Best String Bass Podcasts (2025)

What is the fascination that we have with seductive avatars of oblivion? Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams indoctrinated the adolescent me to the possibilities of the Succubus, and became my tween age, gothic sex symbol; the painting by Pre-Raphaeite John Millet: Ophelia (who floats beautifully in the river) hung on my dorm wall for years. Today, Do…

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Bass Case S2 E23: Whole-Half Scale (Part 3) 0:10

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5d ago0:10

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Send us a text In this episode of Bass Case, Phil concludes his series on Whole-Half Diminished Scale. Contact: [email protected] Phil

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The Future of Cannabis Culture with Brad Zerman of Seven Point 1:20:54

5d ago1:20:54

1:20:54

This week on No Simple Road, we sit down with Brad Zerman, founder of Seven Point Cannabis, to explore how cannabis, music, and culture intersect to create something bigger than business. Brad shares his journey of opening and running dispensaries across Illinois and beyond, and how his latest project in Danville, Illinois with Seven Point is redef…

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Coils, Swords, and High Gain w/ Ricky Sutton of Arcana Pickups 1:14:31

8d ago1:14:31

1:14:31

Ricky Sutton of Arcana Pickups rolls in to talk metal, hand-wound voodoo, and why the word “influencer” sounds like something you catch at a gas-station bathroom. He grew up in rural Tennessee, moved to Portland, and in 2016 decided metal deserved its own pickup company. Now he winds coils that make your amp behave like a caffeinated raccoon and dr…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - ACES OF BASS WITH TAL WILKENFELD AND ESPERANZA SPALDING. DOUBLE DOWN!! 16:49

11d ago16:49

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At risk of seeming sexist, it must be noted that the two prodigies of the bass featured here are female, and perhaps that, in some sense, informs their approach to their artistry. Listening to BC by Tal Wilkenfeld, and Esparanza Spalding’s Vague Suspicions, one cannot help but appreciate both the technical precision, and the soulfulness of their mu…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - STRING THEORY WITH KALEIDOSCOPE AND TELEVISION. DOUBLE DOWN!! 18:15

15d ago18:15

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DT: STRING THEORY / TELEVISION AND KALEIDOSCOPE The guitar as we know it has had an illustrious evolution, starting its journey in ancient Mesopotamia, then finding its earliest recognizable incarnation 5 centuries ago in Spain, and continuing to move through various cultures until blossoming into its electric manifestation in the modern era. It wa…

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From Elvis to Extreme Metal: A Chat w/ Taylor Danley 1:12:12

17d ago1:12:12

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Metal YouTuber and fellow Oregonian Taylor Danley shows up with riffs, opinions, and a tube-amp habit that could brown out a neighborhood. We trace the path from Elvis ukulele kid to extreme-metal lifer, then get into the real fight: cranked amps vs. modeling. We make the case for the Boss Tube Amp Expander (turn it up, keep your lease), why an Axe…

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Bass Case S2 E22: "Whole-Half Diminished Scale" (Part 2) 6:37

18d ago6:37

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Send us a text In this episode of Bass Case, Phil continues with the Whole-Half Diminished Scale. Contact: [email protected] Phil

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Sonic Theater with Ben Garnett 1:10:48

19d ago1:10:48

1:10:48

This week on No Simple Road, we welcome guitarist and composer Ben Garnett to dive into the stories, sounds, and inspirations behind his brand-new album, Kites Keep. Ben takes us on a journey through the making of Kites Keep, exploring how his love of film and visual storytelling shapes his approach to composition and improvisation. We discuss the …

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - STAYING HYDRATED WITH MARTY ROBBINS AND THE REVEREND AL GREEN. DOUBLE DOWN!! 10:59

21d ago10:59

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DT: STAYING HYDRATED WITH MARTY ROBBINS AND REV. AL GREEN H2O - we can’t live without it. As the temperatures rise, physically and spiritually, you better keep plenty of the life giving elixir handy. The human body contains over 50% of the stuff, the earth- about 70 percent. It’s all around; within and without us. From the book of symbols: “River i…

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Ep 90 W/ psychobilly drummers Rick Stojak, Ben Nine-k & Tanya( Lasagne )Pelayo 1:36:53

21d ago1:36:53

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In this episode, we're diving into the world of psychobilly drummers. Joining us are past guests and friends: Rick Stojak from The Barnyard Ballers, Tanya (Lasagna) Pelayo from The Night Times and Los Blancos, and the ever-busy Ben 9K from Rhythm Shakers, Thee Toe Tags, The Volcanics, and more. We’ll explore their techniques, stage presence, and th…

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The 1-800 Number That Built Mojotone 1:04:39

23d ago1:04:39

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Mojotone has been “that place that has everything” for decades—but how did a parts house become an OEM powerhouse? Blake talks with Mojotone’s Andy Turner and Michael McWhorter about the wild ride from surplus pallets and a borrowed warehouse to building cabinets and amps for the biggest names in guitar. We dig into the early Mojotone years, why tu…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT BILL MESNIK'S "CALL ME UP IN DREAMLAND," THE PLACE WHERE DREAMS AND MEMORIES INTERSECT. EPISODE 8: ANCHORS AWEIGH! 21:41

25d ago21:41

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ANCHORS AWEIGH! This episode comes from diary entries written from March to August, 2018 - and, involve labyrinthian efforts to get my nephew into the Navy. My dreams were plentiful and disturbing, but nothing compared to the bureaucratic nightmares that lay before us. Enjoy!By Rich Buckland and Bill Mesnik

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Bass Case S2 E21: "Whole Half Scale" (Part 1) 7:03

25d ago7:03

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Send us a text In this episode of Bass Case, Phil introduces the Whole step/Half-step diminished scale. Contact: [email protected] Phil

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Heady Wax and Sonic Treasures - Kris Howland of Heady Wax Fiends 1:04:43

27d ago1:04:43

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Catch up with the No Simple Road crew as they discuss everything from the music scene, family life, show recaps & reviews, spirituality, psychedelics, and everything in-between! This week's rewind has us in the studio (without Mel) with our special guests Kris and Chelsea Howland! Kris is the man at the helm of Heady Wax Fiends. We talk about the s…

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How Parrotdice Guitars Became Portland’s Favorite Weird-Gear Hang 1:22:41

1M ago1:22:41

1:22:41

Some kids take apart toys. Jay Sasseen popped the backplate on a red Squier and never looked back. That curiosity turned into Parottdice Guitars, a Multnomah Village spotwhere weird gear and rad people hang out. We talk about the "gear flipping hustle" that became a real-deal guitar shop with a simple creed that actually works: fix things well, pri…

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HOTEL BOHEMIA PRESENTS " OF TURTLES, LIOTTA AND PRIZEFIGHTS "- RICH BUCKLAND AND BILL MESNIK CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF MARK VOLMAN, THE INTENSITY OF RAY LIOTTA AND PREVIEW THE HISTORIC CANELO / CRAWFORD ... 23:37

1M ago23:37

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The story of one of the sunniest and funniest personalities to emerge in the world of rock, the Turtles‘ Mark Volman, is being told in a book whose title is a play on the name of his biggest hit, “Happy Together”. However, unlike many memoirs, Volman’s own words comprise less than five percent of the text. Instead, this is a third-person oral histo…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? WITH THE MC5 AND GIL SCOTT-HERON. DOUBLE DOWN!! 10:36

1M ago10:36

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Long ago and far away, around 1970, there was a smoldering rage that permeated through every strata of American society. Following a flurry of assassinations in the mid sixties, the Manson murders in ‘69, riots in Detroit, the Motor City in ’67, and in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic Convention, at Kent State in ‘70 with the murder of four protestin…

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Matt Parker vs. The Bass VI: Strings, Mods, and Mayhem 1:32:01

1M ago1:32:01

1:32:01

Matt Parker plays bass like a guy who read the manual and then set it on fire for warmth. We talk the strange magic of the Bass VI: why the new Squier Classic Vibe fixes the old headaches, and which mods turn wobble into weapon. Matt rolls through rigs like a responsible maniac: Ashdown heads into a 6x10 for moving air, the LB-30 with built-in load…

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HOTEL BOHEMIA PRESENTS "LABORS OF LOVE "- RICH BUCKLAND AND BILL MESNIK CELEBRATE THE UNION OF JOE HILL, THE JERRY LEWIS LABOR DAY TELETHON & MOTHERHOOD- PLUS EMINEM SHOWS NO FEAR AS THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS ... 1:17:27

1M ago1:17:27

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Joe HIll A songwriter, itinerant laborer, and union organizer, Joe Hill became famous around the world after a Utah court convicted him of murder. Even before the international campaign to have his conviction reversed, however, Joe Hill was well known in hobo jungles, on picket lines and at workers' rallies as the author of popular labor songs and …

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Bass Case S2 E20: "Diminished Scale Theory" (Part 1) 8:16

1M ago8:16

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Send us a text In this episode of Bass Case Phil discusses some theoretical concepts behind diminished scales. Contact: [email protected] Phil

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BILL MESNIK'S SUNNY SIDE OF MY STREET PRESENTS: LOW YO YO STUFF BY CAPTAIN BEEFHEART (WB, 1972) 6:01

1M ago6:01

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SUNNY SONGS: LOW YO YO STUFF by Captain Beefheart (WB, 1972) We do what we gotta do to survive. We’ve got to activate our low yo yo stuff. Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart knew that better than most. Frank Zappa’s high school buddy and inspiration blew in from the desert fully formed as a cubist blues man. He reordered our mitochondria by break…

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Low End, High Vibes, & Bluegrass - Trish Imbrogno aka Trish Plays Bass 1:05:12

1M ago1:05:12

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On this episode of No Simple Road, we sit down with Trish Imbrogno, aka Trish Plays Bass! From her early days training in classical music to diving headfirst into bluegrass, Trish shares the story of how music has shaped her path. We talk about the shift from structured classical training to the freedom of improvisation, the energy of the bluegrass…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - GIVING LOVE ONE MORE CHANCE - WITH TRACY CHAPMAN AND SIPPIE WALLACE. DOUBLE DOWN! 12:40

1M ago12:40

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Today we feature two black female vocalists, born 66 years apart, both renown for their independent spirit, singing songs about trying to make love work - despite clear signs to the contrary. As artists, they’ve both shunned the spotlight, maintaining the mystery of their magic: Sippie Wallace quit show business for 30 years, preferring to express …

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From Dead Radios to Living Tone: The Origin of R2R Electric 1:07:01

1M ago1:07:01

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Chris Vincent (a.k.a. DJLavalamp) joins the podcast to tell the story of how a punk kid with a busted guitar wound up building some of the most coveted point-to-point, vintage style guitar pedals on the planet. We get into the weird alchemy of germanium transistors (spoiler: they melt if you look at them sideways), scavenging tubes out of dead reel…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - DISHING THE DIRT WITH HOWLIN' WOLF AND GENE PITNEY. DOUBLE DOWN!! 9:23

2M ago9:23

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Gossip, Tittle Tattle, rumors, hearsay, dishing the dirt, idle talk, back stabbing…. It’s not one of the seven deadly sins, but maybe it should be. How many friendships, how many marriages, and how many jobs have been lost through spiteful blather? In this episode of Double Trouble Howlin’ Wolf and Gene Pitney testify to the adverse effects of piti…

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The Alchemy of Billy Strings and the Microcosmic Lot - No Simple Road's Rewind Vol. 120 55:11

2M ago55:11

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Catch up with the No Simple Road crew as they discuss everything from the music scene, family life, show recaps & reviews, spirituality, psychedelics, and everything in-between! This week's rewind has it all! We're talking about the upcoming Billy Strings shows here in Eugene this weekend which leads to a discussion around the genius surrounding th…

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$36, Some Guitars, and a Federal Investigation (Mike Mitchell of The Kingsmen) 37:24

2M ago37:24

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This week we’re dusting off a true gem from the Tone Mob archives! My 2019 conversation with Mike Mitchell of The Kingsmen. Recorded live in a Portland cigar bar, this one dives into the chaotic birth of garage rock and the most famous three chords in history: Louie Louie. Mike tells the story of how the band cut the track in a one-hour, $36 record…

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT BILL MESNIK'S "CALL ME UP IN DREAMLAND," THE PLACE WHERE DREAMS AND MEMORIES INTERSECT. EPISODE #7 - NORTH TO ALASKA! 25:46

2M ago25:46

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In the summer of 2019, in the halcyon days before the Pandemic, Chemayne and I got to share a 25th anniversary celebration experience that we had put off for 5 years: an Alaskan cruise. A year and a half later, the world was in chaos and Chemayne was gone, but these images and moments, preserved in the diary, live on. Let's go north to Alaska toget…

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Bass Case S2 E18: "Diminished Scales" (Part 1) 7:25

2M ago7:25

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Send us a text In this episode of Bass Case, Phil begins a series on diminished scales. Contact: [email protected] Phil

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Bass Case S2 E19: "Diminished Scales" (Part 2) 7:47

2M ago7:47

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Send us a text In this episode of Bass Case, Phil continues his series on diminished scales. Contact: [email protected] Phil

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THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - APOCALYPSE NOW! WITH JACKSON BROWNE AND CHUMBAWAMBA - DOUBLE DOWN!! 13:18

2M ago13:18

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APOCALYPSE NOW! JACKSON BROWNE AND CHUMBAWAMBA Have T***p derangement syndrome? Don’t worry; be happy! Go with the flow. Things can always get worse, right? The dual apocalyptic visions featured today may derive from decades past, when anxiety within the zeitgeist was running hot, but they look positively edenic in retrospect. “All Things Must Pass…

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Are We Really Just Plants? - No Simple Road's Rewind Vol. 119 59:34

2M ago59:34

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Catch up with the No Simple Road crew as they discuss everything from the music scene, family life, show recaps & reviews, spirituality, psychedelics, and everything in-between! This week's rewind has all three of us back in the studio catching y'all up with Mel and Apple and diggin into some theories and thoughts on EMF smog, sunlight exposure, mi…

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Episode 89: The Four Strings Bass Panel with Oliver Baroni of The Hillbilly Moon Explosion 1:24:50

2M ago1:24:50

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Episode 89: Four Strings Bass Panel Returns! Featuring past guests and psychobilly bass players Kris from The Quaranteds, Bebop from The Sindicates, and special guest Oliver from The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, who joins us from Switzerland. We chat about music, cars, food, and, of course, bass gear. Links: - [Hillbilly Moon Explosion] https://www.hi…

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BILL ("THE MIGHTY MEZ") MESNIK PRESENTS A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: IT'S A CHOICE TO BE HAPPY! 2:55

2M ago2:55

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IT’S A CHOICE TO BE HAPPY (Music and lyrics by Bill Mesnik) What makes me happy? Cause when I feel happy I feel like shit I can’t define it I thought I was happy But was I really happy? I don’t know I just can’t show it Each soggy birthday cake makes me quiver and quake A jog around the lake? I can’t fake it. What makes you happy? Cause you always …

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"CAPTAIN BILLY'S MAGIC 8 BALL" PRESENTS A SPECIAL GOLDEN OLDIE ARCHIVAL EPISODE WITH PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS GREATEST HITS! (COLUMBIA, 1967). 41:39

2M ago41:39

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ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS GREATEST HITS by Paul Revere and the Raiders (Columbia, 1967) This group, this record: they were fundamental elements in the experience of the 13 year old Captain Billy. My band, The Full House, played a smokin’ cover of “Steppin’ Out”; Dick Clark’s WHERE THE ACTION IS tv show was a can’t mi…

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Morgoth Beatz: Heavy Riffs, Studio Secrets, and Touring with the Titans 1:04:06

2M ago1:04:06

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Hold on to your hats folks! Morgoth Beatz is back, and yet again, he's got a whole lot more than just a cool name. After a couple of years off, the man behind Seven Hours After Violet talks about going from studio wizardry to touring the globe with the likes of Korn, Slipknot, and Avenged Sevenfold. What started as a small project with Shavo from S…

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Feeling Minnesota Nice with Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü, Ultrabomb, Buddies) 44:39

2M ago44:39

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We continue to tick off the bucket list, player by player. In the wake of a trip to Minneapolis for the Caterwaul Festival, we chat with Minnesota's favorite son, Greg Norton - who filled his time in-between Hüskers tours as a chef, eventually opening an eponymous restaurant. After going 14 years without touching a bass, and surviving a health scar…

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"CAPTAIN BILLY'S MAGIC 8-BALL" RIDES AGAIN WITH HANK WILLIAMS, JR. - WHISKEY BENT AND HELL BOUND - (ELEKTRA, 1979) , IN HIGH DEFINITION - THE ENTIRE ALBUM WITH THE CAPTAIN'S MAGNETIC NARRATIVE ... 32:20

2M ago32:20

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HANK WILLIAMS, JR. / WHISKEY BENT AND HELL BOUND / ELEKTRA, 1979 I have a good story about Hank Williams, Jr., aka “Bocephus:” My late wife, Chemayne grew up in the backstages and dressing rooms of the biggest rock n roll arenas in the Southeast. Her mom worked for a couple of regional mega promoters, and Chemayne had many encounters with such 70’s…