As you do of a weekend, the same old questions bubble to the surface and I find myself pondering the unanswered – who is playing bass on ‘The Old Man’s Back Again’ from Scott 4?
As I’ve been unable to discover of any session allumni laying claim to this mighty funky chunky plunking I can only assume that it’s Mr W himself. Anyone been able to ascertain otherwise?
I can’t help with your query but if it was newer Scott he may have been playing a side of beef. Which is a good thing of course.
It is Scott Walker himself using flatwounds with a pick on his Epiphone Rivoli. He spent some time in LA learning from Carole Kaye and Joe Osborn, who often used flats with a pick.
It was a very rare blonde one too.
Only 72 Epiphone Rivoli basses were shipped in blonde between 1961 – 69 when it was discontinued.
That compares with 1480 in sunburst and 312 in cherry red.
Don’t say I never tell you nuffink.
http://i.imgur.com/rAKkVHU.jpg
Fecking cool photo – I didn’t realise he was a bass player. The Jury still seems to be out on this though – some say Scott, some say the ‘Grandad’ hitmaker Herbie Flowers, Scott says he “can’t remember” – or has new info come to light??
Could be one of the UK session players as you say.
I’m not much of a fan of Scott Walker’s solo stuff, but I’ve always found The Walker Brothers to be something of a fascinating conundrum for many reasons:
1) They were a US band living, working and recording in the UK with British musicians
2) Despite their moody big ballad style and heavily orchestrated music, they all had great rock star haircuts for the time (1965) and looked really cool
3) …and two of them were impossibly handsome
4) None of them were actually called Walker
5) In 1965 John Walker sold Jeff Beck the 1954 Fender Esquire he used throughout his Yardbirds career for £75. It’s now in a guitar museum somewhere in California
6) The lead singer went on to make some very strange records indeed
http://i.imgur.com/TGrBptB.jpg
you forgot to mention
4a) They weren’t actually brothers
True, but I was hoping 4) would cover that.
7) All three members released solo records, some, like this one, as early as 1959
http://i.imgur.com/DRzcyic.jpg
How weird. I listened to Scott 4 last night, and wondered the same.
A former history teacher writes: this is also information I have craved for many years!
What’s the source?
Yes “citation needed” as the kids say these days
An interesting question Dave, and one which I shall ponder. I have wondered that myself in the past as it jumps out at you, doesn’t it. Spookily, it always reminded me of John Paul Jones….and in response to your question I had a look at who Johnny Franz was using as session players around then…bugger me, in 68 he produced an album for Dusty Springfield featuring JPJ on bass. I wonder…sounds like him to me…
I think it could be JPJ too.
Could it be Dave Richmond? He played bass on Melody Nelson and Je T’aime which both seems cut from the same cloth bass-wise
Herbie Flowers is another possibility
I’m still none the wiser. Apparently Scott said it wasn’t him but can’t recall who it was in a “late period interview” but I can’t find a source in the few interviews ever does.
I thought someone would have copped to playing what Bowie calls in the 30th Century Man doc, a bass sound that is ‘quite extraordinary’.