The ShadowMusic Web Community

Jet playing double bass on "I'll See You In My Dreams", "All I Do Is Dream Of You" and the title track from the 1961 Cliff EP "Dreams" has to be something special, and presumably unique in the entire recorded output of the group. Just imagine how "Nivram", excellent as it is, would have sounded with double bass instead of the Precision!

Bill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkC_oOIwbww

Thanks for that - not heard it before! Nice version but my fave version has to be Joe Brown's

Jet was a wonderfully swinging bassist in his time (no mean feat on the double bass). He also was once quoted as saying that Hank used his Gretsch 6122 (1960 Country Gentleman) on the recordings for the "Dream" EP.

JN

My dear old mate the bass player, who I have played in bands with for about 15 years, is a great player on both bass guitar and stand up bass- but on a gig once, just for fun, I deviated from the set list and suddenly sprung Nivram on the boys, and Wayne happened to be using the double bass on that particular set - having no time to change over to bass guitar, he valiantly coped with Jet's recorded bass guitar solo on the big standup job, but as he usually plays Nivram on electric bass guitar, he was sweating afterwards and cursing me for calling that tune!

I never saw it but I hear Licorice also on some occasion used the double bass on stage with the Shadows. Was it for Guitar Tango, or Nivram, or what, or am I wrong?

Hi, Iain,

Licorice was reported in NME at the time as using the "old fashioned bass, amplified by floor mikes" for the otherwise acoustic version of Guitar Tango played in the Cliff/Shadows 1963 summer season at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool.

JN

I remember Jet saying to me "It was hard for me to play double bass with this size hands"

Jets hand on right !

Thanks Jim

Fascinating photo of Jet's hand, Derek. Lic's hands are twice the size, brace yourself if he ever shakes hands with you!

Iain

Being a little feller meself, who plays bass as well as guitar, I find that although nothing sounds as good as a well played double bass, the strength needed, together with the physical difficulty of the playing technique and the pain which results, and the sheer size of the instrument for transporting and handling...well ...let's all say thank you for the bass guitar!

Yes! When Jet and Lic did their Q&A video some years back, Jet said he bet he couldn't play one now and Lic said, when we used to smile as we played, it was really a grimace at the pain!