Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The intro to "Motorhead" (original version by Hawkwind) with the E-octaves riff. But yeah, "Tube Station" is another good pick, with the way that Bruce's bass part really carries the verses while Paul's guitar punctuates them.

The last update I'd read was that he was with punk pioneers Stiff Little Fingers, I never thought they'd be back together. I always liked "Tin Soldier", great song, nothing fancy, just good punk.

Big G - IM ENGLISH, I AUTOMATICALLY LOVE THE JAM...!!!!! Bruce played Fenders on most of the records after "All Mod Cons" (3rd Album) although some like "going Underground" are undoubtably a 4001 running stereo. he played an Epi Rivoli on "Start" tho,,,,,,

You may or may not know this but the whole first Jam album -In the city - was done with an Ibanez Ricky fake 4001. Theres a photo of Bruce with it on the sleeve too.

Im a huge Chris Squire fan, any of his material with YES is worth a listen. His lines and tone are simply genius.

Yes mark me down as a HUGE Foxton/Weller/Jam fan. "Tube Station", Funeral Pyre", "A Bomb...". All great stuff. Be sure to check out the new Jam DVD, lots and lots of nice Rics. I think the video for "News of The World" is extra cool.
I was just starting to play when I first heard The Jam in '78. Bruce was a major influence on my playing. And of course I HAD to have a Ric bass. My band, The Stiffs('78-'82)sounded like an American version of The Jam.

I've always thought Rubber Soul was a new period of inventiveness for Mac. Of course he was coming up with goodies before, but on this album (American Version!)he seems to doodle and get more melodic. Was it the ric or the pot?

Saw the Jam in 79 at the rainbow in london, and after the gig they came out and signed autographs for 100 or so of us who hung around. Foxton,s Ric tone was different to the other punk/new wave at the time who used F****R predominantly. Some Rics were used by others at the time if memory serves me right, but foxton had the highest Ric profile. Owen...I loved the early J.J. Burnel sound even though he had a F****r ."Peaches" is probably still the most distinctive opening bass line on any track of the punk area.

Its amazing actually, how much inventive bass playing was present in the Uk punk/new wave era. All the basslines a great. Also, thats an era where the bass sounds best on record.

I have The Jam DVD - its fantastic! Whats a mystery tho, is that Bruce's "famous" Ricky, which is BurgundyGlo (tho it looks very very red) suddenly dissapears for the "news of the world" video. Tho the p bass is prominant latter on, jetglo and white 4001's show up in video's- but no RED!!!!!!! maybe it was stripped and became mapleglo?

I dunno, but if i ever see a burgundy/red late 70's 4001 at a good price......it will be too tempting.

Owen, do you remember how many of Bruce's Ric's were the English models? Seems like every one that I ever saw him play was the standard 4001, not the 4001s.
I've always wondered when the standard 4001's started appearing regularly in the U.K.? McCartney, Squire, Quaife. At some point during the seventies I started to see the regular 4001's.
Did Bowie's bass player during the Ziggy Stardust era have a 4001, or a 4001s?

Big G, im not old enough to know all that im only 18, but in the biggest Jam fan ever.

Bruce Foxton never had a "plain" Rick bass, only the "deluxe" ones with binding etc.

As far as the DVD & photos I have seen go, he had:

4001 in Red/Ruby/BurgundyGlo/whatever

4001 in Mapleglo (was this the red bass refinished? maybe...

4001's in Jetglo, White, and a fireglo with chrome pickguard also turn up in some of the video's, but perhaps these were just for "show"

Then of course theres his Black P basses and Epi rivoli's

There was a video with, "The Jam", on, "Top of The Pops", doing either "Beat Surrender" or "Bitterest Pill", I think, and he was playing a Ric with a P-pickup. Terrible looking modification, sounded pretty good.

They were probably lip syncing, I hear from a English friend of mine that "Top Of The Pops", is known for that.

I saw Bowies bass player once for Ziggy and it was fireglo, but don't remember if it was a 4001 or 4001S

Oh yeah that Black 4001 with the P pickup and weird pickguard. I have a feeling its the jetglo rick in the Going Underground video, but was later ruined......ahem.....yeah, modified

oh actually theres a pic on this very website:

Seems like someone told me once that a Ric bass was what was used by Head East on "Never Been Any Reason", (Save My Life, I'm Going Down For The Last Time).

Something simple, direct and punchy about the break in the middle, which the bass leads all the instrumentation back into.

I've always thought it sounded like one, but didn't think too much of the playing. It sounded like it was recorded direct too. I hope the bass player isn't a member here. If you are I am just jealous that I never had a hit record.