Great bassists

Miss Informed

Looking to discover great bassists or songs with great basslines. Genre isn't important. Any suggestions?

MightyMighty737

I love Matt Freeman's stuff (Rancid, Op Ivy and Devil's Brigade). Having said that I know sweet F.A about the bass and what makes a good player, but he sounds good to me!

Owen

Jamiroquai, lots of 70's funk, Dream Theater, Jaco Pastorius ... there's a good forum called Talk Bass which probably has similar threads on there that you could search.

Hermy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I63bOi477cA

furiousox

Best bassist on the planet imo
The Rhythm Stick bassline is just out of this world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbfxZ23SdqU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3oaTnVMjsA

fruvai

Joe Lally

Tradbike

maybe a different type of bass than what you're thinking, but probably best bass player i've heard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQsd2tAIgUE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXt6htVi3C4

Rigsby

Miss Informed wrote: »

Looking to discover great bassists

"Great bassists" !.... and not one mention yet of the greatest of them all...one James Jamerson. :eek: OP, check out You Tube for anything by this man.

While you don't hear much about him these days, I always liked the original bassist in Jethro Tull, Glen Cornick. Here is a great track with a great bass line and short solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2RNe2jwHE0

BTW, a big +1 to "Hit me with your rhythm stick," quoted earlier.

Frank Black

Kim Deal.



Obviously I'm biased though.

GoldenTickets

John Deacon

/thread

Demesneman

Baselines I love

Black Velvet - Alannah Miles
UB 40 - Almost anything they did
Horslips - Dearg Doom
Thin Lizzy - Several
Stevie Wonder - Various

fruvai

Paul McCartney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maz9ddxEQnM

Jay Wobble

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnBq98uUJE4

Andy Rourke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHYt-GKzfF0

Android 666

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bBb-c6IpEE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppR6LcGnkUY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594WLzzb3JI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS1HGjIPQ1I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q38F7_HSmss

Dr.Winston O'Boogie

Paul McCartney has been mentioned already but have to agree, he was an amazingly talented bassist and didn't get enough credit as people focused on his songwriting more than his technique. Also he played the bass line in "I Will" using his mouth!

I actually don't know this guys name, but he played with Rory Gallagher for years and this bass solo (around 2.38 in) and some of his other stuff is great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GvQ5gNKsQ4

Mr. Presentable

Ox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkKeZ1z8zGk

McVie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T0Dq_SXaWc

Aldebaran

Some basslines I enjoy playing:

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je8MXiwmNIk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unnh0T2Ftro

Also, has Flea been mentioned yet? It would be strange if he hasn't:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWSRDkaPro0

GoldenTickets

niallo24 wrote: »

I actually don't know this guys name, but he played with Rory Gallagher for years and this bass solo (around 2.38 in) and some of his other stuff is great.

That's Gerry McAvoy and you're right, he's a machine. When I saw this thread he was the first guy I thought of (after John Deacon). His bass on the live Rory Gallagher albums is amazing, Stage Struck chugs along non-stop because of his awesome bass playing!

Aldebaran

Rigsby wrote: »

"Great bassists" !.... and not one mention yet of the greatest of them all...one James Jamerson. :eek: OP, check out You Tube for anything by this man.

Yep, probably influenced more bassists than any other, check out this partial discography of his, it's unbelievable how many classic tracks he played on.

One of my faves of his is 'I Can't Help Myself' by The Four Tops, it's tough enough to hear the bass on the original recording, but it's an absolute cracker of a bass line. Someone managed to isolate it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZUFGe06Ylw

Rigsby

Aldebaran wrote: »

Yep, probably influenced more bassists than any other, check out this partial discography of his, it's unbelievable how many classic tracks he played on.

One of my faves of his is 'I Can't Help Myself' by The Four Tops, it's tough enough to hear the bass on the original recording, but it's an absolute cracker of a bass line. Someone managed to isolate it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZUFGe06Ylw

Great stuff all right. Macca is quoted as saying that Jamerson was a big influence on him in the early days. There is a book on Jamerson's life called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". As well as his life satory, it also gives transcriptions of his bass lines. It comes with a cd which has famous bassists reproducing his lines to songs. The great thing is that on the cd, you can isolate the bass lines to really hear how much of a genius this man was.

A "must have" for any aspiring bassist IMO.

delbertgrady

Since nobody seems to have mentioned any of the following yet...

Geddy Lee.
Chris Squire.
Tina Weymouth.

smokedeels

http://www.we7.com/#/song/fIREHOSE/Chemical-Wire

Rigsby

Aldebaran wrote: »

it's unbelievable how many classic tracks he played on.

On this subject...another bassist who is among the most recorded, is Carol Kaye. That is her playing on the intro to the Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations". Apart from her work with this band, she has recorded lots of songs with Motown, worked with other famous bands/artists, played on maybe hundreds of film scores, including well known TV films and comedy series. Yet, she is relatively unknown.

There's a lot more great bassists out there than the usual names rattled off.. Flea, Jaco, Wotton, etc.

chughes

Has Phil Lynott been mentioned yet ?

Latchy

Of top of my head and already being mentioned, Paul McCartney and John Entwistle .Mark King of Level 42 is another ,love his slap bass and John Illsley of Dire Straits fame .

Rigsby wrote: »

On this subject...another bassist who is among the most recorded, is Carol Kaye. That is her playing on the intro to the Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations". Apart from her work with this band, she has recorded lots of songs with Motown, worked with other famous bands/artists, played on maybe hundreds of film scores, including well known TV films and comedy series. Yet, she is relatively unknown.

Yes , she featured on a documentry a few years back about the making of the Beach Boys Pet Sounds and she was one of the great studio muscians who played bass on most of the songs including ,Sloop John B , God Only Knows , Wouldn't It Be Nice and Here Today .Also on the Pet Sounds box set which I have ,there's a tribute to her and all the great records and scores she played on .

Rigsby

Latchy wrote: »

Yes , she featured on a documentry a few years back about the making of the Beach Boys Pet Sounds and she was one of the great studio muscians who played bass on most of the songs including ,Sloop John B , God Only Knows , Wouldn't It Be Nice and Here Today .Also on the Pet Sounds box set which I have ,there's a tribute to her and all the great records and scores she played on .

There is a film documentary on her life in music, due out soon. She is seventy six and still as busy as ever playing and mostly teaching. She has just bought a new bass.

Jordan 199

Pino Palladino, another great bassist. Replaced the late and great John Entwistle in The Who. Also worked for Gary Numan and was a member of the Royale Family.

Knifey Spoony

Something a little different:

Al Cisneros - Sleep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj9IAvv32wE

Geezer Butler - Black Sabbath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytwY-atTfpM

arsenallegend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgrOD4PZzuY

Bootsy Collins was and is the man for the bass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXPJOUD7G0

LARRY Graham, bought the funk to the Family stone.

PaulieBoy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Edwards
Who played with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chic_%28album%29
Some fantastic bass lines.

Latchy

Rigsby wrote: »

There is a film documentary on her life in music, due out soon. She is seventy six and still as busy as ever playing and mostly teaching. She has just bought a new bass.

It must be great as a session muscian to leave your musical footprint on many records and albums by so many artists .Look foreward to the documentry .

Rigsby

Latchy wrote: »

It must be great as a session muscian to leave your musical footprint on many records and albums by so many artists .Look foreward to the documentry .

Yeah, she is certainly a legend in the true sense of the word. Though there is some controversy as to who exactly played bass on some major Motown hits...Kaye or Jamerson. Kaye is adamant that it was she, and while Jamerson is obviously not around to defend himself, people who were actually at the recording claim it was Jamerson. Who to believe. We'll probably never know for sure at this stage.

Latchy

Rigsby wrote: »

Yeah, she is certainly a legend in the true sense of the word. Though there is some controversy as to who exactly played bass on some major Motown hits...Kaye or Jamerson. Kaye is adamant that it was she, and while Jamerson is obviously not around to defend himself, people who were actually at the recording claim it was Jamerson. Who to believe. We'll probably never know for sure at this stage.

I do remember reading something about that recently and makes it more important for these things to be documented on the day . I think a lot of people may not get the credits for playing on many records and doubts as to who actually played on on many others .

The Funk brothers were the legendry Mowtown studio , session musicians who played on more number one records than the Beatles ,Beach Boys ,Stones and Elvis combined and there would be little doubt I think as to who played what on which songs .I have two dvds I got recently on them to watch , Live In Concert and Standing In The Shadows of Mowtown .

Rigsby

Latchy wrote: »

I do remember reading something about that recently and makes it more important for these things to be documented on the day . I think a lot of people may not get the credits for playing on many records and doubts as to who actually played on on many others .

The Funk brothers were the legendry Mowtown studio , session musicians who played on more number one records than the Beatles ,Beach Boys ,Stones and Elvis combined and there would be little doubt I think as to who played what on which songs .I have two dvds I got recently on them to watch , Live In Concert and Standing In The Shadows of Mowtown .

Kaye claims to have a record of the studio sessions in question, though AFAIK, she has never produced them. I know for certain that she keeps records because when I bought some tutorial books and DVD's from her, they arrived with a mountain of photo copied documents from record sessions, concerts etc. Still...it's hard to doubt the word of others that were actually there.

Latchy

Rigsby wrote: »

Kaye claims to have a record of the studio sessions in question, though AFAIK, she has never produced them. I know for certain that she keeps records because when I bought some tutorial books and DVD's from her, they arrived with a mountain of photo copied documents from record sessions, concerts etc. Still...it's hard to doubt the word of others that were actually there.

It'a strange on ok but somebody somwhere must remember who was in that studio playing on this or that recording .Kaye may have to take her evidence to court and it will be interesting to see the outcome .It's similar to when people claim to have written or co- written on some well known classic songs .Proven it is much harder .

flyswatter

PaulieBoy wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Edwards
Who played with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chic_%28album%29
Some fantastic bass lines.

Yep, one of my favourite players.

Here's one of the most famous basslines in history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1APFyc_QtQ

Another One Bites The Dust by Queen basically ripped off that bassline.

flanree

I think the great bassists are the ones who make great basslines regadless of their technical ability. Examples:
Mike Watt - Minutemen/firehose
Billy Gould - Faith No More
Colin Greenwood - Radiohead
Jaco Pastorius - with Joni Mitchell
Mark Bedford - Madness
Muzz Skillings - Living Colour
Bruce Foxton - The Jam
Pino Palladino - with Paul Young
Mark Ibold - Pavement
Bruce Thomas - Elvis Costello
Kim Deal - Pixies
Bakithi Kumalo - Paul Simon
Nikolai Fraiture - The Strokes

Rud

Some of fav bassists in random order

Mark King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yioVmqlt2Fk

Geddy Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3hJ5-ngUow

Tim Comerford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pqCk9glb7U

JJ Burnel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXHToM3qt6w

Nick Oliveri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMd6CcX7yPA

Les Claypool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfVKkEN7CsU

my favourite bassist left on the planet Robert Levon Been

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk4iGP5-t0U

and my personal favourite of all time...Philo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHA3EZHvSWg

Raekwon

Jesse Keeler from Death From Above 1979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XyJMN14JSU

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

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

Oasis_Dublin

Mani.

losthorizon

flyswatter wrote: »

Yep, one of my favourite players.

Here's one of the most famous basslines in history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1APFyc_QtQ

Another One Bites The Dust by Queen basically ripped off that bassline.

Yeah, but they ripped that bassline off another song whos name I cant remember now.

Jamie Starr

Paul McCartney made me want to play bass, to be honest. You can find a ton of his isolated tracks on YouTube, (as well as vocals etc.) thanks to Rock Band multi-tracks. Not that you'd need them, his bass is very much foregrounded in most of their recordings, especially after Rubber Soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Zf1Q5hW8o

Another bassist I really admire is a guy called Aaron Mills. He's not a big name, but he played for the 80s funk outfit some of you might know called Cameo, and he's been on a lot of OutKast albums. (eg: Played on Ms. Jackson) Here's an example of his great playing, learning it was so enjoyable. He always does something exciting on a song he's on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HajhYonbW1c

BornToRun88

Mike Mills-R.E.M
Bruce Foxton-The Jam
Paul McCartney-The Beatles

Shreddingblood

Arif Miradolgaghi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Gq0S1m44s

real song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhMfz4HrcEA

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4P_OofC3xM

Latchy

One of the greatest Bassisits ever .The late Jet Harris (MBE)

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0MtD4Wm74

InTheTrees

I'm seeing a lot of replies with songs that have a distinctive bassline. But the quesiton was about Great Bass players..

So, Stanley clarke. One of the very best, ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RCj1fb_vqQ

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM9IFk73tac

slayerking

Metallica's Cliff Burton.

Monster of a bassist...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KpxOmksHrY

beng128

As mentioned before Mani, i just found this great isolated bass for Love Spreads

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

Greatist reggea bassist would have to be Aston "family man" Barrett

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XiYUYcpsT4

Nhead

John Paul Jones
Cliff Burton
Chris Squires (Yes)
Geezer Butler
Jah Wobble
Sting
Tal Wilkenfeld
Gail Ann Dorsey
Tina Weymouth
Jenny Lee Lindberg
Roger Glover
Trevor Bolder
Doug Lubahn (Session player for The Doors)
Nathan Watts (Bass player for Stevie Wonder)
(and everybody already mentioned)

Terrontress

Jim Lea from Slade is / was a great bass player. He had a great feel for the bass.

It has to be McCartney for me though.

Technocentral

3. Bernard Edwards
2. Kim Deal

1. Greatest bass player in the history of popular music: