Ernie McKone is a UK-based bass player, producer and tutor whose speciality is jazz, funk, Latin and soul.
With so many connections to Paul Weller and the likes of Mick Talbot, Steve White, Carleen Anderson, Jacko Peake and Matt Deighton over the past 30 plus years – there are some great stories to dig into.
Ernie’s track record also includes work with Sister Sledge, Galliano, Incognito, PUSH, Seal, Leon Ware, Reuben Wilson, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Marlena Shaw, Urban Species, Reel People and Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band.
Ernie also runs Boogie Back Records – an underground label that releases jazz funk and street soul. Artists who have appeared on the label include Omar, The Valentine Brothers, Vivienne McKone (his sister who also played keys with The Style Council for a time), Max Beesley, Mica Paris and more…
Ernie played with Galliano in the early nineties – performing on the brilliant albums In Pursuit of the 13th Note, A Joyful Noise unto the Creator and The Plot Thickens.
In 1993, he played bass on the track Say You’ll Never Leave Me for the Talbot & White album – United States of Mind.
In 1997, Ernie joined the Paul Weller live band – taking over from Yolanda Charles – prior to Damon Minchella – and he toured Europe and the UK for a couple of years around the release of the PW album Heavy Soul.
The Victoria Park gig of 1998 has been captured on film (YouTube link below) and was released as a limited edition bonus Live Classics CD with Paul’s first solo greatest hits – Modern Classics.
More recently Ernie has remixed one of the many stand out tracks from the Paul Weller album Fat Pop – with October 2021 seeing the release of Glad Times (Soul Steppers) – Remixed by Boogie Back. He also did a stonking version of Stone Foundation’s Deeper Love (which featured Paul on vocals) with a Late Night Jazz Funk Mix.
You’ll find links to both below…
We also chat about recent releases with Monks Road Social and as part of the new iteration of Mother Earth with Matt Deighton, Sulene Fleming, Mick Talbot and Crispin Taylor…
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