NON-LINEAR COINCIDENCES OF JOHNâs LIFE (part 1)
This week is for non-linear coincidences in Johnâs life. Series of posts will be difficult, no uwus here, so brave yourself. I believe in you, true Deacon fan )))
At first, I was always wondering why in 1971 (when Deacky came into QUEEN) this poor student buys a very expensive bass Rickenbacher 4001.Â
******* *********
The only photo of John Deacon with his own bass guitar at studio courtesy Sothebyâs and Mary Austin archives below (thank to @riaaanna ). Looks like it Fireglow colour.
â@lennydear
Version â1. The manufacturing company (USA based) for his bass was founded by Adolf Rickenbacher, an emigrant from Switzerland, together with George Beauchamp, an inventor and enthusiastic person. Beauchamp, who was fired in 1930 from the National String Instrument Company, began working to find new methods for increasing the volume of string instruments. The result was âFrying Panâ, the grandmother of all modern electroguitars. Beauchamp presented the finished prototype to Adolf. Rickenbacker owned a manufacturing company that produced metal cases for resonators. Using Rickenbackerâs influence and financial support, they founded the company, calling it âInstruments Rickenbackersâ. The company immediately began production of âpansâ, which quickly gained popularity and sent the company Rickenbacker on the glorious path of the first ever manufacturer of electric guitars.
After 15 years, this tireless inventor became disillusioned with the music business and devoted himself to the second passion of his life â fishing and making fishing gear.Â
There is no doubt the boy from Leicester, who keen in radio electronics, fishing, and later â music, knew about the true hero behind Rickenbacker guitars, George Beauchamp. Because, by a strange coincidence, John Deacon went to school with the same name. Of course, Kibworth Beauchamp Grammar School and Beauchamp Upper School (where Deacon studied from 62 to 69) was named after the manor of Anne de Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick, and Richard Neville, better known as Warwick the Kingmaker, who, according to legend, founded this school.
Did John have a magazine âRadioDIY for Youngstersâ, which he read together with father? Who knows, but it is impossible to exclude the validity of his choice by a drop of nostalgia.
Another reason for choosing his first cool bass â fanboying! (how many of you want Johnâs sunburst Precision bass? Hello there!). Deacon mentioned in his usual reserved manner, he was very impressed with Yesâs Chris Squire at the time. Here we need to look wider and deeper.
YES released their 1st album in â69, and the press immediately praised them at the level of Led Zeppelin, they had an incredibly high skills, and their bassist and founder Chris played aggressively, melodically and completely unconventional, using pedals and effects that usually guitarists use. There will be 4 more YES albums before 72. Deacky was in love with Squire so much, even Roger, in the quote I lost -_-, says that at the time John was talking only about the album that was released, but for Roger(!) was too progressive music.
Despite the fact that Deacon was poor student, but he does not spare money for the instrument. Chris Squire used the RM1999 from 1964 model (a budget version of 4001 for Europe), which he refurnished a lot (had a fireglo finish, similar to Fenderâs sunburst. When the flower-power era arrived, Squire covered the instrument with flowery wallpaper, but he soon tired of the look and had a guitar tech remove it, which required shaving and sanding. Chris covered the bass again, this time with silver reflective paper, and when he got bored of that, he asked the same tech to remove it. The tech applied a cream lacquer and suggested that Squire leave it that way. After being sanded twice, the bass was lighter, and Squire would later say that this was a factor in its unique, bright sound), and Deacon takes 4001 model, because RM is no longer available, for later redo. What color? Well.
They also look a bit similar, ordinary English boys, dressed in elven outfits on stage by the fashion of the 70. I understand why Deacky didnât protest much against Fredâs creative ideas â he had an example, a role model! And Fred himself sometimes wasâŠ..
Another coincidence â at 1975, Chris goes on a short solo voyage, recording a solo album âFish out of Waterâ (by the way, his nickname was Fish, because of the shape of the head of his favorite bass), and shoots a promo video. In it, he sings and plays⊠in a kimono. Watch carefully â at the end of the same year, QUEEN will have a beautiful photo session, and it would be logical to dress everyone in a kimono, or only Fred, who performs in it occasionally. But⊠our sweet sentimental bassist invisibly pays a tiny tribute to the hero of his youth.
stormborns
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
gummygunk
tangentwithtanner
annaxmalina
theartofmadeline
