Mike Chapman is more than Nashville's first-call session bassist. He is a composer. He is a producer. He is a businessman. He is a family man. And in addition to being all those things and more, we are thankful that he is also a Warwick player. In this month's Artist Spotlight we are proud to be able to bring you a conversation that I recently had with Mike regarding his life as one of Nashville's best musicians. If you dream of being a studio bassist, then you can learn a lot from what Mike had to say.

What was your very first session gig that you got paid for? Were you nervous?
Yes, I'm sure I was nervous but I don't remember the very first one, the early ones are all just a blur. I had just started playing bass (I had considered myself a guitar player for the previous 8 years) in a nightclub and a friend of mine asked me to do some recording work in a small studio in a town in southern Tennessee. It was a small studio in an old former church with a music store in the basement. The music storeowner was the producer. This was about 1972 and I did a few custom independent LPs for semi-professional southern gospel groups. I did this off and on for about a year and had no aspirations of being a studio musician at this time. I didn't do any more sessions until about 1979 at which time I was very interested in becoming a studio musician and I do remember the first session then. Milton Sledge (a very close friend and a great drummer) and I had grown up together and started playing music when we were twelve. We played in local bands all through high school and later in the nightclubs of Huntsville, Alabama. We were really getting burnt out on the nightclub scene having realized it was a dead-end street. We were making the top money for club players in Huntsville, Alabama and with nowhere to go from there, we wanted out. We began dreaming about being studio musicians but we didn't know how to get started. Luckily, Milton landed a job at a honky tonk on the Alabama-Tennessee state line with a guitar player/songwriter (Steve Crunk) who had free access to an eight-track studio that was not very busy. He asked Milton about doing some demos for him and if he knew a bass player that might be interested. Bingo! So we got together and started working and that first session was very exciting. Even though it was what it was, a free demo at a small studio with unknown players, I felt like it was the start of a learning experience and the first steps to somewhere I wanted to go.

What was the most recent session that you did?
The most recent was a custom gospel LP for a gentleman from Arkansas. A few days before that I did two master sessions with Chad Brock who is an artist on Warner Brothers. We cut four up-tempo tunes for his upcoming CD. I think we cut some hits.

Looking back on all of the sessions you have done, how has the life of a recording bassist changed over the years?
When I first started doing sessions, I only carried a bass and a guitar cord. There was a Strobotuner at every studio and bass players just plugged into a direct box. Today, I have an assortment of basses and racks of outboard gear that I bring to every session. The competition thing is different now also. There used to be a limited number of studios to work in and now, because of advances in electronics making them more affordable, there are studios just about everywhere---in garages, bedrooms, etc. This means that just about anyone that plays music can be doing recording work somewhere and can get the experience they need to compete for the better sessions in the better studios. Another thing that has changed over the years is the appearance of the click track. I could write a book about my views about this subject but I'll hold it to a minimum here. For the most part, I don't like them but I admit they do come in handy sometimes. For everyone that thinks that you have to have a click to cut hits remember this; I've recorded over a hundred songs with Garth Brooks (he's the biggest selling artist ever in America with sales of over 100 million), and there a click on only one tune, and it wasn't a single. My dear friend Milton Sledge played drums on those tracks and I challenge you find one that doesn't feel good.

How many total sessions have you done in your life?
I really have no idea. I'm sure it's thousands. I do know this; the records I've played on have sold over 120 million copies.

As a professional bassist, what are some of the tools that you think are vital for success?
I think you need a few different basses. You should at least have 4 basses: your favorite bass (whatever it is), a Fender, a fretless and an acoustic. It is great to have a good pre-amp to control and color your sound but if you don't have one you'll be all right with your basses though a direct box. You need to have two good guitar cords and batteries and fuses to replace ones that go bad. Always prepare for the worst-case scenario. Remember Murphy's Law. Having a cell phone really comes in handy when you can't get to a regular phone for those calls that just can't wait. You also need a good appointment book. I have one that I keep at home that is made where I can see the whole week at one time. When I make an appointment, I write it down and when I get paid for that session, I come back and write down the amount and circle it so I know I've gotten paid for that particular session. This way, I can look back over my books every few months and if I see that I didn't get paid for something, I can follow up and hopefully get my money. When I go to work I carry an electronic organizer that has my address book and appointments in it also. With this, I can book sessions while I'm away from home and then transfer them to my appointment book when I get home.

Do you use an agent or do you book your own gigs? How do you get the majority of your sessions?
As far as I know, no one in Nashville uses an agent to book sessions. You get work because of your reputation and contacts. If you're an asset to recording sessions, people call. Sometimes when you work for a new client, it's because of a word of mouth thing or else they're aware of something that you played on that they liked.

How has being a session bassist improved your live performance?
I now try to think of the big picture, making the artist and the rest of the band sound good as opposed to the early days of playing live when so many times I was doing it just for my own enjoyment, playing in a way that was fun to me and not worrying about the other people as much as I should.

What solo projects or business ventures are you pursuing right now?
I'm working on a project with an old friend that is such a unique idea; I can't talk about it yet.

What made you first want to play Warwick basses?
I thought they sounded and played great, it's as simple as that.

What was your first Warwick bass?
A Streamer Stage II.

How many Warwick basses do you own and what are they?
I own two: both are Streamer Stage II basses, one is fretted and the other is fretless.

What Warwick bass do you use most often in the studio?
The fretted Streamer Stage II. I play it about 85% of the time. I have found that instead of switching basses all the time, I can simply change my EQ a little (either on the bass or on my pre-amp) or change my right hand playing position and get a sound that will complement the song I'm working on. The Streamer Stage II sounds great in every studio and you can't say that about just any bass. The Warwick always cuts through and that's what I want; the bass to heard.

There are many young bassists who want to become successful session players. What advice would you give them?
There is more to becoming successful than being talented.

1. You also have to have a good work ethic; get there early and stay late and do what the client wants while also presenting your creative ideas. Remember, this is a service industry. There is an art to giving people what they want.
2. Being a nice guy is essential. Virtually all successful studio musicians are nice guys. No one wants to gamble thousands of dollars on a session and then have the vibe blown when someone acts like a jerk or says something that they shouldn't have. Having that pleasant personality will make the difference between you and someone else that is just as talented - but not as tactful.
3. You have to have some taste and use common sense. You need to play something that fits the song, not something that only you like. If you're working on a George Jones song, you probably shouldn't go for that grunge-type bass sound even if it is your favorite. You have to figure out the difference between what's fun to play and what's fun to listen to.
4. Another thing you need to work on is being a mind reader. Sometimes people will ask you to do something and they don't always describe it in a way that's easy to understand. Try, try, try to understand. Be helpful and you'll get called back.

Has Nashville reached bass player overload? Is there any room for a new bassist to get session work in Nashville?
It seems like Nashville is overflowing with bass players. When country music was at its zenith 6 or 7 years ago, many musicians moved here to get their share of the good times. Now, the work has slowed down but we have more people to do it. There are too many lions and not enough zebras. But...this being said, a new bass player that has all his ducks in a row can still come to town and make it.