Allan Dias (Public Image Limited)

Allan Dias anchored PiL’s pinnacle recordings during his 1986-92 tenure wherein Mr. Lydon gravitated towards a more commercial “alternative dance” posture.  

 

Utilizing his formidable reggae rhythmic and harmonic chops coupled with a warm tone and economic groove passages – Dias’ work on Happy?, 9, and That What is Not seamlessly bridged world and punk.

 

In addition to his PiL pedigree, Allan worked with Sun Ra’s Dawson Miller, Pharoah Sanders, James Blood Ulmer, and helmed his own ensembles, among other musical endeavors. Among Dias’ weapon of choice during his PiL days was the Steinberger XL.

 

Nowadays Allan is a long distance runner!

 

 Allan Dias Sound & Vision…

 

“Disappointed” https://youtu.be/b6Bv887-JlM

 

“Seattle” https://youtu.be/bFOjktDN0IA

 

 

 

Muzz Skillings (Living Colour)

 

Living Colour’s mainstream meld of metal, funk, jazz fusion and permutations thereof coupled with their socio-political libretto made Vivid (1988) one of the most influential slabs of its generation, and though commercial success did not ensue on following releases, the lads never wavered in their boundary stretching artistry.

 

Founding bassist Muzz Skillings is a genre traversing player, plying supportive and counter-melodic passages in the service of the songs.

 

A composer, singer, and guitarist, Muzz has led his own ensembles (Medicine Stick) and appeared on fine slabs by John Tiven, Alan Merrill, Wilson Pickett, and Robert Plant to cite a few.    

 

Muzz Skullings Sound & Vision …

 

“Cult of Personality” https://youtu.be/7xxgRUyzgs0

 

“Love Rears Its Ugly Head” https://youtu.be/MQcPB1WkISI

 

Rockette Morton (Captain Beefheart)

 

From the experimental mish-mash of Trout Mask Replica (1969) to the overtly commercial yearnings of Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974), Rockette Morton (born Mark Boston) served as the anchor of Captain Beefheart’s legendary Magic Band in its second (or third) incarnation, depending on which history books you refer to.

 

Dig Rockette on “The Spotlight Kid” https://youtu.be/y9XRgzHwNqI

 

A guitarist, composer, solo recording artist, and bandleader Rockette was a pocket and countermelodic player who helped the late great Don Van Vliet stretch the parameters of rock, and then some.

 

Following Beefheart, Rockette rocked with ex-Magic Band mates in Mallard, among other endeavors – including a Beefheart repertory ensemble.      

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Mark Tulin (Electric Prunes)

Courtesy of Electric Prunes 67 Com

 

The minute you walk in the room I break into a sweat. My hands begin to shake so bad I can’t light my cigarette….”

 

Founding Electric Prunes bassist Mark Shalom Tulin was a fluid pocket and melodic player whose buoyant grooves, groovy stage moves, and heavy motifs helped define the enduring art of garage rock.

 

Aside from his Prunes pedigree, Mark also plied his craft with various ensembles and sessions including Ananda Shankar (1970), Buckingham Nicks (1973), and Smashing Pumpkins’ Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Volume 1 (2009), among others.

 

Dig Mark with The Electric Prunes…

 

“Get Me to the World on Time” http://bit.ly/2Ej6P8S  

 

“I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night” https://youtu.be/bjaHU8iuhmI

 

Mark with Teargarden / Smashing Pumpkins “Astral Planes” https://youtu.be/cdbzJX-TtyA

 

Brian Odgers (Walker Bros., Serge Gainsbourg)

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“Levon wears his war wound like a crown …he calls his child Jesus ’cause he likes the name…“

“No regrets, no tears goodbye…don’t want you back again…”

He’s one of those cats whose name appears in the credits of seminal sides aplenty, yet little is known about him other than his recorded work.

A prolific UK studio player, composer, and multi-instrumentalist (upright / woodwinds) in the golden age of the 70s album era, Brian Odgers excelled in the pocket and as a melodic master. Odgers’ laudable recorded legacy includes John McLaughlin, Elton John, Lou Reed, Roger Daltrey, Van Morrison, Georgie Fame, The Walker Brothers, Al Stewart, Vangelis, Shawn Phillips, Chris de Burgh, Serge Gainsbourg, Roger Chapman, and a struggling young songwriter named Marc Bolan, to cite a very select few!

Akin to many studio players, Odgers also made attempts to break through on his own, most notably with the ensemble Sweet Thursday, which featured session ace Nicky Hopkins, and Slim Chance / Cat Stevens guitarist Alun Davies.

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Dig Brian with Sir Elton “Levon” https://youtu.be/SEgEmTgAEUk

Dig Brian with The Walker Brothers “No Regrets” https://youtu.be/aQNEYb0zp0I

Dig Brian with John McLaughlin “Extrapolation” https://youtu.be/SEgEmTgAEUk

Dig Brian with Serge “Marilou Reggae” https://youtu.be/07MezqbbeXU

Dig Brian with Sweet Thursday on his composition “Molly” https://youtu.be/MOC1SSb6Xzk

Dig Brian with Lou “Ride Into the Sun” https://youtu.be/MeUHGhKObWg

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Chris Cross (Ultravox)

As the anchor for synth-punk/pop pioneers Ultravox, bassist Chris Cross, who also doubled on keys and synth-bass, plied mostly root notes as not to clash with the layers of countermelodies which defined the band in all their remarkable incarnations – that is, with John Foxx, and later, Midge Ure.

 

A singer, and composer Cross’ weapons of choice included fretless Fender P, Steinberger, Ibanez, Gibson EB-3, and Rickenbacker – often colored with various tonal effects.   

 

Chris Cross  workin’ the pocket with his Steinberger XL “Heart of the Country”  https://youtu.be/MrmgbJFqrFU

 

 

Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, Rich Kids)

Courtesy of Sex Pistols Official Web Site

Glen Matlock anchored one of the most important and influential bands of the punk era. He was the only Sex Pistol that could actually play bass! In true punk fashion, they (kind of) sacked him despite the fact that he composed most of the songs on their sole legitimate slab.

 

Starting off as a guitarist, Glen’s tenue working for Malcom McLaren’s Sex shoppe led to his life’s work as a musician. Be sure to read Glen’s autobio I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol for the truth about the Pistols.

 

Matlock, akin to his idols, is a groove oriented song player, and a rather prolific one at that, leading bands under his own name and with such ensembles as The Rich Kids, Iggy Pop, The Damned, and various all-star configurations.

 

Glen Matlock Sound & Vision…

 

Glen on the Pistols’ “Anarchy in the UK” – the only track he played on for Never Mind… https://youtu.be/K07Yq4zGTcI

 

Sex Pistols Live at Brixton, 2007 https://youtu.be/o_SQI9kgqIc

 

Midge Ure with The Rich Kids https://youtu.be/PIfFUDt4Grw

 

Glen belts out a Pistols classic https://youtu.be/N_OY56LI40k

 

Stuart Fletcher (Seahorses, Heather Findlay)

 

A busy cat from North Yorkshire who excels in the pocket and as a melodic player, bassist Stuart Fletcher has anchored such notable ensembles as The Seahorses featuring John Squire, former Shed Seven crooner Rick Witter’s Dukes, We Could Be Astronauts, the Heather Findlay Band, prog rockers Mantra Vega, and he’s moonlighted at various times with The Happy Mondays. 

 

Inspired by Sir Paul, Flea, James Jamerson, and Anthony Jackson…Stuart started playing violin at 6, however he transferred to school that could not afford musical instruments for students. Figuring that a bass has four strings and is a lot less expensive than a violin, Stuart’s dad purchased his son a bass guitar, and the rest, as they say, is history….. Stuart’s weapon of choice is a 70s Fender Jazz bass.

 

Says David Anderson: I’m rediscovering my youth and re-following the 90s Brit invasion which eventually led me to the Seahorses. I can’t believe Stuart wasn’t seen as the headliner of this band! Forget Squire, these basslines are everything rock bass should be. Love is the Law is one big bass showcase as far as I’m concerned.

 

 

Stuart Fletcher Sound & Vision….

Seahorses: 

“Love Is The Law” https://youtu.be/hVzUFNWIYM0

“Blinded by the Sun” https://youtu.be/iv3J4HTThpQ

“You Can Talk to Me” https://youtu.be/7gvc31AVAmo

Mantra Vega The Illusion’s Reckoning  https://youtu.be/DUJMSH904ec

Heather Findlay “Southern Shores” https://youtu.be/gKml00P-yrs

Rick Witter & The Dukes “Year of the Rat” https://youtu.be/UEnHfLcn2S4

We Could Be Astronauts https://youtu.be/YoWR8KqiyrQ

Paul Jones (Catatonia)

By Thomas Semioli

The hooks were massive….

For a brief, shining moment Catatonia were contenders for the Brit-Pop throne by way of their hallowed status in the Welsh “Cool Cymru” movement -a BBC term embracing young Welsh film / music artists in the late 1990s.  However the hits dried up as the genre imploded due to over-saturation – as pop musical factions are prone to do.

Catatonia also crossed the pond to the States seeking fame and fortune (I had the good fortune to interview Cerys Matthews), however akin to many of their peers (Manic Street Preachers, The Stereophonics), their UK brand of pop rock failed to ignite the hysteria they enjoyed at home. Hence the band broke up and Ms. Matthews went on to wax Americana influenced slabs, whilst the rest of Catatonia returned to civilian life.

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Which brings us to bassist Paul Jones, who was noticeably older than his Cardiff bandmates. A fluid player who infused soulful passages throughout Cerys Matthews and Mark Roberts’ tuneful rockers and weepy ballads, Jones was that rare blokey among his peers -many of whom came to the instrument because the guitar chair was occupied – who was a bass player first and foremost!

“Londimonium” https://youtu.be/Wp0Pqcj1Nis

“I Am The Mob” https://youtu.be/41SkP55Xyjk

“Road Rage” https://youtu.be/U_bL0EqlDEk

“Mulder & Scully” https://youtu.be/FEhpmuXHmRQ

Dig Catatonia live 1999 at the Bizarre Festival https://youtu.be/uWwprHmIlCU

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Simon Jones (The Verve)

Courtesy of The Verve Co UK Courtesy of The Verve Co UK

Courtesy of The Verve Co UK

By Thomas Semioli

The Verve brought forth bombast (“This Is Music”) and grandeur (“Bittersweet Symphony”) to Britpop during their early to mid-1990s glory years. Bassist Simon Jones served as the bridge between guitarist Nick McCabe’s sonic din and the acquired taste croon of Robert Ashcroft – rendering pocket grooves which he enhanced with neo-psychedelic melodic motifs aplenty.

Courtesy The Verve Co UK Courtesy The Verve Co UK

Courtesy The Verve Co UK

Working a Fender Jazz, and Fender Precision with the treble (mostly) rolled off, Jones’ fat tone filled out The Verve’s chart-topping sound, though they eventually brought in keyboardist Simon Tong to flesh out the proceedings.

Amid The Verve’s numerous splits and reunions, Simon ably anchored The Shining – a Britpop all-star collective featuring The Stone Roses’ guitarist John Squire – along with ensembles led by singer songwriters Cathy Davey and Howie Day, among others.

“This Is The Music” https://youtu.be/PgsPAsno4OU

“Bittersweet Symphony” https://youtu.be/1lyu1KKwC74

“Sit and Wonder” https://youtu.be/1PIzTNI9auc

With Howie Day “Come Lay Down” https://youtu.be/G_AjaCuK024

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