Level 42 Before Level42

[Bean9seventy]

2 hours ago, drTStingray said:

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

 

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

it was a wave that happened in early 1977 ,,

before then things had not changed much

the studio 54 sound ,

[EssentialTension]

21 hours ago, Bean9seventy said:

 

I bought a Hayman 4040 in Denmark Street in late 1974. But I never slapped it.

[Bean9seventy]

1 hour 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.

with all the meta data i showed you guys

all of it, before level42 formed

you can now see how a guy who worked in a Pro music shop macaris

put it all together & bassically won the bass battles as they stood at that time

adopted the soul boy look ,, high bass strap

& became the face of brit pop funk ,, without Fender

 

all thats left is those who remember mark king playing bass as a shop assistant

tho there is one last rabbit hole ,,just all about musicman stingray

 

[Bean9seventy]

2 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

 

I bought a Hayman 4040 in Denmark Street in late 1974. But I never slapped it.

no one really knew about slapping in 1974 ,, americans never used that word or term ,, slapping is a UK word mainly ,, now the whole world uses it ,,

[Bean9seventy]

8 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

with all the meta data i showed you guys

all of it, before level42 formed

you can now see how a guy who worked in a Pro music shop macaris

put it all together & bassically won the bass battles as they stood at that time

adopted the soul boy look ,, high bass strap

& became the face of brit pop funk ,, without Fender

 

all thats left is those who remember mark king playing bass as a shop assistant

tho there is one last rabbit hole ,,just all about musicman stingray

 

 

[lowdown]

2 hours ago, EssentialTension said:

 

I bought a Hayman 4040 in Denmark Street in late 1974. But I never slapped it.

 

 

Haha...me, proudly holding my 16th Birthday present in 1973. I think mine came from Len Stiles over in Lewisham. It was eventually part exchanged for a Ricky in '75. Then in 1976, the Ricky was part exchanged for my first Jazz Bass. (Again, Len Stiles).

I actually then bought another Jazz later on that year and ripped the frets out....as some people did then...**

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by lowdown

[lowdown]

I just found this up on Google. The price for a 4040 back then:

 

 

[lowdown]

Haha, more. It seems that I had gas much earlier than I thought I did.

1971, a Gibson copy (my first Bass). Then my Ricky down at a WMC in Streatham:

 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by lowdown

[Bean9seventy]

13 minutes ago, lowdown said:

 

 

Haha...me, proudly holding my 16th Birthday present in 1973. I think mine came from Len Stiles over in Lewisham. It was eventually part exchanged for a Ricky in '75. Then in 1976, the Ricky was part exchanged for my first Jazz Bass. (Again, Len Stiles).

I actually then bought another Jazz later on that year and ripped the frets out....as most people did then...

 

i catch big fish ,,,

 

so in 1973, you already rip the pick up guard off, no pick, no slap 

yet swap instruments including up right bass by 1978

you never landed a record deal got close or 

know any players in your area who school "obscure music"

 

the price tag is not from len stiles btw, 

[EssentialTension]

14 minutes ago, lowdown said:

I just found this up on Google. The price for a 4040 back then:

 

 

 

I recall paying £120 with a hard case in late '74, but as it's almost fifty years who knows?

[lowdown]

3 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

 

I recall paying £120 with a hard case in late '74, but as it's almost fifty years who knows?

 

 Mine was a Birthday present, so I'm not really sure. I suppose back then, like today, prices were different shop from shop.

[lowdown]

7 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

i catch big fish ,,,

 

so in 1973, you already rip the pick up guard off, no pick, no slap 

yet swap instruments including up right bass by 1978

you never landed a record deal got close or 

know any players in your area who school "obscure music"

 

the price tag is not from len stiles btw, 

 

Where did I say the Tag was from Len Stiles?

I believe @Hellzerohas a thread on reading a post before replying.👍

 

- Rip the pick guard off what?

Edited January 2, 2022 by lowdown

[Bassassin]

6 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

 

I recall paying £120 with a hard case in late '74, but as it's almost fifty years who knows?

 

Sobering thought - according to this Inflation Calculator tool, £120 in '74 is equivalent to £1,162 now.

 

£167.40 would be £1,618.

 

[lowdown]

2 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

 

Sobering thought - according to this Inflation Calculator tool, £120 in '74 is equivalent to £1,162 now.

 

£167.40 would be £1,618.

 

 

Blimey, my dad had just been made redundant as a Lighterman and paid for my Birthday present out of that.

I feel guilty now for moving it on.

[Bassassin]

1 minute ago, lowdown said:

 

Blimey, my dad had just been made redundant as a Lighterman and paid for my Birthday present out of that.

I feel guilty now for moving it on.

 

I feel guilty for telling you...

[lowdown]

Just now, Bassassin said:

 

I feel guilty for telling you...

 

[Bean9seventy]

7 minutes ago, lowdown said:

 

Where did I say the Tag was from Len Stiles?

I believe @Hellzerohas a thread on reading a post before replying.👍

 

- Rip the pick guard off what?

the 40 40 had a delux plastic pick up guard , seems you took it off ? quite a big move in 1973 ,

 

pulling frets out ? Rock bands never used fretless , 2 jazz basses in 1978 ?

 

you should be talking about either just missing out on a major deal or you being best mates with iron maidens drummer

[Bean9seventy]

5 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

the 40 40 had a delux plastic pick up guard , seems you took it off ? quite a big move in 1973 ,

 

pulling frets out ? Rock bands never used fretless , 2 jazz basses in 1978 ?

 

you should be talking about either just missing out on a major deal or you being best mates with iron maidens drummer

those who remember Jaspers

[lowdown]

1 minute ago, Bean9seventy said:

the 40 40 had a delux plastic pick up guard , seems you took it off ? quite a big move in 1973 ,

 

pulling frets out ? Rock bands never used fretless , 2 jazz basses in 1978 ?

 

you should be talking about either just missing out on a major deal or you being best mates with iron maidens drummer

 

 

Fretless Rock Bands back then?  Bad Company? The Band? Jack Bruce? Probably more. 

By 1978, Jaco clones were well on the up as well.

 

[EssentialTension]

22 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

 

Sobering thought - according to this Inflation Calculator tool, £120 in '74 is equivalent to £1,162 now.

 

£167.40 would be £1,618.

 

 

£120 in 1974 woud have been something like a months wages for me.

[EssentialTension]

14 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

the 40 40 had a delux plastic pick up guard , seems you took it off ? quite a big move in 1973 ,

 

pulling frets out ? Rock bands never used fretless , 2 jazz basses in 1978 ?

 

you should be talking about either just missing out on a major deal or you being best mates with iron maidens drummer

 

I took the pickup guards off too. In my experience it was common to take them off. Took it off Fenders too.

 

Several rock bassists used fretless basses. They are in a minority but you're incorrect to say rock bands never used fretless.

[Clarky]

4 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

 

.

 

Several rock bassists used fretless basses. They are in a minority but you're incorrect to say rock bands never used fretless.

Boz Burrell, Bad Company. Rick Danko, The Band. David J,  Bauhaus. To name the first 3 that came into my head

 

Edit: oops, missed lowdown's reply

Edited January 2, 2022 by Clarky

[EssentialTension]

13 minutes ago, lowdown said:

 

 

Fretless Rock Bands back then?  Bad Company? The Band? Jack Bruce? Probably more. 

By 1978, Jaco clones were well on the up as well.

 

 

And the bassist in Lindisfarne was using a defretted Precision from at least 1970. Can't remember his name. EDIT: Rod Clements?

Edited January 2, 2022 by EssentialTension

[Bean9seventy]

2 minutes ago, lowdown said:

 

 

Fretless Rock Bands back then?  Bad Company? The Band? Jack Bruce? Probably more. 

By 1978, Jaco clones were well on the up as well.

 

jaco clones by 78 ?  loads of them ? all deliberate failed disco players

blowing up teen town in 78 ? wow man , ;D

 

thats charlie for you ,, out of the Chaplin zone too ,,, on The Bell

 

so what happened , how come no one saw this ? & you, until now ?

[lowdown]

46 minutes ago, Bean9seventy said:

jaco clones by 78 ?  loads of them ? all deliberate failed disco players

blowing up teen town in 78 ? wow man , ;D

 

thats charlie for you ,, out of the Chaplin zone too ,,, on The Bell

 

so what happened , how come no one saw this ? & you, until now ?

 

Here we go once again. Who said loads of them? 

 

Although released late 1976, by 1977/78, the Jaco album was a talking point among some musicians in the UK. Well, certainly in my circle(s). Apart from Jaco's contribution, there were top, known players on that album as well. Granted, if you were not listening to fusion and such at the time, then the album and musicians on it, wouldn't have possibly gained your attention.

 

Musician Credits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius_(album)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by lowdown