spongebob Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 RIP Herbie. A true career bass player that broke into public consciousness with his work. A lot of us are probably here because of Herbie’s influence. 🥹 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 1 hour ago, silverfoxnik said: Well said, Silvia! Here are a few of my photos from that day. Herbie was such a fabulous speaker - it really was an honour to have him with us that day. Apart from being very witty and charming, he was also so generous with his time... A few months afterwards, he invited me and Mrs Silverfoxnik to see him perform at The Dome in Brighton, one of his 'Herbie Flowers Jazz Breakfast'. During what was an amazing jazz show, he and the band did two stunning arrangements of David Bowie songs - 'Space Oddity' and 'Where Are We Now', which were absolutely sublime. RIP Herbie and thank you for all the amazing music.. 🙏 Seeing Herbie at the Bass Bash was a life experience. Equal parts of genius and bafflement 😆 We witnessed something special that day. People are wrong when they say you shouldn't meet your heroes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 That is a shame. His talk on that day was magical. Glad i got the privilege to see him . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 2 hours ago, silverfoxnik said: Well said, Silvia! Here are a few of my photos from that day. Herbie was such a fabulous speaker - it really was an honour to have him with us that day. Apart from being very witty and charming, he was also so generous with his time... A few months afterwards, he invited me and Mrs Silverfoxnik to see him perform at The Dome in Brighton, one of his 'Herbie Flowers Jazz Breakfast'. During what was an amazing jazz show, he and the band did two stunning arrangements of David Bowie songs - 'Space Oddity' and 'Where Are We Now', which were absolutely sublime. RIP Herbie and thank you for all the amazing music.. 🙏 Dave Swift as well? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 I got to hang out with him at a Richard Durrant gig in 2006 after hardly anyone showed up. In the intermission, I introduced myself and gushed a bit about the impact that Sky had on me as a pre-teen - before I had even developed an interest in playing a musical instrument (actually Tristan Fry inspired me to take up drums before I moved onto bass 2 years later). Bless him, Herbie looked a bit embarrassed about Sky and then he offered to buy me a pint. Afterwards he then offered to let me try out his Jazz bass. It was super light, almost like a toy and the nylon flats were like anchor cables. The controls were fragile too but it sounded just like it did on the records. Such a great memory. And let's not forget the huge amount of charity work he did, including music therapy. He was one of the good ones. RIP Herbie 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 There’s some controversy about what he did and didn’t play on this album, but the tone he got on Melody Nelson album (and live) is the greatest bass sound I’ve ever heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSeagull Posted September 8 Author Share Posted September 8 I never met him despite living just down the road from the village he lived in. But one day I was having my hair cut and the barber asked what I had planned for the weekend. Gigging I replied and said I played bass. I cut another bass players hair she said and I mentioned the name of friend who was also player. Yes, I cut his too she replied but there is another older fella, claims to have played all over the world and with all the greats, lives in Ditchling. I showed her a picture of Herbie Flowers on my phone - that’s him! I said call me the next time he comes for a haircut but she didn’t 🙁 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskwave Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 (edited) Aah.. Ditchling. Kinda Explains why I saw him at the 'Emsworth Food Fest', (yes the 'fete' above was a falsey to protect peeps but it was actually at the food festival about ten yrs ago), ...Wish I'd taken a photo now.. Herbie wearing a clear plastic poncho with the blue J bass.....in near torrential rain playing some very tasty danceable jazz funk. And yes at 59 I was still just a teeny bit starstruck..haha Edited September 9 by diskwave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Sam Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 I would love to know the real story behind his "59" Fender Jass Bass. It's a thing of legend. R.I.P. Herbie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 2 hours ago, Beedster said: Dave Swift as well? Herbie Flowers was a bass player so legendary, that Dave Swift was his bass player ... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 And he never suffered from GAS. I think he only ever owned that one tuba, upright and J bass for his whole career. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 (edited) I well remember seeing HF playing with Sky. Was so inspired I’ve played all my gigs sitting on a bar stool ever since! With everything he’s ever done, I’ve even forgiven him for writing grandad’! What a legend. Edited September 8 by Boodang 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 2 hours ago, Bassman Sam said: I would love to know the real story behind his "59" Fender Jass Bass. It's a thing of legend. R.I.P. Herbie. Just searched back a few years, there was a member on here Wes Steed - worked at GAK at the time, and was a talented luthier. He had Herbie's bass to make a replica, and I recall there was a lot of talk at the time about the exact age. @Clarky owned the replica for a while, but I can't find the original build thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 Yep I owned it briefly. I loved the association and the work that went into it, but just didn't gel with it. I then sold it to @molan who had quite a bit of work done on the neck/board and body to make it more authentic. No idea what has happened to it since 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 5 hours ago, Burns-bass said: There’s some controversy about what he did and didn’t play on this album, but the tone he got on Melody Nelson album (and live) is the greatest bass sound I’ve ever heard. A bit like Carole Kaye. Lines can get blurred when you are prolific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon. Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 Damn. 😥 Herbie was one of my earliest and most profound influences. I discovered the Sky records as a teenager and loved them all. His lines were a great example of what works best for the song. Anchoring the track, but never just background. Always impossible to ignore. I was fortunate enough to meet him one time when he was in Edinburgh for the Festival. He was very friendly and genuinely delighted that I wanted to use a piece of his music at my wedding. He even took the effort to send me hard copies of the sheet music a couple of weeks later. RIP, Herbie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 (edited) 8 hours ago, Burns-bass said: There’s some controversy about what he did and didn’t play on this album, but the tone he got on Melody Nelson album (and live) is the greatest bass sound I’ve ever heard. It was actually Carole kaye. She did it all. With a pick - even the double bass stuff Edited September 8 by Geek99 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 7 hours ago, Bassman Sam said: I would love to know the real story behind his "59" Fender Jass Bass. It's a thing of legend. R.I.P. Herbie. He told me he bought it in Manny's in 1959 and didn't understand all the armchair experts who didnt believe him. I asked him what he thought about the idea that it was pre production and he was doubtful. It didnt seem to be a complicated issue for him, he just bought it and played it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 11 hours ago, timmo said: A bit like Carole Kaye. Lines can get blurred when you are prolific. True. It’s a wonderful album and he did the 2007 Barbican concert perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Another hugely influenced by Herbie here. I grew up listening to the double cassette version of War of The Worlds on constant repeat. I also personally think his playing on Space Oddity is one of the bass demonstrations, up there with Jamerson and all. I remember debating whether i should go to that particular bass bash, and didn't in the end. I'm sure it was clearly mentioned in the threads beforehand but I didn't know or realise he was going to be there and was absolutely gutted when I saw the photos and realised I had missed him. I live not too far from him and wondered if he might have ever walked past one of my gigs (especially the outdoor concert band ones) and heard me play. I just hope he was never at the local Scouts gang show when I made a pigs ear of trying to play Blue Mink's Banner Man...... RIP Herbie! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 13 hours ago, Clarky said: Yep I owned it briefly. I loved the association and the work that went into it, but just didn't gel with it. I then sold it to @molan who had quite a bit of work done on the neck/board and body to make it more authentic. No idea what has happened to it since Here's an old ad from the now sadly-no-more Bass Gear, so the bass was sold on. https://www.vintageandrare.com/product/Custom-Herbie-Flowers-Jazz-Replica-2011-38375 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Someone also commissioned Jon Shuker to make a replica (without the relicing) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Riva Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Whilst the album itself has often received lukewarm reviews, Herbie’s performance on David Live is a masterclass in bass playing, imho. If I had to choose one desert island album for its bass playing it would be that one - it’s got everything. A wonderful musician, and so influential… 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 (edited) Some great photos of Herbie plus some close ups of his 59J (page 2) https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/herbie-flowers Edited September 9 by Sparky Mark 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskwave Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Well well. Is that salmon pink underneath blue? Fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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