Favourite bass guitarist

arjunmenon · 2007-12-05T18:53:30+00:00

Apologies if i've missed out other influential players, but everyone is welcome to post replies listing their fave bass guitarists. Thanks for participating...

Favourite bass guitarist

George-Troupe

Bob Dubery wrote:
Is that the original finish on the '62? I always liked white and tortoiseshell on a Fender. The only finish that beats it is that funky salmon pink colour - although it may be a bit too much on a bass.

Yes it is Bob although it has yellowed a bit, maybe something to do with the nitrocellulose as the neck has become a nice honey colour. The brown tortoise pickguard matches it quite nicely, and I have always liked the red tortoise on the 3 colour sunburst. That was my introduction to Precisions. Notably, there was recently a 63 salmon pink Fender Jaguar on E-Bay, going for $53,000 if I remember correctly. And a 58 Strat for $60,000 !!! In 1992 you could buy a 58 Strat in New York for $5,000 !

A very nice collection. How do you explain it to the wife?

The whole family is musical right back to my paternal grandfather who played euphonium in a prize silver band and I got my first guitar when I was 10 years old. My mother is one of 8 and they were all musical in some way, from musicians to a professional singer. So everyone today is very understanding!

Wasn't he one of the famed "wrecking crew" along with Blaine?

Yes he was. I believe other bass players were Max Bennett and Carol Kaye (she reckoned that during her session peak, she earned more than the president!). Blaine is reputed to be the most recorded drummer in music history. The most recorded guitarist was Tommy Tedesco, also a member of the crew. At one time he coached Steve Lukather. The Motown house band, the Funk Brothers, played on more no.1 hits than Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones and The Beach Boys combined. That probably makes them the greatest ever house band as they played everything together whereas the Wrecking Crew was composed of a lot more musicians who didn't always play together.

Bob-Dubery

George Troupe wrote:
Wasn't he one of the famed "wrecking crew" along with Blaine?
Yes he was. I believe other bass players were Max Bennett and Carol Kaye (she reckoned that during her session peak, she earned more than the president!). Blaine is reputed to be the most recorded drummer in music history. The most recorded guitarist was Tommy Tedesco, also a member of the crew. At one time he coached Steve Lukather. The Motown house band, the Funk Brothers, played on more no.1 hits than Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones and The Beach Boys combined. That probably makes them the greatest ever house band as they played everything together whereas the Wrecking Crew was composed of a lot more musicians who didn't always play together.

I hadn't known that Tedesco was a member of the Wrecking Crew. He mentored several outstanding studio musicians, some of whom (Lukather being an example) went on to be famous in the public eye. Toto effectively were a later manifestation of the studio band-for-hire. They were hired for Boz Scaggs's "Silk Degrees" album, and shortly thereafter decided to try and become famous in their own right.

I suppose the same thing happened with Booker-T And The MGs who were essentially the Stax house band. Bass player there was "Duck" Dunn.

Tedesco was hugely respected by other LA studio musicians. There was a little unwritten law at one time that if you turned up for a session and found that Tommy was also there and that somehow you'd got the number one "sheet" instead of Tommy then sheets would quickly be swopped - sometimes without the arranger and/or producer being told.

Coming back to my entry into this thread, Danny Thompson is another one of those players whom lots of people don't know exist but have also heard. He did a lot of session work in the UK in the 60s and 70s - some of which he might be tempted to play down. EG Cliff, sorrry! Sir Cliff's "Congratulations".

Sometimes these guys don't know what they've played on what they haven't if they've been really busy. For many years Dave Pegg (another guy whose playing I like) was very proud of the part he played on Nick Drake's "One Of These Things First". That was until a box set with copious liner notes was released and he found that in fact Ed Harris (who must have been a contemporary of Kaye, Osborne etc) had played the part that he'd been so proud of!

CornFlakes

WOW what a nice collection...

George-Troupe

Bob Dubery wrote: Toto effectively were a later manifestation of the studio band-for-hire. They were hired for Boz Scaggs's "Silk Degrees" album, and shortly thereafter decided to try and become famous in their own right.

And what a brilliant album that was Bob. I don't know if it's available in SA but I found a DVD in the UK 'Boz Scaggs Greatest Hits Live'. Highly recommended. The band is notably lacking any members of Toto but the album sound is recreated almost perfectly. Re Toto, wasn't the late Jeff Porcaro brilliant, a real drummer's drummer. He must have had quite a track record in sessions. His teaming up with Abe Laboriel was sublime. If you can get hold of Larry Carlton's 'Sleepwalk' album from 1982, it's a great listen. The UK's Hi-Fi News made it album of the month on release, just beating Al Di Meola's 'Electric Rendezvous' into second place.

I suppose the same thing happened with Booker-T And The MGs who were essentially the Stax house band. Bass player there was "Duck" Dunn.

I wonder how many people who saw the original Blues Brothers movie realised who they were?

Sometimes these guys don't know what they've played on what they haven't if they've been really busy.

Carol Kaye is a typical example. She claimed to have played on some of the late James Jamerson's Motown hits, which upset his family greatly. Until Motown moved from Detroit to Los Angeles, they only had two bassists, Jamerson and his successor Bob Babbit, who is white. One of the three guitarists was white, Joe Messina, and they were known in the studio as the 'Oreo Cookie' guitar section for obvious reasons! Messina was a really seasoned musician, having played with the likes of John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

I'm hoping all this historical stuff isn't boring all the younger guys! To do a switch, I'm wondering about a bass cab. As I don't really play any longer I got rid of my amplification and bought a Hartke HA2500 for tinkering around at home. It's compact, fairly powerful at 250w RMS, 10 band EQ, compressor, effects loop, passive and active inputs. I got hold of a 15" Eminence speaker, which I believe Fender use, and have been experimenting with different enclosures, vented, infinite baffle, etc. Keeps me occupied! I'm not really interested in shopping around but I'd be interested to hear what guys out there still gigging are using for bass amplification - and what they aspire to!

iLLy

Best != Favourite

Personally my FAVOURITE is Denholm Harding from Just Jinjer, but I wouldn't say he's the best...

I've always been told the best is Victor Wooten, but to be honest, I haven't seen that many extraordinary bassists

Bob-Dubery

iLLy wrote: Best != Favourite

Personally my FAVOURITE is Denholm Harding from Just Jinjer, but I wouldn't say he's the best...

I've always been told the best is Victor Wooten, but to be honest, I haven't seen that many extraordinary bassists

There is no best. There are great players, but no ultimate number one player. There are elite players who are fantastic and have some aspect to their playing that nobody else has, but then somebody else will have something that they don't have.

As Danny Thompson says on his web site: "Well I am not the greatest bass player the world has ever known, but I have been involved in music making with some wonderful people, I know I can play otherwise I would have become a pro boxer!"

I'm sure that by every technical yard stick Victor Wooten is superior to Paul McCartney, but Macca has still laid down some seriously great bass parts.

Dirk

I also think Victor Wooten and Abe Laboriel are the kings. But there are so many legends like Nathan East, Lee Sklar and Mike Porcaro(the Groovemeister). Its a shame he couldnt make the Toto Farewell tour and had to be replaced by Lee Sklar (but who's complaining ?)

aubs1

All these guys are fantastic bass players.

I found it rather interesting that "The First Lady of Bass" does not feature on any of these lists! Or is it perhaps that she plays the "wrong" type/style of music?
I'm obviously referring to Carol Kaye, awesome bass player IMHO!!

Bob-Dubery

aubs1 wrote: All these guys are fantastic bass players.

I found it rather interesting that "The First Lady of Bass" does not feature on any of these lists! Or is it perhaps that she plays the "wrong" type/style of music?
I'm obviously referring to Carol Kaye, awesome bass player IMHO!!

Very low public profile. Not known in her own right. Like Tommy Tedesco.

aubs1

Very low public profile. Not known in her own right. Like Tommy Tedesco.

Good point as always Bob.

Frans-B--Cocq

Off the list, I'd say Steve Harris. I'm not that much into bass players, but that guy is great.

But not off the list, my favorite is Martin Mendez. Not too known, any of you know him? He's from Uruguay and plays for Swedish band Opeth. He doesn't do solos, but rather serves the music - that doesn't mean he doesn't have some awesome lines. Dude keeps a pretty low profile, can barely speak English, and lets the other guys be in the spotlight (actually, the only thing I've heard him say is "I'm Martin. I play bass.").

DaFiz

I don't know the bass guitarists m'self but as I'm now playing bass in a band I turn to John McVee (Fleetwood Mac) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) for inspiration. ?

Riaan-Combrink

DaFiz wrote: I don't know the bass guitarists m'self but as I'm now playing bass in a band I turn to John McVee (Fleetwood Mac) for inspiration. ?

I love (x 1000) John McVie. He & Mick are the epitome of a rhythm section IMHO.

Bob-Dubery

DaFiz wrote: I don't know the bass guitarists m'self but as I'm now playing bass in a band I turn to John McVee (Fleetwood Mac) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) for inspiration. ?

IMO Jones is an underrated bass player (in fact underrated in general). He played in a band where everybody else was in the limelight. Another player who was mostly concerned with serving the song.

AlanRatcliffe

Bob Dubery wrote: IMO Jones is an underrated bass player (in fact underrated in general). He played in a band where everybody else was in the limelight. Another player who was mostly concerned with serving the song.

+1. Very tasty bass player and a great keyboardist who could keep the bass going with the pedals when he played keys.

I can't remember if we've mentioned him before in this thread, but another bassist who tends to get overlooked because of his bandmates is John Deacon of Queen.

andrewjbryson

Stuuuuuu Ham
"Uncle" Tony
Billy Sheehan
John Mayang

Squonk

Another underated bass player is Adam Clayton from U2, Edge and Bono always steal the limelight. In fact Adam and Larry Mullen are an awesome Rhythm section! 8)

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote: Another underated bass player is Adam Clayton form U2, Edge and Bono always steal the limelight. In fact Adam and Larry mullen are an awesome Rhythm section! 8)

Based on a video from their latest album that I saw on TV recently he's improved. He plays for a great band, and an interesting band in that they are pretty limited technically but operate very imaginatively and successfully within those limitations, but a great player he is not.

[deleted]

Dirk

I didnt know Chris Chameleon played bass? He's a pretty good singer, I'll give him that. Not my style though