Favourite basslines

[bobbybigmac]

Sorry Dudes but I can't pick just one so let me throw this out :

These are some of my "favorites" because when I hear them, they remind me of a certain time in my life :

1) "Thank you for let me be myself "- Sly Stone. It was the 1st Slap n Pop line I learned as a kid.

2) "Trees" - RUSH - because it took me so long to learn back in 1981. Somehow I can still murder it after all these years.

3) Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis ( The Groove Master Jerry Jemmott ) I was sharing a few wobbly pops with my college buddies in our local pub when the DJ played this tune. We killed ourselves trying to guess who it was by.

4) PEG - Steely Dan - Chuck Rainey - Got fired from a band when I was in my early twenties because I couldn't play this right ( according to the jerk lead singer ). Later the guitar player quit over my firing and we've been best friends for over 20 years.

5) Watching The Detectives by Elvis Costello ( Bruce Thomas ) - My first LP.

6) Can't Hurry Love - The Supremes (Great James J.) - My big sister's first 45
7) Hanging Around by the Stranglers - Our biggest request song when I was my first neighborhood basement band . Man I love the growl of this song.

[bobbybigmac]

Check out Chuck Rainey talking about his bassline in the making of Steely Dan's "Peg"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6uoNqH-_A

[Cygnus]

Originally Posted by bobbybigmac

Check out Chuck Rainey talking about his bassline in the making of Steely Dan's "Peg"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6uoNqH-_A

I have a love-hate relationship with Steeley Dan, although Peg happens to be one of my favourite tunes of theirs. The bassline in the chorus is a killer.

[Big Tony]

Johnnie Taylor - It's September
King Floyd - Groove Me

/ Tony

[ThermionicScott]

Mike Mills. I can't pick a favorite, but his basslines add drive and movement without locking in to the drums in that stereotypical way. Love the first few records especially.

Tina Weymouth. I realize that David Byrne played the bass parts on some of the Talking Heads records, but there again, the bass lines bob around and do cool things rather than playing the root notes on the downbeats. Can't name a favorite (I love "Found a Job"), but just pick up some early TH records and you'll hear what I mean.

- Scott

[Cygnus]

Originally Posted by Scott S

I realize that David Byrne played the bass parts on some of the Talking Heads records, but there again, the bass lines bob around and do cool things rather than playing the root notes on the downbeats. Can't name a favorite (I love "Found a Job"), but just pick up some early TH records and you'll hear what I mean.

I'm guessing I know which bass part you mean, the bit that comes in on the last line in the verse e.g. "Making up their own shows, which might be better than T.V." Simple, but really enjoyable. I love Talking Heads, particularly "More Songs About Buildings And Food" and "Remain in Light".

Also, the opening bassline to Warning Sign is good ... even though it is just about as simple as it gets. Oh, and the chorus to Stay Hungry.

God, I love taking Heads, although they are far from everyone's cup of tea

[Geoff738]

Always liked the Chain by Fleetwood Mac (John McVie, I think)

Cheers,
geoff

[JohnSS]

The Jack Casady Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane total works.
Badge - Jack Bruce
School Days - Stanley Clarke
I Want You Back - Jermaine Jackson? (or was that James Jamerson?)
The Real Me - John Entwistle
Ashes Are Burning - Jon Camp/Renaissance
All of Larry Graham's work w/Sly & The Family Stone
Hejira - Jaco Pastorius
Revolver - McCartney
Supremes, Temptation, 4 Tops singles - James Jamerson
Exodus - Aston "Family Man" Barrett

[slauson slim]

"Midnight Train To Georgia" - Don't know who is bassist.

"Let The Sun Shine In" 5th Dim and "Like TO Get TO Know You" Spanky and Our Gang - pop fluff but great bass playing by Joe Osborne, and backing by whole Wrecking Crew as well.

"Shaft" - Carole Kaye.

"2120 So. Michigan Ave." Bill Wyman.

Lots of Trevor Bolder stuff from Bowie/Spiders -Ziggy album especially.

"Express Yourself" - Charles Wright and Watts 103rd St. Band.

"Low Rider" War - catchy line.

[giginthesky]

i really like the bass part in "murder" from david gilmour. i think it's pino palladino playing that bassline. i also really like "pigs" (three different ones) from pink floyd animals. gilmour uses a fretless for that.
other than that, sir paul has a ton of them. i will probably get thrashed for saying... rio from duran duran. i love that bassline.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by JohnSS

I Want You Back - Jermaine Jackson? (or was that James Jamerson?)

It was Wilton Felder.

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Hmm, there are so many, but I'll go with three by my all time fave bass player, Tiran Porter from the Doobie Brothers.

China Grove
Long Train Running
8th Avenue Shuffle

I had the absolute joy of playing China Grove and Long Train Running in our band many years ago, but unfortunately 8th Ave Shuffle was too obscure for the rest of the guys...

[TelZilla]

I know he probably didn't invent it (It's all stolen from somewhere), but I love that ascending thing McCartney does on the outro choruses of Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

Bootsy on "Do that Stuff"- during the verses. Too low in the mix, but excellent.

"Superfly"- Curtis Mayfield

"Tell Me something Good"- Rufus and Chaka

"Sexy Ida"- Ike and Tina

"The Real Me" is a good choice

"Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu"- Slim Harpo

"Live With Me"- Billy Wyman, Doubled by Mick T (Keef?) on "Ya Yas"

OK, I will step away from the iPod now. This is a fun game.

[lewis]

Macca on the Wings' "Silly Love Songs".

[roadkillbill]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Paul McCartney on practically everything on Rubber Soul and Revolver.

And...Rain/Paperback Writer! I remember being pretty excited about this back in '66 ...we didn't know anything about his 'bass boosting' technique at the time, but knew he was definitely onto something good..

[Worn]

Living In The Past - Jethro Tull
Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
30 Days In The Hole - Humble Pie
Fire - Jimi Hendix Experience
Fresh Garbage - Spirit

[hekawi]

Beatles "Come Together"...one of my fave bass lines by Paul

Tommy James "Draggin' The Line" ...it was after the Shondells broke up. who played bass on this one?

[TelZilla]

Originally Posted by roadkillbill

we didn't know anything about his 'bass boosting' technique ..

I'm not familiar with that. Can you describe?

[roadkillbill]

Telzilla..here's a link to a Wiki entry describing a process involving a speaker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperback_Writer

I have no idea if this is accurate in terms of what McCartney actually did...we'll have to check into it--it sounds a little weird, and it is a user edited encyclopedia

But it was obvious to me that he'd done something to accentuate and emphasize the bassline...I had always assumed it was done during mixing...

From another website..."(Barry) Gordy was right in this assumption, as the "Motown sound" influenced The Beatles (perhaps their biggest competition) to pump up the compression and bass, starting on their 1966 single "Paperback Writer."

This makes it sound like it was done during mixing rather than some weird speaker trick at the mic stage.

[davidge1]

I'm glad someone said I Want You Back by the Jackson 5...that, to me, is the best bassline of any song, ever. Every time I hear it, it makes me want to buy a bass just so I can play it.

I really love the bass in Burning Love by Elvis. I don't know who his bass player was, but I think the bass part makes the whole song.