On this day, June 6, 1946, Tony Levin was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Tony Levin


Levin playing a Chapman Stick with Stick Men in Italy, July 2010

Born: June 6, 1946 (age 75); Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Associated acts: King Crimson, Liquid Tension Experiment, Peter Gabriel, Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, Bozzio Levin Stevens, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Stick Men
Websites: tonylevin.com, papabear.com

Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known[1] for his work with King Crimson (since 1981) and Peter Gabriel (since 1977). He is also a member of Liquid Tension Experiment (1997–1999, 2008–2009, 2020–present), Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (1998–2000) and HoBoLeMa (2008–2010). He has led his own band, Stick Men, since 2010.

A prolific session musician since the 1970s, Levin has played on over 500 albums. Some notable sessions include work with John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Paula Cole, Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Joan Armatrading, Tom Waits, Buddy Rich, The Roches, Todd Rundgren, Seal, Warren Zevon, Bryan Ferry, Laurie Anderson, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Gibonni, and Jean-Pierre Ferland. Additionally, he has toured with artists including Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon (with whom he appeared in the 1980 film One-Trick Pony), Gary Burton, James Taylor, Herbie Mann, Judy Collins, Carly Simon, Peter Frampton, Tim Finn, Richie Sambora, Ivano Fossati, Claudio Baglioni and Lawrence Gowan.

Levin helped to popularize the Chapman Stick and the NS upright bass. He also created "funk fingers", modified drumsticks that attach to the fingers of the player in order to strike the bass strings. Funk fingers achieve a sound which can be compared to the "slap" style of bass playing. In 2011, Levin ranked # 2 behind John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin in the "20 Most Underrated Bass Guitarists" in Paste magazine. In July 2020, Levin was ranked #42 on the "50 Greatest Bassists of All Time" list by Rolling Stone magazine.

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I've posted this video a bunch of times. Here's one more.

King Crimson - Elephant Talk - Live on Fridays 1981-04-10
148,734 views•Jun 12, 2015

LeDavDave Project

[Shermann]

1. It's hard to notice him with Belew there in that pink suit

I really wish I had a pink suit like that. It makes a statement that you have flair and aim to please. At the same time, you are not F'ing around and bend the knee to no man. It's an enigma...and the perfect interview suit.

Any prospective employer would have no choice but to say TAKE OUR DAMN MONEY!!!

[TxGuitar]

2. The level of musicianship in that video

Is unreal. Levin is one of the greatest musicians of our time anyway but paired with the other three and you have a beast of a band.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Isn't that something? I've lost count of the number of times I've posted that clip.

I can't come up with a better one. It's new every time I watch it.

Thanks for writing.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. John Lennon's most revealing album was his last

John Lennon’s most revealing album was his last

By Geoff Edgers
NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Jack Douglas could hear the telephone ringing as he approached his brownstone on New York’s Central Park West. He hustled in and grabbed the handset. ... “Jack,” the voice on the line said. “You’ve got an amazing opportunity. But if you tell anyone, it’ll disappear.”

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Now they were making plans for Lennon’s comeback. But they would have to take it slow. ... First, Lennon charged Douglas with recruiting a band. Lennon’s main directive had been that he wanted the record to sound like the moment: New York in 1980. He needed a band made up of his contemporaries. That way, if he wanted to reference a Gene Vincent or Buddy Holly record, they’d understand the musical shorthand.

He also reminded Douglas that, for now, that band needed to maintain this code of secrecy. ... “My manager got a phone call from Jack Douglas,” says guitarist Earl Slick, whose credits include David Bowie’s “Young Americans” and “Station to Station” albums. “He said he was doing a record with somebody and they wanted me to play on it but he couldn’t tell me who. We tried to get it out of him but he wasn’t going to talk.”

Ono, an adherent of numerology, asked for the birth dates and addresses for the players before approving their hiring. She also resisted rounding up Lennon’s old bandmates, including the hard-drinking pianist Nicky Hopkins, known as much for his partying as his playing with the Rolling Stones, Kinks and Who.

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In the end, Douglas brought in only two musicians who had played on Lennon’s records: guitarist Hugh McCracken and percussionist Arthur Jenkins Jr. Bassist Tony Levin played for Peter Gabriel and Alice Cooper. Drummer Andy Newmark was on tour with Roxy Music when he got the call. ... “The first thing I did, I went to soundcheck and told everybody in the band, ‘Hey, guess what, you guys. I just got called to work on John Lennon’s record,’ ” says Newmark. "My secrecy went out the window.”

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Story by Geoff Edgers. “Double Fantasy” recording photos by Roger Farrington. Photo editing by Moira Haney. Video by Erin Patrick O’Connor. Copy editing by Wayne Lockwood. Design by Eddie Alvarez.