MARS COWLING

lefty · #1 07-14-2006, 11:31 PM

are there any mars cowling fans out there? has he done anything after pat travers? anybody know?

Planet Boulder · #2 07-15-2006, 08:33 AM

Hey - here's a blast from the past name! I used to really dig Cowling and I had forgotten the name!

I only know him from Travers's stuff and, back in the day, I used to get off on his playing on Travers's live album (which I still have in my old album ranks).

BillyB_from_LZ · #3 03-08-2007, 07:29 PM

Bump-o-rama on this thread.

Mars playing on the early PT albums is unparalleled. The interplay between guitar and bass on "Medley Parts 1 and 2" on the Pat Travers album still makes blows me away!

I believe that I read here that Mars (Peter) Cowling lives in FL (intelius search shows a 61 year old Peter Cowling living in North Miami Beach).

funkbass · #4 03-08-2007, 07:41 PM

Hey, He is the man and a great guy. I did a few shows with Pat Travers and who would be playing bass ? None other than Mr. Mars. We swapped numbers cause he wanted one of my old SVT's. I came across some pics a while back. I'll have to dig them out. He was playing one of his P-Basses and Genz Benz gear.

00Funk · #5 03-08-2007, 07:43 PM

When I first started playing bass in '77, I learned by copying, his licks from, "Heat in the Street" album.

JimmyM · #6 03-09-2007, 04:37 PM

Mars is really brilliant, but I never understood why his career went nowhere after Travers. He ended up hooking up with this band Gypsy Queen (a very average hairmetal band with two hot twin chicks as the singers) in Florida, and they went nowhere, then he went back to Travers for a couple years, and that was the last I heard of him. Shame...that guy was the best rock bassist I ever saw besides Entwistle.

loendmaestro · #7 03-11-2007, 09:01 AM

My old band opened for The Pat Travers Band in here in Atlanta back in 1990. Mars was with him then too. Nice guy & sounded great. Glenn Hughes actually showed up too & they jammed on "Stevie."

Travers...not so nice of a guy. But the show rocked.

**j-raj** · #8 03-11-2007, 03:41 PM

is Cowling the bassist that was with Travers, when Pat did "Snorting whiskey..."? I had to cover that tune the other day.

Jaguar · #9 03-11-2007, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j-raj

is Cowling the bassist that was with Travers, when Pat did "Snorting whiskey..."? I had to cover that tune the other day.

Yes

CraigG · #10 03-12-2007, 02:19 PM

Mars was a bass genius with Travers. I read he went on to play in some metal bands or something. But his playing with Travers was fantastic and he has long been one of my favorites since I was first introduced to Pat Travers music back in the late 70's.

You can see him here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeE_1B9CEgk

mike phillips · #11 03-15-2007, 05:19 PM

aaaahhhhhh reminds me of the day when music was good.

PhR · #12 03-16-2007, 06:17 PM

Mars and Nicko McBrain were a great funky rhythm section on "Making Magic" and "Putting It Straight". It worked fine with Tommy Aldrige too but the albums weren't that good (except the live one "Go For What You Know").

Mars playing an EB-2 with Gnidrolog in the early seventies. They were a slightly Gente Giant-esque prog band who featured future Steeley Span drummer Nigel Pegrum, future Rumour man John Earle on sax and the Coldring twins Colin and Stewart.

Here's a clip of the song "Lady Lake" (1972) with some nice bass playing:
http://website.lineone.net/~stewarte...ady%20Lake.mp3

Bassic83 · #13 03-16-2007, 06:26 PM

I got to open for them in 91-92-ish in Austin at a concert club on the north side of town, off Rundberg, can't remember the name of the club...met my longtime girlfriend there that nite. We later broke up after 5 years, some of them miserable as she wanted me to quit music and go to school, which I tried. But you know how it goes- once a musician, always a musician!

PhR · #14 03-16-2007, 06:34 PM

I found some clips from a project album called "Mars Needs Women" featuring Mars Cowling on bass.
http://www.keithcronin.com/listen.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

BillyB_from_LZ · #15 03-16-2007, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhR

I found some clips from a project album called "Mars Needs Women" featuring Mars Cowling on bass.
http://www.keithcronin.com/listen.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Thanks for the link! I liked their version of "Feelings". It would have been perfect in the last band that I was in...

CraigG · #16 03-16-2007, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhR

I found some clips from a project album called "Mars Needs Women" featuring Mars Cowling on bass.
http://www.keithcronin.com/listen.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

I'm glad he was a better bass player than vocalist.

Johnny Crab · #17 03-16-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loendmaestro

Travers...not so nice of a guy.

+1
Think that's part of Mars "lack of success" if you want to call it that.

Basshappi · #18 03-16-2007, 08:08 PM

Mars is one of my all time favorite bassplayers. His playing on Travers' "Live- Go For What You Know" still send shivers down my spine. His recorded sound on "Crash and Burn" is pure sonic sex!

JimmyM · #19 03-16-2007, 10:30 PM

Keith Cronin, huh? He was the drummer for that band Gypsy Queen that Mars was in after he left Travers the first time.

Ya, I've heard lots of stories about how difficult Travers was to work with. I heard he got a lot better once he got off the stuff, though. By then, of course, it was too late. Funny how rock and roll can be such a bitch.

adrian garcia · #20 03-20-2007, 03:20 AM

Keith Cronin, Gypsy Queen... you guys are awakening memories!
GQ had a guitarist name Pedro who I used to jam with and practice standards from the "Real Book"
I was living in So Fl at the time. I will never forget , I was doing a session at a studio named Quadradial in North Miami and he stopped by and I said hello, because I was a fan. Before he left, he gave me 3 sets of strings which he endorsed. NICE guy!
I also accidentally onced jammed with Tommy Aldrige who was Pat's drummer for a bit. THAT was an experience! Though I have never been a hard rocker, it was big fun.