Colin Hodgkinson

[Bruce Lindfield]

Yes Colin did sing on a couple of songs - mostly the Blues standards. As far as what they sounded like - about as far away from Weather Report as anyone can get I think! Firstly - no keyboards or chordal instrument and Colin's tone is quite abrasive and dark - we're talking Fender Precision so any chords he does play sound quite murky.

As I mentioned, Ron Asperey's sax playing is what I would call an acquired taste and the overall sound was quite sparse in terms of anything to latch onto during the blowing. I can only compare it to some of the free Jazz wanderings of Soft Machine and the typical stuff wasn't what I would call commercial - so if you're expecting Birdland forget it - although it may be closer to stuff like that on "I Sing the Body Electric" (The middle of Unknown Soldier possibly) - if you've heard that, but even then Wayne Shorter's tone and melodic sense are a world away from Ron Asperey and there are no keyboards.

But I really loved the solo spots where Colin just sings with his bass accompanying him. I liked his playing throughout, but it meant nothing to non-bass players I knew at the time and they would always tell me to take it off.

Wow - a blast from the past - a question I answered 6 years ago!!

 

[Cloggy]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/104-2013447-4658332?search-alias=aps&keywords=back door
In America.
Also the last album "Askin' the Way"(arguably the best alongside the first) at http://www.cultfound.org/shop.htm#askin the way

 

[DaveBeny]

Blimey, this really is a blast from the past! One of my first threads on Talkbass I think!

Since I started this thread (Piccolo_Bass was my first username) back in 2000, I've been one of Colin's biggest fans and have always tried to plug him here on TB. Here's a couple of other Colin Hodgkinson theads from over the years:

Colin Hodgkinson - started Feb 2006:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227479&highlight="colin+hodgkinson"

Brand new Back Door/Colin Hodgkinson material released:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80145&highlight="colin+hodgkinson"


Back Door are now playing live occasionally with Rod Mason replacing the late Ron Aspery. There's supposed to be a DVD out sometime this year.

 

[Cloggy]

Hello!
I'm a sax player who's teaching his son bass!
He started about 7 weeks ago and he's already doing Human Bed,half of Vienna Breakdown and The Bed Creaks Louder.
Having to work the tabs/dots out for him myself.
Quite revealing...


Any tips,anyone?

Ta!
Btw; I've been a Back Door fan since 1972 when I first saw them opposite Dizzy Gillespie,Sonny Stitt,Kai Winding,Thelonius Monk,Art Blakey (Blakey Ridge!!!) and Al McKibbon.

 

[Kink Rimson]

I'm amazed no-one has mentioned Colin's stint with Whitesnake in the 80's. A stranger meeting of musical minds is hard to imagine, but I've seen the live video, Colin looks as happy as Larry plodding out those 8th notes!

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

I'm amazed no-one has mentioned Colin's stint with Whitesnake in the 80's.

I'm not !!

 

[Cloggy]

Rough start.
Needs tweaking!

 

[DaveBeny]

Cloggy,

I got your email. I'll send you a few bits next week.

 

[Cloggy]

Thanks!

 

[Cushion]

Hey people! I'm Cloggy's son, the bass player he's (trying) to teach. I've just read part of this thread and I have to say that Colin's solo album really isn't comparible to ANY of the Back Door stuff. It's almost like a different player. Not that 'The Bottom Line' is a bad album, by no means. Yet I feel that even the solo recording of 32-20 Blues is nowhere near the quality of the Back Door recording. Anyway, I have to leave now for I'm going to ring Tony Hicks (Back Door's drummer!). See ya guys

 

[DaveBeny]

Cloggy & Cushion,

Do you have the transcriptions book of 'The Bottom Line'? It's available through The Bass Centre in London. That ought to keep any player practising for a while!

 

[Cushion]

Unfortunately we haven't. I'm hoping to be able to order to relatively soon from a transcription book shop here in Rotterdam soon.

 

[Cloggy]

That'll be soon soon then.

 

[DaveBeny]

Cloggy and Cushion,

I got my copy of the transcriptions book from amazon.de a few years back.

Colin appears on a 2002 DVD by the Spencer Davis Group:

He gets his regular solo spot and plays 'San Fransisco Bay Blues', which is a marvel to watch!

There is a very detailed interview with Colin here:
http://www.cultfound.org/back door int ch.htm

Another interview and some gig photos here:
http://www.leftybass.com/colin_h_meeting_e.htm

This website details some of Colin's activities over the years:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/9932/chodg_b.htm

All my music books and magazines are currently at my parents' house. Next time I'm there, I will dig out some things on Colin - a transcription of 'Roberta' from '8th Street Nites' and a few bars of 'Lieutenant Loose' and 'Vienna Breakdown'.

I got to speak with Colin a few years ago (he called my home!) and he was very polite and super-humble about his own talents.

 

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

there's a live set by Back door from 1973 coming up on BBC 6music live at midnight feature this sunday night/monday morning 9th july-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/liveatmidnight/

 

[DaveBeny]

Thanks for telling me about this. Would have never have known about it otherwise!

 

[DaveBeny]

Really enjoyed that broadcast. Mostly tunes from '8th Street Nites'. The show is available on the website until Sunday night.

 

[Cloggy]

Bugger!!!

 

[DaveBeny]

Video of Colin playing 'The Sliding Delta' solo in 1981:


Didn't realise until a couple of weeks ago that Back Door drummer Tony Hicks died last August, leaving Colin as the only member of the original line-up.

 

[jerry]

As always, thanks for that David! I didn't hear about Hicks dying either.