Learn how to play Spend Some Time
With
Andrew LevyAndrew Levy breaks down his bass line for the Brand New Heavies' 'Spend Some Time', from the laid-back verse to the more staccato chorus.
What's in the course
14 lessons (1h 7m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Spent Some Time - Music Lesson
"Spent Some Time" was written around 1991-1992 for the Brother Sister album. It's kind of a disco track with a nod to the late 70s and early 80s.
Song Creation Process
- The song originated from a drum track and a drum loop.
- While experimenting on the bass, I centered the bass line around the key change I had in my head.
Structure
- If the groove is good, we try to make the verse similar to the chorus with:
- Slight key changes
- Mood changes
- The chorus version is more staccato.
- The verse version is a bit more laid back.
Performance
I'm going to play over the original version from the Brother Sister album. I'll play the verse first and you can watch and see how I'm doing it.
Lyrics Excerpt
"I had a picture of you in my head;
It kept me warm when you were not there.
You made me laugh and feel like a child;
To see your smile, it was everything."
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Andrew Levy is a founder member and bass player in the acid jazz group The Brand New Heavies. He also co-writes the band's original music with Simon Bartholomew.
A self-taught musician, Andrew grew up listening to reggae, British pop radio, classical music, jazz funk, 'Lovers' Rock', jazz fusion, house, American folk, hip hop and acid house - an eclectic mix from growing up in London with parents from Jamaica!
His biggest musical influences are James Brown, Vicki Anderson, Earth Wind and Fire, Level 42, Shalamar, Chic, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, George Benson, Marvin Gaye, Thin Lizzy, Miles Davis and Phyllis Hyman.
In his course, Andrew shares what really makes funk bass move: how to lock in with the drums, sit deep in the pocket, and hold down the groove as part of a tight rhythm section - the feel, the discipline and the choices behind the sound that made The Brand New Heavies famous.
Andrew lives in South West London with his wife Melissa and their two sons.
About The Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies, founded by Andrew Levy and Simon Bartholomew, pioneered the acid jazz music scene of the 1990s.
The pair met at school in Ealing in 1985 before going on to release top 10 albums in the UK, US and Japan, and in 2020 they signed a seven-figure deal with international label Edel Records to produce five new albums, with the first out in spring 2022.
The band prides itself on playing real instruments - not computer-synthesised or programmed music. As a result, they have many renowned fans within the music industry, including super producer Mark Ronson, who cites their eponymous album as one of his top 10 records of all-time and credits the band with turning him onto funk from rock music back in the early 1990s. Ronson produced the band's 2019 cover of Kendrick Lamar's "These Walls", which gained a cult following on Radio 2.
