Jack Bruce

[Bass Momma]

I’ve just been asked to back a guitarist who wants to do Cream’s Crossroads at a workshop. Oh, my. Trying to hit that sweet spot of catching the sound, but not trying so hard to go note for note that I screw it up. My respect for Bruce was huge, but now he’s in the god realms as far as I’m concerned.

 

[mikewalker]

just stumbled onto this today... wow, just wow!!

 

[bobyoung53]

I watched for the second time last night a reunion of Cream in about 2005. I found that Jack Bruce was a good bass player and sang really well while playing, but the sound wasn't that great. His tone was a little off for my taste. Was he considered a very good bass player?

His tone was a little bland at that concert, I liked him a lot better when he used his Gibson EB-3 and used tube Marshall amps, never liked the later basses nor the amps he used. check out Cream or West Bruce & Liang, amazing stuff. Incidentally he was a great writer and singer also, he wrote the majority of the tunes for Cream, a lot of stuff for WB&L, did a lot of solo albums, he was a monster player and one of my top three if not my favorite, he was also a monster upright player in his early days, if I could be said to have a bass hero it is Jack.

 

[bobyoung53]

Jack Bruce was a juggernaut player. His sound was off because he wasn’t using his 1960s Gibson EB. He never sounded better than with that bass. Of course, that is my steadfast opinion.

EB-3 but I agree 100%, also his Marshall tube amps, the combination was killer especially in his hands. I have a poster of his Gibson at home on my wall and also have an EB-3 one year older than his, I got a 65.

 

[bobyoung53]

Then he would be the same as a million other bassists.

I love Jack's tone.

 

[bobyoung53]

And we learn something every day... I stand corrected even though I worked with someone that once toured with Jack Bruce. I did a stint as a roadie with the Knack when they were signing with Capitol and Bruce Gary used to tell great stories of when he toured with Jack. I apologize for the mis-info. But it's still a great bass track... except for little of Clapton's lead break, that great bass carries me through that tune.
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"From his legendary Derek and the Dominoes band, Clapton recruited bassist Carl Radle, who, along with drummer Jaime Oldacker, held down the rhythm over Clapton's soaring guitar licks. Also on board was vocalist Marcy Levy, who allowed Clapton to focus more on his guitar work by covering the more involved vocal harmonies.
The mix of little-known songs with massive Clapton hits resulted in a strong show with great pacing. The Cream hit "Badge" and his own sultry ballad " Wonderful Tonight" provide the pop element, while classic R&B/ Blues covers such as "Bottle Of Red Wine" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" allow Clapton the freedom to solo as only he can."

I'm pretty sure Bruce Gary is the one who ended up with Jack's original EB-3.

 

[bobyoung53]

Jack Bruce fun fact...or not so fun fact. Do you know who played bass on Millie Smalls my boy lollipop in the sixties? Jack Bruce! I think Jamerson might have got him that job

He's playing upright, I used to love that song when i was a kid.

 

[joebeadg]

funny, I never really listened to the song carefully until now when u said he played upright on it. Very cool, he did a great job too! As would be expected of course. I miss him!

 

[Bass Momma]

He's playing upright, I used to love that song when i was a kid.

Where did you see that? I can’t trace it. (Not saying it’s not so, just curious.)

 

[bobyoung53]

Where did you see that? I can’t trace it. (Not saying it’s not so, just curious.)

YouTube, a Jack Bruce documentary, I'll see if I can find it again. I just put Jack Bruce upright bass, lot's of stuff. Solo at the end. Well, I guess there's not a lot of stuff, this is the only thing that came up, but he was wicked on it.

 

[bobyoung53]

Mountain did a cover of Theme From an Imaginary Western, excellent cover, Felix Pappalardi on Gibson EB bass. And his original, from a great album.

 

[bobyoung53]

funny, I never really listened to the song carefully until now when u said he played upright on it. Very cool, he did a great job too! As would be expected of course. I miss him!

I never realized it was upright either, I played it after you posted that, I never knew he did that song.

 

[bobyoung53]

Another great Jack Bruce tune from his first solo album: Weird of Hermiston From "Songs For A Taylor"

 

[Ronzo]

He's no Pete Wentz.

Thank God.

 

[lizardking837]

He wasn’t as flashy of a player. He didn’t slap like Vic and didn’t tap like Stu, but still an incredible player and some of those guys might not have come around had Jack not done what he did.

That's actually the reason why I rank him and Entwistle above others. They truly let their playing do the talking.

 

[Luci]

When I was little my father always listened to I Cream.
Over the years, I have also become passionate about Rock blues.

Nowadays Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser are my greatest inspirations.
I have several Gibson basses including an eb3 and eb3l, I love them.

For me, Songs for a Tailor and the entire discography of Cream are like a sacred bible. I love the way of playing and singing by Jack Bruce. Still today it remains a refermination.
I was a little disappointed to have seen him with a fretless bass in unsuitable contexts, but he is still a great musician
Luciano

 

[west al]

Jack was one of the finest performers ever. I lost a good friend when Jack passed on. RIP old friend.

 

[The Owl]

Besides his Cream and solo work, one thing that Jack did that was knockout brilliant, a 4 song demo with Jon Hiseman and Allan Holdsworth known as The Sherwood Forest Tapes, done about 1978 or so. Had 2 songs of Allan's (Where Is One, White Line) and 2 of Jack's (Bird Alone, Tightrope). Jack's sound had a nice big fuzzy growl (Marshall amp I'm assuming) but not sure if he was still playing the Gibson or if he was playing the Aria Pro II by this point.

 

[Luci]

Besides his Cream and solo work, one thing that Jack did that was knockout brilliant, a 4 song demo with Jon Hiseman and Allan Holdsworth known as The Sherwood Forest Tapes, done about 1978 or so. Had 2 songs of Allan's (Where Is One, White Line) and 2 of Jack's (Bird Alone, Tightrope). Jack's sound had a nice big fuzzy growl (Marshall amp I'm assuming) but not sure if he was still playing the Gibson or if he was playing the Aria Pro II by this point.

Thanks for this rarity. I didn't know it.
Fabulous

 

[The Owl]

Thanks for this rarity. I didn't know it.
Fabulous

My pleasure. Tightrope is my fave track here, Jack's sound on this one just roars like a leopard.