“Joe and I had been hanging out, secretively making music, knowing that one day we’d do something. Four sessions later, we had an album”: How Glenn Hughes brought his low-end expertise into the spotlight with Joe Bonamassa and Black Country Communion
Despite having a dozen solo albums to his credit, a mile-long resume that includes storied stints with Trapeze, Deep Purple, Gary Moore and Black Sabbath, and a crossover hit single, America: What Time Is Love? with UK electronica act The KLF, Glenn Hughes still lies somewhat under the radar.
Hughes may be acknowledged by many as ‘The Voice of Rock’ for his ecstatic singing, but what’s truly underrated is his superb bass playing. It has been the anchor for several classic albums, including Deep Purple’s Burn and Come Taste the Band, yet it often goes unacknowledged because of his vocal prowess.
The 2009 supergroup, Black Country Communion, finally brought his low-end expertise into the spotlight. From the incendiary opening riff of Black Country through the closing jam in Too Late for the Sun, it’s a bass-heavy album that illuminates the brilliance of Hughes’ playing.
Thanks to producer Kevin Shirley’s keen ear, the vibe of the group with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, keyboardist Derek Sherinian, and drummer Jason Bonham relied heavily on Hughes’s muscular P-Bass tone.
We spoke with Hughes in December 2010 following the release of a record that simultaneously reaffirmed his status as ‘The Voice of Rock’ while delivering a legitimate tour de force on bass guitar.
“Joe was a fan of my work with Trapeze. We’d been hanging out, secretively making music, knowing that one day we’d do something. Then Kevin Shirley saw us play together at the House of Blues for a Guitar Center event and suggested we get a full band together.
“He recommended Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian, and so the next day we got them on the phone and agreed to meet for an exploratory session. When we got into Kevin’s studio, we crossed our fingers and counted the beat off. Four sessions later, we had an album.”
“I came up with the first four or five ideas, Joe came up with a couple of ideas, and we re-cut Medusa from Trapeze. The music was cut over four days, and in between the sessions Joe and I would go away and complete the writing process. It’s a band, don’t get me wrong, but Joe and I came up with most of the material because we didn’t have a lot of time to mingle.”
“Isn’t it? I’ve been doing this a long time, and after all these years I still have to fight every engineer for my bass to be loud. But here with Kevin I didn’t even have to ask. Let’s face it – he’s really good! Sonically, this album has to be the best I’ve ever done. I’m happy to hear that P-Bass growling away like it should.”
“It’s a ’65 Fender Precision on most of it. On a couple of tracks it’s a ’51 reissue. I’ve been using the ’65 since the Soul Mover record. It’s got that undeniable P-Bass sound. I’ve got a lot of basses, but I always seem to go back to the P-Bass when I’m making this kind of music. It’s the instrument for me in this genre.”
