Mark King

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1360695094' post='1974916']
............ and mark had carried on using jaydee basses[/quote]

Presumably he still does to some degree or other??
At the time I met him (c'01) he was on a brief spell (so far as I know) on Fenders, possibly customised but he was still dropping in on John.

[marcus bell]

he aparently uses the original jaydee series 1 he bought in 1980 (003sa), in the studio but told me the other day its retired now, so i guess its just the status kingbasses from now on...

[RandomBass]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1360694359' post='1974895']
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/199459-flea/page__pid__1974885#entry1974885"]http://basschat.co.u...85#entry1974885[/url]

Post 8
[/quote]

Quite excellent

[deepbass5]

I was influenced early on before I touched the bass, liked the early hits, and acknowledge him as a fine musician and bass player even when not using the thumb. But level 42 became all about synth and the bass parts faded in the mix and I feel mark became the rhythm guitarist in his own band. Non musicians still name him as thE bass player, in conversation, I'm sure we all get that when you mention you play bass.

[TheGreek]

Great bassist, but will probably have to die before getting the full recognition he deserves...

[Marvin]

I've never been able to get into Level42, but King is a very talented musician, there is no doubt about that in my mind. I wish I could be influenced by him but I can't slap for toffee

[bagsieblue]

I avoided Level 42 like the plague for too many years.
Have got into them recently, especially the earlier stuff.
Actually, just remembered that is was getting the 'heads up' on here about him being on The One Show. Surprised myself that I liked what I saw on there.
Subsequently booked to See them at Manchester Apollo towards the end of last year, superb stuff, seems like a top fella to boot.

[coachcbg]

[quote name='fumps' timestamp='1360683145' post='1974566']
I don't know anything by this guy although I feel like I should. Is this a good album to start from ?
[/quote]
If you've never heard of Mark King, good luck listening to his stuff and trying to play it! The guy's a genius in my opinion! You might want to start with a very expensive and rare Wal Bass by the way..... :-)

[marcus bell]

A jaydee you mean

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1360697191' post='1974978']
Non musicians still name him as thE bass player
[/quote]

Well as a standard bearer for our chosen instrument we could do a lot worse.

Edited February 13, 2013 by bassman7755

[Conan]

In the early-mid 1980s I spent many an hour learning and playing pretty much nothing but Level 42 bass lines. I actually got pretty good at them eventually, which filled me with deep admiration for the guy who actually wrote them. Not only are they rhythmically complex, but there is often a lot more going on that it first seems. And yes, his fingerstyle is excellent - even though he wears his Stanley Clarke influences on his sleeve somewhat (which is no bad thing!).

[bubinga5]

no doubt hes a killer player.. i could be totally wrong and uniformed, but i wish he would broaden his playing to maybe do some session work with other artists.. it always seems to come back to L42... dont get me wrong some of there stuff is amazing, but he does seem to be stuck there, in some peoples opinions.. for such a special musician it seems a shame that he hasnt broken the L42 mold.... im sure a renaissance is in the making at some point maybe

Edited February 13, 2013 by bubinga5

[thisnameistaken]

He's obviously a massively talented player and a really nice guy too. On the negative side his band were cheesy as hell and he spawned a million awful imitators.

Yin and yang I suppose. On balance I like him so long as I don't have to listen to his records or his acolytes.

[bartelby]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1360773013' post='1976252']
He's obviously a massively talented player and a really nice guy too. On the negative side his band were cheesy as hell and he spawned a million awful imitators.

Yin and yang I suppose. On balance I like him so long as I don't have to listen to his records or his acolytes.
[/quote]

^^^ that.

[Dingus]

I always feel that Mark King was hampered by using such light gauge strings . Despite always having state -of -the -art bass gear he always has a sound so thin that you could whistle over it . He manages to make whatever bass he uses sound exactly the same . I'm sure those skinny strings helped stop him from developing better instincts as a bass player . He is what I would describe as " a mugs eyeful " of a bass player - once you strip away the flash and all the histrionics there isn't that much substance there compared to a lot of other less celebrated players . He has had his moments , but will always lack the stature of a true great like Marcus Miller .

Edited February 13, 2013 by Dingus

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1360773693' post='1976273']
He is what I would describe as " a mugs eyeful " of a bass player - once you strip away the flash and all the histrionics there isn't that much substance there compared to a lot of other less celebrated players
[/quote]

What a joke. I always think it's funny though, how some uneducated folk would write Mark King off as 'flash and histrionics'. Still, I suppose to the untrained ear and mind, his technique and style may sound confusing.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1360777977' post='1976368']
What a joke. I always think it's funny though, how some uneducated folk would write Mark King off as 'flash and histrionics'. Still, I suppose to the untrained ear and mind, his technique and style may sound confusing.
[/quote]

He is not all flash and histrionics by any means , despite all that stuff he does some really nice and inventive things and writes some very creative basslines , but he is certainly nothing special , despite his high profile as a player . Strip away the flashy stuff and there is not enough left to warrant the kind of acclaim and attention he gets . The rest is bullshit . His music lacks soul and always has done , and he has little real depth compared to many much more accomplished players who I could mention . I know a fair few other bass players who share this opinion on Mark King , too. He's a mugs eyeful ( or more accurately , a mugs earful ) .

[marcus bell]

We each have our own heroes and mine is mark king.

I guess what I like about him is his playing is quite In keeping with the song without it sounding like a solo all the time I.e marcus, Stanley. Not knocking them in any way because they are phenomenal.

I just don't understand why people feel the need to knock others.

[Dingus]

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1360784858' post='1976565']
We each have our own heroes and mine is mark king.

I guess what I like about him is his playing is quite In keeping with the song without it sounding like a solo all the time I.e marcus, Stanley. Not knocking them in any way because they are phenomenal.

I just don't understand why people feel the need to knock others.
[/quote]

I'm not knocking him , but he is what he is . It's not his fault that people who don't know better herald him as a great player when he is not . He's a quite-good -in certain -respects player who plays an awful lot of notes . He has always struck me as a very decent , honest and self-effacing guy . He can't be held responsible for some of the wild claims other people make on his behalf . The fact remains that he isn't one of the all- time greats , as some people seem to think he is . He isn't even as good at slapping as a whole host of lesser known sidemen I could mention .

[visog]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1360785426' post='1976578']
I'm not knocking him , but he is what he is . It's not his fault that people who don't know better herald him as a great player when he is not . He's a quite-good -in certain -respects player who plays an awful lot of notes . He has always struck me as a very decent , honest and self-effacing guy . He can't be held responsible for some of the wild claims other people make on his behalf . The fact remains that he isn't one of the all- time greats , as some people seem to think he is . He isn't even as good at slapping as a whole host of lesser known sidemen I could mention .
[/quote]

Hmmm a bit disingenuous Dingus.... 'quite good'!? I can't agree. Even if you don't like the songs, his fingerstyle lines and harmonies are really clever and funky. And as for the slap - whoa he really invented that whole left hand slap 16th chug which Larry, Louis, Marcus and Stanley didn't do.

I thinky you're talking nonsense and being provocative for the sake of it. But hey let's go with it... given he's not as good as these lesser known sidemen, who are they?

[Dingus]

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1360792468' post='1976719']
Hmmm a bit disingenuous Dingus.... 'quite good'!? I can't agree. Even if you don't like the songs, his fingerstyle lines and harmonies are really clever and funky. And as for the slap - whoa he really invented that whole left hand slap 16th chug which Larry, Louis, Marcus and Stanley didn't do.

I thinky you're talking nonsense and being provocative for the sake of it. But hey let's go with it... given he's not as good as these lesser known sidemen, who are they?
[/quote]

I'm certainly not being provocative for the sake of it . I am not surprised that many people think it is sacrelige to say the Mark King isn't actually that good though , so maybe I am being provocative in the sense that I know it will cause controversy . But it's true , so there . I think Mark Kings 16th note percussive style[i] is [/i]derivative of Louis Johnson and Stanley Clarke - that's where he got it from - , and his melodic playing is [i]very[/i] derivative of Stanley Clarke . I also strongly disagree that Mark King is funky when he slaps : he is mechanistic and predictable . Marcus Miller is funky when he slaps , Larry Graham is funky when he slaps , whereas Mark King just sounds like he is doing the same old exercises . As I have said , Mark has his moments and can construct some good bass parts , but ironically enough they are usually the simpler ones such as The Sun Goes Down and Something About You . As to supposedly lesser players in a similar genre who can best M.K , I would point to people like Freddy Washington , Alex Al , Jimmy Earl . or Armand Sabaal Lecco to name just a handful off the top of my head . Someone like Richard Bona is [i]streets[/i] ahead of Mark King .

[Big_Stu]

I still find it incredible on a musicians forum to hear musicians slag musicians on their perceived ability. As I said in the you-know-what thread; my guess is that any and all pro band musicians would only judge themselves based on their part/contribution of the whole band.

I know a fair few pro musicians to different degrees and at different levels, I've never heard one of them say anything snide about another musician of their aquaintance, even when drunk. There might be a veiled inference at a part they're not happy with, but nothing blatant; they're extremely diplomatic people (IME - maybe I've had a sheltered life?).

Though it's heartening to see the ones on here who do make their living as musicians generally keeping out of it.

edit: can't spell.

Edited February 13, 2013 by Big_Stu

[Dingus]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1360795848' post='1976812']
I still find it incredible on a musicians forum to hear musicians slag musicians on their perceived ability. As I said in the you-know-what thread; my guess is that any and all pro band musicians would only judge themselves based on their part/contribution of the whole band.

I know a fair few pro musicians to different degrees and at different levels, I've never heard one of them say anything snide about another musician of their aquaintance, even when drunk. There might be a veiled inference at a part they're not happy with, but nothing blatant; they're extremely diplomatic people (IME - maybe I've had a sheltered life?).

Though it's heartening to see the ones on here who do make their living as musicians generally keeping out of it.

edit: can't spell.
[/quote]

Are you suggesting people shouldn't discuss the respective merits of one professional musician over another , and if so , why ?

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1360796638' post='1976829']
Are you suggesting people shouldn't discuss the respective merits of one professional musician over another , and if so , why ?
[/quote]

Not at all, at least in your posts you've cited people and particular songs that to endorse your point. Maybe it's an internet thing, I've just never found it in real life................. though I suppose a "yet" would be in order at this point.

[marcus bell]

People eh? Make me giggle