Subject: Level 42 Digest, #12 ===================== * LEVEL 42 DIGEST * ===================== Digest 12 Thursday, 09/02/93 Today's topics: King's Basses. Re: Mark King's Bass Guitars Re: Level 42 Digest, #11 ------------------------------ From: dj107 @ eng.cam.ac.uk Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 12:14:40 +0100 Subject: King's Basses. Just to add a little to the discussion about Mark King's basses, here's some information. When King started playing he was majorly influenced by Stanley Clarke and therefore had his heart set on an Alembic bass. However the band's advance from Polydor wouldn't stretch to this, so he ended up with a JayDee bass from Birmingham luthier John Diggins. Up to about World Machine, King used Status Graphite basses made by Rob Green in addition to JayDees although there is also a credit on the sleeve of A Physical Presence to Pangborne Basses. In 1989 or so King met some representatives of Alembic in America and the result of this was the bass with which King seems to be seen at the moment - it is made of cocobolo wood and has LED fingerboard lights. On tour in the UK most recently King has begun shows with the Alembic bass but switches to Status Matrix Empathy 4- and 5-string headed models. On tour in the UK a few years ago (well , not so much a tour as a 20 night residency at the Hammersmith Odeon) he was using the original lower-down-the-range Matrix models. For the recording of 'Guaranteed' he used MusicMan Stingray basses as well as a old Moon bass with Alembic electronics which was defretted for the occasion. Finally, King has a Wal MB4 Midi Bass Guitar which he has used in the past for Prince's trust concerts and which also appears on Guaranteed. most of the above is culled from the interview with King in 'Bass Player' a couple of years ago. Any clarification/addition to the above welcome. David James. David James |E-Mail: dj107 @ eng.cam.ac.uk Voice: +44 223 560454 Speech Group| Downing College Cambridge CB2 1DQ UK. Cambridge UK| Keep Tuesday Special ------------------------------ From: cmarshal @ acorn.co.uk (Chris Marshall) Date: Wed, 01 Sep 93 18:25:09 BST Subject: Re: Mark King's Bass Guitars In digest #11, BARSON @ DEVL.FNAL.GOV asks about basses:- > Hi,there! I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the make and model of the > headless bass Mark King used and promoted in the late '80s. I think it might > have been Washburn. Also, do you know what he's playing on now? It's a Status bass. Sort of an all graphite afair, terribly expensive, made about 10 miles from my home. Shame they don't do a 'local bass player' discount :-( Then, Herr Gruppenfuhrer Eric J. Hansen :-) said:- > Heyz guyz - > In regards to the question about Mark's basses, doesn't it say in several > of the albums' liner notes that he uses "J.D. and Status basses"? In the early/mid 80's the album notes say he used JayDee (or J.D.) and Status basses. He seemed to use JayDee basses live though, and a mix in videos - in the video of The Chant Has Begun, he has a Status. In the video of The Sun Goes Down he uses what looks like a Pangbourn (sp?), which is an early precursor to Alembic basses. He seems to use predominately Alembic basses now, although I read that he experimented with a WAL MIDI bass at some point. It sounds like it was used on one of the songs on Guaranteed - a deep, almost bell-like, sound to the bass line. Also, there's a fretless bass on Seven Years (or days, confusion here with True Colours), a killer fretless bass line if I ever heard one. Some of the Alembic basses have LED's on the neck, although I know Status made guitars with LED's for him too, since I saw the 'Mark King' sticky label on the necks in the Status workshop! > Does anyone know if Mark endorses any brands? You often see various well- > known musicians endorsing their sponsor's instrument in musician mags... > one would think that Mark is respected well enough to be known in the bass > world, but I've never seen him in any magazine advertisements. Can some > of the bass players on the list elaborate on whether or not Mark is "known" > in the world of bass musicianship? Mark seems to endorse Trace Elliot bass amplification, at least he appears in the adverts a lot. The Staring at The Sun tour programme shows him with Mesa/Boogie kit also. Incidentally Trace Elliot is only about 10 miles from my home too. I can't afford any of their kit either :-( Is Mark known in the world of bass musicianship? I should say so! He regularly tops UK bass player polls, despite the fact that he admits that there are much better players in the world. He puts it down to the fact that he is a 'popular' bass player, rather than an especially good one. His words, not mine, paraphrased from the Fait Accompli video. > Almost There, > Eric Hope this sheds some light on things, --Chris ----------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Marshall Acorn Computers Ltd No, I don't speak for them. Yes, I do have better things to do... ------------------------------ From: Lazlo Nibble Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 11:28:36 -0600 (MDT) Subject: Re: Level 42 Digest, #11 > For those that didn't already know... there is a reasonable complete (39k!) > discography for Level 42 available via anonymous ftp at . > [Eric Hansen] And if you download it and find that it isn't "reasonably complete" enough for you (:-)), email me with any adds you have, as I'm the person who maintains it. > To Lazlo Nibble: WHERE DID YOU GET THE LINDUP ALBUM?!?!?!?!? > ARRRRGHHH! ARRRGHHH!!! [Elson] I had a friend in Sweden (!) buy it and send it to me. I've never seen it for sale in the States, unfortunately -- it's a better album than the last couple of L42 discs. Polydor 843 514-2 if you care to try to special-order it. > As far as I know this CD came out not too long ago (1990) on Polydor > (probably the last L42-related release on that label) [Elson] Just to be painfully pedantic (in other words, don't get me started talking about bands I collect) the L42 "The Remixes" disc would qualify when it came out last year. -- Lazlo (lazlo @ unm.edu)