Alan Lancaster (Status Quo)

 

When I look up to the sky, I see your eyes a funny kind of yellow, I rush home to bed I soak my head, I see your face underneath my pillow, I wake next morning, tired, still yawning see your face come peeping through my window, pictures of matchstick men and you….

 

A founding member of one of Britain’s most enduring ensembles, dare I say “institution” – bassist Alan Lancaster anchored Status Quo from its early psychedelic yearnings to its establishment as a premiere rhythm & blues boogie outfit. 

 

 

Among Alan’s tools of the trade was the mighty Fender Mustang. Lancaster, who was also a vocalist and composer, departed the band in 1985 to work on a myriad of musical projects, which also include occasional reunions with his former Quo comrades. He last performed with the band in 2015.    

 

Status Quo Co UK: During Alan’s time with the band, Quo opened Live Aid, sold countless tens of millions of records, appeared on Top Of The Pops dozens of times, and had around 30 hit singles and 30 hit albums, two thirds of which went Top 10, with five reaching Number One. That was just his UK track record – but the pattern was repeated in numerous territories worldwide as Quo became one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.

 

 

Alan Lancaster Sound & Vision…

 

 

 

 

 

Val Burke (Willie & The Mighty Magnificents)

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Val Burke, bassist (electric) by Tom Semioli

 

Seminal Sides: You Broke My Heart So…I Busted Your Jaw (1973), The Mirror (1974) by Spooky Tooth; Willie & The Mighty Magnificents Play That Funky Beat.

 

Artists / Bands: Spooky Tooth, Willie & The Mighty Magnificents

 

Cited by Marcus Miller and Jamaaladeen Tacuma as a profound influence on their playing, Val Burke hails from the bass player capital of the world: Queens County, New York City.

 

Val served as the house bassist for Stang / All Platinum records, waxing sides with The Moments, (Ray, Goodman & Brown) Whatnauts, Linda Jones, Donnie Elbert, Sylvia. As the Concord Resort Orchestra bassist, Burked backed Ben Vereen, Tom Jones, Tony Martin, Robert Goulet to cite a few. Val also worked A&R for Cameo.

 

He anchored two latter day Spooky Tooth slabs You Broke My Heart So…I Busted Your Jaw (1973), and The Mirror (1974). Tooth were long in the tooth with regard to their commercial and artistic prime, yet these platters do have their enjoyable, groovin’ moments.

 

Dig this Burke bass passage which must’ve inspired Marcus and Jamaaladeen: “Women and Gold” from The Mirror  https://youtu.be/1IVm5kwyoOk

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He worked the bass chair for Elephant’s Memory Band sax colossus Stan Bronstein’s Living On the Avenue (1976), and Willie & The Mighty Magnificents Play That Funky Beat.

 

Dig Val working the pocket with Stan Bronstein on the title track to “Living on the Avenue” https://youtu.be/PHkeywFLw6E  

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Dig Val with Willie & The Mighty Magnificents “Funky Beat” https://youtu.be/X36hc5wh3Eo

 

Interview with Val Burke in Ebony Live: Larry Smith Unsung Hero of Hip Hip Gets His Props (2017) https://bit.ly/3h4J6gw

 

Interview with Jamaaladeen Tacuma which cites Val Burke: For Bass Players Only by Jon Liebman https://forbassplayersonly.com/interview-jamaaladeen-tacuma/

 

“But there was one bass player who turned my head completely around and became a major influence. His name is Val Burke. Val was the bass player in a self-contained R&B band called Willie & the Mighty Magnificents. They were the backup studio band for a group called the Moments, which had hits like “Love on a Two-Way Street.” At the time, they were headed up by hip-hop pioneer Sylvia Robinson of Sugar Hill Records. This band was cooking all the time when I saw them…..”

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Rick Haynes (Gordon Lightfoot)

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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

Courtesy of Gordon Lightfoot Com Courtesy of Gordon Lightfoot Com

Courtesy of Gordon Lightfoot Com

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!

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Gordon Patriarca (The Remainders)

 

By Joe Gagliardo

Gordon Patriarca was born into a family that loved music – dad was a jazz / blues buff and mom played piano and show tunes.

 

Then along came the transistor radio! Gordon and his brother were inseparable from these new portable devices as the Top 40 sounds of WLS and WCFL in Chicago became the soundtrack of their childhood.

 

When Gordon was in 8th grade, a friend from Ireland with older brothers introduced him to Rory Gallagher and Taste, Jethro Tull, John Mayall, Cream, Led Zeppelin, and much of the great British blues rock of the era. By the time he entered high school, Gordon was in love with the music, however had yet to pick up a bass.  That was about to change soon…

 

His younger brother was excelling with guitar lessons, and Gordon – fired up by Jack Bruce’s incendiary musicianship – decided that playing bass would be “cool.”  A neighbor kid owned a Montgomery Ward’s bass and amp that he loaned to Gordon, and he and his brother would spend hours playing 12-bar blues progressions.

 

Eventually Gordon got bass, a cherry red Epiphone Newport, and joined a band with his brother while taking lessons from a pro – Paul Zibits.  Gordon’s high school graduation gift was ’76 Fender Jazz bass.

 

Circa 1979-80, Gordon honed his craft with Trouts, which was in the Elvis Costello / Squeeze / Joe Jackson bag: melodic and hooky.

 

At this point, Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & The Attractions) became a huge influence. Regulars on the local circuit, Trouts lasted for three years.

 

Following Trouts, Gordon took on a rockabilly gig with Stevie Starlite’s band, followed by a blues-rock-fusion gig with Don Griffin and the Griff Band. Gordon then spent five years with The Remainders, a band that started out as a Cajun / Zydeco / New Orleans style band which morphed into an Americana / roots-rock/ pop band which released a cassette and CD.

 

After his tenure in The Remainders, Gordon was back on the local club circuit, and busy in the studio appearing on over forty releases.  His many studio credits include albums with Yardsale and Word Bongo, Joe Pug, Kelley McCrae and Sage Francis, also recording sessions at Abbey Road Studio with Icos. Gordon also anchored European tours and recorded with Jan James.

 

Over a forty-year span, Gordon has played thousands of gigs, including shows with Survivor, Spirit, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Sugar Blue, and Robbie Fulks, among others.

 

Gordon’s go-to bass for twenty years was an Ampeg AEB-1 Scroll bass that he purchased for $90.00 in 1984, and consequently modified.

 

These days he has a penchant for Squire Precision and Tele basses which he “hot rods” by, among other things, changing the pick ups and bridges.  He also uses a custom SG Bass, and a Fender Jazz bass with DiMarzio pickups and flat wound strings. His bass rig is a Yamaha PB-1 Pre amp, run through a Peavey IPR Power Amp, into either an Eden 2×12, Sunn 1×18, Mesa 1×15, or some combination thereof.

 

Gordon’s playing philosophy is to focus on the groove with melodic flourishes, as well as to be intimately familiar with the style of music he is playing, and how to play it, whether it is rock, pop, country, blues, or reggae.

 

In addition to Jack Bruce and Bruce Thomas, his early bass influences include James Jamerson, Phil Lynott, Tony Stevens (Savoy Brown and Foghat), and Greg Ridley (Humble Pie).  Later on Gordon drew inspiration from Jaco Pastorius, Colin Moulding, and Rocco Prestia.

 

In addition to being the Musical Director for The School of Rock, he is involved in multiple projects: Simply Elton, Simply Billy(Joel), Too Bad Company, Heroes (Bowie), Yacht Rock with the Yacht Rockettes, Rick Lindy and Dave Specter.

 

 

Gordon Patriarca Sound & Vision …

 

Gordo’s Gigs Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNPW-Nl7KKAP3QkN3zt07Gh5etV39Hv5g

Music I have appeared on as a bassist from 1980 to the present. Some solo bass weirdness included here too. Tracks include recordings as a band member and as a studio musician. Some live stuff too.

 

The Remainders “Two For The Blues” https://youtu.be/b-_GxL2a_Lc

 

Word Bongo “Witnesses” https://youtu.be/Csj9ftRiAp8

 

Yardsale “How Good It Feels” https://youtu.be/-R1Ysrormpg

 

Icos “Only You and I” https://youtu.be/QNGI7aa1vpA

 

 

Matthew Seligman (Soft Boys, Bowie, Morrissey, Thompson Twins )

Courtesy of Matthew Seligman FB Courtesy of Matthew Seligman FB

Courtesy of Matthew Seligman FB

By Thomas Semioli

A master of the instrument in a pop context, a consummate song player, and among the most prolific players whose career emerged during the “new wave” rock era of the 1980s and continued until his untimely passing in 2020, Matthew Seligman anchored several influential slabs, singles, and ensembles throughout his remarkable career.

 

He was an official member of Bruce Wooley and The Camera Club, the Thompson Twins, The Soft Boys (replacing founding bassist Andy Metcalfe), and The Dolphin Brothers, among others.

 

Seligman’s array of session / sideman credits read akin to a who’s who of modern rock, including: David Bowie’s Live Aid band, the hit “Absolute Beginners” and the soundtrack to Labyrinth; Thomas Dolby (“She Blinded Me With Science”), Robyn Hitchcock, The Waterboys, Stereo MCs, Chris Bell, Sinead O’Connor, Tori Amos, Kimberley Rew, Alex Chilton, Morrissey, Chrissie Hynde, and Sam Brown to cite a select few.

 

A melodic / pocket fretted and fretless player Matthew’s main weapons of choice were the Fender Jazz and Ibanez bass.

 

 

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Matthew Seligman Sound & Vision…

 

Bruce Wooley: “Video Killed the Radio Star” (Original Version 1979) https://youtu.be/kNq0pajn2ME

 

Matthew with The Soft Boys:

 

“Underwater Moonlight” https://youtu.be/DsnVzwiH5XE

 

“Insanely Jealous” https://youtu.be/sZ3-R1ig9sk

 

David Bowie:

 

“Absolute Beginners”  https://youtu.be/iCJLOXqnT2I

 

Live Aid 1985 “Modern Love” https://youtu.be/jLMUZahN7NU

 

Mozzer:

 

“Ouija Board” https://youtu.be/T8V82TXOzm0

 

Thomas Dolby:

 

“She Blinded Me With Science” https://youtu.be/V83JR2IoI8k

 

Tori Amos:

 

“China” https://youtu.be/7pEfCe1-KTw

 

The Thompson Twins:

 

“In the Name of Love” https://youtu.be/Uh6C3WE9DdY

 

Courtesy Matthew Seligman FB Courtesy Matthew Seligman FB

Courtesy Matthew Seligman FB

From Robyn Hitchcock ….

 

I’m writing this as Matthew Seligman slips out of this life and into wherever souls go next. Everybody goes, but none of us were expecting Matthew to leave us so abruptly, forever. It is strange and very sad to be talking of him in the past tense. I first met Matthew in 1976 in Cambridge, just before the beginning of the Soft Boys. He had nice dark hair and was very charming, with a slight break in his voice. 

 

A joyous and funky bass player, he made Underwater Moonlight an exuberant LP to record and listen to. His manic bass run at the end of “Insanely Jealous” and his stately propeller dive into the last chorus of the title track, as well as the insistent groove he brought to “Kingdom of Love” are some of the finest bass playing I have ever witnessed. 

 

Matthew truly believed in the Soft Boys and the record. It was early 1980 and the second Cold War was intensifying. I fondly remember stomping over to the pub after a session and him saying through the dismal spring wind, “We may all be about to be blown up, but at least we’ll have made a classic album.” 

 

The band didn’t survive too long into the bleak 1980s, but Matthew found a home as a bass player in many great musical shells. The Thompson Twins, David Bowie, Morrissey and Chrissie Hynde were all lucky beneficiaries of his intuitive and circular grooves. 

 

As well as bass playing, he specialized in one-liners. “Pop music is about over-stating the obvious” and “What you’ve proved to the music industry is that you can’t sell records” are two of my favorites. 

 

I’m profoundly grateful to have played music with him – you could really see his face light up like a full moon when he listened back to a take he enjoyed. Onstage he would lope and lurch and pace when the music moved him. Matthew is, was, and always will be one of the greats. My heart goes out to his partner,Mami; his children Daisy and Lily, and all who were close to him and his lunar intensity.

 

 

Robyn H, Nashville, April 17, 2020

 

 

Courtesy Matthew Seligman FB Courtesy Matthew Seligman FB

Courtesy Matthew Seligman FB

Pete Farndon (The Pretenders)

Courtesy of The Pretenders Com Courtesy of The Pretenders Com

Courtesy of The Pretenders Com

By Thomas Semioli

 

An engaging performer and a founding member of The Pretenders, Pete Farndon embodied the punk ethos of attitude over skill. However as the band progressed, he developed the necessary chops, as so many players do in their early years with steady work on the bandstand.

Of course, Chrissie’s songs reign supreme in The Pretenders – as does her vision of the band, hence Pete worked the lower register exclusively, and outlined the changes with rudimentary root / third / fifth passages, and basically (pun) stayed out of harm’s way.  Bassists who’ve followed in Pete’s bootsteps have noted to me (and in various publications), that Hynde is rather dictatorial towards her players – all Pretenders bass passages must be Chrissie approved. Note that the band has employed dozens of players since Farndon’s firing, and tragic passing.

Pete also served as a backing vocalist and composed two songs which made it to wax “The Wait” and “Space Invader.” Rumors abound that on occasion session player(s) were called in to ghost his parts, but I have no official proof…so I cannot confirm such claims.

Farndon’s primary weapons of choice included Fender Jazz and Precision basses, and a Rickenbacker 4001.

Dig Pete and The Pretenders at the height of their powers: https://youtu.be/_HD2fodz-7c

Courtesy of The Pretenders Com Courtesy of The Pretenders Com

Courtesy of The Pretenders Com

Jim DeMont (The Insiders)

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By Joe Gagliardo

Jim’s story is a familiar one – albeit with a twist!

Like many of his generation, Jim was drawn to music and the instrument by The Beatles and Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones with Bill Wyman, Cream’s Jack Bruce, and John Entwistle with The Who.

Yet whereas Paul was a lefty who played a left-handed instrument; Jim is a lefty who learned to pay bass right-handed!

In the mid-70s Jim was playing with an Erie based band named Pistol Whip, spreading their unique brand of glam rock throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and the east coast.  By 1977 the band had made its way to Chicago and had shifted from punk to obscure garage cover songs.  They played a series of shows in Chicago and the Midwest, including opening slots for The Runaways at Danny Seraphine’s rock club B’Ginnings.

Upon returning to Erie, Pistol Whip underwent personnel changes, as well as a name change to The Swingers. Hitting Chicago again in late-’78, The Swingers released a punk version of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” that garnered significant air play in Chicago, thereby creating a buzz for the band.

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In 1979, Chicago became Jim’s permanent home.  When The Swingers ended their run, Jim was introduced to Gary Yerkins and John Siegle and played with Garrison, a pop/new wave band that released an LP, Big Dat, in 1981.

Following his stint Garrison, Jim played with B.B. Spin, which had moved away from their punky roots to establishing itself as a popular rhythm and blues dance band.

B.B. Spin released an LP in 1983, Try To Beat The Heat, which included Jim and Jay O’Rourke – a future member of The Insiders.  Both Garrison and B.B. Spin were bands that established large followings, and toured extensively with Iggy Pop, The Stranglers, and John Cale.

In the mid-80s, members of Garrison and B.B. Spin joined forces and formed The Insiders, who were signed to the Epic/CBS label, and their first release, Ghost on the Beach peaked at #167 on the Billboard 200.

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The title track “Ghost” reached #8 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and was the first MTV Hip Clip of the Week. The band was a mainstay on the Chicago scene for eight years, and released three more albums, Fate in Action, Not For Sale, and Live at Fitzgerald’s.

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Since The Insiders, Jim has played in popular club bands; Vendooza, Razorhouse and Fun House.  The latter is, as you would expect, is a high-energy ensemble that deftly blasts out Iggy Pop songs, and is a hot ticket in Chicago!

Over the years, depending on the music, Jim has used many basses, including a Fender Mustang, Gibson EB3, Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jazz Basses, a Lakland 5 String Deluxe, a Lakland Decade with a 35 in. neck strung BEAD, and a late-60’s Hofner Club Bass, among others.

Check out Jim’s tight pocket playing, with melodic flourishes:

The Insiders “Ghost on the Beach” https://youtu.be/XAZ80hdBmBs

The Insiders “Gimme Some Lovin” from Iron Eagle II https://youtu.be/d59obhG4Mnk

The Insiders “13 Skirts” https://youtu.be/yHg0yaLhC9o

The Insiders “Scarlet Ribbons” https://youtu.be/PyAX_KDdoRQ

Fun House live https://youtu.be/PrpVRDNrg0I

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Peter Cetera (Chicago)

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By Joe Iaquinto

There’s two people who I always wanted to be…a Beatle or a Beach Boy…” Peter Cetera

 

When I started playing the electric bass in 1971, back when it was the voice of popular music, there was no shortage of great players in any style. Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, Bob Babbitt, James Jamerson, Richard Davis, Wilton Felder, Chuck Rainey – all of them had a huge influence on my playing and helped me to develop my own voice, but it was Peter Cetera who brought it all together for me.

 

The first Chicago song that I was aware of was “Saturday In The Park.”  Hearing that thunderous, melodic bass part four bars after the infectious piano intro was all it took.

 

Once I realized who I was listening to I went out and got all the available albums and immersed myself in the music.  “I’m a Man,” with its percussive picked bass intro, the upper register runs and ever-shifting feel of “Questions 67 and 68,” the disciplined simplicity of “25 or 6 to 4, ” and the bass tour de force that is “Dialogue, Part 1 and 2.”

 

The latter is from Chicago V, which is arguably one of the band’s finest albums.  From a bass playing standpoint, it is  Peter Cetera’s best work, in my humble opinion.  Armed with one of two early-sixties Fender Precision Basses (Cetera owned one and producer James William Guercio’s white P-Bass was used on the first album and here and there on others) and a slot-headed Gibson EB-3, Peter Cetera’s bass playing runs the gamut from progressive rock goodness (“A Hit By Varese”) to finger funk ferocity (“State of The Union”) to walking jazz expertise (“Goodbye”) and Pop Rock Royalty (“Saturday in The Park”).

 

But the real gem on Chicago’s first single disc offering, is the aforementioned “Dialogue, Part 1 and 2.”  To me, it is every bit as wonderful and important as Paul McCartney’s playing on “Something.”  Terry Kath and Peter Cetera share lead vocals on this Robert Lamm composition, which is a musical conversation between two people with different ideologies, and Peter’s bass part is brilliantly back and forth, supportive yet restrained, and then bursting with emotion when proper.

 

Ever-evolving but never in the way. I remember literally picking the record player arm up and playing this song over and over and over and over.  Chicago V is also the album I use when bassists look at me cross-eyed when I tell them that Peter Cetera was my bass idol.  One guy laughed and asked me if I liked any ‘real bass players.”

 

He apologized profusely after I loaned him that album.  One of Peter’s biggest influences and favorite bassists was the late, great Andy Fraser, a fellow Gibson EB-3 player, and you can hear that in his playing on songs like “Now That You’ve Gone,” and “State of The Union.”

 

Even as the albums started to become less daring and more commercial, like the following release, Chicago VI, Peter never dumbed it down and always played something catchy and interesting. Listen to what he does with “Just You N Me,” by James Pankow. It’s a classic PC bass part, complete with tasty fills and that perfect blend of percussive-yet-melodic sensitivity.

 

Peter would go on to record nine more studio albums with Chicago and tour almost non-stop in front of each release, never failing to play and sing his ass off.  Even in their darkest moments, like the huge disaster that was Chicago XIV, you would never hear him phone it in.

 

Blessed with one of the most recognizable and iconic voices in modern music history, his bass playing has often gone unnoticed and unheralded.  But those who know, know!  Just ask Will Lee and Nathan East if you don’t want to take my word for it.  I’m grateful to have become friends with Peter over the years and in 2012, while I was Peter’s brother Kenny’s bassist and MD, I got to perform with him and play bass and acoustic guitar on several of his biggest hits when he joined us onstage in Las Vegas.

 

For this poor kid from Sheepshead Bay, that was all the proof I needed that miracles do exist!  He also bought me lunch. Twice!  Monumental bassist/singer/songwriter and one hell of a great guy.

 

Till this day, I channel him in everything I play on the electric bass. It’s impossible not to.

 

Other than the songs I’ve already mentioned, I would highly recommend the following cuts for the total Peter Cetera bass experience:

 

Wake Up Sunshine (Chicago II) https://youtu.be/-7Qz2xPyJbc

 

At The Sunrise (Chicago III) https://youtu.be/o_X909h1x1k

 

All Is Well (Chicago V) https://youtu.be/jPVWCq8EWxY

 

Hollywood (Chicago VI) https://youtu.be/mmvUvYGzlgk

 

Something In this City Changes People (Chicago VI) https://youtu.be/_447n9Omc34

 

Hanky Panky/Life Saver (Chicago VII) https://youtu.be/6c3F46dz94A

 

Woman Don’t Want To Love Me (Chicago VII) https://youtu.be/VGaghf6nS6Y

 

Brand New Love Affair (Chicago VIII) https://youtu.be/L83kotQdhKs

 

Never Been In Love Before (Chicago VIII) https://youtu.be/3-mTxJy3qJA

 

Scrapbook (Chicago X) https://youtu.be/rbq2bap4xQk

 

Mississippi Delta City Blues (Chicago XI) https://youtu.be/fY3F6FP61os

 

No Tell Lover (Hot Streets) https://youtu.be/C_lOqptCAiU

 

Life Is What It Is (Chicago 13) https://youtu.be/-2ku4x4SKi4

 

Chains (Chicago 16) https://youtu.be/EVTWHcCeDH4

 

Stay The Night (Chicago 17) https://youtu.be/5LTWwkBNilI

 

I had the pleasure of doing a radio interview some years back with James William Guercio, the man who brought Chicago to California and produced their first eleven albums and  managed their career. He also played bass with the Beach Boys on tour and recorded a few tracks on the other side of the glass with Chicago. In fact,  that’s him playing bass on “If you Leave Me Now.” 

 

When I asked Guercio what it was like working with Peter in the studio, he told me that he never had to tell Peter what to play on bass and recounted a funny story about how he mixed the bass on those albums.  He said that he and Peter would take a cassette mix out to his car and if the plastic dashboard Jesus danced, the bass was perfect! 

 

I can go on forever about what an impact Peter Cetera’s bass playing had on me, his vast array of basses and amps, and more.  The bottom line (pun intended) is that he was  truly one of the best players of the era, and  his name should always be included when speaking of all the great singer/bassists, like Sting, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Randy Meisner, and Glen Hughes. 

 

Anyone who writes him off as a balladeer is grossly uninformed and needs to join the Peter Cetera Bass Club!  Heck, even Jaco was a fan! Yes, that Jaco!  Peter told me that Jaco would come over to his house in Malibu and play his Ernie Ball Earthwood acoustic bass and told him  he wanted to sub for him in Chicago!   

 

I guess Jaco forgot about the singing part of the gig…

Charles Colbert (The American Breed)

 

By Joe Gagliardo

Influenced by jazz and rhythm and blues bassists, Charles Colbert started playing his Fender Precision bass guitar in his church, and graduated to playing the “chitlin circuit” behind many successful singers and groups, including Jan Bradley (a protégé of Curtis Mayfield), The Contours and The Drifters.

 

In the early 60’s, Charles was a member of The Daylighters; a Chicago-based soul vocal group.  Their single, “Cool Breeze,” was produced by Johnny Pate, and was a regional hit.

 

“Cool Breeze” https://youtu.be/iNGgcoVLWXo

 

In 1965, Charles was playing bass with Gary and the Knight Lites.  The band released a number of singles on local labels, but chart success eluded them until they changed their name to The American Breed, who were among the first racially integrated rock bands.

 

In 1967, with Charles on bass guitar, Gary Loizzo (American Breed, Pumpkin Studios Production) and Al Ciner (American Breed, Rufus and Three Dog Night) on guitars, and Lee Graziano (American Breed and Rufus) on drums; took “Step Out of Your Mind” to the Top 10 in Chicago, and it climbed to # 24 on the national charts.

 

“Step Out of Your Mind” https://youtu.be/cC1cl3LiJeU

 

Their next single, “Bend Me Shape Me,” with its immediately recognizable drum and horn introduction, took them to # 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and resulted in multiple appearances on national TV, including American Bandstand and The Joey Bishop Show, where they were presented a Gold Record for their million-selling record.

 

“Bend Me Shape Me” https://youtu.be/9vXD55sf6ZU

 

Their live shows were filled with great music, vocals, and energy including drummer Graziano, who simultaneously played the drums and trumpet! As they were sponsored by Baldwin, the band had an array of fine guitars and amplifiers, which, combined with their stylish suits, created a cool visual on-stage symmetry.

 

 

As the musical and social landscapes were changing, so did the music of the American Breed.  The band gravitated towards funky soulful sounds.

 

Check out Charles’ driving bass and singing on “Hunky Funky” and on the socially conscious “Room At The Top,” co-written by Charles.

 

“Hunky Funky” https://youtu.be/yXv92nYDD_0

 

“Room at the Top” https://youtu.be/zFVNdJlPQhg

 

This was the precursor to what was to become Ask Rufus, and later Rufus.  However, Charles, deciding he wanted to sing and perform more, became one of Rufus’ three dynamite lead singers.  Charles was joined by Paulette McWilliams (Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, solo) and Jimmy Stella (The Circus).  At that point, Willie Weeks took over the bass chair in Rufus.  Note that this was pre-Chaka Khan!

 

Since the American Breed and Rufus, Charles has worked with, and/or produced, a virtual who’s who of artists, including Harry Belafonte, Ahmad Jamal, Johnny Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Kurtis Blow, Pops and Mavis Staples, Peabo Bryson, Rufus Thomas and Oscar Brown, Jr.

 

Charles is currently producing an inspirational CD on the American Breed entitled “Epiphany”, and he is also currently part of a musical project that will build on the We Are The World concept, using all legendary Chicago singers and musicians.

 

True to its name, it is an effort to “Bring Back The Love” between people.   These days, Charles’ go-to basses are his vintage Fender Precision and Jazz basses.

 

Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters)

A major player on the alternative scene since the 1990s, Nathan Mendel has anchored the mighty Foo Fighters for several platinum slabs and stadium tours.

With his beloved candy apple red ’71 Precision, which Fender has replicated by way of a signature tribute model, Mendel works the lower register with precise harmonic and rhythmic movement to serve the singer and the songs – like most of us do.

Dig Nate talking Fender bass: https://youtu.be/Bnve6E1ij_4

Mendel was also a member of Sunny Day Real Estate, among other ensembles, and currently toils as leader of a side project entitled “Lieutenant.”

Dig Nate with Sunny Day Real Estate “In Circles” https://youtu.be/41YqzHoCgk4

Dig Nate with the Foos: “The Pretender” https://youtu.be/SBjQ9tuuTJQ