bassist on jeff becks freeway jam and black cat moan

Rooster009 · #1 06-30-2009, 09:27 PM

Who was the bassist an these two tracks? absolutely love the tone.

Rossman59 · #2 06-30-2009, 09:37 PM

The latest issue of Bass Player (July 2009) names Phil Chen as the bassist on all of the tracks on Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow album.

pjmuck · #3 06-30-2009, 09:42 PM

Both Beck and Phil Chen are credited with bass work on Blow by Blow, but if I had to guess who played bass on those two tracks I'd have to say it sounds like Chen.

Rooster009 · #4 06-30-2009, 10:56 PM

thanks guys

Captain Simian · #5 06-30-2009, 10:56 PM

Tim Bogert played on Black Cat Moan. Seeing as it's on the Beck, Bogert, and Appice record I'm gonna stick by that.

Dennis Kong · #6 07-01-2009, 12:42 AM

Phil is a close friend of mine and he said the album took about
3 months to record. He used a '59 Precision ?? with Ampeg B-15.
If I recall; when we were hanging out at the NAMM show many years ago.
He did not mention what kind of strings he was using.

They had no idea at the time what the album would do in the music world.

It was just another record date to them.
And he is quite proud of that album.

JimmyM · #7 07-01-2009, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis Kong

Phil is a close friend of mine and he said the album took about
3 months to record. He used a '59 Precision ?? with Ampeg B-15.

Do you happen to know which model B-15? I knew there was something I liked about Phil Chen

He's the Bruce Lee of the bass!

62bass · #8 07-01-2009, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Do you happen to know which model B-15? I knew there was something I liked about Phil Chen

He's the Bruce Lee of the bass!

He's an excellent player for sure. But, how was he recorded? Was it a microphone on the cabinet only or was it a mix of DI and mic? And I imagine he can get a good sound out of any decent rig.

Not putting down the B 15 however. I've owned a couple. But for recording with a mic I've preferred the B15 head into a 12" speaker. Still plenty of warmth and bottom end winds up on the track but a bit more even sound with a bit less boom.

One of my favourite and most successful recording amps was a B15 head into a home made sealed enclosure with a fairly unknown 12" speaker that used to be sold by Mike Mathews. Even with just a mic and no DI I had a great sound. But that's my taste in bass sounds. You might like something else.

I guess it the B 15 head that impresses me more than the cabinet.

JTE · #9 07-01-2009, 08:31 AM

As Captain Simian says, those tracks are different bands. "Black Cat Moan" is Beck, Bogert, & Appice, and that's definitely Tim Bogert on bass. "Freeway Jam" is from "Blow By Blow" and it's Phil Chen on bass.

Bogert's rig at the time was the Precsion with the Tele bass neck (or a pre-1957 P bass neck), and I beleive it had another pickup up in it too. Not sure of the amps, but I think that was the time he was using the Sunn amps and the custom-made speaker cabs with 15" drivers.

jte

nysbob · #10 07-01-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis Kong

And he is quite proud of that album.

He has every reason to be.

nysbob · #11 07-01-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62bass

But for recording with a mic I've preferred the B15 head into a 12" speaker. Still plenty of warmth and bottom end winds up on the track but a bit more even sound with a bit less boom.

One of my favourite and most successful recording amps was a B15 head into a home made sealed enclosure with a fairly unknown 12" speaker that used to be sold by Mike Mathews. Even with just a mic and no DI I had a great sound. But that's my taste in bass sounds. You might like something else.

I guess it the B 15 head that impresses me more than the cabinet.

I did most of the tracks on the cd I'm currently working on with a big condensor mic on an SB12 fliptop & no DI. It sounds scary good.

paligap · #12 07-01-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rooster009

Who was the bassist an these two tracks? absolutely love the tone.

Tim Bogert who was with Vanilla Fudge played on Black Cat Moan on the BECK BOGERT APPICE album...I used to own it.

62bass · #13 07-01-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nysbob

I did most of the tracks on the cd I'm currently working on with a big condensor mic on an SB12 fliptop & no DI. It sounds scary good.

I believe it.

Dennis Kong · #14 07-01-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Do you happen to know which model B-15? I knew there was something I liked about Phil Chen

He's the Bruce Lee of the bass!

Sorry I don't know.
He didn't mention which one- just it was an older one. Stock I think.

And it was combo of mike & DI 'n.. recorded in UK?

Funny you mention Bruce..

He 's a big fan of Bruce Lee and often thinks himself as a Jamaican version of Bruce Lee on bass.
Calls me distant Hawaiian relative of the late famous Leslie Kong- 70's Reggae producer ( Bob Marley, Toots & Mayall, The Wailers.)( I wish.)

JimmyM · #15 07-01-2009, 06:55 PM

LOL! Actually Dennis, I remember a BP article on him where he called himself the Bruce Lee of the bass, and I always thought it was really funny.

The Leslie Kong thing is pretty funny, too. If I were you, I wouldn't deny it...I'd go along with it just for the laughs

Toronto Bassist · #16 07-01-2009, 07:08 PM

What has Phil been up to, anyways? Is he still recording?

pjmuck · #17 07-03-2009, 09:15 AM

Another record I used to own that featured some of Phil Chen's excellennt playing was Brian May's Starfleet Project with Eddie Van Halen. Wish I still had the vinyl, as it's worth something today.

bassvi · #18 07-04-2009, 12:51 PM

Tim Bogert on Black Cat Moan.

It's a 50's P bass he used with Vanilla Fudge and Cactus, has the Telecaster-style headstock.

Not sure about the studio recording, but I saw BBA live and he used a Sunn Coliseum head with 2 Univox 4x15" cabinets. I even emailed him to ask about his tone on the live in Japan BBA album and he told me this is what he used.

Phil Chen = awesome, but Ron Wood and Tim Bogert's tones are my favorite from Beck's "rock" period. I also dig Stanley Clarke's and Tal Wilkenfield's new stuff with him.

David S · #19 07-04-2009, 02:02 PM

Phil Chen is IMHO one of the top rock players.

His work on Rod Stewart stuff is like a master class.

KPAX · #20 07-05-2009, 09:04 AM

Yeah, it was an early 70's Sunn Colliseum head - cranked. He used custom cabs with either 2x15 or 4x15.
There's an old Guitar Player interview where he talks about recording the BBA album and his rig from back then.
He used his full live rig for the recording.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

As Captain Simian says, those tracks are different bands. "Black Cat Moan" is Beck, Bogert, & Appice, and that's definitely Tim Bogert on bass. "Freeway Jam" is from "Blow By Blow" and it's Phil Chen on bass.

Bogert's rig at the time was the Precsion with the Tele bass neck (or a pre-1957 P bass neck), and I beleive it had another pickup up in it too. Not sure of the amps, but I think that was the time he was using the Sunn amps and the custom-made speaker cabs with 15" drivers.

jte