Colin Moulding's birthday

corinpills · #1 08-17-2011, 12:46 PM

All hail!

Ezmar · #2 08-17-2011, 03:50 PM

Man, I saw that nobody had replied to this, and was like, "Hey, I should go say something, because I know who he is!"

Wouldn't say I'm an XTC FAN, but I love Oranges and Lemons, which is really the only album I've heard.

pica · #3 08-17-2011, 03:57 PM

XTC was never really as big in the states as they were in England. May of had something to do with Andy Partridge having terrible stage fright and thus not touring when they were still together.

Ezmar · #4 08-17-2011, 05:31 PM

Funny thing is I live in the U.S. :P

dhsierra1 · #5 08-17-2011, 05:43 PM

all hail Colin Moulding indeed!

It is one of the biggest shames in pop/rock music that band didn't get their due. Not only Andy Partridge's stage fright as mentioned above but also a lot of crap and lack of support from their record label IIRC.

I enjoy their earlier music but when Colin picked up fretless bass on English Settlement it just floored me. Very different sound and approach from Jaco, a very nice contrast.

His songwriting is an excellent foil to Andy's, too. Not too shabby a singer as well

Happy B-day from a big fan, he was a big reason I like flats on a fretless

pica · #6 08-17-2011, 07:10 PM

I love XTC too. My brother got my English Settlement for my birthday and that's all it took.

There is a Youtube video of XTC on the David Letterman show performing King For A Day, check it out.

corinpills · #7 08-17-2011, 08:26 PM

I just did some recording with Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks, who played on XTC's excellent album "Nonesuch"- a very underrated album IMO. He used the 'Peter Pumpkinhead snare" on the session.

I'm a huge fan of Colin's playing- such slinky melodic fretless work and all around excellent note choices. I particularly love his work on the Dukes Of Stratosfear albums. One of my prized possessions is a note he sent me when my band played in Swindon a few years ago.

the low one · #8 08-19-2011, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhsierra1

all hail Colin Moulding indeed!

It is one of the biggest shames in pop/rock music that band didn't get their due. Not only Andy Partridge's stage fright as mentioned above but also a lot of crap and lack of support from their record label IIRC.

I enjoy their earlier music but when Colin picked up fretless bass on English Settlement it just floored me. Very different sound and approach from Jaco, a very nice contrast.

His songwriting is an excellent foil to Andy's, too. Not too shabby a singer as well

Happy B-day from a big fan, he was a big reason I like flats on a fretless

They wrote some great songs, as you say it's a shame they didn't get their due.

I never realised he used flats on a fretless. What songs can I hear that on?

Edit: found this from 1982:
XTC - Yacht Dance Live (Old Grey Whistle Test) - YouTube

cnltb · #9 08-19-2011, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corinpills

All hail!

Who is he?

77PBass · #10 08-19-2011, 10:35 AM

Colin Moulding is one of my favorite bassists. His approach to bass lines is very instructive and melodic. Back in high school and college, I used to learn his bass lines and use them for practice and finger exercise. XTC songs have some of the coolest chords in Pop/Rock and they allow a bassist like CM to great counterpoint.

pica · #11 08-19-2011, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnltb

Who is he?

He was the bassist for the English band XTC.

Skitch it! · #12 08-19-2011, 05:17 PM

Colin is a great bassist indeed, I always figured his approach was very much like a modern day McCartney take, very inventive and some great unusual ideas. This track is a favorite, The Mayor of Simpleton.

XTC - Mayor of Simpleton - YouTube

cnltb · #13 08-20-2011, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pica

He was the bassist for the English band XTC.

Thanks!

77PBass · #14 08-21-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skitch it!

Colin is a great bassist indeed, I always figured his approach was very much like a modern day McCartney take, very inventive and some great unusual ideas. This track is a favorite, The Mayor of Simpleton.

XTC - Mayor of Simpleton - YouTube

I agree however I tried not to reference McCartney. After seeing the Let It Be movie, it is hard to attribute the Beatles "melodic" bass lines solely to Paul. In the movie, John plays a Fender bass VI a lot IIRC. You can probably attribute the early bass work to Paul. Funny thing is if you analyze the lines in the early songs, he usually plays in one position in the middle of the neck. You can verify this with recent concert footage where he uses the hofner.

Btw...attribution is a problem with the Stones as well. The bass line to Sympathy was created by Keef.

bigtexashonk · #15 08-21-2011, 08:05 AM

Great bassist, vocalist and writer.

The Mouse · #16 08-21-2011, 08:43 AM

Ah yesss.. Mayor of Simpleton..

MixBass · #17 08-21-2011, 04:05 PM

A master of pop bass. I too enjoy his writing, I can almost always tell which songs are his.
I went to a friends house to spin vinyl and I grabbed some albums from my "xyz" box in the garage to take along. In the batch was English Settlement, the Dear God single and Black Sea. I forgot how progressive they were. Melt the guns with the dub stuff is so cool!

cracked_machine · #18 08-21-2011, 04:30 PM

If ever there was a band due a Pixies style resurgence in popularity it's XTC. Unfortunately the only song the radio ever plays is Making Plans For Nigel....shame they never bother to dig deeper into their back catalog. I recently watched Freaks and Geeks for the first time last year and was pleasantly surprised when they played No Language In Our Lungs over a montage of the unpopular school kids not getting picked for the sports team.

Happy Birthday Colin!!!

BoomSTICK · #19 08-21-2011, 04:45 PM

Cheers to Colin! My personal favorite - XTC The Smartest Monkeys - YouTube

I dig the interplay between bass and the drums. Awesome group.

odysseios · #20 08-21-2011, 06:24 PM

One of my favourites ever, great lines and low tone.