Some call him the Ox, others call him Thunderfingers, but to most of us, he is none other than John Entwhistle, one of the finest rock bassists to ever smash up a hotel room (just ask Lemmy). Today I attempt to walk a short way in his shoes with my cover of Summertime blues from the Who, Live at Leeds.
Gear choice: I wanted a raw sound so the overdrive was a no-brainer. However for my axe, the heart said the Thunderbird for its good looks but the head said the Precision, which I think John used at the performance. In the end, the Precision won out.
Ok the track is kind of rough, but I think it keeps with the general spirit of the original. The challenge was to add the decorative elements that Entwhistle was famous for without going over the top. Also, the solo section was a nightmare: basically the guitar and drums wander off on their own, leaving the bass to keep the time (which was apparently the case in a lot of Who live tracks). I decided to stick to a relatively simple riff so I could follow the beat while it sounded like the world ending through the speakers. Fortunately, I think Entwhistle always played something different on stage soooo…
Oh the video!
Friends, if I have seen far it is only because I have stood upon the shoulders of giants. I really should acknowledge these two vids that did it better than me and I borrowed heavily off
