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Level 42 Before Level42


Bean9seventy

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1 minute ago, Bean9seventy said:

 

i had one for a year or so in the 1990s , on my wish list still obviously

 

but yet ,, at that time 77/78 so / the hayman was perfect, but still had a fender shaped body ? ;D ,, we were that tight on looks ,

 

the Key guys tho is the headstock ,,

we do not want the typical slope diagonal 4 key headstock ,, looks are everything to us

 

we want the 2 x 2 key "balanced" headstock , like this ,,

another bass i played , only once or twice ,, but never owned

a Guild ,,,, 

image.thumb.png.54b5c22919f0cbca50d0cc70afd6d0ec.png

Think about it ,,

now you know why fender was never the face of brit funk they had so much success & credit in rock punk ect, the 70s ,, we would not even go near them or similar basses ,

we visioned a different identity ,,,

its the headstock guys, Bang Bang ,,

  image.png.c50fc57624c5677fc802564d26ff7420.png

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4 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Odd that neither of these is a  2 octave neck.

 

Interesting information though. Thank you for the insight. 

yep ,, correct,, as we went through Demark St

it was difficult to find any thing to match the gear we visioned

 

but anytime we saw a hayman ? or guild ? / similar ? we would check it out just in case

 

So ,, Gear ??

another i bass used a few times ,,but never owned , Gulp ,,,

 

its a fender type omg ,, 3 bass players with fender type basses now

 

but but but guys ,,, it was the cheapest bass you could buy in the UK

sold only in supermarkets. almost "a toy"

 

this bass is another Epic historic the closest we get to " in the UK (street funk level history ) 

smaller drum roll > Dang

image.png.273834ea04315c49ad510acc3dca6597.png

 

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27 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

yep ,, correct,, as we went through Demark St

it was difficult to find any thing to match the gear we visioned

 

but anytime we saw a hayman ? or guild ? / similar ? we would check it out just in case

 

So ,, Gear ??

another i bass used a few times ,,but never owned , Gulp ,,,

 

its a fender type omg ,, 3 bass players with fender type basses now

 

but but but guys ,,, it was the cheapest bass you could buy in the UK

sold only in supermarkets. almost "a toy"

 

this bass is another Epic historic the closest we get to " in the UK (street funk level history ) 

smaller drum roll > Dang

image.png.273834ea04315c49ad510acc3dca6597.png

 

so as you can see in the examples the Main wish list for bass for the jazzy soul boys who rate ,,,

1.a ) must have a different headstock 1,b) different body than a fender

2) twin octave ,, yet as shown, posts , almost impossible to find in 77/78

 

More Gear ,

never played this bass but was prepared to bass battle against owner

,, The Famous Paul Tubbsy Williams Bass ,,

tho not sure if this is the exact model

 

again its all about the headstock being "anything" but fender shaped

image.thumb.png.eff93484e69afe5853c91c95b0759bf0.png

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8 hours ago, Bean9seventy said:

Nope ,, ;D

 

tho we accept the rabbit hole ,, insomuch as

Mark King worked in a top shop so "like you say" noticed

no pick up on fender sales ,, "all" the alternatives were checked "seriously out instead

 

the basic reason Guys,, ""Drum roll"" ,,  was cosmetic ,,,

 

its why i spent at lot of time chasing the marcus miller spate to its origi

 

 

Let me think for a sec...

 

 

Edited by fleabag
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17 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

so as you can see in the examples the Main wish list for bass for the jazzy soul boys who rate ,,,

1.a ) must have a different headstock 1,b) different body than a fender

2) twin octave ,, yet as shown, posts , almost impossible to find in 77/78

 

More Gear ,

never played this bass but was prepared to bass battle against owner

,, The Famous Paul Tubbsy Williams Bass ,,

tho not sure if this is the exact model

 

again its all about the headstock being "anything" but fender shaped

image.thumb.png.eff93484e69afe5853c91c95b0759bf0.png


Im surprised you didn’t look at a Wal - they were ‘affordable’ back then. I chose a Stingray at the end of the 70s because I wanted that fat, staccato (Bernard Edwards) sound - active basses did that well with concurrent amps, as well as slap sound (Wals have a great slap sound as well). I was turned on to Wals at the time by Alan Spenner (funk and also Roxymusic) playing one and Percy Jones (jazz funk). 

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11 minutes ago, drTStingray said:


Im surprised you didn’t look at a Wal - they were ‘affordable’ back then. I chose a Stingray at the end of the 70s because I wanted that fat, staccato (Bernard Edwards) sound - active basses did that well with concurrent amps, as well as slap sound (Wals have a great slap sound as well). I was turned on to Wals at the time by Alan Spenner (funk and also Roxymusic) playing one and Percy Jones (jazz funk). 

Wal bass was specialised "no passive" top end pro gear the look was good tho,,  it was close ,, like guild ,, no twin octave ,,

 

but but but ,, just found Huw Foster with a Hayman ,,,

Also at this point was now must talk "Shergold Basses" as they branch out to create Link the sound of level 42 ,,, as we shall see

 

Popswell ,, & Huw Foster, steals as much as he can ,, LOL

 

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18 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

Wal bass was specialised "no passive" top end pro gear the look was good tho,,  it was close ,, like guild ,, no twin octave ,,

 

but but but ,, just found Huw Foster with a Hayman ,,,

Also at this point was now must talk "Shergold Basses" as they branch out to create Link the sound of level 42 ,,, as we shall see

 

Popswell ,, & Huw Foster, steals as much as he can ,, LOL

 

Huw is a member here, a great player 👍

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15 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

Wal bass was specialised "no passive" top end pro gear the look was good tho,,  it was close ,, like guild ,, no twin octave ,,

 

but but but ,, just found Huw Foster with a Hayman ,,,

Also at this point was now must talk "Shergold Basses" as they branch out to create Link the sound of level 42 ,,, as we shall see

 

Popswell ,, & Huw Foster, steals as much as he can ,, LOL

 

So nearly at the end of this chapter on why not Fender

great classic example by huw foster ,

 

So, it was The Hayman bass ,,,

 

the Shergold was so slose image.png.3eb9bf3c9f1ec8db1a2242a01e72fd4d.png

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5 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Huw is a member here, a great player 👍

i met Huw, great guy ,, do not tell me where he lives ,,

coz i will just grab that bass off him , one time ;D lol

 

so ,, i did by a bass guys ,, no longer have it

,, drum roll ,,

 

it had everything i wanted ,

not fender , at all in shape

twin octave, that was well machined / made 

very stanley clarke looking

alway remember it having 2 pick ups not 1 tho 

,,,, & a decent price for a beginner

 

The Dan Armstrong Sliding Pick up ,,

The Red Imperial Players 1st Bass

 

image.png.04dfa25b9616a89ef1962284af5b2c17.png

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1 minute ago, Bean9seventy said:

i met Huw, great guy ,, do not tell me where he lives ,,

coz i will just grab that bass off him , one time ;D lol

 

so ,, i did by a bass guys ,, no longer have it

,, drum roll ,,

 

it had everything i wanted ,

not fender , at all in shape

twin octave, that was well machined / made 

very stanley clarke looking

alway remember it having 2 pick ups not 1 tho 

,,,, & a decent price for a beginner

 

The Dan Armstrong Sliding Pick up ,,

The Red Imperial Players 1st Bass

 

image.png.04dfa25b9616a89ef1962284af5b2c17.png

ditto Twin octave ,, ,, better example image.png.d61564c3b56564677cd8186e5219ba82.png

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5 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

ditto Twin octave ,, ,, better example image.png.d61564c3b56564677cd8186e5219ba82.png

so ,, you seen some great examples

 

you are mark king working in a shop

you know what i have just shown you ,,

 

what kind of bass are you going to create / play with this metadata ?

 

Plus ,, we wore our basses high ,, not low like rock guys ,punk guys , yuck

 

,, the primary reason is to keep the fret board as close to our eyes as possible like all beginners ,

 

the Real soul boy bass players ,

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, Bean9seventy said:

circa 1976

the 1st bass i used ,, not owned

had flat wound strings as standard

was used by owner for reggae ,,

nb, its not a (pop band/ rock band) Fender

i leaerned how to pop the strings on this ,,, but had yet to see thumb & pop

image.thumb.png.26945058c4d82ce2655c82a236d0c97c.png

A Gibson SG bass? They were only introduced a few years ago...

 

Forgive the pedantry, I'm sure you meant one of the EB variants but this thread does seem to be intent on some sort of accuracy about... something.

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9 hours ago, drTStingray said:

It is also true that you would be unlikely to get past an audition on bass guitar without playing some slap in the early 80s. Anyone using a Precision with flats (there weren’t any in my experience, and hardly any playing any form of Fender bass) would be considered very much yesterday’s men - they may get work with in 60s tribute (very much for the older audiences at that time - much had yet to become acceptable vintage and nostalgia, and like Fender custom colour instruments, very much naff apart from dedicated collectors). We have to wait for the mid 90s Oasis type stuff for vintage to suddenly and gradually become the norm. 

 

Funny, I managed to get past just about every audition in the early 80s (and since then) without playing slap. Any that I didn't get past weren't because I didn't play slap.

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6 hours ago, Bean9seventy said:

my 2nd bass i used ,, but never owned

this is when i 1st see thumb & pop,

right out of the bootsy gig as FACT

& become addicted ,, like Smack

before this time i was just a casual player

  B,A,N,G ,,,,,,,

The Mother Ship Connection its Self , Bass of Basses

The closet thing we have to Larry Graham as an instrument

the bass that starts the face of brit funk , OMG 

the bass before level 42

image.thumb.png.bb6cae183bf3485fd368f84405a51e8b.png

 

A Hayman 40/40 was my first bass. I part-exchanged it for a Fender Precision, which is the instrument I used for the one and only recording that I played slap on. Then I PXed the Fender for a Warwick.

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11 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

A Gibson SG bass? They were only introduced a few years ago...

 

Forgive the pedantry, I'm sure you meant one of the EB variants but this thread does seem to be intent on some sort of accuracy about... something.

i would not know m8, the model was pre 1976, had flat wounds , 

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10 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

A Hayman 40/40 was my first bass. I part-exchanged it for a Fender Precision, which is the instrument I used for the one and only recording that I played slap on. Then I PXed the Fender for a Warwick.

nice , tho i bet you wished you kept the 40 40 ,, ;D

hint 40 40 is before 42 42

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19 hours ago, drTStingray said:


Good - there were several (probably 10 others) - the lead singer of one was Jaki Graham who became famous as a solo R and B singer in the 80s. Another similar was Ruby Turner though she was more traditional 60s R and B. Another local funk band, Rainmaker, was the support act on Stanley Clarke’s first tour - and yes when we heard Schooldays for the first time, and live - I was blown away by the bass sound and playing (pity he dropped and broke his double bass though……..)!! 
 

However the Brit funk thing was based firmly in the south east and grew out of the dance scene - that was part of the initial audience for bands like Freeze and Level 42 - the jazz funk fans embraced Level 42 also though 😏

However the Brit funk thing was based firmly in the south east and grew out of the dance scene - that was part of the initial audience for bands like Freeze / stop,, True ,

 

level 42 was a "few years later ,, anyway,

 

Freeze ,, the bass player (from memory) used a Fender & was one of the 1st Down Thumb players in the UK ,,, we had a different name for down thumb slap in the 70s

 

as part of that core Brit Funk scene, the manifesto included playing up to this new status of UK / Brit funk to the fans ,, so 

 

The Southern Freeze , song is based on a UK dance move that was Real

 

dancers would stop/ freeze like a video player tight on the beat,,,    & start again aka The Southern Freeze 

 

 

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12 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

Funny, I managed to get past just about every audition in the early 80s (and since then) without playing slap. Any that I didn't get past weren't because I didn't play slap.


I was really referring to contemporary (then) pop and dance/R and B.

 

It was not necessary for reggae, ska, rock etc etc 

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2 hours ago, Bean9seventy said:

However the Brit funk thing was based firmly in the south east and grew out of the dance scene - that was part of the initial audience for bands like Freeze / stop,, True ,

 

level 42 was a "few years later ,, anyway,

 

Freeze ,, the bass player (from memory) used a Fender & was one of the 1st Down Thumb players in the UK ,,, we had a different name for down thumb slap in the 70s

 

as part of that core Brit Funk scene, the manifesto included playing up to this new status of UK / Brit funk to the fans ,, so 

 

The Southern Freeze , song is based on a UK dance move that was Real

 

dancers would stop/ freeze like a video player tight on the beat,,,    & start again aka The Southern Freeze 

 

 

He’s using an Ibanez Musician I think (could be an Aria) 1981. 

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12 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

He’s using an Ibanez Musician I think (could be an Aria) 1981. 

 

There's an '81 TOTP video - he's playing either an Aria SB700 or an SB1000 - through-neck, single pickup, can't tell if it's active or passive. I'd guess that's what he recorded the track with.

 

Begs the question why the high-end Japanese basses like Aria SBs and Ibanez Musicians & Studios, which all emerged at the end of the 70s, don't seem to have been embraced by the players that @Bean9seventyis talking about - they'd seem to tick all the boxes, not Fendery, through-neck, 24 fret, 2-a-side headstock etc. Certainly very affordable compared to the Alembics that inspired their designs.

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37 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

 

There's an '81 TOTP video - he's playing either an Aria SB700 or an SB1000 - through-neck, single pickup, can't tell if it's active or passive. I'd guess that's what he recorded the track with.

 

Begs the question why the high-end Japanese basses like Aria SBs and Ibanez Musicians & Studios, which all emerged at the end of the 70s, don't seem to have been embraced by the players that @Bean9seventyis talking about - they'd seem to tick all the boxes, not Fendery, through-neck, 24 fret, 2-a-side headstock etc. Certainly very affordable compared to the Alembics that inspired their designs.

yes no yes no ,, these basses did break through as the disco funk explosion took off ,

1st of all i think the "new cut price" south asia products had not quite hit the market via demand of sales yet ,, (Same with Levis jeans, it took time)

 

so ? a lot of UK, USA "made" stuff was standard in demark street shops  76- 79 , yet these became more expensive in waves each year 

 

my 2nd bass, was inbenez ,, big drum roll ,,

for a short while i had 2 basses

the Flying V was so "beasty" i could play it without an amp ,,

brought it for peanuts ,,

long story how i lost it

White Flying V  ibernez ,

Boosty Bound

Big Bass ,

image.png.18cfef3bf6dc73833632fcf0b9608ab3.png

 

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