Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Showcase => Artists and Their Alembics => Topic started by: bassfingers on February 07, 2009, 02:42:45 PM
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Mark King in his home studio (I think).Getting some wonderful tones out of his Series 2.
Apologies if this is a re-post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSXtQV7m2PM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSXtQV7m2PM)
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Never seen Mark King tapping before,which he does briefly at 0:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR9ZOSwi8XU&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR9ZOSwi8XU&feature=related)
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Thanks for that, as you say great tone, hearing his bass really naked like that gave me an insight into getting close to that tone which I have now managed with sig electronics. Some careful dialling.
Jake
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I read an interview where he said he was pretty much a 'turn everything up full and see what happens' kinda guy,but I always suspected there was 'some careful dialling' going on.
(Message edited by bassfingers on March 05, 2009)
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too nice coco bolo serie II and too nice sound and too nice play and too nice.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93VqyeUz8Z8&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93VqyeUz8Z8&feature=related)
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Found this one, I didn't see it posted anywhere, so here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYIjNDINGxo&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYIjNDINGxo&feature=player_embedded)
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I love MK.Here in the states, not enough bass players know about him.The usual response from guys when they hear him is wide eyes and who' THAT!!.He is so much more than Level 42.
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Sounds more like Stanley Clarke than Stanley does!
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LOL!
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I do like Mark King, I would not say I'm a big fan of his although his playing is remarkable. What I find interesting that I've never seen or heard of Mark King being invited on-stage to play/sit in with other premier bass players or jazz-funk musicians. I recall Allan Holdsworth played with Level 42 but I do wonder if Mark has ever done gigs with Allan doing Allan's music? Not that I'm trying to push Mark over JJ at all. Just a curiosity thing.
Maybe you can enlighten me.
jazzyvee
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> > > > Well, you know... not every musician might want to play other guy's music. There are guys that only like -or feel comfortable- playing their stuff. Take me, for an instance., if Allan Holdsworth calls me to play his music with him, I'd politely say no... (but that's because I would get lost by measure 6, and also not to spoil work from JJ!!), hahahaha!!! > > >
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I actually didn't think about musicians only wanting to play their own stuff. But that may be one of the reasons.
Jazzyvee
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Here is a good quality recording and a clear view of one of his alembics.
Jazzyvee
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I would love to play with Allan, but I'd do it in my own way. I don't mind flailing badly, I would just want the experience!
I experience Mark as more of a pop bass player who has incorporated some of the flavors of jazz players into his music. Throwing him into the deep end of jazz wouldn't be fair. However, I've had the same thoughts about other players. I know that John Scofield played in Phil Lesh's band, but I'd love to hear it the other way 'round. Of course, he's got Steve Swallow on the job a lot, so that's sort of close. I hope, though, when I get into my 70s, that I'd be willing to stretch myself.
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I like and respect Mark King a lot. I think he made a huge contribution to raising the profile & awareness of the electric bass over here in the UK when Level 42 burst onto the scene. Its fair to say that Stanley Clarke was a big catalyst in the development of the young Mark King - but most of us here of a certain age could lay claim to that same thing!
Strangely enough some musicians seem to gain a huge profile, a kind of long term general appeal to the masses - whilst others are symptomatic of a particular time & place...they burn extremely bright but fade with time.
I think MK probably falls into this category - but I think he is a bass great all the same.
For the record I'd love to play with Allan Holdsworth - but the word on the street is he doesnt really want to play with me lol!
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John, I agree with you, although Mark never made the impact here in the states that he did in the UK, so he's always been this kind of underground, really cool player. I guess there was some radio action in the 80s that I missed while I was immersing myself in much more weird music, but perhaps his US ascendancy is still in the future!
Oh yeah, one more thing. I have to hand it to Mark for being able to sing and play at the same time like that!
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I saw Mark with LEVEL 42 a few times , once as an opening act for TINA TURNER ! . His singing and simultaneous bass playing also impressed me. I like his bass chops inLessons in Love.
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> > > > Well, certainly MK left a HUGE mark on me, he is one of my biggest influences, and Level is certainly one of my favourite bands ever, although the albums/songs I like the most are not the most widely known. I turn, from time to time, to A Physical Presence and Guaranteed, although both being completely different concept and line-ups (Guaranteed is the one with Holdsworth, with that wonderful, mammoth tune that is If you were mine), I still love both!. > Been thinking from some time ago, if I could order my next Alembic, would it probably be a Balance K MK with Series 2 electronics.. yum... :P > >
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Some other less known songs are The Pursuit Of Accidents,Mr. Pink, and Foundation And Empire.And you can't deny the influence of the opening riff to Love Games.For warming up I often go through Eyes Waterfalling(slowly at first).Fun stuff,but sadly,under appreciated in the states.
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Hey Wolf, I saw that tour of L42 and TT. That was right when he first got his SII with the incredibly bright LEDs. I was at the Forum in LA (Inglewood) when they came through. Were you at a show in SoCal?
MK has an incredible amount of stamina and did make a significant contribution to advancing the art/science of electric bass, probably even among players that didn't know they were being influenced by him.
There's something about ex-drummers that move over to bass...
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Harold, When I saw L42 and TT it was in San Francisco at one of the Fillmore Theater reopening shows , mid 1980's. I remember that Bass !
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nice Status king bass in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqKlJxPOfj0&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqKlJxPOfj0&feature=player_embedded)