Chris Squire’s Bass Inspirations

Last week, Chris Squire revealed some of his bass guitar most inspiring songs. This is a great opportunity to know a bit more about the bass sounds that influenced our hero throughout his career. There is even a YouTube and Spotify playlist to listen to the songs selected. Thanks, Chris!

http://www.yesworld.com/2013/08/askyes-chris-squires-bass-inspirations/

Caffeine’s “Last Shot”

Today I found on YouTube the release of one of my previous bands (Caffeine) last album. As I remember it was recorded around 2005.

I used my Fender Jazz Bass on all tracks. Here is one of the tracks and the others are also available on the same channel.

The Fall of the House of Usher

Last month, the collective “P.R.E.C” presented a live soundtrack performance for the film “The Fall of the House of Usher”. The music was totally improvised. If you are interested in these forms of sonic expression, you can access the recorded performance by downloading the file or listening in streaming.

Personally, I find this kind of music very rewarding to perform. There are no predefined rules whatsoever and all we can count on is the sensibility and communication of each musician. It doesn’t always necessarily work well, or does it correspond to our expectations or desires – like life itself – It’s many times a mirror of each one’s personality or state of mind, in this case, stimulated by the suggestions of a moving picture. That’s the challenge that I find interesting.

Paulo Chagas – flute, saxophone
Fernando Simões – trombone
Paulo Duarte – electric guitar
Fernando Guiomar – acoustic guitar
Miguel Falcão – double-bass

On The Silent Wings Of Freedom (remaster)

While I don’t have time to complete the next video, I have tried to produce a slightly better quality audio/video version of my first upload. I had to use some different settings for the fx and fixed sync issues. This time I used Amplitube’s “Nu-Tron” to emulate the Mu-Tron III pedal. I also added some chorus, which I found out to be somewhat close to the “harmonised” sound used here and elsewhere on Tormato.

Bass: Rickenbacker 4001CS

Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass RS66LD (45-105, stainless steel)

Preamp: Sansamp Bass Driver DI (BDDI)

Effects: Amplitube 3 – Nu-Tron (envelope filter) and Chorus

Signal path: Bass→BDDI→PC→Amplitube

Rick Wakeman in Portugal

Last April I had the honour to watch Rick Wakeman in concert for the first time in Portugal. Rick closed this year’s edition of Gouveia Art Rock’s festival, in the beautiful town of Gouveia.

Rick brought us to an “Intimate Evening” with him and his piano, playing songs of his solo carreer, from Yes (And You and I and Wondrous Stories) and included two versions of Beatles tunes (Help, according to Rick,  in Saint-Saens style, and Eleanor Rigby, in the style of Prokofiev.).

Rick is a great story teller and a really funny guy – I think it’s no news for you – but it was the first time I had the privilege to witness this fact so close and in my home country.

South Side Of The Sky

As Jon Anderson said, sometimes it was the sound of the words, rather than their meaning. Although this song is supposed to be about mountain climbing, I always found another meaning for me – the southern sky constellations – those that I rarely see or have never seen – their mysteries and history through the ages. My own star sign is the southern most constellation of the zodiac – Sagittarius. These fascinations, blended in my mind with the music of Yes, especially Heart of the Sunrise and South Side Of The Sky, from the album Fragile, released also under the sign Sagittarius, in the same year that I was born.

Most of the images are from starrynightphotos.com.

Thank you also to Américo Silva at Music Light for the Fender Telecaster Bass.

Bass: 1972 Fender Telecaster Bass

Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass RS66LD (45-105, stainless steel)

Signal conditioning: Boss LM-2 (limiter)

Preamp: Sansamp Bass Driver DI (BDDI)

Signal path: Bass→LM-2→BDDI→PC

I used the Jammit version of the track without bass so I was able to put my bass only on the mix.

Rig Rundown – Yes’ Chris Squire & Steve Howe

PremierGuitar.com made a spectacular interview with Chris Squire, Chris’ technician Richard Davis and Steve Howe where they present all of they gear for the current Three-album tour.

Possibly the most complete guided tour to Chris’ and Steve’s instruments, effects and amps. A rare chance to see our heroes talking about the instruments that make history for nearly half a century.


Ask YES – Questions to Chris Squire

Last week, Chris Squire received questions from fans all over the world so he could answer via Yesworld.

Luckily enough my question was answered. Here is what I asked and what Chris replied:

Question – “Dear Chris. You mentioned on interviews about ‘Roundabout‘ bass line being doubled by yourself playing a guitar. It seems to me that you might have applied the same technique previously on ‘All Good People‘. Can you confirm this? Thank you.”
Answer – “No, the bass guitar on ‘All Good People’ was not doubled, as far as I can remember; I think that’s purely just a bass guitar. But you are indeed correct that ‘Roundabout’ was me doubling the bass line with a big Gibson electric guitar that belonged to Steve Howe.”

You can check all of Chris’ answers, here.

Heart Of The Sunrise

Rest in Peace, Peter Banks!

Bass: Rickenbacker 4001CS

Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass RS66LD (45-105, stainless steel)

Preamp: Sansamp Bass Driver DI (BDDI)

Effects: Amplitube 3 – Fender Tremolo

Signal path: Bass→BDDI→PC→Amplitube

I used the Jammit version of the track without bass so for the first time I was able to put my bass only on the mix.