I love bass, me, with certain exponents enjoyed possibly way beyond their skill, on account of the glorious shades and tones of their work, the settings and the relation between underpinning and adding melody. Her’e 3 of mine.
The JJB, as exemplified in still the Stranglers finest moment, and pitched into orbit at 6.29. The twangy trebly tone, plectrum, I think, not fingers and the heart of this marmite bands appeal. (Pedants will of course remind me the fact that this sound first appears on Message to the Country, a much earlier Move LP, where Roy Wood overdubbed all the bass parts himself, having temporarily fallen out with Rick Price)
The Wobble wobble: the opposite end of the tone control, all bas nd no treble, booming diddly diddly dum dum up and down subterranean canyons. Inspired of course by the legion of dubby rastas who did the same but with a simpler sonic palette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJpboYv1j28
The Hooky, um, hook: I don’t even know if he is/was any good, as half the joy was the ridiculous pants round his ankles length of his strap (missus!), nbut the tho higher end of the instrument has never been so effective. Perhaps no bad thing where the guitarist is at best rudimentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkvYVr8jeF0
Lets have your category, and exemplars!
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chiz says
Yer man Forks posted this on Facebook earlier. I guess the category would be ‘lead bass’
Gary says
How about yer fretless? Not a renowned sound, as it is mostly crap and sounds stuck in the 80s. But for me there’s one outstanding talent in this category: Mick Karn. Has there ever been a weirder, more idiosyncratic rythmn section than Karn and Jansen?
Raymond says
Mick Karn was a brilliantly idiosyncratic, intuitive and graceful musician.
He was also rather beautiful and incredibly cool. I saw him a couple of times with Japan and I could hardly take my eyes off him.
Twang says
Yes I agree, I was at Japan’s last gig at the Hammy Odeon and he was mesmerising.
Twang says
Funnily enough I’m in a bass mood today. This is my current fave bass player, though I have many. The terrific Graham Maby.
duco01 says
Graham Maby. Oh yes, Fine bass player.
And of course he takes the lead vocal on the title track of the “Beat Crazy” album.
Timbar says
Tony Visconti’s playing on The Man who Sold the World album is mighty fine. Mick Ronson made him listen to lots of Jack Bruce, replace his fender with a Gibson EB0 and bend the strings. The bass is very loud in the mix to get that Cream sound.
Beany says
Here’s a master class from one of the bestest bassists. Mullets ahoy!
Almost Simon says
JJ Burnel is right up there for me. My choices:
Carl Radle – unsung hero, plays on Delaney and Bonnie, Joe Cockers Mad Dogs and Englishmen live album, Derek and the Domino’s, Eric Clapton solo in the 70’s and much of George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. Plays with fingers, plenty of bottom end and feel. My favourite bassist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StVUzL2z7rc
Jack Bruce – just listen to the playing on this BBC sessions track by Cream, all three members take a solo, its all over in 3:30, great great player.
Steve Harris. Possibly the bassist i’d most want to be. The main man, founder of the band, for most of their career their chief songwriter but never having to be the frontman, so plenty of PRS cheques and no singing aside from a few back ups. Never been big on playing with my fingers although i’ve tried but Harris never uses a pick, the gentle two finger galloping runs.
retropath2 says
Good call for Carl Radle: I remember hearing Let it Rain for the first tim, with those rhythmic rumbles. Lovely stuff
Rigid Digit says
JJ Burnel – the best Bass player of the Punk/New Wave era.
Along with these two:
Bruce Foxton:
Ali McMordie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI79cbfKS3E
Rigid Digit says
Rock Solid Bass, and an integral part of the whole presentation:
Tina Weymouth
Sadly, the bass seemed somewhat hidden on the ’77 album (at least in comparison to this OGWT version)
Twang says
John Paul Jones. His Motown flavoured funky playing was another secret weapon in Zep’s arsenal. Check out from 3 minutes in…
https://youtu.be/Zyhu2ysqKGk?list=RDZyhu2ysqKGk
Uncle Mick says
Martin Gordon who`s Rickenbacker stylings propel Sparks Kimono My House and offerings from Jet, Radio Stars and his solo oeuvre
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
Two of my favourite “Right, shut up, it’s my go now” moments are Jack Casady in Jefferon Airplane’s The Ballad of You, Me and Pooneil and Andy Fraser in Free’s Mr Big.
bang em in bingham says
Surely Bootsy. Macca. Jaco and Jack Bruce
Jed Clampett says
Not often the bass player gets to stand out front and run the show.
Twang says
Biddly biddly biddly…I like him and it’s fun but it ain’t bass playing. Where’s the groove?
H.P. Saucecraft says
He could nail down a groove like someone with a hammer and nail and a floorboard. Not here, though. This is pot noodle.
Tiggerlion says
Danny Thompson. Here he is with Jon Thorne from their Watching The Well album.
Mike_H says
Here, @Twang. Victor Wooten has it.
(Isn’t She Lovely)
Black Celebration says
I am not sure if there is a name for the ZTT bass sound – I think supplied by Trevor Horn himself – but it’s a crucial ingredient of Relax and Two Tribes.
Another example can be found here – from about 38 seconds in.
Spotcheck Billy says
Love that synth bass – wasn’t the name of the label a shortened version of the name they gave to the bass sound – zang toom toom?
The other great exemplars of synth bass were Scritti Politti on Cupid & Psyche and Provision. You wanna learn about syncopation? Go listen to those albums.
https://youtu.be/ijBJtbKZe_g
H.P. Saucecraft says
Can’t believe we’ve got this far down the thread without mentioning “The Guvnor” – Derek Smalls. here’s a dealer’s demo of his famous double-neck bass:
And here’s the iconic Big Bottom (is that Dave Gilmour doubling on bass?):
Jed Clampett says
OK, let’s have another go at this. Free – Moonshine.
I think Messrs. Rogers and Kossoff are rather wonderful, but does Andy Fraser pass muster?