Joe Bouchard

Space-Man · #1 02-05-2009, 09:02 PM

Any fans of Joe Bouchard,Or The BOC in general?

WalterBush · #2 02-05-2009, 09:12 PM

Fire of Unknown Origin and the Extraterrestrial Live albums taught me to play bass practically, at least until I discovered Rush. One of the better and more underrated bassists out there.

bigfatbass · #3 02-05-2009, 09:14 PM

Taught at the National Guitar Workshop several times over the years with Joe. A wonderful player, and an even nicer guy.

stuonbass · #4 02-05-2009, 09:27 PM

Much love for B.O.C. here. I used to have the double live album (On Your Feet or On Your Knees....I think it was title) from @ 1975. They did alot of jamming on that record. Of course the late 70's and early 80's were the hay day for BOC. I saw them live in 1980 and again in 2004 (without Joe, sadly). Great band live!

Jedi Of Syrinx · #5 02-06-2009, 03:28 AM

Joe is cool... Brilliant lines on On Your Feet Or On Your Knees... Anyone know what he played?

Lowbrow · #6 02-06-2009, 03:55 AM

Joe Bouchard was always pictured with a maple-necked black P-bass in the early BOC days.

Tyranny and Mutation was my first BOC album - loved them a lot as this was in pre "Reaper" and "Godzilla" times, and the band was my little secret... thought they were really scary and deep, which was important to an adolescent Lowbrow. Saw them in Poughkeepsie in '78, and went and got my copy of "Spectres" signed at a promo meet and greet at a mall on Long Island (the band's home turf BTW). Don't know how I lost that record sleeve - but I still look for it now and again.

The first three albums - Blue Oyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, and Secret Treaties feature excellent bass work and some really interesting songwriting -- the remastered CDs really do the band justice.

timber22 · #7 02-06-2009, 05:40 AM

The first three albums - Blue Oyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, and Secret Treaties feature excellent bass work and some really interesting songwriting -- the remastered CDs really do the band justice.[/quote]

+1

Space-Man · #8 02-06-2009, 05:45 AM

Anybody know what Amps he'd use,Marshalls? Becouse I still have not seen them Live,and now he left.

MichaelVee · #9 02-06-2009, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lowbrow

The first three albums - Blue Oyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, and Secret Treaties feature excellent bass work and some really interesting songwriting.

+1. I still have the LPs of the first three. They are my favorites, along with Agents of Fortune.

I had a guitarist friend in high school (the era of these first albums, early 70's) who I was in one band with. He was a serious BOC fan, and was the one that turned me on to BOC.

My last band in high school was really good, and I was asked to step in and play with them when the first bassist went off to college. One of the tunes they played was "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll". That song kicked my butt. I don't know if I ever got the main riff down.

Bouchard was solid, had that great P-bass tone on those albums, and played a bit avant-garde in places. He was a perfect fit for the rocking, sarcastic, and bombastic BOC.

BBass06 · #10 02-06-2009, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigfatbass

A wonderful player, and an even nicer guy.

Joe managed a friends band in the mid to late 80’s and he is a very nice and humble guy. A classmate of mine was a huge BOC fan and he had written down about fifteen obscure questions about everything BOC including lyrics. I gave it to Joe and he graciously wrote down all of the answers and then he signed it at the bottom. I have lost touch with my classmate but I am sure much to his wife’s dismay it is still framed and hanging in their living room.

Lowbrow · #11 02-06-2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Space-Man

Anybody know what Amps he'd use,Marshalls? Becouse I still have not seen them Live,and now he left.

The inner sleeve of Tyranny and Mutation shows what looks like Acoustic bass amps.

s4001 · #12 02-06-2009, 12:36 PM

Lotsa love for the BöC here and Joe. Definitely formative for me. I've seen them live a few times, including one of the Soft White Underbelly tours. Great band.

John Swartz · #13 02-06-2009, 01:49 PM

I was (and still am) a huge BOC fan and while I don't know that Joe influenced my own playing, I definitely loved his stuff.

For awhile, Joe was playing an Alembic bass in BOC, but as others have noted, he also played the P-bass.

Since leaving BOC in 1986, Joe's played with Dennis Dunaway and Neil Smith (both of the Alice Cooper band), along with guesting on brother Albert Bouchard's (original BOC drummers) recordings with "The Brain Surgeons". He also did 2 albums with his band called the "X Brothers". Some of his stuff may be available for sale at his website www.joebouchard.com, or check out the old Brain Surgeons website www.cellsum.com

John

John Swartz · #14 02-06-2009, 02:11 PM

I actually emailed Joe around 14 years ago about some of his "history" on bass and some stuff about BOC. Here's a few snippets from that that I don't think he would mind me sharing here:

"I played a little bass in high school but usually it was just picking up our bass player's instrument and fooling around. I was mainly a guitar/piano player. By the time I got to college in Ithaca I played in various frat party bands on guitar. When I was junior in college I happened to be "between-bands" (My band from the previous summer decided to go out on their own, and I was left bandless!) I saw a latin/jazz band in a club that knocked me out. The next Monday I happened to be in a class with the bass player from that group and I told him how great I thought his band was. He told me that he was unhappy with the band and was leaving ASAP...A-ha! an opening for the kid. I went to
the leader (who was also my classical guitar teacher) and told him I could play the bass in his band. (Larry Hoppen, later guitarist for pop group Orleans, was asked to play but turned down the gig) I was given a pile of "written out charts" and the next weekend I was officially the bass player for "Que Pasa". I played with then for two years. It was nothing like BOC but I learn a hell of a lot about bass. I played mostly with my fingers in "Que Pasa" but when I later player bass for BOC I switched to a pick. I have had very few lessons on the bass. I learned from watching others play and listening. A bass player, Eddie, that Albert and I had in high school was a fabulous player and I still try to
emulate his rock solid feel. I listen to everything. I feel I was and still am influenced by my good friend Dennis Dunaway. I loved his style on the early Alice records. Also I went through a Stanley Clarke/Alphonso Johnson phase. The bass break in Godzilla is a direct tribute to Stanley. When I was with BOC and Randy Jackson played on "Shooting Shark" I arranged for a private lesson with him so he could teach me his pop and slap technique. I had only one lesson with him but it was the most intense 3 hours I ever had on the bass. I don't think I used any effects on the BOC records. In our later days we
would set up a complicated direct box, miked amp and flanged effect "triple tracked" bass sound, but in the mix everything was thrown out but the direct box."

John

Snarf · #15 02-06-2009, 11:41 PM

Used to know Joe, great guy, and had a lot of really excellent lines. Love BOC, so much amazing music that is too often overlooked.

Geddyfleaharris · #16 02-07-2009, 08:17 AM

Love BOC and Joe's bass work. First album I bought by them was On Your Feet or On Your Knees. Still listening to it. Hot Rails to Hell is a thundering rock anthem. I have seen them many times. The first time was in about 1977. Todd Rundgren's Utopia opened for them. Heck of a show.

JimmyM · #17 02-07-2009, 12:55 PM

Joe played a Precision for the early stuff, then switched to an Alembic Series II right around the time of Agents Of Fortune/Spectres (not exactly sure when), then when "Fire Of Unknown Origin" came out he switched to a Stingray. That was the last I saw of him. Amps...I want to say SVT's but that was a lot of years and drugs ago

JimmyM · #18 02-07-2009, 08:13 PM

I got all curious so I was looking at Youtube videos...a lot of clips I can't even see what he's using, but I found an early clip that shows him with Acoustic stuff, and I found a clip of them on Merv Griffin playing "Burnin' For You" where he's using two Black Line SVT's and a Stingray.

rulyøngo · #19 02-07-2009, 08:55 PM

BOC was my first concert in 1984, I believe!!! one of my favorite bands of all time!!! Amazing bass sound, I still listen to Extraterrestrial live to get Joe Bouchard fix...

modulusman · #20 02-07-2009, 09:05 PM

Back in the early 90s my roomate and I provided sound for a band he was in called "cult brothers" IIRC. Seamed like a really nice guy. One of the dates he was to play in the area was cancelled because the Religous Right Retreads said it was the devils music. Idiots.