John Deacon and the dusty end.

[la bam]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

 

Doug Helvering. Worth a follow.

 

A lot of 70s musicians would have grown up listening to Jazz. It would have been played everywhere. 

Yeh, that's him!

 

It's the kind of stuff I usually hate, but I really like what he does.

 

I love the iron maiden prophets song - his mind is really blown on that one. 

 

I cant remember which queen one he cant follow, is it funny how love?

[Steve Browning]

9 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

He did indeed, as it made it less demanding to both play and sing.

 

Never really used to rate JD, but in recent years ive payed more attention to his composition and technique and would say hes a top flight all round musician. Just a shame hes not in the game any more. Queen II is my fabourite, and he an May bounce off one another brilliantly.

Agree entirely about Queen II. Probably the single most important album of all time in the context of my sound and my approach to bass.

[cetera]

14 hours ago, la bam said:

To me, the 70s bassists were just a different breed. Even just with Queen - its music on a more full level. Not just playing wise, but creative wise.

 

Just a different level. Listen to some of the funk songs of the 70s, pop songs, the major hits, minor hits. It's like a different way of playing that's been forgotten. It's easier than ever to pick up on these with YouTube and isolated tracks, but it seemed quite obvious to use the full 20+ frets of all 4 strings, whereas nowadays (massive generalisation I know, but...) it seems just to be playing in a certain safe area.

 

THIS ^^^^^^^

 

Give me the musicality, creativity, melody and structural arrangements of the bass playing of Peter Cetera (Chicago), Tiran Porter (Doobie Bros), Rutger Gunnarsson (ABBA), Joe Puerta (Ambrosia), Dee Murray (Elton John), John Deacon (Queen), Dave Hope (Kansas), Martin Tiefensee (Lake), Paul Goddard (Atlanta Rhythm Section), Del Palmer (Kate Bush), David Paton (Pilot/Alan Parsons etc) and many others of that period.... over most stuff since.

[King Tut]

33 minutes ago, cetera said:

 

THIS ^^^^^^^

 

Give me the musicality, creativity, melody and structural arrangements of the bass playing of Peter Cetera (Chicago), Tiran Porter (Doobie Bros), Rutger Gunnarsson (ABBA), Joe Puerta (Ambrosia), Dee Murray (Elton John), John Deacon (Queen), Dave Hope (Kansas), Martin Tiefensee (Lake), Paul Goddard (Atlanta Rhythm Section), Del Palmer (Kate Bush), David Paton (Pilot/Alan Parsons etc) and many others of that period.... over most stuff since.

Jim Lea from Slade was pretty tasty as well!

[bassbiscuits]

It might be because so many of the songs are piano led that the thumping low end is already covered by Freddie’s left hand.
 

Therefore he’s weaving his bass lines in the space that’s left. 

 

I say this as I’ve played with tribute acts doing both Trevor Bolder era Bowie, and vintage Elton John, and both those bassists take the same sort of approach. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by bassbiscuits

[lurksalot]

On 06/06/2022 at 11:06, Greg Edwards69 said:

I seem to recall something about vinyl records not being able to handle low bass that well so bass players of the vinyl era tended to play higher up the neck to cut a better behaving track.

I recall a Peter Gabriel interview regarding track positions on his ‘So’ album , 

they were out of his preferred order on the album, as the pressings handle bass better on the first few tracks of each side.

the needle travels faster along the outside and creates more energy from the groove .

 

[BigRedX]

The problems with vinyl are at the end of each side not the beginning.

[4000]

22 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

Listening to John Deacon, I do wonder about his influences.  He seems to have arrived in Queen fully formed, and hugely skilled, and very adaptable to the various styles of the band.    

 

School band; covers band on guitar; Queen's bassist.  

I’ve read in an interview that his biggest influence - or possibly favourite bassist - was Chris Squire. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by 4000

[Cosmo Valdemar]

18 hours ago, la bam said:

Yeh, that's him!

 

It's the kind of stuff I usually hate, but I really like what he does.

 

I love the iron maiden prophets song - his mind is really blown on that one. 

 

I cant remember which queen one he cant follow, is it funny how love?

It's the Daily Doug!

 

It was March Of The Black Queen that stumped him, which does lead into Funny How Love Is.

 

I'd love to see him listen to Ogre Battle/The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke/Nevermore.

[TimR]

 

[Cliff Edge]

On 06/06/2022 at 11:06, Greg Edwards69 said:

I seem to recall something about vinyl records not being able to handle low bass that well so bass players of the vinyl era tended to play higher up the neck to cut a better behaving track.

Not so much the vinyl more the turntable speed. 33 and a third rpm isn’t the best for high definition reproduction. 

[la bam]

Slight de rail, but this is my favourite doug vid - completely amazed!

 

 

[lurksalot]

1 hour ago, Cliff Edge said:

Not so much the vinyl more the turntable speed. 33 and a third rpm isn’t the best for high definition reproduction. 

the speed varies considerably , the needle is travelling faster across the first tracks and slows as it gets to the middle.

 

[lurksalot]

3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

The problems with vinyl are at the end of each side not the beginning.

That’s what I was suggesting , the speed is slower and thus lacks the energy 

[BigRedX]

12 hours ago, lurksalot said:

the speed varies considerably , the needle is travelling faster across the first tracks and slows as it gets to the middle.

 

Indeed. The speed that the stylus travels in relation to the groove is almost 3 times faster at the outer edge of a 12" album then it is at the label. That affects both the amount of "detail" that can be carried in the groove and the frequency response.

[NoRhino]

21 hours ago, King Tut said:

Jim Lea from Slade was pretty tasty as well!

My favourite player to this day and a demon live performer.  For such a quiet man.  

[Mike Brooks]

On 06/06/2022 at 16:17, Steve Browning said:

That Acoustic and Hiwatt rig must have been amazing. I would die happy to play through that just once.

Well I've got the Acoustic part of the equation....along with the flightcase. He had two of those Acoustic cabs... I've got number 1.

[JellyKnees]

5 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

Indeed. The speed that the stylus travels in relation to the groove is almost 3 times faster at the outer edge of a 12" album then it is at the label. That affects both the amount of "detail" that can be carried in the groove and the frequency response.

It's almost as if vinyl is an inferior medium.

 

[Steve Browning]

47 minutes ago, Mike Brooks said:

Well I've got the Acoustic part of the equation....along with the flightcase. He had two of those Acoustic cabs... I've got number 1.

Very envious. There was a third over on Brian May's side of the stage.

 

How did you come by it, may I ask?

[Mike Brooks]

I acquired it through the Queen Fan Club back in 1997. The band had a warehouse clearout in 1995 just after Made In Heaven came out and it ended up at the Fan Club Offices. Two years later, it was still there and I offered to buy it.

[Steve Browning]

23 minutes ago, Mike Brooks said:

I acquired it through the Queen Fan Club back in 1997. The band had a warehouse clearout in 1995 just after Made In Heaven came out and it ended up at the Fan Club Offices. Two years later, it was still there and I offered to buy it.

Wonderful. Thank you for the story.

[Doctor J]

John Deacon and The Dusty End is a band name waiting for a band.