GLOBAL JUKEBOX: The day the Wal basses changed the world...

GLOBAL JUKEBOX...

 The day the Wal basses changed the world...

13 July 1985 was a landmark day for millions of people of my generation - our "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?".  "Live Aid" was the "day the music changed the world", it was the biggest and best gig that any of us had ever seen, it was a day when millions of real people made a difference for millions of real people suffering in Ethiopia and other countries around Africa.  And the Wal bass was there - you could even say it was "instrumental" in the events that led up to the day.

The previous November rock and pop stars of the day gathered in a London studio for an unprecedented recording session - the only logical response of an Irish rock star to a disturbing and moving news item by the BBC journalist, Michael Buerk.  He must have hoped that his news report on the terrible famine in Ethiopia and the Sudan would have raised awareness of the plight of the people there.  He could never have guest just how much and what it would lead to.  At the behest of  Boomtown Rats singer, Bob Geldof, and Ultravox singer/guitarist Midge Ure the coolest, trendiest and some of the uncoolest stars in the UK checked their egos at the door and gave their time freely for charity.  The stellar line up included the likes of Duran Duran, Boy George, Paul Weller, Status Quo, Phil Collins, Spandau Ballet, Bananarama, Paul Young, Sting, George Michael, Bono...  The resulting single, Band Aid's "Do they know it's Christmas" became one of the biggest and most influential singles of all time - raising money for the Ethiopian famine victims and inspiring other projects like the US "We are the World" single.  The video for "Do they know it's Christmas" prominently features the fingers of John Taylor seemingly driving the song forward on a Wal bass.

            

 John Taylor of Duran Duran playing a Mk 1 Wal on Band Aid, "Do they know it's Christmas"

Legend has it that Ian, hearing about the project on their muso contact grapevine and keen to help out in some way, dropped off a recently finished Wal at the studio the day the video shoot and celeb recording was due. On the day Midge had already put together the backing tracks and the Wal was used for the the visuals on the video only. 

Chris May, founder of British bass luthiers Overwater and a close friend of Wal’s takes up the story…

“Wal and I were at Sarm [Trevor Horn’s studio] on the day... Mr Geldof had called me a week or two before. I had spoken to someone I knew at the BBC, after I heard Simon Bates interviewing Bob, talking about the Band Aid plans.  At the time it was still all fairly low key - but we’d all seen  the Michael Buerk report - but giving a bass to Oxfam didn’t seem a very practical idea. But when I heard about Bob’s plans, I thought perhaps the MI side of the industry could get involved and maybe we could organise a MI charity auction or something. So, after the conversation with Bob, I spent the following week calling instrument and equipment manufactures trying to get gear donations - but I obviously didn’t have Bob’s gifts of persuasion and nobody was biting…  The general attitude was along the lines - ‘…only if you can guarantee it’s going to be on the telly…’ Of course I couldn’t - but little did they know…

“The only person I spoke to who immediately said yes, was was my mate Wal… 

“So, on a grey and damp November Sunday morning we hoofed it down to Basing Street, each clutching a bass (both fretless’s - as that was all we both had available at the time - the Wal was lined, the Overwater plain). John T liked the look of the Wal, so got used on the video, and we spent the day hanging out and watching the proceedings. 

“And the rest, as they say, is history…

“And the basses... Neither were used on the recording - all of the backing track was recorded the night before and mixed afterwards by Trevor Horn. The basses were supposed to be sold - but in all ensuing hoo-ha and chaos afterwards, they ended up in Midge’s studio. The Wal was eventually sold to John (Rhino) Edwards [later Status Quo’s long time bassist] (and had frets added) a couple of decades later - and now, by strange coincidence, resides with Scott (Divine) - who knew nothing of the back story until I told him about it last year.  And the Overwater, as far as I know, still hangs on Midge’s wall…”

On the video of the most recent (2024) incarnation of the video there is a short shot of Sting playing the Overwater.

Rhino put the Band Aid video Wal up for sale in 2023 at London’s Bass Gallery for an eye-watering figure of £19,500! It was purchased by bassist, educator and content creator, Scott Devine - the founder and host of Scott’s Bass Lessons. The colour of the bass had changed significantly over the years - likely a result of the acid catalysed finishes with which Wal was experimenting at the time. However, the figuring in the top clearly confirms it as being the same bass. It has since featured in many of Scott’s videos and both looks and sounds stunning…

 Photos used by kind permission of The Bass Gallery, London - thebassgallery.com

Provenance letter signed by Wal and the Electric Wood team

Rhino at the Bass Gallery with his former Wal

When the "Live Aid" concert arrived the following summer, Wal basses again graced the event with their presence.  A total of three Wals appeared on stage at the Wembley Stadium end of the trans-Atlantic concert.  Two were being played by Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet and John Illsley of Dire Straits.  A third was rather more ignominious in its Live Aid appearance.  Those with eagle eyes will have spotted another Wal bass leaning up against the drum riser as bassist Dennis Smith's spare during Nik Kershaw's performance. A regular player of both Wals and Jaydees, he chose to favour the Jaydee that day. To be fair, another British builder if the very highest quality and reputation.

Martin Kemp playing his maple topped Mk 1 Wal at Live Aid with Spandau Ballet (note custom thumb rest)

    

 

John Illsley of Dire Straits playing a black poly-gloss Mk 1 Wal at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium

A 4-DVD set of the LIVE AID concert is available with all proceeds going to further work combating hunger and depravation in the Sudan, Ethiopia and around the world.  As the tag line says "This DVD saves lives" - buy the DVD, buy the single and support Band Aid, the work it does and the other aid initiatives it spawned like Comic Relief.