Tony Franklin (musician)

Tony Franklin is an English musician. His most famous work is on the fretless bass guitar with heavy rock bands The Firm (also featuring Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and Uriah Heep drummer Chris Slade) and Blue Murder (featuring former Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes (also on vocals) and drummer Carmine Appice). He is credited with introducing the fretless bass to the heavy metal and hard rock audiences, as the fretless bass is not commonly heard in these genres. He also has an instructional video on playing the fretless bass. In this video Franklin also discusses his playing of other instruments (string or upright bass and clarinet) in symphony and classical ensemble environments. In January 2006 a fretless bass Sample Loop Library named "Tony Franklin: Not Just Another Pretty Bass [http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/loop_libraries/showloop.asp?SPID=381] " was released by Sony Media featuring Tony's fretless bass lines recorded for use by electronic musicians. [http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/loop_libraries/showloop.asp?SPID=381] He was also the Musical Director for the GuitarPort product by Line 6, and was responsible for coordinating musicians (including Leland Sklar, Jason Bonham, Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette and others), organizing recording studio sessions, creating over 100 cover tunes, operated Pro Tools, and wrote and recorded more than 30 ‘jam-along’ original tracks for the product. [http://www.tonyfranklin.com/bio.html]

Also in January 2006 Fender introduced the "Tony Franklin Precision Bass Fretless Signature Bass [http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0190085800] , which is based on his main "player" for many years. It features an alder body available in Three-color Sunburst or Black, a brown tortoise shell pickguard and a modern C-shaped maple neck with an unfinished fingerboard made of ebony (an extremely hard wood that can stand up to the roundwound strings Tony uses without any type of protective coating) with side dot position markers. Tony's signature overdriven "growl" comes from an American Series Precision Bass neck pickup and a Tony Franklin signature Jazz Bass bridge pickup with hex screw lugs and bar ceramic magnets. Other features include vintage tuning machines with Hipshot Bass Xtender Drop D tuning key on the “E” string and a three-way switch (neck-both-bridge pickup) as opposed to the more common "pan pot" used on bass guitars. Although most know Tony Franklin for his amazing fretless work, he's been doing sessions with the same fretted Precision Bass for years.

Franklin's top-notch fretted signature bass sings just like his fretless model, with Precision and Jazz Bass pickups and a three-way selector switch that provide an array of great tones. Features include specially voiced pickups, a lacquer finish and a modern C-shaped maple neck and fingerboard made to Franklin's exacting specs. The Tony Frankin Precision Bass Fretted Signature Bass [http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0190086750] has been introduced in 2007, available in Olympic White and Amber Gold with a matt black pickguard and matching pickup covers.

Tony also works as the Artist Relations Manager for Fender and Fender-owned SWR Amplification, and performs bass clinics for Fender and SWR Amplification. [http://www.tonyfranklin.com/bio.html] . Tony is also an endorsee for Fender and SWR as well for his equipment needs.

Tony Franklin has worked with: The Firm (Paul Rodgers, Jimmy Page, Chris Slade), David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Whitesnake, Blue Murder (John Sykes, Carmine Appice), Roy Harper, Donna Lewis, Banyan (Stephen Perkins), Glenn Hughes, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio, Gregg Bissonette, Robbie Krieger (The Doors), Pat Travers, Gary Hoey, Tony MacAlpine, Don Dokken, Kelly Keeling, Doug Aldrich, Warren DeMartini, Steve Fister, Scott Kail, Sir Lord Baltimore and others.

Franklin has also appeared on all five of keyboardist Derek Sherinian's solo albums - "Planet X" (1999), "Inertia" (2001), "Black Utopia" (2003), "Mythology" (2004), and "Blood of the Snake" (2006).

Franklin cites his influences as John Deacon (Queen), Paul McCartney (The Beatles) and Jaco Pastorius. [http://dmme.net/interviews/franklin.html]

Discography

* Roy Harper "Work of Heart" Public Records (1982)
* Roy Harper "Whatever Happened to Jugula" Beggar’s Banquet (1984)

*The Firm "The Firm" Atlantic (1985)
*The Firm "Mean Business" Atlantic (1986)

*David Gilmour & Kate Bush "Secret Policeman’s Third Ball" Virgin Video (1987)

*Jimmy Page "Outrider" Geffen (1987)

*Roy Harper "In Between Every Line" EMI (1987)
*Roy Harper "Garden of Uranium" EMI (1988)

*Blue Murder "Blue Murder" Geffen (1989)

*Roy Harper "Once" EMI (1990)

*Glenn Hughes "" Shrapnel 1992

*Roy Harper "Death or Glory" EMI 1992

*Gary Hoey "Animal Instinct" Warner/ Reprise 1993

*Blue Murder "Nothin’ But Trouble" Geffen 1994

*Gary Hoey "Endless Summer 2" Warner/ Reprise 1994

*Tony MacAlpine "Premonition" Shrapnel 1994

*Driver "Driver" Trauma / Atlantic 1994

*Jeff Beck Tribute "Beckology" Shrapnel 1995

*Gary Hoey "Gary Hoey" BMG 1995

*Tony MacAlpine "Evolution" Shrapnel 1995

*Celestial Winds "Oceans of Love" Universe Music 1995

*MOM: Music for our Mother Ocean "Benefit compilation" Interscope 1996

*Warren DeMartini "Surf’s up" Polydor (Japan) 1996

*Carmine Appice "Guitar Zeus" Apalon (Japan) 1996

*Marty Friedman "True Obsessions" Shrapnel 1996

*Naomi Tamura "N" Polydor (Japan) 1996

*Donna Lewis "Now in a Minute" Atlantic 1996

*John Sykes "Loveland" Mercury (Japan) 1997

*Gary Hoey "Bug Alley" Surfdog 1997

*Queen Tribute "Dragon Attack" JVC/ Victor 1997

*Carmine Appice "Guitar Zeus 2" Polydor (Japan) 1997

*Various "Thunderbolt - AC/DC Tribute" 1997

*Pearl "Pearl" Polydor (Japan) 1997

*Sounds of Wood and Steel "Compilation" Windham Hill 1998

*Pearl "4 Infinity" East West (Japan) 1998

*Donna Lewis "Blue Planet" Atlantic 1998

*Derek Sherinian "Planet X" Shrapnel 1999

*Lana Lane "Queen Of The Ocean" 1999

*Gary Wright "Human Love" Warner 2000

*Robbie Krieger "Cinematix" R & D Records 2000

*David Coverdale "Into The Light" EMI 2000

*Lana Lane "Secrets Of Astrology" 2000
*Lana Lane "Ballads Collection II" 2000

*Various "Metallic Assault: A Tribute To Metallica" 2000

*Tony Franklin “Brave New Tomorrow” (released in Japan on JVC/Victor Entertainment 2000)

*Erik Norlander "Into The Sunset" 2000

*Derek Sherinian "Inertia" 2001

*Lana Lane "Love Is An Illusion Special Edition" 2001

*Willie Walman "Trumpet Ride" 2002

*Lana Lane "Project Shangri-La" 2002

*Various "An All Star Line Up Performing The Songs Of Pink Floyd" 2002

*Lana Lane "Covers Collection" 2002

*Tony Franklin “Wonderland” (released in Japan on JVC/Victor Entertainment. July 2003)

*Derek Sherinian "Black Utopia" 2003
*Derek Sherinian "Mythology" 2004

*Vasco Rossi "Buoni o Cattivi" (number 1 album in Italy) 2004

*Eros Ramazzotti "Calma Apparante" (number 1 album in Italy) 2005

*Derek Sherinian "Blood Of The Snake" 2006

*Quiet Riot "Rehab" 2006

*Lana Lane "Gemini" 2006

*Sir Lord Baltimore "Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw" 2006

External links

* [http://www.tonyfranklin.com/ Official Tony Franklin Web site]