Rickenbacker Funk: Leon Sylvers (Dynasty)

Dr. Cheese · #1 07-18-2009, 10:52 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK2QLMD--lU

As a young man who slung a Rickenbacker long ago, I always loved Leon Sylvers. For those who don't know, Leon Sylvers was the oldest member of the vocal group, The Sylvers (Boogie Fever) and he later became a session bassist and producer at Solar Records (Shalamar, The Whispers, Dynasty, etc.) Leon and his brothers, Foster and Ricky, all had the same sound, using flatwounds, and often playing with a pick although Leon used his fingers in this clip.

southernrocker · #2 07-18-2009, 11:05 PM

Sound good. Man I love those ricks.

Dr. Cheese · #3 07-18-2009, 11:07 PM

Here's somebody playing one of his most famous lines from a Shalamar song:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgt2P3UUiWg

Dr. Cheese · #4 07-18-2009, 11:12 PM

Wow! I'm not sure if he played bass on this song, but Leon Sylvers produced this for Kashif back in 1984:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBSxtLCMKKw

Dr. Cheese · #5 07-18-2009, 11:16 PM

This one with Dynasty sounds a bit like Bernard Edwards:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5URG0vbbdcE

Dr. Cheese · #6 07-18-2009, 11:24 PM

This is Leon Sylvers best bassline of all time, IMO. Heck the only funk/r&b bassline that may be more distinctive is "Good Times" by Chic/Bernard Edwards:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiiyxJmVPmY

Basseroni · #7 07-18-2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Wow! I'm not sure if he played bass on this song, but Leon Sylvers produced this for Kashif back in 1984:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBSxtLCMKKw

Actually, Leon Sylvers had nothing to do with this song. It was written by Kashif and Cope La Forrest and produced by Kashif and Paul Laurence. Kashif and Paul were doing a lot of production together back in those days. Remember Evelyn "Champagne" King's "Back to Love" off of the Get Loose album? That song sounds VERY similar to Stone Love. That sounds like Paul Laurence on bass on both tunes. She's laying down her vocals on Stone Love, too.

Basseroni · #8 07-19-2009, 12:05 AM

Thank you so much for posting these Leon Sylvers bass lines. He's one of my favorite bassists of all time. I especially liked that Dynasty clip.

ERIC31 · #9 07-20-2009, 10:24 AM

I think my fave Leon Sylvers bassline is "Make That Move" by Shalamar! EXTRA funky!

Sounbwoy · #10 07-20-2009, 03:29 PM

SOLAR ALL THE WAY, BABY!!!
Always thought he used a P tho...

Sounbwoy · #11 07-20-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basseroni

Actually, Leon Sylvers had nothing to do with this song. It was written by Kashif and Cope La Forrest and produced by Kashif and Paul Laurence. Kashif and Paul were doing a lot of production together back in those days. Remember Evelyn "Champagne" King's "Back to Love" off of the Get Loose album? That song sounds VERY similar to Stone Love. That sounds like Paul Laurence on bass on both tunes. She's laying down her vocals on Stone Love, too.

Kashif did a lot of work back then. IIRC he may have done two of Evelyn's albums (or least several songs on each). Melba Moore, Lillo Thomas, Freddie Jackson and others. Back in the day when the Synclavier was the CUTTING EDGE of digital recording. Stone love is one of my ALL - TIME favorite bass lines. It sounds so..so..words fail me...

DWBass · #12 07-20-2009, 03:54 PM

Leon Sylvers was one of my major influences back then! Killer basslines! Extremely clean player but funky as all get out! Between he and Mark Adams, I had some major wood-shedding going on. If that's not Leon on that Kashif tune, whoever it is definitely wanted to cop Leon's vibe as that is a very distinctive style and sound. There are 4 bassists credited on that album and Paul Lawrence is not one of them.

Victor Bailey
Randy Bowland
Allen McGrier
Dwayne Smith

Cheese, we must be brothers from another mother!

Dr. Cheese · #13 07-20-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

Cheese, we must be brothers from another mother!

You know it!

Dr. Cheese · #14 07-20-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

Leon Sylvers was one of my major influences back then! Killer basslines! Extremely clean player but funky as all get out! Between he and Mark Adams, I had some major wood-shedding going on. If that's not Leon on that Kashif tune, whoever it is definitely wanted to cop Leon's vibe as that is a very distinctive style and sound. There are 4 bassists credited on that album and Paul Lawrence is not one of them.

Victor Bailey
Randy Bowland
Allen McGrier
Dwayne Smith

Cheese, we must be brothers from another mother!

I loved teh bassline from Stone Love. It was one of the first basslines I remember that clearly went below E.

Sounbwoy · #15 07-20-2009, 06:23 PM

The thing I loved the most about basslines from this period and genre was that (and this is my own opinion here) they had their own melody/line that was quite distinct, but yet fit the song.
I think Leon started this trend, so almost all the stuff he did for Shalamar, Dnyasty, Cameron and others and then stuff like "Mind Up Tonight" and "Love's Coming Atcha"-Melba Moore (dunno who did those but they were Kashif productions)..great stuff for me and like DW, are the songs I learned to play bass on..

T-MOST · #16 07-21-2009, 08:22 AM

I went to H.S with a guy who played a white Rick like that. It always had that thick chunk-o-funk thang! Good stuff Cheese!

DWBass · #17 07-23-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sounbwoy

Kashif did a lot of work back then. IIRC he may have done two of Evelyn's albums (or least several songs on each). Melba Moore, Lillo Thomas, Freddie Jackson and others. Back in the day when the Synclavier was the CUTTING EDGE of digital recording. Stone love is one of my ALL - TIME favorite bass lines. It sounds so..so..words fail me...

Kashif also exec. prod. Kenny G's G Force album.

TSbR Bass · #18 06-29-2011, 09:34 AM

Folks, the Bassist on Stone Love is UK Bassist Wayne Braithwaite! There isn't much written about him. He played a lot for Billy Ocean including the famous Love Zone slap bassline. I gather that's him in that song's video. He played on Jonathan Butler's self titled album too. Later year, Jonathan told me Wayne passed away. Does anyone know more about this impeccable bassist?