More from Bruce -
http://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2180#comments
Jerry Cohen says:
March 31, 2014 at 4:00 am
Thanks for posting the early version of B-Movie. You’re right, sounds a bit like an Attractions tribute band. Whatever you guys were having for “inspiration” in the pub really did the trick! To give credit where it’s due, I love the line “I can’t stand it when it goes from reel to reel to real too real”. Unfortunately you have to read the lyrics to realize how clever that is. Here’s a fellow doing a fair job with your bass line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-jhLUiXC20
Bruce says:
March 31, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Yeah — good job. I’m glad it’s not me having to learn it.
Jerry Cohen says:
March 30, 2014 at 9:17 am
Speaking of inspirations for EC & The A’s records, could you shed a little light on “B Movie”, one of my favorite bass lines? Whose idea was it to drop a beat from the chorus? Was there a particular soul song that inspired the arrangement?
Bruce says:
March 30, 2014 at 6:52 pm
You may or may not know that the original version sounded like a Blondie pop arrangement — we actually sound like one of own soundalike bands playing it. After a bit of a brain-storming session in the pub we came back to the studio and I just began jamming the bass line — it was neither jazz nor reggaw but a bit of both. Everyone else fell in with it — so what you hear on record is the first and only version we played! The missing beat was just a natural consequence of the way the changes fell played with that feel. I can’t say I had any song in mind when I started playing — I mean you’fe got to do something original now and again
Mike Miller says:
March 30, 2014 at 10:23 pm
The original concept from 4-12-79:
http://westendstudio.com/wp-content/upl ... -Movie.mp3
And also “High Fidelity” from the same:
http://westendstudio.com/wp-content/upl ... delity.mp3
Bruce says:
March 30, 2014 at 11:57 pm
One mp3 is worth a thousand words! “B-Movie” hasn’t got a bad bass intro — it’s the first time I’ve heard it since we did it! — if it had just been taken a bit slower it might’ve been alright. I cant’t image why we were playing it so fast. “High Fidelity” originally started out like Bowie’s “Station to Station”.
Mike Miller says:
March 31, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Some fine playing on Rhodette’s song by Bwana:
http://westendstudio.com/wp-content/upl ... s-Song.mp3
And also these:
http://westendstudio.com/wp-content/upl ... -Steps.mp3
http://westendstudio.com/wp-content/upl ... tunity.mp3
“Tiny Steps” a great song. More than a “B” side in my opinion.
Bruce says:
March 31, 2014 at 7:43 pm
I agree, “Tiny Steps” was one of my favourites and way better than a lot of tracks that made in on to an album.
Bosky says:
March 31, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Both of these versions sound like Armed Forces outtakes. I think they benefited from the ‘Motown’ treatment on Get Happy!!.
Mike Miller says:
March 31, 2014 at 12:37 pm
That’s why I posted them. I’ve only got 10 words maybe 15 tops.
Bruce says:
March 31, 2014 at 12:44 pm
You might like the other “B-Movie” pun then — “…there’s a rule book in Britannia that no-one tries to waive” Britannia rules the waves, but doesn’t waive the rules. I’m not sure it means anything though, other than the play on words. Never let anything weigh in the stand of a bit of wordplay.
Nick S. says:
March 31, 2014 at 3:48 pm
“Never let anything weigh in the stand of a bit of wordplay.” — Ha! That contradictory pun actually does weigh. Wordplay should mean something sometimes. Write on!
Mike Miller says:
April 1, 2014 at 12:37 am
Did he ever allow any lyrical input?
Bruce says:
April 1, 2014 at 12:53 am
Strangely enough, yes.
I came up with the opening line “Lying about laying in bed” which he turned into a song for Dusty Springfield. “Possession” started off with the opening lines of “From Me To You” and was fairly collaborative at the start between the four of us on a taxi ride in Holland. More often, we rewrote his lyrics for our private amusement — as in “The Elephant for Dinner”.
Bosky says:
April 1, 2014 at 1:52 am
I remember reading about flying bass guitars during the Trust sessions. Care to shed some light?
Bruce says:
April 1, 2014 at 11:47 am
The “flying bass” started on the early US tours where we played so fast we often finished the hour set in 45 minutes. One promoter insisted we go back on stage and finish our contracted time — so we went back on and trashed the equipment for 10 minutes. In the course of that I threw my bass at Pete, who was busy demolishing his kit. He saw it just in time and ducked. In retrospect, it might have done him some real damage as no one was holding back. The flying bass became something that was prone to happen at other instances of high emotion — though it ws hardly a daily occurence and the bas lived to tell the tale … until it was stolen.
I was in the support band (Quiver) at a Who gig in Glasgow — which was probably the best rock gig I’ve ever seen in my life. At one point things took off so much that Townshend unstrapped his Gibson SG and launched it into the crowd as he shouted “You know what to do with it!” A small crowd wrenched the guitar apart — and it was followed by SIX more as Townshend threw every guitar he had into the crowd to be torn apart. No one could out-do those boys!
Nick S. says:
April 1, 2014 at 2:20 am
Interesting background re. lyrics. Gotta ask . . . what was “The Elephant for Dinner”? (Was EC in on the joke?)
Bruce says:
April 1, 2014 at 11:38 am
“The Element Within Her”. He was aware of the joke, though it was against the amount that he would sometimes eat!
Mike Miller says:
March 31, 2014 at 1:13 pm
Those tracks are from an”import” CD, which no doubt was made from an LP that was probably from a radio broadcast. It’s a bit faster than even the band played it. You have to tune sharp from 440 to match up. Why you guys played fast, I have no idea either.
I really like this “High Fidelity” version. But, the released version fits the concept of the album better.
Bosky says:
March 29, 2014 at 1:12 am
Hi Bruce,
Long time fan of your bass playing. You have been a huge influence on my own playing.
Since the Attractions’ last split, I’ve lost interest in EC as far as his new endeavors are concerned.
The Imposters are just what their name implies. The Attractions were and remain the best rock combo
I’ve ever experienced.
I have a loaded question, which I don’t entirely expect you to answer: If EC (or one of his ‘staff’) were to contact you about doing another Attractions tour/album, what would your response be?
One can dream…
Bruce says:
March 30, 2014 at 6:57 pm
Easily answered — my response would be the same as it is when Obama rings me and says he’s had enough and wants me to take over, or the Dalai Lam get in touch for my advice on conflict resolution. In other words, I’m not expecting the call.