Bassist on Black Velvet..cool fretless stuff

[Jerry J]

Does anyone know who the bassist was on the song by Allanah Myles' song?

I was thinking that it was Pino but his bio in BP doesn't list this song. But it sure sounds like his style of playing.

[James Hart]

both Dave Tyson and Steve Webster are credited for the disc (or was it still album then ).

Tyson co-wrote Black Velvet

source: http://www.allmusic.com

[JimK]

Originally Posted by speddling

both Dave Tyson and Steve Webster are credited for the disc (or was it still album then ).

Tyson co-wrote Black Velvet

source: http://www.allmusic.com

I saw Allanah Myles live...'bout 10 years ago.
The same bassist in the video(looks a little like Kenny G; same hairdo) was in this touring band; IIRC, he was using a Kubicki fretted bass & managed to cop the tone you hear on the recording.

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

I get the impression there's some studio trickery involved-
eg. in the break the bass on its own sounds sampled in some way- like the bass on Def Leppard albums.
I get the feeling there was a Fairlight sampler involved- some combination of sampled notes and normally played bass.

[Jerry J]

Interesting! I hadn't heard the song in several years and heard it last week as I was flipping through the channels on the radio.

I'd never really listened to it too much but the sub-woofer in my car accentuates the bass when I heard the song. I'd never realized that the bass was so prominant.

One of my bass teacher's Conklins can nail a great fretless tone dispite the metal speed bumps.

Thanks for the info, guys. You have satisfied my curiousity.

[phxlbrmpf]

Yeah, that's one cool bass line. I had the pleasure of playing that song with one of my cover bands a few times.

What about the bass used on the recording, by the way? I always thought it was a Stingray with a bit of midrange dialed in.

[lneal]

I always thought it was a synth bass line. I still do.

[alotabass]

The bass used on Black Velvet is a 90's Tyler bass http://www.tylerguitars.com He doesnt make basses anymore but the Tyler bass had a beautiful focused midrange as you can hear in the Black Velvet track. I cant remember the bassist name but its definitly a Tyler bass. Good luck finding one . They fetch good coin.

[jaywa]

The conventional wisdom is that the bass on "Black Velvet" is a synth.

Do a search on TB, this was discussed extensively a few weeks ago here.

[Jerry J]

Originally Posted by alotabass

The bass used on Black Velvet is a 90's Tyler bass http://www.tylerguitars.com He doesnt make basses anymore but the Tyler bass had a beautiful focused midrange as you can hear in the Black Velvet track. I cant remember the bassist name but its definitly a Tyler bass. Good luck finding one . They fetch good coin.

How do you know that is a Tyler? I'm not disputing that as I've never heard or played a Tyler. The bass in the video is PJ configured. But the headstock looks different than a Tyler.

I'll have to check that other thread out. I originally posted this question over 5 years ago. I have a hard time believing that was a synth. But as always I could be wrong.

[73jbass]

I remember seeing a video of him playing a fretless Spector on several tracks.I played it on a 34" Fretless Kubicki Factor,and it just nailed the tone.Don't think it's a synth on the track,all fretess.

[jgroh]

Yeah, since my band decided to add this song to our setlist a few weeks ago, I came across an interview with Allanha Myles and she said it was a synth bass. I use my fretless (Squier VM Fretless) and can get a pretty convincing facsimile.

[DWBass]

It was me and I was playing a Tobias.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Hj10gUfzg

j/k. My old band's rendition.



P.S. I know the guitarist stinks.

[bassyeah]

Our band plays this... I never gave it much thought... always thought it was fretless.

The Boss ME 50B (I used to have one) has a cool "swell" effect on it, it removed the attack and allowed the note to swell like a fretless... does anyone know an effect that does that (besides the ME 50B)?

[jaywa]

The primary arguments made by those saying it's a synth are:

1) Guitar unfriendly key (Eb)

2) Unconventional patterns... not stuff a bassist would normally play

3) Sonic characteristics of the line (attack, vibrato etc.) are not "native" to a stringed instrument but rather a sample thereof.

4) Alannah said it's a synth.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by bassyeah

The Boss ME 50B (I used to have one) has a cool "swell" effect on it, it removed the attack and allowed the note to swell like a fretless... does anyone know an effect that does that (besides the ME 50B)?

Back in the 70's Maestro made a stompbox called the Attack something-or-other... Attack Equalizer? Attack Delayer? ADSR? I forget its name, but basically that's what it did: allow you to put a slow attack on your guitar or bass.

[JTE]

It IS a synth and played by a keyboard player. I can't find the source on-line but in Musician Magazine (the only really good music magazine that ever existed, RIP) they had an article about the record, and the bass part was reported by the producer as synth. Plus one incarnation of "Gig" magazine had a bit on how to perform it, and talked about both keyboard and electric bass considerations to replicate the part. That article also pointed out that the recording was synth.

When I played it, I used my fretless, but that was just an excuse to use the fretless! It'll work just fine for gigs on a fretted bass too.

jte

[Jerry J]

Originally Posted by jaywa

The primary arguments made by those saying it's a synth are:

1) Guitar unfriendly key (Eb)

2) Unconventional patterns... not stuff a bassist would normally play

3) Sonic characteristics of the line (attack, vibrato etc.) are not "native" to a stringed instrument but rather a sample thereof.

4) Alannah said it's a synth.

Very convincing and makes sense to me.

Man, yeah that key sucks. I've always had trouble getting the bassline to sound right. And I'm still not happy with what I've got.

As far as swells, I know that the EHX Bass Microsynth will do that. I'll have to fool around with mine and see what I come up with.

[gregbackstrom]

Originally Posted by jaywa

The primary arguments made by those saying it's a synth are:

1) Guitar unfriendly key (Eb)

2) Unconventional patterns... not stuff a bassist would normally play

3) Sonic characteristics of the line (attack, vibrato etc.) are not "native" to a stringed instrument but rather a sample thereof.

4) Alannah said it's a synth.

Hmm. My 70's / 80's band also plays this song. I play it on a 5 string Mike Lull fretless, which just seems to nail the sound. If the set list makes fretless too challenging, I just use a little chorus (TC Electronic).

Regarding the pattern, I don't think this is nearly as unconventional as ANY Verdine White bass part (which, AFAIK, isn't synth)

- Greg

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by JTE

It IS a synth and played by a keyboard player.
jte

Are you saying the entire song is synth? I read elsewhere that just that little part before each verse was synth but the rest was live bass.

Either way, I enjoy playing that song especially with real good musicians.