Tony Visconti (David Bowie)

Courtesy of Tony Visconti Com
By Thomas Semioli

Few artists can match the sound and vision of producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger Anthony Edward Visconti. Mr. Visconti’s groundbreaking work with David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, T. Rex, Moody Blues, Alejandro Escovedo, Sir Paul & Wings, Mary Hopkin, and Sparks among scores of others is the stuff of legend.

 

Akin to George Martin, Brian Eno, Sam Phillips, Jerry Wexler, and Phil Spector, to cite a select few, Tony resides in that rarified pantheon of iconic, influential, and pioneering practitioners of a profession that rarely garners significant notice.

 

Aside from his production profundity, Tony is also an exemplary bassist as evidenced by his performance on one of the most under-appreciated, oft overlooked releases from a major artist: David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World (1970).  

 

Visconti waxed these benchmark bass performances on David’s seminal sonic slab – commandeering a thick, flatwound strung Gibson EB-3 and counsel from Mick Ronson on how to emulate Jack Bruce!

 

As such Tony emerged as a flexible harmonic anchor and clever melodic foil to the Bowie, who was still grasping for a musical identity. Visconti’s metal Motown mayhem on “The Width of a Circle” is worth the price of admission alone.

 

Circa 2014, Tony, along with original Spiders drummer Woody Woodmansy formed the Holy Holy (named after a b-side waxed in 1970) repertory ensemble to celebrate MWSTW, and rare (and not so rare) artifacts from the Bowie / Visconti canon. They toured both sides of the pond to rave reviews.  Among Holy Holy’s guest performers and members included Marc Almond, Glen Matlock, Maggie and Lisa Ronson, Tracie Hunter, Ed Kizilcay, and Clem Burke.

 

Tony’s autobiographical tome: Bowie, Bolan, and the Brooklyn Boy (Harper Collins 2008) is essential rock reading.

 

 Tony Visconti Sound & Vision….

 

“Width of a Circle” https://youtu.be/pnRNAIQAc50

 

“Black Country Rock” https://youtu.be/-c4Gj7XbrRQ

 

“Man Who Sold the World” https://youtu.be/g33-W9t2q2Q

 

Tony Visconti / Woody Woodmansey Holy Holy:

 

“Width of a Circle” https://youtu.be/ml4yJcqlG4o

 

Trevor Bolder (David Bowie, Uriah Heep)

 

 

Though Ziggy was the nazz with God-given ass –  it was the late Trevor Bolder who tethered the mighty Spiders from Mars with his dense, soulful bass parts that referenced the hip rhythm and blues cats his bandleader so greatly admired.  

 

The Spider with rock ‘n’ roll’s most elegantly multi-colored elongated side-whiskers steered the Stardust ship with a Gibson EB-3 hot-wired into stacks of Marshall amplifiers and cabinets, and on occasion, a Fender Mustang – which consequently afforded guitar deity Mick Ronson and piano maestro Mike Garson a firm platform on which to render their theatrical melodies to prop Bowie’s extraterrestrial sound and vision.

 

Trevor was also victim to the bass crime of the 20th Century on Alladin Sane (1973) which was perpetrated by Mr. Jones – who did not allow Bolder to repair the glaring error on “The Jean Genie” – which was likely a result of David’s propensity for miscues.

 

“Jean Genie” – bass clam at 0:45 https://youtu.be/kMYg_Ra4cr8

 

When the kids had killed the man, and Ziggy broke up the band – much, much too soon, Trevor anchored Ronno’s Slaughter on 10th Avenue, and Play Don’t Worry – two releases which prove that the Spiders were much more than Ziggy’s hired ray-guns!

 

In 1977, Bolder commenced the gig that he would excel at for the remainder of his days on this mortal coil (save for a brief few years in the 1980s wherein he was replaced by Bob Daisley)– bassist, composer for prog-metal masters Uriah Heep. With Heep, Trevor’s primary weapon of choice was a modded-out Fender Precision with a J bridge pick-up.

 

Coda: As told to KYBP On Film, Trevor afforded John Bentley, later of Squeeze, bass lessons when Bolder left the band they were both in to join the Spiders.  

 

Trevor on stage with Uriah Heep 1978 – Courtesy of Konstantinos Takos

 

Trevor Bolder Sound & Vision….

 

David Bowie:

 

“Lady Grinning Soul” https://youtu.be/18d_pLKgMoY

 

“Roslyn”  https://youtu.be/-9LU21aU5aU

 

“Watch That Man” https://youtu.be/eQGobt4ub6U

 

 Mick Ronson:

 

“Growing Up and I’m Fine” https://youtu.be/-3dtBblWmaM

 

“Billy Porter” https://youtu.be/QOwj0zgmykU

 

Uriah Heep

 

“Sympathy” https://youtu.be/Nvmkaw_ZQxM

 

“Free Me” https://youtu.be/lK45E6zfJeA

 

“Love Or Nothing” https://youtu.be/vRsxTdpfJ8o

 

“Carry On” https://youtu.be/pCYM9GHe81M

 

“Blood Red Roses” https://youtu.be/9Y0MlyNgGHs

 

Take note of Trevor’s lead vocal and melodic bass on “Fear of Falling” from Heep’s latter day classic Sea of Light (1995). https://youtu.be/Jx3Nzk5XvFQ

 

 

Rob Stoner (Bob Dylan, Don McClean, Roger McGuinn, Robert Gordon)

Courtesy of Rob Stoner Com Courtesy of Rob Stoner Com

Courtesy of Rob Stoner Com

By Thomas Semioli

He is the star of Know Your Bass Player On Film Season Deux, an unheralded (until now!) giant of the instrument, the cat who ensured that Don McLean’s Chevy made it to the levee despite the fact that the aforementioned embankment lacked sufficient water levels, and the musical director behind Bob Dylan’s historic Rolling Thunder Revue which turned a new generation on to the 60s bard.

 

An enigmatic personality, his career is the stuff of legend, which is why we recommend you watch Rob’s KYBP interviews! Sit back, be educated, and entertained! https://bit.ly/2XYt1jH

 

A dexterous player, to my ears, Rob Stoner revolutionized the folk-rock genre with Dylan, as he intuitively interlaced Bob’s rudimentary chord progressions, and unique approach to song form and rhythm with modal basslines rendered with a swingin’ disposition.

 

As such, Bob’s rotating cast of musicians – including rock guitar virtuoso Mick Ronson – had a firm foundation on which to improvise as evidenced by the Revue’s incendiary canon. Rob also shined on Roger McGuinn’s masterpiece Cardiff Rose (1976) which was produced by the ex-Spider.

 

An accomplished singer, composer, guitarist, and educator, Stoner’s live and studio resume is exhaustive. He has contributed to scores of classic albums including releases by Dylan (Desire/1976 , Hard Rain/1976, At Budokan/1979, Bootleg Series Volume 5/ 2002); Don McLean (American Pie/1971); Kinky Friedman (Lasso from El Paso/ 1976), Robert Gordon (Fresh Fish Special / 1978, Rock Billy Boogie / 1979, Bad Boy/1980, Too Fast To Live…/1982)); and  Link Wray (Bullshot/1979); among many others. Stoner also anchored the short-lived Topaz with guitarist Billy Cross and Jasper Hutchison, and released a gem of solo album Patriotic Duty (1980).

 

Rob Stoner Sound & Vision….

 

Rob on bass an harmony vocal “American Pie” https://youtu.be/iX_TFkut1PM 

 

Rob rendering Bob’s “Oh Sister” https://youtu.be/xfPJLCbVslk 

 

Rob anchoring Bob’s Rolling Thunder Revue “One More Cup of Coffee” https://youtu.be/ujgqOgMIwfA

 

Rob with Bob on the legendary “World of John Hammond” broadcast https://youtu.be/14JipigsJJg 

 

“Dreamland” from Cardiff Rose https://youtu.be/2_KrlcLL9Xg

 

Rob rendering “Let Daddy Drive” from his solo slab Patriotic Duty https://youtu.be/zXgl_K7pRes 

 

Be advised to keep up with Rob and learn more about his life at http://www.robstoner.com/