Captain Beefheart's Bass sound

[BetaFunk]

I've always loved the good Captain's 1960s version of 'Diddy Wah Diddy' and especially the bass sound on it by Jerry Handley(?).

Anyone know what effects he was using on this classic?

http://youtu.be/yXXFj5wzLFA

[Roland Rock]

You're right about it being Jerry Handley. It was recorded at Sunset Sound studio by an engineer called Bruce Botnick.
Apparently it went straight into the desk. He split the signal, and used one clean, and the other was subjected to a fuzztone.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Roland Rock

[Dingus]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1369760740' post='2092454']
I've always loved the good Captain's 1960s version of 'Diddy Wah Diddy' and especially the bass sound on it by Jerry Handley(?).

Anyone know what effects he was using on this classic?

[media]http://youtu.be/yXXFj5wzLFA[/media]
[/quote]

Have you thought about trying a Stingray to reproduce it ?

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1369768272' post='2092594']
Have you thought about trying a Stingray to reproduce it ?
[/quote]
No, but if Stingrays were around then it would of course sound so much better............

[daz]

Great song. Always loved Beefheart. Mad as a box of narky frogs.

Edited May 28, 2013 by daz

[seashell]

Is it time for me to trot out my 'I met Rockette Morton' story again?

No, anyone who hasn't heard it before can do a search for it, lol

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1369773771' post='2092682']
Is it time for me to trot out my 'I met Rockette Morton' story again?

No, anyone who hasn't heard it before can do a search for it, lol
[/quote]
Sounds like a great story but did he tell you how Jerry Handley got that fuzz bass sound?

[seashell]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1369776093' post='2092712']

Sounds like a great story but did he tell you how Jerry Handley got that fuzz bass sound?
[/quote]

Ha ha, sadly not

[Spoombung]

I've never noticed the bass in Beefheart - only the guitars and drums.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1369820458' post='2092997']
I've never noticed the bass in Beefheart - only the guitars and drums.
[/quote]

http://youtu.be/gKsC-tUdPmc

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1369820458' post='2092997']
I've never noticed the bass in Beefheart - only the guitars and drums.
[/quote]
My memory may be playing tricks but when I saw Beefheart in about 1972 he had two bassists [Orejon (Roy Estrada) and Rockette Morton (Mark Boston)] as well as two guitarists [Winged Eel Fingerling (Elliot Ingber) and Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad)].

[EssentialTension]

Here's that 1972 line-up but with only Roy Estrada on bass and Mark Boston playing a third guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBxt9jbNjS0

[xilddx]

Shame about Roy Estrada. I liked him a lot.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1369825511' post='2093072']
Shame about Roy Estrada. I liked him a lot.
[/quote]
Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1369825230' post='2093064']
Here's that 1972 line-up but with only Roy Estrada on bass and Mark Boston playing a third guitar.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBxt9jbNjS0[/media]
[/quote]
Thanks for that. Nice quality too.

That was a real reminder to me that in the 1970s Captain Beefheart LPs stood next to Funkadelic LPs in my record collection but you seldom read about them both in the same magazines. The NME and Melody Maker crossed over musically but i always think that so many Beefheart fans never heard of Funkadelic (although many did of course) and vice versa which is a shame because i don't think they were that far apart in so many ways.

[seashell]

And here's my best mate

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3oTFEBwYcI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3oTFEBwYcI[/url]

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1369830330' post='2093164']
And here's my best mate

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3oTFEBwYcI[/media]


[/quote]
That's what friends are for.