Hi Rachel, in the summer of 1975, I was living off-campus at Stony Brook on Long Island. Through a sax player I knew, I met a guy named Axel Koch. He had a nice house with a studio in the basement further east on the Island. I used to go out there to play (I’m a guitarist). While there, I met your dad. He was a really sweet guy. I was very young at the time and I was blown away that I was playing in what was really my first band with the guy who’d played on Moondance. He was so helpful and encouraging to me. He told me that I should move to Boston and play in an R & B band. Which I promptly did! Actually, I went to Berkeley College of Music upon arrival, and over the next several decades, played in various blues, r &b, funk, original rock, and god only knows what else bands. I met a lifetime’s worth of friends over my last 45 years here and have built my life here. In large part, thanks to your dad. I look back on him more than fondly.
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John Klingberg
- Thread starter fearceol
- Start date
What a great memory! I so appreciate you taking the time to share it here. I remember Axel because he was friends with both my father and stepfather (also a musician, he plays piano). I believe Axel's parents were wealthy and owned a lot of real estate. This must have been right around the time my parents split up or shortly thereafter, so he might have been staying with Axel. My father remained on Long Island for a few years then moved to Woodstock, I think in the late 70s? He was a big fan of R&B and jazz - my mom says that James Brown, Count Basie (from the big band era), Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday were among his favorites. I am glad you had a chance to actually play with him, that is so cool! And that you followed in his footsteps - going to Berklee College and playing in the Boston music scene. I will be sure to share your story with my mom and brother, I know they will get a kick out of it.
PS I tried to create a Wikipedia page for "John Klingberg, musician" but my submission was declined because "This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of music-related topics)."
My father wasn't famous so there really aren't any published, reliable, secondary sources other than passing mentions in various Van Morrison biographies. I am going to try again with a single paragraph omitting any praise or references to his personal life, since I can't actually document his parents' names or that he was from Illinois in any published books. But I am pasting the entire bio below in case anyone is interested, because this forum is the only search result for my "John Klingberg bass."
John Robert Klingberg (November 17, 1945 - January 22, 1985) was an American bassist noted for his innovative contributions to two Van Morrison albums, Moondance and His Band and the Street Choir. His work is characterized by a unique style of "walking bass."
Biography
Born in Chicago Cook, Illinois to parents Arthur and Margaret Klingberg, his large family was of German and English ancestry. He was the youngest of seven children, a full 25 years younger than his oldest sibling and 11 years younger than his youngest sibling, making him effectively a different generation than his brothers and sisters. His father was employed in the plastics industry and authored several patents for planters and home decor items.
A lifelong music lover, in 1963 Klingberg convinced his father to send him to Berklee College of Music in Boston, which took considerable persuading, according to his Berklee roommate. In 1960s Boston, folk, jazz, R&B, early rock n roll, and youth culture were taking root. Klingberg quickly became involved in Boston's burgeoning music scene. He was heavily influenced by classic R&B and jazz, especially James Brown, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis, as well as by rock bands of the era such as Cream and Jimi Hendrix.
Career
In 1965, Klingberg was playing trumpet in a band called Randy And The Soul Survivors in 1965, along with saxophonist Jack Schroer, who would later join him in Van Morrison's band. He switched to bass, playing with the Pink Panthers, Third World Raspberry, and Dario. The switch to bass in 1965 was likely motivated by his collapsed lung, a condition that also made him ineligible for military service.
Klingberg was proficient on both electric bass guitar and upright bass. His preferred electric bass was a customized Fender Precision neck mounted on a Jazz body. He opted for the Jazz body because it had four pickups as opposed to the Fender Precision with only two, but because he was tall, he preferred the long neck of the Precision.
Around 1968-69, Jack Schroer introduced Klingberg to Van Morrison, who had left the rock band Them and achieved critical success with his solo album Astral Weeks, but was not yet a commercial success. Morrison put together an ensemble-style band of horns, strings, drums, keyboard, and backing vocalists, hiring Klingberg on bass. Moondance was recorded in New York, released in January 1970, and quickly became a critical and commercial success. It was awarded gold, platinum, and multi-platinum sales awards by the RIAA. It was followed by His Band and the Street Choir in 1970, which was also well-received by critics and fans.
In 1973, Klingberg played on Hypnotized, an album by Puerto Rican singer Martha Velez. In the mid-70s, he was associated with Madame George Band. By this time, his work with Van Morrisson had ended. It is not known whether he voluntarily left Morrison's band or was replaced.
Personal Life
Klingberg married a woman he met in Boston. They had two children together, and were divorced in the mid 70s, after which he lived briefly on Long Island, NY and then settled in Woodstock, NY. He moved west to find work in the early 80s. While driving across the country, he was involved in a serious car accident which destroyed his vehicle. After recovering, he found work as a caretaker on the Cedar Cliffs Estates and settled in Noble, Oklahoma.
Death and Legacy
In 1985, Klingberg suffered a sudden heart attack, dying at the age of 39. He was cremated in Oklahoma. His obituary in the Woodstock Times noted his ashes would be scattered in Woodstock, "the only place he ever felt was home."
Despite his brief career, Klingberg is highly influential among bassists and well-regarded as a musician. Songs such as "Moondance" and "Into the Mystic" are instantly recognizable due to Klingberg's distinct "walking" bass lines, and "Domino" remains Morrison's highest charting single ever.
Discography
Moondance, Van Morrison, 1970
His Band and the Street Choir, Van Morrison, 1970
Hypnotized, Martha Velez, 1973
My father wasn't famous so there really aren't any published, reliable, secondary sources other than passing mentions in various Van Morrison biographies. I am going to try again with a single paragraph omitting any praise or references to his personal life, since I can't actually document his parents' names or that he was from Illinois in any published books. But I am pasting the entire bio below in case anyone is interested, because this forum is the only search result for my "John Klingberg bass."
John Robert Klingberg (November 17, 1945 - January 22, 1985) was an American bassist noted for his innovative contributions to two Van Morrison albums, Moondance and His Band and the Street Choir. His work is characterized by a unique style of "walking bass."
Biography
Born in Chicago Cook, Illinois to parents Arthur and Margaret Klingberg, his large family was of German and English ancestry. He was the youngest of seven children, a full 25 years younger than his oldest sibling and 11 years younger than his youngest sibling, making him effectively a different generation than his brothers and sisters. His father was employed in the plastics industry and authored several patents for planters and home decor items.
A lifelong music lover, in 1963 Klingberg convinced his father to send him to Berklee College of Music in Boston, which took considerable persuading, according to his Berklee roommate. In 1960s Boston, folk, jazz, R&B, early rock n roll, and youth culture were taking root. Klingberg quickly became involved in Boston's burgeoning music scene. He was heavily influenced by classic R&B and jazz, especially James Brown, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis, as well as by rock bands of the era such as Cream and Jimi Hendrix.
Career
In 1965, Klingberg was playing trumpet in a band called Randy And The Soul Survivors in 1965, along with saxophonist Jack Schroer, who would later join him in Van Morrison's band. He switched to bass, playing with the Pink Panthers, Third World Raspberry, and Dario. The switch to bass in 1965 was likely motivated by his collapsed lung, a condition that also made him ineligible for military service.
Klingberg was proficient on both electric bass guitar and upright bass. His preferred electric bass was a customized Fender Precision neck mounted on a Jazz body. He opted for the Jazz body because it had four pickups as opposed to the Fender Precision with only two, but because he was tall, he preferred the long neck of the Precision.
Around 1968-69, Jack Schroer introduced Klingberg to Van Morrison, who had left the rock band Them and achieved critical success with his solo album Astral Weeks, but was not yet a commercial success. Morrison put together an ensemble-style band of horns, strings, drums, keyboard, and backing vocalists, hiring Klingberg on bass. Moondance was recorded in New York, released in January 1970, and quickly became a critical and commercial success. It was awarded gold, platinum, and multi-platinum sales awards by the RIAA. It was followed by His Band and the Street Choir in 1970, which was also well-received by critics and fans.
In 1973, Klingberg played on Hypnotized, an album by Puerto Rican singer Martha Velez. In the mid-70s, he was associated with Madame George Band. By this time, his work with Van Morrisson had ended. It is not known whether he voluntarily left Morrison's band or was replaced.
Personal Life
Klingberg married a woman he met in Boston. They had two children together, and were divorced in the mid 70s, after which he lived briefly on Long Island, NY and then settled in Woodstock, NY. He moved west to find work in the early 80s. While driving across the country, he was involved in a serious car accident which destroyed his vehicle. After recovering, he found work as a caretaker on the Cedar Cliffs Estates and settled in Noble, Oklahoma.
Death and Legacy
In 1985, Klingberg suffered a sudden heart attack, dying at the age of 39. He was cremated in Oklahoma. His obituary in the Woodstock Times noted his ashes would be scattered in Woodstock, "the only place he ever felt was home."
Despite his brief career, Klingberg is highly influential among bassists and well-regarded as a musician. Songs such as "Moondance" and "Into the Mystic" are instantly recognizable due to Klingberg's distinct "walking" bass lines, and "Domino" remains Morrison's highest charting single ever.
Discography
Moondance, Van Morrison, 1970
His Band and the Street Choir, Van Morrison, 1970
Hypnotized, Martha Velez, 1973
Hello Rachael.
Like you and a couple others I stumbled upon this thread while research your father, John Klingberg. I had just seen the Youtube video of Van Morrison at the Filmore East - 1970. I was so impressed by the bass player that I need to find out who he was and if I'd ever heard of him. I don't know for certain of that's him in the video but I suppose it is because he's listed as playing with Morrison that same year at the Filmore West.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Like you and a couple others I stumbled upon this thread while research your father, John Klingberg. I had just seen the Youtube video of Van Morrison at the Filmore East - 1970. I was so impressed by the bass player that I need to find out who he was and if I'd ever heard of him. I don't know for certain of that's him in the video but I suppose it is because he's listed as playing with Morrison that same year at the Filmore West.
Thank you so much for sharing.
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Rachel, I was just listening to Into the Mystic. I was a professional bass player out of Chicago for close to 20 years, and one of my favorite memories is playing the song on upright bass. It is in my opinion one of the most beautiful, effective and perfect (except for that one wrong note!) bass performances ever recorded. I went home and looked up the bass player and found you and your dad. I’m sorry you didn’t get to know him. I hope you can take some comfort in knowing the massive influence your dad had from the small number of recordings that he’s on. He’s definitely in the same league as some of the better known great bass players. I’ll never get tired of listening to your dad playing on that song!
Sorry for my delayed reply, my mail client keeps flagging the TalkBass alerts as spam despite my best efforts. Yes, that is my father John Klingberg in the video, it was the last concert at Fillmore East. I'm so glad it was captured on video, it's a real treasure to his family.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment about my father's music. It's wonderful to see he still inspires other bassists after all these years.
Sorry my delayed response, the TalkBass alerts keep going straight to my junk mail folder. Thank you for your kind comments, that really means a lot to me! I do appreciate learning how much my father inspired other bassists despite his brief career.
I am not sure about the wrong note, since I'm not a bassist, but there are alternate takes of Into the Mystic for comparison - one's on the Moondance Deluxe Edition and another on the Moondance Expanded Edition, the latter is a harder to find, but there are individual tracks on YouTube and Spotify.
Thanks again for taking the time to write!
This is a beautiful thread. A true ray of light.
I’ve been working on Into The Mystic for an upcoming show, and have re-listened to the entire album. IMHO, the bass playing is masterful and REALLY makes those songs work. This was a huge album which launched Van’s career, and you should be very proud of your father’s work.
Thank you, how kind of you to take the time to post this (apologies for the very delayed response, my email client just won't deliver any of the automatic messages from TB so I didn't know about your post until I thought to check the forum). I am glad that my father influenced other musicians, I am sure he would have been happy to know that. I do agree that the bass makes the entire album quite distinctive, especially because many songs start with the bass alone.
We don't get to choose our parents, it's not that I am proud of his musical accomplishments, to me, being an ordinary good father who isn't a musician is no less of an accomplishment than anything my father ever did. But he certainly was talented, and well-loved by his friends. My mom thought we'd have more time and that if he sobered up, we kids could finally have a relationship with our father, but sadly he died rather suddenly at the age of 39. I'm glad that he wasn't completely forgotten! Thanks again for your thoughtful note.
We don't get to choose our parents, it's not that I am proud of his musical accomplishments, to me, being an ordinary good father who isn't a musician is no less of an accomplishment than anything my father ever did. But he certainly was talented, and well-loved by his friends. My mom thought we'd have more time and that if he sobered up, we kids could finally have a relationship with our father, but sadly he died rather suddenly at the age of 39. I'm glad that he wasn't completely forgotten! Thanks again for your thoughtful note.
Happy Father's Day to all you dads!
I never knew mine, but you have all helped me get a different perspective on him as a musician, rather than just a guy who happened to marry my mother. I created a Link Removed so that other bassists can find information about him. And also because he was so well-loved by his friends. It's still a work in progress, but there's a Link Removed, tirelessly researched by Myron Buck, as well as a collection of Link Removed about him from a variety of friends and bandmates - many on this forum - and I've also included a Link Removed to all the tracks that are available - and there are quite a few!
Collecting all the tracks increased my appreciation for his unique style of playing, which I can now recognize instantly, he almost sounds behind the beat, and yet the tempo is perfect for each song (my mom said he called this "fatback"). I especially like "Glad Tidings" but they all sound so amazing, because Van had truly outstanding musicians on those albums.
I want to thank "fearceol" who started this thread in 2007 and made me realize that my father's brief career and too-short life have not been forgotten by the people he would like best to be remembered by: his fellow musicians.
Link Removed
Link Removed
I never knew mine, but you have all helped me get a different perspective on him as a musician, rather than just a guy who happened to marry my mother. I created a Link Removed so that other bassists can find information about him. And also because he was so well-loved by his friends. It's still a work in progress, but there's a Link Removed, tirelessly researched by Myron Buck, as well as a collection of Link Removed about him from a variety of friends and bandmates - many on this forum - and I've also included a Link Removed to all the tracks that are available - and there are quite a few!
Collecting all the tracks increased my appreciation for his unique style of playing, which I can now recognize instantly, he almost sounds behind the beat, and yet the tempo is perfect for each song (my mom said he called this "fatback"). I especially like "Glad Tidings" but they all sound so amazing, because Van had truly outstanding musicians on those albums.
I want to thank "fearceol" who started this thread in 2007 and made me realize that my father's brief career and too-short life have not been forgotten by the people he would like best to be remembered by: his fellow musicians.
Link Removed
Link Removed
This is awesome! I look forward to checking out the website. You're dad would be very pleased to know that you're honoring his memory and celebrating musicianship this way.
- Steve
Dear Rachel,What an amazing thread ! Im a new bass player at age 60, and IntoTheMystic is my new song im learning. The riffs are so bouncy and happy sounding, as mentioned and i do struggle to remember all my parts, but im now inspired to keep playing and learning this song as an Ode to John
Good day to you all
i have seen this played a few different ways, the way my teacher wrote it out was
Eb(1st fret D string) Bb/C/Bb (Open G) F Eb
I can play this over and over its wonderful
Good day to you all
i have seen this played a few different ways, the way my teacher wrote it out was
Eb(1st fret D string) Bb/C/Bb (Open G) F Eb
I can play this over and over its wonderful
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Did John use a foam mute? Or palm muting? I couldn't tell from the video as he was facing away from the camera. His notes often have zero sustain.
I, like some others, registered simply to make this post - HA!
In the early 80's, I got invited over to a kid's house to hang out after school (apartment, actually I think). This would have been in the Hunting Station Long Island area. I remember him talking about his dad and Van Morrison. We put on Van Halen 1984 (vinyl), which was just out. I'm pretty sure there was a girl there too, who may have been Rachel. The mom seemed so incredibly chill. I could be totally wrong with all of this though. Crazy how reading an internet message board can unlock a 40-year-old memory.
In the early 80's, I got invited over to a kid's house to hang out after school (apartment, actually I think). This would have been in the Hunting Station Long Island area. I remember him talking about his dad and Van Morrison. We put on Van Halen 1984 (vinyl), which was just out. I'm pretty sure there was a girl there too, who may have been Rachel. The mom seemed so incredibly chill. I could be totally wrong with all of this though. Crazy how reading an internet message board can unlock a 40-year-old memory.
Hello, apologies for the slow response, my email server keeps blocking the TalkBass notifications.
Yes, DHSBF, my brother was a huge Van Halen fan, so that would have been me, but I was only 13 in 1984 so I don't remember (it has been 40 years!)
It was likely in our small house near the train station with my stepfather. It's cool that you found this forum though!
Ukiah, I am not a bass player, so I don't know. My mom's Link Removed is:
>>John did not use a pick or his thumb, he pulled the thick bass strings with his index and middle finger, he would lose the callouses on his fingertips, which meant he would have to play with painful bloody fingers. He never complained, just shrugged. (They were flat wound strings, by the way.) As his finger came off the plucked strings, it would hit the string above, which functioned as a 'stopper'. But there is a slight vibration of the 'deadener' string because of this and it changes the sound of the bass. I remember it quite clearly. The stopper string vibrated very slightly and made a wonderful sound.<<
This clip from a Randall's Island music festival in 1969 is the only video footage I have found; you can see his technique at the 1:30 mark.
Once again, sorry it took so long to reply. I hope to catch any follow up replies more promptly, but if not, check out the site I built to archive my father's musical career ! ♥
Yes, DHSBF, my brother was a huge Van Halen fan, so that would have been me, but I was only 13 in 1984 so I don't remember (it has been 40 years!)
It was likely in our small house near the train station with my stepfather. It's cool that you found this forum though!
Ukiah, I am not a bass player, so I don't know. My mom's Link Removed is:
>>John did not use a pick or his thumb, he pulled the thick bass strings with his index and middle finger, he would lose the callouses on his fingertips, which meant he would have to play with painful bloody fingers. He never complained, just shrugged. (They were flat wound strings, by the way.) As his finger came off the plucked strings, it would hit the string above, which functioned as a 'stopper'. But there is a slight vibration of the 'deadener' string because of this and it changes the sound of the bass. I remember it quite clearly. The stopper string vibrated very slightly and made a wonderful sound.<<
This clip from a Randall's Island music festival in 1969 is the only video footage I have found; you can see his technique at the 1:30 mark.
Once again, sorry it took so long to reply. I hope to catch any follow up replies more promptly, but if not, check out the site I built to archive my father's musical career ! ♥
My band announced today that it wants to add “Moondance” to our set list. “Fantastic”, I thought, “I’ve ALWAYS loved that bassline!” Which led me to look into who created it. Which led me to this thread. Wow, this is stunning. And I’m now having such a blast imbibing as much of John’s work as I can get my hands on. He is just a beautiful, beautiful bassist. Incredibly melodic and such a deft touch. So much to learn here! He is going right to the top of my favorite bass players alongside Duck Dunn. Thankyou to all those who created this great thread and thankyou Rachel for the website you set up about your dad. I will scour every last morsel out of it! What a great player he was.
This video is very useful for learning the exact bassline on Moondance:
I want to inform the participants on this thread that Rachel Klingberg, the daughter of bassist John Klingberg, has passed away.
She was a long-time presence in this thread for almost two decades, and provided valuable insights to the life of her biological father. Quite a few friends of her father from as far back as his pre-Van Morrison days provided great insights to his life, and several people reached out online and made friends with her.
She and I tried for a couple years to create a Wikipedia page for John Klingberg, but the lack of print material (digital sources are inadmissible) meant he was deemed 'not sufficiently notable' and our efforts were rejected. She then went on to create a webpage for him, but since her passing it has gone offline.
I thought the many friends of father who had participated in this thread would like to know.
She was a long-time presence in this thread for almost two decades, and provided valuable insights to the life of her biological father. Quite a few friends of her father from as far back as his pre-Van Morrison days provided great insights to his life, and several people reached out online and made friends with her.
She and I tried for a couple years to create a Wikipedia page for John Klingberg, but the lack of print material (digital sources are inadmissible) meant he was deemed 'not sufficiently notable' and our efforts were rejected. She then went on to create a webpage for him, but since her passing it has gone offline.
I thought the many friends of father who had participated in this thread would like to know.
