Best Bass line from the 80's.....

[todd4ta]

"Ghost Town" by The Specials...one of my favorite bass lines ever!

"Nite Klub" by The Specials is my favorite.

Elvis Costello - many

Joe Jackson with Graham Maby (actually '79 for Look Sharp! and I'm the Man)

My wife is a certified Duran Duran fanatic. John Taylor is her true love, I'm only her second favorite bass player.

 

[tegzsa]

Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart.

It's not just a bassline, it's practically the whole song.

 

[dlloyd]

Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart.

It's not just a bassline, it's practically the whole song.

+1 Fantastic tune.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Joe Jackson with Graham Maby (actually '79 for Look Sharp! and I'm the Man)

+1

1980 Beat Crazy
1981 Jumpin' Jive
1982 Night & Day
1983 Mike's Murder
1984 Body & Soul
1989 Blaze Of Glory

all Graham Maby, all good

 

[LeftyLB]

Anything on the "SO" Album that Levin was involved in: "Sledge, Don't Give Up, Red Rain, Big Time:

Pino Paladino on Paul Young's "Lay my Hat", "Everytime You Go Away"

Sting on "Murder By Numbers", the last Track of Syncronicity

JT of DD on "Rio", "Lonely In Your Nightmare"

Lots of Tony Butler on Big Country albums

Was Ian Dury's "Hit Me With Your Rythmn Stick" 1980's or late 70's - Superb!

Bass line from the original theme tune to "Taggart"

I started playing bass in 1985, so for me the 80's never sucked, it was my teacher.

 

[shamus63]

I think John might have had a little help by Bernard Edwards on that one

You're saying Bernie did a ghost track for John? (no pun intended, at all!)

 

[Randracula]

You're saying Bernie did a ghost track for John? (no pun intended, at all!)

I don't know about that but read this..........
Power Station was a pop group made up of singer Robert Palmer, bassist John Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, and former CHIC drummer Tony Thompson; two other CHIC members, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers were also involved on the studio side. The band was formed in New York City late in 1984 during a break in Duran Duran's schedule, and were named after the Power Station recording studio where their album was conceived and recorded.



The group began as something of a whim -- it was a one-time gathering of friends to provide backing to model and would-be singer Bebe Buell who wanted to record a cover of the T. Rex song "Bang A Gong (Get It On)". Both Taylors were eager to branch out from the synthesizer-heavy pop of Duran Duran and play some Led Zeppelin-flavored rock'n'roll; the participation of their idols from CHIC lent the project a horn-inflected funk vibe that meshed surprisingly well with the crunching guitars and booming drums.



Soon the project evolved into the idea of a revolving supergroup; a tentative name for the band was Big Brother. The original plan for the one-album project was for the three musicians (Taylor, Taylor and Thompson) to provide musical continuity to an album full of material, with a different singer performing on each track. Those who were approached included Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, Mars Williams and Richard Butler (of The Psychedelic Furs), and Mick Ronson.



The group then invited eclectic soul singer Robert Palmer to record vocals for the track "Communication". When he heard that they had recorded demos for "Bang A Gong", he asked to try out vocals on that one as well, and by the end of the day, the group knew that they had found that elusive chemistry which distinguishes successful bands. Before long, they had decided to record the entire album with Palmer.



n February 16, 1985, the band performed "Some Like It Hot" and "Bang A Gong" on the Saturday Night Live TV show; this was Palmer's only live performance with the band.



In March of 1985, the band issued the album Power Station (originally released on vinyl and subtitled 33⅓ for the turntable speed). The album was produced by Bernard Edwards, with some informal assistance from Nile Rodgers.

 

[shamus63]

I don't know about that but read this..........
In March of 1985, the band issued the album Power Station (originally released on vinyl and subtitled 33⅓ for the turntable speed). The album was produced by Bernard Edwards, with some informal assistance from Nile Rodgers.

Yeah, I knew that Bernie was involved in the production, but John laid down all the bass tracks.

 

[Randracula]

Yeah, I knew that Bernie was involved in the production, but John laid down all the bass tracks.

You don't think Bernard mabye gave a little insight to John during recording/pre-production though?

 

[shamus63]

You don't think Bernard mabye gave a little insight to John during recording/pre-production though?

Could be, but then you'd have to say the same about every musician that ever went into a studio...short of self-produced material.

It still comes down to his ability and feel.

 

[Randracula]

Could be, but then you'd have to say the same about every musician that ever went into a studio...short of self-produced material.

It still comes down to his ability and feel.

True, everyone takes a little from their influences to create their own style. It must have been great for John to have one of his idols there in the studio with him( and give him one his Rays!). Do you know who Trip Wamsley is ? John gave him one of his Aria basses ...Lucky Bassturd

 

[backagain1]

This is probably the 70's but it's a good bass line.

This is probably the 70's but it's a good bass line.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYRx-vkKGzg&mode=related&search="]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]

Edit: Here's another version of the same song:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBsLRWh46ds&mode=related&search="]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]

 

[bovinehost]

I was thinking about the Power Station the other day and listening to some of Robert Palmer's solo work. He and I had a mutual friend years ago, and he told her (about the Power Station stuff), "If this sells, it's like getting away with murder."

the sneakin' sally through the alley,

Jack

 

[Mr Light]

No love for The Cure's material in the 80's? Some nice basslines in there.

I enjoy the groove of "Lullaby." They play the video on the VH1 Classic channel all the time. The show called Alternative (of course).

 

[Calaveras]

I heard the Paul Young song and went and got that LP just on teh basis of that bass line. MISTAKE! A bunch of crap euro-pop ballads. But man Palladino was killing it on that fretless. Speaking of fretless, How about Japan? Mick Karn was a pretty awesome bassist on those albums. One of the few fretless players I have heard who shows no Jaco influence.
Second the Peter Hook of Joy Division. Huge influence on me getting into bass. I know its a heresy to say so on this board but I am still holding out for a Shergold 6 string like Hooky plays.
But speaking of Ray players, how about Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees. I like pretty much everything he played on their first 5 records. Even his take on "Passenger" by Iggy Pop was distinctive.
Cant say good night without mentioning Mike Watt of the minutemen. Again too many songs to name one, but a huge punk bassist in the 80's. He surely was an influence on many young kids who were on the fence between guitar and bass.

 

[Joe Nerve]

There are lotsa basslines I thought were great in the 80s, but I just saw a video yesterday to a song I never really listened to before that had a SMOKIN!!! bassline.

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - by everybody's favorite band, Wham.

 

[roburado]

Lot's of great ones here.

I haven't seen it mentioned, but I really like the bass line to "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police.

 

[bassmonkey]

You're saying Bernie did a ghost track for John? (no pun intended, at all!)

I saw a documentary on the making of that album a few years ago. On one of the tracks, can't remember which, there is a slapped break. John Taylor played the main bassline, but the documentary shows Bernard laying down the slap track, on his Stingray.

 

[bassmonkey]

Oh yeah. A few of the Thompson Twins basslines were pretty decent. Their live bass player played a Stingray too.

 

[MrMusashi]

there can only be one sledgehammer!!

then a mile behind you could find:
mark king - everything with level 42
pino palladino - tear your playhouse down, everytime you go away, nikita (with elton john)

other than that, most things i remember had awful machine sounds..

MrM