Posted on 09/08/2024 3:55:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Bassist Herbie Flowers, whose long and diverse career including work with David Bowie, Elton John, Harry Nilsson, Cat Stevens and three members of the Beatles, has died of unspecified causes at the age of 86.
The BBC reports that Flowers' death was confirmed on social media by close family members. He is best known for composing and performing the twin bass lines on Lou Reed's 1972 hit "Walk on the Wild Side." He also plays the distinctive bass part on David Essex's 1973 smash "Rock On" and Nilsson's "Jump in the Fire."
In a 2005 interview, Flowers confirmed that he was only paid about 30 pounds for his memorable contribution to Reed's highest-charting single, double the usual fee at the time.
"It's never ever occurred to me that I have any right whatsoever to ask for a commission or a royalty or an involvement in the composition of the piece," Flowers explained. "It was a magical three days and it gave me all the confidence, and it reassured me that the style of a soul jazzist had never ever disappeared. ...My favorite memory was [Reed] listening to Ronnie Ross putting that baritone sax solo on the end of 'Walk on the Wild Side.' He just looked and said, 'that was divine.' And that said it all, he was divine."
Born in Isleworth, Middlesex, England in 1938, Flowers began his musical career in 1956 by playing tuba for the Royal Air Force, eventually switching to bass. In addition to his long list of session credits, he was at one point a member of Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky. He co-wrote Clive Dunn's 1970 novelty hit "Grandad."
Flowers also performed on Bowie's Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs albums, as well as Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson and albums from Paul McCartney (Give My Regards to Broad Street), Ringo Starr (Stop and Smell the Roses) and George Harrison (Somewhere in England, Gone Troppo and Brainwashed).
A man from the 1930s, he saw a lot of life.
Wow, poor guy got a flat-rate 30 Pounds for his contribution to Lou Reed’s 1972 hit “Walk on the Wild Side.”
It was the sax that turned me on.
And the colored girls go....
Please. It’s girls of color.
Last week I learned that “Little Joe”, who “never once gave it away”, aka Joe D’Allasandro, was the model for the crotch shot on the Stones’ “Sticky Fingers.” The Stones had commissioned Andy Warhol to do the cover, admonishing him to “keep it simple”, and he goes and puts a zipper on the cover, which was hugely expensive.
D’oh. You beat me to it!
“And all the colored girls go do, do, do...”
That bass line is iconic. But I think Prakesh John beat it on the live version of Sweet Jane from Rock and Roll Animal.
L
Always admired the bassline in “Jump Into the Fire” keeps going lower and lower then it sounds like he’s loosening the string and going lower and lower.
Prakash John played bass with a Canadian band called The Lincolns. They often played at a pub down the street from where I once worked. They would play the exact same set every night. In between songs he would sometimes play that riff from the Lou Reed song.
stellar player
Can’t hear the sax on that tune, but Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (1978) immediately comes,to mind.
... and an advertising coup !
I thought he was singing about transsexuals.
Walkin on the wild side now.
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