Herbie Flowers Interview. Life with my Bass

[@Chevytravelleruk]

R.I.P. Herbie.. thanks for all the great music

[@anthonyprice2466]

Herbie is the nicest most genuine guy you'll ever meet, I met him twice in my life, once at the concord in Brighton, I was sitting at the bar talking to this bloke about my band who was playing that night and about my new bass I had just bought, next minute there was a PA message introducing tonights special guest Herbie Flowers, and the guy I was talking to said "must go I'm on" , he never even hinted who he was. The next time I met him was when I fixed his car, he didn't remember me but he did ask if I still played, and said learn to play dots (music) he's such a down to earth guy, if he has the time he'll chat, people like him are a rare breed, a truly lovely human being, everyone should have a Herbie in there lives, makes the world a better place. Thank you.

[@Psychedelicxylophone]

Im in my early 40's and first became aware of herbie in blue mink with the good morning freedom record. My dad had the blue mink hit single Randy, and it was this that made me sit focused on what a magnificent bass player herbie really is!!! Then seen him on a 1971 top of the pops episode marc bolan T.rex get it on. As ive always been fascinated with records and the record player i started collecting record/albums during my early teens. Around 1996 i found herbie's single, please don't take my bass away. Well'' i had to but that. I know the many many albums he contributed to and herbie has always inspired me. His style & technique is very unique on the electric bass. Wasn't he in a band called ugly custard? I was finally delighted to see him play in the flesh with chris spedding as part of bryan ferry's band around 2013. Impeccable. Herb will always be one of my favourite bass players! Amazing tone! Hes a true inspiration and i can easily relate to what you have said.

[@uglycustard1]

@@Psychedelicxylophone check out an album called Ugly Custard to hear Herbie at the peak of his playing.

[@garryjacksonbass]

Lovely to watch, thanks Kris. Herbie changed my life with his kindness and mentoring when I was a young aspiring bassist. A truly wonderful human being, A fantastic document of great man.

[@pauls6002]

Came across this great interview and read the sad news in the comments. Such great memories of listening to the early Sky albums, along with the Shadows, gave me the love of instrumental music. RIP Mr Flowers 😢

[@terryhurley1]

Absolute legend. I go to all Herbie's jazz gigs at Brighton fringe - he is a legend, fabulous musician & mentor and deserves a bloomin' knighthood

[@pauldevall7932]

I saw this the last time I was down. I can appreciate a lot of hard work went into this, well done Krissy!

[@MrTigtog]

Thank you Dibs. We had fun making it.

[@simes44]

Herbie Flowers - what a gent. And what a legend - yet completely modest with it. Thanks for posting this Kris, and compliments on your photos - Herbie liked them, that's for sure. RIP Herbie. You won't be forgotten.

[@clivestandley2575]

RIP mate, I shared some awesome times with you and the lads, but mainly with you! you improved the world X

[@Mancmodeller]

Great vid. Absolute legend and a really nice guy. Saw lots of Sky concerts back in the day, met him (and the rest of the band) at an album signing where he spent a good couple of minutes chatting and then met him after a gig in the latter incarnation of Sky (must have been 1992 I think?) on the car park(!),I think he was driving an old Austin Metro, packing his own gear away-no 'I'm a big star, my roadies should be doing this'...and then he came over to my car for another long chat through my drivers window before setting off into the night. Very pleased to learn he still plays, I really must make the long trip to Brighton to see him again!

[@oscarleppington5275]

Herbie flowers has to be one of my all time favourite bassists

[@ericmesser1]

When Herbie toured with Sky to Australia we gave him a hat with corks!! Typically Australian hat to keep the flies away. He wore it during Tuba Smarties. Legend

[@0u0ak]

That's great. :)

[@MrMjp58]

Such a wide ranging and brilliant session career. I remember an interview he gave to the NME, sometime around the Blue Mink years, where he was promoting the idea, to a rock minded audience, of reading music, as a way of developing one’s general musical capabilities. At the time, I had neither the inclination nor the wherewithal (nor probably, the brains) to attempt it. I worked on my ear training exclusively for years. Later, I made a concerted effort and achieved a modest amount of theory and reading, which has been great, even at an amateur level and added to my interest in music overall.

[@davidhampshire7723]

RIP Herbie Flowers. A lovely man and a master musician. Thank you for all you gave. 🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@luvbasses5487]

Space Oddity was my introduction to Herbie. Tremendous bass part. Fits it SO well. I think he played on some of Tumbleweed Conn. too.

[@stevesmith7997]

Wonderful! God Bless x

[@BECOMEASALITTLECHILD]

wonderful to watch this thank you. Haven't seen Herbie before. Something about him reminded me of my brother Alick who passed on a few years back. Alick Loved all sorts of music, got me started playing guitar. I'm sure Alick would of known of Herbie Flowers playing and especially perhaps his Jazz. Thanks again for sharing this video. I find it quite special for reasons already said.

[@Michael-dz9vk]

❤wonderfull musician ,human being, very sad loss ,incredible life in music ,,his legacy will live forever,music never dies ,its immortal ,it soothes,heals ,keeps a sometimes mad world sane ,and happy 😊 god bless herbie miss you xx

[@robpinter5431]

I first herd Herbie on the original War Of the worlds LP back in the 1980's while I was at high school, playing baritone in the school band...I wanted to play bass and mummbught me a 3/4 scale 2nd hand bass. Found the SKY music amazing and seen them live, playing classical music with electric instruments,. Only Herbie could be invited to play bass for Paul McCartney who is also one of the greatest bassists....Thank you for your live of bass Herbie that had inspired me, sadly life and work has retired my bass many years ago, but I still have my old Ibanez Roadster which I bought in 1990....Oh only Herbie could get away doing an interview with slippers and sox....

[@renewijgh8859]

What a loss...RIP Herbie.

[@KETEBOWERS]

Excellent ! Really enjoyed watching this 😎🎶

[@crumplezone1]

Herbie Flowers, awesome name awesome musician awesome dude !

[@darrenwells2277]

Horsell Common and the Heat Ray at 12.45.... Amazing bass work on War of the Worlds

[@urbansoundscapes7734]

Great, thanks so much for posting this - very interesting to hear him talk about his career - how the world has changed!

[@jamesgordon4754]

This is so lovely. Herbie was in the RAF band at Uxbridge when I was growing up. They had a house on The Grove, then later Park Road, where i grew up, beyond the common. I remember to this day, 1972 I think, he kept snakes in his yard in fish tanks, long before it was fashionable, he was very welcoming, and we knew he was working with Bowie. Met up with him again early 2000's and the rest is history, THEM, with Malcolm Mortimor who played with Ian Dury and Neil Diamond, the lovely Derek Austin on keyboards and of course Big Jim Sullivan. Last time I saw Herbie was at Big Jim's heart breaking funeral. 2012. The Wake was at the cinema in Worthing, Sussex. I worked as a Photographer with THEM which was a reaction to US ego bs. They were lovely, all of them. I was fortunate to visit Herbie in Sussex and we talked about Uxbridge, how he nearly brought the house down in The Grove with his sideline building, and I noted his lovely koi carp pond built above ground with bricks, he had me in stitches. Amazing music room too. He'd just declined touring with Robert Plant...the invite was on top the fridge, Herbie said 6 months in Wandsworth please hehe. A lovely and genuine man. The Lou Reed bass is well documented, he always had his feet on the ground. I loved that time spent with Herbie back in the day. Dad was in Suez 51-54, you were lucky to get the Far East gig in 56, Egypt must have been very grim then. Fond memories Herbie, remember knocking on your door in Sussex one Sunday in passing and you were so welcoming, thank you. And kind enough to drop me home to my door late one night from Billingshurst. A gentleman.

[@MrTigtog]

Hi, Herbie is still going strong. And in good health. We had great fun putting this little video together.

[@jamesgordon4754]

@@MrTigtog lovely to see him still playing, great video.

[@richardstone5813]

I was also in the Central band at Uxbridge… Herbie, I think, left in 1965.

[@BassPlayerNcl]

This is such a wonderful video. Thank you for sharing it. It is my hope that one day Fender will create a master build of his iconic Jazz bass (with black nylon tapewounds, naturally!)

[@geoffwebber8272]

@jamesgordon4754 my wife (Karen Clifton), as she was known in those days also lived in Park Road. Her dad was a policeman. She performed in Grandad - which was written by Herbie. We have visited Herbie many times over the years. Great to see this video, that tells his story. I made an application for him to be recognised with some sort of Gong from the govt. Sadly when the letter arrived, Herbie ticked the wrong box to say he would accept it (due to failing eyesight).

[@CliffMcAulay]

This is a wonderful tribute to a great musician. Thank you for all your work, and uploading this treat Kris. Subscribing now.

[@MrTigtog]

Thank you very much!

[@0u0ak]

Fender thin neck for similarity to double bass - didn't know that. Thanks so much for posting this. Longtime fan of Herbie, Sky was my introduction to him. Tuba Smarties is still one of my favourites. Lovely bloke.

[@MrTigtog]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@williampayne7678]

Herbie Flowers bass played on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds. The original album, and the New Generation, in 2012 And Live Tours .of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds Rip fantastic I seen him Live I went to See War of the Worlds in Cardiff in 2012 -2014. With my Dad. Rip Herbie.

[@riccardodivinci3068]

Thankyou so much!

[@AwakeningtheHeart-vg2bl]

Amazing to think he was already 41 when he joined Sky and then wrote some of the greatest songs in the European music canon.

[@riocosplays72]

RIP, you will be remembered by all ages

[@birdcage_southend]

What an amazing man Herbie is.

[@clivestandley2575]

Great to see you again Herbie. Remember when we met the English cricket team in Melbourne?

[@0u0ak]

Also Melbourne :)

[@bigmandoman]

Well done Kris! Let the legend speak for himself! Wonderful to see 🙂

[@MrTigtog]

I agree....

[@bigmandoman]

@@MrTigtog I should have said, thanks for doing this, Kris. Herbie has left us a HUGE heritage that will last forever. It's fantastic that this is being documented.

[@melkent399]

An absolute legend! If Herbie was an animal, he'd be a big happy bumblebee.

[@stuartwaby3081]

I believe that Herbie also played on a Kate Bush composition and he also played Tuba on Camel's Nude album. There are most likely many more, what a lovely human being Herbie is ,thank you Herbie for enriching our lives ❤

[@ccpbass2032]

I've always loved the R&B Mod sounds of The Creation. Their cover of 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' has always been my favourite recorded version. The bassline is so fluid. It stuck out from their other output in that respect. Then I found out Herbie Flowers played on the track! No wonder it was a cut above.

[@telephono007]

What a gentleman. Rest well Herbie. ❤

[@HansDelli]

RIP to an absolute legend

[@trevorclarey3336]

I grew up seeing Herbie playing in all these bands T.rex , Blue Mink , & with Bowie never give much thought of his age.

[@edwardmulholland7912]

He’s the bass player on one of my favorite albums - Scott 4. There is even a picture of him on the cover and from outtakes from the photo session at Olympic Studios.

[@fredpallem8994]

not on every track :-)

[@edwardmulholland7912]

@@fredpallem8994 I’m quite sure it’s him on "The Old Man's Back Again” and perhaps a couple of other tracks.

[@fredpallem8994]

@@edwardmulholland7912 Dave Richmond on The old man's back again

[@edwardmulholland7912]

@@fredpallem8994 Where can I find that info? Anything about who played on Scott 4 is always interesting.

[@fredpallem8994]

@@edwardmulholland7912 Both of them are playing on the album. When producers would like to put bass in front of the mix, they choose Richmond who was a real virtuoso (especially on plectrum) with a great tempo. Pictures of Richmond with Walker in the studio during Scott 4 sessions do exist. Richmond plays on other Walker classics in albums 1-2-3-4-5 : Montague Terrace in Blue, Stormy, Plastic Palace People, It's Raining today ... if you hear plectrum really well that's him. Flowers don't play plectrum (in his own words).

[@msscoventry]

Thanks for posting this. "I'll get sued if I play more than 4 bars!"😂

[@rogerlingwood8837]

A sad loss of a great character who had been there done that and had all the tee shirts. He played on such a huge number and a diverse collection of music which shaped our lives and times. Will be sorely missed.

[@wattsrc1]

Great video Kris, really interesting watch. Is the exhibition still on ?

[@MrTigtog]

Thank you Richard, no the exhibition ran through September. I will put a gallery of images on my website next week, you will be able to see them there. All the best.

[@wattsrc1]

Thanks Kris, look forward to seeing them, was good to meet you yesterday.

[@MrTigtog]

@@wattsrc1 yes, good to meet you as well. We will be open with a new exhibition during May 2023 , so I'll send you details in the New Year . It would be great if you could make it up to see us. All the best. Kris

[@sebastiancragg2622]

❤

[@Dehancer]

Hello! We'd like to collaborate with you. Please let us know how we can get in touch with you.

[@lemuellachica4991]

Legends need only three instruments to standout

[@hardlines5472]

Starts 2.21

[@brianstones6234]

Herbie is a dude!!! Long may the bass boom!

[@JasonCunliffe]

Bye bye