Who is the Funkiest UK Bassist?

Dr. Cheese · #1 01-14-2006, 11:27 PM

Listening to early Jamiroquai and Stuart Zender got me thinking about how often music comes out of the USA only to have UK musicians put a totally cool spin on it and make it sound fresh again. That said, several British bassists really stand out to me as grooving and funky: Randy Hope-Taylor and Julian Crampton from Incognito, Stuart Zender, Allan Gorrie from AWB, and Pino Pallidino, especially his work with D'Angelo. I can think many other groups whose bassists I cannot name. One whose name slips me was the monster fretless funster from Lynx back in the early 1980s. Who else from the UK can you guys think of?

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #2 01-14-2006, 11:32 PM

To me, Mark King from Level 42 is the funkiest UK bassist.

Al Caldwell · #3 01-15-2006, 01:54 AM

AWB for Me,will set you free! Al Caldwell

Larzon · #4 01-15-2006, 03:42 AM

Mark King

russjm · #5 01-15-2006, 03:48 AM

Mark King on the early Level 42 stuff was great, but my current favourite apart from Stuart Zender, is a guy called Andrew Levy from Brand New Heavies, some quite simple basslines (just how I like them), but very groovy and funky.

MikeBass · #6 01-15-2006, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russjm

Mark King on the early Level 42 stuff was great, but my current favourite apart from Stuart Zender, is a guy called Andrew Levy from Brand New Heavies, some quite simple basslines (just how I like them), but very groovy and funky.

Wow, are we related?!?!?!

My thoughts exactly!

Techmonkey · #7 01-15-2006, 07:11 AM

Pino's Welsh isn't he? He was playing at the Swansea Blues Club in town a couple of months ago, but I was in Dorset at the time.

Dr. Cheese · #8 01-15-2006, 07:21 AM

Keep the replies coming. I'm really enjoying this thread, the last few days I have found myself getting back into the music more which is nice because I really think that I have aloowed myself to be obsessed with gear. I'm just happy to remember why I love music again.

James Hart · #9 01-15-2006, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I'm just happy to remember why I love music again.

Cool! I had to sell everything but an acoustic guitar for 3 years to remember how to listen... and to become a fan of music again.

(I added Andrew and Randy to the poll for you)

Dr. Cheese · #10 01-15-2006, 07:33 AM

Thanks for the additions James.

**T. B. Player** · #11 01-15-2006, 07:43 AM

+1 for Mark King! Issue 15 of Bass Guitar Magazine has an article on him and his percussive style of play, AND technique demonstration. Just like some of these pickin' Nashville guitarists that use fake nails on their second and third fingers of their picking hand to pull off their stuff, King puts some type of black tape/piping around his thumb knuckle to keep it from getting killed, I'm sure. Reading this article about a year ago gave me some great insight into his technique, making me raise my bass a couple of inches and allowing me to do all kinds of things with the right hand - from an easy slap/pop to pluck transition to multi finger-picking and "flicking."

MysticMichael · #12 01-15-2006, 07:56 AM

Where's Paul Denman? I think he should be on the list...

MM

russjm · #13 01-15-2006, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeBass

Wow, are we related?!?!?!

My thoughts exactly!

Great minds think alike.

Woodchuck · #14 01-15-2006, 08:28 AM

I refuse to choose just one of these guys. Btw, slapping is not funk, it's just a technique. Rocco didn't slap, was he not funky?

Dr. Cheese · #15 01-15-2006, 08:39 AM

Come on Woodchuck, pick one for fun! I realize these guys represent different styles and eras, but no poll is perfect.

Woodchuck · #16 01-15-2006, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Come on Woodchuck, pick one for fun! I realize these guys represent different styles and eras, but no poll is perfect.

LOL! Okay, Stu it is! Btw, we could make valid cases for Mikey Hay (Culture Club), Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Paul Turner (Jamiroquai), and Ready Freddie Thompson.

Smallmouth_Bass · #17 01-15-2006, 09:22 AM

What ever happened to Stuart Zender after parting ways with Jamiroquai?

James Hart · #18 01-15-2006, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smallmouth_Bass

What ever happened to Stuart Zender after parting ways with Jamiroquai?

it's been covered here before...

http://www.stuartzender.net/forum/
http://www.stuartzender.net/gallery/

MikeBass · #19 01-15-2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

Where's Paul Denman? I think he should be on the list...

MM

Isn't Paul Denman in LA now??

Bassic83 · #20 01-15-2006, 09:54 AM

Mark King! Seen him here in the States 4 times, backstage 3 of them, on the tour bus once!

The black stuff on his thumb is 3 wraps of electrical tape. I asked him about it, and story is that he was playing some shows across a weekend, on the first nite, he busted open the callous on his thumb...blood all over the place. He went and got stitched up, but couldn't play like that, so he tried a band-aid. No luck there, he tried cotton balls with masking tape, that didn't work...he tried gaffer's tape (duct tape here in the USA), but that gummed up the strings. He finally tried electrical tape, and it provided the protection he needed, without messing up the strings. He was impressed by the attack it gave him, and kept it.