the early Simple Minds stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='117140' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:47 PM']I noticed Kajagoogoo (- Limahl) were touring the 80's revival circuit again (videos on youtube) and Mr Beggs has been the bassist with John Paul Jone's band (why does he need a bass player?) Joe Hubbard played on the woeful 'I Assasain' album by Numan but there is something excellent playing on Sister Surprise[/quote] Nick was playing Stick with JPJ, filling the guitar role too. JPJ plays keyboards, and has other weird instruments such as the bass pedal steel guitar. [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jQHxFoAp_W8"]Here's[/url] an example of what I mean. re Joe Hubbard, I have one of his 6-string bass solo albums ([i]Vanishing Point[/i]) from the early 90s when I saw him live at the Orange (West Kensington). He tried to set up a bass college of sorts in London, but something odd happened and he went back to the USA (or something like that - it was a long time ago). I was thinking about signing up, but was ambivalent about whether it would be any good, and about the money involved. Edited January 9, 2008 by bnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Mick Karn. No further questions y'honor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 +1 for Mick Karn, Paul Webb, and Mik Sweeney of Classix Nouveau (who I believe built the rather unusual bass he used in the band as well as the mirror guitar that Sal Solo played) Also Kevin Bacon of The Comsat Angels; Tim Wright of Danse Society and Alan Turton of Medium Medium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) I must mention Gazza Johnson from China Crisis too - pretty speedy on the fretless e.g. the title track of [i]Working With Fire & Steel[/i], or just beautiful on [i]Wishful Thinking[/i]. I vaguely remember that Andy Pask of Landscape was briefly a member of CC too, but nowadays he's better known for the theme music to [i]The Bill[/i]. A couple of other names I like from this era are Barry Adamson (Magazine, Visage), Curt Smith (Tears For Fears), and Andy McCluskey of OMD (when he actually played the bass). Edited January 9, 2008 by bnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I'm getting old.....my memory's fading........ Pino Palladino........unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJA Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 +1 to Derek Forbes, Paul Webb, Kevin Bacon, Mick Karn, Curt Smith, Barry Adamson, Andy McCluskey. Colin Moulding of XTC, Chris Cross of Ultravox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Just got one [b]heck[/b] of a surprise: I didn't know that Big Country were back and touring, with Tony Butler on lead vocals as well as bass! Not quite New Romantic, I know, but from that era, and an early bass inspiration to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 [quote name='bnt' post='117530' date='Jan 9 2008, 11:20 PM']A couple of other names I like from this era are Barry Adamson (Magazine, Visage), Curt Smith (Tears For Fears), and Andy McCluskey of OMD (when he actually played the bass).[/quote] +1 definitely for Barry Adamson - Magazine were a great band by the way! Barry has had a lot of solo stuff out over the years too - check out 'The Murky World of Barry Adamson'. Very experimental and not at all what you'd expect from a bass player perhaps.. The bass player in fashion was a guy called Mulligan; I did some gigs in my band at the time with them in 1979 and 1980.. Their first singer Luke was 6ft 10".. Fashion were another really interesting British band from that post-punk period... One of the bass players on some of the Gary Numan stuff was a guy called Andy Coughlan who's a terrific fretless player... I think Gary Tibbs did some good stuff with Roxy Music and also, Sir Norm from the Blockheads needs a mention too! Along with Elvis Costello's bassist who's name escapes me... And was it Colin Moulder of XTC; another good player... Strictly speaking, some of these names I've mentioned aren't from the New Romantic era but if you want to talk about that phase specifically, then Leroy Gorman of Bow Wow Wow really deserves a mention.. A very unique style and sound and very underrated IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ Phillips Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='117140' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:47 PM']I've seen Mr Numan more time than I care to mention...not with Nick Beggs mind. I noticed Kajagoogoo (- Limahl) were touring the 80's revival circuit again (videos on youtube) and Mr Beggs has been the bassist with John Paul Jone's band (why does he need a bass player?) Joe Hubbard played on the woeful 'I Assasain' album by Numan but there is something excellent playing on Sister Surprise[/quote] JPJ plays keys too and NB is pretty handy with a Chapman Stick. Maybe there was a bit of instrument swapping going on (just a guess). Nick Beggs has played with 'nearly the whole of the 80's pop mainstream'. He is a great bass player. I actually still play (although not an original member) with an 80's pop/rock band... There are a lot of 'em still doing the Butlins circuit! Did John Taylor actually play on the Duran Duran stuff? Or Martin Kemp on Spandau songs? Just a rumour then Give me Pino with Go West anytime (although not New Romantic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ Phillips Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='117140' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:47 PM']I've seen Mr Numan more time than I care to mention...not with Nick Beggs mind. I noticed Kajagoogoo (- Limahl) were touring the 80's revival circuit again (videos on youtube) and Mr Beggs has been the bassist with John Paul Jone's band (why does he need a bass player?) Joe Hubbard played on the woeful 'I Assasain' album by Numan but there is something excellent playing on Sister Surprise[/quote] JPJ plays keys too and NB is pretty handy with a Chapman Stick. Maybe there was a bit of instrument swapping going on (just a guess). Nick Beggs has played with 'nearly the whole of the 80's pop mainstream'. He is a great bass player. I actually still play (although not an original member) with an 80's pop/rock band... There are a lot of 'em still doing the Butlins circuit! Did John Taylor actually play on the Duran Duran stuff? Or Martin Kemp on Spandau songs? Just a rumour then Give me Pino with Go West anytime (although not New Romantic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 [quote name='bnt' post='117552' date='Jan 10 2008, 12:08 AM']Just got one [b]heck[/b] of a surprise: I didn't know that Big Country were back and touring, with Tony Butler on lead vocals as well as bass! Not quite New Romantic, I know, but from that era, and an early bass inspiration to me.[/quote] Pointless bit of information but here goes......I used to own an Aria SB900 whose previous owner was Tony Butler. There you go. Told you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub_junkie Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 my favourite by a mile was Jo Dworniak. he had a band in the 80s called I-Level which I didnt care much for but his work on John Foxx's The Garden and The Golden section was just stellar.incidentally I saw Foxx perform the Metamatic album in its entirety along with the B-sides and Burning Car on the 1st night of the tour in October.going to see Siouxsie in March as well. guess you never lose what you grew up with. Barry Adamson was a great player in my estimation - he done all the Visage stuff too Derek Forbes - vastly underrated - his basslines on Sons & Fascination and New Gold Dream are amazing. Paul Gardiner - not really a great technical player but his basslines on Tubeway Army/replicas/Pleasure principle and Telekon were played with weight. shame he died of an OD in 83 Chris Cross's early work with Ultravox was varied,melodic and mostly on a P-bass. not so sure about the moog 8th note bass on much that followed Fiction factory - cant remember the bass players name but the bassline on Throw the warped wheel out is memorable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 [quote name='bnt' post='117552' date='Jan 10 2008, 12:08 AM']Just got one [b]heck[/b] of a surprise: I didn't know that Big Country were back and touring, with Tony Butler on lead vocals as well as bass! Not quite New Romantic, I know, but from that era, and an early bass inspiration to me.[/quote] Top band...never failed to deliver live. They should get Richard Jobson in on vocal duties after the recent Skids reunion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 [quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='117576' date='Jan 10 2008, 12:49 AM']Pointless bit of information but here goes......I used to own an Aria SB900 whose previous owner was Tony Butler. There you go. Told you. [/quote] I believe Tony Butler now works for a music college in the West Country somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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