Lets hear it for Tony Franklin's incredible hair

[toneknob]

And delightful fretless tone, appearing in 1987 with recently in vogue pop singer, and some bloke on guitar.

 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by toneknob

[acidbass]

Just watched this last night!  Superb playing!

[BigRedX]

I'm sorry, but apart from the vocals this to me sounds like a nasty pub band cover, that steamrollers over the subtlety of the original recording. 

[Old Horse Murphy]

3 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I'm sorry, but apart from the vocals this to me sounds like a nasty pub band cover, that steamrollers over the subtlety of the original recording. 

now look what you've done....

[Barking Spiders]

I was distracted by the bassist's mullet to pay much attention to the song. It's amazing to think there were people who thought the mullet was an attractive look. Apologies in advance to any BCers that might still sport one, or even a skullet a la a current Norman Watt Roy

[BigRedX]

2 minutes ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

now look what you've done....

I might have been reading too much into it, but there were times in that video where Kate Bush's expression seemed to indicate that she wasn't at all happy with what was being done to her song. On the other hand she might just have been struggling to pitch some of the high notes due to poor monitoring...

[Clarky]

13 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I'm sorry, but apart from the vocals this to me sounds like a nasty pub band cover, that steamrollers over the subtlety of the original recording. 

You have obviously listened to a LOT better pub covers bands than I have ever seen!

[BigRedX]

Sure everything SOUNDS decent, but then you'd expect that from a professionally recorded live video. However this arrangement is entirely lacking in all the things that make the original so captivating. And Dave Gilmour's guitar parts are terrible pastiche of the synths in the recorded version.

[fretmeister]

4 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Sure everything SOUNDS decent, but then you'd expect that from a professionally recorded live video. However this arrangement is entirely lacking in all the things that make the original so captivating. And Dave Gilmour's guitar parts are terrible pastiche of the synths in the recorded version.

TBF you could say that or similar about all his playing, ever.

 

 

[fretmeister]

40 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

I was distracted by the bassist's mullet to pay much attention to the song. It's amazing to think there were people who thought the mullet was an attractive look. Apologies in advance to any BCers that might still sport one, or even a skullet a la a current Norman Watt Roy

 

 

In my youth!

 

I even went for the full Jason Newsted undercut at one point.

 

Just like his..... but with less gig pay!  

 

 

[Misdee]

Tony Franklin's hair is indeed epic in this snippet. In medical terms, it is what I believe to be a Super Mullet. That's where the hairstyle develops to such an extent that it stops being a fashion statement and instead becomes a way of life. No wonder Tony had to move to America. 

 

They are indeed murdering Kate's song, albeit in a very proficient manner. But let's face it, most of Kate's music doesn't really lend itself to live performance for a variety of reasons. Kate's not daft; that's why she performs live so infrequently, and successfully keeps her legend intact.

[Linus27]

I tend to agree, I felt the song was being murdered somewhat, it certainly lacked finesse and subtlety.

[MacDaddy]

3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

I'm sorry, but apart from the vocals this to me sounds like a nasty pub band cover, that steamrollers over the subtlety of the original recording. 

 

1 hour ago, Linus27 said:

I tend to agree, I felt the song was being murdered somewhat, it certainly lacked finesse and subtlety.

 

Glad y'all said it, I thought the same too.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Its Gilmour's guitar tone that ruins it. Apart from that it sounds alright for a live version.

[Chris2112]

Gilmour's bends sound like a cat being strangled. The whole thing does nothing for me, very naff. I appreciate if you're of a certain age you may feel differently. 

[peteb]

4 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

I was distracted by the bassist's mullet to pay much attention to the song. It's amazing to think there were people who thought the mullet was an attractive look. Apologies in advance to any BCers that might still sport one, or even a skullet a la a current Norman Watt Roy

 

Franklin's rather extravagant haircut was merely a product of the time. in fact, I sported something quite similar around that period. Do you seriously think that in 30 years time people won't be laughing at pictures of young guys with tattoos on their necks and full, bushy beards? 

 

[peteb]

FWIW, I thought that the video was alright. Not as good as the original recorded track, but a decent live rock band version of a much loved song that was recorded with a completely different arrangement. Would people have preferred that she sang along with backing tracks?? 

 

Only on Basschat, eh... 

 

 

[MacDaddy]

20 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

Franklin's rather extravagant haircut was merely a product of the time. in fact, I sported something quite similar around that period. Do you seriously think that in 30 years time people won't be laughing at pictures of young guys with tattoos on their necks and full, bushy beards? 

 

 

in the 70's a fair number of skinheads had the web tattoo on their necks. Comes around goes around...

[Killerfridge]

I was so confused for a moment; I was thinking Tony Levin, and couldn't wrap my head around what was going on with the hair...

[Bagman]

I really like that version. It’s of its time. 

Extra credit for the Steinberger. 

 

The haircut cut is a shocker , yes

[toneknob]

12 hours ago, Killerfridge said:

I was so confused for a moment; I was thinking Tony Levin, and couldn't wrap my head around what was going on with the hair...

For the sake of balanced content, TLev with hair. (from https://tonylevin.com/road-diaries/looking-back/pictures-from-way-back)

[Misdee]

Credit where credit is due, David Gilmore's hair looks very good in this clip.

 

Regarding Tony Franklin's bass playing, many watching this performance today may accuse him of overplaying. Not me, though.  Everyone was trying to play like that in the '80s! It was the zeitgeist of the day. No bearded hipsters with flatwound strings in on a P Bass played through a valve- powered radiogram intent on lecturing you about "authenticity."

 

I had a mullet for a good while during this era , and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Looking back now, I looked like an Australian car mechanic in the midst of some kind of a mental breakdown. I had a custom Jaydee too, and a Trace Eliot amp. Perhaps I could send some old pictures of myself to Tony Franklin and he could critique me?

 

[peteb]

4 minutes ago, Misdee said:

Credit where credit is due, David Gilmore's hair looks very good in this clip.

 

Regarding Tony Franklin's bass playing, many watching this performance today may accuse him of overplaying. Not me, though.  Everyone was trying to play like that in the '80s! It was the zeitgeist of the day. No bearded hipsters with flatwound strings in on a P Bass played through a valve- powered radiogram intent on lecturing you about "authenticity."

 

I had a mullet for a good while during this era , and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Looking back now, I looked like an Australian car mechanic in the midst of some kind of a mental breakdown. I had a custom Jaydee too, and a Trace Eliot amp. Perhaps I could send some old pictures of myself to Tony Franklin and he could critique me?

 

 

A mullet, Jaydee and a Trace Eliot - the full 80s triple! Nice one... 

 

[BigRedX]

17 hours ago, peteb said:

FWIW, I thought that the video was alright. Not as good as the original recorded track, but a decent live rock band version of a much loved song that was recorded with a completely different arrangement. Would people have preferred that she sang along with backing tracks?? 

 

Only on Basschat, eh... 

 

No just a more sympathetic arrangement of the song that would still work with musicians playing live. It doesn't have to be backing tracks. The band I was in in 1987 (which is when this performance was recorded) could have made a far better go of the instrumental parts, and we didn't even have the big record label support that they musicians in the video had.

[peteb]

37 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

The band I was in in 1987 (which is when this performance was recorded) could have made a far better go of the instrumental parts

 

But could you really? 

 

Could you have put together an arrangement at a brief rehearsal and then played it the next day at a big one-off charity event, in front of a large crowd and TV / video cameras? Its one thing to say that, 'of course, I could have done it better than Tony Franklin, Dave Gilmour et al', its another thing for that claim to be credible.