Does anyone besides myself miss Bruce Thomas' bass work ???
A new interview with Bryce , sorry , Bruce -
http://fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=198
July '07
Bruce Thomas
A Fender News Q&A with one of the bass world’s elusive main Attractions
Wanna learn to play bass guitar with impeccable phrasing, rock-solid groove and an adventurous sense of melody? Go get any of the great albums by Elvis Costello & the Attractions and immerse yourself in the beyond-belief bass work of Bruce Thomas. Everything you need to know about pop bass is right there.
From 1977 to 1987 and from 1994 to 1996, Thomas’s agile Duck Dunn-meets-Duck Dodgers prowess on an oddly colored Fender Precision Bass® lent muscle and finesse to the Attractions, one of the most versatile pop commando units ever to storm stage and studio and with whom Thomas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Examples of his highly lyrical bass expertise abound—marvel at how he treats each verse of “Big Tearsâ€
http://fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=198
July '07
Bruce Thomas
A Fender News Q&A with one of the bass world’s elusive main Attractions
Wanna learn to play bass guitar with impeccable phrasing, rock-solid groove and an adventurous sense of melody? Go get any of the great albums by Elvis Costello & the Attractions and immerse yourself in the beyond-belief bass work of Bruce Thomas. Everything you need to know about pop bass is right there.
From 1977 to 1987 and from 1994 to 1996, Thomas’s agile Duck Dunn-meets-Duck Dodgers prowess on an oddly colored Fender Precision Bass® lent muscle and finesse to the Attractions, one of the most versatile pop commando units ever to storm stage and studio and with whom Thomas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Examples of his highly lyrical bass expertise abound—marvel at how he treats each verse of “Big Tearsâ€
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[quote="johnfoyle"]Other than that, my interests are directed towards Manchester United, who are currently the best football team on the planet, although Barcelona are quite good, too. If you were to see the current wearer of the number seven shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo (check him out on YouTube), then you’ll realize why we’re quite happy to let you have Beckham (via way of Real Madrid, of course). I’ve installed software that allows me to see pirate broadcasts of MU games via Hong Kong (when English TV channels are not showing them) so I never miss a game. Our arch rivals are Ch***** (I still can’t bring myself to say their name), which makes it all the more satisfying that one of my better bass lines was on the song “I Don’t Want To Go To Ch*****,â€
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Best bits -
[quote]We’ve also done some new age-chill out type CDs, one of which, Silent Circle, has sold well. I played live bass on an album for Tasmin Archer a while back. There are two or three good tunes on it from the bass-playing point of view. At the time, Tasmin was also recording vocals on a new version of “Reelin’ in the Yearsâ€
[quote]We’ve also done some new age-chill out type CDs, one of which, Silent Circle, has sold well. I played live bass on an album for Tasmin Archer a while back. There are two or three good tunes on it from the bass-playing point of view. At the time, Tasmin was also recording vocals on a new version of “Reelin’ in the Yearsâ€
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Seems to me Bruce is a bit of a turncoat ! he wrote a couple of songs for West London mighty football team Queens Park Rangers including the mighty Loftus Roadrunners (a track reflecting the name of the stadium where QPR play) and also his first pro band
However, despite wandering football affinities ( and as an Arsenal fan, I particularly despise anyone who turns into a Man Utd fan from anywhere else), I have to say that Bruce is an infinitely better bass player than Davey or indeed virtually any other bass player you care to mention, though Paul Bryan of the Allen Toussaint band comes very very close. His rhythmic invention and ability to "find the groove"was very similar to Bruce's - maybe Bruce just has a bit more skill at improvisation and I'd have loved to have heard his playing on Button My Lip, Bedlam and Episode of Blonde
However, despite wandering football affinities ( and as an Arsenal fan, I particularly despise anyone who turns into a Man Utd fan from anywhere else), I have to say that Bruce is an infinitely better bass player than Davey or indeed virtually any other bass player you care to mention, though Paul Bryan of the Allen Toussaint band comes very very close. His rhythmic invention and ability to "find the groove"was very similar to Bruce's - maybe Bruce just has a bit more skill at improvisation and I'd have loved to have heard his playing on Button My Lip, Bedlam and Episode of Blonde
Last edited by sulky lad on Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[quote="johnfoyle"]Other than that, my interests are directed towards Manchester United, who are currently the best football team on the planet, although Barcelona are quite good, too. If you were to see the current wearer of the number seven shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo (check him out on YouTube), then you’ll realize why we’re quite happy to let you have Beckham (via way of Real Madrid, of course). I’ve installed software that allows me to see pirate broadcasts of MU games via Hong Kong (when English TV channels are not showing them) so I never miss a game. Our arch rivals are Ch***** (I still can’t bring myself to say their name), which makes it all the more satisfying that one of my better bass lines was on the song “I Don’t Want To Go To Ch*****,â€
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What a great rhythm section they were: Bryce Thomas and Paté Thomas! So great, in fact, that we are barely worthy to even spell their names correctly.
Ah, interesting to read in that interview that Pete basically got Bruce into the Attractions (because Pete had been a huge fan of Quiver). As we know, legend has it that EC was opposed to Bruce's inclusion initially.
Ah, interesting to read in that interview that Pete basically got Bruce into the Attractions (because Pete had been a huge fan of Quiver). As we know, legend has it that EC was opposed to Bruce's inclusion initially.
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Bruce is an AMAZING bass player, the best in mainstream pop since McCartney.
However, check out the bass on 'Button My Lip' - that's not exactly shite.
Besides, the 'Attractions sound' really ended with Blood and Chocolate anyway. ATUB has little to connect it with the earlier stuff...so I doubt that Bruce's presence would make any fundamental difference.
What bugs me about EC's recent albums is not the bottom-heavy aspect but the way the vocals are push way up in the mix, but that's another story.
BTW, I LOVE the little insights into how various EC tunes were sculpted...I wish we had more of that sort of thing in pop writing/journalism, instead of gossip and other garbage.
However, check out the bass on 'Button My Lip' - that's not exactly shite.
Besides, the 'Attractions sound' really ended with Blood and Chocolate anyway. ATUB has little to connect it with the earlier stuff...so I doubt that Bruce's presence would make any fundamental difference.
What bugs me about EC's recent albums is not the bottom-heavy aspect but the way the vocals are push way up in the mix, but that's another story.
BTW, I LOVE the little insights into how various EC tunes were sculpted...I wish we had more of that sort of thing in pop writing/journalism, instead of gossip and other garbage.
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This file sharer has some groovy stuff from Bruce's past -
http://chrisgoesrocks.blogspot.com/2007 ... um-uk.html
Peter Barden - The Answer (1st Album UK Progressive 1970)
(extract)
The Answer was his chance to step out of the shadows, and while his skills as a keyboardist were formidable, his songwriting just wasn't up to carrying an interesting album of his own. Devoted to a half-dozen lengthy tracks varying in duration from five to 13 minutes, Bardens offered a blues-progressive stew that, despite some flashy licks, lacked focus. It's a shame there wasn't better material to work with, for some quite talented musicians were among the supporting cast, including Love Affair singer Steve Ellis, session vocalist Linda Lewis, Bruce Thomas (later to back Elvis Costello in the Attractions), and most of all his old friend Peter Green. In fact, Green offers some of his best playing as a sideman on this record, which both makes it better than it could have been, and makes it worth checking out for serious fans of the guitarist. In common with some of Green's own solo work, however, it's a meandering record, bits of promising ideas swirling around before they've been honed into something cogent. Against the odds, however, the 13-minute "Homage to the God of Light" is the highlight, its mesh of Latin-esque rhythms, burning organ, and bluesy guitar recalling some of early Santana's more jammy grooves.
http://chrisgoesrocks.blogspot.com/2007 ... um-uk.html
Peter Barden - The Answer (1st Album UK Progressive 1970)
(extract)
The Answer was his chance to step out of the shadows, and while his skills as a keyboardist were formidable, his songwriting just wasn't up to carrying an interesting album of his own. Devoted to a half-dozen lengthy tracks varying in duration from five to 13 minutes, Bardens offered a blues-progressive stew that, despite some flashy licks, lacked focus. It's a shame there wasn't better material to work with, for some quite talented musicians were among the supporting cast, including Love Affair singer Steve Ellis, session vocalist Linda Lewis, Bruce Thomas (later to back Elvis Costello in the Attractions), and most of all his old friend Peter Green. In fact, Green offers some of his best playing as a sideman on this record, which both makes it better than it could have been, and makes it worth checking out for serious fans of the guitarist. In common with some of Green's own solo work, however, it's a meandering record, bits of promising ideas swirling around before they've been honed into something cogent. Against the odds, however, the 13-minute "Homage to the God of Light" is the highlight, its mesh of Latin-esque rhythms, burning organ, and bluesy guitar recalling some of early Santana's more jammy grooves.
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I suspect that she just gave Mr Bardens "The Answer"; and the answer was:johnfoyle wrote:After examining an enlargement I can report that , from the waist up, all she is wearing is a facial expression that suggests severe indigestion.Correct me if I'm wrong, but did the lady on the right dress somewhat carelessly? Or is she wearing a flesh-coloured top ?
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My friends are strange...
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Spot on.Who Shot Sam? wrote:That's strange. He strikes me as an even bigger ass than before. Can't work out why.
I always liked Bruce's playing and expected the EC insults, but really, insulting Pete is the thin end of the wedge.
And as for supporting Manure...........it explains a lot.
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