Overlooked or nearly forgotten Bass Players

[richiek65]

Nick Seymour from Crowded House

 

[Timbresmith1]

Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)

 

[Dave W]

I almost put those four out there too! Not because we here would overlook them but how many average listeners know beyond the front man or the principal guitarist in most bands? And while I am at it, how about Chas Chandler? By the way, I am 69.
I am still waiting to get old.

If average listeners are your standard, then 99% of all bassists are overlooked.

Chas Chandler and Paul Samwell-Smith were solid back in the day, but both of them quickly went on to other music-related careers.

 

[aging_rocker]

Quite a few I would have mentioned are already acknowledged here, so here's a few more to be going on with:

Derek Forbes (Simple Minds, Big Country & others)
Paul Webb (Talk Talk, Rustin Man)
Holger Czukay (CAN)
Matthew Seligman (The Soft Boys, Thompson Twins, Thomas Dolby, David Bowie )
Mike Howlett (Gong)
Robbie Shakespeare (Black Uhuru, and almost everyone else...)
Norman Watt-Roy (The Blockheads, Wilko Johnson, lots of sessions)
Danny Thompson (Richard Thompson, John Martyn, Pentangle)
Colin Moulding (XTC)
Curt Smith (Tears For Fears)

If average listeners are your standard, then 99% of all bassists are overlooked.

Sad but true!

 

[BluesMann]

If average listeners are your standard, then 99% of all bassists are overlooked.

Chas Chandler and Paul Samwell-Smith were solid back in the day, but both of them quickly went on to other music-related careers.

Right, as I recall they both went into music production and Chandler also went into artist development. And their bands certainly didn’t have the staying power in terms of longevity as an Aerosmith or The Rolling Stones, but not a lot of bands lasted that long. It is like everything else, it is all relative and in the eye of the beholder. Or in this case the listener. I think we here are likely not going to overlook bass players or anyone else in an ensemble setting because (big assumption) we all have a different perspective and appreciation of music than the average listener. But it was interesting to see folks choices. Some on there I knew in the back of my mind, just didn’t think of them instantly. For me it was a good memory jog.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

How is it that nobody has mentioned Donald " Duck " Dunn....Stax, Booker T and the MG's, Blues Brothers, Bob Dylan etc etc etc....



RJ

I thought of him, but is he really forgotten? Jeez, hope not!

Okay: Here are two more. I'm shocked, shocked that no one has mentioned Jaco Pastorius. Is he another too-beloved artist? Or, against all odds, has he really joined the forgotten?

I'm not surprised no one mentioned Freebo. Great player and a character, but always playing a supporting role (real well).

 

[brenn]

John Entwhistle theWho

RIP

Overlooked and nearly forgotten? Isn't he more like one of the best known bass players in the history of rock music?

I'd say much the same about the guys posting Leon Wilkeson.

If I asked anybody that knew enough about music to name 10 bass players, John Entwistle and Leon Wilkeson would be among them. I wouldn't be surprised if they are better known among the general public than Lemmy.

 

[BluesMann]

Overlooked and nearly forgotten? Isn't he more like one of the best known bass players in the history of rock music?

I'd say much the same about the guys posting Leon Wilkeson.

If I asked anybody that knew enough about music to name 10 bass players, John Entwistle and Leon Wilkeson would be among them. I wouldn't be surprised if they are better known among the general public than Lemmy.

It is all a matter of perspective I guess. When I was growing up and we were all listening to the Who, everyone knew who Roger Daltry was, who Pete Townsend was, who Keith Moon was and it always seemed like Roger Who? No pun intended. So my measuring stick so to speak may not be the same a yours. I have always thought that bass players in general get overlooked but that’s jus me.

 

[grayback]

Bob Babbitt-one of the Funk Brothers
Andy West- Dixie Dregs

 

[Harry Styron]

David Hungate, LA then Nashville session bassist, also played with Toto.

 

[thunderbyrd]

i don't know who she is, but i think highly of this lady:




i'll also point out that Gary Tallent is a fantastic bass player who doesn't get much acknowledgement. but there are a bunch of springsteen songs that his playing almost makes the song.

 

[billy logan]

I was a kid when the Human Beinz had an AM radio hit with "Nobody But Me" ... liked it pretty well!
Did NOT know until 5 minutes ago it was a cover of this Isley Brothers original -


Here it is without "The Office" TV show visuals (in case, like me, you can't stand Michael Scott or Dwight Shrute)


Never had heard "Nobody But Me" with the bass turned up (until "The Office" party was on free OTA re-runs)
Yes, it's kind of garage-band-ish ... But ... You go, Mel Pachuta on bass! Squeezing A LOT! of juice out of 1 ... -6
a/k/a D ... Bminor a/k/a I ...vi


edit2credit Tina Weymouth w/David Byrne and w/Tom Tom Club has withstood the decades very well indeed! ime

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

Peter Albin
Colin Hodgkinson

​

 

[bladeswitcher]

Gerald Johnson (Steve Miller Band back in the Joker era)

 

[421JAM]

Lamar Williams from Allman Brothers v.2.
Graham Maby - Joe Jackson
Fred Smith - Television
Brian Richie - Violent Femmes
Brian Betancourt - Sam Evian, Hospitality (One of the best musicians I've heard who has come out of the indie world in the last 20 years. A very McCartney-esque bass player)
George Murray - Bowie mid '70s era

 

[Peegoo]

Kevin Hopper. Certified bass bada$$.



and this, on a fretless, no less.

 

[Peegoo]

If you're into super inventive stuff (Pere Ubu, etc.), Hopper has several projects, one of which is Prescott:

 

[tigertail]

Robbie Shakespeare
Aston Barrett
Boris Gardiner
Leroy Sibbles

 

[brenn]

I was just listening to Paul Simon, which reminded me of one I forgot.

Bakithi Kumalo who played on Paul's Graceland album. I couldn't find a live video with Paul and Bakithi playing You Can Call Me Al, but this is good too.

 

[Bassman8]

I hope no one mentioned him already but Chris White of the Zombies (mid sixties British group) was a very good player. He also was one of the two main songwriters along with keyboardist Rod Argent. He co-wrote "Hold Your Head Up" which was a huge hit for Argent (the band). He's been involved in production and writing etc. since the Zombies called it a day way back when and is still going.