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Best Bass Players of the Eighties...!


Stuart Clayton
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[quote name='MB1' post='156756' date='Mar 13 2008, 02:52 PM']MB1. :)
You just cant get away from
Mark King.........Level 42.
Walter Becker...Steely Dan.
Chuck Rainey....Steely Dan.
Unknown fretless...China Crisis.[/quote]

China Crisis - The mighty Gazza Johnson - I got drunk with him several times in Scotland. Top bloke and very tasteful fretless player.

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Barry Adamson on Magazine's "Back To Nature" in particular but loads of others.
Bruce Thomas - too many to mention.
Andy Rourke - The Smith's "This Charming Man".
Paul Gray - The Damned - just rattlin' Ricky great. Loved "Wait for the blackout" (70's? When was The Black Album out?)
Les Pattinson - Echo & The Bunnymen

Whoever played bass on The Associate's "Party Fears II".

The Fairlight and DX7 were the scourge of the '80s. Why did/do producers all think they have to use the "in sound" of the moment. Too may Fairlight "orchestral stabs", "vocal oohs" and the jangly DX7 piano things. Ughh.

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Hmm

Someone mentioned Tony Butler - Big Country - quaility player, own sound

Dare we mention Adam Clayton, the oft pilloried U2 man? Certainly some memorable basslines whihc make the songs - esp on the early albums, and maybe for New Year's Fay alone

Oh, and +1 to most of the above suggestions also lol

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the 80's for me is this eclectic mix!!-

Cliff Williams - AC/DC
Ian Hill - Judas Priest
John Taylor - Duran
Mark King - Lev 42
Tony James - Clash/Generation X
Paul Simonon - Clash
Duff Mckagen - Guns'n Roses
Lee Rocker - Stay Cats
Nikki Sixx - Motley Crue
Sting - The Police

................................................What a bunch!!! :wacko:

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[quote name='nottswarwick' post='157064' date='Mar 13 2008, 10:44 PM']Hmm

Someone mentioned Tony Butler - Big Country - quaility player, own sound

Dare we mention Adam Clayton, the oft pilloried U2 man? Certainly some memorable basslines whihc make the songs - esp on the early albums, and maybe for New Year's Fay alone

Oh, and +1 to most of the above suggestions also lol[/quote]

There is some nice stuff on the early U2 albums, then he just kind of gave up and took the cash

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Bassists

Peter Hook - Joy Division/New Order
Flea - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Muzz Skillings - Living Colour
Norwood Fisher - Fishbone
John Deacon - Queen

Basslines

New Order - Age of Consent
Faith No More - We Care a Lot
Queen and David Bowie - Under Pressure
Bonin' in the Boneyard - Norwood Fisher
Living Colour - Funny Vibe

Albums for bassists

New Order - Low Life
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Fishbone - Truth and Soul
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Mother's Milk
Living Colour - Vivid

Equipment

Trace Elliott BLX combo
Status Basses
Warwick Thumb Bass

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Well a lot of my favourites have been covered so all I can do is +1 and then a few additions on the bottom.

I have to say that a common thread amongst many of the players cited is that they were not traditional sounding players.

The sound in some cases was as important as the note choices/technique, note choices changed (less melodic or more melodic as long as it was not the same old lines that we had all heard before) with less reliance on formal scales and perhaps regardless of the overall quality of the music from the eighties (don't flame me those were my formative years when almost every penny I spent was on vinyl so I do love the period) I think it generally blew the style of traditional bass playing apart.

+1's
[b]Paul Raven (Killing Joke)[/b] - What a contribution to one hell of an original sounding band, sometimes difficult for me to listen to them now but in weird sort of way I think the fact I got into funk music at a later stage in life was perhaps subliminally because of these guys.
[b]Greg Norton (Husker Du) [/b]– Simple, melodic and solid, another solid contribution to an original sound from the eighties.
[b]Bakithi Kumalo[/b] – Even though at the time post punk was my thing his sound was irresistible and Graceland ended up next to Plastic Surgery Disasters (Dead Kennnedys) in the record pile.
[b]Derek Forbes[/b] – Genius from Real to Real Cacophony (aright 79 so I should not mention it) to Sparkle In the Rain
[b]Andy Rourke[/b] – It really was not all about Morrisey and Marr, this guy pulled some lines!
[b]JJ Burnell[/b] – Yep he was 70's origins (as surely were most of the players on the list whether they were famous or not at the time) as someone said earlier but his sound and note choices kept progressing so he is is just as valid in the eighties imho.
[b]Paul Gray [/b]- “The Damned's Black Album from 1980 some outstanding bass riffs” yep + Billy Bad Breaks anyone?
[b]Barry Adamson [/b]– Magazine - Superb player. Second Hand Daylight (and my favourite album) Play are 80's so perhaps he creeps in.
[b]Tony Butler[/b] - Big Country what can I say, I did not really fully get into them but his playing was stand out to me so I ended up buying albums just to hear him.
[b]Brian Ritchie [/b]– Violent Femmes – How many notes is acceptable on an acoustic bass within a bar?
[b]Colin Moudling[/b] – XTC – Versatile player for a versatile (aright perhaps a bit quirky in places) band
[b]Peter Hook[/b] - Joy Division/New Order – Great original style and sound.

A few additions

[b]Steve Hanley – The Fall[/b] - he had a groove all of his own.
[b]Leslie Langston – Throwing Muses [/b](House Tornado) in particular. Loved her on Wolfgang Press's Queer album as well (mind that is 90's so I should not really mention it).
[b]Kim Deal – Pixies[/b] – Awesome!!
[b]Klaus Flouride – Dead Kennedy's[/b] - Great band with a grrreat bass player!

Err...word of advice don't have to 2 pints of old thumper for lunch and then think, I know I'll go and add a short! note to that 80's bass player thread...it does not happen...apologies.

Edited by NowVertical
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[quote name='Doc B' post='157522' date='Mar 14 2008, 04:00 PM']Dead Souls came out in 1979 according to my copy of Substance.[/quote]

The dates on Substance are recording dates rather than release dates. Dead Souls was originally released on the Licht Und Blindheit EP in 1980

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='158422' date='Mar 16 2008, 03:00 PM']The dates on Substance are recording dates rather than release dates. Dead Souls was originally released on the Licht Und Blindheit EP in 1980[/quote]

Thanks for the clarification - good to know there are plenty of Hooky fans out there.

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