Who WAS that bass player?

Boof · #1 12-03-2011, 02:21 PM

Okay, so I'm driving home the other night, skipping through FM stations to avoid all the screaming car dealer ads, and when I get to the oldies/classics station Tom Jones' "She's A Lady" is just starting (1971, I think). Not my stylistic cup of tea, really, but GAWD, what a bass sound. Anyone know who played that session? I don't think it was Herbie Flowers... though I think it might have been done in England. MAN what a sound. Like a big ol' ball of warm caramel on every note. Inquiring minds gotta know. Who WAS that bass player (and what the X%&$ was he/she using?). Sheesh!

mellowinman · #2 12-03-2011, 09:09 PM

I'm not sure who the bass player was, but the guitar was Jimmy Page.

Boof · #3 12-03-2011, 09:16 PM

Interesting. Page did several Tom Jones sessions, but has said that's not one of them. Hmmm.

mellowinman · #4 12-03-2011, 09:21 PM

Now I'm wondering if John Paul Jones played bass! He played quite a few Tom Jones sessions.

Hear two jams from the "She's a Lady" album here:

Bill Halverson - Legendary Producer, Engineer, Arranger - Bio

BackToTheGroove · #5 12-03-2011, 09:25 PM

"big ol' ball of warm caramel on every note"
"but the guitar was Jimmy Page"

man, I'm stayin' tuned to this one.

Boof · #6 12-03-2011, 09:38 PM

Again, there are a couple Page interviews in which he says he says "She's A Lady" wasn't one of the Tom Jones tracks he played on. Led Zeppelin was already constantly touring by 1969, spending a lot of time in the States, and by late 1970, when "She's A Lady" was recorded, he had mostly been done with regular session work for three years or so. That would have been the same time that L.Z. was working on the second album, and it's doubtful, even if Page's own memory isn't convincing enough, that he would have had (or made) time for a session that paid scale. He did a LOT of the early Tom Jones stuff, though (mid 60s).

JTE · #7 12-03-2011, 09:41 PM

Big Jim Sullivan is more likely on this track as the guitarist. Besides being Page's mentor, Sullivan was Jones' guitar player for a very long time.

John

Boof · #8 12-03-2011, 10:19 PM

Page did play on "It's Not Unusual," which I believe was released in 1965.

Edit: Big Jim's website does list both "It's Not Unusual" and "She's A Lady" as credits. Of course, there was more than one guitarist on most sessions. I've done a little more research, and contacted Jim's proxy to see if they/he can help us out with the bass player question. Stay tuned!

Hawkbone · #9 12-04-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackToTheGroove

"big ol' ball of warm caramel on every note"
"but the guitar was Jimmy Page"

man, I'm stayin' tuned to this one.

yep, got me interested too!

Hawkbone · #10 12-04-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mellowinman

Hear two jams from the "She's a Lady" album here:

Bill Halverson - Legendary Producer, Engineer, Arranger - Bio

Thanks for the link!

mellowinman · #11 12-04-2011, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boof

Page did play on "It's Not Unusual," which I believe was released in 1965.

Edit: Big Jim's website does list both "It's Not Unusual" and "She's A Lady" as credits. Of course, there was more than one guitarist on most sessions. I've done a little more research, and contacted Jim's proxy to see if they/he can help us out with the bass player question. Stay tuned!

I will definitely stay tuned, and I downloaded a whole bunch of Tom Jones just to listen to the band.

Not that I have anything against Mr. Jones' pipes, mind you.

Boof · #12 12-06-2011, 09:05 AM

Update: I have heard back from Jim's wife, Norma. What a sweet lady! She says that Jim doesn't recall who the bass player was on "She's A Lady," but has put out the word to some of the others from that session whom he does remember (like trumpeter Derek Watkins) to see if, together, they can figure it out. She said Jim thought the first name might be Russ... ring any bells with anyone?

Rickengeezer · #13 12-06-2011, 02:13 PM

For some reason, Tom Jones videos from the early 70's don't seem to focus much on the band. First Tom, then the Ladies. For example:

Tom Jones - She's a lady HQ - YouTube

However, at 0:21 you can briefly glimpse the headstock of the bass in the lower left, and it ain't a Fender. Could it be a Hofner? Regardless, probably not the session bassist anyhow.

Basshappi · #14 12-06-2011, 03:35 PM

Possibly John Rostill ?

Back In The Day | Tom Jones International

canadian_man_44 · #15 12-06-2011, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basshappi

Possibly John Rostill ?

Back In The Day | Tom Jones International

John Rostill played on two of Tom Jones albums....both of them live.
Live in Las Vegas and Live at Caesar's Palace

JimmyM · #16 12-06-2011, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickengeezer

However, at 0:21 you can briefly glimpse the headstock of the bass in the lower left, and it ain't a Fender. Could it be a Hofner? Regardless, probably not the session bassist anyhow.

Not a Hofner. The keys are too big. I'll bet it's a Hayman. They were an up and coming brand in England at that time.