Cuzzie Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 2 hours ago, oldslapper said: Yah wanna see someone slappin the buggery out of his Thunder iii back in 85??Do ya?? Mmm? Warning: 80’s Mullet in use. ref clothing choice: I was picked up and charged by the fashion police immediately after arriving back in uk. Warning: No funk involved. (The mullet was returned to the original owner, unharmed by September 85.) That’s cracking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 7 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said: Nowt wrong with a mullet. Always fashionable. That’s so good 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 2 hours ago, oldslapper said: Warning. . . . . . . . . . Your mullet is ok, so is your slap. What's not OK is the director of the video and his his obvious belief that your band and your music wasn't enough and the audience needed his ping-pong direction to make you interesting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 6 hours ago, chris_b said: Your mullet is ok, so is your slap. What's not OK is the director of the video and his his obvious belief that your band and your music wasn't enough and the audience needed his ping-pong direction to make you interesting! Thanks Chris. But to be fair, nobody knew who we were, The Bangles were on before us and Southside Johnny after us, so it was his way of making the watching audience too dizzy to get up and make a cuppa 😂. I think I slapped most of the way through the album this came from. Quite unnecessarily too 🤦🏻♂️ but no one said “oi you! mullet boy! Stop that now! Kajagoogoo have kajagonegone” Which goes to prove “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 "What have you got against slap bass?" Absolutely nothing when it's done as well as this! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 15 hours ago, Al Krow said: "What have you got against slap bass?" Absolutely nothing when it's done as well as this! Enjoyed that but do wonder if the drummers name is Rocky. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 1 minute ago, dmccombe7 said: Enjoyed that but do wonder if the drummers name is Rocky. 😂 It's actually our very own @doc40hz's crew - and must admit he's slapped me into his fan club hook line and sinker... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) I gave up bass playing and devoted my time to raising a family, building a business and windsurfing as soon as I heard Mark King and Level 42 I returned to bass decades later when relative normality had returned to the bass playing world - and the guitar world - unfashionable I know but Dire Straits bought me back - solid finger picking bass and minimally pedalled clean fender strat through valve amps As a music listener during these non bass playing decades I bought and listened to three Level 42 albums in attempt to try and “get it” - to understand why others like slap so much Ask me today if I can remember, whistle or hum any of those tracks and the answer is no Slap to me has no soul - no emotion - it’s technically great but leaves me cold I felt the same way about Stanley Clarke and his school days album I can see that on Steely Dan’s Aja a little bit of slap in the right places did add to the tracks Edited March 23, 2021 by gareth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 54 minutes ago, gareth said: I gave up bass playing and devoted my time to raising a family, building a business and windsurfing as soon as I heard Mark King and Level 42 I returned to bass decades later when relative normality had returned to the bass playing world - and the guitar world - unfashionable I know but Dire Straits bought me back - solid finger picking bass and minimally pedalled clean fender strat through valve amps As a music listener during these non bass playing decades I bought and listened to three Level 42 albums in attempt to try and “get it” - to understand why others like slap so much Ask me today if I can remember, whistle or hum any of those tracks and the answer is no Slap to me has no soul - no emotion - it’s technically great but leaves me cold I felt the same way about Stanley Clarke and his school days album I can see that on Steely Dan’s Aja a little bit of slap in the right places did add to the tracks That's fine. Some folk don't like jazz or can't stand classical music or opera, or death metal, or... You don't have to like everything and you'd be pretty unusual if you did. There isn't a right or wrong answer to any form of music. At the end of the day if you enjoy playing a particular style of bass and your audience enjoys listening to it, surely that's all that counts? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 14 minutes ago, Al Krow said: That's fine. Some folk don't like jazz or can't stand classical music or opera, or death metal, or... You don't have to like everything and you'd be pretty unusual if you did. There isn't a right or wrong answer to any form of music. At the end of the day if you enjoy playing a particular style of bass and your audience enjoys listening to it, surely that's all that counts? Yep exactly But the threads title is “What have you got against slap bass?” and that’s my answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 14 minutes ago, Al Krow said: At the end of the day if you enjoy playing a particular style of bass and your audience enjoys listening to it, surely that's all that counts? I have leaned this so many times over the years. It's all about the audience. obviously if you enjoy playing it, it is even better. Years ago we were adamant that we would play what we wanted to play and sod the baying masses. We very quickly realised that you have to play what the audience wants. Granted this was way down the leagues playing in pubs etc. If you are professional and have "made it" then you dictate what you want to play and you build up an audience of "fans" who like your style. If you are good they will love what you do and pay accordingly, so if someone else doesn't like it who likes a completely different genre of music, what does it matter to you? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc40hz Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: It's actually our very own @doc40hz's crew - and must admit he's slapped me into his fan club hook line and sinker... Thanks very much! It's nice to know our hard work is appreciated 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I'm not a huge fan of slap either but i like it on occasion in certain parts of songs. I have a huge respect for those bass players that can do it properly. There's no doubt it takes a lot of work to master it and at the same time make it entertaining. I dont like to hear it when its just rapid slap and pop with no tune or melody of any kind. I enjoy this style of slap. Its melodic to my ear and just easy to listen to. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 31 minutes ago, doc40hz said: Thanks very much! It's nice to know our hard work is appreciated Pleasure! What I do want to know, however, is a full list of the brands and models of the several lush basses you've used on your various videos (e.g. was that a Yamaha BB3000A on one of them)? Guess I'm secretly trying to work out whether I've actually fallen for your playing, or I'm just lusting after your basses...😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 46 minutes ago, gareth said: Yep exactly But the threads title is “What have you got against slap bass?” and that’s my answer Well that's entirely fair, gareth. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I would like to see what the consensus (here on BC...🤣😂🤣) is on this track. It's on YT more than once - each have several million hits. Not your "typical" slap. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: At the end of the day if you enjoy playing a particular style of bass and your audience enjoys listening to it, surely that's all that counts? Tell me more of this mythical 'audience' of which you speak? Is it truly some strange gathering from the maskless days?: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said: Tell me more of this mythical 'audience' of which you speak? Is it truly some strange gathering from the maskless days?: I believe they were the thing we made loud noises at in the days you were (allegedly) still wearing underwear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 56 minutes ago, TheGreek said: I would like to see what the consensus (here on BC...🤣😂🤣) is on this track. It's on YT more than once - each have several million hits. Not your "typical" slap. Oddly enough that was another VID i was going to post but i found the slap a little too much for me and went for the Aram one. This clip is borderline for me as he maintains a basic melody thru most of it. I get the feeling he's slapping as its his best style for showing off and he could probably have got the same effect with less slap. I quite like him as he uses a few different styles but still too much slap for my liking. What he's doing here works for him in this scenario where he's basically showcasing himself. Just my opinion of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 hours ago, TheGreek said: I would like to see what the consensus (here on BC...🤣😂🤣) is on this track. It's on YT more than once - each have several million hits. Not your "typical" slap. I am sure he is playing enough BPM to make the gold standard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomTing Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 (edited) 18 hours ago, dmccombe7 said: I'm not a huge fan of slap either but i like it on occasion in certain parts of songs. I have a huge respect for those bass players that can do it properly. There's no doubt it takes a lot of work to master it and at the same time make it entertaining. I dont like to hear it when its just rapid slap and pop with no tune or melody of any kind. I enjoy this style of slap. Its melodic to my ear and just easy to listen to. OMG DMc... You have really upset the bass police now!!! A Bass player who plays Solo! Tasteful compositions, & adds some Slap!!! "Not Normal INIT" LOL 😂 Edited March 24, 2021 by BoomTing 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 On 11/05/2020 at 10:03, anzoid said: Wasn't that Level 42's dirty little secret - Mark King's slap basslines often had to be doubled up using a synth or suchlike in order to bring back the missing bottom end? Not in the early days. Only in later years, when he adopted the diabolical “skeletons copulating in a tin trunk” eq settings he now seems to favour, did it become necessary for someone/thing else in the band to actually provide some bottom end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplebass Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 apparently still nothing efficient... i’ll close the door behind me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewie Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 On 11/05/2020 at 17:49, Leonard Smalls said: May I refer the honourable gentleman to Juna Serita doing a proper slap version of What is Hip... Funky as! Love this........ I love a bit of slap. It’s great fun to play it too, IMO. I remember learning Naked In The Rain as my first slap groove...... I actually drooled while I was playing it....!!!!! Things like Love Games and Mr Moon still make me stand up. It’s a shame about the numpties in music shops and YouTube who play 500 notes a minute. The truth is, it’s a lot easier to play it faster. IMO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misdee Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 (edited) The big problem with slap bass is that people got too good at it. Back in the 70s old school slap ( which was actually new school at the time) sounded great on a lot of records. But as time went on slapping developed to the extent that it lost a lot of its charm . Victor Wooten can slap like a demon, but for my taste at least, his playing lacks the magic and distinctive character of Larry Graham or Chuck Rainey and the best slap players from that earlier era. Edited March 25, 2021 by Misdee 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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