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With much of today’s music studio-generated, many tracks with a predominantly dance influence often use sequenced keyboard bass (hey, it’s quick and accurate), with session bass players only being called in for specific recordings that require that extra attack or finesse. A typical case in point is the current album from M People, with Freddie Thomson’s bass work featured on two tracks, Pino Palladino on another four. However, when taking the act on the road, the use of a permanent ‘real’ bass player becomes essential and, for their current round of touring, M People have enlisted the talents of the tall, dark ’n’ handsome Steve Walters.

“Mike Pickering (original M Person) and I have been friends for a long time. I was playing with the band ABC around June/July time and Mike came to some gigs without us knowing and liked the rhythm section. Velroy Bailey (drums) and I went down on an invite to meet the existing band, just to see if we would fit in personality-wise; the rest is history. I was living in Dublin at the time, took two months off, got married, then came back to London as we started rehearsals. They went really smoothly; I started playing keyboard bass as well, and that’s a new experience for me – I do it in on my own demos but I’ve never done it live. I went home and practised until my fingers almost fell off!”

Classics to pop

“The usual piano lessons at five years old, but through kicking and screaming, I managed to persuade my parents that I didn’t want to play piano anymore when I was about eight,” is Steve’s recollection of his more ‘formal’ musical education. “It’s turned out to be quite useful though. When I was nine I took up the guitar – mainly because it was an indoor activity – but I got up to grade 3 classical! I was later at a party with my parents when I met the legendary Phil Chen, bass player for Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck. I ended up going to his house in Holland Park for guitar lessons. He had all these basses hanging up on the wall and two double basses – it was just, ‘Wow!’”

Jaco!

“I have a soft spot for Jaco after meeting him in New York in ’86. At the time I used to dabble around with the bass, but I was really into basketball – I played for England and went to America on a scholarship. I took my bass with me! Once, I was playing basketball when I heard ‘What’s up, Jac?’ I looked around and saw Jaco Pastorius looking through the fence! I couldn’t believe it, and we lost 15-11 because I completely lost my concentration... We started talking and he’d just come out of rehab, though I didn’t understand what that was, so I suggested getting some beers! We drank them and played basketball for hours. I asked if he gave bass lessons – ‘Yeah – for $20 an hour,’ he said, so I went round to his place for a 1:30pm lesson that lasted three and a half hours! Actually, when I got there he was still in bed so I went over the road and brought back some beers and he said ‘Great – breakfast’. We sat down and he gave me that famous beat-up Fender, with the frets pulled, to play on! He played a light blue Fender Jazz – I just sat there listening to him as we played; I kept thinking, ‘This is THE bass and this is JACO...’ Eventually the doorbell rang, and he said, ‘If this is my girlfriend all you have to do is pay for the taxi.’ What a guy, always skint. It cost me $4, but that was cool; it’s a memory that has stayed with me. We went through all the things I wanted to know, like ‘Continuum’, ‘Come On, Come Over’, ‘Donna Lee’ and ‘Portrait Of Tracy’ and things from Weather Report. He reckoned that Joe Zawinul was jealous of him because, when he joined the band, he was so young. Zawinul would send him an outline of the album, and in three days Jaco would have it scored out and sent back with what he thought it should be! Jaco said that the music business had forgotten him and was angry about that. He was talking about his children that he hadn’t seen in Florida and how he went off the rails after the divorce with his second wife, that’s what made him go crazy, but it was really cool just sitting there and I really did feel at home.”

In M People

“M People is like a family. The original four are still there, Heather, Mike, Paul Heard and Shovel, with Paul Birchall on keyboards and Dave Ital on guitar. Paul Johnson has been singing for them for about two years, and when backing singer Lenise left, in came Sarah Brown with Velroy, who both came from Simply Red, and myself. Now after a break for Christmas, the original M People are off to do some promos in Australia. After that we all go into Europe, which is pretty much sold out, and the venues are getting bigger because the demand is so great. It’s like a party on stage because everyone’s having fun. The set lasts about an hour and forty minutes and goes really quickly. There’s like two points in the set when I look down and it’s ‘Open Up Your Heart’ then it’s ‘Sight For Sore Eyes’ then ‘Fantasy Island’, and on for two encores. Everything just goes by so quickly.” So does working with samples ever inhibit Steve’s playing at all? “Not at all. There are some loops happening, mainly just to enhance the parts that aren’t associated with an instrument. When I first got the set tape I listened to it and I was really impressed at how tight the band was and also how groove and arrangement-orientated it was and I thought – I’m into that! It excited me to try to make each section flow but letting the song grow and trying to be invisible at the same time.” The George Michael Unplugged, however offered precious little preparation time. “I had the least time of anybody on that gig because the rehearsals had actually started, and the rest of the band all had tapes, as you do when you go to rehearse with a new band. I was stepping in at the last minute. I’d done an album in the same summer with a girl called Marla Glen and I got a call from Chris Cameron who did the string arrangements on that. I’d never actually met him during the sessions, but he remembered my six or seven tracks and gave me a call! Great, nice gig, thank you very much.”

Next for Steve

“I’ve just done the music for a short film. Instead of doing elaborate string arrangements, I ended up doing most of it on the bass. I did some classical Bach quartet pieces and some rhythmic things, getting some ideas from Jaco. Using the bass in a rhythmic fashion just to get some weird sounds out of it. That was great fun.”

Onstage/Offstage

“I play acoustic bass and use a 5-string, too; it’s a half keyboard/half bass gig. The 5-string is a Wal which I got from the factory about seven years ago. They’ve been fantastic! I go there to get it set up, new strings on, the guys spend hours on it while I drink coffee and have a laugh! I use Rotosound roundwound strings, and put the bass through a powerful Eden 800 watt amp onstage.

I’ve just got an endorsement deal with them and I’m really happy because it’s got such a true sound. I’m using a single 4x10” cab because onstage, our gear is ‘hidden’, there aren’t any amps visible at all. “The acoustic bass is a Washburn AB30, and I now have a new Fylde 5-string acoustic bass. At the moment I’m just using the Washburn because the Fylde is a prototype and needs to be modified as it’s a little bit lively. I’d like to get some flatwound strings for it, like I use on the Washburn, that might help. Rotosound said they could make some specially for me, because it’s a very long scale length – I’m not even sure what the measurement actually is! It’s got a very deep body too, getting a case for it was a real hassle till I managed to squeeze it into a Brandoni one. I stick the AB30 through an acoustic 100 watt Trace Elliot; it’s a really beautiful performing combo that I used on the George Michael session as well. The keyboard’s a Korg Trinity which goes straight into the PA.”