Joe Hubbard & Gary Numan

calibas99 · #1 07-07-2007, 02:35 PM

Hi All,

Can anybody please tell me what bass(es) Joe used on Gary Numan's 1983 album 'Warriors'?

Also - where is he now -he seems to have disappeared and he's one of my fave bassists.

Cheers,

Mick

Manchester, UK

Essexbass · #2 08-08-2007, 10:49 AM

Hi Mick,
Not entirely sure if this answers your question, but I think about the Mid-1980's he was using a Squier Jazz with EMG's in it (according to an interview in Guitarist Mag in the Mid 80's). He then went to a 5 string Status headless & then onto Peaveys after that (he was definitely using a Peavey TL-5 in 1988 as he was one of the clinician's at the Bass Centre Weekend at City of London Poly in 1988 - Tim Landers, Robbie Burns & Tony Muschamp being the others).

Fom what I've heard, Joe is now involved in a Martial Arts school somewhere (I've seen the website) & that being the case, I doubt he plays very much at all?

He was (is still?) a monster player & an exceedingly good teacher from people I've spoken to who were taught by him.

Must dig out "Vanishing Point" sometime - great album...

Cheers,
Essexbass.

matthewfoote · #3 08-15-2007, 10:39 AM

Joe Hubbard

A real blast from the past. He taught me from scratch for about 18 months and I still use my notes from those lessons even now.

Another blast from the past being the Bass Centre Weekend at City of London Poly in 1988. I was there. who else remembers Jack Bruce so drugged up he was taken off stage then the set by John Entwhistle which I taped [taped all the evening sets] which totally blew me away. Do you remember who the guy inhte evening dress was who did a masterclass them shot off to play at the children in need tv show that night.

Regards

Matthew

Essexbass · #4 08-19-2007, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthewfoote

Joe Hubbard

A real blast from the past. He taught me from scratch for about 18 months and I still use my notes from those lessons even now.

Another blast from the past being the Bass Centre Weekend at City of London Poly in 1988. I was there. who else remembers Jack Bruce so drugged up he was taken off stage then the set by John Entwhistle which I taped [taped all the evening sets] which totally blew me away. Do you remember who the guy inhte evening dress was who did a masterclass them shot off to play at the children in need tv show that night.

Regards

Matthew

I remember the Jack Bruce set - I heard a rumour that it was two bottles of wine

....John Entwistle was definitely the loudest bass player at that event with his "mini Manhattan rig!

I don't remember the guy in evening dress though - was it Paul Westwood? I really enjoyed Chucho Merchan's set on the Saturday night as well.

Cheers,
Essexbass

matthewfoote · #5 08-19-2007, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Essexbass

I remember the Jack Bruce set - I heard a rumour that it was two bottles of wine

....John Entwistle was definitely the loudest bass player at that event with his "mini Manhattan rig!

I don't remember the guy in evening dress though - was it Paul Westwood? I really enjoyed Chucho Merchan's set on the Saturday night as well.

Cheers,
Essexbass

Paul Westwood. Thats the guy, I loved his quote about being invited to join Roxy Music, and how he only lasted 6 months before he got bored of the songs and left.

Re Jack Bruce's state, I am sure it was one of the other performers who told me that, but no name no packdrill!!

I also had a great chat to Ian Whaller at the weekend about my Wal even though he was dealing with the pro's most of the time. He still recognised me [a weekend warrior] and came over to chat to me about how I was getting on with one of his creations. A very nice and humble man.

What a great weekend that was. I think I even still have the teeshirt somewhere.

Regards

Matthew

Snake Doctor · #6 04-13-2008, 07:50 PM

On the Warriors album, I used a Tokai Fender Jazz Replica with a Schaller bridge. I later had that bass customised with DiMarzio pickups and a Baddass bridge.

Out

Joe

Essexbass · #7 04-14-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

On the Warriors album, I used a Tokai Fender Jazz Replica with a Schaller bridge. I later had that bass customised with DiMarzio pickups and a Baddass bridge.

Out

Joe

Hi Joe,
Nice to see you on the forum! - are you still actively playing?

Cheers,
Essexbass

Snake Doctor · #8 04-15-2008, 04:36 PM

I'm not playing professionally any more. The music business is a tough rollercoaster ride when it comes to stabilty in your life. It was a hard call, but I am happier now than I was then.

Out

Joe

8guy · #9 04-15-2008, 07:13 PM

Hey joe, in the late 70s and early 80s I live in England for a while and fell In Love with numans music starting with are friends electric in 79 I think Warroiors is one of my faves from that time...You had a tough couple of players to replace befor you with Mick and Pino.......You did a phhenominal Job on that album....back then Iused to try and play along with you!!!!!....and For the record I love Import stores, I think I have everything Numan From the Tube way army days till a few years ago when I started to think he wanted to be britans awser to nine inch nails

Essexbass · #10 04-16-2008, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

I'm not playing professionally any more. The music business is a tough rollercoaster ride when it comes to stabilty in your life. It was a hard call, but I am happier now than I was then.

Out

Joe

Hi Joe,
I understand where you're coming from - being happy in life should take priority over a lot of things. Great to see you're still playing - thought your "Bass on Top" column in Guitarist magazine was pretty good. Lots of really good information!

Cheers,
Essexbass

Snake Doctor · #11 04-18-2008, 11:49 PM

Hi 8Guy

Getting the opportunity to play and contribute compositionally to Gary Numan's Warriors album was my first big break into this industry. I laid down multiple bass tracks in two days (some tunes over six different bass parts) over static drum machine grooves before any of the songs were actually written. This was largely due to producer Bill Nelson's influence and brilliant creativity during this stage of the project. I was originally hired as a session musician, largely due to the falling out between Pino and Gary's manager. I was teaching Pino around that time and doing a lot of session work with Nigel Wright at Gary's studio in Shepperton. Nick Smith- an engineer at the studio- recommended me for the gig. Gary spent the next six months recording the album and sadly, about mid-way through completion Bill Nelson pulled out of the project due to creative differences with Gary.

I was later called in to go on the road with Gary after the album was done. I was amazed when I heard the record; they had structured every song on my original bass parts and kept only the supporting bass parts- melodies, chord progressions were taken to "create the songs", so to speak. Alas, the dark side of the music industry! Nevertheless, I had the time of my life on that tour. You can never relive those moments, but the memories were mostly positive. Every gig, Gary would feature me solely for an "out of control" bass solo. He was good like that; he'd also made me feel like an equal band member- it was cool.

Essexbass

Cheers, glad you liked my bass column. I labored over every single month's contribution. I have often thought of releasing a book based on all those lessons.

Out

Joe

Essexbass · #12 04-20-2008, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

Hi 8Guy

Getting the opportunity to play and contribute compositionally to Gary Numan's Warriors album was my first big break into this industry. I laid down multiple bass tracks in two days (some tunes over six different bass parts) over static drum machine grooves before any of the songs were actually written. This was largely due to producer Bill Nelson's influence and brilliant creativity during this stage of the project. I was originally hired as a session musician, largely due to the falling out between Pino and Gary's manager. I was teaching Pino around that time and doing a lot of session work with Nigel Wright at Gary's studio in Shepperton. Nick Smith- an engineer at the studio- recommended me for the gig. Gary spent the next six months recording the album and sadly, about mid-way through completion Bill Nelson pulled out of the project due to creative differences with Gary.

I was later called in to go on the road with Gary after the album was done. I was amazed when I heard the record; they had structured every song on my original bass parts and kept only the supporting bass parts- melodies, chord progressions were taken to "create the songs", so to speak. Alas, the dark side of the music industry! Nevertheless, I had the time of my life on that tour. You can never relive those moments, but the memories were mostly positive. Every gig, Gary would feature me solely for an "out of control" bass solo. He was good like that; he'd also made me feel like an equal band member- it was cool.

Essexbass

Cheers, glad you liked my bass column. I labored over every single month's contribution. I have often thought of releasing a book based on all those lessons.

Out

Joe

Hi Joe,
That wa quite an interesting insight into the Warriors project -
like the idea of the book (I'd buy a copy). Did any of your Hubbard's Cubbard material come out on CD?

Cheers,
Essexbass

Snake Doctor · #13 04-20-2008, 09:40 AM

Yes, apparently CODA Records was the first company in the UK to release anything on CD. You'd be hard pressed to find either recording these days though. I still have some Vanishing Point CDs if anyone out there is interested?

Out

Joe

Jaymi · #14 04-20-2008, 07:34 PM

Joe,
Does that include those of us on the other side of the pond?

Snake Doctor · #15 04-20-2008, 11:24 PM

Absolutely!

20db pad · #16 04-20-2008, 11:31 PM

I loved Joe's "Pop Basslines" transcription book and spent hours with it back in the day. Glad to see he's still around and doing well.

Philbiker · #17 04-21-2008, 07:38 AM

Joe,

I am another longtime Gary Numan fan and I have always loved the bass on the "Warriors" album. Very nice playing, so musical! Thanks very much for sharing your insight into the recording of the record.

radii · #18 04-25-2008, 08:28 PM

I don't want to take this thread off subject, but I'm somewhat starstruck

Joe Hubbard !

The first "Method"-book I bought, when I started playing bass in the 80's, was your "Basslines" book. In fact, I still have it !

Not knowing how to read music, didn't make it very accessible, but I ate through some of the pieces nonetheless. Rio Funk was my main show-off slap-lick for the first year

At some point, I even memorized the Chromatic Fantasy, note by note ...

What are you up to these days ?

JP

Jaymi · #19 04-25-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaymi

Joe,
Does that include those of us on the other side of the pond?

What do I need to do to see this happen?

Snake Doctor · #20 05-09-2008, 11:46 PM

Jaymi

I'll send you a PM.

Radii

Glad you liked the book. That book has sold over 90,000 copies and people still ask me about it today. What is great about it was that it was entirely based around creative players playing real music! That says a lot about the general bass population- they are still craving real music and are very discerning about playing standards: shame about the rest of the industry, eh?

What am I doing now?

http://www.hockscqc.com/shop/product328.html

Out

Joe