Gary Thain of Uriah Heep

[Riƒƒster]

I am so glad that there are still so many folks here loving the man.
I grew up in Singapore, and in South East Asia in the 70s, Uriah Heep is BIG!
The Bass players of our choice are Gary Thain, Andy Fraser of Free and Mel of Grand Funk. Of course there are other good players but these 3 are the favourite. Gary by far is my favourite, I am still listening to him today, and he stills give me the chills. I love his Motown lines in a Rock format, which if you don't have great time and feel, it's impossible to execute. One of my favourite chills is his fills on the Live 73 album, on the track The Magician's Birthday.

May God Bless His Talented Soul.

Riƒƒster

 

[nonsqtr]

Another +1 for Gary. He was a big influence in my early bass playing. Wow, it's great to hear that TB'ers were around in the day. I saw Uriah early in my career, and it was an unforgettable show. IMO their bootlegs have some of the best live material, you can really hear Gary standing out in the mix, although the rest of the sound quality isn't necessarily all that great sometimes. Gary's accident was a tragic loss. If he were alive today I'm sure he'd be right up there with Jaco and Percy and Stanley and all those great players.

 

[Mystic Michael]

And to all of this tribute, I can only add: Yup. I'm a big fan as well. Loved Uriah Heep when they were in their prime. Still listen to the occasional track as well...

Hint: One overlooked & under-rated gem - Heep's 1970 concept album Salisbury. If you get a chance, check it out. Mick Box's three verses of guitar solo toward the end totally rock - with wah, overdrive, lettuce, tomato, onion & the works! Gary Thain plays a beautifully syncopated, propulsive groove on his Fender Precision that totally drives the entire band. And of course, there are the trademark Uriah Heep harmony backing vocals as sweet icing on the cake. Nice stuff...

MM

 

[Riƒƒster]

Hi Micheal, sorry to tell ya, Gary did not join the band till Demons and Wizards. Is there any way to get a hold of their 72-73 bootleg live album? I've got the official '73 Live and Live at Shepperton '74. Gary really shine on the live gigs.

Cheers

 

[Hambone]

I've got the official '73 Live and Live at Shepperton '74. Gary really shine on the live gigs.

I've always said that the producer/engineer on the 73 live album was either A. a bassist, B. a wannabe bassist, or C. a member of Gary's family . I don't think there has ever been a live mix where the bass part was allowed such prominence. At least I've never heard it.

Thank goodness for whoever did it!

 

[HMNC]

... and once again the thread comes to life. In the last two months I have done a lot of research on the man - and dug up some of those bootleg audios that were mentioned here. I have to agree - the live Bass on those from 72 - 74 is just amazing. I am still trying to hunt down a copy of the song he sang on with the Keef Hartley Band - I am interested to hear his voice too. I have made it my mission so to speak to keep his memory alive ...

 

[Riƒƒster]

Please let us in if u find anything interesting. e.g. bootlegs of their live shows. Thanks.

Riƒƒster

 

[HMNC]

Please let us in if u find anything interesting. e.g. bootlegs of their live shows. Thanks.

Riƒƒster

Everything I found on Gary I put on my website at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. In addition, the David Byron website at Invalid Link Removed has some bootlegs listed also of interest, that have Gary on them, and they have some audio clips of those bootlegs at about 2 minutes long each.

 

[ZiggyDude]

Does anyone know what type of amp Gary Thain was using about the 70s? At the official site I thought that I saw an Acoustic of some sort.

I am amp shopping - like that sound. Currently thinking SVT - but open to thoughts.

 

[HMNC]

Does anyone know what type of amp Gary Thain was using about the 70s? At the official site I thought that I saw an Acoustic of some sort.

I am amp shopping - like that sound. Currently thinking SVT - but open to thoughts.

I am a member of the Uriah Heep forum, and they have some roadies and people on there that work or have worked with the Band. I will post that question and see if anyone can answer me. I will let you know

 

[KJung]

Wow... Gary Thain. Haven't thought of him in years. Uriah Heep was a big influence on my playing, mainly because I was playing keyboards at the time, and it was one of the few keyboard-oriented 'hard rock' bands at the time. I remember how impressive his bass playing was as I started to learn some of his parts in the early years of my bass playing. IMO, that bands stuff has not held up very well... most of it sounds pretty cheezy to me now... but the bass playing and bass tone are still first class. Thanks for bringing that memory back....

 

[JacklegBass]

Does anyone know what type of amp Gary Thain was using about the 70s? At the official site I thought that I saw an Acoustic of some sort.

I am amp shopping - like that sound. Currently thinking SVT - but open to thoughts.

Hey, I don't keep up much around here, but I saw this question about my #1 favorite bass idol and that nobody gave you a proper answer, so let me revive this long-running thread again and spew a few memories that will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about Gary Thain and the equipment he used.

From the time he got into Uriah Heep until he departed Gary Thain always toured the USA with two Acoustic 371's. Each 371 consisted of an Acoustic 370 amplifier coupled with an Acoustic 301 folded-horn cabinet that was loaded with an 18" Cerwin Vega speaker.

I think I saw Heep 2 or 3 times with Thain, with the first time being in February 1972 during the Look At Yourself tour. Being unaware that he had been gone for quite a while at that point I was expecting Paul Newton on bass, but instead there was Gary. They said that Gary had only been in the band for about a week. He had just replaced Mark Clarke and was still feeling his way through some of the songs and taking some visual cues on stage from Ken Hensley. I knew instantly that this guy wasn't your typical hard rock bass player.

That show was the only time I ever saw him use what was probably a 1968-72 version 1 Fender Telecaster Bass that looked very much like today's Sting reissue Precision model. Luckily a friend who was at the same show that night shot a photo of Gary up close so I can see that the bass was a like-new 2-color tobacco sunburst body with a maple neck w/tele-headstock and a white pickguard, a chrome bridge cover and a gray colored SCPB with no cover. It could have been an early 50's Precision but it was in such perfect shape in Feb. 1972 then it's more likely to be the Telecaster. Most of the photos I've seen from around the time of Demons & Wizards through Magician's Birthday and Live '73 showed him using a Fender Jazz bass that had been stripped down to a natural finish w/rosewood neck and Tort pickguard. He was my idol, so I did the same thing to my beat up sunburst 1962 Jazz bass that I own to this day. Who knew back then what it would have been worth if I hadn't took the original finish off? I was so eaten up with it back then I also bought two Acoustic 371's which are long gone now.

Anyhow toward the end of his run with UH Gary started touring with a natural finish split pickup Precision bass, and I've seen one rare photo of him playing a Gibson Thunderbird. Always with the two Acoustic 371's though, and from what I've read always with flatwounds.

FWIW when John Wetton took over in Heep I saw them during the Return To Fantasy tour and he had switched out Heep's Acoustic 371's for a combination of two of those old red/black Cerwin Vega folded horn 18" cabinets and two Ampeg SVT heads. Playing his Precision bass through them they were certainly more bassy sounding but also much less distinct and punchy. From down front where I would hang out I definitely preferred Thain's sound through his Acoustic 371's, but then again I was biased.

 

[Cuzin Locust]

Wow!! Gary Thain.. this is a nameI ihave not heard in a very long time....He was a great bassist!! I saw him in Little Rock, Arkansas in the 70's..Killer bassist!!! I'll have to get my old Uriah Heep albums out..If I can find a Turntable to play them on..:>))
Gary and Mick box both used Acoustic amps..Way to Kewl!!
Ken Hensley is now a rep for ST.Louis Music...:>)) Cuzin Locust

 

[ZiggyDude]

Hey

Thanks for the reply and the info.

I had one of those Cerwin Vega cabs once. It was loaded with the 400 watt L89 woofer. They were deeper - but it is really possible the L89 woofer may have lost some punch or higher tone over the L87 used by Acoustic - which was a 250 watt heavy duty mid-range I believe.

 

[jazzbo58]

Came across this thread today. Gary is the main influence in my style of playing. Guess that's why I still use an Acoustic 370 with an 18" Cerwin Vega bottom. I saw Gary in New Orleans two nights before he was electrocuted in Dallas. He was amazing! I will never forget that night.

Cheers,
Jim

 

[PhR]

I really like Gary's playing too but I don't particulary care for Uriah Heep anymore.
I'm more interested in Keef Hartley Band; could someone recommend any albums? "Overdog" and "The Time Is Near" were reissued last year by the UK label Eclectic and are available at amazon.com, for example.

 

[Kne]

I really like Gary's playing too but I don't particulary care for Uriah Heep anymore.
I'm more interested in Keef Hartley Band; could someone recommend any albums? "Overdog" and "The Time Is Near" were reissued last year by the UK label Eclectic and are available at amazon.com, for example.

I love "Overdog." Gary has some awesome bass there.
I have also heard the song where Gary sings. (not from overdog though) He sounds like an old crow, but I actually like it and it was a beautiful song.

Someone should spice up his wikipedia page, but I don't know how that works.

 

[JacklegBass]

I have also heard the song where Gary sings. (not from overdog though) He sounds like an old crow, but I actually like it and it was a beautiful song.

That song is "You Say You're Together Now" from the Seventy Second Brave album. Great song - very mellow, mostly acoustic guitar with cool chord changes, but not much bass guitar. Gary's unique smokey voice fits it very well.

Seventy Second Brave was the last Keef Hartley Band studio album and my favorite in spite of the fact that Miller Anderson had departed by that time. It was engineered by Roy Thomas Baker and as a result the sonics are way better than most of the other KHB albums which all sound a little thin. Evidence of Gary's future signature style was more evident on this album than on any of the other KHB albums. He also does some killer "funky chicken" bass parts too.

 

[Intune]

I was remiss in not having Gary on my list of influences. I've corrected that. I wore out Demons & Wizards learning those parts. There was a blown stereo involved in that also. I had no amp. Dad was not happy. Gary's still rockin'. Carry on magic man & we'll try to listen to the voices in our hearts... The peace that love can bring.

Thanks guys for reminding me of a great bassist.

 

[Mrdak]

Came across this thread today. Gary is the main influence in my style of playing. Guess that's why I still use an Acoustic 370 with an 18" Cerwin Vega bottom. I saw Gary in New Orleans two nights before he was electrocuted in Dallas. He was amazing! I will never forget that night.

Cheers,
Jim

Yo, Im from New Orleans too...Katrina ate my house, so we moved to Georgia...... Gary Thain is why I had an acoustic 360 for years and years..Bass player for Paper Steamboat too..O.T. Ware. 2 - 360 cabs...Paper Steamboat.. I hope you remember them. You know, I seem to remember Gary used to play the 360 too, The one with the preamp on top, and the amp in the cabinet.. Thats how mine was. Super good long throw cabinet, too bad you can't really feel it much on stage.
Bubba, Dem was da good ole daze.... Real Gold bud !! Listening to Circle of Hands Very Loud..
I miss the $hit out of those days..... peace Jazzbo