Count Zero: Stuart Hamm's Official Unofficial Site

An exclusive Stu Interview

We decided to conduct a small interview here, with a format similar to IGN's Filmforce. Short questions, mostly short answers and it isn't all bass related.
(CZ: Count Zero (Graham Shackelford reporting), SH: Stu Hamm)

CZ: I have with me here, the amazing world class bassist
SH: awww, shucks
CZ: Stuart Hamm. So, Mr. Stuart Hamm, your favorite food?
SH: Cherry stone clams.

CZ: Favorite movie/TV show?
SH: Favorite movie of all time? I'd have to give, like, three... Dr. Strangelove, Brazil... Hoosier. Yeah, that's a pretty tough one. Favorite TV show... I don't really watch TV.

CZ: Have you had to start watching more of the kids' shows now that you've got Charlotte around?
SH: Oh yeah. Well, Spongebob, I guess. Favorite TV show of all time would be St. Elsewhere.

CZ: Any non-musical hobbies?
SH: I used to golf, I like to read a lot.

CZ: When eating Jell-O, do you swish it around first before swallowing it?
SH: <shakes head, smiles, continues playing>

CZ: On to some more serious stuff... What's a project that you're proud of?
SH: I'm proud of the GHS records.

CZ: What about one that didn't really live up to your expectations?
SH: There're just too many records I've played on and the bass is just so under-mixed. In particular a Frank Gambale record that I played on, The Great Explorers. I think played some real nice stuff on there, and then it came out and you just couldn't hear what I was doing.

CZ: What's a project you've always wanted to do?
SH: That would be the next one I'm working on...

CZ: I think I've heard some about this from you, is this the "more experimental one" that you've been talking about?
SH: Ya know, I've just always wanted to do this thing of a live concert. Tape it, start off with solo bass, add some duets with a couple of instruments, then add some percussion, then make it a full band with guitars and stuff. That's what I'd like to do. Also a double record with some new material, some old stuff. That's what I'd like to do, so that's probably what I'll end up doing.

CZ: Speaking of live stuff, how's B3 coming?
SH: It's coming well. Just waiting to see who wants to be the third B. Timeframe, we have interest from Victor, but he's booked up till the fall. We're trying to see if a few more rock guys want to do it. We're looking at setting up a few west coast dates, see how it goes, over the summer, try and get Victor for the fall.

CZ: How are you guys going to be doing this? Will this be more of a separate bands thing or a solo thing?
SH: Almost definitely a separate bands thing. There was talk about how Billy and I could use the same band... it's really about getting the interest from the players. So we'll do a couple of dates, and if everyone likes it and gets along, it'll just keep on going.

CZ: What's one thing you would change about the industry?
SH: Well... you know... solo bass playing would be more popular!

CZ: What do you hope to be remembered for when - when all is said and done?
SH: That I was a good father.

CZ: Thank you very much.
SH: My pleasure!
CZ: Once again, Stu Hamm,
SH: ..all my cryptic answers
CZ: we'll be analyzing this for days for sure... trying to find all those hidden meanings...:laughs:

Thanks to Graham for conducting this interview, and also Stu for answering our dumb questions along with the non-dumb questions!