David Hungate on "Silk Degrees"

[Harper]

Wow....has there ever been a better P-bass tone than that?

[JimK]

It's up there.

Chuck Rainey's stuff is very cool, too.
...and Alan Gorrie's early AWB stuff ("Got The Love")

[jerry]

I go back to that album frequently, it's I don't think there is a out of place note on there. One of the best examples of tasty bass playing in a pop context, IMHO. A classic!
Off topic, the last couple years I've been drawn to the sound of old fashioned slapped P-bass like Hungate's and Will Lee's work with the Brecker Bros*, one of the reasons I ended up with a Nino Valenti P-5er.



* special note of Billy Bass Nelson's sound on the Temptation's Shaky Ground.

[PilbaraBass]

I love the pop sound on "Lowdown".

one reason hungate sounds so good on "silk degrees" is because Jeff Porcaro, the FANTASTIC drummer that he was, gave Hungate room to sound good...

I miss Porcaro, NO ONE could pull off the 4/4 shuffle like Jeff.
Although, Bernard Purdie comes REALLY close.

[Harper]

Yes, Jeff Porcaro is amazing.

Funny thing, when I was younger I only though of Hungate as the guy that wrote for Bass Player magazine and won the "Best Country" award every year. What a tasty, tasty player.

Check out this Youtube video of Lido Shuffle. Defining proof of the decline of civilization is comparing *this* to what passes for pop music today. From the one long shot you get of the bassist I'm pretty sure it isn't Hungate, but smoking nonetheless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Brlp57fZ6A

[firebass6]

I agree the drumming is fantastic on that record. Porcaro and Hungate really laid it down, the groove and feel, phrasing, timbre,, awesome. I still listen to Silk Degrees often

[Jamarcla]

Originally Posted by Harper

From the one long shot you get of the bassist I'm pretty sure it isn't Hungate, but smoking nonetheless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Brlp57fZ6A

There are the Porcaro brothers : Jeff at drums , Mike on bass and Steve in keys .

[Harper]

Ah, caught that after my last reply. Talk about a talented family.

[Harper]

About the youtube clip; check out the bass and drums at 3:33 and 3:45....amazing!

[jb63]

The bass tone on Lowdown kinda sounds like a P/J tone to me. I've seen YouTube clips of Hungate playing with Toto and he was playing a Yamaha with a P/J setup. I also remember reading a Bass Player Mag. article about him and in one of the photos he has older Precision with a J pick-up. Either way it's still a killer tone and great playing. For more of Hungates playing, check out the soundtrack for the movie "Grease" and his contribution playing "Home Coookin" on the CD's included in the book "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown".

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Harper

Yes, Jeff Porcaro is amazing.

Funny thing, when I was younger I only though of Hungate as the guy that wrote for Bass Player magazine and won the "Best Country" award every year. What a tasty, tasty player.

Check out this Youtube video of Lido Shuffle. Defining proof of the decline of civilization is comparing *this* to what passes for pop music today. From the one long shot you get of the bassist I'm pretty sure it isn't Hungate, but smoking nonetheless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Brlp57fZ6A

That is the complete and total s*** right there

I had the pleasure of seeing Boz with that band at the Mississippi River Festival back in the 70's. I didn't know who any of the guys were back then (I don't think Hungate toured with Boz), but we all were like 'who the heck is that drummer'!!!! GREAT music, and Hungate turned all us young white boys onto the 'pluck' Wonderful stuff.

K

[fishtx]

Nice to hear this record getting some of the credit it deserves...I totally agree on the bass tone...fantastic...and Porcaro was a monster...

[slybass3000]

The album title should have been SLICK degrees ! ;-)

It was my reference for the L.A. groove for a long time.


SB

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

I miss Porcaro, NO ONE could pull off the 4/4 shuffle like Jeff.
Although, Bernard Purdie comes REALLY close.

I loved Porcaro too, but if you're talking about 4/4 shuffle, Purdie WROTE that book IMO. I think you have your preeminences reversed. It's Porcaro who might get close to Purdie.

But on the original topic, that was a great album. I used to have a girlfriend who played it incessantly--she only owned about five albums. I never got tired of this one.

It's been a long time since I owned or even listened to Silk Degrees, but IIRC on "Lowdown," Hungate overdubbed the pops over his previous bass track. It's been a while, so I could be wrong, but that's what I think I remember from hearing it back then. I do know that part of the coolness of the groove comes from the fact that Porcaro overdubbed a second hi-hat part. Check it out; they're panned left and right.

[svtb15]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

I miss Porcaro, NO ONE could pull off the 4/4 shuffle like Jeff.

+1000