Bassist With Joe Cocker Grease Band at Woodstock?

RHFusillo · #1 07-12-2009, 03:41 PM

I was watching the "Extras" disc of the "Ultimate Collector's Edition Woodstock" DVD set yesterday. I was struck by a Joe Cocker cut that I had not seen before -- a song called "Something's Coming On." It has a Motown-ish feel. The bass playing really struck me. It was a white guy, presumably English, and he had the Motown feel down. I cannot figure out who it might be. I would almost guess John Paul Jones, except that Led Zep was already going. Anybody know who this bass player might be?

By the way, this "Ultimate Collector's Edition" DVD set is well worth getting, just for the bass players. You get complete song performances on the Extras disc, unlike the artsy editing in the main movie. There are good performances by Larry Taylor with Canned Heat, Felix Pappilardi with Mountain, Phil Lesh with the Dead, The Ox with The Who, & Tommy Shannon with Johnny WInter. Paul Butterfield had a really good band with a really good bass player, but I don't know his name, either. He also had a hellacious tenor sax player (Gene Dinwiddie?), whom I at first thought might be Sonny Rollins (stranger things have happened...). Butterfield's band also included the great drummer Phil Wilson and David Sanborn on alto.

One more thing about the Woodstock documentary -- it's a fairly frustrating thing, because every time I have seen it, it's been a slightly different cut. So a particular scene or performance might be in one version but not in another. For example, the first time I saw the movie (a few years after its release), The Who's footage included the infamous Abbie Hoffman incident, where Hoffman jumped on stage and grabbed the mic in between Who songs. Townshend assaulted him. I have only seen that scene the one time. It is not included in the new Director's Cut, and Wikipedia now claims that the footage does not exist.

blowfly · #2 07-12-2009, 04:04 PM

That was Alan Spenner on bass. He also performed on the original 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and performed with Peter Frampton and Roxy Music. Good player!

jerry · #3 07-12-2009, 04:07 PM

That was the late great Alan Spenner with Cocker. I think Spenner's playing holds up as one of the better bass performances in the movie. I first saw the Woodstock movie when it came out in 1970 and I don't remember the Abbie Hoffman scene being in it, but it was a very long time ago.

RHFusillo · #4 07-12-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry

I first saw the Woodstock movie when it came out in 1970 and I don't remember the Abbie Hoffman scene being in it, but it was a very long time ago.

I didn't see the movie until about 1974, and the version I saw was not necessarily the same that you saw.

woffle · #5 07-12-2009, 04:47 PM

Checkout( KOKOMO) a teriffic band from the 70's.Full of good British musicians.
Woffle

jerry · #6 07-12-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHFusillo

I didn't see the movie until about 1974, and the version I saw was not necessarily the same that you saw.

There are so many versions out there, I've bought it a few different times including the last "directors" cut a few years ago. I'll have to check out the new version.

So Low Bass · #7 07-12-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blowfly

...Good player!

THAT is an understatement! Spenner is on my top 5 list. His job with the Superstar CD (Movie had the same band tracks) is unsurpassed IMO.

markjazzbassist · #8 07-12-2009, 08:21 PM

gonna have to pickup that DVD. is there a lot of santana and grateful dead?

RHFusillo · #9 07-12-2009, 09:15 PM

Two Santana songs: "Soul Sacrifice" is in the movie, as it always has been, and "Evil Ways" is on the Extras disc. There is one song by the Dead on the Extras disc, a long version of "Turn On Your Lovelight." Honestly, if I had seen this during the '70's, I would have become a Dead head. The first 5 minutes or so are very tight. Unfortunately, it goes on for another 5 minutes after that.

JimK · #10 07-13-2009, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHFusillo

The bass playing really struck me. It was a white guy, presumably English, and he had the Motown feel down. I cannot figure out who it might be.

Couple months ago, Bass Player did a nice transcription of Spenner's line on JCS's "What's The Buzz". A too brief bio was included.

Quote:

Paul Butterfield had a really good band with a really good bass player, but I don't know his name, either. He also had a hellacious tenor sax player (Gene Dinwiddie?), whom I at first thought might be Sonny Rollins (stranger things have happened...). Butterfield's band also included the great drummer Phil Wilson and David Sanborn on alto.

I wondering if it's Freddie Beckmeier?
One of the true gems of the early '70s is a band called Full Moon...with Brother Gene Dinwiddie, AACM-er Philip Wilson, Neil Larsen, Buzz Feiten, & Freddie Beckmeier.

Here's some info on Full Moon (from Wiki's entry on Buzzy Feiten)-
...Feiten really achieved musicians' musician status in 1971 with his project album 'Full Moon', featuring Neil Larsen (keyboards), Freddie Beckmeier (bass), Phillip Wilson (drums), and Brother Gene Dinwiddie on tenor saxophone. Sidemen contributing to 'Full Moon' included Randy Brecker, Airto Moreira, Ray Baretto, Dave Holland, and vocalists Robin Clark and Tasha Thomas. Considered one of the greatest early jazz-rock fusion albums, 'Full Moon' gained airplay and vinyl album sales in many metropolitan and urban-suburban markets. It was re-released in 2000 on CD with a bonus track not included on the original.

Bruce Lindfield · #11 07-13-2009, 05:00 AM

Alan Spenner played with the legendary British funk band Kokomo :

http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Kokomo.html

I remember seeing them live and buying their albums on the strength of the great funky bass playing!

I remember them being a bit like AWB with female vocals - great live band!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kokomo-Rise-Shine/dp/B000V07PVQ

RHFusillo · #12 07-13-2009, 09:26 AM

This is great -- two interesting bands that I've never heard of -- Kokomo and Full Moon.

And that Alan Spenner was one hell of a bass player. Of course, I remember those tracks from "Jesus Christ Superstar" but did not know the bass player's name. Joe Cocker hired excellent musicians. Chris Stainton, who played keyboards with the Grease Band, is now touring with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood.

RHFusillo · #13 07-13-2009, 09:34 AM

Did Spenner play on the title track from Roxy Music's Manifesto? I have loved that bass part since the record first came out.

KuMBye YamALaWd · #14 07-13-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHFusillo

Did Spenner play on the title track from Roxy Music's Manifesto? I have loved that bass part since the record first came out.

According to Wikipedia, yes, it was Alan Spenner:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifes...y_Music_album)