OK... so we had a fun exploration of drumming last week- an exploration that I hope remains ongoing.
But this week, I'm all about That Bass. The growlers. The thumpers.
'Cause you know- I like that Great Big Bottom. I like it heavy. I like it fat. I like it strong, when it bump like dat!
NO band can exist without a hardcore, card-carrying member of the 'F-KleFF Posse' ® ...holding down that foundation.
__________________
As a "lowbox-strokin' " Life Member of The Posse, I'm keenly aware of that age-old musical truism: "Music is built from the ground up"... so there's a special place in my heart for all the bass players who make those wonderful pieces (and guitar solos) fly.
+++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++
New query:
Who's your fave bass player(s)? Why are they your faves?
(Vid clips are considered 'candy' for this thread, by the way. The more, the merrier...)
I gots me a list of'em.... but I'd rather give you Dawgs first shot before I weigh in. I'm sure there will be some overlap. In which case, I'll acknowledge your contribution as such- with my own thoughts on the artist as well.
I'm purposely limiting this category to Electric Bass Guitar players. Why? It substantially shortens the list from the many acoustic bass players I know from the Classical, Jazz, and Avant-Garde world.... and keeps the potential submissions centered on musical forms that are shared by the largest number of potential DT participants.
(As thread OP, I reserve the right to occasionally take a temporary 'side-trip' to a vid that I think you might find useful. ALSO: if your Electric Bassist doulbles on The Big Box, feel free to include their acoustic contributions... bonus points will be awarded.)
I'll add my choices later, but I wanted to hear you Dawgs first.
When I was a kid,I used to lay in bed at night searching the dial of my transistor radio for out of town broadcasts of ballgames and music. That was when I discovered CKLW 800AM Detroit/Windsor, and the Motown sound. I loved that music. It wasn't until fairly recently that I found out that about 90% of those Motown hits had the same bass player - the sound that drew me to the music in the first place - his name was James Jamerson.
From Wiki: James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971) and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. As a session musician he stands in second place to English drummer Clem Cattini having played on 30 number one hits to Cattini's 44. Jamerson also played on more than 70 number-one R&B hits.
My Girl - Temptations
Bernadette - 4 Tops
Aint That Peculiar - Marvin Gaye
Ooh Baby Baby - The Miracles
To Many Fish In The Sea - The Marvelettes
Uptight (Everything Is Alright) - Stevie Wonder
Heat Wave (U) - Martha & The Vandellas
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (2 recordings) - Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & Pips
Where Did Our Love Go (U) - Diana/Supremes
Since I Lost My Baby - Temptations
For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
My Guy (U) - Mary Wells
Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
Love Child - Diana/Supremes
I Guess I'll Always Love you
Dancing In The Streets - Martha & The Vandellas
Don't Mess With Bill - The Marvelettes
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Standing In The Shadows Of Love - 4 Tops
Mickey's Monkey (U) - The Miracles
Cloud Nine - Temptations
Nothing's To Good For My Baby - Temptations
My Baby Loves Me - Martha & The Vandellas
You Keep Me Hanging On - Diana/Supremes
You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
Little Darling (I Need You) - 4 Tops
I'm Ready For Love
The Way You Do The Things You Do - Temptations
I Can't Help Myself - 4 Tops
Roadrunner - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
You're All I Need To Get By - Temptations
You Can't Hurry Love - Diana/Supremes
Shop Around - The Miracles
Ain't To Proud To Beg - Temptations
My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
It's The Same Old Song - 4 Tops
How Sweet It Is - Marvin Gaye
Take Me In Your Arms (And Rock Me A Little While) - Brenda Holloway
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (2 recordings) - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell, Diana/Supremes
My Baby Must Be A Magician - The Marvelettes
Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - Diana/Supremes
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - Temptations
Ask The Lonely - 4 Tops
Going To A Go-Go - The Miracles
I was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder
Hitch Hike - Marvin Gaye
I Second That Emotion - The Miracles
Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
Jimmy Mack (U) - Martha & The Vandellas
I Hear A Symphony - Diana/Supremes
Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) - 4 Tops
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Temptations
Get Ready - Temptations
The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
Stop! In The Name Of Love - Diana/Supremes
That's What Love Is Made Of
Nowhere To Run - Martha & The Vandellas
Seven Rooms Of Gloom - 4 Tops
Pride & Joy - Marvin Gaye
(I Know) I'm Losing You - Temptations
Two Lovers - Mary Wells
I'll Turn To Stone - 4 Tops
Come See About Me - Diana/Supremes
Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye
How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
If I Were your Woman Gladys Knight & The Pips
My World Is Empty Without You - Diana/Supremes
The Tracks Of My Tears - The Miracles
I'm Wondering - Stevie Wonder
Can I Get A Witness - Marvin Gaye
The Girls Alright With Me - Temptations
Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day - Stevie Wonder
Reflections - Diana/Supremes
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin
Baby I Need Your Loving - 4 Tops
Quicksand... - Martha & The Vandellas
Reach Out...I'll Be There - 4 Tops
You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
The Bells - The Originals
Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
Fingertips (pt2)- Stevie Wonder
Hey Girl - Stevie Wonder
What Are You Gonna Do When I'm Gone (U) - Kim Weston (submitted by Chuck Whaley)
Still Water Runs Deep - Four Tops (Chuck Whaley)
All in the Game - Four Tops (Chuck Whaley)
My Baby - Temptations
The One Who Really Loves You (U)- Mary Wells
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left) - David Ruffin
It Takes Two (U) - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
Honey Chile - Martha & the Vandellas
To Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye
When Your Young And In Love - Marvelettes
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
Still Waters Run Deep - Four Tops
If I Were Your Woman - Gladys Knight & the Pips
I Want You Back - Jackson 5
It's Growing - The Temptations
Agent Double O Soul - Edwin Starr
I Can't Get Next To You - Temptations
I want A Love I can Feel - Temptations
Heart Breaking Guy - Supremes
I was going to post a Youtube, something with a particularly strong (they were all strong) bass, like Jr Walker's "Roadrunner" or Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made To Love Her" but either my laptop speaker or the Youtube videos just don't do them justice. Just throw an old Motown album on a turntable, lower the treble, and turn up the bass - that's James Jamerson.
I play Bass. I'm gonna have to pass at the moment 'cause I have to go to work but I'll be back.
At this point, regarding bass players, I'll name my two favorites. Top of any electric bass players list has to be James Jamerson. Second on my list is Sir Paul McCartney.
I'll be thinking all day on this, excited to see the thread later and ponder my contribution to it.
My two favorites are probably Flea from RHCP (only on stuff on the Mothers Milk album and prior) and Les Claypool of Primus (and several other side projects he did). RHCP were one of the first bands IMO to have the bass be a predominant instrument as part of the music starting with their self titled release in 1984.
One of my favorite riffs of RHCP is Higher Ground, possibly my favorite cover of all time as well:
Not sure about my favorite Primus song, we'll put Tommy The Cat here I suppose. Primus isn't for everyone, but I've always liked them.
I'm also a HUGE Rush fan - Geddy Lee is pretty good too.
Gotta mention Jack Bruce, who played bass for Eric Clapton and Cream - and many other artists. His work on Crossroads, White Room, Sunshine of Your Love, and others, was outstanding, imo. He was also a terrific lead vocalist.
I'm going to toss out a name of probably the most prolific bassist in modern history, and I expect very few will have ever heard of him. This guy does jazz, rock, country, blues, soundtracks, studio work, etc.
Edit: Dang, I can't get the right link with my phone. That's a video of Flea's bass master tracks from Blood Sugar Sex Magik. John's guitar master track is awesome too. And there's slso one with them combined (no drums and singing).
Last edited by Punchsmack; 04/08/1509:06 AM.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
Good choice - his name's Larry Graham. Here's part of his bio from Wiki:
Larry Graham, Jr. (born August 14, 1946) is an American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station. He is credited with the invention of the slapping technique, which radically expanded the tonal palette of the bass, although he himself refers to the technique as "thumpin' and pluckin'.
After I retired from the Service I had small club foe a while , and hooked up with Dave Love who was running the Heads Up label .. Gerald first showed up with Kenny Blake and Joe McBride and then later with his own group .. Super talent and even better person ..
I think it's important to note here that Marcus, Flea, Will Lee (CBS Late Show bassist in the Paul Sheaffer Orch), and many others at the top of the field regard Jaco as THE Bass God of all time... and I agree. I've been a fan of his since his early days in Weather Report... and there has not been his equal in the last half-century. None.
'Bridland' is cool, for sure... but his best playing came later on that album:
Teen Town (first time I heard it, I didn't realize I was hearing a bass- I thought it was Zawinul playing a Moog in the bass register...)
...and that insane solo he took 1/2way through Havona.
startlingly great playing in every way measurable: speed, chops, feel...and above all else- musicality.
The head to Teen Town featured playing that had never even been conceived of before:
...and the bass playing in Havona is just sick as it can be- both during his comping and especially that unbelievable solo. Check out how he quotes Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring' in his 3rd statement... then how musically he rifles through the 16th note passages coming next. And finally, enjoy how the solo just builds from start to to that insane finish with those triplet 18th notes. Pure GENIUS of another order.
When I was a kid,I used to lay in bed at night searching the dial of my transistor radio for out of town broadcasts of ballgames and music. That was when I discovered CKLW 800AM Detroit/Windsor, and the Motown sound. I loved that music. It wasn't until fairly recently that I found out that about 90% of those Motown hits had the same bass player - the sound that drew me to the music in the first place - his name was James Jamerson.
"The Big 8... C-K-L-W.... first in the Motor City, with all your hits AAAAALL the time.... I'm your host, Brother Bill Gable... and here's something to make you wonder- it's Stevie Wonder... with: "Superstition."
Back when AM radio was king.
GREAT call, Dave.
(I'm still grumbling about the fact that you stole my Jamerson entry... I didn't think a single DT'er would even mention him- and there you were, right up front- at the head of the class!)
Way to scoop the OP, son! You obviously 'play the game to win'....
My two favorites are probably Flea from RHCP (only on stuff on the Mothers Milk album and prior) and Les Claypool of Primus (and several other side projects he did). RHCP were one of the first bands IMO to have the bass be a predominant instrument as part of the music starting with their self titled release in 1984.
One of my favorite riffs of RHCP is Higher Ground, possibly my favorite cover of all time as well:
Not sure about my favorite Primus song, we'll put Tommy The Cat here I suppose. Primus isn't for everyone, but I've always liked them.
Dad??
You may be in the drivers seat but God is holding the map. #GMSTRONG
Well the first two I would have mentioned were Claypool and Flea, like C bus said.
But I love the bass play in a lot of the older funk stuff too. Bootsy Collins was sick, there were a bunch of guys from that 70s funk genre that can really pick it. I would love to hear some different names besides Bootsy that I could look up and listen to.
You may be in the drivers seat but God is holding the map. #GMSTRONG
I've been thinking how to respond because my problem is the different styles of music.
Of course Stanley Clark would be my first because he's collaborated on many different styles, still sounding like Stanley, but not sounding out of place in whatever genre he's playing. I also just really like his style. I saw at Kent decades ago. He was doing a solo on a stand-up when he suddenly flipped the bass upside down letting the neck slide down between his fingers while playing a mind blowing riff.
For rock bands my personal favorite is John Paul Jones. When I was young and full of rock n roll hormones bassists were non-existent to me because I wanted to be a rock star guitarist. It was when I was much older that I really started listening to his grooves and how they pretty much enabled Jimmy Page to do what ever he wanted, plus kept the pocket solid when John Bonham would twist the beats. He's not a thump-thump-thump bassist. He's playing complex melodies.
A close second in that genre (sorta) would be Berry Oakley. He contributed similar value to the Allman Brothers. Duane and Berry were way into Coltrane and other jazz artists. The loss of both Duane and Berry made the Allmans another southern rock band.
In pop my first would be Paul McCartney. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but especially in the earlier stuff, he's playing some very cool melodies which are often in contrast to what he's singing. I don't know if that fits into "multi-tasking, but it's near impossible for a lot musicians I know.
I also agree the Motown Funk Brothers trump everything in pop and though Sly Stone is not Motown his bassist Rustee Allen laid down some significant riffs. The most popular and my favorite would be the riff in, "If You Want Me To Stay".
For the "slap" style Les Claypool definitely comes to mind as the dominant, because he does so much more than just the slap and to be honest slap gets annoying after a bit.
These are the ones I like and I doubt they agree with everybody's, but I have listened to the songs that have been posted on this thread and I agree they are outstanding examples of doing the often over-looked job of being part of the solid pocket of the song.
He's a young bassist from Sweden who plays in an amazing trio (keys/bass/drums) called "Dirty Loops."
They became a YouTube sensation about 3-4 years ago with a series of insanely intricate and virtuosic covers of totally trite, tedious pop hits. Brit Spears, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Adele covers that simply BLAZED with precision, syncopation... and an unbelieveably tight group sound. Their style bridges the gaps between Pop and Rock, Funk, and the most sophisticated Jazz out there... and they do it at an exceptionally high musical a technical level. Incredibly sophisticated chord changes, quick time-shifts (within the established meter), these guys just KILL it. Dead. "Cross yourself twice after the post-mortem autopsy" kind of dead.
I'm sure that EVERY SINGLE ONE of those Pops stars freakkin' lost it when they heard Dirty Loops say, in effect: THIS is what yo lame tune COULD have sounded like.
Bold musical statements, yo. Audacious to the max. "Yeah... we're this good. We're THIS much better than you could ever hope to be. Sukkit, beyotches."
______________________
As a pro musician of over 30 years, I can safely say that these 3 young boys are some of the best I've heard. Their style might not be for everyone, but there is no denying that they are top-flight musicians who 'bring ace game' -all the time.
Henrik isn't Jaco Pastorius or Stanley Clarke. He hasn't revolutionized the art/craft of bass playing like they did. What he HAS done is take their innovations, internalized them, and dropped them on an unsuspecting world with total command. The ease with which he plays these incredible lines simply astounds me every time I check him out.
He can walk. He can lay down a Funk groove. Extended chords. Snaping, popping- yeah, he can do that. He can play time while Jonah sings or takes a solo on keys... and he can play some of the most soaring, lyrical and intricate solos heard on a bass these days.
If he was fully into the Jazz scene, he'd be scaring the $#!+ out of established studio greats like Jimmy Haslip, Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller. THAT'S how good I think he is.
(Oh, by the way: I think that their drummer, Aron Mellergårdh deserves his own spot in our drumming thread. Kid's an absolute clock.)
If I find out someone's into bass, I always suggest the band Morphine to them. Their lineup is a slide bassist/singer, a saxophonist, and drummer. Unfortunately, Mark Sandman, their bassist, died onstage in Rome in 1999, two shows after I saw them in NYC. Their albums got better with each release and it's a pity they went out on such a tragic note.
All Your Way:
Thursday:
Cop Shoot Cop was another band with an interesting lineup. They had twin basses (one tuned higher, one lower), a sampler/keyboardist, and a percussionist. No guitarist. A fair bit of warning...they're more harsh than Morphine, so I'll share one of their less noisy tracks.
It Only Hurts When I Breathe
I think a lot of people overlook him due to how legendary he is as a songwriter, but Paul McCartney is a brilliant bassist.
Rain
Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine lays down some great funk/rock licks.
Year Of Tha Boomerang
And you can't mention bass without bringing up Metallica's late, great Cliff Burton.
Nobody has even mentioned Lemmy Kilmister? Wow. He's #1 on my list. Motorhead revolutionized the rock scene with their mix of speed and punk metal with Lemmy, the greatest bassist to ever live, as the front man for that group all these years. Flea from RHCP is probably #2 in my book. Check out songs like Just 'Cos You Got the Power, Ace of Spades, Iron Fist, and Killed by Death to witness some bass wizardry.
Les Claypool, Flea, JPJ, Colin Greenwood, Lemmy, Jesse Keeler
Jesse Keeler is not nearly as well known as any of the other guys, but I love the way he plays his bass. He's in the band Death from Above 1979. They're a two piece group from Canada. The drummer sings and Jesse plays the bass as if it were guitar. They're really good, and just got back together after time off.
P.S. Not my fav style of bass playing for myself, but I totally love(d) the Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Majik album. It's their best album, by far. A really fun album. Girls like it too (big plus).
Flea kicks butt playin' on that album. But more importantly, the songs are really good.
![[Linked Image from s2.excoboard.com]](http://s2.excoboard.com/forums/25521/user/302752/484538.gif)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/Punchsmack/punch.gif)
