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Interviewing bassist stories
- Thread starter Arthritic_Tom
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No! They were reading different books! They went to the reading of one author and sat in the front row with another author's book, never once looking up. My book was a paperback, and they were all reading hardbacks.
There were just there to be weirdos.
I'm sure nobody thought you were fishing for a compliment. But you do play very well.
I never went to a doctor, either, until it was too late. I was a slapping and tapping manic, and it ruined my joints. I found out later my family has a genetic predisposition to osteoarthritis, so I just hastened it along. My right thumb--on the fret hand--also blew up, so it appears that my thumbs were destined to fail anyway.
Have you listened to the isolated bass tracks on YouTube? They're authentic. Two of the most fascinating are Beatles songs, "Hey Bulldog" with McCartney on the bass, and "Helter Skelter," With John Lennon on a Fender VI.
The Beatles - Hey Bulldog isolated bass track, bass only - YouTube
"Helter Skelter" by The Beatles (Isolated Bass) - YouTube
I wanted to interview McCartney, but one of the editors did it himself. RHIP. I would've conducted a very different interview. My approach was to read everything I could about the bassist, think of things to ask that nobody else had, but then be prepared to let the interview go where it wanted.
Not once did I ever have to rely solely on my prepared questions. If you engage the person, they almost always open up.
An L.A. story:
I was invited to a show by a band that had recently signed a record deal. The band wanted me to arrive when they did, so I could see what they went through when setting up. We all gathered outside the club on Hollywood Boulevard, waiting for them to let us in.
The bassist and I stood there talking on the sidewalk. Suddenly he elbowed me and pointed. "Whoa! Check it out!"
Across the street was a line of apartments. One of the windows was brightly lit; it was fitted with semi-opaque frosted glass, but we could see a perfect silhouette of a naked woman sitting in front of a mirror applying makeup. She got up and pirouetted, examining her front and back, weighed her breasts in her hands, and then sat down again and painting her face some more. She stood again and hopped slightly, making her breasts bounce, then she turned around and did it again, peering over her shoulder to watch her buttocks bounce.
From all the spins, we saw that she had a long sinewy back, broad shoulders, and narrow hips. Her silhouette was so clear and her performance so mannered I wondered if they were filming a movie.
The bassist leered at me. "Is she totally f*ckin' hot or what?" he asked.
I said, "Don't you know where we are? How do you know that's a woman?"
"Oh, my God!" he screamed. He turned and literally ran over to his band mates, huddling in their midst like a child who'd just been told a terrifying story about monsters out in the woods.
I was invited to a show by a band that had recently signed a record deal. The band wanted me to arrive when they did, so I could see what they went through when setting up. We all gathered outside the club on Hollywood Boulevard, waiting for them to let us in.
The bassist and I stood there talking on the sidewalk. Suddenly he elbowed me and pointed. "Whoa! Check it out!"
Across the street was a line of apartments. One of the windows was brightly lit; it was fitted with semi-opaque frosted glass, but we could see a perfect silhouette of a naked woman sitting in front of a mirror applying makeup. She got up and pirouetted, examining her front and back, weighed her breasts in her hands, and then sat down again and painting her face some more. She stood again and hopped slightly, making her breasts bounce, then she turned around and did it again, peering over her shoulder to watch her buttocks bounce.
From all the spins, we saw that she had a long sinewy back, broad shoulders, and narrow hips. Her silhouette was so clear and her performance so mannered I wondered if they were filming a movie.
The bassist leered at me. "Is she totally f*ckin' hot or what?" he asked.
I said, "Don't you know where we are? How do you know that's a woman?"
"Oh, my God!" he screamed. He turned and literally ran over to his band mates, huddling in their midst like a child who'd just been told a terrifying story about monsters out in the woods.
Tom's situation is reminding me of what Kierkegaard said about poets:
What is a poet? An unhappy man who hides deep anguish in his heart, but whose lips are so formed that when the sigh and cry pass through them, it sounds like lovely music.... And people flock around the poet and say: 'Sing again soon' - that is, 'May new sufferings torment your soul but your lips be fashioned as before, for the cry would only frighten us, but the music, that is blissful.
― Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or
Oh! I'm sorry - that is incredibly rude.
I have really been enjoying your posts - love your writing style!
Betrayer_Bass
Profanity Fish.
- Sep 24, 2011
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- Endorsing: Spector basses, Winspear Picks, Spector Formula 603 strings
Tom, you seem to know exactly what to say at the exact right time to get the best/worst reaction out of a person.
"How do you know that's a woman?" <-- this had me cracking up for about half an hour, good job!
"How do you know that's a woman?" <-- this had me cracking up for about half an hour, good job!
NOTICE : The ammount of win in this thread, has exceeded the bandwidth for the entire worldwide interwebs. We shall soon take Google offline so you may continue your awesome stories Tom.
Thanx Tom.
Thanx Tom.
I think a lot of your stories are like comic tragedies that display the general folly of man and the unfairness of life in general. I'm not surprised at the sheer number of sphincter types you've met and I agree that sometimes meeting a fellow traveller who is a kind soul makes it worth enduring all the douchebags. Watching your video I think you're a great bass player and think of what it must be like interviewing so many of these poseurs with no talent who sort of luck into a spot in life. Life's a beeyotch and then you sell your soul to a 2nd rate beelzebub, who woulda thunk? Love your writing Tom.
btw the cat from Tears for Fears on bass reminds me an awful lot of one of my favorite players, Pete Trewavas...if you still like Gentle Giant check out the first couple Transatlantic records and some Marillion.
btw the cat from Tears for Fears on bass reminds me an awful lot of one of my favorite players, Pete Trewavas...if you still like Gentle Giant check out the first couple Transatlantic records and some Marillion.
I never knew those tracks were out there. Thanks for the links, which will lead me to many more from what I can see.
If you had been able to interview Paul, that would have been a great read! He's someone I would really love to meet. Paul and I have a mutual friend in common, but that's as close as I've gotten to him. For that matter, Joe Walsh and I have 2 mutual friends in common, but I haven't met Joe, either.
Anyway, this thread, and your contributions to it have been a very enjoyable, informative read. I'm glad it's been beneficial for you, as well. There are a lot of us out here who respect what you stand for, and agree with your take on the business, and the people. Tom, you have reached out and touched many people, and gotten more immediate feedback than you dreamed, I would guess. For all of it's faults, the Internet also has many benefits, even for us guys that grew up in the pre-Internet era. I'm very glad to be able to interact with you in this way.
BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!Been listening to "Make a Jazz Noise Here" for 2 days now since I've read your recommendation Tom. Fantastic bass playing!
(even though sometimes I feel like turning his chorus pedal off)
I DENOUNCE YOU! BEGONE!
Kidding. Make sure to listen to every The Mother Hips video on YouTube that has Thunes. This one is stellar:
The Mother Hips - YouTube
My pleasure. YouTube is a goldmine of bass music. I search it every day. The only CD I've bought in the last however many years was Suzanne Vega's Beauty and Crime. I also discovered through YouTube a brilliant Irish singer named Roisin (pronounced "Ra-SHEEN) Murphy, who used to sing for a band called Moloko.
Listen to the bass on this song:
Moloko - Take My Hand - YouTube
When the horns come in, it's just sublime.
I would've loved to interview her, even though she isn't a bassist.
NOTICE : The ammount of win in this thread, has exceeded the bandwidth for the entire worldwide interwebs. We shall soon take Google offline so you may continue your awesome stories Tom.
Thanx Tom.
++++++++++1
Arthritic_Tom said:
argh. Not available on mobiles. I guess I'll have to wait until I get home this eve...
I had no idea what you meant, so I looked on YouTube.
I won't link it, but for those interested, search "Murderface solo (extended)" on YouTube. It's not for all tastes, I'd say. Marginally safe for work.
Along those lines, when I interviewed Jorge Casillas of Voodoo Glow Skulls, we had a great, productive exchange. It was one of those times I brought a photographer with me so we could get everything done at once.
When we were ready to take the pictures, Jorge said, "You know what? I wanna do this naked." My unflappable photographer said, "Sure," and I immediately left the room. I went to junior high school in Texas, where were were forced to take showers after P.E. I've seen enough naked males in my life.
To my utter shock, Bass Player printed the photo. It was actually quite funny, since Jorge is mostly hidden by his Sting Ray. His expression is priceless. My photographer asked me if I wanted to see the ones that were too racy to submit.
You know what? I didn't.
Here's one of Voodoo Glow Skulls' best songs. Jorge is an amazing bassist:
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Shoot the Moon - YouTube
Caution for profanity.
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