Tony Levin (help needed)

[dlloyd]

Not someone I've ever really been aware of. He's been hidden behind plasticene and videos so far for me.

But you all keep going on about him, so I went and bought a Peter Gabriel CD at the weekend. "Shaking the Tree", it's a "best-of" type of compilation.

These are the tracks...

Solsbury Hill
I Don't Remember
Sledgehammer
Family Snapshot
Mercy Street
Shaking The Tree
Don't Give Up
San Jacinto
Here Comes The Flood
Red Rain
Games Without Frontiers
Shock The Monkey
I Have The Touch
Big Time
Zaar
Biko

There's a lot of great bass playing on those... Which did he not play on?

"Don't Give Up" is extraordinary.

 

[Bubba Love]

If I recall correctly, there's a fairly detailed list of players in the CD booklet that comes with it. I don't own this CD but my friend does and I'm fairly sure that's right.

 

[niftydog]

Pretty hard to be definitive with this. Nathan East and three other bass players are listed in the credits. Peter Gabriel's website is a fantastic browse, it might have some clues for you.

My feeling is that he played on Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Red Rain, Shock The Monkey and parts of Big Time (precurser to the famous funk fingers!)

 

[maddog]

He is credited on Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Mercy Street, I Don't Remember

He is not credited on: Family Snapshot, San Jacinto, Games Without Frontiers, Big Time, Zaar or Biko.

Don't know about Solsbury Hill, Shaking The Tree, San Jacinto, Here Comes The Flood, I Have the Touch or Shock The Monkey.

My guess would be that he wasn't on Solsbury Hill or Here Comes The Flood due to those being albums earlier than PG3 and he has only one credit on PG3.

Also, I'm guessing he was on Shock The Monkey, San Jacinto and I Have the Touch because of the timeline and it sounds like Tony.

Not sure about shaking the tree since that was specific to that compilation.

 

[bovinehost]

I think he does play on the first Gabriel album, including Solsbury Hill....but I'm working from memory here.

EDIT: No memory needed:

"....features the classic "Solsbury Hill". The record features the guitar work of Robert Fripp, with Tony Levin playing Tuba, leading the Barbershop Quartet, as well as filling his more usual bass role."

There you go.

Jack

 

[maddog]

You are correct sir. You rattled a couple of memory cells there. I now recall the barbershop quartet bit on PG1. Since I failed in my first attempt, I went off poking around the 'net for some more credits.

Found this very nice site: http://www.ingsoc.com/gabriel/

He's the only bass player listed for PG1. So that would cover Solisbury Hill and Here Comes the Flood.

And he is credited as playing stick on San Jacinto, I have the Touch and Monkey.

 

[dlloyd]

Hadn't thought of looking at the insert...

Solsbury Hill
I Don't Remember
Sledgehammer
Family Snapshot
Mercy Street
Shaking The Tree
Don't Give Up
San Jacinto
Here Comes The Flood
Red Rain
Games Without Frontiers
Shock The Monkey
I Have The Touch
Big Time
Zaar
Biko

Tony Levin: Bass Stick "Drumstick Bass"
Lary Klein: Bass
Habib Faye: Bass
Nathan East: Bass
John Giblin: Bass

 

[ras1983]

i watched a peter gabriel DVD at a friend's house, and he was amazing. so damn versatile. he used a stick, SR5 fretless with funk sticks and what looked like a NS electric upright. that man is a musical genious.

the SR5's sound was awesome, those funk sticks sound great.

 

[LeftyLB]

Hadn't thought of looking at the insert...

Solsbury Hill
I Don't Remember
Sledgehammer
Family Snapshot
Mercy Street
Shaking The Tree
Don't Give Up
San Jacinto
Here Comes The Flood
Red Rain
Games Without Frontiers
Shock The Monkey
I Have The Touch
Big Time
Zaar
Biko

Tony Levin: Bass Stick "Drumstick Bass"
Lary Klein: Bass
Habib Faye: Bass
Nathan East: Bass
John Giblin: Bass

Dave,

The reference to drumstick bass refers to (I think) one specific section of Big Time, which comes after the first verse (starts at 34 secs). Whilst Tony Levin is fingering the notes on the neck, the session drummer (not sure it may have been Manu or Jerry Marrota) played the notes with a pair of drum sticks bouncing off the strings. By trying to get this to work in a live situation, the Funk fingers evolved.

Cheers

Liam

 

[Freddy-G.]

Dave, I'm listening to Mr. Levin play Black Dog (yep, The Zeppelin song) on a fretless, with his Tony Levin Band (on the Double Espresso live CD). Too cool.

He also played on the Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford, & Howe CD (members of Yes sans Chris Squire). Tony's a very versatile musician.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Dave, I'm listening to Mr. Levin play Black Dog (yep, The Zeppelin song) on a fretless, with his Tony Levin Band (on the Double Espresso live CD). Too cool.

He also played on the Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford, & Howe CD (members of Yes sans Chris Squire). Tony's a very versatile musician.

I just finished listening to him playing with John Lennon, and now I'm listening to "Peter Gabriel Plays Live." It's a Very Tony Morning.

 

[dlloyd]

Dave,

The reference to drumstick bass refers to (I think) one specific section of Big Time, which comes after the first verse (starts at 34 secs). Whilst Tony Levin is fingering the notes on the neck, the session drummer (not sure it may have been Manu or Jerry Marrota) played the notes with a pair of drum sticks bouncing off the strings. By trying to get this to work in a live situation, the Funk fingers evolved.

Cheers

Liam

Yep, Jerry Marrota is also credited with drumstick bass on that track

Cool sound.

 

[dlloyd]

Dave, I'm listening to Mr. Levin play Black Dog (yep, The Zeppelin song) on a fretless, with his Tony Levin Band (on the Double Espresso live CD). Too cool.

He also played on the Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford, & Howe CD (members of Yes sans Chris Squire). Tony's a very versatile musician.

I just finished listening to him playing with John Lennon, and now I'm listening to "Peter Gabriel Plays Live." It's a Very Tony Morning.

Okay, I need a list of albums and specific tracks to check out... Top ten Tony moments if you like...

 

[bassmonkeee]

Okay, I need a list of albums and specific tracks to check out... Top ten Tony moments if you like...

You've seen this, right?

http://www.papabear.com/discography.html

One of my favorite Tony guest appearances is "Sail Away" on David Bowie's Heathen. Very tasty fretless.

And, I couldn't tell you which tracks he plays on, but it cracks me up that Tony Levin played bass on Alica Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare.

 

[dlloyd]

You've seen this, right?

http://www.papabear.com/discography.html

Yep. That illustrates my conundrum exactly!

One of my favorite Tony guest appearances is "Sail Away" on David Bowie's Heathen. Very tasty fretless.

I just downloaded "Slip Away". Yes, I agree.

And, I couldn't tell you which tracks he plays on, but it cracks me up that Tony Levin played bass on Alica Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Yep. That illustrates my conundrum exactly!



I just downloaded "Slip Away". Yes, I agree.

"Sail Away?!?" I must have Styx on the brain....

 

[jchalas]

Those of us who went to the EBMM Open House in September last year got to see and hear Tony Levin on bass with some other great players, including Sterling. It was awesome and an unforgettable weekend. Thanks again, BP!
Janice