Electric Bassist Plays To Get His Name In The Record Books
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
An average song has about 100 beats per minute.
A fast song has about 120 beats.
Steve "The Hammer" McKinley played 1,000 beats per minute Friday afternoon at Provident Studios, Winona Avenue, to get into the Book of Alternative Records.
McKinley said he tried to go for the Guiness Book of World Records, but they weren't interested. Since the Book of Alternative Records had no record set for the most number of beats per minute, McKinley hopes his feat will establish that record on his electric bass.
Provident Studios provided the location for the record attempt, audio equipment to record the feat, witnesses and a videotaping of it. Harrison Elementary School Principal Randy Polston also served as a witness.
The recordings will go to the Book of Alternative Records for verification. If it is decided he accomplished the feat, McKinley said he will be the first person with the record.
It was about a year ago, McKinley said, that he decided to attempt the record. He said he didn't think many people could play 1,000 beats per minute. In the past, McKinley said, he has played 1,200 beats per minute, but can't sustain that for very long, so he decided to aim for 1,000 beats per minute.
"This is a very difficult thing to do because it's not just speed, but duration," said McKinley.
He said one of the reasons for establishing the record as the "world's fastest electric bassist" is to "demonstrate to my children, and to others, that it does not matter what your childhood was like, how bad your life has been, or what other circumstances have affected your life. If you set a goal and persist in pursuing it with diligence and perseverance, you can accomplish almost anything."
Also, McKinley said, the electric bass is generally looked at as a second-class instrument. He doesn't see it that way and wants to prove it.
According to a biography he provided, McKinley has been a musician for more than 48 years and a bassist for more than 40 years. He started music at age 10 in 1959 as a trumpet player. Over the years, he picked up various other instruments, starting with the guitar at age 15. At 16, he picked up an electric bass and knew he found a home.
