Off Topic unsung bass heroes

[shakinbacon]

I was listening to 38 special lately and I am very impressed with their bass player Larry Junstrom. One of those guys that doesn't get noticed but makes the band sound good and if you listen closely, he's doing some interesting and intricate stuff.

I have no idea what bass he used but I love his tone, choice of notes and groove

Check out "If I'd Been the One" and "Back Where You Belong"

Just great bass playing imho.



Another guy that has been impressing me is the bass player for the J Geils Band, Danny Klein. He did a bass with Whammy bar solo back in the 80s on the Freeze Frame album... check out "River Blindness". Check out "Come Back" for funky (disco admittedly) bass.

I could go on and on... so many players that I respect

 

[Holdsg]

How 'bout Davey Faragher? Couldn't imagine an Elvis Costello & the Imposters song without his solid bottom end. Great rhythm section Elvis has with Davey and Pete Thomas. Rock solid.

 

[sitonmybass]

Stu Cook with Creedence Clearwater Revival.

True "bass" playing; he played bass like a bass.

 

[bovinehost]

John Siegler (Utopia before Kasim Sulton) was a real influence of mine.

 

[tommixx]

I always thought that Craig Macgregor from Foghat fame was a really under appreciated player. He played mostly Fend^% basses but I saw them in the summer of 1980 about a half dozen times and he was playing a really beat up SR4 on some of the dates...

Peace,

T

 

[oddjob]

Danny Klein (J. Geils Band) is a total beast - solid groove, in the pocket and can toss in some nice riffs where needs. I caught him on tour back in 2000 and my jaw was on the floor all night (and I have seen some of the best lay it out there but he was soooo on top of it).

 

[Aussie Mark]

Cake's original bass player Victor Damiani has killer chops and tone. Their album Fashion Nugget is one of my fave albums for bass.

 

[shakinbacon]

I agree with all of the mentions except bovine's who I'll have to check out

Glad to see I'm not the only one influenced by the non-flashy guys

Truth be told, my biggest influences on bass are (in order - the first three are definitely "sung" heroes though)
1. John Entwistle
2. Steve Harris
3. John Deacon
4. a whole bunch of dudes
a) Eugene Wright from Dave Brubeck's classic quartet
b) Robbie Shakespear
c) Peter Trewavas from Marillion
d) bassist from Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band
e) bass on "Welcome to the Boomtown" by David and David
f) bass on the first Boston album
g) Tim ?? from Rage Against the Machine
h) bassist for Sade
....

I could go on and on and on. So many great players. I'm inspired now, I'll go practice

 

[Aussie Mark]

h) bassist for Sade

Ahhh, finally some EBMM content. Paul Denman.

 

[TheAntMan]

Ahhh, finally some EBMM content. Paul Denman.

Denman is Awesome!

Love his tone (2 band Stingray) and smooth grooves.

--Ant

 

[syciprider]

Andy Rourke of The Smiths-Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now has a fantastic bass line.

Ali McMordie of Stiff Little Fingers

 

[tommixx]

Denman is Awesome!

Love his tone (2 band Stingray) and smooth grooves.

--Ant

I am praying that the Natural Classic I am holding out for will give me something REALLY close to his tone...I identify with him more than anyone else out there! I guess I did not consider him as unsung so I did not add him here myself...

Peace,

T

 

[sitonmybass]

f) bass on the first Boston album
g) Tim ?? from Rage Against the Machine

Boston's first album lists Fran Sheehan as the bass player, but I've "heard" that Tom Scholz did the actual bass work, however, that may have only been on later recordings.

Tim Commerford played with Rage Against The Machine.

 

[tommixx]

Boston's first album lists Fran Sheehan as the bass player, but I've "heard" that Tom Scholz did the actual bass work, however, that may have only been on later recordings.

Tim Commerford played with Rage Against The Machine.

As I understand it from one of the guys that worked with Boston touring (Dana Roun who was their house engineer) Tom played nearly all (if not ALL) of the bass parts on the Recordings and Fran was the player for the live shows...If you listen to the bass lines they sound more like lines played by a guitarist than a bassist (at least I have always thought so)...Great parts nonetheless....

Peace,

T

 

[sitonmybass]

As I understand it from one of the guys that worked with Boston touring (Dana Roun who was their house engineer) Tom played nearly all (if not ALL) of the bass parts on the Recordings and Fran was the player for the live shows...If you listen to the bass lines they sound more like lines played by a guitarist than a bassist (at least I have always thought so)...Great parts nonetheless....

Peace,

T

That's exactly what I heard, you took the words right out of my mouth. Sheehan was their "live" player and Scholz played the recorded parts and I've always thought they sounded like a guitarist playing bass. We play "More Than A Feeling" and "Foreplay/Long Time" from their first album.

 

[tommixx]

That's exactly what I heard, you took the words right out of my mouth. Sheehan was their "live" player and Scholz played the recorded parts and I've always thought they sounded like a guitarist playing bass. We play "More Than A Feeling" and "Foreplay/Long Time" from their first album.

LOL...So do we! We actually play a couple more but I LOVE playing both of these 2! We also do Smoking and Don't Look Back...

Peace,

T

 

[Duarte]

I love Bakithi Kumalo (played bass on Paul Simon's Graceland) and Barenaked Ladies bassist Jim Creeggan.

 

[bovinehost]

I love Bakithi Kumalo (played bass on Paul Simon's Graceland) and Barenaked Ladies bassist Jim Creeggan.

Jim Creeggan - I love that guy.

 

[kevins]

i liked kim deal a lot, thats probobly why i got a stingray. a lot of those early alternative rock movement bassists did a similar thing with really simple really beautiful/expressive lines.

there was a lot of talented ska bassists, too many to really name, all of those guys are pretty unsung heroes. but then again bass is pretty close to a lead instrument in those kinds of bands as the guitar keeps its early jazz movement role of a rythm instrument.

a lot of people tell people to shut the hell up about jamerson, but the guy is probobly as unsung as it gets when it comes to musicians. the only people that know who he is are bassists or motown historians and there aren't many bassists that know who he is for that matter. in the sheer magnitude of unsungedness to revolutionaryness(both which are not real words), jamerson probobly is the king.

the cure bassist with the stingray, and no its not just cause he had a stingray he was better and had taste

 

[Vintage7]

Mars Cowling: Pat Travers Band

Kenny Aaronson: Stories, Rick Derringer, etc.