# I Almost Didn't Get the Amy Winehouse Gig: Dale Davis on Persistence, Bass & Finding Your Own Sound

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/now-that-s-bass-7778716/i-almost-didn-t-get-the-amy-winehouse-gig-dale-davis-on-persistence-bass-finding-your-own-sound
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/now-that-s-bass-7778716/i-almost-didn-t-get-the-amy-winehouse-gig-dale-davis-on-persistence-bass-finding-your-own-sound.md
Podcast: [Now That’s Bass](https://stenobird.com/podcast/now-that-s-bass-7778716)
Published: 2026-06-20T14:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://peteb.podbean.com/e/i-almost-didnt-get-the-amy-winehouse-gig-dale-davis-on-persistence-bass-finding-your-own-sound/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/m3r262naw3n7xtnz/Dale_Audio_only7mycx.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/now-that-s-bass-7778716/episodes/i-almost-didn-t-get-the-amy-winehouse-gig-dale-davis-on-persistence-bass-finding-your-own-sound
Duration seconds: 2581

## Resource

Dale Davis is one of the UK's most respected bass players, best known as the bassist and musical director behind the Amy Winehouse Band. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Dale has worked with artists including Paul Young, Tina Turner, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), Freak Power and many more. Chapters 02:23 Where did your bass journey start? 05:37 Northern soul influence 10:08 Working with Paul Young 13:27 The Amy Wnehouse Gig 17:35 Beats International 19:29 Where the opportunities came from 20:34 The Hofner relationship 27:14 Finding your own sound 30:39 Did you ever have a plan B? 31:54 Where should people focus their attention to get more gigs? 34:16 Advice to the young Dale? 39:11 One bass line to rule them all? In this episode of Now That's Bass, Dale shares the remarkable story of how a love of Northern Soul, relentless gigging, and trusting his own musical instincts helped shape a career that has taken him from local pubs in Reading to stages around the world. We discuss finding your own voice as a bass player, why playing with people matters more than practising alone, the importance of perseverance, how he landed the Amy Winehouse gig, and why he believes making mistakes is one of the most valuable parts of becoming a musician. Whether you're a beginner, aspiring professional, or simply love hearing how great musicians built their careers, this episode is packed with wisdom and inspiration. In this episode: • How Dale discovered bass after seeing Danny Thompson live • Growing up on Mod, Northern Soul and classic rock • The importance of saying yes to gigs early on • Why playing with people accelerates your development • Building a unique sound instead of copying others • Working with Norman Cook, Freak Power and Paul Young • Getting the Amy Winehouse g…

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