mckendrick Posted December 29, 2011 Posted December 29, 2011 [quote name='craigjf1969' timestamp='1256073843' post='631886'] brilliant bassist,always amazed me how he sang and played those intricate basslines [/quote] Indeed. Quote
wombatboter Posted December 29, 2011 Posted December 29, 2011 Nice tone on this one too... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3DknQB4HPk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3DknQB4HPk[/url] Quote
alanbass1 Posted December 29, 2011 Posted December 29, 2011 MK is to bass what Eddie Van Halen is to guitar. He came along and took a technique that a few players were using to a level way above anything heard at the time. Like others have said, this spawned a load of players who emulated and 'went faster', but too often losing the point in their quest for speed. A great player and the reason which I bought my MK bass.....but I'm really a old school Larry Graham type of player so I leave the MK safely in it's case!!! Quote
fender73 Posted December 30, 2011 Posted December 30, 2011 Just watching the L42 30th Anniversary dvd - MK's playing on 'World Machine' is sublime - especially one of the fingerstyle passages - just great. Quote
fender73 Posted December 30, 2011 Posted December 30, 2011 Kaaansaaaaaaaasss City Milkmaaaaaaaaaaaaan Quote
Dood Posted December 31, 2011 Posted December 31, 2011 It seems the low end talent runs in the family as brother Nathan is also an awesome bass player. He's playing with my buddy Craig Blundell and John Mitchell (It Bites) and song writer type Jem Godfrey in one of my face bands Frost* right now and they are awesome! Get ya prog on! Quote
crez5150 Posted December 31, 2011 Posted December 31, 2011 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1325296049' post='1481985'] It seems the low end talent runs in the family as brother Nathan is also an awesome bass player. He's playing with my buddy Craig Blundell and John Mitchell (It Bites) and song writer type Jem Godfrey in one of my face bands Frost* right now and they are awesome! Get ya prog on! [/quote] Dood.... was up with Craig and the gang at the gig in Kingston last week.... wondered if you were there... Quote
Dood Posted December 31, 2011 Posted December 31, 2011 I was yes! I arrived really late due to traffic, but Craig gave me a heads up for when they were going on. John ( on the door) spotted me,and didn't even wait for a ticket; just stamped me and said 'get in there!' I had 5 mins to get a pint and the boys kicked off. Blooming brilliant! Quote
crez5150 Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1325349366' post='1482404'] I was yes! I arrived really late due to traffic, but Craig gave me a heads up for when they were going on. John ( on the door) spotted me,and didn't even wait for a ticket; just stamped me and said 'get in there!' I had 5 mins to get a pint and the boys kicked off. Blooming brilliant! [/quote] Shame, would have loved to have had a chat..... it was rammed though.... I was planted right in the middle.... Quote
Dr.Dave Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I suppose many of the skills a drummer aquires are well handy when it comes to the style of bass playing Mark King's famous for. My hat's always doffed to the guy , not because of his undoubted skills as a bass player but more because of his profile raising of bass playing - How many players have begun because of him?. For me personally - he's a singer and songwriter whos plays bass playing is in support of those skills , which is how it should be. Level 42 were always too yuppy for me- too smooth - but fair play to them and him. Quote
JTUK Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 The real smoothie in that band was the drummer Phil Gould, I lost count how many really good drummers..IMO...always rated his understated approach. I like Mark King's fingerstyle.. again, much underrated. Quote
louisthebass Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Hi all, Thought I'd post this as it's a lesser known L42 track that showcases MK's fingerstyle playing (if memory serves it's in Drop 'D' tuning: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3mH7z84dkM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3mH7z84dkM[/url] The only time he slaps is on the bridge of the song - it's a bit of a shame that his fingerstyle playing is often overlooked in favour of his slap technique... Quote
M-N-Y Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 That's a great bass sound IMHO, fairly faithful to the original which was played on a Status series 2. MK always seemed to get a great sound from his Alembics, much better than some of the other combinations of guitars/amps he used over the years.Having seen L42 15 plus times it was quite rare that the bass sounded outstanding. I think the only time it blew me away was in 1982 at Manchester Uni which was a very small venue and the sound was very detailed. I also notice MK seems to be using an Eden rig on this video which may well explain the excellent bass sound. Quote
louisthebass Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) Over the years I've been to see L42, my favourite bass sound has to be the Jaydee / Trace Elliott combination (really comes to life on the 1984 Rockpalast DVD). Edited January 4, 2012 by louisthebass Quote
Chris2112 Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Any Level 42 fan will enjoy this deliciously crisp slice of 80's synth... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=216WHfHbscg Quote
wombatboter Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Went to see them a couple of weeks ago in Oostende at the Belgian coast.. First couple of songs it sounded just horrible..When they opened with "Heaven in my hands" there was absolutely no definition.. Even bassplayers (who are trained to spot bass just a bit better) couldn't hear any bass...It remains a mystery why he didn't add a bit of mid in his sound. He just doesn't cut through in big halls.. This was the best moment, when the drums kick in.. it's still pure magic. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al2rcDhwtvI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al2rcDhwtvI[/url] Quote
rushbo Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial]Without doubt, one of the greats, but he may be the man most responsible for terrible, atonal, fumbled bass-slappage at Guitar shops the world over. Level 42 records should have had some form of warning on - "This man is a trained and skilled musician - you are not. Get your thumb away from the fretboard until you're old enough to drink legally. Then play nothing but Motown grooves for three years. Then...we'll talk".[/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial]Those Jaydee Basses weighed a ton, too. He used to fair chuck his about. Respec’ (as the young people say).[/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial]He came into a record shop I worked at back in the fabulous 90's. Yes he is a lovely, stand-up bloke and funny too...he told me one of the funniest (and longest) jokes I have ever heard. By then, my muso fixation had waned and my L42/Stanley Clarke/Zappa albums were consigned to the back of the cupboard, while I waxed rhapsodic about Mike Mills and Mike Watt. Now I'm older, wiser and considerably less cool, so I can say after many years of denial...I'm a fan.[/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial]Although badly played slap Bass still sounds like 1000 dyslectic secretaries typing out endless shopping lists.....[/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] Quote
steve-soar Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) Still an amazing album after all these years. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GLawrnNcI&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GLawrnNcI&feature=related[/url] Edited January 4, 2012 by steve-soar Quote
bubinga5 Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) ive got to be honest, ive come to the end of the line with these MK threads.. dont get me wrong he is totally awsome... but... what has he doing for music or bass now..? i could be totally uninformed? not doing my research, but apart from L42 come back stuff, what is the guy doing Edited January 4, 2012 by bubinga5 Quote
wombatboter Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I'm still interested... You could say the same thing about Stanley Clarke or Derek Forbes or... I think his contribution to bassplaying is so huge that he never gets out of fashion imo... In a way I'm glad that he's still quoted or posted for how may bassplayers are there still around who are in a prominent position ? Bass-guitar has been pretty dead in popular music since ages.. Can't recall hearing a nice fretless or a great bassline in the charts in a long time. I still think King is relevant and after all this is bass.chat.... A lot of topics pop up again and again : flat- or roundwounds, 4X10 or 2x12, Jaco Pastorius, P or Jazz-bass,Bernard Edwards, etc... Doesn't bother me... Quote
JTUK Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 It would be better if he could leave the L42 way behind..but no one can blame him for still milking that cash cow. It is all old hat now a time warp in a REALLY CHUMMY way ..but his playing is still great in both styles. The other guys could help by moving on as well..... I'd go and see him..but not in a L42 gig. IMO Quote
Conan Posted January 6, 2012 Posted January 6, 2012 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1325712834' post='1486610'] ... what has he doing for music or bass now..?, what is the guy doing [/quote] Does it matter? Isn't that his business? Does he owe us anything? Quote
Conan Posted January 6, 2012 Posted January 6, 2012 [quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1325709431' post='1486539'] [size=3][color=#222222][font=Arial]Although badly played slap Bass still sounds like 1000 dyslectic secretaries typing out endless shopping lists.....[/font][/color][/size] [/quote] Brilliant! Couldn't agree more! Mind if I use that in my sig? Quote
rushbo Posted January 6, 2012 Posted January 6, 2012 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1325857585' post='1488837'] Brilliant! Couldn't agree more! Mind if I use that in my sig? [/quote] But of course...it's my gift to you. Quote
louisthebass Posted January 6, 2012 Posted January 6, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1325772744' post='1487419'] It would be better if he could leave the L42 way behind..but no one can blame him for still milking that cash cow. It is all old hat now a time warp in a REALLY CHUMMY way ..but his playing is still great in both styles. The other guys could help by moving on as well..... I'd go and see him..but not in a L42 gig. IMO [/quote] It'll never happen - I just don't see MK ever being somebody's "sideman". He's tried doing something different before (late 90's - didn't work) and he obviously feels at home leading that band in whatever guise it happens to take, and playing those songs. Fair play to him as I'd rather see L42 than a lot of what is being churned out at the moment, but maybe that's my fault for being an old git and living in the past... Quote
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