Author Topic: Inspirational bass players (Read 13130 times)

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #75 on:** 13 February, 2021, 01:08:37 pm »

He's essentially a punk bass player in an indie/electronica band. It works, but it isn't any sort of genius. It's just someone who sounds like a mediocre guitar player having his first ever go on a bass. As a player myself his flaws stand out so badly.

I'd say hand his bass, effects board and amp rig to Jean-Jacques Burnel. He'd have shot it into space.

Steph · « **Reply #76 on:** 15 February, 2021, 11:11:14 am »

Miranda Sykes is one for me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcsc8xnGUKA

as was Burke Shelley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54H3EUAzpVg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jXSKlggRCo&feature=emb_logo

And then there is the lovely man that is Dave Pegg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkOB57UcYk8

Glad to see Mr L mentioned Geezer, who is also a lovely man in person.

citoyen · « **Reply #77 on:** 17 March, 2021, 09:39:59 pm »

Just came across this on Youtube which made me think of this thread... and I know Entwistle was mentioned in the OP, but fuck me, if I played bass, this is precisely the kind of performance I would aspire to so it needs sharing... so utterly fucking cool... while Daltrey and Townshend prance around like the monstrous pricks they are...

https://youtu.be/80dsyo2Ox-0

(Same performance in context: https://youtu.be/UDfAdHBtK_Q )

ETA: comments say this was the last ever live performance by Keith Moon... fucking hell, what a way to bow out.

Ham · « **Reply #78 on:** 17 March, 2021, 09:52:43 pm »

Four pages without Leland Sklar?

citoyen · « **Reply #79 on:** 17 March, 2021, 10:06:30 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 17 March, 2021, 09:52:43 pm

Four pages without Leland Sklar?

Never heard of him myself, but that's my loss... Just looked him up and I'm enjoying this:
https://youtu.be/n8tF4Wn77WM

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #80 on:** 18 March, 2021, 06:08:47 am »

You'd never heard of him but you had heard him.

That sample.

I was into Billy Cobham in the 80s, so it kind of pissed me off when Massive Attack pinched the line.

citoyen · « **Reply #81 on:** 18 March, 2021, 07:23:30 am »

Quote from: Hot Flatus on 18 March, 2021, 06:08:47 am

You'd never heard of him but you had heard him.

That goes for quite a few names mentioned in this thread, tbh. I mean, I couldn't have told you the name of the bass player on, for example, Paul Young's Wherever I Lay My Hat, even though I've always loved that record and its iconic bass line. When it came out, I was 10 years old - I wouldn't have cared who was in the band.

Quote

That sample.

I was into Billy Cobham in the 80s, so it kind of pissed me off when Massive Attack pinched the line.

Not being familiar with Billy Cobham's work, I never even realised it was a sample. Listening to Spectrum right now though, and loving it. One of the great things about threads like this is filling these gaps in my knowledge.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #82 on:** 18 March, 2021, 10:43:42 am »

Quote from: citoyen on 18 March, 2021, 07:23:30 am

Quote from: Hot Flatus on 18 March, 2021, 06:08:47 am
You'd never heard of him but you had heard him.

That goes for quite a few names mentioned in this thread, tbh. I mean, I couldn't have told you the name of the bass player on, for example, Paul Young's Wherever I Lay My Hat, even though I've always loved that record and its iconic bass line. When it came out, I was 10 years old - I wouldn't have cared who was in the band.

As you now know it was Pino Palladino. I knew who he was because he kept appearing on The Tube in various bands, such as Gary Numan. In fact, at one point he had appeared on The Tube more than any other musician.

Robh · « **Reply #83 on:** 19 March, 2021, 12:01:21 am »

As it happens, Pino has a new project coming to light very soon:
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pino-palladino-blake-mills-notes-with-attachments/

Redlight · « **Reply #84 on:** 19 March, 2021, 03:49:28 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 17 March, 2021, 09:39:59 pm

Just came across this on Youtube which made me think of this thread... and I know Entwistle was mentioned in the OP, but fuck me, if I played bass, this is precisely the kind of performance I would aspire to so it needs sharing... so utterly fucking cool... while Daltrey and Townshend prance around like the monstrous pricks they are...
https://youtu.be/80dsyo2Ox-0

Wow. And throughout the whole thing he looks bored rigid - or maybe he had been indulging.

citoyen · « **Reply #85 on:** 19 March, 2021, 03:53:09 pm »

Quote from: Redlight on 19 March, 2021, 03:49:28 pm

Quote from: citoyen on 17 March, 2021, 09:39:59 pm
Just came across this on Youtube which made me think of this thread... and I know Entwistle was mentioned in the OP, but fuck me, if I played bass, this is precisely the kind of performance I would aspire to so it needs sharing... so utterly fucking cool... while Daltrey and Townshend prance around like the monstrous pricks they are...
https://youtu.be/80dsyo2Ox-0

Wow. And throughout the whole thing he looks bored rigid - or maybe he had been indulging.

As per one of the comments:
"John just rips out this masterpiece while, in his mind, he is debating what to have for dinner, or trying to remember if he took out the garbage last night."

matthew · « **Reply #86 on:** 19 March, 2021, 04:01:23 pm »

Quote from: Giropaul on 28 January, 2021, 01:30:21 pm

Has anyone mentioned Tal Wilkenfeld yet?

This, if you can find the DVD of Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's then this girl's bass playing is brilliant, or I expect it is on youtube.

I was also thinking of Danny Thompson, from the bands mentioned above to turning up in a number of the transatlantic sessions mixing the American Country traditions with Celtic folk traditions. A brilliant set of BBC4 series.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #87 on:** 19 March, 2021, 04:50:10 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 19 March, 2021, 03:53:09 pm

Quote from: Redlight on 19 March, 2021, 03:49:28 pm
Quote from: citoyen on 17 March, 2021, 09:39:59 pm
Just came across this on Youtube which made me think of this thread... and I know Entwistle was mentioned in the OP, but fuck me, if I played bass, this is precisely the kind of performance I would aspire to so it needs sharing... so utterly fucking cool... while Daltrey and Townshend prance around like the monstrous pricks they are...
https://youtu.be/80dsyo2Ox-0

Wow. And throughout the whole thing he looks bored rigid - or maybe he had been indulging.

As per one of the comments:
"John just rips out this masterpiece while, in his mind, he is debating what to have for dinner, or trying to remember if he took out the garbage last night."

But....what he is doing isn't particularly difficult. Its just blues scale based stuff with some triplet runs thrown in using 4 fingers, and strumming chords. Rhythmically it is simple. Technically it is nothing special by today's stands. Entwistle is highly regarded because of what he did in his era. He turned the treble up and played lead bass when everyone else was still stuck on walking bass lines. Ditto Jack Bruce, although he was much better.

Anyway, here is a bit of stuff that really is complex in terms of technique, construction and rhythm. Without cheating and looking it up, see if you can work out whose fingers did this:

https://youtu.be/VokAbAfTfCc

Peter · « **Reply #88 on:** 19 March, 2021, 05:33:27 pm »

(click to show/hide)

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #89 on:** 19 March, 2021, 05:38:07 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 19 March, 2021, 05:33:27 pm

(click to show/hide)
Sounds like Pino to me

It is. Very few people can play like that, jumping from glissando melody to syncopated funk in the space of two bars.

Peter · « **Reply #90 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:04:24 pm »

He's very special, isn't he? Have you any idea who's playing bass on this? It's Aretha with "Don't Play that Song" but a much better version than the already good single. It might be James Jamerson but it might also be some English session guy, like Herbie Flowers. Whoever, they know what they're doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqsRKwwwtA

geoff · « **Reply #91 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:14:20 pm »

Mostly, if its West Coast, the answer will be Carole Kaye

Sent from my STF-L09 using Tapatalk

Peter · « **Reply #92 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:17:55 pm »

What you say is true, Geoff. But Aretha is distinctly and gloriously UN-West Coast!

geoff · « **Reply #93 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:23:37 pm »

Yeah true dat.

There's a sensible discussion about Aretha and bass over here:
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/who-was-aretha-franklins-bass-player.142150/

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Hot Flatus · « **Reply #94 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:25:08 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 19 March, 2021, 06:04:24 pm

He's very special, isn't he? Have you any idea who's playing bass on this? It's Aretha with "Don't Play that Song" but a much better version than the already good single. It might be James Jamerson but it might also be some English session guy, like Herbie Flowers. Whoever, they know what they're doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqsRKwwwtA

I can barely hear the bass. Wild guess would be Ron Carter, but that's just a wild guess. In that era she used loads of people but not the ones that are distinctive to my ears.

If it was a few years later I'd be in with a better shout with Marcus Miller, Chuck Rainey etc

Peter · « **Reply #95 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:30:19 pm »

All true. It was mostly an excuse to remind us of Aretha at her devastating best!

CarlF · « **Reply #96 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:42:36 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 19 March, 2021, 06:04:24 pm

He's very special, isn't he? Have you any idea who's playing bass on this? It's Aretha with "Don't Play that Song" but a much better version than the already good single. It might be James Jamerson but it might also be some English session guy, like Herbie Flowers. Whoever, they know what they're doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqsRKwwwtA

Sounds like a full on BBC light entertainment orchestra, full of unsung talents turning their hands to anything day in, day out for Musicians' Union standard rates.

Speaking of Musicians' Union, if the backing wasn't a tape, surely it's very unlikely that a BBC special from 1970 would be using foreign talent in the backing band?

Link here https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8da3065b691e4cd6953c94a214c0eda6 suggests that in fact it might be "Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra". Norrie being something of a titan of easy listening, it would seem.

(Whoever it is, yes they're great)

Peter · « **Reply #97 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:44:19 pm »

Quote from: geoff on 19 March, 2021, 06:23:37 pm

Yeah true dat.

There's a sensible discussion about Aretha and bass over here:
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/who-was-aretha-franklins-bass-player.142150/

Sent from my STF-L09 using Tapatalk

Hmmm. It doesn't seem to be from an album but I guess the favourites, from your link, are Tommy Cogbill and Jerry Jemmott.

bobb · « **Reply #98 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:45:37 pm »

Forget all the session players that nobody actually cares about. For inspiration, Derek Smalls is all you need.

Peter · « **Reply #99 on:** 19 March, 2021, 06:49:42 pm »

There's always somebody falls into the spinal trap.....