David Bowie's "China Girl"

KYJazzy · #1 10-14-2009, 05:57 PM

Does anyone know what bass Carmine Rojas played on this song? I am in love with the punchy, snarly tone he gets on this song. It has such a great groove and really defines the entire song.

Just wondered if anyone had any info on his setup. Jazz bass? MusicMan? Amp/cab?

NortyFiner · #2 10-14-2009, 06:04 PM

Here's an interview I found. It's in Spanish, but there is a part where he talks about his gear. He describes his amps, and specifically mentions First Act customs and a Godin fretless. I can read it somewhat, but I'm just a poor gringo; Perhaps someone else here could do a better job translating...

http://www.stickcenter.com/Benitez/Carmine_Rojas.pdf

KYJazzy · #3 10-14-2009, 10:02 PM

Wow, thanks a lot. I never would've suspected a Godin Fretless. But it kind of has that tone...

bassteban · #4 10-14-2009, 10:08 PM

SRV played gtr on the track; he was supposed to tour w/Bowie but DB wouldn't pay what Stevie wanted. Or so I'm told.

jerry · #5 10-15-2009, 01:42 AM

Doesn't sound like a fretless to me.

Hamrhed · #6 10-16-2009, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYJazzy

Wow, thanks a lot. I never would've suspected a Godin Fretless. But it kind of has that tone...

That line (China girl) was played a long time ago... Carmine probably has switched gear more than most. He currently uses Xotic 5 strings w/ Joe Bonamassa, but it seems as though I saw video during that era of Bowie/Rojas playing a fretted Jazz bass

Nakedfish · #7 10-16-2009, 06:40 AM

Funny, I was listening to that this lunchtime. He used a Jazz bass I believe. Great bassline and tone.

paul_wolfe · #8 10-16-2009, 10:20 AM

I've been transcribing the bassline for something next month. There's some very cool, very subtle variations going on through the tune. Well worth checking it out.

VroomVroom · #9 10-16-2009, 10:29 AM

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. The bass playing...and drumming...and of course the guitar work on that album was absolutely fantastic. A total milestone album, in my opinion. Thank goodness for CD's, because I wore out the vinyl.

jmorbita · #10 10-19-2009, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamrhed

That line (China girl) was played a long time ago... Carmine probably has switched gear more than most. He currently uses Xotic 5 strings w/ Joe Bonamassa, but it seems as though I saw video during that era of Bowie/Rojas playing a fretted Jazz bass

Yes, in this article he is talking about his current gear. Doesn't say what year the interview is from, but it seems raltively recent.
Carmine talks a bit about how he would cope with bass vs keyboard basslines in the 80's... his answer is quite simple... whatever worked for the song. He states as an example "let's dance" intro was originaly a bass riff, and then finally it was doubled on keyboard.
I love the bass sound in that album (let's dance).

Todd GT5 · #11 10-19-2009, 05:26 PM

I found a youtube of China Girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSfndZfKFNU
It shows an upright bass being played. I realize this may not be what was used on the recording, but.
-Todd

mccartneyman · #12 10-19-2009, 05:33 PM

The "Serious Moonlight" concert video has carmine at around that time. Hard to get an iso on him, but it appears he's playing Fender-style bass. Some clips on Youtube.

JimK · #13 10-20-2009, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd GT5

I found a youtube of China Girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSfndZfKFNU
It shows an upright bass being played. I realize this may not be what was used on the recording, but.
-Todd

...c'mon, it just the old MTV video, right?

fretlesswonder · #14 10-20-2009, 07:09 AM

He played Spector...I think on that tour he had a Spector, it was black with two jazz pickups.

HotRats · #15 10-20-2009, 07:29 AM

Looks like he was playing a spector around this time. I found a live video. Don't be fooled by the white spector on stage right, (it's actually the guitar player). He's actually on the other side and looks to be playing what is a black spector.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-XgoBrfrPQ

Hoover · #16 10-20-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamrhed

I saw video during that era of Bowie/Rojas playing a fretted Jazz bass

I'd swear I saw Carmine playing a Spector NS-2 around the time of Bowie's Let's Dance album, but yeah, it's been a loooong time so...

Hamrhed · #17 10-21-2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoover

I'd swear I saw Carmine playing a Spector NS-2 around the time of Bowie's Let's Dance album, but yeah, it's been a loooong time so...

I believe that Rojas played w/ Julian Lennon also- that could be the vid w/ the Jazz bass... been a while

jerry · #18 10-21-2009, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamrhed

I believe that Rojas played w/ Julian Lennon also- that could be the vid w/ the Jazz bass... been a while

If it was the song 'Too Late For Goodbyes', I'm pretty sure that was Marcus Miller on the recording and maybe Rojas in the video.

svtb15 · #19 10-21-2009, 05:22 PM

Im pretty sure that it was not a fretless... That is a mistake.. there is a Bass Player issue somewhere from way back that has an article about that .... I thought it was a Spector .. i will have to find the article and try to post it...

After SRV he got Earl Slick on guitar.. It should have been the Serious moonlight tour and not the glass spider tour... This frampton did the glass spider tour..

but back to the original topic .. i nee dto find that article. cause i somehow thought it was a Spector NS2.. and the bass player article was very good IIRC... talked about how he got the gig ect.

I thin Tony Visconti played on alot of that Bowie stuff too.. Off topic but check out Heathen by Bowie.. its a very cool record.

pbass2 · #20 10-21-2009, 05:28 PM

I saw him with Bowie on the Glass Spider tour--with Peter Frampton on lead! Frampton was killer BTW. Anyhow, he had some kind of P-bass, maybe a P/J, maybe active, I dunno--was along time ago, but some kinda fretted P nonetheless. Great player, great punchy pickstyle sound. In the studio I would hazard a guess he used a P or a J at that time.