Iggy and the Stooges, Secondmen, Missingmen, fIREHOSE and Kelly Clarkson
Iggy and the Stooges
FlyGuitars So how did your role with The Stooges come about?
Mike Watt That was pretty incredible too. A lot of stuff, third, forth, fifth hand. With the Stooges I can go to a blue print. I can't imagine Punk without the Stooges. Finally I'm the youngest guy in the band, (laughs), but I'm the student here.
FlyGuitars Do you try to stay with the original bass parts of the songs or do they give you a lot of freedom?
Mike Watt We just made an album. Iggy had me come to his place in Miami and went over every note of the songs. They are all not rapped up in operating a machine, so they have a big picture kind of thing. It very interesting, their perspective. I let go of all the control bogart shit and let him teach me. I get my way in a lot of my projects, so it's no blow to the ego.
FlyGuitars Did they let you use your EB-3 for the recordings?
Mike Watt Yeah, I used it in the studio, I recorded in Chicago, I think it's a pre-63? It still has the small headstock and that kind of top hat, not the witch hat knobs and uh, it fits right in-between. I've made some changes to it. [see part 3 Gibson EB3s for more about this bass]
What happened was as I got less young, after gigs my hands would be so sore playing long scale. It was getting harder & harder to drive the van. When I went to 30- 1/2 inch scale, all the hurt went away. It was like I went full circle to the beginning. I bought this thing (EB-3) like 10, 12 years ago, for only couple hundred bucks only for sentimental value, but it ended up working out really good.
FlyGuitars What's coming in the near future?
Mike Watt well, touring with The Stooges. There's a US tour in April, we have a lot of overseas gigs spring and summer. When I get time, I go to my Missingmen, my third opera.
Secondmen and Missingmen
FlyGuitars I saw your band The Secondmen in Chicago a couple of years ago and was struck by your playing live. Very unorthodox choice of notes and the beats you played on. I bet your band has to really be on its toes to keep up with you. You're not the typical bass player.
Mike Watt I have been very lucky to have great cats to play with. Some musicians are caught up in the hierarchy. The weird politics of our instrument is we look good making other cats look good. It's very narrow, that's what weirds me out about five & six string basses. You get in areas where other cats are. I think that is why those four strings were selected. Anyone can do what they want, but I am tied up exploring those four strings.
FlyGuitars I understand you toured with your band the Missingmen opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers?
Mike Watt Yeah I've toured with them a couple of times. That was my 60th tour. I flew to Stooges gigs at the same time. A lot of my style is because who I play with. There is an art in inspiring people.
Kelly Clarkson
FlyGuitars You recorded a session in 2006 with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. What bass did you use.
Mike Watt Non-reverse Thunderbird II [see part 4 Gibson Thunderbird for more about this bass]. They told me five or all six of the songs are going to be on the album. She actually was very nice - god can she sing! She said she learned to sing in church, never really in bands. Very nerdy stuff doing sessions. Everyone looking at you under a magnifying glass, what are you going to do? It's really a pants shitter! (Laughs). She called me Billy Badass or something (Laughs again). She goes up to the producer (David Kahne) and says, "Yeah I think the old punk guy was a good idea," we were all laughing. She was very nice and they were all very supportive. I did not know what to expect. You put yourself in a hard situation and hopefully you learn something.
FlyGuitars Did they ask you to play to a click track?
Mike Watt On one tune I kinda did, like with no music! That was very scary, very hard. But hell, fuck it, I went for it!
FlyGuitars I think things are changing where people are looking for that vintage tone.
Mike Watt You know that's what the producer (David Kahne) said. I like the way your fingers are on the strings. The tone. I'm so close to it I really don't know how I fit in sometimes, you know? I don't have objectivity. So when people says stuff, I feel very grateful to them. I wonder sometimes what's coming out you know, but if people like what they are hearing you know, the magic of your fingers on the strings.
Actually you know what he did? Cause there was some bass I played, some of it was me and some was another bass and mine was a lot fatter on the track, it blew me away. By just playing, not effects or equipment, just playing.
FlyGuitars Did they record you direct or through an amp?
Mike Watt I went through an amp and direct. They had me going through a Portaflex, B15, but used hardly any of that - it was mainly the direct. Going into an Avalon 2 DI, you know, that's what he used.
But like the fIREHOSE records, with the Telecaster bass, I went right into the deck. I heard Jamerson went right into the deck. People talk to me about amps and stuff. We just left it up to Ethan, Ethan James, the guy we used to have produce it. That's what he likes. We didn't know about the studio thing, all we knew were gigs. It was his call.
Thanks to John (Redbird) Fertig and Mike Watt for making this interview possible, and to Peter Whitfield for use of some great Photos
Why not check out some of these other sites
Mike Watt's homepage
Iggy Pop / Stooges homepage
Kelly Clarkson homepage
Gibson bass guitars for sale
1972 Gibson EB-3 Mahogany Maple neck Bass Guitar first year 1972 has Gibson logo
Kokomo, Indiana, 469**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$2500
Mike Watt??s 1969 Gibson Les Paul Bass
Cross Junction, Virginia, 226**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$6000
(bought from dirk vandenberg of guitar surfari. mike watts bass tech in San Pedro... view on ebay
Gibson EB-3 Mahogany 1970-75 Electric Bass Guitar Orig. Case Slotted Head 961211
El Segundo, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$2500
Available for your consideration is this stunning Gibson EB-3 bass guitar. It has a scale length of 31 inches, and a serial number of 961211.
To the best of our knowledge, this is most likely a 72 to 75 production of the EB-3 in mahogany
It is missing the original pickup cover.
You can read more about EB-3 production differences and models on FlyGuitars website.
This Beautiful and stunning EB-3 Gibson Bass guitar is in the original case and ... view on ebay
1978 Gibson EB-3 Bass - Walnut With Original Case
Merrimac, Massachusetts, 018**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$2200
The EB-3 features an SG shaped mahogany body, a 3 piece maple neck with volute, rosewood fingerboard, short 30 5" scale, and two pickups which include a large humbucker in the... view on ebay
1969 Gibson EB3 Bass Guitar- 100% Original with Original Case
Glastonbury, Connecticut, 060**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3700
Gibson EB-3 Bass Guitar 1967
Horncastle, LN9***, UNITED KINGDOM
£3010
Gibson EBO modded to EB3, 1965. Player grade.
Chesterfield, S41***, UNITED KINGDOM
£2556
the body and neck has some wonderful age checking to the laquer adding to its character ... view on ebay
1965 Gibson EB-3 Bass Guitar
Farnham, GU10***, UNITED KINGDOM
£3062
The EB-3, widely known as the classic Cream bass, was used and made most famous by Jack Bruce from blues-rock pioneers 'Cream' around 1967 onwards. He had a few of them over that time period, but his main and most photographed instrument was a matching '65. The spacing between the control knobs was changed in 1965 to match the guitar line, so only a percentage... view on ebay
1962 Gibson EB-3 4 String Bass Guitar All Original With Gibson Case
Swindon, SN5***, UNITED KINGDOM
£4687
All original pick ups switch gear etc. A fantastic piece of guitar history and a great addition for any serious collector or just somebody who loves that classic sound.
Comes with vintage Gibson hard case although I do not think it is the original.
Age related marks but nothing serious considering it is 62 years old!... view on ebay
GIBSON Mudbucker Pickup COVER ONLY (EB0-EB3 Bass models)
Perugia, 06***, ITALY
€50
Mudbucker Pickup Chrome Cover for EB0 / EB2 / EB3 Bass
(COVER ONLY - NO PICKUP)
In vendita la cover (solo il coperchio in metallo cromato, NON l'intero pickup) di un pickup al manico del basso Gibson EB0 / EB2 / EB3 ed altri modelli.
Si tratta di un pezzo originale, proveniente dal mio EB3 e identico a quelli usati per un lungo periodo negli anni precedenti e seguenti ed esteticamente compatibile anche con i pickup montati sui bassi Epiphone e sugli attuali Gibson SG (ma ... view on ebay
1962 Gibson EB-3 In Cherry
Pershore, WR10***, UNITED KINGDOM
£3399
This bass is presented in very good condition for it's age with some playwear that you'd expect. There is some fading on the neck as well as ... view on ebay
Gibson EB-3 1965 Short Scale Bass Guitar
Bingley, BD16***, UNITED KINGDOM
£2199
No repairs or significant damage other than an expected amount of light scratches here and there. A beautiful patina has developed in the lacquer
The pickguard is a reproduction and the tug bar and hand guard are missing. Otherwise believed to be original
Lightweight at 7 49 lbs.
Supplied in a sturdy full sized hard shell bass... view on ebay
Epiphone Gibson SG EB3 Bass 2 pickup - Cherry
Northcote, Victoria, 3***, AUSTRALIA
AU $716
Pick up Northcote, Melbourne, includes original box.... view on ebay