I was too young to be watching the Midnight Specials when they aired in the 1970's. So I'm watching alot of what they post on their YT channel and learning about bassists that were previously unknown to me. Then there are some techniques that I don't see employed much today, such as Tommy Caldwell's very fast thumb combined with chucking. There's a video of Bonnie Bramlett from an April 11th 1975 (I'm 12 years old....) show and I can't figure out who that is on the bass. And he seems to be using a thumb pick with a lot of finger picking which would lead me to believe he comes from a guitar backround. I just have not seen a thumb pick being used on bass until I saw this video. Anyone know who this guy is?
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Thumb Picking Bassist on Midnight Special
- Thread starter LG TPAFL
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- 1970's pick bass thumb bass
Sorry to say I’ve no idea who that is but the dude can play
I went to her Wikipedia page, and this was the info listed that came closest to that time frame…
“In 1973/74, Bramlett toured the United States and Canada, with her band, 'The Entertainers', promoting her new album and herself as a single artist. That musical entourage featured: Michael 'Papabax' Baxter on the keyboards; Little Moe Mosely on drums; Doc Schwebke on bass; Michael Elliot, Donnie Dacus, and Phillip John Diaz on guitars; Larry Williams, Jimmy Reed and Big John Rayford on saxophones; background singers; Carolyn (Brandt) Corlew, Lagatha (Smallwood) Wharton, and Lea Santos..and Bandleader, Gabe Flemings on trumpet.”
I’m certainly aware that people come and go in backup bands, but I googled Doc Schwebke‘s name, and found this Discogs page; he appeared on a 70’s Steve Stills album(among others), so this guy was running in the same general social/musical circles, but beyond that, not much info to verify anything(if it’s the same guy)…
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Apparently he was involved in this band…
Now, here’s a live appearance from a couple years earlier on a similar show; probably not the same person, but he gets a wee bit of screen time and an introduction, Moe Mosley(?)…
At some point, she would play bass on stage as well, but in addition to the regular player…
Other than that, here’s her webpage…
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Dang...Thanks for all that good info! Making me feel lazy.....Schwebke is certainly not a name I recognize, but would had I'd heard it before. Liking that Oddysey stuff too.
OK, so I stand corrected…in that “In Concert” video, which I watched again, but more closely, although she’s got that southern drawl going, Bonnie says something like “Doc over here on the bass”, then she gestures to the drummer, as “Moe Mosley”.
I think it is Kenny Tibbets who played bass on the 1975 Bonnie album It’s Time.
Found this pic on facebook with the following caption : Original bassist on “Laid Back Tour 1974” Kenny Tibbetts (from Capricorn artists The Melting Pot) onstage with Gregg Allman and Tommy Talton. Photo: Al Clayton
Found this pic on facebook with the following caption : Original bassist on “Laid Back Tour 1974” Kenny Tibbetts (from Capricorn artists The Melting Pot) onstage with Gregg Allman and Tommy Talton. Photo: Al Clayton
I remember reading that the original place of the thumb rest on the P bass came from Leo Fender's belief that players would play with the thumb and therefore need somewhere to keep their fingers. Spurious? Maybe. I don't know.
Thats some cool bass playing. Almost seems like he comes from a banjo background. could be a folk guitar background too, a lot of finger pickers used to use thumb picks.
Background or no, its a pretty interesting take, kind of like a slap bassist adding lots of extra rhythmic notes and ghost notes.
Thanks for the link to the video.
Background or no, its a pretty interesting take, kind of like a slap bassist adding lots of extra rhythmic notes and ghost notes.
Thanks for the link to the video.
I think it's Kenny Tibbets, as well. He played with many, including Roy Buchanan - here is a 1976 video of Roy Buchanan, and I think that's Kenny Tibbets (see decent views of the bass player at :26 and 9:48 marks, among others). Similar playing style:
Of course, maybe that style (and mustache) was the rage back then?
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This was not an uncommon style of playing bass in the '70s. Check out Tommy Caldwell on this cut:
Blue Eyed Soul ! OMG Bonnie could wail (her daughter Bekka comes by it honest !)
You have to remember the times. I was around then and the 'Fender Bass' as it came to be known regardless of what instrument it actually was (the way, say, all copiers are called a 'Xerox machine'), and the Experience Book was in the first few chapters. While some older upright cats transitioned to it, a lot of electric-only guys came in, and often from being a guitar player already, so it was not uncommon to see a lot of guitar technique (thumb and fingers like this guy, flatpicks, you name it) brought onto the scene.
You have to remember the times. I was around then and the 'Fender Bass' as it came to be known regardless of what instrument it actually was (the way, say, all copiers are called a 'Xerox machine'), and the Experience Book was in the first few chapters. While some older upright cats transitioned to it, a lot of electric-only guys came in, and often from being a guitar player already, so it was not uncommon to see a lot of guitar technique (thumb and fingers like this guy, flatpicks, you name it) brought onto the scene.
I loved the original Marshall Tucker band, the Caldwell brothers were badass and Toy's guitar tone still kills.
I think the main standout we're looking for is the *thumb pick aspect ...
Although this guy does sure have a hefty thumb technique - worthy of the Mighty Boosh Hitcher.
I love that video and referenced Tommy's technique in my original post-awesome combo of the thumb and the chucking. But yes, the thumb pick is what I was referring to in the Bramlett video.
Funny coincidence: I was sitting in the root canal chair for two hours yesterday. It would have been torture if they were playing their usual spotify channel. But it was a 70s "station" and so I heard of lot of stuff I hadn't in a while.
What I was not prepared for was the powerful hit of hearing the Marshall Tucker Band again. And all the associations that it dredged up, those years, the people, so many gone.
Those guys could play....
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