Bass player Herbie Flowers had a front row seat for some of the most iconic recordings of the late sixties and seventies. He played on a staggering number of classic albums from artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Al Kooper, Roger Daltrey, Marc Bolan and T. Rex, Cat Stevens, Bryan Ferry and more.

He is perhaps most known for the iconic bassline on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", where he played double bass and overdubbed an electric Fender Precision bass for the high part. He was paid £17, and he recalls the session took about 20 minutes. Other signature recording moments for Flowers included David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and "Rock On" by David Essex.

In addition to his session work, he had a fruitful solo career, releasing four albums and over a dozen singles. Herbie Flowers passed away September 5th. He was 86.

 

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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