Courtesy of Yolanda Charles Facebook Com

 

By Thomas Semioli

 

First call UK session player/ side-woman, clinician, educator (Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester) Yolanda Charles’ genre traversing career spans such ensembles and artists including Urban Species, Paul Weller, Eric Clapton, BB King, Roger Daltrey, The Deep Mo, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison, Alison Moyet, Robbie Williams, Jimmy Somerville, Sinead O’Connor, and Squeeze to cite a very select few.

 

Starting out as a guitarist in her teens, Yolanda tended to pick out bass lines on her instrument. As such, instructor came up with a solution “you don’t want to be a guitar player, you want to be a bass player!” And the rest, as they say…is history!

 

Yolanda cites Marcus Miller’s work with Luther Vandross as an influence, along with Barry “Sunjohn” Johnson with Don Blackman’s Family Tradition.  Her first high profile gig was with Jimmy Somerville at the age of 18, which led to additional work – to which Charles credits her skills as a backing vocalist as well. 

 

For her services to music Ms. Charles was bestowed Member of the Order of the British Empire at the 2020 Birthday Honours, hence her MBE designation on Know Your Bass Player Com! 

 

Yolanda Charles Sound & Vision…

 

Project FUNK “We Live in Brooklyn” https://youtu.be/0uf7TxX0OEE

 

Paul Weller: “Shadow of the Sun” https://youtu.be/Jl8NzFQ7oM4

 

Squeeze: “Rough Ride” https://youtu.be/33lKPTFmD0E

 

Solo Yolanda: “The Game” https://youtu.be/pTvMoA1GyV4

 

The Deep Mo “These Times” https://youtu.be/wbNMl1xr9x4

 

 

Photo by Julien Fontenelli Courtesy of Yolanda Charles Facebook

 

In a Big Country…Let My Love Open the Door…Back on the Chain Gang….My City was Gone…

 

He anchored some of the most enduring British pop hits of the 1980s with bass passages that were instantly recognizable and as memorable as the melodies and lyrics!

 

A bassist, vocalist, writer, solo recording artist, and educator (Livewire Youth Music Project), touted for his tenure in Big Country, Tony Butler was also an in-demand session player and sideman, rendering his dual melodic / in-the-pocket artistry in the service of Pete Townshend, The Pretenders, and Roger Daltrey among others.

 

Tony cites prog-rock icons Chris Squire and Mike Rutherford as his primary bass influences

 

Vintage Guitars issued a Tony Butler Signature Bass in 2011. Among Tony’s weapons of choice also include Fender Precision, Rickenbacker, Aria Pro (a former endorsee), and Washburn.

 

In 2017  Tony waxed his debut solo slab entitled My Time which features his Big Country bandmate Mark Brzecki on drums.

 

Tony Butler Sound & Vision:

 

Big Country:

 

“In A Big Country” https://youtu.be/657TZDHZqj4

 

“Fields of Fire” https://youtu.be/19eti8Lf2Zo

 

“Harvest Home” https://youtu.be/QByihCyvNJI

 

Live at Reading 1986  https://youtu.be/1UlnVnQ06ZM

 

The Pretenders:

 

“My City Was Gone” https://youtu.be/thu8DWsirJo

 

“Back on the Chain Gang” https://youtu.be/CK3uf5V0pDA

 

Tony Butler:

 

“Heaven Saved a Place for You” https://youtu.be/PcjJoCdpJgY

 

“Here Comes the First One” https://youtu.be/J29N6fWEEkg

 

Pete Townshend:

 

“Let My Love Open the Door” https://youtu.be/9dw29xpA0Qg

 

“Slit Skirts” https://youtu.be/nAL7RYHKrlA 

 

By Thomas Semioli

“My life’s in jeopardy, murdered in cold blood is what I’m gonna be, I ain’t been home since Friday night and now my wife is comin’ after me…”

“My Wife” https://youtu.be/cGjjlbxBALE

Aptly dubbed “The Ox” and “Thunderfingers” – the late, truly great John Alec Entwistle shattered the concept of rock bass as a solely supportive instrument by cranking the treble tone way beyond its intended function whilst creating breathtaking counter melodies within the context of Pete Townshend’s compositions, which were quite tuneful to begin with. Entwistle’s harmonic modus operandi was not hard to decipher for an educated bassist– The Ox lived and died (no pun intended) by the pentatonic scale.

John’s weapons of choice were plenty: check out his Who gear page: http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/bass/bass7174.html

With expeditious dexterity and his considerable use of volume which rivaled Jimi Hendrix, John was also an early proponent of string tapping and harmonics.

In addition to his patented three-finger plucking technique and deft use of a plectrum, John’s historic collaboration with Rotosound to develop round-wound strings revolutionized the sound of the electric bass.

Most folks cite Live at Leeds and Quadrophenia as John’s masterworks – however his bass playing on The Who’s less acclaimed studio albums: By Numbers, Who Are You, Face Dances, and It’s Hard are equally spectacular.

And consider the fact that he was the only bassist who could negotiate the percussive onslaught of Keith Moon.

John’s solo break on “My Generation” is, to my ears, the best rock bass solo ever committed to tape with regard to execution, timbre, and melody.  But that’s just my opinion….

“My Generation” https://youtu.be/fRipFYoji2A

His solo slabs had their moments too.

“Heaven and Hell” https://youtu.be/QfbzUof-h64

“Who Cares” https://youtu.be/0yqarUkoDsI

Dig Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” https://youtu.be/SzJRNc1mFWE

Dig some of these lesser known Ox tracks:

“Dreaming from the Waiste” https://youtu.be/UprgN2wz1PA

“Eminence Front” https://youtu.be/KI_npEyjgxA