Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody
 

Ok, this post is mainly aimed at those of us on the european side of the Atlantic, I'm supposing that those on the windy side will not know what I'm talking about - Slade, No.1 glam-rock bands of the 1970's, Merry Christmas Everybody, iconic royalty generator for Noddy Holder.

The original bassist, Jim Lea - played it on a Gibson bass and not so much played it with a pick but whacked it with I don't know what.

I can see why, the eight-note groove at 120BPM needs a legato effect that I think if difficult with fingers.

Anyway, my question: in the absence of a Gibson bass, what is best suited for the job:

1 - Standard P-Bass
2 - Jazz Deluxe
3 - Stingray HS
???

Pbass.

Jim Lea was an interesting sort....

That's one of the few Christmas songs that I really like, but I don't know what bass would be best for it.

Pbass without a doubt. Such a good song.

Yes I aagree. I've tried it with all three basses and the P just gets it right, picked or fingered. I'm going to use the pick though.

Jimmy Lea very underated bass player. He was the musicial core of Slade. Growing up he played the violin. He used a Gibson EB-3 and he the reason why I play one as well.
When in dout always go with the P-Bass. You can't go wrong!!

For the uneducated. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG4BPNvayWo

I saw an hour long Slade documentary last night and agree that Jim Lea was a very good bass player and really drove them, below is my favourte Slade song wth some nice bass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1w6CWAa4DQ

Umm!
 

Can't say I was heavily influenced by them;)but if you take a look at the band I was in back then:

There might be some slight commonality in image.:D

Did someone mention SLADE?????? Arghhhhhhhhh I'm in heaven! I am a HUGE SLADE fan. Jim Lea is in my top three along side Paul McCartney, and John Entwistle. One of the best bassists of the 70's and soooooooooooooooooo underrated here in the states. If you are on a budget I would buy the new Epiphone short scale '60s EB3 they have come out with that will get you close. Of the three you mentioned the P bass and a pick get you there. My Hiwatt DR201 is from Slade's back line and I also have a exact replica of Jimmy's JB bass built by John Diggens of Jaydee guitars. Jimmy even put his bass up as a pattern and signed my bass!

Here is the Epi a nice little bass for the money it lists for 500 I think so I bet MAP is around 349.00 I got mine for quite a bit less.

BTW Jimmy used a lot of down strokes in his picking style and yes it does look like he is wacking the strings! I believe he used Herco heavy gauge picks. Also he left the palm rest on his basses so he either picked in front of it or behind it depending on what tone he was going for. Jimmy used Roto Sound round wound strings. At that time I believe he was using the medium scale which had the blue wrap on the ends opposed to the long scale standard gauge that had the red wrap.

Umm!
 

This is my old Rickenbircher that I got made:

I lent it to Bruce Foxten of the Jam, for recording "in the city" and "modern world" where I worked at Polydor, Stratford Place studio 2.
Jimmy's white one was being made at the same time in Birmingham.
Those old 18 pole pickups sounded great.:D

John Birch Superflux pickups are mighty powerful! Love your rickenbircher

...was aware of Slade...never a fan, though.
What I did not know-
Was recently re-reading parts of David Thompson's book Funk...a chapter talked about '60s British Rock & Funk...pre-Slade, Holder was in an all-White Funk band called the N Betweens....which eventually morphed into Slade.

Loved Slade! Still on a Slade forum. Saw them back in 72 with Glass Harp as the opening act. (Phil Keaggy on guitar!) They were one of the best live acts I ever saw. Don't know much about the bassist though...

In my OP, I asked what was the best bass to use in the absence of an SG bass. Well I went and bought an SG bass - here is my effort on Merry Christmas Everybody.

http://youtu.be/2WZlY7LI5DU

I saw this before, it is excellent :) Great job on the vocals also Nod isn't easy to do! I give it a big thumbs up.

I liked your use of the SG Bass so much I went out and bought myself a little Xmas present, very fitting I think. I bought the worn finish SG bass in cherry the thin finish feels much like a '63-'65 EB3. I really like the dot inlays. I was bashing out Slade tunes trying her out. :) Pic in a few min.

Her she is :) Merry Xmas Everybody............to me ;)