From his home in The Windy City, KYBP Chicago Bureau Chief recalls his performance with the “Father of Rock and Roll” – Charles Edward Anderson Berry! With Little Richard as the opening act, Chuck possibly mistakes Joe for Joey Spampinato who anchored Chuck and Keith Richards in the 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll! upon Berry’s inspection of Gagliardo’s Danelectro – which was a nearly the same instrument used by the NRBQ bassist in the film.

Steve Priest, bassist by Tom Semioli

 

Seminal Sides: Just about a any Sweet Greatest Hits compilation will do….

 

Artists/Bands: The Sweet 

 

Are you ready Steve?

 

He anchored the “Godfathers of Glam” – however The Sweet were much more than a passing pop trend. Pub rockers with a rhythm and blues background and strong vocal harmonies which set them apart from their loud and proud peers, the classic quartet of Brian Connolly, Andy Scott, Mick Tucker, and bassist Steve Priest initially made their commercial bones with bubble-gum tunes composed by Mike Chapmen and Nicky Chinn.

 

Yet the lads could also pen hits and album tracks that rocked hard akin to their competition– Thin Lizzy, Mott The Hoople, and T. Rex – hence the contradiction which plagued their career and legacy: were they substance or sizzle?

 

You be the judge. They certainly inspired the LA metal scene (Quiet Riot) and second wave of British metal (Def Leppard) of the 1980s, and indie-rockers of the 90s who worked in the pop spectrum cited them as a touchstone despite their tinsel trappings.

 

Akin to many players of his generation, Priest was drawn to the instrument by way of Jet Harris, and the harder edge aesthetic of the Rolling Stones and The Who.  He toiled in various beat groups in the 1960s, The Countdown and The Army wherein he worked with legendary producer Joe Meek.

 

A singer / composer Priest was among rock’s consummate song players – working the pocket with occasional rhythmic and harmonic flourishes as the situation warranted.

 

Following The Sweet, Priest migrated to Los Angeles and formed The Allies which failed to reach a wide audience. In 2006 he waxed a solo slab Priest’s Private Poems.  In 2008, after years away from the biz, Priest led his own version of The Sweet, and penned an autobiography Are You Ready Steve? in 1994 to tell his side of the Sweet story.

 

Among Priest’s weapons of choice included Fender and Rickenbacker basses.

 

Steve Priest Sound & Vision

 

“Fox On The Run” https://youtu.be/qBdFA6sI6-8

 

“Love Is Like Oxygen” https://youtu.be/zRgWvvkSvfk

 

“Talk to Me” from Priest’s Private Poems https://youtu.be/sUZxfMUSThE

 

Steve Priest’s The Sweet live in 2019 https://youtu.be/qCgIW8ZjleE

By Fran Festa

Bassist Rick Haynes of the Gordon Lightfoot Band may just have the longest running gig in popular music.

Born and raised in Toronto, Rick actually started out in the early 60’s on the piano, and was classically trained at the Royal Conservatory under the direction of his pianist mother. Later… he took up the guitar, leaning toward jazz and blues, and then grabbed a bass to help out some friends. He passed his audition with Lightfoot in 1968 and has been with the revered singer songwriter – recording artist since then.

Rick’s first LP with Gordon was the stellar ’69 release Sunday Concert. Fast forward to 2020 and Haynes has anchored 20 plus albums, hit singles, and thousands of concert performances.

The consummate song player, check out Rick Haynes as he supports Gordon with a combination of pocket grooves and countermelodies – rendered with a warm, resonant tone which serves the singer and his songs:

“If You Could Read My Mind” https://youtu.be/23nUU1xxx3s

“Baby Step Back” https://youtu.be/Zl8CqCmSqcw

BBC In Concert – taped in 1971 https://youtu.be/PEVQiUMbvHU

Over the years, Rick has been seen mostly with his vintage Fender Precision basses, though he has used Fender Jazz, MusicMan StingRay, and a Kramer Focus.

More recently, Rick has returned to the P with a newer Fender American Deluxe Precision.

When he’s not touring or doing TV appearances, Rick listens to old blues, he digs old cars, and probably best, hangs out with the grandchildren.

All richly deserved after his amazing fifty-two-year stint – and counting – with Canada’s finest export!

By Joe Gagliardo

Mark started playing bass on a 1970 Fender Mustang.  By 1972, he was playing a Rickenbacker 4001 and anchoring Utopia, a horn band that preceded Todd Rundgren’s band of the same name.  Utopia was playing the music of Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, and Average White Band, among others, and was tearing up the college and club circuit until 1979.  This fit his playing style well, because in addition to Paul McCartney, Mark was deeply influenced by the melodic playing of Peter Cetera with Chicago.

In 1979 Mark joined the band Lovecraft. HP Lovecraft is one of the legendary bands in Chicago that started out as a folk/psych band in the 60’s, and included George Edwards on guitar, Jerry McGeorge (Shadows of Knight) on bass, and Michael Tegza on drums (2 Lps-HP Lovecraft and HP Lovecraft II).

With a shortened name, Lovecraft moved to a more rock sound in the early ‘70’s, and included Marty Grebb (Buckinghams, Leon Russell, Bonnie Raitt and more), Jim Donlinger (Aorta), Michael Been (The Call), and Michael Tegza (one Lp-Valley of the Moon).  By the mid-70’s Lovecraft was a Funk band, which included vocalist Lalomie Washburn, Tegza and Frank Capek on guitar (one Lp-We Love You Whoever You Are).

In 1980, after Lovecraft, Mark and Frank Capek joined one of Chicago’s hot power pop bands, The Kind, who had opened shows for Lovecraft.  That line-up was rounded out by leader, songwriter and lead vocalist, Frank Jalovec, and Frank Sberno on drums (The Hurd).

Within short order, three of The Kind’s songs were creating a hell of a buzz!  “Total Insanity” was played heavily by WXRT, and was recently included in The Dirt- the story of Motley Crue, and is on The Numero Group’s compilation cd, Buttons—From Champaign to Chicago.

“When You Rock” received heavy play rotation on WLUP and WMET, two of Chicago’s other radio giants, and the band got a big push when “Loved By You” became a staple of WLS radio.  By this time, Mark was slinging a Cherry Red 8-string Hamer bass, as well as a 4 string Hamer Cruise bass.

This line-up of The Kind had a run until 1986, and released two Lps, The Kind and Pain and Pleasure.  During this time, the band toured extensively, and played shows with musically diverse groups, including, ZZ Top, Duran Duran, Robert Palmer, Angel City, and The Romantics.

After The Kind, Mark spent the next six years playing with The Legends, primarily a cover band, that also worked with Chicago DJ, John Records Landecker.  This run had the band playing with Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Monkees, America, Rare Earth and many other bands from the 60’s and early 70’s.

These days, Mark is a co-owner of Naperville Music outside of Chicago, where he started to work as an employee in 1977, and became an owner in 1985. He is also busy working to promote the careers of his two sons, Dylan and Mark, who are involved in music.

Dylan is a multi-instrumentalist, who released 2 CDs on Warner Brothers, Adventures in Real Time and Almost Real, and is currently working on his third CD.

Mark is a drummer who works at Old Style Music in California, and one of his fortes, besides drumming, is making custom pedals for a who’s who of musician clients.

Check out Mark’s playing:

The Kind-“Total Insanity” https://youtu.be/skrU8XF8LXc

The Kind-“Loved By You” https://youtu.be/I2icCGpPOMQ

The Kind “When You Rock” https://youtu.be/i-GqZ9MXvZc

The Kind-“I’ve Got You” https://youtu.be/SaViWQ66fcw

Mark Gardner, Dylan Gardner, Mark Gardner and Frank Capek-Recent Partial Live Clip of “Total Insanity” https://youtu.be/v8LjnoV0AGU

By Joe Gagliardo

The power of power pop!

Using a friend’s 6-string to start a garage band while in 9th Grade, Pete’s aggressive playing broke the B and E strings.  He then started playing bass lines on the 4 remaining strings, and within weeks moved up to a red Kalamazoo SG styled bass with a Fender-shaped headstock.

Growing up in a time when the garages and basements were bursting with bands, Pete jumped right into the fray.  Playing the classic rock of the day in Wisconsin with Bare Nerve Blues (Cream, Alice Cooper, Beatles, etc.), and morphing into Rory Slick and the Roadsters when there was a resurgence of Doo Wop and 50’s music, and moving back to a classic rock sound incorporating a few originals with Slick, the band became a favorite at the Church Key in Madison, Wisconsin.

In the late Fall of 1977, after a summer of a rotating cast of bandmates, Pete and childhood friends/long-time band mates, Pat McCurdy and Mike Hoffmann, formed the power-pop/new wave band Yipes.  The band started playing extensively, developed a strong following, and found a music home at Jay’s Longhorn, which was part of Minneapolis’ hot music scene.

Jimmy Ienner signed the band to his Millennium record label, where they released two LPs, Yipes and A Bit Irrational.  Yipes toured extensively in support of the records, including opening slots with Cheap Trick, Triumph, Foreigner, Kansas, Robert Palmer, Eddie Money, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, among others, but national success eluded the band.

After Yipes, Pete continued to play bass in various musical configurations, until he stepped away from full-time playing to go to law school.

 In 2013, Yipes reunited to play at the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (“WAMI”) awards event when the band was inducted into the WAMI Hall of Fame.  This led to more high-profile shows, including Milwaukee’s Summerfest.  The band has continued to perform, and released a new album in 2018, entitled Yipes!!!, featuring all of the original members.

These days, Pete’s go-to bass is a 1979 natural finish Rickenbacker 4001, though he has a complete arsenal, including a ‘59’ style Roadworn Fender Jazz Bass, a late 90’s Fender Precision Bass, a Danelectro dual cutaway, a Fender Blasted Sandstone Jazz bass, strung with black nylon strings, and a 1974 Hofner Beatle bass.  His preferred amp is an Ampeg Portaflex.

Pete’s musical influences reflect the variety of music he has played-Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, James Jamerson, and Duck Dunn. As you can hear from the tunes below, Pete plays melodically, in support of the song, giving the other band members a platform to play off of.

You can catch Pete and Yipes live, and when he is not playing his bass, he is a top-entertainment lawyer in Chicago with Mandell Menkes, where he has devoted a significant amount of his time as a volunteer with Lawyers for the Creative Arts.

Yipes-“Blink of an Eye” https://youtu.be/s6hBLEcPeM0

Yipes Redux-“Last of the Angry Young Men” https://youtu.be/fTSH95b0894

Pat McCurdy & The Men About Town-“Don’t Move”  https://youtu.be/qeBDXg1m-uI

“Oh I like that… The Zombies bass player!” The first time Chris White heard “She’s Not There” on broadcast media was on the BBC’s Juke Box Jury wherein guest panelist Beatle George Harrison praised the band and their bassist! The Zombies first recordings were helmed by a new kid in the studio who would go on to become a rock legend: Gus Dudgeon. From Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey UK, our first of a series of interview segments with producer / composer / bassist Chris White.

 

 

“It was like a cross between an ode and odyssey…” From Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey UK, our second in of a series of interview segments with producer / composer / bassist Chris White, who shares his recollections on one of the most iconic slabs in the history of rock and roll.

 

 

“I’m a songwriter who happens to play bass….”

 

In our third in a series of interviews with composer / bassist / producer Chris White from Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey UK, The Zombies bassist/composer (and Argent composer with Rod Argent) recalls writing “Hold Your Head Up” based on Jim Rodford’s permutated bassline from The Zombies classic “Time of the Season.” Following Chris’ interview, we include a clip from our 2014 Season One conversation at The Horn in St. Albans with the late Jim Rodford discussing the Argent hit and how he created the signature bass motif which inspired White and rocked a generation!

 

 

Mark Preston: “To have Chris White on film was very, very special to us, and to me on a deep personal level. I attended several moving performances of The Zombies Odessey and Oracle, including the historic 40th Anniversary show at Shepard’s Bush in 2008.

 

As we learn from our interview “A Butcher’s Tale” was composed by Chris, and it is an emotional recollection of how his family was affected in the Battle of Somme in World War One.

 

We conducted Chris interview on November 11 which is Armistice Day in England. Their holiday is similar to Memorial Day in the United States to honor fallen soldiers in past wars. Our cinematographer Derek Hanlon suggested that we post the Odessey and Oracle album on the wall behind Chris as visual backdrop. Before we started shooting our interview which was scheduled before noon, Chris asked me if we could pause for a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to observe two minutes of silence as is custom.

 

Of course, we agreed. When the clock struck 11 in Room B at Terminal Studios in Bermondsey, we stopped shooting and all of us; including Bass Player editor Joel McIver, my partner Tom, Derek, Ollie our assistant, my wife Joanne, and Chris’ wife all stood in a circle with our heads bowed. Just seconds into our observance, the Odessey and Oracle album crashed to the floor. Chris opened his eyes and looked at me and I said “these things happen for a reason” and Chis said “yes they do…”

 

Here is our conversation with Chris!”

 

By Joe Gagliardo

Though they did not enjoy the commercial success of their peers Chicago, and Blood, Sweat & Tears – this Chicago based jazz rock band were among the best of their generation, and worthy of reevaluation in the evolution of rock music.

Between 1966-1968, The Flock released multiple singles on the local Destination and USA record labels, and they were favorites on radio and in the teen clubs.

On the first release “Can’t You See,” bassist Jerry Smith was featured on the lead vocal.

“Can’t You See” https://youtu.be/W2AxRoeCJKo

That single was followed up by a horn driven rave up “Take Me Back!”

“Take Me Back” https://youtu.be/sjZQADQg4aw

The Flock did not have a full horn section at that time – however by 1969 they added Frank Posa on trumpet, Rick Canoff on saxophone, and Tom Webb on saxophones and flute.

The band also brought in violinist Jerry Goodman – who would go on to greater recognition as a founding member of jazz rock superstars: Mahavishnu Orchestra. On their debut LP The Flock on Columbia records, John Mayall described them as the best band he had heard in America in his liner notes.

One listen to the first LP, and it is evident that the band was pursuing more of a jazz fusion sound, rather than the horn band sound that was popular at that time.  That said, the band rocked!

After a guitar and violin “Introduction”, the song “Clown” kicks off with Jerry’s thumping bass line, followed by a blast of horns that will blow your hair back, leading into lead guitarist, Fred Glickstein’s frenetic vocal, and ends with a soaring unison run up the neck by Jerry on bass, and Jerry Goodman on guitar.

The Flock’s sophomore on Columbia in 1970, Dinosaur Swamps, followed a similar musical vein as the debut LP. The Flock enjoyed a great run touring the U.S. and Europe, and playing major festivals and shows with The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Frank Zappa, among others.

One of the most memorable gigs was playing in front of 350,000 people at the Rotterdam Pop Festival in 1970. Smith and Goodman’s images are featured on the promotional poster from the movie Stamping Ground.  This was the “European Woodstock” with considerably more people in attendance.

As with all good things, they don’t last forever, and by 1971 Jerry was playing bass with Aura, and co-producing their debut LP on Mercury records.  Aura was a horn band led by the talented and charismatic lead singer, Al Lathan, and consisted of former members of legendary Chicago bands, including For Days & A Night, The Flock and The Mauds.  The LP was a mix of original songs, with a few cool covers of obscure songs by Richie Havens and Doug Sahm.

After Aura’s run ended, Jerry reunited with Fred Glickstein and Ron Karpman (drums), former founding members of The Flock, and they released the album Inside Out in 1975, which was produced by Felix Pappalardi on Mercury records.

Fast forward to today, and after a six-year stint in the re-formed Mauds, Jerry is part of the band Dinosaur Exhibit, which includes Jerry Goodman on Violin, Mike Flynn on Guitar, Pete Flynn on Drums, Quent Lang on Sax and Flute, and George Barr on Trumpet. The band plays the music of the members’ former bands, The Flock, Aura, The Mauds, as well as Jerry Goodman’s solo work.  A highlight for Dinosaur Exhibit was performing with Steely Dan last year at the Ravinia Fest in Highland Park, IL during Labor Day weekend in front of 43,000 people over two nights.

Jerry’s start as a bass player is like many other bass player stories—he was a guitar player, and the band needed a bassist.  He went through various basses, a Gibson EB-3, a Gibson EBO, a Hofner Beatle Bass that he traded for a Rickenbacker 4001, and by 1968, he had a Pink Paisley Tele Bass, with a matching Tele Guitar.  Jerry can be seen playing that bass on stage in the movie Stamping Ground.  While it would be great if he had the matching Paisley Teles, they are long gone.  Over the years, Jerry has favored Fender Precision Basses, Rickenbackers, and Laklands.  His current go-to bass is a Metallic Blue Lakland, with a Maple Neck, and he has a Copper-colored Fender American Performer with a P/J pickup configuration, as a back-up.

Jerry’s amps over the years have gone from an Ampeg Portaflex, to dual Acoustic 360’s, to dual Sunn Coliseum bass cabinets with 1x18s, driven by a 300 watt head, to a Trace Elliot 600 watt head pushing a Trace Elliot 2×10 and an SWR 4×10, and today a GK MB 800 watt head pushing a GK NEO 2×12 and a GK NEO 1×12.

In terms of Jerry’s playing style, he has always played tastefully, with a lot of improvisational movement, following in the footprints of his influences, Chris Squire, Jack Casady, Jaco Pastorius and Jack Bruce.  On the Flock and Aura LPs, his bass lines propelled many of the songs.  As his playing has progressed, he has become more of a melodic player, creating a pocket by being locked in with the drummer.

Traveling across the USA and Canada a few years ago with Steve Gadd, in his capacity as Director of North American Sales for Zildjian and Vic Firth, Jerry focused on the concept that it is not how many notes he plays, but how he plays the notes, and how to leave space.

You can catch Jerry and Dinosaur Exhibit in clubs and festivals, and check out his playing below:

The Flock “Clown” https://youtu.be/bKs1Zw47oyo

The Flock “Crabfoot” (Dinosaur Swamps) https://youtu.be/wrPIKrZ4yL8

The Flock “My Ok Today” https://youtu.be/5n0uGjGvSKc

Aura “No Opportunity Needed, No Experience Necessary” https://youtu.be/6zLjKFEswwI

Stars fade, or do they?

Some just take a little longer to shine brightly! The artform that is rock and roll is rife with remarkable records and artists who somehow slip under the radar – eluding the commercial success they so richly deserve.

A multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer, recording artist, and member of Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance – the late, great Kevin Westlake waxed a gem of a slab in 1976. Produced by the legendary Tony Meehan and entitled “Stars Fade” – the album features Slim Chance members Steve Bingham (bass) and Jimmy Jewel (sax), along with Billy Livsey.

From Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey, London, Steve Bingham, nattily attired in his KYBP t-shirt, recalls his collaboration and friendship with Kevin, and we listen to the title track with Bingham working the trad country root/fifth pocket with the occasional flourish!

Tom Semioli: Interviewer / Writer. Mark Preston: Producer / Director. Derek Hanlon, Oliver Harley Symonds: Cinematographers. Mark Pollot: Editor. “Stars Fade” courtesy of Kevin Westlake Com. Thumbnail Photo Courtesy of Slim Chance Co UK. Back Row: Jimmy Jewel and Ronnie. Front row left to right: Steve Bingham, Bruce Rowland, Kevin Westlake and Billy Livsey. [www.KnowYourBassPlayer.com]

By Joe Gagliardo

For some reason, the sound of bass always resonated with Tom as a kid, especially after he heard the Booker T & The MGs groove classic “Green Onions,” and was further driven home when he saw The Beatles. When he asked his parents if he could get a bass guitar, his mom suggested he would be better off with a 6-string guitar so that he could play chords and accompany himself, so in 1966, that’s what he did!

Fast forward to 1980, and a geographic move to the far North Side of Chicago which landed him in the proximity of the legendary blues club Biddy Mulligan’s, and that all changed.  Inspired by the blues, Tom went immediately purchased a 1974 Fender Precision Bass with a maple neck and a Peavy bass amp, and in short order, was the bass player in the group that rehearsed at the club.

That fateful decision to buy the P-bass drove Tom’s music career. Tom got his biggest boost working with Glenn Davis and the Blues Commission at various clubs in the Midwest. He became a staple of the Chicago Blues clubs, at jam sessions held at Blues Etc. on Chicago’s North Side as a member of the house band (which was Glenn Davis and the Blues Commission).

Tom has played with many Chicago blues luminaries including Hubert Sumlin, Son Seals, Studebaker John and the Hawks, Shirley King (BB’s daughter), Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater, Jimmy Dawkins, Jimmy Johnson, Rockin’ “Johnny” Burgin, Joe Moss, Liz Mandeville, Byther Smith, Dave Weld, and Brewer Phillips and Ted Harvey from Hound Dog Taylor’s Band.

Tom also did a tour with Blue Watusis, a group made up of veterans of the Chicago music scene. That band had one release with Tom on bass – Welcome to the House of Blues (1992).  That release is available
at https://bit.ly/2LJ61iQ

In the years 2005-2010, Tom was a member of the rock band Beatnik Turtle- a six-piece band that played original material. With Beatnik Turtle, Tom added his bass to two major projects. The first major undertaking was “The Song of the Day” – wherein the band wrote, recorded and uploaded to the web an original tune for a total of 365 compositions.  The second project was “Song of the Week” – where 52 original tunes were crafted weekly. Beatnik Turtle also recorded 20 CDs of original material featuring many tunes from the aforementioned projects. Information is available at: http://blog.beatnikturtle.com/

Along with gigs in the Midwest, Tom has also worked at the 1995 Festival di Torino in Turin, Italy, 1995 Amsterdam Blues Festival, 1995-96 Tampa Bay Blues Festival, 1994 King Biscuit Blues Festival, and the 1995 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Tom’s bass influences start with Duck Dunn. Tom considers Duck Dunn the “Gold Standard” and the template for his style. Other influences include:  James Jamerson, Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt), Jerry Jemmot, George Porter and Ray Brown.

Tom’s “go-to” bass is a Fiesta Red Fender ’62 Precision bass American Reissue, with a Rosewood neck. He also has a 2017 Candy Apple Red Fender American Professional Precision bass, also with a Rosewood neck, a black-on-black Tony Franklin Fender Precision bass and a 2020 Fender American Professional Jazz bass. His amps of choice are Fender Rumble 500 or a Yorkville 200 Watt head run through a 1×15 and/or 4×10 cabinet – depending on the venue.

These days Tom is a part of the Blue Monday Band, and works on various projects in the Northern Illinois/Central-Southern Wisconsin area.

Check out Tom’s rock solid in the pocket bass playing:

Blue Watusis – “Chicago Breakdown” from “Welcome to the House of the Blues” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jOn8jidO9Y

Beatnik Turtle – Live performance (June 9 2009 – Gallery Cabaret) of the song “Sick of Sandwiches” from the “All in a Day’s Work” CD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXBRZWSC94U

With Li’l Davy Max (David Janke) live performance of Long Distance Call at the Indian Crossing Casino, Waupaca, WI – 10/06/2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Flz86t4xI4

By Thomas Semioli – Photo Courtesy of Michael Anthony Com

 

Michael Anthony Sobolewski was Van Halen’s secret weapon – so much so that when he was “excused” from the band, samples of his backing vocals were piped in for their live shows and his replacement had to replicate his passages or else….

 

In fact, Anthony’s remarkable harmony vocals afforded his band a unique identity – much like The Beach Boys and other vocal groups of the classic pop era of the 1960s.

 

Akin to Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page; Eddie Van Halen’s emergence was a rock and roll game changer. Guitarists of my generation will tell you exactly where they were when they first heard EVH.

 

An extraordinary performer, “Diamond” David Weave Roth, oft derided for his vocal chops or lack thereof, brought the “attitude” and humor that also set VH apart from the metal motley.  And Alex was among the most average hard rock drummers of his era who also had a knack for playing to the song.

 

Simultaneously supporting a guitar god and larger-than-life lead singer(s) is/was a daunting task. Michael outlined the changes as Eddie furthered the sonic scope of his instrument and DLR/SH entertained the masses. Dig deep into the VH catalog and focus on Anthony – his gritty tone, the subtle movement in his motifs ala Sir Paul, and the occasional note flourishes and riffage prove that he was the right man in the right place at the right time supplying the right grooves.

 

 

 

In keeping with the over-the-top modus operandi of his bandmates and the 80s, Anthony’s mid-concert bass solo was more of an exercise in cacophony than musical. However it was entertaining, and gave his mates a chance to leave the stage and engage in “extraneous” activities.

 

A barbecue sauce entrepreneur (“it’s so hot you’ll need two assholes”) and lefty who plays right-handed, among Anthony’s idols include the aforementioned Zep bassist, along with studio ace Harvey Brooks, and Jack Bruce: all of whom, it must be noted, were exemplary song players.

 

A collector of basses, among Anthony’s arsenal include his signature Schecter series, Yamaha, MusicMan Stingray, and his infamous Yamaha Jack Daniels custom bass which now resides in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

Sadly, the demise and “rebirth” of Van Halen is the stuff of soap operas. In his post-VH projects with Sammy: Chickenfoot, The Circle – Anthony improves with age, he still hits the high notes, and he remains a master of the hard rock pocket.

 

 

Michael Anthony Sound & Vision…

 

Van Halen

 

“Beautiful Girls” https://youtu.be/bJ9h2m06sFQ

 

“Light Up the Sky” https://youtu.be/bJ9h2m06sFQ

 

“Dirty Movies” https://youtu.be/NjVbokE_cFA

 

“Poundcake” https://youtu.be/GcABbx_pUCo

 

“Bass Solo” https://youtu.be/fgNzyyvPG20

 

Van Senatore – Tony Senatore’s VH Bass Renditions and Tutorials…. 

 

“Feel Your Love Tonight” https://youtu.be/4L6N_qnlIJ0

 

“Light Up the Sky” https://youtu.be/fZM7XKMxcss

 

“Love Comes Walking In” https://youtu.be/CVtzsrMPP-4

 

“Dead or Alive” https://youtu.be/hsGwlcfgHzI

 

“Dreams” https://youtu.be/akgzyosNzXQ

 

“You’re No Good” https://youtu.be/G-QisRzXSSo

 

Bass Intro “You’re No Good” https://youtu.be/0HfyJ5XCqzA

 

Michael with Chickenfoot: 

 

“Highway Star” https://youtu.be/GQVTtpE9J7s

 

“Oh Yeah” https://youtu.be/oy04wm_bj3Q

 

“Soap on a Rope” https://youtu.be/pHqA6HtVU70