PBS (Pledge Week) The Bassists

cassanova · #1 12-08-2004, 05:58 PM

Did any of you happen to watch any of the live acts that were on PBS durring pledge week. About two nights ago they had a magnificent line up: KC & The Sunshine Band, Heatwave, Wild Cherry, The Four Seasons, (one original and the rest were really young guys) and a bunch of other groups which I can't remember. (other than the song they did)

It was a pretty good night for music. It was all 70's disco. It was without a doubt a night of very good bass playing.

Does anyone here know who some of these players were? Including the house bassist.

cassanova · #2 12-17-2004, 01:42 PM

JimK · #3 12-17-2004, 05:00 PM

I caught only about 10 minutes.

Heatwave was one of my favourite '70s R&B/Soul bands...their performance on this PBS, IMO, was not up to par(the tune I saw was "Boogie Nights"). It looks like Heatwave-the band is now down to 3 'lead' singers'. Bad imitation 2000 of a band that was once a very, very good group back in the day.

On the other side was A Taste Of Honey. This was the 1st time the bassist & guitarist have hooked up in 20 years? Janice Johnson sang & played well...IMO, she was not 'fakin' it, either; she impov'd just enough, too.
The guitarist's(I'm drawing a blank on her name) rhythm chops sounded good; her soloing almost sounded a little Punk(very rough around the edges).

cassanova · #4 12-17-2004, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

On the other side was A Taste Of Honey. This was the 1st time the bassist & guitarist have hooked up in 20 years? Janice Johnson sang & played well...IMO, she was not 'fakin' it, either; she impov'd just enough, too.
The guitarist's(I'm drawing a blank on her name) rhythm chops sounded good; her soloing almost sounded a little Punk(very rough around the edges).

Was that the bassist that was playing a red flying V looking bass guitar?

DWBass · #5 12-18-2004, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassanova

Was that the bassist that was playing a red flying V looking bass guitar?

I saw it. I think she was playing a Tune Bass. KC's segment was pretty good. I wish Adrian was playing but some other cat was there. The Trammps [Disco Inferno] segment was hot! I thought the Heatwave segment was horrible as well!

cassanova · #6 12-18-2004, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

I saw it. I think she was playing a Tune Bass. KC's segment was pretty good. I wish Adrian was playing but some other cat was there. The Trammps [Disco Inferno] segment was hot! I thought the Heatwave segment was horrible as well!

Yeah, I thought KC's segment was pretty good too. I wish they'd done a different song though. Something like "Boogie Man" would've been much cooler than "Get Down Tonight"

I wish it was Adrian playing too. Who was the cat that was sitting in with KC?

Wild Cherry's performance was sub-par to me as well. Especially vocally.

DWBass · #7 12-18-2004, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassanova

Wild Cherry's performance was sub-par to me as well. Especially vocally.

Yeah, just what the hell was that? That cat probably hadn't sung that tune in over 20 years or more probably!

cassanova · #8 12-19-2004, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

Yeah, just what the hell was that? That cat probably hadn't sung that tune in over 20 years or more probably!

What'd you think about the bass guitars tone on that one? I didn't like it. Sounded to brittle to me.

DWBass · #9 12-20-2004, 09:06 AM

[/quote]I agree! I admit I was a bit distracted by the cat singing! It's funny 'cause that's the only hit those guys had and they weren't even a disco/r&b band!!

What kind of band was Wild Cherry?

6-3-2 · #10 12-20-2004, 09:44 AM

That wasn't a Tune, it's called a Shark Bass I don't recall who makes it though.

DWBass · #11 12-20-2004, 12:19 PM

You mean this??

cassanova · #12 12-20-2004, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

You mean this??

That's what she was playing, but a red one.

fenwickbacker · #13 12-20-2004, 04:42 PM

It was a good special - Chic sounded good, Freak Out has a great groove. I don't know who was on bass for that one (didn't the original bass player die?). It wasn't Nile Rogers on guitar, but was that Hiram Bullock?

JimK · #14 12-20-2004, 04:42 PM

Quote:

I agree! I admit I was a bit distracted by the cat singing! It's funny 'cause that's the only hit those guys had and they weren't even a disco/r&b band!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

What kind of band was Wild Cherry?

I saw Wild Cherry open for AWB in 1976.
I think I recall hearing someone say Wild Cherry was not a "R&B band", per se; obviously, in the mid-'70s, everyone & their brother were becoming "R&B/Top-40/Disco" bands. I even remember a couple of local Country bands morphing into "R&B" bands...they had to in order to keep working.
...and they sounded like a Country band trying to play Funk, too.

Back to WC; judging by the concert I attended, they were a Top-40/R&B/Soul band with a Rock-style guitar. Again, that was a norm for the time(Pleasure, Mother's Finest, etc).
IIRC, Wild Cherry also had a 2nd 'minor' hit...I think I recall the word "honkies" being in it(sounded like a ripoff of their own "Play That Funky Music").

JimK · #15 12-20-2004, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenwickbacker

It was a good special - Chic sounded good, Freak Out has a great groove. I don't know who was on bass for that one (didn't the original bass player die?). It wasn't Nile Rogers on guitar, but was that Hiram Bullock?

Geez, Chic IS/WAS Nile & Bernard.
Bernard did pass...& it wasn't even Niles on guitar?!? Bogus! Bogus! Bogus!

Didn't Chic's drummer, Tony Thompson(also of Power Station) also pass away recently?

DWBass · #16 12-20-2004, 05:49 PM

"What kind of band was Wild Cherry?"

IIRC, they were a rock band attempting to change up their style in an effort to 'make it'! Here's sort of a bio on the band.

JimK · #17 12-20-2004, 05:57 PM

Cool link, DW.
I see they were signed to Brown Bag Records? Terrry Knight's label? Terry Knight of Grand Funk Railroad?
(Knight was just recently murdered, too...I think last week).

FWIW-
I do like the rhythm guitar part in "Play That Funky Music"(the 9th chords)
...and there is something about that album cover!

DWBass · #18 12-20-2004, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

Cool link, DW.
I see they were signed to Brown Bag Records? Terrry Knight's label? Terry Knight of Grand Funk Railroad?
(Knight was just recently murdered, too...I think last week).

FWIW-
I do like the rhythm guitar part in "Play That Funky Music"(the 9th chords)
...and there is something about that album cover!

Ahhhh......yes! THE Album cover!!