An iconic visual figure of the punk era with his blonde Mohawk, Jean Beauvoir adroitly anchored two rather contrary ensembles; The Plasmatics, and Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.

A vastly prolific composer, singer, recording artist, bandleader, musical and theatrical director, sideman, multi-instrumentalist (guitar / bass), producer and entrepreneur – Jean traverses an impressive array of genres with expertise and authenticity.

Among his collaborations include Kiss, The Ramones, Debbie Harry, Nona Hendryx, The Pretenders, Doro Pesch, and John Waite to cite a select few…

Dig Jean in “Feel The Heat” https://youtu.be/2UvAu4Tb33Y

 

Though they never garnered the attention afforded their peers Yes, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, and ELP: FM radio staple Gentle Giant were an equally groundbreaking prog rock collective.

 

Writer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist (most notably violin) bassist Ray Shulman, akin to his contemporary Chris Squire, was a dexterous player, melding melodic counter-point and pocket playing based on styles that spanned classical, jazz, and funk abetted with numerous effects. Ray’s primary weapon of choice was Fender Precision.

 

Following the band’s split, Ray composed for films, advertising, and produced several artists. 

 

 

 

Ray Shulman Sound & Vision…

 

BBC Live 1978 https://youtu.be/vMrYSTzqFI8

 

“Words from the Wise” https://youtu.be/nHtNpaFIsM8  

 

 

 

Courtesy of Bass Centre Co UK

 

The late Paul Ryder and Happy Mondays’ hypnotic grooves fueled the “Madchester” explosion in the late 1980s. Fusing Northern soul, dub, psychedelia, house, and funk – Ryder and his mates essentially created a new genre which had tremendous crossover appeal.  The band spilt in 1993, however after several reunions of varying success, they continue on the European festival circuit. 

 

Paul’s main weapons of choice were the Fender Jazz bass and MESA Boogie amplification: M9 Carbine Rackmount Head, Standard Powerhouse 8×10 and 4×12. In addition to HM, Paul worked as a DJ, television writer and actor, and anchored ensembles including Big Arm and Supafreak.   Upon his passing in 2022, his brother and Happy Mondays bandleader Shaun Ryder cited Paul as “a true pioneer and legend.” 

 

 

 

Paul Ryder Sound & Vision:

 

Happy Mondays

 

“Step On” https://youtu.be/mFBQ0PH5rM4

 

“Wrote for Luck” https://youtu.be/YNn51e11_dQ

 

“24 Hour Party People” https://youtu.be/0zWpHxfQvtk

 

Big Arm

 

“Flexin’ https://youtu.be/vCS0sd330sI

 

“Sunrays” https://youtu.be/lJrsIIggVG8

 

Paul Ryder “Flashbacks” https://youtu.be/ewyPz1RSllc

 

 

A hitherto “unknown” icon of the instrument….

 

Along with guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young, bassist Ronnie Baker anchored “The Sound of Philadelphia” which produced scores of hits in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. A combination of funk and rhythm & blues with pop songcraft enhanced by an orchestral / big-band backdrop; “Philly Soul,” TSOP, or simply the “Philadelphia Sound” achieved massive cross-over appeal.

 

Anonymous to most record buyers and Top 40 AM radio devotees as Philadelphia International and similar labels were notorious for omitting musician credits, Baker was also a producer, composer, and arranger.  In fact, Ronnie was the legendry songwriting / production team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff’s go-to session cat.

 

A James Jamerson disciple, Ronnie adhered mostly to outlining the changes in a traditional manner (1/3/5/7), and unlike James, kept his harmonic extensions and grace notes to a minimum. As such, he afforded space aplenty for Harris and Young to groove, and for the horns, strings, and vocalists to do their thing.

 

A Baker’s dozen of Ronnie’s iconic credits included Labelle, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, The O’Jays, Billy Paul, The Spinners, The Stylistics, MFSB, Blue Magic, The Trammps, Archie Bell & the Drells, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Laura Nyro, Johnny Nash …

 

Ronnie Baker Sound & Vision….

 

The Spinners “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” https://youtu.be/xttw2AHaNFE

 

The Spinners “I’ll Be Around” https://youtu.be/AOgfQoEUNHI

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of The Spinners “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” https://youtu.be/Tpa6jvL70Vo

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of The Spinners “I’ll Be Around” https://youtu.be/4tDyE7nfXZY

 

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “Bad Luck” https://youtu.be/mykhgDJvp6g

 

Billy Paul “Brown Baby” https://youtu.be/lTD8IcRlknM

 

O’Jays “Back Stabbers” https://youtu.be/RmXRQ3vfzcA

 

Dig this clip of “Love Train” from Soul Train with the O’Jays lip-synching atop Ronnie’s groove https://youtu.be/QyT9jTW7MHc

 

Laura Nyro and LaBelle “Gonna Take A Miracle” https://youtu.be/5CoN9PyoU80

 

Laura Nyro and LaBelle “Monkey Time / Dancing in the Street” https://youtu.be/nyREgIqMCcU

 

Wilson Pickett “Engine #9” https://youtu.be/Geb7kUnKDzc

 

Photo courtesy of Fela Net

As the main anchor of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s watershed Africa 70 collective, bassist Franco Aboddy helped establish his iconic bandleader’s Afro-Beat artistry into a worldwide phenomenon which resonates to this day.

 

Plying repetitive Dorian mode-based passages (mostly written by Fela) which were borne of West African highlife, jazz, and funk ala James Brown, Aboddy’s warm tone and staccato articulation fortified the ensemble’s percussionists, horn section, dancers, and singers.

 

Franco on “Unnecessary Begging” https://youtu.be/I7ZY_r5RJJE

 

Note that Fela employed numerous bassists, including Maurice Ekpo, Francis Mbappe and Newke Atifoh.

 

“The radio is playing some forgotten song, Brenda Lee’s comin’ on strong…”

 

Noted for his double neck Danelectro, among numerous other instruments (including his own Vox Humana line of basses), Rinus Gerritsen has anchored Dutch legends Golden Earring since 1961. From their beginnings as a traditional pop band to their far-flung forays into metal, prog, psychedelic, boogie, and permutations thereof; Rinus rocks into his sixth decade as a fluid pocket and harmonic player. Gerritsen also toils as a producer with Steve Harris, and Herman Brood among his distinguished clientele.

 

Born in 1946, Rinus turned on to rock and roll when he first heard Little Richard and Eddy Cochran. His first band was “The Jumping Jewels” wherein Rinus switched from guitar to bass out of necessity – as so many of us do. His father was a craftsman who built his son his first bass – which Gerritsen occasionally plays in the studio.

 

Rinus Sound & Vision….

 

“The Devil Made Me Do It” https://youtu.be/9QiN0zzqHEc

 

“She Flies On Strange Wings” https://youtu.be/xXeJ7JooE3w

 

“Twilight Zone” https://youtu.be/wIaaBuGNwNw

 

“Radar Love” https://youtu.be/ckM51xoTC2U

 

 

 

“Matty told Hatty about a thing she saw. Had two big horns and a wooly jaw. Wooly bully, wooly bully.”

 

He anchored the iconic Tex-Mex hit “Wooly Bully.” Founding Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs bassist David Martin plied supportive passages with a rhythm and blues disposition for a few platters and minor hits including “Ju Ju Hand,” “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” and “Ring Dang Do.”

 

Following his Pharaohs foray, David ran a TV repair shop in Garland, Texas until he passed in 1987.     

 

David Martin Sound & Vision…

 

“Wooly Bully” https://youtu.be/DKG57e8XZDE

 

“Little Red Riding Hood” https://youtu.be/NQqBAP7Du5c

 

“Rang Dang Doo” https://youtu.be/bOd64IqJJ1c

 

 

A master compositional and counter-melodic player akin to Sir Paul and Chris Squire, Mike Rutherford’s work with Genesis as a bassist was often overshadowed by his more high-profile bandmates and his own skills as a guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader.

 

“Fountain of Salmacis” https://youtu.be/zE3dYof_rbE

 

“Squonk” https://youtu.be/mmPf1rGClzA

 

With a treble laden tone enhanced by a myriad of effects (Moog Taurus among others), Rutherford’s potent passages, especially during Genesis’ watershed early prog-rock era, exuded technical prowess and a deft command of rhythm, space, and melody.

 

Rutherford’s weapons of choice include Rickenbacker, Status, Gibson, and Shergold basses.

 

 

And when he moonlighted from his platinum selling stadium filling day job with Genesis under the moniker Mike & The Mechanics – he added more gold and platinum to his resume.  

 

Mike and the Mechanics “The Living Years” https://youtu.be/5hr64MxYpgk

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Afterglow” https://youtu.be/ORFBcYmOzlU

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Earl of Mar” https://youtu.be/Zx6jy96DNfM

 

 

By Allen Fields

 

Rutherford is an amazing and gifted bass player, but unknown to many he is equally adept on the 6-string and 12-string guitars as well as the Bass Pedals.

 

In early live footage of Genesis, especially from 1970 to 1974, you can see how smoothly Rutherford moves from the 4-string bass to his 6 and 12 string electric and acoustic guitars.

 

Most famously when seen playing tracks from the 1971 Genesis release, Nursery Cryme (my personal favorite). His expertise on the Bass Pedals is most notable on the 1974 masterpiece The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and the 1976 releases A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering — the first two Genesis releases post Peter Gabriel.

 

Starting with the 1978 release, …And Then There Were Three, Rutherford took over the 6-string and 12-string studio duties almost completely due to Steve Hackett leaving Genesis.

 

In 1980, Rutherford released his first solo album, a critically acclaimed but vastly unheard slab of vinyl titled Smallcreeps Day.

 

Here is a link to that amazing solo work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lg6FYXVFdI

 

 

 

 

Unjustly snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 for inclusion with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, bassist Bugsy Maugh brought an aggressive rhythm and blues approach to the ensemble as heard on such seminal sides as The Resurrection of Pigboy Cranshaw (1967) and In My Own Dreams (1968).

 

A vocalist, composer, and solo recording artist, Bugsy also plied his craft with Buddy Miles, Janis Joplin, and Todd Rundgren (Something /Anything) among others.

 

Bugsy Maugh Sound & Vision..

Paul Butterfield Blues Band

 

“Driftin’ and Driftin’ https://youtu.be/BtgpDdKP3fA

 

“Pity the Fool” https://youtu.be/r-6l4yhw0js

 

“In My Own Dream” https://youtu.be/ZrpjD20bIyA

 

“Drunk Again” https://youtu.be/vHa_0cdM8Mo

 

Todd Rundgren “Some Folks…” https://youtu.be/32ZJabuG-yQ

 

Bugsy solo….

 

“I Can Thank Heaven” https://youtu.be/2HF29uDFIQ4

 

“Away” https://youtu.be/wccvS0bvYAQ

 

“It All Comes Back to Me” https://youtu.be/mCMvOsQ-JBw