WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER

Over the Past Few Months I have been Featuring 10 Different Bass Players in my "Who's The Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll, there has been 126 Votes so Far, and if you are Not One of them Voter's, Please Vote Now! (over to your Right).

The Ten Bass Players are as Follows (Written in Order of the Poll, Top to Bottom), Press the Name's to see their Individual Post's I have Written on them, including Bio's and their Best Tracks:

Bootsy Collins

Mark Adams

Marcus Miller

Larry Graham

Stanley Clarke

Bernard Edwards

Louis Johnson

Verdine White

Mark King

Victor Wooten

My Original Introduction Post the the Bassist's is Here!

My Favorite Top 3 Would be as Follows:

Mark Adams

Larry Graham

Marcus Miller/Mark King

Here's a Track from each of the Bassists or their Band!

The Picture at the Top of this Post, is of Many of the Bass Guitars that Mark King had Played During his Career!

WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER # 10 VICTOR WOOTEN

In this Series of Posts, I will Writing about the Artist's who are in My "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll. 

The Poll is over to the Right of the Blog, its been Running for a Few Month's, so if You haven't already Voted, Please do so!

In these Post's, I will write a few Facts, Figures, Stats and Interesting Stuff on the Artist in Question, I will also include a Playlist of their Greatest Songs.

I will Write a Post on Each Artist, One Every Other Week, This Week is the 10th and Last Artist on the List! 

ARTIST NUMBER 10..............VICTOR WOOTEN

Victor Lemonte Wooten was Born on 11th September 1965 in Mountain Home, Idaho USA.

His Parents Pete and Dorothy Wooten were in the Military!

Victor was the Youngest of 5 Brothers, they Moved to Hawaii when Victor was Very Young.

All the Brothers were Musicians, and Victors Brother Regi Learned him to Play the Bass at the age of 2 Years.

By the Age of 6, Victor was in a Band, formed by his Bothers which was Called "The Wooten Brothers" 

They Toured Night Clubs and Theatres as a Support Act, they Supported Curtis Mayfield and his Band. 

By an Early Age, Victor had learned to Play the following Instruments: Bass, Double Bass and the Cello.

Before he had Left High School, The Wooten Brothers had been the Opening Act for Various Soul, Funk and Jazz Bands, such as War, Ramsey Lewis, Stephanie Mills,  Maze, Dexter Wansel and The Temptations! 

The Wooten Brothers Released their One and Only Album in 1985!

Victor Wooten was a Founding Member of the Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones in 1990, they Released their Debut Album in that Same Year, it was "Self Titled"

The Band has now Released 14 Albums from 1990 to the Present Day, the Last One being  2012, VW has also been involved with " 2 Albums with "Bass Extensions" 2 albums with "Vital Tech Tones" and One with "Greg Howe"

He has also Released 9 Solo Albums, between 1996 and 2012,

but the Best Project he has been Involved with, was S.M.V Back in 2008, he Recorded  and Toured with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller!

Over the Last Few Years Victor Wooten has Won Many Awards for his Bass Playing including "Bass Player of the Year" by the Magazine "Bass Player" in Fact he Won this Award for 3 Years Running, No other Bass Player has Ever Achieved this, he has also won 5 Grammy Awards!

A Selection of Victor Wooten Tracks

The Full Album by SMV... THUNDER

Victor's Jam Live!



SMV PLAYING THUNDER LIVE, VICTOR WOOTEN, MARCUS MILLER AND STANLEY CLARKE

WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER # 9 VERDINE WHITE

In this Series of Posts, I will Writing about the Artist's who are in My "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll. 

The Poll is over to the Right of the Blog, its been Running for a Few Month's, so if You haven't already Voted, Please do so!

In these Post's, I will write a few Facts, Figures, Stats and Interesting Stuff on the Artist in Question, I will also include a Playlist of their Greatest Songs.

I will Write a Post on Each Artist, One Every Other Week! 

ARTIST NUMBER 9..............VERDINE WHITE

Born on July 25th 1951, in Chicago IIIinois, Verdine White is the Bassist of Earth Wind and Fire.

His Older Bother is "Maurice White" who was the Founder of EW&F.

His Father "Verdine White Sr" was a Doctor and also Played the Saxophone in his spare time.

Verdine Grew up Listening to Miles Davis and John Coltrane  amongst others!

While still at School at the Age of around 15, Verdine  saw the Double Bass being Played in Music Classes and Decided that was what he wanted to Play!

Eventually he was taking Double Bass Lessons from Radi Velah of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, this led to Advice from his Father and Maurice to take up the Electric Bass.

So at the Weekends he was also Learning the Electric Bass from "Louis Satterfield" who Worked for "Chess Records"

Satterfield was a Session Bassist and Trombonist at Chess, incidentally, Satterfield eventually became a Member of EW&F's Backing Horn Section "The Phenix Horns"

Verdine White later Begun Working the "Chicago Club Scene" with Various Local Bands.

In 1970 Maurice White had Moved to Los Angeles to Hopefully "Get a Record Contract" with his Band , which was called "Salty Peppers"

Maurice White was soon to Rename his Band "Earth Wind and Fire" and he also asked his Brother "Verdine" to Join him in L.A. which he did in June of 1970!

Earth Wind and Fire Started Working on their Debut Album, Straight Away and By February of 1971, it was Released!

It was Called "Earth Wind and Fire" it was a Moderate Hit, Reaching Number 172 on the Pop Album Chart and number 24 on the "Black Album Chart"

The Second Album was Released by November of the Same Year (1971) and called "The Need of Love" it had More Success, it Reached Number 89 on the Pop Album Chart, but it also Contained EW&F's First Pop Top 40 Hit Single "I Think About Lovin' You" 

After 2 more Albums, their 5th Album Release in 1974 Entitled "Open Our Eyes" Reached Number One on the US R&B Charts!

Then the Following Year in 1975, Earth Wind and Fire Released their 6th Album Entitled "Thats The Way of the World" this was to go to Number 1 on both US Pop and R&B Charts and this was to Start a Run of 8 Albums (over a 12 Year Period) up until 1987 to Achieve Very High Chart Placing on both the US Pop and R&B Album Charts.

EARTH WIND AND FIRE DISCOGRAPHY

19 Studio Albums

4 Live Albums

17 Compilations

62 Singles

           EW&F Albums have Achieved the Following  Status:

11 x Platinum Albums

3 x 3 Platinum Albums

2 x Double Platinum

9 x Gold Albums

And Their "Best of Volume 1" Achieved 5 X Platinum

EW&F have had 8  Number 1 US R&B Singles!

Their Biggest Ever Single was "Shining Star" which Reached Number One on both US Pop and US R&B Charts in 1975!

Verdine White and Earth Wind and Fire are Still going Strong to this Day and they have Won Numerous Awards over the Years, Far Too Many to Mention in this Post!

           Have a Listen to Earth Wind & Fires Greatest Hits

WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER # 8 MARK KING

In this Series of Posts, I will Writing about the Artist's who are in My "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll. 

The Poll is over to the Right of the Blog, its been Running for a Few Month's, so if You haven't already Voted, Please do so!

In these Post's, I will write a few Facts, Figures, Stats and Interesting Stuff on the Artist in Question, I will also include a Playlist of their Greatest Songs.

I will Write a Post on Each Artist, One Every Other Week! 

ARTIST NUMBER 8..............MARK KING

Mark King was Born on 20th October 1958 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK.

His Father "Raymond" was a Dairyman on the Island.

Mark King went to the Cowes High School, while at School, he was Encouraged by his Music Teacher to be a Drummer, which he thought, he could make a "Living" out of!

Mark King was in a Band while at School, they were Named "Re-Flex" but his School Life was to come to an early End, when he was 17, when one Day he Turned up for School in a Pair of Jeans, and was Told by his Head-master "that he School days were Over, and he had to Leave!

After this "King" Left Home and Stayed at a Friends House, Sleeping on the Floor!

Within a Couple of Weeks, he had found a Job, Working on a Production Line, but this was Not to Last too Long, when he Found himself another Job, as a Milkman!

At the Age of 19, in 1977, he Left the Isle of Wight and Headed for London, where he Hoped to find a Job in Music!

He found himself a Job in Music, but it was Working in a Music Shop, Called "Macari's" as he was a Drummer, he had hoped to Sell Drums, but "Macari's" did not Sell Drums, but he did see they sold "Bass Guitars" so he told them he could Play the Bass!

So he got the Job, of Selling Bass Guitars and Coffee Boy, so after this, Mark king Started to Learn "How to Play the Bass"

By 1979, he had Formed a Band with Mike Lindup and 2 Friends from the I.O.W, Phil and Boon Gould, they called themselves "Level 42"

At One of their earlier Gigs, they were Spotted by "Andy Sojka" who at that time was Head of an Small Independant Label called "Elite Records" they were Signed up, by the Following Year in 1981 "Level 42" were Signed by "Polydor Records"

After a Couple of Single Releases, without any Success, the Song "Love Games" was Released in 1981, and it was their First Top 40 Hit in the UK, it also Marked "Level 42's" First "Top of the Pops" Appearance!

After this, Level 42 had Several Years of Hit Records in the UK and Around Europe, they also had 4 Hits in the US, the biggest being "Something About You" which Reached Number 4 on the US Dance Chart.

Mark King had also had 5 Solo Albums over the Years, and at Present is back in "Level 42" with "Mike Lindup" still Touring, and there is Talk of a New Album in 2014!

I saw Mark King and Level 42 back in 1984, it was a Great Show, I Suppose this was when "Level 42" were getting Toward's their Best, Mark King is by Far "The Best Bass Player in the UK"

My Favorite Level 42 Album is Standing in the Light and my Favorite Single is The Sun Goes Down (living it up).

      Here's the Full "Standing in the Light" Album:

HERE'S "THE SUN GOES DOWN (LIVING IT UP)

LEVEL 42 DISCOGRAPHY

11 STUDIO ALBUMS

8 LIVE ALBUMS

6 COMPILATION ALBUMS

33 SINGLES 

MARK KING DISCOGRAPHY

5 STUDIO ALBUMS

2 SINGLES

HERE'S A SELECTION OF THE BEST OF LEVEL 42

A BIT OF BASS SLAPPING BY MARK KING